Biographies - Hadhrat Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Yusuf Motala

Hadhrat Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Yusuf bin Suleman bin Cassim Motala (da)
Lineage & Early Life
Hadhrat's father's family has resided in the village of Varethi,
within the Surat district, for centuries. Though their occupation was
farming, his paternal grandfather relinquished his land on a contract
and adopted business as his source of income. Due to Hadhrat's
grandfather's premature death, Hadhrat's father was raised in his
mother's care. After reaching puberty, he started a business. His
first marriage was into an honoured family from Hathuan. From that
marriage, he had a son named Mohamed Ali. Thiswife passed away within
a few years, after which he married Hadhrat's mother, Amina bint
Mohamed bin Ismail Desai. Hadhrat's maternalfamily lived in a village
called Kholwad on the shores of the Tapisti River. For unknown
reasons, this clan moved to Nani Naroli. There, they adopted farming
as their profession and source of income.
Hadhrat's mother did not bear any children for a period of five to six
yearsafter marriage. Then, a pious man arrived in Nani Naroli, whom
Hadhrat's father requested to supplicate for children. The pious man
presented Hadhrat's mother with a ring and imparted the glad tidingsof
a baby boy. He wished well for the child to be characterized with
qualities of knowledge and piety. After a year, the pious man returned
to Nani Naroli. Shortly prior to his arrival, Hadhrat's brother,
Hadhrat Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Abdur Rahim binSuleman bin Cassim
Motala, had been born. For a second time, the pious man presented
Hadhrat's mother with a ring and imparted the glad tidings of another
child.
After having married Hadhrat's mother, the effect of her religiousness
started to overcome Hadhrat's father. Eventually, his oath of
allegiance (bay'at) was accepted at the hands of Maulana Abdul Gafoor
Bangali, as a result of which he commenced dhikr. As soon as Hadhrat's
father commenced dhikr, the effects of it steadily began to influence
his health to such an extent that it started to have a reclusive
effect on his state of affairs. In this condition, he said to
Hadhrat's mother, "I intend to forsake the world. You must return
toyour house". The elders and influential men of Hadhrat's family
attempted to dissuade him in every possible manner, but to no avail.
Eventually, he was forcedto sign divorce papers in case his condition
reached insanity. The iddah was until the day Hadhrat was born.
Hadhrat was born at his maternal grandfather's house in Nani Naroli on
the night of Monday, November 26, 1946.
In 1953, Hadhrat's maternal aunt passed away in South Africa during
the childbirth of ason, Shabir. Her husband was left a widower with
eleven children. So, Hadhrat's grandfather sent Hadhrat's mother to
South Africa to marry her brother-in-law and raise his children.
Though she did not wish to abandon her sons, she agreed and
reluctantly departed for South Africa. From then on, seven-year-old
Hadhrat and his nine-year-old brother were raised by their
grandparents. However, within a few years, they passed away. Thus,
Hadhrat and his brother were raised by their maternal aunt,
affectionately called Chotikala.
Education
Hadhrat's primary Islamiceducation of Qur'an Sharif and Urdu was
completed at Madressa-e-Targib in Nani Naroli. In 1961, Hadhrat
enrolledat Jamea Hussainia a well-known madrasa in Rander. There, he
studiedfrom the first year of Persian until the first year of Hidaaya.
Thereafter, in 966, Hadhrat enrolled at Mazahirul Ulum in Saharanpur.
His classes commenced on February 23, 1966. He studied Mishkaat ul
Masabeeh under Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Yunus, Tafsir ul Jalalayn under
Maulana Muhammad Aqil, Volume 3 of Hidaaya under Mufti Yahya, and
Mishkaat ul Masabeeh for a second time under Hadhrat Shaikh Maulana
Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi (RA).
In the following year, Hadhrat studied Sahih ul Bukhari under Hadhrat
Shaikh Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi (RA), Sunan Abu Dawud,
Sunan An Nasa'i, Mu'atta Imam Malik and Mu'atta Imam Muhammad under
Maulana Yunus Jaunpuri, Sahih Muslimand Sunan At Timrmidhi under
Maulana Muzaffar Hussain, and Surah Maiani Al Athar under Hadhrat
Maulana Asadullah. At around this time, Hadhrat wrote a letter to
Hadhrat Shaikh Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi (RA)requesting the
acceptance of bay'at. He replied, accepted Hadhrat's bay'at, and
entered Hadhrat into his silsilah. After this, along with his studies,
Hadhrat commenced a consistent routine of the recitation of Qur'aan
Sharif and performance of Tahajjud,Ishraaq, Chaasht and Awwaabeen
Salaah.
Marriage, Khilafat, and the Birth of His First Child
In 1968, after completing his final year, Hadhrat's relatives engaged
him to a close friend of the family in England. His tripto England was
booked for after Ramadan. In Ramadan of 1968, Hadhrat was appointed to
lead the five daily salaahs and Taraweh Salaah. Two paras were to be
recited in each Taraweeh Salaah. However, after three or four days,
Hadhrat became ill and was sent home to Surat. Approximately four
months later, in early June, Hadhrat travelled toEngland. His marriage
was conducted within five or six weeks.
On April 23 1969, along with four friends, Hadhrat departed from
England to performUmra.There, he had the opportunity to spend six to
seven months in the company of his Shaikh. Hadhrat passed the Ramadan
of 1969 with his Shaikh in Makkahand Madina. One night, whilstin
I'tikaaf, after the performance of Taraweeh Salaah, Hadhrat's Shaikh
called Hadhrat and Maulana Ismail Badat into his tent and granted them
permission to accept Khilafat, wrapping turbans on their heads with
his own hands. At the end of the month of Ramadan, Hadhrat was sent
back to England.
However, Hadhrat had the opportunity to spend Ramadan of 1970 in
Saharanpur. On the 30th of Ramadan, by means of a telegram, Hadhrat
received glad tidings of the birth of his first child,a girl.
Hadhrat's Shaikh immediately sent a telegram: "May the name 'Khadija'
be blessed. The birth of a daughter is an indication of resemblance to
the exalted Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)."
His WorkUpon the instructions of his Shaikh,Hadhrat established Dar ul
Ulum Al Arabia Al Ilamia in Holcombe, Bury,Lancashire, in 1973. At
present, he is the founder and patron of numerous Islamic institutes
throughout theworld and spiritual guideto thousands of Muslims all
over the world.
His students, who number thousands, are spread across the globe,
occupied in the service ofdeen in varying capacities. More than 75% of
English-speaking Ulama in the UK are graduates of institutes founded
by Hadhrat, many of whom are actively engaged in reinforcing community
relation.
Hadhrat is a dedicated educationist and has devoted much of his life
to establishing schools and colleges for the betterment of the
Muslimcommunity. His work has been praised by both the community as a
whole as well as OFSTED.
His Institutions in the UK
• Dar ul Ulum Al Arabia Al Islamia, Bury
• Madinatul Ulum Al Islamia, Kidderminster
• Jamiatual Imam Muhammad Zakariya, Bradford
• Markazul Ulum, Blackbun
• Madrasatul Imam Muhamma Zakariya, Bolton
• Madrasatul Imam Muhamma Zakariya, Preston

Biographies - Mufti Hussain Kamani

Mufti Hussain Kamaniwasborn to a Hindu revert-to- Islamand
Muslimfather in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. With the blessings and du'a
(supplications) of hisparents,Mufti Hussain Kamaniunderwent a journey
of a lifetime in pursuit of sacred Islamic knowledge. He began
hispursuit of the Islamic sciences at the young ageof six to memorize
the entire Quran at the acclaimed Darul Uloom Madania in Buffalo, New
York. By the blessings of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, he was able to
complete this momentous task in 1999.
Mufti Hussain Kamani'sIslamic Education
Having the growing thirst to quench more knowledge, Mufti
HussainKamani then traveled across the world to the United Kingdom to
attainmore advanced formal Islamic authorizations in the field of
Islamic theology. He studied at Darul Uloom Bury, the renowned
seminary of the great revivalist and scholar of Hadith,
Shaykh-ul-Hadith Zakariyya Kandhlawi (Rahmatullahi Alayh). Mufti
Kamani completed the traditional six-year curriculum covering the
Arabic language, Arabic morphology, Islamic jurisprudence, Tafseer
(exegis) of the Holy Qur'an, Hadith (PropheticSciences), philosophy,
and Aqeedah (Islamic Creed) under the guidance of some of the pioneer
scholars in England, including Shaykh Yusuf Motala, Shaykh Hashim,
Shaykh Bilal and Shaykh Abdur Raheem bin Dawood amongst others.
Upon graduationMufti Hussain Kamaniwas then was specially selected to
enter a post-graduate level course in Islamic Law and Legal Verdicts
(Fatwa). He completed this course in two years and received formal
authorization in it as well.
Following his graduation with top honors, Mufti Hussain Kamani went on
to earn his post-graduatedegree in Business Management & Strategy at
the University of Coventry (RDI).
Mufti Hussain Kamani at present
Currently, Mufti Hussain Kamani is the Imam of the Islamic Center of
Chicago. With the help of Allah, he is constantly working on projects
and programs to cater towards the needs of the Muslim youth and the
greater-Chicago community. This includes conducting numerous weekly
lecture series, holding after-school Quran classes, counseling youth,
couples, and adults in general, teaching new Muslims, giving da'wah to
non-Muslims, and being asenior advocate of Halal awareness and
integrity.
Mufti Hussain Kamani is also an instructor in the Sacred Learning
programheaded by Shaykh Husain Abdul Sattarand is a favorite at Darul
Hikmah's Weekend Islamic Sciences Academy.He is also part of the
Shariah Board of America's Fatwa Department staff. He is one of the
scholars that accompany a Hajj group led by Sacred Hajj.
Many of Mufti Hussain Kamani's talks and lessons on Seerahcan be found
at the Audible Wisdomsite.

Biographies - Hazrat Maryam

Hazrat Maryam`s (Alayhas-Salam) respectable parents are Hazrat Emraan
and HazratHannah. In her old age, Hazrat Hannah (Alayhas-Salam) was
expecting a child. With the birth of a son in mind, she made anoath
to Allahthat the child to be born would be freed from all worldly
affairs and specially dedicated to Allah's service. Almighty Allah
blessed her with a daughter, who was to be the mother of Hazrat Isa
(Peace Be Upon Him),Hazrat Maryam(Alayhas-Salam), the chosen one among
the women.
The Holy Quraan says:
Behold! When the wife ofImraan said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate unto
Thee what is in my womb for Thy service. So accept thisof me; for thou
Hearest and Knowest all things." When she delivered, she said: "O my
Lord! Behold!I am delivered of a female child!" (Surah
Ale-Emraan:35-36)
Hazrat Maryam's (Alayhas-Salam) Childhood
ThusHazrat Maryam(Alayhas-Salam) was born. She could not be devoted to
temple service as her mother had intended, due to being a female. This
was under the Mosaic Law at the time. However, as thenew born was
marked out for a special destiny to be the mother of the miracle-child
Hazrat Isa Peace Be Upon Him, she was accepted for the service of
Almighty Allah.
Hazrat Maryam's (Alayhas-Salam) Miracle
Hazrat Maryam (Alayhas-Salam) grew up under Allah's special
protection.Her sustenance came from Allah, and her upbringing was
indeed apure one.
The Holy Quraan, most beautifully testifies this childhood miracle of
Hazrat Maryam (Alayhas-Salam):
"Right graciously did her Lord accept her, He madeher grow in purity
and beauty, to the care of Zakariyya (Alayhis-Salaam) was she
assigned, every time he (Zakariyya) entered (her) chamber to see her,
he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam! Whence
(comes)this to you?" She said: "From Allah. For Allah provides
sustenance to whom He pleases without measure." (Surah Ale-Emraan:37)
Hazrat Zakariyya Peace Be Upon Him looked afterHazrat Maryam
(Alayhas-Salam) whilst she was in the service of Allah.
Birth of Hazrat Isa Peace Be Upon Him
So Hazrat Maryam (Alayhas-Salam) grew up in a very pious religious
environment, always remaining busy in the worship of her Creator
Almighty Allah. Then followed the miraculous birth of Hazrat Isa Peace
Be Upon Him.
Hazrat Maryam (Alayhas-Salam), the mother of Hazrat Isa Peace Be Upon
Him was unique, in that she gave birth to a son bya special miracle,
withoutthe intervention of the customary physical means. This of
course does not mean that she was more than human, any more than her
son was more than inhuman. She had as much need to pray to Almighty
Allah as anyone else.
May Almighty Allah give us all the true and properunderstanding of
Hazrat Maryam (Alayhas-Salam).

Ramadan Articles - Ramadan: A School of Piety - IV

Ash-Shaafi'isaid,"I recommend people to be excessively generous in the
month of Ramadan, following the example of the Messenger of Allaah.
Furthermore, people have a need for such charity since many of them
are too busy with fasting and praying to earn their livelihood in that
month."
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Maryam narrated that hisShaykhs)teachers( used to
say,"When the month of Ramadan begins, spend generously for the virtue
of spending is multiplied in it in much the same way as the spending
in the cause of Allaah The Almighty; and glorifying Allaah The
Almighty once in it is better than a thousand times in other months."
Zayd ibn Khaalidnarrated that the Prophet,, said:"Whoever gives food
to a fasting person to break his fast will have a reward like his,
without that detracting from the reward of the one who fasted."]Ahmad
and others[
Once, one of our righteous predecessors was asked about the wisdom
behind legislating fasting, and he replied,"It is to make the rich
taste hunger so that he does not forget the one who is hungry."
Ibn Rajabsaid,"Whoever cannot reach the rank of giving preference to
others overhimself, he should not fail to reach the rank of those who
give comfort or sympathy."
Ibn 'Umarused to fast and never break his fast except with the poor.
If his wife prevented him from doing that, he would not have dinner
that night.
One of the righteous people liked to eat a specific kind of food while
he was fasting. However, when it )this food( was placed before him at
the time of breaking his fast, he heard someone saying,"Who will lend
to the King, the most Sincere, the ever Rich?"He said,"His slave who
is devoid of rewards."So he got up, took the plate and gave it to him
and slept on an empty stomach.
A poor man came to Imaam Ahmadand asked for something, so he gave him
two loaves which he prepared for breaking his fast. Then he slept
while he was hungry and woke up fasting.
Performing'Umrah)minor pilgrimage( inRamadanalso has special merit; it
was narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim that Ibn 'Abbaassaid,"The
Messenger of Allaahasked an Ansaari woman:"What preventedyou from
performing Hajjwith us?"She replied, 'We have a camel and thefather of
so-and-so and his son )referring to her husband and son( rode itand
left one camel for us to use for irrigation.' Hesaid )to
her(:"Perform'Umrah when Ramadan comes, for 'Umrah in Ramadan is equal
to Hajj)in reward(,"or said something similar."
We have to learn from this month to have patience in abstaining from
matters prohibited by Allaah The Almighty such as backbiting, ill
speech, evil deeds, hearing and looking at evil. The Messenger of
Allaah,, said:"Whoever does not give up false speech and false conduct
and acting upon intolerance, Allaah is not in need of his leaving his
food and drink )i.e. Allaah will not accept his
fasting.(."]Al-Bukhaari[
Actually, the true meaning of fasting is not merely to abstain from
eating and drinking but it is a school where the soul learns to stay
away from lawful things, until one get used to doing so.Thus, staying
away from evils and sins would be much easier to handle. There is a
well-known saying that reads,"Fasting is not to abstain from eating
and drinkingbut it is to abstain from ill and obscene
speech."Al-Haafith Abu Moosa Al-Madeeni said: It )thisHadeeth( meets
the conditions set by Imaam Muslim.
Some of our pious predecessors said,"The easiest form of fasting is to
abstain from drinking and eating."
Jaabirsaid,"If you fast, then let your ears, eyes and tongue abstain
from lying and all other evil matters."
Ibn Rajabsaid,"The secret behind this is that seeking the pleasure of
Allaah The Almighty through abstaining from lawful things cannot be
perfected except by seeking His pleasure through abstaining from
prohibited things. Therefore, it was mentioned and Allaah knows best
in the Noble Quran the prohibition of eating up one another's property
unjustly )in any illegal way, e.g., stealing, robbing, deceiving(
aftermentioning the prohibition of drinking and eating for the fasting
person during theday in Ramadan."
Showing patience while abstaining from certain physical needs, such as
drinking, eating, sexual intercourse and other things, during the days
ofRamadanand throughout the whole month, will cultivate patience in
you – the patience needed to abstain from what Allaah The Almighty has
prohibited and to remainobedient to Him throughout your life.
Additionally, once we learn patience concerning fulfilling the orders
of Allaah The Almighty from that month and patience concerning
abstaining from what Allaah The Almighty has prohibited, we will
attain piety that Allaah The Almighty wanted for us from ordaining
fasting for us. Allaah The Almighty Says)what means(:}O you who have
believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those
before you that you may become righteous.{]Quran 2: 183[
Therefore, the issue of fasting is not concerning merely hunger or
thirst; rather, it is a training course for performing the acts of
worship and fulfilling the commands of Allaah The Almighty.
The injunction of hastening in breaking the fast and delaying
theSuhoor)pre-dawn meal( and encouraging others in doing so is indeed
a reminder for the one who has a sound heart and is heedful. Imaam
Ahmadnarrated from Abu Tharrthat the Messenger of Allaah,, said:"My
nation will always retain goodness as long as they hasten in breaking
the fast and delay the Suhoor."

Ramadan Articles - Ramadan: A School of Piety - III

Ramadanthe month of the Quran, repentance and returning to Allaah The
Almighty, has come to you.
Let us make it a starting point for returning to Allaah The Almighty
with sincere repentance so that it may erase our sins and remove our
offences and evil deeds.
The devils are chained in the month ofRamadan, the heat of lusts dies
down, desires are restrained, and the bodies come under the control of
minds. Therefore, the evildoer isleft with no excuse to persist in his
evil deeds.
It is a time when the sinful people stand up ontheir feet in prayer in
thelate hours of the night and seek forgiveness, saying )what
means(:}"O 'Azeez, adversity has touched us and our family, and we
have come with goods poor inquality, but give us full measure and be
charitable to us."{]Quran12: 88[ they would receive the answer:}"No
blame will there be uponyou today. Allaah will forgive you; and He is
themost merciful of the merciful."{]Quran 12:92[
If someone does not repent inRamadan, when will he repent?
If someone does not return to Allaah The Almighty inRamadan, when will
he return?
If someone does not perform the obligatory prayer regularly inRamadan,
when will he do so?
If someone does not giveup committing sins and doing evil actions
inRamadan, when will he do so?
Time is running out, daysare passing, and death comes in the twinkling
ofan eye, when it is least expected.
So hasten to return to Allaah The Almighty with repentance and ask Him
for forgiveness, for this isRamadanthe month of repentance and
forgiveness.
One of our pious predecessors once said,"The most beneficial
forgiveness is that accompanied by repentance. It is the untying of
the knot of persistence in committing sins. So whoever asks for
forgiveness and his heartstill persists in committing sins and is
determined to return to do evil again after the month is over, then
his fasting is in vain and the door of acceptance is locked in his
face."
Ka'bsaid,"Whoever fasts Ramadan and intends to disobey his Lord when
he breaks his fast after Ramadan, then his fasting will be of no
avail."
AMutawwif)pilgrim( used to say in his invocations,"O Allaah! Be
pleased with us. If You are not pleased with us, then forgive
us."Indeed, he was truthful, for the one who perceives his sins to be
enormous doesnot dare to ask for the pleasure of Allaah The Almighty,
but his sublime aim is to receive forgiveness. In fact, he who knows
himself well, and cannot see himself except in this position.
This is the month of the reform of the sinful, the neglectful and the
transgressors.
O Muslims, do you not contemplate the warning? Do you not take heed of
the reminders? Putting the verse in which Allaah TheAlmighty Says
)what means(:}And when My servants ask you, ]O Muhammad[, concerning
Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant
when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me ]by obedience[ and
believe in Me that they may be]rightly[ guided.{]Quran 2: 186[ between
the verses of fasting is a warning for the sinners and a reminder for
those who take heed. It is also an indication of the virtues of good
deeds. Invocations in such an honorable month are more likely to be
answered and one is more likely to be pardoned and forgiven.
It was reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrahthat the Messenger of
Allaah,, said:"Three persons will not have their supplication
rejected: thejust ruler, the fasting person until breaking thefast,
and the supplicationof the oppressed person."]Al-Musnad,As-Sunanof
At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa'i and Ibn Maajah[
It was narrated that 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amrsaid,"I heard the Messenger of
Allaahsaying:"For the fasting person is an accepted invocation at the
time hebreaks his fasting."]Abu Daawood[
'Ubaidullaah ibn Abi Mulaykah said,"I heard 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr
saying, 'O Allaah! I ask You by Your mercy, that encompasses all
things toforgive me.'"
Our pious predecessors understood the words of the Lord of creation
and were well aware of the value of time and the sanctity of these
days. Therefore, they set examples that are unmatched in history, and
which are difficultfor laypersons to emulate.
Ash-Shaafi'iused to complete the recitation of the Noble Quran sixty
times inRamadan. Az-Zuhriused to say whenRamadanbegins,"It is for
reciting Quran and giving food."MaalikwhenRamadanbegan, used to stop
studyingHadeeths and attending the sessions of scholars to dedicate
himself to the recitation of the Noble Quran from theMus-haf)copy of
the Quran(.
Has not the time come yet for us to comprehendthis wisdom as they
comprehended it, to do good deeds as they did, and to attain the
status that they attained?
Let us then regard the month ofRamadanas a school for learning
patience, asRamadanis the month of patience, and it was narrated that
the Prophet,, said:"Fasting is one half of patience."]Abu Daawoodand
At-Tirmithi[
Let us learn inRamadanto have patience concerning the acts of
worshipping Allaah The Almighty such as fasting, praying, standing in
night prayers, recitation of Quran and charity. TheProphet of
theUmmah,, gave us a practical example in his life. He used to stand
at night in prayers duringRamadanand recite the Quran slowly. He did
not reach any verse that mentionedmercy except that he paused and
asked for mercy, and he did not reach any verse that mentioned
punishment but he paused and sought refuge from punishment. So he used
to combine praying, recitation, invocation and contemplation over the
verses. This is the best and most perfect actof worship.
Giving charity inRamadanwas a significant act in the life of the
Messenger of Allaah,.
It was reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim that Ibn 'Abbaassaid,
"The Prophetwas the most generous amongst the people, and he used to
be more so in the month of Ramadan whenJibreel )Gabriel(visited him,
and Jibreelused to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of
the month. The Prophetused to recite the Noble Quran toJibreeland when
Jibreelmet him, he used to be more generous than the blowing wind. The
Prophetwas asked about the best charity and he replied:"Charity in
Ramadan."]At-Tirmithi[

Ramadan Articles - Ramadan: A School of Piety - II

How can the month ofRamadannot be the month of mercy and forgiveness,
when the Prophet,, said:"When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are
opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained
up."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
At-Tirmithi and An-Nasaa'i narrated fromtheHadeethof Abu Hurayrahabout
the coming ofRamadan:"And a caller cries out: 'O seeker of good,
proceed! O seeker of evil, desist! And Allaah has those whom He
redeems from Hellfire, and that happens every night."
At-Tabaraani narrated that the Prophet,, said:"Paradise is adorned and
bedecked round the year for Ramadan and when the first day of Ramadan
comes the Hoor )celestial maidens( say:"O Allaah! Provide us in this
month with our husbands from among Your servants so that we are
pleased with them and they are pleased with us."
Indeed, how can the month ofRamadannot be the month of mercy and
forgiveness when the Messenger of Allaah,, said:"And from one Ramadan
to the next is expiation for )sins committed( in between, so long as
major sins are avoided."]Muslim[
How can the month ofRamadannot be the month of mercy and forgiveness
while the beloved Prophet,, said:
·"Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith andin the hope of receiving the
reward from Allaah, his previous sins will be forgiven."]Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim[
·"Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer out of faith and
inthe hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven."]Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim[
·"Whoever spends the night of Laylat Al-Qadr in prayer out of faith
and inthe hope of reward, his previous sins will be
forgiven."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
The most truthful Prophet,, narrated that Allaah The Almighty said:
"Every deed of the son ofAdam will be rewarded between ten and seven
hundred-fold except fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for
it, for he gave up his desires, his food and his drink for My sake.
There are two pleasures for thefasting person, one at the time of
breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his
Lord. The breath of a fasting person is better in the Sight of Allaah
than the smell of musk."]Ahmad, and its origin is inAs-Saheeh[
Moreover, Ibn 'Umarsaid,"Fasting is for Allaah. No one knows thereward
of it except Allaah The Almighty."]At-Tabaraani[
Sufyaan ibn 'Uyaynahsaid,"Opponents )on the Day of Judgment( will
nottake from the rewards the person acquires through fasting. Allaah
will preserve them for the fasting person until He admits him to
Paradise because of them."
Some of our pious predecessors once said,"Tooba )all good things( for
the one who gives upan existing desire for an unseen time which he has
never witnessed."
Furthermore, the fasting person will eat, drink and have sexual
intercourse in Paradise what Allaah The Almightywills for him. Allaah
The Almighty Says:}]They willbe told[, "Eat and drink in satisfaction
for what you put forth in the days past."{]Quran 69: 24[
Mujaahidand others said about this verse,"It was revealed about the
fasting person."
The Messenger of Allaah,, said:
·"You will never give up anything due to fearing Allaah The Almighty
except Allaah will give you what is better than it."]Ahmad[
·"In Paradise, there is a gate called Ar-Rayyaan, through which those
who used to fast will enter on the Day of Resurrection, and no onebut
they will enter it."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
·And, in another narration:"Whoever enters from it, he will drink and
whoever drinks from it, he will never experience thirst."]Ahmad[
·"My nation is given five privileges in the month of Ramadan that no
nation was given before: The smell coming out of the mouth of a
fasting person is sweeter in the sight of Allaah than the fragrance of
musk. The angels keep praying to Allaah to forgive them)i.e. those who
are fasting( until they break their fast. Allaah decorates Paradise
every day saying to it: 'My pious slaves are about to be relieved of
their burdens and sufferings and enter you'. The rebellious devils are
chained in this month so they cannot achieve what they usually achieve
)at other times(. The believers' sins are forgiven by the last nightof
Ramadan."Someone asked the Messenger of Allaah,,"Is it the night of
Al-Qadr?"He said:"No. But the laborer is paid upon finishing his
task."]Ahmad[
Ramadanis the month of the Quran, which Allaah The Almighty bestowed
upon humanity and by which He honored them. 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. So whoever sights ]the new moon of[ the month, let him fast
it; and whoever is ill or on ajourney - then an equal number of other
days. Allaah intends for you ease and does not intendfor you hardship
and]wants[ for you to complete the period and to glorify Allaah for
that]to[ which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be
grateful.{]Quran 2: 185[
Ibn 'Abbaasthe eminent exegete of the Quran said,"The Noble Quran was
sent down in Ramadan on the night of Al-Qadr and on a blessed night
all at one time. Then it was sent down at the setting positions of the
stars in the sky to be recited in months and days."
Is not the one who is deprived of all such goodness truly deprived?
Is not the one who sees the month come and go and does not receive the
great share of forgiveness and mercy truly aggrieved?
The eight gates of Paradise are opened in this month for the Muslims,
the gates of Hellfire closed andShaytaan)Satan(and his offspring are
chained up:where are those who would toil towards this end?

Ramadan Articles - Important Lessons from Ramadhan

Allah -The Most High - said:"The month of Ramadhan in which the
Qur'aan was revealed, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the
guidance of the Criterion between right and wrong. So whosoever of you
sights the crescent for the month of Ramadhan, he must fast that
month."[Soorah al-Baqarah 2:185].
Allah's Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Islaam is built upon five:Testifying that none has the right to be
worshipped except Allah and the Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,
establishing the Prayer, giving theZakaahperformingHajjto the House,
and lasting inRamadhan." [1]
He (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said:
"There has come to youRamadhan, a blessed month, in which Allah
hasmade it obligatory to fast. During it the gates of Paradise are
opened and the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the rebellious devils
are chained. In it is a night (Laylatul-Qadr) which is better than a
thousand months. He who is deprived of its good has truly been
deprived."[2]
From the many importantlessons to be learnt from fasting are:
[1]: GAINING TAQWAA
Fasting has been legislated in order that we may gaintaqwaaas Allah -
the Most High - said:"O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for
you, as it was prescribed upon those before you inorder that you may
attaintaqwaa."[Soorah al-Baqarah 2:183].
Talq ibn Habeeb (d.100H) -rahimahullaah- said:
"Whenfitnah(trial and tribulation) appears thenextinguish it
withtaqwaa." So he was asked as to whattaqwaawas, so he replied:
"Taqwaais to actin obedience to Allah, upon a light (i.e.eemaan,
faith) from Allah, hoping in the Mercy of Allah. Andtaqwaais leaving
acts of disobedience to Allah, upon a light from Allah, due to the
fear of Allah."[3]
"This is one of the best definitions oftaqwaa. For every action must
have both a stating pointand a goal. And an actionwill not be
considered as an act of obedience, or newness to Allah unless itsluts
from pure eemaan (faith in Allah). Thus, it is pure eemaan - and not
habits, desires, nor seeking praise or fame, nor its flee - that
should be what initiates an action. And the preparation showed, to
earn the reward of Allah and to seek His good pleasure."[4] So Fasting
isa means of attainingtaqwaa, since it helps prevent a person from
many sins that one is prone to. Due to this, the Prophet (sallAllahu
'alayhi wa sallam) said:"Fasting is a shield with which the servant
protects himself from the Fire."[5] So we should askourselves, after
each day of fasting: Has this lastingmade us more fearful and obedient
to Allah? Has it aided us in distancing ourselves fromsins and
disobedience?
[2]: SEEKING NEARNESS TO Allah
The Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Allah said: Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I shall be at
war with him. My servant does not draw near to me with anything more
beloved to me than the obligatory duties that I have placed upon him.
My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with optional deeds so that
I shall love him."[6]
The Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Whosoever reaches the month ofRamadhanand does not have his sins
forgiven, and so enters the Fire, then may Allah distance him."[7]
So drawing closer to Allah - the Most Perfect - in this blessed month,
can be achieved by fulfilling one's obligatoryduties; and also
reciting theQur'aanand reflecting upon its meanings, increasing in
kindness and in giving charity, in makingdu'aa(supplication) to Allah,
attending theTaraaweehPrayer, seeking outLaylatul-Qadr(the Night of
Power and Pre-Decree), a night which is better than a thousand months,
attending gatherings of knowledge, and striving in those actions that
will cause the heart to draw closer to its lard and to gain His
forgiveness. Our level of striving in this blessed month should be
greater than our striving to worship Allah in any other month, due to
the excellence and rewards that Allah has placed in it.Likewise from
the great means of seeking nearness to Allah in this month is
makingI'tikaaf(seclusion in the mosque in order to worship Allah)- for
whoever is able.
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (d.751H) -rahimahullaah- said:
"Allah also prescribedi'tikaaffor them, the objective being that the
heart becomes fully preoccupied with Allah - the Most High -
concentrated upon Him alone, and cut-off from being preoccupied with
the creation. Rather, the heart is only engrossed with Allah - the
Most Perfect - such that loving Him, remembering Him, and turning to
Him takes the place of all the heart's anxieties and worries, so that
he is ableto overcome them. Thus all his concerns are for Allah, and
his thoughts are all directed towards remembering Him and thinking of
how to attainHis Pleasure and what will cause nearness to him which
leads him to feel contented with Allah instead of people. This, inturn
prepares him for being at peace with Allahalone, on the day of
loneliness in the grave, when there will be no one else to give
comfort, nor anyone to grant solace, except Him. So this is the
greater goal ofI'tikaaf." [8]
[3]: ACQUIRING PATIENCE
Imaam Ahmad (d.241H) -rahimahullaah- said:
"Allah has mentioned sabr (patience) in over ninety places in His Book." [9]
The Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
"The month of Patience, and the three days of every month, are times
for fasting." [10]
Ibn 'Abdul-Barr (d.464H) -rahimahullaah- said:
"What is meant by the month of Patience is the month ofRamadhan... So
fasting is called patience because it restrains the soul from eating,
drinking, conjugal relations and sexual desires." [11]
He (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
"O youths! Whoever amongst you is able to marry then let him do so;
for it restrains the eyes and protects the private parts. But whoever
is unable, then let him fast, because it will be a shieldfor him."
[12]
So fasting is a means of learning self-restraint and patience. With
patience we are able to strengthen our resolve toworship Allah alone,
withsincerity, and also cope with life's ups and downs. So - for
example -with patience we are able to perform our Prayers calmly and
correctly, without being hasty, and without merely pecking the ground
several times! With patience we are able to restrain our souls from
greed and stinginess and thus give part of our surplus wealth
inZakaah(obligatory charity). Withpatience we are able to subdue the
soul's ill temperament, and thus endure the ordeal and hardships
ofHajj, without losing tempers and behaving badly. Likewise, with
patience we are able to stand firm and fightJihaadagainst the
disbeliveers, hypocrites and heretics - withstanding their constant
onslaught, without wavering and buckling, without despairing or being
complacent and without becoming hasty and impatient at the first signs
of hardship. Allah - the Most High - said:
"O Prophet, urge the Believers to fight ... So if there are one
hundred who are patient, they shall overcome two hundred; and if there
be one thousand, they shall overcome two thousand, by the permission
of Allah. And Allah is with the patient ones."[Soorah al-Anfaal
8:65-66].
Thus, without knowledgeand patience, nothing remains, except zeal and
uncontrolled emotions, shouts and hollow slogans, speech that doesnot
strengthen, but rather weakens, and actions that do not build, but
rather destroy! So in this month, we should strive to develop a firm
resolve for doing acts of obedience, and to adorn ourselves with
patience - having certainty in the saying of our Messenger (sallAllahu
'alayhi wa sallam): "And know that victory comes with patience, relief
with affliction, and case with hardship." [13]
[4]: CULTIVATING GOOD MANNERS
The Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Whosoever does not abandon falsehood in speech and action, then Allah
the Mighty and Majestic has no need thathe should leave his food and
drink." [14]
He (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said:
"Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking. Rather, it
isalso abstaining from ignorant and indecent speech. So if anyone
abuses or behaves ignorantly with you, thensay: I am fasting, I am
fasting." [15]
These narrations point towards the importance of truthfulness and good
manners. Thus, this blessed month teaches usnot only to abstain from
food and drink, but to also abstain from such statements and actions
that may be the cause of harming people and violating their rights -
since the Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said whilst
describing the true Believer: "A Muslim is onefrom whom other Muslims
are safe from his tongue and his hand." [16] Thus it is upon us as
individuals, to examine the shortcomings in our character, and to then
seek to improve them - modeling ourselves uponthe character of the
last of the Prophets and Messengers, and their leader, Muhammad
(sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) - aspiring also forthe excellence which
he mentioned in his saying:"I am a guarantor for a house on the
outskirts of Paradise (or whosoever leaves off arguing, even if he is
in the right; and a house in the centre of Paradise (or whosoever
abandons falsehood, even when joking; and a house in the upper-most
part of Paradise for whosoever makes his character good."[17] So by
shunning oppression, shamelessness, harbouring hatred towards Muslims,
back-biting, slandering, tale-carrying, and other types of falsehood,
we can be saved from nullifying the rewards of our fasting - as
Allah's Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:"It may be that
a fasting person, receives nothing from his fast, except hunger and
thirst." [18]
[5]: SENSING MUSLIM UNITY
The Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Fast when they fast, and break your fast when they break their fast,
andsacrifice the day they sacrifice." [19]
Imaam at-Tirmidthee (d.275H) -rahimahullaah- said:
"Some of the People of Knowledge explained thishadeethby saying:
Itsmeaning is to fast and break the fast along withtheJamaa'ahand the
majority of people." [10]
Thus, in this blessed month we can sense an increased feeling of
unityand of being a singleUmmahdue to our fasting and breaking our
fast collectively. We also feel an increased awareness about the state
of affairs of the Muslims and of the hardships that they endure,
because: "Duringthe fast a Muslim feels and experiences what hisneedy
and hungry brothers and sisters feel, who are forced to go without
food and drink for many days - as occurs today to many of the Muslims
in Africa." [21] Indeed, the unity of the Muslims - and their aiding
and assisting one another - is one of the great fundamentals uponwhich
the Religion of Islaam is built, as Allah - the Most High -said:"And
hold fast altogether to the rope of Allah and do not be divided."
[Soorah Aal-'Imraan 3:103]. Allah -the Most High - also said:"The
Believers - men and women - and friends andprotectors to one
another."[Soorah at-Tawbah 9:44].
Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728) -rahimahullaah- said:
"The welfare of people will not be complete - neither in this world,
nor in the Hereafter - except
withijtimaa'(collectiveness),ta'aawun(mutual cooperation),
andtanaasur(mutual help); mutual cooperation in order to secure
benefits, and mutual help in order to ward off harm. It is for this
reason that man is said to be social and civil by nature." [22]
Thus we see that Islaam lays great importance in bringing hearts
together and encouragingijtimaa'(collectiveness). This is not only
reflected in the month ofRamadhan, but also in the other acts of
worship as well. So, for example, we have been ordered by the Prophet
(sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) to pray the five daily Prayers in
congregation, and that it has been made twenty-seven times more
rewarding than praying it individually. [23] Likewise, this similar
collective spirit is demonstrated in the act ofHajj(Pilgrimage). Even
in learning knowledge and studying it, blessings have been placed in
collectiveness, as Allah's Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
said:"No peoplegather together in a house from the houses of Allah,
reciting the Book of Allahand studying it amongst themselves, except
that tranquility descends upon them, mercy envelops them, the angels
surround them, and Allah mentions them to those that are with Him."
[24] Likewise, even in our everyday actions such as eating, Islaam
teaches us collectiveness. Thus, when some of the Companions of the
Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said tohim: O Messenger of
Allah, we eat but do not become satisfied. He replied: "Perhaps you
eatindividually?" They replied, Yes! So he said:"Eat collectively and
mention the name of Allah. There will then be blessings for you in
it." [25] Indeed, even in the etiquette's of sitting the spirit of
collectiveness ' is demonstrated. So, one day the Prophet (sallAllahu
'alayhi wa sallam) came across the Companions who were sitting in
separate circles,so he said to them: "Why do I see you sitting
separately!" [26] Similarly, Aboo Tha'labah al-Khushanee (radiyAllahu
'anhu) said: Whenever the people used to encamp, they used to split-up
into the mountain passes and valleys. So Allah's Messenger (sallAllahu
'alayhi wa sallam) said:"Indeed your being split-up in these mountain
passes and valleys is fromShaytaan." Thereafter, whenever they used to
encamp, they used to keep very close together, to such an extent that
it was said: If a cloth were to be spread over them, it would cover
them all. [27]
Thus,Ramadhanis a time to increase our sense of unity and brotherhood,
and our commitment to Allah and His Religion. And there is no doubt
that this sense of unity necessitates that: "We all work together as
required by Islaam as sincere brothers - not due
tohizbiyyah(bigotedparty spirit), nor sectarianism - in order to
realize that which is of benefit to the IslaamicUmmahand to establish
the Islaamic society that every Muslim aspires for so that
theSharee'ah(Prescribed Law) of Allah is applied upon His earth" [28]
So we must examine ourselves during the month ofRamadhanand ask: What
is my role? - and each of us has a role - in helping this
preciousUmmahto regain its honour, and return to theUmmahits
comprehensive unity andstrength, and victory thathas been promised to
it? Likewise, we should reflect upon our own character and actions and
ask: Are they aiding the process of unity and brotherhood, or are they
a harm and a hindrance to it?
So we ask Allah to grant us the ability to change ourselves for the
better, during this blessed month, and not to be of those who are
preventedfrom His Mercy and forgiveness. Indeed He is the One who
Hears and He is the One to Respond.Footnotes:
[1] Saheeh: Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/48) and Muslim (no.16), from
Ibn 'Umar (radiyAllahu 'anhu).
[2] Saheeh: Related by an-Nisaa'ee(no.1992), from Aboo Hurayrah
(radiyAllahu 'anhu). It was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee
inTakhreejul-Mishkaat(no.1962).
[3] Related by Ibnul-Mubaarak inKitaabuz-Zuhd(p.473) and Ibn Abee
Shaybah in hisKitaabul-Eemaan(no.99).
[4]Risaalatut-Tabookiyyah(p.26) of Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim
[5] Hasan: Related by Ahmad (3/241), from Jaabir (radiyAllahu 'anhu).
It was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee
inSaheehut-Targheeb(no.970).
[6] Saheeh: Related by al-Bukhaaree (11/48I). from Aboo Hurayrah
(radiyAllahu 'anhu).
[7] Saheeh: Related by Ahmad (2/246) and al-Bayhaqee (4/204), from
Aboo Hurayrah (radiyAllahu 'anhu). It was authenticated by Shaykh
'Alee Hasan al-Halabee inSifatus-Sawmin-Nabee(p.24).
[8]Zaadul-Ma'aad(2/87) of Ibnul-Qayyim.
[9] Related by Ibnul-Qayyim inMadaarijus-Saalikeen(2/152).
[10] Related by Ahmad (2/163) and an-Nisaa'ee (1/327), from Aboo
Hurayrah. It was authenticated by al-Albaanee
inIrwaa'ul-Ghaleel(4/99).
[11]At-Tamheed(19/61) of al-Haafidh Ibn 'Abdul-Barr.
[12] Saheeh: Related by al-Bukhaaree (123) and Muslim (no.123), from
Ibn Mas'ood (radiyAllahu 'anhu).
[13] Saheeh: Related by Ahmad (1/203) and at-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer
(11/100), from Ibn 'Abbaas (radiyAllahu 'anhu). It was authenticated
by Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee inas-Sabrul-Jameel(p.43).
[14] Saheeh: Related by al-Bukhaaree (4/99), from Aboo Hurayrah
(radiyAllahu 'anhu).
[15] Saheeh: Related by Ibn Khuzaymah (no.1996) and al-Haakim (1/130)
who authenticated it. Refer toSaheehut-Targheeb(no.1075).
[16] Related by al-Bukhaaree (I/53) and Muslim (no.40), from 'Amr
Ibnul-'Aas (radiyAllahu 'anhu).
[17] Saheeh: Related by Aboo Daawood (no.4800) and al-Bayhaqee
(10/249), from Aboo Umaamah (radiyAllahu 'anhu). It was authenticated
by al-Albaaneeinas-Saheehah(no.273).
[18] Saheeh: Related by Ahmad (2/441) and Ibn Maajah (I/539), from
Aboo Hurayrah (radiyAllahu 'anhu). It war authenticated
inSaheehut-Targheeb(no.1076).
[19] Saheeh: Related by at Tirmidthee (no.693), from Aboo Hurayrah
(radiyAllahu 'anhu). It was authenticated by
al-Albaaneeinas-Saheehah(no.224).
[20]Jaami'ut-Tirmidthee(3/311).
[21] From the words of Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Baaz, as occurs
inMajmoo'ul-Fataawaa wal-Maqaalaatul Mutanawwi'ah(5/211).
[22]Al-Hisbah fil-Islaam(p.9) of Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah.
[23] Saheeh: Related by al-Bukhaaree (2/109) and Muslim (no.650), from
Ibn 'Umar (radiyAllahu 'anhu).
[24] Saheeh: Related by Muslim (no.339), from Aboo Hurayrah (radiyAllahu 'anhu).
[25] Hasan: Related by Aboo Daawood (no.3764), from Wahshee Ibn Harb
(radiyAllahu 'anhu). It was authenticated by al-Haafidh al-'Iraaqee
inTakhreejul-Ihyaa(2/4).
[26] Saheeh: Related by Muslim (no.331), from Jaabir Ibn
Samurah(radiyAllahu 'anhu).
[27] Saheeh: Related by Aboo Daawood (1/409) and Ibn Hibbaan(no.1664).
Shaykh al-Albaanee authenticated inTakhreejul-Mishkaat(no.3914).
[28]Su'aal wal-Jawaab Hawla Fiqhil-Waaqi'(p.24) of Shaykh
Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee.

The Prophet's remedy fordropsy

It is narrated in the books of Imaams Al-Bukhaari and Muslimthat Anas
Ibn Maaliksaid:
"Some people of )the tribes of( 'Ukl and 'Uraynah came to Al-Madeenah
and its climate did not suit them.So the Prophetordered them to go to
the herd of camels reserved for charity, and to drink their milk and
urine )as a medicine(. So they went as directed. After they became
healthy, they killed the shepherds of the Prophet's camels and drove
away all the camels, thus becoming aggressors against AllaahAll-Mighty
and His Messenger. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallm, sent)men(
in their pursuit and they were captured. The Prophetthen ordered that
their hands and feet to be cut off )and it was done(, and their eyes
were branded with heated pieces of iron. They were then kept in the
sun until they died."
These people were complaining from dropsy, as per the narration from
Imaam Muslimwho narrated the same narration above with the
followingaddition: "…The Bedouins said: We have not found Al-Madeenah
suitable for us and our stomachs swelled, our organs became weak..."
until the end of the narration.
Dropsy is a physical disease that occurs when a harmful cold substance
penetrates the external organs of the body and also the body organs
other than those that are used in digestion, causing them to swell.
There are three types of dropsy: in body tissue)fleshy(, which is the
mostserious of the three, in a body cavity )ascites(, and in an organ
)drum(. The remedy required for this disease includes mild laxatives
and diuretic medicines that help rid the body of fluids. These
diuretic qualities exist in the milk and urine of camels and that is
why the Prophetordered them to drink them. Camel milk is a mild
laxative, diuretic, cleanses and opens that which is closed and
removes the obstructionsand soothes the body. This is especially the
case when the camels graze on beneficial herbs, such as wormwood,
lavender, chamomile, daisy and lemongrass. These herbs help against
dropsy.
Dropsy is usually symptomatic of an ailment in the liver, especially
due to congestion in the liver. The milk of the Arabian camels helps
in this
case, because of its many benefits as mentioned and which help open
the clogged passages and theobstructions. Ar-Raazisaid: "The
she-camel's milk soothes the liver andthe effects of a spoiled
constitution." Al-Israaeelialso said: "The she-camel's milk is the
softest, least concentrated and lightestmilk. It is the best choice
for moving the bowels, as a laxative and for opening the clogged
passages and obstructions. What makesthis evident is the fact that
this type of milk is mildly salty, as a result of the animal's
instinctively hot nature. Therefore, the she-camel's milk is the best
remedy for the liver as it soothes it, opens its pores and veins and
softens the hardness of fresh food. Fresh, warm camel's milk is
beneficial against dropsy,especially when taken with fresh, warm camel
urine, thus making the combination more salty and adding strength to
its effectiveness in dissolving harmful fluids and as a laxative. If
the]combination of milk and urine[ did not purge the stomach, then one
shouldtake a stronger laxative." The author ofAl-Qanoonalso commented:
"Do not listen to those who claim that milk does not provide cure from
dropsy. Rather, know that camel's milk is an effective cure, because
it cleanses gently and easily, due to its other qualities. This type
of milk is so beneficial that if a person substituted water and food
with camel's milk, he would becured ]from dropsy and other ailments[.
Some people tried this remedy and were soon cured. Weshould state that
the bestcamel urine is that of the camels of Bedouin people."
The story that was mentioned in the narration above has several areas
of interest:
It encourages the use of medicines and cures.
It indicates the purity of the milk of the animals that Muslims are
allowed to eat.
Using what Allaah has prohibited in medicine is disallowed.
The people mentioned in the narrationwere not commanded to rinse their
mouths or their clothes for the prayer, although they were new
Muslims.
The Prophetcannot delay the necessary details of a religious command
when such elaboration is necessary.
It emphasizes the fact that the aggressor is punished by the same
method he transgressed. The people mentioned in the narration killed
the shepherd and branded his eyes, as in another report of this
narration by Imaam Muslim.
It mentioned that the entire group was killed for killing one person.
It indicates that whereas the aggressor deserves tobe punished for
multiple crimes, one punishable according to the law of equality and
the other for an act of aggression, then both laws are applied. The
Prophetordered that the hands and feet of the aggressors be cut off,
as a punishment from Allaahfor their audacious raid and aggression.
They were also killed because they had killed the shepherd.
It indicates that when armed aggressors steal money and also commit
murder, their hands and feet are cut off, and they are then executed.
It indicates that the punishment for multiple crimes is multiplied,
because the people who were mentioned in the story reverted from
Islam,killed a human being, disfigured the dead shepherd, stole other
people's property and announced their armed aggression. Also, the
entire armed band mentioned in the story were executed, not only those
who actually committed the murder, as the Prophetdid not consider this
fact, nor didhe ask about who actually committed the murder.
Assassination warrants capital punishment and cannot be pardoned ]by
the relatives of the deceased[ or compensated, according to the
scholars of Al-Madeenah, Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyyah.

What is Hijaamah)cupping(?

The word hijaamah )cupping( comes from the word hajm which means
sucking, as in the phrasehajama al-sabiy thadya ummihi)the infant
suckled his mother's breast(. Al-Hajjaam means the cupper, hijaamah is
the profession of cupping, and the wordmihjamis used to describe the
vessel in which the blood is collected and the lancet used by the
cupper.(
In fiqh )Jurisprudence( terminology, the word hijaamah is applied by
some scholars to the extraction of blood from the nape of the neck by
means of cupping after making an incision with the lancet.
Al-Zarqaanistated that cupping is not limitedto the nape of the neck,
rather it may be done on any part of the body. This was also the view
of al-Khattaabi.
In conclusion, hijaam refers to the extraction of blood from the body
by means of cupping using a suitable vessel or whatever modern
equipment serves the same purpose.
Cupping was known since ancienttimes. It was known to the Chinese, the
Babylonians and the Pharaohs. Their relics and carved images indicate
that they used cupping to treat some diseases. At first they used
metal cups or bulls' horns, from which they would remove the air by
sucking it out after placing the cup on theskin. Then they used glass
cups from which they would remove the air by burning a piece of cotton
or wool inside the cup.
Virtues of cupping:
Al-Bukhaarinarrated from Sa'eed Ibn Jubayr from Ibn 'Abbaasthat the
Prophetsaid: 'Healing is in three things: drinking honey, the incision
of a cupper, and cauterizing with fire, but I forbid my Nation to use
cauterizing.'
Al-Bukhaari and Muslimnarrated that Anas Ibn Maalikwas asked about the
earnings of the cupper, and he said:
The Messenger of Allaahwas treated with cupping by Abu Taybah.
Heordered that he )Abu Taybah( should be given two saa' )quantity
unit( of food, and he spoke with his masters so that they reduced what
they used to take from his earnings. And hesaid: 'The best medicine
with which you treat yourselves is cupping, or it is one of the best
of your medicines.'
It was narrated that Jaabir Ibn 'Abdillaahsaid: I heard the Messenger
of Allaah sallallaahu alyhi wa sallam say: 'If there is anything good
in the medicines with which you treat yourselves, it is in the
incision of the cupper, or a drink of honey or cauterization with
fire, but I do not like to be cauterized.')Al-Bukhaari, Muslim(.
Benefits of cupping:
Cupping has real benefits in treating many diseases, past and present.
The diseases which have been treated by cupping and for which it has
been of benefit by Allaah's Leave include the following:
1- Circulatory diseases
2- Treating blood pressure and infection of the heart muscle
3- Diseases of the chest and trachea
4- Headache and pains in the eyes
5- Pain in the neck and stomach, and rheumatic pain in the muscles
6- Some diseases of the heart and chest, and pain in the joints
In addition, cupping may offer a unique treatment which may reduce
pain, and it does not have any side-effects. For more information on
the benefits of cupping see Zaad al-Ma'aad by Ibn Al-Qayyim.
How cupping is done:
The mouth of the cupping vessel)nowadays they use glass vessels( is
placed on the skin at the site chosen for cupping. Thenthe cupper
rarefies the air inside the vessel by burning a small piece of paper
or cotton inside the vessel )the old method(, so that the mouth of the
vessel will cling to the skin. Sometimes a machine is used instead of
the method described above. The vessel clings to the skin and is left
for a period of three to ten minutes.
Then it is lifted off and a very small incision is made in the skin
using a clean sharp instrument such as a razor blade or the like. Then
the cup is put back in the same manner as described above,until it is
filled with the bad blood that comes out of the veins. Then it is
taken off, and may be put back once more if needed. When it is
finished and the cup is taken away, a dry dressing is placed over the
site ofthe incision.
Before ending we should point out that no one should undertake cupping
except one who can do it well, because of the harm that may result if
it is done by one who is incompetent.

Treating diarrhea

It is narrated in the books of Imaams Al-Bukhaari and Muslimthat Abu
Sa'eed Al-Khudrisaid: "A man came to the Prophetand said: 'My brother
is complaining about his stomach, or he is complaining about
diarrhea.' The Prophetsaid:'Give him some honey.'The man went and came
back later, saying, 'I have given him some honey, but it did not
help,' or he said, 'it made his diarrhea worse.'He repeated this twice
or three times, all the while the Prophetcontinued saying to
him:'Givehim some honey.'In the third or fourth time, the
Prophetsaid:'Allaah has said the truth while your brother's stomach
has lied. Go back and let him drink honey.'This time the ill man
recovered."
Honey has tremendous medicinal value, because it washes away the
harmful substances that might be collected in the intestines and the
veins. In treating diarrhea, honey promotes the rehydration of the
body and more quickly clears up the diarrhea and any vomiting and
stomach upsets. The anti-bacterial properties of honey, both the
peroxide and non-peroxide, are effective against MRSA strains of
bacteria which are notoriously resistant to antibiotics and are
sometimes responsible for the closing of hospital wards.
Honey also dissolves excess moisture, is beneficial as a drink and as
an ointment, it is of great value for the elderly, and those suffering
from phlegm and cold moods or condition )chills(. Honey is nutritious,
softens one's bowel movement and is a good presetting agent.
In addition, licking honey on an empty stomach will help the body get
rid of mucus and phlegm. It cleanses the stomach and rids it of
harmful substances or mixtures, heats the stomach mildly and opens up
the pores. Honey has similar effects on the kidneys, the prostate and
the liver. Furthermore, honey is the least harmful sweet substance for
congesting the liver and kidneys.
Added to all these benefits and many others, honey does not have any
side effects, nor harm except for those suffering from bile and who
should take it with vinegar to neutralize its harm.
There is no other substance that is more beneficial than honey or that
even rivals its value. This is why the people of old relied on honey,
for most of the books of old do not mention sugar, as sugar was
discovered in modern times.
The Prophetused to drink some honey mixed with water onan empty
stomach. There is a wonderful secret behind this practice regarding
preserving thehealth. Hesaid:"Make use of the two cures: honey and the
Quran."]Ibn Maajah and others[
This Hadeeth joins the material and the divine cures, the medicine of
the body and the soul, the earthly medicine and the heavenly cure.
Back to the story of the man inflicted with diarrhea mentionedabove,
the Prophetrepeated his command to the man to give some honey to his
sick brother for a good reason. The prescribedmedicine should be in
sufficient doses; otherwise the ailment willnot be fully cured. When
the prescribed medicine is in a larger than necessary dose, it will
weaken the body and cause side effects.
Prophetic medicine is not similar to that offered by doctors and
physicians. Prophetic medicine is indeed the effective treatment and
cure provided by the revelation and the guidance of the Prophetthat is
coupled with a sound and perfect mind. In comparison, the majority of
remedies prescribed by other than the Prophetare based on hypothesis,
observation and experimentation.
It is a fact that many people do not benefit from Prophetic medicine,
because it will help only those who acknowledge andhave faith in it.
Thus, they believe that it will help them and they then submit to it.
If the Quran, which is a cure for whatever the heart conceals, is not
acknowledged and accepted withfaith, it will not provide a cure forthe
heart. In fact, the Quran will only add more disease to the hearts of
the hypocrites. This is also applied to the medications that sick
people take nowadays. Specialists stress on the role of psychological
factors in response to treatment. They say that in most cases, the
patient should beconvinced that he will be treated through this
medication he has, otherwise the treatment would be ineffective.
Prophetic medicine is only suitable for good and pure bodies, just as
the Quran is only suitable for righteous souls and feeling hearts.
Therefore, when the people ignore Prophetic medicine, it is like
ignoring the help and guidance of the Quran, which is the most
effective medicine. Again, when the medicine )the Quran and the
Prophetic medicine( do not work,it is due to the negativity in the
body and soul that are not suitable for accepting the medicine, not
because the medicine does not work.

Dought & clear - Ruling on watching movies and serials that portray the Prophets and the Sahabaah

There are movies that portray the Prophets forthe purpose of teaching
children; is it permissible to let our children watch cartoon movies
about the Prophets or those movies that portray Bilaal or Maryam, such
as ar-Risaalah (The Message) or as-SayyidahMaryam? I use these movies
to teach childrenbecause they get confused about the stories of
various Prophets and I also teach them how the Prophets put a great
deal of effort into conveying their messages.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The contemporary scholars are unanimously agreed that it is haraam to
depict the Prophets (peace be upon them) ingeneral and our
ProphetMuhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in
particular.
Fatwas stating that this is haraam have been issued by the Standing
Committee for Issuing Fatwas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a
statement to this effect was made by the Islamic Fiqh Council that met
in Makkah al-Mukarramah.
There is no doubt that depicting the Prophets isa kind of disrespect
towards them, because people have a great dealof respect towards them
and hold them in high esteem, but depicting them detracts from that
respect, especially if theyare depicted in cartoons.
What Allah has told us of their stories in the Qur'an is
sufficient."Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of
understanding. It (theQur'an) is not a forged statement but a
confirmation of Allah's existing Books (the Taurat (Torah), the
Injeel(Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allah) and adetailed
explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who
believe" [Yoosuf 12:111].
It says in a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council:… Depicting him,
whetherit is an animated drawing or otherwise, whether it is a
three-dimensional image or not – all of that is haraam and is not
permissible according toIslam.
It is not permissible to do that or approve of it for any purpose or
aim whatsoever, because it leads to very serious consequences.
Those who are in positions of authority and those who are in charge of
media and publications should prevent any depiction ofthe Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), whether three-dimensional
or otherwise, in stories, reports, theatrical plays, children's books,
movies,TV shows and so on. Thatmust be denounced and any such
productions should be destroyed.
The ruling that applies to the Prophet (blessingsand peace of Allah be
upon him), also applies to all of the Messengers and Prophets
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon them); what is haraam in the
case of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is also
haraam in their case.
End quote from Statements of the IslamicFiqh Council, 8thsession,6thstatement.
Based on the above, it is haraam to watch such movies, whether they
are portrayed by real actors or in cartoons.
Secondly:
It is not permissible to depict the Sahaabah at all, according to the
correct scholarly opinion.
A fatwa to that effect was issued by the Council of Senior Scholars in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and a statement to that effect was issued
by the IslamicFiqh Council of the Muslim World League.
See the answer to question no. 163107
In that regard there is no differentiation between the senior Sahaabah
and those of lesser standing, or between the Rightly Guided Caliphs
and others, because that detracts from their status and the high
esteem in which they are held.
They had the honour of accompanying the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him), striving in jihad with him, defending
the faith,being sincere towards Allah and His Messenger and His
religion, and conveying this religion and knowledge to us, which
dictates that they should be held in high esteem and greatly
respected.
Undoubtedly portraying them will detract from the high esteem in which
they are held by people, and viewers maybegin to think of them in the
image of the actors who play their roles. [?]
This is in addition to what many of these serials and movies contain
of distortion andfabrication of events according to what is dictated
by the medium.
In a fatwa of the Standing Committee (1/712) it says: Portraying the
Sahaabahor one of them is forbidden, because it is disrespectful
towards them, lowers the esteem in which they are held and exposes
them to criticism, even if it is thought that this serves a purpose,
because the negative consequences to which it leads outweigh any
benefits, and anything of which the negative consequences outweigh the
positive is definitely forbidden. A statement was issued by the
Council of Senior Scholars stating that this is forbidden. End quote.
To further emphasize this point, we shall quote the statement of the
Council of Senior Scholars on which all its members were unanimously
agreed, thetext of which follows:
1.Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, praised the Sahaabah and
affirmed their high status. Presenting the life story of any one of
them in the form of a play or movie is contraryto Allah's praise of
them and detracts from the high status and honour that Allah, may He
be exalted, granted them.
2.Depicting any one of them may expose them to mockery and belittling
by people whofor the most part are notrighteous and are far removed
from piety and Islamic conduct in their public lives, in addition to
the fact that those who produce such plays and serials do it for the
purpose of material gain.
No matter how careful they are, they will still include lies and
backbiting. Moreover, depicting the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased
with them) will make people lose respect for them and begin to look
down on them; their trust in the companions of the Messenger
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) will be shaken and the
esteem in which Muslim viewers hold them will decrease. This may lead
Muslims to doubt their religion and will open the door to arguing
about the Companions of Muhammad (blessingsand peace of Allah be upon
him). Some of the actors would inevitably have to play the parts of
Abu Jahl and his ilk, which means that they would utter words reviling
Bilaal and reviling the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) and what he brought of Islam, and this is undoubtedly wrong.
It will also be taken as a means of confusing the Muslims about their
religion, the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet
Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
3.What is said about serving interests – such as highlighting noble
characteristics and good manners, whilst making sure that facts are
presented accurately on the basis of authentic reports of the seerah,
and not compromising any of that in any way, in order to convey the
right message and teach lessons – is mere assumption and hope. Anyone
who knows howactors are and what theyaim for will realize that this
kind of acting is contrary to the reality of these actors and others
who work in that field, and how they really live and behave.
4.One of the established principles in Islam is thatanything that
leads to purely negative consequences, or of which the negative
consequences outweigh the good, is haraam. Even if we assume that
there is some benefit in acting the roles of the Sahaabah, its
negative consequences outweigh the positive. Therefore in order to
protect the public interests of the Muslims and block the means (that
may lead to evil), and to protect the dignity of the Companions of
Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them), this must
beprevented.

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 - • She is not allowed to wear hijab, so how can she go out to work and meet her needs?.

My question is about hijab. Women here are forbidden to wear hijab and
they are treated badly in addition to the fact that they are not
allowed to enter their workplaces or other places such as police
stations, so they have nochoice but to take off their hijab. What is
the solution, especially sincewe have to meet our own needs and
especially at work?.
Praise be to Allaah.
For a woman to wear hijab in front of non-mahram men is an obligation
that is indicated in the Qur'aan and Sunnah and by scholarly
consensus. It is not permissible for anyone to enjoin otherwise or to
prevent those who want to follow this command, otherwise he is going
against the command and laws of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His
Messengerhave decreed a matter that they should have any option in
their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has
indeed strayed into a plain error"
[al-Ahzaab 33:36]
"And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammadصلى الله
عليه وسلم( after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and
follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path
he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!"
[al-Nisa' 4:115]
"But no, by your Lord, they can have noFaith, until they make you (O
Muhammadصلى الله عليهوسلم( judge in all disputes between them,and find
in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them)
with full submission"
[al-Nisa' 4:65]
Secondly:
It is not permissible for awoman to be careless about this obligation
or to go out of her house with any part of her body uncovered, unless
she is forced to do so in a case of necessity that makes that which is
haraam permissible, such as if she is summoned to a police-station,
and she cannot avoid going there because that would result in harm to
herself or her property.
As for going out to work,if she does not have to do that because what
she is given by her husband or father or other relative who is obliged
to support her issufficient for her, then it is not permissible for
herto go out to work if that will result in her taking off her hijab.
The Muslims have to cooperate with regard to this matter and ensure
that Muslim women are independentof means so that they are not
compelled to go out in ways that involve sin. That may be achieved by
calling on fathers and relatives to spend generously on them and to
provide some useful work that women can do in their homes, so that
they will have no need to go out for any reason that may lead to them
taking off their hijab and exposingthem to harm because ofwearing it.
This depends on convincing the men that hijaab is obligatory, because
many of them do not care about that, and some of them are keen for
their wives and daughters to go out and work, and some of them will
not agree to marry awoman who does not work, even if her work means
that she has to take off the hijaab. This ignorance and shortcoming on
the part of the men is one of the greatest causes of this problem, and
one of the reasons why the matter is not being resolved. We should
strive to spread this knowledge, remind people of it and train them to
follow it, so that every man will bekeen to protect his family and
dependents, and will realize that he will be questioned tomorrow about
this trust – did he take care of it or not? The Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no personto whom
Allaah entrusts the care of others and he does not take care of them
sincerely, but he will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7150) and Muslim (142).
In fact, Muslims are individually obliged to strive to remove this
evil,and to adopt all the necessary means of achieving that, through
organizations and associations etc., so as torelieve their women of
hardship and enable every Muslim woman to wear her hijab. They should
not despair and give up on doing this duty. How many rights have been
restored to people by means of patience, effort and striving.
Thirdly:
If a woman is in dire straits and cannot find any alternative to going
out to work because she has no one to support her, and she is also
forced to take off the hijab, then if she is able to migrate to a land
where she will be able to practise her religion openly and obey the
commands of her Lord, she is obliged to do so.
Ibn al-'Arabi said inAhkaam al-Qur'aan(1/612):
Migration (hijrah) from dar al-kufr (kaafir lands) to dar al-Islam
(Muslim lands) is obligatory.
And from a land where innovation is widespread. Imam Maalik (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible for anyone to
settle in a land in which the salaf are reviled.
And from a land in which haraam things areprevalent, for seeking
halaal is an obligation for every Muslim.
But not everyone may beable to migrate, and it cannot be regarded as a
solution for all Muslim women.
If a women really needs to go out of her house towork or do some
errands etc, and the matter is limited to uncovering the face only,
then we hope that there is nothing wrong with her doing that.
But we must strive to solve this problem completely, as stated above,
by advising thosewho are in positions of responsibility and askingthem
for this religious and personal right. The daa'iyahs who call people
to Allaah and the scholars have to explain to the people that hijab is
an obligation that Allaah has enjoined upon the Muslim women.
It is very strange that wesee this intense war against hijab, the
symbolof chastity and purity, and at the same time wesee that the door
is wideopen for immoral and promiscuous women.
Be patient, O believing women, for the reward of Allaah is precious
and there will come a day in which the religion of Allaah will prevail
over all other religions.
"It is He Who has sent HisMessenger (Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم(
withguidance and the religion of truth )Islam(, to make it superior
over all religions even thoughthe Mushrikoon)polytheists, pagans,
idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah( hate )it("
[al-Tawbah 9:33]
"And Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of
men know not" [Yoosuf 12:21
We ask Allaah to guide this ummah so that people of obedience willbe
honoured and peopleof disobedience will be humiliated, , and to help
you and all the Muslim women to adhere to hijab and give up wanton
display and unveiling.
And Allaah knows best.