Fiqh of Inheritance, - Conditions of Inheritance

Just as inheritance has causes and impediments, it also has conditions
that should be fulfilled. They might be summed up in the following
three:
First condition: The death of the person inherited
This means that the owner of theinheritance should have died, since
his property cannot be inherited while he is still living. The death
of the owner of property might be:
In reality, i.e., he really dies and this is confirmed by observation
or the testimony of just witnesses;
In judgment, i.e., a judge passes a judgment of his death, like in the
case of a missing person when there is no hope of finding him.
Second condition:To learn that the heir is living after the inherited
person's death
It means that the heir of the deceased person should be alive at the
death of the owner of the inheritance. This might be:
Actually, in the sense that his being alive is proven by sight or the
testimony of just witnesses.
Potentially, i.e., to regard that he is probably living at the time of
the death of the owner of the inheritance; like in the case of
pregnancy, where the fetus is probably living in the sense that if it
is separated )from the mother's womb( and stays alive, then, the right
of inheritance would be affirmed to it.
However, if it is not known that the heir is living after the death of
the inherited person, like the case in which all members of a family
die in an accident, then, naturally, there would be no question of
inheritance among them.
Third condition: The absence of all the impediments of
inheritance)previously mentioned in the topic(.
If these three conditions are fulfilled, along with its causes, the
inheritance will be established, and the heir will have a share in the
inheritance of the deceased owner.

Fiqh of Inheritance, - Causes of Inheritance in Islamic Sharee‘ah

Inheritance in the IslamicSharee'ah)legislation( has three causes:
First cause: Marriage
UnderSharee'ah, marriage refersto the valid marital contract -- even
in the absence of meeting inseclusion between the spouses or sexual
intercourse between them. Both spouses inherit from each other, so
long as the maritalcontract is in effect between them. For example, if
a man divorces his wife and her'Iddah)post-marriage waiting period(
elapses, then there would be no mutual inheritance between them, due
to the termination of the marriage, which is the cause of inheritance.
However, if he divorces her during his fatal sickness and is accused
of having done so with the intention of preventing her from
inheritance, in this case, sheinherits )her share of( his property
even )if he dies( after the conclusion of her'Iddah, and even if she
gets married to another person according to the opinion of some
scholars ofFiqh)Islamic jurisprudence(, by way ofopposing the wrongful
husband and nullifying his purpose.
Second cause:Walaa')allegiance of an ex-slave to his ex-master(
This is a kind of kinship. If a master frees his slave, a kind of
relation calledWalaa')allegiance( starts to exist between them. It is
a favor done by the master to his slave out of his bounty, whereby he
brings him out of slavery to freedom.
Third cause: Real Kinship
Kinship is a connection between two persons by virtue of birth, beit a
close or far connection. Every man or woman with whom one has a
connection by birth, no matter how close or far, whetherfrom the side
of the father or from the side of the mother, or from the side of both
together, isone's kin. This is the strongest cause of inheritance.
The heirs from among the kith and kin are divided into three divisions:
1-The ascendants: The deceased's father, grandfather)the father's
father(, up to all levels of similar relationships from the side of
the father; and the deceased's mother, and grandmother being related
to him/her through a male or a female heir.
2-The descendants: The deceased's sons and sons of his son down to all
levels, and his son's daughter down to all levels of her father.
3-Non-ascendant /descendant relations: They are the
deceased'ssiblings;whether they are full or half-brothers or sisters,
the male children of his/her full brothers and half-brothers from the
side of the father, his paternal uncles who are his father's full
brothers,or half-brothers from the side of the father up to all
levels, the paternal cousins down to all levels.
These are the three causes of inheritance agreed upon among scholars.
They deserve, in the presence of a sound mind and disposition, to be
causes of inheritance. There are other causes which are subject to
dispute, as to whether or not they are regarded as causes of
inheritance, likeBayt Al-Maalof the Muslims )Muslim treasury(, the
kith and kin who are not heirs, etc.

Special Virtues of the Night of Decree

Allaah The Almighty has attached a special value to theLaylat Al-Qadr,
and has given this night special characteristics which make it unique,
such as:
It is the night on which the Quran was sent down. Ibn
'Abbaassaid,"Allaah sent down the Quran at one time from Al-Lawh
Al-Mahfooth )the Preserved Tablet in the Seventh Heaven( to Bayt
Al-'Izzah )House of Pride( in the first Heaven, then it was revealed
to the Messenger of Allaahin stages according to events over
twenty-threeyears."]Ibn Katheer[
Allaah The Almighty described it as being better than a thousand
months, as He Says )what means(:}"The Night of Decree is better than a
thousand months."{]Quran 97:3[
Allaah The Almighty described it as being blessed, as He Says )what
means(:}"Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night."{]Quran 44:
3[
On this night, the angels and the Spirit ]Jibreel)Angel Gabriel([
descend,"i.e., many angels descend on this night because it is so
blessed, and the angels come down when the blessingsand mercy of
Allaah The Almighty come down, just as they come down when the Quran
is recited, and they surround the circles of Thikr )gatherings where
Allaah The Almighty is mentioned(, and they spread their wings for the
one who sincerely seeks knowledge, out of respect for him."]Ibn
Katheer[Jibreelis specifically mentioned as a sign of respect for him.
This night is described as peace, i.e., it is safe, for the devils
cannot do any evil or cause any harm onthis night, as Mujaahidsaid,"On
this night, many people are saved from punishment because of what they
do to worship Allaah, The Most Exalted."
Allaah The Almighty Says)what means(:}"On that night is made distinct
every precise matter."{]Quran 44:4[, the affairs of that year are
dispatched from the Preserved Tablet to the angels who record the
decrees: who will live, who will die, what provision people will be
given, what will happen until the end of that year,every matter of
ordainment is decreed, and it cannot be altered or changed. ]Ibn
Katheer[
Allaah The Almighty revealed a Chapter concerning this night which
will be recited until the Day of Resurrection, in which Allaah The
Almighty Says)what means(:}"Indeed, We sent the Qur'an downduring the
Night of Decree. And what can make you know what is the Night of
Decree? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The
angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for
every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn."{]Quran 97:1-5[
The Prophet,, said:"Seek Laylat Al-Qadr in thelast ten days of Ramadan."]Muslim[
It is more likely to be oneof the odd-numbered nights, because of the
narration of 'Aa'ishahwho said that the Messenger of Allaah,, had
said:"Seek Laylat Al-Qadr in the odd-numbered nights of the last ten
nights."]Al-Bukhaari[
It is most likely to be on the night of the twenty-seventh, according
to thesaying of the Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam:"Laylat
Al-Qadr is the night of the twenty-seventh."]Ahmad and Abu Daawood[
This isthe preponderant view of most of the Companions and the
majority of scholars. Ubayy ibn Ka'bused toassert, without saying "In
shaa' Allaah)God willing(" that: "…it was the night of the
twenty-seventh. Zurr ibn Hubaysh,,said to Ubayy: 'I said, What makes
you say that, O Abu'l-Munthir )i.e. Ubay(?'Hesaid, 'By the signs of
which the Messenger of Allaah,told us: that the sun rises that morning
with no visible rays.'" ]Muslim[
The fact that it is more likely the night of the twenty-seventh does
not mean that this is always the case. It could be any of the other
odd-numbered nights of the last ten days ofRamadan. Some of the
scholars ruled that it is more likely that it moves and does not come
on a specific night each year.

Fathwa, - Praying When Pregnant: Obligatory?

Question:
Is it fard upon a woman in her 9 monthpregnancy to pray, as she finds
it very difficult?
Answer:
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
It remains obligatory for a pregnant woman to pray: if she can pray
standing, she must; if shecan�t do so without genuine hardship or
unbearable pain, then sitting down on the ground, with prostration; if
she can�t, then sitting with head motions. But she must pray.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us
that the first deed the believer will be asked about on the Day of
Judgment is their prayer

Fathwa, - Women’s prayer different than men

Question:
I�ve heard that there�s a hadith, that says that the prophet (saw)
says ''pray as you see me'', and that this means that men and women
pray in exactly the same way, but I�ve been taught that women pray
differently than men. So I would be grateful if you could clarify this
for me, inshaAllah
Answer:
Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah,
It is true that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him
peace) said, �Pray as you see me pray.�
At the same time, it is decisively established�as the answer below
shows�that the leading female Companions (Allah be pleased with them
all) prayed differently from the way male Companions (Allah be pleased
with them all)prayed. This returns to how the Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him andgive him peace) himself taught the former to pray,
and to the wisdom of the Lawgiver in noting the physical differences
between men and women and thebest expression of modesty, humility, and
reverence before Allah befitting each.
And Allah alone gives success.

Fathwa, - Nifas – Postnatal Bleeding

Question:
In the first link below this email [1], it says that the labouring
women should pray until most of the baby is out. How is this possible
when she would be bleeding at the time of her child's birth? That is,
women bleed for about 40 days after the birth of the baby, and I did
not think that salat was possible at this time since it's similar
to/same as menstruating? I believe we would make up these salats, but
we obviously cant pray when we are bleeding?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
Assalamu alaykum
A woman in post natal bleeding (nifas) is under the same restrictions
as amenstruating woman, namely she is not to pray, fast or have sexual
relations with her husband. This period of nifas commences once half
of the baby exits. Before this, any bleedingseen is to be considered
abnormal uterine bleeding (istihada) and does not prevent one from
prayer and fasting; rather this bleeding has the same rules as
bleeding from anywhereelse on the body, namely that it is impure and
nullifies ablution. Shouldthe bleeding persist to the end of a prayer
time, however, then one is to perform ablution and pray even if one
continues bleeding as one is excused due to ones difficult
circumstances.
One may therefore pray in the period prior to childbirth even if one
has continuous bleeding as one is excused during continuous bleeding
from the normal rules of purification. One's ablution would not be
nullified by the bleeding and nor would one be obliged to wash the
blood from one's clothing if the clothing would just become bloodied
again after washing. One's ablution would, however, be nullified by
the entry of the next prayer time, andone would have to renew one's
ablution to be able to pray in the new prayer time.
As mentioned in the link provided in the question,if one is unable to
perform the ritual ablution one may perform tayammum.
And Allah knows best.

The lineage of the Prophet Muhammad-I

The lineage of Prophet Muhammadhas three versions: The first was
authenticated by biographers and genealogists and states that Prophet
Muhammad'sgenealogy has been traced to Adnaan. The second is subject
to controversies and doubt. It traces his lineage beyond Adnaan back
to prophet Ibraaheem)Abraham(. The third version, which definitely has
some inaccuracies, traces his lineage beyondIbraaheem back to Aadam
)Adam(.
The first part: MuhammadIbn 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdul-Muttalib )who
wascalled Shaybah( Ibn Haashim, )named 'Amr( Ibn 'Abd Munaf )called
Al-Mugheera( Ibn Qusayy)also called Zayd( Ibn Kilaab Ibn Murrah Ibn
Ka'b Ibn Lu'ayy Ibn Ghaalib Ibn Fahr )who was called Quraysh and whose
tribe was called after him( Ibn Maalik Ibn An-Nadr )so called Qays(
Ibn Kinaanah Ibn Khuzaymah Ibn Mudrikah)who was called 'Amir( Ibn
Elias Ibn Mudar Ibn Nizar Ibn Ma'ad Ibn Adnaan.
The second part: Adnaan Ibn Add Ibn Humaisi' Ibn Salaman Ibn 'Aws Ibn
BuzIbn Qamwal Ibn Obai Ibn 'Awwam Ibn Nashid Ibn Haza Ibn Bildas Ibn
YadlafIbn Tabikh Ibn Jahim Ibn Nahish Ibn Makhi Ibn Aid Ibn 'Abqar Ibn
'Ubaid Ibn Ad-Da'a Ibn Hamdan Ibn Sanbir Ibn Yathrabi Ibn Yahzin Ibn
Yalhan Ibn Ar'awi Ibn Aid Ibn DeshanIbn Aisar Ibn Afnad Ibn Aiham Ibn
Muksar Ibn Nahith Ibn Zarih Ibn SamiIbn Mazzi Ibn 'Awda Ibn Aram Ibn
Qaidar Ibn Ismaa'eel )Ishmael( son of Ibraaheem )Abraham(, may Allaah
exalt their mention.
The third part: beyond IbraaheemIbn Tarih)Azar( Ibn Nahur Ibn Saru'
Ibn Ra'u Ibn Falikh Ibn Abir Ibn Shalikh Ibn Arfakhshad Ibn Sam Ibn
Nooh )Noah(Ibn Lamik Ibn Mutwashlack Ibn Akhnukh ]Prophet Idrees
)Enoch([Ibn Yarid Ibn Mahla'il Ibn QaIbn Anusha Ibn Shith Ibn Aadam.
The prophetic family:
The family of Prophet Muhammadis called the Hashimite family after his
grandfather Haashim Ibn 'Abd Munaf. Let us now speak a little about
Haashim and his descendants:
1-Haashim: He was the one responsible for giving food and water to the
pilgrims. This had been his charge when the sons of 'Abd Munaf and
those of 'Abd Ad-Dar compromised on dividingthe charges between them.
Haashim was wealthy and honest. He was the first to offer the pilgrims
sopped bread in broth. His first name was 'Amr but he was called
Haashim because he had been in the practice of crumbling bread )for
the pilgrims(.
He was also the first man who started Quraysh's two journeys of summer
and winter. It was reported that he went to Syria as a merchant. In
Al-Madeenah, he married Salmah, the daughter of 'Amr from Bani 'Adi
Ibn An-Najjaar. He spent some time with her in Al-Madeenah then he
left for Syria again while she was pregnant. He died in Ghazza in
Palestine in 497 CE. Later, his wife gave birth to 'Abdul-Muttalib and
named him Shaybah because of the white hair on his head, and brought
him up in her father's house in Al-Madeenah. None of hisfamily in
Makkah learnedof his birth. Haashim had four sons: Asad, Abu
Saifi,Nadla and 'Abdul-Muttalib, and five daughters Ash-Shifa,
Khalida, Da'ifa, Ruqyah and Jannah.
2-'Abdul-Muttalib: After the death of Haashim, thecharge of the
pilgrims' food and water went to his brother, Al-Muttalib Ibn 'Abd
Munaf )who washonest, generous and trustworthy(. When 'Abdul-Muttalib
reached the age of boyhood, his uncle Al-Muttalib heard of him and
went to Al-Madeenah to fetch him. When he saw him, tears filled his
eyes and rolled down his cheeks, he embraced him and took him on his
camel. The boy, however, abstained from going with him to Makkah until
he took his mother's consent. Al-Muttalib asked her to send the boy
with him to Makkah, but she refused. He managed to convince hersaying:
"Your son is going to Makkah to restore his father's authority, and to
live in the vicinity of the Sacred House."
There in Makkah, people wondered at seeing 'Abdul-Muttalib, and they
considered him the slave of Al-Muttalib. Al-Muttalibsaid: "He is my
nephew, the son of my brother Haashim." The boy was brought up in
Al-Muttalib's house, but later on Al-Muttalib died in Bardman in
Yemen, so 'Abdul-Muttalib took overand managed to maintain his
people's prestige and exceeded his grandfather in his honorable
behavior, which earned him deep love and high esteem from the people
of Makkah.
3-When Al-Muttalib died, Nawfal usurped 'Abdul-Muttalib's charges, so
the latter asked for help fromthe Quraysh, but they abstained from
extending any sort of support to either of them. Consequently, he
wrote to his uncles of Bani An-Najjaar )his mother's brothers( to come
to his aid. His uncle,Abu Sa'd Ibn 'Adyy )his mother's brother(
marched to Makkah at the head of eighty horsemen and camped inAbtah in
Makkah. 'Abdul-Muttalib received the men and invited them to go to his
house but Abu Sa'd said: "Not before I meet Nawfal." He found Nawfal
sitting with some old men of Quraysh in theshade of Al-Ka'bah. Abu
Sa'd drew his sword and said: "I swear by Allaah that if you don't
restore to my nephew what you have taken, I will kill you with this
sword." Nawfal was thus forced to give up what he had usurped, and the
notables of Quraysh were made to witness to his words.
Abu Sa'd then went to 'Abdul-Muttalib's house where he stayed for
three nights, made 'Umrah )minor pilgrimage( and left backfor
Al-Madeenah. Later on, Nawfal entered into alliance with Bani 'Abd
Shams Ibn 'Abd Munaf against Bani Haashim. When Khuza'a, a tribe, saw
Bani An-Najjaar's support to 'Abdul-Muttalib they said: "He is our son
as he is yours. Wehave more reasons to support him than you." 'Abd
Munaf's mother was one of them. They went into An-Nadwa House )a place
they used to gatherin to discuss serious matters( and entered into
alliance with Bani Haashim against Bani 'Abd Shams and Nawfal. It was
an alliance that was later to constitute the main reason for the
conquest of Makkah. 'Abdul-Muttalib witnessed two importantevents in
his lifetime, namely digging the Zamzam well and the Elephant raid.
Digging the Well of Zamzam
The well of Zamzam originated for the sake ofIsmaa'eelwhen he and his
mother Haajar)Hagar( were overtaken by thirst, Allaah the Almighty
caused a streamof water to flow in the empty desert. Haajar contained
the flowing water by building a mound around it and it turned into a
well. At the time of leaving Makkah, the Jurhum tribe coveredit with
dust and so, for a long time it could not be traced. When the task of
giving water to the pilgrims was entrusted to'Abdul-Muttalib, he
started searching for it along with his elder son Haarith, but their
efforts proved fruitless.
One day, 'Abdul-Muttalib saw the location of the well of Zamzam in his
dream and started digging for it. There were two idols, 'Isaf and
Naa'ilah kept at that spot.The Quraysh resented thisdisturbance and
became hostile and ready to fight. Although they wereonly two, father
and son, they prevailed over them and continued digging the well.
Realizing his isolation, 'Abdul-Muttalib invoked Allaah the Almighty
that in case He gave him ten sons, he would sacrifice one of hissons
in the name of God. After a short period, the well appeared and he was
also blessed with tensons.

The lineage of the Prophet Muhammad-II

The Elephant Raid
The King of Abyssinia )Ethiopia( had capturedYemenfor a very short
period. During the lifetime of 'Abdul-Muttalib,Yemenwas under the rule
of the King of Abyssinia. In those days Abrahah Ashram was the
governor ofYemenon behalf of the king. He built a temple inYemenand
persuaded the Arabs to perform Hajj at thetempleofYemeninstead of the
Ka'bah. However, he was not successful in his endeavor. In order to
put him to disgrace, an Arab defecated in the temple to desecrate it.
Abrahah grew so furious that he invaded Makkah with the intention of
destroying the Houseof Allaah -- the Ka'bah. He used elephants in his
attack, so the people of Makkah called them thePeople of the Elephant
and the year came to be known as the Year of the Elephant.
When the Quraysh came to know of the attack, they were filled with
fear, as they were no match for such a large and strong army. They
jointly requested their chief,'Abdul-Muttalib to go to Abrahah and
explore a way to avert the battle. When 'Abdul-Muttalib presented
himself to Abrahah, hewas greatly impressed and held him in high
esteem. 'Abdul-Muttalib stated that Abrahah's army had captured 200
camels, which belonged to him. Thereupon Abrahah remarked that he took
him to be a wise person but he obviously was mistaken. He
)'Abdul-Muttalib( was aware that Abrahah had come with the sole
purpose of demolishing the House of Allaah — the Ka'bah. However,
intentionally ignoring the topic, he only spoke of his camels instead
of saving the Ka'bah.
'Abdul-Muttalib said: " I am merely the owner of the camels, but this
House also has an Owner and He will save it."
The answer enraged Abrahah andhe burst out in anger saying he would
see if the Lord of the House would save it. His army was destroyed and
left like an empty field from which all the corn has been eaten up,
and only the straw with stalks and stubblewas left. The complete rout
of Abrahah's forces after 'Abdul Muttalib's daring reply was a
verysignificant event forArabia, which put great fear of Allaah in
their hearts.
After that fateful event, the rule ofYemenwent out of the hands of the
Abyssinian king and Sayf Ibn Dhi Yazin captured the country.
'Abdul-Muttalib took some nobles of Quraysh and went to congratulate
Sayf on his victory. Sayf Ibn Dhi Yazin gave 'Abdul-Muttalib glad
tidings that the last Prophet would be raised from his
)'Abdul-Muttalib's( offspring. This prophecy found wide currency and
fame. All the members of the delegation thought that the last Prophet
would be raised from their progeny. Each of them contacted the
soothsayers and monks hoping for good news but returned disappointed.
We have mentioned that 'Abdul-Muttalib invoked Allaah the Almighty
that in case he was granted ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them
in the nameof God. 'Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons, Al-Haarith,
Az-Zubayr, Abu Talib, 'Abdullaah, Hamzah, Abu Lahab, Ghidaq, Maqwam,
Safar and Al-'Abbaas. He also had six daughters, who were Umm
Al-Hakim, Barrah, 'Atikah, Safiya, Arwa and Omayma.
'Abdullaah was the father of Prophet Muhammad. His mother was Fatimah,
daughter of'Amr Ibn 'A'idh Ibn 'Imran Ibn Makhzum Ibn Yaqdha Ibn
Murrah.'Abdullaah was the most handsome of 'Abdul-Muttalib's sons, the
chastest and the most loved. He was also the son whomthe divination
arrows pointed at, to be slaughtered as a sacrifice toAl-Ka'bah. When
'Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons and they reached maturity, he revealed to
them hissecret vow which they silently and obediently accepted. Their
names were written on divination arrows and given to the guardian of
their most beloved goddess, Hubal.
The arrows were shuffled and drawn. An arrow showed that it was
'Abdullaah to be sacrificed. 'Abdul-Muttalib then took the boyto
Al-Ka'bah with a razor to slaughter the boy. Quraysh, his uncles from
Makhzoom tribe and his brother Abu Talib, however, tried to dissuade
him from consummating his purpose. Aftermuch discussion they turned to
Saja', a famous soothsayer. She pointed out that blood money fortheir
)'Abdul-Muttalib's( clan was ten camels. Thus, they should
put'Abdullaah on one side and ten camels on the other and then draw
the lots.
In case the camels were chosen they would be slaughtered, but
if'Abdullaah was chosen they should add ten more camels and draw
again. They should keep adding to the number of the camels until the
camels were drawn. This exercise went on until the number of camels
reached one hundred. 'Abdul-Muttalib drew the lots twice more for his
personal satisfaction, but each time it fill upon the camels. Hence,
100 camels were slaughtered and 'Abdullaah was saved. Since that time,
the blood money of a person who was killed was fixed at one hundred
camels.
'Abdul-Muttalib chose Aaminah, daughter of Wahab Ibn 'Abd Munaaf Ibn
Zahrah Ibn Kilaab, as a wife for his son, 'Abdullaah. In the light of
this ancestral lineage,she stood eminent in respect of nobility of
position and descent. Her father was the chief of Bani Zahrah, to whom
great honor was attributed. They were married in Makkah, and soon
after 'Abdullaah was sent by his father to buy dates in Madeenah where
he died. According to another version, 'Abdullaah went toSyriaon a
trade journey and died in Al-Madeenah on his way back. He was buried
in the house of An-Nabigha Al-Ju'di. He was twenty-five years old when
he died. Most historians state that his death was two months before
the birth of Prophet Muhammad. Some others said that his death was two
months after the Prophet's birth. When Aaminah was informed of her
husband's death, she composed a heart-rending elegy in his memory.
'Abdullaah left very little wealth --five camels, a small number of
goats, a woman servant called Barakah Umm Ayman, who would later
serve as the Prophet's nursemaid.

The world before the Prophet Muhammad

When Almighty Allah sent His lastand greatest Prophet,
Muhammadsallallaaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, , humankind was immersed in a
state of degeneration. The messages of the past prophets had been
distorted and ignored, civilizationwas on the decline and humanity had
slumped into an age of darkness, with disbelief, oppression and
corruption prevalent everywhere. The condition of the world at that
time presented the gloomiest picture ever of human history.
At the time of the birth of Prophet Muhammad,, there existed two great
powers on earth: one in the East and another in the West. In the East
there was the Persian Empire, and in the West, theRoman Empire. As it
might be expected, these two powers were actively hostile and almost
permanently at war with one another. As a result, they were weak and
disunited, though appearing to be otherwise. Despite their disunity
and weakness, they made no serious effort to eradicate the causes of
their instability.
The Arabs were living under no better conditions. They were families
and tribes comprising different attitudes and feelings; but they were
all similar in one respect: they were slaves of habits and impulses.
They used to take pride in invasion and plunder. Moreover, they were
so low in their moral affairs that a number of them used to bury their
daughters alive.
Religiously speaking, the Arabs of that era were mostly idol
worshippers. Some of them used to make their own gods from sweets, and
subsequently, they would eat them when they got hungry. They had
replaced the monotheism of Ibraaheem)Abraham(with the worship of
idols, stars and demons, turning the Ka'bah, which was built for the
One and Only Creator,into a pantheon of idols. In addition, tribal
rivalries and blood feuds ran among them likethe burning desert sands
ofArabia.
The people of Makkah used to practice usury on a large scale with very
high interest rates -- sometimes a hundred percent. When the debtors
were not able to repay -- and that was most often the case -- they
were enslaved or obliged to force their wives and daughters to commit
certain sins, in order to be able tocollect enough money to repay the
debt.
Ignorance was not confined to the Arabs alone. On the fringes
ofArabiawhere the desert gives way to hospitable lands, met the
ever-changing borders of 'world arrogance', the two superpowersof the
age: the Persian and the Roman Empires.
The fire-worshipping Persians, with their strange concept of dualism
were further plagued by the still weirder Mazdakite doctrine )i.e. a
socio-religious movement that flared up in the Sasanian Kavad )488-531
CE( founded by Mazdak son of Bamdad(, that advocated communal
ownership and even ruled that women were the common property of all
men. LikeMani a few centuries earlier, who had claimed a new religion
by combining the teachings of Jesusand Zoroaster, Mazdakite's movement
was also a reaction tothe corruption of the traditional priestly
class. Both creeds died away after the execution of their proponents,
who more or less depended on royal patronage. Onthe other hand, the
Sasanian aristocracy aligned with the Zoroastrian clergy was steeped
inpleasures, burdening the oppressed masses with heavy taxes and
oppression.
At the other end was the Byzantine world, which though claiming to
profess a divinely revealed religion, had in fact polluted the
monotheist message of Prophet Jesuswith the sediments of ancient Greek
and Roman pagan thoughts, resulting in the birth ofChristianity. In
381 CE, the Greco-Roman Church council rejected the doctrine of Arius
of Alexandria, to which most of the eastern provinces of the empire
adhered, and in its place the council had coined the belief thatGod
and Jesusare of one substance and therefore co-existent. Arius and his
followers had held the belief in the uniqueness and majesty of God,
Who Alone, they said has existed since eternity, while Jesuswas
created in time.
There were colonies of Jews scattered across West Asia andNorth
Africato whom several Messengers had been sent by Almighty Allaah.
However, even these divine favors had failed to reform them. The laws
sent to Prophet Moseshad been distorted and tampered with.
Further to the east lay the once flourishing cultures
ofChinaandIndiawhich were groping in darkness. Confucianism had
confused the Chinese, robbing their minds of any positive thinking. On
the other hand, Hinduism had no universal pretensions whatsoever, and
waspeculiar to the geographical confines ofIndiaor more
properlyNorthern Indiaand its Aryan invaders. Conversion of foreigners
was difficult because one had to be born in a particularcaste and it
was the mystery of'Karma'that determined one's fate.
In short, wars, bloodshed, slavery, oppression of women and the
deprived held sway everywhere, might ruled over right. The world was
in dire distress but no one seemed capable of delivering it from
darkness. No religion, ideology, creed or cult during those times,
could offer any hope to the agonies and frustrations of humankind.
None of the religions in currency had any universal outlook or
evenpretensions and were limited to insurmountable geographical and
psychological barriers, preaching discrimination and the narrow-minded
superiority of a particular race.
Thus, it was in such a chaotic state of depression that AlmightyAllaah
sent His last great Prophet,with the universal Message ofIslam to save
humankind from disbelief, oppression, corruption, ignorance and moral
decadence that was dragging humanity towards self-annihilation.

Arabia before the Prophet Muhammad –II

Social Life of the Arabs:
Before the advent of Prophet Muhammad, Arabian society was divided
into several social strata, which produced both advantages and
disadvantages in the resultant social structure. Women among the
nobility were accorded an advanced degree of esteem. They enjoyed
considerable free will in almost all spheres of life and their
decision would usually be enforced. They were so highly cherished and
fiercely protected, that very often bloodshed resulted in defense of
real or imaginary slurs to their honor. In fact, women were believed
to be the most decisive factors that ledto bloody fights or friendly
peace among tribes. These privileges notwithstanding, the family
system in Arabia was wholly patriarchal. The marriage contract rested
completely in the hands of the woman's legal guardian whose words with
regard to her marital status could never be questioned.
On the other hand, there were other sectors where prostitution and
indecency were rampant andin full operation. Abu Daawoodon the
authority of 'Aa'ishahreported four kinds of marriage in pre-Islamic
Arabia: The first was similar to present-day Islamic marriage
procedures, in which case a man gives his daughter in marriage to
another man after a dowry has been agreed on. In the second type, the
husband would send his wife – after the menstruation period –to
cohabit with another man in order to conceive. After conception her
husband would, ifhe desired, have sexual intercourse with her. A third
kindwas that a group of less than ten men would have sexual
intercourse with a woman. If she conceived and gave birth to a child,
she would send for these men, and nobody could abstain. They would
come together to herhouse. She would then say: 'You know what you have
done. I havegiven birth to a child and it is your child' )pointing to
one of them(. The man meant would have to accept. The fourth kind was
that many men would have intercourse with a certain woman )a
prostitute(. She would not prevent anybody. Such women used to put a
certain flagat their gates to invite in anyone who liked. If this
woman got pregnant and gave birth to a child, she would collect those
men, and a soothsayer would tellwhose child it was. The appointed
father would take the child and declare him/her his own. When the
Prophetdeclared Islam in Arabia, he cancelled all these forms of
sexual contact except that of present Islamic marriage.
Pre-Islamic Arabs had no limited number of wives. They could marry two
sisters at the same time, or even the wives of their fathers if
divorced or widowed, and divorce was to a very great extent in the
power of the husband.
With respect to the pre-Islamic parent-child relationship, we see that
life in Arabia was paradoxical and presented a gloomy picture of
contrasts. Whilst some Arabs held children dear to their hearts and
cherished them greatly, others buried their female children alive
because an illusory fear of poverty and shame weighed heavily on them.
Another aspect of the Arabs' life, which deserves mention, is the
bedouin's deep-seated emotionalattachment to his clan. Family or
perhaps tribal-pride, was one of the strongest passions within him.
The unity of blood relations as the principle that bound the Arabs
into social unity was formed and supported by tribal-pride. Their
undisputed motto was "Support your brother whether he is an oppressor
or oppressed." They disregarded theIslamic amendment, which statesthat
supporting an oppressive brother implies deterring him from
transgression.
Hunger for leadership and a keen sense of inter-tribal competition
often resulted in bitter tribal warfare, despite their having
descended from one common ancestor. In this regard, the continued
bloody conflicts of many Arab tribes like 'Aws and Khazraj, 'Abs and
Dhubyaan, Bakr and Taghlib etc. are striking examples.
Inter-tribal relationships were fragile and weak due to
continualinter-tribal wars of attrition. The deep devotion of the
tribes to certain religious superstitions and venerable customs often
curbed their impetuous tendencyto quench their thirst for blood. In
other cases, the respect for alliance, loyalty and dependency
sometimes brought about a spirit of companionship, and aborted
groundless bases of dispute. A time-honored custom of suspending
hostilities during the sacred months )Muharram, Rajab, Thul-Qi'dah,
and Thul-Hijjah( functioned favorably and provided an opportunity for
them to earn their living and coexist in peace.
We may sum up the social situation in Arabia by saying that the Arabs
of the pre-Islamic period were groping about in darkness and
ignorance, entangled in a mesh of superstitions paralyzing their mind
and causing them to lead an animal-like life. The common woman was a
marketable commodity and regarded as a piece of inanimate property.
Inter-tribal relationships were fragile. Greed for wealth and
involvement in futile wars were the main objectives that governed
their self-centered policies.
The Economic Situation:
The economic situation ran in line with the social atmosphere, and the
Arabian way of life illustrated this phenomenon quite clearly. Trade
was the most common means of livelihood. Trade journeys could not be
undertaken unless caravan routeswere deemed safe and there was
inter-tribal peace – two imperative necessities unfortunately lacking
in Arabia, except during the prohibited months within which the Arabs
held their assemblies at the annual markets of 'Ukaath, Thil-Majaz,
Mijannah and others.
Industry was alien to the Arabian psychology. Most of the available
industries of knitting and tanneryin Arabia were done by people coming
from Yemen, Heerah and the borders of Syria.
Ethics:
1. Hospitality: The Arabs used to compete with one another in
hospitality and take utmost pridein it. Almost half of their
collection of ancient poetry was dedicated to the merits and nobility
attached to entertaining one's guest. They would sacrifice their
private sustenance for a cold or hungry guest. They wouldnot hesitate
to incur heavy blood-money and relevant burdens just to stop
blood-shed, and consequently merit praise and eulogy.
In the context of hospitality, there springs to mind their common
habits of drinking and serving wine, which was regarded as a channel
branching out of generosity and showing hospitality. Gambling was also
another practice closely associated with generosity, since the
proceeds would always go to charity. Even the Noble Quran makes note
of the benefits that are derived from drinking wine and gambling, but
also says)what means(: "And the sin of them is greater than their
benefit." ]Quran 2:219[
2. Keeping a covenant: For the Arab, to make a promise was like
incurring a debt. He would go through great pains and hardshipto
uphold the deep-rooted tradition of keeping a covenant. The literature
of that period is filled with stories highlighting this merit.
3. Sense of honor and repudiationof injustice: This attribute stemmed
mainly from exaggerated courage, a keen sense of self-esteem and
impetuosity. The Arabs was always quick to rise in revolt and
retaliation against the least allusion to humiliation or slackness. An
Arab would never hesitate to sacrifice himself to maintain his
ever-alert sense of self-respect.
4. Forbearance, perseverance and mildness: In general, the pre-Islamic
Arabs lacked these qualities. They may have regarded these traits with
great admiration, but their impetuosityand war-like spirit led to
their own lives being sadly wanting in them.
5. Pure and simple bedouin life: The bedouin Arab lifestyle, still
untarnished with the accessories of deceptive urban appearances, was a
driving reason to their nature of truthfulness, honesty and detachment
from intrigue and treachery.
Such priceless ethics coupled with the favorable geographical position
of Arabia were in fact the factors that lay behind the Arabs being
chosen to undertake the burden of communicating the Message )of Islam(
and leading humankind down a new course of life.
The most priceless ethics, besidesbeing true to their covenants, were
no doubt their sense of self-esteem and strong determination -- two
human traits indispensable in combatingevil and eliminating moral
corruption on the one hand, and establishing a righteous and just
society on the other.

Dought and clear - 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 and clear - 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 and clear - 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.

Sharing and team-work is in nature's way

When two goats meet upon a narrow bridge over deep water, how dothey behave?
Neither of them can turn back again, neither can pass the other,
because the bridge is too narrow; if they should thrust one another,
they might bothfall into the water and bedrowned.
Nature, then, has taught them, that if the one lays himself down and
permits the other to go over him, both remain without hurt.
Moral of the story: Even so, people should rather endure to be trod
upon, than to fall into debate and discord one with another! It is
better to yieldthan to come to misfortune through stubbornness.

I would like to know what Heaven and Hell arelike!

An Angel was having a conversation with the Lord one day and
said,"Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like?"
The Lord sent the Angel to two doors. The Angel opened one of the
doors and looked in. In the middle of the room was alarge round table.
In the middle of the table was alarge pot of stew which smelled
delicious and made the Angel's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They
appeared to be famished.They were holding spoons with very long
handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to
reach into thepot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle
was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into
their mouths.
The Angel shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, "You have seen Hell. Now go to the next door."
The Angel went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly
the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the
large pot of stew which made the Angel's mouth water. The people were
equipped with the same long handled spoons, buthere the people were
well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The Angel said, "I don't understand."
"It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but oneskill. You see, they
have learned to share by feeding each other, while the greedy think
only of themselves."
Moral of the story: Its people's attitude that makes our place of
work,a hell or heaven! 'Help and Seek Help' this makesall the
difference to each individual's life and makes our lives hell or
heaven. Success and happiness is all about effective team-work make it
a great place to work.