Zakat and mortgages

Question:
On the matter of zakat she has a mortgage which she is currently
paying off, but is confused about how to deduct the amount she owes.
She follows the Hanafi madhab and asfar as we understand from previous
questions on Sunnipath it is preferable for her to take only into
consideration the debt which is immediately owed rather than the total
mortgage.
However she is confused as to what this immediate debt is and she does
not know if she needs to deduct what she owes over the year orfor a
lesser period. As we have never had a mortgage or loan we do not know
how repayments work so would be grateful if you could help us with
this insha'Allah. Would it make a difference if she had an interest
only mortgage or a repayment mortgage?
We have another question related to zakat which we would be grateful
to receive an answer to. If one delays their zakat and a few months
have passed beyond the zakat date, when one resolves to pay zakat,
should one evaluate their financial circumstances at the present time,
or at the time of the zakat date, months earlier?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, MostCompassionate, Most Merciful
1. On the day you are going to discharge your Zakat, deduct the amount
which is immediately owed which is the monthly instalment.
It would not make a difference if she had a interest-only mortgage or
repayment mortgage.
2. One will evaluate their financial circumstances at the time of the
Zakat designated date months earlier.

And Allah knows best

3a] The ahaadeeth about the Mahdi and the descent of the Messiah (peace be upon him) areno excuse not to strive and do good deeds

3a]
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to prepare for everything and draw up plans, as happened during
the Hijrah (migration to Madeenah). He prepared the mounts and a
guide, and he chose a travelling companion, and chose a place to hide
until the search for him had died down, and he protected all of that
with secrecy. This is how he conducted himself in all his battles and
military campaigns, and this is how he trainedhis companions. They
used to meet their enemies equipped with all kinds of weapons. The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
entered Makkah (at the conquest) with a helmet on his head, even
though Allaah said (interpretationof the meaning): "Allaah will
protect you from mankind"
[al-Maa'idah 5:67]
When he traveled for jihad or Hajj or 'Umrah, hetook his provisions
and more with him.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Strive
forthat which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not
feel helpless." Narrated by Muslim, 2664.
We can imagine the state in which the call and the ummah would have
ended up if the previous generations had responded to the calls to
give up until the Mahdi comes. Would they have been able to defeat the
Tatars and Crusaders, and conquer Constantinople?
This mistaken understanding of the shar'i texts that have been
narrated concerning the Mahdi and the Messiah (peace be upon him) has
been criticized by many scholars, daa'iyahs and writers.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is not permissible for the Muslims to give up working for Islam and
for the establishment of the Islamic state on earth because they are
waiting for the Mahdi and the descent of 'Eesa (peace be upon them
both), becausethey feel despair or they think that it is not possible
to achieve any such thing before they come. This is a false and
desperate notion. Neither Allaah nor His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that Islam will not regain
power on earth before their time. It is possible that that may be
achieved before then if the Muslims avail themselves of the means that
lead to that, because Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"If you help (in the cause of) Allaah, He will help you, and make your
foothold firm"
[Muhammad 47:7]
"Verily, Allaah will help those who help His (Cause)"
[al-Hajj 22:40]
We have to believe in the ahaadeeth which speak ofthe descent of Eesa
(peacebe upon him) etc, and reject the false notions of those who say
that we should not work and strive and prepare to do that which must
be done at all times and in all places. End quote.
Professor 'Abd al-'Azeez Mustafa said:
Jihaad against the kuffaar,no matter who they are, where they are or
in whattime they exist is obligatory according to sharee'ah; this
ruling has not been abrogated. This is an established truth of Islam.
This jihad is obligatory when its conditions are met and the relevant
rulings apply.It is not one of these conditions or rulings that jihad
should be delayed until what is promised comes to pass. This is not
the way in which the first Muslims understood it and how they acted.
Indeed, when they were told that Allaah would destroy the power of
Chosroes with their swords they did not stay in their houses waiting
forthe news to come true and for that event to happen without any
effort on their part. No, rather they prepared themselves for that and
made themselves ready until victory came and thus the promise
coincided with the decree of Allaah. But some of the Muslims nowadays
say no: jihad against the Jews must wait until the Dajjaal appears.
Perhaps this is part of the trial (fitnah) of the Dajjaal in this
world.
This negative talk has affected some of the Muslim youth, so they do
not feel any kind of responsibility towards al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the
environs of which Allaah has blessed. It has even led many of them to
believe more foolish ideas, namely that the Islamic state and the
caliphate will not be established until the Mahdi comes.
I wonder about those who propagate such ideas. It is as if they are
saying to the Jews: Be harsh towards your enemies… and to the
Christians: Carry on with your aggression… and to the Muslims: carry
on being fragmented and disputing and being useless until the Mahdi
comes to you. I do not know on what their argument is based, or how
they imagine that the Mahdi will come to people who are doing nothing
or will support people who are apathetic.

We ask Allaah to bring theMuslims back to their religion.
And Allah knows the best.

3] The ahaadeeth about the Mahdi and the descent of the Messiah (peace be upon him) areno excuse not to strive and do good deeds

3]Some people understand from the ahaadeeth aboutthe Mahdi and the
descentof the Messiah 'Eesa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary, peace
be upon him) that these are an excuse not to strive for Islam, so they
should sit and wait until the Mahdi appears orthe Messiah descends for
the glory of Islam and theMuslims to be restored. What is your opinion
on this understanding?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This miserable state that the Muslim ummah is in nowadays is very
shameful. All the Muslims are responsible for settingthings straight,
but some Muslims fail to strive, relying on their hopes andavoiding
correcting the sorry state of the ummah on the grounds that this was
caused by those who came before us and will be set right by those who
come after us. So they do not strive to support the religion of
Allaah, on the grounds that the Mahdi is the one who will do that.
This is escaping into hopes whilst failing to putinto effect the means
prescribed in sharee'ah. Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those
of the people of theScripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works
evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any
protector or helper besides Allaah"
[al-Nisa' 4:123]
This negativity which some of the Muslims are suffering from nowadays
can have no basis in the texts of sharee'ah; rather it is due to
misunderstanding, helplessness and laziness, and evasion of
responsibility.
Allaah has commanded the Muslims to strive and work for this religion,
to call people to Allaah, to debate with the kuffaar and call them
with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and to fight them until there
will no longer be any shirk on earth. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and
polytheism, i.e. worshipping others besides Allaah), and the religion
(worship) will all be for Allaah Alone [in thewhole of the world]. But
ifthey cease (worshipping others besides Allaah), then certainly,
Allaah is All-Seer of what they do"
[al-Anfaal 8:39]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Here Allaah commands us to fight the kuffaar until there is no more
fitnah i.e.shirk, and the religion (worship) is all for Allaah, i.e.,
until the religion of Allaah prevails over all other religions.
This command does not apply only to some times and not others, rather
the Muslims of all times and places are commanded to do this.
Undoubtedly working for Islam and to establish it on earth requires
the Muslims to strive hard andpursue the means that lead to that.
Some people misunderstand the ahaadeeth that have beennarrated about
the emergence of the Mahdi and the descent of the Messiah 'Eesa ibn
Maryam (peace be upon him), so they are passive and do not strive, and
they sit and wait for the Mahdi to appear or the Messiah to come down,
and they do not call people to Allaah or strive to make the word of
Allaah supreme. But Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) have commanded us to take the appropriate means
and strive hard on earth.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"O you who believe! Take your precautions, and either go forth (on an
expedition) in parties, or go forth all together"
[al-Nisa' 4:71]
"And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds
ofwar (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery) to threaten the enemy of
Allaah and your enemy"
[al-Anfaal 8:60]
"He it is Who has made the earth subservient to you (i.e. easy for you
to walk, to live and to do agriculture on it); so walk in the path
thereof and eat of His provision. And to Him will be the Resurrection"
[al-Mulk 67:15]
"and for this let (all) thosestrive who want to strive"
[al-Mutaffifeen 83:26]
"For the like of this let theworkers work"
[al-Saaffaat 37:61]
"And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the
necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah's
obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic
Monotheism) — then suchare the ones whose striving shall be
appreciated, (thanked andrewarded by Allaah)"
[al-Isra' 17:19]
"And take a provision (with you) for the journey,but the best
provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness)"
[al-Baqarah 2:197]
Allaah commanded Maryam to take the appropriate means when she was at
her weakest, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):
"And shake the trunk of date palm towards you, it will let fall fresh
ripe dates upon you"
[Maryam 19:25]
:->

mulla nasurudin

Once Nasruddin took his students tohis house and insisted they should
have lunch with him. Moment later, he called his wife and ordered her
to cook Palaw for the guests as soon as possible. His wife said, "You
order so simply as ifyou have rice and ghee in the house."
Nasruddinbecame very angry and said: "Can't you at least bring empty
plates? His wife accepted and a few minutes later brought the plates
to Nasruddin. He took the empty platesand placed them in front of the
guests. "Friends!" he said, "If I had bought rice and ghee, I would
have brought you an oilyPalaw in these plates."
Nasruddin was looking at the image of the moon in a well. He thought
it was a recompense to take out the moon from the well. Therefore, he
threw a rope inside the well and swung it a few times. Incidentally,
the tip of the rope got caught to a big stone. Hetried to take the
rope out. Hence he pulled it with a lot of force. The rope tore off
and he fell on his back to the ground. When he looked at the sky, he
saw the moon and said, "Doesn't matter. My efforts were not wasted.
Though I faced a lot of difficulties, I finally succeeded to rescue
the moon."
Once Nasruddin went to a hair dresser to get his head shaved.
Incidentally, the barber was inexperienced. The moment he cut a part
of his scalp, he would put apiece of cotton on the wound. Finally
Nasruddin became angryand told the barber, "Youplanted cotton on half
of my head. I would like to grow flax in the remaimng half."