Ch 13: A Conspiracy

While Isabella was in her room, a maidservant gave a letter in her
hand which read: "Sister Isabella, I have to talk to you on some
important things, so be kind to takethe trouble of coming here at
once. The matter is very important. You should not delay at all. Just
now I am waiting foryou anxiously in another house. Please come
alongwith this maidservant. Your sister, Mirano."
Isabella immediately got up to follow the maidservant while suspecting
that the letter was not from Mirano, butwas a secret conspiracy of the
priests. She followed the maidservanton the road which, rounding from
the Palaceof Martyrs, went straight to Rabat Ramani. At somedistance
the maidservant turned to a lane and entered a grand house and as soon
as she entered all the doors were closed and unsuspecting Isabella was
taken to another room whose doors were also closed and Isabella was
taken to another room whose doors were also immediately closed. Here
Isabella suspected that she probably had been taken prisoner. Then two
or three monkspushed Isabella to the stairs leading to the underground
room. Isabella was perturbed and she realised that she was in the grip
of the Inquisition. When she puther feet on the stair a monk gave a
hard blow on the back of the poor, delicate girl, and said. O accursed
one! why do you not go ahead? See that the fire of Lord JesusChrist's
anger is ready to burn you up. Unlucky girl! you have defamed
Christianity and dragged the honour of your father, the head priest,
into the mire.
Poor Isabella was silent. Shivering and suffering blows on her back
she got down to the underground chamber where human skeletons were
lying here and there in all corners and human craniums were hanging on
the walls. Going inside the monk lighted a lamp and said to Isabella:
Now you haveto live here so that you may know the consequences of
hostility to Lord Jesus Christ. Unluckily girl (pointing tothe
skeletons), these have been deputed to chastise you.
Isabella kept silence and felt as if she was in a dream. In the
meantime all the monks went out ofthe cell after locking it and
engaged themselves in prayer and devotion inother rooms. After some
time Isabella came to her senses and soon realised that she was put to
the tortures of being shut up in this chamber of ghosts because of her
acceptance of truth.
The day passed somehowand darkness of the nightenveloped the world.
After eighth part of the night Isabella was taken out of the chamber
and was given some parched and ground grain with water to drink. The
monks even now continued to snub her. Then Isabella was taken to
different rooms of the house where monks were engaged in various
devotional exer-cises. The object of this round was to frighten
Isabella by the austerities of monks which might appeal to her
conscience.Isabella watched all this with great interest. One person
was lying bound up in chains and another person was striking him with
a lash. Isabella was terrified at this sight and thought that probably
hewas also a guilty one like herself. She soon found that it was a
method of subduing the self, and self-torture was voluntarily taken up
by monks. In the large room of the house there was an idol of Virgin
Mary, around which monks andnuns were sitting in meditation. Some
monks were lying along the wallwith faces downward and some were
sobbing in a corner ; for subduingthe self they had not taken food for
the last twenty or twenty-one days. Isabella was aware of these things
but had not yet actually witnessed these scenes with her own eyes.
An elderly monk said to Isabella: O abandoned girl, if you want to
gain salvation, practise such austerities and by these achieve the
pleasure of Lord Jesus Christ.
Isabella laughed at it andsaid : Why does God needsuch austerities ?
The purpose of religion is that one should perform the duties which a
man has towards other men and serve men, not that he should hang
himself in a corner like abat. Further, when, accordingto you, Jesus
has atoned for all Christians, then such austerities are useless.
On this the monk's eyes became red with anger, and he struck a fist on
the chest of Isabella with full force saying : Hellish girl, you can
never be reformed. Go away, sit at your place. You will get your full
treatment there.
So the monk again opened the door of the underground chamber and
forced poor Isabella inside.
Isabella sat in a corner of the chamber where tons of human bones were
scattered and human skeletons all around were creating an awesome
spectacle. In the beginning Isabella's mind was somewhat perturbed but
soon her senses revived and she was able to think about her past and
future affairs. In this fearful andsilent house of the dead if there
was a slightest sound Isabella looked around perturbed and worried,
but soon she brought herself up and began to recite prayers. At last
the night ended and in this dark and closed chamber some rays of light
entered through some holes. After some time the door of the chamber
was opened and a monk brought her out in the large hall of the house
here twelve idols of the Disciples of Christ and other martyrs were
stalled. Isabella was taken where two very famous priests were
sitting, Isabella sat beforethem. At first a great dealof anger and
fire was demonstrated and then preaching began.
They said : Have you become a Muslim ? Isabella: Thank Allah, Who gave
me the great boon of Islam .
Priest: Leave out the praise of Islam. Just tell me if you want to die
an obnoxious death, or do you want to become again worthy of God's
grace?
Isabella: After accepting Islam any person becomes worthy of God's
grace and no one is morefortunate than the one who is given the luck
to accept Islam as this religion alone is the source of God's pleasure
and love.
Priest: Do not praise before me a bloody religion like Islam. I just
want a reply in two words, whether you like to die or to live a
Christian. Reply at once for your fate is to be decided today.
Isabella: What tribulations Christian martyrs had not suffered in the
very beginning, but did they renounce the truth? They were burnt
alive, thrown before tigers and lions, cut into two by saw and yet
they held on to the truth.
If for the sake of truth anyone has to meet death, it will be the
means of having God's pleasure and satisfaction of his conscience.
Since I am on the right, nothing on earth, even death, canmake me
deviate from it. The Holy Quran has taught me that "My prayer and my
sacrifice and my life and my deathare surely for Allah, the Lord of
the worlds—no associate has He."* I havebeen enjoined to remain firm
on it, and I am among those devotees.
Priest: That is, you do not want to give up Islam and enter into the
grace of Lord Jesus Christ, Well, then your fate will be decided
today.
Isabella: Whatever decision you like you may make about me withyour
heart's content. The utmost you can do is to take my life, but you do
not know that the Being to Whom I am related is Allah, Who lives for
ever.
Priest: When death will confront you, you will forget all these verses
of the Quran and Allah, etc. We shall see if the Quran or Prophet
Muhammad saves you from death.
Isabella: The same problem was put by the Jews before Jesus Christ
that if he was on the right, he should come down from the scaffold and
save his life. Now either (Allah forbid!) Christ was wrong that,
according to you, he could not save himself from death, or you are in
the footsteps of Jews.
Priest: O devil, hellish, evil-minded, worthless, unlucky! You call me
a Jew! Now keep quite andwait for your end.
Isabella: It will be better if you also keep quiet and leave me alone
and do yourself whatever youplease.
Priest (to monks): Lock upthis girl in the underground chamber, do not
give her any food or drink. Holy Father (Isabella's father) has
ordered that she should be given over to the Inquisition and her fate
will be decided tomorrow.
On this the monks caughthold of Isabella forcefullypushing and beating
her,and carried her out of the room. Outside the room the beating was
harder and numerous. Isabella fell and got up. At last she was thrown
in the underground chamber and locked up.
Now three days had passed in this confinement and Isabellawas not even
once taken out. But she was so happy and complacent asif angels of
firmness and stability were deputed for her. In the solitude of the
night human skeletons made the atmosphere quite fearsome, while monks
and nuns were engaged in austerities ; their weeping and cries reached
Isabella's ears.
In the meantime Isabella's friends (Mirano, Mertha and Hanana) had
also learnt that Isabella had been fraudulently called and thrown into
the underground chamber of a monastery and was being subjected to
great tortures. Then they consulted together and decided to inform
Umar Lahmi and Ziad b. Umar. One night they went to the assembly of
Ziad b. Umar and narrated the whole episode which greatly excited the
Muslims who were present there.
One person: By Allah, if we continue to remain sotolerant Christians
will put great obstruction in the propagation of Islam.Isabella is now
our sister in Islam and it is the duty of every Muslim to release her
from the grip of Christians at whatever cost.
Another person (drawinghis sword): By your permission I can go at once
and release Isabella.It is a pity that while our sister is under such
tortures we sit silent even now which is a great injustice.
Umar Lahmi: Brothers, excitement and outburstswill not do. The case is
now before Hazrat Ziad b. Umar and we shall do whatever he orders.
All (to Ziad b. Umar): Well,sir, whatever you order we are ready to
carry it out.
Ziad b. Umar : My advice to you is that you should not show any
excitement as it will cause the death of poor Isabella. If we like we
can get her released by sending a contingent of our army, but it is
expedient to takea strategic action. If Isabella is in trouble it will
InshaAllah (God willing) strengthen her faith and the fact is that the
worth of Islam is realised in the taste of tribulations.
Umar Lahmi (to Mirano, Mertha and Hanana): Now say what is your
opinion and how far you can help our sister Isabella.
Mirano: If we are allowedand the matter is left to us we can easily
relieve Isabella from the trouble.
Umar Lahmi: Thank you very much.
Ziad b. Umar: You have our permission to do whatever you can in
yourown way to get Isabella released.
The three girls, making firm promises, sought permission to depart.
They left and went to their respective homes. The plan of releasing
Isabella remained under discussion all the way.
Isabella – A girl of Islamic Spain

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -

Even the discarded ‘oud brings benefit…

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, "Charity
does not diminish wealth, and Allah does not increase in forgiveness
for a slave except that He also increases him in honour, and no-one
humbles himself to Allah except that Allah raises him." [Muslim
(2588)]
Abu Hatim: Humbleness/humility is of two types; one of them is
praiseworthy andthe other is blameworthy . The praiseworthy humility
is abandoning al-tatawul (making oneself superior) over the slaves of
Allah and looking down upon them, and the blameworthy humility is
humbling oneself for a person who possesses materialistic worldly
gains out of desire for this world. The intelligent one abandonsthe
blameworthy humility at all times, but he never abandons the
praiseworthy humility at any point.
'Ubayd'Allah ibn 'Adi reported that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, " If a
man humbles himself to Allah, then Allah will raise him and say to
him, 'Rise up, may Allah raise you!' because he sees himself to be
insignificant whilst he is great in the eyes of people. But if a slave
is arrogant and transgresses , then Allah casts him away saying, 'Be
lowly, may Allah lower you!' because he sees himself to be great
whilst he is insignificant in the eyes of people.'"
Abu Hatim: Humbleness raises the worth of a person, enhances his value
and increases his nobility . Humility for Allah falls into two
categories:
1 – The humbleness of a slave as he approaches an act of obedience,
without any self-amazement in his deed and without showing off to
anybody; a state which brings about the closeness of Allah to a slave,
except that it is Allah `azza wa jall Who has bestowed this upon him
first. And (the lack of) this humility is the reason that the
pretentious self-righteous soul is turned away from acts ofobedience.
2 – The humbleness/humility of aslave in lowering and belittling
himself when he is mentioned, withoutfalling into sin, until there is
no-one in the world except that he seeshimself less than them in
obedience or more than them in sin.
Ibn Jurayj reported from Mujahid regarding the verse, "… and they were
to Us 'khashi'een (humblysubmissive)." [al-Anbiya': 90] He said, "This
means they observed humility."
Al-Asma'i said, "I heard Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki say, "When the
respectful honourable man devotes himself to religion, he becomes
humble . But when the despicable evil one does so, he becomes arrogant
.""
Abu Hatim: Let no-one prevent humility, for indeed humility earns one
peace and brings about strong bonds , it does away with hatred and
removes rejection , and the fruit of humility is love just as the
fruit of contentment is ease and relaxation . Certainly, the
humbleness of a noble person only increases his nobility whilst the
arrogance of a lowly one only increases his lowliness . And how can
aperson not be humble when he has been made from scattered drops of
sperm , and his end will be a corpse casted away and between the two
stages he carries waste !
Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah said, "If it was said 'bring out the best of this
city', therewould come out people that were unknown ."
Al-Kirizi (a poet) said:
'And do not walk upon the earth except in humbleness,
For how many people underneath it are more exalted than you!
If you are in glory, goodness and strength,
Then how many have died that were more stronger than you.'
Ja'far ibn Muhammad said, "Husayn ibn 'Ali performed Hajj ten times
walking, whilst his sturdycamel was being led beside him."
Abu Hatim: "The best of people is the one who is humble despite being
of high rank, who is ascetic despite having the capabilities and who
is just despite having power . A person only begins to abandon
humbleness when arrogance has started to take root, for a person is
never arrogant towards another except that he is someone who's become
pleased and amazed at his own self . I have neverseen anybody prove
arrogant over others except that Allah has punished him by subjecting
him to humiliation under those who are above him."
If the intelligent one seessomeone who is older than him, he humbles
himself for him and says, "He has preceded me in Islam." And if he
sees someone who is younger than him, he says, "I havepreceded him in
sin." Andif he sees someone who is his contemporary , he counts him as
his brother so how can a person be arrogant over his brother? None
should belittle another, for even the discarded 'oud (bark) can
benefit when a man picks it up and uses it to scratch his ear.
Mujahid reports that Ibn 'Abbas said, "If a mountain were to
transgress over another mountain, Allah will surely demolish to ruins
the transgressing one among the two."

Hudayr: ‘This is the Best of Provisions, My Lord.’

A beautiful story… please read and see what lessons can be drawn from it.
"Ibn 'Umar (radhi'Allahu `anhu) reports that the Prophet (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) once sent out an army unit which included a man
called Hudayr. It was a year of difficulty and food was in short
supply, so the Prophet (sallallahu`alayhi wa sallam) gave each person
provisions (for the journey) but he forgot to provide for Hudayr.
Hudayr was patient and went out with the last group, seeking reward
and expecting good fromAllah, saying " 'La ilaha illa'Allah' (There is
none worthy of worship except Allah), 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the
Greatest), 'Al-Hamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah), 'Subhan'Allah'
(Glory be to Allah), and 'La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah' (There
is no might or power except with Allah)." And he would say, "This is
the best of provisions, O Lord." Continuously, he repeated this whilst
in his group.
Jibreel ('alayhisalam) came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa
sallam) and said, "Indeed,my Lord has sent me to you to inform you
that you provided for your companions but you forgot to provide for
Hudayr and he is in the last battalion saying, "'La ilaha illa'Allah'
(There is none worthy of worship except Allah), 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah
is the Greatest), 'Al-Hamdulillah'(Praise be to Allah), 'Subhan'Allah'
(Glory be to Allah), and 'La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah' (There
is no might or power except with Allah). This is the best of
provision, O Lord." This statement of his will be a light for him on
the Day of Judgement and it shallfill what is between the heavens and
the earth, so send him his provision."
The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) immediately called a manand
gave him the provision of Hudayr (to take it to him) and commanded him
to listenand memorise whatever Hudayr says upon meeting him and upon
giving him the provision,and to tell him, "The Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) sends you the greeting of peace and the
mercy of Allah, and he wants to inform you that he forgot to provide
for you but my Lord, Blessed and Lofty is He, sent Jibreel to remind
him of you and he told him of your position (in the army)."
So the man set off and met Hudayr whilst he was still repeating " 'La
ilaha illa'Allah' (There is none worthy of worship except Allah),
'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the Greatest), 'Al-Hamdulillah' (Praise be to
Allah), 'Subhan'Allah' (Glory be to Allah), and 'La hawla wa la
quwwata illa billah' (There is no might or power except with Allah).
This is the best of provision, O Lord."
He then drew close to him and said, "Indeed, the Messenger of Allah
sends you his greeting ofpeace and the mercy of Allah, and he has sent
meto you with this provision saying, "Indeed, I forgot you so Jibreel
was sent to me from the heavens to remind me of you."
He (Hudayr) praised and thanked Allah and sent his blessings upon the
Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). Then he said, "Praise be to
Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. My Lord remembered me from above the
seven heavens and from above His Throne, and He was merciful towards
my hunger and my weakness. O my Lord, justas You did not forget me,do
not let Hudayr forget You ."
The man memorised what he said, and went back to the Prophet
(sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), informing him ofwhat he heard Hudayr
say upon reaching him and giving him the news.The Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) then said, "If you were to lift your
head to the sky, you would surelyhave seen a light spreading and
radiating all that is between the heavens and the earth, due to his
words.""
- Related by Ibn Jawzi in his collection, 'Sifat al-Safwah' [See also,
al-Atqiya' al-Akhfiya', pg. 117-118]

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -

Can the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) hear thosewho call upon him whenhe is in his grave?

Some people believe that the Prophet Muhamamd [(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him)] is "Shaheed" and is in BArzakh where he can hear
us if we send 'darood' on him and also if we ask his 'wasta' [by
virtue of his closeness to Allah]in praying to God.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is alive in
his grave in the sense of thelife of al-barzakh, so he enjoys the
blessings that Allaah has prepared for him as a reward for his great
good actions that he did in this world. But the life in the grave is
not like the life of this world, or the life in the Hereafter. Rather
it is thelife of al-barzakh which comes in between his life in this
world and his life in the Hereafter. Hence we know that he died as
other Prophets and other people beforehim died. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And We granted not to any human being immortality before you (O
Muhammad); then if you die, would they live forever?"
[al-Anbiya' 21:34]
"Whatsoever is on it (theearth) will perish.
And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will remain forever"
[al-Rahmaan 55:26,27]
"Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too) willdie"
[al-Zumar 39:30]
And there are other verses which also indicate that Allaah caused him
to die. Moreover, the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them)
washed him, shrouded him, offered the funeral prayer for him and
buried him; if he had been alive in the worldly sense, they would not
have done the same as is done for others who die.
Faatimah (may Allaah be pleased with her) asked Abu Bakr (may Allaah
be pleased with him) for her inheritance from herfather (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) because she was convinced that he had
died, and no one among the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them)
differed withher concerning that. Rather Abu Bakr (may Allaah be
pleased with him) responded to her request by saying that nothing
could be inherited from the Prophets.
The Sahaabah agreed unanimously to choose akhaleefah for the Muslims
to succeed the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
and that wasdone with the appointment of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be
pleased with him) as khaleefah. If the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) had been alive in a worldly sense, they would not
have done that. So this indicates that there was consensus among them
that he had indeed died.
When the tribulations (fitan) and problems increased during the time
of 'Uthmaan and 'Ali (may Allaah be pleased with them both), and
before and after that, they did not go to his grave to consult him or
ask him for a way out of those tribulations and problems, or the way
to solve them. If he had been alive in a worldly sense, they would not
have overlooked that when they were in such great need of someone to
save them from the trials that surrounded them.
With regard to the soul of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), it is in the highest part of 'Illiyyeen,because he is
the best of creation, and because Allaah has given him al-waseelah
which is thehighest position in Paradise.
The life of al-barzakh is aspecial life. The Prophetsand the shuhada'
(martyrs) are alive in al-barzakh as the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "The Prophets are alive and they pray in
their graves." (Narrated by al-Mundhiri and al-Bayhaqi who classed it
as saheeh because of corroborating reports in al-Saheehayn.)
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And say not of those who are killed in the way of Allaah, 'They are
dead.' Nay, they are living, but you perceive (it) not"
[al-Baqarah 2:154]
This is a special life, the nature of which is known to Allaah. It is
notlike the life of this world in which the soul remains with the
body.
The basic principle concerning the dead is that they do not hear the
words of the living sons of Adam, because Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"but you cannot make hear those who are in graves"
[Faatir 35:22]
Allaah confirmed that those whom he (the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him)) was calling to Islam could not hear, by
likening them to the dead. There is nothing inthe Qur'aan or in the
saheeh Sunnah to indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) can hear every du'aa' or call from human beings.
Rather it is proven that the only thing that reaches him (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the blessings and salaams of those
who send blessings and salaams upon him. This was narrated by Abu
Dawood, 2041, with a hasan isnaad from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no one who sends salaams uponme
but Allaah will restore to me my soul so that I may return his
salaams." This does not mean that he hears the words of the one who
sends salaams. Rather it is possible that he comesto know of those
salaams when the angelsconvey that to him. If weassume that he hears
thewords of the one who sends salaams, this is an exception from the
general rule, as in the case of the dead hearingthe footsteps of those
who carry his bier, and as in the case of the slainkuffaar in the well
at Badr who heard the call of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he said to them: "Have you found
your Lord's promise to be true? For we have found our Lord's promise
to be true." (See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/313, 318, 321).
With regard to calling upon the Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and askinghim directly, this is the essence of shirk
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent
to forbid and to fight against its people. For more details on the
ruling on that, see Question no. 10289 , 11402 , 1439 . We ask Allaah
to bring the Muslims back to the rightpath. And Allaah knows best. May
Allaah send blessings and peace upon his Prophet Muhammad and his
family and companions.21524

The believer’s family joining him in Paradise

Will the people who go to Heaven be reunited with their loved ones who
go to Hell? Is it possible to take loved ones out of Hell, since all
requests in Heaven are granted (assuming they know about their fate)?
Can we also be reunited with our Loved ones in this world who are
non-mahrum to us? This includes those that we loved but could not
marry.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly, you say, "does this include those whom we loved but could not marry?"
The answer to this is thatit is not permissible for aMuslim man to
form a relationship with a non-mahram women, or for a Muslim woman to
form a relationship with a man or to have an emotional attachment
tohim, except for her husband. See Questions nos. 9465, 5445, 1200.
Secondly, you say, "Will the people who go to Heaven be reunited
withtheir loved ones who go to Hell?"
The answer is, yes, the people of Paradise will be reunited with their
loved ones who went to Hell, if they were believers in Tawheed (the
oneness of Allaah). That will be by virtue of their intercession for
them to be brought forth from Hell and admitted to Paradise. The
evidence for that was narrated by al-Bukhaari in Kitaab al-Tawheed,
no. 7440:
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said: "We said, 'O Messenger
of Allaah! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?' He said,
'Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon when the
sky is clear?' We said,'No.' He said, 'So you willhave no difficulty
in seeing your Lord on thatDay, just as you have no difficulty in
seeing the sun and the moon (in a clear sky). …Then the bridge will be
laid acrossHell.' We said, "O Messenger of Allaah! What is the
bridge?' He said, 'It is a slippery (bridge) on which there are clamps
and (hooks like) thorns which are wide at one side and narrow at the
other and have bent ends. A plant with such thorns is found in Najd
and is called al-Sa'daan. Some of the believers will cross the bridge
as quickly as the wink of aneye, some others as quick as lightning, a
strong wind, or fast horses or she-camels. So some will be safe
without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some scratches,
and some will fall down into Hell (Fire).The last person will crossby
being dragged (over the bridge). You (Muslims) cannot be more pressing
in claiming from me a rightthat has been clearly proved to be yours
than the believers in interceding with Almighty Allaah for their
(Muslim) brothers on that Day, when they see themselves safe.
They will say, "O Allah! (Save) our brothers (for they) used to pray
with us, fast with us and also do good deeds with us." Allah will say,
"Go and take out (of Hell) anyonein whose heart you find faith equal
to the weightof one (gold) Dinar." Allah will forbid the Fire to burn
the faces of those sinners. They will go to them and find some of them
in Hell (Fire) up to their feet, and some up to the middle of their
legs. So they will take out those whom they will recognize and then
they will return, and Allah willsay (to them), "Go and take out (of
Hell) anyonein whose heart you find faith equal to the weightof one
half Dinar." They will take out whomever they will recognize and
return, and then Allah will say, "Go and take out (of Hell) anyone in
whose heart you find faith equal to the weightof an atom (or a small
ant)," and so they will take out all those whom they will recognize.'"
Abu Sa'eed said, "If you do not believe me, read, if you wish,
'Surely, Allaah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom(or a small
ant), but if there is any good (done), He doubles it...' [al-Nisaa'
4:40 – interpretation of the meaning]." The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Then the Prophets and Angels
and the believers will intercede, and (last of all) the Almighty
(Allah) will say, 'Now remains My Intercession. He will thenhold a
handful of the Fire from which He will take out some people whose
bodies have beenburnt, and they will be thrown into a river at the
entrance of Paradise,called the water of life. They will grow on its
banks, as a seed carried by the torrent grows…"
But for those who believed in shirk, no intercession will benefit
them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him
(in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He
wills"
[al-Nisaa' 4:48]
Note that intercession is of two types:
"The first type is the kindof intercession that is the exclusive
preserve ofthe Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
which is of varying kinds, the greatest of which is the Great
Intercession in the Station of praise and glory (al-maqaam al-mahmood)
which Allaah has promised to him in the aayah (interpretation of the
meaning):
'And in some parts of thenight (also) offer the Salaah (prayer) with
it (i.e. recite the Qur'aan inthe prayer) as an additional prayer
(Tahajjud optional prayer Nawaafil) for you(O Muhammad). It may be
that your Lord will raise you to Maqaam Mahmood (a station of praise
and glory, i.e., thehonour of intercession on the Day of
Resurrection)'
[al-Israa' 17:79]
This intercession means that he will intercede forthe people who are
standing on the Day of Resurrection, so that the distress they are
suffering will be reduced for them.
The second type is general intercession on the part of the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for all the believers.
This is of various kinds:
(i) Intercession for those who
deserve Hell, so thatthey will not enter it. This is indicated by the
words of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
"There is no Muslim who dies and forty men who do not associate
anything with Allaah pray the funeral prayer for him, but Allaah will
accept their intercession for him." (narrated by Muslim, 2/655).
(ii) Intercession for those who
have entered Hell, so that they will be brought forth from it. It was
narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said: "The Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'By the One in
Whose hand is my soul,
You (Muslims) cannot be more pressing in claiming from me a rightthat
has been clearly proved to be yours than the believers in interceding
with the Almighty for their (Muslim) brothers on that Day, when they
see themselves safe.
They will say, "O Allah! (Save) our brothers (for they) used to pray
with us, fast with us and also do good deeds with us." Allah will say,
"Go and take out (of Hell) everyone whom you recognize." Allah will
forbid the Fire to burn the faces of those sinners. So they will bring
forth many peoplewho were in the Fire upto their calves or their
knees." (Narrated by Muslim,269)
(iii) Intercession to raise the
believers in status. This isbecause of the du'aa's ofthe believers for
one another, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, making du'aa' for Abu Salamah: "O Allaah, forgive Abu
Salamah, raise him in status among those who are guided, make his
grave spacious for him and fill it with light, and protect his family
who are left behind." And there is thedu'aa' for intercession asthe
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There isno
Muslim who dies and forty men who do not associate anything with
Allaah pray the funeral prayer for him, but Allaah will accept their
intercession for him."
Reference: al-Qawl al-Mufeed, vol. 1, p. 332

What is the virtue of Ahl al-Bayt? Will they intercede for the people on the Day of Resurrection?

What is the virtue of Ahl al-Bayt and their superiority over other
people? Will they intercede for the people on the Day of
Resurrection?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In the answer to question no. 10055 we explained who Ahl al-Bayt are:
they are the members of the household of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). At the end of that answer we said:
So the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) are: his wives,his children, and Banu Haashim, Banu 'Abd
al-Muttalib and their freed slaves. End quote.
Secondly:
Allaah has bestowed upon the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) numerous virtues. Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah are unanimously agreed that it is obligatory to love
them and respect their rights.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Similarly the family of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) have rights which must be paid attention to.
Allaah has allocated to them a share of the khums and fay', and He has
enjoined that blessings be sent upon them along with the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said to us:
"Say: 'Allaahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala aali Muhammadin kamaa
salayta 'ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka Hameedun Majeed, wa baarik 'ala
Muhammadinwa 'ala aali Muhammadin kamaa baarakta 'ala aali Ibraaheem
innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allaah, send prayer uponMuhammad and upon
the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon the family of
Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise,Full of Glory. And send
blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent
blessings upon the family of Ibraaheem; Youare indeed Worthy of
Praise, Full of Glory)'".
Majmoo' al-Fataawa (3/407).
And he also said:
Similarly, with regard to the family of the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (Ahl al-Bayt), it is obligatory
to love them, be loyal to them and respect their rights.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa (28/491).
Thirdly:
The virtues of the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him):
1.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep
your duty (to Allaah), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose
heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should
be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner.
33. And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that
of the times of ignorance, And perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah),
and give Zakaahand obey Allaah and His Messenger. Allaah wishesonly to
remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family
(of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم), and to purify you with a thorough
purification"
[al-Ahzaab 33:32, 33]
This does not apply only to the Prophet's wives (may Allaah be pleased
with them); rather it is narrated in the saheeh Sunnah that it also
includes others. It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased
with her) said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out one
morning wearing a striped cloak of black camel hair. Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali
came and he enfolded him in the cloak, then al-Husayn came and he
enfolded him in it, then Faatimah came and he enfolded her in it, then
'Ali came and he enfolded him in it, then he said: "Allaah wishes only
to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the
family (of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم), and to purify you with a
thorough purification" [al-Ahzaab 33:33].
Narrated by Muslim (2424).
2.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The Prophet is closer to the believers than their ownselves, and his
wivesare their (believers') mothers (as regards respect and marriage)"
[al-Ahzaab 33:6]
3.
It was narrated that Waathilah ibn al-Asqa' said: I heard the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say:
"Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, chose Kinaanah from among
the children of Ismaa'eel (peace be upon him), and He choseQuraysh
from among Kinaanah, and He chose Banu Haashim from among Quraysh, and
He chose me from among Banu Haashim."
Narrated by Muslim (2276).
4.
It was narrated that Zayd ibn Arqam said: TheMessenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood and addressed us at
a watering place called Khumm, between Makkah and Madeenah. He praised
and glorified Allaah, and he exhorted and reminded us, then he said:
"O people, I am only human, and soon the messenger of my Lord will
come to me and I will respond. I am leaving among you two weighty
things, the first of which is the Book of Allaah in which is guidance
and light. Follow the Book of Allaah and hold fast to it." And he
encouraged us to adhere to the Bookof Allaah, then he said: "And the
people of my household, I remind you of Allaah with regard to the
people of my household, I remind you of Allaah with regard to the
people of my household, I remind you of Allaah with regard to the
people of my household."
Narrated by Muslim (2408).
The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) paid attention to this commandment; foremost among them were Abu
Bakr al-Siddeeq and 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with
them).
Al-Bukhaari (3508) and Muslim (1759) narrated that Abu Bakr (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said to 'Ali (may Allaah be pleased with
him): "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, kinship with the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is dearer to me
than kinship with my own people."
Al-Bukhaari also narrated in his Saheeh (3509) that Abu Bakr (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Pay attention to the rights ofthe
household of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)."
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The words "Pay attention to the rights ofthe household of Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)" are addressed to the
people,enjoining them to fulfil the rights of Ahl al-Bayt.
Fath al-Baari (7/79).
With regard to the respect of 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab for the relatives
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that is
apparent from many things, such as his preferring to put the ahead of
himself or any other people with regard to allocating shares from bayt
al-maal.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Moreover, when 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him)
set up the registry of stipends, he wrote down people's names
according to their lineage, so he started with those who were closest
in lineage to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), When he had finished listing the Arabs, he listed the
non-Arabs. Thisis how the registry was at the time of the
Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and all the caliphs of the Umayyad and
'Abbaasid dynasties, until things changed after that.
Iqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, p. 159, 160
Fourthly:
There is no intercession specifically for the familyof the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), rather that is something
that may be granted to all those among the righteous, the martyrs and
the scholars with whose intercession Allaah is pleased, whether they
are amongAhl al-Bayt or are from among the ordinary people.
In the answer to question no. 21672 we said: Intercession for those
who committed sin will not be granted only to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), rather the Prophets, the martyrs,
the scholars, therighteous and the angelswill also join in that. A
man's righteous deeds may also intercede for him. But the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will have the greatest
share of intercession. End quote.
Thus we may know the response to the extremists among the Raafidis who
claim that intercession is only for the family of the Prophet(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Rather it is stated in their
books that Ahl al-Bayt are the ones whowill admit people to Paradise
and to Hell! Thisis just part of a lengthy list of the different
typesof exaggeration that they have, the source of which is their
ignorance of the religion of Allaah, may He be exalted, and their
keeping away fromthe texts of Revelation inthe Qur'aan and Sunnah.
We advise you to read an essay entitled Fadl Ahlal-Bayt wa 'Uluw
Makaanatihim 'inda Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, written by Shaykh 'Abd
al-Muhsin ibn Hamad al-'Abbaad al-Badr, which we have benefited from
in composing this answer, and which contains additional research on
this topic. It is short but very useful, and may be seen here [in
Arabic]

The Taj Mahal

Agra [1] is the city of the Taj Mahal, in the north Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh , some 200 km from Delhi .
Agra has three UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Taj Mahal and the Agra
Fort in the city and Fatehpur Sikri nearby. There are also many other
buildings and tombs from Agra's days of glory as the capital of the
Mughal Empire.
The city has little else to recommend it. Pollution, especially smog
and litter, is rampant and travellers are pestered byswarms of touts
and hawkers at every monument, mosque, temple or palace. That said,
the sites are some of the wonders of the world and no trip to India is
complete withoutat least one visit to the Taj.
[ edit ] Understand
While Agra's heyday was as the capital of the Mughal empire between
1526 and 1658, the city was founded much earlier. The earliest
reference to Agra is in the ancient epic, the Mahabharata, while
Ptolemy was the first person to call it by its modern name. The
recorded history of Agra begins around the 11th century, and over the
next 500 years, the city changed hands between various kings, both
Hinduand Muslim.
In 1506, Sultan Sikandar Lodi, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, moved
his capital from Delhi to Agra. His son Ibrahim Lodi was the last
ruler of the Lodi dynasty, as he was defeated in 1526 by Babur, the
first Mughal ruler, in the battle of Panipat. Agra fell too, and
became the capital of the Mughals, whose rule over Agra was
uninterrupted except for a brief period between 1540 and 1556. In
1540, Sher Shah Shuri overthrew Humayun became the ruler of much of
North India, including Agra. After SherShah Suri's death his
descendants proved unequal to the task of ruling the kingdom, and
Hemu, a Hindu general ofSuri became the effectiveruler who would later
crown himself King Hemachandra Vikramaditya just as the kingdom was
facing an assault from the reinvigorated Mughals. In 1556, Hemu would
be defeated and killed in the second battle of Panipat, and the
Mughalsregained Agra.
Mughals were great builders. Babur built the Aram Bagh (garden of
relaxation) modeled after the garden of paradise, where he was
eventually buried after his death. His grandson Akbar refurbished the
Agra fort and built the Fatehpur Sikri , an entire city just on the
outskirts of Agra. He also renamed Agra after himself, and the city
was known as Akbarabad while it was in Mughal hands. Akbar's grandson
Shah Jehan would give Agra its most famous monument, the Taj Mahal ,
which is the mausoleum of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal . The Taj is
constructed in white marble. It took 20 years to construct, and is now
universally known as a monument to love. Legend has it that Shah Jehan
wanted a replica of the Taj constructed in black marble that would be
his final resting place. There is no actual support for this theory,
but even if it were true, it would have been unlikely to be
eventuated. His son Aurangzeb was austere and pious, and had no time
or inclination for the ostentation of his forefathers, preferring
tospend his money on warsin South India. In any case, even during Shah
Jehan's reign, which was the period when the Mughal empire was at its
height, the construction of the Taj put a strain on the resources of
the empire and caused a min-famine around Agra.Shah Jehan was
eventually buried in the white Taj, next to his beloved Begum.
Shah Jehan, in addition to giving Agra its greatest claim to fame, was
also responsible for beginning its decline, as decided to shift his
capital to Shahjehanabad, which we now know as Old Delhi, in 1658.
Though Aurangzeb ordered a move back, this too was short lived, as he
moved his headquarters down south to Aurangabad to be focus on his
wars. Agra declined, and so didthe Mughal Empire. The city was
eventually captured by the Marathas, who renamed it back to Agra. In
1803, itcame under the British, who situated the Agra Presidency
there, and when India gained independence, the city was incorporated
into the state of Uttar Pradesh, and did not gain even the limited
honour of being the state's capital, that distinction going to Lucknow
, further east. It is now a tourist town, known for the Taj and a
couple of other monuments.
Anyone interested in reading a novel based onthe remarkable story
behind the Taj Mahal's creation should consider Beneath a Marble Sky
by John Shors. Beneath a Marble Sky is an international bestseller,
has won multiple awards, and is being made into a movie by Hollywood.
Other book (historical fiction) is The Taj by Colin De Silva.
[ edit ] Get in
Agra is 200 km southeast from Delhi and is one of the points of the
tourist'sGolden Triangle of Agra- Delhi - Jaipur . Agra is alsovery
well connected via rail and road with other nearby cities and tourist
destinations.
[ edit ] By plane
Service to Agra's Kheria Airport ( IATA : AGR ICAO : VIAG ) is
seasonal. As of November 2008, the city is served by Kingfisher
Airlines and Air India Regional, who both fly on the Delhi -Agra-
Jaipur tourist triangle route. The flight time to either is less than
an hour. Travelers have had trouble with extreme lateness, and for
that reason a hired car may be a safer (and probably cheaper)
alternative.
[ edit ] By train
Agra is on the main train line between the Delhi - Mumbai (Bombay) and
Delhi - Chennai routes, and many trains connect Agra with these cities
every day. Some east-bound trains from Delhi also travel via Agra, so
direct connections to points in Eastern India (including Kolkata ) are
also available. There are close to 20 trains to Delhi every day, and
at least three or four to both Mumbai and Chennai. Agra and Delhi are
notorious for their thick winter fog which reduces visibility to
almost zero. If travelling in late December or early January (the fog
season), travelers should be aware that, because of the reduced
visibility, all trains slow down and travel time goes up. The Bhopal
Shatabdi, for example, may arrive in Agra well after 10AM, andmight
return to Delhi well after midnight. Froma safety point of view, it is
always preferable to travel by train during thewinters. Driving in fog
onthe road is very risky. There are three stations in Agra:

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -

Does a person who died of cancer as a result of smoking attain the status of a martyr?

Does a person who died of cancer as a result of smoking attain the
status of a martyr?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is proven in the saheeh Sunnah that there are various kinds of
martyrs who will attain the status of martyrdom in the Hereafter; this
is by the grace and mercy of Allah.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "The martyrs are five: the one who dies of the plague, the one
who dies of a stomach disease, the one who drowns, the one who is
crushed beneath a falling wall, and the martyr who is killed for the
sake of Allaah."
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Ibn al-Teen said: All of these are deaths which involve hardship.
Allah has bestowed His grace upon the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) by making them means of erasing their sins
and increasing their rewards, and enabling them to attain the status
of martyrdom.
Fath al-Baari, 6/44
If a person dies of cancer, some of the scholars are of the view that
he is included among the types of martyr mentioned in thehadeeth, on
the basis that the word mabtoon (the one who dies of a disease in the
abdomen)is general and includes everyone who dies of a disease in his
abdomen and that this does not apply to any one specificdisease.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The word mabtoon means the one with a disease in the abdomen, which is
diarrhoea. Al-Qaadi said: And it was said that he is the one who
suffers from dropsy or oedema and swelling of the abdomen. And it was
said that it refers to the one who suffers some disease in his
abdomen. And it was said that it refers to anyone who dies from a
disease in the abdomen in general. End quote from Sharh Muslim by
al-Nawawi.
But it should be noted that this suggestion is connected to two conditions:
(i) that the site of the cancer be in the abdomen so
that he maytruly be said to be mabtoon.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Muhsin al-'Abbaad (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
Does a person who dies of cancer come under the heading of mabtoon?
He replied:
No, because cancer is not always in the stomach; it may be somewhere
other than the stomach.
Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood (tape no. 230)
As the site of your friend's cancer was in the throat, he is not
included among any of the groups who are regarded as martyrs.
(ii) that the disease should not have been caused by
smoking, taking drugs or drinking alcohol, or other haraam things,
unless he has repented sincerely from that and has given up consuming
those haraam things.
This condition is general and applies to all those mentioned in the
hadeeth. If a woman is pregnant as the result ofzina and dies in
labour, she is not regarded as one of the martyrs. If a person who
drowned had boarded the boat orship in order to commit sin or some
immoral activity, and dies as a result of drowning, he is not one of
the martyrs. Aperson who is killed by afalling wall when he is
committing zina or drinking alcohol is not one of the martyrs. In the
answer to question no. 45669, we have quoted the Standing Committee as
saying thata person who dies as theresult of a car accident when he
was inside the car comes under the same heading as one who was killed
by a falling wall, so he is a martyr, by Allah's leave. But this
cannot be applied to those foolish young men to whom thishappens when
they are racing in their cars, or tothose who compete in difficult
circumstances inthe mountains or in the snow ("extreme sports").
In the answer to question no. 22140 , we quoted Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah as saying that if a person drowns after boarding a ship
forsinful purposes, he is nota martyr.
And elsewhere he said:
Whoever wants to follow a path where the possibilities of being safe
or being killed are equal has to refrain fromfollowing it; if he does
not refrain, then he is aiding in his own destruction so he is not
amartyr.
Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 5/381
Al-Suyooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Al-Qurtubi said: This and the previous one -- i.e., those who are
killed by a falling wall or drowning -- if they did not take risks and
did not fail to take precautions, (then they are martyrs). But if they
did not take precautionsand died as a result of that, then they are
sinners.
Al-Deebaaj 'ala Muslim (4/508)
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (26/273, 274) it says:
An exception is made in the case of one who travels for the purpose of
sin and dies away from home. Another exception is made in the case of
one who drowns but was sinning by boarding the ship when he knew that
it was most likely not to be safefor him to do so, or he boarded it
for the purpose of committing sin. Another exception is made in the
case of a woman who is pregnantas a result of zina and dies in
childbirth. End quote.
If the person who is slainin battle was fighting forthe sake of
tribalism or to show off, he does not attain the virtue or status of
martyrdom, and it is more likely that such people will not attain that
great reward.
Summary:
Cancer in and of itself does not mean that the person who dies of it
is one of the types of martyrs, unless the disease was in his abdomen.
That is not what is stated in the hadeeth; rather it is the ijtihaad
(opinion) of some scholars with regard to the meaning of mabtoon. If a
person'sdisease was caused by smoking and the like, and he dies of it
before repenting, then he is nota martyr, even if the disease was in
his abdomen. But if the disease in his abdomen was not the result of a
haraam action, we hope that he will attain the status of the martyrs
in the Hereafter, in sha Allah.
And Allaah knows best.

Defining the time for salaat al-istisqaa’ (prayerfor rain)

Is there any report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) which definesthe time for going out topray Salaat
al-Istisqaa' (prayer for rain)?
Praise be to Allaah.
There is a hadeeth in Sunan Abi Dawood with an acceptable isnaad from
'Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) which states that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set a day when the
people should go out. 'Aa'ishah said: "The Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out when the rim of the sun
appeared…" The hadeeth clearly indicates that a day was set when the
people were to go out to pray Salaat al-Istisqa', even though it does
not namethis day. More than one of the scholars have stated that it is
mustahabb to choose Mondays and Thursdays, because deeds are shown to
Allaah on those days, and because these are good days for fasting. So
if the Muslimscombine fasting and praying for rain, their du'aa's in
this case are more likely to be accepted.
It may be said that it is not prescribed to single out these two days
rather than others, because that was not proven from the Prophet(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from any of the Sahaabah, and
this is thecorrect view. So it is not prescribed to choose one day
rather than another without there being any text to prove that. What
is prescribed is to choose a day on which the people shouldgo out,
which may happen to be a Monday or any other day, according to what is
in the people's best interests and according to what is convenient for
them.

Salaat al-Haajah

My question has to do with praying to allah for a need. I know it is
called satatul hajah. Howmany times does a person have to pray it and
when should it be prayed. Is it right to prayit at the times when
duaas are most likely to be answered
Praise be to Allaah.
It is prescribed for the Muslim to worship Allaahin the ways that He
has prescribed in His Book, and in the ways that have been proven from
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The
principleconcerning matters of worship is tawqeef [i.e., following
what is in the Qur'aan and saheeh Sunnah; with no room for individual
opinion]. And we cannot say that any act of worship is prescribed
unless there is saheeh evidence.
The so-called Salaat al-Haajah was narrated in da'eef (weak) or munkar
(denounced) ahaadeeth – as far as weknow – which cannot beused as
proof and whichare not fit to base acts ofworship on.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 8/162
The hadeeth narrated concerning Salaat al-Haajah says:
"From 'Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Awfa al-Aslami, who said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out to us and
said: 'Whoever has need of something from Allaah or any one of His
creation, let him do wudoo' and pray tworak'ahs, then let him
say,"There is no god but Allaah, the Forbearing, the Most Generous.
Glorybe to Allaah, Lord of the mighty Throne. Praise beto Allaah the
Lord of the Worlds. O Allaah, I ask You for Your mercy and forgiveness
and I ask You for all good things and for safety from all sins. I ask
You not to leave any sin without forgiving it, or any distress without
relieving it, or any need which it pleases You to fulfil without
fulfilling it for me." Then let him askAllaah for whatever matter of
this world or the Hereafter that he wishes, for it will be fulfilled."
(Narrated by Ibn Maajah,Iqaamat al-Salaah wa'l-Sunnah, 1374)
Al-Tirmdihi said: this is a ghareeb [strange] hadeeth, and concerning
its isnaad it was said: Faa'id ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan is weak in hadeeth.
Al-Albaani said: rather it is da'eef jiddan (very weak). Al-Haakim
said: mawdoo' (fabricated) ahaadeeth were narrated from Abu Awfa.
Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, vol. 1, p. 417
The author of al-Sunan wa'l-Mubtada'aat said, after mentioning what
al-Tirmidhi said concerning Faa'id ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan: Ahmadsaid he
is matrook (left, i.e., his hadeeth is not to be accepted), and Ibn
al-'Arabi described him as da'eef (weak).
And he said: You know what is said concerning this hadeeth. It is
better and more perfect and safer for you to make du'aa' to Allaah in
the depths of the night and between the adhaan and iqaamah and at the
end of every prayer before the tasleem; and on Fridays, for then there
are times when du'aa' is answered; and when breaking one's fast. For
your Lord says (interpretation of the meanings):
'Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask
Mefor anything] I will respond to your (invocation)'[Fussilat 40:60]
'And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer
them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the
invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any
mediator or intercessor)'[al-Baqarah 2:186]

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -

Sufees - HADRAT FARIDUDDIN GANJ-E-SHAKAR (R.A)

The Reverend Pir of Hadrat Qutab Jamal
Shaikh Fariduddin was born in 569/1173-74 or 571/1175-76. His father
was a scholar, but it was his lengthy an exceedingly pious woman, who
prayed nightly at lengthy vigils, who exerted the greaterinfluence on
the future sufi saint. One story regarding the spiritual power of Baba
Farid's mother related is that a thief, entering the houseglanced at
the playing woman and was instantly blinded. The thief implored the
Swhaikh's mother to restore his eyesight. She did so, and the
blindnesswas removed. The following day, the thief returned with his
family to the Shailkh's house and was converted to Islam.
His mother's influence helped to promote an extreme asceticism in
Shaikh farid. Unconcerned with food or clothing, he was constantly
occupied withmeditation in a place behind the mosque at Khtwal. The
townsfolk came to believe he was deranged, and they spoke so to Shaikh
Jalau'd-Din Tabrizi of Baba Farid and what to them were his strange
habits.
When Jalalu'd-Din Tabrizi went to see BabaFarid he had only torn
clothing to wear so he had great difficulty in presenting himself
respectably to his distinguished visitor. Jalalu'd-Din had with him a
pomegranate, andbroke it, offering it to Baba Farid. As the Baba was
fasting he refused to eat it, but after his guest had left he picked
up a seed and in the evening ate that. Instantly his heart was
illuminated and he lamented no having eaten the whole fruit. However
in Dehli KhwajaQubu'd Din consoled the Baba saying that in pomegranate
there was only one seed endowed with spiritual blessings and that he
had had it.
At the age of eighteen, Baba Farid settled in Multan to undertake
further studies and joined a seminary at the mosque of Maulana
Minhaju'd-Din Tirmizi. There he met Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din Bakhtiyar Kaki
and asked to become his disciple. According to Jamali, Baba Farid was
initiated into silsila by the Khwajaat Multan and was advised to
complete his education there. Shortly afterwards the Khwaja left for
Delhi. Jamali addsthat the Baba then visited Qandhar to acquire
further knowledge, but it is more likely that Baba Farid reached Delhi
shortly after the Khwaja arrival and was initiated into the
distinguished group of Sufis residing in the Khwaja's jama'at khana.
Baba Farid lived in a small cell near the jama'at-khana and, under
guidance, performed severe asceticexercises. His austerities so
impressed Khwaja Mu'inu'd-Din during his visit to Delhi, that he took
a special interest in Baba Farid, prophesied his later fame and asked
Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din to join him in prayer for hisdisciple's future
greatness.
The severities practiced by the Baba in his Delhi cell failed to
satisfy him and he asked his master if he could perform a chilla which
involved spiritual exercises and fasting for forty days. The Khwaja
finally permitted him to perform a chilla-I ma'kus(inverted chilla).
Ignorant of the details he asked Bdru'd-Din Ghaznawi to obtain them
from the Khwaja who replied that it required a man to tie a rope
around his feet andremain suspended in a well, head down, for forty
days and nights, while both fasting and praying. The Baba founda
lonely mosque in Uch and, talking the mu'azzin into his confidence
performed the chilla-ima'kus.
The reason why the Shaikh came to be known as Ganj-I Shakar (Store of
Sugar) is described in different stories in various hagiological
works. A more popular version is that, overpowered by incessant
fasting for three days, the Baba placed some pebbles in his mouth.
These immediately changed into sugar. Baba Farid, believing that this
had been the work of the devil, spat them out. At midnight, again
overcome by hunger, he repeated his actions, thestones became sugar
and he refused to eat them. Finally, overpowered by extreme hunger he
ate some pebbles which hadbecome sugar so that he could continue
praying. Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din approved his action, telling him that
whatever was received from the unseen world must necessarily be good.
After the Baba's fame in Delhi became an obstacle to prayer and
meditation, he left for Hansi in the Hisar district. He was therefore
absent from Delhi at the time of the Khwaja's death, arriving five
days after the event.In accordance with the khwaja's will, Qazi
Hamidu'd-Din Nagauri gave Baba Farid relics from the Khwaja including
his khirqa, turban, stick and wooden sandals. Although this implied
that the Baba was the Khwaja's successors in Delhi, the Baba's
asceticism and total withdrawal from the world precluded any conflict
with Shaikh Badru'd-Din who had also been extremely close to the
khwaja and who wished to be his spiritual successor in Delhi.
First going to Hansi, the Baba finally settled at Ajodhan, where the
remained from about 1236 until his death on 5Muharram 664/17 October
1265. His long stay on th Stalaj, along one of the main routes from
Multan to Lahore and Delhi, was a spiritually rewarding experience.
Although he selected a lonely place toreside, Baba Farid was harassed
by local officersof the Qazi of Ajodhan and by the rudeness of the
people of the town. This was prompted mainly by the Qazi's hostility
towards the sufimovement.
Through an example of sanctity and austerity, Baba Farid sought to
reform the Muslims in Punjab.
Shaikh Faridu'd-Din livednear the Jaml' mosque, in a small house of
mud walls covered with a thatched roof. He had strictly forbidden the
useof burnt bricks for the building which, according to Chishti
tradition, were not simple enough for an ascetic's dwelling. The door
remained open until midnight as a welcome to visitors. Among his few
possessions, the Baba had a small rug which heused by night as a
blanket, but which hardly covered him. During the day it was used as a
sitting rug. Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din's stick rested behind his head as a
pillow. His food consisted of wild fruit and millet bread. Abstaining
from nourishment during the day, in the evening he broke his fast by
taking sherbet. A bowl of it would be brought to theBaba and often
mixed with dried grapes. Of this he drank never more than half,
dividing the rest among his visitors. After prayers, two pieces of
bread smeared with ghee weretaken to Baba Farid. One was given away,
the other he himself ate, sharing it with his favourite disciples.
The jama'at-khana consisted only of a thatched hall, used for communal
living and a separate cell was for the Shaikh's meditation.
The jama'at-khana contained not a single piece of furniture, every
member sat and slept onthe floor. On special occasions a bed was
provided for a new visitor. The Shaikh, followed the same practices as
his disciples. Once when ill and forcedto rest on the bed he
apologized profusely to those sitting on the floor.
The establishment was run by Baba's chief disciples. Fuel and wild
berries, which were then boiled, were collected from the forests. In
the early yearsof his stay at Ajodhan a zanbil (a basket made of palm
leaves hung round the neck) was carried by some members of the
jama'at-khana twice a day to the town and the offerings placed in it
were shared by everyone. The Baba also preferred to eat bread from the
zanbil, perhaps to be more fully integrated into the life of all
members of his jama'at-khana. Other Chishti Shaikhs, including his own
teachers, had permitted the borrowing of small amounts of money for
household needs, but the Baba strictly forbadethis practice. Anything
received as futuh if not used immediately was kept no longer than a
day and was distributed to the needy. To a sufi a new day ushered in
newhope in God, and a concern for future needswas seen as totally
opposed to a complete trust in Him.
The jama'at-khana, situated on a main route, attracted many visitors.
These included scholars, merchants, government servants, artisans,
Sufis and qalandars, in short, men from all classes and sections of
society. Some, disillusioned with a life of affluence and comfort,
became permanent members, others stayed for short periods to seek the
Baba's blessing and experience a spiritual rejuvenation. Some of his
eminent disciples who lived in other areas also visited the
jama'at-khana, but one such visitor, Maulana Badru'd-Din Ishaq, stayed
and became a steward of thejama'at-khana. Prestigious guests, and many
other people who came to the Shaikh werehumble. A large number
requested ta'wiz (amulets) and the demand for amulets became to
fulfill all requests, so often they would be written instead by
Maulana Ishaq.
The jama'at-khana received visitors who were often less than polite
and considerate to its inmates.
To Baba Farid, Sufism was a strenuous exerciseleading one to a pious
life within the society in which one lived. It demanded humility,
modesty , patience, fortitude and a cleansing of the heart from all
conceit. Self-abnegation involved careful concernfor any offence to
another, and in the event of such a situation,sincere and copious
apologies were demanded.
Baba Farid was him self a scholar and wrote excellent poetry in
Arabic, Persian and the local Hindawi dialect. He recited the Qur'an
perfectly, popularized the study of the 'Awarifu'l-M'aarif and
lectured on the subtle philosophy of the Lawa'ih of Qazi Hamidu'd-Din
Nagauri. Nevertheless, he did not pride himself on his intellectual
achievements and felt a genuine sense of humility. He encouraged
education in his disciplesand considered the 'ulama' to be nobler than
the common people, though he disliked their self-satisfied
indifference to others. The faqirs, he asserted, were superior to the
'ulama' and occupied the same place among them as the full moon
amongst a sonstellation of stars.
Baba Farid illustrated the difference between Shari's, Tariqa and
Haqiqa by using the zakat, an obligatory payment for all Muslims, as
an illustration. The zakat of Sharia'a was five dirhams our of 200,
the zakat of Tariqa omvolved the payment of 195 dirhams out of 200 and
the retention of only five dirhams and the zakat of Haqiqa entailed
the payment of everything, retaining nothing.
Five hundred aphorisms of Baba Farid were collected, of which the
following, selected by Amir Khwurd, give some insight into the Baba's
broadly based, humanitarian teachings.
1. Pray to God alone for everyone else takes away but He gives.
Whatever He gives cannot be taken away by anyone else.
2. Escaping from the carnal self should be deemed as a means of reaching God.
3. Do not satisfy the demands of the carnal self for its demands know no limit.
4. Do not regard the ignorant as amongst the living.
5. Avoid the ignorant who pose a though they were wise.
6. Do not utter a truth which resembles a lie.
7. Do not sell what people do not wish to buy.
8. Do not worry about position and wealth.
9. Do not eat every body's bread, but give bread to everybody.
10. Never forget death atany place.
11. Do not make a statement based on supposition.
12. Treat a calamity as the consequence of greed.
13. Do not boast of having committed a sin.
14. Do not make the heart a plaything of the devil.
15. Keep your internal self better than the external one.
16. Do not try to adorn yourself.
17. Do not lower yourselfin order to secure a position.
18. Do not borrow eitherfrom the helpless or from the upstart.
19. Protect the honour of old families.
20. Strive to obtain freshgrace everyday.
21. As far as possible prevent women for developing the habit of using
abusive language.
22. Consider good healtha divine blessing.
23. Be grateful but do not compel others to be grateful to you.
24. While doing good to others think that you arehelping yourself.
25. Give up immediately that which your heart finds evil.
26. Do not retain a slave who wishes to be sold.
27. Seek a pretext to perform a good work.
28. Always keep the doors of peace open in awar.
29. Consider levity and harshness signs of weakness.
30. Do not consider yourself safe from the enemy however conciliatory
he might appear.
31. Fear the man who fears you.
32. Do not rely on your own strength.
33. Self-restraint is neveras imperative as it is at the time of sexual desire.
34. Do not forget religion in the company of state dignitaries.
35. Glory and honour depend upon equity andjustice.
36. Be magnanimous to the righteous.
37. Do not consider anything a substitute forreligion.
38. There is no compensation for the (loss) of time.
39. Be magnanimous to the righteous.
40. Be arrogant to the stubborn.
41. Do not be extravagant in entertaining guests.
Make wisdom and solitude your 42. (main) provision.
43. Do not flee from calamity sent to you by God.
44. Consider the dervish who seeks riches as covetous.
45. entrust the government to the care of a God-fearing visor.
46. Annihilate the enemyby discussion and captivate the heart of
friends by hospitality.
47. Consider worldliness as unforeseen calamity.
48. Seek out your faults.
49. Acquire wealth honestly in order to be able to retain it.
50. Acquire knowledge through humility.
51. Do not be concerned by the bitter words of enemies.
52. Do not flee from the enemy.
53. If you wish to avoid disgrace, do not beg.
54. if you wish to make the whole world your enemy, be arrogant.
55. Keep your good and bad points secret.
56. Protect religion through knowledge.
57. If you wish to be great be humble.
58. If you want satisfaction, do not be jealous.
59. Accept affliction as a gift.
60. Try to become immortal by obliteratingyour carnal self.
The above sayings are profound, but the inner nature of the Baba's
mystical consciousness isbest expressed in the following verses which
he often recited while praying in solitude:
'I pray to live only for the sake of loving Thee,
I wish to become dustand dwell eternally under
Thy feet.
My principal expectation from both worlds in that,
I should die and live for Thee.'
According to the Shaikh, the initiation of a disciple should be
performed personally byhis preceptor. He was opposed to the
initiationcustoms involving head shaving rituals at the tombs of sufi
saints. When one of his own sons performed such a ceremony at the foot
of Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din Bakhtiyar's tomb, his father remarked that such
an initiation was invalid. True initiations involved the disciple
holding the Shaikh's hand, while it was usual for his Pir to offer
blessings and prayers forthe disciple's welfare.
Hadrat Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakkar died on 5th of Muharram 664 A.H.
corresponding to 17 October 1265 C.E. He was buried in Pak Pattan (135
miles off Lahore).

Sufees - Shaykh Abul-Hassan Ash-Shadhili (R.A)

Shaykh Abu'l-Hassan ash-Shadhili was born inthe north of Morocco in
1175 into a family of peasant labourers. For his education he went
tothe Qarawiyyin University in Fes, where he met some scholars who
introduced him to the sciences of Islamic Law. He also traveled to
many countries. In Iraq he met a great Sufi called Wasiti who told him
to return to his country where he could find Moulay Abdas-Salamibn
Mashish, the great Moroccan spiritual master. He did so, and became
the close follower of this spiritual master who initiated him in the
way of remembrance of Allah and enlightenment. When he met Moulay
Abdas-Salam after ritually washing himself, he said, 'O Allah, I have
been washed of my knowledge and action so that I do not possess
knowledge or action except what comes to me from this Shaykh.'
Shaykha Abu'l-Hassan ash-Shadhili travelled from Morocco to Spain and
finally settled down in Alexandria. Later on inlife, when asked who
hisspiritual master was, he used to reply, 'I used to be the close
follower of Moulay Abdas-Salam ibn Mashish, but I am no more the close
follower of any human master.' Shaykh Abu'l-Abbas al-Mursi (d. 1288),
who succeeded Shaykh ash-Shadhili as the next spiritual master of the
Order, was asked about the knowledge of his spiritual master and
replied, 'He gave me forty sciences. He was anocean without a shore.'
Shaykh ash-Shadhili had hundreds of close followers in both Alexandria
and Cairo, not only from among thecommon people but alsofrom among the
ruling classes. He taught his close followers to lead a life of
contemplation and remembrance of Allah while performing the normal
everyday activities of the world. He disliked initiating anywould-be
follower unless that person already had a profession. His admonition
to his close followers was to apply the teachings of Islam in their
own lives in the world and to transform their existence.
Shaykh Abu'l-Hassan Ash-Shadhili died in the south of Egypt near the
Red Sea while he was onhis way to the pilgrimage in Mecca in 1258. His
shrine, which appears to be nowhere, in the middle of the desert,
stands to the present day and is highlyvenerated. Near his tomb are
two wells, one containing bitter water, the other containing sweet
water. He was an interspace between two seas, the sea of the outerlaw
and the sea of the inner reality. The Shadhili Order derives itsname
form him. He said:
"O Allah, you have sentenced the people to abasement until they become
mighty, and Youhave sentenced them to loss until they find. The one
who has no abasement becomes the one who has no might, and the one who
has no loss becomes the one who has no finding. The one who lays claim
to finding without abasement is deluded. The one who lays claim to
finding without loss isa liar."

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -

Redemption

Question: I have done a lot of things which God would not be happy
about. Now that I realize that those things were not as trivial as I
thought and do carry a lot of significance in-front of God. I feel bad
and guilty.What should I do?
Answer: Although a Muslim should be concerned about every deed of his
and should constantly strive for his spiritual advancement, yet his
concern should not be a case of 'straining at a gnat and swallowing a
camel'. The puritanical attitude of being finical about trivialities
while ignoringthe real issues is not an Islamic attitude. The true
believers avoid big sins (see the Qur'an 42:37 and53:32) and
continually seek the forgiveness of their Lord' (9:112). If
yourattitude is not of insistingon your sin knowingly (3:135), which
insistence can at times eat up all your virtues (2:81), then you
should know that your Lord, whose love and care has sustained you
since you were a drop of 'mingled water', is immensely kind and
gracious to those who believe and put their trust in Him. If you are
sincerely trying to avoid sin, He'll replace the blunders you make
with the good deeds that are part of a Muslim's everyday life (25:70).
He understands all our imperfections and failings, and what He, in His
unfathomable mercy, requires of us is not perfection but sincerity.
For He knows. And He cares. Therefore, never let your depression after
blundering into a sin make you lose heart. Let each mistake be a
lesson, and a reason to move ahead with greater fervour. For that is
what Tawbah means: returning. Even if a true believer commits a
serious sin incidentally, he should remember thatthe doors of
repentance and atonement are always open. If he has wronged someone,
he should make the best effort to make amends, and if he has wronged
his own soul, he should ask God for forgiveness and make a solemn
pledge to restrain himselfin future.
If you do not deceive your Lord and turn back to Him, you'll find Him
welcoming you with open arms. In this is indeed a reason to rejoice.
So, never lose hope and never stop trying. 'The Lord is your shepherd.
You shall not want. He shall make you lie down in green pastures: He
shall lead you beside the still waters. He shall restore your soul: He
shall lead you in the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
Though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, fear not;
for you are withHim. His rod and His staff shall comfort you.'

The Concept of Brotherhood

Another fundamental element in the value system of Islam is the value
of human brotherhood. This value also is founded on the same
principles which have been discussed in connection with freedomand
equality. Besides those foregoing principles, human brotherhood in
Islam is based on an unshakable belief in the Oneness and Universality
of God the worshipped, the unity of mankind the worshippers, and the
unity of religion the medium of worship. For the Muslim, God is One,
Eternal and Universal. He is the Creator of all men, the Provider for
all men, the Judge of all men, and the Lord over all men. To Him,
social status, national supermanship, and racial origin are
insignificant. Before Him,all men are equal and brothers of one
another.
The Muslim believes in the unity of mankind with regard to the
sourceof creation, the original parentage, and the final destiny. The
source of creation is God Himself. The original common parentage is
that of Adam and Eve. To this first parentage, every human being
belongs and of it he partakes. As for the final destiny, there is no
doubt in the Muslim's mind that it will be to God, the Creator, to
Whom all men shall return.
The Muslim believes in the unity of God's religion. This means that
God does not confine His religion or favors to any particular nation,
race, orage. It further means thatthere can be no contradiction or
fundamental differences in the Religion of God. When all this is
interpreted properly, it will leave no ground for pretended supremacy
or presumptuous exclusivity. And when it isimparted into the
humanmind, it will provide man with a clear concept and a solid basis
of human brotherhood. Because the Muslim believes in the Oneness of
God, the unity of mankind, and the unity of religion, he believes in
all the Messengers and Revelations of God without discrimination.

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -

stories - Friend - rival

I am 38 y. old and happilymarried for many years. We have two
wonderful children. I have a problem that many wiveshave, so I would
like to help me with advice.
My husband has a childhood friend who married 3-4 years after usto a
woman I can briefly describe as the dream woman for every man -
pretty, with nice body, kind, helpful, etc. I also liked her we are
family friends for many years.
My husband is not the type womanizer, and keeps family and family
values close to his heart and with few exceptions we haven't had
problemswith the opposite sex, but I was consumed by a secret
jealousy, which sometimes makes me behave abnormally and that bothers
me.
We visit our friends on many occasions and often I feel like a
"secondhand" woman not because my husband offends me or something,but
I see him take sleek looks at her and feel his adrenaline, which
increases when he comesclose to her/ no way all men feel that way /,
but this is the same looks andpassion with which he looked at my
before and although I have tried to keep good appearance, be the
perfect housewife,mother and mistress I have a feeling of helplessness
because I know that even if nothing happens he's in love with her and
fight with himself internally.
Please advise me how to behave – don't want to ruin the relationship
with our friends, it makesme feel like the villain of the story the
more because they are friends of the children, but at thesame time I'm
afraid of the events that may occurand destroy the harmonyin my
family.