Is witchcraft real? Is it permissible to seek treatment from practitioners of witchcraft

Is there anything such aswitch doctors? What should we do if someone
says "I don't believe in magic" because "this is just an illusion"?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Sihr (witchcraft or magic) is a word referring to something hidden. It
is real and there are kinds of witchcraft that may affect people
psychologically and physically, so that they become sick and die, or
husbands and wives are separated. Its effects happen by the will of
Allaah. It is a devilish action, most of which is only achieved by
means of shirk and drawing close to the jinn and shayaateen (devils)
by means of that which they love, and it is basedon associating others
with Allaah (shirk).
There are doctors who are also practitioners of witchcraft, who treat
people by means of seeking the help of the jinn. They claim to have
knowledge of the sickness with no need toidentify it, and they
prescribe for the patient foods and drinks that bring him closer to
his allies among the devils. He may tell them to slaughter a pig
whilst saying "Bismillaah" over it, or to slaughter a permissible
animal without saying "Bismillaah", or when saying the name of one of
the devils.
This is kufr or disbelief in Allaah, and it is not permissible under
any circumstances to go to people like these. The hadd punishment for
these people is execution. It has been proven from three of
theSahaabah (may Allaah bepleased with them) that the practitioners of
witchcraft are to be put to death.
The Standing Committee was asked a question about this matter, in
which it was said:
Please note that in Zambia there is a Muslimman who claims that he has
with him a jinn, and the people come to him and ask him to treat their
sicknesses, and thisjinn states what their treatment should be. Is
that permissible?
They replied:
It is not permissible for that man to use the jinn, and it is not
permissible for the people to go to him seeking treatment for sickness
through his using the jinn, or to meet any other need by this means.
Seeking treatment through human medical doctors and using permissible
medicines is sufficient and means that there is no need for that, and
it keeps peoplesafe from the sorcery of the magicians.
It was narrated in a saheeh report that the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to
afortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be
accepted for forty days." Narrated by Muslim.
And it was narrated by the authors of al-Sunan and by al-Haakim, who
classed it as saheeh, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he
says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad."
This man and his companions from among the jinn are regarded as being
among the fortune-tellers and soothsayers, so it is not permissible
toask them anything or to believe them.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/408, 409
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz said:
Given that there are so many charlatans lately, who claim to be
doctors and to treat people by means of magic and witchcraft, and they
have become widespread in some countries and they exploit the naïveté
of the ignorant, I thought that in the spirit of sincerity towards
Allaah and His slaves, that I should explain the gravedanger that this
poses toIslam and the Muslims, because it involves dependence on
something other than Allaah and going againstHis command and the
command of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
so I say, seeking the help of Allaah:
It is permissible to seek treatment according to scholarly consensus.
The Muslim may go to a doctor to seek treatmentfor internal diseases,
injuries, nervous complaints, etc, so that he can identify the disease
and treat it in anappropriate manner, using medicines that
arepermissible according tosharee'ah, based on his knowledge of
medicine, because this comes under the heading of using the ordinary
means, and it is not contrary to the idea of putting one's trust in
Allaah. Allaah has sent down the disease but Hehas also sent down with
it the cure; those who know it know it and those who do not do not.
But Allaah has not created the healing for His slaves in that which He
has forbidden to them, so it is not permissible for the sick person to
go to a soothsayer who claims to know the unseen, in order to find out
from them what is wrong with him. And it is not permissible for him to
believe what they tell him, because they speak of the unseen without
knowledge, or they summon the jinn and seek their help in doing what
they want. The ruling on these people isthat they are kaafirs
andmisguided, because theyclaim to have knowledge of the unseen.
Muslim narratedin his Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks
him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days."
And it was narrated fromAbu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever goes to asoothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved
in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him)." Narrated by Abu Dawood and by the four authors of
al-Sunan;classed as saheeh by al-Haakim who narrated that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a
fortune-teller or soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved
in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him)." And it was narrated that 'Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allaah
be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "He doesnot belong to us who
observes bird omens or has that done for him, orwho seeks divination
or who has that done for him, or who practices witchcraft or has that
done for him. Whoever goes to a soothsayer andbelieves what he says
has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)." Narrated by al-Bazzaar with a
jayyid isnaad.
These ahaadeeth demonstrate that it is forbidden to go to soothsayers,
fortune-tellers, witches and the like, and ask them questions and
believe them, and a warning is issued to those who do that. Community
leaders and those in positions ofpower and authority must forbid going
to fortune-tellers, soothsayers and the like,and not allow anyone who
deals in such thingsto operate in the marketplaces or elsewhere. They
should denounce them emphatically, and denounce those who go to them.
We should not be deceived by the fact that they may get things right
sometimes, or by the fact that many people go to them, because they
are ignorant and the people should not be deceived by them. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade going to
them, asking them questions and believing them, because that is a
great evil, a serious danger and leads to bad consequences, and
because they are immoral liars. These ahaadeeth also indicate that
soothsayers and witches are also kaafirs, because they claim to have
knowledge of the unseen, which is kufr, and because they only reach
their goals by serving the jinn and worshipping them instead of
Allaah, which is kufr or disbelief in Himand associating others with
Him (shirk). The one who believes them and their claims to have
knowledge of the unseen is like them. Everyone who goes to these
people and deals with them, is disowned by the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is not permissible for
the Muslim to accept what they claim is a kind of treatment, such as
their muttering mumbo-jumbo or pouring lead and other kinds of
nonsense that they do. This is a kind of sorcery and deception of the
people. Whoever acceptsthat is helping them in their falsehood and
kufr.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 3/274-281.
Secondly:
With regard to witchcraft (sihr), it is realand is not an illusion,
and it may have an effect by Allaah's leave.
Al-Quraafi said: Sihr is real, and the person against whom it is done
may die, or his nature orhabits may be changed, even if he does not
deal with it himself. This was the view of al-Shaafa'i and Ibn Hanbal…
Al-Furooq, 4/149.
The Mu'tazalis, Qadaris and some of the scholarsheld a different view,
but no attention should be paid to that. Al-Quraafi and others
mentioned that the Sahaabah were unanimously agreed that it is real
before there appeared those who denied that.
The evidence of Ahl al-Sunnah concerning that is as follows:
1. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic andsuch
things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and
Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things)
till they had said,"We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning
this magic fromus)." And from these (angels) people learn that by
which they causeseparation between man and his wife, but they could
not thus harmanyone except by Allaah's Leave. And they learn that
which harms them and profits them not"
[al-Baqarah 2:102]
This verse clearly indicates what we are trying to say, which is that
sihr (witchcraft) is real, and that the practitioner of witchcraft may
create a division between a man and his wife thereby, and that he may
harm people by means of his witchcraft, but he cannot do any harm
except by Allaah's leave.
2. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And from the evil of those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots"
[al-Falaq 113:4]
"those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots" refersto
female witches whosewitchcraft involved tyingknots then blowing into
them. If witchcraft were not something real, Allaah would not have
commanded us to seek refuge from it.
3. Further evidence is provided by the fact thatthe Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was bewitched by the Jew Labeed
ibn al-A'sam. Thisis a saheeh hadeeth that was narrated by al-Bukhaari
and Muslim.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: The witchcraft which can cause sickness, lethargy,
mental sickness, love, hatred and delusions is something that does
exist and is known by the masses. Many peopleknow it from experience.
Al-Tafseer al-Qayyim, p. 571
Thirdly:
There are many kinds of witchcraft, including illusions and deceiving
the eyes. But not all sihr is like that. Some of the scholars listed
different kinds of witchcraft, and counted eight kinds, the most well
known of which are:
1. Knots and incantations
i.e., reciting words and mumbo-jumbo by meansof which the witch is
able to use the devils to do what he wants of harming the person being
bewitched. But Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"… but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave"
[al-Baqarah 2:102]
2. Sleight of hand.
They become skilled in this by means of practiceand training to do
things quickly, and bringout something hidden.
For example, the magician may bring a dove and strange it in front of
the audience, then he hits it with his hand and it gets up and flies.
But in fact there was a kind of anaesthetic in his hand and he made it
smell it and made the audience think that he had strangled it and
killed it, then when he hits it, he wakes it up from that stupor.
3. Bewitching the eyes.
This is very common among the liars; the magician does not really put
a sword in his body, rather he bewitches the eyes of the audience, and
puts the sword by his side, but the bewitched people think that he
puts it through his middle.
These tricksters have become well known among us, because among the
audience there are those who protected themselves with Qur'aan and
dhikr, and remembered Allaah a great deal whilst sitting in the
gathering watching the magician, so they saw what really happened,
unlike what those who were bewitched saw.
4. Using chemicals
This is done well by those who know how substances react with one
another, thus producing a substance that is not affected by some other
substances, such as the Sufi Rifaa'iyyah who make people think that
they are not affected by fire, when in fact they coat themselves with
some fireproof substances. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah
have mercy on him) challenged them to wash with hot water before
entering the fire and they refused because this would haveexposed
their deceit.
And there are many other things that the practitioners of witchcraft
do, which could not happen unless Allaah decreed it.
See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/146; Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn
'Uthaymeen, 2/178; al-Sihr by Shaykh 'Umar al-Ashqar.
And Allaah knows best.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Umayr ibn Sad al-Ansari - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Umayr ibn Sad became an orphan at an early age. His father died
leaving him and his mother poor and destitute. His mother eventually
married again, to one of the richest men in Madinah. His name was
Julas ibn Suwayd who was from the powerful tribe of al-Aws.
Umayr was well looked after by Julas and loved him as a son would love
a father. Indeed he began to forget that he was an orphan. As Umayr
grew older, Julas fondness and love for him grew. Julas would marvel
at the intelligence he displayed in everything he did and at the
honesty and trustworthiness which characterized his behavior.
When he was barely ten years old, Umayr became a Muslim. Faith found
in his tender heart a secure niche and penetrated deeply into his
being. In spite of youthfulness, he would never delay in the
performance of salatbehind the noble Prophet. Often he would be found
in the first row of worshippers, hoping for the thawab promised those
whoattend mosques early and sit in the foremost rows. His mother was
particularly pleased whenever she saw him going to and coming from the
mosque, sometimes with her husband and sometimes alone.
Umayr's days passed in this fashion with no major disturbance to upset
his calm and contentment. This idyllic state, however, could not last
forever. Umayr was soon to face a most difficult test for a boy of his
age, a test which shook the peaceful and loving atmosphere of his home
and challenged the steadfastness of his faith.
In the ninth year after the Hijrah,the Prophet, peace and blessingsof
God be on him, announced hisintention to lead an expedition to Tabuk
against the Byzantine forces. He ordered the Muslims to get themselves
ready and make the necessary preparations.
Usually when the Prophet wanted to go on a military campaign he would
not give precise details of his objective orhe would set off in a
direction opposite to his intended destination. This was for security
purposes and to confound the enemy's intelligence service. This he did
not do in announcing the expedition to Tabuk. This was perhaps because
of the great distance of Tabuk from Madinah,the enormous difficulties
expected and the overwhelming strength of the enemy.
The preparations needed for thisexpedition had to be extensive. In
spite of the fact that summer had set in and the intense heat produced
languor and listlessness, and in spite of the fact that the date crops
needed harvesting, the Muslims responded enthusiastically to the call
of the Prophet and busied themselves in preparing for the arduous
campaign ahead.
There was however a group of munafiqun or hypocrites who outwardly had
declared their acceptance of Islam but inwardly did not believe in it.
They were critical of the expedition and tried to weaken the resolve
of the Muslims. They even ridiculed the Prophet in their private
gatherings. Disbelief and hatred remained intheir hearts.
One day, shortly before the armywas due to set out, the young Umayr
ibn Sad returned home after performing Salat in the mosque. He was all
agog with excitement. He had just witnessed the great generosity and
the spontaneous spirit of sacrifice which the Muslims displayed in
preparing for the expedition. He had seen women of the Muhajirin and
the Ansar donating their jewellery and their ornaments to buy
provisions and equipment for the army. He had seen Uthman ibn Affan
handing over a purse containing a thousand gold dinars to the Prophet
and Abdur Rahman ibn Awl carrying on his shoulders two hundred
awqiyyah of gold and placing it before the noble Prophet. Indeed he
had even seen a man trying to sell his bed in order to purchase a
sword for himself.
At home, he recalled these moving and inspiring scenes. He was
surprised however that Julas was so slow in preparing for the
expedition with the Prophet and at his delay in contributing
especially since he was quite rich and could afford to give
generously. Umayr felt that he had to arouse his ardor or stir his
sense of generosity and manliness. So with great enthusiasm he related
what he had seen and heard at the mosque particularly the case of
those believers who, with great fervor, had come to enlist themselves
in the army and were turned away by the Prophet because there was not
sufficient means of transport. Herelated how sad and disappointed
these people were at not realizing their desire to go on the path of
Jihad and sacrifice for the sake of Islam. Julas' response was sharp
and shocking.
"If Muhammad is true in claiming that he is a Prophet ," he shouted
angrily, "then we areall worse than donkeys."
Umayr was flabbergasted. He could not believe what he had heard. He
did not think that a man as intelligent as Julas could have uttered
such words, words which put him instantly outside the pale of faith.
A host of questions paced through his mind and he immediately began to
consider what action he should take. He saw in Julas' silence and his
tardiness to respond to the Prophet's call, clear signs of a traitor
to God and His Prophet, who wanted to bring harm to Islam in just the
same way as the munafiqun who were plotting and conspiring against the
Prophet. At the same time he saw a man who had treated him as a father
and who was kind and generous to him, who had taken him as an orphan
and had saved him from poverty.
Umayr had to choose between preserving this close relationship with
Julas on the one hand and dealing with his treachery and hypocrisy on
the other. The choice was painful but his decision was swift. He
turned to Julas and said:
"By God, O Julas, there is no one on the face of the earth, after
Muhammad ibn Abdullah, dearerto me than you. You are the closest of
men to me and you have been most generous to me.But you have uttered
words which, if I should mention them will expose and humiliate you.
IfI conceal them, however, I will be a traitor to my trust and destroy
myself and my religion. Iwill, therefore, go to the Messenger of God,
peace be upon him, and tell him what youhave said. It is up to you to
clarify your position."
The young Umayr went to the mosque and told the Prophet what he had
heard from Julas. The Prophet asked him to stay with him and sent one
of his companions to summon Julas.
Julas came, greeted the Prophet and sat in front of him. The Prophet,
peace be upon him straightaway asked him: "What did you say that Umayr
ibn Sad heard?" and he mentioned whatUmayr had reported to him.
"He has lied against me, O Messenger of God, and has fabricated this.
I have not uttered anything of the sort" asserted Julas.
The companions of the Prophet looked alternately at Julas and Umayr
hoping to detect on their faces what their hearts concealed. They
began to mutteramong themselves. One of thosein whose hearts was the
diseaseof hypocrisy asserted:
"The youth is a nuisance. He is bent on defaming someone whohas been
good to him." Others replied: "Not at all. He is a youth who grew up
in obedience to God. The expressions on his face attest to his
truthfulness."
The Prophet, peace be on him, turned to Umayr and saw his flushed face
and the tears streaming down his cheeks. Umayr prayed:
"O Lord, send down a revelation on Your Prophet to verify what I have
told him." Julas meanwhile continued to defend what he had said: "What
I have told you, O Messenger of God, is certainly the truth. If you
wish, make us swear an oath in your presence. I swear by God that I
did not say anything of the sort that Umayr reported to you."
As the companions turned to Umayr to hear what he had to say, they saw
the Prophet come under a special mood of serenityand they realized
that he was being inspired. Immediately there was complete silence as
they gazed intently at the Prophet in anticipation.
At this point, fear and terror gripped Julas and he began to look
tremulously at Umayr. The Prophet, having received the revelation,
recited the words of God:
"(The hypocrites) swear by God that they have said (nothing wrong);
yet most certainly they have uttered a saying which is a denial of the
truth, and have thus denied the truth after having professed their
self-surrender to God; for they were aiming at something which was
beyond their reach. And they could find no fault (with the Faith) save
that God had enriched them and (caused) His Apostle to enrich them out
of His bounty. Hence, if they repent, it will be for their own good;
but if they turn away, God will cause them to suffer a grievous
suffering in this world and in the life to come and they will find no
helper on earth, and none to give them succour." (The Quran, Surah
at-Tawbah, 9:74).
Julas trembled with fear at whathe heard and in his anguish, could
hardly speak. Finally, he turned to the Prophet and said:"I do repent,
O Messenger of God. I do repent. Umayr told the truth and I lied. I
beseech God toaccept my repentance..."
The Prophet turned to the youngUmayr. Tears of joy moistened his
youthful face, radiant with the light of faith. With his noble hand,
the Prophet tenderly took his
ear and said:
"Young man, your ear has been true in what it heard and your Lord has
confirmed the truth of what you said." Julas returned to the fold of
Islam and was a good and faithful Muslim thereafter. The companions
realized that by his generosity and good treatment of Umayr, he had
reformed. Whenever Umayr was mentioned, Julas would say:
"My God reward Umayr with goodness on my behalf. He certainly saved me
from kufr andpreserved my neck from the fire of hell."
Umayr grew up and distinguished himself in later years with the same
devotion and firmness which he had shown in early life.
During the caliphate of Umar ibnal-Khattab, the people of Hims inSyria
complained much and bitterly of the governors appointed to the city
even though Umar in particular used to pay special attention to the
type of men he chose as his provincial governors. In selecting a
governor, Umar would say: "I want a man who when he is among the
people and is not their amir, should notbehave as their amir, and when
he is among them as an amir, heshould behave as one of them.
"I want a governor who will not distinguish himself from the people by
the clothes he wears, or the food he eats or the house he lives in."
"I want a governor who would establish Salat among the people, treat
them equitably andwith justice and does not close his door when they
come to himin need."
In the light of the complaints of the people of Hims and going by his
own criteria for a good governor, Umar ibn al-Khattab decided to
appoint Umayr ibn Sad as governor of the region. This was despite the
fact that Umayr at that time was at the head of a Muslim army
traversing the Arabian peninsulaand the region of great Syria,
liberating towns, destroying enemy fortifications, pacifying the
tribes and establishing masjids wherever he went. Umayr accepted the
appointment as governor of Hims reluctantly because he preferred
nothing better than Jihad in the path of God. He was still quite
young, in his early twenties.
When Umayr reached Hims he called the inhabitants to a vast
congregational prayer. When theprayer was over he addressed them. He
began by praising and giving thanks to God and sending peace and
blessings on His Prophet Muhammad. Then hesaid:
"O people! Islam is a mighty fortress and a sturdy gate. The fortress
of Islam is justice and its gate is truth. If you destroy the fortress
and demolish the gate you would undermine the defences of this
religion.
"Islam will remain strong so long as the Sultan or central authority
is strong. The strengthof the Sultan neither comes from flogging with
the whip, nor killing with the sword but from ruling with justice and
holding fast to truth."
Umayr spent a full year in Hims during which, it is said, he did not
write a single letter to the Amir al-Muminin. Nor did he send any
taxes to the central treasury in Madinah, neither a dirham nor a
dinar.
Umar was always concerned about the performance of his governors and
was afraid that positions of authority would corrupt them. As far as
he was concerned, there was no one who was free from sin and
corrupting influences apart fromthe noble Prophet, peace be upon him.
He summoned his secretary and said:
"Write to Umayr ibn Sad and say to him: "When the letter of the Amir
al-Muminin reaches you, leave Hims and come to him andbring with you
whatever taxes you have collected from the Muslims."
Umayr received the letter. He took his food pouch and hung his eating,
drinking and washingutensils over his shoulder. He took his spear and
left Hims and the governorship behind him. Heset off for Madinah on
foot.
As Umayr approached Madinah, he was badly sunburnt, his body was gaunt
and his hair had grown long. His appearance showed all the signs of
the long and arduous journey. Umar, on seeing him, was astonished.
What's wrong with you, Umayr?" he asked with deep concern.
"Nothing is wrong with me, O Amir al-Muminin," replied Umayr. "I am
fine and healthy, praise be to God, and I carry with me all (my)
worldly possessions."
"And what worldly possessions have you got?" asked Umar thinking that
he was carrying money for the Bayt al-mal or treasury of the Muslims."
"I have my pouch in which I put my food provisions. I have this vessel
from which I eat and which I use for washing my hair and clothes. And
I have this cup for making wudu and drinking..." "Did you come on
foot?" asked Umar. "Yes, O Amir al-Muminin." "Weren't you given from
your amirship an animal toride on?" "They did not give me one and I
did not ask them."
"And where is the amount you brought for the Baytalmal?"
"I didn't bring anything."
"And why not?"
"When I arrived at Hims," said Umayr, "I called the righteous persons
of the town to a meeting and gave them the responsibility of
collecting the taxes. Whenever they collected any amounts of money I
would seek their advice and spent it (all) on those who were deserving
among them."
At this point, Umar turned to hissecretary and said:
"Renew the appointment of Umayr to the governorship of Hims." "Oh,
come now," protested Umayr. "That is something which I do not desire.
I shall not be a governor for you nor for anyone after you,O Amir
al-Muminin."
With that Umayr asked the Khalifah's permission to go to his village
on the outskirts of Madinah to live there with his family. This Umar
granted.
A long time passed since Umayr had gone to his village and Umardecided
to put him through a test to make sure of his circumstances. He said
to one of his trusted aides called al-Harith:
"Harith, go to Umayr ibn Sad andstay with him as though you were a
guest. If you see on him any signs of luxury or good living, return
quietly as you went. If, however, you find him in straitened
circumstances give him these dinars." Umar handed Harith a bag with a
hundred dinars.
Al-Harith set our for Umayr's village and found his home after making enquiries.
"As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah," he greeted Umayr.
"Wa alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu," replied Umayr and
asked, "From where have you come?"
"From aI-Madinah."
"How arr the Muslims there?"
"Fine."
"How is the Amir al-Muminin?"
"He is fine and doing well."
"Has he applied the hudud laws?"
"Yes. He carried out the sentenceof punishment on his own son for
committing the crime of adultery. His son died as a result of the
punishment." Al-Harith continued: "O Allah, help Umar. I only know
that he has a great love for you."
Al-Harith stayed as Umayr's guest for three nights. On each night he
was given only a small flat piece of barley bread. On the third day a
local man said to Harith:
"Umayr and his family are suffering great hardship. They only have
these loaves which they have given you in preference to themselves.
They are hungry and in great distress.Harith went to Umayr and gave
him the bag of money.
"What is this?" asked Umayr.
"The Amir al-Muminin sent it to you."
"Return it to him. Give him my greetings of peace and tell him that
Umayr has no need of it."
"Take it, O Umayr," shouted his wife who was listening to the
conversation between her husband and his guest. "If you need it, you
can spend it. If not, you can spend it in other appropriate ways, for
those in need here are many."
When al-Harith heard what she had said, he placed the dinars in front
of Umayr and left. Umayr took the money and placed it in a small bag.
He only went to sleep that night after he had distributed the money to
those in need and especially to the children of those who had been
martyred.
Al-Harith returned to Madinah and was questioned by Umar al-Faruq.
"What have you seen, Harith?"
"A very distressing situation, O Amir al-Muminin."
"Did you give him the dinars?"
"Yes, O Amir al-Muminin."
"What did he do with them?"
"I don't know. But I think that he did not keep a single dirham of it
for himself."
Al-Faruq wrote to Umayr: "Whenyou receive this letter, I do not put it
down until you come to me."
Umayr proceeded straightaway to Madinah. Umar greeted and welcomed him
and proceeded to question him.
"What did you do with the dinars, Umayr?" "You have no responsibility
for the money after you have donated it to me."
"I adjure you to tell me what you did with it."
"I stored it away for myself so that I could benefit from
it a day when neither wealth norchildren will be of any avail." Tears
came to Umar's eyes as he said:
"I swear that you are one of those who are hard against themselves
even when they are in dire need." And he ordered a camel load of food
and two garments to be given to Umayr who protested:
"About the food, we do not need it, O Amir al-Mumineen. I left two
saas of barley with my family and when we have finished that, Allah-
Great and Exalted is He - will provide. As forthe two garments, I will
take them for (my wife). Her dress is now in tatters and she is almost
naked."
Not long after that meeting withUmar al-Faruq, Umayr ibn Sad passed
away to his Lord. He was not weighted down with the cares and burdens
of the world and he was concerned to provide plenty of provisions for
the hereafter. Umar received the news of his death with a heavy heart
and said in deep sorrow: "Ihave wished to have men like Umayr ibn Sad
whose help I could seek in dealing with the affairs of Muslims."

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Global diabetes numbers at all-time high

The number of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes worldwide
has more than doubled since 1980 to 347 million, a far larger number
than previously thought, a new study has found.
An international team of researchers working with the World Health
Organization has found that the rates of diabetes have either risen
or, at best, remained essentially the same all over the world in the
past 30 years, the study, published in The Lancet journal, says.
The estimated number of diabetics is far higher than a previous
projection, which put thenumber closer to 285 million. Of the 347
millionwith diabetes, 138 million live in China and India, with
another 36 million in the United States and Russia.
Type 2, the most commontype of diabetes, is strongly associated with
obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
"Diabetes is becoming more common almost everywhere in the world,"
said Majid Ezzati, from Britain's Imperial College London, who led the
study along with Goodarz Danaei, from theHarvard School of Public
Health in the United States.
"Unless we develop better programs for detecting people with elevated
blood sugar andhelping them to improve their diet and physical
activity and control their weight, diabetes will inevitably continue
to impose a major burden on health systems aroundthe world," Danaei
said in a joint statement.
People who suffer from diabetes have inadequate blood sugar control,
an affliction that can lead to serious complications, including heart
disease, stroke, kidney or nerve damage and blindness.
According to experts, high blood glucose and diabetes lead to around
three million deaths around the world every year, a number that will
continue to rise as the number of people affected increases.
New treatments
Dozens of different treatments for the disease are available on the
market in both pill and injection form. Global sales of the medicines
hit $35 billion last year, and could rise to as high as $48 billion by
2015, according to IMSHealth, a drug research firm.
New research that is due to be presented this weekend at the
AmericanDiabetes Association's annual meeting in San Diego will focus
on experimental drugs and methods of combining classes of medication
to better control blood sugar.
A new type of diabetes pill being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb
and AstraZeneca has proven to be effective at fightingthe disease,
according to a new two-year study, but the companies said higher rates
of bladder and breast cancers were seen in users of the drug.
1.4 per cent of patients treated with Dapagliflozin developed some
type of cancer, compared with 1.3 per cent of control group patients,
said Elisabeth Bjork, vice president of development for Dapagliflozin
at AstraZeneca.
"This is a chronic, progressive condition," said Dennis Urbaniak, vice
president of drug-maker Sanofi's diabetes division. "What we are most
worried about is the number of people out there with diabetes that is
not optimally controlled."
Diabetes has proven to be a booming market for drug manufacturers like
Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Eli Lilly, Merck and Takeda.
For the Lancet study, the largest of its kind for diabetes,
researchers analyzed fasting plasma glucose (FPG) data for 2.7million
participants aged 25 and over across the world, using advanced
statistical methods to estimate the prevalence of the disease.
They found that between1980 and 2008, the number of adults with the
disease rose from 153million to 347 million. Seventy per cent of the
rise was due to population growth and ageing, with the other 30per
cent due to higher prevalence, they said.
The proportion of adults with diabetes by gender also increased, with
9.8 per cent of men and 9.2 per cent of women in 2008 affected by the
disease, compared to 8.3 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively in
1980.
Island countries in the Pacific now have the highest diabetes levels
in the world, the study found. In the Marshall Islands, a third of all
women and a quarter of all men have diabetes.
The rise was high in North America, but relatively low in Western
Europe. Diabetes and glucose levels were highest in United States,
Greenland, Malta, New Zealand and Spain, and lowest in the
Netherlands, Austria and France.
The region with the lowest glucose levels wassub-Saharan Africa,
followed by east and southeast Asia.
PHOTO CAPTION
File photo of patients eating at a weight-reduction clinic in
Tianjinin northern China.

Study shows spanking boosts odds of mental illness

People who were hit or spanked as children face higher odds of mental
ailments as adults, including mood and anxiety disorders and problems
with alcohol and drug abuse, researchers said Monday.
The study, led by Canadian researchers, is the first to examine the
link between psychological problems and spanking, while excluding more
severe physical or sexual abuse inorder to better gauge the effect of
corporal punishment alone.
Those who were spanked or hit as kids were between two and seven
percent more likely to encounter mental issues later, said the
research in the US journal Pediatrics, based on a retrospective survey
of more than600 US adults.
That figure may seem low, particularly since about half of the US
population recalls being spanked in childhood, but nevertheless shows
that physical punishment can raise the risk of problems later on,
experts said.
"The study is valuable because it opens the conversation about
parenting," said Victor Fornari, director of the division of child and
adolescent psychiatry at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
in New York.
The rate "is not dramatically higher, but it is higher, just to
suggest that physical punishment is a risk factor for developing more
mental disturbances as an adult," said Fornari, who was not involved
in the study.
Previous research has repeatedly shown that children who were
physically abused as youngsters suffer from more mental disturbances
as adults, and are more likely to engage in aggressive behavior than
kids who were not hit.
But these studies have typically included more serious abuse.
The current study excludes both sexual abuse and physical abuse that
left bruises, marks or causedinjury.
Instead it focuses on "harsh physical punishment," defined as pushing,
grabbing, shoving, slapping or hitting as a form of punishment from
elders.
While 32 nations around the world have banned corporal punishment of
kids, the United States and Canada are not amongthem.
Using a nationally representative survey sample of 653 Americans, they
found that those who recalled experiencing harsh punishment as
children faced higher odds of a range of mental problems.
Between two and five percent of disorders like depression, anxiety,
bipolar, anorexia or bulimia were attributable to physical punishment
as a child, the study said.
From four to seven percent of more serious problems including
personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and intellectual
disabilities were associated with such punishments in childhood.
Researchers stressed that the study could not establish that spanking
had actually caused these disorders in certain adults, only that there
was a link between memories of such punishment and a higher incidence
of mental problems.
The survey data came from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol
and Related Conditions collected between 2004 and 2005,and included
adults over age 20.
Participants were asked: "As a child how often were you ever pushed,
grabbed, shoved, slapped or hit by your parents or any adult living in
your house?" Those who answered"sometimes" or greater were included in
the analysis.
Roya Samuels, a pediatrician at Cohen Children's Medical Center inNew
York, said the parents' genes may influence both their response to
raising an unruly child as well as their likelihood ofpassing down
certain ailments.
"Parents who are resorting to mechanisms of corporal punishment might
themselves beat risk for depression and mental disorders; therefore,
there might be a hereditary factor going on inthese families," she
told AFP.
Future research could shed more light on the issue. In the meantime,
the study offers a reminder that other disciplinary options such as
positive reinforcement and removing rewards are viewed more favorably
by doctors.
"The reality is, if 50 percent of thepopulation has experienced being
spanked in the past year, most kids are resilient. It is just that
there are better ways for parents to discipline kids than spanking,"
Fornari said.
"And for some vulnerable kids, the spanking may increase their risk
for the development of mental disturbances. So for thosereasons it is
important to really minimize or extinguish physical punishment."
The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes striking children for any
cause and the Canadian Pediatric Society recommends that doctors
strongly discourage the use of physical punishment.

Excessiveness is the Way of Satan

When excessiveness befalls some people, they go beyond all limits.
Some of these people want to do the most perfect of acts, but theygo
astray. Facts state that such people end up giving up the performance
of these righteous deeds altogether. Ibn Hajar said, "If a person
delves into religious deeds and abandons moderation, he will stop and
will become unable to continue, and will be consequently overwhelmed."
The Prophet said: "The religion [of Islam] is easy. Whoever
overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in
that way." Satan has driven such people to excessiveness when he found
in them audacity and courage, so hecaused them to deviate from the
right path.
The religion of Allaah is only one true religion: Islam. It is in a
middle stage between excessiveness and disinclination. The Prophet
warned us against excessiveness and said: "Beware of excessiveness in
religion. Indeed excessiveness in religion caused those [nations]
before you to perish." Ponder over what the Prophet said when he knew
about the case of the three people who swore to do excessive acts; one
of them said, "I will not marry." The second said, "I will not eat
meat," and the third said, "I will not sleep on a bed." Then, the
Prophet said: "How is it that some people said such and such a thing?
I pray and sleep; fast andbreak my fast and marry women. So, whoever
turns away from my Sunnah is not a true follower of me." Moreover, the
Prophet said thrice: "Doomed are those who go to extremes" Does not
this indicate the danger of excessiveness and extremism?
The Righteous Predecessors' Warning Against Excessiveness
The righteous predecessors and scholars knew the danger of
excessiveness and warned against it. When a man asked 'Umar ibn
Al-Khattaab about the meaning of the Arabic word "Abb" which means
"grass" in the verse (which means): {And fruit and grass} [Quran
80:31], 'Umar said, "We were forbidden from excessiveness and
exaggeration." Also, 'Ubaadah ibn Nusayy once said to his people, "I
witnessed people who neither went to extremes like you nor asked
questions like you."
In another example, a man wrotea letter to 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez
asking about fate. 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez wrote in reply,
I advise you to fear Allaah, to be moderate in applying His commands,
to follow the Sunnah of His Prophet and to abandon what innovators
innovated [in the religion] after the Sunnah of the Prophet was
established. They [the righteous predecessors] were saved [by Allaah
The Almighty] from the burden of innovation [as Allaah The Almighty
has completed and perfected His religion in a way that makes it free
of the need of any additions or omissions]. You should follow the
Sunnah, for it will protect you[from deviation, destruction or
punishment].
You should know that for any innovation in religion, there is a proof
before it [mentioned in the Quran or the Sunnah to indicate that it is
a religious innovation] or there is a lesson in them [in the Quran and
Sunnah] which proves that [this new thing is a religious innovation].
After all, the Sunnah is prescribed by the One who knows that what
contradicts it is wrong, faulty, and foolish.
So, follow the same way that wasadopted by the righteous predecessors,
for they had great knowledge, and with deep insight they forbade
[religious innovations]. They were more able to recognize matters [of
religion]. They are worthier to be followed by virtue of their state
of belief. If what you follow is the[true] guidance, then, you have
surpassed and preceded them to it [which is clearly wrong].
If you said that which was innovated after them, it is [also wrong]
because it was invented by those who followed other than their way and
were preferred to them, indeed, you are wrong for they were the
foremost [in faith and performing righteous deeds]. They [the
righteous predecessors] identified and clarified religious matters
extensively and thoroughly in a way that leaves no room for anyone to
increase or decrease inthem.
Some people abandoned matters that they [the righteous predecessors]
did not abandon so that they became negligent; and some aspired to go
beyond them so that they went to extremes. However, the righteous
predecessors are in themiddle of these two levels, as they were
following the right path.
You wrote to ask about fate [whether believing in it is Sunnahor
religious innovation]. You haveasked, Allaah willing, a knowledgeable
person. I do not know of any innovation whose effects are clearer or
more established than [writing and recording] belief in fate. People
used to mention it even in the dark pre-Islamic era in their
discussions and poetry to consolethemselves on what they had missed.
Then Islam enhanced andclarified belief in fate. The Prophet mentioned
it in morethan one or two Hadeeths. Muslims heard it from him and
talked about it during his lifetimeand after his death. They did so
while they were certain of it and submissive to their Lord, believing
that it is impossible for anything not to be encompassed by the
knowledge of Allaah The Almighty, nor recorded in His Book [the
Preserved Tablet], nor decreed and effected by Him.
Fate is mentioned in the decisive verses of the Quran, and they
[therighteous predecessors] quoted and learned it from them. If you
ask, "Why did Allaah reveal the verse of such and such? Why did He say
such and such?" then you should realize that they [the righteous
predecessors] read what you have read and knew about its meanings what
you are ignorant of. After that, they admitted that there is a decree
and a fate [predestined by Allaah The Almighty], that misery was
decreed [on some people], that whatever is destined will take place,
that what Allaah wills happens, and what He does not will does not
happen, and that we do not possess for ourselves harm or benefit.
Then, they liked [good deeds] andfeared [committing wrongdoingswithout
taking their belief in fateas a justification for not doing good
deeds]. [Abu Daawood, Al-Albaani - Saheeh]
Yet another example is that a man came to Ibn 'Aqeel and said, "I dip
myself in water several times but I doubt whether my Ghusl is valid or
not, what is your opinion?" Ibn 'Aqeel said, "O man, go! You are
notrequired to perform prayer." The man asked, "Why?" Ibn 'Aqeel said,
"Because the Prophet said: Three [types of people] are not held
responsible for their acts: the insane until he regains consciousness
…' and a person who dips himself in water severaltimes and then doubts
whether water touched him or not, is clearly insane!"
Types of Excessiveness
Excessiveness has many types:
Excessiveness in Religion: This occurs when a person has false
beliefs, such as the Christian belief that 'Eesa (Jesus) is God or the
son of God, and the Jewish belief that he was an illegitimate child.
This type of excessiveness exists also in the deviated sects such as
the Khawaarij, the Shiites, and the Murji'ah.
Excessiveness in Knowledge: This occurs when words are distorted from
their proper usages.
Excessiveness in Worship: This occurs when a person overburdens
himself in worship until he gets apathetic, then hates worship and
quits it altogether.
Excessiveness in People or Groups: This occurs when a person holds
some people or a particular group in a higher rank than theirs or
takes their opinions and attitudes as the very basis of allegiance and
disassociation.
How Can we Know Excessiveness?
If excessiveness is so dangerous, is every person entitled to judge
that certain individuals or groupsmay have gone beyond Sharee'ah
limits? Here, reliable scholars should be referred to in this regard
in order to judge whether some acts or doings are excessiveor not.
Dissolute and secular people consider every religious act excessive;
they regard the Hijaab, the beard and the referring to the Islamic
Sharee'ahitself, for example, as acts of excessiveness.
Is Excessiveness an Islamic Phenomenon?
In other words, does excessiveness exist only in Islamic societies? In
fact, reality and history prove that excessiveness is not confined to
Muslims only; Christians and Jewsalso have many forms of
excessiveness. Some modern societies also suffer from a lot of
excessiveness. Different groups inthe world, whether religious or
nationalistic, also suffer from thisdisease. So, it is improper to
blindly follow others and confine this accusation to Muslims. Worse
than this is when some of us approve other's opinions which claim that
the teaching of the Sharee'ah and religious curricula in Muslim
countries is the cause behind some types of excessiveness, although
our history and reality prove that ignorance of Islamic rulings is, in
fact, the greatest cause of excessiveness, but would anyone heed the
lesson?

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What is hijrah?

How can we make hijrahfor the sake of Allaah nowadays?
Praise be to Allaah.
Hijrah (migration) for the sake of Allaah meansmoving from the land of
shirk to the land of Islam, as the Muslims moved from Makkah – before
its people became Muslim – to Madeenah, because it had become the city
of Islam after its people had pledged their allegiance (bay'ah) to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and asked him to
make hijrah to them. So Hijrah means migratinmg to join otherMuslims.
Hijrah may also take the form of moving from one land of shirk
toanother land of shirk where evil is less prevalent and there is less
danger to the Muslims, as when some of the Muslims migrated from
Makkah, at the command of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), to Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
And Allaah is the Source of Strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.
Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 12/50

The ahaadeeth about the Mahdi and the descent of the Messiah (peace be upon him) areno excuse not to strive and do good deeds

Some people understandfrom the ahaadeeth about the Mahdi and
thedescent of the Messiah 'Eesa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary,
peace be upon him) that these are an excuse not to strive for Islam,
so they should sit and wait until the Mahdi appears or the Messiah
descends forthe glory of Islam and the Muslims to be restored. What is
your opinion on this understanding?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This miserable state that the Muslim ummah is in nowadays is very
shameful. All the Muslimsare responsible for setting things straight,
but some Muslims fail to strive, relying on their hopes and avoiding
correcting the sorry state of the ummah on the grounds that this was
caused by those who came before us andwill be set right by thosewho
come after us. So they do not strive to support the religion of
Allaah, on the grounds that the Mahdi is the onewho will do that.
This is escaping into hopes whilst failing to put into effect the
means prescribed in sharee'ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those
of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works
evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any
protector or helper besides Allaah"
[al-Nisa' 4:123]
This negativity which some of the Muslims are suffering from nowadays
can have no basis in the texts of sharee'ah; rather it is due to
misunderstanding, helplessness and laziness, and evasion of
responsibility.
Allaah has commanded the Muslims to strive andwork for this religion,
tocall people to Allaah, to debate with the kuffaar and call them with
wisdom and beautiful preaching, and to fight them until there will no
longer be any shirk on earth. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and
polytheism, i.e. worshipping others besides Allaah), and the religion
(worship) will all be for Allaah Alone [inthe whole of the world]. But
if they cease (worshipping others besides Allaah), then certainly,
Allaah is All-Seer of what they do"
[al-Anfaal 8:39]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Here Allaah commands us to fight the kuffaar until there is no more
fitnah i.e. shirk, and the religion (worship) is all for Allaah, i.e.,
until the religion of Allaah prevails over all other religions.
This command does not apply only to some timesand not others, rather
the Muslims of all times and places are commanded to do this.
Undoubtedly working for Islam and to establishit on earth requires the
Muslims to strive hard and pursue the means that lead to that.
Some people misunderstand the ahaadeeth that have been narrated about
theemergence of the Mahdi and the descent of the Messiah 'Eesa ibn
Maryam (peace be upon him), so they are passive and do not strive, and
they sit and wait for the Mahdi to appear or the Messiah to come down,
and they do not call people to Allaah or striveto make the word of
Allaah supreme. But Allaah and His Messenger(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) have commanded us to take the appropriate means
and strive hard on earth.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Take your precautions, and either go forth (on an
expedition) in parties, or go forth all together"
[al-Nisa' 4:71]
"And make ready againstthem all you can of power, including steeds of
war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery) to threaten the enemy of
Allaah and your enemy"
[al-Anfaal 8:60]
"He it is Who has made the earth subservient to you (i.e. easy for you
to walk, to live and to do agriculture on it); so walk in the path
thereof and eat of His provision. And to Him will be the Resurrection"
[al-Mulk 67:15]
"and for this let (all) those strive who want tostrive"
[al-Mutaffifeen 83:26]
"For the like of this let the workers work"
[al-Saaffaat 37:61]
"And whoever desires the Hereafter and strivesfor it, with the
necessaryeffort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah's
obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic
Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving shall be
appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah)"
[al-Isra' 17:19]
"And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best
provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness)"
[al-Baqarah 2:197]
Allaah commanded Maryam to take the appropriate means when she was at
her weakest, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):
"And shake the trunk of date palm towards you, it will let fall fresh
ripe dates upon you"
[Maryam 19:25]
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to prepare for everything and draw up plans, as happened during
the Hijrah (migration to Madeenah). He preparedthe mounts and a guide,
and he chose a travellingcompanion, and chose a place to hide until
the search for him had died down, and he protected all of that with
secrecy. This is how he conducted himself in all his battles and
military campaigns, and this is how he trained his companions. They
used to meet their enemies equipped with all kinds of weapons. The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
entered Makkah (at the conquest) with a helmet on his head, even
though Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning): "Allaah will
protect you from mankind"
[al-Maa'idah 5:67]
When he traveled for jihad or Hajj or 'Umrah, he took his provisions
and more with him.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Strive
for that which will benefit you and seek thehelp of Allaah, and do not
feel helpless." Narrated by Muslim, 2664.
We can imagine the state in which the call and the ummah would have
ended up if the previous generations had responded to the calls to
give up until the Mahdi comes. Would they have been able to defeat the
Tatars and Crusaders, and conquer Constantinople?
This mistaken understanding of the shar'i texts that have been
narrated concerning the Mahdi and the Messiah (peace be upon him) has
been criticized by many scholars, daa'iyahs and writers.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is not permissible for the Muslims to give up working for Islam and
for the establishment of the Islamic state on earth because they are
waiting for the Mahdi and the descent of 'Eesa (peace be upon them
both), because they feel despair or they think that it is not possible
to achieve any such thing before they come. This isa false and
desperate notion. Neither Allaah nor His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) toldus that Islam will not regain
power on earth before their time. It is possible that that may be
achieved before then if the Muslims avail themselves of the means that
lead to that, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"If you help (in the causeof) Allaah, He will help you, and make your
foothold firm"
[Muhammad 47:7]
"Verily, Allaah will help those who help His (Cause)"
[al-Hajj 22:40]
We have to believe in the ahaadeeth which speak of the descent of Eesa
(peace be upon him) etc, and reject the false notions of those who say
that we should not work and strive and prepare to do that which must
be done at all times and in all places. End quote.
Professor 'Abd al-'Azeez Mustafa said:
Jihaad against the kuffaar, no matter who they are, where they areor
in what time they exist is obligatory according to sharee'ah; this
ruling has not been abrogated. This is an established truth of Islam.
This jihad is obligatory when its conditions are met and the relevant
rulings apply. It is not one of these conditions or rulings that jihad
should be delayed until what is promised comes to pass. This is not
the way in which the first Muslims understood it and how they acted.
Indeed, when they were told that Allaah would destroy the power of
Chosroes with their swords they did not stay in their houses waiting
for the news to come true and for that event to happen without any
effort on their part. No, rather they prepared themselves for that and
made themselves ready until victory came and thus the promise
coincided with the decree of Allaah. But some of the Muslims nowadays
say no: jihad against the Jews must wait until the Dajjaal appears.
Perhaps this is part of the trial (fitnah) of the Dajjaal in this
world.
This negative talk has affected some of the Muslim youth, so they
donot feel any kind of responsibility towards al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the
environs of which Allaahhas blessed. It has even led many of them to
believe more foolish ideas, namely that the Islamic state and the
caliphate will not be established until the Mahdi comes.
I wonder about those who propagate such ideas. It is as if they are
saying to the Jews: Be harsh towards your enemies… and to the
Christians: Carry on with your aggression… and tothe Muslims: carry on
being fragmented and disputing and being useless until the Mahdi comes
to you. I do not know on what their argument is based, or how they
imagine that the Mahdi will come to people who are doing nothing or
will support people who are apathetic. End quote.
See: Al-Mahdi wa Fiqh Ashraat al-Saa'ah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Ismaa'eel, p. 710-722.
We ask Allaah to bring the Muslims back to theirreligion.
And Allaah knows best.

The reward of taking care of one who is sick

I hope that you can help me with regard to this matter, as I looked on
the Internet for evidenceof the virtue of taking care of one who is
sick, or the looking after him.I would like some storiesor information
on the reward that awaits the one who takes care of one who is sick.
Praise be to Allaah.
One of the greatest of deeds before Allah, may He be exalted, one of
thedearest to the Most Merciful, one of the highest in honour and
greatest in chivalry, is showing kindness to the weak and the sick,
taking care of them and looking after them.
It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "The Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim; he does not
wrong him or let him down. The one who meets the needs of his brother,
Allah will meet his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of distress,
Allah will relievehim of distress on the Day of Resurrection."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2442) and Muslim (2580).
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "Whoever removes a worldly hardship from a believer, Allaah
will remove one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection from him.
Whoever grants respite to (a debtor) who is in difficulty, Allaah will
grant him relief in this world and in the Hereafter. Whoever conceals
(the fault of) a Muslim in this world, Allaah will conceal him (his
faults) in this world and in the Hereafter. Allaah will help a person
so long as he is helping his brother."
Narrated by Muslim (2699).
The one who stays with the one who is sick, and takes care of him and
looks after him has donegood by serving him andcaring for him, and
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): "and do good. Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the
good-doers)" [al-Baqarah 2:195].
Helping the one who is sick and serving him is an act of charity. The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Helping a
man onto his mount or lifting up his luggage onto it is a charity."
Narrated by Muslim (1009).
The same applies to helping the person himself, carrying him or
helping him to walk or sleep, or treating him.
It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that a
man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and
said: O Messenger of Allah, which of the people is dearest to Allah?
And which deeds are dearest to Allah? The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The dearest of
people to Allah, may He be exalted, is the one who does most benefit
to people, and the dearest of deeds to Allah, may He be exalted,is joy
that you bring to a Muslim, or relieving him of distress, or paying
off debt for him, or dispelling his hunger. And to walk with a brother
to meet his needs is dearer to me than observing i'tikaaf in this
mosque – meaning the mosque of Madinah – for a month."
Narrated by at-Tabaraani (12/453); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh at-Targheeb (955).
When the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) fell sick, the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) instructed her husband, 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan (may
Allah be pleased with him), to stay with her and nurse her, and to
stay behind from the battle of Badr. The Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) said to him: "You will have a reward and share
(of the booty) of a man who was present atBadr." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 4066
The one who takes care of one who is sick must have the characteristic
of patience because of what he will encounter of difficulty in staying
upat night, and watching and tending to the one who is sick. Allah,
may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): "Only those
who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without
reckoning" [az-Zumar 39:10].
It is also essential that hebe compassionate. The Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Those who show mercy will be
shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Show mercy to those who are on earth
and the One Who is in heaven will show mercy to you." Narrated by Abu
Dawood (4941) and at-Tirmidhi (1924); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Ibn Abi'd-Dunya narrated in Qada' al-Hawaa'ij that al-Hasanal-Basri
said: To meet theneed of a Muslim is dearer to me than praying a
thousand rak'ahs.
Ibn Rajab said in Lataa'if al-Ma'aarif (232):
Many of the salaf (early generations of Islam) used to stipulate to
theirtravelling companions that they should serve them, seeking to
acquirereward thereby. Among them were 'Aamir ibn 'Abd Qays and 'Amr
ibn 'Utbah ibn Farqad. This was in addition to their striving hard in
worship by themselves. Similarly, Ibraaheem ibn Adham used to
stipulate to his travelling companions that he should serve them and
give the adhaan. One of the righteous would accompany his brothers on
journeys for the purpose of jihad and otherwise, and would stipulate
to them that heshould serve them. If he saw a man who wanted to wash
his garment, he would say to him: This is part of what I
stipulated,then he would wash it. And if he saw a man who wanted to
wash hishead, he would say: This is part of what I stipulated, then he
would wash it. When he died, they looked at his hand and saw written
on it the words, "One of the people of Paradise." They looked more
closely and saw that it was written between the skin and the flesh.
End quote.
Congratulations to the one whom Allah enables to extend a helping hand
to the weak, sick and needy; congratulations to the one who spends his
life and his time doing acts of kindness. We hope that Allah will
bestow upon him mercy and pardon, and be pleased with him.
And Allah knows best.

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Islamic Stories - The lion, rats, snake and the honey comb - a beautiful story

I heard the following story from a pious brother. Hopefully, this
story will be beneficial for everyone, Inshallah.
Once a man saw in his dream, that a lion was chasing him. The man ran
to a tree, climbed onto it and sat on a branch.He looked down and saw
that the lion was still there waiting for him. The man then looked to
his side wherethe branch he was sitting on was attached to the tree
and saw that two rats were circling around and eating the branch. One
rat was black and the other one was white. The branch will fall on the
ground very soon. The man then looked below again with fear and
discoveredthat a big black snake had come and settled directly under
him. The snake opened its mouth right under the man so that he will
fall into it. The man then looked up to see if there was anything that
he could hold on to. He saw another branch with a honeycomb. Drops of
honey were falling from it. The man wanted to taste one of the drops.
So, he put his tongue out and tasted one of the falling drops of
honey. The honey was amazing in taste. So, he wanted to taste another
drop and then another and as a result, he got lost into the sweetness
of the honey. He forgot about the two rats eating his branch away, the
lion on the ground and the snake that is sitting right under him.
Suddenly when the branch broke he remembered all the dangers woke up
from his sleep.
Since this was an uniquedream, the man went to a pious scholar of
Islam to know its meaning. The scholar said "The lion you saw is your
death. It always chases you and goes where ever you go. The two rats,
one black and one white, are the night and the day. Black one is the
night and the white one is the day. They circle around, coming one
after another, to eat your time as they take you closer to death. The
big black snake with a dark mouth is your grave. It's there, just
waiting for you to fall into it. The honeycomb is this world and the
sweet drops of honey are the luxuries of this world. We like to taste
a little of the luxuries of this world and it's very sweet. Then we
want to taste little more and then more. Meanwhile, we get lost into
it and we forget about our time, we forget about our death and we
forgetabout our grave."
May Allah wake us up from the sleep and save us before it's too late. Ameen.

Islamic Stories - A pious and intelligent woman from the Banu Israil

Muhammad bin Ka'b relates that there was a great alim and abid in the
Banu Israil. He loved his wife very much. Co-incidentally, she passed
away. This person was so grieved by this that he locked hisdoor and
abstained frommeeting and conversing with people. A woman from the
Banu Israil heard about this so she went to him. She informed those
who were guarding the entrance to his house that she wants to ask him
a mas'ala and that itcan only be asked directly to him. Saying this,
she sat down stubbornly by the door. The person was informed of this
and eventually permitted herto enter. She said: "I want to ask you a
mas'ala." He replied: "Go ahead." She said: "I havea neighbour from
whomI borrowed some jewellery. I am wearing it for quite some time
now. Thereafter she senta person asking for her jewellery. The
question I want to ask you is that do I have to give it back to her?"
The alim replied: "Yes, you have to give it back to her." The woman
replied:"That jewellery was withme for a very long time. How can I
give it?" The alim replied: "In such a case, you should give it even
more happily because it was out of her kindness that she allowed you
to use it for such a long time." When he said this, the woman replied:
"May Allah have mercy on you? Why, then, are you so sad? Allah had
loaned you something and when He wished, He took it back. (Because) it
belongs to Him." Upon hearing this, the alim realized his mistake and
benefited tremendously from this conversation.
Lesson: Look at how this woman put some sense into this man who was a
great 'alim. O women! You should also bear thisin mind when you have
to encounter any difficulty or calamity. You should also explain this
to others.

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Dua's - Arrival of a new animal

Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
Arrival of a bride or a new animal
Recite:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَهَا وَخَيْرَ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا
عَلَيْهِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا وَشَّرَّ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا
عَلَيْهِ
"O Allah, I seek the good in it from You and the goodness in the habit
and character in it/her and seek refuge in You from its/her evil
habits and character".
Note: Recite the above dua if buying a camel, recite while holding its
hump. (Mishkat from Abu Dawood and Ibn Maja)

Dua's - Arrival of the bride

Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
Arrival of a bride or a new animal
Recite:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَهَا وَخَيْرَ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا
عَلَيْهِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا وَشَّرَّ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا
عَلَيْهِ
"O Allah, I seek the good in it from You and the goodness in the habit
and character in it/her and seek refuge in You from its/her evil
habits and character".
Note: Recite the above dua whilst holding the forehead of the bride
for Barakaat (blessings). (Mishkat from Abu Dawood and Ibn Maja)

Dua's - When looking in the mirror

Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
When looking in the mirror
Recite:
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ حَسَّنْتَ خَلْقِي فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي
"O Allah, just as You have made my external features beautiful, make
my character beautiful aswell".
(Hisnul Hasin)

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Failing Attempts to open the grave of Fatima Zahra (sa) in Jannat al-Baqi

At sunrise people gathered to participate in Fatima Zahra's (sa)
funeral, but they were informed that the darlingof Messenger of Allah
(saw) had been secretly buried during the night.
Meanwhile, Imam Ali (as) made the shapes of four fresh graves in
Jannat al-Baqi , so as to conceal the location where Fatima Zahra (sa)
was buried. When the people entered the graveyard, they were confused
as to which spot was actually Lady Fatima Zahra's grave; the people
turned towards each other and with feelings of guilt said: "Our
Prophet Muhammad (saw) has notleft behind but one daughter, yet she
has died and was buried without our participationin the funeral or the
prayer rituals. We do not even realize the place where she has been
buried."
Noticing that a revolt might be ignited becauseof the emotional
atmosphere this event created, the governing party announced: "Select
a group of Muslim women and ask them to dig these graves so that we
may find Fatima Zahra (sa) and perform prayers on her."
Yes! They attempted to execute the plan, violating Fatima's (sa) will
and causing Imam Ali's (as) attempts to hide the grave to lay vainly.
Have they forgotten Imam Ali's (as) sharp sword, Zulfiqar and his
well-known courage! Didthey really think that Imam Ali (as) would
remain indifferent to their outrageous actions up to the point of
letting them dig Fatima's (sa) grave?
Imam Ali (as) did not fight back after the Prophet Muhammad's (saw)
death because he considered the Muslim unity and over all interests.
Yet, this did notmean that he would ignore their villainous crimes
against Fatima Zahra (sa) even after her death. In other words, Imam
Ali (as) was asked by Prophet Muhammad (saw) to have patience, but
only to a certain extent; when Imam Ali (as) received the news of the
about-to-be-executed plot, he put on his fighting gear and rushed
towards Jannat al-Baqi. A man from among the people called out, "This
is Ali ibn Abu Talib leveling his sword and saying: If anyone moves
even a mere stonefrom these graves, I shall strike even the back of
the last follower of the unjust."
People who realized Imam Ali's (as) seriousness, took his threats with
complete belief that he would do just as he said if anyone were to
oppose him. Yet, a man from the governing ones addressed Imam Ali (as)
by saying: "What is the matter, Abu Al-Hassan? ByAllah, we shall dig
her grave out and perform prayers on her."
Imam Ali (as) then grabbed the man by his clothes, shook him and threw
him to the ground and said: "Son of the Sawada! I have abandoned my
right to prevent people from forsaking their faith, but as regards
Fatima's (sa) grave, by Him in whose hand is my soul, if you and your
followers attempt to do anything to it, I will irrigate the ground
with your blood!"
At this, Abu Bakr said;"Abu Al-Hassan, I ask you by the right of
Messengerof Allah, and by Him Who is above the Throne: leave him alone
and we will not do anything which you would not approve of."
Thus, until this day, the location of Fatima Zahra's(sa) grave remains a secret.
Fatima Zahra (sa) had asked to be buried at night. Her request for
hiding her shrine was in fact a message she wanted to send to history:
a message for theentire Muslim Ummah that would lead to hearing her
sad life story,and what her constant objections were. And thisin fact
could be a turningpoint in the history of Islamic civilization.
It was because of this that Fatima Zahra (sa) found life from death,
victory from defeat, and an epic and everlasting peace from misery.
She created a revolution in the hearts of all generations. Her heart
still beats to the fate of the Muslim Ummah. And her eyes await the
flag offreedom that will appear with his son the Promised Mahdi (as).
Today, like all other periods people face misery and oppression. We
must look unto the secret of the hidden grave, and think about Fatima
Zahra's (sa) tears and burning sighs, and retell her message as bestwe
can to the rest of the world.

Quiet Funeral of Fatima Zahra (sa), the daughter of Messenger of Allah (saw)

A small procession of devoted ones, sobbing with grief, with their
faces covered, is quietly moving towards an unknown location to bury
someone special, someone they loved. It was a dark night of the third
of Jamadi al-Thani , 11th Hijrah in the city of Madina, the city of
Prophet Muhammad (saw) just few days after passing away of Prophet
Muhammad (saw) .
They were Kids with theirfather and his close friends walking quietly
with patience and happy with their Lord over what they went through
during last few days. But they were sobbing suppressing their voices,
tears were flowing but without a sound, concealing their grief, so
that no one can hear them in the dark quiet night they wanted no one
in Madina to know about what they were going through.
Yes, their father is none but Imam Ali (as); Imam Hassan, Imam
Hussain, Hazrat Zainab and Hazrat Umm Kulthum (pbut) are quietly
walking behind their father and Abu Dharr, Ammar Yasir, Miqdad ibn
Aswad and Salman Farsi.
When eyes were asleep and voices were silent, a Heavenly procession
left Imam Ali's (as) house while carrying the Messenger of Allah's
daughter Fatima Zahra (sa) to her final abode. Yes, Imam Hassan, Imam
Hussain, Hazrat Zainab and Hazrat Umm Kulthum(pbut) were walking in
the quiet funeral procession of their beloved mother.
But, where are the thousands who inhabitedMadina? What has happened
why nobody why funeral and burial indark night. Yes Fatima Zahra (sa)
had requested Imam Ali (as) that they are not allowed at her funeral,
she wished to beburied in the dark night quietly and her grave be
hidden from everyone.
There was dead silence. So long, with no word, dead silence just tears
just sob just grief. But wait a sobbing sigh was heard somebody was
weeping. Yes it was Imam Ali (as), the hero of Badr, Ohud, Khayber,
Khandaq and several other battles. Don't you realize that he is
weeping? Why would he not weep for being separated from the leader of
all women? The lady of light passing away so oppressed and after so
many painful events!
Weeping tears flowing from his eyes his heart full of grief he was
saying, O' Messenger of Allah, peace be upon you from me and from your
daughter who has come to you and who has hastened to meet you. O'
Messenger of Allah, my patience about your chosen (daughter) has been
exhausted and my power of endurance has weakened, except that I have
ground for consolation in having endured the great hardship and
heartrending event of your separation.
To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return. (Noble Qur'an, 2:156)
Now the trust has been returned and what had been given has been taken
back. As to my grief, it knows no boundsand as to my nights, they will
remain sleepless till Allah (SWT) chooses for me the house in which
you are now residing. Certainly your daughter would apprise you of the
joining together of your Ummah (community or nation) for oppressing
her. You ask her in detail and get all the news about the position.
This has happened when a long time had not elapsed and your
remembrance had not disappeared.
My Salaam be on you both, the Salaam of a grief stricken and not
theone who is fed up; for if Igo away it is not becauseI am weary (of
you), and if I stay it is not due to lack of belief in what Allah
(SWT) has promised the patient in sorrow.
After burying Fatima Zahra (sa) the family and their friends then
rushed back to their own homes so that no one would know where She was
buried.
Back in home again the kids were sad lonely theirmother was not with
them. Imam Ali (as) was taking care of them He was consoling them. But
it was not an easy task, he would calm the kids and then himself move
away to a corner of house so that they don't see him and then cry out
himself. Yes the hero of Badr, Ohud, Khayber, Khandaq and several
other battles was sadly exhausted of grief.
They were going throughthe events that happenedafter their beloved
Prophet Muhammad's (saw) passing away, the Ghadir was forgotten, Fadak
was usurped, their house was attacked, the burning door fell upon
Fatima Zahra (sa), breaking her ribs and leaving her unborn child dead
she was then sick bed ridden, isolated and at last she passed away.
It was the Kids first night without their beloved teacher, mother,
friend their mother, after sobbing and sighing for sometime, the kids
slept, missing her. Fatima Zahra(sa) was quietly watchingher Kids from
heavens.
This was a narration of the sad and quiet funeralof Fatima Zahra (sa),
the leader of all women of the worlds, the lady who was heavenly, who
held pivotal position in the household of Prophet Muhammad (saw). She
her husband and sons would fast and give awaytheir food at the time of
Iftar for three days and Allah (SWT) would thank them in the Noble
Qur'an.Even in her night prayers,she would give preference to
neighbors and friends over her ownfamily members.
Though Fatima Zahra (sa)lived a short life fruits of her life are
never ending.She was a great teacher who taught her Kids lessons of
self-sacrifice, bravery, defense of Islam and upholding high human
values. Fatima Zahra (sa) is an ideal personality for women tofollow.
But alas! Until today ah nobody exactly knows where is the grave of
Fatima Zahra (sa) for whom Prophet Muhammad (saw) would stand with
respect and says: "Fatima is part of me. Whatever causes her hurt,
hurts me." Prophet Muhammad (saw) also said: "Whoever hurts Fatima,
hurts me, and whoever hurts me, hurts Allah, exalted be His Majesty!"
Prophet Muhammad (saw) said further: "Allah becomes wrathful for
Fatima's anger, and is pleased at her pleasure." History records that
this great lady is buried in Jannat al-Baqi graveyard of Madina but
her exact grave remains unknown.

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