Sun, sand and solace

A chance detour leads Soma Basu to a memorial and a balmy day at the
beach at Kundakal
Rameswaram is a pucca holy town swamped bypilgrims round the year.
There are numerous temples that dot the coastline that make it even
more popular. I leave Madurai with warningsthat the beaches in
Rameswaram are dirty, with no activities or adventure tourism to speak
of. I hope the waves, the wind and the sand will make it worth my
while. After all it is flanked by the Indian Ocean and the Bay of
Bengal. It has to be an inspiring experience.
It turns out to be just that, and I almost miss it.
Next to the town's check-post, beside a huge flexboard, is a small —
and almost invisible — board which says 'Vivekananda Memorial'. I
decide to investigate. After aboutthree kilometres down a narrow
winding path, I spot a brightly painted building in redand orange
standing tall, right on the goldenbeach. The liquid blue ocean is in
the background and all I hear is the lap of waves. It instantly feels
good. This is the villageof Kundakal.
An old man sits alone on a wooden bench and waves me inside the
memorial, after selling me a five rupee ticket. Inside the high
ceiling hall is a tall bronze statue of SwamiVivekananda and on the
walls are stories from his life. The village and this memorial are
significant as it is here that Vivekananda entered India after
addressing the World Religious Parliament at Chicago. The tour of the
memorial does not take more than 15 minutes, even if you are
meticulous and go about it in a thorough way. It is a good feeling to
pay homage to Vivekananda. Outside, a feast awaits the senses.
The sea creates a spontaneous sense of peace. The memorial and the
pervading agarbatti fragrance around this unexploredand unrecognised
stretch of sea line creates an almost spiritual ambience. Thebeach is
clean and the water a lovely blue. It isnot difficult to spend the
entire day here in solitude, watching the endless dance of the waves
against the shore. A huddle of fishing boats bob silently nearby. Two
tiny islands in the distance complete the scenic backdrop. The sand
feels soft as powdered sugar underfoot.
The old man from the memorial reappears and explains how the sea is
always calm here and home to a variety of coral reefs, marine algae,
sea cucumbers, starfish, sponges and crabs. May be that is why a small
marine museum has been constructed next to the memorial. It is
scheduled for inauguration next month.
As the sun comes down,seagulls swoop down. The colour of the
waterdarkens and there is a spectacular sunset. I have no regrets
about not making it all the way to Rameswaram. The unplanned detour to
Kundakal was perfect. I return home humming Led Zeppelin's 'Down by
the Seaside…'
Getting there
Rameswaram is well connected by road, air and train. The nearest
airport is Madurai, 174 km.
Where to stay
There are several low budget hotels in Rameswaram town

Sun, sand and solace

A chance detour leads Soma Basu to a memorial and a balmy day at the
beach at Kundakal
Rameswaram is a pucca holy town swamped bypilgrims round the year.
There are numerous temples that dot the coastline that make it even
more popular. I leave Madurai with warningsthat the beaches in
Rameswaram are dirty, with no activities or adventure tourism to speak
of. I hope the waves, the wind and the sand will make it worth my
while. After all it is flanked by the Indian Ocean and the Bay of
Bengal. It has to be an inspiring experience.
It turns out to be just that, and I almost miss it.
Next to the town's check-post, beside a huge flexboard, is a small —
and almost invisible — board which says 'Vivekananda Memorial'. I
decide to investigate. After aboutthree kilometres down a narrow
winding path, I spot a brightly painted building in redand orange
standing tall, right on the goldenbeach. The liquid blue ocean is in
the background and all I hear is the lap of waves. It instantly feels
good. This is the villageof Kundakal.
An old man sits alone on a wooden bench and waves me inside the
memorial, after selling me a five rupee ticket. Inside the high
ceiling hall is a tall bronze statue of SwamiVivekananda and on the
walls are stories from his life. The village and this memorial are
significant as it is here that Vivekananda entered India after
addressing the World Religious Parliament at Chicago. The tour of the
memorial does not take more than 15 minutes, even if you are
meticulous and go about it in a thorough way. It is a good feeling to
pay homage to Vivekananda. Outside, a feast awaits the senses.
The sea creates a spontaneous sense of peace. The memorial and the
pervading agarbatti fragrance around this unexploredand unrecognised
stretch of sea line creates an almost spiritual ambience. Thebeach is
clean and the water a lovely blue. It isnot difficult to spend the
entire day here in solitude, watching the endless dance of the waves
against the shore. A huddle of fishing boats bob silently nearby. Two
tiny islands in the distance complete the scenic backdrop. The sand
feels soft as powdered sugar underfoot.
The old man from the memorial reappears and explains how the sea is
always calm here and home to a variety of coral reefs, marine algae,
sea cucumbers, starfish, sponges and crabs. May be that is why a small
marine museum has been constructed next to the memorial. It is
scheduled for inauguration next month.
As the sun comes down,seagulls swoop down. The colour of the
waterdarkens and there is a spectacular sunset. I have no regrets
about not making it all the way to Rameswaram. The unplanned detour to
Kundakal was perfect. I return home humming Led Zeppelin's 'Down by
the Seaside…'
Getting there
Rameswaram is well connected by road, air and train. The nearest
airport is Madurai, 174 km.
Where to stay
There are several low budget hotels in Rameswaram town

The lady of the lake

At Belur we discover that Bishtama Kere is a sanctuary for humans and
birds as well
It was one of those lethargic days when you are in no mood to explore
and the mind isaching to kill time. I was in my favourite Malenadu
region in Karnataka and was walking beside a lake near Belur town. A
small mandapam was almost buried in the water, but my attention was
drawn toa flock of cormorants perched on a rock in the lake.
According to the locals, lakes in this region were considered sacred
as they hid several treasures in their depths. In the past, when the
Hoysalas were attackedby different invaders, itis believed that
important sculptures and idols from the temples and even jewellery was
thrown inside the lake to save the treasures from invaders.
I wondered if this lake around me too had its little secret. Chinna, a
local whom I had befriended, told me its name, Bishtama Kere, and
narrated a tragic tale around it. The lake,he said, was named after
Bishtama, a woman who sacrificed herself by drowning in the waters
when she was pregnant. The landhad been barren for many years and
locals believe that her sacrifice brought the rains and fertility back
to the village.
Chinna insisted that herspirit still remained in the waters and spoke
to the people. He got all excited as he added that people used to
throw jewellery into the lake before a wedding so that they were
blessed by Bishtama and in the morning, the jewellery would still be
intact, floating on the waters. I looked at him rather incredulously
and asked when this had happened last in the village. Chinna shrugged
and safely answered that he did not remember.
There's always an element of surprise in every trip. Many a time,I
realised that a traveller's tale had taken me to the most nondescript
place that Ihad often taken for granted. Temples and forts may have
spun yarns of history, but a simple, humble lake had its own story to
tellas well.
A loud, ashy prinia broke my reverie. Chinna had already moved on,
talking to some other villagers. I was suddenly distracted by a flock
of night herons that were breeding and a family of bronze-winged
jacanas. I later learnt that it was the father jacana that brought up
the chicks up, as the mother was nowhere in the picture.
The father was foraging for food with his chicks. Suddenly, the chicks
walked awaywithout heeding the parent's advice and for the next
several minutes, I could hear the father pleading and calling out to
his adventurous chicks. I could not see the chicksfor a while, but
suddenly they reappeared. I was fascinated to watch an animated
conversation between them. Bobbing their heads back and forth in a
rhythmic fashion, they seemed to be nodding and shaking their heads,
probably havinga little argument or narrating their experiences.
Suddenly one of the chicks decided to end the discussion by thrusting
its head under the father's wing. It got under the parent's belly and
shoved him with its beak, asking tobe picked up. As the family spent
the evening at the lake, I could not help but think of how a lake that
could take a life could also nurture it.

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Part 3 - Moons Peak [FINISHED]- Welcome Home (chapter 3)

I MARCHED UP THE WOODEN STEPS leaving that obnoxious boy far behind me.
Seriously, who was that guy anyway? Probably some hired help my dad
had gotten in order to retire at an early age. He sure looked like
labored help, with all the dirt he carried.
I shook my thoughts aside and studied the farmhouse. The porch ran
around the whole house, with a swinging seat that was perched out in
the front, and if you stared out toward the eastside of Denvers Drove.
You could spot Point Lakefrom there.
The tarnished wood underneath my high heels protested as I crossed
over the threshold and into the foyer.
It was just how I remembered: Small, musty, and cheap. I wrinkled my nose.
The family room sat on my right, while the kitchen was to my left.
Further down the hall a staircase wound up to the bedrooms, along with
the bathroom and toilet.
It was a four-bedroom cottage, still very small, considering my
grandparent's mansion in Manhattan housed fifteen rooms with four
bathrooms and two en-suites—one in mine—and the other in my
grandparents room.
Plus, their hotel apartment they kept for when I turned eighteen.
Isighed. I was definitely visiting.
"Willow...? Is that you?"
I was startled out of my thoughts when I heard a familiar voice address me.
I turned to the husky female voice coming from the family area. It was
Mrs. Heins, or as I used to call her 'Aunt Retha'. My eyes settled
onher tiny frame, and I tried my hardest to hide the shock on my face,
after noticing she was bound to a wheelchair.
She looked like she had lost a lot of weight—almost to the point to
where her bones were jarring out of her clothes.Though she was always
thin—looking at her now—she'd looked almost anorexic. Her curlyblack
hair cropped at herjaw line, as her piercing light green eyes stared
atme attentively.
Her olive skin was what made her look young, but whatever had taken
her to this road, made her seem fragile. Most of where Satchel got his
looks from was his mother.
She'd always been a beautiful role model to me.
"Aunt—I mean, Mrs. Heins?" I caught my tongue because I wasn't sure if
it was appropriateto call her Aunt anymore.
She nodded with a big smile and wheeled herself a little closer.
Dipping to give her a peck on her cheek, she pulled me into a tight bear hug.
Had she been anyone else? I would've squirmed and pushed myway out of
it, and protested about having to crinkle up my Valentino, but this
was Satchel's mom.
In fact, I'd remembered when I was little, I used to dream up that she
wasmy real mom, and Satcheland I would claim we were brother and
sister.
She'd always been a woman I looked up to, soI'd adopted her as my own
Aunt. I'd wondered how she ended up in a wheelchair. Her eyes looked
me over as if she were struggling to see the Willow she once
remembered. Quite frankly, that Willow had sailed her ship along time
ago.
"Wow, you've grown up so much! I hardly recognize you with that blonde
in your hair," she said in that husky voice of hers, marveling at my
appearance.
I smiled, flattening my three hundred dollar dye job down and flicking
it back over my shoulders. Iswept my bangs to the side.
Biting my lips, I nodded."Yeah, I guess I grew out of that brunette
phase a long time ago," I admitted, remembering back to when Aretha
had last seen me.
I used to have mousy brunette hair that was sothin; it was impossible
to stay in a French braid. I guess I still had that mousy kind of
hair, just blonde. Her smile never wavered, rubbing my arms
endearingly.
"Well, it's good to see you. I'd show you to yourroom, but you don't
needhelp with that do you?"
I shook my head. "I'm sure I can find it." I smiled as she wheeled
away, squeezing my hand before she left.
Sighing, I cast my eyes upto the winding staircase. Just visiting, I
chanted in my head. I mounted the stairs, cringing at the creaking
sounds as I did, and turned into the first room that sat to the left
from the top of the stairs.
The door squeaked as I opened it, and I was met with a familiarity I
thought I'd left behind. My old room was just the way I had left it.
A single bed to the right, a window seat and a dresser drawer that
looked like it had lived through centuries of storms. The room had
that musty smell again, and the colors of my comforters were a white
yellow: Plain, and boring.
It looked like vomit. I grimaced. Just think of it as a field trip.
You'll be out of here before you know it, and then home sweet home.
I whipped my head around to the sound of a big thump. I glared whenI
saw that boy again. He'd just dumped my bags at the doorway like they
were some cheap garbage! I couldn't stand for that...
My lips curled back, and my eyes burned holes into his cowboy hat.
"What the hell! You just threw Louis Vuitton on the floor?!" I
exclaimed, biting back a string of curses.
His stupid cowboy hat still hid his face, so I had nothing to stare at
besides his chest. It wasn't a bad sight either;with his broad
shoulders and his olive tanned skin.
He shrugged. "Who and whatever Louis is, I'm sure he doesn't mind the
floor," he said in a bored tone.
He was leaning on the doorframe with a smirk on his face. Ugh! He was
impossible. I marched over to him and retrievedmy luggage, in an
attempt to save them from him mistreating them any further.
"Louis is not something you just chuck on the ground! Ugh! What would
you know? You live on a farm!" I said in disgust, swiping away any
visible dirt that it may have conjured from the trip it took from the
carriage to my room.
He tilted his head, amusement littering his lips. "I don't know
what'smore entertaining: You naming your bag, or the fact that you
have blondehair." He scoffed.
I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he laughing at me?
"Are you mocking me?" I demanded of him, fistingmy hand up in a tight
balland scowled.
He shook his head. "Just that my mom is right. Youreally have changed."
I glared, unzipping one of my travel bags for some refreshing spray to
kill the musty smell. "And how would you know that? You don't know
anything about me!" I said bitterly.
"Nope. Not anymore…it seems," he muttered in a voice that was barely
audible. I noticed the wistful note in his voice.
He tipped his hat with hisright hand and a smile tugged as his lips
and then turned on his heels.
"Welcome home, Willy." He bid his farewell and I froze.
Only one person called me that, and that was Satchel. I watched his
retreating figure disappear down the stairs and stood there fora
moment lost in thought.
That was Satchel? I struggled to see any resemblance. Sure he hadthe
same color skin, and the chocolate brown colored hair, but he'd grown
it out.
I'd remembered him being so little, that I was practically taller than
himand I was five. He was seven back then. He was almost six foot now,
and a body fit for a man.
Wow, he'd really grown out of the boy I once knew. I guess I wasn't
theonly one who changed.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
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Ruling on one who thinks that sihr is OK so long as it does not cause any problems

What do you think abouta man who used ruqyah,but he did not think
thatit helped him, so he turned from that to sihr (magic, witchcraft),
and he says, I think that it is OK so long as it does not cause any
problems?
Praise be to Allaah.
Sihr is evil and is kufr. If a sick person is not cured by reading
(Qur'aan and du'aa's), then we should note that medicine does not
guarantee a cure either, because not every treatment produces the
desired result. Allaah may delay the healing for a long time, or the
person may die from thissickness. It is not a condition of treatment
that the person should be healed. If a person is treated by reading
Qur'aan and does not recover, that is not an excuse for turning to
sihr, because we are commanded to take the permissible means
prescribed in sharee'ah, and we are forbidden touse haraam means. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "O slavesof
Allaah, seek treatmentbut do not seek treatment with that which has
been forbidden to you." And itwas narrated that he (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah does not make your
healing in that which He has forbidden to you."
All things are in the handof Allaah, may He be glorified. He is the
One Who heals whomsoever He wills, and He decrees sickness and death
for whomsoever He wills, as He says (interpretation of the meanings):
"And if Allaah touches you with harm, none canremove it but He, and if
He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things" [al-An'aam
6:17]
"And if Allaah touches you with harm, there is none who can remove it
but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can
repel His Favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves
He wills. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful [Yoonus
10:107]
So the Muslim must be patient and seek rewardwith Allaah. He must
limit himself to the means that Allaah has permitted, and beware of
that which Allaah has forbidden, whilst also believing that the decree
of Allaah is beneficial and that His command cannot be put back, as
Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
"Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing,is only that He says to
it, 'Be!' and it is! [Yaa-Seen 36:82]
"And you cannot will unless (it be) that Allaah wills the Lord of the
'Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists) [al-Takweer 81:29]
And there are many similar aayaat.

Why do we yawn in Ramadaan when the devils have been chained up? And is the transmission of television pictures haraam?

It is well known that the devils are chained up in Ramadaan and that
yawning comes from theShaytaan, so why do we yawn in Ramadaan?
And it is known that making images of human beings is haraam, so is
the transmission of television pictures regarded as haraam?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (6226) and Muslim (2994) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah likes sneezing and dislikes yawning,
so if one of you sneezes and praises Allaah (by saying Al-hamdu
Lillaah), it is a duty upon every Muslim who hears him to say to him,
Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you). With regard to
yawning, it is from the Shaytaan so if one of you feels like yawning,
let him suppress it as much as he can, for if one of you yawns the
Shaytaan laughs at him.
Concerning the meaningof that, it was said that the Shaytaan likes to
seea person yawning because it makes him look different and so he
laughs at him. It does not mean that the Shaytaan is the one whomakes
him yawn. And it was said that yawning isattributed to the Shaytaan
because yawning comes from fullness of the stomach, which generates
laziness, which happens under the influence of the Shaytaan.
Al-Nawawi(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Yawning is attributed to
the Shaytaan because it promotes whims and desires, because it stems
from heaviness of the body, excessive relaxation and fullness of the
stomach. So what is meant is a warning against the thing that leads to
that, which is eating too much.
Al-Manaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:It is attributed to him
because he is the one who calls for giving the self its share of
desires. What is meant here is to warn against the things that lead to
that, which is eating too much and eating one's fill, which makes the
body feel too heavy and tired to do acts of worship.
There should be no confusion stemming from the fact that peopleyawn
during Ramadaan even though the devils are chained up at that time,
because what is meant by saying that it isfrom the Shaytaan is that he
likes it. The fact that he likes it and approves of it does not mean
that he is not chained, rather that could happen even if he was
chained.
Based on the view that this is caused by the influence of the
Shaytaan, either directly or indirectly, it was said that the ones who
are chained up during Ramadaan are the maarids among the devils (i.e.,
the strong evil ones) only, and that others remain as they are, so
yawning may be caused by those who arenot chained up.
But based on the view that what is meant by the chaining up of the
devils is that their influence on the believers is less during that
month than in othermonths, perhaps yawning results from thelittle
influence that they are still able to have during Ramadaan.

* The story of magic against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and its meaning

* Is the hadith about the magic on Prophet (PBUH)authentic? i've heard
alot about this.
Praise be to Allaah.
The hadeeth of magic against the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) is a saheeh hadeeth which was narrated by
al-Bukhaari, Muslim and other imams of hadeeth.Ahl al-Sunnah accept
thisstory and no one denies it except an innovator. There follows the
text of the hadeeth, its source, its meaning and the refutation by the
scholars of those who deny it.
It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:
A spell was put on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) until he imagined that he had done a thing when he had not done
it. One dayhe made du'aa' then he said: "Do you know that Allaah has
shown me in what lies my cure? Two men came to me and one of them sat
at my head and the other at my feet. One of them said to the other,
'What is ailing the man?' He said: 'He has been bewitched.' He said:
"Who has bewitched him?' He said: 'Labeed ibn al-A'sam.' He said,
'With what?' He said: 'With a comb, the hair that is stuck to it, and
the skin of pollen of a male date palm. He said: 'Where is it?' He
said, 'In the well of Dharwaan.'" The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) went out to the well, then he came back and said
to 'Aa'ishah when he came back: "Its date palms are like the heads of
devils." I said: "Did you take it out?" He said: "No. Allaahhas healed
me, and I feared that that might bring evil upon the people." Then the
well was filled in.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,3268; Muslim, 2189.
'A comb
and the hairs stuck to it and.' The first one asked,'Where is that?'
The other replied, '(That is) in the well of Dharwan.' " So
Allah's Apostle along with some of his companions went
there and came back saying, "O 'Aisha, the color of its
water is like the infusionof Henna leaves. The tops of
the date-palm trees nearit are like the heads of the
devils." I asked. "O Allah'sApostle? Why did you not
show it (to the people)?"He said, "Since Allah cured me,
I disliked to let evil spread among the people." Then he
ordered that the well be filled up with earth
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Al-Maazari said: The innovators rejected this hadeeth and claimed that
it detracted from the status of Prophethood and cast aspersions upon
it. Theysaid: Everything that leads to that is false. Andthey said
that accepting that meant that we could not be sure of the laws that
he prescribed, because it is possible that he imagined that hewas
seeing Jibreel when he was not there, and that something had been
revealed to him when nothing had been revealed. Al-Maazari said: All
of this is to be rejected, because the evidence that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was truthful in what he
conveyed from Allaah and that he was infallible in conveying it is
well established. The miraclesbear witness to his truthfulness and
accepting something when there is evidence to the contrary is false.
With regard to some worldly matters for which he was not sent and
which have nothing to do with his message, then he was exposed to the
same as all other human beings, such as sickness. It is not
far-fetched to say that he could be made to imagine something
withregard to worldly matters that was not true, whilst at the same
time he was protected against such things with regard to matters of
religion.
Some people said that what is meant by this hadeeth is that he (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) imagined that he had had
intercourse with his wives when he had not done so. This is something
that people frequently imagine in their dreams, so it is not
far-fetched to say that he could have imagined that when he was awake.
I – Ibn Hajar – say: This is what is stated clearly in the report of
Ibn 'Uyaynah that is narrated by al-Bukhaari, which says: "until he
thought that he had hadintercourse with his wives when he had not done
so."
'Iyaad said: Thus it is clear that the witchcraft prevailed over his
body and physical faculties, not over his discernmentand beliefs…
Al-Mahlab said: The protection of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) against the devils does not mean that they would
not try to harm him. In al-Saheeh it is narrated that a devil wanted
to spoil his prayer but Allaah protected him against him. The same
applies to witchcraft; theharm that affected him did not have any
impact on his conveying of the message, rather it was akin to any
other kind ofsickness that afflicted him, such as having difficulty in
speaking or doing certain things, or experiencing illusions that did
not last. Rather it passed and Allaah foiled the plots of the devils.
End quote.
Fath al-Baari, 10/226, 227
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
How the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was guided
to treat the spell which Jews cast on him:
This has been denied by some people who said that this could not have
happened to him, and they thought that it was a shortcoming and a
fault. But it is not as theythink, rather it comes under the heading
of sickness and pain that befell him; it is a kind of illness which
befell him just as he was also affected by poison – there is no
difference between the two. It is proven in al-Saheehayn that
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wasbewitched until
he thought that he had hadintercourse with his wives when he had not
done so, and that is the worst kind of witchcraft." Al-Qaadi 'Iyaad
said: Witchcraft is a kind of sickness which happened to him like
other kinds of sickness. That cannot be denied and it does not detract
from his Prophethood.
With regard to his imagining that he had done something when he had
not done it, that does not have any impact on his truthfulness,
because of the evidence to that effect and the scholarly consensus
that he was protected from that. Rather it was one of the matters of
this world which are not the reason for which he wassent, and which
are not the basis of his virtue and in which he was likeall other
human beings. It is not far-fetched to say that he might imagine some
things that were not real, then things became clear to him later on,
as indeed happened. End quote.
Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/124
So it is clear that the hadeeth is saheeh, and that it does not
detract from the status of Prophethood. Allaah, may He be glorified
and exalted, protected His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and made him infallible before thisspell was cast, during it
and afterwards. The spell did no more than make the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) think that he had had intercourse
with his wives when he had not done so; it had to do with a purely
worldly matter, and had nothingto do with his conveyingof the message
at all. The words of the scholars quoted above are sufficient, and
whoever wants to know more may refer to Fath al-Baari and Zaad
al-Ma'aad.
And Allaah knows best.

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Umayr ibn Wahb - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Umayr ibn Wahb al-Jumahi returned safely from the Battle of Badr. His
son, Wahb, was left behind, a prisoner in the hands of the Muslims.
Umar feared thatthe Muslims would punish the youth severely because of
the persecution he himself had meted out to the Prophet and the
torture he had inflicted on his companions.
One morning Umayr went to the Sacred Mosque to make tawaf around the
Kabah and worship his idols. He found Safwan ibn Umayyah sitting near
the Kabah, went up to him and said:
Im Sabahan (Good Morning), Quraysh chieftain."
"Im Sabahan, Ibn Wahb," repliedSafwan. "Let us talk for some time.
Time only goes by with conversation."
Umayr sat next to him. The two men began to recall Badr, the great
defeat they had suffered and they counted the prisoners who had fallen
into the hands ofMuhammad and his companions. They became deeply
distressed at the number of great Quraysh men who had been killed by
the swords of the Muslims and who lay buried in the mass grave at
al-Qalib in Badr.
Safwan ibn Umayyah shook his head and sighed, "By God, there can be no
better after them."
"You are right," declared Umar. He remained silent for a while and
then said, "By the God of theKabah, if I had no debts and no family
whose loss I fear after me, I would go to Muhammad and kill him,
finish off his mission and check his evil." He went on in a faint,
subdued voice, "And as my son Wahb is among them, my going to Yathrib
would be beyond doubt."
Safwan ibn Umayyah listened intently to the words of Umayr and did not
wish this opportunity to pass. He turned to him and said:
"Umar, place all your debt in my hands and I will discharge it for you
whatever the amount. As foryour family, I shall take them as my own
family and give them whatever they need. I have enough wealth to
guarantee them a comfortable living."
"Agreed," said Umar. "But keep this conversation of ours secret and do
not divulge any of it to anyone."
"That shall be so," said Safwan.
Umar left the Masjid al-Haram with the fire of hatred against Muhammad
blazing in his heart. He began to count what he needed for the task he
had set himself. He knew that he had the full support and confidence
of the Quraysh who had members of their families held prisoner in
Madinah .
Umar had his sword sharpened and coated with poison. His camel was
prepared and brought to him. He mounted thebeast and rode in the
direction of Madinah with evil in his heart.
Umar reached Madinah and wentdirectly towards the mosque looking for
the Prophet. Near the door of the mosque, he alighted and tethered his
camel.
At that time, Umar was sitting with some of the Sahabah near the door
of the Mosque, reminiscing about Badr, the number of prisoners that
had been taken and the number of Quraysh killed. They also recalledthe
acts of heroism shown by the Muslims, both the Muhajirun and the Ansar
and gave thanks to God for the great victory He had given them.
At that very moment Umar turned around and saw Umayr ibn Wahb
alighting from his camel and going towards the Mosque brandishing his
sword. Alarmed, he jumped up and shouted. "This is the dog, the enemy
of God, Umayr ibn Wahb. By God, he has only come to do evil. He led
the Mushrikeen against us in Makkah and he wasa spy for them against
us shortlybefore Badr. Go to the Messenger of God, stand around him
and warn him that this dirtytraitor is after him."
Umar himself hastened to the Prophet and said, "O Rasulullah, this
enemy of God, Umayr ibn Wahb, has come brandishing hissword and I
think that he could only be up to something evil.""Let him come in,"
said the Prophet.
Umar approached Umayr, took hold of him by the tails of his robes,
pressed the back of his sword against his neck and tookhim to the
Prophet.
When the Prophet saw Umayr in this condition he said to Umar:"Release
him.' He then turned toUmayr and said: "Come closer." Umayr came
closer and said, "ImSabaha" (the Arab greeting in the days of
Jahiliyyah)."
"God has granted us a greeting better than this, Umayr," said the
Prophet. "God has granted us the greeting of Peace--it is the greeting
of the people of Paradise." "What have you come for?" continued the
Prophet.
"I came here hoping to have the prisoner in your hands released, so
please oblige me." "And whatis this sword around your neck for?"
quizzed the Prophet. "Tell me the truth. What have you come for,
Umayr?" prodded the Prophet. "I have only come to have the prisoner
released," insisted Umar.
"No. You and Safwan ibn Umayyah sat near the Kabah recalling your
companions who lie buried at al-Qalib and then you said, 'If I had no
debt or no family to look after, I would certainly go out to kill
Muhammad.' Safwan took over your debt and promised to look after your
family in return for your agreeing to kill me. But Godis a barrier
between you and your achieving your aim."
Umar stood stupefied nor a moment, then said: "I bear witness that you
are the messenger of God." "We used, O messenger of' God." he
continued, "to reject whatever good you had brought and whatever
revelation came to you. But my conversation with Safwan ibn Umayyah
was not known to anyone else. By God, I am certain that only God could
have made this known to you. Praise be to God Who has led meto you
that He may guide me to Islam.' He then testified that there is no god
but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and became a
Muslim. Thereupon, the Prophet instructed his companions: "instruct
your brother in his religion. Teach him the Quran and set free his
prisoner."
The Muslims were extremely happy with Umayr's acceptance of Islam.
Even Umar who once said of him, "A pig is certainly dearer to me than
Umayr ibn Wahb" came up to the Prophet and exclaimed "Today, he is
dearer to me than some of my own children."
Thereafter Umayr spent much time increasing his knowledge of Islam and
filling his heart with the light of the Quran. There, in Madinah, he
spent the sweetest and richest days of his life away from what he had
known in Makkah .
Back in Makkah, Safwan was filled with hope and would say to the
Quraysh, "I will soon give you some great news that would make you
forget the events of Badr." Safwan waited for a long time and then
gradually became more and more anxious. Greatly agitated, he would go
out and ask travelers what news they had of Umayr ibn Wahb but no one
wasable to give him a satisfactory reply. Eventually a rider came and
said "Umar has become a Muslim."
The news hit Safwan like a thunderbolt. He was certain thatUmayr would
never become a Muslim and if he ever did then everyone on the face of
the earth would become Muslim also. "Never shall I speak to him and
never shall I do anything for him," he said.
Umar meanwhile kept on striving to gain a good understanding of his
religion and memorize whatever he could of the words of God. Whenhe
felt he had achieved a certain degree of confidence, he went to the
Prophet and said:
"O Rasulullah, much time has passed since I used to try to put out the
light of God and severelytortured whoever was on the path of Islam.
Now, I desire that you should give me permission to go to Makkah and
invite the Quraysh to God and His Messenger. If they accept it fromme,
that will be good. And if they oppose me, I shall harass them as I
used to harass the companions of the Prophet."
The Prophet gave his consent and Umayr left for Makkah. He went
straight to the house of Safwan ibn Umayyah and said:"Safwan, you are
one of the chieftains of Makkah and one of the most intelligent of the
Quraysh. Do you really think that these stones you are worship ping
and making sacrifice to, deserve to be the basis of a religion? As for
myself, I declare that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah." At Umayr's hands, many Makkans became
Muslims, but Safwan did not.
Later, during the liberation of Makkah, Safwan ibn Umayyah attempted
to flee from the Muslim forces. Umar, however, obtained an amnesty
from the Prophet for him and he too became a Muslim and distinguished
himself in the service of Islam.

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The perils of lying

Lying is a reprehensible quality against which the Islamic Sharee'ah
(Islamic legislation) hasissued severe warnings.; Man's sound nature
is instinctively repelled by such a quality and all sound-minded and
noble people refuse it to indulge in it.
Truthfulness is one of the pillars of the survival of the Universe,
the origin of all praiseworthy qualities, the cornerstone of
Prophethood and a natural fruit of piety. Lying, on the other hand,is
an act by which one breaks away from the sound innate human nature.
In Islam, lying has been warned against and prohibited in the Quran,
the Prophetic Sunnah (tradition) and the consensus of the Muslim
scholars. Lying has very evil consequences in both this life and the
life to come.
Lying has only been permitted under very stringent conditions and in
particular situations when it does not result in depriving anyone from
his/her rights, shedding blood or slandering others and the like. In
fact, lying has only been permitted in a situation to save someone's
life, reconcile between two disputing parties or bring about more love
and compassion between spouses.
There is no special day or time during which Islam permits people to
lie and say whatever they wish. On the first day of April(what is
known as April Fools' Day), people deem lying and saying anything they
wish lawful,without having any basis to their claims. There is a great
deal of evil resulting from such a practice, which we will mention
later.
The words of the Salaf (pious predecessors) regarding lying:
· Ibn Mas`ood said, "Truthfulness leads to piety and piety leads to
paradise. A man persists in speaking the truth until no trace of evil
will be left inhis heart nor can transgression remain therein. A man
continues to lie until not so much as the space that a needle occupies
of piety would be left in his heart."
· Ibn Mas`ood said, "Lying is not accepted in jest or seriousness."
Then he recited the verse (which means): } O you who have believed,
fear Allaah and be with those who are truthful { [Quran 9:119]
· Abu Bakr said, "Beware of lying as it opposes faith."
· Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas said, "A believer can get accustomed to all
qualities except lying and deception."
· Ibn 'Umar said, "One will never achieve the reality of faith until
he refrains from lying even ifit is in jest."
Permissible lying:
Lying is considered lawful in Islam for three different reasons: war,
reconciling between disputing people and between spouses for the
purpose of arousing love and compassion and to prevent disputes. It is
alsolawful to tell a lie under extenuating circumstances. An example
of this is the case of a Muslim who hides himself or his money from a
tyrant who is bent on killing him or taking his money from him by
force. If one knows the whereabouts of this Muslim or his money and is
askedabout it, it is permissible to a lie in this case to save a
Muslim's lifeor his property. However, it is better to give an
equivocal answer (that is, one which is not clear or definite in
meaning), and that can be interpreted in more than one way in order to
shun lying altogether.
The sum and substance of this discussion has been derived fromthe
narration ascribed to Umm Kulthoom who said, "The Messenger of Allaah
said: "A liar is not the one who tries to bring about reconciliation
between the people and speaks good to avert dispute or to convey
good." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim].
Asmaa' bint Yazeed, , who said: "The Messenger of Allaah said: "Lying
is not permissibleexcept for three reasons: lying to one's wife to
please her (for the purpose of arousing love and compassion and
prevent disputes), lying during war and lying when reconciling between
disputing people." [At-Tirmithi-Albaani: Sound].

The Ruling on Lying and its Evil Consequences

The prohibition of lying:
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): { "They only invent falsehood
who do not believe in the verses of Allaah, and it is those who are
the liars." { [Quran 16:105] Commenting on this verse, Ibn Katheer
said,
"Allaah The Almighty informs us that His Messenger is not a liar,
because lying is only the practice of the most evil people from
amongst the disbelievers and polytheists who do not believe in the
verses of Allaah TheAlmighty. It is such people who are known among
people to be liars, while Muhammad was the most truthful person
amongst his people and the kindest to others and the most wise. He was
so truthful that his people gave him the nickname of ('The Truthful'
and 'The Trustworthy'). This is why Hercules – the Roman king - asked
Abu Sufyaan about this very quality saying, 'Was he ever known to be a
liar before claiming prophethood?' to whichAbu Sufyaan replied in the
negative. Thereupon Hercules said, 'Then he would not give up lying to
people and start lying on God.'"
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet, said: "The signs of a
hypocrite are three; he lies when talking, he breaks his promises and
he deceives when entrusted […] anyone who possesses all such qualities
is a pure hypocrite" [Al-Bukhaari, Muslim].
Imaam An-Nawawi commented on this narration saying,
"The sound opinion about the interpretation of this narration is that
these are the qualities of hypocrites, and the one who possesses them
resembles hypocrites […] his saying : "… anyone who possesses all such
qualities is a pure hypocrite…" means that the person very closely
resembles the hypocrites. Some scholars said that this applies to the
person whose character is as such most the time, but the one who
rarely does so is not included in the description. Imaam At-Tirmithi
reported that the narration refers to practical hypocrisy according to
the scholars."
The evil consequence of lying:
A liar is warned that he is liable to be punished in both this life
and the Hereafter with humiliating and destructive punishments such
as:
· Instilling hypocrisy in the heart: Allaah The Almighty Says (what
means): { So He penalized them with hypocrisy in their hearts until
the Day they will meet Him –because they failed Allaah in what they
promised Him and because they [habitually] used to lie. } [Quran 9:
77]
'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood said,
"You can consider one as a hypocrite if you see the followingthree
qualities: lying when talking, breaking his promises and deceiving
those who entrust him." Then he recited the verse (which means): } And
among them are those who made a covenant with Allaah, [saying], "If He
should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and
we will surely be among the righteous." But when he gave them from His
bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they refused.
So He penalized them with hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day they
will meet Him –because they failed Allaah in what they promised Him
and because they [habitually] used to lie .} [Quran 9: 75-77] [Ibn
Shaybah]
· Leading to evil actions and to Hell:Ibn Mas`ood reported that the
Messenger of Allaah, , said: "Truthfulness leads to pietyand piety
leads to paradise. A man persists in speaking the truth till he is
recorded with Allaah as a truthful man. Lying leads to transgression
and transgression leads to the Hell-fire. A man continues to lie till
he is recorded with Allaah as agreat liar." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim].
As-San'aani said,
"The narration indicates that truthfulness becomes a natural quality
of the one who is keen to speak only the truth, and lying becomes a
natural quality of the one who is keen to lying when speaking. This is
so, because it is a type of training one does to himself until it
becomes one of his characteristics. The narration indicates the
greatness of truthfulness so much so that it leads the person with
such a quality to Paradise. It also highlights how hideous lying is,
that it leads the person to Hell, besides the punishment awaitinghim
in this worldly life. People usually trust the words of the person
known to tell the truth and like to listen to him, contraryto the
person who is known to lie"
· Rejecting testimony: Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "Lying is one of the
strongest reasons to rejectthe testimony and narration of a person,
because the tool itself is corrupted (tongue). This is similar to the
testimony of a blind person regarding sighting the crescent of
Ramadhaan, and the deaf for something that he heard. A lying tongue is
an organ that has become defective and stopped functioning. In fact it
is even worse, because the worst thing a person can possess is a lying
tongue"
·
· Gloomy face in this life and the Hereafter: Allaah The Almighty Says
(what means): { And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who
lied about Allaah [with] their faces blackened. Is there not in Hell a
residence for the arrogant? } [Quran 39: 60] Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "In
the Hereafter, Allaah The Almighty will make the gloominess on the
face as a sign of those who used to lie. Lying gives the face of the
liar a gloominess that is noticed by truthful people. On the other
hand, truthful people have brightand glowing faces that make all the
people who meet them love them, while the liar's gloominessmakes
people hate them."
· Tearing of the face in the Hereafter: Samurah ibn Jundub said,
"The Messenger of Allaah veryoften used to ask his Companions: "Has
any one of you seen a strange dream?" So dreams would be narrated to
him by those whom Allaah The Almighty willed to relate. One dayhe
said: "Last night I had a vision in which two men (angels) came to me
and woke me up andsaid to me, `Proceed!' I set out with them and we
came across a man lying down, and behold, another man was standing
over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at
the man's head, smashingit. When he struck him, the stonerolled away
and he went after it to get it, and no sooner had he returned to this
man, his head was healed and restored to its former condition. The
thrower (of the rock) then did the same ashe had done before.
I said to my two companions, `Subhaanallaah (Glory be to Allaah)! Who
are these?' They said: `Proceed, proceed.' So we proceeded and came to
a man lying in a prone position and another man standing over his head
with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook inone side of the
man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the
neck), and similarly tear his nose from front to back, and his eyes
from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face
and did just as he has done with the first side. He had hardly
completed that (second) side when the first returned to its normal
state."
Then when he informed the Companions about the explanation of what he
had seen,he said: "I said to them, `I have seen many wonders tonight.
What does all that mean which I have seen?' They replied, `We will
inform you: […] As for the man you came upon, whose sides of mouth,
nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol
of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells lies
that are spread all over the world …" [Al-Bukhaari].

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Women who are forbidden for marriage because of kinship

Please could you tell me the basic guideline on marriage in Islam with
regard to relatives? I know that it is permissible for a person to
marry paternal cousins, but what is the ruling on marrying
one'sfather's paternal cousin?And what is the ruling on my daughter
marrying the nephew of my mother-in-law? Please advise me, may Allah
reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
Allah, may He be exalted,has mentioned women who are forbidden in
marriage because of kinship. Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters,
your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your
brother's daughters, your sister's daughters…"
[al-Nisa' 4:23].
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
These are seven who areforbidden in marriage, according to the text
and scholarly consensus; none of the scholars differed concerning
this.End quote from al-Sharh al-Mumti', 12/53.
They are:
1. The mother, which includes grandmothers on both the father's
and mother's side
2. The daughter, which includes granddaughters
3. Sisters, whether fullsisters or half-sisters through the
father or mother
4. The paternal aunt, which also includes the paternal aunt of
the father or mother
5. The maternal aunt, which also includes the maternal aunt of
the father or mother
6. The brother's daughter, which includes his granddaughters
7. The sister's daughter, which includes her granddaughters
Any other women who are relatives, apart from these, are permissible
for marriage. Hence Allah, may He be exalted,says in the following
verse (interpretation of the meaning): "All othersare lawful…"
[al-Nisa' 4:24].
Based on that, the daughter of one's paternal uncle or aunt, or of
one's maternal uncle or aunt, are permissible in marriage. The Qur'aan
states that in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"O Prophet (Muhammad SAW)! Verily, We have made lawful to you your
wives, to whom you have paid their Mahr (bridal money given by the
husband to his wife at the time of marriage),and those (slaves)
whomyour right hand possesses - whom Allâh has given to you, and the
daughters of your 'Amm (paternal uncles) and the daughters of your
'Ammaat (paternal aunts) and the daughters of your Khaal (maternal
uncles) and the daughters of your Khaalaat (maternal aunts)…"
[al-Ahzaab 33:50].
Based on this, it is permissible for a girl to marry her father's
paternal cousin, becausea person's paternal uncleis an uncle to him
and toall his offspring. So her father's paternal uncle isalso an
uncle to her, and his son is her cousin, andit is permissible for a
girlto marry her paternal cousin.
And it is permissible for your daughter to marry the son of your
mother-in-law's brother, because the brother of your mother-in-law is
her maternal uncle, because he is the maternal uncle of her father,
and the maternal uncle of one's father is also an uncle to his
children. And it is permissible for a girl to marry her maternal
cousin.
And Allah 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.

Is it acceptable to stipulate a condition in the marriage contract that her husband should not inherit from her if she dies?

If a wealthy widow with children decides to remarry, can she put a
clause in the marriage contract saying that after her death only her
children will inherit from her and her new husband will give up
anyinheritance rights?
Praise be to Allaah.
The basic principle with regard to contracts and conditions is that
they are permissible and valid, and none of them are haraam or invalid
except that which is contrary to sharee'ah.
Stipulating that the husband should be deprived of inheriting inthe
event of the wife's death is a condition that is contrary to
sharee'ah, because it is cancelling out the right of the husband that
Allah granted him to a share of his wife's wealth in the event of her
death.
Al-Bukhaari and Muslim (1504) narrated from 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be
pleased with her) that she said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "What is the matter with people who
stipulate conditions that are not in the Book of Allaah? There is no
condition that is not in the Book of Allaah but it is invalid, even if
there are one hundred conditions. The Book of Allaah is more deserving
of being followed and the conditions of Allaah are more binding."
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
i.e., conditions that are not acceptable according to sharee'ah are
invalid even if they are many.
End quote from Fath al-Baari, 5/189
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Whoever stipulates conditions in a waqf, manumission, a gift, a sale,
a marriage contract, rental, vow andso on that is contrary to what
Allah has decreed for His slaves in that those conditions enjoin
something that Allah hasforbidden or forbid something that Allah
hasenjoined, or they permit something that He has prohibited or
prohibit something that He has permitted, then these conditions are
invalid according to the consensus of the Muslimsof all eras.
End quote from Majmoo'al-Fataawa, 31/28
He also said:
If a condition is contrary to the conditions of Allahand His
Messenger, it is invalid, such as if he stipulates that his son or his
relatives should not inherit from him, or that he should help him in
everything he wants andsupport him against everyone who opposes him
whether he is in the right or otherwise, or that he should obey him in
everything he tells him to do, and other such conditions.
And when such conditions are made, then one should fulfil the part of
it (the contract) that is in accordance with the commands of Allah and
His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he
should not fulfil the part that is contrary to that. This is agreed
upon among the Muslims.
End quote from Majmoo'al-Fataawa, 35/97
And Allah knows best.

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Islamic Stories - The miracle at the spring of Tabuk

During the year of Tabuk, they went out with the Messenger of Allah
[PBUH=May Allah bless him and grant him Peace], and the Messenger of
Allah (PBUH) prayed Dhur and 'Asr together.
Then he said,"Tomorrow we will meet, Insha Allah, at the spring of
Tabuk. Do not go there until well into the morning. You shouldnot
touch the water until i arrive." We all agreed and, the day after, we
all gathered at the spring of Tabuk. But,when we got there, two men
had already reached it before us and the spring was dripping with very
little water.
The Messenger of Allah [PBUH] approached and asked them: "Did you
touche this water?" Theysaid: "Yes, we did.""Take water with your
hands from the spring little by little until you have collected a
small amount in something." When this was done, theMessenger of Allah
[PBUH] washed his face and hands on it. Then heput it back into the
spring and the spring began to flow with abundant water, and thepeople
began to draw water from it. Then he said [PBUH): "If you live long
enough, you will see this place full with gardens."

Islamic Stories - Standing firm in salat after being hit by arrows

Four years after the Hijrah [emigration of thefollowers of Islam from
Makkah to Medinah], in the city of Medinah, the Muslims were still in
danger due to the Jewish tribe, the Banu an-Nadir, who broke their
contract with the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH=May Allah bless him and grant
him peace].
Then the community received news that sometribes from the desert of
Najd were about to attack. So, the Prophet of Islam [PBUH] raised over
four hundred Muslims in order to prevent them from attacking.
Arriving at Najd, they found that only women were present in the
houses; the men had taken refuge in the hills.
Some of the Nadj tribes regrouped and preparedthemselves for the
fight. The time of 'Asr [the afternoon prayer] came, and the Muslims
divided in two, as it was revealed, and each group prayed after the
other. The ennemy, seeing the discipline among Muslims felt uneasiness
and fear. They did not attack. So, the Muslims went back to Medinah.
The Prophet of Allah [PBUH] asked:
"Who will be our guard tonight?" Two men immediatly rose: Abbad ibn
Bishr and Ammar ibnYasir. Abbad saw that Ammar was tired and asked
him: "What part ofthe night do you wish tosleep, the first or the
second?" "The first part,"said Ammar.
The night was serene. Everything seemed peaceful. Abbad decidedto
spend the night in Ibadah [acts of worship] while his companion was
asleep, and began reciting the Qur'an. Abbad soon stood and faced the
Qiblah in orderto perform Salaat [voluntary prayer]. He began reciting
Surah al-Kahf of one hundred and ten verses which explains the virtues
of faith, truth and patience and the passing of time.
While he was absorbed in recitation and in thought, an ennemy came
from the mountains of Najd and saw him vulnerable. The man drew his
bow and thew an arrow towards Abbad. Calmly, Abbad pulled the arrow
out and continued his meditation. The ennemy shot a second, then a
third arrow. Abbad pulled them out one by one, and finished his
recitation. Weak and in pain, at last, he stretchedout his right hand
during his prostration and awoke his companion Ammar."Glory be to
Allah! Why didn't you wake me up when the first arrow reached you?"
"Reciting the verses of the Qur'an filled me with such wonders that I
felt repugnance to cut it short. I would have preferred death rather
than stopping right in the middle of it." Abbad did not die this day;
he died as a shahid [a martyr], at the battle of Yamamah. He fought so
vehemently that his wounds made him almost not recognizable.He was a
true believer.

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