Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

He was at the end of the third decade of his life on the day the
Prophet made public his call to guidance and truth. He was held in
high regard by the Quraysh, being wealthy and of noble lineage. Some
others like him, Saud ibn Abi Waqqas, Musab ibn Umayr and other sons
of noble families in Makkah had become Muslims. He too might have
followed their example were it not for his father. His father,
AbuJahl, was the foremost proponent of Shirk and one of the greatest
tyrants of Makkah. Through torture, he sorely tested the faith of the
early believers but they remained steadfast. He used every stratagem
to make them waver but they continued to affirm the truth.
Ikrimah found himself defendingthe leadership and authority of his
father as he pitted himself against the Prophet. His animosity towards
the Prophet, his persecution of his followers and his attempts to
block the progress of Islam and the Muslims won the admiration of his
father.
At Badr, Abu Jahl led the Makkan polytheists in the battle against the
Muslims. He swore by al-Laatand al-Uzza that he would not return to
Makkah unless he crushed Muhammad. At Badr he sacrificed three camels
to these goddesses. He drank wine and had the music of singing girls
to spur the Quraysh on to fight.
Abu Jahl was among the first to fall in the battle. His son Ikrimahsaw
him as spears pierced his body and heard him let out his last cry of
agony. Ikrimah returned to Makkah leaving behind the corpse of the
Quraysh chieftain, his father. He wanted to bury him in Makkah but the
crushing defeat they suffered made this impossible.
From that day, the fire of hatred burned even more fiercely in the
heart of Ikrimah. Others whose fathers were killed at Badr, also
became more hostile to Muhammad and his followers. This eventually led
to the Battle of Uhud.
At Uhud Ikrimah was accompanied by his wife, Umm Hakim. She and other
women stood behind the battle lines beating their drums, urging the
Quraysh on to battle and upbraiding any horseman who felt inclined to
flee.
Leading the right flank of the Quraysh was Khalid ibn Walid. On the
left was Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl. The Quraysh inflicted heavy losses on
the Muslims and felt that they had avenged themselves for the defeat
at Badr. This was not, however, theend of the state of conflict.
At the battle of the Ditch, the Quraysh mushrikun besieged Madinah. It
was a long siege. The resources and the patience of the mushrikun were
wearing out. Ikrimah, feeling the strain of the siege, saw a place
where the ditch, dug by the Muslims, was relatively narrow. With a
gigantic effort, he managed to cross. A small group of Quraysh
followed him. It was a foolhardyundertaking. One of them was
immediately killed and it was only by turning on his heels that
Ikrimah managed to save himself.
Nine years after his hijrah, the Prophet returned with thousands of
his companions to Makkah. The Quraysh saw them approaching and decided
to leave the way open for them because they knew that the Prophet had
given instructions to his commanders not to open hostilities. Ikrimah
and some others however went against the consensus of the Quraysh and
attempted to block the progress of the Muslim forces. Khalid ibn
al-Walid, now a Muslim, met and defeated them in a small engagement
during which some of Ikrimah's men were killed and others who could
fled. Among those who escaped was Ikrimah himself.
Any standing or influence that Ikrimah may have had was now completely
destroyed. The Prophet, peace be upon him, entered Makkah and gave a
general pardon and amnesty to all Quraysh who entered the sacred
mosque, or who stayed in their houses or who went to the house of Abu
Sufyan, the paramount Quraysh leader. However he refused to grant
amnesty to a few individuals whom he named. He gave ordersthat they
should be killed even ifthey were found under the covering of the
Kabah. At the top of this list was Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl. When Ikrimah
learnt ofthis, he slipped out of Makkah in disguise and headed for the
Yemen.
Umm Hakim, Ikrimah's wife, then went to the camp of the Prophet. With
her was Hind bint Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan and the mother of
Muawiyah, and about ten other women who wanted to pledge allegiance to
the Prophet. At the camp, were two of his wives, hisdaughter Fatimah
and some women of the Abdulmuttalib clan. Hind was the one who spoke.
She was veiled and ashamed of what she had done to Hamzah, the
Prophet's uncle, at the battle of Uhud.
"O Messenger of God," she said,"Praise be to God Who has mademanifest
the religion He has chosen for Himself. I beseech you out of the bonds
of kinship to treat me well. I am now a believing woman who affirms
the Truth of your mission." She then unveiled herself and said:
"I am Hind, the daughter of Utbah, O Messenger of God. "
"Welcome to you," replied the Prophet, peace be on him.
"By God, O Prophet" continued Hind, "there was not a house on earth
that I wanted to destroy more than your house. Now, there is no house
on earth that Iso dearly wish to honor and raise in glory than yours."
Umm Hakim then got up and professed her faith in Islam and said: "O
Messenger of God, Ikrimah has fled from you to theYemen out of fear
that you would kill him. Grant him security and God will grant you
security."
"He is secure," promised the Prophet. Umm Hakim set out immediately in
search of Ikrimah. Accompanying her was a Greek slave. When they had
gone quite far on the way, he tried to seduce her but she managed to
put him off until she came to a settlement of Arabs. She sought their
help against him. They tied him up and kept him. Umm Hakim continued
on her way until she finally found Ikrimah on the coast of the Red Sea
in the region of Tihamah. He was negotiating transport with a Muslim
seaman who was saying to him:
"Be pure and sincere and I will transport you."
"How can I be pure?" asked Ikrimah.
"Say, I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah."
"I have fled from this very thing," said Ikrimah.
At this point, Umm Haklm came up to Ikrimah and said:
"O cousin, I have come to you from the most generous of men,the most
righteous of men, the best of men... from Muhammad ibn Abdullah. I
have asked him for an amnesty for you. This he has granted. So do not
destroy yourself. "
"Have you spoken to him?"
"Yes, I have spoken to him and he has granted you amnesty," she
assured him and he returned with her. She told him about the attempt
of their Greekslave to dishonor her and Ikrimah went directly to the
Arab settlement where he lay bound and killed him.
At one of their resting places on their way back, Ikrimah wanted to
sleep with his wife but she vehemently refused and said:
"I am a Muslimah and you are a Mushrik."
Ikrimah was totally taken aback and said, "Living without you and
without your sleeping with me is an impossible situation." As Ikrimah
approached Makkah, the Prophet, peace be upon him,told his companions:
"Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl shall come to you asa believer and a muhajir (a
refugee). Do not insult his father. Insulting the dead causesgrief to
the living and does not reach the dead."
Ikrimah and his wife came up to where the Prophet was sitting. The
Prophet got up and greeted him enthusiastically.
"Muhammad," said Ikrimah,"Umm Hakim has told me that you have granted
me an amnesty."
"That's right," said the Prophet,"You are safe."
"To what do you invite?" asked Ikrimah.
"I invite you to testify that there is no god but Allah and that I
amthe servant of Allah and His messenger, to establish Prayer and pay
the Zakat and carry out all the other obligations of Islam."
"By God," responded Ikrimah,"You have only called to what is true and
you have only commanded that which is good.You lived among us before
the start of your mission and then you were the most trustworthy of us
in speech and the most righteous of us." Stretching forth his hands he
said, "I testifythat there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is
His servant and His messenger." TheProphet then instructed him to say,
"I call on God and those present here to witness that I am a Muslim
who is a Mujahid and a Muhajir". This Ikrimah repeated and then said:
"I ask you to ask God for forgiveness for me for all the hostility I
directed against you and for whatever insults I expressed in your
presence or absence." The Prophet replied with the prayer:
"O Lord, forgive him for all the hostility he directed against me and
from all the expeditions he mounted wishing to put out Your light.
Forgive him for whatever he has said or done in my presence or absence
to dishonor me."
Ikrimahs face beamed with happiness.
"By God, O messenger of Allah, I promise that whatever I have spent
obstructing the way of God, I shall spend twice as muchin His path and
whatever battles I have fought against God's way I shall fight twice
as much in His way."
From that day on, Ikrimah was committed to the mission of Islam as
brave horseman in the field of battle and as a steadfast worship per
who would spend much time in mosques rending the book of God. Often he
wouldplace the mushaf on his face andsay, "The Book of my Lord, the
words of my Lord" and he wouldcry from the fear of God.
Ikrimah remained true to his pledge to the Prophet. Whateverbattles
the Muslims engaged in thereafter, he participated in them and he was
always in the vanguard of the army. At the battle of Yarmuk he plunged
into the attack as a thirsty person after cold water on a blistering
hot day. In one encounter in which the Muslims were under heavy
attack, Ikrimah penetrated deep into the ranks of the Byzantine.
Khalid ibn al-Walid rushed up to him and said, "Don't, Ikrimah. Your
death will be a severe blowto the Muslims."
"Let us carry on, Khalid," said Ikrimah, now at the peak of
motivation. "You had the privilege of being with the Messenger of God
before this. Asfor myself and my father, we were among his bitterest
enemies. Leave me now to atonefor what I have done in the past.I
fought the Prophet on many occasions. Shall I now flee from the
Byzantines? This shall never be." Then calling out to the Muslims, he
shouted, "Who shallpledge to fight until death?"
Four hundred Muslims including al-Harith ibn Hisham and Ayyash ibn Abi
Rabiah responded to his call. They plunged into the battleand fought
heroically without the leadership of Khalid ibn al-Walid. Their daring
attack paved the way for a decisive Muslim victory.
When the battle was over, the bodies of three wounded mujahideen lay
sprawled on the battleground, among them Al-Harith ibn Hisham, Ayyash
ibn Abi Rabiah and Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl. Al-Harith called for water
todrink. As it was brought to him, Ayyash looked at him and Harith
said:
"Give it to Ayyash." By the time they got to Ayyash, he had just
breathed his last. When they returned to al-Harith and Ikrimaha, they
found that they too had passed away.
The companions prayed that God may be pleased with them all and grant
them refreshment from the spring of Kawthar in Paradise, a refreshment
after which there is thirst no more.

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Is it permissible to give salaams to someone who is praying?

Is it permissible for a Muslim to give salaams to a Muslim when he is
praying or he is making dhikr or du'aa'?
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly, it is prescribed for a Muslim to initiate the greeting of
salaam to his Muslim brother when he is praying, but the one who is
praying should not return the salaams whilst praying, except by making
a gesture in a manner thatwill maintain the validityof his prayer,
because it was narrated that Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said:
"I asked Bilaal, How did the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) return their salaam when they greeted him
whilst he was praying? He said, With a gesture of his hand."
(Narrated by Ahmad, 6/12; Abu Dawood, 1/569, no. 927; al-Tirmidhi,
2/204, no. 368; al-Bayhaqi, 2/262; also narrated by the five).
It was also narrated from him that Suhayb (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: "I passed by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) whilst he waspraying. I greeted him with salaam
and he responded with a gesture." And he said: I am not sure whether
he said "a gesture with his fingers". (Narrated by the five, apart
from Ibn Maajah. Al-Tirmidhi said: both hadeeths are saheeh in my
view).
It was reported that Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
forbidding usto pray two rak'ahs after'Asr, then I saw him praying
them when he prayed 'Asr. She said, he entered and there were some
women from Bani Haraam, from among theAnsaar, with me. He started to
pray them [these two rak'ahs after 'Asr], so I sent a young girl to
him, and I told her, 'Stand beside him and say to him, Umm Salamah is
saying to you,O Messenger of Allaah, I heard you forbidding us to do
these two rak'ahs and now I see you praying them. If he makes a
gesture with hishand then leave him andgo back.' So the young girl did
that and he made a gesture with his hand, so she left him andwent
back. When he finished praying, he said: 'O daughter of Abu Umayyah,
you asked about the two rak'ahs after 'Asr. Some people from Banu 'Abd
al-Qays came to me and kept mefrom doing the two rak'ahs after Zuhr,
and that is what these were.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
These ahaadeeth indicate that it is prescribed to say salaams to a
person whilst he is praying, and that he should respond to the
greeting with a gesture, because this is what the Prophet (peaceand
blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of initiating the salaam,
and he returned the greeting with a gesture only.
Secondly, it is prescribed for the Muslim to initiate the greeting to
one who is engaged in making dhikr or du'aa', because it was reported
that Abu Waaqid al-Laythi (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
"Whilst the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
sitting in the mosque and there were some people with him, three
people came in. Two of them came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and one went away. When they came up
to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), they greeted him with salaam. One of them found a space in the
circle and sat down, and the other sat down behind him. The third one
turned and went away. When the Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) had finished (his talk), he said: 'Shall I tell
you about these three people? One of them turned to Allaah so Allaah
accepted him; the second felt shy so Allaah will feel shy (to punish
him); and the third turned away so Allaah turned away from him."
(Narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta', 2/960; Ahmad, 5/219; al-Bukhaari,
1/24, 122; Muslim, 4/1713, no. 2176; al-Tirmidhi, 5/73, no. 2724; Abu
Ya'laa, 3/33, no. 1445).
And in al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that a Bedouin entered the mosque and prayed, but he
did not do the rukoo' and sujood properly. Then he came and greeted
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with salaam.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) returned his
greeting then said, "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed."
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.
Al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah li'l-Buhooth al-'ilmiyyah wa'l-Iftaa', 7/36

Was the adhaan revealed by wahy or wasit suggested by a sahaabi?

I think i once read that the adhan (call to prayer)was suggested toour
prophet Muhammed ( ) by another muslim after he said he didnt want to
use the bells that the christians used or the rams-head(?) that the
jews used to call people to prayer. How does the idea of everything
the prophet ordered being an inspiration that is inspired fit in with
this?
I am not trying to be picky here, but am asking purely to aid my understanding.
Praise be to Allaah.
"Adhaan" in Arabic means conveying; in Islam it means announcing that
the time (for prayer) has come. It was prescribed during the time of
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in
Madeenah. According to the hadeeth of 'Abd-Allaah ibn Zayd ibn Abd
Rabbihi, when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) decided to use a bell even though he disliked it because
it was like what the Christians used,'there appeared to me ina dream a
man who was wearing two green garments, in whose hand was a bell. I
said, "O slave of Allaah, will you sell that bell?" he said, "What
will you do with it?" I said, "We will call the people to prayer with
it." He said, "Shall I not show you somethingbetter than that?" I
said, "Yes." He said, "Say, Allaahu akbar Allaah akbar … (to the end
of the adhaan)." When morning came, I went tothe Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him what I had
seen. He said, "This is a true dream, in sha Allaah. Get up with
Bilaaland tell him what you have seen, so that he cangive the call,
because he has a more beautiful voice than you." So I got up with
Bilaal and started telling him what I had seen, and he gave the call
to prayer. 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab heard that whilst he was in his
house, and he came out, dragging his cloak behind him, saying, "By the
One Who sent you with the truth, O Messenger of Allaah, I saw the same
as he saw." The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "To Allaah be praise."' (Narrated by Ahmad, 1588;
al-Tirmidhi, 174; Abu Dawood, 421, 430; Ibn Maajah, 698).
It is clear from this hadeeth:
That the words of the adhaan came in a dreamwhich was seen by a great
sahaabi and approved of by our great Prophet. They were not a
suggestion asyou mentioned, but a dream, and it is known that dreams
are one of the seventy parts of Prophethood, because it was stated in
a hadeeth narrated by Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Dreams are one of the seventy parts of
Prophethood." (Narratedby Ahmad, 4449).
Al-Bukhaari narrated a different version: "True dreams are one of the
forty-six parts of Prophethood." (Narratedby al-Bukhaari,, 6474;
Muslim, 4203, 42005).
The dream here, which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) described as a true dream, came fromAllaah and was not a
suggestion from a person. So it was a part of Prophethood becauseit
was approved of by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and was described by him as a true dream. If the Prophet had not
approved of it, it would not have been considered a true dreamand it
would not have been a part of Prophethood. The one who judged it to be
truewas the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and
the one who commanded them to act upon it was the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), who received revelation (wahy) from
his Lord.
'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) had seen a similar dream. Letus
not forget that 'Umar was one of the Rightly-guided khaleefahs
(al-khulafaa' al-raashidoon), of whomthe Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "I exhort you to adhere to my
sunnah (way) and the sunnah of the rightly-guided khaleefahs. Hold on
tightto it with your back teeth." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2600; Ibn
Maajah, 43; Ahmad, 16519).
'Umar's view frequently coincided with the wahyand divine legislation.
'Aa'ishah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to say, "Among the nations whocame before you there
were people who were muhaddathoon (inspired). If there is anyone like
this in my ummah, it is 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab." (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 3282; Muslim, 2398). Ibn Wahb said muhaddathoon means
inspired.
You may ask, why did the adhaan start in this fashion, being seen in a
dream by two sahaabis then being confirmed bythe wahy? Why was it not
revealed directly? The answer is that Allaahdecrees whatever He wills,
however He wills, may He be glorified and exalted. Perhaps the wayit
happened was meant to demonstrate the virtue of these two sahaabis and
to confirm the how good this ummah is, because among them are some
whose opinions coincidewith the wahy and somewho had true dreams which
confirmed their truthfulness, for the people who have the truest
dreams are the truest in speech as the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said.
Finally:
The definition of the Sunnah given in the books of the scholars is
that it consists of everything that was narrated from the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), everything that he "said,
did or approved of."
What is meant by his words and actions is clear. What he approved of
refers to when someone did something in front of him and he approved
of it – this is also part of the sharee'ah, not because that person
did it, but because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) approved of it. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) never kept quiet about falsehood and he never approved of
anything false or misguided that was done by others. He would
disapprove of it and speak out against it,as he did in the case of the
sahaabi Abu Israa'eel, as was narrated by Ibn 'Abbaas, who said:
"Whilst the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
giving a khutbah, he saw a man standing in the sun, and he asked about
him. They said, 'That is Abu Israa'eel. He vowed to stand and not sit
down, not to seek shade, not tospeak, and to fast.' He said, 'Tell him
to speak, seek shade and sit down, but let him complete his fast.'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6326).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of
Abu Israa'eel's vow to fast, but he cancelled therest of his vow and
did not approve of it.
So it is clear that the adhaan became part of the religion when the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) confirmed what
Allaah had shown the two sahaabis in theirdreams, and commanded
'Abd-Allaah ibn Zayd to teach it to Bilaal so that he could call the
people to prayer.Hopefully the explanation given abovewill dispel your
confusion and make matters clearer to you. We ask Allaah to grant
usand you understanding of Islam. And Allaah knows best.

Ruling on praying at times when prayer is notallowed

One of my friend, who is very punctual in offeringNamaaz, has seen
offering namaaz sometimes even when the sun is setting. He is of the
view that offeringNamaaz at sun set or sunrise time is not a sin and
it might be just a makrooh. I told him that offering prayer at sun set
or sun rise time is notallowed and it might be a sin also. Because to
have distinction with non-muslims, it has not been allowed to offer
namaaz at this time.
Please tell me whether offering of prayers(Namaaz) at sun set or sun
rise time is makrooh or a sin and why?
Praise be to Allaah.
It is mustahabb to pray naafil prayers at all times, except at the
times when praying is not allowed. These timesare from after Fajr
prayer until the sun has risen to the height of a spear; from noon
time until after the sun has passed its zenith, which is at mid-day
for about five minutes before the sun reaches its zenith; and from
after 'Asr prayer until the sun sets. What is meant is the prayer
which each person does by himself; once he has prayed 'Asr it becomes
haraam for him to pray until the sunhas set, except in specificcases,
when it is not haraam. See Question # 306.
The reason why it (prayer at these times) isnot allowed is so as to
avoid any resemblance to the kuffaar who prostrate to the sun when it
rises as a greeting to it and to express their joy, and they prostrate
to it whenit sets as a farewell to it. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) was keen to put a stop to all things
that may lead to shirk, orthat might involve any resemblance to the
mushrikeen. With regardto the prohibition on praying when the sun is
near its zenith, this is because this is the time when the Fire of
Hell is intensified, as was reported from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), so we shouldrefrain from praying at
these times.

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What are the boundaries of the Makkah Haram?

Please advise what includes the Haram boundries for Mecca. Is the
entire Mecca provice a Haram?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The boundaries of the Makkah Haram are well known and have clear
markers that have been set up in all directions with the name of the
location written on themso that people can see them.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The boundary of the Haram in the direction of Madinah is before
at-Tan'eem, by the houses of Banu Nifaar, three miles from Makkah. On
the road to Yemen, the boundary is Adaat Libn, seven miles from
Makkah. On the road to at-Taa'if it is at 'Arafaat, at the bottom of
Namirah, seven miles away. On the road to Iraq it is the mountain pass
of al-Muqatta', seven miles away. On theroad to al-Ji'raanah it is in
the mountain pass of Aal 'Abdillah ibn Khaalid,nine miles away. On the
road to Jeddah it is Munqati'al-A'shaash, ten miles from Makkah.
End quote from al-Majmoo', 7/463
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (17/185-186):
The boundary of the Haram in the direction of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
is at at-Tan'eem, which is three miles away. In the Maaliki books it
says it is four or five miles. Coming from Makkah, at-Tan'eem begins
at Buyoot as-Suqya, which are called Buyoot Nifaar;nowadays it is
known as Masjid 'Aa'ishah (the mosque of 'Aa'ishah). The area between
the Ka'bah and at-Tan'eem isHaram (part of the sanctuary), and at-Tan
'eem is outside the Haram boundary. In the direction of Yemen, it is
seven miles, at Adaat Libn.
In the direction of Jeddah it is ten miles, at Munqata' al-A'shaash,
at the end of al-Hudaybiyah; which is part of the Haram.
In the direction of al-Ji'raanah it is nine miles, in the mountain
pass of 'Abdullah ibn Khaalid.
In the direction of Iraq itis seven miles, at a mountain pass on one
side of Jabal al-Muqatta'.In the books of the Maalikis it says that it
is eight miles.
In the direction of at-Taa'if it is at 'Arafaat, in the bottom of
Namirah, seven miles, at the edge of 'Uranah.
Perhaps the differences in stating the number of miles is because of
differences in defining what is meant by a mile. The measurement by
miles starts from the Black Stone.
The boundaries of the Makkah Haram are currently marked in different
directions withclear markers that have been set up at its edges like
minarets, on which is written in the name ofthe location in Arabic and
other languages. End quote.
A mile is equivalent to 1848 meters.
Whatever is within the markers mentioned is part of the Makkah Haram,
and comes underall the shar'i rulings concerning it, regardlessof
whatever administrative name is given to the place.
Whatever is outside of these markers is not partof the Makkah Haram
and none of the rulings on the Haram apply to it,even if it is called
"Makkah" or the people at some time regard it asbeing one of its
neighbourhoods.

Hajj-e-Baytullah, Hajj-e-Baitullah, Hajj-e-Baitulla, Manasik-e-Hajj, Hajj and Umra Information Centre, Labbaik

Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik. Labbaik, La Shareek Laka, Labbaik. Innal
Hamdah, Wan Nematah, Laka wal Mulk, La Shareek Laka Labbaik.
Here I am at Thy service OLord, here I am. Here I amat Thy service and
Thou hast no partners. Thine alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and
Thine alone is The Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners, here I am.
In the name of Allah, the most compassionate, the Merciful.
And pilgrimage to the House is incumbent uponmen for the sake of
Allah,(upon) every one who is able to undertake the journey to it;
Holy Quran, (3:97)
The word Hajj means to intend, to win over someone by argument and
frequently visit someone. As a religious term it refers to the act
ofworship: circumambulating the Kaaba (Tawaf, praying and performing
the other prescribed deeds).
Hajj is the Pilgrimage to Makkah in Islam. Hajj is the fifth of the
Five Pillarsin Sunni Islam and one ofthe ten Branches of religion
(Obligations of Islam or Furo-e-Deen) in Shia Islam, which takes place
during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. Entrance to Makkah itself
is forbidden to non-Muslims and the entire city is considered aholy
site to Islam.
Baitulla is another name for Kaaba, is a sacred house in the center of
Masjid-e-Haram in Makkah and Baitulla means House of Allah. Hence
Hajj-e-Baytullah, Hajj-e-Baitullah or Hajj-e-Baitulla means Pilgrimage
to the House of Allah.
This is the Worship (Ibadat) that becomes obligatory once in a
lifetime. Therefore, its conditions, its difficulties and its rewards
are unique.
Those who are able to fulfill this obligation are indeed privileged.
But this privilege can becomea ban instead of a boon ifit is misused.
And it is easy to misuse it. Misuse takes the form of oblivion of the
rules, carelessness in performance of the rites and ignorance of the
importance of the rites ofHajj in the living of one's life.
Therefore, the more sincere effort the Haji (Person who performs the
Hajj) puts in, the greater the reward, and this Guide is an aid to
thissincere effort according to the fatwa of Ayatulla Al-Uzma Agha
Seyyid AbulQassim Al-Musawi Al-Khui (RA).

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The Purpose

We know that the One God exists and we know that we are a product of
His creation. But we often forget to remember that we were created for
a specific purpose. If ten of us try to find out what our purpose is
on our own, without considering the Revelation, we might find ten
different purposes. However, if welook at the Qur'aan, we will find
out that the purpose of our lives is clearly defined.
Allah The Most High says,"O Mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who
created you and those before you so that you bay become Al-Muttaqoon
(i.e. those who have taqwaa)." Al-Baqarah (2):21
And He said, "And I created not the Jinns andmen except that they may
worship Me (Alone)."Adh-Dhaariyaat (51):56
Allah Ta`aalaa also says inthe Qur'aan: "Blessed be He in Whose Hand
is the dominion, and He is able to do all things. Who has created
death and life, that He may test which ofyou is best in deed. And He
is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving." Al-Mulk (67):1-2
These verses where revealed to us by Allah in order to inform us of
why we are here on the Earth, what we should bedoing and where we are
heading. Not to benefit Himself, or because He needs our worship.
Rather, because we are in need of Him.
Allah Ta`aalaa says, "O mankind! It is you who stand in need (who are
poor) of Allah, but Allah isRich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all
praise." Faatir (35):15
What is meant by "to test which of you is best in deed"? Al-Fudayl Ibn
`Iyyaad said, "The best deed is that which is most devoted and most
proper." He was asked,"How should it be most devoted and most
proper?", and he responded, "For if the deed was devoted but was not
proper it would not be accepted, and if it was proper but was not
devoted it would not be accepted; the devoted is to be for Allah
alone, and the proper is to be in compliance with As-Sunnah."
We were created for this one reason: to worship Allah and to strive to
be the best in deed. It is not only a matter of how many deeds we do,
it is also a matter of quality. Should we take for granted that our
deeds are accepted or should we strive to perfect them and make them
pure for Allah's sake and in accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace be upon him)?
Allah Ta`aalaa says in the Qur'aan: "Say (O Muhammad): "Shall We tell
you the greatest losers in respect of (their)deeds? Those whose
efforts have been wastedin this life while they thought that they were
acquiring good by their deeds?" al-Kahf (18):103-104
And He said, "Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are
al-Muttaqoon (i.e. those who have taqwaa)." Al-Maa'idah (5):27
A scholar said, "there are those who think that this Universe has
founded itself or it came to exist by co-incidence. This necessitates
that man"has no goal to fulfill" because he came into being without a
defined goal! Consequently, a moral or a value system becomes
meaningless. Accordingly, man is just a responding "tool" for"mother
nature" which, according to Darwin himself, "acts haphazardly"! This
way of thinking is aimlessness, and it occurswhen man does not
recognize his relation with the One who had created life and death,
the Universe, and everything around man, all in due proportion."
We have to remember that Allah created death and life so that we may
worship Him (i.e. obey Allah Ta`aalaa in all which He commands through
the tongue of the Messengers, performing all that Allah loves and is
Pleased with from statements and actions - both inner and outer), and
perform that worship in the best manner. That is what our objective
should be. Instead of contradicting the purpose of man's existence and
acting for the sake of perishable worldly interests, we must fulfill
its completion. This worship includes all our acts, our sleep, our
studies, our recreation and specific forms of worship definedby the
Qur'aan and Sunnah. Our period here is short and being slave to
worldly gains results incorruption of our souls, constant difficulty,
worry and poverty.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Allah says: Son of Adam: fill
your time with My worship and I will fill your heart with richness,
and end off your poverty.But if you do not, I wouldmake your hands
fully busy (i.e. in worldly affairs) and I would not end off your
poverty." (At-Tirmidhee, hasan hadeeth)
Moreover, Allah has givenus choice and has not forced us to do our
acts. He says, "Then whosoever wills let him believe, and whosoever
wills let him disbelieve." al-Kahf (18):29
Clearly, we have been informed of our purpose and were shown the wayto
achieve it. The choice is ours.

Qadar (Divine Preordainment)

"No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves
but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees -- (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz),
before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah"
The Noble Qur'an Al-Hadid 57:22
The Noble Qur'an - At-Tauba 9:51
Say: "Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained
for us. He is our Maula (Lord, Helper and Protector)." And in Allah
let the believers put theirtrust.
The Noble Qur'an - At-Takwir 81:28-29
To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight,
And you will not, unless (it be) that Allâh wills, theLord of the
'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).
Hadith - Sahih Bukhari 4:621, Narrated Abu Huraira
Allah's Apostle said, " Adam and Moses argued with each other. Moses
said to Adam, 'You are Adam whose mistake expelled you from Paradise.'
Adam said to him, 'You are Moses whom Allah selected as His Messenger
and as the one to whom He spoke directly; yet you blame me for a thing
which hadalready been written in my fate before my creation?' "
Allah's Apostle said twice, " So, Adam overpowered Moses. "
Hadith - Sahih Bukhari 6:469, Narrated 'Ali
We were in the company of the Prophet in a funeral procession at Baqi
Al-Gharqad. He said, "T here is none of you but has his place written
for him in Paradise or in the Hell- Fire. " They said, "O
Allah'sApostle! Shall we depend (on this fact and give up work)?" He
said, " Carry on doing (good deeds), for everybody will find it easy
to do (what will lead him to hisdestined place). " Then herecited " As
for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah, and
believes in the Best reward from Allah (i.e. Allah will compensate him
for what he will spend in Allah's way). So, We will make smooth for
him the path of ease. But he who is a greedy miser...for him, the path
for evil. " (92.5-10)
Hadith - Bukhari, Narrated Anas bin Malik
The Prophet said, " Allah has appointed an angel in the womb, and the
angel says, 'O Lord! A drop of discharge (i.e. of semen), O Lord! a
clot, O Lord! a piece of flesh.' And then, if Allah wishes to complete
the child's creation, the angel will say. 'O Lord! A male or a female?
O Lord! wretchedor blessed (in religion)? What will his livelihood be?
What will his age be?' The angel writes all this while the child is in
the womb of its mother. "
Hadith - Tirmidhi and Ahmad, Narrated Matar ibn Ukamis
Allah's Messenger said: When Allah decrees that a person is to die in
a certain land, He creates a need for him to go there.
Hadith - Tirmidhi and Ahmad, Narrated AbudDarda'
Allah's Messenger said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has ordained
for every servant amongst His creation fivethings: his death, his
action, his abode, the places of his moving about and his means of
sustenance.
Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi#5758, Narrated AbuHurayrah
When Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) wasasked when the office of
Prophet had been established for him, he replied, "When Adam hadnot
yet had his spirit joined to his body.
[Tirmidhi transmitted it]
Hadith - Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, Narrated 'Aisha
I heard Allah's Messenger saying: He who discusses about the Divine
Decree (al-Qadr) will be answerable for it on the Day of Resurrection
and he who observes silence about it, will not be answerable for it.
The Noble Qur'an - Ya-Sin 36:67
And if it had been Our Will, We could have transformed them (into
animals or lifeless objects) in their places. Then they should have
been unable to go forward (move about) nor they could have turned
back. [As it happened with the Jews - see Verse 7:166 - The Qur'an]
Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi, Narrated Thawban [Transmitted by Ibn Majah.]
Allah's Messenger said:" Only supplication averts the decree, only
kindnessprolongs life, and a man is deprived of provision for a fault
he commits. "
Hadith - Al-Muwatta 46.4
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Ziyad ibn Sad from Amr ibn Muslim
thatTawus al-Yamani said, "I found some of the companions of the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying
'Everything is by decree.'" Tawus added, "I heard Abdullah ibn Umar
say that The Messenger of Allah said, 'Everything is by decree - even
incapacity and ability,' (or 'ability and incapacity' )."
Action Items for the uttaqun:
*. Fear Allah, azza wa-jall (may Allah be hollowed and glorified) and
know that it is Allah, subhana watala, who decides your fate. Call
upon Allah, subhana watala, for your strength, support and sustenance.
Remember... Allah, subhana watala , sees everything we do!

Bid'a (Innovation in Ibadah [worship, i.e. all acts of submission to Allah,as defined in Qur'an and Sunnah])

According to Quran and Sunnah
Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee, rahimahullaah, said,
"That a servant meets Allaah with every sin except Shirk
is better than meeting Him upon any of the innovated beliefs."
Reported by al-Baihaqee in al-I'tiqaad (p.158)
The Noble Qur'an Al-Hijr 15:9
Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr(i.e. the Qur'an) and
surely, We will guard it (from corruption).
The Noble Qur'an An-Nisa'4:171
O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the
limits in your religion, nor say of Allah aught but the truth. The
Messiah Jesus, son ofMary, was (no more than)a Messenger of Allah and
Allah's Word, ("Be!" -- and he was) which Allah bestowed on Mary and a
spirit (Ruh) created by Allah; so believe in Allah and Allah's
Messengers. Say not: "Three (trinity)!" Cease! (it is) better for
you. For Allah is (the only) One Ilah (God), Glory be to Allah (Far
Exalted is Allah) above having a son. To Allah belongs all that is in
the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All-Sufficient
as a Disposer of affairs.
Hadith - Muslim, NarratedJabir ibn Abdullah
When Allah's Messenger delivered the sermon, his eyes became red, his
voice rose, and his anger increased so that he was like one giving a
warning against the enemy and saying: " The enemy has made a morning
attack on you and in the evening too. " He would also say: " The last
Hour and I have beensent like these two ," and he would join his
forefinger and middle finger. He would continue: " The best speech is
that embodied in the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the
guidance given by Muhammad. The most evil affairs are their
innovations; and every innovation is an error. " He would add: " I am
dearer to a Muslim than even his self. He who has left behind
property, thatis for his family, and he who dies in debt or leaves
children (in helplessness), the responsibility (of paying his debt and
bringing up his children) lies on me. "
Hadith - Bukhari 9:391, Narrated Abu Huraira
The Prophet said, " Leave me as I leaveyou, for the people who were
before you were ruined because of their questions and their
differences over their prophets. So, if I forbid you to do something,
then keep away from it. And if I order you to do something, then do of
it as much as you can. "
Hadith - Bukhari 9:396, Narrated Anas
We were with 'Umar and he said, "We have been forbidden to undertake
adifficult task beyond our capability (i.e. to exceed the religious
limits, e.g., to clean the inside of the eyes while doing ablution)."
Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi#1306, Narrated AbuMusaal-Ash'ari , Transmitted by
Ibn Majah.
Allah's Messenger said, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious looks down on
the middle night of Sha'ban and forgives all His creation except a
polytheist or one who is mushahin (innovator in religion and out of
the main stream of the community).
Hadith - Abu Dawud, Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib
The Prophet said, If anyone introduces an innovation in the religion,
he will be responsible for it. (Good or bad). If anyone introduces an
innovationor gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in
the religion) he is cursed by Allaah, by His angels and by all the
people.
Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi#5142, Narrated AbuBakras-Siddiq
You people recite this verse, "You who believe, care for yourselves;
he who goes astray cannot harm you when you are rightly guided." I
heard Allah's Messenger SAWS say, "When people see something
objectionable and do not change it, Allah will soon include them all
in His punishment." [Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi, who declared it to be
sahih, transmitted it.]
Hadith - Bukhari and Muslim, Narrated Abu Sa'id, r.a.
The Prophet SAWS said,"Surely, you will follow the ways of those
nationswho were before you, in everything as one arrow resembles
another, (i.e. just like them), so much so that even if they entered a
hole of a sand-lizard, you would enter it."
They said, "O Allaah's Messenger! Do you mean to say that we will
follow the Jews and the Christians?"
He SAWS replied,"Whom else?" (By meaning the Jew and Christians)
Noble Qur'an - Al-Imran 3:103
And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e. this
Qur'an) andbe not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah's
Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another, but Allah joined
your hearts together, so that, by Allah's Grace, you became brethren
(in Islamic Faith) and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and
Allah saved you from it. Thus Allah makes Allah's Ayat (proofs,
evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you,
that you may be guided.
Noble Qur'an - An-Nur 24:54
Say: "Obey Allah and obeythe Messenger, but if you turn away, he
(MessengerMuhammad ) is only responsible for the duty placed on him
(i.e. to convey Allah's Message) and you for that placed on you. If
you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance. The Messenger's duty
is only to convey (the message) in a clear way (i.e. to preach in a
plain way)."
Hadith - Abu Dawud, Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar
Mujahid reported: I was in the company of Ibn Umar. A person invited
the people for the noon or afternoon prayer (after the adhan had been
called). He said: Go out with us (from this mosque) because this is an
innovation (in religion).
Hadith - Bukhari 1:561, Narrated Muawiya
You offer a prayer which I did not see being offered by Allah's
Apostle when we were in his company and he certainly had forbidden
it(i.e. two Rakat after the Asr prayer).
The only good sunnah is a revived sunnah, not a newly invented one...
Hadith - Sahih Muslim
He who starts a good sunnah will be rewarded for it, in addition to
receiving rewards equal to the rewards of those who follow him into
it. Whereas he who starts a bad sunnah will be burdened with it, in
addition to receiving burdens equal to the burdens of those who follow
him into it.
Hadith - Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 49, Number 861. Narrated Aisha, r.a.
Allah's Apostle SAWS said, "If somebody innovates something which is
not in harmony with the principles of our religion,that thing is
rejected."
Hadith - Abu Dawud, Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib
Qays ibn Abbad and Ashtar went to Ali and said to him: Did the Apostle
of Allah give you any instruction about anything for which he did not
give any instruction to the people in general? He said: No, except
what is contained in this document of mine.Musaddad said: He then took
out a document. Ahmad said: A document from the sheath of his sword.
It contained: The lives of all Muslims are equal; they are one hand
against others; the lowliest of them can guarantee their protection.
Beware, a Muslim must not be killedfor an infidel, nor must one who
has been given a covenant be killed while his covenant holds.If anyone
introduces an innovation, he will be responsible for it. If anyone
introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an
innovation(in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by
all the people. Musaddad said: Ibn AbuUrubah's version has: He took
out a document.
Hadith - Abu Dawud, Narrated Irbad ibn Sariyah
AbdurRahman ibn Amr as-Sulami and Hujr ibn Hujr said: We came to Irbad
ibn Sariyah who was among those about whom the following verse was
revealed: "Nor (is there blame) on those who come to thee to be
provided with mounts, and when thou saidst: "I can find no mounts for
you." We greeted him and said: We have come to see you to give healing
and obtain benefit from you. Al-Irbad said: One day theApostle of
Allah led us in prayer, then faced us andgave us a lengthy exhortation
at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid. A man said:
Apostle of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so
what injunction do you give us? He then said: I enjoin you to fear
Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for
those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must
then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to
it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an
innovation, and every innovation is an error.
The Noble Qur'an: Al'Imran 3:7
It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad )the Book (this Qur'an).
In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of
the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkam (commandments etc.),
Al-Fara'id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the
punishment of thieves, adulterers, etc.)]; and others not entirely
clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the
truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking
Al-Fitnah (polytheism andtrials etc), and seeking for its hidden
meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those
who arefirmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole
ofit (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord." And none receive
admonition except men of understanding. (Tafsir At-Tabari).

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Ruling on offering congratulations at the beginning of the Hijri year

What is the ruling on offering congratulationson the occasion of the
Hijri new year and saying "Kull 'aam wa antum bi khayr" or praying for
blessing, or sending a card with bestwishes for blessings in the new
year?
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) was asked: Whatis the ruling on congratulating people on the
occasion of the Hijri new year, and how should one reply to a person
who offers congratulations?
He replied:
If someone offers you congratulations, then respond to him, but do not
initiate such greetings. This is the correct view concerning this
matter. So if a person says to you, for example, "Happy New Year",
then you can say, "May Allaah make it a good and blessed year for
you." But you should not initiate such a greeting, because I do not
know of any report that the salaf [early generations of Islam]
congratulated one another on the occasion of the new year, rather the
salaf did not regard the first of Muharram as the first day of the new
year until the caliphate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be
pleased with him.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr said concerning offering
congratulations on the occasion of the hijri newyear:
Praying for another Muslim in general terms, in phrases that are not
meant as a kind of ritual on special occasions such as Eid, is
acceptable, especially if what is meant by this greeting is friendship
and to show a friendly face to one's fellow Muslim. Imaam Ahmad (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: "I do not initiate the greeting but if
someone greets me I return the greeting, because responding to the
greeting is obligatory. But being the first to offer congratulations
is neither Sunnah nor forbidden.

Is there any proven report that attributes a knee to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted?

I read in the book Naqd 'Uthmaan ibn Sa'eed 'alaBishr al-Muraysi the
following report from Mujaahid: "Dawood will say on the Day of
Resurrection: 'Bring me closer.' It will be said to him: 'Come
closer." So hewill come closer until he touches His knee.'"
Do Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah believe that Allah has a knee? Did
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah or Ibn Baaz or Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may
Allah have mercy on them all) say that? Is this report attributed to
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
What the questioner has mentioned about the report of Mujaahid was
narrated by ad-Daarimi (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book
an-Naqd (p. 463) via Sufyaan ibn 'Uyaynah from Humayd al-A'raj from
Mujaahid.
In the commentary of Shaykh Mansoor as-Saamiri on an-Naqd, it says
that this report was narrated by 'Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his
book as-Sunnah (hadeeth 1085, 1181) from Mujaahid from 'Ubayd ibn
'Umayr, without any mention of touching the knee, and he classed it as
saheeh from him.
There are other narrations and versions of the report from Mujaahid,
'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr, Sa'eed ibn Jubayr and others, with isnaads some of
which are saheeh and some areda'eef. All of these narrators are among
thesenior Taabi'een. Even if these people were narrating from the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), these reports
would be classed as mursal and da'eef, but they did not narrate
thatfrom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him);
perhaps they narrated it from the books of the Children of Israel.
Whatever the case, the basic principle of Ahl as-Sunnah (may Allah
have mercy on them) was not to ascribe any attribute to Allah, may He
be exalted, on the basis of the words of anyof the Sahaabah or
Taabi'een; rather attributes can only be ascribed to Allah, may Hebe
exalted, on the basis of the texts of the Qur'aan and saheeh Sunnah.
The attributes of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, are
tawqeefi, which means that nothing of that nature can be ascribed to
Him except that which Allah ascribed to Himself or that His Messenger
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him ascribed to Him, becauseno
one is more knowledgeable about Allah than He Himself, and no created
being is more knowledgeable about his Creator than the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
At the same time, Ahl as-Sunnah do not deny any attribute for Allah,
may He be exalted, except that which Allah Himself negated or that His
Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) negate.
Seeing as the "knee" is not proven in any verse or saheeh hadeeth, we
do not ascribe it to Allah,may He be exalted, because it is not
proven. But we do not deny it either, because there is no text of the
Qur'aan orSunnah to that effect. If this attribute was proven in the
texts of the Qur'aan or Sunnah, then our attitude towards it would be
the same as our attitude towards all the other divine attributes that
areproven in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, which is to affirm it and to
believe in it without any distortion, denial, likening Him to His
creation or discussing how.
See the answer to question no. 145804
We have not seen this attribute affirmed in the books of Shaykh
al-IslamIbn Taymiyah or Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on them),
and it has not been confirmed by our two contemporary shaykhs, Ibn
Baaz and al-'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on them).
And Allah knows best.

Important questions about the beliefs of Ahl as-Sunnah concerning the names and attributesof Allah

Are all the attributes of Allah similar to one another or are there
several different attributes, each of one isdifferent from another?
Similarly, do His names have the same meaning or similar meanings, or
does each name have a meaning that is differentto others? Is it
permissible to say that the attributes of Allah are infinite, and so
are His names, or are they finite and limited, and that Allah knows
them?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There is no doubt that the attributes of Allah are different with
regard to their meanings. The attribute of power is not the sameas the
attribute of might,which is not the same as the attribute of
knowledge. No rational person would say that they are similar to one
another in terms of meanings. We will explain that further below.
Secondly:
The belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah concerning the names ofAllah
is that they are the same in that they refer to His Essence, may He
beglorified and exalted, and are different with regard to their
meanings.
To explain that further, we say: His names al-Qadeer (the Powerful),
al-'Aleem (TheAll-Knowing), al-'Azeez (the Almighty), al-Hakeem (the
Wise) – for example – all point toone Essence, which is theholy
Essence of Allah. So in this regard they are the same and not
different. But at the same time, the attributesof power, knowledge,
might and wisdom differfrom one another. So in this sense they differ
from one another.
So the beautiful names of Allah are synonymous in that they refer to
one Essence, but the attributes referred to in those names differ from
one another.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Allah, may He be glorified, has told us thatHe is All-Knowing,
Powerful, All-Hearing, All-Seeing, Forgiving, Most Merciful, and other
names and attributes. We understand the meaning of that, and wecan
differentiate between knowledge and power, between mercy and hearing
and vision; we know that all the names agree in that they refer to the
Essence of Allah. Even though they have different meanings, they are
in agreement and are the same with regard to His Essence, different
with regard to His Attributes.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 3/59
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The names and attributes of Allah, may He be exalted, are namesin that
they refer to His Essence and they are attributes with regard tothe
meanings contained in these words. In the first regard they are the
same because they refer to one Essence, namely Allah, may He be
exalted and glorified, and in the second regard they are different
because each one has a different meaning.
So al-Hayy (the Ever-Living), al-'Aleem (the All-Knowing), al-Qadeer
(the Powerful), as-Samee' (the All-Hearing), al-Baseer (the
All-Seeing), ar-Rahmaan (the Most Merciful), ar-Raheem (the Most
Compassionate), al-'Azeez (the Almighty), al-Hakeem (the All Wise) are
all names of one named entity, who is Allah, may He be exalted,but the
meaning of al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) is different from the meaning of
al-'Aleem (the All-Knowing), and the meaning of al-'Aleem(the
All-Knowing) is different from the meaning of al-Qadeer (the
Powerful), and so on.
Rather we say that they are names and attributesbecause the Qur'aan
refers to that, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"
[Yoonus 10: 10]
"And your Lord is Most Forgiving, Owner of Mercy"
[al-Kahf 18:58].
The second verse indicates that the Most Merciful is the One Who has
the characteristic of mercy. There is consensus among linguists and
the way people understand the language that no one can be called
'aleem (knowing) except one who has knowledge; no one can be called
samee'(hearing) except one who has hearing; no onecan be called baseer
(seeing) except one whohas sight. This matter is too clear to need any
proof.
Al-Qawaa'id al-Mathla fi Sifaat Allah wa Asma'ihi al-Husna, p. 8
The same may be said about the names of the Qur'aan, the names of the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the names of
the Last Day. Ineach case they all refer to one thing – the Qur'aan or
the Messenger or the Last Day – but at the same time they differ in
that each of these names refers to an attribute that is different from
others, so the names carry different meanings.
Thirdly:
The belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah concerning the
beautifulnames of Allah – according to the correct view – is that they
are not limited to a specific number and the same may be said
concerning His attributes. Allah, may He be exalted, has namesthat He
has kept to Himself in the knowledge of the unseen with Him, and these
names refer to attributes. So His names and attributes are not limited
to a specific number.
Among the evidence for this belief is the following:
-1-
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There
isno-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says: 'Allaahumma
inni 'abduka ibn 'abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya
hukmuka, 'adlun fiyya qadaa'uka. As'aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka
sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw 'allamtahu ahadan
min khalqika awista'tharta bihi fi 'ilm il-ghayb 'indaka an
taj'alal-Qur'aana rabee' qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa' huzni wa
dhihaab hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of
Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is
forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every
name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed
in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have
preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the
Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a
departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),' but Allaah
will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy." He
was asked: "O Messengerof Allaah, should we learn this?" He said: "Of
course; everyone who hears it should learn it."
Narrated by Ahmad, 3704; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in
as-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 199.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The beautiful names of Allah are not limited andare innumerable.
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has names and attributes that
He has kept to Himself in the knowledge of the unseen with Him. They
are not known to any Angel who is close to him or any Prophet who was
sent, as it says in thesaheeh hadeeth: "…. I ask You by every name
belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in
Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have
preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You…"
So His names may be divided into three types:
(i) Those by which he called Himself and taught them to
whomever He willed of His Angels or others, but He did not reveal them
in His Book.
(ii) Those that He revealed in His Book andtaught them to
His slaves.
(iii) Those that He kept to Himself in the knowledge of the
unseen, so none of His creation knows them. Hence the du'aa' says:
"You have preserved" i.e., only You know them; it does not mean that
He is the only one who is called by them, because the names that are
proven to be only forHim include names that Allah revealed in His
Book.
Badaa'i' al-Fawaa'id, 1/174-176
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It should be noted that the beautiful names of Allah are not limited
to ninety-nine.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/328
See also Majmoo' al-Fataawa by Ibn Taymiyah, 22/482-486
-2-
It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah said: I noticed that the Messenger of
Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not in the bed
one night, so I looked for him, and my hand fell on the sole of his
foot. He was in the mosque, with his feet held upright, and he
wassaying, "O Allaah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath,
in Yourforgiveness from Your punishment. I seek refuge in You from
You. Icannot praise You enough; You are as You have praised Yourself."
Narrated by Muslim, 486
The attributes – as we have mentioned – are connected to the names.
Every name that is proven to be a name of Allah refers to an attribute
as befits His Majesty, may He be glorified and exalted.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
He (the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that
praise of Allah cannot be limited; if he knew all His names he would
know all His attributes and thus be able to praise Him sufficiently,
because His attributes are only expressed through His names.
Dar' Ta'aarud al-'Aql wa'n-Naql, 3/332, 333
Some of them thought that the names of Allah, may He be exalted, were
limited to a specific number, which is ninety-nine! An-Nawawi (may
Allah have mercy on him) narrated that the scholars are unanimously
agreed that the names of Allah are not limited to this number. In the
answer to question no. 41003 we have quoted the evidence to show that
they are not limited to this number, as well as quoting the opinions
of the scholars in refutation of those who thought that the names of
Allah, may He be exalted, were limited to this number.
To sum up: the names, attributes and actions of Allah, may He be
exalted,have no limit. No one will doubt this who studies the evidence
of the Qur'aan and Sunnah,examines the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah, and bases his belief in the names and attributes of
Allah on proper rules and guidelines.
And Allah knows best.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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A Rainy Miracle

Narrated Anas: A man came to the Prophet on a Friday while he (the
Prophet) was delivering a sermon at Medina, andsaid, "There is lack of
rain, so please invoke your Lord to bless us with the rain." The
Prophet looked at the sky when no cloud couldbe detected. Then he
invoked Allah for rain. Clouds started gathering together and it
rained till the Medina valleys started flowing with water. It
continued raining till the next Friday. Then that man (or some other
man) stood up while the Prophet was delivering the Friday sermon, and
said, "We are drowned; Please invoke your Lord to withhold it (rain)
from us" The Prophet smiled and said twice or thrice, "O Allah! Please
let it rain round about usand not upon us." The clouds started
dispersingover Medina to the right and to the left, and it rained
round about Medina and not upon Medina. Allah showed them (the people)
the miracle of His Prophet and His response to his invocation.
Source: Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 115

First Words of a Little Girl

The following incident was mentioned by a Shaikh from Toronto, Canada.
The incident is about his 18 months old daughter. The shaikh also has
a son who is about 3 years old. The shaikh has already started
teaching the young son about Quran and ahadith without wasting any
time. Mashallah, the boy has already memorized surah Fatiha and
variousother surahs. One day, his young daughter whois only 18 months
old was sitting beside the son while he was asked to recite surah
Fatiha by the shaikh. This little girl is pronouncing her first words
clearly in these days. Now, when the sonrecited the 5th verse of surah
Fatiha untill"Ihdina Sirat...", the small girl suddenly said"Al
Mustaqim" and completed the verse. Subhanallah! How blessed is this
child whose first words are among the words of the Holy Quran, which
she learned through her father when he was teaching her brother.
It is very important to teach Islam to our children in their early
childhood. We can easilybend trees in any direction when they are
still small. But when the trees become big and tall, 10 people pushing
together is unable to bend them. Similarly, teaching the children when
they are young is necessary so that they go towards the right
direction.

Hinduism to Christianity to Islam

The following story is about a brother from Guyana who became a Muslim
from being a Hindu and Christian Priest for 10 years.
His current name is Ahmed Tabarani. He was born in a poor Hindu family
in Guyana. However, he used to dislike worshipping statues since his
childhood. As he grew up, he became connected with the localChurch
because they worshipped three divinebeings (God, Jesus and Holy
Spirit) rather than worshipping hundreds of idols. Eventually, he
became a Christian and studied for many years to become a Christian
priest. The Church hired him and paid for all his travelling and
living expenses. His family became very pleased to see that because he
became a Christian, theirpoverty was removed. Asa result, the whole
family became Christians. During the 10 years of serving as a Priest,
he always used to wake up at night and meditate. He used to ask God to
show him whether he was following the truth. In one such nights, he
had a vision. He saw that three people dressed in white long throbes,
wearing turban and beard are walking towards him and these people are
to show him the true religion. After seeing this vision, many years
passed by but he didn't see such a thing happening. But one day,a
group of Muslims (part of Tabligh Jamah) visiteda Masjid near his
place to call people towards Allah. That afternoon, as he was going to
the Church, he saw three of these Muslims are coming towards him.
Immediately, he remembered his vision. These three Muslims resembled
exactly what he saw in the vision. Then he approached them and asked
what religion they follow. The Muslims told him about Islam and he
became a Muslim on the spot and quit being a priest. Poverty again
took over his family as he quit his job. All his family members,
especially his mother, became angry at him for becoming a Muslim. But
he said the following words to his mother, "Dear mother, I could give
you a new pair of shoes, but they will become worn out. I could give
you a new dress, but that too will become old and ripped. But I can
give you something that will never finish. My mother, say 'There is no
god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.'" The mother was really
touched by this statement and became a Muslim. Following her, everyone
else in the family also became Muslims. For 15 years, Ahmed Tabarani
is a practising Muslim serving Islam with his total energy. He is
currently living in Canada.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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