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)/
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
"GENERAL ARTICLES"
- Tamil -- Urdu -- Kannada -- Telugu --*-
Share
"BISMILLA HIRRAHMAAN NIRRAHEEM"
WELCOME! - AS'SALAMU ALAIKUM!!
******** *****
*****
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds; -
Guide us to the straight path
*- -*
* * In this Blog; More Than Ten Thousand(10,000) {Masha Allah} - Most Usefull Articles!, In Various Topics!! :- Read And All Articles & Get Benifite!
* Visit :-
"INDIA "- Time in New Delhi -
*- WHAT ISLAM SAYS -*
-
Islam is a religion of Mercy, Peace and Blessing. Its teachings emphasize kind hear tedness, help, sympathy, forgiveness, sacrifice, love and care.Qur’an, the Shari’ah and the life of our beloved Prophet (SAW) mirrors this attribute, and it should be reflected in the conduct of a Momin.Islam appreciates those who are kind to their fellow being,and dislikes them who are hard hearted, curt, and hypocrite.Recall that historical moment, when Prophet (SAW) entered Makkah as a conqueror. There was before him a multitude of surrendered enemies, former oppressors and persecutors, who had evicted the Muslims from their homes, deprived them of their belongings, humiliated and intimidated Prophet (SAW) hatched schemes for his murder and tortured and killed his companions. But Prophet (SAW) displayed his usual magnanimity, generosity, and kind heartedness by forgiving all of them and declaring general amnesty...Subhanallah. May Allah help us tailor our life according to the teachings of Islam. (Aameen)./-
''HASBUNALLAHU WA NI'MAL WAKEEL''
-
''Allah is Sufficient for us'' + '' All praise is due to Allah. May peace and blessings beupon the Messenger, his household and companions '' (Aameen) | | |
| | |
|
Share
Follow Me | |
**
Share
-
-*- *: ::->
*
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
25 Dua's from Al Qur'an
'GOOD NIGHT' Tips
I was looking out the window thinking about that person I care most
nda person dat came in2 my mind was U so just wanna say u good night.
beautiful thoughts in beautiful mind beautiful dreams in beautiful
eyes.so enjoy this beautiful night in beautiful dreams good night.
A late night greeting doesn't mean 'GOOD NIGHT'.It has a silent
msgsaying 'u' r my last thought as night sets in..
I'm whispering bcoz i don't want you to wake you up. You'll probably
read this tomorrow, but anyway,Good Night.
My heart Reacted,My eyes Detected. Between Thousands were Rejected..
But only U were Selected to be.. my sweetest love 4Ever.. Good Night.
Never,say dreaming is useless, because life is useless if you can't
dream. Have a nice dream..sweet Night.
Let the sweetest person come to your dreams tonight. But do not make
it a habit because Iam not free every night. Good night.
Throw your dreams into the space like a kite, Andyou do not know what
itwill bring back, A new Life,A new Friend,A new Love..Good Night.
Moon is happy and Sun is upset,why? Because sun is missing you, And
moon is gonna be with you, For the rest of the night,Good Night.
A bed of clouds for U to sleep, Diamond stars as your bedside lamp,
Angels from heaven singing lullabies for U,Good Night.
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
nda person dat came in2 my mind was U so just wanna say u good night.
beautiful thoughts in beautiful mind beautiful dreams in beautiful
eyes.so enjoy this beautiful night in beautiful dreams good night.
A late night greeting doesn't mean 'GOOD NIGHT'.It has a silent
msgsaying 'u' r my last thought as night sets in..
I'm whispering bcoz i don't want you to wake you up. You'll probably
read this tomorrow, but anyway,Good Night.
My heart Reacted,My eyes Detected. Between Thousands were Rejected..
But only U were Selected to be.. my sweetest love 4Ever.. Good Night.
Never,say dreaming is useless, because life is useless if you can't
dream. Have a nice dream..sweet Night.
Let the sweetest person come to your dreams tonight. But do not make
it a habit because Iam not free every night. Good night.
Throw your dreams into the space like a kite, Andyou do not know what
itwill bring back, A new Life,A new Friend,A new Love..Good Night.
Moon is happy and Sun is upset,why? Because sun is missing you, And
moon is gonna be with you, For the rest of the night,Good Night.
A bed of clouds for U to sleep, Diamond stars as your bedside lamp,
Angels from heaven singing lullabies for U,Good Night.
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
True Essence of Hajj
A man came to visit Sayyiduna Junaid Baghdadi, whose life reflected no
change, even after having performed Hajj.
Sayyiduna Junaid asked him: "Where are you coming from?"
"Sir, I have returned after performing Hajj of the House of Allah",
was the reply.
"So, have you actually performed Hajj?"
"Yes, Sir, I have performed Hajj ", said the man.
"Did you pledge that you would give up sins when you left your home
for Hajj?" asked Sayyiduna Junaid.
"No, Sir, I never thought of that", said the man.
"Then, in fact, you did not even step out for Hajj. While you were on
the sacred journey and making halts at places during thenights, did
you ever think of attaining nearness to Allah?"
"Sir, I had no such idea."
"Then you did not at all travel to the Ka'bah, nor did ever visit it.
When you put on the Ihram garments, and discarded your ordinary dress,
did you make up your mind to abandon your evil ways and attitudes in
life as well?"
"No, Sir, I had no idea of that."
"Then, you did not even don the Ihram garments!" said Sayyiduna Junaid
ruefully. Then he asked; "When you stood in the Plain of Arafat and
were imploring Allah Almighty, did you have the feeling that you were
standing in Divine Presence and having a vision of Him?"
"No, Sir, I had no such experience.
Sayyiduna Junaid then became a liltle upset and asked: "Well, when you
came to Muzdalifah, did you promise that you would give up vain
desires of the flesh?"
"Sir, I paid no heed to this."
"You did not then come to Muzdalifah at all." Then he asked: 0″Tell
me, did you happen to catch glimpses of Divine Beauty when youmoved
round the Houseof Allah?"
"No, Sir, I caught no such glimpses."
"Then, you did not move around the Ka'bah at all." Then he said: "When
you made Sa'i (running) between the Safa and the Marwa,did you realize
the wisdom, significance and objective of your effort?"
"Sir, I was not at all conscious of this."
"Then you did not make any Sa'i!"Then he asked: "When you slaughtered
an animal at the place of sacrifice, did you sacrificeyour selfish
desires as well in the way of Allah?"
"Sir, I failed to give any attention to that!"
"Then, in fact you offered no sacrifice whatever."
"Then when you cast stones at the Jamarahs, did you make a resolve to
get rid of your evil companions and friends and desires?"
"No, Sir, I didn't do that."
"Then, you did not cast stones at all", remarked Sayyiduna Junaid
regretfully, and said:
"Go back and perform Hajj once again, giving due thought and attention
to all the requirements,so that your Hajj may bear some resemblance
with Prophet Ibrahim's Hajj, whose faith and sincerity has been
confirmed by the Qur'an: Ibrahim who carried out most faithfully the
Commands (of his Lord)." (53:37)
change, even after having performed Hajj.
Sayyiduna Junaid asked him: "Where are you coming from?"
"Sir, I have returned after performing Hajj of the House of Allah",
was the reply.
"So, have you actually performed Hajj?"
"Yes, Sir, I have performed Hajj ", said the man.
"Did you pledge that you would give up sins when you left your home
for Hajj?" asked Sayyiduna Junaid.
"No, Sir, I never thought of that", said the man.
"Then, in fact, you did not even step out for Hajj. While you were on
the sacred journey and making halts at places during thenights, did
you ever think of attaining nearness to Allah?"
"Sir, I had no such idea."
"Then you did not at all travel to the Ka'bah, nor did ever visit it.
When you put on the Ihram garments, and discarded your ordinary dress,
did you make up your mind to abandon your evil ways and attitudes in
life as well?"
"No, Sir, I had no idea of that."
"Then, you did not even don the Ihram garments!" said Sayyiduna Junaid
ruefully. Then he asked; "When you stood in the Plain of Arafat and
were imploring Allah Almighty, did you have the feeling that you were
standing in Divine Presence and having a vision of Him?"
"No, Sir, I had no such experience.
Sayyiduna Junaid then became a liltle upset and asked: "Well, when you
came to Muzdalifah, did you promise that you would give up vain
desires of the flesh?"
"Sir, I paid no heed to this."
"You did not then come to Muzdalifah at all." Then he asked: 0″Tell
me, did you happen to catch glimpses of Divine Beauty when youmoved
round the Houseof Allah?"
"No, Sir, I caught no such glimpses."
"Then, you did not move around the Ka'bah at all." Then he said: "When
you made Sa'i (running) between the Safa and the Marwa,did you realize
the wisdom, significance and objective of your effort?"
"Sir, I was not at all conscious of this."
"Then you did not make any Sa'i!"Then he asked: "When you slaughtered
an animal at the place of sacrifice, did you sacrificeyour selfish
desires as well in the way of Allah?"
"Sir, I failed to give any attention to that!"
"Then, in fact you offered no sacrifice whatever."
"Then when you cast stones at the Jamarahs, did you make a resolve to
get rid of your evil companions and friends and desires?"
"No, Sir, I didn't do that."
"Then, you did not cast stones at all", remarked Sayyiduna Junaid
regretfully, and said:
"Go back and perform Hajj once again, giving due thought and attention
to all the requirements,so that your Hajj may bear some resemblance
with Prophet Ibrahim's Hajj, whose faith and sincerity has been
confirmed by the Qur'an: Ibrahim who carried out most faithfully the
Commands (of his Lord)." (53:37)
The Dignity of Madina
THE HOLY PROPHET HAZRAT MUHAMMAD MUSTAFA (Sallalaho Alaihe Wa Sallam)
has said that one who desires that he should die in Madina must always
endeavor that his last breath comes in Madina, I shall supplicate for
him (on the Day of Judgement). He has also said thatany one who gives
trouble to the people of Madina, Almighty Allah will put him in
trouble, and Allah the Almighty, angels and all the people will curse
him, and all his prayers and deeds will go in waste. The Holy Prophet
(Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has also said that the man who
deceives the people of Madina, hewill be reduced and dissolved (by way
of emaciation) as salt is dissolved in water. His personality shall
lose all integrity,worth etc. He has also said that the angels keep
vigilance on all the pathways to Madina and the Dajjal and the plague
(the must accursed disease) shall ever enterthe Holy city of Madina.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has prayed to
Allah the Almighty that the blessing and prosperity of Madina may
increase more than two fold to those of Makkah.
Respectful Presence and Homage in the Most Sacred
Darbar of the Holy Prophet
(Allah's Peace and Grace be upon him.)
The Blessings of the visit and the loss of beneficence for negligent
by pass of Madina. It is said in theHoly Quran,
(TRANSLATION:- When people wrong themselves and (O Prophet) they come
to you to seek forgiveness from Allah and you also pray for their
forgiveness, they will Allah as the Acceptor of repentance and the
Most Merciful.)
The Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be upon him) has also
said,"Any one who visit (for homage and salutation) My Grace,his
supplication become, wajib (essential) on me". He has also said that
any one who performs Haj and pays homage to my grave(i.e. after my
death), it is as if he paid visit to me in my life-time. He has also
said that the man who performs Haj and does not pay homage (Ziarat) to
me, he oppressed me.
PROBLEM:- The visit and the homage to sacred grave of the Holy Prophet
(Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has the blessings of a wajib.
PROBLEM:- Some people of perverted mentality try to disarrayed simple
hearted persons from paying visit to sacred Mazar of the Holy Prophet
(Allah's grace and peace be upon him) by false frights on the way to
Madina. Such threats and warnings should be discarded and spurned in
the due measure. The fact is that there is no place under the sky
which is more blessed and spiritually prosperous than the Madina
Sharif.
ETIQUETTES OF ZIARAT.
(1) After entering the limits of Madina Sharif he must make an
exclusive and most devoted Niyatof getting into the presence of Holy
Shrine. The Niyat must be most submissive and attentive toonly one
object and that is to present oneself as a down cast slave before his
most revered andhonored master discarding every thing else from the
mind and the heart.
(2) If it is the Farz Haj for which he has proceeded to the Holy Land,
then he should first perform the Haj and thereafter go Madina Tayyeba.
If however, Madina Tayyeba comes on his way to Makkah then it would be
an act of distinct misfortune and exhibition of extreme hard
heatedness to by pass Madina. Onthe other hand, he must avail of this
opportunity of offering Durood-o-Salaam in the presence of the Holy
Prophet (Allah's peaceand grace be upon him) and make this visit as a
source of success and acceptance of Haj. If it is a Haj-e-Nafil than
it permissible that he should perform the Haj and having thus achieved
the blessings of the Haj, he may visit Madina Tayyeba. The other way
is also is not without blessing if he first pays homage and respectful
Ziarat to the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) and
then perform the Haj with greater serenity and purity of heart and
mind as a reward of paying humbled attendant at Madina Munawwara
before proceeding to Haj. He may do as the thinks best according his
Niyat as it is the which determines the quality and sincerity of any
deed. It is also said that one gets whatever is hisNiyat.
(3) Throughout the way he must be more and more engrossed in reciting
Durood-o-Salaam increasing the speed and repetitive offering of the
Durood and verses of eulogy in the praiseand excellence of the Holy
Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (Sallallaho Aliahe Wa Sallam).
(4) As the Haram-e-Madina comes nearer humility and selflessness
demands that puts off the foot wear and walks bare footed to the Holy
Shrine. When the Holy Qabba comes in sight the volume and intensity of
Durood-o-Salaammust be at it highest and sincerest.
(5) While entering the skirt of theMost sacred city on earth Madina
Munawwarah one should be inextricably engrossed in the contemplation
and reflection of the Most August Personality of the Holy Prophet
Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa `Sallallaho Alaihe wa Sallam. Entering the
city gate, put the right foot first and recite these verses,
(TRANSLATION:- I begin in the name of Allah, whatever Almightydesired,
there is no Power ety) with the entrance of Truth and make me exit
with the Exit of Truth. O Allah! open for me upon him and peace) what
You granted Your Friends and deliver me from the Fire (of He'll),
Forgive me and have Mercy on meO the One to Whom begins for Well being
are addressed.
(6) Before entering the Holy Masjid (Nabvi), one must make himself
relieved of all small necessities which are likely to detract the
attention and devotion a later stage of engrossment. Wazu and miswak
(still better is to have a bath) must be gone through, put on clean
(preferable white dress (new one is all the more suitable for the
occasion with added application of perfume corryleum.
(7) After thus having prompted oneself (with nothing external
reminding itself as wanting), he must the enter the Musjid-e-Nabvi
with utmost humility anddevotion attention to the One who is the Mercy
of the world and the Benefactor of all mankind the Most Beloved Friend
of Allah Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (Sallallaho Alaihe wa Sallam). With
eyes down cast andheart filled with reflection on one's deeds, it is
most likely that tears with roll by and if one's hard heartedness
checks the flowof tears, sorrowful endeavors must be inwardly to melt
the stony heart, as the tears remorse true obeisance and utmost
humility and utter selflessness move the Throne of Almighty Allah and
with the affection and endearment of the greatest sympathizer and
benefactor of the down trodden humanity under the canopy of the sky.
(8) He must visit all the doors with Durood o Salam on the lips and in
the heart while entering every door, with Bismallah as if seeking
permission to enter with the eight foot as the first step.
(9) At that most auspicious moment every Musalman knows (should know)
what deep reverence and respect is needed with the heart, eyes, ears,
tongue, hand and foot all working in perfect unison and free from all
external instructions. One should not divert his attention towards the
arts and designs on the structural plane of observation.
(10) If some comes in front with whom there is other ward intimacy of
conversation, but here the occasion if quite different. Except for
formal salutation precious time should not he lost in talks etc.
(11) Never never should a word inharsh or loud voice be uttered within
the limits of the Masjid-e-Nabvi.
(12) It must be borne in mind with the deepest of Faith and Belief
that the Huzur Nabi Karim Sallallaho Alaihe wa Sallam is still alive
with the same true, real, wordly and physical qualities which he
possessed when he loved in this universe. His death in this world, as
indeed the deaths of all apostles of Allah was nothing but momentary
disappearance from the sight of the world, and that too to testify the
Divine Truth that every living being has to taste of death and when
that appointed moment arrives and passes they resume their life in the
different sphere and in the different world which invisible from our
human faculties, but they retain all their qualities, in a grander and
more prefined refined form. Imam Muhammad Ibne Haaj say in his book"
Mudkhal", Imam Ahmad Qistalami in his "Mawa'hib Ladunniyah" and other
in their books are of the same view viz,
(TRANSLATION:- There is no difference in the death and life of Hazrat
Sallallaho Aliahe wa Sallam, in respect of his observation of his
Ummah, he is aware with their condition their intentions, their
determinations and their hearts (contents). All these are so manifest
before thatno covering can hide them.)
Speaking about the visitors paying homage (with durood-o-salam) Imam
Mohaqqiq Ibnul Munsik in his "Mutawassit" and Ali Qari Maki in his
interpretation thereof have said,
(TRANSLATION:- Surely the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be
upon him) is fully aware of your presence, your standing andyour
salam, rather he is aware of all your activities and conditions, and
moving from one place to another and staying (at a certain place).
(13) After entering the Holy Masjid-e-Nabvi if it is the time of
congregation of the Farz Salat is taking or has already taken
place,they join the Jama'at, this will be,in itself inclusive of the
Nafil Salatof Tahiyat-ul-Masjid. If the time permit and it is not
makrooh time for offering Nafil prayers then two rakats of Thanks
giving for the blessing of being admitted in the presence of the
august and most honored personality of the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace
and grace be upon him) may be offered. The place for offering
Thanksgiving (Shukrana) prayers should be as close the Mehrab of the
Holy Masjid as possible.
(14) Now after this, one should proceed with respectful steps and eyes
lowered in reverence and utmost humility to the eternal resting place
(Mazar-e-Mubarak) of Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be upon
him) from the eastern side so that you may reflecting visible that his
Merciful Benevolent glance is towards you. This is the most opportune
and blessed moment of your life which wordsand gestures in our
deficient sensibility can not comprehend.
(15) If you are fortunate to have the Divine Blessing, in those
auspicious moments you may place yourself at a distance of about a
yard with the back to Qibla and face to the Mazar-e-Mubarak and hand
locked as in namaz (Salat). Spent some moments in this position,
inwardly repeating and rehearsing the Durood-o-Salam, with the lips
and tongue motionless and soundless.
(16) In these auspicious momentswhen emotions and sentiments are
almost our flowing are should not be tempted, though reverentrally, to
kiss or touch the golden *** of the Mazar Aqdas. If should be kept in
mind at every moment of one's being fortunateenough to have been
blessed with the Divine Favour of presenting himself at such most
honored and dignified places in the Holy Lands of Makkah and Madina in
a broad perspective and most especially at the most sacred and
auspicious place in the proximity of the Holy Shrine at Madina
Munawwarah.
(17) Keeping the eyes humbly lowered in front of the Holy and
Mazar-e-Aqdas one should offer Durood-o-Salam in a modest toneby
reciting,
(TRANSLATION:- Peace be on you, O Holy Prophet! and the Mercy and
Blessing of Allah. Peace be onYou O The Messenger of Allah. Peace be
on You O the Best of TheCreatures of Allah. Peace be on You O The ***
of the sinners, Peace be on You and on Your Kin and on Your companions
and the Ummah all together.)
(18) As long as tongue, heart, mind can endure continue reciting
Durood-o-Salam, praying for forgiveness and prosperity of all
concerned in the world and the Hereafter, with particular beggings for
the **** by the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be on him)
beseeching,
(19) Then convey the salam on behalf of the persons who have specially
requested you, this is anobligatory permitted and commanded by the
Shariat.
(20) Then moving a little backward on your right hand or the west side
keeping your face at the visage of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (may Allah
be pleased with him) offer the salutations in these words,
(TRANSLATION:- Peace be on You Othe vice regent of the Apostle of
Allah; Peace be on You O the Minister of the Apostle of Allah; Peace
be on You O the companionof the Apostle of Allah in the Caveand the
Mercy and the Blessings of Allah).
(21) Then moving back in the same way, and keeping your face towards
the Caliph Hazrat Umar (may Allah be please with him) offer your
salutations thus,
(TRANSLATION:- Peace be on You, O the Commander of the faithful; Peace
be on you O, is The Accomplishes of the Number of*Forty. Peace be on
you the Honorof Islam and all the Muslims and the Mercy and Blessing
of Allah.)
(22) Then return a little to the west in between the Holy Graves of
Hazrat Abu Bak'r and Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) and
offer the salutation;
(TRANSLATION:- Peace be on you both the vice regents of the Apostle of
Allah, Peace be on you both O the Ministers of the Apostle of Allah;
Peace be on you both O who are having (eternal) rest at the sides of
the Apostle of Allah and the Mercy and Blessing of Allah. I beseech
you to **** for us before the Apostle of Allah, Allah's peace and
grace on him and you and the Blessing and Peace).
(23) All these places of salutations are the venues for theacceptance
of prayers (dua) in thepresence of Almighty Allah and it should be the
endeavour of every fortunate pilgrims to these places to offer
commulative and all embracing prayers for the wellbeing and prosperity
of all concerned. The best offering's are the presentation of
Durood-o-Salam. In addition he may recite,
(TRANSLATION:- O Allah! I make you witness and Your Apostle and Abu
Bakr and Umar and Your Angels who descend on this Shrine and who stay
here. I make them all witness and give evidence that there is no god
but You, You are Alone and there no companion to You and Muhammad
Sallallaho Alaihe Wa Sallam Your Abd and Your Apostle. O Allah! I
confess sins and acts of evil, Forgive me and have Favour on me as You
did to Your Friends. Indeed You are does of Beneficence and the
merciful Forgiven of sins. O our Lord! Grant us well being in the
world and (comforts) in the Hereafter and save us from the Fire (of
the He'll).
(24) Then he offer prayers near the Holy Pulpit.
(25) Her Thereafter he should offer two rakat's of Nafil in the"Plant
bed of the** Paradise" (Jannat Ki Kiyari).
----------------------------------------------------------------
*: Hazrat Umar was the fortieth person to accept Islam.
**:The space between the Holy Pulpit (Mimbar Sharif) and Holy
Apartment of the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be on him) or
Hujrah Sharif was declared as "Jannat Ki Kiyari" by him.
(26) Even otherwise he should offer prayer at every pillar of the Holy
Masjid (Masid-e-Nabvi). All these places have their own blessing.
(27) So long as one stays in Madina Munawwarah, he should not allow
any single breath go waste. Every available opportunity must be used
for Durood-o-Salam and prayers for all.
(28) While entering the Masjid-e-Nabvi a Niyat of Eitekaf for a stay
in the Holy place should he made that he will not come out of the
masjid unless some permissible excuse occurs. In faith this Niyat of
Eitekaf should be made while going into any masjid, reminding that
unless thewho process of prayer, worship iscompleted he will not
neither come out nor indulge in any un necessary talk/work with any
oneso long he stays in the masjid.
(29) It will be quite a good fortune if one gets the opportunity of
staying in Madina Tayyeba in the Holy month of Ramzan, especially
during the summer, the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be him)
has promised **** for a keeping fast in a hot season in the holy city
of Madina and staying there for this purpose.
(30) Here every good deed is rewarded upto fifty thousand times more
then at any place. Therefore the endeavour should be to spend as much
time in worship, recitation of the Holy Quran, Durood Sharif etc, as
is possible. Besides sadaqah and charity should also be given morein
Madina Munawwarah especiallyamong the needy and deserving.
(31) At least one full recital of the Holy Quran (all 30 Parts) should
be completed during the stay in the Masjid-e-Nabvi as well as in the
Hateem-e-Kaaba.
(32) To have a look (with a spirit of dignified inspiration and
reverence) is in itself an act of virtue and piety, so is the case
with the Holy Quran. Therefore it should be repeated as often as in
possible, reciting Durood-o-Salamon each occasion.
(33) After all the Five Salat (Namaz) or at at least twice daily in
the morning and every presentyourself at the specified spots to offer
salam in the presence of (Huzur) of the Holy Prophet, (Allah's grace
and peace be upon him).
(34) In the city or outside wherever the Tomb of the Mazar-e-Muqaddas
comes to sight stay for a while facing the site and offer
Durood-o-salam. To pass by the site without praying homage is an act
of grave impropriety anddisrespect.
(35) To abstain from the Jannat ofany Farz Name is by itself
undesirable and a sign of indifference to this part of worship (which
promotes feelingof solidarity among fellow attendants and other
besides), but to do so in the Masjide Nabvi, intentionally and
frequently shows the weakness of Eiman and disregard for the holy
Traditions (Ahadees) in this respect. The reward for the observance of
this level (Namaz with Jamat in the Masjid-e-Nabvi) is known to Allah
alone. But the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be upon him) has
said "For every one who does not a single Namaz with Jama'at in My
Masjid will be granted deliverance from the Fire of He'll (in the
Hereafter) and acts of duplicity and hypocrisy (in this world).
(36) One must endeavour to offer every prayer (Namaz) within the area
of the Masjid-e-Awwal whicha space of about 100 by 100 in length and
breadth in the life of the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be
upon him. This has now been extended many times due to the expansion
of Masjid-e-Nabvi from time to time thereafter. The whole Masjid
constitutes a single unit and every spot is equally holy and sacred,
but still the said spot has its spiritual and reverential
significance.
(37) Never keep your back at the Mazar-e-Sharif, even while offering
prayers (Salat) care should be taken to avoid the backbeing at the
site of the Mazar-e-Aqdas.
(38) It is not desirable to have a customary Tawaf of the
Roza-e-Anwar, nor prostrating nor bending one's back equal to that of
rukn. The real faith and reverence lies not in the external display of
respect but in faithful obedience and humble devotion to the Holy
Prophet Sallallaho Alaihe Wa Sallam.
(39) The ZIARAT OF JANNAT UL BAQEE is sunnat. After the Ziarat of the
Shrine of the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be upon him), a
visit to the Jannatul Baqee(graveyard) is also essential a especially
on Fridays, as a mark ofrespect to the departed revered souls. In this
famous and sacred Grave Yard are buried nearly ten thousand companions
of the' Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him), besides
those pious personages known as Tabe-een (those who followed or came
after the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) Taba
Tabe-een (who followed the T'abe-een), holy saints, scholars and
virtuous persons who are all countless in numbers. When a person
enters this grave yard, be should a Niyat to pray for all departed
person age buried there, saluting them thus,
(Peace be on you (all) dwelling the homes of the community of Believers.)
(You are our predecessors and if Allah The Excelled wills we shall
meet you. O Allah! Forgive all the Dwellers of Baqee. O Allah! Forgive
us and them.) He may recite some more rites and `dua' if he likes,
(TRANSLATION:- O Allah! Forgive usand our parents and our teachersand
our brothers and our sisters and our children and companionsand our
friends and him who ha right on us and him who made will for us and
all the Momin menand women and all the Muslim men and women.(Amin)
He then should visit the graves of the well known personages. Among
all the Dwellers of the Baqee the most dignified is Amirul Momineen
Hazrat Usman (may Allah be pleased with him.) He should visit his
grave and offersalutation
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
has said that one who desires that he should die in Madina must always
endeavor that his last breath comes in Madina, I shall supplicate for
him (on the Day of Judgement). He has also said thatany one who gives
trouble to the people of Madina, Almighty Allah will put him in
trouble, and Allah the Almighty, angels and all the people will curse
him, and all his prayers and deeds will go in waste. The Holy Prophet
(Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has also said that the man who
deceives the people of Madina, hewill be reduced and dissolved (by way
of emaciation) as salt is dissolved in water. His personality shall
lose all integrity,worth etc. He has also said that the angels keep
vigilance on all the pathways to Madina and the Dajjal and the plague
(the must accursed disease) shall ever enterthe Holy city of Madina.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has prayed to
Allah the Almighty that the blessing and prosperity of Madina may
increase more than two fold to those of Makkah.
Respectful Presence and Homage in the Most Sacred
Darbar of the Holy Prophet
(Allah's Peace and Grace be upon him.)
The Blessings of the visit and the loss of beneficence for negligent
by pass of Madina. It is said in theHoly Quran,
(TRANSLATION:- When people wrong themselves and (O Prophet) they come
to you to seek forgiveness from Allah and you also pray for their
forgiveness, they will Allah as the Acceptor of repentance and the
Most Merciful.)
The Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be upon him) has also
said,"Any one who visit (for homage and salutation) My Grace,his
supplication become, wajib (essential) on me". He has also said that
any one who performs Haj and pays homage to my grave(i.e. after my
death), it is as if he paid visit to me in my life-time. He has also
said that the man who performs Haj and does not pay homage (Ziarat) to
me, he oppressed me.
PROBLEM:- The visit and the homage to sacred grave of the Holy Prophet
(Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has the blessings of a wajib.
PROBLEM:- Some people of perverted mentality try to disarrayed simple
hearted persons from paying visit to sacred Mazar of the Holy Prophet
(Allah's grace and peace be upon him) by false frights on the way to
Madina. Such threats and warnings should be discarded and spurned in
the due measure. The fact is that there is no place under the sky
which is more blessed and spiritually prosperous than the Madina
Sharif.
ETIQUETTES OF ZIARAT.
(1) After entering the limits of Madina Sharif he must make an
exclusive and most devoted Niyatof getting into the presence of Holy
Shrine. The Niyat must be most submissive and attentive toonly one
object and that is to present oneself as a down cast slave before his
most revered andhonored master discarding every thing else from the
mind and the heart.
(2) If it is the Farz Haj for which he has proceeded to the Holy Land,
then he should first perform the Haj and thereafter go Madina Tayyeba.
If however, Madina Tayyeba comes on his way to Makkah then it would be
an act of distinct misfortune and exhibition of extreme hard
heatedness to by pass Madina. Onthe other hand, he must avail of this
opportunity of offering Durood-o-Salaam in the presence of the Holy
Prophet (Allah's peaceand grace be upon him) and make this visit as a
source of success and acceptance of Haj. If it is a Haj-e-Nafil than
it permissible that he should perform the Haj and having thus achieved
the blessings of the Haj, he may visit Madina Tayyeba. The other way
is also is not without blessing if he first pays homage and respectful
Ziarat to the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) and
then perform the Haj with greater serenity and purity of heart and
mind as a reward of paying humbled attendant at Madina Munawwara
before proceeding to Haj. He may do as the thinks best according his
Niyat as it is the which determines the quality and sincerity of any
deed. It is also said that one gets whatever is hisNiyat.
(3) Throughout the way he must be more and more engrossed in reciting
Durood-o-Salaam increasing the speed and repetitive offering of the
Durood and verses of eulogy in the praiseand excellence of the Holy
Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (Sallallaho Aliahe Wa Sallam).
(4) As the Haram-e-Madina comes nearer humility and selflessness
demands that puts off the foot wear and walks bare footed to the Holy
Shrine. When the Holy Qabba comes in sight the volume and intensity of
Durood-o-Salaammust be at it highest and sincerest.
(5) While entering the skirt of theMost sacred city on earth Madina
Munawwarah one should be inextricably engrossed in the contemplation
and reflection of the Most August Personality of the Holy Prophet
Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa `Sallallaho Alaihe wa Sallam. Entering the
city gate, put the right foot first and recite these verses,
(TRANSLATION:- I begin in the name of Allah, whatever Almightydesired,
there is no Power ety) with the entrance of Truth and make me exit
with the Exit of Truth. O Allah! open for me upon him and peace) what
You granted Your Friends and deliver me from the Fire (of He'll),
Forgive me and have Mercy on meO the One to Whom begins for Well being
are addressed.
(6) Before entering the Holy Masjid (Nabvi), one must make himself
relieved of all small necessities which are likely to detract the
attention and devotion a later stage of engrossment. Wazu and miswak
(still better is to have a bath) must be gone through, put on clean
(preferable white dress (new one is all the more suitable for the
occasion with added application of perfume corryleum.
(7) After thus having prompted oneself (with nothing external
reminding itself as wanting), he must the enter the Musjid-e-Nabvi
with utmost humility anddevotion attention to the One who is the Mercy
of the world and the Benefactor of all mankind the Most Beloved Friend
of Allah Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (Sallallaho Alaihe wa Sallam). With
eyes down cast andheart filled with reflection on one's deeds, it is
most likely that tears with roll by and if one's hard heartedness
checks the flowof tears, sorrowful endeavors must be inwardly to melt
the stony heart, as the tears remorse true obeisance and utmost
humility and utter selflessness move the Throne of Almighty Allah and
with the affection and endearment of the greatest sympathizer and
benefactor of the down trodden humanity under the canopy of the sky.
(8) He must visit all the doors with Durood o Salam on the lips and in
the heart while entering every door, with Bismallah as if seeking
permission to enter with the eight foot as the first step.
(9) At that most auspicious moment every Musalman knows (should know)
what deep reverence and respect is needed with the heart, eyes, ears,
tongue, hand and foot all working in perfect unison and free from all
external instructions. One should not divert his attention towards the
arts and designs on the structural plane of observation.
(10) If some comes in front with whom there is other ward intimacy of
conversation, but here the occasion if quite different. Except for
formal salutation precious time should not he lost in talks etc.
(11) Never never should a word inharsh or loud voice be uttered within
the limits of the Masjid-e-Nabvi.
(12) It must be borne in mind with the deepest of Faith and Belief
that the Huzur Nabi Karim Sallallaho Alaihe wa Sallam is still alive
with the same true, real, wordly and physical qualities which he
possessed when he loved in this universe. His death in this world, as
indeed the deaths of all apostles of Allah was nothing but momentary
disappearance from the sight of the world, and that too to testify the
Divine Truth that every living being has to taste of death and when
that appointed moment arrives and passes they resume their life in the
different sphere and in the different world which invisible from our
human faculties, but they retain all their qualities, in a grander and
more prefined refined form. Imam Muhammad Ibne Haaj say in his book"
Mudkhal", Imam Ahmad Qistalami in his "Mawa'hib Ladunniyah" and other
in their books are of the same view viz,
(TRANSLATION:- There is no difference in the death and life of Hazrat
Sallallaho Aliahe wa Sallam, in respect of his observation of his
Ummah, he is aware with their condition their intentions, their
determinations and their hearts (contents). All these are so manifest
before thatno covering can hide them.)
Speaking about the visitors paying homage (with durood-o-salam) Imam
Mohaqqiq Ibnul Munsik in his "Mutawassit" and Ali Qari Maki in his
interpretation thereof have said,
(TRANSLATION:- Surely the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be
upon him) is fully aware of your presence, your standing andyour
salam, rather he is aware of all your activities and conditions, and
moving from one place to another and staying (at a certain place).
(13) After entering the Holy Masjid-e-Nabvi if it is the time of
congregation of the Farz Salat is taking or has already taken
place,they join the Jama'at, this will be,in itself inclusive of the
Nafil Salatof Tahiyat-ul-Masjid. If the time permit and it is not
makrooh time for offering Nafil prayers then two rakats of Thanks
giving for the blessing of being admitted in the presence of the
august and most honored personality of the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace
and grace be upon him) may be offered. The place for offering
Thanksgiving (Shukrana) prayers should be as close the Mehrab of the
Holy Masjid as possible.
(14) Now after this, one should proceed with respectful steps and eyes
lowered in reverence and utmost humility to the eternal resting place
(Mazar-e-Mubarak) of Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be upon
him) from the eastern side so that you may reflecting visible that his
Merciful Benevolent glance is towards you. This is the most opportune
and blessed moment of your life which wordsand gestures in our
deficient sensibility can not comprehend.
(15) If you are fortunate to have the Divine Blessing, in those
auspicious moments you may place yourself at a distance of about a
yard with the back to Qibla and face to the Mazar-e-Mubarak and hand
locked as in namaz (Salat). Spent some moments in this position,
inwardly repeating and rehearsing the Durood-o-Salam, with the lips
and tongue motionless and soundless.
(16) In these auspicious momentswhen emotions and sentiments are
almost our flowing are should not be tempted, though reverentrally, to
kiss or touch the golden *** of the Mazar Aqdas. If should be kept in
mind at every moment of one's being fortunateenough to have been
blessed with the Divine Favour of presenting himself at such most
honored and dignified places in the Holy Lands of Makkah and Madina in
a broad perspective and most especially at the most sacred and
auspicious place in the proximity of the Holy Shrine at Madina
Munawwarah.
(17) Keeping the eyes humbly lowered in front of the Holy and
Mazar-e-Aqdas one should offer Durood-o-Salam in a modest toneby
reciting,
(TRANSLATION:- Peace be on you, O Holy Prophet! and the Mercy and
Blessing of Allah. Peace be onYou O The Messenger of Allah. Peace be
on You O the Best of TheCreatures of Allah. Peace be on You O The ***
of the sinners, Peace be on You and on Your Kin and on Your companions
and the Ummah all together.)
(18) As long as tongue, heart, mind can endure continue reciting
Durood-o-Salam, praying for forgiveness and prosperity of all
concerned in the world and the Hereafter, with particular beggings for
the **** by the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be on him)
beseeching,
(19) Then convey the salam on behalf of the persons who have specially
requested you, this is anobligatory permitted and commanded by the
Shariat.
(20) Then moving a little backward on your right hand or the west side
keeping your face at the visage of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (may Allah
be pleased with him) offer the salutations in these words,
(TRANSLATION:- Peace be on You Othe vice regent of the Apostle of
Allah; Peace be on You O the Minister of the Apostle of Allah; Peace
be on You O the companionof the Apostle of Allah in the Caveand the
Mercy and the Blessings of Allah).
(21) Then moving back in the same way, and keeping your face towards
the Caliph Hazrat Umar (may Allah be please with him) offer your
salutations thus,
(TRANSLATION:- Peace be on You, O the Commander of the faithful; Peace
be on you O, is The Accomplishes of the Number of*Forty. Peace be on
you the Honorof Islam and all the Muslims and the Mercy and Blessing
of Allah.)
(22) Then return a little to the west in between the Holy Graves of
Hazrat Abu Bak'r and Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) and
offer the salutation;
(TRANSLATION:- Peace be on you both the vice regents of the Apostle of
Allah, Peace be on you both O the Ministers of the Apostle of Allah;
Peace be on you both O who are having (eternal) rest at the sides of
the Apostle of Allah and the Mercy and Blessing of Allah. I beseech
you to **** for us before the Apostle of Allah, Allah's peace and
grace on him and you and the Blessing and Peace).
(23) All these places of salutations are the venues for theacceptance
of prayers (dua) in thepresence of Almighty Allah and it should be the
endeavour of every fortunate pilgrims to these places to offer
commulative and all embracing prayers for the wellbeing and prosperity
of all concerned. The best offering's are the presentation of
Durood-o-Salam. In addition he may recite,
(TRANSLATION:- O Allah! I make you witness and Your Apostle and Abu
Bakr and Umar and Your Angels who descend on this Shrine and who stay
here. I make them all witness and give evidence that there is no god
but You, You are Alone and there no companion to You and Muhammad
Sallallaho Alaihe Wa Sallam Your Abd and Your Apostle. O Allah! I
confess sins and acts of evil, Forgive me and have Favour on me as You
did to Your Friends. Indeed You are does of Beneficence and the
merciful Forgiven of sins. O our Lord! Grant us well being in the
world and (comforts) in the Hereafter and save us from the Fire (of
the He'll).
(24) Then he offer prayers near the Holy Pulpit.
(25) Her Thereafter he should offer two rakat's of Nafil in the"Plant
bed of the** Paradise" (Jannat Ki Kiyari).
----------------------------------------------------------------
*: Hazrat Umar was the fortieth person to accept Islam.
**:The space between the Holy Pulpit (Mimbar Sharif) and Holy
Apartment of the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be on him) or
Hujrah Sharif was declared as "Jannat Ki Kiyari" by him.
(26) Even otherwise he should offer prayer at every pillar of the Holy
Masjid (Masid-e-Nabvi). All these places have their own blessing.
(27) So long as one stays in Madina Munawwarah, he should not allow
any single breath go waste. Every available opportunity must be used
for Durood-o-Salam and prayers for all.
(28) While entering the Masjid-e-Nabvi a Niyat of Eitekaf for a stay
in the Holy place should he made that he will not come out of the
masjid unless some permissible excuse occurs. In faith this Niyat of
Eitekaf should be made while going into any masjid, reminding that
unless thewho process of prayer, worship iscompleted he will not
neither come out nor indulge in any un necessary talk/work with any
oneso long he stays in the masjid.
(29) It will be quite a good fortune if one gets the opportunity of
staying in Madina Tayyeba in the Holy month of Ramzan, especially
during the summer, the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be him)
has promised **** for a keeping fast in a hot season in the holy city
of Madina and staying there for this purpose.
(30) Here every good deed is rewarded upto fifty thousand times more
then at any place. Therefore the endeavour should be to spend as much
time in worship, recitation of the Holy Quran, Durood Sharif etc, as
is possible. Besides sadaqah and charity should also be given morein
Madina Munawwarah especiallyamong the needy and deserving.
(31) At least one full recital of the Holy Quran (all 30 Parts) should
be completed during the stay in the Masjid-e-Nabvi as well as in the
Hateem-e-Kaaba.
(32) To have a look (with a spirit of dignified inspiration and
reverence) is in itself an act of virtue and piety, so is the case
with the Holy Quran. Therefore it should be repeated as often as in
possible, reciting Durood-o-Salamon each occasion.
(33) After all the Five Salat (Namaz) or at at least twice daily in
the morning and every presentyourself at the specified spots to offer
salam in the presence of (Huzur) of the Holy Prophet, (Allah's grace
and peace be upon him).
(34) In the city or outside wherever the Tomb of the Mazar-e-Muqaddas
comes to sight stay for a while facing the site and offer
Durood-o-salam. To pass by the site without praying homage is an act
of grave impropriety anddisrespect.
(35) To abstain from the Jannat ofany Farz Name is by itself
undesirable and a sign of indifference to this part of worship (which
promotes feelingof solidarity among fellow attendants and other
besides), but to do so in the Masjide Nabvi, intentionally and
frequently shows the weakness of Eiman and disregard for the holy
Traditions (Ahadees) in this respect. The reward for the observance of
this level (Namaz with Jamat in the Masjid-e-Nabvi) is known to Allah
alone. But the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be upon him) has
said "For every one who does not a single Namaz with Jama'at in My
Masjid will be granted deliverance from the Fire of He'll (in the
Hereafter) and acts of duplicity and hypocrisy (in this world).
(36) One must endeavour to offer every prayer (Namaz) within the area
of the Masjid-e-Awwal whicha space of about 100 by 100 in length and
breadth in the life of the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be
upon him. This has now been extended many times due to the expansion
of Masjid-e-Nabvi from time to time thereafter. The whole Masjid
constitutes a single unit and every spot is equally holy and sacred,
but still the said spot has its spiritual and reverential
significance.
(37) Never keep your back at the Mazar-e-Sharif, even while offering
prayers (Salat) care should be taken to avoid the backbeing at the
site of the Mazar-e-Aqdas.
(38) It is not desirable to have a customary Tawaf of the
Roza-e-Anwar, nor prostrating nor bending one's back equal to that of
rukn. The real faith and reverence lies not in the external display of
respect but in faithful obedience and humble devotion to the Holy
Prophet Sallallaho Alaihe Wa Sallam.
(39) The ZIARAT OF JANNAT UL BAQEE is sunnat. After the Ziarat of the
Shrine of the Holy Prophet (Allah's peace and grace be upon him), a
visit to the Jannatul Baqee(graveyard) is also essential a especially
on Fridays, as a mark ofrespect to the departed revered souls. In this
famous and sacred Grave Yard are buried nearly ten thousand companions
of the' Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him), besides
those pious personages known as Tabe-een (those who followed or came
after the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) Taba
Tabe-een (who followed the T'abe-een), holy saints, scholars and
virtuous persons who are all countless in numbers. When a person
enters this grave yard, be should a Niyat to pray for all departed
person age buried there, saluting them thus,
(Peace be on you (all) dwelling the homes of the community of Believers.)
(You are our predecessors and if Allah The Excelled wills we shall
meet you. O Allah! Forgive all the Dwellers of Baqee. O Allah! Forgive
us and them.) He may recite some more rites and `dua' if he likes,
(TRANSLATION:- O Allah! Forgive usand our parents and our teachersand
our brothers and our sisters and our children and companionsand our
friends and him who ha right on us and him who made will for us and
all the Momin menand women and all the Muslim men and women.(Amin)
He then should visit the graves of the well known personages. Among
all the Dwellers of the Baqee the most dignified is Amirul Momineen
Hazrat Usman (may Allah be pleased with him.) He should visit his
grave and offersalutation
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Sacrificing Animals
All Praises is due to Almighty Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala, Peace and
Blessings be upon the most perfect of creations, His Beloved Habeeb,
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam his noble Family and
the illustrious Sahaba Riwanullahi Ta'ala Alaihim Ajma'een and all the
pious servants of Almighty Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala.
LAWFUL AND UNLAWFUL ANIMALS
I. Hadrat Jabir reported that on the day (battle) of Khaybar the
Messenger of Allah declared domestic asses, the flesh of mules, every
beast of prey and every bird which preys with its talon to be
unlawful. [Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 1, Page 273]
II. Hadrat Safinah reported, "I ate with the Messenger of Allah the
flesh of a bustard." [Mishkat, Page 361]
(a bird with a long neck, a long beak, grey-coloured, looks like a
goose in its appearance) – [al-Mu'jam al-Wasit – Page 151]
III. Hadrat Abu Musa reported, "I saw the Messenger of Allah
eatingpoultry." [Mishkat, Page 361]
IV. Hadrat Abu Qatadah reported that he saw a wild ass and killed it.
The Holy Prophet asked, "Have you any of its flesh?" They said, "We
have a leg." The Messenger of Allah was offered a piece, which
heaccepted and ate. [Mishkat, Page 359]
V. Hadrat Ibn-e-'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah has said,
"Two dead creatures and two bloodshave been made lawful for us. The
two dead creatures are fish and locust and the two bloods are liver
and spleen." [Mishkat, Page 361]
VI. Hadrat Abu al-Zubair reported from Hadrat Jabir who reported that
the Messenger of Allah has said, "What the sea throws up and is left
by the tide (i.e. the fish) you may eat. But what dies inthe sea and
floats you must not eat." [Mishkat, Page 361]
VII. Hadrat 'Ikramah reported from Hadrat Ibn-e-'Abbas - saying he was
sure that he transmitted it back to theHoly Prophet - that he used to
order snakes to be killed and he used to say, "Whoever leaves them
fearing that they might come to take revenge does not belong to us."
(is not on our path) [Mishkat, Page 361]
VIII. Hadrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah has
said, "Whoever kills a gecko with the first blow one hundred virtues
are recorded for him; and less if he kills it with the second; and
even less if he kills it with the third." [Mishkat, Page 361]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. It is Haram to eat Ghurab al-Abqa' - a type of crow that eats the
dead (like a vulture) as stated in al-Durr al-Mukhtar on Page 642 and
also in al-Mu'jam al-Wasit Page 647.
2. Mahuka[1] - a crow-like bird which resembles a cuckoo in its
features is Halal [Radd al-Mohtar]. This is because the latter eats
only grains and seeds whereas the common crow eats dead carcasses.
[al-Bahr al-Ra'iq – Vol. 8, Page 313, Fatawa-e-Razawiyyah – Vol. 20
Pgs. 319-320, Firozul Lughat – Page 1364]
3. All sea creatures exceptfish are all Haram, such asa crab or a
crocodile, an eel and so on. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar – Page 642]
4. There is disagreement amongst the scholars as regards prawn – is it
considered in the group of 'fish' or not? Thus, it is best to avoid
it.
5. If someone placed a substance (a chemical forexample) by which the
fish died, and it is knownthat the fish dided due tothe cuase of
placing that substance in the water, then that fish is still Halal.
[al-Durr al-Mukhtar – Page 642]
6. A rabbit is Halal to eat. [al-Hidayah Page 425, al-Durr al-Mukhtar Page 642]
HUNTING AND SLAUGHTER
I. Hadrat 'Adi ibn Hatim reported: I asked, "O Messenger of Allah!
Whenanyone of us catches a game and has no knife, can he cut its
throat with a flint and a splinter of a stick?" He said, "Let the
blood flow with whatever you like and mention the Name of Allah."
[Mishkat, Page 358]
II. Hadrat 'Adi ibn Hatim reported that the Holy Prophet has said,
"Eat whatever is caught for you by a dog or a hawk (but the prey is
not devoured by themselves) which you have trained and set off after
mentioning the Name of Allah. I asked: "Even though it kills it (i.e.
the animal)?" He said, "When it kills it without eating anything of
it, because it has caught it for you." [Mishkat, Page 358]
III. Hadrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah has
said, "Whoever keeps a dog, except a sheepdog or a hunting dog or a
farm dog, a qiraat of his reward is deducted daily." [Mishkat, Page
358]
IV. Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that the Messenger
of Allah has said, "Whoever kills a sparrow or any creature larger
than that,Allah will question him about killing it." It was asked: "O
Messenger of Allah, what is the right of (these) birds?" He said, "To
cut its throat and eat it, but not to cut off its head and throw it
away." [Mishkat, Page 359]
V. Hadrat 'Aisha reported that (some) people said, "O Messenger of
Allah! There are people here who have recently reverted from
polytheism. They bring tous meat and we do not know whether or not
they have mentioned the Name of Allah over it." Hesaid, "Mention the
Name of Allah yourselves and eat it." [Mishkat, Page 357]
VI. Hadrat Shaddad ibn Aws reported that the Messenger of Allah has
said, "Allah the Blessed and Exalted has decreed kindness for
everything. So when you kill, use a good method; and when you
slaughter use a goodmethod. You should sharpen the knife and give the
animal as little pain as possible." [Mishkat, Page 357]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. There are 4 veins cut when slaughtering an animal; the windpipe
(channel of breath), the gullet (channel of food and drink which lies
beneath the windpipe), and the 2 carotid arterieswhich are two blood
vessels on the sides of theneck encompassing the windpipe, they are
calledwadajain. [Bahar-e-Shari'at and al-Durr al-Mukhtar – Page 640]
2. If 3 from the 4 veins were cut or most part of each vein was cut,
then the slaughtered animal isHalal.
3. It is Haram to eat an animal slaughtered by aninfidel, a Wahhabi,
an apostate, Dehriyah or a neichri, and every other heretic.
4. A Hindu said, "This animal has been slaughtered by a Muslim,"then
to eat the animal is not permissible. If the Hindu said, "I have
bought this from a Muslim," then it is permissible to eat it. [al-Durr
al-Mukhtar – Page 640]
5. If one did not mention the Name of Allah purposely, when
slaughtering the animal, then the slaughtered animal has become Haram
to eat. If one unintentionally forgot to pray it then it is Halal.
[al-Hidayah Vol. 4 Page 419, Bahar-e-Shari'at]
6. Likewise, to slaughter in such a manner that theknife stroke
reaches the cerebellum (the brain) or the head is chopped off then it
is makruh (offensive) to eat the meat, though the meat is lawful (the
offensiveness is in the method of slaughtering not the meat).
[al-Hidayah, Bahar-e-Shari'at]
7. There are 22 things which are not permissible (to eat) from a
sheep, a cow, or any other animal slaughtered:
a) Guts.
b) Intestines.
c) Bladder.
d) Testicles.
e) Penis (the sign of a masculine).
f) Vagina (the sign of a feminine).
g) Anus.
h) Blood in the arteries/veins.
i) The blood that is in the meat, that is left even after the animal
has beensacrificed.
j) The blood of the heart.
k) Blood of the liver.
l) Blood of the spleen.
m) Gall bladder.
n) The bile (yellow substance) that is excreted from the gall bladder.
o) The gland.
p) Spinal Marrow (nukha').
q) The two muscles/tendons of the neck which stretch till theshoulders.
r) The moisture that is in the nose.
s) Semen and sperm, whether the sperm of themale is found in the
female (animal), or whether it is the animals own sperm/semen.
t) That blood which is created in the womb by semen.
u) That flesh which has formed in the womb by seminal fluid, whether
the flesh has developed abody (with its parts) or not.
v) That animal which has been fully developed in the womb, but which
came out (of the womb) dead, or died without slaughter.
8. It is permissible to eat the meat of an animal which has been
sacrificed with the name of Allah 'Azz wa Jall for the reward to be
sent to any Friend (Wali) of Allah.The condition is that the Name of
Allah is mentioned as such: "Bismillahi Allahu Akbar."
9. If a trained hunting animal brought down a game animal, then it is
lawful to eat it (the gameanimal) on the following conditions:
a. The hunting animal belongs to a Muslim and should also be trained
b. The animal did not die due to the pouncing upon it of the hunting
animal, but due to the wound made by the hunting animal
c.The trained hunting aninmal was set free after the hunter mentioned
the Name of Allah the Most Exalted ("Bismillahi Allahu Akbar")
d. The animal reached the hunter before it dies, and thence, he
mentioned the Name of Allah and then properly slaughtered it.
If any of the above conditions are not fulfilled; or if any condition
is not found then the animal shall be unlawful to eat.
[Khaza'inal-'Irfan – Sadr al-Afadhil al-Sayyid Na'im al-Din
al-Muradabadi]
10. The sign if an animal is for hunting or not is that if it is set
free to hunt, then it shall run towards the prey (game),and if it is
stopped then itstops. The trained hunting animal shall also leave the
hunted animal (prey) for its owner, and shall not eat anything from
it. This has been stated in Tafsir al-JalalainPage 93.
11. If an animal which has been shot with a gunor with a bow arrow
dies, then it is Haram to eat it. [Radd al-Mohtar, Bahar-e-Shari'at,
Fatawa-e-Qadi Khan]
12. Hunting for mere enjoyment, entertainment, or amusement is Haram;
whether the animal is shot with a gun or an arrow and whether it is
fishing occasionally, or rarely.
13. Some people when fishing, place fish or toads (both of which are
still living) into the rod tocatch large fish. This is prohibited as
one is giving pain to the animal. Likewise, some people catch fish by
placing live earthworms or maggots into the rod; this is also
prohibited. [Bahar-e-Shari'at – Vol. Chapter 17, Page 273]
14. Some people feel thatit is disliked to work as a butcher. This is
wrong, asthere is nothing transmitted from anyone to say that such an
occupation is disliked. [Bahar-e-Shari'at with reference from Radd
al-Mohtar]
SACRIFICING ANIMALS
I. Hadrat Zaid ibn Arqam reported that the companions of the Messenger
of Allah asked:"O Messenger of Allah! What is this sacrifice?" Hesaid,
"It is the practice of your father Abraham." They asked, "What is the
reward for us in it?" He said, "For every hair, you will be rewarded."
They asked, "for the wool, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "For every
strand of wool you will be rewarded." [Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Page
226]
II. Hadrat 'Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah has said, "On
the day of sacrifice no one does a deed more pleasing to Allah than
theshedding of blood. The sacrifice will come on theDay of
Resurrection with its horns, its hairs and its hooves; and the blood
finds acceptance with Allah before it falls on theground." [Sunan
Tirmidhi, Vol. 1, Page 275]
III. Hadrat Hanash reported: I saw Hadrat 'Ali sacrificing two rams.
Iasked him: "what is this?"He said, "The Messenger of Allah had
enjoined me to sacrifice on his behalf; so I am sacrificing on his
behalf." [Mishkat, Page 128]
IV. Hadrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah has said,
"Such a person who had the ability and means to sacrifice an animal,
but (despite this) he did not do so; should never come near our Eidgah
(place where the Eid prayers are performed)." [Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol.
1, Page 226]
V. Hadrat Umm-e-Salmah reported that the Messenger of Allah has said,
"when you see the new moon of Dhul Hijjah and one of you intends to
make sacrifice, he must not shave his hair, trim it, or clip his
nails." [Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Page 160]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. For the condition of sacrificing, the Malik-e-Nisab is the person
who possesses 52 ½ tolas (620 grammes) of silver or 7 ½ tolas (88
grammes) of gold; or they have the same amount equivalent to either of
the above item in value in business goods or non-business goods, which
are not goods that are the basic necessities of life. The wealth
and/or property should be 'extra'/above one's basic necessities
(hajat-e-asliyyah).
2. Nowadays, the price ofsilver is less. The price of silver in
current-day value is approximately £2per tola. Therefore, anyone who
possess the value of: £2 x 52 ½ tola = £105 - which exceeds his/her
basic necessities and also the debt which is to be paid back – then it
is wajib on such a person to sacrifice an animal.
3. Such a Malik-e-Nisab who has already sacrificed an animal on behalf
of himself, and thefollowing year he is still aMalik-e-Nisab then
again it is wajib upon him to sacrifice an animal on hisbehalf. This
ruling appliesfor each year (that sacrificing is wajib if a person is
a Malik-e-Nisab). It has been stated in a Hadith: "It is wajib upon
every household to sdacrifice an animal each year."
4. If a Malik-e-Nisab sacrifices on behalf of someone else, instead of
sacrificing an animal on behalf of himself (i.e. does not sacrifice an
animal on his behalf), then he has committed a great sin. Thus, if he
wants to sacrifice on someone else's behalf, then he should make
preparations to buy another animal and sacrifice it.
5. Some people who think that, "It is wajib only once in a lifetime to
sacrifice an animal on one's behalf" is farce andwrong, which has no
proof; as it is wajib upon a Malik-e-Nisab to sacrifice an animal on
hisbehalf each year.
6. In villages, it is permissible to sacrifice animals on the 10th of
Dhu'l Hijjah after the break of dawn (Subh-e-Sadiq). However, it is
Mustahab to sacrifice it after sunrise. [Fatawa-e-'Alamgiri Vol. 5
Page 260]
7. It is not permissible to sacrifice animals before the Eid prayer in
cities and towns. [Bahar-e-Shari'at]
8. Such a poor person - who cannot afford to sacrifice an animal -
should also refrain from shaving or trimming hair and clipping nails;
so as to resemble the pilgrims on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah.
9. It is permissible for a resident of a city or a town to send his
animal to a person living in a village; and have it sacrificed before
the Eid prayer; and then have the meat sent back to him in the city or
town. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
10. It is not permissible togive the skin or the meat of the
sacrificed animal as the wage to the butcher or the one who has
sacrificed the animal. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
11. It is not permissible togive the meat of a sacrificed animal to any infidel.
12. The method of sacrificing an animal is tolay it on its left, such
that its face is towards the Qiblah and then place theright foot on
its side and holding a sharp knife (concealed obviously from the
animal or if it is blind-folded then there isno harm).
13. if the Qurban has been performed on behalf of someone who has
passed away, then the meat cannot be eatenby the person himself norcan
it be given to a rich person. It is wajib to giveall the meat to the
poor as sadaqah. [Bahar-e-Shari'at]
14. The animal's skin, reins, saddle etc should all be given in
sadaqah, one can use the skin for their own usage, such as to make the
skin into a leather bag or a prayer mat. However, one cannot sell the
skin to someone else, and then use the money for their own benefit. If
this has been done, then the money received should be given as
sadaqah.
15. Nowadays, people give the animal skin to Madrissahs and other
Islamic institutions. This is perfectly permissible. Ifone sells the
skin with the intention of giving the money received to the Madrissa,
then this is also permissible. ['Alamgiri, Bahar-e-Shari'at]
16. The skin of the sacrificed animal cannot be given to the Imam as
his wage. Yes, however, it can be given to him as a gift or for his
benefit. [Bahar-e-Shari'at]
17. A camel must be at least five years old; a buffalo should be at
leasttwo years old; and a sheep, lamb or a goat should be at least one
year old. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
18. The animal intended to be slaughtered should be big and health,
and should be free from any faults or defects. If there is a minor
defect in the animal, then the Qurbani will count, but it is Makruh.
If there is a major defect, then the Qurbani will not count. [al-Durr
al-Mukhtar, Raddal-Muhtar, Fatawa-e-'Alamgiri]
Some think that sacrificing one animal will suffice for one
wholehousehold; all of whom are Malik-e-Nisab. This is wrong. Each and
every person from such a household should sacrifice an animal on their
behalf. Yes, however, a household can share seven parts from a 'large'
animal such as a camel, cow, buffalo etc.
Footnote [1]:
The great Imam Ahmed Raza Khan has stated thatthe Ghurab al-Zar' eats
only grains, and is small and has a red/orange coloured beak.
[Fatawa-e-Razawiyyah – Vol. 20, Page 320].
The common crow is classed as khabith in a Hadith, because "of all
birds the carrion crow is the most detested by gamekeepers and country
people who rear flocks of poultry, becauseit is the craftiest of egg
thieves. Wild birds also suffer acutely from its depredations."
[ www.birdsofbritain.co.uk ] It has also been mentioned on this
website that, "outside the breeding season, crows often patrol the
waterside, picking up carrion and attacking wounded birds in the
shooting season. Some ofthem haunt beaches and estuaries where they
eat shore-crabs and mussels, whose shells they crack by dropping them
from aheight."
There is another species of the "crow" family called: the American
Crowor Corvus Brachyvrhyncos. "American Crows eat a wide variety of
foods, including: fruits, grains, nuts, acorns, snails, mussels, small
birds, eggs,rabbits, mice, toads, crayfish, snakes, lizards,
salamanders, rats, grasshoppers, cutworms, Junebugs, grubs,
weevils,and other insects."
It is quite surpirising to see that there were and still are some who
call themselves as "scholars", yet they declare things tobe Halal
which the Messenger of Allah declared Haram! Take for example, the
common crow, which is classed as fasiq in the Hadith narrated by ibn
Majah in his Sunan on the authority of Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar
[Sunan ibn Majah – Vol. 2 Page 294 – Hadith: 1036] and also in the
same book there is also the Hadith narrated on the authority of Hadrat
'Aishain which the crow is named as fasiq, and cannot be eaten. [Sunan
ibn Majah – Vol. 2, Page 293, Hadith: 1037]. Despite all this, these
"scholars for dollars" have issued fatawa that to eat the crow is
Halal! [see Fatawa-e-Rashidiyah– Page 296 and the Nawa-e-Waqt
newspaper– 6th and the 7th of August 1976]
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Blessings be upon the most perfect of creations, His Beloved Habeeb,
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam his noble Family and
the illustrious Sahaba Riwanullahi Ta'ala Alaihim Ajma'een and all the
pious servants of Almighty Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala.
LAWFUL AND UNLAWFUL ANIMALS
I. Hadrat Jabir reported that on the day (battle) of Khaybar the
Messenger of Allah declared domestic asses, the flesh of mules, every
beast of prey and every bird which preys with its talon to be
unlawful. [Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 1, Page 273]
II. Hadrat Safinah reported, "I ate with the Messenger of Allah the
flesh of a bustard." [Mishkat, Page 361]
(a bird with a long neck, a long beak, grey-coloured, looks like a
goose in its appearance) – [al-Mu'jam al-Wasit – Page 151]
III. Hadrat Abu Musa reported, "I saw the Messenger of Allah
eatingpoultry." [Mishkat, Page 361]
IV. Hadrat Abu Qatadah reported that he saw a wild ass and killed it.
The Holy Prophet asked, "Have you any of its flesh?" They said, "We
have a leg." The Messenger of Allah was offered a piece, which
heaccepted and ate. [Mishkat, Page 359]
V. Hadrat Ibn-e-'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah has said,
"Two dead creatures and two bloodshave been made lawful for us. The
two dead creatures are fish and locust and the two bloods are liver
and spleen." [Mishkat, Page 361]
VI. Hadrat Abu al-Zubair reported from Hadrat Jabir who reported that
the Messenger of Allah has said, "What the sea throws up and is left
by the tide (i.e. the fish) you may eat. But what dies inthe sea and
floats you must not eat." [Mishkat, Page 361]
VII. Hadrat 'Ikramah reported from Hadrat Ibn-e-'Abbas - saying he was
sure that he transmitted it back to theHoly Prophet - that he used to
order snakes to be killed and he used to say, "Whoever leaves them
fearing that they might come to take revenge does not belong to us."
(is not on our path) [Mishkat, Page 361]
VIII. Hadrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah has
said, "Whoever kills a gecko with the first blow one hundred virtues
are recorded for him; and less if he kills it with the second; and
even less if he kills it with the third." [Mishkat, Page 361]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. It is Haram to eat Ghurab al-Abqa' - a type of crow that eats the
dead (like a vulture) as stated in al-Durr al-Mukhtar on Page 642 and
also in al-Mu'jam al-Wasit Page 647.
2. Mahuka[1] - a crow-like bird which resembles a cuckoo in its
features is Halal [Radd al-Mohtar]. This is because the latter eats
only grains and seeds whereas the common crow eats dead carcasses.
[al-Bahr al-Ra'iq – Vol. 8, Page 313, Fatawa-e-Razawiyyah – Vol. 20
Pgs. 319-320, Firozul Lughat – Page 1364]
3. All sea creatures exceptfish are all Haram, such asa crab or a
crocodile, an eel and so on. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar – Page 642]
4. There is disagreement amongst the scholars as regards prawn – is it
considered in the group of 'fish' or not? Thus, it is best to avoid
it.
5. If someone placed a substance (a chemical forexample) by which the
fish died, and it is knownthat the fish dided due tothe cuase of
placing that substance in the water, then that fish is still Halal.
[al-Durr al-Mukhtar – Page 642]
6. A rabbit is Halal to eat. [al-Hidayah Page 425, al-Durr al-Mukhtar Page 642]
HUNTING AND SLAUGHTER
I. Hadrat 'Adi ibn Hatim reported: I asked, "O Messenger of Allah!
Whenanyone of us catches a game and has no knife, can he cut its
throat with a flint and a splinter of a stick?" He said, "Let the
blood flow with whatever you like and mention the Name of Allah."
[Mishkat, Page 358]
II. Hadrat 'Adi ibn Hatim reported that the Holy Prophet has said,
"Eat whatever is caught for you by a dog or a hawk (but the prey is
not devoured by themselves) which you have trained and set off after
mentioning the Name of Allah. I asked: "Even though it kills it (i.e.
the animal)?" He said, "When it kills it without eating anything of
it, because it has caught it for you." [Mishkat, Page 358]
III. Hadrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah has
said, "Whoever keeps a dog, except a sheepdog or a hunting dog or a
farm dog, a qiraat of his reward is deducted daily." [Mishkat, Page
358]
IV. Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that the Messenger
of Allah has said, "Whoever kills a sparrow or any creature larger
than that,Allah will question him about killing it." It was asked: "O
Messenger of Allah, what is the right of (these) birds?" He said, "To
cut its throat and eat it, but not to cut off its head and throw it
away." [Mishkat, Page 359]
V. Hadrat 'Aisha reported that (some) people said, "O Messenger of
Allah! There are people here who have recently reverted from
polytheism. They bring tous meat and we do not know whether or not
they have mentioned the Name of Allah over it." Hesaid, "Mention the
Name of Allah yourselves and eat it." [Mishkat, Page 357]
VI. Hadrat Shaddad ibn Aws reported that the Messenger of Allah has
said, "Allah the Blessed and Exalted has decreed kindness for
everything. So when you kill, use a good method; and when you
slaughter use a goodmethod. You should sharpen the knife and give the
animal as little pain as possible." [Mishkat, Page 357]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. There are 4 veins cut when slaughtering an animal; the windpipe
(channel of breath), the gullet (channel of food and drink which lies
beneath the windpipe), and the 2 carotid arterieswhich are two blood
vessels on the sides of theneck encompassing the windpipe, they are
calledwadajain. [Bahar-e-Shari'at and al-Durr al-Mukhtar – Page 640]
2. If 3 from the 4 veins were cut or most part of each vein was cut,
then the slaughtered animal isHalal.
3. It is Haram to eat an animal slaughtered by aninfidel, a Wahhabi,
an apostate, Dehriyah or a neichri, and every other heretic.
4. A Hindu said, "This animal has been slaughtered by a Muslim,"then
to eat the animal is not permissible. If the Hindu said, "I have
bought this from a Muslim," then it is permissible to eat it. [al-Durr
al-Mukhtar – Page 640]
5. If one did not mention the Name of Allah purposely, when
slaughtering the animal, then the slaughtered animal has become Haram
to eat. If one unintentionally forgot to pray it then it is Halal.
[al-Hidayah Vol. 4 Page 419, Bahar-e-Shari'at]
6. Likewise, to slaughter in such a manner that theknife stroke
reaches the cerebellum (the brain) or the head is chopped off then it
is makruh (offensive) to eat the meat, though the meat is lawful (the
offensiveness is in the method of slaughtering not the meat).
[al-Hidayah, Bahar-e-Shari'at]
7. There are 22 things which are not permissible (to eat) from a
sheep, a cow, or any other animal slaughtered:
a) Guts.
b) Intestines.
c) Bladder.
d) Testicles.
e) Penis (the sign of a masculine).
f) Vagina (the sign of a feminine).
g) Anus.
h) Blood in the arteries/veins.
i) The blood that is in the meat, that is left even after the animal
has beensacrificed.
j) The blood of the heart.
k) Blood of the liver.
l) Blood of the spleen.
m) Gall bladder.
n) The bile (yellow substance) that is excreted from the gall bladder.
o) The gland.
p) Spinal Marrow (nukha').
q) The two muscles/tendons of the neck which stretch till theshoulders.
r) The moisture that is in the nose.
s) Semen and sperm, whether the sperm of themale is found in the
female (animal), or whether it is the animals own sperm/semen.
t) That blood which is created in the womb by semen.
u) That flesh which has formed in the womb by seminal fluid, whether
the flesh has developed abody (with its parts) or not.
v) That animal which has been fully developed in the womb, but which
came out (of the womb) dead, or died without slaughter.
8. It is permissible to eat the meat of an animal which has been
sacrificed with the name of Allah 'Azz wa Jall for the reward to be
sent to any Friend (Wali) of Allah.The condition is that the Name of
Allah is mentioned as such: "Bismillahi Allahu Akbar."
9. If a trained hunting animal brought down a game animal, then it is
lawful to eat it (the gameanimal) on the following conditions:
a. The hunting animal belongs to a Muslim and should also be trained
b. The animal did not die due to the pouncing upon it of the hunting
animal, but due to the wound made by the hunting animal
c.The trained hunting aninmal was set free after the hunter mentioned
the Name of Allah the Most Exalted ("Bismillahi Allahu Akbar")
d. The animal reached the hunter before it dies, and thence, he
mentioned the Name of Allah and then properly slaughtered it.
If any of the above conditions are not fulfilled; or if any condition
is not found then the animal shall be unlawful to eat.
[Khaza'inal-'Irfan – Sadr al-Afadhil al-Sayyid Na'im al-Din
al-Muradabadi]
10. The sign if an animal is for hunting or not is that if it is set
free to hunt, then it shall run towards the prey (game),and if it is
stopped then itstops. The trained hunting animal shall also leave the
hunted animal (prey) for its owner, and shall not eat anything from
it. This has been stated in Tafsir al-JalalainPage 93.
11. If an animal which has been shot with a gunor with a bow arrow
dies, then it is Haram to eat it. [Radd al-Mohtar, Bahar-e-Shari'at,
Fatawa-e-Qadi Khan]
12. Hunting for mere enjoyment, entertainment, or amusement is Haram;
whether the animal is shot with a gun or an arrow and whether it is
fishing occasionally, or rarely.
13. Some people when fishing, place fish or toads (both of which are
still living) into the rod tocatch large fish. This is prohibited as
one is giving pain to the animal. Likewise, some people catch fish by
placing live earthworms or maggots into the rod; this is also
prohibited. [Bahar-e-Shari'at – Vol. Chapter 17, Page 273]
14. Some people feel thatit is disliked to work as a butcher. This is
wrong, asthere is nothing transmitted from anyone to say that such an
occupation is disliked. [Bahar-e-Shari'at with reference from Radd
al-Mohtar]
SACRIFICING ANIMALS
I. Hadrat Zaid ibn Arqam reported that the companions of the Messenger
of Allah asked:"O Messenger of Allah! What is this sacrifice?" Hesaid,
"It is the practice of your father Abraham." They asked, "What is the
reward for us in it?" He said, "For every hair, you will be rewarded."
They asked, "for the wool, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "For every
strand of wool you will be rewarded." [Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Page
226]
II. Hadrat 'Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah has said, "On
the day of sacrifice no one does a deed more pleasing to Allah than
theshedding of blood. The sacrifice will come on theDay of
Resurrection with its horns, its hairs and its hooves; and the blood
finds acceptance with Allah before it falls on theground." [Sunan
Tirmidhi, Vol. 1, Page 275]
III. Hadrat Hanash reported: I saw Hadrat 'Ali sacrificing two rams.
Iasked him: "what is this?"He said, "The Messenger of Allah had
enjoined me to sacrifice on his behalf; so I am sacrificing on his
behalf." [Mishkat, Page 128]
IV. Hadrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah has said,
"Such a person who had the ability and means to sacrifice an animal,
but (despite this) he did not do so; should never come near our Eidgah
(place where the Eid prayers are performed)." [Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol.
1, Page 226]
V. Hadrat Umm-e-Salmah reported that the Messenger of Allah has said,
"when you see the new moon of Dhul Hijjah and one of you intends to
make sacrifice, he must not shave his hair, trim it, or clip his
nails." [Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Page 160]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. For the condition of sacrificing, the Malik-e-Nisab is the person
who possesses 52 ½ tolas (620 grammes) of silver or 7 ½ tolas (88
grammes) of gold; or they have the same amount equivalent to either of
the above item in value in business goods or non-business goods, which
are not goods that are the basic necessities of life. The wealth
and/or property should be 'extra'/above one's basic necessities
(hajat-e-asliyyah).
2. Nowadays, the price ofsilver is less. The price of silver in
current-day value is approximately £2per tola. Therefore, anyone who
possess the value of: £2 x 52 ½ tola = £105 - which exceeds his/her
basic necessities and also the debt which is to be paid back – then it
is wajib on such a person to sacrifice an animal.
3. Such a Malik-e-Nisab who has already sacrificed an animal on behalf
of himself, and thefollowing year he is still aMalik-e-Nisab then
again it is wajib upon him to sacrifice an animal on hisbehalf. This
ruling appliesfor each year (that sacrificing is wajib if a person is
a Malik-e-Nisab). It has been stated in a Hadith: "It is wajib upon
every household to sdacrifice an animal each year."
4. If a Malik-e-Nisab sacrifices on behalf of someone else, instead of
sacrificing an animal on behalf of himself (i.e. does not sacrifice an
animal on his behalf), then he has committed a great sin. Thus, if he
wants to sacrifice on someone else's behalf, then he should make
preparations to buy another animal and sacrifice it.
5. Some people who think that, "It is wajib only once in a lifetime to
sacrifice an animal on one's behalf" is farce andwrong, which has no
proof; as it is wajib upon a Malik-e-Nisab to sacrifice an animal on
hisbehalf each year.
6. In villages, it is permissible to sacrifice animals on the 10th of
Dhu'l Hijjah after the break of dawn (Subh-e-Sadiq). However, it is
Mustahab to sacrifice it after sunrise. [Fatawa-e-'Alamgiri Vol. 5
Page 260]
7. It is not permissible to sacrifice animals before the Eid prayer in
cities and towns. [Bahar-e-Shari'at]
8. Such a poor person - who cannot afford to sacrifice an animal -
should also refrain from shaving or trimming hair and clipping nails;
so as to resemble the pilgrims on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah.
9. It is permissible for a resident of a city or a town to send his
animal to a person living in a village; and have it sacrificed before
the Eid prayer; and then have the meat sent back to him in the city or
town. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
10. It is not permissible togive the skin or the meat of the
sacrificed animal as the wage to the butcher or the one who has
sacrificed the animal. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
11. It is not permissible togive the meat of a sacrificed animal to any infidel.
12. The method of sacrificing an animal is tolay it on its left, such
that its face is towards the Qiblah and then place theright foot on
its side and holding a sharp knife (concealed obviously from the
animal or if it is blind-folded then there isno harm).
13. if the Qurban has been performed on behalf of someone who has
passed away, then the meat cannot be eatenby the person himself norcan
it be given to a rich person. It is wajib to giveall the meat to the
poor as sadaqah. [Bahar-e-Shari'at]
14. The animal's skin, reins, saddle etc should all be given in
sadaqah, one can use the skin for their own usage, such as to make the
skin into a leather bag or a prayer mat. However, one cannot sell the
skin to someone else, and then use the money for their own benefit. If
this has been done, then the money received should be given as
sadaqah.
15. Nowadays, people give the animal skin to Madrissahs and other
Islamic institutions. This is perfectly permissible. Ifone sells the
skin with the intention of giving the money received to the Madrissa,
then this is also permissible. ['Alamgiri, Bahar-e-Shari'at]
16. The skin of the sacrificed animal cannot be given to the Imam as
his wage. Yes, however, it can be given to him as a gift or for his
benefit. [Bahar-e-Shari'at]
17. A camel must be at least five years old; a buffalo should be at
leasttwo years old; and a sheep, lamb or a goat should be at least one
year old. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
18. The animal intended to be slaughtered should be big and health,
and should be free from any faults or defects. If there is a minor
defect in the animal, then the Qurbani will count, but it is Makruh.
If there is a major defect, then the Qurbani will not count. [al-Durr
al-Mukhtar, Raddal-Muhtar, Fatawa-e-'Alamgiri]
Some think that sacrificing one animal will suffice for one
wholehousehold; all of whom are Malik-e-Nisab. This is wrong. Each and
every person from such a household should sacrifice an animal on their
behalf. Yes, however, a household can share seven parts from a 'large'
animal such as a camel, cow, buffalo etc.
Footnote [1]:
The great Imam Ahmed Raza Khan has stated thatthe Ghurab al-Zar' eats
only grains, and is small and has a red/orange coloured beak.
[Fatawa-e-Razawiyyah – Vol. 20, Page 320].
The common crow is classed as khabith in a Hadith, because "of all
birds the carrion crow is the most detested by gamekeepers and country
people who rear flocks of poultry, becauseit is the craftiest of egg
thieves. Wild birds also suffer acutely from its depredations."
[ www.birdsofbritain.co.uk ] It has also been mentioned on this
website that, "outside the breeding season, crows often patrol the
waterside, picking up carrion and attacking wounded birds in the
shooting season. Some ofthem haunt beaches and estuaries where they
eat shore-crabs and mussels, whose shells they crack by dropping them
from aheight."
There is another species of the "crow" family called: the American
Crowor Corvus Brachyvrhyncos. "American Crows eat a wide variety of
foods, including: fruits, grains, nuts, acorns, snails, mussels, small
birds, eggs,rabbits, mice, toads, crayfish, snakes, lizards,
salamanders, rats, grasshoppers, cutworms, Junebugs, grubs,
weevils,and other insects."
It is quite surpirising to see that there were and still are some who
call themselves as "scholars", yet they declare things tobe Halal
which the Messenger of Allah declared Haram! Take for example, the
common crow, which is classed as fasiq in the Hadith narrated by ibn
Majah in his Sunan on the authority of Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar
[Sunan ibn Majah – Vol. 2 Page 294 – Hadith: 1036] and also in the
same book there is also the Hadith narrated on the authority of Hadrat
'Aishain which the crow is named as fasiq, and cannot be eaten. [Sunan
ibn Majah – Vol. 2, Page 293, Hadith: 1037]. Despite all this, these
"scholars for dollars" have issued fatawa that to eat the crow is
Halal! [see Fatawa-e-Rashidiyah– Page 296 and the Nawa-e-Waqt
newspaper– 6th and the 7th of August 1976]
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
The Islamic Ruling on Brain Death and Life Support
This is a very brief summary regarding the Islamic Regulations
regarding Brain Death and Life Support. I put it together in a rush,
so my apologies for any misspellings and awkwardness.
The source Dr. Bakr Abu Zaid's (1) Fiqh an-Nawazil(2) (Vol. 1, pp.
215-236, Article No. 4, printed by Maktabah ar-Rushd, Riyad, 1407).
I hope you will find it useful to your question.
May Allah show us mercy and forgiveness at the time of our dying. Ameen.
******************
Dr. Bakr Abu Zaid describes his article as aninvestigation into "the
status of the ill while under life support and the indications of
death between [the viewpoint of] medicine and fiqh." (p. 215)
He proceeds then to divide his article into fivesections:
1. A discussion of life support (pp. 217-218)
2. The medical definition of death and its indications (pp. 219-221)
3. The fiqh definition of death and its indications (pp. 222-225)
4. The various states of the ill under life support (pp. 229-230)
5. The fiqh resolution of this issue (pp. 231-236)
In the first section on "a discussion of life support," Dr. Bakr Abu
Zaid provides a list of Arabic medical terms used for life support and
proceeds to summarize what is meant by "life support."
In the second section on"the medical definition of death and its
indications," Dr. Bakr AbuZaid discusses four issues:
(1) the history background of the concept of brain death;
(2) the basic anatomy of the brain;
(3) the concept of brain death; and
(4) the indications of brain death. In his discussion he brings out
two important points which have bearing on the fiqh ruling: (a) the
difference of opinion in the medical field regarding if
death occurs with the death of the brain stem; (b) the
inconclusiveness of the indications used by doctors to determine brain
death.
In the third section on"the fiqh definition of death and its
indications," Dr. Bakr AbuZaid shows that the scholars are in
agreement that death is defined as the separationof the soul from the
body. Moreover, this definition was extracted by them from the
lengthyhadith reported by al-Bara' ibn Azib and collected by Ahmad and
others regarding the nature of the death of the believer and the
unbeliever, the questioning in the grave,and the subsequent pleasure
or torment faced by the deceased in his grave. He also quotes
al-Ghazzali (Ihya' 'Ulum ad-Din, Vol. 4, p. 493) who further clarifies
that death occurs only with the total separation of the soul from the
body. (This will have bearing on the fiqh ruling). He summarizes with
the following
two points:
(1) the reality of death according to the sharia isthe separation of
the soulfrom the body;
(2) the reality of the separation of the soul from the body is such
that the soul remains in no part of the body, and hence no part of the
body contains any life.
With regards to the indications of death according to fiqh, he begins
with the hadith which states that when the soul leaves the body the
eyes follow. (Muslim).He also lists eight indications of death which
he gathered from a number of classical fiqhworks. He then quotes
an-Nawawi (Rawdatat-Talibin, Vol. 2, p. 97) who adds this important
note regarding the indicationsof death, namely, that when there is any
doubt regarding death, it is to be
assumed that the person is still alive until death is proven conclusively.
In the fourth section on"the various states of the ill under life
support," Dr.Bakr lists three possibilities for a person in intensive
care under life support.
(1) The individual begins to breath on his own andhis heart returns
beating normally, and here life support is removed as the person is no
longer indanger.
(2) The heart no longer beats nor is there any breathing even under
lifesupport. Here life supportis remove is without doubt dead.
(3) The person is brain dead however his heart still beats and there
is breathing while he is under life support. Here doctors normally
conclude death (due to brain death) and remove the person from life
support.
In the fifth and final section regarding, "the fiqh resolution of this
issue," Dr. Bakr concludeswith the following.
(a) As for cases 1 and 2 (see above), this is not any issue for
investigation as both life (case 1) and death (case 2) are certain.
The only issue that needs to be investigated is case 3, namely there
is brain death but their is a heart beat and breathing under life
support.
(b) This third case raises three fiqh questions:
1. What is the ruling for removing someone from life support?
2. What is the ruling regarding organ removal(like a heart) for a
transplant into another person?
3. Do the sharia regulations regarding death (like inheritance) take effect?
He summarizes that the answer is pretexted uponthe question if brain
death is a conclusive signof death according to thesharia definition
of death(i.e., does brain death indicate that the soul has completely
left the body?)
He answers:
(1) Brain death as being a definition for death is an issue of
difference in the medical field.
(2) The indications to show brain death are notalways conclusive.
Thus the sharia principle is that "certainty is not removed by doubt,"
negates this being used as a conclusive sign for death.
Moreover, it has been seen in repeated cases where people have still
lived after the removal oflife support.
He also adds that among the five aims of the sharia is the
preservationof life and as a result the sharia rulings seek to
continue and rescue life and that the general principle is that life
is assumed until conclusive proven otherwise.
Thus brain death cannot be seen according to the sharia to be
equivalent tothe separation of the soulfrom the body.
However, he goes on to add the following important point that this
does not mean that braindeath is not an indicationof death; just like
the heart stopping is an indication of death, but not necessarily
death itself.
For this reason, the scholars, like an-Nawawi quoted previously, said
that the sharia refrains from ruling a judgment of death, if there is
any doubt, even though the indications of death might be present.
Based on this, he answersthe three fiqh questions (see above):
As for the removal of life support in this situation where their is an
indication of death (brain death), but an indication of life (heart
beating and breathing with the aid of life support); either the doctor
will feel that with the removal of life support, the patient
mostlikely die, most likely
live or both possibilities being equal.
If the doctor who has no ulterior motive feels that the with the
removal of life support the patient will most likely die; then it IS
PERMISSIBLE to remove life support as in this case the removal of life
support does not mean preventing treatment from an individual who
there is hope in his cure. Indeed, LIFE SUPPORT SHOULD be removed as
it only prolongs his pain as his soul is being removed.
Even with this, as the same time death is NOT tobe ruled by the mere
lifting of life support until it is certain that the soul has departed
the body. And hence the sharia regulations like inheritance do not
take effect. And similarly organ removal is not permissible (if we are
to say that it is permissible even with death being certain).
This division of sharia rulings, where some takeeffect and others held
back until certainty occurs has many examples in the sharia.
However, if the doctor has no ulterior motives,is of the opinion that
the person will still live with the removal of life support or there
is a 50/50 chance for life. It becomes impermissible to life life
support, until itis felt death in all likelihood will occur or death
does occur or the patient is no longer in need of life support.
-------------------
(1) Dr. Bakr Abu Zaid is the former Deputy Minister of Justice in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and at present a member of the Council of
Leading Scholars and President ofthe Muslim World League's Body of
Scholarswhich investigate contemporary fiqh issues.
(2) Fiqh an-Nawazil refersto Sharia Rulings (Fiqh) of New Issues
(an-Nawazil, pl. of an-Nazilah or something sent down)
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
regarding Brain Death and Life Support. I put it together in a rush,
so my apologies for any misspellings and awkwardness.
The source Dr. Bakr Abu Zaid's (1) Fiqh an-Nawazil(2) (Vol. 1, pp.
215-236, Article No. 4, printed by Maktabah ar-Rushd, Riyad, 1407).
I hope you will find it useful to your question.
May Allah show us mercy and forgiveness at the time of our dying. Ameen.
******************
Dr. Bakr Abu Zaid describes his article as aninvestigation into "the
status of the ill while under life support and the indications of
death between [the viewpoint of] medicine and fiqh." (p. 215)
He proceeds then to divide his article into fivesections:
1. A discussion of life support (pp. 217-218)
2. The medical definition of death and its indications (pp. 219-221)
3. The fiqh definition of death and its indications (pp. 222-225)
4. The various states of the ill under life support (pp. 229-230)
5. The fiqh resolution of this issue (pp. 231-236)
In the first section on "a discussion of life support," Dr. Bakr Abu
Zaid provides a list of Arabic medical terms used for life support and
proceeds to summarize what is meant by "life support."
In the second section on"the medical definition of death and its
indications," Dr. Bakr AbuZaid discusses four issues:
(1) the history background of the concept of brain death;
(2) the basic anatomy of the brain;
(3) the concept of brain death; and
(4) the indications of brain death. In his discussion he brings out
two important points which have bearing on the fiqh ruling: (a) the
difference of opinion in the medical field regarding if
death occurs with the death of the brain stem; (b) the
inconclusiveness of the indications used by doctors to determine brain
death.
In the third section on"the fiqh definition of death and its
indications," Dr. Bakr AbuZaid shows that the scholars are in
agreement that death is defined as the separationof the soul from the
body. Moreover, this definition was extracted by them from the
lengthyhadith reported by al-Bara' ibn Azib and collected by Ahmad and
others regarding the nature of the death of the believer and the
unbeliever, the questioning in the grave,and the subsequent pleasure
or torment faced by the deceased in his grave. He also quotes
al-Ghazzali (Ihya' 'Ulum ad-Din, Vol. 4, p. 493) who further clarifies
that death occurs only with the total separation of the soul from the
body. (This will have bearing on the fiqh ruling). He summarizes with
the following
two points:
(1) the reality of death according to the sharia isthe separation of
the soulfrom the body;
(2) the reality of the separation of the soul from the body is such
that the soul remains in no part of the body, and hence no part of the
body contains any life.
With regards to the indications of death according to fiqh, he begins
with the hadith which states that when the soul leaves the body the
eyes follow. (Muslim).He also lists eight indications of death which
he gathered from a number of classical fiqhworks. He then quotes
an-Nawawi (Rawdatat-Talibin, Vol. 2, p. 97) who adds this important
note regarding the indicationsof death, namely, that when there is any
doubt regarding death, it is to be
assumed that the person is still alive until death is proven conclusively.
In the fourth section on"the various states of the ill under life
support," Dr.Bakr lists three possibilities for a person in intensive
care under life support.
(1) The individual begins to breath on his own andhis heart returns
beating normally, and here life support is removed as the person is no
longer indanger.
(2) The heart no longer beats nor is there any breathing even under
lifesupport. Here life supportis remove is without doubt dead.
(3) The person is brain dead however his heart still beats and there
is breathing while he is under life support. Here doctors normally
conclude death (due to brain death) and remove the person from life
support.
In the fifth and final section regarding, "the fiqh resolution of this
issue," Dr. Bakr concludeswith the following.
(a) As for cases 1 and 2 (see above), this is not any issue for
investigation as both life (case 1) and death (case 2) are certain.
The only issue that needs to be investigated is case 3, namely there
is brain death but their is a heart beat and breathing under life
support.
(b) This third case raises three fiqh questions:
1. What is the ruling for removing someone from life support?
2. What is the ruling regarding organ removal(like a heart) for a
transplant into another person?
3. Do the sharia regulations regarding death (like inheritance) take effect?
He summarizes that the answer is pretexted uponthe question if brain
death is a conclusive signof death according to thesharia definition
of death(i.e., does brain death indicate that the soul has completely
left the body?)
He answers:
(1) Brain death as being a definition for death is an issue of
difference in the medical field.
(2) The indications to show brain death are notalways conclusive.
Thus the sharia principle is that "certainty is not removed by doubt,"
negates this being used as a conclusive sign for death.
Moreover, it has been seen in repeated cases where people have still
lived after the removal oflife support.
He also adds that among the five aims of the sharia is the
preservationof life and as a result the sharia rulings seek to
continue and rescue life and that the general principle is that life
is assumed until conclusive proven otherwise.
Thus brain death cannot be seen according to the sharia to be
equivalent tothe separation of the soulfrom the body.
However, he goes on to add the following important point that this
does not mean that braindeath is not an indicationof death; just like
the heart stopping is an indication of death, but not necessarily
death itself.
For this reason, the scholars, like an-Nawawi quoted previously, said
that the sharia refrains from ruling a judgment of death, if there is
any doubt, even though the indications of death might be present.
Based on this, he answersthe three fiqh questions (see above):
As for the removal of life support in this situation where their is an
indication of death (brain death), but an indication of life (heart
beating and breathing with the aid of life support); either the doctor
will feel that with the removal of life support, the patient
mostlikely die, most likely
live or both possibilities being equal.
If the doctor who has no ulterior motive feels that the with the
removal of life support the patient will most likely die; then it IS
PERMISSIBLE to remove life support as in this case the removal of life
support does not mean preventing treatment from an individual who
there is hope in his cure. Indeed, LIFE SUPPORT SHOULD be removed as
it only prolongs his pain as his soul is being removed.
Even with this, as the same time death is NOT tobe ruled by the mere
lifting of life support until it is certain that the soul has departed
the body. And hence the sharia regulations like inheritance do not
take effect. And similarly organ removal is not permissible (if we are
to say that it is permissible even with death being certain).
This division of sharia rulings, where some takeeffect and others held
back until certainty occurs has many examples in the sharia.
However, if the doctor has no ulterior motives,is of the opinion that
the person will still live with the removal of life support or there
is a 50/50 chance for life. It becomes impermissible to life life
support, until itis felt death in all likelihood will occur or death
does occur or the patient is no longer in need of life support.
-------------------
(1) Dr. Bakr Abu Zaid is the former Deputy Minister of Justice in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and at present a member of the Council of
Leading Scholars and President ofthe Muslim World League's Body of
Scholarswhich investigate contemporary fiqh issues.
(2) Fiqh an-Nawazil refersto Sharia Rulings (Fiqh) of New Issues
(an-Nawazil, pl. of an-Nazilah or something sent down)
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
NEAREST ANCESTRY
The Nearest Ancestry of the Promised Prophet (pbuh):
The Quraishites (tribe of Quraish) were the direct descendants of
Prophet Abraham through Prophet Ishmael, and AbdManaf. Abdush Shams
and Hashim were the twin issues of Abd Manaf.The children of Hashim
through his son Abdul Mutalib were called the 'Hashimites/Banu
Hashim'(tribe of Hashim). AbdushShams had adopted a clever, crafty and
active Roman slave boy Umayya,whom Abd Manaf had purchased and
presentedto his son Abdush Shams.
However, the issues of Umayya become known as the 'Umayyads/Banu
Umayya' (tribe of Umayya). Abd Manaf, before his death, had handed
over the charge of his privileged hereditary duties of service to the
House of God, the 'Holy Kaaba' to Hashim his eldest son who was very
noble by nature and godly in temperament. This aggravated the hatred,
jealousy and animosity ofUmayya whose tendency continued as a
personality trait from generation to generationin his seed. Much fuel
was added to the alreadyburning fire of envy and enmity of the
Umayyads when Abdul Mutalib, miraculously discovered the natural
spring-well of'Zamzam' which lay hidden and unknown to any one, for
ages together. Umayya became angry and started being very rude towards
Hashimites. When the elders of the tribe saw this, they decided that
he should not be allowed to remainin Makkah, and was therefore sent to
Syria. This was the beginning of the hatred of the Umayyads towards
the Hashimites, which eventually led to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain
(pbuh).
Hashim was the Great Grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and that
is why the families of the Prophet are known as the Hashimites.The
Hashimites were good, noble and gentle, while the Umayyads werewicked,
mean and aggressive. The Hashimites held the Trusteeship and the
Custody of the Kaaba, which was the most coveted and unique honor
enjoyed exclusively by the Hashimites. The Umayyads envied this
themost, and could not bear it. While the charitable disposition of
the Hashimites could not allow the hoarding of any personal wealth,
the selfishness and niggardliness of the Umayyads had enabled them to
store abundant wealth which had made the Umayyads ever more haughty
and proud against the noble, the gentle and the meek ones of the
Hashimites.
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) started preaching to the people of Makkah
at the age of forty (40) years. If anyone goes through the life of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), he will not be able to resist shedding
tears for the tortures, themiseries and calamities which the great
godly soul suffered at the hands of the people. Any intelligent reader
would find that all the sufferings which every one of the preceding
apostles of God had suffered, had been inflicted on the Last Apostle
of the Lord, alongwith other additional tortures and miseries which
none else had everexperienced and he suffered all the calamitieswith
ideal patience, matchless fortitude, unparalleled steadfastness and
unshakable determination to fulfill the covenant established with the
Lord.
Karbala's Foundation laid:
The events of history giveout a clear verdict that the series of the
sufferings, the miseries and the calamities inflicted on the Ahlul
Bayt, which culminated at one stage in the wholesale massacre of the
Holy Imam Hussain (pbuh) and his faithful devotees at Karbala, and the
misfortunes and the assassinations of the other Imams and their
families and their devotees, which thereafter followed up tothe
eleventh Imam Hasan Al-Askari, was inaugurated at the Saqeefa. Had the
people remembered the repeated declarations about Imam Ali (pbuh), and
his Ahlul Bayt, the world would never have witnessed the hideous
scenes of the sufferings and the massacre of the Holy ones; on the
other hand, today the world would have been ruled by the Men of God,
and humanity had enjoyed the Godly kingdom on earth, and the human
race by this time would have been united under one single brotherhood
which was inaugurated by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) at Madina.
Yazid succeeded the Caliph at Damascus:
After the death of Muawiya in 60 Hijra, Yazid succeeded his father to
the throne. Imam Hussain was then fifty seven (57) years old. Yazid
was known to be even worse than his father and represented a real
danger to the Islamicnation, for he was not a true Muslim. He was not
properly educated with the teachings of Islam. And he used to drink
alcohol, gamble, and commit all other sins according to historic
sources. He said:"Hashimites staged a playto obtain the Kingdom.
Actually, there was neither any news (from God) nor any
revelation."Such a man could not be entrusted with the affairsof the
nation.
The Call from the Governor:
On receipt of the letter from Yazid, 'Al-Walid son of Utbah son of Abu
Sufyan' the Governor of Madina immediately called his servant
(Abdullah son of Omer son of Uthman) and sent word inviting Imam
Hussain (pbuh) and Abdullah son of Al-Zubayr, to visit him. Imam
Hussain (pbuh) andson of Al-Zubayr were in the Mosque at night
time,when Walid's servant came to them with the message inviting them
tothe Governor House. The moment Imam Hussain (pbuh) heard the call
from the Governor; he suddenly exclaimed that Muawiya had died.
I invite you to the Book of Allah and the tradition(Sunnah) of the
Prophet, for I see that the tradition (Sunnah) have been destroyed and
innovations have crept up. Hence if you pay heed to my words and obey
my command, then I shall guide you to the Righteous path. Imam Hussain
(p.b.u.h.) In reply to the call Imam Hussain (pbuh) sent wordto the
Governor Walid saying, it was too late and he will visit him the next
morning.
The next day Imam Hussain (pbuh) accompanying around thirty (30)
Hashimites courageous youths visited the Governor, but reaching the
entrance of the Governor's house, he told the Hashimites to stay at
the door watchful and if they hear Imam Hussain (pbuh) talking
unusually aloud they mayget in to him.
Walid received Holy Imam (pbuh) with all respect and regard. Offered
him the seat besides him and read outthe letter he had received from
Yazid and when he reached the matter asking him to send the severed
head of Hussain, if Imam Hussain refuses to pay allegiance.Imam
Hussain (pbuh) smiled and said:
"O Walid! Pledge of allegiance cannot be given secretly. Invites
theMuslims of Madina tomorrow and ask them if they say that I should
pay allegiance to Yazid, let us then decide."
Walid readily accepted the Holy Imam's reply but'Marwan son of
Al-Hakam' the old enemy of Islam who was expelled by the Holy Prophet
(pbuh) out of Madina, seated there, addressing Walid said:
"Let not Hussain go out of the grip now, lest the fox is out of the
four walls of the court you will not approach the dust behind it. Cut
off his head now and let not thisunique opportunity go for, you will
never get it again."
Imam Hussain (pbuh) stood up to depart from the Governor and hearing
the insulting words of Marwan, Imam Hussain (pbuh) the son ofImam Ali
the Lion of God got angry and retorted aloud: "Woe to you, O sonof a
foreign women, will you cut my head off? By God, you have told a lie
and showed your base origin." Then he turned to al-Walid and said to
him:
"O Walid! We are the household of the Prophet(pbuh). We surely are
thecentre of the message, and to our house the angels descend from
heaven. By us God sent his first Apostle and by usHe sent the seal of
the Prophets. Yazid, on the other hand, is a corrupt man, who imbibes
wine, puts to death the soul which God forbids to be destroyed and
declares his debauchery in public. A man like me would never give a
vow of loyalty to him. But we will see about that in the morning, so
will you. We will see and so will you, who is more entitled to the
office of Caliphate and to receive the pledgeof allegiance."
Marwan immediately got up and ran away and the Hashimites youth who
stood restless and anxious, hearing the voice of the Holy Imam (pbuh),
rushed into the court with drawn swords. Imam Hussain (pbuh)
immediately commanded restraint and had not Imam Hussain (pbuh)
controlledthe situation, the matter would have been settled then and
there. The meeting came to an end. Imam Hussain (pbuh) returned home.
Imam Hussain (pbuh) decides to leave Madina
The Quraishites (tribe of Quraish) were the direct descendants of
Prophet Abraham through Prophet Ishmael, and AbdManaf. Abdush Shams
and Hashim were the twin issues of Abd Manaf.The children of Hashim
through his son Abdul Mutalib were called the 'Hashimites/Banu
Hashim'(tribe of Hashim). AbdushShams had adopted a clever, crafty and
active Roman slave boy Umayya,whom Abd Manaf had purchased and
presentedto his son Abdush Shams.
However, the issues of Umayya become known as the 'Umayyads/Banu
Umayya' (tribe of Umayya). Abd Manaf, before his death, had handed
over the charge of his privileged hereditary duties of service to the
House of God, the 'Holy Kaaba' to Hashim his eldest son who was very
noble by nature and godly in temperament. This aggravated the hatred,
jealousy and animosity ofUmayya whose tendency continued as a
personality trait from generation to generationin his seed. Much fuel
was added to the alreadyburning fire of envy and enmity of the
Umayyads when Abdul Mutalib, miraculously discovered the natural
spring-well of'Zamzam' which lay hidden and unknown to any one, for
ages together. Umayya became angry and started being very rude towards
Hashimites. When the elders of the tribe saw this, they decided that
he should not be allowed to remainin Makkah, and was therefore sent to
Syria. This was the beginning of the hatred of the Umayyads towards
the Hashimites, which eventually led to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain
(pbuh).
Hashim was the Great Grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and that
is why the families of the Prophet are known as the Hashimites.The
Hashimites were good, noble and gentle, while the Umayyads werewicked,
mean and aggressive. The Hashimites held the Trusteeship and the
Custody of the Kaaba, which was the most coveted and unique honor
enjoyed exclusively by the Hashimites. The Umayyads envied this
themost, and could not bear it. While the charitable disposition of
the Hashimites could not allow the hoarding of any personal wealth,
the selfishness and niggardliness of the Umayyads had enabled them to
store abundant wealth which had made the Umayyads ever more haughty
and proud against the noble, the gentle and the meek ones of the
Hashimites.
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) started preaching to the people of Makkah
at the age of forty (40) years. If anyone goes through the life of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), he will not be able to resist shedding
tears for the tortures, themiseries and calamities which the great
godly soul suffered at the hands of the people. Any intelligent reader
would find that all the sufferings which every one of the preceding
apostles of God had suffered, had been inflicted on the Last Apostle
of the Lord, alongwith other additional tortures and miseries which
none else had everexperienced and he suffered all the calamitieswith
ideal patience, matchless fortitude, unparalleled steadfastness and
unshakable determination to fulfill the covenant established with the
Lord.
Karbala's Foundation laid:
The events of history giveout a clear verdict that the series of the
sufferings, the miseries and the calamities inflicted on the Ahlul
Bayt, which culminated at one stage in the wholesale massacre of the
Holy Imam Hussain (pbuh) and his faithful devotees at Karbala, and the
misfortunes and the assassinations of the other Imams and their
families and their devotees, which thereafter followed up tothe
eleventh Imam Hasan Al-Askari, was inaugurated at the Saqeefa. Had the
people remembered the repeated declarations about Imam Ali (pbuh), and
his Ahlul Bayt, the world would never have witnessed the hideous
scenes of the sufferings and the massacre of the Holy ones; on the
other hand, today the world would have been ruled by the Men of God,
and humanity had enjoyed the Godly kingdom on earth, and the human
race by this time would have been united under one single brotherhood
which was inaugurated by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) at Madina.
Yazid succeeded the Caliph at Damascus:
After the death of Muawiya in 60 Hijra, Yazid succeeded his father to
the throne. Imam Hussain was then fifty seven (57) years old. Yazid
was known to be even worse than his father and represented a real
danger to the Islamicnation, for he was not a true Muslim. He was not
properly educated with the teachings of Islam. And he used to drink
alcohol, gamble, and commit all other sins according to historic
sources. He said:"Hashimites staged a playto obtain the Kingdom.
Actually, there was neither any news (from God) nor any
revelation."Such a man could not be entrusted with the affairsof the
nation.
The Call from the Governor:
On receipt of the letter from Yazid, 'Al-Walid son of Utbah son of Abu
Sufyan' the Governor of Madina immediately called his servant
(Abdullah son of Omer son of Uthman) and sent word inviting Imam
Hussain (pbuh) and Abdullah son of Al-Zubayr, to visit him. Imam
Hussain (pbuh) andson of Al-Zubayr were in the Mosque at night
time,when Walid's servant came to them with the message inviting them
tothe Governor House. The moment Imam Hussain (pbuh) heard the call
from the Governor; he suddenly exclaimed that Muawiya had died.
I invite you to the Book of Allah and the tradition(Sunnah) of the
Prophet, for I see that the tradition (Sunnah) have been destroyed and
innovations have crept up. Hence if you pay heed to my words and obey
my command, then I shall guide you to the Righteous path. Imam Hussain
(p.b.u.h.) In reply to the call Imam Hussain (pbuh) sent wordto the
Governor Walid saying, it was too late and he will visit him the next
morning.
The next day Imam Hussain (pbuh) accompanying around thirty (30)
Hashimites courageous youths visited the Governor, but reaching the
entrance of the Governor's house, he told the Hashimites to stay at
the door watchful and if they hear Imam Hussain (pbuh) talking
unusually aloud they mayget in to him.
Walid received Holy Imam (pbuh) with all respect and regard. Offered
him the seat besides him and read outthe letter he had received from
Yazid and when he reached the matter asking him to send the severed
head of Hussain, if Imam Hussain refuses to pay allegiance.Imam
Hussain (pbuh) smiled and said:
"O Walid! Pledge of allegiance cannot be given secretly. Invites
theMuslims of Madina tomorrow and ask them if they say that I should
pay allegiance to Yazid, let us then decide."
Walid readily accepted the Holy Imam's reply but'Marwan son of
Al-Hakam' the old enemy of Islam who was expelled by the Holy Prophet
(pbuh) out of Madina, seated there, addressing Walid said:
"Let not Hussain go out of the grip now, lest the fox is out of the
four walls of the court you will not approach the dust behind it. Cut
off his head now and let not thisunique opportunity go for, you will
never get it again."
Imam Hussain (pbuh) stood up to depart from the Governor and hearing
the insulting words of Marwan, Imam Hussain (pbuh) the son ofImam Ali
the Lion of God got angry and retorted aloud: "Woe to you, O sonof a
foreign women, will you cut my head off? By God, you have told a lie
and showed your base origin." Then he turned to al-Walid and said to
him:
"O Walid! We are the household of the Prophet(pbuh). We surely are
thecentre of the message, and to our house the angels descend from
heaven. By us God sent his first Apostle and by usHe sent the seal of
the Prophets. Yazid, on the other hand, is a corrupt man, who imbibes
wine, puts to death the soul which God forbids to be destroyed and
declares his debauchery in public. A man like me would never give a
vow of loyalty to him. But we will see about that in the morning, so
will you. We will see and so will you, who is more entitled to the
office of Caliphate and to receive the pledgeof allegiance."
Marwan immediately got up and ran away and the Hashimites youth who
stood restless and anxious, hearing the voice of the Holy Imam (pbuh),
rushed into the court with drawn swords. Imam Hussain (pbuh)
immediately commanded restraint and had not Imam Hussain (pbuh)
controlledthe situation, the matter would have been settled then and
there. The meeting came to an end. Imam Hussain (pbuh) returned home.
Imam Hussain (pbuh) decides to leave Madina
KARBALA HIGHLIGHTS
In the name of God, the beneficent the merciful:
Think not of those who are slain in God's way as dead. Nay, they live,
finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord. Holy Quran
(3:169)
The events of Karbala reflect the collision of thegood versus the
evil, the virtuous versus the wicked, and the collision of Imam
Hussain (the head of virtue) versus Yazid (the head of impiety). Imam
Hussain (pbuh) was a revolutionary person, a righteous man, the
religious authority, the Imam of Muslim Ummah (nation). As the
representative of his grandfather Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Imam
Hussain's main concern was to safeguard and protect Islam and guide
fellow Muslims. On the other hand, the staying power of the rulers
(Muawiya and his son Yazid) depended solely on the might of the sword.
They used brute force to rule over the Muslim empire even by all
possible illicit means.
The mission of Imam Hussain (pbuh) is distinctly unique, political and
religious revolutionary movement in the history of World. His was a
tremendous undertaking which still reverberates throughout the Muslim
nation. He hasbeen a propelling force and a seminal element in events
throughout Islamic history, particularly in the sphere of Jihad (the
holy struggle in the way of Almighty God). Imam Hussain's example has
remained vividly alive forgenerations and centuries. His uprising,
movement and ideals stillhave a deep impact on the conscience and
awareness of the Muslim empire.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:"The best of Jihad is
that of a word of right spokento an unjust ruler."
Imam Hussain (pbuh) witnessed the deteriorating political and social
situation and clearly recognized that the general policy of the
authorities did not abide with Islamic principles. He was aware of the
Ummah's numerous and painful afflictions, and was determined to
exercise his religious duty, being the duly sanctioned leader &
central figure capable of restoring Islamic values. Thus he rose. His
revolt is rich in lessons and divinely inspired attitudes. Imam
Hussain (pbuh) embodied the sacrifice of self, money, family, social
status and the challenge to terror and cruelty. He patiently traversed
hundreds of miles, moving both night and day. The epic protest he
engendered came at the most critical political juncture. In fact, the
Prophet's grandson had vowed to sacrifice himself.
Thus, Karbala proved to be a clash involving Islamic truths versus
falsehood, belief versus disbelief, and the oppressed versus the
oppressor, faith against brute force. Karbala was about standing in
the face of oppression, regardless no matter the cost. In Karbala,
Imam Hussain the fifty seven (57) year old second grandson of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh), sacrificed his totality and all he had, for one goal.
This goal was to let the truth triumph over falsehood eventually,
andhe did that brilliantly. His goal was to foil the plan that Muawiya
had expertly developed for his son, Yazid, which was to establish a
permanent Umayyads (Banu Umayya)ruler ship over the Muslim Ummah (even
by sacrificing the Islamic principles), but doing it in the name of
Islam. Brilliantly, Imam Hussain (pbuh) succeeded in foiling this plan
and he exposed the disreputablenature of Umayyads though this was at
the expense of his life.
Eventually he was martyred along with his sons, most of his household
and all of his companions. The bodies were mutilated and their heads
were carried from Karbala, to Kufa and finally Damascus. His womenfolk
were taken prisoners and marched across the desert. He himself was
expecting all that, but did not budge an inch.
An uprising led by the noblest and best accepted personality in the
entire Ummah, is certainly one which is uniquely distinguished asa
movement abounding with spiritual, moral and religious ideals. Due to
the importance of this personality, we are honored to present this.
Such a sublime revolution has to be studied, dissected and fully
understood. Lessons should be drawn from it. Here we note that the
backward and downtrodden nations must one day follow in the footsteps
of Imam Hussain (pbuh) if they areto challenge the despots.
The famous Urdu poet has prophesized:
Insaan Ku Bedaar Tou Ho Lene Do, Har Qaum Pukaraygi Hamare Hain Hussain
Give mankind a chance togain consciousness, Everytribe will call
out,"Hussain is ours!"
Qatl-e-Hussain Asl Main Marg-e-Yazid Hai, Islam Zinda Hota Hai Har
Karbala Kai Baad
In the murder of Hussain, indeed is the death of Yazid. For each
Karbala is the revival of Islam.
Karbala garden of swords, blood and inspiration for innumerable pens.
Karbala is the word of right...the hymn on the lips of time.
Karbala is a poem...a rhyme of anguish and pain.
Karbala never passes away. Its sun never sets in the horizon of
history. Its anguish can never be effaced from the conscience of
freemen bythe collective conspiracy of tyrants.
At Karbala clouds of blood rained and generations of martyrs and
revolutionaries took root and sprouted. The sound of the fearless
voice of Imam Hussain (pbuh) still echoes in the valley of Karbala,
ringing in the ears of time. It is a hurricane that chafes andshakes
the tyrants. It is a volcano of blood, violently jolting the despots'
thrones. It awakens free consciences and stirs within man the spirit
of revolution and Jihad. His voice is still echoing in the ears of
mankind:
"By God, I will never give you my hand like a man who has been
humiliated, nor will I flee like a slave."
Who actually is Hussain? What is the background of this exceptionally
unique and great personality? This prominent man of history, the
legend of epics, the word of pride and honor was no less the Grandson
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the son of his daughter Fatimah Zahra
(pbuh) and her cousin and husband the Commander of the Faithful, Ali
son of Abu Talib son of Abdul Mutalib son of Hashim.
Hence the only fact remains: "There never was a Hussain before him,
there has been noneafter him."
The object of this work is only to present with extreme brevity the
greathistoric event of the matchless sacrifice of the King of Martyrs
Imam Hussain (pbuh), in the seed of Abraham (pbuh) through the Holy
ProphetMuhammad (pbuh), offered to save the Truth and humanity from
getting lost to falsehood forever, for the apostleship had been
concluded with the revelation of the Holy Quran, the Final Word of
God. If anything had to be done or could be done, to save the Truth,
itwas only through the Imamate which was destined to do it, and Imam
Hussain (pbuh) wasthe divinely chosen one for it.
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Think not of those who are slain in God's way as dead. Nay, they live,
finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord. Holy Quran
(3:169)
The events of Karbala reflect the collision of thegood versus the
evil, the virtuous versus the wicked, and the collision of Imam
Hussain (the head of virtue) versus Yazid (the head of impiety). Imam
Hussain (pbuh) was a revolutionary person, a righteous man, the
religious authority, the Imam of Muslim Ummah (nation). As the
representative of his grandfather Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Imam
Hussain's main concern was to safeguard and protect Islam and guide
fellow Muslims. On the other hand, the staying power of the rulers
(Muawiya and his son Yazid) depended solely on the might of the sword.
They used brute force to rule over the Muslim empire even by all
possible illicit means.
The mission of Imam Hussain (pbuh) is distinctly unique, political and
religious revolutionary movement in the history of World. His was a
tremendous undertaking which still reverberates throughout the Muslim
nation. He hasbeen a propelling force and a seminal element in events
throughout Islamic history, particularly in the sphere of Jihad (the
holy struggle in the way of Almighty God). Imam Hussain's example has
remained vividly alive forgenerations and centuries. His uprising,
movement and ideals stillhave a deep impact on the conscience and
awareness of the Muslim empire.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:"The best of Jihad is
that of a word of right spokento an unjust ruler."
Imam Hussain (pbuh) witnessed the deteriorating political and social
situation and clearly recognized that the general policy of the
authorities did not abide with Islamic principles. He was aware of the
Ummah's numerous and painful afflictions, and was determined to
exercise his religious duty, being the duly sanctioned leader &
central figure capable of restoring Islamic values. Thus he rose. His
revolt is rich in lessons and divinely inspired attitudes. Imam
Hussain (pbuh) embodied the sacrifice of self, money, family, social
status and the challenge to terror and cruelty. He patiently traversed
hundreds of miles, moving both night and day. The epic protest he
engendered came at the most critical political juncture. In fact, the
Prophet's grandson had vowed to sacrifice himself.
Thus, Karbala proved to be a clash involving Islamic truths versus
falsehood, belief versus disbelief, and the oppressed versus the
oppressor, faith against brute force. Karbala was about standing in
the face of oppression, regardless no matter the cost. In Karbala,
Imam Hussain the fifty seven (57) year old second grandson of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh), sacrificed his totality and all he had, for one goal.
This goal was to let the truth triumph over falsehood eventually,
andhe did that brilliantly. His goal was to foil the plan that Muawiya
had expertly developed for his son, Yazid, which was to establish a
permanent Umayyads (Banu Umayya)ruler ship over the Muslim Ummah (even
by sacrificing the Islamic principles), but doing it in the name of
Islam. Brilliantly, Imam Hussain (pbuh) succeeded in foiling this plan
and he exposed the disreputablenature of Umayyads though this was at
the expense of his life.
Eventually he was martyred along with his sons, most of his household
and all of his companions. The bodies were mutilated and their heads
were carried from Karbala, to Kufa and finally Damascus. His womenfolk
were taken prisoners and marched across the desert. He himself was
expecting all that, but did not budge an inch.
An uprising led by the noblest and best accepted personality in the
entire Ummah, is certainly one which is uniquely distinguished asa
movement abounding with spiritual, moral and religious ideals. Due to
the importance of this personality, we are honored to present this.
Such a sublime revolution has to be studied, dissected and fully
understood. Lessons should be drawn from it. Here we note that the
backward and downtrodden nations must one day follow in the footsteps
of Imam Hussain (pbuh) if they areto challenge the despots.
The famous Urdu poet has prophesized:
Insaan Ku Bedaar Tou Ho Lene Do, Har Qaum Pukaraygi Hamare Hain Hussain
Give mankind a chance togain consciousness, Everytribe will call
out,"Hussain is ours!"
Qatl-e-Hussain Asl Main Marg-e-Yazid Hai, Islam Zinda Hota Hai Har
Karbala Kai Baad
In the murder of Hussain, indeed is the death of Yazid. For each
Karbala is the revival of Islam.
Karbala garden of swords, blood and inspiration for innumerable pens.
Karbala is the word of right...the hymn on the lips of time.
Karbala is a poem...a rhyme of anguish and pain.
Karbala never passes away. Its sun never sets in the horizon of
history. Its anguish can never be effaced from the conscience of
freemen bythe collective conspiracy of tyrants.
At Karbala clouds of blood rained and generations of martyrs and
revolutionaries took root and sprouted. The sound of the fearless
voice of Imam Hussain (pbuh) still echoes in the valley of Karbala,
ringing in the ears of time. It is a hurricane that chafes andshakes
the tyrants. It is a volcano of blood, violently jolting the despots'
thrones. It awakens free consciences and stirs within man the spirit
of revolution and Jihad. His voice is still echoing in the ears of
mankind:
"By God, I will never give you my hand like a man who has been
humiliated, nor will I flee like a slave."
Who actually is Hussain? What is the background of this exceptionally
unique and great personality? This prominent man of history, the
legend of epics, the word of pride and honor was no less the Grandson
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the son of his daughter Fatimah Zahra
(pbuh) and her cousin and husband the Commander of the Faithful, Ali
son of Abu Talib son of Abdul Mutalib son of Hashim.
Hence the only fact remains: "There never was a Hussain before him,
there has been noneafter him."
The object of this work is only to present with extreme brevity the
greathistoric event of the matchless sacrifice of the King of Martyrs
Imam Hussain (pbuh), in the seed of Abraham (pbuh) through the Holy
ProphetMuhammad (pbuh), offered to save the Truth and humanity from
getting lost to falsehood forever, for the apostleship had been
concluded with the revelation of the Holy Quran, the Final Word of
God. If anything had to be done or could be done, to save the Truth,
itwas only through the Imamate which was destined to do it, and Imam
Hussain (pbuh) wasthe divinely chosen one for it.
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
The faculty of hearing of the dead
One often wonders aboutthe soul's faculties in the barzakh (the stage
between death and the Resurrection). Can it hear? Can it see? Does it
have knowledge of certain things going on in the world? In order to
answer these and other questions, one must carefully scrutinize the
quality of the evidence presented in support of certain claims made by
scholars in this field.
THE DECEASED'S FACULTY OFHEARING
It is a common concept among some scholars[1] and others that the dead
in their graves have the ability of hearing a visitor's greeting, his
supplication, talk, etc. Such a concept is unfounded, for it has no
proof from clear texts of the divine shari'ah. In fact, it is in open
contradiction to the unchallengeable texts of the Quran and the
authentic traditions of the Prophet (saws) whichdeny the possibility
of the dead possessing this faculty.
PROOF FROM THE QUR'AN AND THE SUNNAH NEGATING IT
There are two unequivocal texts from the Qur'an which deny the
possibility of the dead in their graves possessing the faculty of
hearing. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, states :
"Verily you cannot make the dead hear and you can not make the deaf
hear the call when they turn their backs and retreat." [Surah an-Naml
27:80]
"The living and the dead are not alike. Allah makeswhoever he wishes
hear, but you cannot make those in the graves hear."[Surah Fatir
35:22]
In the first verse Allah addresses His messenger, Muhamad (saws),
reminding him that he cannot make the disbelievers hear the invitation
to Islam, for they are like the dead, who do not hear either. In the
second verse Allah points to the difference between the living and the
dead - they are not all alike. He further clarifies to His prophet
that he cannot make the rejectors of faith hear themessage (for they
are dead in heart and in spirit) any more than he can make those in
the graves hear what is spoken to them![2]
Just as the Qur'an denies the possibility of the deceased possessing
the faculty of hearing, there are a number of texts in the sunnah
which arrive at the same conclusion. One such hadith follows:
Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet (saws) said:"Allah has angels who
travel about the earth; they [do and will] conveyto me the peace
greetingfrom my ummah." [Authentically reported by Abu Dawud]
This hadith clarifies that the Prophet (saws) does not hear the
greetings of peace from Muslims when they pronounce it upon him, for
if he could hear it directly, there would be no need of angels to
convey it to him. Therefore, it follows that the Prophet (saws) cannot
hear other forms of conversation directed to him either;[3] and it
stands even more to reason that the deceased,being lesser than the
Prophet (saws), also cannot hear the salam (greeting of peace) or any
other form of speech.[4] Thus contrary to a popular misconception,
because the Messenger (saws) cannot directly hear either one's
invocation of blessings[5]or one's salam addressed to him, such
greetings may be conveyed to him from anywhere, regardless of the
distanceor proximity of the greeter to the Prophet's grave. The
erroneous belief that the Prophet (saws) hears these greetings
directly disregards the previous hadith whcih specifies that the
greetings are conveyed to him by the angels, and it is based on a
forged tradition whose text follows:
It has been narrated that the Prophet (saws) said:"Whoever asks
blessings for me at my grave, I hear him, and whoever asks blessings
upon me from afar, it is conveyed to me." [This tradition was
mentioned by al-'Uqayli in his book, adh-Dhu'afa and by al-Khateeb,
Ibn 'Asakir, et. al., and they all agreed that it is a forged
(mawdhu') hadith. See al-Albani's al-Ahadith adh-Dha'eefah, vol.1,
hadith no.203]
ALLEGED EVIDENCE AND ITS REFUTATION
In order to refute the allegations which claim that the deceased in
the grave possess the faculty of hearing, it is essential to analyze
them and discover the means by which such allegations are dependent
upon weak and forged traditions and/or due to erroneous
interpretations of varioustexts.
There are a number of authentic narrations relating the Prophet's
address to the corpses of the mushrikeen (polytheists) of Quraysh who
were slain by the believers in the Battle of Badr and then thrown into
a dried well. The following two examples suffice for the purpose ofthe
present discussion:
Abu Talhah reported: "Onthe day of the Battle of Badr, Allah's Prophet
(saws) ordered that the bodies of twenty-four leaders of the Quraysh
bethrown into one of the foul, abandoned wells of Badr. On the third
day after the battle the Prophet called for his mount and saddled it.
Then he set out, so his companions followed him. They said amongst
themselves, "He must be going to something important." When the
Prophet (saws) arrived atthe well[6], he stood at its edge and began
addressing those therein by calling upon them by their names, "O so
and so,son of so and so; and you, so and so, son of so and so! Would
it not havebeen easier to have obeyed Allah and His Messenger? We have
found that which our Lord promised us to be true[7]. Did you find what
your Lord promisedyou to be true?[8] Thereupon 'Umar said, "OMessenger
of Allah, what are you saying to these bodies without souls?! Dothey
hear? For Allah, the Majestic and Mighty, says,"Verily, you cannot
make the dead hear." [Surah an-Naml 27:80] The Prophet (saws)
answered, "By Him in whose hand lies the soul of Muhammad, you did not
hear better than them and what i just said." Qatadah[9] added:"Allah
brought them back[10] to life (momentarily) in order tomake them hear
as a means of scorn and belittlement and [so that they would feel]
regret and remorse." [Authentically related by al-Bukhari and Muslim]
In another narration of this incident there is a slight variation in
the wording of the text which follows:
"Ibn 'Umar related: "The Prophet (saws) stood at the edge of a
well[11] at Badr and said, "Did you find the promise of your Lord to
be true?" Then headded, "Verily at this moment they hear what Iam
saying." Later on[12], this was mentioned to 'A'ishah[13], whereupon
she commented, "What the Prophet (saws) meantwas, "Now they know that
what I used to tell them is the truth." Then she recited, "Verily you
cannot make the dead hear," [Surah an-Naml 27:80] up to the end of the
verse." [Related authentically by al-Bukhari and others]
Some often misconstrue the texts of the two aforementioned hadiths as
proof for the contention that the dead can hear. However, the
following argumentationrefutes such a claim. This miraculous
circumstance in which the corpses of the slain Quraysh were made to
hear the Prophet's address to them is a special case - anexception to
the general rule that the dead do not hear.[14] By a miracle, Allah,
the Almighty, madethem hear the scolding from the Prophet (saws) -only
for the moment he spoke to them![15] This isclearly proven by the
second narration itself, for their hearing was said to be conditioned
bythe moment when the Prophet (saws) called outto them in scorn and
rebuke. He said, "At this moment they hear what Iam saying."
Furthermore,in the first narration the Prophet (saws) does not deny
'Umar's sound understanding of the verse's general ruling that the
does do not hear. Rather, the Prophet(saws) merely clarifies for'Umar
that what occurredat Badr was a divine miracle and, therefore, an
exception to the general ruling of the verse.[16]
Another text often quoted by those who believe that the dead canhear
is the following tradition:
Anas bin Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (saws) said: "After the
deceased is placed in his grave and his companions[17] turn to leave,
he hears the shuffling of their feet as they walk away. Then there
comes to him the two angels." [Part of an authentic hadith related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This text is not valid evidence for the general claim that the dead
can hear; rather, this tradition only specifies another exception to
the general rule. In this case, the deceased hears the shuffling feet
of those who attended his funeralas they walk away. This isa momentary
possession of the faculty of hearing which is terminated at the point
at which the two questioning angels[18] come to him[19].
From what has preceded,it is abundantly clear thatthe deceased
generally do not have the faculty ofhearing, for they are beyond the
barrier (barzakh) which separates our world fromtheirs. This proves
the gross error in the thinking of those who attempt to carry
on"conversations" with the dead, or worse, petition them for certain
things. Petitioning the dead is shirk, and this is indeed the greatest
of all sins.
FOOTNOTES :
1. Among those who erred in this matter are Ibn Abi-Dunya, Ibn
'Abdul-Barr, al-Qurtubi, Ibn al-Qayyim and ash-Shanqeeti.
2. See Tafseer at-Tabari, vol.21, p.36 and al-Qurtubi's al-Jami, vol.13, p.232
3. Thus it is absolutely foolish for one to attempt to converse with
the Prophet (saws)or others at their graves. To ask them for any form
of help is blatant shirk. Such is the misguidance spreadby Sufis, who
have gone astray.
4. See al-Ayat al-Bayyinat of al-Alusi, p.37, Published by al-Maktabah
al-Islamee [1982]
5. In Islam, it is encouraged to invoke blessings upon the Prophet
(saws) and thiscommonly follows the mention of his name in one form or
another.
6. Into which the bodies of the slain Quraysh had been thrown earlier.
7. That is, that the believers would have victory over their enemy,
the Quraysh. See al-Qurtubi's tafseer,al-Jami'u li Ahkam al-Qur'an,
vol.7, p.370 regarding the information about Surah al-Anfal, 8:7-10.
8. This is a reference to the Quraysh's supplication asking their Lord
to bring a painful punishment upon them if what Muhammad (saws) was
preaching was the truth. See Surah al-Anfal, 8:32.
9. A famouse tabi'ee and anarrator of this hadith
10. The slain Quraysh whobodies were in the abandoned well.
11. The same well mentioned earlier intowhich the bodies of the slain
Quraysh werethrown.
12. Most likely after the Prophet's death.
13. The beloved wife of the Prophet.
14. See al-Alusi's Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol.6 p.455
15. This is confirmed by many of the dependable commentators and
jurists. For example, see al-ayat al-Bayyinat, pp.29, 56 and 59.
16. See al-Ayat al-Bayyinat, pp.30-31
17. His friends and others who attended his burial.
18. There names are Munkar and Nakeer, and their fearful appearance
has been described earlier in this treatise. <{My note: There is some
disagreement amongst scholars some who say that theangels may not
really be called Munkar and Nakeer for the words Munkar and Nakeer
mean bad things in the Arabic language, whilst the angels are all
pure.}>
19. See al-Ayat al-bayyinat, pp.38 and56.
between death and the Resurrection). Can it hear? Can it see? Does it
have knowledge of certain things going on in the world? In order to
answer these and other questions, one must carefully scrutinize the
quality of the evidence presented in support of certain claims made by
scholars in this field.
THE DECEASED'S FACULTY OFHEARING
It is a common concept among some scholars[1] and others that the dead
in their graves have the ability of hearing a visitor's greeting, his
supplication, talk, etc. Such a concept is unfounded, for it has no
proof from clear texts of the divine shari'ah. In fact, it is in open
contradiction to the unchallengeable texts of the Quran and the
authentic traditions of the Prophet (saws) whichdeny the possibility
of the dead possessing this faculty.
PROOF FROM THE QUR'AN AND THE SUNNAH NEGATING IT
There are two unequivocal texts from the Qur'an which deny the
possibility of the dead in their graves possessing the faculty of
hearing. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, states :
"Verily you cannot make the dead hear and you can not make the deaf
hear the call when they turn their backs and retreat." [Surah an-Naml
27:80]
"The living and the dead are not alike. Allah makeswhoever he wishes
hear, but you cannot make those in the graves hear."[Surah Fatir
35:22]
In the first verse Allah addresses His messenger, Muhamad (saws),
reminding him that he cannot make the disbelievers hear the invitation
to Islam, for they are like the dead, who do not hear either. In the
second verse Allah points to the difference between the living and the
dead - they are not all alike. He further clarifies to His prophet
that he cannot make the rejectors of faith hear themessage (for they
are dead in heart and in spirit) any more than he can make those in
the graves hear what is spoken to them![2]
Just as the Qur'an denies the possibility of the deceased possessing
the faculty of hearing, there are a number of texts in the sunnah
which arrive at the same conclusion. One such hadith follows:
Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet (saws) said:"Allah has angels who
travel about the earth; they [do and will] conveyto me the peace
greetingfrom my ummah." [Authentically reported by Abu Dawud]
This hadith clarifies that the Prophet (saws) does not hear the
greetings of peace from Muslims when they pronounce it upon him, for
if he could hear it directly, there would be no need of angels to
convey it to him. Therefore, it follows that the Prophet (saws) cannot
hear other forms of conversation directed to him either;[3] and it
stands even more to reason that the deceased,being lesser than the
Prophet (saws), also cannot hear the salam (greeting of peace) or any
other form of speech.[4] Thus contrary to a popular misconception,
because the Messenger (saws) cannot directly hear either one's
invocation of blessings[5]or one's salam addressed to him, such
greetings may be conveyed to him from anywhere, regardless of the
distanceor proximity of the greeter to the Prophet's grave. The
erroneous belief that the Prophet (saws) hears these greetings
directly disregards the previous hadith whcih specifies that the
greetings are conveyed to him by the angels, and it is based on a
forged tradition whose text follows:
It has been narrated that the Prophet (saws) said:"Whoever asks
blessings for me at my grave, I hear him, and whoever asks blessings
upon me from afar, it is conveyed to me." [This tradition was
mentioned by al-'Uqayli in his book, adh-Dhu'afa and by al-Khateeb,
Ibn 'Asakir, et. al., and they all agreed that it is a forged
(mawdhu') hadith. See al-Albani's al-Ahadith adh-Dha'eefah, vol.1,
hadith no.203]
ALLEGED EVIDENCE AND ITS REFUTATION
In order to refute the allegations which claim that the deceased in
the grave possess the faculty of hearing, it is essential to analyze
them and discover the means by which such allegations are dependent
upon weak and forged traditions and/or due to erroneous
interpretations of varioustexts.
There are a number of authentic narrations relating the Prophet's
address to the corpses of the mushrikeen (polytheists) of Quraysh who
were slain by the believers in the Battle of Badr and then thrown into
a dried well. The following two examples suffice for the purpose ofthe
present discussion:
Abu Talhah reported: "Onthe day of the Battle of Badr, Allah's Prophet
(saws) ordered that the bodies of twenty-four leaders of the Quraysh
bethrown into one of the foul, abandoned wells of Badr. On the third
day after the battle the Prophet called for his mount and saddled it.
Then he set out, so his companions followed him. They said amongst
themselves, "He must be going to something important." When the
Prophet (saws) arrived atthe well[6], he stood at its edge and began
addressing those therein by calling upon them by their names, "O so
and so,son of so and so; and you, so and so, son of so and so! Would
it not havebeen easier to have obeyed Allah and His Messenger? We have
found that which our Lord promised us to be true[7]. Did you find what
your Lord promisedyou to be true?[8] Thereupon 'Umar said, "OMessenger
of Allah, what are you saying to these bodies without souls?! Dothey
hear? For Allah, the Majestic and Mighty, says,"Verily, you cannot
make the dead hear." [Surah an-Naml 27:80] The Prophet (saws)
answered, "By Him in whose hand lies the soul of Muhammad, you did not
hear better than them and what i just said." Qatadah[9] added:"Allah
brought them back[10] to life (momentarily) in order tomake them hear
as a means of scorn and belittlement and [so that they would feel]
regret and remorse." [Authentically related by al-Bukhari and Muslim]
In another narration of this incident there is a slight variation in
the wording of the text which follows:
"Ibn 'Umar related: "The Prophet (saws) stood at the edge of a
well[11] at Badr and said, "Did you find the promise of your Lord to
be true?" Then headded, "Verily at this moment they hear what Iam
saying." Later on[12], this was mentioned to 'A'ishah[13], whereupon
she commented, "What the Prophet (saws) meantwas, "Now they know that
what I used to tell them is the truth." Then she recited, "Verily you
cannot make the dead hear," [Surah an-Naml 27:80] up to the end of the
verse." [Related authentically by al-Bukhari and others]
Some often misconstrue the texts of the two aforementioned hadiths as
proof for the contention that the dead can hear. However, the
following argumentationrefutes such a claim. This miraculous
circumstance in which the corpses of the slain Quraysh were made to
hear the Prophet's address to them is a special case - anexception to
the general rule that the dead do not hear.[14] By a miracle, Allah,
the Almighty, madethem hear the scolding from the Prophet (saws) -only
for the moment he spoke to them![15] This isclearly proven by the
second narration itself, for their hearing was said to be conditioned
bythe moment when the Prophet (saws) called outto them in scorn and
rebuke. He said, "At this moment they hear what Iam saying."
Furthermore,in the first narration the Prophet (saws) does not deny
'Umar's sound understanding of the verse's general ruling that the
does do not hear. Rather, the Prophet(saws) merely clarifies for'Umar
that what occurredat Badr was a divine miracle and, therefore, an
exception to the general ruling of the verse.[16]
Another text often quoted by those who believe that the dead canhear
is the following tradition:
Anas bin Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (saws) said: "After the
deceased is placed in his grave and his companions[17] turn to leave,
he hears the shuffling of their feet as they walk away. Then there
comes to him the two angels." [Part of an authentic hadith related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This text is not valid evidence for the general claim that the dead
can hear; rather, this tradition only specifies another exception to
the general rule. In this case, the deceased hears the shuffling feet
of those who attended his funeralas they walk away. This isa momentary
possession of the faculty of hearing which is terminated at the point
at which the two questioning angels[18] come to him[19].
From what has preceded,it is abundantly clear thatthe deceased
generally do not have the faculty ofhearing, for they are beyond the
barrier (barzakh) which separates our world fromtheirs. This proves
the gross error in the thinking of those who attempt to carry
on"conversations" with the dead, or worse, petition them for certain
things. Petitioning the dead is shirk, and this is indeed the greatest
of all sins.
FOOTNOTES :
1. Among those who erred in this matter are Ibn Abi-Dunya, Ibn
'Abdul-Barr, al-Qurtubi, Ibn al-Qayyim and ash-Shanqeeti.
2. See Tafseer at-Tabari, vol.21, p.36 and al-Qurtubi's al-Jami, vol.13, p.232
3. Thus it is absolutely foolish for one to attempt to converse with
the Prophet (saws)or others at their graves. To ask them for any form
of help is blatant shirk. Such is the misguidance spreadby Sufis, who
have gone astray.
4. See al-Ayat al-Bayyinat of al-Alusi, p.37, Published by al-Maktabah
al-Islamee [1982]
5. In Islam, it is encouraged to invoke blessings upon the Prophet
(saws) and thiscommonly follows the mention of his name in one form or
another.
6. Into which the bodies of the slain Quraysh had been thrown earlier.
7. That is, that the believers would have victory over their enemy,
the Quraysh. See al-Qurtubi's tafseer,al-Jami'u li Ahkam al-Qur'an,
vol.7, p.370 regarding the information about Surah al-Anfal, 8:7-10.
8. This is a reference to the Quraysh's supplication asking their Lord
to bring a painful punishment upon them if what Muhammad (saws) was
preaching was the truth. See Surah al-Anfal, 8:32.
9. A famouse tabi'ee and anarrator of this hadith
10. The slain Quraysh whobodies were in the abandoned well.
11. The same well mentioned earlier intowhich the bodies of the slain
Quraysh werethrown.
12. Most likely after the Prophet's death.
13. The beloved wife of the Prophet.
14. See al-Alusi's Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol.6 p.455
15. This is confirmed by many of the dependable commentators and
jurists. For example, see al-ayat al-Bayyinat, pp.29, 56 and 59.
16. See al-Ayat al-Bayyinat, pp.30-31
17. His friends and others who attended his burial.
18. There names are Munkar and Nakeer, and their fearful appearance
has been described earlier in this treatise. <{My note: There is some
disagreement amongst scholars some who say that theangels may not
really be called Munkar and Nakeer for the words Munkar and Nakeer
mean bad things in the Arabic language, whilst the angels are all
pure.}>
19. See al-Ayat al-bayyinat, pp.38 and56.
Life After Death
The question whether there is a life after death does not fall under
the jurisdiction of science as science is concerned onlywith
classification and analysis of sense data. Moreover, man has been busy
with scientific enquiries and research, in the modern sense of the
term, only for the lastfew centuries, while he has been familiar with
the concept of life after death since times immemorial.
All the prophets of God called their people to worship God and to
believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief
in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meantdenying God
and made all other beliefs meaningless. The very fact that all the
prophets of God have dealt with this metaphysical question of life
after death so confidently and so uniformly - the gap between their
ages being thousands of years - goes to prove that the source of their
knowledge of life after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same,
i.e., Divine revelation. Wealso know that these prophets of God were
greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of life after
death astheir people thought it impossible. But in spite ofopposition
the prophets won so many sincere followers.
The question arises: whatmade those followers forsake the established
beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers notwithstanding
the risk of being totally alienatedfrom their own community? The
simple answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart
and realized the truth. Did they realizethe truth through perceptual
consciousness? Not so, as perceptual experience of life after death is
impossible. Actually God has given man besides perceptual
consciousness, rational, aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is
this consciousness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be
verified through sensory data. That is why all the prophets of God
while calling people to believe in God and life after death, appeal to
the aesthetic, moral and rational consciousness of man. For example,
when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility of life after
death, the Quran exposedthe weakness of their stand by advancing very
logical and rational arguments in support of it:
"And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own (origin and)
Creation: he says, 'Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed
ones (at that)?' Say, 'He will give them life Who created them for the
first time! For He fully knows all! - The same Who produces for you
fire out of the green tree, when behold!ye kindle therewith (yourown
fires)! Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create
the like thereof?' - Yea, indeed! for He is the Creator Supreme, of
skill and knowledge (infinite)!" ( 36:78-81 )
At another occasion the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers
haveno sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based
on pure conjecture:
"And they say: 'What is there but our life in this world? We shall die
and we live, and nothing but time can destroy us.' But of that they
have no knowledge: they merely conjecture: And when Our Clear Signs
are rehearsed to them, their argument is nothing but this: they say,
'Bring (back) our forefathers, if what ye say is true!'" ( 45:24-25 )
Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has Hisown plan of things.
A daywill come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then
again the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will
be the beginning of the life that will never end, and that day every
person will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil
deed. The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life
after death is what moral consciousness of man demands. Actually if
there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes
irrelevant or even if one believes in God, that would be an unjust and
indifferent God: having once createdman not concerned with his fate.
Surely, God is just; He will punish the tyrants whose crimes are
beyond count: having killed hundreds of innocent persons, created
great corruptionsin the society, enslaved numerous persons to serve
their whims etc... Man having a very short span of life in this world,
and this physical world too being not eternal, punishments or rewards
equal to the evil or noble deeds of persons are not possible here. The
Quran very emphatically states that the Day of Judgement must come and
God will decide about the fate of each soul according to his or her
record of deeds:
"The Unbelievers say, 'Never to us will come theHour': Say, 'Nay! but
mostsurely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows the
unseen,- from Whom is not hiddenthe least little atom in theheavens or
on earth: nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in
the Record Perspicuous: That He mayreward those who believe and work
deeds of righteousness: for suchis Forgiveness and a Sustenance Most
Generous.' But those whostrive against Our Signs, to frustrate them,-
for such will be a Chastisement,- of painful wrath." ( 34:3-5 )
The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God's attributes of
Justiceand Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His
mercy on those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life,
believing that an eternal bliss was awaiting them. But thosewho abused
the bountiesof God, caring nothing for the life to come, will be in
the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison between them, the Quran
says:
"Are (these two) alike?- one to whom We have made a goodly promise,
and who is going to reach its (fulfillment), and one to whom We have
given the good things of this life, but who, on the Day of Judgment,
is to be among those brought up (for punishment)?" ( 28:61 )
The Quran also states thatthis worldly life is a preparation for the
eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their
passions and desires, make fun of virtuous andGod-conscious persons.
Such persons realize theirfolly only at the time of their death and
wish to be given a further chancein the world but in vain. Their
miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of
Judgement, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers
are very beautifully mentioned in the following verses of the Holy
Quran:
"Until, when death comesto one of them, he says: 'O my Lord! Send me
back(to life),- In order that I may work righteousness in the things I
neglected.'- 'By no means! It is but a word he says.'- Before them is
a Partition till theDay they are raised up. Then when the Trumpet is
blown, there will be nomore relationships between them that Day, nor
will one ask after another! Then those whose balance (of good deeds)
is heavy,- they willbe successful: But those whose balance is light,
will be those who have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide. The
Fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their
lips displaced."( 23:99-104 )
The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in
theHereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by
makingindividuals most responsible and dutiful intheir activities.
Think of the people of Arabia; gambling, wine, tribal feuds,
plundering and murdering were their main traits when they had no
belief in life after death. But as soon as they accepted the belief in
the One God and life after death they became the most disciplined
nation of the world. Theygave up their vices, helped each other in
hours of need, and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice
and equality. Similarly the denial of life after death has its
consequences not only inthe Hereafter but also in this world. When a
nation as a whole denies it, all kinds of evils and corruptions become
rampant in that society and ultimately it is destroyed. The Quran
mentions the terrible endof Àd, Thamüd and the Pharaoh in some detail:
"The Thamüd and the Àd people disbelieved in theDay of Noise Calamity!
But the Thamüd,- they were destroyed by a terrible Storm of thunderand
lightning! And the Àd, they were destroyed by a furious Wind,
exceedingly violent; He made it rage against them seven nights and
eight days in succession: so that thou couldst see the (whole) people
lying overthrown in its (path), as if they had been roots of hollow
palm- trees tumbled down! Then seest thou any of them left surviving?
And Pharaoh, and those before him, and the CitiesOverthrown, committed
habitual Sin. And disobeyed (each) the messenger of their Lord; so He
punished them with an abundant Penalty. We, when the water (of Noah's
Flood) overflowed beyond its limits, carried you (mankind), in the
floating (Ark), That We might make it a Reminder unto you, and that
ears (that should hear the tale and) retain its memory should bear its
(lessons) in remembrance.
Then, when one blast is sounded on the Trumpet,And the earth is moved,
and its mountains, and they are crushed at one stroke,- On that Day
shall the (Great) Event come topass. And the sky will be rent asunder,
for it will that Day be flimsy, And the angels will be on its sides,
and eight will, that Day, bear the Throne of thy Lord above them. That
Day shall ye be brought to Judgment: not an act of yours that ye hide
will be hidden.
Then he that will be given his Record in his right hand will say: 'Ah
here! Read ye my Record!I did really think that my Account would (One
Day) reach me!' And he will be in a life of Bliss, In a Garden on
high, The Fruits whereof (will hangin bunches) low and near. Eat ye
and drink ye,with full satisfaction; because of the (good) that ye
sent before you, in the days that are gone!
And he that will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: 'Ah!
Wouldthat my Record had not been given to me! And that I had never
realized how my account (stood)! Ah! Would that (Death) had made an
end of me! Of no profit to me has been my wealth! My power has
perished fromme!'... (The stern command will say): 'Seizeye him, and
bind ye him, And burn ye him in the Blazing Fire. Further, insert him
in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits! This was he that
would not believe in Allah the Most High. And would not encourage the
feeding ofthe indigent! So no friend hath he here this Day. Nor hath
he any food except the foul pus from the washing of wounds, Which none
do eat but those in sin.'" ( 69:4-39 )
Thus there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death.
Firstly , all the prophets ofGod have called their people to believe in it.
Secondly , whenever a human society is built on the basis of this
belief, it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, freeof social
and moral evils.
Thirdly , history bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected
collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of
the prophet, the group as a whole has been punishedby God even in this
world.
Fourthly , moral, aestheticand rational faculties of man endorse the
possibility of life after death.
Fifthly , God's attributes of Justice and Mercy haveno meaning if
there is nolife after death.
Further Readings on Islam:
*. T. B. Irving, et al.: The Quran: Basic Teachings
*. Hamuda Abdulati : Islamin Focus
*. M. Qutb : Islam: The Misunderstood Religion
*. Maudoodi : Towards Understanding Islam
*. Maurice Bucaille : The Bible, The Quran and Science
*. Suzanne Haneef : What Everyone Should Know About Islam and the Muslims
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
the jurisdiction of science as science is concerned onlywith
classification and analysis of sense data. Moreover, man has been busy
with scientific enquiries and research, in the modern sense of the
term, only for the lastfew centuries, while he has been familiar with
the concept of life after death since times immemorial.
All the prophets of God called their people to worship God and to
believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief
in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meantdenying God
and made all other beliefs meaningless. The very fact that all the
prophets of God have dealt with this metaphysical question of life
after death so confidently and so uniformly - the gap between their
ages being thousands of years - goes to prove that the source of their
knowledge of life after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same,
i.e., Divine revelation. Wealso know that these prophets of God were
greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of life after
death astheir people thought it impossible. But in spite ofopposition
the prophets won so many sincere followers.
The question arises: whatmade those followers forsake the established
beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers notwithstanding
the risk of being totally alienatedfrom their own community? The
simple answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart
and realized the truth. Did they realizethe truth through perceptual
consciousness? Not so, as perceptual experience of life after death is
impossible. Actually God has given man besides perceptual
consciousness, rational, aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is
this consciousness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be
verified through sensory data. That is why all the prophets of God
while calling people to believe in God and life after death, appeal to
the aesthetic, moral and rational consciousness of man. For example,
when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility of life after
death, the Quran exposedthe weakness of their stand by advancing very
logical and rational arguments in support of it:
"And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own (origin and)
Creation: he says, 'Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed
ones (at that)?' Say, 'He will give them life Who created them for the
first time! For He fully knows all! - The same Who produces for you
fire out of the green tree, when behold!ye kindle therewith (yourown
fires)! Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create
the like thereof?' - Yea, indeed! for He is the Creator Supreme, of
skill and knowledge (infinite)!" ( 36:78-81 )
At another occasion the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers
haveno sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based
on pure conjecture:
"And they say: 'What is there but our life in this world? We shall die
and we live, and nothing but time can destroy us.' But of that they
have no knowledge: they merely conjecture: And when Our Clear Signs
are rehearsed to them, their argument is nothing but this: they say,
'Bring (back) our forefathers, if what ye say is true!'" ( 45:24-25 )
Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has Hisown plan of things.
A daywill come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then
again the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will
be the beginning of the life that will never end, and that day every
person will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil
deed. The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life
after death is what moral consciousness of man demands. Actually if
there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes
irrelevant or even if one believes in God, that would be an unjust and
indifferent God: having once createdman not concerned with his fate.
Surely, God is just; He will punish the tyrants whose crimes are
beyond count: having killed hundreds of innocent persons, created
great corruptionsin the society, enslaved numerous persons to serve
their whims etc... Man having a very short span of life in this world,
and this physical world too being not eternal, punishments or rewards
equal to the evil or noble deeds of persons are not possible here. The
Quran very emphatically states that the Day of Judgement must come and
God will decide about the fate of each soul according to his or her
record of deeds:
"The Unbelievers say, 'Never to us will come theHour': Say, 'Nay! but
mostsurely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows the
unseen,- from Whom is not hiddenthe least little atom in theheavens or
on earth: nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in
the Record Perspicuous: That He mayreward those who believe and work
deeds of righteousness: for suchis Forgiveness and a Sustenance Most
Generous.' But those whostrive against Our Signs, to frustrate them,-
for such will be a Chastisement,- of painful wrath." ( 34:3-5 )
The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God's attributes of
Justiceand Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His
mercy on those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life,
believing that an eternal bliss was awaiting them. But thosewho abused
the bountiesof God, caring nothing for the life to come, will be in
the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison between them, the Quran
says:
"Are (these two) alike?- one to whom We have made a goodly promise,
and who is going to reach its (fulfillment), and one to whom We have
given the good things of this life, but who, on the Day of Judgment,
is to be among those brought up (for punishment)?" ( 28:61 )
The Quran also states thatthis worldly life is a preparation for the
eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their
passions and desires, make fun of virtuous andGod-conscious persons.
Such persons realize theirfolly only at the time of their death and
wish to be given a further chancein the world but in vain. Their
miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of
Judgement, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers
are very beautifully mentioned in the following verses of the Holy
Quran:
"Until, when death comesto one of them, he says: 'O my Lord! Send me
back(to life),- In order that I may work righteousness in the things I
neglected.'- 'By no means! It is but a word he says.'- Before them is
a Partition till theDay they are raised up. Then when the Trumpet is
blown, there will be nomore relationships between them that Day, nor
will one ask after another! Then those whose balance (of good deeds)
is heavy,- they willbe successful: But those whose balance is light,
will be those who have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide. The
Fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their
lips displaced."( 23:99-104 )
The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in
theHereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by
makingindividuals most responsible and dutiful intheir activities.
Think of the people of Arabia; gambling, wine, tribal feuds,
plundering and murdering were their main traits when they had no
belief in life after death. But as soon as they accepted the belief in
the One God and life after death they became the most disciplined
nation of the world. Theygave up their vices, helped each other in
hours of need, and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice
and equality. Similarly the denial of life after death has its
consequences not only inthe Hereafter but also in this world. When a
nation as a whole denies it, all kinds of evils and corruptions become
rampant in that society and ultimately it is destroyed. The Quran
mentions the terrible endof Àd, Thamüd and the Pharaoh in some detail:
"The Thamüd and the Àd people disbelieved in theDay of Noise Calamity!
But the Thamüd,- they were destroyed by a terrible Storm of thunderand
lightning! And the Àd, they were destroyed by a furious Wind,
exceedingly violent; He made it rage against them seven nights and
eight days in succession: so that thou couldst see the (whole) people
lying overthrown in its (path), as if they had been roots of hollow
palm- trees tumbled down! Then seest thou any of them left surviving?
And Pharaoh, and those before him, and the CitiesOverthrown, committed
habitual Sin. And disobeyed (each) the messenger of their Lord; so He
punished them with an abundant Penalty. We, when the water (of Noah's
Flood) overflowed beyond its limits, carried you (mankind), in the
floating (Ark), That We might make it a Reminder unto you, and that
ears (that should hear the tale and) retain its memory should bear its
(lessons) in remembrance.
Then, when one blast is sounded on the Trumpet,And the earth is moved,
and its mountains, and they are crushed at one stroke,- On that Day
shall the (Great) Event come topass. And the sky will be rent asunder,
for it will that Day be flimsy, And the angels will be on its sides,
and eight will, that Day, bear the Throne of thy Lord above them. That
Day shall ye be brought to Judgment: not an act of yours that ye hide
will be hidden.
Then he that will be given his Record in his right hand will say: 'Ah
here! Read ye my Record!I did really think that my Account would (One
Day) reach me!' And he will be in a life of Bliss, In a Garden on
high, The Fruits whereof (will hangin bunches) low and near. Eat ye
and drink ye,with full satisfaction; because of the (good) that ye
sent before you, in the days that are gone!
And he that will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: 'Ah!
Wouldthat my Record had not been given to me! And that I had never
realized how my account (stood)! Ah! Would that (Death) had made an
end of me! Of no profit to me has been my wealth! My power has
perished fromme!'... (The stern command will say): 'Seizeye him, and
bind ye him, And burn ye him in the Blazing Fire. Further, insert him
in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits! This was he that
would not believe in Allah the Most High. And would not encourage the
feeding ofthe indigent! So no friend hath he here this Day. Nor hath
he any food except the foul pus from the washing of wounds, Which none
do eat but those in sin.'" ( 69:4-39 )
Thus there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death.
Firstly , all the prophets ofGod have called their people to believe in it.
Secondly , whenever a human society is built on the basis of this
belief, it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, freeof social
and moral evils.
Thirdly , history bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected
collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of
the prophet, the group as a whole has been punishedby God even in this
world.
Fourthly , moral, aestheticand rational faculties of man endorse the
possibility of life after death.
Fifthly , God's attributes of Justice and Mercy haveno meaning if
there is nolife after death.
Further Readings on Islam:
*. T. B. Irving, et al.: The Quran: Basic Teachings
*. Hamuda Abdulati : Islamin Focus
*. M. Qutb : Islam: The Misunderstood Religion
*. Maudoodi : Towards Understanding Islam
*. Maurice Bucaille : The Bible, The Quran and Science
*. Suzanne Haneef : What Everyone Should Know About Islam and the Muslims
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)