Dua before Sleeping -. اَللّهُمَّ بِسْمِكَ أَمُوْتُ وَ أَحْيَ O Allah , with Your name I die and live (Bukhari)

.
اَللّهُمَّ بِسْمِكَ أَمُوْتُ وَ أَحْيَ
O Allah , with Your name I die and live
(Bukhari)

Dua Upon Hearing Thunder- Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) said that when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) heard the sound of thunder he said: اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَقْتُلْنَا بِغَضَبِكَ وَلَا تُهْلِكْنَا بِعَذَابِكَ وَعَافِنَا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ O Allah , do not kill us

Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) said that when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
heard the sound of thunder he said:
اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَقْتُلْنَا بِغَضَبِكَ وَلَا تُهْلِكْنَا بِعَذَابِكَ
وَعَافِنَا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ
O Allah , do not kill us with Your anger and do not destroy us with
Your punishment, but preserve us before that happens.
(Imam Tirmizi )

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Hajj: Benefits in the World and the Hereafter

The individual benefits of Hajj are undeniable and indisputable, for
Hajj purifies souls, frees them from the factors that cause weakness
and refines them by its insistence upon quitting sins and misdeeds and
enabling a person to taste the pleasure of being near Allaah The
Almighty and privately supplicating to and praising Him at the
placesHe Himself honored. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } And
whoever honors the symbols of Allaah - indeed, it is from the piety of
hearts. { [Quran 22:32]
In this article, we would like to refer to the social aspect and the
international manifestation of Hajj as a conference for Muslims where
they stop for a pause of reconsideration;thanking Allaah The Almighty
for His blessingsupon them and asking Him to help them overcome
obstacles and hardships.
Referring to some negative aspects in the Hajj season does not mean
neglecting the impact of this act of worship, which improvesthe
conditions of Muslimswhether as individuals orgroups. Rather, these
negative aspects are mentioned frequently with the intention of
obliterating or reducing them. This can only be achieved by spreading
awareness among the Muslims heading to perform this obligation.
Everyone who is granted the blessing of performing the obligation of
Hajj returns after witnessing diverse actions and behavior among
pilgrims that may be described as being farremoved from Islam – at the
very least. Rather, they are in complete contradiction to the spiritof
Islam. There is a great deal of ignorance of the rulings and
etiquettes of Hajj , which causes great harm to pilgrims and gives a
bad image about Muslims and their sacred rites.
That is why scholars and students should, as much as they can, teach
and advise Muslims whether before leaving their home countries or
after arriving at the sacred sites. If education, advice and
instruction is to yieldtheir blessed fruits, they should result from
studying and planning done by the scholars. The Hajj season is an
important occasion for the gathering of scholars to discuss the
problems of Muslim pilgrims, whether while performing the rituals of
Hajj or addressing general problems to which all Muslims can relate.
The most important purpose of Hajj is for the religious and worldly
goals to become one. In doing so, two types of happiness are achieved:
the happiness of the life of this world by correcting errors and
eliminating negative aspects; and the happiness of the Hereafter by
gaining forgiveness of sins and pleasing the Lord. Striving to achieve
only one of the two aims as separate from the other is contrary to the
spirit ofthe noble verse in which Allaah The Exalted Says (what
means): } That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention
the name of Allaah on known days. { [Quran 22:28]

Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life - II

The Righteous Predecessors Warned Against Excessive Ambition in this World
The righteous predecessors understood the reality of this world and
their hearts became attached to the Hereafter. Therefore, they advised
their successors not to incline towardsthis worldly life and not to
turn away from the Hereafter. 'Ali said, "The things I fear most might
harm you are following whims and having excessive ambitions in this
worldly life, for following whims diverts you from the truth and
having excessive ambitions causes you to forget the Hereafter."
Ibn Mas'ood said, "Do not let extended welfare lure you into laxity,
and do not be diverted by false hope; for whatever will come is near,
and whatever is far will never come."
Salmaan Al-Faarisi said, "Three things make me laugh outof irony: A
person having excessive ambitions in this life while death awaits him,
a personwho is heedless while Allaah is encompassing of everything he
does, and a person who laughs heartedly while not knowing whether
Allaah Is angry or pleased with him."
Once a man entered the house of Abu Tharr Al-Ghifaari and started
looking around his house,then he said, "O Abu Tharr, whereis your
furniture?" Abu Tharr replied, "We have another house that we are
moving to [he meant by that his house in heaven]." Theman said, "As
long as you are here, it is necessary to have furniture." Abu Tharr
replied, "The owner of the house [i.e., Allaah] is not leaving us
here, therefore we are in no need of buying furniture."
It was narrated that 'Eesa (Jesus) said, "How sane is the person who
builds a home on thewaves of the sea? This is the example of this
world, so do not take it as your abode."
'Umar ibn Abdul-'Azeez said in a Khutbah (Sermon), "Do not let
extended welfare harden yourhearts and make you yield to your enemy.
By Allaah, for a person to have excessive ambitions in this worldly
life is a mistake, for he does not know whether he will live until the
morning or not, or whether he will live until the evening or not; and
death may take him at any moment between these."
Abu Muhammad ibn 'Ali Az-Zaahid said,
We followed a funeral processionin Al-Koofah and Abu Daawood At-Taa'i
was among the people. During the burial, Abu Daawood withdrew and sat
to a side. I then went and sat near him. He said, "Those who fear the
punishment of Allaah will gain what they desire, even ifit is
difficult to obtain. Those whostrive for this worldly life are
negligent of the Hereafter; all what is destined is soon to happen.
Know that all the peopleof this world will eventually be ofthe
inhabitants of the graves. Also, know that the inhabitants of graves
regret the time, money and effort that they wasted in persuing the
pleasures of this lifeand are only pleased with the good deeds that
they did during their lifetimes. Sadly, what the inhabitants of graves
regret, the people of this world are competing, fighting over and
disputing in courts over.
Al-Ghazzaali said, "Death has snapped the necks of tyrants, broken the
backs of emperors and cut short the false hopes of Caesars, whose
hearts rejected the remembrance of death until it suddenly struck them
and cast them into the earth. Have any of them found haven or refuge
fromdeath?"
Others said, "Many people start their day and die before it ends and
many wait for the next day but never reach it. If only you realize the
truth of life and how quickly it passes by, you would detest excessive
ambitions in thislife and its delusion."
Yet others said, "How can a person be happy with this life when every
day deducts a month of his age, and every month eliminates a year of
his age, and every year destroys his life, and his life leads him to
his death."
Muhammad ibn Waasi' was asked, "How do you find yourself?" He replied,
"I have a short life, excessive ambitions in this world and many wrong
deeds."
A man wrote a letter to his brother, saying, "Sorrow over what is
missed from the pleasures of this life is endless and death is close
to a person. Every day decreases his lifespan; and illness gradually
increases in his body day after day. So, start performing good deeds
before death comes to you. Peace be upon you."
Consequences of Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life
Having excessive ambitions in this worldly life leads to committing
misdeeds and keeps a person away from obeying Allaah. It is also one
of the causesof violating prohibitions, transgression and plundering
others' rights. Therefore, a person must always recall death and show
due reverence towardsAllaah.
The Remedy for this Disease
Ignorance and love of this world are the cause of having excessive
ambitions in this worldly life. Treatment of this disease lies in
being aware of its dangers and harmful consequences, realizing the
importance of performing obligations on their prescribed time and
understanding that procrastination leads a person to failure and loss.
The slave of Allaah has to know that he is required to be where Allaah
The Exalted has commanded him to be, and to avoid acts that Allaah The
Exalted has commanded him to abstain from. One also should make his
motto the same as that raised by Haatim Al-Asamm who said, "I knew
that none would perform my duties for me and therefore I am occupied
in fulfilling them. I saw that people look at my appearance while
Allaah looks at what is concealed inside me, so I realized that it is
worthier and better to be conscious that Allaah is watchingme. I also
knew that death comes suddenly and, therefore, I decided to perform
good deeds before it comes."
There is a great difference between having hopeful expectations and
having extensive ambitions in this worldly life. A person who has
hopeful expectations for something will do his utmost in order to
attain it and a person who fears something will flee from it. On the
other hand, having excessive ambitions in this life leads a person to
neglecting the matters of the Hereafter and preparing for it. One who
seeks remedy for this disease has to understand the truth of this
worldly life and how insignificant and valueless it is, and that it
takes the side of thosewho are mean and cowardly and is their endless
pleasure. Principally, one does not find in this world but what he
dislikes and when he finds something that pleases him, it is but an
exception.
Once, Ibn As-Sammaak went to Haaroon Ar-Rasheed whileHaaroon was
having a drink of water. Then Haaroon Ar-Rasheed asked for his
admonishment. Thereupon, Ibn As-Sammaak said,"O Commander of the
believers, ifyou were prevented this drink of water, would you pay for
it with half of your kingdom?" He replied, "Yes." Then he asked, "O
Commander of the believers, if you drunk this water and then could not
urinate it, would you pay for this [i.e., to be able to do so] with
half of your kingdom?" He replied, "Yes." Then Haaroon said, "A
kingdom does not [even] equal a drink of water or its urination."
Al-Fudhayl ibn 'Iyaadh said, "All goodness was collected in a house,
and the key to this house is asceticism in this worldly life, and all
evil was collected in a house, and the key to this house is the love
for this worldly life."
It was said, "This world is like one's shadow; if you try to catch it,
it will escape from you, and if you leave it, it will follow you."
Therefore, you have to ask yourself: "Where are the former and later
peoples? Where are those who filled the world from east to west with
pride and glory? Where are those who furnished their palaces with
silks and gems? Where are those who caused the earth to tremble out of
veneration and exaltation for them? Do you perceive of them anyone, or
hear from them a sound?" Allaah caused them to perish, as He did with
other nations, and exterminated them like disintegrated ruins. Allaah
also removed them from the spaciousness of their palaces to the
narrowness of graves, under stones and rocks and they became so that
nothing was seenof them except their dwellings. What they accumulated
throughout their lives did not benefit them, and what they earned did
not avail them. Both the living and their beloved left them; both
their brothers and friends abandoned them; both their relatives and
non relatives forgot them. It is as if death is not decreed upon us
and that it will only befall others. When we follow a funeral
procession, it is as if the deceased is just going ona journey and
will soon return, then we consume their inheritance as if we will be
immortal in this world.
O people! Fill your life in this world with obeying Allaah and
following the methodology of your Prophet and let your motto be: {And
I hastened to You,my Lord, that You be pleased.}

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Question Barelvis claim that the places where prophets are born are among Sha’ir (signs to be venerated) of Allah basedon the following hadith. How to answer them? Volume 1, Page No. 241, Hadith No. 448 (Sunnan an Nasai’i) Hadrat Anas bin Malik (ra)

Question
Barelvis claim that the places where prophets are born are among
Sha'ir (signs to be venerated) of Allah basedon the following hadith.
How to answer them? Volume 1, Page No. 241, Hadith No. 448 (Sunnan an
Nasai'i) Hadrat Anas bin Malik (ra) narrates that Prophet (saw) while
mentioning his journey of Miraaj said: Jibril (a.s) asked me to get
off from Buraak at Bethlehem andtold me to say the prayer there, after
which he said: Do you know whereyou have prayed (O Messenger of
Allah)? You prayed at Bethlehem where Isa (a.s) "was born".
-
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
, is His slave and Messenger.
The Hadeeth which you mentioned in the question is graded as Dha'eef
[weak] by the scholars, like Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer
[interpretation of the Quran] and also in his book entitled "
Al-Fusool Fi Ikhtisaar Seerat Ar-Rasool ". Shaykh Al-Albaani also
gradedit as Dha'eef when he classified the Ahaadeeth reported by
An-Nassaa'i in his Sunan.
Besides, Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah said in his interpretation of Chapter
112 of the Quran: " The Prophet did not pray that night except in
Al-Aqsa Mosque as confirmed in the Saheeh (sound) narrations and he
absolutely did not stop except at it. "
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah graded this narration [which is mentioned in the
question] as fabricated. He wrote in his book entitled Iqtidhaa'
As-Siraat Al-Mustaqeem : " …and it includes what is fabricated such as
what was reported by some narrators that the Prophet was told by
Jibreel (Gabriel) : " Thisis the grave of your father Ibraaheem
(Abraham), so get off (form the Buraaq) and pray at it, and this is
Bethlehem, the birthplace of your brother 'Eesa (Jesus), so get off
and pray in it. "
Moreover, Ibn Al-Qayyim said in his book entitled Zaad Al-Ma'aad : "
It was said that he – i.e. the Prophet - stopped at Bethlehem and
prayedin it but this is not authentic from him at all. "
Therefore, this Hadeeth isnot authentic at all. For more benefit on
the beliefs of the Brelwi sect, please refer to Fatwa 87790 .
Allaah Knows best.

Question Assalamualaikum. I have heard a hadeeth which stated that Allah swt will come to meet all the inhabitants of jannah and second day Allah swt will come just to meet Abu bakr ra. Is this hadeeth true?? Jazakallah and may Allah bless you all.

Question
Assalamualaikum. I have heard a hadeeth which stated that Allah swt
will come to meet all the inhabitants of jannah and second day Allah
swt will come just to meet Abu bakr ra. Is this hadeeth true??
Jazakallah and may Allah bless you all.
-
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
isHis slave and Messenger.
With regard to the believers seeing Allaah inParadise, then this is
something certain beyond any dispute or doubt; we have already
clarified this in Fataawa 10911 and 31498 .
As regards saying that Abu Bakr will particularly see Allaah in
Paradise on the second day, then this is something that we have not
come across (in the abundant resource booksthat we have at hand) and
we do not think that such a statement is true at all.
Nonetheless, the virtues of Abu Bakr are confirmed and so many.
Allaah Knows best.

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Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life - I

Having excessive ambitions in this worldly life is one of the greatest
diseases of the heart. What is the meaning of this disease? What are
its harmful consequences? What is its treatment?
Meaning of Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life
Having excessive ambitions in this worldly life is to
continuouslystrive for its pleasures and persistently indulge in its
luxurieswhilst turning away from the Hereafter. Allaah The Almighty
Says (what means): {And be diverted by [false] hope.} [Quran 15:3]
Commenting on this verse, Al-Qurtubi said, "Their excessive ambitions
in this worldly life turned them away from obeying Allaah." Ibn Hajar
said, "There is an important rationale behind ambitions in this
worldly life. Having ambitions in this worldly life is not totally
dispraised as without it no one would be able to enjoy his life or
look forward to doing anything that is related to this world. What is
dispraised is having extensive ambitions in this worldly life and not
preparing for the Hereafter. As long as a person is safe from this,he
is not required to totally abstain from having ambitions in this
world. Ignorance and love for this world are the causes behind this
disease."
Having Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life is Dispraised in the Quran
There are many verses in the Quran that dispraise having excessive
ambitions in this worldly life. The Noble Quran usesmultiple modes of
address to warn people against this incurable and destructive
disease.For example Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
• {Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims.
Let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for
they are going toknow.} [Quran 15:2-3]
• When talking about the Jews, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
{And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life -
[even] more than those who associate others with Allaah.One of them
wishes that he couldbe granted life a thousand years, but it would not
remove him in the least from the [coming] punishment that he should be
granted life. And Allaah Is Seeing of what they do.} [Quran 2:96]
• {[Allaah] will Say: "How long did you remain on earth in number of
years?" They will say: "We remained a day or part of a day; ask those
who enumerate." He will Say: "You stayed not but a little - if only
you had known. Then did you think that We created you uselessly and
that to Us you would not be returned?"} [Quran 23:112-115]
• {Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts
should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allaah and
whathas come down of the truth? Andlet them not be like those who were
given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so
their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient.}
[Quran 57:16]
Having Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life is Dispraised in the Sunnah
The Prophet warned his Ummah (nation) against having extensive
ambitions in this worldly life, as it is likely to drive the person
away from obeying Allaah. It was narrated on the authority of Abu
Hurayrah that he said, "I heard the Prophet saying: 'The heart of an
old man remains young in two respects: his love for this worldly life
and his excessive ambitions init.' " [Al-Bukhaari]
It was narrated on the authority of Anas that he said, "The Prophet
once drew a few lines and said: 'This is [man's] ambitions, and this
is the instant of his death, and while he is in this state [of
ambitions], the nearer line [death] comes to Him.' " [Al-Bukhaari]
It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood that he said, "The
Prophet once drew a square and then drew a line in the middle of it
and let it extend outside the square and then drew several small lines
attached to that central line, and said: "This is the human being, and
this [square] is his lease of life which encircles or has encircled
him, and this [line] which is outside [the square], represents his
ambitions, and these small lines are the calamities and troubles
[which may befall him], and if one misses him, another will overtake
him, and if the other misses him, a third will overtake him.' "
[Al-Bukhaari] It was narrated on the authority of 'Abdullaah ibn 'Umar
that he said,: "The Messenger of Allaah took hold of my shoulder
andsaid: 'Be in this world as if you are a stranger or a traveler.' "
Thesub-narrator added, "Ibn 'Umar would say, 'If you survive till the
evening, do not expect to be alive in the morning, and if you survive
till the morning, do not expect to be alive in the evening; and take
from your health for your sickness, and [take] from your life for your
death.'" [Al-Bukhaari]
It was narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas and his father,that he
said, "The Messenger of Allaah said to a man while advising him:
'Utilize five things before the coming of another five: your youth
before your decrepitude, your health before your sickness, your wealth
beforeyour poverty, your leisure before your work, and your life
before your death.' " [Al-Haakim narrated this Hadeeth according to
the conditions of Al-Bukhaari and Muslim, however they did not narrate
it. Ath-Thahabi agreed with him.]
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet
said: "Take the initiative to do good deeds before you are hindered by
one ofseven calamities: poverty that makes you forget the remembrance
of Allaah, prosperity that leads you to transgression, an ailment that
damages your health, old age that makes you lose your senses, a sudden
death, the Antichrist which is an evil yet to come, or the Hour, which
is indeed even more disastrous and even more bitter." [At-Tirmithi -
Hasan]
When the Prophet was asked about the scriptures of Moosa (Moses) he
replied: "It was allfull of lessons. I wonder at a person who is
certain of death and can still be happy. I wonder at a person who is
certain of Hell and can still laugh. I wonder at a person who believes
in fate and still grieves over hardships that befall him. I wonder at
a person who sees this world and how its wellbeing never lasts for
people and can still feel safe in it. I wonder at a person who
believes that the Day of Reckoning is soonto come and still does not
perform righteous deeds." [Al-Bayhaqi and Al-Bazzaar]

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The Story of Haaroot and Maaroot – II

Magic is a reality and not mere illusion; some people consider tricks
of the hand or deceptions of the eye to be magic, but magic is much
more than that; it is a reality, and could lead one to hate what he
used to love, such as the case which Allaah informs us of in the
abovementioned verse where it can separate man from his wife. Indeed
the goal that the devil strives hardest to achieve is to separate man
from his wife, as in the narration of Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah who stated
that the Prophet said: "Satan places his throne on the water, then he
sends his troops to people; the closest devil in position to him isthe
one who causes the most mischief and trials amongst people. One of
them (i.e., from his troops) comes to him andsays: `I continued to
whisper to so and so until he committed such and such a sin.` Satan
responds: `I swear by Allaah! You have not done much.` (This process
continues) until one (devil) comes and says: `I continued to whisper
to him until I made him separate from his wife.` Thereupon, Satan
brings him close to him and hugs him, saying: `Yes! You are the one.`"
[Muslim] Meaning, that he is the one who has achieved the
greatestaccomplishment. This separation is caused by either magic or
by any other means.
Some magicians use magic to bewitch the eyes of people and make them
believe that they are seeing something that they are not, as Allaah
says regarding the magicians of Pharaoh what means: "…And they
presented a great [feat] of magic." [Quran 7: 116] People thought, as
a result of their magic, thatthey were seeing snakes instead of ropes
and sticks.
Some people claim that there is a prophetic narration that is as
follows: "Learn magic butdo not teach it to others."This is a
fabrication; such words were never uttered by the Prophet .
The Islamic ruling regarding the magician is that he is to be
beheaded, as the Prophetsaid: "The punishment for the magician is that
he must be beheaded." [At-Tirmithi & Al-Haakim] This is because such a
person is an apostate, even if he fasts, prays and claims that he is a
Muslim, because his practice of magic invalidates any good deeds he
may perform.
There are two ways of being relieved from the effects of magic:
- The incorrect way is to go to magicians for this purpose; this is
prohibited because the Prophet said: "He who approaches a magician and
believes what he says will have his prayers rejected for forty days."
[Muslim] Thus, it is prohibited to approach them or to seek their
assistance in removing the effect of magic done on one by others.
- The correct way is by reciting the legislated Ruqyah (i.e. the Quran
and certain prophetic supplications). Examples of this would be the
Chapters Al-Faatihah, Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq, An-Naas and the Verse of
the Throne, or Ayat Al-Kursi, which is the two-hundred and fifty fifth
verse of Chapter Al-Baqarah. An example of a prophetic supplication
that is usefulin this regard is: "Allaahumma Rabban-naas,
athhibil-ba's, wash'fi, Antash-Shaafi, laa shifaa'a illaa shifaa'uka,
shifaa'n laa yughaadiru saqama [O Allaah! The Lord of mankind! Remove
this disease and cure (him or her). You are the Great Curer. There is
no cure but through You, which leaves behind no disease]."
[Al-Bukhaari]
One may also recite Quranic verses in water and add to it seven dried
and crushed Lote-tree leaves. This method is confirmed to have been
practiced by some of the Salaf such as Wahb ibn Munabbih .
Some people recite the verses that address the issue of magic, like
those found in Chapters Al-A'raaf, Yoonus, and TaaHaa over this water
and then add the crushed leaves to it, then they recite Chapters
Al-Ikhlaas,Al-Falaq, An-Naas and some authentic Propheticsupplications
over it. They then wash their body with this water. This is a method
that has been proven to be beneficial by experience.
The Prophet was bewitched by Labeed ibnAl-A'sam, who had
strongrelations with the Jews, and the Jews requested his assistance
due to him being renowned for his experience in magic.
The Prophet was afflictedby this magic for six months. He would think
that he was sleeping with his wives while in fact he was not. He
persevered through this period, and when he feared that it would
affect his zeal for worship, he supplicated to Allaah, asking Him to
remove it from him.
'Aa'ishah narrated: "Magic was done on the Prophet so he began to
think that he was doing things that he was not actually doing. One
day, he invoked (Allaah) for a long period and then said: "I feel that
Allaah has inspired me as how to cure myself. Two persons came to me
(in a dream) and sat down, one by my head and the other by my feet.
One of them asked the other: 'What is the sickness of this man?' The
other replied: 'He has been bewitched.' The first asked: 'Who has
bewitched him?' The other replied: 'Labeed ibn Al-A'sam.' The first
one asked: 'What materials did he use?' The other replied: 'A comb,
the hair gathered on it, and the outer skin of the pollen of a male
date-palm.' The first asked: 'Where are they?' The other replied: 'In
the well of Tharwaan.'"
So the Prophet headed out towards the well. He later returned and said
tome: "The date-palms (i.e.,the ones on the well) are like the heads
of devils." Iasked: 'Did you take out those things with which the
magic was done?' He replied: "No, for I have been cured by Allaah, and
I am afraid that this action may spread evil amongst the people."
Later on the well was filled up with earth." [Al-Bukhaari]
The hair that was on the comb was taken, and a knot was made in which
the magic was placed; then, the hair that contained the magic was
placed inside the outer skin of the pollen of a male date-palm, and
this was placed under a rock, inside the well. When some Companions
went to remove this magic from the well, they foundthat its water was
the colour of Henna, due to the effect of magic on it.
The Prophet was inspiredby Allaah as to where the location of the
magic was; it was removed and the knot was undone, so the magic was
ruined.
The question of 'Aa'ishah was an indirect way of asking why the
Prophet did not punish the man who bewitched him, and he explained
why, saying: "I am afraid that this action may spread evil amongst the
people."Meaning, that since the punishment of being a magician is
execution by beheading, and because people did not know thathe
practiced such evil, nor did they witness him doing it on the Prophet
then punishing him would have encouraged people to accuse anyone of
doing magic, even if they were innocent, and justify it by quoting
this action of the Prophet .
He was very careful not to execute anyone whosecrime was not obvious
to everybody, and it is for this same reason he refrained from killing
IbnSalool, who was the headof hypocrites, despite him knowing that he
wasbeing a disbeliever, a liarand a hypocrite.
He did not kill him because it would not have been clear to people why
he killed him, due to this Ibn Salool pretending to be Muslim.
One may ask: "How could the Prophet be bewitched when he was conveying
the message?"
The answer is that the magic never affected anyaspect of his mind,
memory or mission; it only affected his relations with his wives.
Another question that might be asked is: "Does the fact that he was
bewitched not contradictbeing protected by Allaah? Allaah Says what
means: "…And Allaah will protect you from the people…" [Quran 5: 67]
The answer is that the protection referred to in this verse was
against certain matters only, suchas being killed before conveying the
message fully, or being prevented from conveying the message in any
way.
In fact, proof of the fact that such protection was limited is that he
was afflicted greatly by the disbelievers: they offended and beat him,
and besieged him and hisfollowers. He also suffered hunger and fell
into a pit that the disbelievers had dug for him. They did all these
things but were unable to prevent him from conveying the message of
Allaah.
Some magic is performedby blowing into knots and other materials which
magicians compile, which makes the bewitched person believe he is
performing actions that is not actually doing; another type makes a
person incapable of having sexual intercourse with his wife; another
type makes the wife imagine that her husband is a beast or a snake
whenever he tries to approach her sexually; there is another type
thatmakes the husband imagine that his wife hasa foul stench whenever
he attempts to approach her sexually, even thoughshe may be clean and
smell pleasant.
There are women who resort to magic in order to make their husbands
divorce his other wife or wives, so that she can have him all to
herself – and this is one of the greatest ways of oppressing others.
One may ask: "There are deadly types of magic; are they incurable?"
The answer is that they are curable, unless the effects of this magic
coincide with the designated time of the person's death. If that is
the case, then nothing can help him. Allaah Says what means: "But
never will Allaah delay a soul when its time has come. And Allaah is
Acquainted with what you do." [Quran 63: 11]
The one who bewitches others and thereby causes their death must be
sentenced to death, because such a person killed a soul intentionally
and without due right.
Some people wear amulets, claiming that they protect them from magic,
but they only add to the evil and make them weaker in faith.
In Islam, ends do not justify means; there are people who resort to
magic in order to reconcile, for example, between two disputing
people. This is prohibited, even if people claim that they have good
intentions and are only using it for a good purpose. This is refused
in Islam because the means used are evil, and regardless of the sought
result, using magic remains prohibited.

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid was the first convert to Islam. She was also
the devoted wife of the Prophet Muhammad. The daughter of Khuwaylid
ibn Asad and Fatimah bint Za'idah, she came from the family of
Quraysh, Mecca's leading family. The Quraysh belonged to the Banu
Hasham clan of the Banu Asad tribe.
Khadijah was well-known in her community for her success in the field
of trade. By the time she met Muhammad, she was a wealthy
businesswoman who hadbeen widowed twice andhad borne several children.
Khadijah hired Muhammad to work for her on a specific trade endeavor
in Syria. Impressed with his honesty and trustworthiness, as well as
his successful conclusion of her business endeavors, Khadijah's
satisfaction with Muhammad's success soon turned into love. Although
she had refused previous proposals of marriage, she proposed to
Muhammad. At the time of their marriage, she was 40 years of age he
was 25. Together they had six children, four of whom survived past
infancy: Ruqayyah, Zaynab, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah.
Khadijah and Muhammadhad been married for fifteen years before he
received his first revelation and began preaching the religion that
was eventually to be called Islam. On the night he received his first
revelation, Khadijah was the one in whom he first confided. She
comforted and supported him, and it was she who sought advice from her
Christian cousin, who proclaimed that Muhammad's revelations were from
God. Although it was common practice amonst 7th century Arab men to
take multiple wives, Muhammad never took another wife in the nearly 25
years of his marriage to Khadijah. Khadijah has been a role model for
all Muslim women. Her marriage to Muhammad and the stories of their
relationship reflect love, loyalty, trust, and respect between two
individuals and partners.

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Gateway of India

One of the grand and magnificent landmarks of Mumbai, the Gateway of
India was built to commemorate the visit of the British Monarch, King
George V and Queen Mary. The Gateway of India is one of the hot spots
of Mumbai city. The Gateway of India is a massive archway on the
Apollo Bunder. For most of the tourists and travelers, the Gateway
ofIndia is the starting point to explore the Mumbai city. The Gateway
of India was designed by the architect George Wittet. The first stone
of the Gateway of India was laid on March 31st 1913. The foundations
were completed in 1920 and the Gateway of India was formally opened in
1924 by the then Viceroy, Earl of Reading.
Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, the Gateway of India is a 26m high
structure with four turrets and complicated lattice workengraved into
the yellow Kharodi basalt stone. The central dome of the Gateway of
India is 48 feet in diameter. It is interesting to note that the whole
harbor front was realigned in order to come in line with a planned
walkway, sweeping down to the centre of the town. The total cost of
construction of the Gateway was approx. Rs.21 lakhs. The Gateway
ofIndia is a major sightseeing hangout in Mumbai. At the back of the
Gateway arch, steps lead down to the sea front. From here one canenjoy
cruise through Mumbai's fabulous natural harbor. The nearby statues of
Shivaji and Swami Vivekanandaadd charm to the massive structure, the
Gateway of India.


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The Wisdom Behind Repetition in Prayer

"… And it has been prescribed for the servant to repeat these actions
and words (i.e. repeat recitation of al-Fatiha, rukoo', sujood etc, in
the prayer) as it is a source of nourishment for the heart and soul .
There is no strength in them (the heart and soul)except through this.
Its repetition is just like repeatedly eating food – mouthful after
mouthful until a person eats his fill , and drinking again and again
until his thirst is quenched . If a hungry individual only took one
mouthful of food and then pushed his food away, what will that
mouthful do for him? In fact, it may even cause him to become
hungrier!
For this reason, one of the Salaf said: 'A person who prays but does
not find tranquillity in his prayer is like a person who is hungry…
food is brought to him but he only takes one or two handfuls. What
will it then do for him?!'"
[ Asrar al-Salat , Ibn al-Qayyim]
Most of the time, a person's level of Iman, khushu' (humbleness), and
depth of spirituality increases in stages, and doesn't occur overnight
or with one act of 'Ibadah alone. For this reason, Allah legislated
that the soul undergo repetitive acts of 'Ibadah for it to attain
higher levels of Iman; so in the case of prayer, a slave offers it no
less than 5 times a day and if they feel themselves lacking
inspiritual nourishment, they should increase in nafl (supererogatory)
salah until their soul begins to feel nourished and the empty voids
are all filled. The same with other acts of worship andthe soul will
soon taste the sweetness of Iman (faith) and climb up from rank to
rank in the Sight of Allah.

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Abu Hurayrah - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

"An Abi Hurayrata, radiyallahu anhu, qal.' qala rasul Allahi,
sallallahu alayhi wa sailam..."
Through this phrase millions of Muslims from the early history ofIslam
to the present have come to be familiar with the name Abu Hurayrah. In
speeches and lectures, in Friday khutbahs and seminars, in the books
of hadith and sirah, fiqh and ibadah, the name Abu Hurayrah is
mentioned in this fashion: "On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may God
be pleased with him who said: The Messenger of God,may God bless him
and grant him peace, said... ".
Through his Prodigious efforts, hundreds of ahadith or sayings of the
Prophet were transmittedto later generations. His is the foremost name
in the roll of hadith transmitters. Next to himcomes the names of such
companions as Abdullah the sonof Umar, Anas the son of Malik, Umm
al-Mumininin Aishah, Jabir ibn Abdullah and Abu Said al-Khudri all of
whom transmitted over a thousand sayings of the Prophet.
Abu Hurayrah became a Muslim at the hands of at-Tufayl ibn Amrthe
chieftain of the Daws tribe to which he belonged. The Dawslived in the
region of Tihamah which stretches along the coast of the Red Sea in
southern Arabia. When at-Tufayl returned to his village after meeting
the Prophet and becoming a Muslim in the early years of his mission,
Abu Hurayrah was one of the first to respond to his call. He was
unlike the majority of the Daws who remained stubborn intheir old
beliefs for a long time.
When at-Tufayl visited Makkah again, Abu Hurayrah accompanied him.
There he had the honor and privilege of meeting the noble Prophet who
asked him: "What is your name?" "Abdu Shams - Servant of a Sun," he
replied.
"Instead, let it be Abdur-Rahman- the Servant of the Beneficent Lord,"
said the Prophet.
"Yes, Abdur-Rahman (it shall be) O Messenger of God," he replied.
However, he continued to be known as Abu Hurayrah, "the kitten man",
literally "the father of a kitten" because like the Prophet he was
fond of cats and since his childhood often had a cat to play with.
Abu Hurayrah stayed in Tihamah for several years and it was only at
the beginning of the seventh year of the Hijrah that he arrived in
Madinah with others of his tribe. The Prophet had gone on acampaign to
Khaybar. Being destitute, Abu Hurayrah took up his place in the Masjid
with other of the Ahl as-Suffah. He was single, without wife or child.
With him however was hismother who was still a mushrik.He longed, and
prayed, for her tobecome a Muslim but she adamantly refused. One day,
he invited her to have faith in God alone and follow His Prophet
butshe uttered some words about the Prophet which saddened him
greatly. With tears in
his eyes, he went to the noble Prophet who said to him: "What makes
you cry, O Abu Hurayrah?""I have not let up in inviting my mother to
Islam but she has always rebuffed me. Today, I invited her again and I
heard words from her which I do not like. Do make supplication to God
Almighty to make the heart of Abu Hurayrah's mother inclineto Islam."
The Prophet responded to Abu Hurayrah's request and prayed for his
mother. Abu Hurayrah said: "I went home and found the door closed. I
heard the splashing of water and when I tried to enter my mother
said:"Stay where you are, O Abu Hurayrah." And after putting on her
clothes, she said, "Enter!" I entered and she said: "I testify that
there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His Servant
and His Messenger."
"I returned to the Prophet, peace be on him, weeping with joy just as
an hour before I had gone weeping from sadness andsaid: "I have good
news, O Messenger of Allah. God has responded to your prayer and
guided the mother of Abu Hurayrah to Islam."
Abu Hurayrah loved the Prophet a great deal and found favor with him.
He was never tired of looking at the Prophet whose face appeared to
him as having all the radiance of the sun and he was never tired of
listening to him. Often he would praise God for his good fortune and
say: "Praise be to God Who has guided Abu Hurayrah to Islam." Praise
be to God Who has taughtAbu Hurayrah the Quran."
"Praise be to God who has bestowed on Abu Hurayrah the companionship
of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace." On reaching
Madinah, Abu Hurayrah set his heart on attaining knowledge. Zayd ibn
Thabit the notable companion of the Prophet reported: "While Abu
Hurayrah and I and another friend of minewere in the Masjid praying to
God Almighty and performing dhikr to Him, the Messenger of God
appeared. He came towards us and sat among us. We became silent and he
said: "Carryon with what you were doing."
"So my friend and I made a supplication to God before Abu Hurayrah did
and the Prophet began to say Ameen to our dua.
"Then Abu Hurayrah made a supplication saying: "O Lord, I ask You for
what my two companions have asked and I ask You for knowledge which
will not be forgotten."
"The Prophet, peace be on him, said: 'Ameen.' "We then said: 'And we
ask Allah for knowledgewhich will not be forgotten, andthe Prophet
replied: 'The Dawsi youth has asked for this before you." "With his
formidable memory, Abu Hurayrah set out to memorize in the four years
that he spent with the Prophet, the gems of wisdom that emanated from
his lips. He realized that he had a great gift and he set about to use
it to the full in the service of Islam.
He had free time at his disposal. Unlike many of the Muhajirin he did
not busy himself' in the market-places, with buying and selling.
Unlike many of the Ansar, he had no land to cultivate nor crops to
tend. He stayed with the Prophet in Madinah and went with him on
journeys and expeditions.
Many companions were amazed at the number of hadith he had memorized
and often questioned him on when he hadheard a certain hadith and
underwhat circumstances.
Once Marwan ibn al-Hakam wanted to test Abu Hurayrah's power of
memory. He sat with him in one room and behind a curtain he placed a
scribe, unknown to Abu Hurayrah, and ordered him to write down
whatever Abu Hurayrah said. A year later, Marwan called Abu Hurayrah
again and asked him torecall the same ahadith which the scribe had
recorded. It was found that he had forgotten not a single word.
Abu Hurayrah was concerned to teach and transmit the ahadith he had
memorized and knowledge of Islam in general. It is reported that one
day he passed through the suq of Madinah and naturally saw people
engrossed in the business of buying and selling.
"How feeble are you, O people ofMadinah!" he said. "What do yousee
that is feeble in us, Abu Hurayrah?" they asked. "The inheritance of
the Messenger of God, peace be on him, is being distributed and you
remain here!Won't you go and take your portion?" "Where is this, O Abu
Hurayrah?" they asked. "In the Masjid," he replied.
Quickly they left. Abu Hurayrah waited until they returned. When they
saw him, they said:"O Abu Hurayrah, we went to theMasjid and entered
and we did not see anything being distributed." "Didn't you see anyone
in the Masjid?" he asked."O yes, we saw some people performing Salat,
some people reading the Quran and some people discussing about what is
halal and what is haram." "Woe unto you," replied Abu Hurayrah," that
is the inheritance of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him
peace."
Abu Hurayrah underwent much hardship and difficulties as a result of
his dedicated search forknowledge. He was often hungryand destitute.
He said about himself:
"When I was afflicted with severe hunger, I would go to a companion'
of the Prophet and asked him about an ayah of the Quran and (stay with
him) learning it so that he would takeme with him to his house and
give food. "One day, my hunger became so severe that I placed astone
on my stomach. I then sat down in the path of the companions. Abu Bakr
passed byand I asked him about an ayah of the Book of God. I only
asked him so that he would invite me but he didn't.
"Then Umar ibn al-Khattab passed by me and I asked him about an ayah
but he also did not invite me. Then the Messenger of God, peace be on
him, passed by and realized that I was hungry and said: "Abu
Hurayrah!" "At your command" I replied and followed him until we
entered his house. He found a bowl of milk and asked his family: "From
where did you get this?" "Someone sent it to you" they replied. He
then said to me:"O Abu Hurayrah, go to the Ahl as-Suffah and invite
them." Abu Hurayrah did as he was told and they all drank from the
milk.
The time came of course when the Muslims were blessed with great
wealth and material goodness of every description. Abu Hurayrah
eventually got his share of wealth. He had a comfortable home, a wife
and child. But this turn of fortune did not change his personality.
Neither did he forget his days of destitution. He would "I grew upas
an orphan and I emigrated as a poor and indigent person. I used to
take food for my stomach from Busrah bint Ghazwan. I served people
when they returned from journeys andled their camels when they set
out. Then God caused me to marry her (Busrah). So praise be to God who
has strengthened his religion and made Abu Hurayrah an imam." (This
last statement is a reference to the time when he became governor of
Madinah.)
Much of Abu Hurayrah's time would be spent in spiritual exercises and
devotion to God. Qiyam al-Layl staying up for the night in prayer and
devotion - was a regular practice of his family including his wife and
his daughter. He would stay up for athird of the night, his wife for
another third and his daughter for a third. In this way, in the house
of Abu Hurayrah no hour of the night would pass withoutibadah, dhikr
and Salat.
During the caliphate of Umar, Umar appointed him as governor of
Bakrain. Umar was very scrupulous about the type of persons whom he
appointed as governors. He was always concerned that his governors
should live simply and frugally and not acquire much wealth even
though this was through lawful means.
In Bahrain, Abu Hurayrah became quite rich. Umar
heard of this and recalled him toMadinah. Umar thought
he had acquired his wealth through unlawful means and
questioned him about where and how he had acquired
such a fortune. Abu Hurayrah replied: "From breeding horses and gifts
which I received.""Hand it over to the treasury of the Muslims,"
ordered Umar.
Abu Hurayrah did as he was told and raised his hands
to the heavens and prayed: "O Lord, forgive the Amir al-Muminin."
Subsequently, Umar asked him to become governor
once again but he declined. Umar asked him why he
refused and he said: "So that my honor would not be besmirched,my
wealth taken and my back beaten." And he added: "And I fear to judge
without knowledge and speak
without wisdom."
Throughout his life Abu Hurayrah remained kind and
courteous to his mother. Whenever he wanted to leave
home, he would stand at the door of her room and say: As-salaamu
alaykum, yaa ummataah, wa rahrnatullahi wa barakatuhu, peace be on
you, mother, and the
mercy and blessings of God." Shewould reply: "Wa alayka-s salaam, yaa
bunayya, wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu - And on you be peace, my son,
and the mercy and blessings of God." Often, he would also say:"May God
have mercy on you as you cared for me when I was small," and she would
reply:"May God have mercy on you as you delivered me from error when I
was old." Abu Hurayrah always encouraged other peopleto be
kind and good to their parents. One day he saw two men walking
together, one older than the other. He asked the younger one: "What is
this man to you?" "My father," the person replied.
"Don't call him by his name. Don't walk in front of him and don't sit
before him," advised Abu Hurayrah.
Muslims owe a debt of gratitudeto Abu Hurayrah for helping to preserve
and transmit the valuable legacy of the Prophet, may God bless him and
grant him peace. He died in the year 59AH when he was seventy-eight
years old.

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A Group of Jinns meet Prophet Muhammad

It is stated by Imam Baihaqi in "Dalail-e-Nubuwwat" on the authority
of Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Masood (ra) that the Prophet (saw) once, said
to his companions in Makkah:"Whosoever from amongst you desires to see
the jinns, he should come to me tonight." Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Masood
stated that nobody except me came that night. The Prophet (saw) took
me with him toa high hill in Makkah. He drew a circle with his foot
for me and advised me to keep sitting within that circle. Seating
Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Masood within that circle, he advanced ahead and
then stood at a place. There, he started recitation of the Holy Quran.
All of a suddena big group of jinns encircled the Prophet (saw) and
that group stood as a wall between me and the Prophet (saw) and I
heard the jinns saying: "Who gives evidence that you are the Prophet."
There was a treenearby. The Prophet (saw) observed: "Will you acceptmy
claim if this tree gives the evidence?" The jinns said: "Yes, we shall
accept it." On that, the Prophet (saw) called the tree. The tree came
nearby and gave the evidence accordingly and all the jinns embraced
Islam.

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An Easy Passage to the Next World

Those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say:"Peace be upon
you! EnterParadise for what you did."(Surat an-Nahl: 32)
Death in a Virtuous State
Up to this point, we have seen that sincere believerslive a good life
in this world, are not overcome with fear or pessimism, and have a
healthy and comfortable spiritual life. Since those who believe seek
Allah's pleasure, we learn from the Qur'an that they have won His
special assistance, support, and protection; their misdeeds will be
removed from them and that they will berewarded according to thebest
of what they did; andthey will not be wronged. Since they "purchase"
the next life in exchange for this life, they have made what the
Qur'an calls a"good bargain." Allah is pleased with them, and they are
pleased with Him.
But what will happen to them at the end of their lives? Where and when
will Allah meet them at the hour He has appointedfor their death?
Neither believers nor unbelievers know where and when they will die.
This fact is explained in Surah Luqman in these words:
Truly Allah has knowledgeof the Hour, sends down abundant rain, and
knows what is in the womb. And no self knows what it will earn
tomorrow, and no self knows in what land it will die. Allah is
All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surah Luqman, 34)
Together with this, the Qur'an informs us how death will come to
believers, how their souls will be taken, and what will happen at the
moment of death. As far aswe know, believers experience death as a
verygentle passage, like a momentary change in dimension. Just like
the person whom Allah causesto be "as dead during his sleep" (Surat
az-Zumar, 42) and wakes up the nextmorning to a new day, when
believers die, they will be taken out of the worldly dimension and
pass to the next dimension (Certainly Allah knows the truth.)
Allah announced this gentle and easy passage inSurat an-Nazi'at, 2,
where He points to the appointedangels and says "those who draw out
gently."
Another verse tells about the angels' conversation when they come to
take a believer's soul:
Those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say:"Peace be upon
you! EnterParadise for what you did." (Surat an-Nahl, 32)
The following verse describes a believer's death:
The greatest terror will not upset them, and the angels will welcome
them:"This is your Day, the one that you were promised." (Surat
an-Anbiya', 103)
Clearly, believers who have led a good life in thisworld will have a
beautifuland easy death, and their life in the next world will begin
when they are met by angels. From that moment on, all of their
relations with this world will cease, and they will besent to an
appointed placewhere they will come before Allah's Presence. As it was
from the beginning,so it continues: comfort and ease await all
believers.

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Story -

There was a girl named Victoria and a boy named Andrew. Every day she
would look at him at lunch and day dream until lunch was over. Every
day she would hope that he liked her and Victoria was very brave.
So one day she walkedup to him and said "doyou like me" he said not
even close. She said "do you think I'm pretty" he said not in a
million years. Victoria was sooo upset she ran away but Andrew was too
quick. He grabbed her arm and said you are so pretty you can never get
prettier but I think you can find a way and I love you so much that I
would do anything for you.

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Ch 4: The First Meeting

Isabella having left, UmarLahmi and Muaz went to their houses and
began to study the Holy Qur'aan and the Bible and noted down important
points to be discussed. Next morning on Sunday the news of this
discussion was known all over the city. The Christians had made
arrangements that only a few Muslims should be allowed to enter the
church. So many Muslims had to return disappointed. Umar Lahmi, Muaz
and some Muslim divines came to the church and entered it on getting
permission. They found eminent priests of Cordova present there busy
in their worship. After some time, however, the discussion began.
Isabella and all her companions were present.
Michael (Isabella's teacher): We have learnt that you have some doubts
about Christianity and have come here to resolve them and that you
have promised that on getting convincing reply you will forsake Islam
and adopt Christianity.
Umar Lahmi: We have notthe least doubt about Christian beliefs and
teachings but are fully convinced that doubts are baseless. But if you
satisfy us and convincingly explain yourbeliefs we are all certainly
ready to become Christians.
Then Michael reckoned toan elderly man to take upthe discussion. He
came forward and sat near Umar Lahmi. His name was Peter and he was
known as an expert in Arabic learning and Islamic literature and hadto
his credit many books against Islam. He was supposed to be the most
efficient debater against Muslims. He addressed Umar.
Peter (in a superior, rather commanding, tone): I am told that your
great objection is why Saint Paul has called religious law a curse.
But this is a minor and side issue. You are Muslims and believe in the
Qur'aan and, therefore, the decision about Lord Jesus Christ and
Christianity should be according to the Qur'aan.
Umar Lahmi: I had clearly defined the subject of discussion in my
letter as you yourself admit, but now you want to discuss other
matters. When I have written that the discussion should be on the
religious law and curse, what objection canyou have?
Peter: We will answer your question also but first let us deal with
the basic issue and that too from your Qur'aan. Does not your Qur'an
say about our Lord Jesus to be Ruhullah (the spirit of God),
Kalimatullah (the word of God)? Has it not been mentioned in it thathe
used to bring the dead to life ? Then if you believe in the Qur'an,
how can you doubt Lord Jesus being the son of God ?
Umar Lahmi: You have started quite a different discussion which is not
even remotely concernedwith our object. What I want is to understand
the significance of religious law and the curse. If you are prepared
to discuss it, then do it, otherwise let us take leave.
Peter: I put up the Qur'an before you and want thatthe basic issue
should be decided first. If you want to avoid the basic question and
enter into side issues, it means that you have no answer to it.
Umar Lahmi: Well, you want to discuss the basic issue apart from your
religion and taking the cover of the Qur'an. If you want to discuss
the basic issue, let us first decide whether Adam did commit a sin and
if it is decided that he did, then we should discuss whether it passed
on from generation to generation to the entire humanity, that is on
account of Adam's sin all human beings became naturally sinners. If
this has happened, we will discuss how the blot of sin can be removed.
Thenwe may discuss the chastity of Prophet Jesus (according to the
Bible). Thereafter you shall haveto prove that Jesus was God and he
only can absolve humanity of sin. When all this is proved, you shall
have to prove that Jesus was crucified and for all the sins he
remained in Hell for three days. This is to be discussed and not what
the Qur'an says about him.
Peter: All this is irrelevant. What I want is to prove from the Qur'an
that Jesus was the "Spirit of God" and the "Word ofGod" and he brought
the dead to life. Therefore Christian religion is just.
Umar Lahmi (pointing to Isabella): Now I appoint her the judge and ask
her why we were called here. (To Isabella Sister,you have to say now
what I wrote in my letter and why you brought us here.
Isabella: In fact the real talk was as to whether religious law is a
curse ornot. If it is a curse, why do the Christians by following it
become accursed? But the objection of our holy father (Peter) is also
justified and my judgment is that first your objection should be met
and then the Holy Father may put questionson the Qur'an.
Umar Lahmi: This is for me to leave the ground open for you. Now, I
giveyou the promise that when you have dealt with our objection we
will immediately allow you to put general questions. But when, as I
have promised, I embrace Christianity, what need then there will be of
any further questions?
Peter: Well, sir, then you state your question clearly.
Umar Lahmi: You go on replying each of my questions one by one and the
matter will be clear. First, let me know whether not to steal, not to
kill, not to oppress the neighbour, etc., are religious
commandmentsand whether they are concerned with religious law.
Peter: Surely, all these arerelated to the religious law.
Umar Lahmi: And what is Saint Paul's decree about religious law ?
Peter: What decree? I do not follow.
Umar Lahmi: You do understand it well, but you want to evade answer.
Just say if Saint Paul has called religious law a curse.
Peter: Saint Paul has called religious law a curse in this respect
that the core of religious law came in the form of JesusChrist and it
is a folly to leave the core and run after the skin.
Umar Lahmi: This is what I also mean that Saint Paul, taking Jesus as
the soul and religious law as the body, has called religious law a
curse, andsince, as you said, this Commandment of Old Testament is
related to religious law, there-fore to refrain from killing and
fornication is also a curse.
Peter: The thing is that you cannot understand these mysteries without
the help of the "Holy Ghost" and it is not necessary that a matter
which you cannot understand is in fact wrong. Saint Paul has called
physical religious law a curse and not all kinds of religious law.
Umar Lahmi: Agreed. Granted that Saint Paul has called physical
religious law a curse. Now just tell me if not to steal, not to
fornicate, not to oppress parents, etc., are physical religious law or
simply internal, spiritual and moral.
Peter: You are hitting on the same topic. Just listen. What Jesus
Christ has said is more preferable to what Saint Paul has said and our
Lord has asked us to follow the Commandments of the Old Testament.[See
Bible, Matthew, S : 19 to 10: 25.]
Umar Lahmi: That is, to obtain salvation it is necessary to follow the
Old Testament. If this is so, why did you raise the problem of
Atonement bycrucifying the "Son of God"? Why this bogle of Atonement
when it is necessary to follow the Old Testament? Is it necessary to
follow the Commandments of the Old Testament even after the Atonement
of Christ ?
Peter: We know nothing except that our Lord has directed us to follow
the Old Testament. But salvation cannot be gained by merely following
the Old Testament without Atonement.
Umar Lahmi: So Prophet Moses (Musa), David (Dawud), Solomon
(Sulaiman), Joseph (Yusuf), Noah (Nooh) and other prophets must have
been deprived of salvation, for their meansof salvation was just
following of the religiouslaw. So also must their communities have
been deprived.
Peter: Before the advent of Christ the only means of salvation was
following the religious law, but the Lord's Atonement changed it and
now the only means is Atonement.
Umar Lahmi: First you rejected what Saint Paul had said that religious
law was not a curse and then you rejected religious law as the basis
of salvation. Can you quote any saint to prove that Saint Paul's
saying that religious law is a curse is not true?
A person: Gentlemen, in fact it is apostasy and disbelief to talk of
these matters. All these elate to unseen mysteries. Saint Paul has
certainly called religious law a curse and it is really so, but you
people are unable to understand these mysteries. Our means of
salvation is the divinity ofChrist and Atonement, because Jesus was
free from sins and an embodiment of God, whoby his grace and
benevolence suffered on the cross in lieu of us andgave us salvation.
Another person: Do not indulge in mutual quarrels. You have begunto
refute Saint Paul.
Umar Lahmi: This is the result of untrue and baseless talks. Now, this
other gentleman has broached the subject of Divinity and Atonement.
First let the discussion of religious law and curse be concluded.
Peter: You have been given a conclusive reply. Now you may take eight
days to ponder on the matter. If your doubts arenot resolved during
this time, you may come here again.
Umar Lahmi: You do not regard religious law a curse and your colleague
says it is a curse and SaintPaul was correct. Which of you two is on
the right?
Peter: Those who say this are not acquainted with the mysteries of
Christian religion. You should not attend to what they say.
Umar Lahmi (to Isabella): Now, you say which of them is on the right
and whether Saint Paul was wrong in calling religiouslaw a curse.
Isabella: I came here to listen to your discussion and cannot
intervene in any matter. But I will request my teacher Michael to
resolve this question by his great learning and intelligence,since,
apart from our honoured guests, I myselfhave not yet understood it.
These words of Isabella fell like a bolt from the blue on the entire
assembly and everyone began to look at once at one another. Just then
Michael got up.
Michael: Brethren, we have assembled here to search faith and it is
certainly a very auspicious task. But for it,it is necessary that
there should be a sincere heart and an urge to accept thetruth. The
question of faith is such that no one can succeed by his own effort
without Divine help . We should, therefore, earnestly pray to God that
He should manifest the truth to us through the help of the "Holy
Ghost" and reveal to us the mysteries of the Christian faith. (Loud
cries of Amen from all Christians.) Gentlemen, whether religious law
is a curse or not is an irrelevant question. The real thing is that
our Mohammedan brethren have no knowledge of Christian creed and
principles and so they areindulging in polemics. The essence of our
religion can be stated just in two words, i.e. theDivinity of Christ
and Atonement. One who has understood these two has understood all the
secrets of the Christian faith. How gracious is God that He sent His
only son for our salvation to suffer all the troubles of this world
and then at last he was killed on the cross as an atonement forour
sins. So I will request my friend Umar Lahmi and his associates to
giveup the useless discussion of religious law and curse and think of
the holy personality of our Lord Jesus and his matchless atonement
andembrace Christian faith.
Umar Lahmi: We have notcome here for mere talk. We follow a principle
andwant to discuss basic problems. We have already defined the subject
of our talk in my note, whose witness is our sister Isabella here.
Now, if you want us to give up the real subject matter and discuss the
Divinity of Christ and Atonement, I am ready for that also, provided
you give me in writing that we give up the subject of religious law
and should talk on the Divinity of Christ and Atonement.
Peter: We do not mean tosay that you should not discuss these
problems, but that we may leave aside marginal issues anddiscuss basic
problems.
Umar Lahmi: Then why did you call us here? Churches and mosques are
not necessary for discussion. If you do not want to discuss, then say
so clearly so that our timeis not wasted.
Michael: You have misunderstood holy Peter's talk. He did not mean
that we should close the dialogue altogether. He only wanted to stress
that youshould put questions by thinking over the basic problem. But
it is already noon and you may have to take lunch. Say when it will be
convenient for you to come again.
Umar Lahmi: This time is very convenient. No one can say whether we
shall have this auspicious occasion again.
Michael: But you have also to offer your prayer.
Umar Lahmi: We can offerour prayer in this very church.
Peter: I think we better take up the discussion again next Sunday.
Umar Lahmi: I think the discussion should not be put off for so long.
Possibly we may be guided by Allah.
Michael: All right, we restart the discussion tomorrow at this time
and continue till midday.
Isabella: If the discussion to be put off for tomorrow, then it should
not end at noon but continue till the evening so that we may come to
some conclusion.
Michael: Not at all, have we no other business?
Isabella: I think, no other business can be more important than this.
It was, however, decided that the discussion should begin in the
morning and continue tillnoon.
This concluded the first meeting. Umar Lahmi, thanking all Christians,
leaves for his home whilethe priests and Isabella remain sitting in
the church.
One priest: It is regrettable that you gavethe opportunity to these
"unbelievers" to raise objections and let the Christian faith be
ridiculed. The only way to treat these heathens isto put the Qur'an
before them. Holy Peter did this in the very beginning but,
unfortunately, they cleverly wriggled out andtook up the discussion of
religious law. If the same is done tomorrow also, we will be badly let
down, because what theyenquire about is of the Divine secrets which no
one except saints can understand.
Michael: In fact, the discussion went into wrong channels in the very
beginning, otherwise they would have been let down by their own
Qur'an. Does not the Qur'an say that our Lord Jesus is the
"life-giver" and brings the dead to life? Does not theQur'an call him
the "Spiritof God" and the "Word ofGod"?
Peter: But, now, the subject of discussion for tomorrow has been
defined. It will be on the Divinity of Christ and Atonement. See how
cleverly I wanted them todivert from it, but Michael put them again on
it.
Michael: Do not blame me. It is all your handiwork.
Another priest: What is the use of indulging in mutual quarrels. It
will beseen tomorrow, when Divinity of the Lord will come under
discussion that our Christian religion is not a soft morsel which
anyone canswallow at a gulp.
After this conversation allthe Christians left the church and
dispersed. Isabella also left with her companions and made for her
home. On her wayshe spoke to her companions.
Isabella: Just see, behind the back of Muslims they boast that Muslims
cannot stand before them, but when they were faced with Muslims they
were thoroughly exposed. I am sorry that my father had to leave
immediately after leading the prayer as he had full confidence in
theability and learning of Michael and Peter, otherwise he would
havesilenced these Muslims.
One companion: In fact, the problem is a bit too tough. What even your
father could have done ?
Another companion: In fact, our beliefs and dogmas are poor. Otherwise
our priests would not have been so beaten.
Isabella: God forbid ! Just a single discussion has upset you. Our
beliefs arecertainly well founded, but there should be someone to
explain them. Now, tomorrow the Divinity of Christ will be discussed
and you willsee how badly they will fare.
They had now reached a crossroad where all the girls turned towards
their respective homes.
Isabella – A girl of Islamic Spain/ - - - :-> Transtors:
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Wedding / Marriage of Hazrat Fatima al-Zahra (sa) and Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)

Many of us have probablyplaced ourselves and even others in difficult
conditions and unnecessary expenses only to pass through the regular
routines of life. Interestingly enough if we think clearly, many of
these hardships we put ourselves through are rootless, and derive only
from an unnecessary norm and culture that have found its way into
society affecting our liveseither willingly or unwillingly.
During the era of ProphetMuhammad (saw) there lived a rich man by the
name of Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, whom as the custom of the pre-Islamic
era believed a large dowry [Dowry, also known as Sidaq refers to a
wealth that a husband offers his wife as a gift toshow his true
intention.] to present a woman's value and her husband's superiority
in society. Abdur Rahman ibn Awf visited Prophet Muhammad (saw) and
said, "If you give Lady Fatimah's (sa) hand in marriage to me, I will
putas her dowry a hundred camels covered with expensive Egyptian cloth
followed by a thousand gold Dinars!"
Prophet Muhammad (saw) asked, "Do you think I am the servant of wealth
and money that you try to impress me with these things?"
Other than Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, there were many other men like Abu
Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman from the companions (Sahabah) of
Prophet Muhammad (saw) who would ask Lady Fatimah's(sa) hand in
marriage for reasons ranging from herwell-known virtues to her
relation to Prophet Muhammad (saw) and a noble family. However, all
suitors were refused for as Prophet Muhammad (saw) had said, Lady
Fatimah's (sa) marriage had been decreed by Allah (SWT). And with the
descent of the angel of revelation, Hazrat Jibril (Gabriel) Prophet
Muhammad (saw) had been commanded to marry Lady Fatimah to Imam Ali
ibn Abi Talib (as). ProphetMuhammad (saw) has said in this regards, an
angel came to me from Allah (SWT) and said,"The Lord sends his
greetings unto you and has said, I have wedded your daughter Fatimah
inthe heavens to Ali ibn AbiTalib; you too therefore wed Fatimah to
Ali ibn Abi Talib!"
It is mentioned in the narratives that Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:"If
Ali didn't exist, there would be no mate for Fatimah."
This Prophetic attitude, connected to providence,Divine inspiration
and will, draws our attention and makes us stop to ponder a little. It
raises very critical and significant questions. Why didn't Prophet
Muhammad (saw) leave the matter of Lady Fatimah's (sa) marriage to
herself? Why was the Messenger of Allah (saw) not allowed to give Lady
Fatimah (sa) to any of those who sought her hand until Allah (SWT),
the All Wise, had ordered him to do so?
Why was Lady Fatimah's (sa) marriage so distinguished by these
characteristics? There must by a Divine secret and wisdom related to
this marriage, and connected with this critical human relationship
between Lady Fatimah (sa), the daughter of the Messenger of Allah
(saw), and Ali bin Abi Talib (as), his cousin, "brother and self", as
the Messenger of Allah used to refer to Imam Ali (as).
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)was raised by Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)
from infancy. He lived with the Messenger of Allah (saw) and Lady
Khadija tul Kubra (sa) . Hewas brought up in the shade of Divine
inspiration and graduated from the prophetic school. While still a
boy, he was the first male believer in the mission and message of Holy
Prophet Muhammad (saw). It was this unique relationship that Imam Ali
(as) describes in these words:
"You know that due to my close relationship, and my special rank I
enjoyed with the Messenger of Allah (saw), I have a distinguished
position with him. He took me in his lap when Iwas a baby. He often
kept me embraced to his heart. He used to make me sleep next to him.
We used to be so close to each other that I felt the warmth of his
body and smelled the fragrance of his odor. When I was a baby, He fed
me from his mouth, chewing hard bits for me. He never found me lying
or making a mistake."
Imam Ali (as) continued in the same speech,
"I followed Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) step bystep as a baby camel
follows its mother. He used to place a fresh code of behavior before
me daily and used to order me to follow it. Every year he used to
stayin the cave of Hira. Nobody used to be with him but me. No single
house gathered, at the time of early Islam, but the Messenger of
Allah's (saw), with Lady Khadija tul Kubra (sa) and me, thethird of
them. I used to see the light of revelationand smell the fragrance of
prophethood."
The secret of this trainingwas not vague. Nor was this care merely out
of the blood relationship. It is a matter related to the life of the
whole Ummah (Community/Nation) . Therelationship went as far as the
branches of prophethood and Imamat went. Thus Allah (SWT), the
Eternal, gave the best woman of this Ummah, in marriage to the best of
its men. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!
Imam Ali (as) was the oneProphet Muhammad (saw) praised before Hadrat
Fatimah (sa) saying: "I asked my Lord to marry you to the best of his
creatures."
And he said to Imam Ali (as): "Aren't you satisfied that you are
holding, in respect to me, the rank ofHaroon (Aaron) to Musa (Moses)
(as) except that there is no prophet after me?"
Similarly, he asked Lady Fatimah (sa): "Aren't you satisfied that you
are the believing women?" So, both of them were the most loved by
Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the closest of people to him.
Ayesha, the wife of Messenger of Allah (saw) is reported to have been
asked: "Who is, from among all people, most loved by Prophet of Allah
(saw)?"
"Hadrat Fatimah," she said.
"And from among the men?" they asked. "Her husband," she replied,"for
I know him to be a fasting and praying one."
With the consummation of the marriage, the household of the relatives
of Prophet of Allah (saw) was established. Prophet Muhammad (saw)
cared for this household and often spoke about it, stressing that Imam
Ali bin Abi Talib, Lady Fatimah and their descendants were his family
and that from Imam Ali bin Abi Talib and Lady Fatimah his offspring
and children would descend.
It was Allah's (SWT) Will that the offspring of the Messenger of Allah
(saw) descend from Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as) and Lady Fatimah (sa),
and that Imam Hassan (as) and Imam Hussain (as), and the pure progeny
be Imams and guides for this Ummah. That is why the marriage of Imam
Ali bin Abi Talib (as) and Lady Fatimah (sa) was achieved upon a
Divine order.
Although it is true this marriage is a divine marriage, however Lady
Fatimah's (sa) character and in general women rights in Islam for
choosing their own husbands provided that Prophet Muhammad (saw) not
proceed to this act without having his daughter's word in this matter.
When Prophet Muhammad (saw) discussed Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib's (as)
proposal to her, he clearly explained his characteristics. Imam Ali
ibn Abi Talib (as), a man whose worldly goods and wealth were to the
least, and who did not meet the criteria for marriage that the
pre-Islamic era required of him, had however a character that was full
of faith and religious virtues. This time, unlike the previous cases
Lady Fatimah (sa) agreed. Once Prophet Muhammad(saw) saw Lady
Fatimah's (as) agreement in marriage, he asked ImamAli ibn Abi Talib
(as) if he has anything to place as his wife's dowry.
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)replied, "May my parents be sacrificed for
you, youare well aware that my belongings are nothing more than a
sword, a shield, and a Camel."
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), who believed a small dowry to increase
awoman's value as opposed to a large one, replied, "You are correct.
You will need your swordfor battles with the enemies. And with your
Camel you must water the palm trees and travel with it on your trips.
Thusyou can only give your shield as her dowry."
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) ordered to sell Imam Ali's (as) shield. He
divided its money into three sections. He gave a part of it to Hazrat
Bilal (ra) to purchase a decent perfume, and he spent the other two to
purchase some household items and clothes for Lady Fatimah (sa).
Obviously with the money from the shield the material that could be
bought were very cheap and simple!
History has recorded the material that were purchased with the money
consisted of theseitems: a large scarf for four Dirham, material for a
dress for seven Dirham, a bed made of wood and leaves from a date
palm, four pillows made from sheep skin and filled withleaves from an
aromatic plant, a woolen curtain, asmall mat, one hand mill, a
leathern sac for water, one copper flat wash, a container for milking
the Camel, and a pitcher made from clay.
Lady Fatimah's (sa) simple dowry and its usage for purchasing
necessities of the home can be the biggest lesson for decreasing our
expenses and remaining satisfied with what we are capable of
purchasing.
A marriage so divine, yet so simple? What are its criteria? Where then
can virtues be found? And amidst all these, how should we act? Let us
be the judge?
Hence during the second year after the migration, marriage of Imam Ali
(as) with Lady Fatimah (sa) took place. Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)
did notsend Lady Fatimah (sa) the same day to Imam Ali's (as) house.
Imam Ali (as), on his part, started preparing his house for Lady
Fatimah (sa) and furnishing it in a simple and neat way. He covered
the floor with soft sand and placed a wooden bar between two walls for
hanging their laundry on. He decorated Lady Fatimah'sroom with a sheep
skin and a pillow, stuffed withpalm leaves. He got his house ready and
was awaiting Lady Fatimah's arrival.
Twenty-nine days (in another narration more than five months)
passed,but Lady Fatimah Zahra (sa) had not moved to her new house yet.
ImamAli ibn Abi Talib (as) was too shy to discuss the matter with the
Messenger of Allah (saw). So he asked his brother Aqil to go with him
to thehouse of the Prophet of Allah (saw). On their way,they met Umm
Ayman, the maidservant of the Prophet of Allah (saw). They explained
to her Imam Ali's (as) desire. Umm Ayman conveyed Imam Ali's (as)
request to Umm Salamah, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (saw). She
also told the rest of Prophet Muhammad's (saw) wivesabout the matter.
They got together and decidedto go, all of them, to the Messenger of
Allah (saw).
Informed of Imam Ali's (as) request, Prophet Muhammad (saw) consented.
On an occasion like this, a mother has place which cannot be filled by
another. Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) was very eager to make
compensation to Lady Fatimah Zahra (sa) for the absence of her mother.
He (saw) himself took part in the preparations for the nuptials.
Prophet Muhammad (saw) ordered his wives to prepare Lady Fatimah (sa)
for her husband as any girl should be. They did it with happiness
andjoy. The Messenger of Allah (saw) called for a festival. Imam Ali
(as) prepared a befitting feast. Both Muhajirs (immigrants) and Ansars
(helpers), shared in the blessed occasion with their Prophet
Muhammad(saw).
And thus the married life of Hazrat Fatima al-Zahra (sa) and Imam Ali
ibn Abi Talib (as) began. The establishment of the newhouse was
completed, and its firm pillars were fixed by the Messenger ofAllah
(saw). By them he had secured the basis of the new legislation, life
and philosophy of marriage and family. It was an example set for the
coming generations to follow.
The Messenger of Allah (saw), throughout his lifetime personified the
principles of his message,and the values of his Shariah (Islamic Law),
which specify the position of woman and her worth and rights in life
through the person of Hazrat Fatima al-Zahra (sa). The father loved
his little girl and filled her with tenderness and affection. He (saw)
took the responsibility of the marriage, the purchase of her needs,
her nuptialsand the festival. What kind of extraordinary care Prophet
of Islam (saw) displayed towards women? How high is the position of
the family, woman and marriage in his noble, eternal Shariah(Islamic
Law)?
These are the lessons, pioneering social ideals, and the Islamic
system for the behavior of the Muslim family which would produce the
high principled generations.
They are the practical applications of the social and family ties, and
the sound relationships and conduct ordered by Allah (SWT), and
personified byHis noble Messenger (saw).
Hazrat Fatima al-Zahra (sa) and Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as), had 4
children: Imam Hassan, Imam Hussain, Hazrat Zainab and Hazrat Umm
Kulthum(pbut). Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain (pbut), who are trained by
such mother, are of the 12 Imams and the other 9 Imams [except Imam
Ali and Imam Hassan (pbut)] are of Imam Hussain's (pbuh) progeny and
are related to Prophet Muhammad (saw) by Lady Fatimah (sa). This is
the reason we call her Umm al-A'immah (Motherof Imams).
Hadrat Fatimah (sa) was pregnant one other time,after the death of her
dear father, Prophet Muhammad (saw). This child, however, never was
given the chance to live. Mohsin, the stillborn son of Hazrat Fatima
al-Zahra (sa) was abortedwhen the door of her house was pushed down
upon her by those opposing her husband regarding successor ship after
the death of the Messenger of Allah (saw).
So all of Lady Fatimah's living children were four.She herself didn't
live long. She passed away while still in the prime of her life. She
joined her father, the Messenger of Allah (saw) in the other world.
She left behind her little children, the oldest was hardly seven years
old.

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Eid prayer for women is Sunnah

Is Eid prayer obligatory for women? If it is obligatory, should they
pray at home or in the musalla (prayer place)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not obligatory for women, but it is Sunnah.Women should offer
thisprayer in the prayer-place with the Muslims, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined them to do that.
In al-Saheehayn and elsewhere it is narrated that Umm 'Atiyah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) said: "We were commanded (and in one
report it says, he commanded us – meaning the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)) to bring out to the Eid prayers the
adolescent girls and the women in seclusion, and he commanded the
menstruating women to avoid the prayer-place of the Muslims." Narrated
by al-Bukhaari,1/93; Muslim, 890. According to another report: "We
were commanded to come outand to bring out the adolescent girls and
those in seclusion."
According to a report narrated by al-Tirmidhi: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to bring out the
virgins, adolescent girls, women in seclusion and menstruating women
onthe two Eids, but the menstruating women were to keep away fromthe
prayer place and witness the gathering ofthe Muslims. One of themsaid,
"O Messenger of Allaah, what if she does not have a jilbaab?" He said,
"Then let her sister lend her one of her jilbaabs." (Agreed upon).
According to a report narrated by al-Nasaa'i, Hafsah bint Sireen said:
Umm 'Atiyyah hardly ever mentioned the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) but she would say, "May my father be
sacrificed for him." I said, "Did you hear the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say such and such," and
she said, "Yes,may my father be sacrificed for him, and he said, 'Let
the adolescent girls, women in seclusion and menstruating women come
out to attend Eid and witness the gathering of the Muslims, but let
the menstruating women avoid the prayer place.'" Narrated by
al-Bukhaari,1/84
Based on the above, it is clear that for women to go out and attend
the Eid prayers is a confirmed Sunnah, but that is subject to the
condition that they do not go out unveiled or making a wanton display
of themselves, as is known from other evidence.
With regard to boys whohave reached the age of discretion going out to
Eid prayer, Jumu'ah prayers, etc., this is something which is well
known and is prescribedin Islam, because there isa great deal of
evidence to that effect.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.

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