Does not being allowed to give the adhaan over loudspeakers mean that the ritual of the adhaan is not being established?

If the Muslims are prevented from giving the adhaan over loudspeakers,
is this considered as being unable to manifest the symbols of Islam
and are they therefore obliged to migrate (make hijrah)and not remain
in that land?
Praise be to Allaah.
We put this question to Shaykh 'Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen (may Allaah
preserve him), and he answered as follows:
This is not regarded as coming under that heading, because the use of
loudspeakers is a new thing. They can still give the adhaan with their
own voices and establish the symbols of their religion. And
Allaahknows best.And Allah knows best.

The meaning of thinking about going forjihaad, and combining da’wah and jihaad

Assalaau Alaykum,
My dear respected Shaikh,
I am an undergraduate student studiying in the field of Computer
Engineering in University of XXXXX . InshaAllah I will be graduating
next year. Alhamdulillah I am married and expecting akid very soon !
InshaAllah. AlhamdulillahI make efforts to gain knowledge and
implement it upon the way of Salaf-us-Salih and I know this is the
right way . But there is one thing I do not reallyunderstand : that
isthe issue of Jihaad. InshaAllah please do clarify this for me in the
following context:
1. My obligation with regards to Jihaad
2. The meaning of the Hadith : Whoever dies and did not fight in
battle, nor did he have the sincere wish to fight in battle, dies on a
branch of hypocrisy." [Muslim]
3. How do I prepare for Jihaad.
4. How should I weigh the affair between gaining knowledge, Da'waf and Jihaad.
I would also like to know what the major Ulama say with regards to this.
Jazakallahu Khairan.
Praise be to Allaah.
Imaam Muslim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Saheeh:
"Chapter: Condemnation of the one who dies without having gone out for
jihaad or having thought of doing so." Then he quoted the hadeeth of
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: "The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
'Whoever dies without having gone out for jihaad or having thought of
doing so, dies on a branch of hypocrisy.'" (Saheeh Muslim, 3533).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:"What is meant is that
the one who does this is behaving, in this regard,like the hypocrites
who stay behind and do not go out for jihaad, because not engaging
injihaad is one of the branches of hypocrisy. This hadeeth also
indicates that the one who intended to do an act of worship but died
before he could do it is not to be condemned to the same extent as one
who died without any such intention."
Al-Sindi said, in his footnotes to Sunan al-Nisaa'i: " '… without
having thought of [it]…' means without having said to himself, 'I wish
I could go out for jihaad.' Or it could mean that he did not intend to
go out for jihaad, and the sign of intending to go out for jihaad is
preparing equipment. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 'And
if they had intended to march out, certainly they wouldhave made some
preparation for it…" [al-Tawbah 9:64]."
A person can prepare himself for jihaad in many ways, such as:
Learning the virtues of jihaad and the rulings concerning it;
preparing oneself with different kinds of acts of worship;
training oneself to makesacrifices;
forcing oneself to prefer others to oneself;
spending for the sake of Allaah;
studying and reading the biographies of mujaahideen and heroesof Islam;
studying Islamic battles;
constantly telling oneselfthat if jihaad is established and one has
the means and is able to go for jihaad, there is nochoice but to
enlist;
knowing how sinful it is to run away from the battlefield or flee
beforethe kuffaar;
studying the Seerah (biography) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) during both the Makkan and Madani periods, and
studying his battles and campaigns, to see how he conducted the jihaad
in the context of his owncircumstances, what he started with and how
heprepared himself;
understanding that jihaad has to go throughstages, beginning with the
nearest enemy, until one reaches the stage of being able to fight all
the mushrikeen;
being aware of the movements of hypocrisy;
waging jihaad on four fronts – against one's own nafs or base self,
against the Shaytaan, against the kuffaar and against the hypocrites;
understanding the importance of waging jihaad with one's wealthas well
as with one's self.
Know, my brother, that it is not difficult to combine jihaad with
da'wah, because each ofthem has its own time and place. When the
mujaahideen were waging their conquests, they used to call people to
Allaah before the battle started. When they conquered a country, they
would call its people to Islam and teach them the religion. When there
was no battle or jihaad going on, the doors of da'wah were still wide
open, and they would make da'wah to their wives, children, relatives,
neighbours and all people, Muslim and non-Muslim, calling themwith
wisdom and beautiful preaching, andarguing with them in a way that is
better. May Allaah help us and you todo that which He loves and which
pleases Him. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Moving away from places of shirk

We have decided to buy a new house to live in, inBaghdad. But my
father refuses to live anywhere except the area in whichhe grew up,
which is a Shi'i area where rituals of shirk are done every year and
the people whip themselves with chains in mourning for al-Husayn, or
so they say.Now we, the sons, are confused: should we go against our
father and prevent him from buying a house in this area, or should we
give in to what he wants out of obedience to him even though we are
ableto stop him from doing that?
Does this come under the heading of moving away from places of shirk?
What are its conditions and obligations? Please note that my father is
a religiously committed man, but he is influenced by the place where
he grew up.
Praise be to Allaah.
Parents have to understand that Allah, may He be exalted, has made
them shepherds oftheir families and they will be responsible for them
on the Day of Resurrection, as it was narrated that 'Abd-Allah ibn
'Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) say: "Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is
responsible for hisflock. The ruler of the people is a shepherd and is
responsible for hisflock. A man is the shepherd of his household and
is responsible for his flock…" Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 853;
Muslim,1829.
Allah, may He be exalted,has instructed the believers to protect
themselves and their families from the Fire of Hell, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a
Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed)
angels stern (and) severe…"
[al-Tahreem 66:6].
Hence we can say to the good father that staying among people of
extreme innovation and corrupt beliefs poses a danger to you and your
family in terms being influenced by their beliefs. If the father is
religiously committed and feels safe, in sha Allah, against their
misguidance and innovations, and if you are likewise, the danger still
exists for your offspring and children.
Because we know that those innovators are the Raafidis, then our
warning to you is further emphasized because there is the fearfor you
and your family that they may cause you real harm, and real life
events in your country testify to that. So you should not let emotion
take precedence over reason and religious commitment; rather you
should reconsider the idea of your staying among those who carry out
rituals of shirk and revile the best of this ummah, namely the
Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him). The scholars have stated thatif the believer does not feel
that he or his family are safe from fitnah or that he cannot openly
practice his religion, then he has to leave his home and migrate, and
it makes no difference whether his land is a land of evildoing,
innovation or shirk. If the Muslim is in such a land, then he has to
leave it, so how about if he chooses to go and live in the land and
among those people who openly practise shirk in the name of Islam and
revile the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) and denounce Ahl
al-Sunnah as disbelievers?!
Ibn al-'Arabi al-Maaliki (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
describing the types of migration:
… The second is migration from the land of innovation. Ibn al-Qaasim
said: I heard Maalik say: It is not permissible for anyone to stay in
a land in whichthe salaf (early generations of Muslims) are reviled.
And this is true. If the one who objects to evil is not able to change
it then he should keep away from it. Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And when you (Muhammad) see those who engage in a false conversation
about Our Verses (of the Qur'ân) by mocking at them, stay away from
them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaitân (Satan) causes
you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not youin the company of
those people who are the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers)"
[al-An'aam 6:68].
End quote from Ahkaam al-Qur'aan, 2/412, 413
What we think is that your father should avoidliving among the people
of that deviant sect, for the reasons mentioned above.
If your father insists on living in that place, after you have tried
to advise him in the best way, thatyou have to beware of the plots and
the evil of the Raafidis and take precautions to protect your
religious commitment against the fitnah of their religious practices;
try to ensure that your closest neighbours are Sunnis who live in that
area.
What we suggest to you is do not buy a house or land in that place;
rathertry to make your stay there temporary in the hope that Allah
will guide your father and he will become convinced to keep away from
that place and choose somewhere better than it.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Abu Huraira: The Beloved Narrator

" 'An Abi Huraira radiyallahu anhu qal, qala Rasul Allahi, sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam...."
(On the authority of Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, he
said: Allah's Messenger (s.a.w) said...)
Through this phrase millions of Muslims from early history of Islam to
the present have come tobe familiar with the name Abu Huraira, who you
expect to find his name in most Hadith, Sirah or Fiqh books.
Abu Huraira (r.a.a) enjoyed a great talent, he was gifted with an
extraordinary long term memory to the extent that he would hear a
discussion or a speech and be able to reproducethe identical
discussion or speech years later without changing or deleting one
single word from it.
This great gift that Abu-Huraira enjoyed could have been the worst
thing that could have happened to him assome people used his well
known and authentic name to make up false Ahadith about our beloved
Prophet, andlink these false Ahadith to Abu Huraira (r.a.a). However,
through hard and sincere efforts put in by some of the pious scholars
who sacrificed their lives to preserve and save our beloved Prophet's
Ahadith (sayings) and save them from any harm by the enemies of Islam
who tried to mislead Muslims by adding to them thing that were never
said by the Prophet of Allah (s.w.t), Abu Huraira's reputation was
saved from their wrong doing until our present day.
Abu Huraira became a Muslim at the hands of At-Tufayl Ibn Amr who was
the chief of the tribe to which he belonged. When he submitted to the
truthfulness of this religion, he accompaniedAt-Tufayl to Makkah and
had the privilege of meeting the noble Prophet (s.a.w.). The Prophet
(s.a.w) asked Abu Huraira what his name was, "Abdu-Shams"(the servant
of the sun), Abu Huraira replied. So he was introduced by theholy
Prophet (s.a.w) to change his name to"Abdur-Rahman" (the servant of
the Beneficent). However, he continued to be known among people as
"Abu Hurrah" (the kitten's father) because of his love for a cat he
looked after and fed, and which used to stick to him wherever he went.
Abu Huraira lived with his mother who was still a Mushrik. He prayed
for her and tried hard to convince her to join Islam, but she
adamantly refused. One day when he was telling her about Islam she
uttered some words about the Prophet which saddened Abu Huraira
greatly. He went to the Prophet (s.a.w), hiseyes full of tears and
told him about what had happened between him and his mother. He also
asked the Prophet to make supplication to Allah (s.w.t) for her to
make her heart respond to Islam. The Prophet responded to Abu
Huraira's request and prayed for his mother. When Abu Huraira returned
home he was delighted to hear his mother, who had just taken a shower,
testifying that there is nogod but Allah and that Muhammad is His
Servantand His Messenger. So he rushed back to the Prophet with his
eyes glowing with joy, and informed him that Allah had answered his
prayers, and guided his mother to Islam. He then said: "O Allah's
Messenger,Ask Allah to make me andmy mother lovable to the believing
men and women" . So he (s.a.w.) said: "O Allah, make this servant of
yours and his mother lovable to every believing man and woman" .
With his great gift and talent, Abu Huraira realised that he was able
to serve this religion a great deal. He realised that, because many of
the early companions who had the most knowledge died in the battles in
Allah's cause, this religion needed people to preserve it, as in these
days the companions used to write only the Qur'an fearing it might get
mixed with the Hadith of the Messenger, if the latter was to be
documented too. Even among those who had a great deal of
knowledge,many of them were occupied by their trades and didn't have
as much free time as Abu Huraira to spend with the Prophet (s.a.w).
Also the fact that he had an extraordinary long term memory meant that
he could hear the Prophet's teachings and be able to ask a writer to
write them later knowing that he will not forget any of them.
Therefore, during the four years Abu Huraira stayed with the Prophet
(s.a.w) in Madinah, he set himself to accompany the holy Prophet to
gain knowledge and memorise his sayings andteachings in order to
preserve the word of Allah (s.w.t) and the teachings of his beloved
Prophet (s.a.w). The Prophet (s.a.w.) himself directed Abu Huraira to
an effective way to memorise his Hadiths, Abu Hurrah said: Allah's
Prophet one day said to us: "whoever spreads his dress until I finish
my talk, and then takes hold of it, will not forget anything from what
he heard from me" .
The fact that Abu Huraira set himself to preserve the teachings of the
noble Prophet, meant that he was always close to the Prophet (s.a.w)
in his stay in Madinah, as hehad free time at his disposal, unlike the
Muhajirin he did not work in trade and unlike the Ansar he did not
havea land to look after. This enabled Abu Huraira to stay with the
noble Prophet at Madinah and to go with him on journeys and
expeditions.
He loved the Prophet a great deal, he was never tired of looking at
the Prophet nor was he tired of listening to him. Often he would
praise Allah for his good fortune and say "Praise be to Allah who has
guided Abu Huraira to Islam, Praise be to Allah who taught Abu Huraira
the Qur'an, Praisebe to Allah who has bestowed on Abu Hurairathe
companionship of Muhammad (s.a.w)" .
Abu Huraira underwent much hardship and difficulties as a result of
devoting his life to knowledge and companionship of the holy Prophet
(s.a.w): "Oneday, my hunger became so severe that I placed a stone on
my stomach. I then sat down in the path of the companions. Abu Bakr
passed by and I asked him about an Ayah of the book of God. I
onlyasked him so that he would invite me but he didn't".
Despite the fact that Abu Huraira set himself to preserving the word
of Allah and the teachings of his Prophet, he by no means neglected
his other duties as much of his time was spend in prayers and devotion
to God. He often rotated staying up at night with his wife and his
daughter, as he would stay up for a third of the night, his wife for
another third and his daughter for a third, this way in the house of
Abu Huraira no hour of the night would pass withoutIbadah and Salat.
Abu Huraira's presence was also felt in the battlefield when needed to
protect and establish the religionof Islam by the sword, as he lived
all his life, since becoming a Muslim, as a soldier of Islam not
missing a single battle with the holy Prophet (s.a.w).
After the death of the holy Prophet (s.a.w), Abu Huraira continued his
duties in conveying the teachings of the Prophet (s.a.w). He went on
preaching a great number of Ahadith, which made some of his friends
curious of the large amount of Ahadith that he memorised in such a
short time. Although the fact that he was able to memorise so many
Ahadith was justified by the fact that he was dedicated to staying
with the Prophet and due to the extraordinary ability to memorise
speeches from the first time.
During the caliphate of Umar (r.a.a), Umar appointed him as a governor
of Bahrain where he became quiet rich. Umar, being very scrupulous
about the type of persons he appointed as governors, he was concerned
that his governors should live simply and frugally and not acquire
much wealth even through lawful means. When Umar (r.a.a)heard about
Abu Huraira's wealth he recalled him to Madinah, thinking that Abu
Hurairahad acquired his wealth through unlawful means.
When Abu Huraira arrived in Madinah, Umarquestioned him about the way
he acquired sucha fortune. Abu Huraira replied "from breeding horses
and gifts that I received" . Umar then ordered him to hand his fortune
over to the treasury of the Muslims. Abu Huraira did as he was ordered
and raised his hands to the heavens and prayed "O Lord, forgive Amir
ul-Muminin" . After a while Umar called upon Abu Huraira and offered
him to regain his position as thegovernor of Bahrain but Abu Huraira
refused the offer. When he was asked by Umar why he refused his offer
he replied "So that my honorwould not be besmirched, and my wealth
would not be taken and my back would not be beaten" . He then added "I
also fearto judge without knowledge and speak without wisdom".
Abu Huraira continued tolive a righteous life, devoting himself to
servethe religion of Islam and being kind to his mother as well as
encouraging others to be kind to their parents. One day when Abu
Huraira's health was deteriorating quickly andhis friends were praying
for him to recover, he looked to the heavens and said "O Allah I love
meeting you and ask you to love meeting me" . He then died in the year
59 after Hijra when he was seventy eight years old.
He died after having accomplished his duty and his desire to preserve
and transmit the teachings of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w), leaving
Muslims a great debt of gratitude for helping to preserve the
teachings ofthe noble Prophet (s.a.w)and setting them a perfect
example and platform to follow in preaching and conveyingto the
humanity what he and others had worked relentlessly, facing all sorts
of hardships, in order to preserve. We askAllah (s.w.t) to reward Abu
Huraira and grant him the companionship of the holy Prophet in
thehereafter just as he was granted his companionship in this world.

Umm 'Umara: The Prophet's Shield atUhud

Umm 'Umara was blessed with many honours, amongst these her presence
at Uhud, al-Hudaybiyya, Khaybar, the Fulfilled Umra, Hunayn, and the
Battle ofYamama. But her most noble role came about during the battle
of Uhud.
Umm 'Umara set out to the battle with her husband, Ghaziya, and her
two sons. Her inhad been to give water to thewounded, but Allah had
planned for her a more rewarding role.
So she set out with her family with a waterskin, and arrived at the
battle field during the beginning of the day. The Muslims had the
upper hand, and she went to see how the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w)was.
But then the Muslims committed a fatal error - seeing the Quraysh on
the retreat, they ran towards the booty, ignoring the Prophet's
command to remain on the hill. Khalid bin Walid, (who hadn't embraced
Islam yet), seeing the open flank, made a charge against the Muslims
and suddenlythe tide had swung towards the Quraysh. TheMuslims
panicked and began to flee, leaving behind only the Prophet (s.a.w)
and a handful of his Companions. Among these was Umm Umara.
Seeing the Muslims flee, Umm Umara ran to the defense of the Prophet
and took up arms, along with her husband and two sons. The Prophet
noticed that she had no shield, and so said to oneof the retreating
men:"Give your shield to the one who is fighting." So he handed her
the shield,and she defended the Prophet of Allah with it, using also
the bow and arrow along with a sword. She was attacked by horsemen,
but never wavered nor felt fear. She later boldly claimed,"If they had
been on footas we were, we would have trounced them, Allah willing."
Abdullah ibn Zayed, her son, was wounded during the battle. His wound
bled profusely. His mother ran to him and bandaged his wounds, and
then commanded him, "Go and fight the people, my son!" The Prophet
(s.a.w) admired her sense of sacrifice, and commended her, "Who can
endure what you canendure, Umm 'Umara!"
Suddenly, the man who had struck her son advanced, and the Prophet
called out to her,"This is the one who struck your son." She bravely
confronted the man, who her very son described as being like a great
tree trunk, and struck at his leg, sending him to his knees. The
Messenger of Allah smiledso much his teeth became visible, and
remarked, "You have retaliated, Umm 'Umara!".Having finished him off,
the Prophet then said"Praise be to Allah who has given you victory
anddelighted you over your enemy and let you enjoy your revenge
directly."
At one stage, the Prophet(s.a.w) was left alone, so taking the
opportunity, the enemy Ibn Qumay'a charged at the Prophet, shouting
"Show me Muhammad! I will not be saved if he is saved!" So Mus'ab ibn
'Umayr, along with some other of the Companions, dashed to the
protection of the Prophet. Umm 'Umara was among them, and began
fiercely striking at the enemy of Allah, even though he was wearing
double armour. Ibn Qumay'a managed to strike a blow at her
neck,leaving a serious wound. The Prophet quickly called on her son
"Your mother! Your mother! Bind her wound! May Allah bless you, the
people of a house! The stand of your mother is better than the stand
of so-and-so. May Allah havemercy on you, people of a house! The stand
of your foster father is better than the stand of so-and-so. May Allah
havemercy on you, people of a house!" Umm 'Umara, seeing the Prophet's
pleasure on her determination and valour , earnestly requested"Ask
Allah to make us your companions in the Garden!" So he said "O Allah,
make them my companions in the Garden." And this was thedesire of Umm
'Umara, to which she replied "I do not care what afflicts me in this
world!"
That day, she received thirteen wounds, and was treated for her neck
wound for a complete year. She also participated in the Battle of
Yamama, where she received eleven wounds and lost her hand.
Her courageous characterearned her the respect ofall the Companions,
especially the Khalifa's who would visit her and pay special attention
to her.
'Umar bin Khattab (r.a.a) was brought some silk garments which
contained excellent quality material. One of the people remarked"This
garment is worth such-and-such (meaning how expensive it was). You
should send it to the wife of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, Safiyya bint Abi
'Ubayd." 'Umar (r.a.a) however did not desire such a garment for his
daughter in law. "That is something which I will not give to Ibn
'Umar. I will send it to someone who is more entitled to itthan her -
Umm 'Umara Nusayba bint Ka'b. On theday of Uhud, I heard the Messenger
of Allah (s.a.w)say, 'Whenever I looked to the right or left I saw her
fighting in front of me'."
This was the life of Umm 'Umara, the warrior who stood when many fled,
who sent her wounded son back into the thick ofthe battle, and was
prepared to lose her life to save the Prophet's. In return, she
received the du'a for the Prophet's companionship in Paradise.
May Allah bless our women with such courage, self-sacrifice and perseverance.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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If his father asked him for money and he does not have any, does he have to take a loan?

My father asks us, me and my brothers, for help in sponsoring the
marriage of one of my brothers or changing the furniture in the house
or other things that are not important. Most of the time I give him my
share of what heasks for, but sometimes Iam not able to because I do
not have the means, then he gets angry with me for a while so I go and
ask for a loan from the bank and bring it to him, and so on. Please
note that he is financially of moderate means. Is it permissible for
me to disobey him and tell him that I do nothave the money, or should
I go to the bank and take out a loan for something that is not very
important?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The father has the right to take from his son's wealth whatever he
needs, if that will not harm the son. That is because of the report
narrated by Abu Dawood(3530) and Ahmad (6640) from the hadeeth of
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, according to which a man said: O Messenger of
Allaah, I have wealth and children, and my father is in need of my
wealth. He said: "You and your wealth belong to your father."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
What the hadeeth means– as al-Khattaabi (may Allah have mercy on him)
said – is that the father needed the money for his living expenses,
but the son's wealth was so little that his father's living expenses
would consume all that he had. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) did not excuse him and allow him not to spend on
his father's living expenses. See 'Awn al-Ma'bood.
It is stipulated that the father should be in needof this wealth
according to the majority of fuqaha', apart from the Hanbalis, because
of the report narrated by al-Haakim (2/284) and al-Bayhaqi (7/480)
from 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: The Messenger
of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Your
childrenare a gift from Allah to you – 'He bestows female (offspring)
upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring)upon whom He wills'
[ash-Shoora 42:49] – so they and their wealth belong to you, if you
need it."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, 2564
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The father may take
whatever he wants from his son's wealth and take possession of it,
whetherthe father needs what he takes or not, and whether the son is a
child or an adult, subjectto two conditions:
(i) that it is not unfair to the son, it does not harm
him and he should not take anything that the son needs;
(ii) that he does not take from the wealthof one son and
give it to another, because it is forbidden to single out one child
for giving fromhis own wealth, so it is more appropriate that it
should be forbidden to single out one child for giving what he has
taken from the wealth ofanother child.
Abu Haneefah, Maalik and ash-Shaafa'i said: Hedoes not have the right
to take from his son's wealth except as much as he needs, because
theProphet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Your
blood and your wealth are sacred to you, as sacred as this day of
yours, in this month of yours." (Agreed upon). And it was narrated
that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "It
is not permissible to take the wealth of a Muslim unless he gives it
willingly." Narrated by ad-Daaraqutni. And because the son has
complete authority over his own wealth, so it is not permissible to
take itfrom him.
End quote from al-Mughni, 5/395
If the father needs the wealth, he may take from his son's wealth and
spend it on his own living expenses and those of his dependents, so
long as that does not harm his son and he does not take anything that
his son needs, such as his car that he drives, and so on. See also the
answer to question no. 9594
Secondly:
If you do not have any money, you do not have to take out a loan, and
you can tell your father: Ido not have any money right now, or you can
tell him that you need the money that you do have. This is not
regarded as being disobedience towards him.
It is not permissible to take a loan from a riba-based bank under any
circumstances, because of the texts which indicate that the one who
consumes riba and the one who pays it are cursed. And it is not
permissible to obey yourfather if he tells you to take out this loan,
because there is no obedience to any created being if it involves
disobedience towards the Creator.
To sum up: if the father needs the money to spend on maintenance or to
buy furniture for the house and so on, it ispermissible for him to
take from his sons' wealth, on condition that this does not harm them,
and that he does not take things that theyneed. If they do not haveany
money to spare, then they do not have totake out a loan.
The brothers should cooperate to help the one who has not got married,
each according to what he is able to afford.
And Allah knows best.

Saying between the twoprostrations: Rabb ighfir li wa li waalidayya (Lord forgive me and my parents)

What is the ruling on saying "Rabb ighfir li wali waalidaya (Lord
forgive me and my parents)" when sitting between the two prostrations?
Is that permissible?.
Praise be to Allaah.
You should adhere to what was narrated of the du'aa' of the
Prophet(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) between the two
prostrations, which is to say, "Rabb ighfir li (Lord forgive me)", as
it was narrated by an-Nasaa'i (1145) and Ibn Maajah (897) from
Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say between the two
prostrations: "Rabb ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li (Lord forgive me, Lord
forgive me)."
It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) also used to say between the two prostrations: "Allaahumma ighfir
li warhamni wajburni warfa'ni wahdini wa 'aafini warzuqni (O Allaah,
forgive me, have mercy on me, console me, raise me in status, guide
me, grant me well being and grant me provision)."
At-Tirmidhi (284) narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used
to say between the two prostrations: "Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni
wajburni wahdini warzuqni (O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me,
console me, guide me, and grantme provision)."
Abu Dawood (850) narrated it as follows: "Allaahumma ighfir li
warhamni wa 'aafini wahdini warzuqni (O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy
on me, grant me well being, guide me and grant me provision)."
Ibn Maajah (898) narrated it as follows: "Rabb ighfir li
warhamniwajburni warzuqni warfa'ni (O Lord, forgive me, have mercy on
me, console me, grant me provision and raise me in status).
This hadeeth was classedas saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo' (3/414):
With regard to the hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas, it was narrated by Abu
Dawood, at-Tirmidhi andothers with a jayyid isnaad. It was narrated by
al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak and he said: Its isnaad is saheeh.He quoted
the different versions then he said: Tobe on the safe side, the best
option is to combine all the reports and say all the phrases
mentioned, of which there are seven: "Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni wa
'aafini wajburni warfa'ni wahdini warzuqni (O Allaah, forgive me, have
mercy on me, grant me well being, console me, raise me in status,
guide me and grant me provision)." End quote.
With regard to adding tothis du'aa', what appears to be the case is
that it is permissible, butit is preferable to keep to what has been
narrated and to offer du'aa' for one's parents in prostration or
before saying the salaam at the end of the prayer. Muslim (479)
narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"…as for prostrating, strive in du'aa', for it is deservingof a
response (from yourLord)."
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Then he should
rise from prostration, saying "Allahu akbar (Allah is most great),"
and sit muftarishan, which means sitting on the left foot and holding
the right foot upright, placing his right hand on his right thigh or
on his knee, extending his fingers over his knee, and placing his left
handon his left thigh or his left knee, extending his fingers over it.
This is theSunnah. And he should say: "Rabb ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li,
Rabb ighfir li (Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me), as
the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do.
And it is mustahabb to say in addition to that: Allahumma ighfir li
warhamni wahdini wajburni warzuqni wa 'aafini (O Allah, forgive me,
have mercy on me, guide me, console me, grant me provision and grant
me well being), because that is proven from the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him). And if he says more than that, there is
nothing wrong with it, such as if he says, "Allahumma ighfir li wa li
waalidayya(O Allah, forgive me and my parents)" or "Allaahumma
adkhilni al-Jannah wa anjini min an-naar (O Allah, admit me to
Paradise and save me from Hell)" or "Allaahumma aslih qalbi wa 'amali
(O Allah, make my heart and my actions righteous) and so on. But he
should ask a great deal for forgiveness between thetwo prostrations,
as was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him).
End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 11/36
And Allah knows best.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Thirst for Learning

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
"After the passing away of the Prophet (peace beupon him), I said to
an Ansari friend of mine: 'The Prophet is not now with us. But a large
number of Sahabah are still among us. Let us go to them and get
knowledge of the Islamic practices.' He said: ' Who is going to
approach you for learning a regulation in the presence of these
eminent Sahabah?' I wasnot discouraged. I kept up my quest for
knowledge and approached every person who was supposed to have heard
something from the Prophet. I managed to gather substantial
information from the Ansar. If on my visit to someone of the Sahabah,
I found him asleep, I spread my shawl at the gate and satwaiting.
Sometimes my face and body would getcovered with dust, but I kept
sitting till they woke and I was able to contact them. Some of them
said: 'Abdullah you are the cousin of the Prophet; you could have sent
for us. Why did you take the trouble of coming to our places?' I said
to them: 'I must come to you, for I am a student and you are my
teachers.' Some people for whom I had waited said: 'Since when have
you been waiting for us?' I informed them that I had been sitting
there for a pretty long time. They said: 'What a pity! You could have
awakened us from our sleep.' I said: 'I did not like to disturb you
for my own sake.' I thus carried on my pursuits, till there came a
time when people began to flock to me for learning. My Ansari friend
realizedthis at that time and remarked: 'This boy has surely proved
himself more sensible than us.'"
Source: From the book"Stories of the Sahabah" by Shaikh Muhammad
Zakariyya Kaandhlawi.
Besides our quest for knowledge to earn a livelihood in this world, we
must as well gain sufficient knowledge of Islam. No matter what age
group we belong to at this moment, we should atleast have that much
Islamic knowledgewith which we can turn our 24 hours life into
worship. Those with knowledge and practice will be exalted in this
world and in the hereafter.

A World of Smile

About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college, I was
working as an intern at my University's Museum of Natural History. One
day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an
elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.
As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of perched on
her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck
and torso. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots.
As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register.
I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink. As Itook the
money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving
me the cutest, largest smile I have ever seen. All of a sudden her
handicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile
just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of
what life isall about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college
student and brought me into her world; a world of smiles, love and
warmth.
That was ten years ago. I'm a successful business person now and
whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think
about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that
shetaught me.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Fateha and Esaale Sawaab is permissiblein Islam

1. All the Ulama-e-Haq and the Buzrugaan-e-Deen hold the belief that
to send Esaale Sawaab to the souls of the deceased is permissible.
2. It is permissible for a Muslim to send the Sawaab of his deeds,
such a Salaah, Saum, Zakaah, Hajj, Sadaqa, etc. to others. (Hidaya)
3. If a person kept Fast, performed his or her Salaah, or gave Sadaqa
and then sent this Sawaab to another person, either living or
deceased, then to do so is permissible, and that Sawaab reaches the
saidperson. (Bahrur Raa'iq)
4. Hazrat Anas (radi Allahu anhu) asked the Prophet (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam): "If we send Sawaab to the deceased, give Sadaqa and
Khayraat and ask Du'a for them, does this reach them?" The Prophet
(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said:"Verily it reaches them. Read
Salaah for them as you read for yourself and fast for them as you fast
for yourself. In otherwords, make Esaale Sawaab of Salaah and Saum for
them." The meaning of this Hadith Shareef is that we should send the
Sawaab of our actions to the deceased, since in realityone cannot
perform Salaah and keep fast for another person or on hisbehalf, but
we can send the Sawaab of our actions to them.
5. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) has stated: "On the
Days of Eid, the 10th of Muharram, the first Friday of Rajab, on
Shabbe Baraat, and on Thursday nights, the souls of the deceased are
left free to go to their homes, wherein they go and ask for Sadaqa and
Khayraat. If they do not receive any Du'a or Fateha, then theyreturn
to their graves saddened and disappointed and they say, 'O Allah! They
have deprived us, You deprivethem'".
6. The Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) assaid: "When a person
passes away and the family of the deceased gives Sadaqa, Khayraat and
makes Du'a for him, then Sayyiduna Jibraeel (alaihis salaam) takes it
to them in their graves on a tray that is beautifully decorated. When
they receive this, they become so pleased as if someone in the world
becomes pleased on receiving a gift, and his neighbour who has not
received any Sawaab becomes sad".
7. Hazrat Sa'ad ibn Ubaadah (radi Allahu anhu) once came to the
Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and said: "Ya Rasoolallah
(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)! My mother has passed away. What can I
do for Esaale Sawaab?" The Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)
said: "Preparea well for water". When the well was prepared,
Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) went close to the well and
made Du'a: "This is for the Esaale Sawaab for the mother of Saad".
While making this Du'a, he raised his hands high,and after Du'a, he
turned his hands over his blessed face.
8. For those who object to Fateha and Du'a, the following is for their perusal:-
8.1 It is allowed to make Du'a in front of the Niyaz(offering), as
this is whatthe Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did by coming
close to the well to make Du'a.
8.2 It is allowed to lift upthe hands for Du'a and to end the Du'a by
turning the hands over the face.
8.3 It is preferable to calla pious person to make the Du'a.
8.4 To make Fateha on Niyaz is allowed. If it were not, then the
Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) would not have made Du'a
nearthe water, but would have said that the intention was sufficient.
8.5 For the person to obtain the Sawaab, it is not necessary to feed
the Niyaz first, but Du'a can be made before this since the Prophet
(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) made Du'a even before any person drank
out of the well.
9. Whosoever makes Khatam of the Holy Quran and then makes Du'a, 4 000
Angels say Aameen on his Du'a. They then continue making Du'a for him
andthey continue asking blessings for him until the morning or
afternoon. (Tafseer Roohul Bayaan)
10. At the time of Khatam Shareef, there is a flow of mercy and to
make Du'a after completing the Quran is Mustahab.
11. When Hazrat Anas (radi Allahu anhu) used to complete the Holy
Quran, then he would call all his family and friends and make Du'a.
(Jila'ul Afhaam)
12. When making Fateha, one should follow the proceedure ofthe pious
Saints. When making the Fateha, send the Sawaab to the Prophet (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam), the pious servants, the Companions, and then
through their blessing, ask for it to be sent to the soul of the
deceased.This is the prescribed method, and this is the method that
the Ahle Sunnah has always followed.
13. By making Esaale Sawaab, it gives comfortto the deceased, pleases
them, saves them from the torment of the grave, elevates their status
and causes benefitto the sender as well as the receiver.

Haazir O Naazir - Present and Witnessing

According to the Holy Quran every thing has todie as Allah almighty says:
"Every soul is to taste thedeath" (Sura Al-Imran)Like this prophets of
Allah almighty were also passed through the process of death. They
were given death but it was for a very short time. And at the same
time they were brought to life as same as before.
Now all of the prophets (Alaihis salam) of Allah almighty are alive.
Allama Baihaqi (Rahmatullah Alaih) has collected a number of
narrations in the proof of the life of the prophets (Alaihis salam)
after death.
Such as Allama Jalaluddieen Sayuti (Rahmatullah Alaih) also written a
book on this topic and there are so many scholars of ummahwho have
written very much about this topic. Now I prove it from the Quran and
Hadith. Allah Almighty says:
"And say not those who are killed in the path of Allah as dead, but
they are alive yes, you are unaware." (Sura Al Baqara, Verse 154)
According to the Holy Quran pious people are of four categories. The
Prophets (Alaihis Salam) are of the highest grade and then comes the
number of truthful and then martyrs and righteous people stands fourth
in grade. And all four kinds are blessed according to their grades. As
the Holy Quran says: "Those who have been blessed by Allah viz., the
Prophets, and the truthful, and martyrs and righteous." (Sura Al Nisa,
Verse 69)
According to the generalpractice of the people we see that an officer
of grade "B" is provided all facilities which is provided to the
officer of grade "C". But the officer of B grade is given more than
the officer of C grade. Like this is the case of the officer of grade
"A". He is not only provided all the facilities of the officer of
grade B but also more than that of"B" grade. Now we believe that a
martyr gets the life after death by practicing the teachings of his
Prophet (Alaihis Salam) although he comes in third grade of the pious
peoples, so what is about the position of the Prophet (Alaihis Salam)
who is highest of all in his grade. Surely He is the most deserve able
of all others to be alive after death. It is a logical proof.
Secondly the Prophet of Allah almighty is a martyr because he died due
to the eating of piousness food. As Imam Bukhari and Baihaqi
(Rahmatullah Alaih) narrated by Aiysha (Allahalmighty is well pleased
with her) that the Holy Prophet (Allah's Grace & Peace be upon Him)
said in his mortal disease, " I always felt the pain of food which I
ate in Khaibar, now that poison is killing me." (Al Havi Lilfatawa.
Printed from Bairut. Vol. 2, P 149)
So the Holy Prophet (Allah's Grace & Peace beupon Him) is also alive
according to the Quranicverse.
Proof of the life of Prophets (Alaihis Salam) after death by
narrations of the Holy Prophet (Allah's Grace and Peace be upon Him)
1) Qazi Shaukani writes that the Holy Prophet (Allah's Grace & Peace
beUpon Him) in saheeh hadith that the Prophets (Alaihis Salam) of
Allah almighty are alive in their shrines. And Baihaqi (Rahmatullah
Alaih) has rectified it andwrote a book on this topic.
(Nail-ul-Qwatar. Vol.5, Page 108)
Abu Darda (Radi Allaho Unho) narrates that the prophet of Allah
said,"Send salutation (Durood) upon me againan again on Friday.
Because these salutation(Durood) are observed by angles. No one sends
salutation but it is presented to me before his getting free from
salutations". I asked him,"What is about after death?" He (Allah's
Grace& Peace be Upon Him) said "Allah almighty has made unlawful upon
earth to spoil prophet's bodies and the Prophet of Allah is alived and
he is given food." (Sunnan-e- Ibne Maja, Printed Noor Muhammad, P 118)
There are so many narrations which are found in proof of the lifeof
Prophets (alaihis salam) after death, thosecan't be written this is
why I stop my pen at thisbecause it is enough for a reasonable man.
What does the Holy Quran say ?
Before we quote the Holy Quran let us define and understand the
terminology of this subject matter. The terms used for the
omnipresence are"Haazir" and"Naazir"and these terms need to be
clarified and understood from the outset.
The meaning of Haazir and Naazir is explained below:
HAAZIR-To be present (physically or spiritually, i.e. in being)
NAAZIR-To see or behold with ones own eyes (from near or afar)
Note very carefully, that to be truly present and seeing one must be
'Aware' and 'Understand'what one sees.
To illustrate, a person named Zaid is in his home watching the live
Jum'a broadcast from Mecca. Then it follows that Zaid is Haazir
(physically), at his home, and Zaid is Naazir (seeing events) in his
home and in Mecca. NowZaid saw with his own eyes the Imaam lead the
Jum'a prayer in Mecca, although Zaid was sitting in
London.
Added to the fact that, while sitting in London Zaid observed the
eventsin Mecca, Zaid needs twomore abilities to becomea WITNESS to
this event, i.e. Zaid must be AWARE of what he sees & hears, as well
as UNDERSTAND the event fully. Therefore, when Zaid satisfies the
conditions of being present and seeing,together with theability to
comprehend the event in front of him, Zaid may be called upon as a
WITNESS to that event.
Now, it would follow that, if Zaid were blind or deaf, Zaid could not
be called upon as a reliable witness, since Zaid does not fulfill all
the requirements of being are liable witness. Therefore, a WITNESS is
someone who is HAAZIR& NAAZIR at an event andfully understands the
event. Be it that the witness was at the eventphysically or was able
to observe the event LIVE from afar spiritually or in the case of Zaid
electronically!
It must also be apparent that one cannot be NAAZIR without being
HAAZIR, the two abilities go hand in hand.
This is a very important point to understand. Now, bearing in mind the
definition of HAAZIR& NAAZIR together with the definition of being
aWITNESS to an event, payfull attention to what the Holy Quran says
about the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam).
1) " 'O' Nabi (communicator of the unseen) we have sent you as a
witness." (S33 V45)
2) "Then how shall it be, when We bring up a witness from each nation
(of each Prophet)and 'O' beloved
Messenger We will bring you as a witness and guardian against all
those." (S4 V41)
Observe that the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) is
beingcalled a WITNESS to all the nations that Allah has put upon this
Earth. Therefore, the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) must
have been present before his Earthly appearance and is still present
after this Earthly demise, otherwise he cannot be called upon asa
witness in the true sense of the word. Thereare many other verses
ofthe Holy Quran that call upon the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam)to be a witness. And a witness can only be someone who is
Haazir & Naazir.
A Technical Point
The following Quranic verses are often quoted to show that the Holy
Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) was notpresent and seeing
before his Earthly appearance :
"And you ('O' Prophet) were not with them (present) when they
casttheir pens(to decide) which of them should be
Mary's guardian." (S3 v44)
"The Prophet was not present when Musa was called upon Tur" (S28 V46)
Yes, the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) was notpresent
(physically speaking) at these events, but this is not to say that he
was not seeing (Naazir) these events. On the contrary, he must have
been seeing these events, otherwise how can he be a witness to all the
events as mentioned in the previous Quranic Verses. And since he was
seeing (NAAZIR) he must have been present(HAAZIR), be it spiritually
and from afar.
Read the following verses of the Holy Quran:
3)" ('O' Prophet) Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the
owners of the Elephant." (S105 V1)
This event took place many days before the birth of the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam).
4)" ('O' Prophet) Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with (the
people) of Aad. " (S89 V9)
Now the people of Aad lived many centuries before the advent of the
Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) on this Earth.
So, how could the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) 'SEE'
these events? Allah only knows how, but, since it is clear from the
verses of the Holy Quran,that the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) did SEE these events, then you must admit that the Holy
Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) was present and seeing (HAAZIR
& NAAZIR) at these events. Furthermore, the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallam) witnessed these events before his Earthly advent.
Note that Allah did not say, "have you not HEARD..." or "have you not
been TOLD..". No, Allah says to the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) "did you not SEE"!
Please apply a little common sense. Is there not a difference between
seeing an event and being told about an event.
Mu'adh(RA)reports that the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam)
said, "I saw Allah. He put His hand between my shoulders. I felt the
coolness of His hand in my breast which enlightened me about
everything. And I recognized Him." (Tirmidhi Sharif)
Even a lifetime would not be enough to contemplate on this Hadith, if
only Allah would open our minds to contemplation and understanding.
Sayyidina Umar (RA), states "In one Friday sermon, the Holy Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) informed us about everything which has
happened or will happen from the very beginning of time until the
Hereafter when some will inhabit Paradise while the others Hell."
(Bukhari Sharif)
Is it not clear, that the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam)
isa witness to all that has happened and will happen!
Ibn Abbas (RA) reports that the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) said, "I know everything which is in the Heavens and
theEarth, from the East to the West."(Tirmidhi Sharif)
How can the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) know everything
in the Heavens and the Earth and their constant changing conditions,
without beholding the conditions of the Heavens and the Earth
continuously !
The Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) had elevated some of
hiscompanions to such a state of being, that even those selected
companions were ever seeing the Heavens and the Earth.
Imaam Al Azam, Imaam Abu Hanifa writes that Haaris Ibn La'man and
Haarisa bin Na'man havestated, "Once I went to the Holy Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam). The Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) asked me a question, 'O Haaris in what state did you pass
the day?' I replied 'as a true Muslim'. Then the Holy Prophet(Sallal
Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) asked me the state of my faith.
I replied 'I see the Throne of Allah and the people of Paradise
helping each other and the people of Hell lamenting in Hell. I see
infront of me Eight Heavens and Seven Hells as clear as idol
worshippers see their Idols. I can recognize each individual just like
a miller can recognize Wheat from Barley, evenwho is to go to Paradise
and who is to be found in Hell. In front of me people are like fish
and ants. Shall I stay silent or continue to speak?'
The Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) told him to stop and
say no more. (Fiqah-Al-Akbar)
All it takes is a little common sense, if a companion of the Holy
Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) can behold Allah's creation in
such detail, then whatremains to be said aboutwhat the Holy Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) beholds of Allah's creation.
Allama Ahmed Qustulani (RA) commentator of Bukhari Shareef, writes in
his book Mawahib-ladunya and Imam Muhammad Ibni Hajar Makki (RA)
writes in his book Madkhal: "There is no difference between the states
of life and death of the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam),
in his seeing his entire ummahand his recognizing of their states,
their intentions and their minds, and all this is clear to him; there
is no secret thereof to him." (Mawahib p.32, Madkhal p.21).
Qadi Ayyaz(RA) the well-known author of Shifa, writes "Whenever there
is nobody present in the home and you enter the home recite"Assalamo
Alaika Ayyohannabi Warahmatullah Wa Barakatahoo" Meaning"Peace be upon
you 'O' Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) of Allah and
Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you." (Shifa Sharif)
The point to note is that we are saluting the Holy Prophet(Sallal
Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) in the present tense i.e. accepting him as
Haazir& Naazir.
Mulla Ali Qari (RA): Substantiating on the above, the great Islamic
scholar, Mulla Ali Qari(RA)in his Shareh Shifa writes, "The reason(
for saluting the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) in the
present tense) is that theHoly Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam's)
soul is HAAZIR (present) in every Muslim home". (Shareh Shifa)
There are a billion Muslim homes throughout the world, and according
to the Islamic scholars, the HolyProphet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam)
is present in everyMuslim home, does this not prove that the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) is Haazir in many places at the
same time and Naazir as well.
Imaam Ghazali (RA) the seal of Islam, a great scholar and a Sufi
Masterwrites, "When you go into a mosque then say salaam to the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) becausethe Holy Prophet (Sallal
Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) ispresent (Haazir) in mosques." (Mirqat -
Shareh Miskat)
There must be millions of Mosques situated around the world and inall
mosques the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) is present
spiritually. Whenthe Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam)
isHaazir then he must be seeing and therefore he must be Naazir as
well.
It has been reported in the famous book 'Tafseer-e-Roohul Bayan'that
Imaam Ghazali (RA) stated, "the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) and his companions' souls have been given the right to
travel the world and many Awliya Allah have seen the Holy Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam)."(Tafseer-e-Roohul Bayaan - SurahMalak
)
Again Imaam Ghazali (RA), referring to the position of sitting
(Tashahudd) during Salat and reciting 'At-Tahiyyatu..', says that on
reciting the words 'Ayyohannabi'('O' Prophet) the reciter must behold
the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) as Haazir. Imaam
Ghazali (RA) says, ''And believe inyour hearts that the HolyProphet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) is present (Haazir) and then say
Assalamo AlaikaAyyohannabi'' (Ihya ' ul -Uloom Vol. 1 Section 3)
How strange, when we put the above argument forward to a
Deobandi(Wahhabi) mullah in South London, the Deobandi mullah said,
"we only recite 'Ayyohannabi' because itis stated in the Hadith,
otherwise reciting 'Ayyohannabi' has no special significance". Who
should we believe, the seal of Islam Imaam Ghazali(RA) or a 'square
head' Deobandi mullah. Perhaps our Deobandi mullah needs more proof.
Let us give him and other 'square heads'more proof.
Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlvi (RA), the 30th in line of
the Golden Naqshbandi Sufi Order, and someonewhom Deobandis' are very
fond of quoting, says, ''In Attahiyat, the reason for reciting
'Ayyohannabi' is that Haqqiqat-e-Muhammadi (Reality (light) of the
Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam)) is present in every
little thing. Therefore, it is present in the people praying Salat,
and those performing the Salat should be fully aware of this fact and
should not pay attention to anything except for the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam's) presence (Haazri)''.
(Madarijun Nabuwat Vol.1 part 4 - Zikreh Fazaalileh Nabi )
Imaam Jalaluddin Suyuti (RA) says, "To keep watch of his own
followers' work and to pray for their forgiveness; to pray for their
abstention from bad deeds; to come and go in all parts of the world to
give auspiciousness; if one pious person dies from his followers then
to come and attend his janazah (funeral), all thisis done by the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam)" (Intibahul Azkiyya)
Imaam Suyuti (RA) further states, ''If someone believes, that, while
performing Milad Sharif, or at the end of Ramadan or while reciting
Qasida(Naat) Sharif, that the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam's) soul is present on these occasions, then to believe this
is perfectly acceptable" (Shareh Sudoor)
By now any reasonable minded Muslim must, at least, accept that the
Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) has been granted the
ability of being in several places at the same time, be it
spiritually. However, some Muslim believe that the Holy Prophet(Sallal
Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) can even present himself physically.
Sheikh Abdul Haqq Muhaddis Dehlvi(RA) states, ''Allah Ta'ala has given
the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) the strength and power
to go anywhere he likes, he can go with his own body or only in soul.
On the earth, in the sky, in the grave and the Holy Prophet(Sallal
Laahu Alaihi Wasallam's) connection stays with his own shrine.''
(Madarigun Naboowat Vol.2 Part4 Wasleh Hayaateh Ambiya)
Abdul Karim Ibn Ibrahim Al Jili (RA) is a descendant of the great
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani(RA). Sheikh Jili (RA) gives us a
mind-blowing insight into the reality ofthe Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallam) in his book "The Perfect Man". However, we shall stay
with the subject matter and quote SheikhJili (RA) on this subject
alone. He writes "His original name is Muhammad (Sallal LaahuAlaihi
Wasallam), his name of honor is Abu'l Qasim, his description Abdullah,
and his title Shamsuddin. In every age he bears a name suitable to his
guise in that age. I once met him in the form of my Sheikh". He
further writes, "The truth of the matter is that the Holy Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) has the power of assuming every form
(In every age)." (Al Insanul Kamil)
Sheikh Jili(RA) relates how the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) took the bodily form of Sheikh Shibli (RA). He writes,
"Thus, when he appeared in the form of Shibli, Shibli said to his
murid, 'Bear witness thatI am the Messenger of Allah'; and the murid,
being of insight, recognized the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam)and said, 'I bear witness that thou art the Messenger Allah.'
" (Al Insanul Kamil)
Finally, take heed of what the saint of saints has said on this subject.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani(RA) writing about the Holy Prophet (Sallal
Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) says, "He is called the Total Intellect,
because he saw and understood everything." (Sirr al-asrar)
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani(RA) further writes, "The soul of the Holy
Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam), is watching you. He is pained,
at seeing your state." (Sirral-asrar)
What more proof does anyone require. If our feeble minds are unable to
understand the omnipresence the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) then that is our own weakness. However, to deny something
when irrefutable proofs are presented is pure foolishness.

Story - The Tale of the Stupid Oaf (retold by Nasruddin)

As I was saying, beloveds, I moved to Tekka's village permanently,
which means my stay there waslonger than usual. I rented a little
apartment, and met the landlord to look it over and get the key
(that's yet another story!). The landlord pointed out that the door
was very special, and added just atiny amount to the rent, because, he
said, this type of door was in great demand. The special effect was
that it was a two-way door: you could go out as well as in! Believe
me, I was impressed. I suspected the window might also be special, and
what do you know...I was right! The window was also a special two-way
window: you could see out as well as in.
"That's wonderful!" I told the landlord, and took it, because the rent
was really very reasonable. As soon as I had moved in (this process
involved laying my little pack in the corner), I went to find the most
important person in the village. I wanted to know what the local
customs were, the rules of the village, and so on, so I could be a
good citizen.
The most important person was a man (today that might not bethe case)
who lived near the center of the village. I went to him and said,
"Oh honored sir, I beg ofyou a few minutes to enlighten me. I have
justmoved to this village, and wish to know the customs and rules so I
may be a good citizen."
The important person cleared his throat impatiently, and said, "I have
much important work to do! I have no time for you! But I am passing by
your house attwo o'clock. Meet me then."
"You know where I live?" I was amazed at his omniscience.
"I own the building," he said gruffly.
"Two o'clock, then!" I replied, and I went to the market to buy some
vegetables. I bought a few vegetables for my dinner: carrots, onions,
beet greens, and my favorite...lentils! Then I found a comfortable
tree in the square and sat down to watch the people in the
marketplace.
I felt a little drowsy, but kept myself awake, until I didn't. I woke
with a start, and saw that the shadows were long; the sun was low, and
it was very late. I jumped up and ran to my apartmentas fast as I
could. There I found someone had taken a piece of white stone and
scratched on my door, "STUPID OAF."
I hurried to the important person's place, and bowed low, and told him,
"Oh, sir, I am so sorry I missed our appointment.I remembered it,
though, as soon as I saw you had written your name on my door!"

Story - The Sweetest Strawberrythe World Has Ever Known

Good day! My name is Nasruddin. I was born in Amritsar in the Punjab,
in India. Or...it was so long ago... it may have been in Cairo, in
Egypt. In fact, I think it was Newark, New Jersey, though my uncle
claims it was Turkey, and my birth certificate says Balkh, in what is
now Afghanistan.
Anyway, I was born, and I stand here as proof. I would like to tell
you about the time I went to see my friend Tekka. I met Tekka when he
was a young man, but that is another story altogether. So I was here,
and Tekka was in his home village, and all that lay between us was a
desert and a jungle.
The desert was easy. Twelve days under the burning sun...no sweat.
Well, not exactly, but to return to the story, I came to the jungle.
If you have ever seen a jungle, you know that it is big, and dark, and
very green. The trees aretall, the bushes are thick,and there are lots
of little animals moving about, making you thinkthey are big animals!
Well, the path was narrow, and the jungle on either side was thick and
noisy, and closed over the path in a way that made me a little
nervous. But I love my friend Tekka, so I said to myself, "Nasruddin,
you are a stalwart soul, and you must go through this jungle in order
to see Tekka. Just think of itas taking a walk throughthe jungle!" I
tried to argue with myself, but it was no use. I had to go.
So I started off through the jungle, and the path was not so bad when
myeyes got used to the gloom. I was walking happily along, when I
heard a noise behind me: "hhahh... hhahh... hhahh." I looked over my
shoulder, and saw, tomy surprise, a tiger was also taking a walk
through the jungle!
"Ah," I said to myself, which was the best I could do in the
circumstances. Then I had a thought, which was fortunate. "It is never
too late to begin an exercise regimen. Why not start with jogging, for
your health,that is." I agreed, and began at once. There I was,
jogging through the jungle, enjoying what remained to me of my health,
when I heard a sound behind me:"hhahh...hhahh...hhahh." I looked over
my shoulder, and – what do you know!– the tiger had also taken up
jogging! Although I think the tiger was less interested in excersise,
and more interested in nutrition!
Due to the beneficial effects of exercise, my brain was functioning
more efficiently. "If you can jog, surely you can run," I told myself.
"Why not try for a world record?" It's amazing how quickly you can
come to an agreement with yourself. I began immediately to see if I
could set a new world record for land speed running. I tore through
that jungle as if the pathwere a highway.
I am certain a world record was within my grasp, if only a judge with
a stopwatch had been there. And when I heard a familiar sound behind
me, which I probably don't have to explain sounded
like"hhahh-hhahh-hhahh," Ididn't even have to stop and look to know
the tiger was also bent on setting a world record.
So there we were, the two athletes running like the wind through the
jungle! It was thrilling! It was exciting! It was terrifying!
Suddenly, there was no jungle!
There was no path either, only the blue sky, and a cliff, and me,
Nasruddin, falling down it. I said to myself,"Aaauughh!!" but it did
no good. So I grabbed onto a bush.
(Did you ever notice, every single time you falldown a cliff, there's
a bush to grab onto. Checkit out for yourself!)
So I grabbed this bush, and held on for dear life.I clung to it with
all my strength, which I needed, because there was the tiger looking
down at me, saying"hhahh...hhahh...hhahh." "Don't you know any other
words?" I said. Apparently not, because the tiger continued to say the
same thing over and over. I looked desperately about me for a way out,
and could find none. Then I noticed the roots of the bush begin to
pull out ofthe cliff, one by one.
"Nasruddin," I said, and Ihave a little song I sing to myself when I
am in trouble, which seems to be more and more often these days,
"Nasruddin, you have been/ in bettersit-u-a-tions." It's a nice little
song, very comforting. It certainly helped at that moment.
Then I heard a sound behind and below me that sounded strangely
familiar:"hhahh...hhahh...hhahh."
"Wait!" I said to myself,"I thought I left that sound safely up
above!" I looked down, and saw that the bad always comes with the
good. Why is that, do you think? The good was that the cliff was not
very high, and I would not be hurt if I fell. The bad was the other
tiger standing below me, looking up!
There I was, hanging on the face of a cliff from a bush whose roots
were pulling out, with a tiger above me and a tiger below me. I
thought it was a good moment for my little song, so I sang again,
"Nasruddin, you have been/ in better sit-u-a-tions." It had its effect
– my head was clear, and I cast about desperately for a way out of my
predicament. Iassure you I didn't think of the word predicament at the
time.
I looked on both sides, and suddenly spied a little green bush, with a
single red berry. It was awild strawberry! Now, my philosophy is
always to enjoy yourself to the fullest, wherever you are. So I got a
good grip with my toes, which are considerable, and held the bush with
one hand, and reached out, risking all, and picked that strawberry.
And did I eat it? Oh, yes, my beloveds, I did. And I am here to tell
you that if you are hanging on a cliff from a bush that is pulling out
by the roots, and there is a tiger above you and a tiger below you,
and you find a strawberry and you eat it, that will be the sweetest
strawberry the world has ever known!
* * *
But wait...what about the tigers, and the cliff? How am I here to tell
thetale? Well, here it is: theywere nearsighted tigers,and when they
got a close look at me, they lost their appetites.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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8 hadith found in ' Prayer(Kitab Al-Salat): Prostration while reciting the Quran ' of Sunan Abu-Dawud.

1397
Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir:I said to the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him): Are there two prostrations in Surah al-Hajj? He
replied: Yes; if anyone does not make two prostrations, he should not
recite them.
1398
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
didnot make a prostration atany verse in al-Mufassal from the time he
moved to Medina.
1405
Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:When the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) uttered
the salutation at the end of the prayer, he used to say: "O Allah,
forgive me my former and latter sins, what I have kept secret and what
I have done openly,and what I have done extravagance; and what Thou
knowest better than I do. Thou art the Advancer, the Delayer, there is
no god but Thou"
1406
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: In the year of Conquest the Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him) recited a verse at which aprostration should
be made and all the people prostrated themselves. Some were mounted,
and some were prostrating themselves on the ground, and thosewho were
mounted prostrated themselves ontheir hands.
1408
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
used to recite the Qur'an to us. When he came upon the verse
containing prostration, he would utter the takbir(Allah is most great)
and we would prostrate ourselves along with him.
1409
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) prostrated himself at night when reciting the
Qur'an. He said repeatedly: My face prostrates itself to Him Who
created it and brought forth its hearingand seeing by His might and
power.
1410
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: AbuTamimah al-Hujaymi said: When we came
to Medina accompanying the caravan, I used to preach after the dawn
prayer, and prostrate on accountof the recitation of the Qur'an. Ibn
Umar prohibited me three times, but I did not cease doing that. He
then repeated (his prohibition) saying: I prayed behind the Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him), AbuBakr, Umar and Uthman, they would not
prostrate (on account of the recitation of the Qur'an) till the sun
had risen.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Barakah - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

We do not know precisely how the young Abyssinian girl ended up for
sale in Makkah. We do notknow her 'roots', who her mother was, or her
father or herancestors. There were many like her, boys and girls,
Arabs and non-Arabs, who were captured and brought to the slave
marketof the city to be sold.
A terrible fate awaited some who ended up in the hands of cruel
masters or mistresses whoexploited their labor to the full and treated
them with the utmost harsh ness.
A few in that inhuman environment were rather more fortunate. They
were taken into the homes of more gentle and caring people.
Barakah, the young Abyssinian girl, was one of the more fortunate
ones. She was saved by the generous and kind Abdullah, the son of Abd
al-Muttalib. 'She became the onlyservant in his household and when he
was married, to the lady Aminah, she looked after her affairs as well.
Two weeks after the couple were married, according to Barakah,
Abdullah's father came to their house and instructed hisson to go with
a trading caravanthat was leaving for Syria. Aminah was deeply
distressed and cried:
"How strange! How strange! How can my husband go on a trading journey
to Syria while I am yet a bride and the traces of henna are still on
my hands."
Abdullah's departure was heartbreaking. In her anguish, Aminah
fainted. Soon after he left, Barakah said: "When I saw Aminah
unconscious, I shouted in distress and pain: 'O my lady!' Aminah
opened her eyes and looked at me with tears streaming down her face.
Suppressing a groan she said:"Take me to bed, Barakah."
"Aminah stayed bedridden for a long time. She spoke to no one. Neither
did she look at anyone who visited her except Abd al-Muttalib, that
noble and gentle old man. "Two months after the departure of Abdullah,
Aminah called me at dawn one morning and, her face beaming with joy,
she said to me:
"O Barakah! I have seen a strange dream." "Something good, my lady," I said.
"I saw lights coming from my abdomen lighting up the
mountains, the hills and the valleys around Makkah." "Do you feel
pregnant, my lady?"
"Yes, Barakah," she replied. "But I do not feel any discomfort as
other women feel." "You shall give birth to a blessed child whowill
bring goodness," I said.
So long as Abdullah was away, Aminah remained sad and melancholic.
Barakah stayed at her side trying to comfort her and make her cheerful
by talkingto her and relating stories. Aminah however became even more
distressed when Abd al-Muttalib came and told her she had to leave her
home and go to the mountains as other Makkans had done because of
animpending attack on the city by the ruler of Yemen, someone called
Abrahah. Aminah told himthat she was too grief-striken and weak to
leave for the mountains but insisted that Abrahah could never enter
Makkah and destroy the Kabah because it was protected by the Lord. Abd
al-Muttalib became very agitated but there was no sign of fear on
Aminah's face. Her confidence that the Kabah would not be harmed was
well-founded. Abrahah's army with an elephant in the vanguard was
destroyed before it could enter Makkah.
Day and night, Barakah stayed beside Aminah. She said: "I slept at the
foot of her bed and heard her groans at night as she calledfor her
absent husband. Her moans would awaken me and I would try to comfort
her and give her courage."
The first part of the caravan from Syria returned and was joyously
welcomed by the trading families of Makkah. Barakah went secretly to
the house of Abd al-Muttalib to find out about Abdullah but had no
news of him. She went back to Aminah but did not tell her whatshe had
seen or heard in order not to distress her. The entire caravan
eventually returned but not with Abdullah.
Later, Barakah was at Abd al-Muttalib's house when news came from
Yathrib that Abdullahhad died. She said: "I screamed when I heard the
news. I don't know what I did after that except that I ran to Aminah's
house shouting, lamenting for the absent one who would never return,
lamenting for the beloved one for whom we waited so long, lamenting
for the most beautiful youth of Makkah, for Abdullah, the pride of the
Quraysh.
"When Aminah heard the painfulnews, she fainted and I stayed by her
bedside while she was in a state between life and death. There was no
one else but me inAminah's house. I nursed her and looked after her
during the day and through the long nightsuntil she gave birth to her
child,"Muhammad", on a night in which the heavens were resplendent
with the light of God."
When Muhammad was born, Barakah was the first to hold him in her arms.
His grandfathercame and took him to the Kabahand with all Makkah,
celebrated his birth. Barakah stayed with Aminah while Muhammad was
sent to the badiyah with the lady Halimah who looked after him in the
bracing atmosphere of the open desert. At the end offive years, he was
brought back to Makkah and Aminah received him with tenderness and
love and Barakah welcomed him"with joy, longing and admiration".
When Muhammad was six years old, his mother decided to visit the grave
of her husband, Abdullah, in Yathrib. Both Barakah and Abd al-Muttalib
tried to dissuade her. Aminah however was determined. So one morning
they set off- Aminah, Muhammad and Barakah huddled together in a small
hawdaj mounted on a large camel, part of a huge caravan that was going
to Syria. In order to shield the tender child from any pain and worry,
Aminah did not tell Muhammad that she was going to visit the grave of
his father.
The caravan went at a brisk pace. Barakah tried to console Aminah for
her son's sake and much of the time the boy Muhammad slept with his
arms around Barakah's neck.
The caravan took ten days to reach Yathrib. The boy Muhammad was left
with his maternal uncles of the Banu Najjar while Aminah went to visit
the grave of Abdullah. Each day for a few weeks she stayed at the
grave. She was consumed by grief.
On the way back to Makkah, Aminah became seriously ill withfever.
Halfway between Yathrib and Makkah, at a place called al-Abwa, they
stopped. Aminah'shealth deteriorated rapidly. One pitch dark night,
she was running a high temperature. Thefever had got to her head and
she called out to Barakah in a choking voice.
Barakah related: "She whisperedin my ear: 'O Barakah, I shall depart
from this world shortly. I commend my son Muhammad to your care. He
lost his father while he was in my abdomen. Here he is now, losing his
mother under his very eyes. Be a mother to him, Barakah. And don't
ever leave him.'
"My heart was shattered and I began to sob and wail. The child was
distressed by my wailing and began to weep. He threw himself into his
mother's arms and held tightly onto her neck. She gave one last moan
and then was forever silent."
Barakah wept. She wept bitterly.With her own hands she dug a grave in
the sand and buried Aminah, moistening the grave with whatever tears
were left in her heart. Barakah returned with the orphan child to
Makkahand placed him in the care of hisgrandfather. She stayed at his
house to look after him. When Abd al-Muttalib died two years later,
she went with the child to the house of his uncle Abu Talib and
continued to look after his needs until he was grown up and married
the lady Khadijah.
Barakah then stayed with Muhammad and Khadijah in a house belonging to
Khadijah. "I never left him and he never left me," she said. One day
Muhammad, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, called out to her
and said: "Ya Ummah!" (He always called her "Mother".)"Now I am a
married man, and you are still unmarried. What do you think if someone
should come now and ask to marry you?" Barakah looked at Muhammad and
said: "I shall never leave you. Does a mother abandon her son?"
Muhammad smiled and kissed her head. He looked at his wife Khadijah
and said to her: "This is Barakah. Thisis my mother after my own
mother. She is the rest of my family."
Barakah looked at the lady Khadijah who said to her:"Barakah, you have
sacrificed your youth for the sake of Muhammad. Now he wants to pay
back some of his obligationsto you. For my sake and his, agree to be
married before old age overtakes you."
"Whom shall I marry, my lady?" asked Barakah. "There is here now Ubayd
ibn Zayd from the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib. He has come to us seeking
your hand inmarriage. For my sake, don't refuse."
Barakah agreed. She married Ubayd ibn Zayd and went with him to
Yathrib. There she gave birth to a son whom she called Ayman and from
that time onwards people called her"Umm Ayman" the mother of Ayman.
Her marriage however did not last very long. Her husband died and she
returned once more to Makkah to live with her "son" Muhammad in the
house of the lady Khadijah. Living in the samehousehold at the time
were Ali ibn Abi Talib, Hind (Khadijah's daughter by her first
husband), and Zayd ibn Harithah.
Zayd was an Arab from the tribe of Kalb who was captured as a boy and
brought to Makkah to be sold in the slave market. He was bought by
Khadijah's nephew and put in her service. In Khadijah's household,
Zayd became attached to Muhammad and devoted himself to his service.
Their relationship was like that of a son to a father. Indeed when
Zayd's father came to Makkah in search of him, Zaydwas given the
choice by Muhammad of either going withhis father or staying with him.
Zayd's reply to his father was:
"I shall never leave this man. He has treated me nobly, as a
fatherwould treat his son. Not a singleday have I felt that I am a
slave. He has looked after me well. He is kind and loving towards me
and strives for my enjoyment and happiness. He is the most noble of
men and the greatest person in creation. How can I leave him and go
with you?...I shall never leave him."
Later, in public Muhammad proclaimed the freedom of Zayd.However, Zayd
continued to live with him as part of his household and devoted
himself to his service.
When Muhammad was blessed with prophethood, Barakah and Zayd were
among the first to believe in the message he proclaimed. They bore
with the early Muslims the persecution which the Quraysh meted out to
them.
Barakah and Zayd performed invaluable services to the mission of the
Prophet. They acted as part of an intelligence service exposing
themselves to the persecution and punishmentof the Quraysh and risking
their lives to gain information on the plans and conspiracies of the
mushrikin.
One night the mushrikun blocked off the roads leading to the House of
al-Arqam where the Prophet gathered his companions regularly to
instructthem in the teachings of Islam. Barakah had some urgent
information from Khadijah which had to be conveyed to theProphet. She
risked her life trying to reach the House of al-Arqam. When she
arrived and conveyed the message to the Prophet, he smiled and said to
her:
"You are blessed, Umm Ayman. Surely you have a place in Paradise."
When Umm Ayman left, the Prophet looked at his companions and asked:
"Should one of you desire to marry a woman from the people of
Paradise, let him marry Umm Ayman."
Ali the companions remained silent and did not utter a word. Umm Ayman
was neither beautiful nor attractive. She was by now about fifty years
old and looked rather frail. Zayd ibn al-Harithah however came forward
and said:
"Messenger of Allah, I shall marry Umm Ayman. By Allah, sheis better
than women who have grace and beauty."
Zayd and Umm Ayman were married and were blessed with ason whom they
named Usamah. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
loved Usamah as his own son. Often heplayed with him, kissed him and
fed him with his own hands. TheMuslims would say: "He is the beloved
son of the beloved." From an early age Usamah distinguished himself in
the service of lslam, and was later given weighty responsibilities
bythe Prophet.
When the Prophet migrated to Yathrib, henceforth to be knownas
al-Madinah, he left Umm Ayman behind in Makkah to lookafter certain
special affairs in his household. Eventually she migrated to Madinah
on her own. She made the long and difficult journey through the desert
and mountainous terrain on foot. The heat was killing andsandstorms
obscured the way but she persisted, borne along by her deep love and
attachmentfor Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace. When
she reached Madinah, her feet were sore and swollen and her face was
covered with sand and dust.
"Ya Umm Ayman! Ya Ummi! (O Umm Ayman! O my mother!) Indeed for you is
a place in Paradise!" exclaimed the Prophet when he saw her. He wiped
her face and eyes, massaged her feet and rubbed her shoulders with his
kind and gentle hands.
At Madinah, Umm Ayman played her full part in the affairs of the
Muslims. At Uhud she distributedwater to the thirsty and tended the
wounded. She accompanied the Prophet on some expeditions, to Khaybar
and Hunayn for example.
Her son Ayman, a devoted companion of the Prophet was martyred at
Hunayn in the eighth year after the Hijrah. Barakah's husband, Zayd,
was killed at the Battle of Mutah in Syria after a lifetime of
distinguished service to the Prophet and Islam. Barakah at this time
was about seventy years old and spent much of her time at home. The
Prophet, accompanied by Abu Bakr and Umar often visited her and asked:
"Ya Ummi! Are you well?" and she would reply: "I am well, O Messenger
of Allah so long as Islam is."
After the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had died,
Barakah would often be found with tears in her eyes. She was once
asked, "Why are you crying?" and she replied: "ByAllah, I knew that
the Messengerof Allah would die but I cry now because the revelation
from on high has come to an end for us."
Barakah was unique in that she was the only one who was so close to
the Prophet throughouthis life from birth till death. Her life was one
of selfless service in the Prophet's household. She remained deeply
devoted to the person of the noble, gentle and caring Prophet. Above
all, her devotion to the religion of Islam was strong and unshakable.
She died during the caliphate of Uthman. Her roots were unknown but
her place in Paradise was assured.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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