Ramadan Articles - Making the Most of Ramadan - II

The month ofRamadanis the month of great gains and profits. The wise
trader is the one who makes the most of specialoccasions to increase
his profits. So make the mostof this month by increasing in your acts
of worship, praying a great deal, reading the Quran, forgiving people,
being kind to others and givingcharity to the poor.
In the month ofRamadanthe gates of Paradise are opened and the gates
of Hell are closed, the devils are put in chains and a caller cries
out each night: O seeker of good, proceed! O seeker of evil,stop!
Therefore, O slaves of Allaah, be among the blessed people, by
following the path of your righteous predecessors who were guided by
theSunnah)tradition( of your Prophet,, so that we may come out
ofRamadanwith our sins forgiven and our righteous deeds accepted.
The month ofRamadanis the best of months, as Ibn al-Qayyimsaid,
"An example of the differentiation between the things that Allaah
hascreated – is the fact that the month of Ramadan is superior to all
other months, and the last ten nights are superior to all other
nights."]Zaad Al-Ma'aad[
This month is superior to others for four reasons:
1 – In it there is the best night of the year, which
isLaylat-ul-Qadr.Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed, We
sentthe Quran down during the Night of Decree. And what can make you
know what is the Night of Decree? The Night of Decree is better than a
thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by
permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace itis until the
emergence of dawn.{]Quran 97:1-5[
So observing worship on this night is better than worshipping for a
thousand months.
2 – In this month the bestof Books was revealed to the best of the
Prophets,. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
·}The month of Ramadan]is that[ in which was revealed the Quran, a
guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and
criterion{]Quran 2:185[
·}Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were to
warn ]mankind[. On that night is made distinct every precise matter
]Every[ matter]proceeding[ from Us. Indeed, We were to send]a
messenger{]Quran 44:3-5[
Ahmad and At-Tabaraani narrated on the authority of Waathilah ibn
Al-Asqa'that the Messenger of Allaah,, said:"The Scriptures of
Ibraaheem were sent down on the first night of the month of Ramadan.
The Torah was sent down on the sixth ofRamadan. The Gospel was sent
down on the thirteenth of Ramadan. The Zaboor was sent down on the
eighteenth of Ramadan, and the Quran was sent down on the
twenty-fourth of Ramadan."]Al-Albaani:Hasan[
3 – In this month the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell
are closed, and the devilsare chained up.
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrahthat the Messenger of
Allaah,, said:"When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened
and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils areput in
chains."]Muslim[
Abu Hurayrah also narrated that the Messenger of Allaah,, said:"When
Ramadan comes, the gates of mercy are opened, the gates of Hell are
closed, and the devils are put in chains."]An-Nasaa'i;
Al-Albaani:Saheeh[
Al-Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Khuzaymah narrated in one report:"When
the first night of the month of Ramadan comes, the devils and
rebellious jinn are chained up, all the gates of Hell are closed, and
none of its gates are opened. All the gates of Paradise are opened,
andnone of its gates are closed. A caller cries out: 'O seeker of
goodness, proceed; O seeker of evil, desist. Allaah has those whom He
redeems from the Fire every night."
]Al-Albaani:Hasan[.
If it is asked, how is it that we see many evil actions and sins
committed inRamadan, whereas if the devils were chained up, that would
not happen?
The answer is that evil actions become less for those who observe the
conditions and etiquettesof fasting, or that those who are chained up
are some of the devils – namely the rebellious ones – not all of them,
or that what is meant is thatevil is reduced inRamadan, which is a
proven fact. If evil happens at this time, it is still less than at
other times. Even if all of them)the devils( are chained up, that does
not necessarily mean that no evil or sin will happen, because there
are other causes of that besides thedevils, such as evil souls, bad
habits and the devils among humankind.
4 – There are many acts of worship particular toRamadan, some of
whichare not done at other times, such as fasting,Qiyaam)voluntary
night prayers(, feeding people,staying in seclusion in the mosque,
giving charity, and reciting the Quran.

Ramadan Articles - Making the Most of Ramadan - I

The days ofRamadanpassby very quickly, as if they were fleeting
moments. We welcomedRamadanlast year and bade it farewell and we are
welcomingRamadanagain after a short while,so we should hasten to do
good deeds in this month and strive to fill it with all the deeds
which Allaah The Almighty is pleased with and with that the actions
which will help us on the Day when we meet Him.
How can we prepare for Ramadan?
We can prepare forRamadanby taking ourselves to account and
recognizing our shortcomings in living upto the testimony that none
has the right to be worshipped but Allaah The Almighty and that
Muhammad is His Messenger.
We should set ourselves straight so that inRamadanwe will have a
higher degree of faith, asfaith increases and decreases. It increases
through obedience to Allaah The Almighty and decreases through
disobedience and sin. The first act of obediencethat a person should
achieve is that of being atrue slave of Allaah The Almighty and
believing that there is none that is rightfully worshipped except
Allaah The Almighty. Thus, a person should direct all acts of worship
to Allaah The Almighty and not associate anyone else in worship with
Him. Each of us should realize that he could not have escaped whatever
has befallen him, and whatever has missed himcould not have befallen
him, and that everything happens by the will and decree of Allaah The
Almighty.
We should avoid everything that could undermine our commitment to the
two testimonies of faith. This means keeping away from innovations and
things that have been introduced into the religion. We should also
follow the principle of observing loyalty and disassociation by taking
the believers as our allies, as well as regarding the disbelievers and
hypocrites as our enemies, so we should rejoice when the Muslimsgain a
victory over their enemies. We must follow the example of the
Prophet,, and his Companions and adhere to theSunnah)tradition( of the
Prophet,, and the way of the rightly-guided successors who came after
him. We must love theSunnahand love those who adhere to it and defend
it, in whatever country they are, and of whatever color or nationality
they are.
We should bring ourselves to account and recognize our shortcomings in
performing acts of worship such as praying in congregation,
remembering Allaah The Almighty, paying attention to the rights of
neighbors, relatives and the Muslims in general, spreading the
greeting ofSalaam, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil,
urging one another to follow the truth, to be patient, to be steadfast
indoing so, to persist in avoiding evil actions and in doing good
deeds, and accepting the decreeof Allaah The Almighty with patience.
Then we should bring ourselves to account for committing sins and
following desires. We should stop ourselves from persisting in that
state, whether the sin is great or small, whether itis a sin of the
eye, by looking at that which Allaah The Almighty has forbidden, or by
listeningto music, or by walking to things which Allaah The Almighty
does not like, or by using one's hands to strike in a manner with
which Allaah The Almighty is notpleased, or by consumingthings that
Allaah The Almighty has forbidden such as usury and bribes, or any
other means of consuming people's wealth unlawfully.
We should never forget that Allaah The Almighty stretches forth His
hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who sinned at
night, andHe stretches forth His hand at night to accept the
repentance of those who sinned during the day.
Allaah The Almighty Says)what means(:
·}And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the
heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous who spend ]in the cause
of Allaah[ during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who
pardon the people - and Allaah loves the doers of good; And those who,
when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves ]by transgression[,
remember Allaah and seek forgiveness for theirsins - and who can
forgive sins except Allaah? - and ]who[ do not persist in what they
havedone while they know. Those - their reward is forgiveness from
their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow ]in Paradise[,
wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent isthe reward of
the]righteous[ workers.{]Quran3: 133-136[,
·}Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves ]by
sinning[, do not despair of the mercy of Allaah. Indeed, Allaah
forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the forgiving, the
merciful.{]Quran 39:53[
·}And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himselfbut then seeks forgiveness
of Allaah will find Allaah forgiving and merciful{]Quran 4:110[
This is the proper way to welcomeRamadan: by taking ourselves to
account, repenting and seeking forgiveness. As the saying goes,"The
wise man is the one who takes stock of himself and strives to do that
which will benefit him after death, and the helpless one is that who
follows his own desires and engages in wishful thinking, )assuming
that Allaah will forgive him regardless of what he does and that he
does not need to strive to do good deeds(."]Narrated by Shaddaad ibn
Aws[ ]Al-Albaani:Dha'eef[

Biographies - Abdullah ibn Masood

Abdullah Ibn Masoodرضى الله تعالى عنه was of the tribe of Banu Huzail
and was also the sworn ally of Banu Zahra.WhenAbdullah Ibn Masoodرضى
الله تعالىعنه was still a youth, not yet past the age of puberty, he
used to roamthe mountain trails of Makkahfar away from people, tending
the flocks of a Quraish chieftain, Uqbah Ibn Muayt. People called him
'Ibn Umm Abd', the son ofthe mother of a slave. His real name was
Abdullah and his fathers name wasMasood.
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنهmeets the Prophet
The youth had heard the news of the Prophet whom had appeared among
his people but he did not attach any importance to it both because of
his age and because he was usually far away from Makkan society. It
was his habit to leave with the flock of Uqbah early in the morning
and not return until nightfall.
One day while tending the flocks,Abdullah Ibn Masoodرضى الله تعالىعنه
saw two men, middle-aged and of dignified bearing, coming towards him
from a distance. They were obviously very thirsty and tired. They came
up to him, greeted him and said, 'Young man, milk one of these sheep
for us that we may quench our thirst and recover our strength.'
'I cannot,' replied the young man. 'The sheep are not mine. I am only
responsible for looking after them.'
The two men did not argue with him. In fact, despite their thirst,
they were extremely pleased at his honest reply. The two men were the
blessed Prophet himself and his companion, Abu Bakr Siddiq. They had
gone out on that day to the mountains of Makkahto escape the violent
persecution of the Quraish.
The young man in turn was impressed with the Prophet and his companion
and soon became quite attached tothem.
It was not long before Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه became a
Muslimand offered to be in the service of the Prophet . The Prophet
agreed and from that day, the fortunate Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله
تعالى عنه gave up tending sheep in exchange for looking after the
needs of the blessed Prophet . He was the sixth man to accept Islam.
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه remained closely attached to
the Prophet . He would attend to his needs both inside and outside the
house. He would accompany him on journeys and expeditions. He would
wake him when he slept. He would shield him when he washed. He would
carry his staff and his Siwak (toothbrush) and attend to his other
personal needs. It was forthese reasons that the Sahabah took to
calling him Saheb-e-Siwak (bearer of the siwak), Saheb-e-Nalaen
(bearer of the slippers), Saheb-e-Mutahara (bearer of the water) and
also Saheb-e-Wisadah (bearerof the bedroll).
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه received a unique training in
the householdof the Prophet . He was under the guidance of the Prophet
, he adopted his manner and followed his every trait until it wassaid
of him, 'He was the closest to the Prophet in character.' Abdullah was
often mistaken as one of the Blessed Household. Abu Musa Ashari رضى
الله تعالى عنه says, 'When we came from Yemen, we thought for some
time that Abdullah رضى الله تعالى عنه was a member of the Blessed
Household, because Abdullah رضى الله تعالى عنه and his mother were
constantly coming and going in the Prophet presence. Furthermore, the
Prophetonce said to Abdullah, "O Abdullah, you do not need permission
to enter my house. You are alwayswelcome."
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه was the best at reciting the
Qur'aan among the companions and he understood it better thanthem all.
He was therefore the most knowledgeable on the Shari'ah. Nothing can
illustrate this better than the story of the man whocame to Umar Ibn
al-Khattab رضى الله تعالى عنه as he was standing on the plain of
Arafat and said: 'I have come, O Amir al-Mumineen, from Kufa where I
left a man filling copies of the Qur'aan from memory.' Umar رضى الله
تعالى عنه became very angry and paced up and down beside his camel,
fuming.'Who is he?' he asked. 'Abdullah Ibn Masood,' replied the man.
Umar's anger subsided and he regained his composure. 'Woe to you,' he
said to the man. 'By Allah, I don'tknow of any person left who is more
qualified in this matter than he is. Letme tell you about this.' Umar
رضى الله تعالى عنه continued: 'One night the Messenger of Allah was
having a conversation with Abu Bakr رضى الله تعالى عنه about the
situation of Muslims. I was with them. When the Prophet left, we left
with him alsoand as we passed through the mosque, there was a man
standing in Prayer whomwe did not recognise. The Prophet stood and
listened to him, then turned to us and said, "Whoever wants to read
the Qur'aan as fresh as when it was revealed, then let him read
according to the recitation of Ibn Umm Abd."
After the Prayer, as Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه satmaking
supplications, theProphet said, "Ask and it will be given to you. Ask
and it will be given to you." I said to myself, I should go to
Abdullah IbnMasood رضى الله تعالى عنه straight awayand tell him the
good news of the Prophet's ensuring acceptance of his supplications. I
went and did so but found thatAbu Bakr رضى الله تعالى عنه had gone
before me and conveyed the good news to him. ByAllah, I have never yet
beaten Abu Bakr رضى الله تعالى عنه in the doing of any good.' In
another Hadith, the Prophet said, 'Learn the Qur'aan from four people,
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه , Salim Maula Abi Huzaifah رضى
الله تعالى عنه , Ubayy Ibn Kaab رضى الله تعالى عنه and Muaz Ibn Jabal
رضى الله تعالى عنه .' The Prophet has also said, 'Read the Qur'aan
inthe same manner as Abdullah Ibn Masood teaches.'
Note: The most popular and widely read Qiraat is that of Imaam Hafs.
He relates from Imaam Aasim Kufi and he in turn relates from Abu Abdur
Rahman Abdullah Ibn Habib As-Sulmiyi, who relates from Uthman Ibn
Affan, Ali Ibn Talib, Abdullah Ibn Masood, Ubayy Ibn Kaab and Zaid Ibn
Thaabit. They all, in turn, relate directly from the Prophet .
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه attained such a knowledge of
the Qur'aan that he would say, 'By Him besides Whom there is no Allah,
no verse of the book of Allah has been revealed without my knowing
where it was revealed and the circumstances of its revelation. By
Allah, if Iknow there was anyone who knew more of the Book of Allah, I
will do whatever is in my power to be with him.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه was not exaggerating in what he
said about himself. Once Umar Ibn al-Khattab رضى الله تعالى عنه met a
caravanon one of his journeys as caliph. It was pitch dark and the
caravan could not be seen properly. Umar رضى الله تعالى عنه ordered
someone to hail the caravan. It happened that Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى
الله تعالى عنه was in it.
'From where do you come?' asked Umar رضى الله تعالى عنه . 'From a deep
valley,' came the reply, using the Qur'aanicexpression – fajj
amiq.'And where are you going?' asked Umar.' To the ancient house,'
came the reply, using the Qur'aanic expression – al-bayt al-atiq.
'There is a learned person (alim) among them,' said Umar and he
commanded someone to ask the person, 'Which part of the Qur'aan is the
greatest?' 'Allah. There is no Deity except Him, the Living, the
Self-subsisting. Neither slumber overtakes Him nor sleep,' replied the
person answering, quoting the Ayat al-Kursi (the verse of the
Throne).'Which part of the Qur'aan is the most clear on justice?'
'Allah commands what it just and fair, the feeding of relatives,'
'What it the most comprehensive statement of the Qur'aan?' 'Whoever
does an atoms weight of goodshall see it, and whoever does an atom's
weight ofevil shall see it.' 'Which part of the Qur'aan gives risk to
the greatest hope?'
'Say, O my servants who have wasted their resources, do not despairof
the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is the
Forgiving, the Compassionate.' Thereupon Umar asked, 'Is Abdullah Ibn
Masood among you? 'Yes, by Allah,' the men in the caravan replied.
The Prophet had always desired to make Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه a
leader of men, as it is clear from the following words of the Prophet
, 'If I was to make anyone a leader over someone without consulting
anyone, I would make Ibn Masood a leader.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه would refrain from narrating
Hadith in fear of mistakes. However when he did narrate a Hadith, he
was very particular and precociousin what he attributed to the Prophet
. He would turn pale and quake in fear whenever he accidentally
attributed something to the Prophet, even though the Prophet has said,
'Whatever Ibn Masood narrates to you, believe him.' Whenever he gave a
verdict, he would attribute it to himself, saying that it was his own
opinion and that it was from Allah if it was correct and that it was
from himself and Satan, ifit was incorrect. For this reason, many
Fatwahs have been attributed to Abdullah instead of the Prophet .
Imaam Nisai writes in his Sunan: 'A man married a woman, then he
passed away before he could consummate his weddingor set a dowry for
his wife. When the issue wasplaced before the Sahabah, they advised
them to go to Abdullah. When they came to Abdullah, he tried to avoid
them and told them to ask someone else. Finally he relented and said,
"The woman will receive Mehr-e-Mithl.If the verdict is correct, it is
of Allah. If it is incorrect, then it is of Satan and I. Neither Allah
and the Prophet are responsible for it." A Sahabi by the name of
Maakal Ibn Al-Ashjai was also present and he said, "I swear by Allah,
you have given the same verdict that the Prophet gave in the favour of
Broan Bint Washile Al-Ashjai. Your verdict is in accordance with the
Prophet." On hearing this, Abdullah rejoiced as he had never rejoiced
before. The majority of Fatwahs of Iraq and the Hanafi Fiqh are based
upon the Fatwahs of Abdullah Ibn Masood His authority in Fiqh was such
that the other Sahabahwould refuse to give a Fatwah during while he
was still alive. They would always refer any seeker to him. Students
who wanted to enter his service and gainknowledge from him were always
constantly petitioning him.
Khatima Ibn Abu Subrah once went to Madinahand prayed for a pious
companion. Hurraira wasAllah's reply. Abu Hurrairaasked Khatima where
he had come from. He replied that he had travelled for two days from
Kufa. Abu Hurraira said to him, 'Is not Saad Ibn Malik, who is
Mustajab-ul-Dawat amongst you? Is not Ibn Masood, who was the bearer
of the Prophet slippers and ablution water amongst you? Is not
Huzaifah, who was privy to the Prophet thoughts amongst you? Isnot
Amar amongst you, who Allah granted refugefrom Shaytaan through the
Prophets tongue amongst you? Is not he who knows the two Divine Books
(the Qur'aan and the New Testament), Salman Farsi amongst you?'
Coincidentally, all the Sahabah . who Hazrat Abu Hurraira mentioned
were in Kufa at that time.
Hazrat Saad narrates, 'Once there were six of usin the service of the
Prophet . Besides me were Abdullah Ibn Masood and Bilal Habshee. Some
pagans ofMakkah came before the Prophet and began to say, "Remove
these people first, then we shall talk." The Prophet was still
considering whether sending us out would win over their hearts and
make them more receptive to Islam, when the following versewas
revealed: 'Send not away those who call on their Lord, morning and
evening, seeking His Face.' (Q6:52)
Saad proudly states, 'This verse was revealed for us.' Who can match
the status of those who are praised by Allah? The whole point of the
worship of Allah is the pleasure of Allah. These six attained the glad
tidings of Allah in their lifetime that Allah was pleased with them.
As anyone who has takenan in depth, study on the knowledge of the
Sahabah will tell you, the knowledge of the Sahabah climaxed in two
people, Ali and Abdullah.
On one hand, we have Allah, the Prophet and hisSahabah who sing the
praises of Abdullah Ibn Masood's excellence in knowledge and
character. On the other hand, we have a sect of narrow-minded and
totally unqualified people who, ironically, call themselves
Ahl-e-Hadith (the people of the Hadith), better known as the
Ghair-Muqalids (the leaderless), saying that Abdullah Ibn Masood
wasuninformed regarding the Prophet Salaah. Wasn't Abdullah Ibn Masood
the one who the Sahabah would mistake as one of the Blessed Household?
Wasn't he theconstant companion of the Prophet for thirty years? But
then, according to the Ghair-Muqalids, Ali and Saad were also
uninformed of the Prophet Salaah, and that all three of these great
Sahabah were in reality, non-entities.
Abdullah Ibn Masood wasthe first man to recite aloud the words of the
Qur'aan before a gathering of the Quraish. The companions of the
Prophet were together one day in Makkah. They were still few in
number, weak and oppressed. They said, 'The Quraish have not yet heard
the Qur'aan being recited openly and loudly. Who isthe man who could
reciteit for them?' 'I shall reciteit for them,' volunteered Abdullah
Ibn Masood. 'Weare afraid for you,' they said. 'We only want someone
who has a clan who would protect him from their evil.' 'Let me,'
Abdullah Ibn Masood insisted, 'Allah shall protect me and keep me away
from their evil.' He then went out to the mosque until he reached
Maqam Ibrahim (a landmark situated a few meters from the Kabah). It
was dawn and the Quraish were sitting around the Kabah. Abdullah began
to recite Surah Rahman. The Quraish looked at him intently and some of
them asked, 'What is Ibn Umm Abd saying? Damn him! He is reciting some
of what Muhammad brought!'
They began to slap his face but he continued reciting. When he
concluded his recital, his face was covered with welts and blood. 'By
Allah,' said Abdullah, 'the enemies of Allah are more uncomfortable
than I am at this moment.If you wish, I shall return tomorrow and do
the same.' 'You have done enough,' they said. 'You have made them hear
what they dislike.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood did Hijrat three times, twice to Ethiopia and once
to Madinah. He participated in every Gazwah. It was he who beheaded
Abu Jahl in Badr. It was to himthat the Prophet presented Abu Jahl's
sword as a share in the booty. The Caliph Umar sent Abdullah Ibn
Masoodto Kufa to educate the people and to take charge of the
Bait-ul-Maal. When Umar fixed salaries for the Sahabah, he offered
Abdullah a salary too. Abdullah refused and said, 'Why do you try to
turn me to the world.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنهdeath
Abdullah Ibn Masood lived to the time of CaliphUthman. It was during
this era that he retired from his post and returned to Madinah. When
he was sick and onhis death-bed, Uthman came to visit him and said,
'What is your ailment?' 'My sins.' 'And what do you desire?' 'Themercy
of my Lord.' 'Shall Inot give you your stipendwhich you have refused
to take for years now?' 'I have no need of it.' 'Let itbe for your
daughters after you.' 'Do you fear poverty for my children? Ihave
commanded them to read Surah al-Waqiah every night for I have heard
the Prophet saying, "Whoever reads Al-Waqiah every night shall not be
afflicted by poverty ever."
That night, in either 33 or34 A.H, Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى
عنه passed away to the company of his Lord, his tongue moist with the
remembrance ofAllah and with the recitation of the verses ofHis Book.

Biographies - Mufti Siraj Saleh

Hazrat Mufti Siraj Saleh sahib was born in Surat Lohara, India in
1970. At the age of 15, he completed hifz of the Holy Qur'an. He then
went on to study Qiraat, and qualified as an Alim from Randair Jamia
Husainia in the year 1993. After receiving authorisation in various
books, including the six major books of Ahadith. He went on to teach
at Jamiah Qasimiya Khorooqwhere he taught many Kutub (books) of Fiqh
and Hadith.
In 1994, he moved to Durban, South Africa where he got married, and
stayed under the auspicious company of Hakeem Akhtar sahib (d.b.) for
11 years. He wasthe Imam and Khateeb at Mahbubiya Masjid. He carried
on teaching Hadith and Tafseer in Durban.
In 2005, Mufti Siraj sahib moved to Bradford, England under the
instruction of his ustad. He has since been here. Currently, he?s an
Imam and Khateeb of Masjid-e-Quba, and a teacher of Tafseer and Hadith
at Jamiah Khatamun Nabiyeen, Bradford.
Currently, Mufti sahib is holding Dhikr majlis every Friday and Qur?an
Tafseer majlis every Sunday at Masjid-e-Quba.Alhamdullilah, he has
finished the tafseer of four parah?s/juz in a period of 4 years (audio
of the tafseer is available on the website).
Hazrat Mufti Siraj sahib is the Khalifah of Mufti Abdur-Razzaq Boupali
and of Qari Ramzaan sahib. He?s the younger brother of
Shaikh-ul-Hadith Hazrat Maulana Hanif Luharvi sahib (d.b.),who is a
well renowned scholar in the sub-continent.
Hazrat Mufti Siraj sahib is the author of two books; Safwatul Masadir
and Rawda-al-adab (translated into English).
Please rememberHazrat in your duas. May Allahgrant Hazrat Mufti Siraj
sahib more knowledgeand a long and prosperous life. May Allahalso give
us the ability to benefit from his enlightened company. Ameen.

Ramadan Articles - Ramadaan - How to Attain Taqwaa

The concept of taqwaa is always linked to ibaadah in the Qur'an.
'Ibaadah can be defined as doing what Allah has commanded and avoiding
what He has prohibited. 'Ibaadah has also been defined as a concept
that includes all actions that Allah loves and approves of, whether
they are actions of the heart, the toungueor the limbs. So taqwaa
islinked with doing what iscorrect and avoiding thatwhich is wrong.
Taqwaa is the fruit of doing the actions of 'Ibaadah. In other words,
if one does what Allah has commanded him to do, and abstains from that
which he has been forbidden, he will achieve taqwaa. Allah mentions in
His Book (that means):
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed
for those before you, thatyou may become muttaqoon (those who have
taqwaa or piety)."[ Al-Baqarah 2:183 ]
In this aayah and in manyothers, Allah has shown us that taqwaa is the
result or fruit of doing actions of ibaadah.
The Meaning of Taqwaa
Now that we have clarified how to achieve taqwaa, we define what the
concept of taqwaa means. Taqwaa means: tocleanse or purify the heart
and the soul. This fact is proven by some ayaat in Surat Ash-Shams in
which Allah (T) says (what means):
"By the sun and its brightness, by the moon as it follows it, by the
dayas it shows its brightness,by the night as it conceals it, by the
heavenand its wondrous make, by the earth and all its expanse, and by
the soul and He Who perfected it in proportion, then He showed it what
is wrong for it and what is right for it - indeed he succeeds who
purifies it, and he fails who corruptsit."[Ash-Shams 91:1-10]
Allah begins this soorah by taking seven oaths. Whenever Allah begins
a soorah or an ayaah with an oath, He (T) does so to bear witness to
the fact that whatever follows this oath is very important and
essential for us to understand. Therefore, we should payvery close
attention to what is being said, and reflect upon its meanings. To
cleanse one's heart and to purify the soul, one must perform righteous
actions that Allah has enjoined upon us, and our destruction lies in
doing the actions that Allah has forbidden. As Allah is the Guardian
and Protector of the Soul, we should do every good deed hoping for
Allah's Mercy and fearing His Punishment, having full reliance and
trust in Him (T).
Purification of the Soul
Among the missions of the Prophet (saws), Allah sent him with the
command to purify the souls of the Muslims in particular, and of
mankind in general. Allah(T) says (what means):
"He it is who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among
themselves, reciting to them His ayaat, purifying them, and teaching
them the Book and the Hikmah, while before they had been in error."
[Al-Jumu'ah 62:2]
In this ayaah the word
1.To teach the Qur'an.
2.To teach the Sunnah.
3.To show the means of purifying the soul.
This purification is obtained by doing the proper acts of 'ibaadah and
by avoiding sins and disobedience.
Conditions for Attaining Taqwaa
How does a person knowthat his acts of 'ibaadah are helping him to
achieve taqwaa? To develop taqwaa, one must fulfill the following
conditions:
1)Ikhlaas, sincere intention that the act is performed purely for the
pleasure of Allah, out of love for Him, while hoping for His reward
and mercy, as well as fearing His anger and punishment if He is
disobeyed.
2)To do the deed in accordance with the authentic Sunnah. To have the
necessary knowledge of the 'ibaadah that is being performed. To know
howthe Prophet (saws) performed the action and proper times for the
performance of that action.
Concerning Ikhlaas, it must be present both before and after
performing the deed, with no riyaa or sum'ah (doing things to be seen
or heard by people). For instance, after doing a good deed, one must
not say to others, "Look at all the good I have been doing", or "I'm
such a marvelous person because I do such and such."
This formula, if used to achieve taqwaa, is scientific, in that if you
follow it, while fulfilling all of its conditions and their rights,
you will achieve taqwaa insha

Ramadan Articles - Diet During Ramadan

"To be healthy, one mustconsume food from the major food groups: bread
and cereal, milk and dairy product, meat and bean, vegetable andfruit.
During the month long fast of Ramadan themetabolic rate of a fasting
person slows down and other regulatory mechanisms start functioning.
Body and dietary fat is efficiently utilized. Consuming total food
intake that is less than the total food intake during normal days is
sufficient to maintain a person's health. Intake of fruits after a
meal is strongly suggested. A balanced diet improves blood cholesterol
profile, reduces gastric acidity, prevents constipation and other
digestive problems, and contributes to an active and healthy life
style."
- (Int. J. Ramadan FastingResearch, 3:1-6, 1999)
INTRODUCTION
Fasting during the Islamicmonth of Ramadan can be good for one's
health and personal development. Ramadan fasting is not just about
disciplining the body to restrain from eating foodand drinking water
from predawn until sunset. The eyes, the ears, the tongue, and even
the private parts are equally obligated to be restrained if a Muslim
wants to gain the total rewards of fasting. Ramadan is also about
restraining anger, doing good deeds, exercising personal discipline,
and preparing oneself to serve as a good Muslim and a good person
during and after Ramadan.
This is why the Messenger of Allah (Peacebe upon him, Pbuh) has been
attributed, by Hazrat Abu Hurairah in hadith, to say:"He who does not
desist from obscene language and acting obscenely (during the period
of fasting), Allah has no need that hedidn't eat or drink."(Bukhari,
Muslim). In another hadith by Hazrat Abu Harairah, the Prophet (Pbuh)
said:"Fasting is not only from food and drink, fasting is to refrain
from obscene (acts). If someone verbally abuses you or acts ignorantly
toward you, say (to them) 'I am fasting; I am
fasting."(IbnKhuzaoinah). Restraint from food, water, and undesirable
behavior makes a person more mentally disciplined and less prone to
unhealthy behavior. In an investigation in Jordan (1), a significant
reduction of parasuicidal cases was noted during the month of Ramadan.
In the United Kingdom, the Ramadan model has been used by various
health departments and organizations to reduce cigarette smoking
amongthe masses, especially among Africans and Asians (2).
Ramadan fasting has spiritual, physical, psychological, and social
benefits; however, manmade problems may occur, if fasting is not
properly practiced. First of all, there is no need to consume excess
food at iftar (the food eaten immediately after sunset to break fast),
dinner or sahur ( the light meal generally eaten about half an hour to
one hour before dawn). The body has regulatory mechanisms that
activateduring fasting. There is efficient utilization of body fat.
[El Ati et al. (3)]. Basal metabolism slows down during Ramadan
fasting. [Husain et al. (4)].A diet that is less than a normal amount
of food intake but balanced is sufficient enough to keep a person
healthy and active during the month of Ramadan.
Health problems can emerge as a result of excess food intake, foods
that make the diet unbalanced, and insufficient sleep (5, 6).
Ultimately also, such a lifestyle contradicts the essential
requirements and spirit of Ramadan.
DIET DURING RAMADAN
According to Sunna (the practices of Prophet Muhammad, Pbuh) and
research findings referred in this report, a dietary plan is given:
1. Bread/Cereal/Rice, Pasta, Biscuits and Cracker Group: 6-11
servings/day; 2. Meat/Beans/ Nut Group: 2-3 servings/day. 3. Milk and
Milk Product Group: 2-3 servings/day. 4. Vegetable Group: 3-5
servings/day; 5. Fruit Group: 2-4 servings/day. 6. Added sugar (table
sugar, sucrose): sparingly. 7. Added fat, polyunsaturated oil 4-7
table spoons.
Breakfast,iftar:
*.Dates, three
*.Juice, 1 serving (4 oz.)
*.Vegetable soup with some pasta or graham crackers, 1 cup
The body's immediate need at the time of iftar is to get an easily
available energy source in the form of glucose forevery living cell,
particularly the brain andnerve cells. Dates and juices are good
sources of sugars. Dates and juicein the above quantity aresufficient
to bring low blood glucose levels to normal levels. Juice and soup
help maintain water and mineral balance in the body. An unbalanced
diet and too many servings of sherbets and sweets withadded sugar have
been found to be unhealthy. [Gumma et al. (7)].
Dinner:
Consume foods from all the following food groups:
Meat/Bean Group:Chicken, beef, lamb, goat,fish, 1-2 servings
(servingsize = a slice =1 oz); greenpea, chickpea (garbanzo,chana,
humus), green gram, black gram, lentil, lima bean and other beans, 1
serving (half cup). Meat and beans are a good source of
protein,minerals, and certain vitamins. Beans are a good source of
dietary fiber, as well.
Bread/Cereal Group:Whole wheat bread, 2 servings (serving size = 1 oz)
or cooked rice, one cup or combination. This group is a good source
ofcomplex carbohydrates, which are a good source of energy and provide
some protein, minerals, and dietary fiber.
Milk Group:milk or butter-milk (lassiwithoutsugar), yogurt or cottage
cheese (one cup). Those who can not tolerate whole milk must try
fermented products such as butter-milk and yogurt. Milk and dairy
products are good sources of protein and calcium, which are essential
for body tissue maintenance and several physiological functions.
Vegetable Group:Mixed vegetable salad, 1 serving (one cup), (lettuce,
carrot, parsley, cucumber, broccoli, coriander leaves, cauliflower or
other vegetables as desired.) Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil or any
polyunsaturated oil and 2spoons of vinegar. Polyunsaturated fat
provides the body with essential fatty acids and keto acids. Cooked
vegetables such as guar beans, French beans, okra (bhindi), eggplant
(baigan), bottle gourd (loki), cabbage, spinach, 1serving (4 oz).
Vegetablesare a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, carotene,
lycopenes, and other phytochemicals, which are antioxidants. These are
helpful in the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and many
other health problems.
Fruits Group:1-2 servings of citrus and/or other fruits. Eat fruits as
the lastitem of the dinner or soon after dinner, to facilitate
digestion and prevent many gastrointestinal problems. Citrus fruits
provide vitamin C. Fruits are a good source of dietary fiber.
Fruits and mixed nuts may be eaten as a snack after dinner
ortarawiahaor before sleep.
Pre-dawn Meal (sahur):
Consume a light sahur. Eat whole wheat or oat cereal or whole wheat
bread, 1-2 serving with a cup of milk. Add 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil
or any other monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats in a salad or the
cereal. Eat 1-2 servings of fruits, as alast item.
DISCUSSION
Blood cholesterol and uric acid levels are sometimes elevated during
the month of Ramadan (8). Contrary to popular thinking, it was found
that intake of a moderately high-fat diet, around 36% of the total
energy (calories), improved blood cholesterol profile. [Nomani, et al.
(9) and Nomani (10)] It also prevents the elevation of blood uric acid
level (8-10). The normal recommended guideline for fat is 30% or less
energy. On weight basis, suggested fat intake during Ramadan is almost
the same as at normal days. Fat is required for the absorption of
fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and carotenoids. Essential fatty
acids are an important component of the cell membrane. They also are
required for the synthesis of the hormoneprostaglandin. Keto-acidsfrom
fat are especially beneficial during Ramadan to meet the energy
requirement of brain and nerve cells. Keto-acids also are usefulin the
synthesis of glucose through the metabolic pathway of gluconeogenesis.
This reduces the breakdown of body proteins for glucose synthesis.
Therefore, the energy equivalent of 1-2 bread/cereal servings may be
replaced with polyunsaturated fat.
During Ramadan increased gastric acidity is often noticed, [Iraki, et
al. (5)] exhibiting itself with symptoms such as a burning feeling in
the stomach, a heaviness in the stomach, and a sour mouth. Whole wheat
bread, vegetables, humus, beans, and fruits -- excellent sources of
dietary fiber -- trigger muscular action, churning and mixing food,
breaking food into small particles, binding bile acids, opening the
area between the stomach and the deudenum-jejunum and moving digesta
in the small intestine. [Kay (11)].Thus, dietary fiber helps reduce
gastric acidity and excess bile acids. [Rydning et al. (12)]. In view
of dietary fiber's role in moving digesta, it prevents constipation.
It'sstrongly suggested that peptic ulcer patients avoid spicy foods
and consult a doctor for appropriate medicine and diet. Diabetic
subjects, particularly severe type I (insulin dependent) or type II
(non-insulin dependent), must consult their doctor for the type and
dosage of medicine, and diet andprecautions to be taken during the
month. Generally diabetes mellitus, type II, is manageable through
proper diet during Ramadan. [Azizi and Siahkolah (13)].
Pregnant and lactating women's needs for energy and nutrients are more
critical than the needs of men (14). There is a possibility of health
complications to the pregnant woman and thefetus or the lactating
mother and the breastfedchild, if energy and nutrient requirements are
not met during the month of Ramadan (15-19). Governments, communities,
and heads of the family must give highest priority to meet women's
dietary needs. In African countries, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and
many other places malnutrition is a major problem, especiallyamong
women from low-income groups. Further more, it is common among these
women to perform strenuous work on farms or in factories, and other
places. Malnutrition and strenuous conditions maylead to medical
problems and danger to life. Under these conditions one must consult a
medical doctor for treatment andmaulanaorsheikhfor postponement or
other suggestions regarding fasting. Quran Al-Hakeem and Hadith allow
pregnant women and lactating mothers flexibility during the month of
Ramadan.
For practical purposes and estimation of nutrients a diet was
formulated, given below:
Iftar:
3 dates, 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1 cup of vegetable soup, 2 plain
graham crackers; dinner: 1 cup of vegetable salad with two teaspoons
of corn oil and two teaspoon of vinegar, 2 oz. of chicken, 1/2 cup of
okra, 4 oz. of cooked whole chana (garbanzo), 3 tea spoon of oil while
cooking main dishes, 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 1 cup of cooked
rice, 3/4 cup of plain yogurt, one orange, 1/2 cup grapes, 1 oz of
nuts-mixed roasted-without salt; sahur: 2 slices of whole wheat bread,
1 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of vegetable salad with two teaspoons of corn
oil and two teaspoons of vinegar, 1 skinned apple, 2 teaspoons of
sugar with tea or coffee.
Nutritionist IV (20) was used to estimate energy and nutrient content
in the above diet, which was as follows: energy, 2136 kilocalories;
protein, 70g; carbohydrate , 286g; fat, 87g, 35 % of energy of the
total intake, (saturated fat 16.9g; mono saturated, 28.4g; poly
unsaturated, 34g; other 7.3g; - oleic, 25.6g; linoleic, 29.5;
linolenic, 0.6g; EPA-Omega-3, 0.006g; DHA-omega-3, 0.023g; dietary
fiber 34g; calcium, 1013mg; sodium,3252 mg; potassium, 2963mg; iron
13.3mg; zinc, 10mg. When the nutrients were comparedwith the
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), for an adult non-pregnant and
non-lactating female (14), the diet met 100% or more of the RDA for
protein, calcium, sodium, potassium, and vitamin A,K, B1, B2, B3, B6,
B12, folate, and C. The energy was close to the RDA, (97%). The
dietary fiber level also was met as per the recommendation (11).
Consuming food in the above amount by pregnant or lactating female may
not meet the RDA for all of the nutrients. They may
needsupplementation of someminerals and vitamins such as, iron vitamin
D, and more energy through bread or rice.
Further suggestions:
Drink sufficient water between Iftar and sleep to avoid dehydration.
Consume sufficient vegetables at mealtimes. Eat fruits at the end of the meal.
Avoid intake of high sugar (table sugar, sucrose) foods through sweets
or other forms.
Avoid spicy foods.
Avoid caffeine drinks such as coke, coffee or tea. Caffeine is a
diuretic. Three days to five days before Ramadan gradually reduce the
intake of these drinks. A sudden decrease in caffeine prompts
headaches, mood swings and irritability.
Smoking is a health risk factor. Avoid smoking cigarettes. If you
cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before
Ramadan. Smoking negatively affects utilization of various vitamins,
metabolites andenzyme systems in the body.
Do not forget to brush orMiswak(tenderneemtreebranch,Azhardicta
indicaor other appropriate plant in a country, about 1/4-1/2 inch
diameter and 6-8 inches length, tippartially chewed and made brush
like). Brush your teeth before sleep and after sahur. Brush more than
two times or as many times as practicable.
Normal or overweight people should not gain weight. For overweight
people Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to lose weight. Underweight
or marginally normal weight people are discouraged from losing weight.
Analyzing a diet'senergy and nutritional component, using food
composition tables or computer software, will be useful in planning an
appropriate diet.
It is recommended that everyone engage in some kind of light exercise,
such as stretching or walking. It'simportant to follow goodtime
management practices forIbada(prayer and other religious activities),
sleep, studies, job, and physical activities or exercise.
In summary, intake of a balanced diet is critical tomaintain good
health, sustain an active lifestyle and attain the full benefits of
Ramadan.

Fathwa - Ruling on fasting optional days before making up the obligatory fast

Question
i have outstanding days from remmadan that i didn't fast and i made an
intention to fast ashoura,but while i was fasting i found out that it
is not permissible to fast ashoura while you have outstanding days to
fast from remmedan. can i make my current fasting from intention of
ashura to intention of remmendan on half day.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
MuhammadisHis slave and Messenger.
Dear sister, you cannot change your intention of fasting from optional
fasting to making up a missed fast, because making up a missed fast
has to be designated by having the intention in the night before the
true dawn.
The Fiqh Encyclopedia reads:"Having an overnight intention: this is a
condition regarding the obligatory fasts according to the Maaliki,
Shaafi'i and Hanbali Schools of jurisprudence. Having an overnight
intention means initiating the intention by night between sunset and
dawn... The Hanafi School of jurisprudence conditioned having an
overnight intention for fasting expiations, absolute )unconditional(
vows, and making up for missed fasts in Ramadhaan."
Therefore, it is not acceptable that you intend making up for thefast
of Ramadhaan during the day, whether you are fasting for 'Aashooraa'
or observing any other fast.
However, we hope that itis permissible for you to fast 'Aashooraa'
before making up for missed days in Ramadhaan though it is better to
make up the missed fast first. But if you fast, your fasting is valid
– Allaah willing – according to theview of the majority of the
scholars.
The Fiqh Encyclopedia reads:"The scholars differed in opinion
concerning the ruling of optional fast before making up for missed
days in Ramadhaan: The Hanafi School of jurisprudence is of the view
that it is permissibleto fast optional fasting before making up for
missed days in Ramadhaan without any dislikeability, as it is not an
obligation to immediately make up themissed fast. However, theMaaliki
and Shaafi'i Schools of jurisprudence are of the view that it is
permissible to fast optional fasting before making up for missed days
but this is disliked, as in this case, one delaysthe
obligation.Ad-Dusooqi)from the Maaliki School of jurisprudence( said:
It is disliked to observe optional fasting while one has an obligatory
fast, like vowed fasts, missed days )in Ramadhaan( and expiations;
whether the optional fast that one observed before making up an
obligatory fast is not a confirmed fast or is a confirmed fast, like
'Aashooraa' and the 9th of Thul-Hijjah )i.e. the day of 'Arafah(
accordingto the preponderant opinion of the scholars. The Hanbali
School of jurisprudence is of the view that it is forbidden to observe
optional fast before making up for missed days in Ramadhaan, and the
optional fasting, in this case, is not valid even if there is enough
time for making up the fast…."
Allaah Knows best.

Fathwa - The order to differ from the Jews concerning fasting the day of ‘Aashooraa’ came duringthe last period of the life of the Prophet

Question
Assalaamu alaikum, When Rasoolullah )salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam(
came to al-Madinah, he saw the Jews fasting Ashura and thus he
commanded the Muslims to fast that day too. In hislast year, he said
that if he was to live another year, then he would fast the 9th too,
so to differentiate from the Jews. Does that mean that the order of
differentiating from the Jews and Christians came in the last year?
Jazakum Allahu khairan
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
MuhammadisHis slave and Messenger.
The order to differ from the Jews concerning fasting the day of
'Aashooraa')10thof Muharram( such that one fasts another day along
with it ]whether before or after it[ came during the last period of
the life of the Prophet,, as thequestioner mentioned.
Ibn Hajarfrom the Shaafi'i school of jurisprudence said in his
bookFat-h Al-Baari,"There is another narration reported by Ahmadthat
was narrated by Ibn 'Abbaasin which the Prophetsaid: ''Fast on the day
of 'Ashooraa' and be different from the Jews, fast one day before it
or after it." This was towards the end of his life. The Prophetused to
like to act in accordance with the People of the Book in matters where
he was not ordered to do otherwise – especially when this would be
contradicting the practice of the idolaters. However, when Makkah was
conquered and Islambecame widespread, the Prophetwould differ from the
People of the Book, as was narrated in a Saheeh Hadeeth)authentic
narration(. Therefore the Prophetdid the same as the People of the
Book did initially, and said: 'We areworthier of Moosa)Moses(than
them.' Then heliked to differ from them and ordered us to add one day
before 'Aashooraa' or after it in order to be different from them."]
Allaah Knows best.

Fathwa - Fasting on the eleventh day of Muharram thinking that it is ‘Aashooraa’

Question
What is the ruling of fasting on a day thinking that it is the tenth
of Muharram according to the calendars found in bookshops but, in the
middle of the day, I discovered that it is the eleventh day of
Muharram?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad,
is His slave and messenger.
You should have checked and asked about the timewhen the moon was
sighted in a Sharee'ah-approved manner. You should not have depended
only on the calendar that may have been right or wrong. What counts is
a Sharee'ah-approved moon sighting.
If you did not fast on the tenth day thinking that itis the ninth day,
then it isan act of the Sunnah thatyou missed and, due to this, you
also missed the day of 'Aashooraa' because it is the tenth day of
Muharram. You are rewarded, Allaah Willing, for your intention and
sincere desire to fast on the day of 'Aashooraa'. The Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "When a slave falls ill or
travels, then he will receive a reward similar to that which he gets
for good deeds he used to perform at home while in good
health."]Al-Bukhaari[
You are also rewarded for your voluntary fastingon the eleventh day.
Allaah The Almighty never Wastes the reward of he who does good deeds.
From here on, youshould seek )a confirmation of( the moon being
sighted to avoid making such a mistake.
Allaah Knows best.

Islamic banking in the digital age

Islamic banking refers to a system of banking activities that is
consistent with the Sharee'ah )Islamic law( and guided by Islamic
economics. Thus, bankingprocedures including payment of Ribaa )usury
or interest( is Haraam)Islamically prohibited(. Islamic law also
prohibits trading in financial risk)which is seen as a form
ofgambling(, investing in businesses that include alcohol or pork, or
businesses that produce anti-Islamic media, etc. Inthe late 20th
century, a number of Islamic banks were created, to cater to this
particular banking market.
The first modern experiment with Islamic banking was undertaken in
Egypt under cover without projecting an Islamic image for
politicalreasons. The pioneering effort, led by Ahmad El-Najjaar, took
the form of a savings bank based on profit-sharing in the Egyptian
town of Mit Ghamr in 1963. This experiment lasted until 1967, by which
time there were nine such banks in the country.
Islamic banking has the same purpose as conventional banking except
that it operates in accordance with the Islamic rules, known as Fiqh
Al-Mu'aamalaat)Islamic rules on transactions(. The basic principle of
Islamic banking is the sharing of profit and loss and the prohibition
of Ribaa. Amongst the common Islamic concepts used in Islamic banking
are profit sharing)Mudhaarabah(, safekeeping )Wadee'ah(, joint
venture)Mushaarakah(, cost plus)Muraabahah(, and leasing)Ijaarah(.
In an Islamic mortgage transaction, instead of loaning the buyer
moneyto purchase the item, a bank might buy the item itself from the
seller, and re-sell it to the buyer at a profit, while allowing
thebuyer to pay the bank in installments. However, the fact that it is
profit cannot be made explicit and therefore there are no additional
penalties for late payment. In order to protect itself against
default, the bank asks for strict collateral. The goods or land is
registered to the name ofthe buyer from the start of the transaction.
This arrangement is called Muraabahah. Another approach is Al-Ijaarah
wal- Iqtinaa', which is similar to real-estate leasing.
Islamic banks handle vehicles' trade in a similar way )selling the
vehicle at a higher-than-market price to the debtor and then retaining
ownership of the vehicle until the loan is paid(.
There are several other approaches used in business deals. Islamic
banks lend their money to companies by issuing floating rate interest
loans. The floating rate ofinterest is pegged to the company's
individual rate of return. Thus the bank's profit on the loan is equal
to a certain percentage of the company's profits. Once the principal
amount of the loan is repaid, the profit-sharing arrangement is
concluded. This practice is called Mushaarakah. Further, Mudhaarabah
is venture capital funding of an entrepreneur who provides labor while
financing is provided by the bank so that both profit and risk are
shared.
Such participatory arrangements between capital and labor reflect the
Islamic view that the borrower must not bear all the risk/cost of a
failure, resulting in a balanced distribution of income and not
allowing lender to monopolize theeconomy.
Islamic banks have grown recently in the Muslim world but are a very
small share of the global banking system. Micro-lending institutions
such as Grameen Bank use conventional lending practices, and are
popular in some Muslim nations, but are clearly not Islamic banking.
]1[
Today, there are about seventy five )75( Islamic equity funds
worldwide based in Muslim countries and targeted atinstitutional
investors in the Middle East. The growth of the middle class in the
Muslim world is driving the advent of a 'new economic order.'
Some years ago, Dow Jones unveiled the first global stock benchmark
for Islamically conscientious investors. The Islamic market index
follows six hundred and sixty )660( Sharee'ah-compliant companies in
34 countries, including Microsoft, Coca-Cola etc. Brown Brothers
Harriman& Co. and a dozen other banks are introducing funds tracking
the index. Barclays of Britain and Commerz Bank AG of Germany are
nurturing new portfolios for Muslims. In November 1999, Financial
Times)FTSE( International in London introduced its own Islamic
indices.
Islamic scholars are open to creative solutions for the problems
raised by modern finance. Any respectable Islamic fund or financial
institutions has a board of scholars screening its investments and
practices. "Nearly all the scholars now agree, for example that it is
ok for Muslims to buy equities or stocks which are commitments to
responsible ownership", says Virginia-based Islamic scholar and fund
adviser Yusuf Talal Delorenzo. This approval of the scholars is
conditioned to such equities of stocks being Islamically lawful
themselves.
The Dow Jones index excludes hotel chains andairlines which serve
alcohol and pork, but theIslamic funds managed by Saturna capital
corp. do not. A. Rushdi Siddiq, Director of Dow Jones Islamic Index
Group, says:"Sharee'ah Boards are de-facto fund managers".
The strong middle class Muslims in Malaysia helped in producing some
recent innovations in Islamic finance. IslamQ.com will be launched in
Kuala Lumpur to become the first web site to offer online Islamic
stock trading. It is a virtual bazaar providing many services.
Surfers can check prayer times, plan pilgrimage to Makkah or 'Ask the
scholars' about how to handle finance under the Sharee'ah.
IslamiQ.com hopes to broaden what is possible for Muslim investors
within the bounds of what is Halaal, or permissible under Islamiclaw.
The Western style of banking is shunned by hundreds of millions of
observant Muslims around the world. They were left to invest in real
estate, trade financing, or small business; and to accumulate a pool
of cash that IslamiQ now estimates at US$ 150 billion and growing by
30% a year. "There is a lot of money that has been hidden under the
people's mattresses", saysHasnita Hashim, the Malaysian banker and
IslamiQ CEO and co-founder. IslamiQ.comwill have offices in New
York, London and Malaysia.
As investors' choices grow, Islamic finance is no longer the exclusive
domain of Muslims. Ms Hashim, who ran Islamic funds in her native
country )Malaysia( beforestarting IslamQ.com, saysthat more than half
of her investors were non-Muslims.

The Night Prayer )Qiyaamal-Layl(

What is Qiyaam al-Layl?
Qiyaam' means 'standing' and 'Qiyaam al-Layl' means 'standing in
night.' In the Islamic terminology, both terms refer to 'the voluntary
night prayer, whose time extends from after 'Ishaa' )evening( prayer
until dawn.' Qiyaam al-Layl is also known as Tahajjud.
A widespread misconception is that Tahajjud is a different night
prayer than Qiyaam. The true is that there is only one voluntary night
prayer known by different names.
The excellence of night prayer:
Numerous Prophetic narrations and Quranic verses mention the
excellence of night prayer and the merit of those who perform it
regularly. Allaah The Almighty, Says )what means(:"O you who wraps
himself ]in clothing[, arise]to pray[ the night, except for a
little–half of it – or subtract from it a littleor add to it, and
recite the Quran with measured recitation."]Quran 73: 1-4[
It is reported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"Allaah, Our Lord,
descends )in a manner befitting His Majesty( to the nearest heaven to
us of this universe during the last third of the night and says: 'Is
there anyone to call upon Me so that I shall respond to him )fulfill
his prayer(. Is there anyone to ask of Me that I may grant his
request. Is there anyone to seek My forgiveness so that I shall
pardonhim )and forgive his sins('."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Aa'ishahreported that the Prophetsaid:"The most beloved deeds to
Allaah are the most constant, even if they were little"]Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim[, and shesaid in another narration:"Do not ever stop
praying Qiyaam. The Prophetnever ceased praying it. When hewas sick or
weak, he prayed sitting."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
The Messenger of Allaahin another Hadeeth, said:"Theclosest onecan
beto Allaah The Almighty, is during the last third ofthenight. If one
can remember Allaah TheAlmighty, at this time let him do
so."]At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa'i and Al-Haaqim[
The Prophetalso said:"You should pray Qiyaam al-Layl, for it is the
habit of the righteous people who came before you, and it will bring
you closer to your Lord, expiate for bad deeds, prevent sin, and expel
disease from the body."]At-Tirmithi and Ahmad[
Mu'ath Ibn Jabalnarrated that the Prophetsaid to him:"May I show you
the gates of goodness?' )They are( "Fasting is screen from Hell,
charity extinguishes the sins as water extinguishes fire, standing in
prayer by a slave of Allaah during the last third part of a
night."Then the Prophetrecited this verse )what means(:"They arise
from ]their[ beds; they supplicatetheir Lord in fear and
aspiration…")Quran 32: 16( ]Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi[
Abu Hurayrahreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"The best of
prayer after those prescribed )i.e. obligatory prayer( is that in the
depth of night."]Muslim[
Abu Hurayrahalso reported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"May Allaah
have mercy on aman who wakes up at night, prays, and wakes his wife to
pray;and if she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face. And may
Allaah have mercy on a woman who wakes up at night, prays, and wakes
her husband to pray; and if he refuses, she sprinkles water on his
face."]Abu Daawood[
Abdullaah Ibn BashrreportedAllaah's Messengersaying:"Whoever prays
night prayer reciting ten verses, he will not be recorded among the
negligent. Whoever prays night prayer reciting one hundred verses, he
will be recorded among the devout. And whoever prays night prayer
reciting one thousand verses, he will be recorded among those with a
multitude ofgood deeds."]Abu Daawood[
Again, the Prophetsaid:"Verily,there is onehour during the )entire(
night when any Muslim )submittingto theWill of Allaahthe Almighty( may
call upon Allaah and request anything of Him, regardless ofwhetherthe
matter be worldly or of the hereafter. Allaah, theAlmightywill grant
and fulfill the request. This isthecase every night."]Muslim[
Those who regularly perform the night prayers are the righteous and
are more deserving of Allaah's bounty and mercy. AllaahSays )what
means(:"Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and
springs,accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were
before that doers of good.They used to sleep but littleof the
night,and in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness."]Quran
51: 15-18[
Allaah Says that those who do not possess these qualities cannot be
treated as equal to those who possess them. He The Almighty Says )what
means(:"Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night,
prostrating and standing ]in prayer[, fearing the Hereafter andhoping
for the mercy of his Lord,]like one who does not[? Say, "Arethose who
know equal to those who do not know?" Only they willremember ]who are[
people of understanding.'']Quran 39: 9[
Etiquettes of night prayer:
The following acts are Sunnah)recommended( for the one who wishes to
perform the night prayers. Upon going to sleep, oneshould make the
intention to perform the prayers. Abu Ad-Dardaa'related that the
Prophetsaid:"Whoever goes to his bed with the intention of getting up
and praying during the night, and sleep overcomes him until the
morning comes, he will have recorded for him what he had intended, and
his sleep will be a charity for him from his Lord."]An-Nasaa'i and Ibn
Maajah[
Upon waking, one should wipe one's face, use a Miswaak)toothstick(,
and make this supplication:"There is no god butYou, Glory be to You, I
seek forgiveness from You for my sins,and I ask for Your mercy. O
Allaah, increase my knowledge and let my heart not swerve afterYou
have guided me, and bestow mercy upon me from Yourself. Allpraise be
to Allaah who has givenus back life after our death and unto Him is
the resurrection."
Then, one should recite the last ten verses of chapter
'Al-'Imraan',then one should say,"O Allaah, toYou belongs the praise.
You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and what is therein.
And to You belongs the praise. You are the truth and Your promise is
true. And the meeting with You istrue. And the paradise is true. And
the Fire is true. And the prophets are true. And Muhammad is true. And
the Hour is true. O Allaah, to You have I submitted. And in You have I
believed. And in You have I put my trust. And to You have I turned.
And by You I argue. And to You do I turn for my decisions.Forgive me
of my former and latter sins, and those done in private and those done
in public. You are Allaah, there is no god besides You."
One should begin the night prayer with two quick Rak'ahs and then may
pray whatever he wishes after that. 'Aa'ishahsaid: "When the
Prophetprayed during the late-night, he would begin his prayers with
twoquick Rak'ahs." ]Muslim[
The recommended time for nightprayer:
The night prayer may be performed in the early part of thenight, the
middle part of the night, or the latter part of the night, but after
the obligatory 'Ishaa' )evening( prayer.
Anasdescribed the prayer of the Prophetas:"If we wantedto see him
praying during the night, we could see him praying. If we wanted to
see him sleepingduring the night, we could see him sleeping. And
sometimes hewould fast for so many days that we thought hewould not
leave fasting throughout thatmonth. And sometimes hewould not fast
)for so many days( that we thought hewould not fast during that
month."]Al-Bukhaari, Ahmad andAn-Nasaa' i[
Commenting on this subject, Ibn Hajarsaid:"There was no specific time
in which the Prophetwould perform his night prayer, but hewould
dowhatever was easiest for him."
Best time for night prayer:
It is best to delay this prayer to the last third portion of the
night. Abu Hurayrahreportedthat the Prophetsaid:"Our Lord descends to
the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, inquiring:'Who
will callon Me so that I may respond to him? Who is asking something
ofMe so I may give it to him? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I
may forgive him?"'
'Amr Ibn Abasahreported that he heard the Prophetsay:"The closest that
a slave comes to his Lord is during the middle of the latter portion
of the night. If you can be among those who remember Allaah, the
Exalted One, at that time then do so."]Al-Haakim, At-Tirmithi and
An-Nasaa'i[
The number of Rak'ahs )units of prayer( to be performed during night prayer:
The night prayer does not entail aspecific number of Rak'ahs whichmust
be performed nor is there any maximum limit which has to be performed.
It would be fulfilled even if one just prayed one Rak'ah of Witr after
the obligatory night prayer.
Samurah Ibn Jundubsaid:"The Messenger of Allaah ordered us to pray
during the night, a little or a lot, and to make the last of the
prayer the Witr prayer." ]At-Tabaraani and Al-Bazzaar[
It is preferable to pray eleven or thirteen Rak'ahs for night prayer:
One may choose between prayingthem all together or to separate them.
'Aa'ishahsaid: "The Messenger of Allaahnever prayed more than eleven
Rak'ahs,during Ramadan or otherwise. Hewould pray four Rak'ahs, and
don't ask about how excellent they were or how lengthy they were.
Then, hewould pray four Rak'ahs, and don't ask abouthow excellent they
were or how lengthy they were. Then, hewould pray three Rak'ahs. I
asked: 'O Messenger of Allaah, do you sleep before praying Witr?'
Hereplied: 'O 'Aa'ishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep."'
]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
'Aa'ishahsaid: "The prayer of the Messenger of Allaah during the night
would be ten Rak'ahs and then hewould make Witrwith one Rak'ah."

The story of Prophet Ayyoob -I

His Lineage
Imaam Ibn Is-haaqstated that Prophet Ayyoob's full name was Ayyoob,
Ibn )son of( Mose, Ibn Razeh, Ibn Esau, Ibn Isaac )Is-haaq(, Ibn
Abraham)Ibraaheem(, may Allaah exalt the mention of them all. Others
stated that he was Ayyoob, Ibn Mose, Ibn Rimil, Ibn Esau, Ibn Isaac
)Is-haaq, Ibn Jacob )Ya'qoob(all. There have also been other
statements on his lineage. Imaam Ibn 'Asaakirnarrated that Prophet
Ayyoob's motherwas a daughter ofLot. It was said also that Prophet
Ayyoob's father was one who believed in Ibraaheemwhen he was cast into
the fire.
The first opinion is the most plausible, because Prophet Ayyoobwas
adescendant of Ibraaheem's offspring, asAllaah Almighty declares in
the Quran )what means(:"And that was Our]conclusive[ argument which we
gave Ibraaheem against his people. We raise by degrees whom We will.
Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing. And We gave to him ]i.e.,
Ibraaheem[ Is-haaq ]Isaac[ and Ya'qoob]Jacob[ – all ]of them[ We
guided. And Nooh ]Noah[, We guided before; and among his descendants,
Daawood ]David[ and Sulaymaan ]Solomon[ and Ayyoob ]Job[ and Yoosuf
]Joseph[ and Moosaa ]Moses[ and Haaroon]Aaron[. Thus do We reward the
doers of good."]Quran 6:83-84[
Allaah Praises Him
Allaah the Almighty praised His worshipper Ayyoobin His GloriousQuran,
Saying )what means(:"…Indeed, We found him patient, an excellent
servant.Indeed, he was one who repeatedly turned back ]to
Allaah[."]Quran 38:44[
Ayyoobwas repentant, remembering Allaah with thankfulness, patience,
and steadfastness. This was the cause of his rescue and the secret of
Allaah's praising him.
A group of angels were discussing Allaah's other human creatures, how
those who were humble earned Allaah's pleasure, while those who were
arrogant incurred His displeasure. One of the angels remarked: "The
best creature on earth today is Ayyoob, a man ofnoble character who
displays great patience and always remembers his Generous Lord. He is
an excellent model for the worshippers of Allaah. In return, his Lord
has blessed him with a long life and plenty of servants, as well as
the needy and the poor sharing in his good fortune; he feeds and
clothes the poor and buys slaves to set them free. He makes those
whoreceive his charity feel as if they are favouring him,so kind and
gentle is he."
Satan's Envy of Him
Iblees )Satan( overhearing all of this, became annoyed. He planned to
entice Ayyoobto corruption and disbelief, so he hastened to him. He
tried to distract Ayyoob from his prayers by whispering to him about
the good things in life, but Ayyoob was a true believer and would not
let evil thoughts tempt him. This disturbed Iblees even more; thus he
began to hate Ayyoob with even greater fervour.
Iblees complained to Allaah about Ayyoob. He said that although he was
continuously glorifying Allaah, he was not doing so out of his
sincerity but to satisfy Allaah so that his wealth should not be taken
away. It was all a show, all out of greed. "If You remove his wealth,
then You will find that his tongue will no longer mention Your name
and his praying will stop," he said to Allaah.
Allaah told Iblees that Ayyoobwas one of Hismost sincere devotees.
Hedid not worship Him because of the favours; his worship stemmed from
his heart and had nothing to do with material things. But to prove to
Iblees the depth of Ayyoob's sincerity and patience, Allaah allowed
him to do whatever he and his helpers wished with Ayyoob's wealth.
Iblees was ecstatic. He gathered his helpers and set about destroying
Ayyoob's cattle, servants and farms until he was left with no
possessions. Rubbing his hands in glee, Iblees appeared before
Ayyoobin the guise of a wise old man and said to him: "All your wealth
is lost; some people say that it is because you gave too much in
charity and that you are wasting your time with your continuous
prayers to Allaah. Others say that Allaah has brought this upon you in
order to please your enemies. If Allaah had the capacity toprevent
harm, then He would have protected your wealth."
True to his belief, Ayyoobreplied: "What Allaah has taken away from me
belongs to Him. I was only its trustee for a while. He gives to whom
He wills and withholds from whom He wills." With these words,
Ayyoobagain prostrated to his Lord.
When Iblees saw this, he felt frustrated, so he again addressed
Allaah:"I have stripped Ayyoob of all his possessions, but he still
remains grateful to You. However he is only hiding his disappointment,
for he places great store by his many children. The real test of a
parent is through his children. Youwill see how Ayyoob will reject
You."
Allaah again granted Iblees authority, but warned him that it wouldnot
reduce Ayyoob's faithin His Lord nor his patience.
Iblees again gathered hishelpers and set about his evil deeds. He
shook the fountain of the house in which Ayyoob's children were living
and sent the building crashing, killing all of them. Then he wentto
Ayyoobdisguised as a man who had come to sympathise with him. In a
comforting tone he said to Ayyoob: "The circumstances under which your
children died were sad. Surely, your Lord is not rewarding you
properly for all your prayers." Having said this, Iblees waited
anxiously, hoping Ayyoobwas now ready to reject Allaah.
But again Ayyoobdisappointed him by replying: "Allaah sometimes gives
and sometimes takes. He is sometimes pleased and sometimes displeased
with our deeds. Whether a thing is beneficial or harmful to me, I will
remain firm in my belief and remain thankful to my Creator." Then
Ayyoobprostrated to his Lord. At this, Iblees was extremely vexed.

Dought & clear - Critique of the book Fadaa’il al-A‘maal by Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi

Is it true that the book Fadaa'il al-A'maal by Muhammad Zakariyya
al-Kandahlawi contains a number of things that imply shirk?
Praise be to Allah.
The bookFadaa'il al-A'maal– the original title of which was Tableeghi
Nisaab– by Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi is a collection of
chapters about various virtuous deeds. It was written by the author to
be a reference for the group Jamaa'at al-Tableegh. This book became of
great importance for them, which they read intheir gatherings and
study in their schools and mosques. It is written in Urdu, which iswhy
it did not become widespread in the Arab countries; rather it is
widely known in the countries in which Jamaa'at al-Tableegh is
widespread, such as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Shaykh Hammood at-Tuwaijri said inal-Qawl al-Baleegh(p. 11):
The most important book among the Tableeghis is Tableeghi Nisaab (also
known asFadaa'il al-A'maal), which was written by one of their leaders
whose name is Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi. They pay a great deal
of attention to this book, which they respect as Ahl as-Sunnah
respectas-Saheehaynand other books of hadeeth.
The Tableeghis have made this book the mostimportant reference work
for the Indians andother non-Arabs who follow them. It contains a
great deal of matters of shirk, innovation (bid'ah), myths, and
fabricated (mawdoo') and weak (da'eef) hadeeths. In fact it is a book
of evil, misguidance and confusion (fitnah). End quote.
Shaykh Shams ad-Deen al-Afghaani said in his bookJuhood 'Ulama'
al-Hanafiyyah fi Ibtaal 'Aqaa'id al-Qubooriyyah(2/776):
The leading imams of the Deobandis have books which are venerated by
the Deobandis, but they are filled with the myths of grave-worshippers
and Sufi idolatry, such as – and he mentioned a number of books,
including Tableeghi Nisaab, i.e., Nisaab at-Tableegh, and
Manhajat-Tableegh. These Deobandis did not openly disavow these books
or warn against them, and they did not put a stop to the printing and
sale of these books. The markets of India and Pakistan and elsewhere
are full of them. End quote.
It says inFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah(vol 2, 2/97):
Question: I am a Muslim man living in Britain, and I want to follow
the path of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah in all aspects of my life. On
that basis I am trying to read religious books in Urdu. Whilst reading
some religious books written by the famous and prominent Indian
scholar who belongs to the Deobandi Jamaa'at at-Tableegh, whose name
is Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi, the shaykh of hadeeth, I
found in his bookTableeghi Nisaab(p. 113), in Chapter 5, a story
quotedby the author from a book entitledRawnaq al-Majaalis. This is
the story of a merchant who died and his estate was shared between his
two sons. In addition to a great deal of wealth, thedeceased had left
behind a hair from the head of the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him). The younger son kept the hair from the head of the
Messenger (blessingsand peace of Allah be upon him) and gave up the
wealth to which he was entitled from his father's estate, giving it to
his older brother. What happened was that the one who took the wealth
soon became bankrupt, whilst the onewho took the hair became rich.
After the death of the younger brother, in whose possession was the
hair from the head of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), one of the righteous saw the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) in his dream, and the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: "Whoever has any need should
go to the grave of this younger brother and call upon Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, at his graveside so that He might answer his
prayer." This is quoted from the bookTableeghi Nisaab.
I also read another bookcalledTareekh Mashaayikh Juththatby the same
author, ShaykhMuhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi. On p. 232, he mentions
Shaykh HajiImdaadullah Muhaajir Makki, when he was in his final
illness and was visited by one of his followers who was grieved by his
state. The shaykh realised that he was feeling sad for him and he
said: "Do not grieve, for the ascetic (zaahid) worshipper does not
die; rather he moves from one place toanother, and he meets people's
needs when he is in his grave as he usedto meet their needs when he
was alive." Thisis quoted from the bookTareekh Mashaayikh Juththat.
I would like to hear yourwise opinions about the above and also about
the following matters:
(a)Is he – the author – and the one who narrated this story still a
Muslim in the light of this belief which is reflected in his books and
his words? Please explain to us with evidence from the Qur'an and
Sunnah.
(b)If he is no longer a Muslim, what is the evidence from the Qur'an
and Sunnah that he is beyond the pale of Islam?
The answer was:
What is quoted in these books, such as the example mentioned in the
question, comes under the heading of reprehensible innovation and
myths that are not based on any sound Islamic principle and have no
basis in the Book of Allahor the Sunnah of His Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him). No one says or believes this except one
who is confused and blinded to the truth, andhas gone astray from
thestraight path.
The claim that a hair of the Prophet still exists, and brings riches
to the one who keeps it, and the claim to have seen the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in a dream telling people
to offer supplication at the graveof this man – all of that islies and
fabrications for which there is no evidence. It is narrated in a
saheeh report that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "The Shaytaan cannot appear in my form." Agreed upon. So
how could the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
instruct people to call upon Allah at gravesides when he forbade such
actions during his lifetime and warned against it in the strongest
terms, and he forbade exaggerating about the Prophets and righteous
people and seeking to draw close to Allah (tawassul) by virtueof them
after their death? He (blessings andpeace of Allah be upon him) did
not die until Allah had perfected His religion by means of him(the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) and completed His
favour or blessings. So nothing can be added to or taken away from
what He prescribed. The beliefthat supplications offered at gravesides
will be answered is an innovation for which there is no basis in
Islam,and it may lead a personto major shirk if he calls upon the
occupant of the grave instead of Allah or alongside Him, or if he
believes that the occupant of the grave has the power to bring benefit
or cause harm, because the only One Who can bring benefit or cause
harm is Allah, may He be glorified.
Similarly, the belief that the ascetic (zaahid) worshipper does not
die, rather he moves from one place to another, and that he canmeet
people's needs from his grave as he used to meet their needswhen he
was alive, is also a false belief; it is one of the beliefs of the
deviant Sufis. There is nobasis for that; rather what is indicated by
the verses and saheeh hadeeths is that every person in this world will
die. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) will die and verily, they (too)will die"
[az-Zumar 39:30]
"And We granted not to any human being immortality before you (O
Muhammad SAW), then if you die, would they live forever?"
[al-Anbiya' 21:34]
"Everyone is going to taste death, and We shallmake a trial of you
with evil and with good, and to Us you will be returned."
[al-Anbiya' 21:35].
The saheeh hadeeths also indicate that when a person dies, all his
deeds come to an end except three: beneficial knowledge, a righteous
son who will pray for him, or ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah). The
deceased in his grave has no power to harm orbenefit himself, and it
is more apt to say that one who is in this state has no power to do
that for anyone else. It is not permissible to seek to have one's
needs met by anyone except Allah alone with regard to that over which
no one has any control except Allah; seeking such needs from the dead
is major shirk. Anyone whobelieves anything other than that has
disbelieved in the sense of major kufr and has gone beyond the pale
ofIslam – Allah forbid – because of his rejecting the proven evidence
to that effect from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He has to repent sincerely
from that, resolve not to go back to that evil deed, and to follow the
path of the righteous early generations of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah
in order to attain the pleasure of Allah and His Paradise, and to be
safe from His punishment. End quote.
It says inal-Mawsoo'ah al-Muyassarah fi'l-Adyaan wa'l-Madhaahib
wa'l-Ahzaab al-Mu'aasirah(1/322):
In their gatherings in Arab countries they – i.e., Jamaa'at
at-Tableegh – focus on reading fromRiyadh as-Saaliheen, but in
non-Arab countries they focus on reading fromHayat
as-SahaabahandTableeghi Nisaab; the latter book is full of myths and
da'eef (weak)hadeeths. End quote.
To sum up, the scholars continue to warn against the bookTableeghi
Nisaab, otherwise known asFadaa'il al-A'maal. It is not permissible
for any Muslim to read it; rather they should focus on the books of
the saheeh Sunnah, books whose authors follow the path of Ahl
as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah. As for books that contain myths and lies,
they should not have any place in the heart or mind of the Muslim.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear - If a woman commits zina, then she is forced to marry a chaste man, isthat marriage valid?

I want to know that, in Quran Allah the almightysays a fornicator
shall not marry anyone but another fornicator. I also heard that in
hadith and sunnah a man guilty and punished for zina was not allowed
to marry any virgin but to some woman similarly punished. So, what if
a woman who gets married to a man who isnot a fornicator but she is
unfortunately one. She couldnt help but getmarried to this man because
of the situation.What can she do about this problem. She feels scared
of having intercourse because the marriage is not halal as per the
ruling of the Quran and it is wreckinghavoc in the lives of everyone.
What is the islamic ruling in her case? No body can help her and the
families are in terrible danger due to this.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The verse (interpretationof the meaning)"The adulterer marries not but
an adulteress..." [an-Noor 24:3]does not mean that the fornicatoror
adulterer cannot marry anybody but a fornicatress or an adulteress, or
that the fornicatress or adulteress cannot marry anybody but a
fornicatoror adulterer. Rather what the verse means is that it is
haraam for a man or woman who has committed zina to marryone who is
chaste, unless they repent.
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
(may Allah have mercy on him) was of the view that the marriage of a
chaste man to an unchaste woman is not valid so long as she remains
like that, unless she is asked to repent. If she repents, the marriage
contract will be valid, otherwise it will not. Similarly, it is not
valid for a free, chaste woman to be given in marriage to a man who is
immoral andunchaste, unless he repents sincerely, because Allah, may
He beexalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):"Such a thing is
forbidden to the believers" [an-Noor 24:3]. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd ar-Rahmaanas-Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
What this verse means is that if a person commits zina, man or woman,
and has not repented from that, then the one who wants to marry himor
her even though Allahhas forbidden that, mustbe:
-either one who does not adhere to the rulingsof Allah and His
Messenger, and such a person cannot be anything other than a mushrik;
-or if he does adhere to the rulings of Allah and His Messenger, but
he wants to marry this person even though he is aware of her zina,
then this marriage itself is zina, and the one who wants to get
married is an adulterer and unchaste. If he truly believed in Allah,
he would not want to do that.
This clearly indicates that it is haraam to marry a fornicatress or
adulteress unless she repents, and it is haraamto marry a fornicator
or adulterer unless he repents.
End quote fromTayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan fiTafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan(p. 561).
Therefore, it is not permissible for a chaste man to marry a
fornicatress, and by the same token it is not permissible for a chaste
woman to marry a fornicator, unless the one who has committed zina
repents. Similarly, it is not permissible for theman or woman who has
committed zina to get married unless they repent.
For more information, please see the answer toquestions no. 122639and 14381.
Secondly:
If a person repents from zina, he is no longer described as a
fornicatoror adulterer, therefore the prohibition on marriage of a
fornicator or adulterer no longer applies to him; in that case it is
permissible for him to marry a chaste woman, i.e., one who never
committed zina; it is also permissible for him to marry a woman who
committed zina previously but has now repented.
The same applies to the woman who has committed zina. She does not
have the right to marry a chaste Muslimman unless she repents. But if
she repents, it is valid for her to marry him.
With regard to what youhave mentioned about the fornicator who has
been given a hadd punishment not being allowed to marry anyone but a
woman who is like him, who committed zina and has been subjected to
the hadd punishment, this is a view that was narratedfrom some of the
early generations, for which they quoted as evidence the report
narrated by Abu Dawood (2052) fromAbu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased
with him) who said: The Messengerof Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "The fornicator who has beenflogged may not
marry anyone but a woman who is like him."
It was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani inSaheeh Sunan Abi Dawood.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:az-Zajjaaj and others
narrated from al-Hasan that he said: What is meant is the fornicator
and fornicatress on whom the hadd punishment has been carried out. He
said: This is the ruling from Allah, so it is not permissible for the
fornicator on whom the hadd punishment has been carried out to marry
any but a woman on whom the hadd punishment has been carried out.
Ibraaheem an-Nakha'i said something similar.
InMusannaf Abi Dawoodit is narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "No fornicator on whom the hadd punishment
has been carried out should marry anyone but one who is like him."And
it was narrated that one on whom the hadd punishment had been carried
out (because of fornication) married oneon whom it has not beencarried
out (i.e., one who was chaste), and 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with
him) separated them.
The correct view is that the description "one who has been flogged" in
the hadeeth refers to one who is known to have committed zina and it
has been proven against him, and that can only apply to one onwhom the
hadd punishment has been carried out. Therefore what the hadeeth
meansis: it is not permissible for a chaste woman to marry one who is
knownto have committed zina, and it is not permissible for a man to
marry a woman who is known tohave committed zina. Sothe meaning of
the hadeeth is in accordancewith the meaning of the verse
(interpretation of the meaning)"The adulterer marries not but an
adulteress..." [an-Noor 24:3],and reinforces that meaning.
Ash-Shawkaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The words "the
fornicator who has been flogged" refer to one who is known to have
committed zina. This indicates that it is not permissible for a woman
to marry a man who is known to have committed zina; similarly, it is
not permissible for a man to marry a woman who is known to have
committed zina. This is indicated by the verse mentioned in the book,
because at the end of it it says"Such a thing is forbidden to the
believers" [an-Noor 24:3]. End quote fromNayl al-Awtaar, 6/201
Based on the above, if the woman regrets whatshe fell into of
fornication and repented from it before that man married her, then the
marriage contract is valid. But she has to conceal her (past
misconduct) and not tell anyone about what she did previously.
But if the marriage contract was done before she repented from zina,
then the opinion on which fatwason this website are based is that the
marriage is not valid andthe marriage contract must be re-done. See
theanswer to question no. 85335
Therefore, if it is possible to repeat the marriage contract – if the
marriage contract was done before repentance – even if thatis with any
acceptable excuse, then this is what should be done and is more on the
safe side, soas to avoid a matter concerning which the scholars (may
Allah have mercy on them) differed,and it is more on the safe side for
the marriage contract.
But it is not possible to do that except by statingclearly that zina
occurred, and if doing sowill lead to negative consequences, such as
if the husband will divorcethe wife if he finds out about her past, or
at least it would create mistrust and doubt on the part of the husband
if he agrees to keep his wife with him, or it will disclose her fault
among the people or cause her shame, and other negative consequences,
then there is no blame on her, in sha Allah, if she continues with
this marriage contract. Undoubtedly this opinion carries weight and
has a valid foundation; in fact it is the view of the majority of
scholars, especially with regard to one who entered into that marriage
contract believing that it was valid.
In fact some of the Hanbalis themselves even stated clearly that
marriage in the case mentioned is valid.
Al-Mirdaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:Some of our
companionssaid: it is not haraam for her to get married before
repentance if someone other than the fornicator marries her. This was
stated by Abu Ya'la as-Sagheer.
End quote fromal-Insaaf, 8/133
To sum up:
If it is not possible to renew the marriage contract between the two
families except by causing greater negativeconsequences, or creating a
scandal and exposing the woman to shame, there is nothing wrong with
her remaining in this marriage and letting herhusband be intimate with
her, and living her life in a normal manner.
And Allah knows best.