Sacrificing Animals

All Praises is due to Almighty Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala, Peace and
Blessings be upon the most perfect of creations, His Beloved Habeeb,
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam his noble Family and
the illustrious Sahaba Riwanullahi Ta'ala Alaihim Ajma'een and all the
pious servants of Almighty Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala.
LAWFUL AND UNLAWFUL ANIMALS
I. Hadrat Jabir reported that on the day (battle) of Khaybar the
Messenger of Allah declared domestic asses, the flesh of mules, every
beast of prey and every bird which preys with its talon to be
unlawful. [Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 1, Page 273]
II. Hadrat Safinah reported, "I ate with the Messenger of Allah the
flesh of a bustard." [Mishkat, Page 361]
(a bird with a long neck, a long beak, grey-coloured, looks like a
goose in its appearance) – [al-Mu'jam al-Wasit – Page 151]
III. Hadrat Abu Musa reported, "I saw the Messenger of Allah
eatingpoultry." [Mishkat, Page 361]
IV. Hadrat Abu Qatadah reported that he saw a wild ass and killed it.
The Holy Prophet asked, "Have you any of its flesh?" They said, "We
have a leg." The Messenger of Allah was offered a piece, which
heaccepted and ate. [Mishkat, Page 359]
V. Hadrat Ibn-e-'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah has said,
"Two dead creatures and two bloodshave been made lawful for us. The
two dead creatures are fish and locust and the two bloods are liver
and spleen." [Mishkat, Page 361]
VI. Hadrat Abu al-Zubair reported from Hadrat Jabir who reported that
the Messenger of Allah has said, "What the sea throws up and is left
by the tide (i.e. the fish) you may eat. But what dies inthe sea and
floats you must not eat." [Mishkat, Page 361]
VII. Hadrat 'Ikramah reported from Hadrat Ibn-e-'Abbas - saying he was
sure that he transmitted it back to theHoly Prophet - that he used to
order snakes to be killed and he used to say, "Whoever leaves them
fearing that they might come to take revenge does not belong to us."
(is not on our path) [Mishkat, Page 361]
VIII. Hadrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah has
said, "Whoever kills a gecko with the first blow one hundred virtues
are recorded for him; and less if he kills it with the second; and
even less if he kills it with the third." [Mishkat, Page 361]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. It is Haram to eat Ghurab al-Abqa' - a type of crow that eats the
dead (like a vulture) as stated in al-Durr al-Mukhtar on Page 642 and
also in al-Mu'jam al-Wasit Page 647.
2. Mahuka[1] - a crow-like bird which resembles a cuckoo in its
features is Halal [Radd al-Mohtar]. This is because the latter eats
only grains and seeds whereas the common crow eats dead carcasses.
[al-Bahr al-Ra'iq – Vol. 8, Page 313, Fatawa-e-Razawiyyah – Vol. 20
Pgs. 319-320, Firozul Lughat – Page 1364]
3. All sea creatures exceptfish are all Haram, such asa crab or a
crocodile, an eel and so on. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar – Page 642]
4. There is disagreement amongst the scholars as regards prawn – is it
considered in the group of 'fish' or not? Thus, it is best to avoid
it.
5. If someone placed a substance (a chemical forexample) by which the
fish died, and it is knownthat the fish dided due tothe cuase of
placing that substance in the water, then that fish is still Halal.
[al-Durr al-Mukhtar – Page 642]
6. A rabbit is Halal to eat. [al-Hidayah Page 425, al-Durr al-Mukhtar Page 642]
HUNTING AND SLAUGHTER
I. Hadrat 'Adi ibn Hatim reported: I asked, "O Messenger of Allah!
Whenanyone of us catches a game and has no knife, can he cut its
throat with a flint and a splinter of a stick?" He said, "Let the
blood flow with whatever you like and mention the Name of Allah."
[Mishkat, Page 358]
II. Hadrat 'Adi ibn Hatim reported that the Holy Prophet has said,
"Eat whatever is caught for you by a dog or a hawk (but the prey is
not devoured by themselves) which you have trained and set off after
mentioning the Name of Allah. I asked: "Even though it kills it (i.e.
the animal)?" He said, "When it kills it without eating anything of
it, because it has caught it for you." [Mishkat, Page 358]
III. Hadrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah has
said, "Whoever keeps a dog, except a sheepdog or a hunting dog or a
farm dog, a qiraat of his reward is deducted daily." [Mishkat, Page
358]
IV. Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that the Messenger
of Allah has said, "Whoever kills a sparrow or any creature larger
than that,Allah will question him about killing it." It was asked: "O
Messenger of Allah, what is the right of (these) birds?" He said, "To
cut its throat and eat it, but not to cut off its head and throw it
away." [Mishkat, Page 359]
V. Hadrat 'Aisha reported that (some) people said, "O Messenger of
Allah! There are people here who have recently reverted from
polytheism. They bring tous meat and we do not know whether or not
they have mentioned the Name of Allah over it." Hesaid, "Mention the
Name of Allah yourselves and eat it." [Mishkat, Page 357]
VI. Hadrat Shaddad ibn Aws reported that the Messenger of Allah has
said, "Allah the Blessed and Exalted has decreed kindness for
everything. So when you kill, use a good method; and when you
slaughter use a goodmethod. You should sharpen the knife and give the
animal as little pain as possible." [Mishkat, Page 357]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. There are 4 veins cut when slaughtering an animal; the windpipe
(channel of breath), the gullet (channel of food and drink which lies
beneath the windpipe), and the 2 carotid arterieswhich are two blood
vessels on the sides of theneck encompassing the windpipe, they are
calledwadajain. [Bahar-e-Shari'at and al-Durr al-Mukhtar – Page 640]
2. If 3 from the 4 veins were cut or most part of each vein was cut,
then the slaughtered animal isHalal.
3. It is Haram to eat an animal slaughtered by aninfidel, a Wahhabi,
an apostate, Dehriyah or a neichri, and every other heretic.
4. A Hindu said, "This animal has been slaughtered by a Muslim,"then
to eat the animal is not permissible. If the Hindu said, "I have
bought this from a Muslim," then it is permissible to eat it. [al-Durr
al-Mukhtar – Page 640]
5. If one did not mention the Name of Allah purposely, when
slaughtering the animal, then the slaughtered animal has become Haram
to eat. If one unintentionally forgot to pray it then it is Halal.
[al-Hidayah Vol. 4 Page 419, Bahar-e-Shari'at]
6. Likewise, to slaughter in such a manner that theknife stroke
reaches the cerebellum (the brain) or the head is chopped off then it
is makruh (offensive) to eat the meat, though the meat is lawful (the
offensiveness is in the method of slaughtering not the meat).
[al-Hidayah, Bahar-e-Shari'at]
7. There are 22 things which are not permissible (to eat) from a
sheep, a cow, or any other animal slaughtered:
a) Guts.
b) Intestines.
c) Bladder.
d) Testicles.
e) Penis (the sign of a masculine).
f) Vagina (the sign of a feminine).
g) Anus.
h) Blood in the arteries/veins.
i) The blood that is in the meat, that is left even after the animal
has beensacrificed.
j) The blood of the heart.
k) Blood of the liver.
l) Blood of the spleen.
m) Gall bladder.
n) The bile (yellow substance) that is excreted from the gall bladder.
o) The gland.
p) Spinal Marrow (nukha').
q) The two muscles/tendons of the neck which stretch till theshoulders.
r) The moisture that is in the nose.
s) Semen and sperm, whether the sperm of themale is found in the
female (animal), or whether it is the animals own sperm/semen.
t) That blood which is created in the womb by semen.
u) That flesh which has formed in the womb by seminal fluid, whether
the flesh has developed abody (with its parts) or not.
v) That animal which has been fully developed in the womb, but which
came out (of the womb) dead, or died without slaughter.
8. It is permissible to eat the meat of an animal which has been
sacrificed with the name of Allah 'Azz wa Jall for the reward to be
sent to any Friend (Wali) of Allah.The condition is that the Name of
Allah is mentioned as such: "Bismillahi Allahu Akbar."
9. If a trained hunting animal brought down a game animal, then it is
lawful to eat it (the gameanimal) on the following conditions:
a. The hunting animal belongs to a Muslim and should also be trained
b. The animal did not die due to the pouncing upon it of the hunting
animal, but due to the wound made by the hunting animal
c.The trained hunting aninmal was set free after the hunter mentioned
the Name of Allah the Most Exalted ("Bismillahi Allahu Akbar")
d. The animal reached the hunter before it dies, and thence, he
mentioned the Name of Allah and then properly slaughtered it.
If any of the above conditions are not fulfilled; or if any condition
is not found then the animal shall be unlawful to eat.
[Khaza'inal-'Irfan – Sadr al-Afadhil al-Sayyid Na'im al-Din
al-Muradabadi]
10. The sign if an animal is for hunting or not is that if it is set
free to hunt, then it shall run towards the prey (game),and if it is
stopped then itstops. The trained hunting animal shall also leave the
hunted animal (prey) for its owner, and shall not eat anything from
it. This has been stated in Tafsir al-JalalainPage 93.
11. If an animal which has been shot with a gunor with a bow arrow
dies, then it is Haram to eat it. [Radd al-Mohtar, Bahar-e-Shari'at,
Fatawa-e-Qadi Khan]
12. Hunting for mere enjoyment, entertainment, or amusement is Haram;
whether the animal is shot with a gun or an arrow and whether it is
fishing occasionally, or rarely.
13. Some people when fishing, place fish or toads (both of which are
still living) into the rod tocatch large fish. This is prohibited as
one is giving pain to the animal. Likewise, some people catch fish by
placing live earthworms or maggots into the rod; this is also
prohibited. [Bahar-e-Shari'at – Vol. Chapter 17, Page 273]
14. Some people feel thatit is disliked to work as a butcher. This is
wrong, asthere is nothing transmitted from anyone to say that such an
occupation is disliked. [Bahar-e-Shari'at with reference from Radd
al-Mohtar]
SACRIFICING ANIMALS
I. Hadrat Zaid ibn Arqam reported that the companions of the Messenger
of Allah asked:"O Messenger of Allah! What is this sacrifice?" Hesaid,
"It is the practice of your father Abraham." They asked, "What is the
reward for us in it?" He said, "For every hair, you will be rewarded."
They asked, "for the wool, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "For every
strand of wool you will be rewarded." [Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Page
226]
II. Hadrat 'Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah has said, "On
the day of sacrifice no one does a deed more pleasing to Allah than
theshedding of blood. The sacrifice will come on theDay of
Resurrection with its horns, its hairs and its hooves; and the blood
finds acceptance with Allah before it falls on theground." [Sunan
Tirmidhi, Vol. 1, Page 275]
III. Hadrat Hanash reported: I saw Hadrat 'Ali sacrificing two rams.
Iasked him: "what is this?"He said, "The Messenger of Allah had
enjoined me to sacrifice on his behalf; so I am sacrificing on his
behalf." [Mishkat, Page 128]
IV. Hadrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah has said,
"Such a person who had the ability and means to sacrifice an animal,
but (despite this) he did not do so; should never come near our Eidgah
(place where the Eid prayers are performed)." [Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol.
1, Page 226]
V. Hadrat Umm-e-Salmah reported that the Messenger of Allah has said,
"when you see the new moon of Dhul Hijjah and one of you intends to
make sacrifice, he must not shave his hair, trim it, or clip his
nails." [Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Page 160]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. For the condition of sacrificing, the Malik-e-Nisab is the person
who possesses 52 ½ tolas (620 grammes) of silver or 7 ½ tolas (88
grammes) of gold; or they have the same amount equivalent to either of
the above item in value in business goods or non-business goods, which
are not goods that are the basic necessities of life. The wealth
and/or property should be 'extra'/above one's basic necessities
(hajat-e-asliyyah).
2. Nowadays, the price ofsilver is less. The price of silver in
current-day value is approximately £2per tola. Therefore, anyone who
possess the value of: £2 x 52 ½ tola = £105 - which exceeds his/her
basic necessities and also the debt which is to be paid back – then it
is wajib on such a person to sacrifice an animal.
3. Such a Malik-e-Nisab who has already sacrificed an animal on behalf
of himself, and thefollowing year he is still aMalik-e-Nisab then
again it is wajib upon him to sacrifice an animal on hisbehalf. This
ruling appliesfor each year (that sacrificing is wajib if a person is
a Malik-e-Nisab). It has been stated in a Hadith: "It is wajib upon
every household to sdacrifice an animal each year."
4. If a Malik-e-Nisab sacrifices on behalf of someone else, instead of
sacrificing an animal on behalf of himself (i.e. does not sacrifice an
animal on his behalf), then he has committed a great sin. Thus, if he
wants to sacrifice on someone else's behalf, then he should make
preparations to buy another animal and sacrifice it.
5. Some people who think that, "It is wajib only once in a lifetime to
sacrifice an animal on one's behalf" is farce andwrong, which has no
proof; as it is wajib upon a Malik-e-Nisab to sacrifice an animal on
hisbehalf each year.
6. In villages, it is permissible to sacrifice animals on the 10th of
Dhu'l Hijjah after the break of dawn (Subh-e-Sadiq). However, it is
Mustahab to sacrifice it after sunrise. [Fatawa-e-'Alamgiri Vol. 5
Page 260]
7. It is not permissible to sacrifice animals before the Eid prayer in
cities and towns. [Bahar-e-Shari'at]
8. Such a poor person - who cannot afford to sacrifice an animal -
should also refrain from shaving or trimming hair and clipping nails;
so as to resemble the pilgrims on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah.
9. It is permissible for a resident of a city or a town to send his
animal to a person living in a village; and have it sacrificed before
the Eid prayer; and then have the meat sent back to him in the city or
town. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
10. It is not permissible togive the skin or the meat of the
sacrificed animal as the wage to the butcher or the one who has
sacrificed the animal. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
11. It is not permissible togive the meat of a sacrificed animal to any infidel.
12. The method of sacrificing an animal is tolay it on its left, such
that its face is towards the Qiblah and then place theright foot on
its side and holding a sharp knife (concealed obviously from the
animal or if it is blind-folded then there isno harm).
13. if the Qurban has been performed on behalf of someone who has
passed away, then the meat cannot be eatenby the person himself norcan
it be given to a rich person. It is wajib to giveall the meat to the
poor as sadaqah. [Bahar-e-Shari'at]
14. The animal's skin, reins, saddle etc should all be given in
sadaqah, one can use the skin for their own usage, such as to make the
skin into a leather bag or a prayer mat. However, one cannot sell the
skin to someone else, and then use the money for their own benefit. If
this has been done, then the money received should be given as
sadaqah.
15. Nowadays, people give the animal skin to Madrissahs and other
Islamic institutions. This is perfectly permissible. Ifone sells the
skin with the intention of giving the money received to the Madrissa,
then this is also permissible. ['Alamgiri, Bahar-e-Shari'at]
16. The skin of the sacrificed animal cannot be given to the Imam as
his wage. Yes, however, it can be given to him as a gift or for his
benefit. [Bahar-e-Shari'at]
17. A camel must be at least five years old; a buffalo should be at
leasttwo years old; and a sheep, lamb or a goat should be at least one
year old. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
18. The animal intended to be slaughtered should be big and health,
and should be free from any faults or defects. If there is a minor
defect in the animal, then the Qurbani will count, but it is Makruh.
If there is a major defect, then the Qurbani will not count. [al-Durr
al-Mukhtar, Raddal-Muhtar, Fatawa-e-'Alamgiri]
Some think that sacrificing one animal will suffice for one
wholehousehold; all of whom are Malik-e-Nisab. This is wrong. Each and
every person from such a household should sacrifice an animal on their
behalf. Yes, however, a household can share seven parts from a 'large'
animal such as a camel, cow, buffalo etc.
Footnote [1]:
The great Imam Ahmed Raza Khan has stated thatthe Ghurab al-Zar' eats
only grains, and is small and has a red/orange coloured beak.
[Fatawa-e-Razawiyyah – Vol. 20, Page 320].
The common crow is classed as khabith in a Hadith, because "of all
birds the carrion crow is the most detested by gamekeepers and country
people who rear flocks of poultry, becauseit is the craftiest of egg
thieves. Wild birds also suffer acutely from its depredations."
[ www.birdsofbritain.co.uk ] It has also been mentioned on this
website that, "outside the breeding season, crows often patrol the
waterside, picking up carrion and attacking wounded birds in the
shooting season. Some ofthem haunt beaches and estuaries where they
eat shore-crabs and mussels, whose shells they crack by dropping them
from aheight."
There is another species of the "crow" family called: the American
Crowor Corvus Brachyvrhyncos. "American Crows eat a wide variety of
foods, including: fruits, grains, nuts, acorns, snails, mussels, small
birds, eggs,rabbits, mice, toads, crayfish, snakes, lizards,
salamanders, rats, grasshoppers, cutworms, Junebugs, grubs,
weevils,and other insects."
It is quite surpirising to see that there were and still are some who
call themselves as "scholars", yet they declare things tobe Halal
which the Messenger of Allah declared Haram! Take for example, the
common crow, which is classed as fasiq in the Hadith narrated by ibn
Majah in his Sunan on the authority of Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar
[Sunan ibn Majah – Vol. 2 Page 294 – Hadith: 1036] and also in the
same book there is also the Hadith narrated on the authority of Hadrat
'Aishain which the crow is named as fasiq, and cannot be eaten. [Sunan
ibn Majah – Vol. 2, Page 293, Hadith: 1037]. Despite all this, these
"scholars for dollars" have issued fatawa that to eat the crow is
Halal! [see Fatawa-e-Rashidiyah– Page 296 and the Nawa-e-Waqt
newspaper– 6th and the 7th of August 1976]

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The Islamic Ruling on Brain Death and Life Support

This is a very brief summary regarding the Islamic Regulations
regarding Brain Death and Life Support. I put it together in a rush,
so my apologies for any misspellings and awkwardness.
The source Dr. Bakr Abu Zaid's (1) Fiqh an-Nawazil(2) (Vol. 1, pp.
215-236, Article No. 4, printed by Maktabah ar-Rushd, Riyad, 1407).
I hope you will find it useful to your question.
May Allah show us mercy and forgiveness at the time of our dying. Ameen.
******************
Dr. Bakr Abu Zaid describes his article as aninvestigation into "the
status of the ill while under life support and the indications of
death between [the viewpoint of] medicine and fiqh." (p. 215)
He proceeds then to divide his article into fivesections:
1. A discussion of life support (pp. 217-218)
2. The medical definition of death and its indications (pp. 219-221)
3. The fiqh definition of death and its indications (pp. 222-225)
4. The various states of the ill under life support (pp. 229-230)
5. The fiqh resolution of this issue (pp. 231-236)
In the first section on "a discussion of life support," Dr. Bakr Abu
Zaid provides a list of Arabic medical terms used for life support and
proceeds to summarize what is meant by "life support."
In the second section on"the medical definition of death and its
indications," Dr. Bakr AbuZaid discusses four issues:
(1) the history background of the concept of brain death;
(2) the basic anatomy of the brain;
(3) the concept of brain death; and
(4) the indications of brain death. In his discussion he brings out
two important points which have bearing on the fiqh ruling: (a) the
difference of opinion in the medical field regarding if
death occurs with the death of the brain stem; (b) the
inconclusiveness of the indications used by doctors to determine brain
death.
In the third section on"the fiqh definition of death and its
indications," Dr. Bakr AbuZaid shows that the scholars are in
agreement that death is defined as the separationof the soul from the
body. Moreover, this definition was extracted by them from the
lengthyhadith reported by al-Bara' ibn Azib and collected by Ahmad and
others regarding the nature of the death of the believer and the
unbeliever, the questioning in the grave,and the subsequent pleasure
or torment faced by the deceased in his grave. He also quotes
al-Ghazzali (Ihya' 'Ulum ad-Din, Vol. 4, p. 493) who further clarifies
that death occurs only with the total separation of the soul from the
body. (This will have bearing on the fiqh ruling). He summarizes with
the following
two points:
(1) the reality of death according to the sharia isthe separation of
the soulfrom the body;
(2) the reality of the separation of the soul from the body is such
that the soul remains in no part of the body, and hence no part of the
body contains any life.
With regards to the indications of death according to fiqh, he begins
with the hadith which states that when the soul leaves the body the
eyes follow. (Muslim).He also lists eight indications of death which
he gathered from a number of classical fiqhworks. He then quotes
an-Nawawi (Rawdatat-Talibin, Vol. 2, p. 97) who adds this important
note regarding the indicationsof death, namely, that when there is any
doubt regarding death, it is to be
assumed that the person is still alive until death is proven conclusively.
In the fourth section on"the various states of the ill under life
support," Dr.Bakr lists three possibilities for a person in intensive
care under life support.
(1) The individual begins to breath on his own andhis heart returns
beating normally, and here life support is removed as the person is no
longer indanger.
(2) The heart no longer beats nor is there any breathing even under
lifesupport. Here life supportis remove is without doubt dead.
(3) The person is brain dead however his heart still beats and there
is breathing while he is under life support. Here doctors normally
conclude death (due to brain death) and remove the person from life
support.
In the fifth and final section regarding, "the fiqh resolution of this
issue," Dr. Bakr concludeswith the following.
(a) As for cases 1 and 2 (see above), this is not any issue for
investigation as both life (case 1) and death (case 2) are certain.
The only issue that needs to be investigated is case 3, namely there
is brain death but their is a heart beat and breathing under life
support.
(b) This third case raises three fiqh questions:
1. What is the ruling for removing someone from life support?
2. What is the ruling regarding organ removal(like a heart) for a
transplant into another person?
3. Do the sharia regulations regarding death (like inheritance) take effect?
He summarizes that the answer is pretexted uponthe question if brain
death is a conclusive signof death according to thesharia definition
of death(i.e., does brain death indicate that the soul has completely
left the body?)
He answers:
(1) Brain death as being a definition for death is an issue of
difference in the medical field.
(2) The indications to show brain death are notalways conclusive.
Thus the sharia principle is that "certainty is not removed by doubt,"
negates this being used as a conclusive sign for death.
Moreover, it has been seen in repeated cases where people have still
lived after the removal oflife support.
He also adds that among the five aims of the sharia is the
preservationof life and as a result the sharia rulings seek to
continue and rescue life and that the general principle is that life
is assumed until conclusive proven otherwise.
Thus brain death cannot be seen according to the sharia to be
equivalent tothe separation of the soulfrom the body.
However, he goes on to add the following important point that this
does not mean that braindeath is not an indicationof death; just like
the heart stopping is an indication of death, but not necessarily
death itself.
For this reason, the scholars, like an-Nawawi quoted previously, said
that the sharia refrains from ruling a judgment of death, if there is
any doubt, even though the indications of death might be present.
Based on this, he answersthe three fiqh questions (see above):
As for the removal of life support in this situation where their is an
indication of death (brain death), but an indication of life (heart
beating and breathing with the aid of life support); either the doctor
will feel that with the removal of life support, the patient
mostlikely die, most likely
live or both possibilities being equal.
If the doctor who has no ulterior motive feels that the with the
removal of life support the patient will most likely die; then it IS
PERMISSIBLE to remove life support as in this case the removal of life
support does not mean preventing treatment from an individual who
there is hope in his cure. Indeed, LIFE SUPPORT SHOULD be removed as
it only prolongs his pain as his soul is being removed.
Even with this, as the same time death is NOT tobe ruled by the mere
lifting of life support until it is certain that the soul has departed
the body. And hence the sharia regulations like inheritance do not
take effect. And similarly organ removal is not permissible (if we are
to say that it is permissible even with death being certain).
This division of sharia rulings, where some takeeffect and others held
back until certainty occurs has many examples in the sharia.
However, if the doctor has no ulterior motives,is of the opinion that
the person will still live with the removal of life support or there
is a 50/50 chance for life. It becomes impermissible to life life
support, until itis felt death in all likelihood will occur or death
does occur or the patient is no longer in need of life support.
-------------------
(1) Dr. Bakr Abu Zaid is the former Deputy Minister of Justice in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and at present a member of the Council of
Leading Scholars and President ofthe Muslim World League's Body of
Scholarswhich investigate contemporary fiqh issues.
(2) Fiqh an-Nawazil refersto Sharia Rulings (Fiqh) of New Issues
(an-Nawazil, pl. of an-Nazilah or something sent down)

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NEAREST ANCESTRY

The Nearest Ancestry of the Promised Prophet (pbuh):
The Quraishites (tribe of Quraish) were the direct descendants of
Prophet Abraham through Prophet Ishmael, and AbdManaf. Abdush Shams
and Hashim were the twin issues of Abd Manaf.The children of Hashim
through his son Abdul Mutalib were called the 'Hashimites/Banu
Hashim'(tribe of Hashim). AbdushShams had adopted a clever, crafty and
active Roman slave boy Umayya,whom Abd Manaf had purchased and
presentedto his son Abdush Shams.
However, the issues of Umayya become known as the 'Umayyads/Banu
Umayya' (tribe of Umayya). Abd Manaf, before his death, had handed
over the charge of his privileged hereditary duties of service to the
House of God, the 'Holy Kaaba' to Hashim his eldest son who was very
noble by nature and godly in temperament. This aggravated the hatred,
jealousy and animosity ofUmayya whose tendency continued as a
personality trait from generation to generationin his seed. Much fuel
was added to the alreadyburning fire of envy and enmity of the
Umayyads when Abdul Mutalib, miraculously discovered the natural
spring-well of'Zamzam' which lay hidden and unknown to any one, for
ages together. Umayya became angry and started being very rude towards
Hashimites. When the elders of the tribe saw this, they decided that
he should not be allowed to remainin Makkah, and was therefore sent to
Syria. This was the beginning of the hatred of the Umayyads towards
the Hashimites, which eventually led to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain
(pbuh).
Hashim was the Great Grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and that
is why the families of the Prophet are known as the Hashimites.The
Hashimites were good, noble and gentle, while the Umayyads werewicked,
mean and aggressive. The Hashimites held the Trusteeship and the
Custody of the Kaaba, which was the most coveted and unique honor
enjoyed exclusively by the Hashimites. The Umayyads envied this
themost, and could not bear it. While the charitable disposition of
the Hashimites could not allow the hoarding of any personal wealth,
the selfishness and niggardliness of the Umayyads had enabled them to
store abundant wealth which had made the Umayyads ever more haughty
and proud against the noble, the gentle and the meek ones of the
Hashimites.
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) started preaching to the people of Makkah
at the age of forty (40) years. If anyone goes through the life of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), he will not be able to resist shedding
tears for the tortures, themiseries and calamities which the great
godly soul suffered at the hands of the people. Any intelligent reader
would find that all the sufferings which every one of the preceding
apostles of God had suffered, had been inflicted on the Last Apostle
of the Lord, alongwith other additional tortures and miseries which
none else had everexperienced and he suffered all the calamitieswith
ideal patience, matchless fortitude, unparalleled steadfastness and
unshakable determination to fulfill the covenant established with the
Lord.
Karbala's Foundation laid:
The events of history giveout a clear verdict that the series of the
sufferings, the miseries and the calamities inflicted on the Ahlul
Bayt, which culminated at one stage in the wholesale massacre of the
Holy Imam Hussain (pbuh) and his faithful devotees at Karbala, and the
misfortunes and the assassinations of the other Imams and their
families and their devotees, which thereafter followed up tothe
eleventh Imam Hasan Al-Askari, was inaugurated at the Saqeefa. Had the
people remembered the repeated declarations about Imam Ali (pbuh), and
his Ahlul Bayt, the world would never have witnessed the hideous
scenes of the sufferings and the massacre of the Holy ones; on the
other hand, today the world would have been ruled by the Men of God,
and humanity had enjoyed the Godly kingdom on earth, and the human
race by this time would have been united under one single brotherhood
which was inaugurated by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) at Madina.
Yazid succeeded the Caliph at Damascus:
After the death of Muawiya in 60 Hijra, Yazid succeeded his father to
the throne. Imam Hussain was then fifty seven (57) years old. Yazid
was known to be even worse than his father and represented a real
danger to the Islamicnation, for he was not a true Muslim. He was not
properly educated with the teachings of Islam. And he used to drink
alcohol, gamble, and commit all other sins according to historic
sources. He said:"Hashimites staged a playto obtain the Kingdom.
Actually, there was neither any news (from God) nor any
revelation."Such a man could not be entrusted with the affairsof the
nation.
The Call from the Governor:
On receipt of the letter from Yazid, 'Al-Walid son of Utbah son of Abu
Sufyan' the Governor of Madina immediately called his servant
(Abdullah son of Omer son of Uthman) and sent word inviting Imam
Hussain (pbuh) and Abdullah son of Al-Zubayr, to visit him. Imam
Hussain (pbuh) andson of Al-Zubayr were in the Mosque at night
time,when Walid's servant came to them with the message inviting them
tothe Governor House. The moment Imam Hussain (pbuh) heard the call
from the Governor; he suddenly exclaimed that Muawiya had died.
I invite you to the Book of Allah and the tradition(Sunnah) of the
Prophet, for I see that the tradition (Sunnah) have been destroyed and
innovations have crept up. Hence if you pay heed to my words and obey
my command, then I shall guide you to the Righteous path. Imam Hussain
(p.b.u.h.) In reply to the call Imam Hussain (pbuh) sent wordto the
Governor Walid saying, it was too late and he will visit him the next
morning.
The next day Imam Hussain (pbuh) accompanying around thirty (30)
Hashimites courageous youths visited the Governor, but reaching the
entrance of the Governor's house, he told the Hashimites to stay at
the door watchful and if they hear Imam Hussain (pbuh) talking
unusually aloud they mayget in to him.
Walid received Holy Imam (pbuh) with all respect and regard. Offered
him the seat besides him and read outthe letter he had received from
Yazid and when he reached the matter asking him to send the severed
head of Hussain, if Imam Hussain refuses to pay allegiance.Imam
Hussain (pbuh) smiled and said:
"O Walid! Pledge of allegiance cannot be given secretly. Invites
theMuslims of Madina tomorrow and ask them if they say that I should
pay allegiance to Yazid, let us then decide."
Walid readily accepted the Holy Imam's reply but'Marwan son of
Al-Hakam' the old enemy of Islam who was expelled by the Holy Prophet
(pbuh) out of Madina, seated there, addressing Walid said:
"Let not Hussain go out of the grip now, lest the fox is out of the
four walls of the court you will not approach the dust behind it. Cut
off his head now and let not thisunique opportunity go for, you will
never get it again."
Imam Hussain (pbuh) stood up to depart from the Governor and hearing
the insulting words of Marwan, Imam Hussain (pbuh) the son ofImam Ali
the Lion of God got angry and retorted aloud: "Woe to you, O sonof a
foreign women, will you cut my head off? By God, you have told a lie
and showed your base origin." Then he turned to al-Walid and said to
him:
"O Walid! We are the household of the Prophet(pbuh). We surely are
thecentre of the message, and to our house the angels descend from
heaven. By us God sent his first Apostle and by usHe sent the seal of
the Prophets. Yazid, on the other hand, is a corrupt man, who imbibes
wine, puts to death the soul which God forbids to be destroyed and
declares his debauchery in public. A man like me would never give a
vow of loyalty to him. But we will see about that in the morning, so
will you. We will see and so will you, who is more entitled to the
office of Caliphate and to receive the pledgeof allegiance."
Marwan immediately got up and ran away and the Hashimites youth who
stood restless and anxious, hearing the voice of the Holy Imam (pbuh),
rushed into the court with drawn swords. Imam Hussain (pbuh)
immediately commanded restraint and had not Imam Hussain (pbuh)
controlledthe situation, the matter would have been settled then and
there. The meeting came to an end. Imam Hussain (pbuh) returned home.
Imam Hussain (pbuh) decides to leave Madina

KARBALA HIGHLIGHTS

In the name of God, the beneficent the merciful:
Think not of those who are slain in God's way as dead. Nay, they live,
finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord. Holy Quran
(3:169)
The events of Karbala reflect the collision of thegood versus the
evil, the virtuous versus the wicked, and the collision of Imam
Hussain (the head of virtue) versus Yazid (the head of impiety). Imam
Hussain (pbuh) was a revolutionary person, a righteous man, the
religious authority, the Imam of Muslim Ummah (nation). As the
representative of his grandfather Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Imam
Hussain's main concern was to safeguard and protect Islam and guide
fellow Muslims. On the other hand, the staying power of the rulers
(Muawiya and his son Yazid) depended solely on the might of the sword.
They used brute force to rule over the Muslim empire even by all
possible illicit means.
The mission of Imam Hussain (pbuh) is distinctly unique, political and
religious revolutionary movement in the history of World. His was a
tremendous undertaking which still reverberates throughout the Muslim
nation. He hasbeen a propelling force and a seminal element in events
throughout Islamic history, particularly in the sphere of Jihad (the
holy struggle in the way of Almighty God). Imam Hussain's example has
remained vividly alive forgenerations and centuries. His uprising,
movement and ideals stillhave a deep impact on the conscience and
awareness of the Muslim empire.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:"The best of Jihad is
that of a word of right spokento an unjust ruler."
Imam Hussain (pbuh) witnessed the deteriorating political and social
situation and clearly recognized that the general policy of the
authorities did not abide with Islamic principles. He was aware of the
Ummah's numerous and painful afflictions, and was determined to
exercise his religious duty, being the duly sanctioned leader &
central figure capable of restoring Islamic values. Thus he rose. His
revolt is rich in lessons and divinely inspired attitudes. Imam
Hussain (pbuh) embodied the sacrifice of self, money, family, social
status and the challenge to terror and cruelty. He patiently traversed
hundreds of miles, moving both night and day. The epic protest he
engendered came at the most critical political juncture. In fact, the
Prophet's grandson had vowed to sacrifice himself.
Thus, Karbala proved to be a clash involving Islamic truths versus
falsehood, belief versus disbelief, and the oppressed versus the
oppressor, faith against brute force. Karbala was about standing in
the face of oppression, regardless no matter the cost. In Karbala,
Imam Hussain the fifty seven (57) year old second grandson of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh), sacrificed his totality and all he had, for one goal.
This goal was to let the truth triumph over falsehood eventually,
andhe did that brilliantly. His goal was to foil the plan that Muawiya
had expertly developed for his son, Yazid, which was to establish a
permanent Umayyads (Banu Umayya)ruler ship over the Muslim Ummah (even
by sacrificing the Islamic principles), but doing it in the name of
Islam. Brilliantly, Imam Hussain (pbuh) succeeded in foiling this plan
and he exposed the disreputablenature of Umayyads though this was at
the expense of his life.
Eventually he was martyred along with his sons, most of his household
and all of his companions. The bodies were mutilated and their heads
were carried from Karbala, to Kufa and finally Damascus. His womenfolk
were taken prisoners and marched across the desert. He himself was
expecting all that, but did not budge an inch.
An uprising led by the noblest and best accepted personality in the
entire Ummah, is certainly one which is uniquely distinguished asa
movement abounding with spiritual, moral and religious ideals. Due to
the importance of this personality, we are honored to present this.
Such a sublime revolution has to be studied, dissected and fully
understood. Lessons should be drawn from it. Here we note that the
backward and downtrodden nations must one day follow in the footsteps
of Imam Hussain (pbuh) if they areto challenge the despots.
The famous Urdu poet has prophesized:
Insaan Ku Bedaar Tou Ho Lene Do, Har Qaum Pukaraygi Hamare Hain Hussain
Give mankind a chance togain consciousness, Everytribe will call
out,"Hussain is ours!"
Qatl-e-Hussain Asl Main Marg-e-Yazid Hai, Islam Zinda Hota Hai Har
Karbala Kai Baad
In the murder of Hussain, indeed is the death of Yazid. For each
Karbala is the revival of Islam.
Karbala garden of swords, blood and inspiration for innumerable pens.
Karbala is the word of right...the hymn on the lips of time.
Karbala is a poem...a rhyme of anguish and pain.
Karbala never passes away. Its sun never sets in the horizon of
history. Its anguish can never be effaced from the conscience of
freemen bythe collective conspiracy of tyrants.
At Karbala clouds of blood rained and generations of martyrs and
revolutionaries took root and sprouted. The sound of the fearless
voice of Imam Hussain (pbuh) still echoes in the valley of Karbala,
ringing in the ears of time. It is a hurricane that chafes andshakes
the tyrants. It is a volcano of blood, violently jolting the despots'
thrones. It awakens free consciences and stirs within man the spirit
of revolution and Jihad. His voice is still echoing in the ears of
mankind:
"By God, I will never give you my hand like a man who has been
humiliated, nor will I flee like a slave."
Who actually is Hussain? What is the background of this exceptionally
unique and great personality? This prominent man of history, the
legend of epics, the word of pride and honor was no less the Grandson
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the son of his daughter Fatimah Zahra
(pbuh) and her cousin and husband the Commander of the Faithful, Ali
son of Abu Talib son of Abdul Mutalib son of Hashim.
Hence the only fact remains: "There never was a Hussain before him,
there has been noneafter him."
The object of this work is only to present with extreme brevity the
greathistoric event of the matchless sacrifice of the King of Martyrs
Imam Hussain (pbuh), in the seed of Abraham (pbuh) through the Holy
ProphetMuhammad (pbuh), offered to save the Truth and humanity from
getting lost to falsehood forever, for the apostleship had been
concluded with the revelation of the Holy Quran, the Final Word of
God. If anything had to be done or could be done, to save the Truth,
itwas only through the Imamate which was destined to do it, and Imam
Hussain (pbuh) wasthe divinely chosen one for it.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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The faculty of hearing of the dead

One often wonders aboutthe soul's faculties in the barzakh (the stage
between death and the Resurrection). Can it hear? Can it see? Does it
have knowledge of certain things going on in the world? In order to
answer these and other questions, one must carefully scrutinize the
quality of the evidence presented in support of certain claims made by
scholars in this field.
THE DECEASED'S FACULTY OFHEARING
It is a common concept among some scholars[1] and others that the dead
in their graves have the ability of hearing a visitor's greeting, his
supplication, talk, etc. Such a concept is unfounded, for it has no
proof from clear texts of the divine shari'ah. In fact, it is in open
contradiction to the unchallengeable texts of the Quran and the
authentic traditions of the Prophet (saws) whichdeny the possibility
of the dead possessing this faculty.
PROOF FROM THE QUR'AN AND THE SUNNAH NEGATING IT
There are two unequivocal texts from the Qur'an which deny the
possibility of the dead in their graves possessing the faculty of
hearing. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, states :
"Verily you cannot make the dead hear and you can not make the deaf
hear the call when they turn their backs and retreat." [Surah an-Naml
27:80]
"The living and the dead are not alike. Allah makeswhoever he wishes
hear, but you cannot make those in the graves hear."[Surah Fatir
35:22]
In the first verse Allah addresses His messenger, Muhamad (saws),
reminding him that he cannot make the disbelievers hear the invitation
to Islam, for they are like the dead, who do not hear either. In the
second verse Allah points to the difference between the living and the
dead - they are not all alike. He further clarifies to His prophet
that he cannot make the rejectors of faith hear themessage (for they
are dead in heart and in spirit) any more than he can make those in
the graves hear what is spoken to them![2]
Just as the Qur'an denies the possibility of the deceased possessing
the faculty of hearing, there are a number of texts in the sunnah
which arrive at the same conclusion. One such hadith follows:
Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet (saws) said:"Allah has angels who
travel about the earth; they [do and will] conveyto me the peace
greetingfrom my ummah." [Authentically reported by Abu Dawud]
This hadith clarifies that the Prophet (saws) does not hear the
greetings of peace from Muslims when they pronounce it upon him, for
if he could hear it directly, there would be no need of angels to
convey it to him. Therefore, it follows that the Prophet (saws) cannot
hear other forms of conversation directed to him either;[3] and it
stands even more to reason that the deceased,being lesser than the
Prophet (saws), also cannot hear the salam (greeting of peace) or any
other form of speech.[4] Thus contrary to a popular misconception,
because the Messenger (saws) cannot directly hear either one's
invocation of blessings[5]or one's salam addressed to him, such
greetings may be conveyed to him from anywhere, regardless of the
distanceor proximity of the greeter to the Prophet's grave. The
erroneous belief that the Prophet (saws) hears these greetings
directly disregards the previous hadith whcih specifies that the
greetings are conveyed to him by the angels, and it is based on a
forged tradition whose text follows:
It has been narrated that the Prophet (saws) said:"Whoever asks
blessings for me at my grave, I hear him, and whoever asks blessings
upon me from afar, it is conveyed to me." [This tradition was
mentioned by al-'Uqayli in his book, adh-Dhu'afa and by al-Khateeb,
Ibn 'Asakir, et. al., and they all agreed that it is a forged
(mawdhu') hadith. See al-Albani's al-Ahadith adh-Dha'eefah, vol.1,
hadith no.203]
ALLEGED EVIDENCE AND ITS REFUTATION
In order to refute the allegations which claim that the deceased in
the grave possess the faculty of hearing, it is essential to analyze
them and discover the means by which such allegations are dependent
upon weak and forged traditions and/or due to erroneous
interpretations of varioustexts.
There are a number of authentic narrations relating the Prophet's
address to the corpses of the mushrikeen (polytheists) of Quraysh who
were slain by the believers in the Battle of Badr and then thrown into
a dried well. The following two examples suffice for the purpose ofthe
present discussion:
Abu Talhah reported: "Onthe day of the Battle of Badr, Allah's Prophet
(saws) ordered that the bodies of twenty-four leaders of the Quraysh
bethrown into one of the foul, abandoned wells of Badr. On the third
day after the battle the Prophet called for his mount and saddled it.
Then he set out, so his companions followed him. They said amongst
themselves, "He must be going to something important." When the
Prophet (saws) arrived atthe well[6], he stood at its edge and began
addressing those therein by calling upon them by their names, "O so
and so,son of so and so; and you, so and so, son of so and so! Would
it not havebeen easier to have obeyed Allah and His Messenger? We have
found that which our Lord promised us to be true[7]. Did you find what
your Lord promisedyou to be true?[8] Thereupon 'Umar said, "OMessenger
of Allah, what are you saying to these bodies without souls?! Dothey
hear? For Allah, the Majestic and Mighty, says,"Verily, you cannot
make the dead hear." [Surah an-Naml 27:80] The Prophet (saws)
answered, "By Him in whose hand lies the soul of Muhammad, you did not
hear better than them and what i just said." Qatadah[9] added:"Allah
brought them back[10] to life (momentarily) in order tomake them hear
as a means of scorn and belittlement and [so that they would feel]
regret and remorse." [Authentically related by al-Bukhari and Muslim]
In another narration of this incident there is a slight variation in
the wording of the text which follows:
"Ibn 'Umar related: "The Prophet (saws) stood at the edge of a
well[11] at Badr and said, "Did you find the promise of your Lord to
be true?" Then headded, "Verily at this moment they hear what Iam
saying." Later on[12], this was mentioned to 'A'ishah[13], whereupon
she commented, "What the Prophet (saws) meantwas, "Now they know that
what I used to tell them is the truth." Then she recited, "Verily you
cannot make the dead hear," [Surah an-Naml 27:80] up to the end of the
verse." [Related authentically by al-Bukhari and others]
Some often misconstrue the texts of the two aforementioned hadiths as
proof for the contention that the dead can hear. However, the
following argumentationrefutes such a claim. This miraculous
circumstance in which the corpses of the slain Quraysh were made to
hear the Prophet's address to them is a special case - anexception to
the general rule that the dead do not hear.[14] By a miracle, Allah,
the Almighty, madethem hear the scolding from the Prophet (saws) -only
for the moment he spoke to them![15] This isclearly proven by the
second narration itself, for their hearing was said to be conditioned
bythe moment when the Prophet (saws) called outto them in scorn and
rebuke. He said, "At this moment they hear what Iam saying."
Furthermore,in the first narration the Prophet (saws) does not deny
'Umar's sound understanding of the verse's general ruling that the
does do not hear. Rather, the Prophet(saws) merely clarifies for'Umar
that what occurredat Badr was a divine miracle and, therefore, an
exception to the general ruling of the verse.[16]
Another text often quoted by those who believe that the dead canhear
is the following tradition:
Anas bin Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (saws) said: "After the
deceased is placed in his grave and his companions[17] turn to leave,
he hears the shuffling of their feet as they walk away. Then there
comes to him the two angels." [Part of an authentic hadith related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This text is not valid evidence for the general claim that the dead
can hear; rather, this tradition only specifies another exception to
the general rule. In this case, the deceased hears the shuffling feet
of those who attended his funeralas they walk away. This isa momentary
possession of the faculty of hearing which is terminated at the point
at which the two questioning angels[18] come to him[19].
From what has preceded,it is abundantly clear thatthe deceased
generally do not have the faculty ofhearing, for they are beyond the
barrier (barzakh) which separates our world fromtheirs. This proves
the gross error in the thinking of those who attempt to carry
on"conversations" with the dead, or worse, petition them for certain
things. Petitioning the dead is shirk, and this is indeed the greatest
of all sins.
FOOTNOTES :
1. Among those who erred in this matter are Ibn Abi-Dunya, Ibn
'Abdul-Barr, al-Qurtubi, Ibn al-Qayyim and ash-Shanqeeti.
2. See Tafseer at-Tabari, vol.21, p.36 and al-Qurtubi's al-Jami, vol.13, p.232
3. Thus it is absolutely foolish for one to attempt to converse with
the Prophet (saws)or others at their graves. To ask them for any form
of help is blatant shirk. Such is the misguidance spreadby Sufis, who
have gone astray.
4. See al-Ayat al-Bayyinat of al-Alusi, p.37, Published by al-Maktabah
al-Islamee [1982]
5. In Islam, it is encouraged to invoke blessings upon the Prophet
(saws) and thiscommonly follows the mention of his name in one form or
another.
6. Into which the bodies of the slain Quraysh had been thrown earlier.
7. That is, that the believers would have victory over their enemy,
the Quraysh. See al-Qurtubi's tafseer,al-Jami'u li Ahkam al-Qur'an,
vol.7, p.370 regarding the information about Surah al-Anfal, 8:7-10.
8. This is a reference to the Quraysh's supplication asking their Lord
to bring a painful punishment upon them if what Muhammad (saws) was
preaching was the truth. See Surah al-Anfal, 8:32.
9. A famouse tabi'ee and anarrator of this hadith
10. The slain Quraysh whobodies were in the abandoned well.
11. The same well mentioned earlier intowhich the bodies of the slain
Quraysh werethrown.
12. Most likely after the Prophet's death.
13. The beloved wife of the Prophet.
14. See al-Alusi's Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol.6 p.455
15. This is confirmed by many of the dependable commentators and
jurists. For example, see al-ayat al-Bayyinat, pp.29, 56 and 59.
16. See al-Ayat al-Bayyinat, pp.30-31
17. His friends and others who attended his burial.
18. There names are Munkar and Nakeer, and their fearful appearance
has been described earlier in this treatise. <{My note: There is some
disagreement amongst scholars some who say that theangels may not
really be called Munkar and Nakeer for the words Munkar and Nakeer
mean bad things in the Arabic language, whilst the angels are all
pure.}>
19. See al-Ayat al-bayyinat, pp.38 and56.

Life After Death

The question whether there is a life after death does not fall under
the jurisdiction of science as science is concerned onlywith
classification and analysis of sense data. Moreover, man has been busy
with scientific enquiries and research, in the modern sense of the
term, only for the lastfew centuries, while he has been familiar with
the concept of life after death since times immemorial.
All the prophets of God called their people to worship God and to
believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief
in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meantdenying God
and made all other beliefs meaningless. The very fact that all the
prophets of God have dealt with this metaphysical question of life
after death so confidently and so uniformly - the gap between their
ages being thousands of years - goes to prove that the source of their
knowledge of life after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same,
i.e., Divine revelation. Wealso know that these prophets of God were
greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of life after
death astheir people thought it impossible. But in spite ofopposition
the prophets won so many sincere followers.
The question arises: whatmade those followers forsake the established
beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers notwithstanding
the risk of being totally alienatedfrom their own community? The
simple answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart
and realized the truth. Did they realizethe truth through perceptual
consciousness? Not so, as perceptual experience of life after death is
impossible. Actually God has given man besides perceptual
consciousness, rational, aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is
this consciousness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be
verified through sensory data. That is why all the prophets of God
while calling people to believe in God and life after death, appeal to
the aesthetic, moral and rational consciousness of man. For example,
when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility of life after
death, the Quran exposedthe weakness of their stand by advancing very
logical and rational arguments in support of it:
"And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own (origin and)
Creation: he says, 'Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed
ones (at that)?' Say, 'He will give them life Who created them for the
first time! For He fully knows all! - The same Who produces for you
fire out of the green tree, when behold!ye kindle therewith (yourown
fires)! Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create
the like thereof?' - Yea, indeed! for He is the Creator Supreme, of
skill and knowledge (infinite)!" ( 36:78-81 )
At another occasion the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers
haveno sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based
on pure conjecture:
"And they say: 'What is there but our life in this world? We shall die
and we live, and nothing but time can destroy us.' But of that they
have no knowledge: they merely conjecture: And when Our Clear Signs
are rehearsed to them, their argument is nothing but this: they say,
'Bring (back) our forefathers, if what ye say is true!'" ( 45:24-25 )
Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has Hisown plan of things.
A daywill come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then
again the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will
be the beginning of the life that will never end, and that day every
person will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil
deed. The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life
after death is what moral consciousness of man demands. Actually if
there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes
irrelevant or even if one believes in God, that would be an unjust and
indifferent God: having once createdman not concerned with his fate.
Surely, God is just; He will punish the tyrants whose crimes are
beyond count: having killed hundreds of innocent persons, created
great corruptionsin the society, enslaved numerous persons to serve
their whims etc... Man having a very short span of life in this world,
and this physical world too being not eternal, punishments or rewards
equal to the evil or noble deeds of persons are not possible here. The
Quran very emphatically states that the Day of Judgement must come and
God will decide about the fate of each soul according to his or her
record of deeds:
"The Unbelievers say, 'Never to us will come theHour': Say, 'Nay! but
mostsurely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows the
unseen,- from Whom is not hiddenthe least little atom in theheavens or
on earth: nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in
the Record Perspicuous: That He mayreward those who believe and work
deeds of righteousness: for suchis Forgiveness and a Sustenance Most
Generous.' But those whostrive against Our Signs, to frustrate them,-
for such will be a Chastisement,- of painful wrath." ( 34:3-5 )
The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God's attributes of
Justiceand Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His
mercy on those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life,
believing that an eternal bliss was awaiting them. But thosewho abused
the bountiesof God, caring nothing for the life to come, will be in
the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison between them, the Quran
says:
"Are (these two) alike?- one to whom We have made a goodly promise,
and who is going to reach its (fulfillment), and one to whom We have
given the good things of this life, but who, on the Day of Judgment,
is to be among those brought up (for punishment)?" ( 28:61 )
The Quran also states thatthis worldly life is a preparation for the
eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their
passions and desires, make fun of virtuous andGod-conscious persons.
Such persons realize theirfolly only at the time of their death and
wish to be given a further chancein the world but in vain. Their
miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of
Judgement, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers
are very beautifully mentioned in the following verses of the Holy
Quran:
"Until, when death comesto one of them, he says: 'O my Lord! Send me
back(to life),- In order that I may work righteousness in the things I
neglected.'- 'By no means! It is but a word he says.'- Before them is
a Partition till theDay they are raised up. Then when the Trumpet is
blown, there will be nomore relationships between them that Day, nor
will one ask after another! Then those whose balance (of good deeds)
is heavy,- they willbe successful: But those whose balance is light,
will be those who have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide. The
Fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their
lips displaced."( 23:99-104 )
The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in
theHereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by
makingindividuals most responsible and dutiful intheir activities.
Think of the people of Arabia; gambling, wine, tribal feuds,
plundering and murdering were their main traits when they had no
belief in life after death. But as soon as they accepted the belief in
the One God and life after death they became the most disciplined
nation of the world. Theygave up their vices, helped each other in
hours of need, and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice
and equality. Similarly the denial of life after death has its
consequences not only inthe Hereafter but also in this world. When a
nation as a whole denies it, all kinds of evils and corruptions become
rampant in that society and ultimately it is destroyed. The Quran
mentions the terrible endof Àd, Thamüd and the Pharaoh in some detail:
"The Thamüd and the Àd people disbelieved in theDay of Noise Calamity!
But the Thamüd,- they were destroyed by a terrible Storm of thunderand
lightning! And the Àd, they were destroyed by a furious Wind,
exceedingly violent; He made it rage against them seven nights and
eight days in succession: so that thou couldst see the (whole) people
lying overthrown in its (path), as if they had been roots of hollow
palm- trees tumbled down! Then seest thou any of them left surviving?
And Pharaoh, and those before him, and the CitiesOverthrown, committed
habitual Sin. And disobeyed (each) the messenger of their Lord; so He
punished them with an abundant Penalty. We, when the water (of Noah's
Flood) overflowed beyond its limits, carried you (mankind), in the
floating (Ark), That We might make it a Reminder unto you, and that
ears (that should hear the tale and) retain its memory should bear its
(lessons) in remembrance.
Then, when one blast is sounded on the Trumpet,And the earth is moved,
and its mountains, and they are crushed at one stroke,- On that Day
shall the (Great) Event come topass. And the sky will be rent asunder,
for it will that Day be flimsy, And the angels will be on its sides,
and eight will, that Day, bear the Throne of thy Lord above them. That
Day shall ye be brought to Judgment: not an act of yours that ye hide
will be hidden.
Then he that will be given his Record in his right hand will say: 'Ah
here! Read ye my Record!I did really think that my Account would (One
Day) reach me!' And he will be in a life of Bliss, In a Garden on
high, The Fruits whereof (will hangin bunches) low and near. Eat ye
and drink ye,with full satisfaction; because of the (good) that ye
sent before you, in the days that are gone!
And he that will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: 'Ah!
Wouldthat my Record had not been given to me! And that I had never
realized how my account (stood)! Ah! Would that (Death) had made an
end of me! Of no profit to me has been my wealth! My power has
perished fromme!'... (The stern command will say): 'Seizeye him, and
bind ye him, And burn ye him in the Blazing Fire. Further, insert him
in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits! This was he that
would not believe in Allah the Most High. And would not encourage the
feeding ofthe indigent! So no friend hath he here this Day. Nor hath
he any food except the foul pus from the washing of wounds, Which none
do eat but those in sin.'" ( 69:4-39 )
Thus there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death.
Firstly , all the prophets ofGod have called their people to believe in it.
Secondly , whenever a human society is built on the basis of this
belief, it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, freeof social
and moral evils.
Thirdly , history bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected
collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of
the prophet, the group as a whole has been punishedby God even in this
world.
Fourthly , moral, aestheticand rational faculties of man endorse the
possibility of life after death.
Fifthly , God's attributes of Justice and Mercy haveno meaning if
there is nolife after death.
Further Readings on Islam:
*. T. B. Irving, et al.: The Quran: Basic Teachings
*. Hamuda Abdulati : Islamin Focus
*. M. Qutb : Islam: The Misunderstood Religion
*. Maudoodi : Towards Understanding Islam
*. Maurice Bucaille : The Bible, The Quran and Science
*. Suzanne Haneef : What Everyone Should Know About Islam and the Muslims

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Hajj Exemplifies Equality Before Allah: Holy Prophet Muhammad's Sermon at Arafah

This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in
the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafah' (in Makkah). Part of his beautiful
sermon is as below, in which he insistson rights of each other. After
praising, and thanking Allah Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:
".......... O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether
after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen
to what Iam saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE
WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as
Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred
trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners.
Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed
meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds.
ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all
interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however,
is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity.
Allah has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the
interest due to Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib(Holy Prophet Muhammad's
uncle) shall henceforth be waived.
Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope
that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware
of following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your
women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have
taken them as your wivesonly under Allah's trust and with His
permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right
to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be
kind to them for they are yourpartners and committed helpers. And it
is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you
do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.
O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily
prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan , and give your
wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
All mankind is from Adamand Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a
non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white
has no superiority over black nor does a black have any superiority
over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is
a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one
brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to
a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not,
therefore, do injustice to yourselves.
Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer your deeds.
So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am
gone.
O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH
WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words
which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and
myAhlul Bayt, and if you follow these you will never go astray.
All those who listen to meshall pass on my words toothers and those to
others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than
those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O ALLAH, that I have
conveyed your message to your people .........."
(1.) Prayer of Arafah (2.) Aa'maal of the day of Arafah
Hajj Exemplifies Equality Before Allah: Imam Hussain's Sermon at Mina
to scholars of religion
O people take lesson from the counsel God gave to His friends when He
rebuked the Rabbis bysaying: "Why do not the Rabbis and the doctors
ofLaw (scholars) forbid them from their (habit of) uttering sinful
words and eating things forbidden? Evil indeed are their works."
(5:63)
And God says: "Curses were pronounced on those among the Childrenof
Israel who rejected Faith, by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son
of Mary: because theydisobeyed and persisted in excesses. Nor did they
(usually) forbid one another the iniquities which they committed: evil
indeed were the deeds which they did." (5:78-79)
God reproached them because they saw with their own eyes the
oppressors committing vile and corrupt acts, but did not stop them,
out of love for the favors they received from them as well as fear of
persecution and injury. However, God says: "Fear not men, but fear
Me." (5:44) And He says: "The believing men and women are friends and
protectors to each other; they enjoin the good andforbid the evil;
they perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and obey God and His
messenger. Upon them God shall have mercy; God is Almighty, All-wise."
(9:71)
God mentions the duty ofenjoining the good and forbidding the evil
(Al-Amr bil Maroof and Nahi un al-Munkir) before all other duties,
because He knows that if it is performed and is established in the
society all other duties, the easy and the difficult, will alsobecome
established. The reason for this is that Al-Amr bil Maroof and Nahi un
al-Munkir means summoning people to Islam, as well as resistance
against injustice, opposing and struggling against oppressors, and
endeavoring to ensure that public wealth and income derived from
warare distributed in accordance with the just laws of Islam, and that
taxes are collected, leviedand expended in due andproper form.
O scholars, who are celebrated and enjoy good repute on account of
your learning! You have achieved a good name in society because of
your good will. It is on account of God that men venerate you and
stand in awe of you, so that even powerful fear you and the weak honor
you,and those who are not subject to you and over whom you hold no
authority grant you favors they deny themselves. When the people do
not receive their due, they seek your intercession, and you walk in
the street with the majesty of kings and princes.
Have you not earned all this respect and prestige because of the
people's hopes that you will implement God's laws, even though in most
instances you have failed to do so?
You have taken lightly your duties as leaders. You have neglected the
rights of the oppressed and the lowly, but have assiduously pursued
what you regard as your personal rights. You havenot spent your money
or risked your life for the sake of the One Who gave you life, nor
have you fought against any group or tribe for the sake of God.
Nevertheless, you desire -and regard it as your due- that He should
grant you paradise, the company of the prophet, and security from
chastisement in the hereafter. You have such expectations of God, I
fear that the full weight of His wrath descend upon you, for although
itis by His might and glory that you have achieved high rank, you show
no respect to those who truly know God, while you yourselves enjoy
respect among God's creatures on His account.
(I am also afraid for you for another reason :) you see the covenant
enactedwith God being violated and trampled under foot,yet you show no
anxiety, when it comes to the covenants enacted with your fathers, you
becomegreatly disturbed and anxious if they are only violated in part,
but the pledges you have given to the most noble Messenger are a
matter of complete indifference to you.
The blind, the dumb, and chronically ill everywherelack protection in
towns and no mercy is shown them. But you neither behave in accordance
with your function and rank, nor you support or pay any regard to
those who do. You purchase your safety from the oppressive ruling
powerswith flattery cajolery, and compromise.
All these activities have been forbidden to you byGod, and He has,
more over, commanded you to forbid each other to engage in them, but
you pay no attention.
The calamity that has befallen you is greater than what has befallen
others, for true rank and degree of 'Ulama' has been taken away from
you. The administration of the country and the issuing of decrees and
ordinances should actually be trusted to religious scholars who are
guardians of God's ordinances concerning what is permitted and what is
forbidden. But your position has been usurped from you, for no other
reason than that you have abandoned the truth (al-Haqq), and have
disagreed about the nature of the Sunnah, despite the existence of
clear proofs.
Had you the forbearance to endure adversities andhardships for the
sake of God, then all proposed regulations (God's affairs) would be
brought to you for your approval and for you to issue; authority would
liein your hands. But you allowed the oppressors to take away your
functions and God's affairs (i.e. government) to fall into their
hands, sothat they administer them by resorting to ambiguities and
make arbitrariness and the satisfaction of lust their consistent
practice. What enabled them to gain control of government was your
fleeing in panicfrom (inevitable) death and your love of life, which
shall in all certainty depart from you. As a consequence of that
mentality, you have delivered the powerless masses into the clutches
of the oppressors. While some cringe like slaves under the yoke of
oppressors, and others have been reduced to destitution in regard to
their livelihood, the rulers run the affairs of the government in
accordance with their whims, earning ignominyand disgrace for
themselves with their licentiousness, following evil counselors, and
showing impudence toward God. One of their appointed spokesmen mounts
the pulpit (Minbar) in each city. The country is defenseless before
them, and their hands grab freely whatever they want of it.The people
are their slaves and are powerless to defend themselves. One of the
governors is a dictator by nature, malevolent and rancorous; another
represses to recognize either God or the Day of Resurrection! It is
not strange - how can one think it strange, that society is in the
clutches of a cunning oppressor whose tax collectors are oppressors
and whose governors feel no compassion or mercy towards the believers
under rule.
It is God who will judge concerning what is dispute among us and
deliver a decisive verdict concerning all that occursamong us.
O God! You know that everything we did was not prompted by rivalry for
political power, nor for a search for wealth and abundance; rather it
was done to demonstrateto men the shining principles and values of
Your religion, to reform the affairs of Your land, to protect and
secure the indisputable rights of Your oppressed servants, and to act
in accordance with the duties. You haveestablished the norms, laws,
and ordinances which You have decreed.
So (O scholars of religion!) You are to help us reach this goal, win
back our rights from those powers who have considered it acceptable to
wrong you and who have attempted to put out the light kindled by your
Prophet. God suffices us, upon Him do we rely, to Him do we return,
and to Him shall we return.

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Tawaf of Kaaba: in line with the Cosmic Law

Allah Almighty says: "And He it is Who created the night and the day,
and the sun and the moon, each in an orbit floating." (Al-Anbiya, 21:
33)
This glorious verse refers to a scientific fact concerning the system
of the universe. Scientific discoveries have proved that we live in a
huge universe that depends onrevolution. The earth revolves round the
sun once a year, the moon revolves around the earth once per lunar
month, and the other planets of the solar system also revolve round
the sun, each in itsown orbit. Besides, most of these planets have
moons that revolve around them, each, also in its own orbit.
Astronomers have discovered more than 60 of these moons so far.
The solar system, likewise, orbits a center of our galaxy, the Milky
Way. This galaxy consists of more than 130 billion stars. Galaxies, in
turn, revolve round a center that only Almighty Allah knows.
The law of revolution applies also to atoms, thesmallest units of
elementsthat cannot be seen even by microscopes. An atom is composed
of a nucleus whose diameter is less than a millionth of a millimeter.
An atom is surrounded by electrons that move round the atom in an
orbit. Since allmatter in the universe-whether solid, liquid, or
gaseous consists of atoms, this means that the law of revolution
applies to everything: stars, planets, moons, animals, plants, sand,
seas, air, and so on.
This includes cells as well.The cytoplasm in the cell moves around the nucleus.
There is a common factorbetween the orbital movements of all the
objects referred to above, this is, and their revolution is
anti-clockwise.
Contemplating the above lines, we come to realize that revolution is a
cosmic law.
With a believer's meditation upon such a scientific fact, another
image of revolution is brought to one s mind: the pilgrim's
circumambulation of the Kaaba, which is a basic ritual of Hajj in
Islam.
Circumambulating the Kaaba is a symbolic act ofworship, whose wisdom
may be hidden from some. It indicates the believer's utter submission
to Almighty Allah alone. The pilgrims go to Hajj in response to the
divine order that Prophet Ibrahim or Prophet Abraham (peace be upon
him) conveyed to people.
Allah Almighty says: "And (remember) when We showed Ibrahim the site
of the (Sacred) House (the Kaaba at Makkah), saying: Ascribe not
anything (in worship) with Me, and sanctify My House for those who
circumambulate it, and those who stand up (for prayer), and those who
bow (submit themselves with humility and obedience to Allah), and make
prostration (in prayer). And proclaim to mankind the Hajj
(pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel,
theywill come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to
perform Hajj)." (Al-Hajj, 22:26-27).
This signifies that the Kaaba is the spiritual center of the
believers. It refers to the close bond that should be between
abeliever and his Lord. A believer turns toward theKaaba five times a
day during the prescribed ritual Prayers.
A pilgrim circumambulates the Kaaba as if he or she is a celestial
body orbiting another greater body. Circumambulation of the Kaaba is
to be performedanti-clockwise. This indicates that there is a joint
factor between a pilgrim's expressing his ultimate faith in
AlmightyAllah by circumambulating the Kaaba in that way and between
the cosmic laws of revolution discussed above. This indicates
thatthere is consistency between the obligations of worship in Islam
and the natural laws that govern the universe, which indicates that
theyall belong to only one source, that is, Almighty Allah.
This proves the truthfulness of the call of Islam that there is no
godbut Almighty Allah. Thus, Islam is the true religion that provides
humankindwith a comprehensive view in conformity with the divine truth
that is apparent in the natural laws of the universe.
Tawaf: Utmost degree of love
Circumambulation meansto go round something. This act shows the
utmostdegree of love to the extent that a lover wishesto sacrifice
himself for the beloved. A real pilgrim who has thirst formeeting his
Beloved has been detached from everything. By going round the House of
the Beloved, he wishes to prove that he desires nothing but God.
The planets circumambulate the sun, for they take everything from it.
Inside an atom, the electrons circumambulate the protons. The whole
universe ranging from the invisible particles to the planets and
galaxies circumambulate. Man, being a part of the universe, should
circumambulate, too, with the difference that the planets
circumambulate in a compulsory way according to the laws of nature,
but man, the rational being and possessor of free will,
circumambulates with hislogic and will a House God has appointed to
honor human beings. Hence, it is natural for Muslims to offer their
prayers, to sit, to stand, to recite the Holy Quran, to sleep, to lie
down at the moment of death, to be put in grave, and finally to be in
that direction during their lifetimes and death.
"Say: Surely my prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are
all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds." (Al-Anaam, 6:162)
Survival of the Kaaba, a wonder
It is a wonder that all the royal palaces built throughout history
have been demolished but the Kaaba, a house built of mud and stone
about four thousand years ago by Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his son
Prophet Ismail (AS) in a parched land is still upright and will
continue to be loved by human beings until the Day of Judgment.
What is more wonderful is the attraction of this House. So many
glorious and majestic buildings in the world are found in areas of
good climate, but the Kaaba attracts people to itself without having
means of entertainment or being satisfying people's pleasure. The
reason however is natural. It is God Himself Who has created this
attraction in people's hearts through Prophet Ibrahim's supplication:
"And proclaim among men the pilgrimage: theywill come to you on foot
and on every lean camel, coming from every remote path." (The Holy
Quran, 22:27)
Kaaba Size and History
The small, cubed buildingknown as the kaaba may not rival skyscrapers
in height or mansions in width, but its impact on history and human
beings is unmatched. Thekaaba is the building towards which Muslims
face five times a day, everyday, in prayer. This has been the case
since the time of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) over
1400 years ago.
The Size of Kaaba:
The current height of the kaaba is 39 feet, 6 inches and total size
comes to 627 square feet. The inside room of the kaaba is 13x9 meters.
The kaaba's walls are one meter wide. The floor inside is 2.2 meters
higher than the place where people perform Tawaf.
The ceiling and roof are two levels made out of wood. They were
reconstructed with teak which is capped with stainless steel. The
walls are all made of stone. Thestones inside are unpolished, while
the ones outside are polished.
This small building has been constructed and reconstructed by Prophets
Adam, Ibrahim, Ismail and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).No other
building has had this honor. Yet, not very much is known about the
details of this small but significant building.
Holy Kaaba: The House of Allah (SWT) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The
Kaaba is covered by a black cloth known as 'Kiswa', which is produced
and changed every year. Special factory designed for the making of
Kiswa in Makkah. It costs approx. SR 17million.The cloth is made of
670kgs of Silver dyed black, about 120kgs of pure Gold and 50kgs of
Silver used in writing the Qur'anic verses over the cloth. The total
area of the cloth is 658sqr meter.
The Other Names of Kaaba:
Literally, kaaba in Arabic means a high place with respect and
prestige. The word kaaba may also be derivative of a word meaning a
cube. Some ofthese other names include:
1. Baitul Ateeq - which means, according to one meaning, the earliest
andancient. According to the second meaning, it means independent and
liberating. Both meanings could be taken.
2. Baitul Haram - the honorable house.
Scholars and historians say that kaaba has been reconstructed between
5 to 12 times. The very first construction of the kaabawas done by
Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). Allah says in Holy Quran that this
was the first house that was built for humanity to worship Allah.
After this, Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them) rebuilt
kaaba.
The measurements of thekaaba's foundation by Prophet Ibrahim are as follows:
Eastern wall was 48 feet and 6 inches
Hateem side wall was 33 feet
Side between the black stone and the Yemeni corner was 30 feet
Western side was 46.5 feet
Following this, there were several constructions before the Prophet
Muhammad's (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) time.
Reconstruction of kaaba by Quraish:
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) participated in one of
its reconstructions before he announced a Prophet.After a flash flood,
the kaaba was damaged and its walls cracked. It needed rebuilding.
This responsibility was divided among the Quraish's four tribes.
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) helped with this
reconstruction.
Once the walls were erected, it was time to place the Black Stone,
(Hajar al-Aswad) on the eastern wall of the kaaba. Arguments erupted
about who would have the honor of putting the Black Stone in its
place. A fight was about to break out over the issue, when Abu
Umayyah, Makkah's oldest man, proposed that the first man to enter the
gate of the mosque the following morning would decide the matter. That
man wasthe Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam). The
Makkans were ecstatic. "This is the trustworthy one (Al-Ameen)" they
shoutedin a chorus. "This is Muhammad." He came to them and they asked
himto decide on the matter. He agreed.
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) proposed a solution
that all agreed to - putting the Black Stone on a cloak, the elders of
each of the clans held on to one edgeof the cloak and carried the
stone to its place. TheProphet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam)
then picked up the stone and placed it on the wall of kaaba.
Since the tribe of Quraishdid not have sufficient funds, this
reconstructiondid not include the entirefoundation of kaaba as built
by Prophet Ibrahim. This is the first time kaaba acquired the cubical
shape it has now, unlike the rectangle shape which it had earlier. The
portion of the kaaba left out is called Hateem now.

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3- Hazrat Ghause Saqalain Sayyid Abdul Qaadir (R.A) - Sufism Biographies

3) Hazrat Ghause Saqalain Sayyid Abdul Qaadir (R.A)
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3) He also states, "There were 300 Auliyah Allah and 700 Rijaalul
Ghaib (Men of the Unseen) present in that gathering, and every one of
them lowered their necks before him."
Hazrat Makaarim (radi Allaho anhu) states that, "The day on which
Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) made this statement, every Saint knew,
that the flag of Kingship was now planted before Ghaus-e-Azam (radi
Allaho anhu). On this day, all the Saints from East to West lowered
their necks on his command."
Hazrat Sayyidi Sheikh Khalifatul Akbar (radi Allaho anhu) states, "I
saw the Beloved Rasool (Sall Allaho alaihi wasallam) in my dream, and
I asked him about the statement of Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) My
foot is on the shoulders of all the Saints"
He says, that they Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihi wasallam) said ,
AAbdul Qaadir Jilani (radi Allaho anhu) has spoken the truth and Why
should he not say this, when his is The Qutb, and I am his Guardian?"
SULTANUL HIND KHWAJA GHAREEB NAWAAZ (radi Allaho anhu) : When
Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) said, AMy foot is on the Shoulders of
all the Saints@. At this time, Hazrat Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishti
Hassani Sanjari Ajmeri (radi Allaho anhu) was inthe prime of his
youth, and was deep in the remembrance of Allah on a mountain in
Khurasaan. As soon as Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) said these
words, Hazrat Ghareeb Nawaaz (radi Allaho anhu) heard this and lowered
his neck and said, "But your blessed foot is on my eyes and on my
head." It was through the blessing of this act of submission, that
Huzoor Khwaja Mueenuddeen Chishti (radi Allaho anhu) was made the King
of the Saints of India and is known as Sultan-ul-Hind.
HUZOOR MUFTI-E-AZAM HIND (radi Allaho anhu) : Huzoor Mufti-e-Azam Hind
(radi Allaho anhu), who is the son of the renowned Aala Hazrat Ash
Shah Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (radi Allaho anhu) says in one of his
Manqabat, which he wrote in praise of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho
anhu) as follows:
"Ye Dil Ye Jigar He Ye Aankhe Ye Sar He"
My Heart, My liver, My eyes and My head are all here
"Jahaa Chaaho Rakhlo Qadam Ghaus-e-Azam"
O Ghaus! Your Keep your blessed foot wherever you desire
This couplet of Huzoor Mufti-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) shows that even
though he had not yet been born when this statement was made, but even
after coming tothis physical world, he showed his allegiance toHuzoor
Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) by accepting and confirming the
Command of Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu). This, and his immense love
for Sarkaar-e-Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) gained him the exalted
status of Ghaus-ul-Waqt meaning the Ghaus of the Time.
HAZRAT IMAM AHMED BIN HAMBAL (radi Allaho anhu) : Hazrat Sayyidi Baqaa
(radi Allaho anhu)states that once he accompanied Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam
(radi Allaho anhu) to the Mazaar of Hazrat Imam Ahmed bin Hambal (radi
Allaho anhu). He says, I saw Hazrat Imam Ahmed bin Hambals (radi
Allaho anhu) grave split open, and I saw him emerge from his blessed
grave. He embraced Ghause-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) and then said,
Even I am dependent on you in Shariat and Tariqat.
SHARIAT AND TARIQAT : Once Hazrat Sheikh Bata'ihi (radi Allaho anhu)
presented himself in the court of Sheikh Ahmed Kabeer (radi Allaho
anhu). He states that Sheikh Ahmed Kabeer (radi Allaho anhu) said,
"Did you know anything about the condition of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam
(radi Allaho anhu)." Hazrat Sheikh Ahmed Kabeer (radi Allaho anhu)
states,"On hearing this, I began to praise Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam Jilani
(radi Allaho anhu) and say what I knew concerning him. I said asmuch
as I knew, and then remained silent." Hazrat Sheikh Ahmed Kabeer then
said, "On hisright is the Sea of Shariat and on his left is the Sea of
Tariqat. From this, he gives whom he desires. In this era, thereis
none equal to him."
HIS MARRIAGE AND WIVES: Once someone asked Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam (radi
Allaho anhu) why he had made Nikah given in his (Ghaus-e Azams (radi
Allaho anhu)) unique and elevated spiritual condition. Ghause-e-Azam
(radi Allaho anhu) replied by saying, "I would have not married, but
my Beloved forefather, NabiMuhammad (Sall Allaho alaihi wasallam) has
commanded me to marry. It is on this basis that I have made Nikah.
Iwas in reality afraid of making Nikah, for this reason that my time
maybe lost in other things rather than in the love of my Creator, but
when the time came, then My Creator blessed me with four wives, and
each one of them loved me dearly."
Because of his true and pure intention of Nikah, even after marriage,
he never found any time lost from his Ibaadat andfrom his services to
the Deen. All his blessed wives were blessed with piety and deep
knowledge. Hazrat Sayyidi Abdul Jabbar (radi Allaho anhu) one ofthe
sons of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam Jilani (radi Allaho anhu) states
concerning his mother, "When my mother would enter a dark place, it
would become bright immediately. Once my father Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam
(radi Allaho anhu) entered one such place where my mother was, and on
his entrance, the light caused by her presence disappeared. On seeing
this my blessed father said, >This light is not enough. It has
disappeared in my light. Let me make it more powerful. From this day
on, when my mother entered a dark place, then her light was like that
of the full moon."
HIS CHILDREN : Huzoor Sayyidi Abdur Razzaq (radi Allaho anhu), the son
of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) states, "My father had forty
nine children in all, of which twenty seven were boys and twenty two
were girls"
HIS BOOKS AND TREATIES : Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) was
also the author of various books on a vast amount of subjects. His
books flow with seas of Knowledge, Wisdom andmysticism. Two of His
most famous books are: Ghuniyatut Taalibeen & Futuhul Ghaib
With the exception of these, many of his lectures were recorded in
writing by various great scholars that presented themsleves in his
gatherings. Many of these transcripts are still preserved in their
original form upto this day, in various parts of the world.
ADVICE TO HIS CHILDREN : Sheikh Saifuddeen AbdulWahab (radi Allaho
anhu) the son of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam Jilani (radi Allaho anhu)
requested his father for advice, just before his demise. On his
request, Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam (radi Allaho anhu) said, "Fear Almighty
Allah. Fear none but Allah. Always turn towards Him. Ask all you wish
from Allah. Do not turn to any beside Allah. Do not have faith in any
butin Allah. Remain firm on Tauheed (belief in one Allah). There is no
salvation without Tauheed. When the heart becomes linked with Allah,
then nothing else seems to look good to him. I have reached the level
of True love. It is a domain where worldly love has no place."
PRESENCE OF OTHER BEINGS :Just before his demise, he then turned to
the rest of his sons and said, "Move away from me. Right now, youseem
to be before me, but in reality you are notthe only ones here. With
the exception of your selves, there are other creations of Allah here
aswell. Give enough space for them.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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