How does Islam continue to grow in the West?

Someone posted this question recently on an Islamic forum that I belong to:
There all kinds of people coming to Islam. There are some that even
convert in huge masses (20+ people). It's the fastest growing religion
in the UK and USA. Just visit Youtube. How is thata religion that is
put down in the media constantly is the most popular choice today?
Let me put it in marketing terms to start. I don't want to cheapen our
deen which is the most beautiful way of life, ordained for humanity by
Allah. But most people in this consumer culture of the West understand
marketing concepts.
In the marketing industrythey say that there is no such thing as bad
publicity. That may or may not be true, but I do believe it is true
when you have a quality product. Islam is a qualityproduct.
I have heard of many people who initially wanted to learn more about
this "terrible religion" that gets so much bad press. So they picked
up a book on Islam or a copy of the Quran, began reading, and
SubhanAllah, were guided to the truth.
That's the way of it.
Throwing a rubber ballat the ground
This deen is a clarion call,it is the sunlight through the clouds. It
is manifest truth. As much as the enemies of Allah try to badmouth
Islam, they only serve its cause. As Allah says (paraphrasing) in the
Quran, they desired to extinguish the light of Allah with their
mouths, but Allah will complete His light, though the disbelievers may
detest it.
Someone once said to methat those who try to damage Islam are like
someone throwing a rubber ball down on the ground. The harder they
throw it, trying to smash it, the higher it bounces back in the air.
When I say there's no such thing as bad publicity, that doesn't mean
that I am happy about things like terroristattacks, "honor killings",
female genital mutilationand other bad actions that bring bad
publicity to Islam. I despise those acts and I utterly condemn them,
not only because they damage theimage of Islam and make life harder
for Muslims, but because they are evil in themselves, and they bring
suffering to innocent people.
No, when I say there's no such thing as bad publicity, I am thinking
more of the lies that are told about Islam. Hateful preachers who
insult the Prophet (peace be upon him); or the often-made false claim
that Islam wasspread by the sword; or the bigoted epithets
(like"Islamofascists") that are used to try to discredit Islam in the
eyes of the public. In the end, all these lies will fail, because
truth is clear from falsehood.
Quran 61:8
(8) They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but
Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.
(9) It is He who sent His Messenger with guidanceand the religion of
truth to manifest it over all religion, although those who associate
others with Allah dislike it.
(Umm Muhammad translation)
The enemies of Islam think that Allah's light is like a candle that
can be blown out with the breath from their mouths, by propagating
false rumors and lies about this deen. They might as well try to blow
out the light of the sun. Allah's light is far more powerful even than
that.
Quran is a light
"O humankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord,
and We have sent down to you a clear light."(Quran 4:174)
Allah has manifested His light in the revelation of the Quran. It is
an eternalbook, protected by Allah, unchanged, shedding light like a
lamp that never runs dry. It illuminates the souls of those who read
it and practice it, and so light spreads in the world, purifying it.
That's why the Messengerof Allah (pbuh) said,"The best amongst you are
those who learn the Quran and teach it."[Al-Bukhaari] Because theQuran
is the source of guidance and a light, andby spreading it we ensure
the victory of Islam over oppression, we perpetuate Truth in the
world, and we offer guidance to the lost.
The Quran is also a sourceof internal peace. Recitation and
contemplation of the Quran soothes the heart and carries away the
stresses of life, and it brings one closer to Allah.That's why the
Prophet (pbuh) said,"No people assemble in one of the houses of Allah,
and recite and study the Bookof Allah, except that tranquility
prevails over them, mercy encompasses them, the angels surround them,
and Allah makes a mention of them in the presence of those near
Him."[Muslim]
Wow. SubhanAllah.
So it's not surprising when you hear stories from people who were
non-Muslims; became curious about Islam due to the constant
fear-mongering in the media; decided to pick up a Quran and check it
out for themselves; and found themselves moved,and their hearts
touched,so that they accepted Islam. It's a very common story.
Trust in Allah
I started out by answering the question, "How does Islam continue to
grow in the West in spite of all the negative press and lies?" Now I
want to add a finalmessage for my Muslim readers: Don't despair when
you see the forces of falsehood arrayed in all their power against
Islam. When you read about Muslims being oppressed in Palestine,
Chechnya, East Turkestan (a Muslim province of China) and so many
otherplaces, you should feel pain and sympathy for your brothers and
sisters,but don't let your heart be filled with rage or hatred.
Don't despair! Hatred anddespair are the oppositesof faith; they lead
to corruption and are the fuel that drives evils like terrorism, where
people cast aside the principles of their religion, and allow
themselves to be seduced into blind violence, justifying it to
themselves because they are so angry.
Trust that Allah will perfect His light.Do your part to serve the
cause ofIslam(that is key!), and then trust that Allah will manifest
the Truth over all, no matter who standsagainst it. Trust also that
Allah will guide you, and bring you into the light, and reward you in
this life and the next.
In these next two verses there is a double message, one for the People
of the Book (the Christians and the Jews), calling them to the light
that Allah has revealed; and one to the believers, calling on them to
"pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace…", in other words to seek
Allah's pleasure through compassionate and righteous action on the
paths of peace.
"O People of the Scripture, there has cometo you Our Messenger making
clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and
overlooking much. There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear
Book; By which Allah guides those who pursueHis pleasure to the ways
of peace and brings themout from darknesses into the light, by His
permission, and guides them to a straight path."(Quran 5:15-16)

The Wisdom of the Prophet: the Incident of the Epileptic Woman

There is a hadith narrated by 'Ata bin Abi Rabah:
Ibn 'Abbas once said to me, "Shall I show you a woman of the people of
Paradise?"
I said, "Yes."
He said, "This black lady came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and
said, 'I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered; please
invoke Allah for me.' The Prophet said (to her),'If you wish, be
patient and you will haveParadise; and if you wish,I will invoke Allah
to cure you.'She said, 'I will remain patient,' and added, 'but I
become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become
uncovered.' So he invoked Allah for her." - Bukhari :: Book 7 ::
Volume 70 :: Hadith 555
This hadith was published recently on MuslimasOasis.com, and I was
fascinated by the many comments from readers who have epilepsy and
have been inspired or comforted by this hadith.
One sister wrote:
"(This hadith) was a comfort to me as an epileptic when I had a
seizure outside of a masjid on the pavement in Philadephia during a
busy Jumaah afternoon. When I came to, my niqab was removed, my hijab
loosened, and my husband and a brother were helping the paramedics
that had arrived. Because of this hadith I felt comfort in spite of
being such a spectacle, alhamdulillah."
Another said:
"I too am an epileptic. When I first reverted to Islam over 3 years
ago, one of the sisters who witnessed my Shahada wrote this hadith out
andgave it to me. It is a HUGE comfort to know this. May Allah ease
the trials of all epileptics and thosewho suffer from any disease and
grant us all sabr. Ameen!"
And there were other similar comments, from men and women, ma-sha-Allah.
I don't have epilepsy or any other serious sickeness, Alhamdulillah
(praise God) for all His blessings. But as I read the comments of
people who do have some illnessand have been tremendously comforted by
this hadith, all of a sudden I realized the huge wisdom of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) in what he said tothe epileptic woman. He could have
simply invoked for her and she would have been cured, and then all of
us 1,400 years later would read the story and say, "Ma-sha-Allah,
another miracle to prove his Prophethood." But it would have no
lasting personal significance.
Instead, by asking the woman to be patient andpromising her Jannah
(Paradise), the Prophet (pbuh) has sent a message of hope down through
the ages to all the other sufferers in the world: Allah sees your
suffering. Your pain will be compensated, and your patience rewarded
with the greatest possible prize.
Even today epilepsy cannot be cured, though it can be controlled
somewhat through medication. So even now, all these years later,in
this age of medical wonders, this hadith still has immediate
significance for people who suffer from this illness, and in fact from
people who suffer from any illness, from cancer to leprosy to bipolar
disorder.
Another point of note is that every Prophet was sent with certain
types ofmiracles appropriate to the understanding of their people.
Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) was sent with the staff of power and
the white hand, because his mission was to a people steeped in
sorcery. "Medical miracles" – curing the sick, even bringing the dead
back to life – were the hallmark of the Prophet Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus
sonof Mary, pbuh), because he was sent to a people who specialized in
healing arts.
If the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had made it his habit to cure the sick,
the Christians might say about us Muslims, "Oh, you are only taking
Biblical stories and applying them to your Prophet."
Instead, though the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) performed his share of
wonders, he wasgiven the greatest miracle of all, the Quran, a living
proof through the millenia, and a sourceof eternal guidance. This is
appropriate because his immediate mission was to a people of poetry,
of language and eloquence; while his greater mission was to allof
humanity.
"Say: 'If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to
produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like of
it, even if they backed up each other with help andsupport.'"(Quran
17:88)
Did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), a mere shepherd and trader living
almost one and a half thousand years ago in the lonely deserts of
Arabia, realize the lasting significance ofhis actions? Did he
perceive the way his words and deeds would echo down the annals of
history?
Sure he did. He was a man of great wisdom, courage and natural
intelligence. He did not do things randomly, especially in matters of
worship. And he was guided by Allah in these matters, so that his
actions could serve as an example for humanity until the Day of
Resurrection.

Two strangers bridging barriers with the Quran

A colleague of mine named Farah* who is a medical doctor in Boston
recently sent me the following email:
Assalaamualaikam
I had a beautiful experience today at work. A lady who spoke very
little English was admitted, and she was very upset – she came over to
me and I said Salaam… Her eyes lit up, she took my hand and started
reciting Al Fatiha. We said it in unison and she smiled – "sister".
We then shared a couple of other surahs – she knows more in Arabic
than I do in English! Even though we couldn't have conversed in our
nationallanguages, we could communicate in a far more significant way,
by sharing our love for Allah.
In Boston at the moment it's a bit scary, but this lit up my day and
gave me hope that we will be alright in the end, inshaAllah.
My sister from the other side of the world held myhand and said Alhamdulillah.
Wa salaam

Ramadan Articles - Make Hard Work Your Motto in Ramadan

Hard work should be the slogan of the righteous people who do not
likeRamadanto pass away before they take their reward. They would
rather persist in this good state in order to receive their prize from
their Lord, and obtain Hisforgiveness than enjoy the pleasures of this
world. Thus, when they celebrate'Eed, they would have earned the right
to do so, and when they break their fast, they would rejoice, as
mentioned by the Messenger of Allaahwhen he said:"There are two
delights for the fasting person: when he breaks his fast at the time
of Iftaar, he rejoices; and when he meets Allaah The Almighty, he will
rejoice in his fasting."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[ That is, he will find
that fasting, whose outcome is forgiveness and emancipation from Hell,
interceding for him on the Day of Judgment, as confirmed by the
Messenger of Allaahin his saying:"The fasting people will
enter)Paradise( from a gate called Ar-Rayyaan, from which no one else
will ever enter."
The days have come upon us again, with the same slogan we have already
raised: the determination to attain all the possible means of the
forgiveness of Allaah The Almighty, and strive his utmost to show
AllaahThe Almighty our good performance, truthfulness, good deeds and
sincerity. We approach the Lord with devotion and direct all our
concerns, words and deeds to obtain the goodpleasure, love and
attachment of his Lord, and prepare for his Hereafter. If a believer
does all this for the sake of Allaah The Almighty, he will receive
more in the world and the Hereafter, as confirmed by Allaah The
Almighty when He Says )what means(:}And]remember[ when your Lord
proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely Increase you ]in
favor[; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe'"{]Quran
14:7[ One must be satisfied with a little portion of this world, seek
the Hereafter, have aversion to the abode of arrogance in order to
have the signs of the loveand good pleasure of Allaah The Almighty
visible on him.
Hence, in the days ofRamadan, one should begin with repentance, seek
forgiveness, and seek to amend his inner self persistently so that he
would prepare his own soul and heart for the reward of Allaah The
Almighty. In this way, he can make up for the dayson which he was lazy
and slow, and distracted from Allaah The Almighty,and seized by
heedlessness in all of his states and deeds. He repents for the days
he did not obtain anything from the Quran and remembrance )of Allaah
The Almighty( that could fill his breast with the light of faith, and
make his heart firm, so that he would find himself approaching the
Hereafter, unaffected by desires, well-established and strong on his
journey to Allaah The Almighty. He should not find himself compliant
with the devil and his own evil inclinations, hesitant and distracted.
On the contrary, he should see himself in a state loved by his Lord.
It was narrated on the authority of the Messenger of Allaahthat
whenever the last ten days came, he would stay awake all night )in
prayer(, keep aloof from women, devote himself to worship more
diligently and awaken his family )to perform thenight
prayers(.]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[ This was his practice during the
last ten days ofRamadan. He did all this by
practicingI'tikaaf)seclusion in the mosque(. That is, he devoted his
heart and body to his Lord, refrained from mixing with people to be in
seclusion with Allaah The Almighty, and became anexample to be
followed by the believers. This seclusion with Allaah The Almighty is
a means for the people to reform their worldly affairs and Hereafter,
prepare their hearts and body to realize the means of forgiveness. He
did all this persistently in the last ten days ofRamadanseeking to be
forgiven, even though Allaah The Almighty had forgiven his previous
and future sins. He did all of this by way of showing
gratitude:"Should I not be a grateful slave?"]Al-Bukhaari[

Ramadan Articles - Being Grateful for the Blessings of Ramadan

The first thing one shoulddo upon enteringRamadanis to praise Allaah
The Almighty for conveying him toRamadan, the month of mercy. What
confirms those blessings, and opens the mercy of AllaahThe Almighty
for you is your gratitude for this blessing being the first thing you
think of doing,and that He has opened this season in your lifetime. If
a person dies, he wishes to return to this world even for a day in
order to repent to Allaah The Almighty, seekHis forgiveness, and do
righteous deeds as confirmed by Allaah The Almighty when He Says)what
means(:}until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "MyLord, send
me back that I might do righteousness in that which I left
behind."{]Quran 23:99-100[
This is why you should think of the best way to praise Allaah The
Almighty who has conveyed you to this season sound and healthy, hoping
for the forgiveness of Allaah The Almighty, waiting for His pardon,
seeking His goodpleasure and desiring that He emancipates you from
Hell in this noble month.
The Messenger of Allaah,, was the role model and example to be
followed in praising Allaah The Almighty, when he kept standing)in
prayer( at night until his feet became swollen because of the duration
for which he stood in prayer. When 'Aa'ishahasked him why he was doing
that despite the fact that Allaah The Almighty had forgiven him his
previous and future sins, he said:"Then, should I not be a grateful
slave?"]Al-Bukhaari[ Thus, he praised Allaah The Almighty by standing
)in prayer( for long periods, drawing close to Him, speaking privately
with Him, reciting His noble verses, reflecting upon their meanings,
submitting and humblinghimself to Him by subjecting his perishable
body to hardship for the sake of Allaah The Almighty. This body that
you preserve and protecttoday will perish and turn into dust tomorrow,
and at that time, nothingwill benefit you except the acts of obedience
that you offered. This is because, as it was said,"One's property,
deeds and children go with him, and both his property and children
return, and only his deeds are left and enter the grave with him."
This is why the Messenger of Allaah,, praised Allaah The Almighty in
those states by standing )in prayer at night( so long until his feet
actually cracked and got swollen as confirmedby theHadeeth)narration(.
IfRamadancomes upon you, the gratitude for this blessing is to stand
inprayer )at night(, multiply the acts of worship you perform, learn
the etiquette of fasting, remember Allaah The Almighty frequently and
recite the Quran as stated by Allaah The Almighty Who Says
)whatmeans(:}The month of Ramadan ]is that[ in which was revealed the
Quran, a guidance for thepeople and clear proofs of guidance and
criterion.{]Quran 2:185[
What is required in thesedays is fasting, standing)at night in
prayer(,Thikr)remembrance of Allaah The Almighty(, worship, recitation
of the Quran, charity, self-reckoning, repentance of sins, correction
of intentions and deeds and elimination of evil, resentment, spite,
envy, excessive ambitions in this world, inclination towards desires,
heedlessness and forgetfulness of the Hereafter and death. One's heart
should be reassured by the remembrance of Allaah The Almighty, the
physical organs become fit for proceeding to Allaah The Almighty, and
his body should be light enough to move toward the obedience and
worship of Allaah The Almighty. He should not find the acts of worship
hard upon himself; rather he should realize the statement of the
Messenger of Allaah,,"Should I not be a grateful slave?"]Al-Bukhaari[
Consider: If you were youto have fallen as a martyrlast year, your
fastingRamadanthis )present( year would have been superior, higher and
greater in rank in the sight of Allaah The Almighty than that position
)of martyrdom(. Then, how would it be if you came out of
lastRamadanwithout such a position or martyrdom? There would be
nothing but failure and loss that one receives upon coming out
ofRamadanin this way.

Ramadan Articles - Be Grateful for Witnessing Ramadan

Although the days of one's life pass quickly justas those ofRamadan,
onefeels this quick passage especially inRamadan, because its days are
very short. The truth is, all of one's days are limited and short even
though a person does not feel it.
Allaah The Almighty has opened for you a new month ofRamadan. Having
pledged the last year to be better this year, in terms of
drawingcloser to Allaah The Almighty, having greater love for Allaah
The Almighty, and more sacrificing and striving for the sake of Allaah
TheAlmighty, this is the time to realize all those covenants. Suppose
you have been seized by Allaah The Almighty before reachingRamadanin
which you placed your hope, you would have neither received
forgiveness in the lastRamadan, nor reached thisRamadan. You have seen
how manyof your brothers and sisters in faith have been seized by
death, which makes no difference between the young and the old.
Another point which frightens one today, is that having seen one's
lethargy and laziness, and known that he neither takes the matter
seriously, nor cares for the forgiveness of Allaah The Almighty, nor
sacrifices anything for that, Allaah The Almighty may deprive him of
forgiveness. He may say: since you do not like it; you are too lazy
to do anything for it; you sacrifice nothing for it; and you do not
appreciate it in the manner that is due, then,you have been deprived
of it.
However, if one has strong determination today, now, it is time for
him to act accordingly. Allaah The Almighty has opened for him this
year the gates of forgiveness; and he, in turn, still has hope in His
generous countenance that He would not deprive him ofit, nor close His
gate in his face. Having entered with this wish, he should insist on
realizing this hope in Allaah The Almighty.
The following are some of the duties of the believers inRamadan:
1-ThankingAllaah The Almighty for the blessing of reaching the month ofRamadan
2-Sacrificing one's property, effort and time
Reaching the month ofRamadanis a great blessing that requires
continuous thanks to Allaah The Almighty. This was the way of the
righteous predecessors. If any of them was granted success by
AllaahThe Almighty to stand )in prayer( one night, then, in the
morning, he wouldobserve fasting out of gratitude to Allaah The
Almighty. Gratitude is one of the causes which increase these
blessings as confirmed by Allaah The Almighty in His Saying )what
means(:}And ]remember[ when your Lord proclaimed,"If you are grateful,
I will surely Increase you ]in favor[; but if you deny, indeed,
Mypunishment is severe."{]Quran 14:7[This causes Allaah The Almighty
to increase you in favor, draw close to you and provide for you.
TheHadeethnarrated on the authority of Talhahclarifies well the
blessing attained by reaching the month ofRamadan. In his vision, he
saw as if there were three men inJihaad)armed struggle in the cause of
Allaah The Almighty(, two of whom were martyred, and the gates of
Paradise were opened to them, and they saw theHoor)celestial maidens(
and although the third was awaited by his wife from among theHoor, he
did not fall as a martyr in the cause of Allaah The Almighty. She
said, "May Allaah disappoint you! What have you done in order not to
rise up to that rank?"A year later, he saw in a vision the third one
who died naturally and did not fall as a martyr in the cause of Allaah
The Almighty in a degree higher than that of his two fellows who had
fallen martyrs in the cause of Allaah. He related that to the
Messenger of Allaah,, who said:"Has he not prayed to Allaah six
thousand Rak'ahs? Has henot observed the fast of Ramadan?"Allaah The
Almighty caused him to survive this year that delayed him from his
fellows who fell as martyrs, and because of his prayers and fasting
during this year, he rose to a rank higher than that of the martyrs,
and became higher in position than those who were martyred in the way
of Allaah The Almighty, due to his righteous deeds, including, of
course, witnessingRamadan. Let us consider how one should praise his
Lord because He has granted him this great opportunity.

Fathwa - Menstruation: Irregular start 12-14 hrs gap between first spotting and regular bleeding

Question:
I am 42 years old. My period starts have been normal always. For the
last few months my period starts on the regular day as before, however
after the first spotting(which is sometimes very light, but of
menstruation) I have a 12-14 hrs gap before the actual regular
bleeding starts. What should I do during this gap regarding praying
and fasting etc. Should I do ghusl and keep praying till the regular
bleeding starts?
Answer:
In the name of Allah MostMerciful Most Compassionate
I pray you are well and in the best of health and iman.
In the Hanafi school, if the bleeding stops before the completion of72
hours, then you would need to make wudu and start your obligatory
worship; if it stops after 72 hours, then you would need to take a
ghusl and start your obligatory worship.If the bleeding occurs during
the day i.e. after fajr and before maghrib, during the possible days
of menstruation, then your fast would be invalidated. If there is
nobleeding during this time i.e. between fajr and maghrib, then you
are required to fast. And Allah alone gives success.

Fathwa - Interaction with Muslim husband and non-mehram non-Muslimlady

Question:
Is it permissible for a married man to be alone in his own home, with
a non-mehram non-Muslim woman who works for him, even if he treats her
as a sister? Would the case be any different if the wife of the
husband did not know about this meeting and was never told? Would it
be permissible if the married man was withanother man and this
non-mehram woman, and having a non-business conversation? Could you
please provide me with some Qu'ranic verses/hadiths as well,and
general advice on how the wife should approach her husband on this
matter?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
I pray all is well.
Whether the woman is Muslim or non-Muslim, oryou know about these
meetings or not, it remains impermissible for your husband to be alone
with her. However,if they are accompanied by another man or another
woman, then the situation is no longerkhalwa. However, even in that
scenario, caution should be exercised.
However, considering that your husband is married and that Islamic
marriages are predicatedon mutual respect and honesty, then it remains
imperative that he consult you when he needs to speak to this woman.
If there's a reason to bring her to your home, then he needs to make
sure this is okay with you and he needs to make sure you are present
when this woman visits.
However, it is not okay for your husband to hang out with this woman
just because she works for him. If there's some business matter to
discuss, then that's fine. But this should be done in a business
environment.
Allah Ta'ala says, "Say to the believing men to lower their gaze and
guard their modesty. That is purer for them, and Allah is aware of
what they do. And say to the believing women to lower their gaze and
guard their modesty..." (Surat an-Nur, 24:30-31).
The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, says, "A man and
woman do not remain alone in privacy except that the third amongst
them is shaytan" (Tirmidhi).
Since you're clearly uncomfortable with yourhusband's behavior,
thenyou need to talk to him. Don't condemn him. But do tell him that
you are uncomfortable with these meetings and would like to have the
same consideration applied to you that you apply to him. I'm assuming
that you don't bring non-mahram men into your home. Likewise, your
husband should have the same consideration for you when he interacts
with non-mahram women.
I pray you work things out, emphasizing what ismost pleasing to Allah
and most conducive to the sanctity of your marriage.
Wasalaam,

Fathwa - Breastfeeding another persons baby

Question:
I breastfed someone else's baby one time. Are the rulings of fosterage
established after nursing only once? If so, what rightsmust I fulfill
for the baby, and what rights must she fulfill for me?The mother of
the baby is Hanafi, and I am Shafi''i. Does this matter?
Answer:
In the name of Allah MostMerciful Most Compassionate
I pray you are well and in the best of health and iman.
If the baby is younger than two lunar years old,then according to the
Hanafi school, this girl is your milk-daughter; in the Shafii school
she would need to have 5 separate feedings from the breast. For her
this would mean that your husband, his father, his brothers, his sons
and your father, your brothers and your sons are her mahram
relatives(non-marriageable kin). This is if the milk you have is from
a pregnancyfrom your husband, otherwise it would just be your
relatives that would be her mahram relatives.
The rights are that of anyMuslim on any Muslim.
And Allah alone gives success.

The Prophet’s humbleness

Prophet Muhammadwas a perfect model of modesty and humbleness. Henever
spoke loudly or in an unseemly manner.In the market, he always passed
by the people quietly with a smile. Whenever he heard anything
undesirable in an assembly, he did not say anythingout of respect for
the people, butthe color of his face showed his feelings and the
Companions became cautious. `Aa'ishahsaid that she never saw Allaah's
Messengerlaughing so that she could see his molar teeth, forhe only
used to smile.
`Abdullaah Ibn Maslamahreported Allaah's Messengeras saying:"Modesty
is a part of the teachings of the previous prophets and anyone who
lacks itis most likely to do whatever he likes."Zaydreported Allaah's
Messengeras saying:"Every religion has a character and the character
of Islam is modesty."
The Messenger of Allaahlived a simple and modest life, both in Makkah
as a trader before his prophethood, and in Al-Madeenah as the head of
the State after being appointed Allaah's Messenger. The change inhis
social status from that of a trader in Makkah to the head of the State
in Al-Madeenah did not bring any change in his modest living.
`Umarreported the Prophetas saying:"Do not exalt me as the Christians
have exalted Jesus, son of Mary. I am just His servant, so call me
Allaah's Servant and Messenger."
The Prophetdid not behave towards others as if he was better than they
were, nor did hespurn manual work. `Abdullaah bin Abi `Awfareported
that the Prophet of Allaahnever disdained to go with a slave or a
widow to accomplish his or her tasks. Others reported that the
Prophetused to tidy up his house, tie the camels, feed the animals,
take food with his servants, and help them in kneading dough and
bringing provisions from the market. Anasreported that the Prophet of
Allaahused to visit the sick, attend funerals, ride on a donkey and
accept a slave's invitation for a meal. Jaabirstated that
theProphetused to slow down his pace for the sake of the weak and also
prayed for them.
When `Adiyy bin Haatimcameto see the Prophethe called him inside his
house. A maidservant brought a cushion to rest on, but the
Prophetplaced it between him and `Adiyyand sat down on the floor.
`Adiyy later said that he had then immediately realized that the
Prophetwas not a king. A similar incident was reported by `Abdullaah
bin `Amr bin Al-`Aaswho said: "Once when the Messenger of Allaahcame
to my house, I gave him a cushion filled with bark, but he sat down on
the floor placing the cushion between me and him."
Prophet Muhammadwas humble in all things. Anassaid that the
Prophetwould accept an invitation even if he was presented barley
bread and soup whose taste had changed. He also reported the Prophetas
saying:"I am Allaah's servant, Ieat like a servant and sit like a
servant.''
On one of his journeys, the Prophet,asked his companions to roast a
goat. One said that he would slaughter the animal; another said that
he would skin it, while a third said that he would cook it. The
Prophetthen said that he would collect wood for fuel. Theirresponse
was: "O Messenger of Allaah! We will do everything." The Prophetthen
said:"I haveno doubt that you will. But I do not like distinctions to
be made, nor does Allaah like any one of His servants to assert his
superiority over his companions."
His self-deprecation was such that heonce said: "By Allaah, I do not
know, even although I am Allaah's messenger, what my fate in the next
world will be, nordo I know what yours will be."
Abu Tharr Al-Ghifaarinarratesthat one day he was sitting with another
companion of black complexion whom he addressed as: "O black man."
When the Prophetheard of this, he was greatly displeased and cautioned
Abu Tharr never to make scornfulremarks to anyone, whoever he might
be, and to accord equal treatment to all, adding: "No white man has
any superiority over a black man."
The Prophetonce saw a wealthy Muslim gathering up his loose garments
so that a certain distance would be kept between himself and a poor
Muslim sittingclose by. Heremarked:"Do you fear that his poverty will
cling to you?"
The Prophetlived like any ordinary person, and did not assume any
superior rights. He once had to borrow some moneyfrom a Jew called
Zayd bin Sana'a.The Jew came to demand the immediate return of the
loan a few days before the expiry of the stipulated period. Tugging at
the mantle around the Prophet's shoulders, he jibed that the progeny
of 'Abd Al-Muttalib were always defaulters.
`Umarnot being able to tolerate this misbehavior on the part of the
Jew, started berating him, and was on the point of beating him when
the Prophetsaid to the Jew, smiling:"There are still three days to go
before the promise has to be fulfilled."To 'Umarhesaid:"We might have
had better treatment from you. You could have advised me to be more
careful about the return of loans and you could have advised the Jew
to be more courteous in demanding repayment."Hethen requested 'Umarto
get some dates so that the loan could be repaid, and to give the Jew
an extra forty kilograms for the rebuke he had been given.
We can say that humbleness is seen in every sphere of the Prophet's
life. His way of talking, walking, sitting, eating and every aspect of
his life reflected humbleness.

Etiquettes related to debtand loaning - II

The Debtor:
Repaying the creditor on time:The debtor should take initiative to
repay the creditor as soon as the loan is due. If the debtor is
financially unable to repay it all, then at least he should start
paying in installments if he possesses the money to do so. One should
rush in repayment, because loans will be a hard thingon him in his
gave.
Repaying in the best manner:The debtor should repay in the best
manner. Abu Hurayrahreported: "A harsh Bedouin came to the Messenger
of Allaahasking him to repay a young camel hehad borrowed from this
Bedouin. The Bedouin used harsh words when he was demanding his money,
so the companions were about to strike him for doing so, but the
Messenger of Allaahsaid:"Leave him! Indeed a creditor has the right
todemand it )i.e. his loan("the companions could not find a young
camel among the brought ones)from Zakaah( to match the level of that
which was borrowed, and informed the Messenger of Allaahthat all the
camels were of the best type. The Prophetsaid:"Give it to him, for it
is the best of all people who pays back in the best manner."']Muslim[.
In another narration narrated by Abu Sa'eedthe Prophettold the
companionswho were enraged with the Bedouin:"You should side with the
one who is demanding his right"
Unfortunately, nowadays people hardly side with the one demanding his
right, and in some cases even judges deprive people from their rights,
and receive bribes to sidewith the debtor instead of siding with the
creditor … woe to them and what a severe punishment awaits them in
Hell on the Day of Judgment.
When the Bedouin saw the good manner in which the Prophetrepaid him,
he thanked him, and thereupon the Prophetsaid:"These are the best type
of people )i.e. who repay in the best manner(. There is no good in a
nation whose poor cannot take their rights from their rich without
being harassed"the Prophetsaid this because sometimes the poor might
get his right back but only after he suffers and is delayed and is put
in embarrassing situations.
Additionally, the debtor must rely on Allaah in his attempt to repay
the creditor. Abu Hurayrahreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"A
man from the children of Israeli asked another to lend him one
thousand Deenaars. The second said, `I want a surety witness' the
former replied, `Allaah is sufficient as a surety witness' The second
said, you areright, and he lent him the money for an appointed time.
The debtor went across the sea, and when he finished his job, he
searched for a conveyance so thathe might reach in time for the
repayment of the debt, but he could not find any. So, he took a piece
of wood, made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Deenaars and a
letter to the lender and then closed )i.e. sealed( the hole tightly.
He took the piece of wood to the sea and said: "O Allaah! You know
very well that I took a loan of one thousand Deenaars from so-and-so.
He demanded a surety from me but I told him that Allaah's Guarantee
was sufficient, and he accepted Your Guarantee. He thenasked for a
witness and I told him that Allaah was sufficient as a witness, and he
acceptedYou as a witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance
so that I could pay his money but I could not find any, so I hand over
this money to You" Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the
sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile he
started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor's
country.
One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had
arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of
wood )i.e. the one in which his money had been deposited(. He took it
home to use for fire. When he sawed it, hefound his money and the
letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one
thousand Deenaars to him and said, By Allaah, I had been trying hard
to get a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to get
one before the one I have come by. The lender asked,have you sent
something to me? The debtor replied, `I have told you I could not get
a boat other than the one I have come by. The lender said, `Allaah has
delivered on your behalf the money you sent in the piece of wood. So,
youmay keep your one thousand Deenaars so depart guided on theright
path"]Al-Bukhaari[.
This is the consequence of relying on Allaah, and when one's intention
is sincere in repayment, then Allaah will assist himin his attempt.
The problem that faces many indebted people is that they are not truly
sincere in their intention to repay the debt to the creditor and thus
they become deprived of the assistance of Allaah.
Procrastinating payment:Some debtors delay and procrastinate for no
needeven when they have themoney to repay, but he acts so mean and low
and pays back in installments to the creditor. One might have a debt
of fifty thousand for example, and starts repaying five hundred every
month, other months he might pay only two hundred, and a third month
he would pay a thousand and so on, despite him having the entire
amount, but he just wants the creditorto give up on him and hisdebt,
and this is extreme stinginess.
Such people make the creditor appear like the poor person who is
chasing after money, whilst it is his right. He forces him in some
cases to beg him to repay, so that he )i.e. the creditor( can fulfill
his own obligations which he might have arranged their payment based
on the agreed upon promiseof repayment from the debtor.
Finally, it is recommended that the debtor says nice words ofgratitude
to the creditor upon repaying him as this softens the heart
andencourages the creditor to loan others in the future.

Etiquettes related to debtand loaning - I

Many social problems result from loans becausemany people overlook the
etiquettes which Islam legislated for the debtor and the creditor, and
should the debtors and the creditors adhere to such etiquettes, then
many problems would besolved.
Some of these etiquettes regarding the creditor are to delay the
debtor who is unable to pay on due time and to drop the debt from the
needy. On the other hand, the debtor should rush and repay the loan as
soon as he is able to and not to procrastinate repayment.In part one
of this article we will address what is related to the creditor, while
part two will concentrate on matters pertaining to the debtor.
The Creditor:
· Giving respite to thedebtor: When the time ofrepayment is
due, then the one who was kind to his brother and loaned him some
money should remember the Saying of Allaah )which means(:"And if
someone is in hardship, then ]let there be[ postponementuntil ]a time
of[ ease. But if you give ]from your right as[ charity, then it is
better for you, if you only knew."]Quran 2: 280[.
In this verse, Allaah enjoins patience and tolerance for the one who
is poor and cannot repay on time and that the creditor should postpone
the deadline. This command came to change the old practice during
pre-Islamic era were the creditor used tosay to the debtor: "Either
you pay or I start calculating interest on the loan". Also, the verse
comes directly after the verses addressing the issue of Riba )i.e.
interest and usury( in which Allaah Says )what means(:"O you who have
believed, fear Allaah and give up what remains]due to you[ of Riba
)i.e. interest and interest(, if you should be believers. And if you
do not, then be informed of a war ]against you[ from Allaah and His
Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal-]thus[ you
do no wrong, nor are you wronged."]Quran 2: 278-279[. Allaah did not
specify the type of war He would wage against those who deal with
Riba; whether it is in the form of afflicting them with diseases,
making them suffer famine and poverty or a military war.
Jaabirreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"May Allaah show mercy
to a man who adopts a kind attitude when he sells, buys and demands
for the repayment of loans."]Al-Bukhaari[ Thisperson deserved the
mercy of Allaah because he dealt with people kindly and postponed
theone who could not repay him and whenever askedfor his money, he
demanded it gently with kind words as not to hurtthe feelings of the
debtor.
These prophetic narrations deeply affected the companionsand they
acted upon them. 'Abdullaah Ibn Abu Qataadahreported: "My father )i.e.
Abu Qataadah( went to a manwho was indebted to him, so the debtor hid
from him. Later, Abu Qataadah saw the debtorand requested his moneybut
the later informed him that he could not repay him because he didnot
possess the money and that his financial situation was very tight.
Upon hearing this, Abu Qataadah, asked the mansaying; `Are you really
in a tight situation? ` The man responded with the affirmative.
Thereupon my father said: I heard the Messenger of Allaahsaying:"He
who likes Allaahto deliver him from the calamities of the Day of
Resurrection, let him either give respite to a debtor or grant him
remission )of loans( in straitened circumstances." Then he
cried"]Muslim[
In another narration, hesaid:"He who gives respite to someone who is
in straitened circumstances, or grants him remission, Allaah will
shelter him in the shade of His Throne, on theDay of Resurrection,
when there will be no shade except His shade."]At-Tirmithi[
Abu Qataadahwas notthe only one who behaved in such a manner. Rather,
this was the way the entire community of the companionsdealt with each
other.
Many of the companions delayed the debtors who could not pay on time
forlong periods, and in many cases they even dropped and waived the
entire debt altogether.
This was so because they lived the prophetic narrations practically in
their lives. Some of them used to lend others just to get the reward
mentioned in some narrations like the sayingof the Messenger of
Allaah:"Any Muslim who lends another Muslim twice will get a reward as
if he has spent this money in charity."Anothernarration that was an
encouraging factor is thesaying of the Messenger of Allaah:"He who
gives respite to someone who is in straitened circumstances, will geta
reward as if he has spent this amount in charity for every day he
delays him until its due date, and after it becomes due he will get
double such reward."
Giving respite and delaying those in tough situations can be the
reason of rescuing oneself from Hell. Abu Hurayrahreported that the
Messenger of Allaahsaid:"There was a person who used to loan money to
the people and he used to say to his servant: `When an insolvent
person comes to you, show him leniency so that Allaah may forbear our
faults. ` So whenhe met Allaah )i.e., when he died(, Allaah forgave
him."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
Abu Mas`ood Al-Badrireported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"A
person from amongst the people who lived before you was called to
account by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection. No good deeds were found
in his credit except that he, being a richman, had )financial(
dealings with people and had commandedhis servants to show leniency to
those who were in straitened circumstances. Upon this, Allaah, the
Exalted and Majestic Said: `I am more entitled to this attribute, so
waive )his faults(.`"]Muslim[
The abovementioned verses and narrations area great encouragement for
the creditor to postpone and give respite to the debtors who can not
repay on time due to their strenuous situations. They are messages to
the rich who lend others and embarrass them and humiliate them, and
may even be the cause for their imprisonment. Indeed, the creditor has
the right to do so, but Allaah Says )what means(:"… but whoever
pardons and makes reconciliation, then his reward is ]due[ from Allaah
…"]Quran 42: 40[.
Undoubtedly, the reward from Allaah is far better than money which is
an interim pleasure.

Dought & clear ,- - Supplications prescribed in Shareeah - Ruling on saying Bala (yes indeed) when the verse “Is not Allaah the Best of judges?” [al-Teen 95:8] is recited.

What is the ruling on saying Bala (yes indeed)when the imam says "Is
not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8]? Or is that bid'ah (an
innovation)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with the person who is praying behind the imam
saying that, or sayingSubhaanaka fa bala(Glory be to You, yesindeed)
and so on, whenthe imam recites (interpretation of the meaning):"Is
not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the dead?"
[al-Qiyaamah 75:40]or"Is not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen
95:8].
This is the view of the Maalikis. It says inMawaahib al-Jaleel(2/253):
If there is a mention of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) in the imam's recitation, there is nothing wrong with the
person who is praying behind him sending blessings on him, or if there
is any mention of Paradise or Hell, there is nothing wrong with asking
Allaah for Paradise or seeking refuge with Himfrom Hell, and that may
happen time after time. The same applies to a person saying, when
theimam says"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the
dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40]: Yes, He is Able to do all things, and so
on.
This is also the view of the Hanbalis. It says inSharh
al-Muntaha(1/206): The worshipper may saySubhaanaka fa bala(Glory be
to You, yesindeed) and so on, when(the imam) recites (interpretation
of the meaning):"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to
the dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40], whether it is an obligatory or naafil
prayer, because of the report. With regard to the verse"Is not Allaah
the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8], the report is subject to further
discussion. End quote.
See:al-Furoo'(1/481) andal-Insaaf(2/107).
The report referred to was narrated by Abu Dawood (884) from Moosa ibn
Abi 'Aa'ishah who said: A man was praying on his roof, and when he
recited the verse"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life
to the dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40], he would saySubhaanaka fa
bala(Glory be to You, yes indeed). They asked him about that and he
said: I heard it from the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him).
Its isnaad is da'eef, because there is an interruption between Moosa
and the Sahaabi, and there is at least one other man omitted, as was
stated by al-Hafiz inal-Nukat al-Ziraaf(11/210) andNataa'ij
al-Afkaar(2/48).
Even if the report were saheeh, it does not meanthat this is to be
done in an obligatory prayer, rather what seems to be the case is that
the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do that
in obligatory prayers, because if he did that it would have been
narrated, as it was narrated that he did it innight prayers (qiyaam
al-layl). In the hadeeth of Hudhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
it says: I prayed with the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) one night, and he started to recite al-Baqarah and I
thought: he will bow when he reaches one hundred, but he carried on.
Then I thought that he would finish it in the two rak'ahs, but he
carried on. Then I thought he would bow after finishing it, but he
started to recite al-Nisa' and recited it all, then hestarted to
recite Aal 'Imraan and recited it all,reciting with a slow and
measured pace. When he reached a verse that spoke of glorifying
Allaah, he glorified Allaah; when he reacheda verse that spoke of
asking of Him, he asked of Him; when he reacheda verse that spoke of
seeking refuge with Him, he sought refuge with Him... Narrated by Muslim
(772).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
But with regard to naafilprayer, especially in night prayers (qiyaam
al-layl), it is Sunnah to seek refuge with Allaah when reciting a
verse that speaks of seeking refuge, and to ask (for mercy) when
reciting a verse that speaks of mercy, following the example of the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
andbecause that helps one to focus more and ponder more deeply. When
praying qiyaam al-layl it is Sunnah to recite at length, and to recite
a great deal and bow and prostrate and so on. But in an obligatory
prayer, it is not Sunnah to do this although it is permissible. If
someone were to say: What is your evidence for this distinction, and
you were to say that what is proven concerning naafil prayers also
applies to obligatory prayers,
Our answer is: the evidence for this is that the Messenger(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) offered three prayers every night and
day in which he recited out loud, and he recited verses which spoke of
warnings, and verses which spoke of mercy, and the Sahaabah who
transmitted from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) how the prayer is to be performed did not narrate that he used to
do that in the obligatoryprayers. If it was Sunnahhe would have done
it, and if he had done it, it would have been transmitted. As it was
not transmitted, we know that he did not do it. As he did not do it,
weknow that it is not Sunnah. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with
them) were keen tofollow everything that the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, to such an extent that they
couldtell when he was reciting in the prayers inwhich Qur'aan is
recited silently from the movement of his beard. When he fell silent
between the opening takbeer and recitation, Abu Hurayrah asked him
what he said, and if he had fallen silent when reciting a verse that
spoke of warning to seek refuge with Allaah, or in a verse that spoke
of mercy to ask of Allaah,they would undoubtedlyhave transmitted it.
If someone were to say: If that is the case, then why do you not say
that it is not allowed in an obligatory prayer, as some scholars did,
because the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Pray as you have seen me praying" (al-Bukhaari (602))?
The answer is: The fact that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) did not do a thing does not mean that it is forbidden,
because he(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave us a basic
principle: "This prayer is not the right place for any of the people's
speech, rather it is tasbeeh, takbeer and recitation of Qur'aan."
Narrated by Muslim (537). Du'aa' is not "people's speech" so it does
not invalidate prayer. So the basic principle is that it is
permissible, but we do not recommend a person to do that in an
obligatory prayer, for the reasons given above.
So the reciter may say it when he recites (interpretation of the
meaning):"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the
dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40], because there is a hadeeth about it and
Imam Ahmad stated that and said: If the reciter recites ...during prayer
or otherwise, he may say:Subhaanakafa bala(Glory to You, yes indeed),
in both obligatory and naafil prayers.
And if he recites"Is not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8],
he may saySubhaanaka fa bala(Glory to You, yes indeed).
End quote fromal-Sharh al-Mumti'(1/604-605).
The Shaykh (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: We have heard
some people who were praying in congregation,when the imam recites"Is
not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8], they say:Bala(yes
indeed). Is that acceptable?
He replied: This is acceptable, because when Allaah says,"Is not
Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8], you may say; Bala (Yes
indeed). And whenever similar verses are recited, we may say Bala(Yes
indeed).
"Is not Allaah Sufficient for His slave?" [al-Zumar 39:36]- you may
say Yes indeed.
"Is not Allaah All-Mighty, Possessor of Retribution?" [al-Zumar
39:37]- you may say Yes indeed.
"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the dead?"
[al-Qiyaamah 75:40]- you may say Yes indeed.
But if saying this will distract the worshipper from listening to the
imam, then he should not do it. But if it comes at the end of a verse
where the imam will pause, then it will not distract him, so when he
says:"Is not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen95:8], he may say Yes
indeed. End quote fromLiqa' al-Baab il-Maftooh(11/81).
Note: The hadeeth referred to in the words quoted from Ibn Muflih
"subject to further discussion" was narratedby Abu Dawood (887) and
al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever among you recites
(interpretation of the meaning):'By the fig, and the olive' [al-Teen
95:1]and comes to the end of it,'Is not Allaah the Best of judges?'
[al-Teen 95:8], let him sayBala wa ana 'ala dhaalika min
al-shaahideen(yes indeed, and I am one of the witnesses to that). And
if he recites (interpretation of the meaning):'I swear by the Day of
Resurrection' [al-Qiyaamah 75:1]and comes to the end of it,"Is not He
(Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the dead?" [al-Qiyaamah
75:40], let him say Bala (yes indeed). And if he recites'By the winds
(or angels or the Messengers of Allaah) sent forth one after another'
[al-Mursalaat 77:1]and he reaches (the verse) (interpretation of the
meaning):'Then in what statement after this (the Qur'aan) will they
believe?' [al-Mursalaat 77:50], let him say:Aamanna Billaah(we believe
in Allaah)." The isnaad of this hadeeth includes a majhool (unknown)
narrator, as was stated by al-Tirmidhi after quotingit. It was classed
as da'eef by a number of imams, such as al-Nawawi inal-Majmoo'(3/563)
and others. Al-Albaani quoted it inDa'eef Abi Dawood.

Dought & clear ,- - Supplications prescribed in Shareeah - The du’aa’ which saved the Sahaabi from the thief, in which are the words “Yaa Wadood,yaa Dhaa’l-‘arsh il’majeed (O Most Loving,O Owner of the majestic Throne)”.

I would like to find out the status of these ahaadeeth, because I
received this message via e-mail and I do not know how sound it is:
Read it three times and Allaah will answer, in sha Allaah.
"O Most Loving, O Most Loving, O Owner of the majestic Throne, O
Initiator, O Returner, O You Who do whatever You will, I ask You by
theLight of Your Countenance which fills the pillars of Your Throne,
and I ask You by Your Power by which You control all of Your creation,
and I ask You by Your mercy which encompasses all things, there is no
god but You, O Helper help me" – three times.
Praise be to Allaah.
The du'aa' mentioned was narrated in a hadeeth which tells a story
that is well known and widely circulated in chat rooms and forums, and
perhaps it is appropriate to quote it so that we may explain about it.
It was narrated that Anasibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: There was one of the companions of the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), one of the Ansaar, who was known by
the kunyah of Abu Mu'allaq. He was a merchant who did trade with his
own wealth andon behalf of others, and he used to travel all over, and
he was a piousascetic. He went out on one occasion and was met by an
armed thief who said to him: Give me what you have, for I will kill
you. He said: You do not need my blood, all you want is the wealth. He
said: As for the wealth, it is mine; all I want is your blood. He
said: If you insist, then let me pray four rak'ahs. He said: Pray as
much as you want. So he did wudoo', then he prayed four rak'ahs, and
amongthe words that he said indu'aa' in the last prostration were: "O
Most Loving, O Most Loving, O Owner of the majestic Throne, O
Initiator, O Returner, O You Who do whatever You will, I ask You by
theLight of Your Countenance which fills the pillars of Your Throne,
and I ask You by Your Power by which You control all of Your creation,
and I ask You by Your mercy which encompasses all things, there is no
god but You, O Helper help me" – three times.
He said this du'aa' three times, then he saw a horseman who was
holding a spear betweenthe ears of his horse, and when the thief saw
him, he turned to him and stabbed him and killed him, then he turned
to him and said: Get up. He said: Who are you, may my father and
mother be sacrificed for you? Allaah has helped me by you today. He
said: I am an angel from the fourth heaven. Whenyou said your du'aa'
the first time, I heard the gates of heaven tremble,then when you said
yourdu'aa' the second time I heard a noise from the people of heaven,
then when you said your du'aa' the third time it was said to me: The
du'aa' of one who is in distress, and I asked Allaah to let me kill
him.
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: So you should know
thatwhoever does wudoo' and prays four rak'ahs and recites this
du'aa', will receive an answer, whether he is in distress or not.
Narrated by Ibn Abi'l-Dunya inMajaabi al-Da'wah(64)
andal-Hawaatif(24). It was also narrated via this isnaad by
al-Laalkaa'i inSharh Usool al-I'tiqaad(5/166), in a chapter
entitledSiyaaq ma ruwiya min karaamaat AbiMu'allaq(Reports of the
miracles of Abu Mu'allaq). And it was narrated by Abu Moosa al-Madeeni
– as stated byal-Haafiz Ibn Hajar inal-Isaabah(7/379) in his biography
of Abu Mu'allaq al-Ansaari, and he quoted it in full in his
bookal-Wazaa'if. It was narrated from him by hisstudent Ibn al-Atheer
inAsad al-Ghaabah(6/295).All of them narrated it via al-Kalbi from
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him).
But the report of al-Kalbiwas unclear and the reports from him varied.
On one occasion he narrated it from al-Hasan from Anas – as in the
report of Ibn Abi'l-Dunya.
On another occasion he narrated it from al-Hasan from Ubayy ibn Ka'b –
as mentioned by Ibn Hajar inal-Isaabah, concerning the isnaad ofAbu
Moosa al-Madeeni.
On another occasion he narrated it from Abu Saalih from Anas – as in
the report of Ibn al-Atheer from Abu Moosa al-Madeeni.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This isnaad is problematic, and the problem stems either from the
unknown al-Kalbi or from someone further back inthe isnaad than him.
Al-Hasan – i.e., al-Basri – was mudallis and he used the word 'an
[meaning "from"], so theisnaad is weak.
It is strange that Abu Mu'allaq is mentioned asbeing one of the
Sahaabah, but they did not mention anything toprove that he was such,
apart from this fabricated text with this weak isnaad. Hence – and
Allaah knows best – it was not narrated by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr
inal-Isti'aab. Al-Dhahabi said inal-Tajreed(2/204): He has an amazing
hadeeth, but itsisnaad includes al-Kalbi, who is not thiqah
(trustworthy). It is narrated in Mujaaboo al-Da'wah, and you can see
when you read it that he said concerning al-Kalbi: He is not thiqah
(trustworthy). This indicates that no attention was paid to what he
said in the isnaad, "he is not the author of the Tafseer", because
al-Kalbi who is the author of the Tafseeris known not to be
trustworthy. It says inal-Mughni: They rejectedhim, and he was
regarded as a liar by Sulaymaan al-Taymi, Zaa'idah, and Ibn Ma'een. He
was also rejected by Ibn Qattaan and 'Abd al-Rahmaan.
It is also strange that thisstory was quoted by Ibn al-Qayyim at the
beginning of his bookal-Jawaab al-Kaafi li mansa'ala 'an al-Dawa'
al-Shaafifrom this reportof Ibn Abi'l-Dunya, attributing it to
al-Hasanwithout commenting on its isnaad!
Al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah(5737)
I say:
Al-Kalbi has a corroborating report from Maalik ibn Dinar. Al-Qushayri
narrated a similar story inal-Risaalah al-Qushayriyyah(2/85, 86,
chapter on Du'aa') and said:
Abu'l-Husayn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bashraan in Baghdad told us: Abu
'Amr 'Uthmaan ibn Ahmad, who was known as Ibn al-Sammaak, told us:
Muhammad ibn 'Abd Rabbihi al-Hadrami told us: Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik
told us: Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj told us: Maalik ibn Dinar said: al-Hasan
told us, from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) … and
he quoted the hadeeth.
But this corroborating report is not valid, because there are two
problems with this isnaad:
-1-
Muhammad ibn 'Abd Rabbihi al-Hadrami – I could find no biography for him.
-2-
Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik, who narrated it from Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj: I
do not know him either. There were three men with this name whose
biographies I found:
(i)Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malikal-Khuzaa'i, their freed slave from Mosul,
who narrated from Ghassaan ibn al-Rabee' and Muhammad ibn Sulayman
Laween and a number of others. Al-Tabaraani narrated from him.
(ii)Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik Abu Yazeed al-Kufi who settled in Basra.
He narrated from 'Awn ibn Moosa and 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan
ibn Ibraaheem al-Ansaari. Abu Haatim wrote from him in Basra and Abu
Zur'ah narrated from him. He was asked abouthim and said he was a
Shaykh.
Al-Jarh wa'l-Ta'deelby Ibn Abi Haatim (2/362).
(iii)Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik al-'Utbi, who narrated from Yahya ibn
Sa'eed al-Ansaari. Abu Sa'eed al-Ashajj narratedfrom him.
Al-Thiqaatby Ibn Hibbaan (6/97).
As you can see, it seems that none of them are the one mentioned in the hadeeth.
But al-Haafiz Ibn Makoola mentioned inal-Ikmaal(5/101) a report
narrated from Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj under the name of Bishraan ibn 'Abd
al-Malik, and he said:
As for Bishraan, he is Bishraan ibn 'Abd al-Malik, and I think he was
Mawsili (from Mosul). He narrated hadeeth from Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj
ibn 'Imraan al-Samarqandi in Baysaan from Maalik ibn Dinar.
End quote.
Perhaps this is the one who is referred to, and his name was shortened
in the book of al-Qushayri to Bishr.
As for Ibn al-Sammaak, he is thiqah (trustworthy). His biography is
inSiyarA'laam al-Nubala'by al-Dhahabi (17/312).
The same is true of Maalik ibn Dinar (d. 127 AH). His biography is
inTahdheeb al-Tahdheeb(10/15).
To sum up:
The story and the du'aa' are not saheeh (sound) in any way whatsoever,
although there is nothing wrong with the phrases used in the du'aa';
rather the words are sound and good, as testified by the texts of the
Qur'aan and Sunnah.But that does not mean that the one who says this
du'aa' will necessarily be saved, or that we should believe that
Allaah will help the one who says it. Such matters depend on the
soundness of the isnaad going back to the Prophet(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). As the isnaadin this case is not saheeh, we
should not believe that. But if anyone wants to memorize these words
and recite them in du'aa', without regarding them as something that is
prescribed in Islam, there is nothing wrong with that in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear ,- - Supplications prescribed in Shareeah - Guidelines on shar’i wird.

Is reading some sorts of daroods like darood-taj and darood_lakhi and
darood_tunajaiyna etc bidaa`t.
Praise be to Allaah.
We know nothing aboutwhat is in these wirds (daroods), but we can tell
you some guidelines that you can follow in order to know what is
prescribed in Islam and what is bid'ah:
1 – The best wirds are those whose words were narrated from the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because Allaah did
not choose forhim anything but the most perfect and the best, and he
did not choose anything but that for his ummah.
2 – It is permissible for a person to send blessings upon the
Prophet(peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) in words that were
not narrated (in sharee'ah), so long asthey do not include anything
that is forbidden, such as exaggerating about him,or praying to Allaah
by virtue of the Prophet, or calling upon him insteadof Allaah.
3 – The one who is remembering Allaah (reciting dhikr) should not
specify any particular time, number or manner of reciting dhikr unless
that is proven with saheeh evidence, because Allaahcannot be
worshipped except in the manner that He has prescribed inHis Book or
on the lips ofHis Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). Worship must be that which is prescribed in sharee'ah, with
regard to the act itself, the manner in which it is done, the time
when it is done andhow many times it is done. Whoever adopts a wird
whose wording was not narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), or specifies aparticular number of times or does
it at a specific time, is committing bid'ah.
The scholars called this bid'ahal-bid'ah al-idaafiyyah(additional
innovation??), because the action itself is prescribed in sharee'ah,
but some innovation hasbeen added to it with regard to the manner, the
number of times or when it is to be done.
You should note that all goodness rests in following that which
hasbeen narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). Whoever studies those who recite made-up wirds will find
that usually they are falling short when it comes to doing that which
was narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) such as thedhikrs for morning and evening, etc. This confirms
what was narrated from one of thesalaf, who said that no person ever
introduces an innovation but he gives up an equivalent Sunnah.
And Allaah knows best.

Encouragement Stories: Confidence Building Story: Fathers Eyes

A teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very
special relationship. The father believed in encouragement. Even
though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the
stands cheering. He nevermissed a game.
This young man was the smallest of the class whenhe entered high school.
His father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that
hedid not have to play football if he didn't want to.
But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was
determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he would get
to play when he became a senior.
All through high school he never missed a practice or a game, but
remained a bench warmer all four years. Hisfaithful father was always
in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the
young man went to college, he decided to try out for thefootball team
as a"walk-on."
Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The
coachadmitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts
his heart and soul to every practice, and at thesame time, provided
the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The
news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed
to the nearest phone and calledhis father.
His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all
the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice
during his four years at college, but he never got to play in the
game.
It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto
the practice field shortly before the big play off game, the coach met
him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became
deathly silent.
Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach,"My father died this morning.
Is it all right if I miss practice today?"
The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the
rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the
game on Saturday." Saturday arrived, and thegame was not going well.
In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent
young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his
football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players
were astounded to see their faithful team-mate back so soon.
"Coach, please let me play. I have just got to play today," said the young man.
The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his
worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted,
and finally feeling sorry for young man, the coachgave in. "All
right," he said. "You can go in." Before long, the coach, the players
and everyonein the stands could not believe their eyes. This little
unknown, who had never played before, wasdoing everything right. The
opposing team couldnot stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked and
tackled like a star. His team began to triumph.
The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this
young man intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning
touchdown. The fans broke loose. His team-mates hoisted him onto their
shoulders. Such cheering you have never heard!
Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and
left the locker room, the coach noticed that the young man was sitting
quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said,
"Young man, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got
into you? How did you do it?"
Young man looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said,
"Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?"
The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile,"Dad came to all my
games, but today was thefirst time he could see meplay, and I wanted
to show him I could do it!"
Remember:
*."Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."
*."Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by
peoplewho have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
*."Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimescourage is the quiet voice at
the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."

Encouragement Stories: Encouraging Lesson from a Frog Tale

A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going
about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit.
All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be
done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the
rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the
two frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their
fate, because they were as good as dead.
Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump
withall of their might.
Some of the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless and that
the two frogs would not be in that situation if they had been more
careful, more obedient tothe froggy rules, and more responsible. The
other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting thatthey should save their
energy and give up, sincethey were already as good as dead.
The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could and after
several hours of desperate effort were quite weary.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent
and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at
the bottom of the pit and died as the others lookedon in helpless
grief. The other frog continued to jump with every ounce ofenergy he
had, although his body was wracked with pain and he was completely
exhausted.
His companions began a new, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop
the pain and just die. The weary frog jumped harder and harder and -
wonder of wonders! Finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit.
Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculousfreedom and then
gathering around him asked, "Why did you continue jumping when we told
you it was impossible?" Reading their lips, the astonished frog
explained to them that he was deaf and thatwhen he saw their gestures
and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. What he had
perceived as encouragement inspiredhim to try harder and to succeed
against all odds.
This simple Frog story contains a powerful lesson. Your encouragingor
positive words can lift someone up and help him or her make it through
the day. Your destructive or negative words can cause deep wounds;
they may be the weapons that destroy someone's desire to continue
trying - or even their life. Your destructive, careless word can
diminish someone in the eyes of others, destroy their influence and
have a lasting impact on the way others respond to them.
Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur'an: "Have We not made for him two
eyes, And a tongue and two lips?" (Surat Al-Balad,90:8-9).
It is narrated that the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw)has said:
"Affliction caused by the tongue is worse than (that caused by) the
strike of the blade of a sword."
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path
because a word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an
hour of praise after success.
The power of words:
Words can be weapons. Words can wound, humiliate and inflict painfar
greater than physical violence. Words can be used to inflame passions,
to arouse anger, to declare war and to destroy. But just as potent as
they are as weapons, Words can also heal wounds and make peace. They
can be soothing to those in grief, they can offer hopeto those in
despair. Indeed, well-chosen words have a power and a beauty that can
project well beyond one lifetime.Think of the great works of
literature that still enrich our lives today, centuries after they
werewritten.
It is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go
such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of
the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual
who willtake the time to encourage another. It has been narrated that
the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) was asked: "O Messenger of Allah,
which of the Muslims is best?" and he relied, "He who the Muslims are
safe from his tongue and his hand."