Friday Prayers - - Conditions, essential parts and Sunnahs of Jumu’ah khutbahs

Can you explain to us theessential parts, obligations and Sunnahsof
the Jumu'ah khutbah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The fuqaha' of the four madhhabs are agreed that the khutbah is a
condition of the Friday prayer being valid, and it is part of the
remembrance of Allaah that Allaah has enjoined in His words
(interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the
Salaah (prayer) on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the remembrance of
Allaah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and
leave off business (and every other thing)"
[al-Jumu'ah 62:9].
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) persisted in
doing this; in fact it is narrated from some of the Companions that
the khutbah is a replacement for two rak'ahs of Zuhr prayer. All of
that indicates that the khutbah is an essential condition for the
Friday prayer being valid.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
To sum up, the khutbah is a condition of Jumu'ah, and it is not valid
without it, as was stated by 'Ata', al-Nakha'i, Qataadah, al-Thawri,
al-Shaafa'i, Ishaaq, Abu Thawr and ashaab al-ra'i. And we do not know
of anyone who disagreed with thatexcept al-Hasan. End quote.
Al-Mughni (2/74)
Secondly:
Conditions of the Friday khutbah
The fuqaha' are also agreed on two of the conditions of the Friday khutbah:
1. That it should be done after the beginning of the time for Friday prayer.
2. That it should be done before the prayer and not after.
Al-Khateebal-Sharbeeni said: according to consensus, except for those
who held odd opinions. Mughni al-Muhtaaj, 1/549. There should not be a
lengthy interval between the two, ratherthe prayer should come
immediately after the khutbah. Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: It is essential that the prayer come immediately after the
khutbah. End quote. Al-Mughni, 2/79.
The scholars differed concerning other conditions. We will mention
briefly that which we believe is mostlikely to be conditions after
having studied the evidence of all opinions:
3. The intention (niyyah). That is because the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allaah be upon him) said: "Actions are but by
intentions." Agreed upon. So it is stipulated that the khateeb should
have theintention of presenting a khutbah that is acceptable and valid
for Friday prayer. This is the view of the Hanbalis andsome of the
Shaafa'is.
4. It should be spoken out loud. It is not acceptable for the
khateeb to give a khutbah silently, because the aims of the khutbah
cannot be achieved unless it is given out loud. This is the view of
the majority of scholars, apart from the Hanafis.
Some of the scholars have stipulated that a specific number of people
must attend the Friday khutbah, and some of them stipulated that the
khutbah should be in Arabic, but we have explained previously on our
website that these two conditions are not valid. See the answer to
question no. 7718 and 112041 .
Thirdly:
Essential part of the Friday khutbah
The correct scholarly view is that the only essential part of the
Friday khutbah is the minimum to which the word khutbah may be applied
according to custom. This is the view of Ibn Hazm. Al-Muhalla, 5/97,
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is not sufficient in the khutbah to discourage people from being
attached to worldly matters and to remind them of death, rather it is
essential to give what may be called a khutbah according to custom,
and that cannot be achieved by means of anabbreviated speech that
fails to fulfil the purpose.End quote.
Al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 79
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaanal-Sa'di (may Allaah havemercy on him) said:
The fuqaha's stipulation of the four essential parts in each of the
two khutbahs is subject to further discussion. If the speaker does in
each of the two khutbahs that which fulfils the purposeof the khutbah,
which is exhortation that moves the heart, then he has done the
khutbah. But undoubtedly praise of Allaah, blessings upon the
Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) and
recitation of some Qur'aan are all things which complete and adorn the
khutbah. End quote.
Al-Fataawa al-Sa'diyyah, p. 193
The khateeb should be pure and free of impurities both minor and
major, and he should wear his best clothes, greet the peoplewith
salaam and deliver the khutbah from the minbar. He should turn to face
the people and he should be sincere in exhorting and reminding the
people in clear and eloquent words. He should keep the khutbah short
and not make it lengthy, and he should make it into two khutbahs.
There are differences of opinion with regard to many of these minor
issues, the details of which are discussed elsewhere. But here we have
limited it to an overall discussion of thatwhich all the Muslims need
to know.
However we should point out here the importance of paying attention to
the people'ssituation with regard to what the khutbah should contain.
The khateeb should give them what they need and not talk to them about
things that they cannot understand or that they do not need to know of
religious issues.
Moreover he should not differ from what people are used to in their
khutbahs of remembrance of Allaah, supplication or other things that
are mustahabb in the khutbah, and for which there is no evidence
thatthey are essential in the khutbah. It is sufficient for there to
be evidence that they are mustahabbor even allowed for him to do them.
And he should pay attention to the people's situation and needs.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after
discussing what the Hanbali fuqaha' regard as essential in the Friday
khutbah:
Some of the scholars said that the basic condition of the khutbah is
that it should contain exhortation thatsoftens the hearts and is
beneficial to the people present, and that praising Allaah, sending
blessings upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him)
and reciting a verseare all part of perfecting the khutbah.
But this opinion, although it carries some weight, need not be
followed if the people ofthis city follow the first view which the
author mentioned above, because if he omits these conditions which the
author has mentioned, the people will become confused and everyone
will leave Jumu'ah feeling that he has not prayed Jumu'ah, but if you
fulfil these conditions you will not be doing anything haraam.
Paying attention to the people with regard to any matter that is not
haraam is the way of sharee'ah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allaah be upon him) paid attention to his Companions with regardto
fasting and not fasting in Ramadan when travelling, and he paid
attention to them with regard to the rebuilding of the Ka'bah,when he
said to 'Aa'ishah: "Were it not that your people are still new in
Islam, I would have demolished the Ka'bah and rebuilt it on the
foundations of Ibraaheem." [Agreed upon] This principle is well known
in sharee'ah.
But if you go along with them with regard to something that is haraam,
this is called compromise and it is notpermissible. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "They wish that you should compromise
(in religion out of courtesy) with them, so they (too) would
compromise with you" [al-Qalam 68:9].
End quote from al-Sharh al-Mumti', 5/56
And Allaah knows best.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Friday Prayers - - Is there a Sunnah prayerbefore and after Jumu’ah?

When I go to the mosque on Friday the athaan is pronounced, then
everyone prays 2 or4 rakaat.Then the athan is again pronounced
andimmediately after it iqamah .Having prayed 2Jum'ah rakaat people
pray again 2 or 4 rakaat.Besides,the imaam when supplicating raises
hands then wipes his face and everyone follows him .
Is it bid'ah? If so,what should I do(just look at others?)
Praise be to Allaah.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to come out of his house on the day of Jumu'ah (Friday) and climb
up on his minbar. Then the muezzin wouldgive the Adhaan, and when he
finished, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
would start his khutbah. If there were any Sunnah prayerto be done
before Jumu'ah, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would
have told them about it and directed them to do it after the Adhaan,
and hewould have done it himself. At the time of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) there was nothing apart from the
Adhaan just before the khutbah.
Hence the majority of the imaams agreed that there is no sunnah to be
done at a specific time before Jumu'ah with a specific number of
rak'ahs, because that would have been reported from the wordsor
actions of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
andnothing of that nature has been reported from him. This is the
madhhabof Maalik, al-Shaafa'i and most of his companions, and is the
well known view in the madhhab of Ahmad.
Al-'Iraaqi said:
"I have not seen anything to indicate thatthe three imaams recommended
praying Sunnah before it [Jumu'ah]."
The muhaddith al-Albaani commented:
For that reason this so-called Sunnah is not mentioned in Kitaab
al-Umm by Imaam al-Shaafa'i, or in al-Masaa'il by Imaam Ahmad, or by
any of the other early imaams, as far as I know.
Hence I say:
Those who pray this Sunnah are not following the Messengeror imitating
any of the imaams; on the contrary,they are imitating the later
scholars who are like them in that they are also imitators [of earlier
scholars] rather than mujtahideen [scholars who investigate and form
their own rulings]. I am amazed to see an imitator imitating another
imitator.
(See al-Qawl al-Mubeen, 60, 374).
Moreover, between the first call of Jumu'ah prayer and the second
call, there should be sufficient time for people to get ready to pray,
not just the time it takes to pray two rak'ahs or thereabouts, as is
done in some countries and some mosques.
With regard to making du'aa' together in one voice behind the imaam
after the prayer, Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen answered this question in
al-Fataawaa, p. 368, where he said:
"This is one of the bid'ahs which was not reported from the Prophet or
from his companions. What is prescribed in Islam is for people to
remember Allaah Alone after the prayer, in accordance with the
teachings of the Messenger of Allaah, and this should be done aloud,
as reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari fromIbn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with them both), who said: "Peopleused to raise their voicesin
Dhikr [remembrance of Allaah] after finishing the prescribed prayer at
the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)."
With regard to the prayer after Jumu'ah, Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Zaad (1/440):
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had
prayed Jumu'ah, he would enter his house and pray two Rak'ahs of
Sunnah, and he commanded those who had prayed it to pray four rak'ahs
afterwards. Our shaykh, Abu'l-'Abbaas Ibn Taymiyah said: if he prayed
in the mosque, he would pray four, and if he prayed at home, he would
pray two. I say: this is what is indicated by many ahaadeeth.
AbuDawood reported in his Sunan (1130) from Ibn 'Umar that when he
prayed in the mosque, he prayed four and when he prayed at home, he
prayed two.
With regard to wiping the face after making du'aa', this is not
reported in any saheeh hadeeth; indeed, some of the scholars stated
that it is bid'ah. See Mu'jam al-Bida' (p. 227).
Do not do that which is bid'ah and do not take part in it; advise and
enjoin people to follow the Sunnah; remind them and tell them about
the Islamic ruling. We ask Allaah to guide us all to the Straight
Path; may Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Is it prescribed for the khateeb to say “Aqoolu qawli haadha wa astaghfir-Allaah (I say these words of mine andI ask Allah for forgiveness)?

At the end of the Friday khutbah the khateeb says, "Aqoolu qawli
haadha wa astaghfir-Allaah (I say these words of mine and I ask Allah
for forgiveness). Is there any basis for this in Islam? Is there
anything wrong with that? We prayed in one of the mosques and at the
end of the khutbah the khateeb said, "I say these words of mine andI
ask Allah for forgiveness for me and you and for all the Muslims."
When the prayer was over, one of the congregation of the mosque
objected to that and said: "This is an innovation that is said inthe
khutbah." Then he said: "It is not only your words, you quoted
Qur'aanic verses and hadeeths, and the wordsof the Salaf, so how could
you say that these are your words?".
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with the khateeb saying at the end of his
speech, "Aqoolu haadha wa astaghfir-Allaah (I say this and I ask Allah
for forgiveness)" or "Aqooluqawli haadha wa astaghfir-Allaah (I say
these words of mine andI ask Allah for forgiveness)", whether this is
the first or second Friday khutbah or any other kind of speech. These
are words that arenarrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) and from the khateebs among his Companions (may
Allah be pleased with them).
Ibn Hibbaan (3828) narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave
a speech on the day of the conquest of Makkah. He praised and
glorified Allah then he said: "To proceed: O people, Allah has taken
away from you the pridein ancestry of Jaahiliyyah. O people, people
are of two types, the righteous and pious one who is dear to his Lord
and the wretched evildoer who is worthless before his Lord." Then he
recited the verse (interpretationof the meaning): "O mankind! We have
created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and
tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of
you with Allaah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. he is one of
the Muttaqoon (the pious. See V.2:2)]. Verily, Allaah is All-Knowing,
All-Aware" [al-Hujuraat 49:13]. Then he said: "Aqoolu haadha wa
astaghfir-Allaah (I say this and I ask Allah for forgiveness)."
This hadeeth was classedas saheeh by Shu'ayb al-Arna'oot in his
Tahqeeq, and by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2803. The
biographers narrated that Thaabit ibn Qays ibnShammaas, the khateeb of
the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with him) said it in the presence
ofthe Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Ibn Ishaaq
said in the report of the delegation of Banu Tameem and their boasting
in front of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah upon him): The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah upon him)said to
Thaabit ibn Qays ibn al-Shammaas, the brother of Banu al-Haarith ibn
al-Khazraj:Get up and answer the man's speech. Thaabit got up and
said: Praise be to Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and
established Hisrule therein, and His knowledge encompassesHis Throne;
nothing exists but by His bounty. By His power He made uskings and
chose the bestof His creation as a Messenger, who is the most
honourable in lineage, the most sincerein speech, and the noblest in
ancestry, and sent down to him His Book and entrusted him (to guide)
His creation. He was Allah's choice from among the worlds. Then He
summoned mento believe in him, and the emigrants (Muhaajireen) from
his people and his kinsmen believed in Allah's Messenger; the most
honourable of men in lineage, the highest in dignity, and the best in
deeds. The first of creation to answer and respond to Allah when the
Messenger called them were ourselves. Weare Allah's helpers and the
assistants of His Messenger, and we will fight men until they believe
in Allah. He who believes in Allah and His Messenger has protectedhis
life and property from us; and he who disbelieves we will fight for
the sake of Allah unceasingly and killing him will be a small matter
to us. These are my words and I seek Allah's forgiveness for myself
and the believers,both men and women. Peace be upon you.
End quote from al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyahby Ibn Hishaam, 2/562; al-Seerah
by Ibn Katheer, 4/79.
These words were also narrated from Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Ali (may
Allahbe pleased with them) intheir khutbahs, and some contemporary
scholars use them in their khutbahs such as Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may
Allah have mercy on him).
As for the objection to the khateeb mentioning things that are not his
own words, such as verses, hadeeths and reports, this objection is not
valid, because what these words refer to is everything that the
khateeb said in his khutbah, even the verses, hadeeths and reports
that the khateeb quoted.
The point is that saying these words is permissible and there is
nothing wrong with it, and there is no justification for objecting to
it.
We ask Allah to help us to understand His religion properly.
And Allah knows best.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Mullah Nasruddin stories

More useful
One day Mullah Nasruddin entered his favourite teahouse and said
"The moon is more usefulthan the sun".
An old man asked "Why Mullah?"
Nasruddin replied "We need the light more during the night than during the day."
Promises kept
A friend asked the Mullah"How old are you?"
"Forty" replied the Mullah.
The friend said "But you said the same thing two years ago!"
"Yes," replied the Mullah, "I always stand by what I have said".
When you face things alone
"You may have lost your donkey, Nasruddin, but you don't have to
grieve over it more than you didabout the loss of your first wife."
"Ah, but if you remember, when I lost my wife, all you villagers said:
"We'll find you someone else. So far, nobody has offered to replace my
donkey."

Jabril How Does Archangel Gabriel Quiz Muhammad in the Hadith?

The Hadith (a collection of Muslim narratives about the prophet
Muhammad) includes the Hadith of Gabriel, which describes how
archangel Gabriel (also known as Jibril in Islam ) quizzes Muhammad
about Islam to test how well he understands the religion.Gabriel
appeared to Muhammad over a 23-year period to dictate the Qur'an word
by word,Muslims believe.
In this Hadith, Gabriel appears in disguise, checking to make sure
that Muhammad has received his messages about Islam correctly. Here's
what happens:
Answer:
The Hadith of Gabriel
The Hadith of Gabriel's tells the story: "Umar ibn al-Khattab (the
second rightly guided caliph) reported: One day when we were with
Allah's [God's] messenger, a manwith extremely white clothing and very
black hair came to us. No tracesof travel were visible on him, and
none of us recognized him. Sitting down before the Prophet, (peace and
blessings be upon him) leaning his knees againsthis, and placing his
handson his thighs, the stranger said, 'Tell me, Muhammad, about
Islam.'
The Prophet replied, 'Islam means that you should bear witness that
there is no god but God and that Muhammad is Allah's messenger, that
you should perform the ritual prayer , pay the alms tax, fast during
Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the Ka'aba at Mecca if you are
able to go there.'
The man said, 'You have spoken the truth.' (We were amazed at this
man's questioning the Prophet and then declaring that he had spoken
the truth).
The stranger spoke a second time, saying, 'Now tell me about faith.'
The Prophet replied, 'Faith means that you have faith in Allah, His
angels , His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and that you have
faith in fate as it is measured out, both its good and evil aspects.'
Remarking that the Prophet again had spoken the truth, the stranger
then said, 'Now tell me about virtue.'
The Prophet replied, 'Virtue — doing what is beautiful — means that
you should worship Allah as if you see Him, for even if you do not see
Him, He sees you.'
Yet again the man said, 'Tell me about the Hour (that is, the coming
of the Day of Judgment).'
The Prophet replied, 'About that he who is questioned knows no more
than the questioner.'
The stranger said, 'Well, then tell me about its signs.'
The Prophet replied, 'The slave girl will give birth to her mistress,
and you will see the barefoot, the naked, the destitute, and the
shepherds vying witheach other in building.'
At that, the stranger wentaway.
After I had waited for a while, the Prophet spoke to me: 'Do you know
whothe questioner was, Umar?' I replied, 'Allah and His messenger know
best.' The Prophet said, 'He was Jibril [Gabriel]. He came to teach
you your religion.'"
Thoughtful Questions
In the preface to the book Questions And Answers About Islam by
Fethullah Gülen, Muhammad Cetin writes that the Hadith of Gabrielhelps
readers learn how to ask thoughtful spiritual questions: "Gabriel knew
the answers to these questions, but his purpose of disguising himself
and posing these questions was to help others attain this information.
A question is asked for a certain purpose. Asking a question for the
sake of displaying one's own knowledge or asking merely to test the
other person is worthless. If a question is asked for the purpose of
learning in order to let others find out the information (as in the
example of Gabriel above, the questioner may already know the answer)
it can be considered a question that has been posed in the correct
manner. Questions of this kind arelike seeds of wisdom."
Defining Islam
The Hadith of Gabriel summarizes Islam's majortenets. Juan Eduardo
Campo writes in the book Encyclopedia of Islam : "The Hadith of
Gabriel teaches that religious practice and belief are interrelated
aspects of the Islamic religion – one cannot be accomplished without
the other."
In their book The Vision of Islam , Sachiko Murata and William C.
Chittick write that Gabriel's questions and Muhammad's answers help
people Islam as three different dimensions working together: "The
hadith of Gabriel suggests that in the Islamic understanding, religion
embraces right ways of doing things, right ways of thinking and
understanding, and rightways of forming the intentions that lie
behindthe activity. In this hadith, the Prophet giveseach of the three
right ways a name. Thus one could say that 'submission' is religion
asit pertains to acts, 'faith' is religion as it pertains to thoughts,
and 'doing the beautiful' is religion as it pertains to intentions.
These three dimensions of religion coalesce into a single reality
known as Islam."

Muslims in Americ

"Growing up in America, Eddie lived the American dream. He achieved it
all before the age of thirty—money, cars, women."
These are the narrator's opening words to the ground-breaking
documentary film about how Eddie Redzovic, founder and host of the
worldly-renowned The Deen Show, came to Islam.
However, the narrator's next words are those thattruly open this film:
"But beneath the surface…"
And "beneath the surface" is the story of one man—a troubled and
broken soul—who makes the streets his battleground and the nightclub
his place of refuge. Yet, as he repeatedly throws himself into throes
of violence and death, he discovers that his most dangerous
battleground lies within…
The story of troubled Eddie—who was born in Buffalo, New York, to
Yugoslavian immigrants—begins while Eddie is inChicago, where his
parents moved while he was still a child.
With two working parents and lots of time on his hands, young Eddie
fills his days with what could only be described as every parent's
nightmare: bad friends, complete disregard for school, and,ultimately,
gang membership.
"Children are like a garden," Eddie's uncle reflects regretfully on
what happened to his nephew during those years. "If you miss [even]
one week of watering, it's overcome with weeds."
Like so many troubled souls before him, it is within the somber
solitude of a jail cell yearslater that Eddie realizes that his life
is in disarray. Ironically, it is the absence of his closest
companions—his fellow gang members, his "family"—that inspires this
realization.
"I'm in a jail cell thinking…These people don't care about me."
Then comes the ultimate question that every soul must surely ask
itself at least once upon this earth, "What am I doing with my life?"
Yet, even after his release, the light still doesn't come on for Eddie…
It isn't until he sinks deepinto the insobriety of self-indulgence
that the fault lines begin to make way to redemption…
But even after he embraces spirituality to feed his ailing soul,
Eddiefinds that his battle of the self is not yet over…
"You have three types of brothers…" Eddie tells theattendants to a
lecture at a school he visits after accepting Islam and founding The
Deen Show, "blood brothers…brothers in humanity…and brothers in
[faith]."
And this film offers a moving story for each and every one of them—the
members of our families, our brothersand sisters in humanity, and all
people of faith.
In a world of Islamophobia, media-hyped "Islamic extremism," and
spiritual depravation, this documentary is a "must-see" for every
journalist, every writer, every intellectual…And every soul.
This film will touch each differently. But each will be touched.
This movie truly is, as the commentator said of Eddie himself, "an
example of redemption."

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Everything is possible for those who believe

Nourish your dreams. To achieve anything requires faith in Allah,
belief in yourself, imagination, vision, persistence, hard work, and
sometimes blood and tears.
The will of Allah and the power of your heart and mind make an
unbeatable combination.Everything is possible for those who believe –
anything you can envision, and many things you can't.
I'm thinking of a ragtag group of desert Arabs, who, in the course of
a single generation, transformed the world forever. I am speaking of
course of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions.
What they did was impossible – there's no other word forit. But
through the powerof Allah, and the tremendous determination of one
man, and the faith of those who followed him, the impossible became
possible. Because of theirfaith and sacrifices, you and I can utter
the words, " Laa ilaha-il-Allah " and put them into practice in our
lives.
Your dreams don't have to be that grand. Whether you dream of building
a new masjid for your community, writing a novel, competing in sports,
becoming a doctor, doing charity work overseas, memorizing theQuran,
or any other goodand meaningful goal – it can be achieved by the will
of Allah. But you can't just sit back and wait for it to happen. Feed
your dream as you would feed a newly planted seed. Care for it, devote
time to it, don't give up, and watch it grow before your eyes.

Allah and His Messenger are the lights in the darkness of this world

Matthew Arnold, the English poet, wrote:
"Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night."
In this poem, Arnold envisioned the world as aplace of darkness,
conflict and confusion, with no light to show theway out. To him the
beauty of the world was just an illusion, a dream; and the reality of
life wasone of struggle and pain.
Indeed, the world seems to become a more dangerous and hopeless every
day. The news is filled with dire stories about war and starvation,
the inexorable destruction ofthe natural environment, pollution of the
oceans, terrorism, and crime. Most recently we have been reading about
the "Arab Spring", in which the people of several nations have risen
up against their dictators. Asinspiring as these events are, in the
midst lie acts of horrific cruelty. In Libya it is rumored that 100
officers who refused to order soldiers to fire on protesters, were
burned alive. La hawla wa la quwwata il-laa billah. How horrendous.
Wouldn't a sane person be afraid of such a world? Wouldn't an
intelligent person be consumed with anxiety, and wouldn't a very
intelligent person be plunged into despair?
The thing about fear, anxiety and despair is that they flourish in
spiritual darkness, just as some species of mushrooms can only grow in
the dark. They might be represented by the image of a monster hiding
in the corner of a dark room.
What do you do when you're afraid there's a monster in the closet, or
creeping quietly toward you? You turn on the light.
The Light is Allah
For us, the light is Allah, and the Quran through which He
communicates with us. Our guiding lightis the natural bond we have
with Allah, and our instinctive yearning to know our Creator. Let's
cherish that bond and strengthen it, and it will fill us with light.
Allah's light is our salvation from fear of theunknown; fear of
failure; fear of loss and pain; fearof poverty, illness and injury;
fear of enemies who want to hurt us; fearof strange things; fear of
death.
"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His
light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lampis within glass,
the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a
blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil
would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah
guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for
thepeople, and Allah is Knowing of all things." - Quran, Surat An-Nur,
24:35
An Illuminating Lamp
And what about the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?
Allah says in the Quran, Surat Al-Ahzab, 33:45-46,
"O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good
tidings and a warner, And one who invites to Allah, by His permission,
and an illuminating lamp."
The Messenger too is a source of light. He is an illuminating lamp,
which is what you hold up so you can see the way ahead. His Sunnah
gives us a brilliant path to walk. It shows us the waypast all the
evils that lurk in the darkness, including the evils of racism,
nationalism, anger, selfishness, dishonesty, hypocrisy, and greed.
I'm not saying that all we must do is read the Quranand pray, and
those dire problems that I mentioned earlier will evaporate. Not at
all.
But the solutions to thoseproblems lie within the Quran if we look.
The Quran is the light that shows us the way out outof the gloom that
we have created for ourselves, and example of the Messenger (peace be
upon him) is a beaconthat lights the way forward.
Light in Our Hearts
The verse I quoted above,from Surat an-Nur, mentions the example or
similitude of Allah's light. The Sahabi (companion of the Prophet)
Ubayy ibnKa`b said, 'The similitude of His light [takes place in] the
Muslim's heart.' [Ibn Kathir, 3:464] Faith, dhikr, love of Allah and
compassion toward all creatures, cause that light to grow in our
hearts, until it spreads and appears on our faces, our hands, in our
eyes, on our tongues, and even in our homes. As Allah says, "Or is one
who was dead, and whom We gave life and made for him a light by which
to walk among people, like one who is ina darkness from which he
cannot emerge?" [6:122]
Other people can sense this light, and some will be guided by it,
while others reject it. Those who reject it might even be angered by
it, becauseit represents a refutation of a lifestyle based on narrow
material concerns.
Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "When the Messenger
of Allah got up to pray at night, he would say:
( O Allah, to You be praise,You are the Sustainer of heaven and earth
and whoever is in them. To You be praise, You are the Light of the
heavens and the earth and whoever is in them. )
When life starts to feel like a burden, and your vision contracts so
that all you see is darkness, don't give up. Don't despair. Remember
that there is a light to show you the way. The light is Allah. His
light is expressed through the Quran and through His Messenger. Turn
to it, and it will grow in your heart and bring you peace. It will
give you strength and joy, and willtransform you and all those around
you.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Anti-oxidant in tomatoes helps cut riskof stroke: study

Eating tomato and tomato-based food rich in antioxidant lycopene can
halve the risk of stroke, a new research has claimed.
Finland researchers found that people with the highest amounts of
lycopene in their blood were 55 per cent less likely to have a stroke
than people with the lowest amounts of lycopene in their blood.
The study involved 1,031 men in Finland between the ages of 46 and 65.
The level of lycopene in their blood was tested at the start of the
study andthey were followed for an average of 12 years.
During that time, 67 men had a stroke.
Among the men with the lowest levels of lycopene,25 of 258 men had a stroke.
Among those with the highest levels of lycopene, 11 of 259 men had a
stroke. When researchers looked at just strokes due to blood clots,
the results were even stronger.
Those with the highest levels of lycopene were 59 per cent less likely
to have a stroke than those with the lowest levels.
"This study adds to the evidence that a diet high in fruits and
vegetables isassociated with a lower risk of stroke," said studyauthor
Jouni Karppi fromthe University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio.
"The results support the recommendation that people get more than five
servings of fruits andvegetables a day, which would likely lead to a
major reduction in the number of strokes worldwide, according to
previous research," Karppi said in a statement.
The study also looked at blood levels of the antioxidants
alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and retinol, but found
no association between the blood levels and risk of stroke.
The research was published in the journal Neurology .

Scientists develop easier test for blindness

Scientists claim to have developed a quick and accurate test for one
of the world's leading causes of blindness.
Researchers from Australia's Vision Centre demonstrated the test under
lights for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - one of the world's
leading causes of blindness.
A new study shows that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be
just as effectively and more rapidly and inexpensively diagnosed under
bright lights, instead of requiring patients to sit for 20 minutes in
a darkened room.
"AMD accounts for half of the legal blindness cases in Australia,"
says Professor Ted Maddess from The Vision Centre and The Australian
National University.
"It affects one in seven people over the age of 50, costing the
nation$2.6 billion a year. Globally, it affects 25 to 30 million
people, with an annual cost of $343 billion.
"While current tests for AMD are done in the light, scientists have
proposed that it might be better if the patient has their vision
adapted to the dark prior to the test," he said in a statement.
"This is because they had found that rod receptors - vision cells that
we use to see in black and white and in low light - die earlier in AMD
than the cone receptors we use to see in colour during the day. So it
had been suggested that AMD tests would be more accurate if they were
based on thehealth of a person's rods," researchers said.
Recent research, however, has shown thatthe eye's cones, while dying
later than rods, start to deteriorate at thesame time as the 'night
vision' cells.
Using the TrueField Analyser, researchers tested how pupils respond to
images on LCDscreens.
"We found little to no difference in the results - with the TrueField
Analyser, we could diagnose AMD just as wellregardless of how much
light the eyes were exposed to during the test.
"Our research indicates that it's not necessary forpeople to be
dark-adapted, which eliminates any long waiting periods and the need
for dark rooms. So it is an easier test than was previously thought,"
researchers said.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Dought & Clear - - Friday Prayers - - Why aren't travellers mentioned in the hadeeth, “Jumu’ah prayer is an obligatory duty for every Muslim except four”?

In a hadeeth of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) it says: "Jumu'ah prayer is an obligatory duty for everyMuslim
except four." Why is it that travellers not included among those for
whom Jumu'ahprayer is waived in this hadeeth?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The hadeeth referred to in the question was narrated from Taariq
ibnShihaab (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Jumu'ah prayer is an
obligatory duty for everyMuslim, to be offered in congregation, except
four: a slave who is owned, or woman, or a child, or one who is sick."
Narrated by Abu Dawood (1067). Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo' (4/483):
Its isnaad is saheeh according to the conditions of the two shaykhs
(al-Bukhaari and Muslim). Ibn Rajab said in Fath al-Baari (5/327): Its
isnaad is saheeh. Ibn Katheer said in Irshaad al-Faqeeh (1/190): Its
isnaad is jayyid. It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami' (3111).
It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The
traveller is not obliged to pray Jumu'ah." Al-Haafiz said in
Bulooghal-Maraam: Its isnaad is da'eef.
The exception of the traveller is also mentioned in a number of
hadeeths, including the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, according to which
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said:
"There are five for whom Jumu'ah is not obligatory: the woman, the
traveller, the slave, the child and the people of the wilderness." It
says in Majma' al-Zawaa'id: It was narrated by al-Tabaraaniin al-Awsat
and its isnaad includes Ibraaheem ibn Hammaad, who was classed as
da'eef (weak) by al-Daaraqutni. Shaykhal-Albaani (may Allah have mercy
on him) said:(He is) da'eef jiddan (very weak).
It is no secret that the shar'i rulings should be derived from all of
the hadeeths that were narrated concerning thisspecific subject, and
theyshould not be derived from only one hadeeth whilst ignoring the
rest of the hadeeths.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned a
number, as we see in thehadeeth being asked about here, and mentioning
a number does not necessarily mean that it is limited to this number.
The aim may have been to make it easier to remember this hadeeth for
those who heard it. A similar example is the words of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): "There are seven whom
Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there will be no shade
but His…" By compiling all the hadeeths which speak ofthis great
matter ("Allah will shade them with His shade") it becomes clear that
there are more than20 such categories, not only seven.
Al-San'aani said in Subul al-Salaam:
We can see from the hadeeths that Jumu'ah isnot obligatory for six
people: children, as there is consensus that Jumu'ah is not obligatory
for them; slaves, as there is consensus on this matterexcept for
Dawood; women, and there is consensus that it is not obligatory for
them; sick people; travellers, who are not obliged to attend it; and
the sixth category, which is the people of the wilderness. End quote.
And Allah knows best.

Friday Prayers - - Dought & Clear - - Is it permissible for him to complete the purchase when he can hear the call to prayer?

Dought & Clear - - Friday Prayers - - Sometimes when I'm in the
market place and I am in a store and have chosen something and am at
the checkout, the call to prayer is given. Is it permissible for me to
complete the purchase or is that haraam?
Also, sometimes we are in the car and the muezzin has already given
the call to prayer, and we stop at the grocery and my brother asks the
shopkeeper to sell him something. Doesthis also come under the
prohibition?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If that is the adhaan for Jumu'ah prayer that comes after the khateeb
has ascended the minbar, then it is haraam to buy and sell at that
time, because Allah says (interpretationof the meaning): "O you who
believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah (prayer)
on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu'ah
religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and leave off business
(and every other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!"
[al-Jumu'ah 62:9].
The words "O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed
forthe Salaah (prayer) on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the
remembrance of Allaah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah
(prayer)] and leave off business" mean: stop dealing with trade and
come and listen to the khutbah and perform Jumu'ah prayer in the
mosque with the imam. This means that it is haraam to buy and sell
after the second adhaan which comes when the khateeb sits on the
minbar, until the prayer ends, unless there is a case of necessity
which calls for buying or selling, such as buying water for the
purpose ofpurification or a garment to cover one's 'awrah for prayer.
End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 13/101-102
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Buying and selling after the second call to Jumu'ah is haraam and also
invalid. Based on that, the transaction is invalid, so it is not
permissible for the purchaser to dispose of what he has bought,
because he has not taken possession of it, and it is not permissible
for the seller to dispose of the money paid, because he has not taken
possession of it. This is a serious matter, because some people may
buy or sell after the second call to Jumu'ah, then take things on the
assumption that they now belong to them. End quote.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti', 8/52.
So it is not permissible tobuy or sell after the second adhaan for
Jumu'ah, because what is required is to hasten to the mosque in order
to hear the khutbah and pray, and buying and selling distracts from
that.
But if that happens with regard to all the other prayers (Fajr, Zuhr,
'Asr, Maghrib and 'Isha'), there is nothing wrong with it, so long as
it doesnot distract one from praying in congregation and cause one to
miss it.
Allah says (interpretationof the meaning): "Men whom neither trade nor
sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allaah (with heart
andtongue) nor from performing As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât) nor from
giving the Zakât. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be
overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of
Resurrection)"[al-Noor 24:37].
Those are men who, even if they do business and sell and buy, there
isnothing haraam in that, but it should not distractthem and make them
give precedence to that and prefer it over the remembrance of Allah,
establishing prayer and giving zakaah; rather they should make
obedience to Allah and worship of Him their ultimate aim, so whatever
keeps them from that, they should reject it.
End quote from Tafseer al-Sa'di, p. 569
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it haraam
to buy and sell during the adhaan or after it? What about on Fridays?
He replied:
Allah says (interpretationof the meaning): "O you who believe
(Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah (prayer) on
Friday (Jumu'ah prayer)..." [al-Jumu'ah 62:9], so it is not permissible
to buy and sell or to rent or do any other kind of transaction; rather
people should focus on Jumu'ah prayer and hasten to pray Jumu'ah, and
not let anything elsedistract them.
With regard to other prayers, they may or may not come under the same
rulings as Jumu'ah,but to be on the safe side, one should not do
anything after the call toprayer, after the adhaan for Zuhr, 'Asr or
Maghrib,because that may distract him from praying in congregation.So
it is better to avoid that, unless it is some minor matter that will
not distract him, so perhaps there is nothingwrong with it, because
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, only spoke about the issue of
Jumu'ah, because it is very important and it is obligatory to attend
it, and one misses out by missing it. So it is a serious matter and is
a weekly obligation.
To sum up: Jumu'ah cannot be compared with other prayers, but if he
avoids such situations so that he will not be distracted from praying
in congregation,that is better.
Whatever the case, if his buying and selling may distract him from
performing prayer in congregation, then it is haraam, but in some
cases the prayer may be delayed, if the Imam is late, so a person may
buy or sell something onhis way, and it may not affect his attending
the prayer. But if he avoids that and adheres to what applies to
Jumu'ah,that will be more on the safe side, so it is like Jumu'ah with
regard to precautions. End quote.
From Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb
And Allah knows best.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Ruling on preparing wine in the college of pharmacy and tasting it

I have a friend, he is a Pharmacy student, and one of their
requirements in a subject is to ferment wine and after several months
they will be tasting it to affirm the proper mixture.
We dont like to be cursed by the Prophet sallaAllahu alayhi wa sallam
as long as we are studying(5 months/1 semester), because one day is
not enough to prepare it, then they would be sinning for a long time.
According to what we read that the Prophet sallaAllahu alayhi wa
sallam cursed 10 kinds ofpeople associated with alcoholic beverages:
1. those who make it themselves
2. those who help make it
3. those who use it
4. those who carry it
5. those whom it is carried
6. those who give it to others
7. those who sell it
8. those who use the money made from it
9. those who purchase it
10. those from whom it is purchased
[Ibn Majah and At-tirmidhi]
What is the Ruling on making wine? and what are the necessary
actionsas a student, who were just sent by their parentsto study,
should they take when their Professor requires them to do such thing?
We really seek your advice and please give a clear evidence with
regard to this matter, for most of his Muslim classmates does not
really follow without proper evidence. May Allah guide them and In sha
Allah whatever may come unto us we will accept it, May Allah give us
strong eeman and taqwa.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is haraam to consume, carry, sell or buy alcohol,and ten types of
people are cursed with regard to it, as it says in the hadeeth
narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1295) and Abu Dawood (3674) fromAnas ibn
Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed ten with
regard to wine: the one who squeezes (the grapes etc), the one who
asks for it to be squeezed, theone who drinks it, the one who carries
it, the one to whom it is carried, the one who pours it, the one who
sells it and consumes its price, the one who buys it and the one for
whom it is bought.
Calssed assaheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi
It is not permissible to manufacture alcohol for drinking or for
medical purposes, because of thereport narrated by Abu Dawood (3874)
from Abu'd-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The
Messengerof Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Allaah has sent down the disease and the remedy, and He has created
for every disease a remedy, so treat disease but do not treat it with
anything that is haraam."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 1762
Muslim (1984) narrated from Waa'il ibn Hijr (mayAllah be pleased with
him) that Taariq ibn Suwayd al-Ju'fi asked the Prophet (S) about
khamr, and he forbade him or expressed his disapproval of his making
it. He said: I only make it as a remedy. He said: "It is not a remedy,
but it is a disease."
This clearly indicates that it is haraam to use alcohol for medicinal
purposes and that it is not a remedy; rather it isa disease.
An-Nawawi said: This indicates that it is haraam to use and produce
alcohol, and it clearly indicates that it isnot a medicine, so it is
haraam to use it for medicinal purposes, because it is not a remedy,
so it is like consuming it for no reason. This is the correct view
according to our companions. End quote.
Ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Allah has not put
your healing in that which He has forbidden to you." It was also
mentioned by al-Bukhaari in a mu'allaqreport (5/2129)
If the alcohol is being made for drinking or to use as a remedy or as
part of a remedy, it is not permissible for the student to take part
in producing it, and he has to do announce his stance and show pride
in his religion, and refuse to participate in something that is
haraam.
If it is being produced inorder to find out the chemical properties of
alcohol, and what is produced will be destroyed and not drunkor put
into medicine, then it is permissible, but it is haraam to taste it;
tasting it should be left to non-Muslim colleagues.
Based on that, in order for the student to participate in this
production experiment, it is stipulated that the alcohol should be
destroyed and no one should be allowed to drink it or put it into
medicine. If these conditions are accepted, there is nothing wrong
with him participating; otherwise he should refrain from participating
even if thatwill lower his grade. All the Muslim students should
refuse to do that and ask the university toaccommodate their religious
needs.
And Allah knows best.

He studies in a mixed environment and when he interacts with his female classmate she doubts his actions

The learning environment am in forces me to be close to this
particular sister in islam. I treat her with all da respect a muslim
brother should give to a sister. However she doubts most of my actions
to her, and most of my favours to her, even though she acceptsthem
sometimes. please note that I dont do this very often or in a manner
that would suggest evil thoughts. This behaviour hurts me,considering
the fact thatI know I am very much sincere in all that I do to her and
I have no bad intentions. I always think of explaining this to her but
the only thingthat stops me from doing so is the hope thatmaybe by
enduring the pain to myself I'll have a better reward infront of Allah
in akhera, I haven'tfound another choice. Is there any or shuold I
stick to the one I have?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Free mixing in schools, universities and other places is haraam
because of the evils and negative consequences to which it leads. This
has been discussed previously in the answers to questions no. 1200 and
50398
The one who is faced with that and cannot find a school or university
that is not mixed has to fear Allah, lower his gaze, and keepaway from
women and talking to them, let alone making friends with them, except
for when there is a real need to talk to them, in which case he should
talk with them only as much as is necessary.
What appears to be the case from your question is that you are not
compelled to do these things, in addition to thedoubt that it causes
in this sister's mind. Hence what you have to do is give it up and
avoid this girl and others, and remember that if it werenot for the
need for education, it would not be permissible to you to remain in
this mixed environment.
If you can change to a study group other than the one in which this
sister is, then do that. If not, then refrain from these interactions
that are making her doubt you, and keep it to the minimum of
interaction between you.
We ask Allah to forgive you and to protect you from evils both
apparentand hidden.
And Allah knows best.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Abdullah ibn Jahsh

Abdullah ibn Jahsh was a cousin of the Prophet and his sister, Zaynab
bint Jahsh, was a wife of the Prophet. He was the first to head a
group of Muslims on an expedition and so was the first to be called
"Amir al-Mumineen"-- Commander of the Believers.
Abdullah ibn Jahsh became a Muslim before the Prophet entered the
House of al-Arqam which became a meeting place, a school and a place
of refuge for the early Muslims. He was thus one of the first to
accept Islam.
When the Prophet gave permission for his Companions to emigrate to
Madinah to avoid further persecution from the Quraysh, Abdullah ibn
Jahsh was the second to leave, preceded only by Abu Salamah.
Emigratingwas not a new experience for Abdullah. He and some membersof
his immediate family had migrated before to Abyssinia. This time,
however, his migration was on a far bigger scale. His family and
relatives--men, women and children, migrated with him. In fact, his
whole clan had become Muslims and accompanied him.
There was an air of desolation asthey left Makkah. Their homes
appeared sad and depressed as if no one had lived there before. No
sound of conversation emanated from behind those silent walls.
Abdullah's clan were not long gone when the alerted Quraysh leaders
came out and made the rounds of the districts in Makkahto find out
which Muslims had left and who had remained. Among these leaders were
Abu Jahl and Utbah ibn Rabiah. Utah looked at the houses of the Banu
Jahsh through which the dusty winds were blowing. He banged on the
doors and shouted:
"The houses of the Banu Jahsh have become empty and are weeping for
its occupants.""Who were these people anyway," said Abu Jahl
derisively,"that houses should weep for them." He then laid claim to
the house of Abdullah ibn Jahsh. It was the most beautiful and
expensive of the houses. He began to dispose freely of its contents as
a king would share out his possessions .
Later, when Abdullah ibn Jahsh heard what Abu Jahl had done to his
house, he mentioned it to the Prophet, peace be upon him,who said:
"Aren't you satisfied, O Abdullah,with what God has given you instead,
a house in Paradise?"
"Yes, messenger of God," he replied, and became at peace with himself
and completely satisfied.
Abdullah ibn Jahsh had scarcely settled down in Madinah when he had to
undergo one of the most testing experiences. He had just begun to
taste something of the good and restful life under the sponsorship of
the Ansar--after going through persecution at the hands of the
Quraysh--when he had to be exposed to the severest test he had ever
known in his life and carry out the mostdifficult assignment since he
became a Muslim.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of God be on him, commissioned eight
of his Companions to carry out the first military assignment in Islam.
Among them were Abdullah ibn Jahsh and Sad ibn Abi Waqqas.
"I appoint as your Commander the one who can best bear hunger and
thirst," said the Prophet and gave the standard to Abdullah ibn Jahsh.
He was thus the first to be made amir over a contingent of believers.
The Prophet gave him precise instructions on the route he should take
on the expedition and gave him a letter. He commanded Abdullah to read
the letter only after two days' travel.
After the expedition had been on its way for two days, Abdullah looked
at the contents of the letter. It said, "When you have read this
letter, press on until you come to a place called Nakhlah between Taif
and Makkah. From there observe the Quraysh and gather whatever
information you can on them forus."
"At your command, O Prophet ofGod," exclaimed Abdullah as he finished
reading the letter. Then he spoke to his colleagues:
"The Prophet has commanded me to proceed to Nakhlah to observe the
Quraysh and gather information on them for him. Hehas also commanded
me not to go further with anyone of you who is against the purpose of
this expedition. So whoever desires martyrdom and is in total
agreement with this expedition can accompany me. Whoever is not in
agreement, may turn back without blame. "
"At your command, O messengerof Allah," they all responded."We shall
go with you, Abdullah,wherever the Prophet of God hascommanded."
The group continued until they reached Nakhlah and began to move along
the mountain passes seeking information on Quraysh movements. While
they were thus engaged, they saw in the distance a Quraysh caravan.
There were four men in the caravan--Amr ibn al-Hadrami, Hukm ibn
Kaysan, Uthman ibn Abdullah and his brother Mughirah. They were
carrying merchandise for the Quraysh--skins, raisins and other usual
Quraysh stock in trade.
The Sahabah conferred together.It was the last day of the sacred
months. "If we were to kill them," they agreed, "we would have killed
them in the inviolablemonths. To do so would be to violate the
sacredness of this month and expose ourselves to the wrath of all
Arabs. If we leave them alone for a day so that the month will be
completed, they would have entered the inviolable precincts of Makkah
and thus be secure from us."
They continued consulting until finally they agreed to pounce on the
caravan and take whatever merchandise they could as booty. Before
long, two of the men were captured and one waskilled; the fourth
escaped.
Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his men took the two prisoners and the caravan
on to Madinah. They went to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and
informed him about what they had done. The Prophet was greatly upset
and strongly condemned their action.
"By God, I did not command you to fight. I only commanded you to
gather information on the Quraysh and observe their movements." He
granted a reprieve to the two prisoners and he left the caravan and
did not take a single item from it.
Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his men then knew that they had fallen into
disgrace and felt certain that they were ruined because of their
disobeying the command of the Prophet. They began to feel the pressure
as their Muslim brothers censured them and avoided them whenever they
passed one another. And they would say,"These went against the command
of the Prophet."
Their discomfiture grew when they learnt that the Quraysh had taken
the incident as a means todiscredit the Prophet and denounce him among
the tribes.The Quraysh were saying:"Muhammad has defiled the sacred
month. He has shed blood in it, plundered wealth and captured men."
Imagine the extent of the sadness felt by Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his
men at what had happened, more so because of the acute embarrassment
they had caused the Prophet.
They were sorely tormented andthe agony weighed heavily on them. Then
came the good newsthat Allah--Glorified be He--was pleased with what
they had done and had sent down revelation to His Prophet about this
matter. Imagine their happiness! People came and embraced them,
congratulating them on the good news and reciting to them what had
been revealed in the glorious Quran about their action.
"They ask you about fighting in the sacred month. Say: Fighting
therein is an enormity as well as preventing (people) from the path of
God and disbelief in Him.Expelling people from the Masjidal Haram is a
greater sin in the eyes of God. Moreover, persecution is greater than
killing." (Surah al-Baqarah 2: 212).
When these blessed verses were revealed, the Prophet's mind was eased.
He took the caravan and ransomed the prisoners. He became pleased with
Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his men. Their expedition was certainly a
majorevent in the early life of the Muslim community . . .
The Battle of Badr followed. Abdullah ibn Jahsh fought in it and was
put to a great test, but a test to which his faith was equal.
Then came the Battle of Uhud. There is an unforgettable story
involving Abdullah ibn Jahsh andhis friend Sad ibn Abi Waqqas
concerning an incident that tookplace during the Battle of Uhud. Let
us leave Sad to tell the story:
During the battle, Abdullah cameto me and said, "Aren't you making a
dua to God?'
"Yes," said I. So we moved aside and I prayed, "O Lord, when I meet
the enemy, let me meet a man of enormous strength and fury. Then grant
me victory over him that I might kill him and acquire spoils from
him." To thismy prayer, Abdullah said Ameen and then he prayed:
"Let me meet a man of great standing and enormous fury. I shall fight
him for Your sake, O Lord, and he shall fight me. He shall take me and
cut off my nose and ears and when I meet You on the morrow You will
say,"For what were your nose and ear cut off?" And I would reply,"For
Your sake and for the sake of Your Prophet." And then You would say,
"You have spoken thetruth . . ." Sad continues the story:
The prayer of Abdullah ibn Jahsh was better than mine. I saw himat the
end of the day. He was killed and mutilated and in fact his nose and
his ear were hung on a tree with a thread. God responded to the prayer
of Abdullah ibn Jahsh and blessed him with martyrdom as He blessed his
uncle, the Leader of Martyrs, Hamzah ibn Abdulmuttalib. The noble
Prophet buried them together ina single grave. His pure tears watered
the earth anointed withthe fragrance of martyrdom.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Friday Prayers - - There is no stipulation that Jumu‘ah prayer should be offered in a masjid or jaami‘

There is no stipulation that Jumu'ah prayer should be offered in a
masjid or jaami'
-
One of my acquaintence comented that, Juma is only valid in a place
where all five daily prayers are being offered in congregation.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no stipulation that Jumu'ah prayer should be offered in a
masjid or jaami' according to the majority of fuqaha' of the Hanafi,
Shaafa'i and Hanbali madhhabs, unlike the Maalikis.
It says in al-Bahr al-Raa'iq (2/162), which is a Hanafi book: The
words "and general permission" mean: The condition of it being valid
is that it should be done in the usual manner. So, for example,if a
ruler were to close the gates of the fortress and lead his family and
troops in offering Jumu'ah prayer, that is not valid. This is what it
says in al-Khulaasah. In al-Muheet it says that if he opens the gate
of his palace and gives the people permission to enter, it is valid
althoughit is makrooh, because he did not fulfil the rightof the
Jaami' mosque. End quote.
It says in Tarh al-Tathreeb (3/190): Our view (i.e., the Shaafa'i
madhhab) is that establishing Jumu'ah is not only to be done in the
mosque; rather it may be performed in an ordinary building. If they do
it in a place other than a mosque, the one who enters that place
should not pray during the khutbah, because there is no "greeting"
(2-rak'ah prayer upon entering) for it. End quote.
It says in al-Insaaf (2/378), which is a Hanbali book: With regard to
the words "it is permissible to performit in various buildings or
buildings that are on theedge of the wilderness", this is the view of
our madhhab and it is the view of most of the scholars of the madhhab,
many of whom stated it definitively. And it was said that it is not
permissible to perform itanywhere except in the jaami'. End quote.
With regard to the Maalikis, they stipulated that it must be performed
in the jaami', as stated above.
Khaleel al-Maaliki said concerning the conditions of Jumu'ah: [It
should be] in a jaami' that is built separately.
In al-Taaj wa'l-Ikleel (2/520) it says: "In the jaami'." Ibn Basheer
said: The jaami ' is one of the conditions of offering this prayer.
Ibn Rushd said: It is not validto establish Jumu'ah except in a
designated mosque. Al-Baaji said: One of the conditions is a mosque
that is built specifically for that purpose in the usual style of
mosques. End quote.
To sum up:
Jumu'ah prayer in the place mentioned is valid according to the
majority of scholars, if it is not possible to allocate a specific
place for the Muslims to pray and if they cannot go to the nearest
mosque or Islamic centre in which Jumu'ah prayer is offered.
And Allah knows best.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Friday Prayers - - Why is Friday singled out for great importance?

I want to know why Friday Prayer is important and Different then other ?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, chose Friday to be the best of
days before Him, and He singled it out for major events and great
qualities, which are the reason why Muslims are obliged to venerate
this day and take it as one oftheir Eids or festivals in which Allah
has prescribed rituals that He has not prescribed for other days.
On our website we have previously quoted a great deal of evidence
tosupport this view, whichyou can see in the answers to the
followingquestions: 9211 , 12309 and 13692
Secondly:
Moreover, Jumu'ah prayer has a particular virtue and great qualities
through the barakah (blessing) of this great day.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Jumu'ah prayer is singled out from among all the other obligatory
prayers for having particular characteristicsthat are not found in
other prayers, including the fact that it is offered in congregation,
has a minimum number of worshippers required in order for it to be
valid, the iqaamah is a condition of its being valid, one must not be
travelling in order for it to be obligatory, and therecitation is done
out loud.
There is an emphasis on its imortance the like of which is not
mentioned for other prayers except 'Asr prayer. In the four Sunans it
is narrated in the hadeeth of Abu'l-Ja'dad-Dumari – who was a
Companion – that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "Whoever misses three Jumu'ahs out of heedlessness,
Allah will place a seal on his heart."
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/384-385.
The Prophet's Sunnah also singles out Jumu'ah prayer by encouraging
believers to do ghusl for it and to wear perfume (for men only). It is
also strongly encouraged to come early for the prayer and there is a
great deal of reward for walking to the prayer. Concerning these
specialcharacteristics, Sa'eed ibn Mansoor narrated from Na'eem ibn
'Abdullah al-Mujammir that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased
with him) issuedinstructions that the mosque of Madinah be perfumed
with incense every Friday at midday, as was narrated by Ibn al-Qayyim
in Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/370.
Thirdly:
The main reason for venerating Friday prayeris because of the divine
decree that singled out this prayer and this day for special virtues.
This isone of the manifestations of Allah's Lordship (ruboobiyyah), as
He alone singles out for veneration whateverHe Wills of His creation
and whatever times and places He chooses. He is the One Who does
whatever He wills for reasons that He, may He be glorified, knows.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is the only One Who has the
power to create and to choose from among His creation. Allah, may He
be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): "And your Lord
creates whatsoever He wills and chooses" [al-Qasas 28:68]. If you
ponder this creation, you will realize that this choosing and singling
out are proof of His Lordship and Oneness, and of the perfection of
His wisdom, knowledge and might; that He is Allah, besides Whom there
is no other god, and He has no partner who can create as He creates,
or choose as He chooses, or control as Hecontrols. This choice,
control and singling out,the effects of which are evident in this
world, are among the greatest signs of His Lordship andthe greatest
testimony to His Oneness, the perfection of His attributes and the
truthfulness of His Messengers.
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/40-43
Al-'Allaamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) also stated
that this singling out and choice are indicative of the inherent
virtue of the thing chosen, for which Allah blessed this time. By His
knowledge and wisdom, Allah may grantto a certain place, time or
person that which qualifies it to be chosen by Allah and favoured
above others.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This concept may not be understood by the one who regards all
individuals, deeds, times and places as equal, and claims that there
is nothing inherent that makes one thing better than another, and that
precedence is given to some things over others for no reason. This
view is invalid for more than forty reasons that I have listed
elsewhere. It is sufficient, in order to understand the falsenessof
this view and how corrupt it is, to note that Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, refuted this false view when He said
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And when there comes to them a sign (from Allah) they say: 'We shall
not believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers
ofAllah had received.' Allahknows best with whom to place His Message"
[al-An'aam 6:124].
"Allah knows best with whom to place His Message" means: not everyone
is qualified or fit to convey His Message; rather the Message has
those who are suited to conveying it and it cannot befit anybut these
people; Allah knows better than you who these people are. If all
individuals were equal -- as these people claim -- there could
havebeen no argument against them in this verse.
Similarly, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Thus We have tried some of them with others, that they might say: 'Is
it these (poor believers) that Allah has favoured from amongst us?'
Does not Allah knowbest those who are grateful?"
[al-An'aam 6:53].
What is meant is: Allah knows best who will give thanks for His
blessings, so He singles them out for His bounty from among those who
will not be grateful to Him. Not everyone is fit to thank Him or to
receive His blessings andbe singled out for this honour. Those
individuals and places and so on that Allah chooses have some inherent
qualities that are not found in other people and places, and itis for
that reason that Allah chose them, gave them precedence because of
those virtues and selected them. This is His creation and His choice.
"And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses" [al-Qasas
28:68]. Allah does not choose anything and give it precedence except
for a reason that led to it being singled out and given precedence.
Yes, He is the One Who created this reason, as He is the One Who
created it then chose it after creating it.
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/53-54
To sum up, all the characteristics of this great prayer are by the
grace of Allah, may He beglorified and exalted, to His slaves. He
chose it by His decree and singled it out for His bounty and
blessings, thus it attained this great importance in this worldand in
the Hereafter.
And Allah knows best.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Quran & Duas

1. Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come
and keep us safe from the torment of the Fire (2:201)
2. Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance and make our foothold sure and
give us help against those who reject faith. (2:250)
3. Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget or fall into error. (2:286)
4. Our Lord! Lay not upon us such a burden as You did lay upon those
before us. (2:286)
5. Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to
bear, grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us. You are ourProtector.
Help us against those who deny the truth. (2:286)
6. Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate from the truth after You have
guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your grace. Verily You are
the Giver of bountieswithout measure. (3:8)
7. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and the lack of moderation in our
doings, and make firm our steps and succour us against those who deny
the truth.(3:147)
8. Our Lord! Whomsoever You shall commit to the Fire, truly You have
brought [him] to disgrace, and never will wrongdoers find any helpers
(3:192)
9. Our Lord! Behold we have heard a voice calling us unto
faith:"Believe in your Lord" aswe have believed. (3:193)
10. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and efface our bad deeds and take
our souls in the company of the righteous. (3:193)
11. Our Lord! And grant us that which you have promised to us by Your
messengers and save us from shame on the Day of Judgement. Verily
Younever fail to fulfill Your promise. (3:194)
12. Our Lord! We have sinned against ourselves,and unless You grant us
forgiveness and bestow Your mercy upon us, we shall most certainly be
lost! (7:23)
13. Our Lord! Place us not among the people who have been guilty of
evildoing. (7:47)
14. Our Lord! Lay open the truth between us and our people, for You
are the best of all to lay open the truth. (7:89)
15. Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and constancy, and make us die
as those who have surrendered themselves unto You. (7:126)
16. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the evildoing folk, and save as
by Your mercy from people who deny the truth (10:85-86)
17. Our Lord! You truly know all that we may hide [in our hearts] as
well as all that we bring into the open, for nothing whatever, be it
on earth or in heaven, remains hidden from Allah (14:38)
18. Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Your presence and dispose of our
affairs for us in the right way. (18:10)
19. Our Lord! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a comfort to
our eyes, and give us the grace to lead those who are conscious of
You. (25:74)
20. Our Lord! You embrace all things within Your Grace and Knowledge,
forgive those who repent and follow Your path, and ward off from them
the punishment of Hell. (40:7)
21. Our Lord! Make them enter the Garden of Edenwhich You have
promised to them, and to the righteous from among their fathers, their
wives and their offspring, for verily You are alone the Almighty and
the truly Wise. (40:8)
22. Our Lord! Relieve us of the torment, for we do really believe. (44:12)
23. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins as well as those of our brethren who
proceeded us in faith and let not our hearts entertain any unworthy
thoughts or feelings against [any of] those who have believed. Our
Lord! You are indeed fullof kindness and Most Merciful (59:10)
24. Our Lord! In You we have placed our trust, and to You do we turn
inrepentance, for unto Youis the end of all journeys.(60:4)
25. Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins, for
verily Youhave power over all things. (66:8)

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -

Development of personality is a duty upon all.

Development of personality is a duty upon all.
It requires a great effort, lots of consciousness, much correction &
gentlereminders.
Are we people who live alife as we wish, always want things done our
way, do as we please whether it is considered upright or not,
courteousor not - or do we really try hard to accommodateothers,
respect them and speak to them politely nomatter who they are, try to
help others, maintain good relations with family and try our best tobe
as courteous and helpful as possible to all?
Time to think hard, be honest and make a positive change!
Remember, charity begins at home, so start with your spouse, children
and parents!

Being miserly is a sin just as extravagance is.

Being miserly is a sin just as extravagance is.
Satan at times makes the wealthy not spend on thenecessities of their
own family members. Then the same people at times spend large amounts
where they are not meant to.
The Messenger pbuh tells us that the best wealth spent, is in meeting
the needs of your spouse, family members and dependents.
Miserliness can destroy even the happiest of homes.

She is the only Pakistani girl who won world peace prize

Do pray 4 Malala yusuf zai's health.
She is swat's girl 14 years now when she was 11 she done a grt job,
she worked for the educationof girlz in swaat. She is the only
Pakistani girl who won world peace prize.yesterday taliban shoot her a
bulit hit in her head now, she is in critical situation.
May ALLAH almighty bless her good health with long life, Ameen

..::..Recite the Morning Adhkar without fail..::..

..::..Recite the Morning Adhkar without fail..::..
"We have entered a new day (1) and with it all dominion is Allah's.
Praise is to Allah. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah
alone, Who has no partner. To Allah belongs the dominion, and to Himis
the praise and He is Able to do all things. My Lord, I ask You for the
goodness of this day and of the days that come after it, and I seek
refugein You from the evil of this day and of the days that come after
it. (2) My Lord, I seek refuge in Youfrom laziness and helpless old
age. My Lord,I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell-fire,
and from the punishment of the grave."
(1) When you say this in the evening you should say 'Amsaynaa
wa'amsal-mulku lillaah: "We have ended another day and with it all
dominion is Allah's.
(2) When you say this in the evening you should say: Rabbi 'as'aluka
khayra maa fee haathihil-layla ti, wa khayra maa ba'dahaa, wa 'a'oothu
bika min sharri maa fee haathihil-layla ti wa sharri maa ba'dahaa: "I
ask You for the good things of this night and of the nights that come
after it and I seek refuge in You from the evil of this night and of
the nights that come after it."
~Muslim 4/2088.

--
- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/
- - - -