The Bond of Holy Love

An extract from Az-ZaujusSalih (The Pious Husband)by Mujlisul Ulama of
South Africa
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "The noblest of you are those who
are the noblest to their families…"
"Verily, among the most perfect Believers in Iman are those who are
best incharacter and kindest to their wives."
Even lifting a morsel of food to the mouth of the wife has been given
the significance of ibadat. It is an act of love by which the husband
derives thawab (reward in the Hereafter).
It was part of the Uswah Hasanah (Noble character) of the Prophetصلى
الله عليه وسلم to engage in light hearted talk with his wives. Hadhrat
Abu Hurairah رضى الله تعالى عنه said:
Allah loves a man who caresses his wife. Both of them are awarded
thawab because of this loving attitude and their rizq (earning) is
increased."
A man is rewarded for even a drink of water he presents to his wife.
According to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم the mercy of Allah Ta'ala
cascades on a couple when the husband glances at his wife with love
and pleasure and she returns his glance with love and pleasure.
When a husband clasps the hand of his wife withlove their sins fall
from the gaps between their clasped fingers. Even mutual love between
husband and wives serve as a kaffara (expiation) for sins. The Prophet
صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
"When a man enters his home cheerfully, Allah creates, as a result of
his happy attitude, an angel who engages in istighfar (prayers of
forgiveness) on behalf of the man until the day of Qiyamah."
May Allah give us the ability to act upon the above, ameen.
Al-Mar'atus Salihah (The Pious Wife) is also published by Mujlisul
Ulama, both books can befound in the English language and have been
described as the islamic prescription for a happy and successful
marriage , the blessings and rewards of which extend into even the
Hereafter.

Happy Husband and Wife

19th century Ottoman scholar Bediuzzaman writes:
Happy the husband who sees the wife's firm religion and follows her,
and himself becomes pious in order not to losehis companion of eternal
life.
Happy the wife who sees her husband's firmness inreligion and becomes
pious so as not to lose her eternal friend.
Alas for the man who becomes dissolute, whichwill lose him for ever
thatrighteous woman.
Alas for the woman who does not follow her pioushusband and loses her
eternal blessed friend.
And a thousand woes on the unhappy husband and wife who imitate each
other in sin and vice, helping one another to enter Hell -fire!
Jazakallah to 'Seeker' for leaving this quote as a comment on the post
Characteristics of a Pious Husband .

A Happy Formula

Hadhrat Luqmaan Alayhissalam – who was unanimously Hakeem (wise) and a
Nabi according to somewas employed as a labourer in an orchard. One
day, the owner of the orchardcame and asked him to bring some
cucumbers. He peeled one and gave it Hadhrat Luqmaan who started
eating it with relish. The owner, witnessing Hadhrat Luqmaan eating
the cucumber with such relish thought that it must be rather
delicious. He placed a slice of it intohis mouth and on findingit was
extremely bitter, spat it out and frowned.
"This cucumber is rather bitter," he addressed Hadhrat Luqmaan, "but
you were eating it as thought it was very delicious."
Hadhrat Luqmaan said, "Yes, of course! It is bitter."
"Why didnt you say so?" asked the master.
He replied, "What can I say? I thought to myself that the hand from
whichI ate sweet things thousands of times, if thesame hand gives me
something bitter just once, how can I show it on my face?"
This is such a principle that if both spouses remember it, there will
never be an opportunity for contention and dispute.
The wife should remember that the husband has put up with all her
frivolities thousands of times, what is there if he is hard with me
just this once? The husband on the othe hand should also ponder over
the thousands of times his wife had servedhim diligently.
(At-Tableegh vol 7 page 128)

Stories from Quran & Hadees - Stories of the Prophets, Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh): Excellence of Prayer

Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) once decided to perform prayers and read
Zabur (Book of Psalms) with the excellence that nobody would have
done. He entered the Mehrab and prayed.
After he finished to his satisfaction he found a frog appear before
him and told him, "Oh Dawood! Is it true that you feel that you have
prayed too well? Every night I am habituated to pray 1,000 Tasbih
(glorifications) and from every Tasbih three thousand Hamds are
expressed.
Sometimes when I am at the bottom of a pond and I hear the voice of
any bird above, thinking that it might be hungry, I come to the
surface of the water so that the hungry bird may get its food by
eating me. This isthe part of the duty that Iperform towards Allah
(SWT)."
Stories of the Prophets, Prophet Sulayman / Solomon (pbuh): Do not Transgress
Prophet Sulayman / Solomon (pbuh) in response to his special prayer to
Allah (SWT) wasgranted Kingdom and was given power over the forces of
nature, overthe men, Jinn, devil and other living creatures. He was
also endowed with knowledge of their language and could easily
communicate with them.
Prophet Sulayman / Solomon (pbuh) once was sitting on the bank of a
lake deeply engrossed in the beauties of nature around and
appreciating the various forms of Allah's (SWT) creation on earth.
Suddenly Prophet Sulayman's / Solomon (pbuh) attention was drawn
towards an Ant creeping forward with a grain of wheat in its mouth. As
it reached nearthe water, a Tortoise came out, opened its mouth and
the ant crept into it. The Tortoise closing its mouth disappeared
under the water. After a while, the Tortoise again sprung out of the
water and standing on the bank opened its mouth and the Ant came out.
But thistime it had no grain of wheat in its mouth.
Prophet Sulayman / Solomon (pbuh) became anxious to know what had been
happening under water. On inquiring, the Ant explained that at the
bottom of the lake, was astone and underneath it lived a blind Ant.
Allah (SWT) had created it there and because of blindness, it could
not move about. The Ant further said that I have been appointed by
Allah (SWT) to provide its daily sustenance with the assistance of the
Tortoise and hence, I do perform this duty everyday.
Let us ponder over one thing. If a tiny creature like an Ant living
under a stone at the bottom of a sea is not denied its sustenance, why
should man the noblest of all creatures (Ashraf ul Makhluqat) ever
suspect loss of his sustenance from Almighty Allah (SWT)? Isn't it
foolishness to dirty one's hand in prohibited transactions for earning
one's livelihood? Such persons do not get more, than what is destined
and earn Allah's (SWT) Wrath and Punishment in this world and
Hereafter.
Moral: Allah (SWT) is Ar Razzaq. He is our Provider we should always
have faith in Him and trust Him in all our Affairs.

Stories from Quran & Hadees - Stories of the Prophets, Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh): Value of one tumbler of water

One day Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) was passing through a barrenhill.
He noticed a pious person busy in prayer sitting in a cave of the
hill. Prophet Musa / Moses(pbuh) felt the urge to meet and talk to the
pious person. Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) went near and greeted him.
The pious person asked disinterestedly,"Who are you?" Prophet Musa /
Moses (pbuh) said,"I am Musa!"
The pious person asked,"Are you the Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh)?"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) said, "Yes!"
The pious person said,"Then ask Allah (SWT) to Grant my wish!"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) asked, "What is it that you want?"
The pious person said,"Since the last one hundred years I am sitting
here praying to Allah (SWT). I don't do anything other than the
Prayer. Ask Allah (SWT), what He will give me for my efforts?"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) said, "I shall find about it immediately."
Heimmediately climbed up the hill and called aloud,"O Sustainer Allah!
This person wants to know about the reward for his prayers! Tell me,
what shall I inform him?"
He heard the sound, "O Musa! Tell him, we shall inform him about his
reward tomorrow."
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) went to the pious person and conveyed
themessage to him. The pious person said, "Its fine! Tomorrow is not
much of a time!"
The pious person was in the habit of going to a nearby canal early
every morning for bathing and fetching some water for his use.
Therefore, the next morning too he started for the canal but he lost
his way and reached somewhere else.Because of the sun's heat he became
very thirsty and tired. He sat on a lonely boulder and started
thinking about his death. At that time he found another person coming
from the other direction. He waved to the person to come to him. When
the person came nigh, he asked him to help him with some water.
The visiting person said,"Where is any water in this wilderness?
Whatever little I have is only for me."
The pious person started crying. The other person said, "Fine! What
will yougive me if I give you a tumbler of water?"
The pious person said, "I don't have anything. I have been busy in the
cave praying for the last one hundred years."
The other person said, "Ifyou agree to transfer to me the Rewards for
your prayers of one hundred years, I shall give you a tumbler of
water."
The pious person thought, if he lived, he could pray for a further
period to get the Rewardfrom Allah (SWT). He said,"I am ready to
transfer toyou my reward for the hundred years' of my prayers.
The other person gave him a tumbler full of water and the pious person
returned to his cave.
In the morning Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) got a revelation that the
pious person transferred his hundred years of prayer to another
personin exchange for a tumbler of water. Ask theman to settle the
value ofthe tumblers of water that he had been drinking during the
last hundred years!
Therefore, Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) went to the cave and told to
the person that he had a message for him from Allah (SWT).
The pious person said, "O Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh)! I have already
sold my hundred years ofpenance!"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) said, "Yes! I know.But Allah (SWT) has
said that when the value of one hundred years of prayer is one tumbler
of water, then he must settle the value of the water he had been
drinking over the last hundred years."
When the pious person heard this, he was shocked and shouted, "O
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh)! Recommend to Allah (SWT) to forgive my
sins! Allah (SWT) is Beneficent and Merciful!"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) got the Revelation, "tell the piousperson!
Your penitence of this moment pleased us more than your prayers of a
hundred years and we have given to you rewards for a thousand years of
prayers!"
Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny? Noble Qur'an (55:13)
Imam Ali (as) says: "The sin that makes you sad and repentant is more
liked by Allah (SWT) than the good deed which turns you arrogant."

Stories from Quran & Hadees - Stories of the Prophets, Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh): Benefit of Namaz e Janaza

In the times of Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) there was a person who
was very pious who used to spend his money lavishly in good causes.
Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) was very much attached to him. In the
mean while Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) got a revelation from Allah
(SWT) through which Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) came to know that
all the money spent by that person was only for show and there was no
real charity for the sake of Allah (SWT). When this man died, people
expected Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) to attend the funeral but
instead of himself attending the funeral Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh)
sent a representative to attend.
There were fifty witnesses at the time of Ghusl (washing) and all of
them whispered among themselves that they had not seen anything except
good from the person. The same fifty declared and made the same
statementwhile offering Funeral Prayer (Namaz e Janaza / Namaz e
Maiyyat) and also at burial and all of them bore witness sayingthat
they found that man excellent in his ways. After the burial was
over,Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) got a revelation from Allah (SWT)
and wasasked why he did not attend. Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh)
pleaded that because he was doing charity only for show and not for
Allah (SWT), hence he did not like to attend the funeral of such a
person.
Revelation came from Allah (SWT) saying, "Oh Dawood! When I heard the
statement of the people that he was good,I accepted their witnesses
and gave preference to their statement over my own knowledge and gave
the man all the rewards that he deserved because of the public
opinion."
Imam Ali (as) Says: "Live amongst people in such amanner that if you
die they weep over you and if you are alive they cravefor your
company."

HAJJ (Pilgrimage)

The last of the fundamental duties in Islam is the Hajj. Laying itdown
as an essential religious obligation of Muslims, the Holy Quraan says:
Pilgrimage thereto is a duty, men owe to Allah, on those who can
afford the journey, but if any one denies faith, Allah stands not in
need of anyof His creatures. [III:97]
In this verse while the Hajj has been declared obligatory it has been
made clear that it is applicable only to those who possess the means
and material resources toundertake it. But care has been taken, in the
last part of it, to warn that if Muslims whom Allah (Subhaanahu
Wata'aalaa) has blessed with the necessary material means to perform
the pilgrimage still fail to carry out the duty through sheer
ingratitude (as is common among the wealthy classes these days) then
Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) does not stand in need of their
pilgrimage. The Almighty,definitely, is not going tolose anything by
their not performing the Hajj, the loss will entirely to them. They
will forfeit Hisgood graces, they will deprive themselves of
Hisbenevolence, and Allah-forbid, a most lamentable fate will be
waiting for them in the Hereafter. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihe
Wasillam) is reported to have gone as far as to say:
"A person whom Allah (SUbhaanahu Wata'aalaa) has given enough to
perform the Hajj, if he still fails to do so then it does not matter
at all whether he dies as a Jew or a Christian."
Brothers! If there is any regard in our hearts for Islam, if we can
boast of the least attachment to Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) and the
Prophet (Sallallahu AlaiheWasallam) none of us who can afford to make
the journey should remain without performing the Hajj afterwe have
known this Tradition.
Spiritual Merit
The importance of the Hajj and the spiritual meritoriousness of those
who perform it have been emphasised in a number of Traditions. Wewill
reproduce a few of them here.
"Those who make the pilgrimage for the Hajj orthe Umrah they are the
guests of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa): their petitions, if they make
any to Allah (SubhaanahuWata'aalaa), will be granted, and if they seek
deliverance from sins, their sins will be forgiven."
"He who performs the Hajj and commits no wicked or sinful deed during
it and does not disobey Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa), he will return
from it as pure and guiltless as he was atthe time of his birth."
"The reward for a pure and untainted Hajj is paradise itself and
nothing short of it."
Immediate Gains
The remission of sins andthe enjoyment of the supreme blissfulness of
paradise as a result of the spiritual auspiciousness of the Hajj will,
Inshaa Allah, surely be granted to the faithful in full measure inlife
to come, but the exquisite thrill and the sublime joy one experiences,
the soul-stirring sensation of delight and wondermentone feels, on
seeing that choicest seat of Divine splendour - the House of Ka'bah
and on visiting those special places in Makkah where the memories of
Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam) are still alive, are also things
of the celestial world on the earth. Then the pilgrimage to the
Prophet's (Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam) mausoleum at Madinah, the
offering up of Salaah in his own mosque, the addressing of the
salutation and the benediction to him directly, the aimless wanderings
in the streetsand the wilderness of theblessed city, the breathing in
of its air and the fragrance which always seems to be fillingits
atmosphere, the ethereal joy of his remembrance bursting upon one
sometimes in laughter and sometimes in tears - all these things -
provided, of course, that one is blessed enough to feel them - arethe
immediate rewards apilgrim gets when he betakes himself to the holy
cities of Makkah andMadinah.
Five Pillars of Islam
The five fundamental teachings of Islam we have discussed so far,
theKalimah, Salaah, Zakaah, Saum and Hajj, are known as the 'Five
Pillars of Islam'.
A well-known Tradition of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Ataihe
Wasallam) tells us that,"The foundation of Islam rests on these five
things;(i) the affirmation of (ii) the establishment of Salaah (iii)
the payment of Zakaah (iv) the observance of Saum in the month of
Ramadhaanand (v) the performance of Hajj by those who can afford to
make the pilgrimage."
When these five items are spoken of as the Pillars of Islam, it means
that these are the fundamental duties of the faith. If carried out
properly these duties are capable of producing in us the ability to
fulfil our other religious obligations as well. Here we have dwelt
only on their importance and theintrinsic spiritual virtue that
underlies them. Detailed rules and principles governing them can be
learnt from reliable, books on IslamicJurisprudence or directly from a
Muslim theologian.

Fundamentals Principles of Islam

1. The declaration of kalimah
2. The observance of the obligatory salat (prayers) five times a day.
3. Distribution of Zakat (Islamic alms-fee) amongthe deserving
amounting to one fortieth in one's possession for a complete year.
4. The observation of sawm (fast) during the day time in the month ofRamadhan.
5. The performance of Hajj (pilgrimage) to Makka, at least once in a
lifetime, if circumstances permit.

Declaration of Faith

1. Kalima Tayyab (Declaration) - "La Ilaha Ill-Allah Muhammad ur
Rasool ul Allah" meaning "There is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is
the Apostle of Allah".
2. Kalima Shahadah (Submission of Evidence)- " Ash-hadu anla ilaaha
il-lalaahu wahdahu la shariika lahu wa ash-hadu anna Muhammada 'abduhu
wa rasuuluhu" meaning"I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah,
the One, Who is without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is
His Servant and Apostle."
3. Kalima Tamjeed (Glory of Allah) - Subhaan Allaahi wal hamdu
lil-laahi wa la ilaaha il-lalaahu wal-laahu Akbar. Wa la hawla wa la
quw-wata il-la bil-la hil 'aliyyil Azeem." Meaning "Glory be to Allah
and praise; there is no deity but Allah; Allah is the Greatest, and
thereis no power, no might but from Allah, the Highest, the Greatest.
4. Kalima Tauheed (Oneness of Allah) – " Laa ilaaha il-lalaahu wahdahu
la sharika lahu lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyii wa yumiitu wa huwa
Haiyyun la yamutu abadan abadaa. Zul jalali wal ikram. Biyadi hil
khair. Wa huwa 'alaa kul-li shai-'in qadiir." Meaning "There is none
worthy of worship but Allah; He is One and has no partner; His is the
Kingdom (of the whole universe) and unto Him is due all Praise; He
gives life and He causes death; In his hand is all good; and He has
power over all things".
5. Kalima Astaghfaar (Seek Forgiveness) - "As-taghfi rul-laaha rab-bii
min kul-li zam-bin az-nabtu-hu 'ama-dan aw khataa'n sir-ran aw
'alaa-niya-tan wa-atubu ilaihi minaz zabmi al-lazi 'alamu wa minaz
zambi la a'lamu in-naka anta 'al-laamul ghuyubi wa sit-taarul 'uyuubi
wa ghaf-faaruz zunubi wa la hawla wa la quw-wata il-la bil-la hil
'aliyyil Azeem." Meaning "I seek forgiveness from Allah, who is my
sustainer, for all of my sins which I committed intentionally or
mistakenly, covertly orovertly. I repent from Him for those sins
which I am aware of, and also of those sins which I am not aware of.
Certainly you are best aware of matters of Unseen. And You are ---
6. Kalima Raddil-Kufr (Refutation of Disbelief) – "O Allah! Verily do
I seek refuge in Thee fromassociating any partner with Thee knowingly;
I beseech Thy forgiveness for the sins which I am not aware of;
verily, Thee are the Best Knower of all secrets. I repent for all the
sins and make myself proof against all teachings except the teachings
of Islam. I have entered thefold of Islam, and I hereby declare: -
There isno deity but Allah and Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah."

The Merits of Hajj

Among the blessings of Allaah The Almighty uponHis slaves is that He
ordained for them acts ofworship that can reform their souls, like
Salaah (prayer), Zakaah (obligatory alms), fasting, Hajj (major
pilgrimage) and other such deeds which nurture and purifyindividuals
in all aspects. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } Allaah does
not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you
andcomplete His favor upon you that you may be grateful { [Quran, 5:
6]All these acts of worship are amongst the best deeds, and Allaah The
Almighty honors His slaves by giving them opportunities to do
thoseacts of worship. Allaah The Almighty also elevates the pious
amongst His slaves when they perform those good deeds. Acts of worship
illuminate hearts, refine souls, reform one's manners and please
Allaah The Almighty. Theyalso elevate one's rank inParadise, expiate
the sinsand multiply one's reward.
Hajj is one such act of worship. It is a pillar of Islam in which
Allaah The Almighty has combined all types of ' Ibaadah (worship).
Hajj comprises the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship
but Allaah The Almighty and that Muhammad, , is His Messenger, as well
as prayer, spending in the way of Allaah The Almighty, fasting (for
those who cannot afford to pay for the sacrificial animal) , enjoining
good and forbidding evil, patience, perseverance, mercy and abstention
from forbidden things.
Hajj is one of the greatestsigns of Allaah The Almighty that what
Prophet Muhammad, , has come with is certainly the religion of truth.
No human power can gather pilgrims everyyear from all parts of the
world; pilgrims with hearts full of yearning and love, who experience
difficulties yet rejoice even when it means leaving their homes and
families. They feel that the hours of performing Hajj are the greatest
of one's life and they spend generously for this purpose. Indeed, it
is only Allaah The Almighty who can bring about such a situation. He
Says (what means): } And proclaim to the people the Hajj (pilgrimage);
they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; theywill come
from every distant pass – That they may witness (i.e., attend)
benefits for themselves and mention the Name ofAllaah on known (i.e.,
specific) days over what He has provided for themof (sacrificial)
animals. Soeat of them and feed the miserable and poor. { [Quran, 22:
27-28]
The interpreter Ibn Jareer and others reported that Ibn 'Abbaas said,
"When Allaah The Almighty commanded Prophet Ibraaheem toproclaim Hajj
among people, he said, 'My Lord, how can I convey the message to the
people as my voice cannot reach them?' Allaah The Almighty Said: 'You
call; itis Our duty to make it reach (everyone)!' So, he stood in his
position and said, 'O you people! Your Lord has chosen a House, so
perform pilgrimage to it.' It was said that the mountains became
leveled and his voice reached all parts of the earth and all that was
in the wombs and loins of men were made to hear the call and
everything that heard it, responded. So those for whom AllaahThe
Almighty has decreedto perform Hajj till the Day of Judgment
responded, saying, 'Labbayka Allaahumma Labbayk (Here I am at your
service, O Allaah, here I am).' "
Moreover, it is from the favor of Allaah The Almighty upon us that He
sent the best of His creation to us in order to explain to us sayings,
deeds and beliefs that can make us win the pleasure of our Lord, andto
warn us against all that can make Him displeased with us. AllaahThe
Almighty Says (what means): } Just as We have sent among you a
messenger from yourselves reciting to youOur verses and purifying you
and teaching you theBook and wisdom and teaching you that which you
did not know. So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to
Me and do notdeny Me. { [Quran, 2: 151-152]
Therefore, during one's pilgrimage, one has to hold fast onto the
sublime Islamic manners and etiquettes. Let your Hajj be an act of
repentance from previous sins and a source of reform and piety for the
rest of your life. Thank Allaah The Almighty and praise Him for His
bountiful blessings of peace, faith and worldly commodities; and also
for the opportunities He affords you to do righteous deeds and for the
disasters He has averted from befalling you.

The harsh reality of China's Muslim divide

15/10/2012
The Muslim Hui are an anomaly inChina, an ethnic minority
grantedsignificant autonomy and allowed to devoutly follow their
religion in a region where Islam thrives.
The ancient Silk Road trade route cut through what is today the
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, luring Muslim traders from afar.
Descendants of Arab and Persian merchants travelled here in the 7th
century and many settled, planting the roots of Islam in the heart of
China.
About half the country's 20 million Muslims are from the Hui ethnic group.
Muslims were persecuted in Ningxia during Mao Zedong's Cultural
Revolution in the 1960s and '70s, but today Islam flourishes. More
than 400 mosques dot the region, and Islamic schools have produced
some 7,000 imams - or Islamic clerics known locally as ahongs.
While Muslim Uighurs of Turkic descent in the far west face
harshreligious restrictions and repression, the Hui have been afforded
much more political andreligious freedom by Beijing. Observers say it
is their friendly historical relations with the ethnic majority Han
that is the difference.
"The different cultures have merged in this place harmoniously," says
Ma Zhang Wen, the imam of Xinhua Mosque.
Ma, 38, has been an imam for the last 15 years in Yinchuan, Ningxia's
capital, about 1,300 kilometers northwest of Beijing.
"The government gives people a religion-training program to develop
Islam. The Han respect us, and we respect them, too," Ma says.
Economic revival
According to official data, there are 6.3 million people in Ningxia,
and 2.2 million are Hui.
The impoverished region faced hard times but has seen a revival in
recent years. Islam has helped rejuvenate the economy, and Ningxia has
developed economic ties to Arab and Muslim countries.
Ningxia's halal food industry, for example, is worth about $700m
ayear, according to government statistics.
The region's gross domestic product reached 206 billion yuan (US$33bn)
in 2011, an annual increase of 12 per cent.
"Peoples' lives in Ningxia are getting better and better. We don't
feel discrimination or inequality," says the imam Ma.
The government's move to nurture the region's economic growth has
helped. "The westerndevelopment policy encourages us to develop the
economy, and we have witnessed a dramatic change," he says.
Bao Hongbiao, a researcher at theNingxia Academy of Social Sciences,
says gearing products toward Islamic markets has paid off for
Ningxia's Muslim community.
"Muslim food and religious goodsare showing fast growth, providing
products to other provinces and exporting them to Central Asia and
other Muslim regions," says Bao.
Muslim Uighur repression
While Hui Muslims enjoy freedom to practice their religion, Muslim
Uighurs face strict government repression in far-western
Xinjiangprovince. Bao says while the Hui have happily assimilated with
themajority Han, the Uighurs have not.
Part of the problem is language differences. While the Hui and Han
both speak Mandarin, the Uighurs speak their own Turkic dialect and
write in Arabic script.
Others say the Uighurs' strong desire for autonomy explains the
difference in treatment.
But others highlight the government's policy of offering incentives
for Han Chinese to migrate west as a main cause of friction.
Alim Seytoff, president of the Uyghur American Association, says the
government routinely blocks Uighurs from practicing Islam.The Han
population in Xinjiang has skyrocketed from 6.7per cent in 1949 to 40
per cent in 2008, fueling ethnic tensions overresources and jobs.
"It is meant as a message to the Uighur people telling them to abandon
their faith or face charges of extremism, even for simple expressions
of religious belief. All these measures do is further alienate
Uighurs, if that is possible," says Seytoff.
Violence erupts
In July 2009 riots erupted in Xinjiang's regional capital Urumqi,
leaving about 200 Uighurs and Han dead. China's government cracked
down - a situation that continues to simmer to this day.
While Beijing supports the Muslim religion in Ningxia, that isfar from
the case in Xinjiang. Minors under the age of 18 are forbidden from
participating in Islamic practices, and thousands are detained every
year for"illegal religious activity", according to a report by Human
Right Watch.
It is strictly prohibited to celebrate religious holidays and study
religious texts at state institutions, including schools, said the
2005 report titled "Devastating Blows: Religious Repression of Uighurs
in Xinjiang".
"For Beijing, Xinjiang falls into thesame broad category of political
concerns as Taiwan and Tibet," the report says. "Demands for
separation and/or autonomy are seen in Beijing as a threat to the
continued viability of the Chinese state."
During Ramadan, the Islamic blessed month, notices were posted banning
or discouraging fasting by Communist Party members, civil servants,
studentsand teachers.
"Religious extremism is closely related to violence and terrorism,and
cracking down on these is one of our top priorities," spokeswoman Hou
Hanmin was quoted as saying in the state-run Global Times newspaper. A
regional government spokeswoman denied that fasting was banned, saying
the notices only encouraged people to "eat properly for study and
work".
Amnesty International researcherCorinna-Barbara Francis says the
situation continues to deteriorate "very badly" in Xinjiang.
"There is a much tighter level of control for all Uighurs, and the
religious repression has intensified," she says.
PHOTO CAPTION
A file photo of Muslim Uighur men emerging from the Id Kah mosque
after prayers, in Kashgar,in China's western Xinjiang province Friday

State of the Righteous Predecessors in Hajj

Just a few days are left till the Hajj season. The pilgrims compete in
preparing themselves properly to perform this great pillar of Islam.
Wealth is one of the basic necessities of Hajj ; but people are
different in choosing the type of wealth which will be their
sustenance for Hajj.
Some choose unlawfully gained wealth, such as Riba- based loans
(usury), mixed shares, and so on. Others are pious and choose only the
lawfully gained wealth that is untainted by any unlawful gains in
order to have this kind of sustenance during this trip.
It is lawful wealth, the little sustenance in this life and the rare
treasureat a time when you rarely find wealth unmixed with what is
unlawful.
O pilgrims, lawfully gained wealth is the way to success, the beacon
of happiness andthe reason behind having your supplicationanswered.
The Prophet, , said: "Allaah is Good and He accepts only what is
good." [Muslim] That is why our Salaf (righteouspredecessors) used to
bevery particular about themeans by which they earned their livelihood
lest their deeds and supplications be rejected. Their wives were just
as keen, so much so, that one of them would walk her husband to the
door as he was leaving in the morning and say to him: "Fear Allaah
with regards to what you feed us, for we can tolerate hunger but would
not be able to tolerate the heat of Hell"
The state of Salaf on assuming Ihraam and Talbiyah
My dear reader: Salaf used to experience the real meaning of Ihraam ,
which is to remove all earthly desires and lusts, and turn
wholeheartedlywith one's body and soul, to the Creator of the heavens
and the earth. This is why, on assuming Ihraam , their emotions were
moved, their colors changed, and they would fret lest it would not be
acceptedfrom them.
It was the habit of Anas ibn Maalik that whenever he assumed Ihraam ,
he would not talk about anything belonging to the worldlyaffairs until
he had removed Ihraam.
When 'Ali ibn Al-Husayn, may Allaah Have mercy upon him, assumed
Ihraam, and his riding mount stood upright with him, he turned paleand
fretted and was unable to recite Talbiyah . It was said to him, "What
is wrong with you?" He said, "I fear lest it would be said to me: "No
Labbayk and No Sa'dayk" (Your call is not responded to, and no
happiness is destined to you, in reference to the rejection of worship
from him)."
When Ja'far As-Saadiq performed Hajj , and intended to recite
Talbiyah, the color of his face changed. It was saidto him, "What is
wrong with you, O grandson of the Messenger of Allaah ?" He said, "I
intend tosay Talbiyah, but I fear I would hear something else rather
than the response (to Talbiyah)."
Whenever Shurayh assumed Ihraam, he would seem as motionless as a
still female-snake, due to his absolute silence, meditation and
lowering his head to Allaah The Almighty.
Though many pilgrims inthose days did not recite Talbiyah , and most
of them did not raise their voices with it nor pronounce it publicly
even if they said it, Salaf did the opposite of that.
According to Abu Haazim
Whenever the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah, , assumed Ihraam ,
they would not reach Ar-Rawhaa' before their voices would become
hoarse (due to raising their voices with Talbiyah ). Indeed, they knew
that this was something loved by Allaah The Almighty, as confirmed by
the statement of the Messenger of Allaah, : "Jibreel (Gabriel) came to
me and told me to command my Companions to raise their voices with
Talbiyah." [Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah and An-Nasaa'i;
Al-Albaani: Saheeh ] And, his statement, : "The best (deeds of) Hajj
is to raiseone's voice with Talbiyah, and cause the blood of
(slaughtered) sacrifices to flow." [At-Tirmithi; Al-Albaani: Hasan [
Worship of Salaf in Hajj
According to the grand Imaam Ibn Rajab oneof the greatest deeds of
righteousness to be done in Hajj is to establish prayer: he
whoperforms Hajj , especially when it is voluntary, without
establishing prayer is like the one who sought to earn a single Dirham
for which he wasted his capital of many thousands. Salaf maintained
the voluntary prayers with great care. The Messenger of Allaah, , used
to perform the voluntary prayers in all his journeys on his riding
mount on which he used to also perform the Witr prayer.
It is narrated on the authority of 'Aamir ibn Rabee'ah that he saw the
Messenger of Allaah, , performing the supererogatory prayer at night
on his journey on the back of his riding mount wherever it turned with
him. [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
It is further narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar that he said,
"The Messenger of Allaah used to perform the supererogatory prayer
along with the Witr prayer (on journey) on his riding mount to
whichever direction it turned with him. But he did not perform the
prescribed obligatory prayer on it." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
It was the habit of Muhammad ibn Waasi' to perform the voluntary
prayers on theway to Makkah for the whole night on the back of his
camel, by way of nodding, and he would command his camel driver to
raise his voice behind him, in order to divert the people's attention
with his voice from him.
Masrooq performed Hajj , during which he did not sleep but in the
prostration posture.
Al-Mugheerah ibn Hakeem As-San'aani used to perform Hajj from Yemen on
foot, andhe had a devotional recital every night in which he used to
recite one-third of the Quran: he used to stop and perform prayer
until when his devotional recital was over, he would then join the
caravan of travelers whenever he was able to, and perhaps he couldnot
manage to join thembefore the end of the day.
After relating those stories, Ibn Rajab said, "We command the people
just to maintain with care the (obligatory) prayers at their due
times, even by combining each pair of prayers possible to combine at
the time of either of them. There is no concession for anyone to
perform the night prayer during the day, nor the prayer of the day at
night, nor the prescribed obligatory prayer on the back of hisriding
mount."
How Salaf were cautious about showing off and boasting
In order for the pilgrimage to be accepted (by Allaah) with full
acceptance, it isdue on the pilgrim not to intend by his pilgrimage to
be seen orheard of by men, nor to boast, nor to preen, nor to show
pride or be arrogant: in sum, he should intend thereby only the
countenance and good pleasure of Allaah The Almighty. He should also
humble himself in Hajj , and be meek and submissive to his Lord The
Almighty.
The Salaf were extremely eager to keep their deeds far from any taint
of showing off or worldly pride, because they knew that Allaah The
Almighty would onlyaccept the deed that is done for Him sincerely and
correctly in accordance with the Sunnah (tradition) of His Prophet, ,
as confirmed by the Statement of Allaah The Almighty in the Qudsi
Hadeeth (sacred narration): "He, who does a deed in which he
associates a partner withMe, I then will leave him with the partner
whom he associates." [Muslim] For this reason, when a man said to Ibn
'Umar "How many pilgrims there are!" Ibn 'Umar replied to him, "Nay!
How few they are (from whom Hajj is accepted by Allaah)!"
According to Shurayh Al-Qaadhi "The pilgrims (from whom Hajj is
accepted) are few,even though the riders (who set out for Hajj) are
many. How many arethose who do good, but how few are those who intend,
by their deed, HisCountenance, The Almighty."
On his way to Makkah, 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab said, " No doubt, (on this
journey of Hajj) you become disheveled, covered with dust, engaged in
recitation (of the Quran), and offered your sacrifice, thereby
intending nothing from the worldly transitory benefits. We do not know
of a journey better than this", meaning Hajj .

It is not permissible to eat meat that was slaughtered for anyone or anything other than Allah, even if the one who slaughtered it mentioned the name of Allah over it

There is meat that was slaughtered for a Buddhist person who bought it
(the animal) inorder to slaughter it because of a belief that they
have which is contrary to our religion (according to their belief, to
drive out evil spirits), but the one whoslaughtered it was a Muslim
and he slaughtered it in the Islamic way. Is it permissible to eat
it?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If it was slaughtered purely for the meat, as isthe basic reason for
which people slaughter animals, then it must be done in the name of
Allah. If the name of Allah was mentioned over it, it is permissible
to eat it, if it was slaughtered in the well-known shar'i manner. If
the name of Allah was not mentionedover it, it is not permissible to
eat it. Allah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"So eat of that (meat) onwhich Allaah's Name has been pronounced
(whileslaughtering the animal), if you are believers in His Ayaat
(proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.).
119. And why should younot eat of that (meat) onwhich Allaah's Name
has been pronounced (at thetime of slaughtering the animal), while He
has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under
compulsion of necessity?And surely, many do lead(mankind) astray by
their own desires through lack of knowledge. Certainly your Lord knows
best the transgressors"
[al-An'aam 6:118-119]
"Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allaah's Name has not
been pronounced (at thetime of the slaughtering of the animal), for
sure itis Fisq (a sin and disobedience of Allaah). And certainly, the
Shayaateen (devils) do inspire their friends (from mankind) to dispute
with you, and if you obey them[by making Al-Maytah (a dead animal)
legal by eating it], then you would indeed be Mushrikoon
(polytheists); [because they (devils and their friends) made lawful to
you to eat that which Allaah has made unlawful to eat and you obeyed
them by considering it lawful to eat, and by doing so youworshipped
them; and to worship others besides Allaah is polytheism]"
[al-An'aam 6:121]
But if what is intended by slaughtering it is an act of worship, then
added to the above conditions is that this sacrifice should have been
done for Allah, like all other acts of worship.Allah says
(interpretationof the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): 'Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my
sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the
'Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).
163. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am
the first of the Muslims'"
[al-An'aam 6:162-163].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Here Allah is commanding him (the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him)) to tell the mushrikeen who worship gods other
thanAllah and offer sacrifices that are not done in His name, that he
differs from them in that; his prayer is for Allah, his sacrifice is
in His name alone with no partner orassociate. This is like the verse
in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Therefore turn
in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)" [al-Kawthar
108:2], i.e., make your prayer and sacrifice sincerely for Him alone.
The mushrikeen used to worship idols and offer sacrifices to them, so
Allah commanded him tobe different from them and turn away from their
path, and turn witha sincere intention and devotion to Allah alone.
End quote.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer (3/381-382)
Muslim (1978) narrated that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "May Allaah curse the one who offers a sacrifice to
anything other than Allaah."
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
What is meant by offering a sacrifice to anything other than Allah is
that which is slaughtered in the name of anything or anyone other than
Allah, such as a sacrifice offered to an idol or the cross or Moosa or
'Eesa (blessingsand peace of Allah be upon them both) or to the Ka'bah
and so on. All of that is haraam and this meat is not halaal, whether
the one who slaughtered it is a Muslim or Christian or a Jew. That was
stated by al-Shaafa'i and agreed upon by our companions. If he also
intended it as an act of veneration or worship of the one other than
Allah to whom he slaughtered it, that is kufr. If the one who
slaughtered it was a Muslim before that, he becomes an apostate
because of this slaughter. End quote.
The one who slaughters a sacrifice for anyone or anything other than
Allah, such as one who slaughters it for an idol or to ward off evil
spirits-- as they claim -- or to draw close to whatever he worships
instead of Allah or to a "saint" (wali) and so on is a mushrik who is
beyond the pale of Islam and it isnot permissible to eat meat
slaughtered by him, whether he mentioned the name of Allah over it or
not, because he slaughtered it as a sacrifice to someone other than
Allah, and Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"He has forbidden you only the Maytah (dead animals), and blood,
andthe flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice
for others than Allaah (or has been slaughtered for idols, on which
Allaah's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). But if one
is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing
due limits, then there is no sin on him. Truly, Allaah is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"
[al-Baqarah 2:173].
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The apparent meaning of the words "and that which is slaughtered as a
sacrifice for others than Allaah" is that whatever is slaughtered for
anyone or anything other than Allah, such as if it is said, This is a
sacrifice to such and such, and this is the intention, whether the
person spoke it out loud or not, is haraam, and the prohibition in
this case is clearer than the prohibition on that which was
slaughtered by a Christian for meat over which he said the name of
Christ and so on. That which we slaughter as an act of worship to draw
close toAllah is pure and better than that which we slaughter for meat
and mention the name of Allah over, because worshipping Allah by
praying to Him and sacrificing to Him is better than seeking helpby
saying His name at the beginning of every action. By the same token,
shirk that involves praying to anyone other than Allah and offering
sacrifices toanyone other than Him is worse shirk than seeking help in
the name of this other "god"at the beginning of every action. If that
over which the name of Christor al-Zahrah is mentioned is haraam, then
that which is sacrificed to Christ or al-Zahrah or is intended as such
is even more haraam. Based on that, if something is slaughtered for
someone other than Allah as an act of worship to draw close tohim, it
is haraam, even ifthe name of Allah is mentioned over it, as some of
the hypocrites of this ummah do, who seek to draw close to the"saints"
(awliya') and stars by offering sacrifices, burning incense and so on.
If these people are apostates, then meat slaughtered by them is not
permissible under any circumstances, because both reasons are combined
in this case
End quote from Iqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 260
The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
Offering a sacrifice to anyone or anything other than Allah is shirk,
and the meat comes under the same rulings as maytah (dead meat), and
it is not permissible to eat it even if the name of Allah is mentioned
over it, if it isestablished that it was slaughtered for anyone or
anything other than Allah. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/226
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Offering a sacrifice to anyone or anything other than Allah is
majorshirk, because sacrifice isan act of worship, so theone who
offers a sacrifice to anyone or anything other than Allah is a mushrik
whose shirk puts him beyond the pale of Islam -- whether he sacrifices
that to one of the Angelsor one of the Messengersor one of the
Prophets or one of the caliphs or one of the awliya' (saints) or one
of the scholars. All of that is associating others with Allah, may He
be glorified and exalted, and puts one beyond thepale of Islam.
With regard to eating the meat of these sacrifices, it is haraam,
because it was sacrificedto something or someone other than Allah, and
everything that is sacrificed to something or someone other than
Allah, or was sacrificed on a stone altar, is haraam. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 2/148
If this Muslim slaughterman knew thatthis animal that he slaughtered
was being slaughtered for someone or something other than Allah, even
if he mentioned the name of Allah over it, this is major shirk as
stated above. If he slaughtered it and did not know that,rather he was
asked to slaughter it and he did so, thinking that they were
slaughtering it for meat, then there is no blame on him.
And Allah knows best.

Ruling on swearing by the life of the Qur’aan

I swore an oath that my brother should not sleepin the house, and I
said "By the life of the Qur'aan, you shall never sleep in the house."
Then he slept in the house. What do I have todo?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
In the answer to question no. 122729 we stated that it is permissible
to swear by the names and attributesof Allah.
The Qur'aan is the word of Allah, and His word is one of His
attributes, so it is permissible to swearby the Qur'aan. The scholars
of the Standing Committee said:
It is permissible to swearby Allah and His Attributes. The Qur'aan
isthe word of Allah, which is one of His attributes, so it is
permissible to swear by it.
End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 1/354
Secondly:
Swearing by the life of the Qur'aan is not mentioned, as far as we
know, in Islam, either in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His
Messenger(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or the words of
any of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
It seems that the one who swore by this oath intended to swear by the
Qur'aan and spoke inthe manner of the common folk when they swear by
the life of that by which they are swearing. What appears to be the
case is that it comes under the same rulings as the ruling on one who
swears by the Qur'aan.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
We have many people who swear by things other than Allah. For example
they say, "By the life of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him)" or "By the life of 'Eesa" or "By the life of Moosa
(peace be upon him)" or "By the life of the Qur'aan" or "By the life
of my father's grave" or "I swear by my honour". Please advise me
about that; may Allah reward you with the best of rewards.
He replied: Swearing by anything other than Allah is not permissible.
Rather the oath should be by Allah alone, may He be glorified and
exalted, because it is proven that the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever swears an oath, let him
not swear by anything except by Allah, or else let him remain silent."
And he said: "Whoever swears by anything other than Allah has
associated something with Him (shirk)." Swearing by anything other
than Allah is one of the haraam actions that constitute kufr
(disbelief), but it comes under the heading of minor shirk, unless he
meant that this by whichhe swore was as great asAllah, or that it has
control over the universe, or that it deserves to be called upon
instead of Allah, in which case it becomes major kufr (al-kufr
al-akbar) – Allah forbid.
So if he said "By the life of So and so" or "By the life of the
Messenger" or "By the life of Moosa" or "By the life of 'Eesa" or "By
my father's grave", or he swore by honesty or by the Ka'bah and so on,
all of that is swearing by something other than Allah, and all of that
is not permissibleand is an evil action.
What should be done is to not swear by anything except Allah, may He
be glorified and exalted, or by one of His attributes, or by one of
His names. The Qur'aan isthe word of Allah, and the Qur'aan is one of
theattributes of Allah. So if aperson says "By the Qur'aan" or "By the
life of the Qur'aan", there is nothing wrong with that, because the
Qur'aan is the word of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.
End quote from Fataawa Noor 'ala ad-Darb by Ibn Baaz (p. 236-237)
Thirdly:
If a person swears that his brother or someone else should not sleep
in the house, then he sleeps there, he has to offer expiation for
breaking an oath (kafaarat yameen).
The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:
I swore an oath to someone, saying: "By Allah, you should not
slaughter the animal," but he did not heed my words and he slaughtered
it, and I ate some of it. Is there any sin on me, and is there any
expiation I have to offer? If there is any expiation I must offer,
please advise me about it.
They replied: If the situation is as you describe, there is no sin on
you for eating from it, but you have to offer expiation for breaking
an oath (kafaarat yameen), by feeding ten poor persons with the same
kind of food as youeat, or clothing them, or freeing a believing
slave.If none of that is possible, then you have to fast for three
days.
End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 23/85
Ibn Baaz (may Allah havemercy on him) was asked:
I have children and I often swear that they should not do such and
such, but they do not respond to my words. DoI have to offer any
expiation in this case?
He replied: If you swear an oath to your children or anyone else, with
the aim that they should do something or should notdo something, then
they go against that, you have to offer expiation for breaking an oath
(kafaarat yameen). End quote from Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn Baaz (23/119)
Fourthly:
If your oath to your brother that he should not sleep in the house was
the result of an argument, then it is not Islamically appropriate.
When you swore that oath, what is Islamically prescribed in your case
is to break the oath and offer expiation for it, because of the report
narrated by al-Bukhaari (6718) and Muslim (1649) from Abu Moosa
al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allaah,
if Allaah wills, I do not swear an oath then see something better than
that, but I expiate my oath and do that which is better."
And Muslim (1650) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "Whoever swears an oath then sees that something
else is better than it, let him do that and offer expiation for his
oath."
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
These hadeeths indicate that if a person swears to do something or not
to do something, and breaking the oath is better than adhering to it,
it is mustahabb for him to break the oath and he has to offer
expiation. This is something agreed upon.End quote.
And Allah knows best.

She stipulated that in order to marry her he has to memorize Soorat al-Baqarah or Aal ‘Imraan or take her for Hajj

I want to know can memorization of Holy Quran or part of it be made
into a condition for marriage as one sister(she is a Hafiz) has put
this condition out to me to either memorize Surah al-Baqarah or Surah
ale-Imraan and her third option was Hajjafter nikah. I can pick either
of the three. If I pick one of the first two what bothers me then is I
wouldn't be doing it for Allah swt it would be exclusively to gain her
hand. Please explain if this is allowed or not.
Praise be to Allaah.
If you want to marry her because she is religiously committed and you
agree to the condition, seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah and to
achieve this aim, and to marry someone who will help you to obey Allah
and you can help her, then there is nothing wrong with that and this
is partof striving for the Hereafter. Allah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And whoever desires the Hereafter and strivesfor it, with the
necessaryeffort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah's
obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah Islâmic
Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving shall be
appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah)"
[al-Isra' 17:19].
Al-Nasaa'i (3340) narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: Abu Talhah married Umm Sulaym and the dowry between them was
Islam; Umm Sulaym became Muslim before Abu Talhah. He proposed to her
and she said: I have become Muslim; if you become Muslim I will marry
you. So he became Muslim, and that was the dowry between them. Classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa'i.
So strive to memorise the Holy Qur'aan as an act of worship and
obedience towards Allah, and seeking His reward and His pleasure.There
is no reason not tolet the request of this sister be what motivates
you to do this act of worship, because it is not contrary to
sincerity.This is like those who enter some religious competitions and
let that a motive to memorise the Holy Qur'aan. So there is nothing
wrong with thatand it is not contrary to sincerity.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:
Taking part in religious competitions that offer cash prizes: are
these prizes halaal orharaam?
They replied: There is nothing wrong with accepting the prizes thatare
donated by people in authority or other doers of good, because that is
encouragement to acquire knowledge and memorise the Book of Allah, may
He be glorified and exalted. In these and similar matters, the
believer should be sincere towards Allah and be happy to have
something that helps him in that, and his motivation should not be
only to get the money. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 15/188
And Allah knows best.