What the Shi’ah do on ‘Ashoora’ is bid’ah (innovation) and misguidance

I am living in dubai and here huge number of shia are pesent arround
us they always say that doing maatum on 9 and 10 muhaaram is right and
this is the proof that we love hazrat husain and hazrat yaqoob also
said "Hazrat Yaqoob (a.s.) cried and said a word (Hey Yousuf) he cried
that in result of he became blind and thier rest sons who were wrong
asked him if you cried like this than you will hurt yourself and no
dought you will die one day while crying. THEN Haszar Yaqoob (a.s.)
replied I cried and tell all my tregedy to ALMIGHTY ALLAH and I know
something from GOD" please tell me the answer as soon as possible that
beating chest is right or wrong???
Praise be to Allaah.
What the Shi'ah do on 'Ashoora' of beating their chests, slapping
their cheeks, striking their shoulders with chains and cutting their
heads with swords to let the blood flow are all innovations that have
no basis in Islam. These things are evils that were forbidden by the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who did not
prescribe for his ummah to do any of these things or anything similar
to them to mark the death of a leader or the loss of a martyr, no
matter what his status. During his lifetime(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) a number of senior Sahaabah were martyred and he
mourned their loss, such as Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, Zayd ibn
Haarithah, Ja'far ibn Abi Taalib and 'Abd-Allaah ibn Rawaahah, but he
did not do any of the things that these people do. If it was good,
he(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have done it
before us.
Ya'qoob (peace be upon him) did not strike his chest or scratch his
face, or shed blood or take the day of the loss of Yoosuf as a
festival or day of mourning. Rather he remembered his missing loved
one and felt sad and distressed because of that. This is something no
one can be blamed for. What is forbidden is these actions that have
been inherited from the Jaahiliyyah, and which Islam forbids.
Al-Bukhaari (1294) and Muslim (103) narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn
Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "He is not one of us who
strikes his cheeks, rends his garment, or cries with the cry of the
Jaahiliyyah."
These reprehensible actions that the Shi'ah do on the day of 'Ashoora'
have no basis in Islam. The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) did not do them, nor did any of his companions. None of his
companions did them when he or anyone else died, although the loss of
Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was greater than
the death of al-Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Every
Muslim should mourn the killing of al-Husayn (may Allaah be pleased
with him), for he is one of the leaders of the Muslims, one of the
scholars of the Sahaabah, and the son of the daughter of the Messenger
of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who was the best
of his daughters. He was a devoted worshipper, and a courageous and
generous man. But there is nothing good in what the Shi'ah do of
expressing distress and grief, most of which may be done in order to
show off. His father was better than him and he was killed, but they
do not take his death as an anniversary as they do with the death of
al-Husayn. His father was killed on a Friday as he was leaving the
mosque after Fajr prayer, on the seventeenth of Ramadaan in 40 AH.
'Uthmaan was better than 'Ali according to Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah, and he was killed when he was besieged in his house
during the days of al-Tashreeq in Dhu'l-Hijjah of 36 AH, with his
throat cut from one jugular vein to the other, but the people did not
take his death as an anniversary. 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab was better
than 'Ali and 'Uthmaan, and he was killed as he was standing in the
mihraab, praying Fajr and reciting Qur'aan, but the people did not
take his death as an anniversary. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq was better than
him but the people did not take his death as an anniversary. The
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the
leader of the sons of Adam in this world and the Hereafter, and Allaah
took him to Him as the Prophets died before him, but no one took the
dates of their deaths as anniversaries on which they do what these
ignorant Raafidis do on the day that al-Husayn was killed. … The best
that can be said when remembering these and similar calamities is that
which 'Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated from his grandfather the Messenger
of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said: "There
is no Muslim who is afflicted by a calamity and when he remembers it,
even if it was in the dim and distant past, he saysInna Lillaahi wa
inna ilayhi raaji'oon(verily to Allaah we belong and unto Him is our
return), but Allaah will give him a reward like that of the day when
it befell him."
Narrated by Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majaah, end quote fromal-Bidaayah
wa'l-Nihaayah(8/221).
And he said (8/220): The Raafidis went to extremes in the state of
Bani Buwayh in the year 400 and thereabouts. The drums were beaten in
Baghdad and other cities on the day of 'Ashoora', and sand and straw
was strewn in the streets and marketplaces, and sackcloth was hung on
the shops, and the people expressed grief and wept. Many of them did
not drink water that night, in sympathy with al-Husayn, because he was
killed when he was thirsty. Then the women went out barefaced, wailing
and slapping their faces and chests, walking barefoot in the
marketplaces, and other reprehensible innovations… What they intended
by these and similar actions is to impugn the state of Banu Umayyah
(the Umayyads), because he was killed during their era.
On the day of 'Ashoora, the Naasibis of Syria do the opposite of what
the Raafidis and Shi'ah do. They used to cook grains on the day of
'Ashoora and do ghusl and perfume themselves, and wear their finest
garments, and they took that day as an Eid for which they made all
kinds of food, and expressed happiness and joy, intending thereby to
annoy the Raafidis and be different from them.
Celebrating that day is an innovation (bid'ah), and making it an
anniversary for mourning is also an innovation. Hence Shaykh al-Islam
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Because of the killing of al-Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him),
shaytaan caused the people to introduce two innovations: the
innovation of mourning and wailing on the day of 'Ashoora', by
slapping the cheeks, weeping, and reciting eulogies. … and the
innovation of rejoicing and celebrating. … So some introduced mourning
and others introduced celebration, so they regarded the day of
'Ashoora' as a day for wearing kohl, doing ghusl, spending on the
family and making special foods. … And every innovation is a going
astray. None of the four imams of the Muslims or any other (scholars)
regarded either of these things as mustahabb. End quote fromMinhaaj
al-Sunnah(4/554).
It should be noted that these reprehensible actions are encouraged by
the enemies of Islam, so that they can achieve their evil aims of
distorting the image of Islam and its followers. Concerning this Moosa
al-Musawi said in his bookal-Shi'ah wa'l-Tas-heeh:
But there can be no doubt that striking heads with swords and cutting
the head in mourning for al-Husayn on the tenth day of Muharram
reached Iran and Iraq and India during the British occupation of those
lands. The British are the ones who exploited the ignorance and
naiveté of the Shi'ah and their deep love for Imam al-Husayn, and
taught them to strike their heads with swords. Until recently the
British embassies in Tehran and Baghdad sponsored the Husayni parades
in which this ugly spectacle appears in the streets and alleyways. The
aim of the British imperialist policy of developing this ugly
spectacle and exploiting it in the worst manner was to give an
acceptable justification to the British people and the free press that
opposed British colonialism in India and other Muslim countries, and
to show the peoples of these countries as savages who needed someone
to save them from their ignorance and savagery. Images of the parades
that marched in the streets on the day of 'Ashoora', in which
thousands of people were striking their backs with chains and making
them bleed, and striking their heads with daggers and swords, appeared
in British and European newspapers, and the politicians justified
their colonization of these countries on the basis of a humane duty to
colonize the lands of these people whose culture was like that so as
to lead these peoples towards civility and progress. It was said that
when Yaseen al-Haashimi, the Iraqi Prime Minister at the time of the
British occupation of Iraq, visited London to negotiate with the
British for an end to the Mandate, the British said to him: We are in
Iraq to help the Iraqi people to make progress and attain happiness,
and bring them out of savagery. This angered Yaseen al-Haashimi and he
angrily walked out of the room where the negotiations were being held,
but the British apologized politely and asked him with all respect to
watch a documentary about Iraq, which turned out to be a film about
the Husayni marches in the streets of al-Najaf, Karbala' and
al-Kaazimiyyah, showing horrific and off-putting images of people
striking themselves with daggers and chains. It is as if the British
wanted to tell him: Would an educated people with even a little
civility do such things to themselves?! End quote.
And Allaah knows best.

The virtue of observing a lot of naafil fasts in themonth of Muharram

Is it Sunnah to observe a lot of naafil [supererogatory] fasts in the
month of Muharram? Is there anything special about this month compared
with other months?.
Praise be to Allah
The month of Muharram is the first month of the Arabic year, and it is
one of the four sacred months of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a
year), so was it ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the
heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th,
the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the
right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein"
[al-Tawbah 9:36]
al-Bukhaari (3167) and Muslim (1679) narrated from Abu Bakrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "The division of time has turned to its
original form which was current the day Allaah created the heavens and
earth. The year consists of twelve months of which four are sacred:
three consecutive months, Dhu'l-Qa'dah, Dhu'l-Hijjah and Muharram, and
Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha'baan."
It was proven from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) that the best fasting after Ramadaan is fasting in the month of
Muharram. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "The best fasting after Ramadaan is the month of
Allaah Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is
prayer at night." Narrated by Muslim, 1163.
With regard to the phrase "the month of Allaah", mentioning the month
in conjunction with Allaah is a sign of its great status. Al-Qaari
said: it seems that what is meant is all of the month of Muharram.
But it was proven that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) did not fast any month in full apart from Ramadaan, so this
hadeeth is to be understood as meaning that it is it is encouraged to
fast a lot in the month of Muharram, not to fast the whole month.
And Allaah knows best.

Sex in Islam, - Answer to a Question About Oral Sex

QUESTION:
Salaam Oualikoum
Is oral sex with your legal wife, of course, allowed in the Islam.
Abdellah, Netherlands
ANSWER:
Wa Alaikum Salaam,
There is no clear prohibition about oral sex in the Qur'an or the
sunnah of the Prophet (SAAWS). However, according to many jurists, the
fluids that the male of female organs emit during the time of sexual
excitement, such as many (sperm) or madhi; etc., are all considered
negis and they should not touch the mouth of the man or the woman. It
is for this reason that many scholars do not recommend this practice
and consider it makrooh.
Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqui

Sex in Islam, - Fatwa on Oral Sex

QUESTION:
Salaam Oualikoum
Is oral sex with your legal wife, of course, allowed in the Islam.
Abdellah, Netherlands
ANSWER:
Wa Alaikum Salaam,
There is no clear prohibition about oral sex in the Qur'an or the
sunnah of the Prophet (SAAWS). However, according to many jurists, the
fluids that the male of female organs emit during the time of sexual
excitement, such as many (sperm) or madhi; etc., are all considered
negis and they should not touch the mouth of the man or the woman. It
is for this reason that many scholars do not recommend this practice
and consider it makrooh.

Sex in Islam, - Islamic Fatwa on Anal Sex

Please help me for fining the truth. In Bukhari sharif hadesh no-4170
& 4171, it said that anal sex is halal/jayaj. But you said (in mail
and Q&A) that it is haram. Now i'm confused. I want to know what's the
truth? Is anal sex haram or not?
Answer:Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There are many saheeh ahaadeeth which show that anal intercourse is
haraam, such as the following:
1 – It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said:�The one who has intercourse with his wife in her back
passage has disavowed himself of that which was revealed to Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).�Narrated by Abu Dawood
(3904); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
2 – It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said:�Allaah will not look at a man who has intercourse with a
woman in her back passage.�Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1165); classed as
saheeh by Ibn Daqeeq al-'Eid in al-Ilmaam (2/660) and by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
3 – It was narrated that Khuzaymah ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said:�Allaah is not too shy to tell the truth�three
times.�Do not have intercourse with women in their back
passages.�Narrated by Ibn Maajah (1924); classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
And there are many similar ahaadeeth. Al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said in Sharh Ma'aani al-Athaar (3/43): "The reports
concerning that reach the level of tawaatur."
Hence the views of the scholars are based on these ahaadeeth.
Al-Maawardi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Haawi (9/319):
"Because that is the consensus of the Sahaabah. It was narrated from
'Ali ibn Abi Taalib, 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abbaas, Ibn Mas'ood and
Abu'l-Darda'." End quote.
It says in al-Mughni (7/32):
It is not permissible to have intercourse with one's wife in her back
passage according to the majority of scholars, including 'Ali,
'Abd-Allaah, Abu'l-Darda', Ibn 'Abbaas, 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr and Abu
Hurayrah. This was also the view of Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyab, Abu Bakr
ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan, Mujaahid, 'Ikrimah, al-Shaafa'i, ashaab al-ra'y
and Ibn al-Mundhir.
Secondly:Some people imagine that it is permissible to have
intercourse with one�s wife in her back passage. They understand from
the verse (interpretation of the meaning):�Your wives are a tilth for
you, so go to your tilth when or how you will�[al-Baqarah 2:223] that
Allaah has permitted everything in this verse, even intercourse in the
back passage.
This misinterpretation is reinforced for them when they read the
hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh. So perhaps this is the
hadeeth referred to by the questioner, in which it says: It was
narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Jews
used to say that if (the man) had intercourse from behind, the child
would be born with a squint. Then the verse�Your wives are a tilth for
you, so go to your tilth when or how you will�[al-Baqarah 2:223] was
revealed.
But this is a misunderstanding of the verse. Allaah says�so go to your
tilth when or how you will�which means that all variations of
intercourse are permitted, so long as it is in the place of tilth,
i.e., the vagina, not the back passage. So it is permissible for a man
to have intercourse with his wife from behind or from in front or
lying on their sides so long as it is in the place of tilth and not
the back passage.
The evidence for that is Muslim''s report (1435) of the hadeeth of
Jaabir quoted above about the reason for the revelation of this verse,
in which it says: If he wishes, when she is lying on her front and if
he wishes when she is not lying on her front, so long as that is in
only one opening.
In Abu Dawood''s report of the same hadeeth (2163) it says: It was
narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: I heard Jaabir say: The
Jews say that if a man has intercourse with his wife in her vagina
from behind, the child will have a squint. Then Allaah revealed the
words (interpretation of the meaning):�Your wives are a tilth for you,
so go to your tilth when or how you will�[al-Baqarah 2:223].
In Sunan al-Tirmidhi (2980) in a report which he classed as hasan, it
was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
'Umar came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allaah, I am doomed! He
said:�Why are you doomed?�He said: I changed my direction last night.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
did not say anything. Then this verse was revealed to the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of
the meaning):�Your wives are a tilth for you, so go to your tilth when
or how you will�[al-Baqarah 2:223]. So approach from the front or the
back, but avoid the back passage and the time of menses. Classed as
hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
These ahaadeeth and reports explain what is meant by the verse. So it
is not permissible for the Muslim to go beyond that and understand it
in ways that are not indicated by the reports or by linguistic usage.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Zaad al-Ma'aad (4/261):
The verse indicates that it is haraam to have intercourse with her in
her back passage for two reasons. The first is that it is permitted to
have intercourse with her in the tilth, which is the place of birth,
and not in the anus which is the place of filth. The place of tilth is
what is referred to in the verse�then go in unto them as Allaah has
ordained for you�. [al-Baqarah 2:222].
The second reason is that Allaah says�when or how you will�i.e.,
however you wish, from the front or from the back. Ibn 'Abbaas said:
"go to your tilth" means the vagina. End quote.
Thirdly:
Perhaps the question is also referring to what al-Bukhaari narrated
from Naafi' from Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him): "so go to
your tilth when or how you will"; he said: "He may approach her
from..."
Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari (8/189):
This is how it appears in all the texts. It does not mention what
comes after the word ""from"". End quote.
And he quoted what is mentioned in some reports elsewhere than in
Saheeh al-Bukhaari, that Ibn 'Umar said: He may approach her in her
back passage.
But the scholars answered that in two ways:
1 – That it was a mistake on the part of some of those who narrated it
from Ibn 'Umar, and they understood from it that it was permissible to
have intercourse in the back passage, when in fact he was narrating
that it is permissible to have intercourse with one's wife in her
vagina from behind, based on what is mentioned in saheeh reports from
him that he regarded it as haraam to have intercourse with one's wife
in her back passage. And al-Nasaa'i narrated in al-Sunan al-Kubra
(5/315) with a saheeh isnaad that Ibn 'Umar was asked about that and
he said: Would a Muslim do that?!
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Tahdheeb al-Sunan (2/146):
It is narrated in a saheeh report that he interpreted the verse as
referring to intercourse in the vagina coming from the back, which is
what was narrated from Naafi'. Those who thought that Naafi' improved
of intercourse in the back passage are gravely mistaken; rather what
he meant was having intercourse from the back in the vagina. Thus they
were confused when they thought that when he said "from the back" he
meant the back passage; but what he meant by that was coming from the
back but putting it in the place of intercourse, namely the vagina.
Those people were confused when they understood the words of Naafi'
"from the back" as meaning "in the back (passage)". End quote.
The second answer is:
That this was ijtihaad on the part of Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with him) about the meaning of the verse. The Sunnah and the views of
all the Sahaabah indicate that it was an incorrect ijtihaad. Abu
Dawood (2164) narrated, in a report that was classed as hasan by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, that Ibn 'Abbaas said:
Ibn 'Umar – may Allaah forgive him – imagined, and this was a tribe of
the Ansaar who had been idol-worshippers, along with this tribe of the
Jews, who were people of the Book, and thought that they (the Jews)
were superior to them in knowledge; they used to follow their examples
in many of their deeds.. The people of the Book did not have
intercourse with their wives except on their sides, and that was most
concealing for the woman. This tribe of the Ansaar had adopted that
from them. And this tribe of Quraysh used to make the woman lie in
whatever position they wanted and enjoy them in various ways.
When the Muhaajiroon came to Madeenah, one of their men married a
woman of the Ansaar, and he went to do that with her but she objected
and said: We have intercourse lying on our sides, so do that or keep
away from me. Their problem got worse until news of that reached the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and
Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):�Your wives
are a tilth for you, so go to your tilth when or how you
will�[al-Baqarah 2:223]., i.e., from the front or the back or lying,
meaning the place of birth.
This could support the reports that Ibn 'Umar used to say that it was
permissible to have intercourse in the back passage, but then perhaps
he came back to the correct view, after Ibn 'Abbaas or someone else
explained to him the reason why this verse was revealed and what its
correct meaning was. Hence it is proven -– as stated above -– that he
said that it was haraam, and he said: Would a Muslim do that?!
To conclude: Islam forbids this action, and there is nothing to
indicate that it is permissible. The one who thinks that there is
anything in the Qur'aan and Sunnah to indicate that is mistaken.
And Allaah knows best.

Fathwa, - Living with an Elderly Lady - Khalwa?

Question:
I am in a situation where it may be possible for my family and I to
live with my friend�s grandmother who is over 75, and like my mother.
The issue is that there may be long periods of time (though not
overnight) where my young son and I would be alone in the house with
this elderly lady when my wife is out.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious and Merciful
Asslamu alaikum,
There would be nothing wrong with living with your friend�s mother,
given that she is elderly, in the Hanafi school. Rather, if the
intention is also to help take care of an elderly lady, there would be
reward in this.
In the Hanafi school, it is permitted for a man to be alone with an
elderly woman who is no longer attractive (`ajuz shawha'), as long as
there is no fear of the untoward from either side. [Ibn Nujaym,
al-Ashbah wa'l Nadha`ir; Haskafi, al-Durr al-Mukhtar; Ibn Abidin, Radd
al-Muhtar] It is reasonable to consider a lady who is in her 70s to be
'an elderly woman who is no longer attractive'.
As an aside:
It is also not a prohibited seclusion (khalwa muharrama) if the woman
is not elderly but each person remains in a different room of a house,
as long as the abovementioned fear does not exist. [ibid.] However, in
this situation, care and caution must be exercised, and it is a
situation which is not generally considered 'dignified'. A child does
not lift the state of prohibited seclusion.
And Allah alone gives success.

Fathwa, - Impermissible seclusion (khalwa)& disability

Question:
I have a question on the issue of khalwa (seclusion). I would like to
know if there would be any dispensation on the ruling of khalwa in the
case of a person who has a disability. I suffer from a spinal
deformity which substantially impairs my agility and physical
capabilities. Taking this into account I would like to know if it
would still be haram for me to work with a non-mahram woman in a
shop/store where there may be considerable periods of time when I
would be alone with my non-mahram female colleague. The door of the
shop/store would be shut though unlocked and therefore accessible to
the general public. Please note that the extent of my disability is
such that I am not even capable of overpowering a mature child let
alone and adult female and I therefore honestly feel that I would pose
no physical threat to my non-mahrem colleague. I would however be
working in the same area of the shop/store as my colleague.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Firstly, I pray that Allah Most High cures you and all of us from the
physical and spiritual ailments, and that he blesses you with the
quality of Sabr and records great reward in your book of deeds in
return of this disability that you have unfortunately been inflicted
with, Ameen.
As far as your question is concerned, it would be prohibitively
disliked (makruh tahriman) to remain alone (khalwa) in an enclosed
area/shop with a non-Mahram woman, even in your situation.
The meaning of being alone (khalwa) is when a man and a woman who are
not immediate family members (mahram) remain alone in a room or place
in a way that a third person is not easily able to enter upon them, or
it is not usually accessible to others. This also (according to the
scholars) includes a room/area, the door of which is closed, even if
it may not be locked. Yes, if the door remains open, then that would
not, in of itself, be considered Khalwa.
You state that you suffer from a spinal deformity which substantially
impairs your agility and physical capabilities, and that you are
incapable of overpowering an adult woman, but this, however, will not
legitimize remaining in Khalwa.
The reason being is that, the injunctions of Shariah are not based on
their legal wisdoms (hikma), rather on the legal reason (illah). As
such, even if one was sure of not falling into the unlawful, the act
will still remain unlawful.
Yes, if one�s disability has a direct connection with a particular
injunction, such as not being able to stand in prayer, etc, then one
will be permitted to take the dispensation (rukhsa) given by Shariah.
And Allah knows best

Fathwa, - Medical Practitioners & the issue of seclusion with opposite gender�

Question:
In some hospitals it is the law for a doctor to close the door to
examine a patient to ensure patient privacy. When this happens with a
patient of the opposite sex, is it considered unlawful khalwa? If so,
what should the doctor or medical student/resident do to avoid such
situations, given the law that it is required by the hospital?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
The position of Muslim doctors and medical practitioners is very
delicate indeed, because they find themselves in many situations where
it is very easy for one to fall into a sin. Only the fear of Allah,
piety and moral ethics will prevent one from committing a sin.
Doctors have to regularly interact with patients of the opposite sex.
Thus, they need to be very careful and mindful in that they don�t
transgress the limits set down by Shariah.
As far as being alone with someone of the opposite sex (khalwah) is
concerned, it is common knowledge that this is not allowed in Islam,
due to the many Prophetic statements declaring it to be unlawful or at
the least prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman), for example:
Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) narrates
that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said:
�A man must not remain alone in the company of a woman, and a woman
must not travel except that her Mahram is accompanying her.� (Sahih
al-Bukhari, no. 2488)
Therefore, a medical practitioner should try his/her best in order not
to be alone with someone of the opposite sex. If it is possible for
one to have a nurse or some other third person in the room, then one
must do that. If that is not possible, then one should try and keep
the door open. If one is forced by law to keep the door closed, then
one must ensure the door is not locked (and I believe by law also, one
cannot lock the door).
In the case where the door is closed, one should try and practice in a
room with a view into the room. There should be an unveiled window
through which people are able to see inside the room. A door which has
a see-through window would be sufficient.
If none of the above is possible in that one is forced by law to close
the door, not have a see-through window and not have a third person
present, then due to the rule of �need and necessity� it would be
permitted to be in seclusion with the patient of the opposite gender.
However, one should keep in mind the Juristic principle which states:
�Cases of need are restricted to the actual need� (Ibn Nujaym,
al-Ashbah wa al-Naza�ir, P. 86). Thus, one must be careful that the
remaining in Khalwa is only restricted to the actual need. One must
not remain in seclusion any longer than what is �typically� required
for consultation. Also, one must lower their gaze and save themselves
from anything inciting, for the third person amongst them will be
Shaytan.
As far as the ruling for a patient is concerned, he/she must avoid
being alone (khalwa) with a doctor of the opposite sex. It will not be
permitted to be in Khalwa with a doctor of the opposite gender if a
doctor from one�s own gender is easily available and one is satisfied
and content with his/her medical treatment. However, if this is not
possible, it will be permitted due to need and necessity.
And Allah knows best

Zakat (Charity, Alms) or Zakah

Zakat (alms) is the name of what a believer returns out of his or her
wealth to the neediest of Muslims for the sake of the Almighty Allah.
It is calledZakatbecause the word Zakat is fromZakaawhich means,to
increase, purify and bless.
Who Should Give Zakat
The obligation of Zakat is mandatory on every Muslim who possesses the
minimumNisaab, whether the person is man, woman, young, old sane or
insane. Because the proof of Zakat in Al-Qur'an and Sunnah is general
and does not exclude young or insane. Allah (SWT) stated that:
"Of their goods take alms so that thou mightiest purify and sanctify
them..." ( Surah 9: Verse 103)
Imam Ibn Hazim said that every Muslim young or old sane or insane
needs to cleanse his or her wealth with Zakat because of generality of
the evidence. Anas bin Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah
(saws) said:
"Trade with the money of the orphan, lest it is eaten up by Zakat."
(At-Tabraani)
In another Hadith `Amru bin Shuaib related from his grandfather that
the Messenger of Allah said:
"Whoever is entrusted with money of an orphan should trade with it and
should not leave it sitting to be used up by charity." (Tirmidhi)
The point of reference in these reports is that the Messenger (saws)
urged the trustee on the estate of people who due to age or other
reasonscannot manage their own financial affairs, to invest it in a
business that will yield a return and make it grow until they are in a
position to do so themselves. For, if proper investment is not made
with an ophan's inheritance, it will be depleted by charity, thus
leaving the orphan with little or nothing.
The Nisaab
The Lawgiver, Allah has prescribed theminimum amount that is
obligatoryfor Zakat in different ranges of properties, and that
minimum amount is known as nisaab. The reason for nisaab is to ensure
that no one is forced to give Zakat out of what he or she does not
have, and that no wealth goes without Zakat.
Nisaab is also an insurance against the tyranny of the state to tax
the poor and or the neediest as is the case in many countries. Nisaab
is areference pointfor the average Muslim who is not sure whether he
possesses the minimum wealth on which Zakat is obligatory. The wealthy
need not worry about the Nisaab. Zakat is obligatory on theirentire
wealthand must be paid out at the end of financial yearthat they set
for their Zakat.
Conditions for Nisaab
1.The amount that has reached Nisaab must be the excess or surplus
known as "faadil" from one's essential needs such as food, clothing,
housing, vehicles, tools and machinery that is used in business. The
essentials for living are exempted from Zakat.
Although what constitutes nisaab may change from one country to
another, the amount that is needed for the basic needs of living in
different countries is very similar, because the market place
determines the prices, whether it is an official market or a
non-official market. In the poorest countries people do without or
live below the poverty standard, and that is why many go hungry or
without basic essentials.
However, we must realize thatZakat is an act of worship(ebadah) like
Salaat. Theelement of intention (niyyah) is necessary, and we should
not overly rely on state agencies to determine for us the requirements
of our religious duty.
Nisaab eliminates the possibility of injustice or unfair treatment of
the Zakat payer. To suggest that if we do not follow the rules of
International Monetary Fund or the arbitrary figures of social
security administration or department of agriculture we will be doing
injustice to the Zakat payer is ludicrous.
2.Nisaab must mature, that is the money is not liable for Zakat unless
it has remained a full year in the possession of a person. This is the
understanding of the majority of the scholars. Imam Abu Hanifah (raa)
said: "What should be considered is the existence of nisaab at the
beginning and the end of the Zakat year set by the payer". It does not
matter if the nisaab money increases or decreases during the calendar
year.
How To Give Zakat
Zakat may be assessed and returned in two ways:
1.Make a record of all money earned, either daily or monthly, which
has reached the nisaab and remains in the treasury. The Zakat of that
money would be due one year later on the same day the money was earned
and reached nisaab. This means every month's income must be set aside
and assessed for Zakat and so will be the case for the rest of the
months.
2.The best way is to set a day or a month, preferably Ramadan, for
your annual Zakat return calendar, say Ramadan 1st. One year later on
the same day of Ramadan, your Zakat is due and payable. Whatever is in
the savings is due for Zakat, regardless of whether all the amount in
the savings reaches a year or not. This method is the best because it
is easy to assess, meets one's obligation and relieve one's
conscience.
The Recipient Of Zakat
Knowing who qualifies as recipient of Zakat is an important aspect of
Zakat collection in Islam. Fortunately, Allah (SWT) has been merciful
to us in that He Himself spelled out the people eligible to receive
Zakat. In Surah Tawbah He stated:
"Alms are for the poor and the needy; and those employed to administer
(the funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled
(to truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah;
and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is
full of knowledge and wisdom." ( Surah 9: Verse 60)
In this verse Allah enumerated the people who deserve this divine
welfare, and they are as follows:
*.The poor and the needy:These are individuals, and those under their
care, to live on. By the poor and needy is meant the people whose
income or salaries, or whatever material goods they have, fall short
of the cost of living in a given environment and economy.
*.Those who administer the Zakat department:Assigning people for
collecting, bookkeeping, making lists of people eligible for Zakat,
and a financial calendar.
*.The new converts to Islam:Whose hearts we want to harmonize into the
fold of Islam, either because their faith is weak or we are afraid of
their being harmed, should be given Zakat to strengthen their Iman or
until we no longer fear their harm.
*.The bonds personwho has contracted with his master to buy himself
out of bondage deserve Zakat and should be given enough to pay off
their debt to the master and be freed themselves; similarly, Muslim
prisoners of war if their freedom is tied to monetary payment, deserve
Zakat sufficient enough to secure their release.
*.The people in debt
*.Zakat can be given in the path of Allah.
*.The wayfarer.This is the traveller who in a strange land runs out of money.
It is, however, permissible to give Zakat to a wife or family member,
provided it is not part of their daily living expense money, but is
needed to pay off a debt for one's wife if she can not pay it. So is
the case for one's parents if they can not pay their debt.
Zakat moneymay be given to members of the familyfor their expenses if
one is not obligated to take care of them financially. The wife can
pay off a debt of her husband with Zakat money, because he may be
among the eight eligible recipients and she is not obligated to spend
on him as he is on her.
The eligible recipients of Zakat can be denied theirright to Zakat
without prooffrom Al-Qur`an or Sunnah. In a hadith reported by Ibn
Masud, his wife Zaynab heard the Messenger of Allah order women to
give Zakat, so she asked the Messenger (saws):
"O Messenger of Allah, you commanded us to give Zakat, and I have
jewellery that I wanted to assess for Zakat, but my husband Abdullah
bin Masud claimed that his son deserves it more than anyone." The
Messenger replied: Your husband Ibn Masud is right. Your son deserves
your charity more than anyone."
In another hadith reported by Salman bin Aamir, he said the Messenger
of Allah said:
"Charity to the poor is only charity, but charity to the rest of kind
is charity and maintenance of relations (sillah)." (Nisaee)

Basics of Hajj

The ritual of Hajj is performed in themonth of ZulHijjah, thetwelfth
and last monthin the Islamic lunar calendar. In Arabic, the word hajj
literally meansgoing to a place for the sake of visiting; and
according to the terminology of the Islamic Sharee'ah, it implies to
the act of going to the Baitullah in Mecca to observe the necessary
devotions related to pilgrimage. The hajj is mandatory upon all able
Muslims, men and women, at least once in a lifetime.
Apart from worship of Allah (SWT), the command for hajj offers Muslims
theopportunity to interact with their brethren from around the globe.
The command concerning the hajj is found in several Qur'anic verses,
among them:
"And when We assigned to Ibraheem the site of the Sacred House
(Ka'bah), saying 'Do not associate with Me anything, and purify My
House for those who circumambulate the Ka'bah, and those who stand up
and prostrate and bow in prayer. And proclaim the Pilgrimage among
men, and they will come to you on foot and mounted on every kind of
camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain
highways." [Surah Al-Hajj: Verse 26-27].
The verse above confirms that Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.) worshipped at
the Sacred House of Allah SWT (Baitullah - another name of Ka'bah)
long before the advent of Judaism or Christianity.
For that matter, some Bibilical historians say that he lived in the
first half of the second millennium B.C, that is prior to the
establishment of the Indus civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro;
hence, prior to the birth of Hinduism. By virtue of it being thefifth
pillar of Islam, the hajj literally makes Islam the oldest religion on
earth.The hajj today is thelargest gathering of human beingson earth.
Besides this annual ritual, there is a lesser hajj known asUmrahthat
can be performed at any time during the year except on the days of the
greater hajj, specificallyfrom 9th till 13th of ZulHijjah.
On the benefit of hajj, Abu Hurairah (r.a.) narrates that he heard the
Prophet SAW say:
"Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any Rafath (obscenity) or
Fusooq (transgression), he returns (free from sin) as the day his
mother bore him." [Bukhari]
There are three categories of hajj:Tamattu', Qiraan and Ifraad. In brief,
*.Tamattu'refers to the act of performing umrah in the month of hajj.
*.Qiraan, on the other hand, refers to a pilgrim who performs hajj and
umrah jointly;
*.Ifraadmeans that a pilgrim wears the ihraam for hajj only and he/she
performs his umrah only after completing the greater hajj.
The most beautiful aspect of hajj is theuniformity. All the pilgrims
have to do exactly the same acts at the same sites around Mecca on
four days consecutively. All wear theihraamgarb, a great majority of
which iswhitein color.
Once the ihraam is donned and the intention for hajj uttered, male
pilgrims are prohibited from wearing stitched clothes, shoes that
cover the anklebone, a hat or turban or anything that covers the head.
Women are prohibited from wearing the veil that covers their faces
(burqaa) and also gloves.
Both men and women are prohibited from wearing any kind of perfume or
hair oil, cropping or shaving hair on any part of the body, cut the
nails, have sexual intercourse, hunt and kill animals, or to be
involved in any form of marriage proposal.

Our On Going Test

Nothing on earth is created in vain, but rather with wisdom.
Understanding this fact depends on the wisdom of people themselves.
One whose faith and consequently whose wisdom and prudence increase,
will happen to grasp this reasoning much better in time. One of the
most important precepts is that we are beingtested throughoutour whole
lives. Allah tests our sincerity and our faith on different occasions.
He may give favours to test whether we are grateful to Him or not. He
may create difficulties, for us, to reveal whether we behave with
patience or not:
"Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and
by good by way of trial. To Us you will be returned." ( Surat
al-Anbiya, 21:35)
Ways to Test
We are to be tested in various ways. This is explained in the Qur'an
in the verse below:
"Be sure we shall test you with fear and hunger, someloss in goods or
lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who
patiently persevere." ( Surat al-Baqara, 2:155)
Our lives have indeed been planned with the mystery of our being
tested. First of all, we are being tested in our physical beings. The
Qur'an states that
"Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try
him: So We gave him (the gifts of) hearing and sight." ( Surat
al-Insan, 76:2).
Consequently, everything we hear and see is actually apart of the
test. In all kinds of situations, we will be tested to see whether we
behave in accordance with the Qur'an or with our own vain desires.
Allah tests thesteadfastnessof the believers with variousdifficulties.
One of the most important of these is theoppression of the believersby
the unbelievers. All these misdeeds, like verbal attacks, mocking,
physical oppression and even torture and murder attempts, are only a
means of trial for the believers. In one of the verses; it is said:
"You shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in
your personal selves; and you shall certainly hear much that will
grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from those
who worship many gods. But if you persevere patiently, and guard
against evil, then that will be a determining factor in all affairs."
( Surat Aal-e- Imran, 3:186)
Special kind of Test
The most important point to comprehend is that all of these
deprivations and misadventures are created by Allah as aspecial kind
of test. One who does not understand this will become very
superficial. The Qur'an cites a pertinent tale of certain Jews.
"Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea; when they
transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. For on the day of their
Sabbath, their fish did come to them, openly holding up their heads,
but on the day they had no Sabbath, they came not: thus did We made a
trial for them, for they were given to transgression." ( Surat
al-A'raf, 7:163)
Only the individual who has wisdom can realize that he isbeing tested,
and can succeed in these tests by again using his wisdom. Therefore, a
believer should not forget that he is being tested throughout his
life. These tests cannot be passed or the heaven cannot be attained
simply by saying 'I believe'.
"Do men think that they will be left alone on saying 'We believe', and
that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah
will certainly know those who are true from those who are false." (
Surat al-Ankaboot, 29:2-3)
And in another verse Allah says:
"Did you think that you would enter Heaven without Allah testing those
of you who fought hard (in His Cause) and remained steadfast?" ( Surat
Aal-e-Imran, 3:142)

Women site, - The audacity of faith

The Prayer Has Never Been this Hard
Libraries are like studios. No sound goes unheard. No noise passes
without someone looking up or, in this case, a librarian hissing and
excitedly shushing the disturber of the peace, silencing the noise
polluter.
Nervously flitting and creeping about the bookshelves, I was
endeavoring to be as quiet as such can be.
Every footfall, every little brave breath was carefully measured to an
exact decibel level, no more, no less.
The only dynamics that I failed to control were the thumping of my
heart and a much more subtle tone that somehow made it past all my
enacted sound barriers, my mental matrix-built firewall, my muffled
mind. It was similar to a flute in that it was both soft and gentle.
Yet at the same time, it was piercing and bold, a constant anthem
striking out through my internal environment. It was my soul, my
little life-giving charge.
It was calling to me, chanting a sweet Athaan that only I could hear
in this muted world of books. And oh how I loved it, yet dreaded it!
I had to find a place to make prayer, somewhere in this college
library, in my first term ever of a higher education. But I was so
afraid to do so, so shy to bow my face in the presence of others, so
worried about the impression of expression. What if some malicious
person attacked me? What if I was held in contempt because I was
"fanatical," a loon? Newspaper headings flashed through my mind's eye:
Terrorist Plot in University Campus Exposed! Homicidal Ritual Offered
in Campus Library! Al Qaeda's Hand Reaches the Countryside! And
Librarian Tasers Student Fanatic.
Passing the atomic clock on the wall no less than 10 times, the minute
hand began to drive into my mind, each tick sounding like a deafening
beat on a kettledrum. The situation was getting desperate. I could not
miss my Prayer. But what about the people? What about all the possible
pain, the potential outcomes, internal and external?
I felt as though I had to breathe. I had to go make Prayer. It was a
bodily function. I silently battled on, pretending to read random
books on politics. If the librarians could hear my insides now, what
with all the furious debating and intense fracas going on, they would
probably eat me alive. How bad it was, this predicament of mine.
Dragging myself just in time, I found a relatively secluded,
undisturbed spot and began to perform my Prayer. Every noticeable
motion was a huge movement, a draining operation for me. I felt as
though my waist, that corporal hinge that enables us to bend and bow
down, was rusty. I really needed some spiritual WD-40.
This was a ground-shaking test, at least to me. I've been reflecting
on it all week. It took all my will to simply make Prayer, to express
my piety, my gratitude to God the Magnificent Being behind my organic
architecture, my magical physique, my creative expression, my artistic
passion—my nafs, that invisible soul that makes me who I am. And now,
fire-tested and gauged, I realize that my soul, the gift from its
Crafter, has not been thanked for properly, in the right fashion in
the wrong situation.
I look at the creation around me—the horses and the birds, the trees
and the falling snow, the little springs and hills —and know that I
have seen authentic, whole worship. Flapping, loping, growing,
falling, bubbling up, all these creatures worship their Creator in
their own unique, prescribed ways. The bird flies and fulfills its
Prayer, its bodily functions. Our equine companions thunder about the
plains around the world.
They fulfill their purpose, express their worship, and provide
momentum not only to their graceful forms, but also to their tender
souls. The trees reach into the heavens. The rills gurgle from the
earth. Everything worships Allaah Almighty.
One creature among all creations that live in the world, we are in no
way exempt from fulfilling our functions to completion. Being
creatures composed of minds, souls, and bodies, we must satisfy all
these individual aspects to remain healthy, to possess that spunk,
that bounce that keeps us in full blossom, at full tilt, if you'll
pardon the idiom.
We eat, drink, exercise, make love, and many more things to meet our
bodily needs. In order to quaff our intellect, we go to school, read
instruction manuals, take on mathematical concepts, and memorize.
But what do we do for our spirit, our internal core that inspires all
the other parts of our body? We make Prayer. A simplistic answer? I
think not.
Worship opens our entire being to a refreshing breeze from the
outside, cools our hot interiors, and inspires the mind, the body, and
the soul. Would you live in a house of stifled air? Would you swim in
a stagnate marsh, no spring or current to wash it clear? Would you
have your wings clipped?
The Prayer to us has become an outstanding act, a massive struggle,
five battles a day. Floating about the stratosphere of modern secular
life in our hot air balloons, it is tempting to just throw those
canvas sacks of Prayer, those weighty responsibilities, overboard.
For in the eyes of my rising generation, the Prayer has been demoted
to spiritual baggage, to an audacious act of faith. But without it,
how can we be healthy?
Now, if we have to fight ourselves on something as basic as the
Prayer, with what might must we strive simply to survive? Worship
should be a thing to be proud of not to boast, but to be full with.
The Prayer that we know—this Prayer of Islam—is the ultimate paradox,
the real irony, for it brings us literally down to earth and makes us
humble. Yet at the same time it elevates us just as unambiguously to
the heavens and, behold, we metamorphose into sublime beings, better
than the angels. And that is something worth not fighting for.
Surrender.

Women site, - The Status of Muslim Women in Communal Life

The status of the Muslim woman in Islam is very noble and lofty, and
she has a great influence on the life of every Muslim in her
community. Indeed, a Muslim woman is the initial teacher who
contributes towards building a righteous society, provided that she
follows the guidance of the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah )tradition(
of His Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, since adherence to the
Quran and the Sunnah keeps every Muslim -- male or female – away from
being misguided in any way.
The misguidance and deviation of nations are the result of being far
away from the path of Allaah The Almighty and from what His prophets
and messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, came with. The
Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"I am leaving behind two
things, you will not go astray as long as you cling to them, the Book
of Allaah and my Sunnah."
The Noble Quran mentions the great importance of the role of Muslim
women, whether she is a mother, wife, sister or daughter, her rights
and duties, and this has been explained in detail in the purified
Sunnah.
Her importance lies in the tremendous burden and responsibility that
is placed on her shoulders, and the difficulties that she has to
shoulder -- responsibilities and difficulties that are sometimes
greater than those which a man has to bear. Hence, one of the most
important duties is to show gratitude to the mother, be dutiful to her
and accompany her in kindness. In this matter, she is to be given
precedence over the father. Allaah The Almighty says )what means(:
پœ}And We have enjoined upon man ]care[ for his parents. His mother
carried him, ]increasing her[ in weakness upon weakness, and his
weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me
is the ]final[ destination.{]Quran 31:14[
پœ}And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His
mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship,
and his gestation and weaning ]period[ is thirty months.{]Quran 46:15[
A man came to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
and said, "'O Messenger of Allaah! Who among people is the worthiest
of my kind companionship?' He replied:'Your mother.'The man asked,
'Then who?' He replied:'Your mother.'The man then asked, 'Then who?'
So the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, replied again:'Your
mother.'The man then asked, 'Then who?' He replied:'Then your
father.'" This implies that the mother should be given three times the
dutifulness and good treatment that the father is given.
As regards to the wife, her status and her effect in making the soul
tranquil and serene has been clearly shown in the noble Quranic verse
where Allaah The Almighty says )what means(:}And of His signs is that
He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility
in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy.{]Quran 30:21[
Al-Haafith Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, commented on
this verse, saying, "It encourages love, affection, compassion and
piety since the man keeps his wife either because he loves her, or
because of compassion and pity for her if he has a child from her."
The unique stance that the Prophet's, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
wife Khadeejah, may Allaah be pleased with her, took in supporting him
and calming and reassuring the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, when the angel Jibreel )Gabriel(, may Allaah exalt
his mention, first came to him in the cave of Hiraa'.
The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, returned to Khadeejah, may
Allaah be pleased with him, with the first revelation and with his
heart trembling, he said to her:"Cover me! Cover me! I fear for
myself."Khadeejah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said, "Rejoice.
Never! By Allaah! Will Allaah fail you? You maintain kinship ties with
your relatives, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your
guests generously and you assist those who have been afflicted with
calamities."
We should also not forget 'Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her,
and her great contribution as the great Companions used to acquire the
knowledge of Hadeeth )narration( from her, and many of the female
Companions learnt the various rulings pertaining to women's issues
from her.
In the recent past, during the era of Imaam Muhammad bin Su'ood, may
Allaah have mercy upon him, his wife advised him to accept the call of
the revivalist Imaam Muhammad bin 'Abdul-Wahhaab, may Allaah have
mercy upon him, when he offered his call to him. His wife's advice had
a great impact on him agreeing to renew and disseminate the Da'wah
)Islamic propagation(. Today we see the effect of that in the firm
belief of the citizens of the Arabian Peninsula.
There is also no doubt that a house in which there is kindness,
gentleness, love and care, along with the correct Islamic upbringing
will greatly affect a man. He becomes – Allaah willing – successful in
his affairs and in any matter, whether it is seeking knowledge,
trading, agriculture, or any other work.

Women site, - The Muslim Child and Reading

Reading is the basis for development in the field of modern sciences.
Ever since the printer was invented and books became attainable, the
world developed quickly.
Learning to read in our age has become one of the necessities of life.
To be sure, the unlettered among the lettered is like the blind among
the sighted.
Concerning the child, reading is a main source of knowledge and
learning. Reading, in its simple sense of browsing through the pages
of a book and seeing the pictures, is what concerns the child before
he learns to read and enters school. The children's book, in so many
instances, is like a toy made of paper containing a lot of drawings,
which encourage him to go through its pages and learn what it contains
with the help of his parents and teachers, in order to obtain
knowledge.
There are many levels of writing for children in terms of content,
according to the addressed age. The younger the child is, the more
drawings and the less words it has; and the older he is, the less
drawings and the more words it has. Furthermore, the child's reading
material develops to extend to the writing style and the quality of
content. It varies in terms of content, style, formulation and even
artistic presentation by the difference of age and environment in
which the child lives.
The child's need for reading is essential in order to satisfy his
desire for learning and to get acquainted with the things around him
and the world in which he lives.
By time, it develops within him love for reading. Whoever is brought
up on reading from his early childhood loves books when he grows up,
and reading becomes his favorite hobby.
The development of the child's reading faculties does not ensue from
filling the children's minds with information in so much as from
carefully choosing what suits them, on the one hand, and what they
need, on the other hand, without invalidating the foundations and
constants the child has acquired from the family and which are
supposed to spring from religion. In spite of the negative effect of
the TV in our present time, as it distracts the children from reading,
it is incumbent upon educators and instructors to take notice of their
passive sitting in front of it for long hours. It indeed habituates
them to laziness, as far as reading is concerned, and to many other
things. In this study, we shall present a brief comment on these other
negatives. It repels from them the innate inclination to read, and, so
many times, makes them feel it is a heavy undesired burden.
When considering the children's inclination concerning reading, two
points should be observed:
• The first is the child's own desires and inclinations
• The second is the objectives the educators seek to achieve, and the
child's needs he likes to fulfill.
It is more useful to observe those two points, i.e. not to neglect the
child's inclinations and desires. But at the same time, those
inclinations and desires should be implied in cultural and educational
materials, essential to him. But many times, the trace of this benefit
could hardly be visible in him. This is even more confirmed in our
present time, because a lot of foreign influences of information
overlap on the child, and deviate him from his natural inclinations;
rather, they direct him to things which may be, in so many times,
unsuitable for him, or irrelevant to his needs.
The stages of a child's interest in reading:
• In the second year, the child shows some interest in pictures
points at them, and tries to touch them if they are prominent.
• In the third year, he likes to listen to comments on those
pictures, and simple tales related to them, and gives special care to
the pictures and their meanings.
• In the fourth year, he memorizes the stories and tries to relate
them, and is pleased with imagination, and likes to comment on all the
pictures and their meanings, and why they appear in a certain position
apart from another.
• In the fifth year, he likes to read letters and recognize their connotations.
• In the sixth year, he starts to learn reading depending on
illustrative pictures and forms, and is happy to find somebody to read
long stories for him with their accompanying illustrative pictures,
and is pleased with their related details and events.
When developed, reading has a strong influence on the child. It opens
to him the horizons of knowledge and the world of this life, and with
it he learns the things and instruments surrounding him, and how he
can avoid risks and accidents.
The child who reads books other than those of the school indeed
develops his own experiences, refines his faculties, utilizes his free
time, and makes a balance between his need for play and his need for
learning.
What does the child read?
The child always loves to live in his daily environment. He likes the
stories that are close to his reality, family, and daily life events.
In his early years, the child likes the stories of animals, and is
fond of family affairs and the instruments he sees and lives with
everyday. When the children grow a bit and their mental faculties
develop, they incline to be interested in general knowledge, and
stories of history, heroism and inventions.
With the progress of their life towards the age of adolescence, they
start becoming interested in the stories about the reality of their
community, and their intellectual faculties develop and they sometimes
like to go through adult books.
The girls in their advanced years )before adolescence( have a desire
for the stories of the family and social and emotional relations, far
from heroism and detective adventures which the males incline to and
like.
Characteristics of reading material favored by children:
Children like to read the materials which have the following characteristics:
- Stimulate and develop imagination.
- Sometimes use dialogue.
- Remind of heroism, adventures and events which reveal courage.
- Bring about delight and pleasure.
- Provide answers to questions that engage their minds.
- Talk about the animal world.
- Inspirational stories )e.g. religious stories(.
- Present sciences and inventions in a simplified manner.
- Imply the values and concepts of the community in a simple and easy manner.
- Contain suspense and mystery
All of this, and more, should be put within a framework of delightful
drawings, pictures and colors that bring joy to the child.

Fwd: Narendra Modi security: RPN Singh's Rajiv Gandhi blunder

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Dought & clear, - Vows do not change qadaa’ (divine decree).

Assalamu Alaikum
Please help me to understand. I need to know the meaning of the
following Hadith:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said (PBUH) (that ALLAH said), "Vowing does not bring to
the son of Adam anything I have
not already written in his fate, but vowing is imposed on him by way
of fore ordainment. Through vowing I make a miser spend of his wealth"
This Hadith is from Al-Qadar. Please help me with this meaning. I have
also sent you a question asking you to please explain the meanings
of some of the Surahs and ayats that we are supposed to pray. The
reference number 2241. Is it possible for you to please answer that
question.
May ALLAh guide and protect you for your kindness and help and may he
bless our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ,Wassalam.
Praise be to Allaah.
The hadeeth you mention was narrated by Imaam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah
have mercy on him) in hisSaheehfrom Abu Hurayrah from the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said (that
Allaah said): "Vowing does not bring to the son of Adam anything that
I have not already written in his Qadar (preordainments), but vowing
is imposed on him by way of preordainment. Through vowing I make a
miser spend of his wealth." (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, no. 6119)
Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this hadeeth:
"Ibn 'Umar said: 'The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) forbade the making of vows.' … A clear statement prohibiting vows
came in the report of al-'Alaa' ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan from his father
from Abu Hurayrah, recorded by Muslim in the words 'Do not make vows,'
and in the phrase '(Making vows) does not bring forward anything or
delay anything [i.e., it has no effect whatsoever],' and in the report
of 'Abd-Allaah ibn Murrah, 'It does not change anything,' – which is
more general. A similar phrase was reported in the hadeeth of Abu
Hurayrah: 'Vowing does not bring to the son of Adam anything that I
have not already written in his Qadar (preordainments)…' Ibn al-Atheer
said inal-Nihaayah: 'The point of the hadeeth is that he told them
that this thing (making vows) does not bring any immediate benefit or
turn away any immediate harm, and it does not change what has been
decreed. Thus he said, Do not make vows, as you know that you cannot
get, or turn away, anything by means of vows that Allaah has not
already decreed for you. If you make a vow then fulfill it, because
whatever you have vowed becomes obligatory for you.' (Then Ibn Hajar
quotes the opinions of a number of scholars on the reason why making
vows is prohibited): … The reason may be that the person who makes a
vow does not do so in order to draw closer to Allaah, but will only do
so if he gets what he wanted, as if this is an exchange, which
corrupts his intention to draw closer to Allaah. This interpretation
is indicated by the words, 'It does not bring any good,' and 'Vowing
does not bring to the son of Adam anything that I have not already
written in his Qadar (preordainments).' This is a clear statement as
to why vows should not be made. The phrase 'it does not bring any
good' means that the end result will be no good, and it might be too
difficult to fulfil the vow, or it might mean that (the vow) will not
bring about good if it has not been decreed for him…. Al-Nawawi said:
'The phrase "it does not bring any good" means that it will not stop
anything that has already been decreed, as is clear from the other
reports.' … (Then Ibn Hajar quotes from Ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed), saying
that he described the difference betweennadhr al-mujaazaah(vow of
repayment, one in which an act of worship is promised in return for a
favour), which is forbidden, andnadhr al-ibtidaa'(vow of initiative,
where one does the promised act of worship first, without waiting to
see if the favour is granted or not), which is a pure act of worship."
Inal-Mufahhim, al-Qurtubi confirmed the idea that the ahaadeeth
forbidnadhr al-mujaazaah: 'This refers to a situation where a man
might say, for example, "If Allaah heals this person who is sick, I
will give such-and-such in charity." The reason why it is disliked is
that he postpones doing the act of worship mentioned, and makes it
conditional upon getting the desired result. This makes it quite clear
that he does not have the sincere intention of drawing closer to
Allaah, because he has clearly stated that his approach is that of
giving something in return for something. It is quite clear that if
the sick person is not healed, he will not give the charity which is
conditional upon the sick person's recovery. This is the attitude of
the miser, who does not give anything of his wealth except in exchange
for some immediate return, usually something that is worth more than
what he is prepared to give. This is what is referred to in the
hadeeth: "Through vowing I make a miser spend of his wealth." To this
could be added the point that there is an ignorant belief that making
a vow guarantees that one will get the desired result, or that Allaah
will do what a person wants because of the vow. Both notions are
addressed in the hadeeth: "Vowing does not bring to the son of Adam
anything that I have not already written in his Qadar
(preordainments)."' Concerning the aayah (interpretation of the
meaning):"They (are those who) fulfil (their) vows…" [al-Insaan
76:7]al-Tabaraani reported with a saheeh isnaad that Qutaadah said:
"They used to vow to do acts of worship such as praying, fasting,
giving zakaat and going on pilgrimage (Hajj and 'Umrah), and other
acts which were obligatory for them, and so Allaah called
themabraar(those who are pious, fear Allaah, and avoid evil –
seeal-Insaan76:5). It is clear that it is not those who make vows of
repayment (nadhr al-mujaazaah) who are praised…"
Al-Baydaawi said: "People usually make vows conditional upon gaining
some benefit or removing some evil, and this is forbidden because it
is the way of the miser. If a generous person wants to draw closer to
Allaah, he starts doing good deeds straight away, but the miser would
never voluntarily give anything except in return for something which
he is given first. This attitude will not protect him from anything
that has already been decreed, or bring him any good thing that has
not been decreed for him. The vow will be in accordance with qadar and
will make him give something that he would not have given otherwise…
And Allaah knows best."

Dought & clear, - ‘Aashoora’ in Islam and previous religions, and refutation of the Raafidi claim that it is an innovation introduced by the Umayyads

Is the day of 'Aashoora' on which we fast not the correct day? Because
I read that the correct day is the tenth day of the month of Tishrei
in the Hebrew calendar, and that the Umayyad caliphs are the ones who
changed it to the tenth day of the month of Muharram. Tishrei is the
first month of the Jewish calendar.
Praise be to Allah.
-1-
The fast of 'Aashoora', which we observe on the tenth day of the month
of Muharram, is the day on which Allah, may He be exalted, saved Moosa
(peace be upon him), and it is the day on which some of the Jews in
Madinah fasted because of that. It is also the day on which Allah
commanded the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to
fast at first, then the obligation to do so was abrogated when fasting
Ramadan was made obligatory, and fasting 'Aashoora' became mustahabb
(encouraged but not obligatory).
The claim that some of the Umayyad caliphs are the ones who put this
day in Muharram is a Raafidi claim. It is one of the many lies on
which their religion is based and it is part of their belief to
attribute all kinds of evil to the Umayyad caliphs and their era. If
the Umayyads had wanted to fabricate false hadeeths and attribute them
to Islam, they would have fabricated hadeeths that made the day of
'Aashoora' an Eid or festival! and not a day of fasting on which a
person refrains from eating, drinking and sex. Fasting is an act of
worship in which one refrains from permissible things, and Eid is a
celebration in which one partakes of those things.
-2-
There is no doubt that the arrival of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) in Madinah, when he migrated, occurred in Rabee'
al-Awwal, not in Muharram. He saw some of the Jews fasting, and when
he asked them about this fast of theirs, they said: It is the day on
which Allah saved Moosa and those who were with him from drowning, so
we fast on this day in gratitude to Allah.
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that
when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to
Madinah, he found them fasting on one day, i.e., 'Aashoora'. They
said: This is a great day; it is the day on which Allah saved Moosa
and drowned the people of Pharaoh, so Moosa fasted in gratitude to
Allah. He (the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him))
said: "I am closer to Moosa than they are." So he fasted on that day
and issued instructions to fast on that day.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3216
When he saw the Jews doing that, was it when he first came to Madinah
in Rabee' al-Awwal, or was it later on, in the month of Muharram?
There are two scholarly views; the more correct view is that his
seeing them, that discussion and that command to fast occurred in
Muharram, i.e., in the second year after he (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) arrived in Madinah, and from that we may conclude
that the Jews followed the lunar calendar in commemorating that day.
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Some people were confused by this and said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Madinah in the
month of Rabee' al-Awwal, so how come Ibn 'Abbaas said that when he
came to Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on the day of 'Aashoora'?
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the first issue, which is that when he came to Madinah,
he found them fasting on the day of 'Aashoora', this does not indicate
that on the day of his arrival he found them observing that fast. He
arrived on a Monday, the twelfth of Rabee' al-Awwal, but the first he
knew of that was in the second year after his arrival in Madinah, and
it did not happen when he was in Makkah. This is if the people of the
Book worked out the date for this fast according to the lunar
calendar.
Zaad al-Ma'aad fi Hadiy Khayr al-'Ibaad, 2/66
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The apparent meaning of the report was problematic to some people,
because it appears to mean that when the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) arrived in Madinah, he found the Jews fasting
the day of 'Aashoora', but he arrived in Madinah in Rabee' al-Awwal.
The answer to that is that what is meant is that his first knowing of
that and asking about it happened after he came to Madinah; he had no
knowledge of that before he came there. What the hadeeth implies is
that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to
Madinah and stayed until the day of 'Aashoora', when he found the Jews
fasting on that day.
Fath al-Baari, 4/247
-3-
Was the calendar that the Jews used for that fast of theirs based on
lunar or solar months?
If we say that it was based on lunar months, as stated above, then
there is no problem, because the tenth of Muharram does not change
every year. But if we say that it was based on solar months, then
there is a problem, because this day will change every year (in
relation to the lunar calendar) and will not always coincide with the
tenth day of Muharram.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned this difference
of opinion, and explained that he was of the view that their calendar
was based on the solar months, so when the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) saw the Jews fasting on that day, it was
in Rabee' al-Awwal when he first came to Madinah, and the date based
on the solar calendar coincided with his arrival. With regard to the
real day on which Allah saved Moosa, it was the tenth of Muharram, but
because they followed a solar calendar, they got the day wrong.
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If they followed the solar calendar, there is no confusion about the
meaning of the hadeeth, and the day on which Allah saved Moosa was the
day of 'Ashoora' in Muharram. Thus the people of the Book worked it
out according to a solar calendar, and that coincided with the
Prophet's arrival in Madinah in Rabee' al-Awwal. The fast observed by
the people of the Book was worked out according to a solar calendar,
whereas the Muslims' fast is according to the lunar calendar, as is
their pilgrimage and all important occasions that are obligatory or
recommended. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "We are closer to Moosa than you." Thus it becomes clear that
the Muslims should have a greater reason to venerate that day and work
out when it is, and that they (the Jews) got it wrong, because they
were using a solar calendar, as the Christians got it wrong with
regard to their fast, when they put it in a particular season of the
year, with the result that it could coincide with any lunar month.
Zaad al-Ma'aad fi Hadiy Khayr al-'Ibaad, 2/69, 70
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajr mentioned this possible interpretation, and refuted
it, and he refuted Ibn al-Qayyim's favouring of this view.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Some of the later scholars said: It may be that their fast was worked
out according to the solar calendar, which does not rule out the
possibility of 'Ashoora' occurring in Rabee' al-Awwal, which would
resolve the problem (of understanding the hadeeth) altogether. This
was stated by Ibn al-Qayyim inal-Hadiy, where he said: The fast
observed by the people of the Book was worked out according to a solar
calendar. But I say: What he claimed of the problem being resolved is
strange, because it leads to another problem, which is that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the
Muslims to fast 'Ashoora' according to the lunar calendar, and it is
known how the Muslims fasted 'Ashoora' in all eras: it was in Muharram
and not in any other month. Yes, I found a report in at-Tabaraani with
a jayyid isnaad from Zayd ibn Thaabit who said: The day of 'Ashoora'
is not the day people say it is; rather it is the day on which the
cover of the Ka'bah replaced and the Abyssinians play with swords and
other tools of war, and was not fixed in one (lunar) month. The people
used to go to So and so, the Jew, and ask him when it was; when he
died they came to Zayd ibn Thaabit and asked him.
Based on this, the way to reconcile the reports is to say that it was
originally like that (based on a solar calendar), then when the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the
Muslims to fast 'Ashoora', he based it on the shar'i ruling, which is
to base it on the lunar calendar, and the Muslims followed that. But
with regard to the claim that the people of the Book based their fast
on a solar calendar, that is subject to further discussion. The Jews
base their fast on a lunar calendar, and this is what we have seen
them do. It may be that among them were some who followed a solar
calendar, but there are none who do that now, just as those of whom
Allah has told us that they said that 'Uzayr was a son of God no
longer exist. Exalted be Allah far above that.
Fath al-Baari, 7/267; see also 4/247
Elsewhere inFath al-Baari, al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar says, commenting on the
report of at-Tabaraani:
I came across something similar inal-Athaar al-Qadeemahby
Abu'r-Rayhaan al-Bayrooni, and what he said, in brief, was: the
ignorant among the Jews base their fasts and festivals on astronomical
calculations, so their year is solar, not lunar. I say: Hence they
need someone who has knowledge of such calculations, so that they can
rely on him for that purpose.
Fath al-Baari, 4/247, 248
With regard to the report of Zayd ibn Thaabit that was mentioned by
al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him), and to which he
responded, al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) has
discussed its isnaad and text.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This suggests that 'Ashoora' is
not in Muharram; rather its date is worked out according to the solar
calendar, as the people of the Book do, and this is contrary to the
practice of the Muslims in earlier times. Ibn Abi'z-Zinnaad is not to
be relied on in reports that are narrated only by him. He regarded the
entire hadeeth as being from Zayd ibn Thaabit, and the latter part of
it is not fit to be the words of Zayd, so perhaps that is the words of
another narrator. And Allah knows best.
Lataa'if al-Ma'aarif, p. 53
-4-
One may ask: how come the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) believe what the Jews said about the day of 'Ashoora' being
the day on which Moosa and those who were with him were saved? This is
what the Raafidis ask with evil ulterior motives, so as to cast
aspersions on the hadeeths which encourage fasting on the day of
'Ashoora', and so as to support their claim that this is one of the
innovations introduced by the Umayyads!
Al-Maaziri (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning this issue
and the response to it:
What the Jews say is not to be accepted (and taken as true), so it may
be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
received revelation that confirmed what they said, or that he heard
about that from many different sources, so that he concluded that it
was true. End quote.
This was quoted by an-Nawawi inSharh Muslim, 8/11
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Even though this fast was not originally intended to do the same as
the people of the Book, his saying, "We are closer to Moosa than you"
is a confirmation of the prescription to observe this the fast, and
explaining to the Jews that what you do of expressing love for Moosa,
we do too, and we are closer to Moosa than you.
Iqtida' as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, p. 174
-5-
It should be noted that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) liked to do the same as the people of the Book in matters
concerning which he had not received any (divine) instructions; this
included the fast of 'Ashoora'.
It was narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used
tolet his hair fall over his foreheads; the mushrikeen used to part
their hair and the people of the Book used tolet their hair fall over
their foreheads, and the Prophet (sa) liked to do the same as the
people of the Book in matters concerning which he had not received any
(divine) instructions. Then (later on) the Prophet (sa) parted his
hair.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3728
It is a sign of Imam al-Bukhaari's understanding of the religion that
he narrated this hadeeth after the two hadeeths of Abu Moosa and Ibn
'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) that speak of the fast of
'Ashoora'.
Abu'l-'Abbaas al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The fact that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) fasted it ('Ashoora') may have come under the heading of
doing the same as them (the people of the Book) in that regard,
because that was a good deed.
It may be said that Allah, may He be exalted, gave him permission to
fast on that day, then when he came to Madinah, he found the Jews
fasting on that day, so he asked them about what motivated them to
observe that fast. They told him what Ibn 'Abbaas mentioned, that it
was a great day, on which Allah saved Moosa and his people, and
drowned Pharaoh and his people, so Moosa fasted that day in gratitude,
so we fast it too. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "We have more right and are closer to Moosa than you." So
at that time he fasted this day in Madinah and issued instructions to
fast on that day, i.e., he made it obligatory to fast it and confirmed
his instructions, to such an extent that they would make little
children fast as well. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) adhered to that, as did his Companions, until the month of
Ramadan was made obligatory and fasting the day of 'Ashoora' was
abrogated. At that time he said: "Allah has not prescribed fasting
this day for you." Then he gave them the choice between fasting it or
not fasting it, but the virtue attached to it remained in place,
because he said "However I am fasting," as it says in the hadeeth of
Mu'aawiyah.
Based on that, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
did not fast the day of 'Ashoora' in emulation of the Jews, because he
used to fast it before he came to them and before he knew anything
about them; rather what happened was that he made it obligatory, in
hope of softening the Jews' hearts and win them over to Islam, just as
was the reason for facing towards their qiblah. That period was the
time when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked
to do the same as the people of the Book in matters that he had not
been forbidden to do so.
Al-Mufhim lima Ashkala min Talkhees Kitaab Muslim, 3/191-192
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Whatever the case, he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did
not fast it in emulation of them – i.e., the Jews – because he used to
fast it before that, and that was at the time when the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to do the same as the
people of the Book in matters that he had not been forbidden to do so.
Fath al-Baari, 4/248
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We have seen above from the comments of the scholars that which
indicates that the day of 'Ashoora' was known to Quraysh and to the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in Makkah, and they
used to venerate it and indeed fast it. The Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) fasted it with them, and on that day they
used to put the new cover on the Ka'bah. So how can anyone, after all
this, falsely claim that 'Ashoora' is an Umayyad innovation at the
time when it is clearly mentioned in the proven, saheeh hadeeths?!
It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
Quraysh used to fast on 'Ashoora' during the Jaahiliyyah, and the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to
fast on (that day) too. When he migrated to Madinah, he fasted this
day and ordered that this fast be observed. When the month of Ramadaan
was enjoined, he said: "Whoever wishes may fast on (this day) and
whoever wishes may forsake it."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1794); Muslim (1125).
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the
people of the Jaahiliyyah used to fast on the day of 'Ashoora', and
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and
the Muslims fasted it before Ramadaan was made obligatory. When the
month of Ramadaan was made obligatory, the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: " 'Ashoora' is one of
the days of Allah, so whoever wishes may fast it and whoever wishes
may omit it."
Narrated by Muslim (1126).
We have quoted the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar here so as to refute the
Raafidis and those who followed them in their ignorance, who claim
that 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was the only one who
narrated the report about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) fasting 'Ashoora' in Makkah.
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) a report similar to
that of 'Aa'ishah concerning this matter. It was also narrated by
'Ubaydullah ibn 'Umar and Ayyoob, from Naafi', from Ibn 'Umar that he
said concerning the fast of 'Ashoora': The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fasted it and instructed
(the people) to fast it.
At-Tamheed lima fi'l-Muwatta' min al-Ma'aani wa'l-Asaaneed, 7/207
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
What we conclude from these hadeeths is that during the Jaahiliyyah,
the kuffaar of Quraysh and others, and the Jews, fasted on the day of
'Ashoora'. Islam confirmed fasting on this day, then the ruling on
fasting it became less emphatic.
Sharh Muslim, 8/9, 10
Abu'l-'Abbaas al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words of 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "Quryash used
to fast 'Ashoora' during the Jaahiliyyah," indicate that fasting on
this day was known to them to be prescribed and they were aware of its
virtue. Perhaps they fasted on that day on the grounds that it was
part of what was prescribed to Ibraaheem and Ismaa'eel (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon them), because they claimed to be following
them and they attributed many of the rulings of Hajj and so on to
them.
Al-Mufhim lima Ashkala min Talkhees Kitaab Muslim, 3/190, 191
For more information on the reasons why Quraysh fasted on that day,
please seeal-Mufassal fi Tareekh al-'Arab qabl al-Islam, 11/339, 340
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Finally, what we have mentioned from the saheeh Sunnah about the
virtues of 'Ashoora', and the fact that fasting it expiates for the
sins of a year, and that its date is fixed, on the tenth of Muharram –
all of that is not unique to Ahl as-Sunnah. Rather it is also
mentioned in the main reference book of the Raafidis! So how can this
be reconciled with their claims that what we have
areisraa'eeliyyat(stories from Jewish sources), that were taken from
the Jews or invented by the Umayyads??
(i)
It was narrated from Abu 'Abdullah (peace be upon him) from his father
that 'Ali (peace be upon him) said: Fast 'Ashoora' in this manner, on
the ninth and the tenth, for it expiates the sins of a year.
Narrated by at-Toosi inTahdheeb al-Ahkaam, 4/299;al-Istibsaar, 2/134;
by al-Fayd al-Kaashaani inal-Waafi, 7/13; by al-Hurr al-'Aamili
inWasaa'il ash-Shi'ah, 7/337; by al-Buroojardi inJaami' Ahaadeeth
ash-Shi'ah, 9/474, 475.
(ii)
It was narrated from Abu'l-Hasan (peace be upon him) that he said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family)
fasted the day of 'Ashoora'.
Tahdheeb al-Ahkaam, 4/39;al-Istibsaar, 2/134;al-Waafi, 7/13;Wasaa'il
ash-Shi'ah, 7/337; also inJaami' Ahaadeeth ash-Shi'ah, 9/475
(iii)
It was narrated from Ja'far, from his father (peace be upon him) that
he said: Fasting the day of 'Ashoora' is an expiation for a year.
Tahdheeb al-Ahkaam,4/300;al-Istibsaar, 2/134;Jaami' Ahaadeeth
ash-Shi'ah, 9/475;al-Hadaa'iq an-Naadirah, 13/371;al-Waafiby
al-Kaashaani,7/13; al-Hurr al-'Aamili inWasaa'il ash-Shi'ah, 7/337
(iv)
It was narrated that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Fast
the day of 'Ashoora', the ninth and the tenth to be on the safe side,
because that is expiation for the past year. If one of you did not
know about it before he ate, then let him fast for the rest of the
day.
This report was narrated by the Shi'i hadeeth scholar Husayn an-Noori
at-Tabrusi inMustadrak al-Wasaa'il, 1/594; and by al-Buroojardi
inAhaadeeth ash-Shi'ah, 9/475.
(v)
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
When you see the new moon of Muharram, then count (the days), and when
the ninth day comes, then fast. I – that is, the narrator – said: Is
that how Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) used to fast? He
said: Yes.
This report was narrated by the Shi'i Radiy ad-Deen Abu'l-Qaasim 'Ali
ibn Moosa ibn Ja'far ibn Tawoos in his bookIqbaal al-A'maal, p. 554;
and by al-Hurr al-'Aamili inWasaa'il ash-Shi'ah, 7/347; and by
an-Noori at-Tabrusi inMustadrak al-Wasaa'il, 1/594; and inJaami'
Ahaadeeth ash-Shi'ah, 9/475.
We have quoted these reports and their sources from the bookMan qatala
al-Husayn (radiy Allah 'andhu)? by 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-'Azeez.
And Allah knows best.