Kinfolks & Neighbors

The same general rights are legislated in Islamic jurisprudence for
women as are required for men. A concern for general public welfare
and mutual support of one another isa trademark of the Islamic social
system. The Prophet(Peace be upon Him) said:
"The similitude of the believers intheir mutual care, love and
kindness to one another is like one human body: if one organ aches,
this prompts the entire body to be feverish and remain awake."
[Muslim #2586]
And he (Peace be upon Him) said:
"The believers, one to another, are like a firm structure, supporting
one another." He thenintertwined his fingers.
[Bukhari #467 & Muslim #2585]
"A woman as an aunt, niece, cousin, or any type of relative,
regardless of the distance, is included in the kinfolk to whom Allah
commanded to be good, kind and supportive. Allah, the Exalted, states
in the Qur'an:
(Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the
land, and sever your ties of kinship?)
(47:22)
The Prophet (Peace be upon Him) said:
"A person who severs his kinship ties, will never enter Jannah ."
[Muslim #2556]
And he (Peace be upon Him) said:
"Charity to a poor person is one charity, and to a (poor) relative two
charities: a charity and a connection of a relative."
[ Tirmidhi #658 & Ibn Majah#1844 and verified]
If a woman is a neighbor and sheis a Muslim, she is entitled to
tworights: the right of Islam, and theright of a neighbor. Allah, the
Exalted, states in the Qur'an:
(Worship Allah and join none with Him in worship, and do good to
parents, kinfolk, orphans, the poor who beg, the neighbor who is
related to you, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion by your
side, the wayfarer you meet, and those slaves whom your right hand
possesses. Verily, Allah does not like anyone who is proud and
boastful)
[4:36]
Islam obligates a Muslim to be good to all his or her neighbors. The
Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) said:
"Jibreel (Archangel Gabriel) continued to recommend me to take care of
the neighbor so much so that I thought the neighbor was going to be
made alegal heir."
[Bukhari #5668]
He (Peace be upon Him) also said:
"By Allah he is not a believer, by Allah he is not a believer, by
Allah he is not a believer!
They asked: "Who, O Messenger of Allah?"
He said: "The one from whose harm the neighbor is not safe."
[Bukhari 5670]
It is also reported by Asfahani in Hilyatul-Awliya that Talhah (may
Allah exalt their mention) said:
"Umar Ibn al-Khattab (may Allah exalt their mention) went out of his
home one night. I decided to follow him to see what he was doing
during the night. I saw himentering a certain house and after a while
I saw him come out and enter another house. In the morning I went to
the first houseand entered it to find out who lives there. To my
surprise I found an old, blind and disabled woman. I asked her: 'What
did the man, who came in your homelast night, want from you?'
She said: 'This man has been taking care of me for a time now,serving
my needs and helping meand supporting me.' Talha said tohimself: 'Why
should I investigateUmar's actions?
The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) said:
"The person caring for the widows and the poor is like the one who is
on the path of Allah, and as if he said: Like one who stands in prayer
without sitting down and like the one who fasts without breaking the
fast."
[Bukhari #5038 & Muslim #2982]
These are some distinguishing aspects of honoring, respecting, caring
for, and supporting women according to Islamic teachings that
summarize the rights of women. We believe thatwomen never witnessed
this extent of respect and honor throughout the history of mankind on
earth. Some traditions show that the Islamic law never tolerated
crimes or abuses against a woman during any stage of her life.

Women's Rights in Islam

Islam deals with women in a comprehensive way in the context of her
relationship with Allah, her Creator and Lord, with herself as a part
of humanity, andwith man, her partner and natural spouse in the
family. During the presentation below, keep in mind the rights that
other societies grant them in comparison to the rights to which Islam
has entitled women.
It is noteworthy that Islamic teachings are attentive to the needs and
rights of the weaker gender throughout her life: as a daughter,
sister, wife, mother, and as a member of the Islamic society.
*. Equality of Men and Woman in Islam, and their complementarynature
to one another

Demands for Women's Rights

Women worldwide demand equal rights. There is not a system of law that
preserves, maintains and protects what are truly women's rights, as
much as Islamic law does, whether in the past or in modern times. This
willbe verified and substantiated in the following sections of the
book.
Sir Hamilton , the well-known English thinker and philosopher, stated
in his book on Islam and Arab Civilization :
"The rules, regulations and verdicts concerning women in Islam are
clear, frank and open. Islam capitalizes on the completecare that
should be given to the protection of a woman against anything that may
harm her personally, or cause ill-fame to her reputation or
character."
Gustave Le Bon , the well-known French thinker stated in his book "The
Arab Civilization" :
"Islamic virtuous deeds are not limited to honoring and respecting
women, but rather, we can add that Islam is the first religion to
honor and respect women. We can easily prove this by illustrating that
all religions and nations, prior to the advent of Islam, caused much
harm and insult to women."
[p.488]
He also points out:
"Matrimonial rights which have been stated and illustrated in
theGlorious Qur'an and by the interpreters of the meanings of the
Glorious Qur'an are far better than European matrimonial rights for
both husband and wife."
[p.497]
Over fourteen hundred years ago,Islam began to spread to the known
world from Makkah , and then Madinah , where the Prophetof Allah,
Muhammad bin Abdullah(Peace be upon Him) taught his message. Islam
spread its light through the teachings of the revealed scriptures of
the Glorious Book of Allah, the Qur'an, and the inspired traditions of
the Sunnah (Way) of Prophet (Peace be upon Him) which are the
undisputed basis of the Islamic law. The Islamic teachings and system
of law had a profound impact on the lives of the followers of Islam,
and consequently, this impact affected the societies in the landswhere
Muslims traveled and settled. Islam spread very rapidly in an
astounding manner in the known world and left a comprehensive system
of life thataddresses every human need.
Islam does not contradict, clash with or reject any of the lawful,
sound and meaningful requirements of the human being's existence,
which are essential to his continuity in life.In order to understand
changes that Islam brought for women, we must examine brieflythe
status of women prior to the advent of Islam in the Arab society and
other civilizations in the world.

Etiquette towards animals

Islamic guidelines:
A Muslim considers most animals to be deserving of a certain level of
respect as creatures. He showsmercy to them due to the mercy of Allaah
upon them. He also adheres to the following manners with respect to
them, which are part of the etiquettes that Islam encourages Muslims
tofulfill:
1. A Muslim feeds or gives water to an animal if he finds it hungry or
thirsty. This is based on the Messenger's statement: "There is a
reward (for serving) everything with a moist liver (that is, every
living creature)." ] Ahmad]
2. A Muslim should have compassion and mercy towards animals. The
Prophet said: "Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy."
[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
He said in other narration: "Have mercy toward those on theEarth and
The One above the Heavens will have mercy on you." [At-Tabaraani]
The Prophet himself set the best example in this regard. When he saw a
group of people using a live animal for archery target practice, he
said: "May Allaah curse the one who uses any creature with a soul as a
target." [Muslim]
Once a bird was distressed because someone had taken its young from
her nest. Allaah's Messenger then said: "Who has distressed this one
because of its baby. Return its baby to her." [Abu Daawood]
3. The Muslim must be kind to the animal, even when he is about to
slaughter it. Allaah's Messenger has said: "Verily, Allaah has
prescribed excellence in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill in a kind
manner. If you slaughter, slaughter in a kind manner. Each of you
should sharpen his blade and spare suffering to the animal he is
slaughtering." [ Muslim]
4. A Muslim should never torture an animal by any means of torture,
such as beating it, making it carry more than it can handle,
mutilating it or burning itby a fire. The Prophet also prohibited the
tying down of animals until they die. Allaah's Messenger once said: "
A woman entered the Hell-fire because of a cat that she tied down. She
neither fed it nor let it free to eat the insects of the earth until
it died." [Al-Bukhaari]
Allaah's Messenger once passed by an anthill that had been burnt to
the ground and he said: "It is not becoming that anyone should punish
by fire except the Lord of the Fire." [ AbuDaawood]
However, it is permissible to kill the harmful animals, such as
voracious dogs, wolves, snakes, scorpions, rats etc. This is based on
the Prophet's statement: " Five noxious or harmful animals are to be
killed whether or not one is in the state of pilgrimage: the snake,
the speckled raven that has whiteness either on its back or stomach,
the rat, the voracious dog and the kite (a birdsimilar to a hawk)."
[Muslim]
It is also confirmed from Allaah's Messenger that he cursed the
scorpion and killed it. [Al-Bayhaqi]
Other related matters:
1. It is allowed to brand grazing animals in their ears for some
overriding need. The Prophet was seen branding, by his own hand, the
camels given in charity.As for other than camels, sheep, goats and
cows, it is not allowed to brand them. The Prophet saw a donkey
branded on his faceand said: "May Allaah curse the one who branded
that (donkey) on its face." [Muslim]
2. One must recognize the right of Allaah concerning his animals by
paying the Zakaah due on them if they are from the animalsconcerning
which one must pay Zakaah.
3. One must not become so preoccupied with animals or playing with
them that one disobeys Allaah, or does not remember Allaah properly.
Allaahhas said, (what means): "O you who believe! Let not your
properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of
Allaah." [Quran 63:9]
Allaah's Messenger stated concerning horses: "A horse may be kept for
one of three reasons. For one man, it may be a source of reward, for
another it may be a source of living and yet for another it may be a
sinful burden. As for the one for whom it is a source of reward, he is
the one who keeps his horse for the sake of Jihaad in Allaah's cause
(i.e. fighting); he ties it with a long rope in a pasture or in a
garden. So whatever its rope allows it to eat will be regarded as
good, rewardable deeds (for its owner). And if it breaks off its rope
and jumps over one or two hillocks, even its dung will be considered
among his good deeds. A horse is a shelter for theone who keeps it so
that he may earn his living honestly and takes it as a refuge to keep
him from following forbidden means. (The third is) a horse is a sinful
burdenfor him who keeps it out of pretense and show and with the
intention of harming Muslims." [ Al-Bukhaari]
These are, in general, the etiquettes that a Muslim should adhere to
with respect to animals, out of obedience to Allaah and His Messenger
and in adherence to what the Islamic law has ordered him… the
Sharee'ah of mercy… the Sharee'ah of general goodness for all
creatures, be they human or animal.

Start with yourself beforeothers

Who to start with?
In Da'wah (call to Islam), start with yourself before the members of
your family and other people and look at what is lacking in you in
order that you may start treating it.
So if there is a common deficiency between you and one of your
companions or family members, then join him with youin resolving this
problem becausethe Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam
said: "Whoever from amongst you sees an evil he should change it with
his hand and if he is not able to, then with his tongue andif he is
not able to, then he should hate it in his heart, and that is the
weakest level of faith." [Muslim and Ahmed]
How is your relationship with Allaah?
How is your humbleness in prayer?
Read about that which will betteryour condition and that of your
prayer, increase your humblenessin it and soften your heart.
Are you one whose supplications are answered or do you notice most of
your supplications not being answered?
Look into your Aqeedah (Faith) and the level of your certainty and
reliance upon Allaah, and observe closely your food and drink - are
they from that which is Halaal (lawful) or Haraam (unlawful), or is
there some doubt about their source?
If the situation was one that requires enjoining good and forbidding
evil, what would you do? Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alaihi wa
sallam said: "By Him in Who's Hand is my soul,you will enjoin good and
prohibitevil or (else) Allaah will soon sendupon you a punishment from
Him, then you will call upon Him and He will not answer you." [Ahmed
and At-Tirmithi]
Maybe you would benefit from reading Hadeeths (Prophetic narrations)
pertaining to the punishment of the grave and thatof its bliss, about
the terror of the Resurrection, and the torment of the Hell Fire. You
could well continue reading for days, weeks or months, accompanying
that with good actions and self-struggle.
It is imperative that a person takes his soul to account and treats
his deficiencies. Match yourself against the Quran and the Sunnah
(Prophet's, sallallaahualaihi wa sallam, tradition) to know who you
are, and look what you have set aside for Allaah to know what Allaah,
the Almighty and Majestic, has prepared for you because of the saying
of the Messenger of Allaah,sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam: "Whoever
wants to know what Allaah has prepared for him then he should look to
what he has prepared for Allaah." [As-Silsilah As-Saheehah]
Are you prepared for the meetingwith Allaah?
Have you fulfilled the rights of thecreation, one to another? Or are
you in a constant state of postponing and deferring?
Have you converted your knowledge of repentance into crying and penitence?
Have you turned whatever you have read about loving Allaah into real
love for your Muslim brothers?
Do you often visit them, and overlook their faults? Do you aid the
needy from amongst them, feel delight for their happiness and grieve
for their sorrow?
Do you taste the sweetness and delight of Faith?
Are Allaah and his Messenger, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam,
morebeloved to you than anybody else?
Do you give precedence to the love of Allaah over wealth, business,
whims and desires?
Test yourself when you hear the call to prayer, if you notice a desire
to delay answering it in order to pursue your interests in trade (for
example) then know that Satan has succeeded in gradually leading you
astray and that your love for Allaah is deficient. In this way it is
upon you to consolidate yourself, giving precedence to the orders of
Allaah over any other worldly matter.
How is your abhorrence of entering into disbelief? Do you abhor it as
you would abhor being thrown into the Hell Fire?
Do you live this abhorrence and this feeling in you, so that your
sincerity to Allaah is cultivated and that you may hasten to purify
your soul?
Contemplate the Hadeeth of Umm Salamah who said: '"Most of the
invocations of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam,
used to be: "O Changer of the Hearts make my heart firm upon your
religion." [Ahmed and At-Tirmithi]
Reflect upon how Ibraaheem (Abraham) feared associating partners with
Allaah, so he used to supplicate (what means): "And keep me and my
sons away from worshipping idols." [Quran 14:35]
This is what Abu Ad-Dardaa' used to fear hence his saying: 'Verily
what I fear from my Lord on the Day of Resurrection is thatHe calls me
in front of all creationand says to me "O 'Uwaymir (i.e., Abu
Ad-Dardaa' himself)," so I say, "Here I am My Lord at Your service,"
so He says, "What did you act upon from the knowledge that you
acquired?"
Don't forget the supplication of Yousuf (Joseph) (which means): "Cause
me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous." [Quran 12:101]
You should aid yourself through fear: living with the fear of eternal
abode in the Hell Fire. Don't rest and sit around while the sweetness
of Faith is missing or is weakened. How many people set out on
journeys for the purpose of treating their illnesses and how many of
them spend out of their wealth to treatthese illnesses? Do not the
souls and the hearts have more priorityin being treated, as their
matter is one of total eternity? Bring to mind the Hadeeth, "Every
slave will be resurrected upon that which he died." [Muslim], then
expect death at any moment.
It is better for you if you were to meet death whilst trying to
improve your own condition thanto die whilst striving to improve
others', being held accountable at the same time for leaving off
obligatory actions just like the lantern that burns itself out and
gives light to others, as in the Hadeeth: "The example of the scholar
who teaches the people good things but forgets himself is that of a
lantern, it gives light to the people but burns itself out."
[At-Tabaraani]♠♠♠♠♠ - <span
style="font-size:x-large;">"Published By; M NajimudeeN Bsc -
INDIA|®|"</span>
- •••••► -

Giving gifts in Islam

Gift-giving is one of the good manners that maintains and strengthens
relations between the giver and the recipient. It is one of the acts
that Prophet Muhammad recommended us-Muslims- to do. Al-Bukhaari
narrated that 'Aa'ishah said:"The Messenger of Allaah used to accept
gifts and reward people for giving them."
The phrase: "Reward people for giving them," means giving the giver
(at a later time) something of equal valueat least in return.
This Hadeeth (narration) indicates that accepting gifts and giving
something of equal value(or more) to the giver is the way of the
Prophet .
The Prophet enjoined responding in kind to favours, as he said in an
authentic narration: "Whoever does you a favour, respond in kind, and
if you cannot find the means of doing so, then keep praying for him
until you think that you have responded in kind." [Abu Daawood]
"Whoever does you a favour," means, whoever treats you kindly in word
or deed or by gifting you.
"Respond in kind," meansto treat him kindly just ashe has treated you kindly.
"If you cannot find the means of doing so" means if you do not havethe money.
"Until you think that you have responded in kind" means, repeatedly
supplicate for him until you think that you have rewarded him his due.
One of the Du'aa' forms that one can say is 'Jazaaka Allaahu
khayran'(may Allaah reward you with good). At-Tirmithi narrated that
Usaamah Ibn Zayd said: The Messenger of Allaah said: "Whoever has a
favour done for him and says 'Jazaak Allaahu khayran' has done his
utmost to thank him." [At-Tirmithi]
"Done his utmost to thank him," means that he has done his utmost
toexpress his gratitude, because he has acknowledged his shortcomings
and that heis unable to reward and thank him enough, so he refers the
matter to Allaah, to reward him in the best manner. It is saidthat:
"If you are unable to give him back in kind, then speak at length
thanking him and supplicating for him." [Tuhfat Al-Ahwathi]
The Permanent Committee (a supreme Islamic judicial authority in Saudi
Arabia , was asked a similar question) and replied as follows:
"There is nothing wrong with accepting it (an amount of money as a
gift), without you (the recipient) longing for that, and you can
respond in kind if you are able to with an appropriate gift, or you
can supplicate for him, because the Prophet said: "Whoever does you a
favour, respond in kind… (the above-mentioned Hadeeth)." [Fataawa
Al-Lajnah Al-Daa'imah]
Difference between charity and gift-giving
Charity is given to the poor and the needy to meet their needs, and is
done with the intention of seeking the Pleasure of Allaah. Its
intention is not limited to a specific person; rather it is given to
any poor or needy one.
On the other hand, a gift is not necessarily given toa poor person,
rather it may be given to rich or poor; the intention is to show
friendship and to honour the recipient.
Both of them – charity and gift-giving – are righteous deeds for which
a person will be rewarded (and please hisLord), but which is better?
Ibn Taymiyah stated that Sadaqah (charity) is that which is given for
the sake of Allaah as an act of worship, without intending to give it
to a specific person and without seeking anything in return, rather it
is given for charitable causes, such asto the needy. A gift is given
with the intention of honouring a specific person, either because the
recipient is your friend whom you love, orbecause you want something
in return.
Hence, the Prophet used to accept gifts and reward people for them, so
that no one could remind him of their favours, but he did not accept
the "refuse" of people that they gave to purify themselves of sins,
namely charity. He did not accept charity for thisand other reasons.
Once this is understood, then charity is better, butthere is a sense
in which a gift is better than charity, such as giving a gift to the
Messenger of Allaah during his lifetime out of love for him. Also,
gifts which a person gives to a relativein order to uphold the ties of
kinship or to a brother in Islam may be better than charity.
Based on this, giving to one of your relatives maybe better than
giving charity, because it is more befitting to uphold the ties of
kinship. The same may apply if you give a gift to a friend of yours,
because that will strengthen the bonds of love between you. The
Prophet said: "Exchange gifts, as that will lead to increasing your
love to one another." [Al-Bukhaari]
What the Hadeeth meansis that giving gifts may generate and increase
love.♠♠♠♠♠ - <span style="font-size:x-large;">"Published By; M
NajimudeeN Bsc - INDIA|®|"</span>
- •••••► -

Dought & clear,- Ruling on distributing leaflets and pamphlets that contain Qur’anic verses for da‘wah purposes to non-Muslims.

My question is regardingdistributing leaflets/pamphlets for dawah
purposes that contain Quranic verses. Itis likely that many of them
will end up on the streets or bins after being distributed. Isnt this
wrong and should this discourage us givingout such material? Also, is
this ok, considering that the targeted recipients are non-muslims who
are impure?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Distributing leaflets and pamphlets for da'wah purposes is a good deed
and is calling people to Allah. It is something from which many
peoplebenefit, especially non-Muslims. It is a means of spreading the
religion of Allah, establishing proof for them and leaving no excuse
for them, and conveying to them the message of their Lord. But this
work should be done in a thoughtful manner, following guidelines and
methods through which the aim may be achieved in an appropriate manner
without going against the rulings of Islam.
Secondly:
Leaflets and pamphlets for da'wah purposes that contain Qur'anic
verses do not come under the same rulings as the Mushaf, and the one
who touches them cannot be said to have touched the Mushaf, because
the Qur'anic material in them is mixed with other material. So they
come under the same ruling asthe ruling on books of fiqh, tafseer and
the like,and it is permissible for a non-believer or one who is in a
state of impurity to touch them.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the verse that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) wrote – i.e., to Heraclius – his intention thereby
was to correspond, and a verse in a letter or a book of fiqh and the
likedoes not come under theprohibition on touching it, and the book or
letterdoes not become a Mushaf.
End quote from al-Mughni, 1/109
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Some of the scholars are of the view that it is permissible for a
non-believer to touch the Mushaf if there is thehope that he will
become a Muslim. They quoted as evidence for that the fact that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wrote to Heraclius,
the ruler of Byzantium, (a letter containing) the verse in which
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): "Say (O Muhammad SAW): 'O people of the Scripture (Jews and
Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you" [Aal
'Imraan 3:64]. They said: This verse is a verse of the Book of Allah
that he wrote to Heraclius. But the correctview is that this is not
proof; rather it only indicates that it is permissible to write one or
two verses of the Book of Allah. As for handing over the entire Mushaf
(to a non-Muslim), it is not proven that the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) did that.
End quote from Majmoo'Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 24/340-341
Thirdly:
If these books or leaflets are translated into another language,
otherthan Arabic, then the matter is easier. It does not matter if the
non-believer touches a translation of the meanings of the Holy Qur'an
into a language other than Arabic, even if it is a translation of an
entire soorah, because the translation is an interpretation of the
meanings of the Qur'an, and it does not come under the same rulings as
the Qur'an. The non-believer is not forbidden to touch books of
tafseer or Islamic knowledge, unless he is doing so by way of
mishandling them or showing disrespect. See the answer to question no.
119323 .
To sum up:
There is nothing wrong with distributing these leaflets and pamphlets
for da'wah purposes, even if they contain some verses of the Holy
Qur'an or hadeeths of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), and there is nothing wrong with allowing the non-believer
to touch them and read them, because of the great interests that are
served by that, of acquainting him with the religion of Allah, and
establishing proof for him and leaving him with no excuse by conveying
the message. The interests ofconveying the message to him in the hope
that he might become Muslimtake precedence over the possible negative
consequences of allowing him to touch them and handle them.
Disallowing the printing of these books and leaflets that are aimed
atnon-Muslims would cancel out a great deal of good and impose
restrictions on the means of calling non-Muslims to Allah.
With regard to throwingthese leaflets into the trash, it is not
permissible according toIslam, but it is only haraam for the one who
does that action himself. As for the one who prints and distributes
these leaflets and spendson that, he will have (thereward of) his good
deeds and is not responsible for the actions of others.
See the answer to question no. 39376
If it is possible to write on them a request not tothrow them on the
ground or the like, or asking the reader to leave them in an
appropriate place, that would be a good idea.

And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear,- Does he have the right to take possession of a house that was bought with his money that he used to send to his mother?.

|
My grandfather had 9 children and he migrated from india with poor
means. My father was third eldest son .Due to The sudden death of my
grandfather, my father left for dubai,stayed there for 12years , sent
all money except that was needed for our sustenance, to my
grandmother.My older uncles were in no position to financially support
there mother or siblings. As all my uncles and aunt got good education
and were married off , my grandmother wished myfather to return and
own the house which was purchased on installments by my grandfather a
few months before his death but the 4 yearly installments were paid
after that for more than 12 years by money sent by my father. She
wanted this as my fatherhad no savings for his own family after a long
tenure in middle east , she made this known to her sister in laws and
a few other senior members of family . She died before my father could
return to pakistan. The property was still half paid for , my father
lived for next 12 years orso in middle east , completed the
installments and started the paperwork for the transfer of documents
tohis name from that of my grandmothers . At the time of her death the
my uncles and aunt have agreed that her wish was justifed and they had
no problems with it but as the papers were completed for transfer a
few of them objected that the property belonged to their father ,then
mother so it should be distributed among all . My father was not keen
to keep it for himself earlier but as they all have agreed on it , he
had been counting the property as his own . RIGht now the amount has
increased to 6 fold inprice . What should he do ? My uncle and aunt
claim that since he was out of country and couldafford to pay , this
does not mean he was the sole heir , which is true but why did they
earlier gave the impression thatthey wanted to honour the wish as she
was being just too her son . Should he distribute the money among all
, whichwill be a lot of money actually.
Praise be to Allah.
Undoubtedly what your father did of helping his parents and siblings
and contributing to the living expenses even though he was overseas
and far away from his children was an act of great kindness and a good
deed.
From the question it seems that what your father did was to help the
family with their living expenses, then he sent money with which this
house that is the subject of the dispute was bought.
It may be said that in this case one of the following two scenarios must apply:
1.
Either he sent this money with which the house was bought as an act of
kindness to his parents and upholding ties of kinship with his
siblings and helping them, voluntarily giving the money that he sent
to them. In that case the house is to be included with the estate and
is to be divided among all theheirs in accordance withthe laws of
Allah, because he gave up his wealth by way of giving a gift, so he
has no right to take back his gift. Andyour father will be rewarded
abundantly byhis Lord.
Al-Bukhaari (2067) and Muslim (2557) narrated from Anas ibn Maalik
(may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever would like his rizq
(provision) to be increased and his life to be extended, should uphold
the ties of kinship."
2.
Or he was sending this money for them to take whatever they needed,
and whatever was left over after spending on his family remained his
property, so the house that was bought is the property of the owner
ofthe money, because he isthe one who paid its price, and his father
and mother acted as deputies for him in transferring this
leftovermoney to buy this house.
In this case it would be better if he had stated clearly to his
parents or they had stated clearly to him at the time of purchase that
the house was being bought in his name.
However we should advise both parties not to undermine the good
relationship between them; your father shouldnot make this a cause of
spoiling the acts of kindness that he did for his family and they
should not not be harsh with their brother who helped them, spent on
them and treated them kindly. Is the reward of good anything but good?
And Allah knows best.

Islamic Stories,- The Patched Robe

There was a Jew of Damascus who was reading a holy book oneday when he
came across the name of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
written in it. Not liking this, he removed the name. But the next day
he found it there again. Again he took out the name; but on the third
day it had appeared again. He thought:"Perhaps this is a sign that a
true Emissary has come. I will journey southwards to Madinah."
And he forthwith startedout, not tarrying until hereached the city of
the Prophet. When he arrived there, knowing nobody, he was near
theMosque of the Prophet when the Sahabi Anas (ra) arrived. He said to
Anas: "Friend, take me tothe Prophet."
Anas (ra) led him into the mosque, which was full of people in
anguish.Abu Bakr (ra) the successor was sitting there at the head of
the assembly. The old man went up to him, thinkinghe must be Muhammad,
and said: "O Chosen Envoy of God, a strayed old man has come to offer
you peace." Hearing the title of the Prophet used, everyone present
burst into a flood of tears. The stranger was uncertain as to what to
do. He said:"I am a foreigner and a Jew, and I am unaware of the rites
of the Faith of Submission to the Willof Allah. Have I said something
untoward? Should I have remained silent? Or is this a ritual
observance? Why do youcry? If it is a ceremony, I have never heard of
it."
Omar (ra) said to him:"We do not weep because of anything which you
have done. But you must hear, unfortunate one, that it is a but a week
since the Prophet left the earth. When we heard his name, grief took
possession of our hearts anew."
As soon as he heard this, the ancient tore his clothes in anguish.
Whenhe had recovered a little,he said: "Do me one favour. Let me have
at least a robe of the Prophet. If I cannot see him, at least let me
have this."
Omar (ra) answered:"Only Fatima (ra) could give us one of his robes."
Ali (ra) said: "But she will not allow anyone to go near her." But
they went to her door and knocked, and explained what they wanted.
Fatima (ra) answered:"Verily, the Prophet spoke truly when he said,
shortly before he died: 'A wayfarer, who has love towards me andwho is
a good man, will come to the house. He will not see me. Give him,
therefore, this patchwork robe as if from me, and for me treat him
gently, offering salutations.'"
The Jew put the robe on himself and, professing Islam, asked to be
taken to the Prophet's grave. Itwas at this place that he breathed his
last.

Islamic Stories,- A Sheet for the Prophet

Narrated Abu Hazim: I heard Sahl bin Saad saying, "A woman brought a
Burda (i.e. a square piece of cloth having edging). I asked, 'Do you
know what a Burda is?' They replied in the affirmative and said, "It
is a cloth sheet with woven margins." Sahl went on, "She addressed the
Prophet and said, 'I have woven it with my hands for you to wear.' The
Prophet took it as he was in needof it, and came to us wearing it as a
waist sheet. One of us said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Give it to me to
wear.' The Prophet agreed to give it to him. The Prophet sat with the
people for awhile and then returned(home), wrapped that waist sheet
and sent it tohim. The people said to that man, 'You haven't done well
by asking him for it when you know that he never turns down anybody's
request.' The man replied, 'By Allah, I have not asked him for it
except to use it as my shroud when I die." Sahl added; "Later it (i.e.
that sheet) was his shroud."
Source: Sahih Al Bukhari (Volume 3, Hadith# 306)
The person wanted to have the sheet for his shroud because he hoped
that Allah will show mercy towards him after death as he is covered in
a sheet that was worn by the Prophet. We can also hope for the same by
dressing ourselves with the lifestyle of the Prophet (peace be upon
him) as his simple lifestyle is the most beloved to Allah.