Guided to Faith by a Blind Boy - II

I wiped away his tears with my hands and held his hand. I wanted to
take him to the mosque by car but he refused, arguing that it was
close by and that he wanted to walk to the mosque. I felt ashamed
because Icould not even remember the last time I had entered the
mosque. However, it was the firsttime I was feeling fear and regretfor
my negligence over the past years.
The mosque was full of worshippers, but I managed to find a place for
Saalim in the first row. We listened to the Friday Khutbah (sermon)
together and he prayed beside me; actually, no,I prayed beside him.
After the end of the prayer, Saalim asked me to hand him a copy of the
Quran. I was surprised: how could he read when he was blind?
I was about to ignore his request, but I responded for fear of hurting
his feelings. I handed him the copy of the Quran.
He asked me to open it and get the beginning of Chapter Al-Kahf. I
kept on turning the pages one time and searching for the page number
in the index another time until I finally found it.
He took it from me, put it before him and started to recite the
Chapter while his eyes were closed. He had memorized the whole
Chapter!
I was ashamed of myself. I pickedup another copy of the Quran.
I felt a shiver going through my body as I read more and more of it. I
asked Allaah The Almighty to forgive and guide me and began crying
like a child. I kept reading the Quran and asked Allaah The Almighty
to forgive and guide me.
There were still some people at the mosque performing the voluntary
prayer. I was embarrassed and tried to hold back my tears, but my
crying turned into weeping and sobbing.
I did not feel a small hand touching my face and wiping away my tears.
It was Saalim. I embraced him, looked at him andsaid to myself: "You
are not the blind; rather, I was the blind one when I followed some
dissolute persons who were dragging me to Hell."
We returned home to my wife, who was very worried about Saalim. Her
worry turned into tears of joy when she came to know that I had
performed the Friday prayer with Saalim.
From that day on, I did not miss any congregational prayer in the
mosque. I deserted my bad companions and had righteous companions whom
I befriended at the mosque. I tasted the sweetness of faith with my
new friends and learnt things from them that I had been too
preoccupied by worldly pleasuresto know. I never missed a gathering of
knowledge or a Witrprayer and completed the recitation of the Quran
many times within one month, by the grace of Allaah The Almighty. I
kept my tongue often busy with remembrance of Allaah The Almighty,
hoping that He would forgive me for past habit of backbiting and
mocking people. Ifelt that I got closer to my family.The look of fear
and pity that always loomed in my wife's eyes disappeared.
Now, a smile never leaves Saalim's face. Anyone who sees him would
feel as if he owns the whole world with everything in it. I praised
Allaah The Almighty so much for His favors.
One day, my righteous friends decided to visit a remote area in order
to give Da'wah. I was hesitating about going with them. I performed
the Istikhaarah prayer and consulted my wife. I had expected that she
would refuse but her answer wasthe opposite!
She was very happy and even encouraged me. She used to see me
traveling for dissolute purposes to commit lewd acts in the past
without consulting her. Iwent to Saalim and told him that I was going
away for a few days, and he embraced me with his small arms and bid me
farewell. Ileft home for three months and ahalf. During that period, I
used tocall my family whenever I had thechance. I missed them so much!
Imissed Saalim so much!
I wished to hear his voice. He wasthe only one who I could not speak
with since I had traveled for he was either in school or the mosque
whenever I called them.
Whenever I told my wife how I missed him, she laughed from sheer joy
and happiness. The last time I called her, however, she did not sound
her normal self and I did not hear her expected laugh.
I asked her to convey my greetings to Saalim. She replied, "In shaa'
Allaah (God Willing)" and kept silent.
Finally I went back home. I knocked on the door, hoping to see Saalim
opening the door, but I was surprised when my son Khaalid, who was
less than four years old, opened the door. I carried him in my arms
while he cried out in joy, "Father! Father!"
I do not know why I felt a sense of distress when I entered the house.
I sought refuge in Allaah The Almighty from the accursed devil. My
wife came forward with an unusually strained face: it was as if she
was faking her joy and happiness.
I looked at her carefully and then asked her, "What is the matter?"
She said, "Nothing." Suddenly I remembered Saalim and said, "Where is
Saalim?"
She lowered her head and did notanswer and some tears fell on her
cheeks. I cried out, "Saalim! Where is Saalim?" Thereupon, I heard
only the voice of my son, Khaalid, saying in a childish tone, "Saalim
went to Paradise...he is with Allaah…"
My wife could not bear her sorrow in silence anymore and burst into
tears. She was about to fall unconscious on the ground, and left the
room.
Later, I came to know that Saalimhad contracted fever two weeks before
my return. My wife took him to the hospital but his fever got worse
and he died.

Guided to Faith by a BlindBoy - I

I still remember the night my wife gave birth to my first son. I was
not yet thirty years of age and had stayed out with my friends in a
restaurant all night. Itwas an evening full of vain talk, not to
mention backbiting and vulgar comments. I was often theone who
instigated the comments and backbiting that made them laugh.
I remember that I made them laugh a lot that night. I had the unique
talent of mimicking others to an uncanny degree. I could change the
tone of my voice so that it became exactly like the person I was
mocking. Yes, it was my habit to mock all people, even my friends.
Some people avoided me in order to be safe from my tongue.
I remember that night I mocked a blind person I saw begging in the
market. What is even worse is that I put my foot in his way and he
tripped and fell to the ground. He kept on turning his head this way
and that, not knowing what to say. I laughed in a loud voice and my
laugh echoed throughout the market. I went back home late as usual and
found my wife waiting for me. She was in a pathetic condition.
With a quavering voice, she said, "Raashid… where were you?"
I said sarcastically, "On Mars! I was with my friends of course."
She appeared very tired and fatigued. She was overcome with tears and
said, "Raashid... I am exhausted…it seems like I am about to give
birth." Then a silenttear fell on her cheek.
I felt that I had neglected my wife. I was supposed to take careof her
and stop my evenings out, particularly as she was in her ninth month.
I quickly accompanied her to the hospital.
She entered the delivery room and was in labor pains for severalhours,
while I waited impatiently for the birth. She suffered from a
difficult delivery. I waited for a long time until I got tired, then I
went home and left my phone number in order for them to call me and
give me the good news.
An hour later, they called me in order to give me the good news of the
birth of Saalim. I immediately went to the hospital. When they saw me
asking about my wife's room, they asked me to meet the doctor first. I
shouted, "What doctor? I want to see my son, Saalim." They said, "You
have to meet the doctor first."
I entered upon the doctor and she started talking to me about
afflictions and being satisfied with fate. Then she said, "Your child
suffers from a serious deformity in his eyes and it appears that he is
blind!"
I lowered my head, trying to conceal my tears. I remembered the blind
beggar I had tripped upin the market and made people laugh at.
Glory be to Allaah! What goes around comes around! I kept silent for a
while and did not know what to say. Then I remembered my wife and son.
I thanked the doctor for her kindness and then went to see my wife.
My wife was not sad because she believed in and was satisfied withthe
divine decree of Allaah The Almighty. She had often advised me to stop
mocking people. She had often repeated: do not backbite people.
We came out of the hospital withmy son Saalim. The fact was that I did
not care much about him much and ignored his presence at home. When he
cried, I would flee to the living room to sleep. My wife, however,
showered him with love and care. As for me, I did not hate him, but I
could not love him either!
Saalim started growing and he started to crawl like all babies, but in
a strange abnormal way. When he was almost one year old, he tried to
walk but we discovered that he was disabled. This affected me a great
deal.
Later, my wife gave birth to my other sons, Khaalid and 'Umar.
Years passed and Saalim and his brothers grew up. I did not like to
stay at home and spent most of my time with my friends; I waslike a
toy in their hands and completely under their influence. My wife,
however, did not despairof reforming me; she was always supplicating
Allaah The Almighty to guide me. She never got angry at my irrational
actions, but she was greatly grieved when she saw me ignoring Saalim
and taking care of his brothers.
Saalim grew up and my pain grew as well. I did not object when my wife
asked to enroll him in a school for the disabled. Idid not feel the
passing of years. The routine in which I spent my days was: work,
sleep, eating andenjoyment in the evenings.
One Friday, I woke up at eleven o'clock in the morning. It was too
early by my usual standards. Ihas been invited to a wedding banquet,
so I put on my clothes, applied perfume and went out.
I passed by the living room – but I stopped when I saw that Saalimwas
weeping bitterly!
It was the first time I had paid attention to Saalim's weeping since
he was a child. Ten years had passed and I had never given him any
attention. I tried to ignore him but I could not. I heard his voice
calling his motherwhile I was in the room.
I turned and then approached him. I said, "Saalim, Why are you crying?"
When he heard my voice, he stopped crying. When he felt me approaching
him, he started trying to feel around him with hissmall hands. Why was
he doing that? I saw that he was trying to move away from me! It is as
if he was saying, "Now you deign to take notice of my presence! Where
were you ten years ago?"
I followed him and he entered hisroom. In the beginning, he refused to
tell my why he was weeping. It was only when I spoke gently to him
that he ventured to mention the reason behind his weeping. As I
listened to him, I began trembling. Do youknow why?
His brother 'Umar, who used to accompany him to the mosque (Masjid)
was late and because it was Friday, he was afraid of not finding a
place in the first row. Saalim called 'Umar and his mother but neither
of them answered. Thus, he began weeping. I looked at the tears
falling from his blind eyes and could not bear the sight, and so, Iput
my hand on his mouth and said, "Are you weeping for this reason, O
Saalim!" He replied, "Yes…"
I forgot my friends. I forgot the banquet. I said, "Saalim, don't be
sad. Do you know who will accompany you to the mosque today?" He said,
"'Umar, of course. But he is always late." I said, "No. I will
accompany you." Saalim was surprised and could not believe his ears.
He thought that I was mocking him, and continued to weep.

Who goes first?

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
The Prophet collected every two martyrs of Uhud (in one grave) and
then he would ask,"Which of them knew the Quran more?" And if one of
them was pointed out for him as having more knowledge, he would put
him first in the Lahd.The Prophet said, "I will be a witness on these
onthe Day of Resurrection."Then he ordered them tobe buried with their
blood on their bodies and he did not have them washed.
Source: Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 436.
At the time of Rasulullah (SAW), people were honoured according to the
knowledge of Islam but sadly today, people are honoured according to
the knowledge of thismaterial world.
May Allah give us the ability to appreciate those who excel in the
knowledge of Islam.

Busy or Not

A brother was asked to give advice to some people in a gathering. He
said the following things about being punctual in offering Salah
(prayer). He asked us if any day passed by when we were so busy with
work that we couldn't attend the call of nature (urinate, excrete
etc). All of us replied to the negative because we all had to relieve
ourselves no matter how busy we were. So, he said that in the same
manner, no day should pass by where we couldn't offer salah because of
being busy. Indeed, salah is more necessary for us than relieving
ourselves. May Allah give all of us the ability to offer salah in all
conditions. Ameen.

--

- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Dua -

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ‏‎ -
-
Upon the thought of a bad omen
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
Upon the thought of a bad omen
If for no reason the thought of a bad omen comes to mind, then recite:
اللَّهُمَّ لَا يَأْتِي بِالْحَسَنَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَلَا يَذْهَبُ
بِالسَّيِّئَاتِإِلَّا أَنْتَ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِكَ
"O Allah, you bring into existence the good and only you can remove
any bad condition, as the power to do good and prevent from evil is in
Your control".®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®©®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®
Dua to pay off debts
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
Dua to pay off debts
Recite:
اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلَالِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ
عَمَّنْ سِوَاكْ
"O Allah, save me from haraam and make the halaal sufficient and by
your boon/favour make me independent from others".
(Mishkat)
These words were spoken by Ali (R.A.) taught by Prophet Mohammad
(SAW.) when a person expressed a shortfall in his wealth to Ali (R.A.)
he said: "Shall I not show you what Prophet Mohammad (SAW) taught me,
even if there is a debt equal to that of a huge mountain then Allah
will pay it". Ali (R.A.) then recited the above dua.
(Tirmidhi)
Another dua for paymentof debt
Abu Saeed Kudri (R.A.) narrates that once a person mentioned to
Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) that he was concerned about his major debts.
Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) replied "Shall I not show you those words by
saying which Allah will remove your concern andpay your debts?" The
person asked "What is it, O Messenger of Allah?" Prophet Mohammad
(SAW.) told him to recite the following morning and evening:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَأَعُوذُ
بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَالْبُخْلِ
وَالْجُبْنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ
"O Allah I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, I seek refuge in
Youfrom hopelessness and laziness, I seek refuge in You from
miserliness and cowardice and I seek refuge in You from overwhelming
debt and from the force of men".
The person stated that herecited this dua and Allahremoved all his
worries and debts.
(Abu Dawood)
Sayed-ul-Istighfaar (The leader of the duas of forgiveness), Shudaat
binAuwais Aas (R.A.) narratesthat Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) said that
Sayed Istighfaar is:
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَخَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا
عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ
بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ
وَأَبُوءُبِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ
إِلَّا أَنْتَ
"O Allah, You are my Lord,there is none worthy of worship besides You,
Youhave created me and I am Your servant, I am Your pact and promise,
I seek refuge in You to the best of my ability from my evil sins. I
testify to Your favours and to my sins, hence forgive me since there
is no one else to forgive sins besides You".
(Mishkat)
The person who recites this dua sincerely in the course of the day and
night and dies will be among the people of Jannah.
(Bukhari)®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®©®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®
Dua after salaat of need
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
Dua after salaat of need
Abdullah bin Auf (R.A.) narrates that Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) said
that if a person has a need either from Allah or man, he should
perform wudhu properly, performtwo rakaats Nawafil Salaat, praise
Allah and send Durood to Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) and recite the
following dua:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْحَلِيمُ الْكَرِيمُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ
رَبِّ الْعَرْشِالْعَظِيمِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
أَسْأَلُكَ مُوجِبَاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ
وَالْغَنِيمَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ بِرٍّوَالسَّلَامَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ إِثْمٍ لَا
تَدَعْ لِي ذَنْبَاً إِلَّا غَفَرْتَهُ وَلَا هَمَّاً إِلَّا فَرَّجْتَهُ
وَلَا حَاجَةً هِيَ لَكَ رِضَاً إِلَّا قَضَيْتَهَا يَا أَرْحَمَ
الرَّاحِمِينَ
"There is none worthy of worship besides Allah, who is the
affectionate and most helpful. He is pure and is the Lord of the Arsh
(throne). All praise belongs to Allah. O Allah, I desire (seek) that
which makes Your mercy compulsory and the things that necessitate Your
forgiveness, and portion of every good and safety from every sin.O
Merciful of the Merciful,forgive (pardon) my sins and remove all my
worries and fullfil all my needs as You desire.
(Tirmidhi and Ibn Maja)
®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®©®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®

Zayd al-Khayr - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

People are made up of basic"metals" or qualities. The best ofthem in
Jahiliyyah are the best ofthem in Islam, according to a hadith of the
Prophet.
Here are two pictures of a noble companion--one during his life in
Jahiliyyah and the other after he became a Muslim .
In Jahiliyyah, this Sahabi was known as Zayd al-Khayl. When he became
a Muslim, the Prophet renamed him Zayd al-Khayr.
The tribe of Aamir were afflicted one year by a severe drought which
destroyed crops and vegetation and caused livestock to perish. So bad
was it that oneman left the tribe with his familyand went to Hira.
There he left his family with the words, "Wait for me here till I
return to you." He swore to himself not to return to them until he
earned some money for them or died in the process.
The man took some provisions with him and walked all day in search of
something for his family. At nightfall, he found himself in front of a
tent. Nearbya horse was tethered and he said to himself:
"This is the first booty." He wentto the horse, untied it and was
about to mount it when a voice called out to him:
"Leave it and take your life as booty." He hastily abandoned the horse.
For seven days he walked until he reached a place where there was a
pasture for camels. Nearby was an enormous tent with a leather dome,
signs of great riches and wealth.
The man said to himself:"Doubtless this pasture has camels and
doubtless this tent has occupants." The sun was about to set. The man
looked inside the tent and saw a very old man in the center. He sat
down behind the old man without the latter realizing his presence.
The sun soon set. A horseman, imposing and well built, approached. He
rode his mount erect and tall. Two male servants accompanied him, one
on his right and the other on hisleft. With him were almost a hundred
she-camels and in frontof them a huge male camel. Clearly he was a
well endowed man. To one of the servants he said, pointing to a fat
camel:
"Milk this and give the old man adrink." The shaykh drank one or two
mouthfuls from the full vessel which was brought to him and left it.
The wanderer went up to it stealthily and drank all the milk in it.
The servant returned, took the vesseland said:
"Master, he has drunk it all." Thehorseman was happy and ordered
another camel to be milked. The old man drank only one mouthful and
the wanderer drank half of what was left so asnot to arouse the
suspicion of the horseman. The horseman then ordered his second
servant to kill a sheep. Some of it was grilled and the horseman fed
theshaykh until he was satisfied. He and the two servants then ate.
After this, they all slept soundly; their snoring filled the tent.
The wanderer then went to the he-camel, untied and mounted it. He rode
off and the she camels followed. He rode throughout the night. At
daybreak he looked around in every direction but did not see anyone
following him. He pushed on until the sun was high in the sky. He
looked around and suddenly saw something like an eagle or a big bird
in the distance coming towards him. It quickly gained on him and soon
he saw that it was the horseman on his horse.
The wanderer dismounted and tied the he-camel. He took out an arrow
and placed it in his bow and stood in front of the other camels. The
horseman stopped at a distance and shouted:
"Untie the camel." The man refused saying how he had left behind him a
hungry family in Hira and how he had sworn not to return unless he had
money or died in the process
"You are dead if you do not untie the camel," said the horseman. The
wanderer again refused to do so. The horseman threatened him once more
and said:
"Hold out the reins of the camel.There are three knots in it. Tell me
in which of them you want me to place my arrow." The manpointed to the
middle knot and the horseman lodged an arrow right in the center as if
he had neatly placed it there with his hand. He did the same with the
second and third knots. At that, the man quietly returned his own
arrow to his quiver and gave himself up. The horseman took away his
sword and his bow and said to him:
"Ride behind me." The man expected the worst fate to befallhim now. He
was at the complete mercy of the horseman who said:
"Do you think I will cause you harm when you have shared with Muhalhil
(the old man, his father) his drink and his food last night?"
When the man heard the name Muhalhil, he was astonished andasked: "Are
you Zayd al-Khayl?"
"Yes," said the horseman.
"Be the best captor," pleaded the man.
"Don't worry," replied Zayd al-Khayl calmly. "If these camels were
mine, I would give them toyou. But they belong to one of my sisters.
But stay some days with me. I am about to make a raid."
Three days later he raided the Banu Numayr and captured about a
hundred camels, as booty. He gave them all to the man and sent some
men with him as guards until he reached his family in Hira.
The above is a story of Zayd al-Khayl as he was in Jahiliyyah
recounted by the historian ash-Shaybani. The books of Siyar give
another picture of Zayd al-Khayl as he was in Islam . . .
When Zayd al-Khayr heard the news of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
he made some of his own enquiries and then decided to go to Madinah to
meet the Prophet. With him was a big delegation of his people among
whom were Zurr ibn Sudoos, Malik ibn Jubayr, Aamir ibn Duwayn and
others.
When they reached Madinah, they went straight to the Prophet's Mosque
and tethered their mounts at its door. It happened that as they
entered, the Prophet was on the mimbar addressing the Muslims. His
speech aroused Zayd and his delegation and they were also astonished
by the rapt attentionof the Muslims and the effect of the Prophet's
words on them. The Prophet was saying:
"I am better for you than al-Uzza(one of the main idols of the Arabs
in Jahiliyyah) and everything else that you worship. I am better for
you than the black camel which you worship besides God."
The Prophet's words had two different effects on Zayd al-Khayland
those with him. Some of them responded positively to the Truth and
accepted it. Some turned away and rejected it. Oneof the latter was
Zurr ibn Sudoos. When he saw the devotion of the believers to
Muhammad, both envy and fear filled his heart and he said to those
with him:
"I see a man who shall certainly captivate all Arabs and bring them
under his sway. I shall not let him control me ever." He then headed
towards Syria where it is said he shaved his head (as was the practice
of some monks) and became a Christian.
The reaction of Zayd and others was different. When the Prophethad
finished speaking, Zayd stood up, tall and impressive-looking in the
midst of the Muslims and said in a loud and clear voice:
"O Muhammad, I testify that there is no god but Allah and that you are
the messenger of Allah."
The Prophet came up to him andasked, "Who are you"
"I am Zayd al-Khayl the son of Muhalhil."
"From now on you are Zayd al-Khayr instead, not Zayd al-Khayl," said
the Prophet."Praise be to God Who has brought you from the hills and
dales of your native land and softened your heart towards Islam."
Thereafter he was known as Zayd al-Khayr (Zayd the Good).
The Prophet then took him to his house. With them were Umaribn
al-Khattab and some other Companions. The Prophet gave him a cushion
to sit on but he felt very uncomfortable to recline thus in the
presence of the Prophet and he returned thecushion. The Prophet handed
it back to him and he returned it to him. This happened three times.
Eventually, when they were all seated, the Prophet saidto Zayd
al-Khayr:
"O Zayd, no man has ever been described to me and when I see him he
does not fit the description at all except you. You have two
characteristics which are pleasing to God and His Prophet."
"What are they?" asked Zayd.
"Perseverance and sagacity," replied the Prophet.
"Praise be to God," said Zayd,"Who has given me what He andHis Prophet
like." He then turneddirectly to the Prophet and said:"Give me, O
messenger of God, three hundred horsemen and I promise you that I will
secure Byzantine territory with them." The Prophet praised his fervor
and said, "What manner of man are you!"
During this visit, all those who stayed with Zayd became Muslims. They
then desired to return to their homes in Najd and the Prophet bade
them farewell. The great desire of Zayd al-Khayr to work and fight for
the cause of Islam, however was not to be realized.
In Madinah al-Munawwarah at that time there was an epidemicof fever
and Zayd al-Khayr succumbed to it and said to those with him: "Take me
away from the land of Qays. I have the fever of small pox. By God, I
shallnot fight as a Muslim before I meet Allah, the Mighty the Great."
Zayd took the road to his people in Najd in spite of the fact that the
fever became more and more intense and slowed him down. He hoped at
least to get back to his people and that they would become Muslims,
throughGod's grace, at his hands. He struggled to overcome the fever
but it got the better of him and he breathed his last on the way
before reaching Najd. Between his acceptance of Islam and his death,
however, there was no time for him to have fallen into sin.

--

- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Story - Moons Peak [FINISHED]- Weeping Willow (chapter 10)

ALONE IN MY ROOM, I shoved the last of my clothes in my Louis Vuitton
bag, and zipped it closed.
I was cursing my tears, hoping they would subside, but the turning of
events had taken its toll on me.
I'd changed out of my soaked dress, and into a pair of jeans and tank
top, and deciding ringingNew York was my best comfort release.
I was wrong, however, considering the voice on my supposed boyfriend's
phone wasn't Peter Maverick, but my best friend Veronica instead.
I'd spent an hour arguingwith the two only to toss my phone across the
room and shatter it to pieces. Though, the newswasn't so much a shock
than I supposed I'd made it out to be, and I didn't expect any less,
since I'd known something between the two was going on. I guess I
chose to turn a blind eye, just for comfort sake.
Deciding it was best to break up with him was putting it midly, but
losing a best friend in theprocess was something i didn't prepare for.
Eventhough she was everything a best friend was not.
Satchel, and his almost-kiss didn't help matters either. It was stupid
and childish, but the thought of him not wanting to kiss me, made me
feel beyond rejected.
Self-conscious to a point where I felt like I wasn't good enough.
However, telling him I'd had a boyfriend was somethingI should have
kept to myself...and now regretted.
I don't know why I felt the need to blurt it out inthe first place,
but then again, after the almost kiss? I thought he deserved to know.
Regretting it now was probably a selfish urge on my part, or maybe I
didn't know that his closeproximity and his near kiss would have
affected me like this.
It did though. I was scolded by the rejection from his near kiss, even
more so at the fact that a lower class farmer, like Satchel, had put
me in this position.
Somehow in the midst of all of this, my sudden departure from Denver's
Drove didn't hold the same sentiments as it once did, seeming how I
had nothing but my belongings to go back to.
It made my boldness overblurting I'd had a boyfriend look
ridiculousnow that I'd broken up with Peter over the phone. I was
confused and frustrated and I really wish there was a cure for these
damn water works, because I really needed to get a grip.
I was vaguely aware of the door whining, as someone came into the room.
It was Satchel.
I wiped my eyes quickly in hopes that he didn't catch me crying, but
unfortunately it was too late.
"Er, I wasn't sure if you heard me knocking, so I wanted to check if
you were...." I cursed myself hating the fact that I couldn't stop
crying.
"Hey are you okay?" I nodded away from him.
"Yeah." My voice soundedeerie in comparison. He pried my hands away
from my face, gently turning me around. I forced a smile that I was so
good at painting.
"I'm fine." I avoided his eyes. "-I just had something in my eye. Dust
I think…you know this place is full of it." I ruffled my bangs, trying
to hide my eyes in them, but failed miserably.
He looked like he was fresh from a shower. His hair gelled back just
shy of a ponytail, while his attire consisted of a white muscle shirt,
black suspenders and same color slacks. His steel cap boots were as
clean as I've even seen them. He hesitated.
"I could come back another time if you'd like?" I shook my head and
gestured for him to come in.
"No I'm fine, really. I was just in the middle of packing." He made
his way to the window and took a seat. He eyed my suitcase that I'd
thrown on the floor with slight amusement. I'd been kicking it after
the phonecall with Peter, and my hours of packing went down the drain.
I'd madea complete mess of my bags.
"Lou." He murmured. My eyebrows furrowed.
"Who?" He smiled up at me and nodded at my bag.
"That's the name of your bag right? Lou?" I looked at my bag and
smiled a little, despite my mood.
" Louis Vuitton. The designer of the bag, not my personal name for
it."I scoffed. He nodded absent-mindedly, scrutinizing my room.
"I'm sorry I treated it like garbage when you first got here. It must
have been expensive," I wavedit off.
"Don't fret, I guess that was dramatic of me, besides I haven't been
treating it any better." I managed to laugh, humorlessly so and sat
down on the bed. I started fidgeting with myfingers at the awkward
silence that followed. I cleared my throat.
"So, what's-up?" I could feel the weight of his eyes on me again, but
I refused to meet them. I didn't know how I felt about him knowing
that he'd caught me crying.
"I just…I wanted to apologize about before; in the tree hut, about how
I behaved." He frowned. I was about to ask what he was sorry for, but
then realized he must have been talking about the almost kiss.
"Forget about it, I have." I got up and tried to occupy myself by
picking my bags up, setting them up in a line by the far wall.
"-Besides, I was the one shooting my mouth off about having a
boyfriend." I bit my lip again, hating my nerves for making me look
like aranting idiot. He cleared his throat.
"Anyway, I have something for you." He handed me a silver box I didn't
realize he was carryinig. I eyed it warily.
"What is it?" He shruggedand urged me to open it. I did, only to find
photos of my mother, jewelry that I supposed she owned, and letters. I
gasped, recognition splayed all over my face.
"This is...?" He nodded.
"We made a pact to dig itup when we met up witheach other again." I smiled.
"I remember. I just...wow." The nostalgicfeeling came crashing back.
Satchel and I had buried this box on the day I left. Shoving pieces of
ourselves that held sentimental value to the both of us. I picked up
the old photo of a seven year old Satchel, and me as a five year old,
by the gate entrance.
I noticed the sign of Denver's Drove had been perfectly straight,
bolted to the gate.
I showed it to him. "I remember this. Your mom called us mischiefs
that day she took this." Somehow, he'd gotten up from where he was
sitting to stand behind me. He smiled looking at the photo over my
shoulder and his faint aftershave skimmed my nose.
"Yeah, but I doubt she knew that rock in your hand was intended for
the sign." We both chuckled, gazing at the picture. We were so
little.I marveled at the little boy that was no longer, only to find
him a man standing tall next to me. Ibit my lips to conceal my
laughter.
"Its kind of your fault, you dared me to throw it." He crooked a smile
and shrugged.
"What did you expect? I was hoping I could get you to do my chores,
didn't think you'd do it either." A smile still painted his face and
suddenly I was aware of his proximity again, so I put the photo back,
flipping through the rest of the contents.
There were photos of my real mom, even of his dad. Both having died of
the same fever, as far as I was told.
I happened to fish out a small dusty journal with my name scrawled
acrossthe front in writing that was almost impossible to decipher. I
smiled
"My journal." I said flipping through the blank pages.
"I remember you saying that the next time you dug this up, you'd be an
authorized author." I stifled a laugh.
"Yeah, that was me. Always a dreamer." I frowned when I noticed there
was a photo wedged in between the pages. It was of my father; with his
disheveled light brown hair, and honey colored eyes gazing out of the
photo. He was holding me in my arms as a baby. I frowned, hating the
feeling I got when I thought of my father.
I'd never get the chance of knowing him now, and I wasn't sure what
tomake of my Grandmothers motives for keeping him out of contact with
me, but looking at his photograph, and me in his arms caused an aching
feeling in my chest.
"Weeping Willow." Satchel whispered, sweeping my bangs away from my
face. I blinked as he swiped his thumbs under my eyes ever so
slightly. He tippedhis thumb so I could see the single tear lingering.
Oh God, I'm doing it again. Crying in front of him for no reason.
Quite frankly, I wasn't sure what I was crying over.
The fact that I'd grown up without a mother or father, or the fact of
losing a boyfriend and best friend in this short time frame. My life
couldn't get any worst.
"Sorry." I blushed and turned to look up at him; and in that instant,
I could feel my eyes drowning in the depths of his soul again. I
struggled the urge to turn away, but I was fixated.
"You miss him?" I shrugged, putting the picture back into the box and
closing it.
"Doesn't matter now, he'sgone." I gestured at the box. "-Thanks by the
way,for the box of memories."I said, pulling away from his proximity
in order to breathe.
I sat the box on my bed, and tried to occupy myself with packing.
Despite the fact that everything I'd owned was neatly folded in my
bags already, but his closeness made me nervous.
I turned to the sound of his sigh, and watched him stare out the
window, and by now, nighttime had come.
"Box of memories...that's one way of putting it." He gave me a side
long glance and in a blink of an eye, he leaped out of the window, and
disappeared.
I rushed to the window and jerked my head around to survey the area.
He was gone. Save for the glow of the moonlight that glittered through
the window, and it looked like the full moon had a smirk on its face.
Moments later, I settled on the window seat.
I flinched at the sound of a familiar cry coming out from the distance
and scanned the perimeter. I couldn't see anything, but the sound gave
me a hollow feeling.
My stomach clenched andI felt its pain as it howled one too many
times. I wanted to console the animal, and share its grief, as I too,
felt like I was going through something similar.
The animal was in mourning and I shivered,curling myself into my
comforters I'd pulled off my bed, and closing my eyes so I can hear
more of it.
The window seat didn't hold as much comfort as my bed, but being
closer to the open window made me think he would come back.
Did Satchel just jump out of my two story window? I found myself asking.
What struck me as even more odd was the fact that the only sound I
could hear was the one wolf, as if the sleepless creatures of the
night had silenced their calls, just to listen to this one particular
animal.
A lone wolf I decided andI fell to sleep listening to the sounds of its cry.
Don't leave me again. Something whispered in my ear.
But my eyes demanded sleep, and so I fell into the depthless pools of slumber.

Praised Manners, - Dought & clear - His heart does not feel humble when he hears Qur’aan but he is moved by nasheed

When I hear the Qur'aan or read it, I am not moved by hearing it andmy
heart is not stirred and does not feel humble, whereas sometimes when
I listen to nasheed I am moved deeply. What is the solution?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Qur'aan is the best and most beneficial of speech, and the most
moving and the most effective in guiding the soul. Allah, may He be
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allâh has sent down theBest statement, a Book (this Qur'ân), its
parts resembling each other (in goodness and truth), and oft-repeated.
The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they
recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften tothe
remembrance of Allâh. That is the guidance of Allâh. He Guides
therewith whom He wills and whomever Allâh sends astray, for him there
is no guide"
[al-Zumar 39:23]
"The believers are only those who, when Allâh ismentioned, feel a fear
intheir hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'ân) are recited unto
them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their
trust in their Lord (Alone)"
[al-Anfaal 8:2].
The fact that a Muslim is not moved when he hears or reads Qur'aan,
but he is moved when he hears nasheeds, is an alarming sign. Your
quest indicates that you are not happy with the situation, so you have
to hasten to remedy the matter before it gets worse. The remedy is as
follows:
1. Read the Qur'aan a great deal because neglecting the Qur'aan
isa cause of a person being deprived of benefiting from the Qur'aan.
2. Pay attention to learning the meanings of the Qur'aan, even if
that is from a brief tafseer such as the Tafseer of al-Sa'di (may
Allah have mercy on him). The reason why you do not feel humble or are
not moved by the Qur'aan may be that you do not know its meanings.
3. Remember Allah a great deal and obey Him.This is an important
means of softening the heart and dispelling hardheartedness.
4. Repent to Allah fromall sins, and adhere to the commands of
Allah. Aperson may be punishedfor his sins by being deprived of
goodness, humility and contemplation.
5. Listen to nasheeds less often, or stop listening to them
altogether, so that your heart will become healthy and sound, and will
go back to being moved by and benefiting from the words of Allah.
There follow fatwas from some of the scholars concerning this matter.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) said:
With regard to what youcall Islamic nasheeds, they have been given
more time, effort and organisation than they deserve, to the extent
that they have become an art form that takes upspace in curricula and
school activities; people record them and reproduce them in large
amounts for sale and distribution, and they fillmost homes. Young men
and women listen to them to such an extent that they take up a
greatdeal of their time and listening to them takes precedence over
recordings of the Holy Qur'aan, the Prophet's Sunnah, lectures and
useful academic lessons. End quote.
Al-Bayaan li Akhta' ba'd al-Kuttaab, p. 342
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The best advice that can be given for healing the heart and dispelling
hardheartedness is to pay attention to the HolyQur'aan, ponder it and
read it a great deal, as well as remembering Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, a great deal. Reading and pondering the Holy
Qur'aan, as well as remembering Allah a great deal, and saying,
"Subhaan Allah wal hamdu Lillah wa laa ilaaha ill-Allah wa Allahu
akbar; Subhaan Allah wabi hamdih, subhaan Allah il-'Azeem; Laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd yuhyi
wa yumeet wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadeer (Glory be to Allah, praise
be to Allah, there is no god but Allah and Allah is Most Great; Glory
and praise be to Allah, glory be to Allah the Almighty; there is no
god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, His is the
Dominion and to Him be praise, He gives life and gives death, andHe
has power over all things)" -- all of these are means of removing
hardheartedness.
End quote from Majmoo'Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 24/388
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Causes of hardheartedness include: turning away from Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, and not reading Qur'aan; being preoccupied with
this world and focusing mostly on it, and not paying attention to
matters of religion, because obeying Allah, may He be exalted, makes
the heart soft andbrings one back to Allah,may He be blessed and
exalted. The remedy for that is to turn to Allah, repent to Him,
remember Him a great deal, read the Qur'aan a great deal, and do acts
of worship, as much as one can. End quote.
Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb by Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 12/171
And Allah knows best.

Praised Manners, - Dought & clear - The reward for keeping a promise and the gravity of breaking it

What is the reward for keeping a promise and the punishment for
breaking a promise?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The verses of the Holy Qur'aan and the hadeeths of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) indicate that fulfilling
promises and covenants is obligatory, and they point to abhorrence of
the sin of the one who breaks them or fails to fulfil them. Failing to
fulfil them may go so far as to constitute kufr, as happened to the
Children of Israel and others when they broke the covenant with their
Lord and abandoned their pledge to Allah to believe in Him and follow
His Messengers. Allah, may He be exalted,says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And fulfil (every) covenant. Verily! the covenant, will be questioned about"
[al-Isra' 17:34]
"and fulfill the Covenant of Allâh"
[al-An 'am 6:152]
And He says, praising His believing slaves (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who fulfil the Covenant of Allâh and break not the Mîthâq
(bond, treaty, covenant)"
[al-Ra 'd 13:20].
Many texts of the Qur'aan and Sunnah clearly indicate that it is
obligatory to fulfil promises and covenants,and it is haraam to break
them and act in a treacherous manner. All the verses that mention
promises and covenants indicate that both explicitly and implicitly.
The practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
and his Companions is the clearest testimony to that and application
thereof.
Secondly:
Allah has decreed for fulfilling promises great benefits in this world
and in the Hereafter, in addition to the obvious benefits of creating
a righteous and stable society. Among these benefits are the
following:
*
Fulfilling promises is oneof the attributes of the pious according to
the Book of Allah, and it one of the greatest means of attaining taqwa
(piety, consciousness of Allah). Allah says (interpretationof the
meaning):
"Yes, whoever fulfils his pledge and fears Allâh much; verily, then
Allâh loves those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:76].
*
Fulfilling promises is a means of attaining security in this world and
preventing bloodshed, and of protecting the rights of people, both
Muslims and kaafirs, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"but if they seek your help in religion, it is your duty to help them
except against a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual
alliance,and Allâh is the All-Seer of what you do"
[al-Anfaal 8:72].
*
It is a means of expiatingbad deeds and gaining admittance to
Paradise, as we see in the words of Allah in Soorat al-Baqarah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"and fulfill (your obligations to) My Covenant (with you) so that I
fulfill (My Obligations to) your covenant (with Me)"
[al-Baqarah 2:40].
Ibn Jareer said: His covenant with them is that if they do that, He
will admit them to Paradise. End quote.
In Soorat al-Maa'idah, Allah, may He be glorified, states that He took
a covenant from Bani Israa'eel, then He explained that covenant and
stated the reward for fulfilling it, as He says(interpretation of the
meaning):
"Verily, I will expiate your sins and admit you to Gardens under which
rivers flow (in Paradise)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:12].
And there are other reports which are clear to anyone who ponders the
Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him), bothhis words and actions.
There are many verses and hadeeths about this topic; we advise you to
refer to the books Riyadh al-Saaliheen by Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah
have mercy on him), and al-Targheeb wal Tarheeb by Imam al-Mundhiri
(may Allah have mercy on him).
Thirdly:
Betrayal or treachery is the opposite of trustworthiness and loyalty.
If trustworthiness and loyalty are the qualities of faith and piety,
then betrayal and treachery are the qualities of hypocrisy and evil
--Allahforbid.
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with
him) said: The Messengerof Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "There are four characteristics, whoever has them all is a
pure hypocrite: when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he
breaks it, when he makes a covenant he betrays it, and when he
disputes he resorts to obscene speech. Whoever has one of them has one
of the characteristics of hypocrisy, until he gives it up."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,3178; Muslim, 58.
It was narrated that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with
him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said: "Whoever breaks the covenant of aMuslim, upon him be
thecurse of Allah, the angelsand all the people, and Allah will not
accept any obligatory or naafil act of worship from him."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,1870; Muslim, 1370.
It was narrated from 'Abd-Allah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said:
"Allaah will set up a banner for the betrayer on the Day of
Resurrection, and it will be said: This is the betrayer of So and so."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,6178; Muslim, 1735.
We ask Allah to make us among those who fulfil promises and covenants
and to grant us refuge from treachery and breaking of promises, and to
help us to do good in word and deed… Praise be to Allah the Lord of
the Worlds.
See: al-'Ahd wal Mithaaq fil Qur'an al-Kareem by Prof. Dr. Naasir
Sulaymaan al-'Umar.

Praised Manners - Dought & clear - The rights of one Muslimover another include those that are obligatoryand those that are mustahabb

We know the hadeeth ofthe Messenger (blessingsand peace of Allah be
upon him) about the rights of one Muslim over another. My question is:
Will we be sinning if we do not fulfil one of these rights towards our
Muslim brother? i.e., will we incur a burden of sin thereby?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The rights that one Muslim has over another are many, some of whichare
individual obligations that are required of each person,and if he
fails to do themhe is sinning. Others are communal obligations; ifsome
people do them, the burden of sin is waived for the rest. And some are
mustahabb (encouraged) but not obligatory, so the Muslimis not sinning
if he does not do them.
Al-Bukhaari (1240) and Muslim (2162) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: "The rights of one
Muslim over another are five: returning the greeting of salaam,
visiting the sick, attending funerals, accepting invitations, and
saying yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you) to one who
sneezes."
And Muslim (2162) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased
with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said: "The rights of one Muslim over another are six." It
was said: What are they, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: "If you meet
him, greet him with salaam; if he invitesyou, accept the invitation;
if he asks for advice, give him sincere advice; if he sneezes
andpraises Allaah, say Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you);
if he falls sick, visit him; and if he dies, attend his funeral."
Ash-Shawkaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is meantby the
words "The rightsof the Muslim" is that they should not be omitted and
doing them is either obligatory, or recommended to such an extent that
it is very similar to being obligatory and should not be omitted. The
word "right" (haqq) maybe used in the sense of obligatory, as was
mentioned by Ibn al-A'raabi.
End quote from Nayl al-Awtaar, 4/21
1.
Returning the greeting of salaam is obligatory ifthe greeting is given
to one person. If it is given to a group, then it is obligatory upon
the group (fard kifaayah or communal obligation; if one of the group
returnsthe greeting, the obligation as been met). With regard to
initiatingthe greeting, the basic principle is that it is Sunnah. It
says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (11/314):
Initiating the greeting is Sunnah mu'akkadah (a confirmed Sunnah)
because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Spread the greeting of salaam amongst yourselves." It is obligatory
to return the greeting if it is given to one person. If the greeting
is given to a group, then in their caseresponding is a fard kifaayah
(communal obligation); if one of them responds the sin is waived from
the others, but if they all respond, they have all done what is
required, Whether they respond all together or one after another. If
they all refrain from responding,then they are all sinning because of
the report which says: "The rights of one Muslim over another are
five: returning (the greeting) of salaam…"
End quote.
2.
Visiting the sick it is a communal obligation. Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said:
Visiting the sick is a fard kifaayah (communal obligation).
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 13/1085
See also the answer to question no. 71968
3.
Attending funerals is also a fard kifaayah (communal obligation). See
the answer to question no. 67576
4.
With regard to acceptinginvitations, if the invitation is to a wedding
feast, then the majority of scholars are of the view that it is
obligatory to accept unless there is a legitimate shar'i reason not to
do so. If it is for something other than a wedding feast, the majority
are of the view that it is mustahabb. But there are conditions for
accepting invitations in general terms. For details of that please
seethe answer to question no. 22006
5.
With regard to saying Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah have mercy on you)to
one who sneezes, there is a difference of opinion concerning the
ruling.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 4/22:
This saying Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah have mercy on you) is Sunnah
according to the Shaafa'is.
According to the Hanbalis and the Hanafis, it is obligatory.
The Maalikis said – and itis an opinion among the Hanbalis – that it
is a communal obligation. It was narrated from al-Bayaan that the
stronger view is that it isan individual obligation (fard 'ayn),
because of the hadeeth: "It is the duty of every Muslim who hears him
(the one who sneezes) to say: Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on
you). End quote
The more correct opinion is that it is obligatory on the one who hears
the sneezer praise Allah (by saying "Al-hamdu Lillah"), because of the
report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6223) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him) from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) who said: "Allaah likes the act of sneezing and dislikes
theact of yawning, so if any one of you sneezes and praises Allaah
(says 'al-hamdu Lillaah'), it is aduty on every Muslim who hears him
to say to him, 'Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you).'"
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:We have quoted above
the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, in which it says: "if any one of you
sneezes and praises Allaah (says 'al-hamdu Lillaah'), it is a duty
(haqq) on every Muslim who hears him to say to him, 'Yarhamuk Allaah
(may Allaah have mercy on you).". al-Tirmidhi included the hadeeth of
Anas under the heading: Chapter on what was narrated about it being
obligatory to say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)when one
who sneezes says Al-hamdu Lillah (Praise be to Allah). This indicates
that it is obligatory in his view, and this is the correct view,
because of the hadeeths that clearly indicate that it is obligatory
and there was nothing to contradict that, and Allah knows best.
One of them is the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah mentioned above, and
another is his other hadeeth, "There are five (rights) that the Muslim
has over his brother," which is also mentioned above. Another is the
hadeeth of Saalim ibn 'Ubayd, in which it says: "Let those who are
with him say to him: Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)."
And another is the report narrated by at-Tirmidhi from 'Ali who said:
The Messengerof Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"The Muslim has six (rights) over his fellow-Muslim: he shouldgreet
him with salaam when he meets him; he should respond when heinvites
him; he should say Yarhamuk Allah (mayAllah have mercy on you)if he
sneezes; he should visit him if he falls sick; he should attend his
funeral if he dies; and heshould love for him whathe loves for
himself." He (at-Tirmidhi) said: This is a hasan hadeeth. It was also
narrated via another isnaad from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him). Some of the scholars spoke negatively about
al-Haarith al-A'war (one of the narrators). In the same chapter it is
also narrated from Abu Hurayrah, Abu Ayyoob, al-Bara' and Abu Mas'ood.
And another of these hadeeths is that which was narrated by
at-Tirmidhi from Abu Ayyoob, according to which the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "If one of you
sneezes, let him say Al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allah); and let him
say 'ala kulli haal (in all circumstances). And let the one who
responds tohim say: Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you). And
let him say: Yahdikum Allahu wa yuslih baalakum (May Allah guide you
and set your affairs straight).
There are four kinds of proof in the hadeeth quoted above ("if any one
of you sneezes and praises Allaah (says 'al-hamdu Lillaah'), it is
aduty (haqq) on every Muslim who hears him tosay to him, 'Yarhamuk
Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you)"):
(i) there is a clear statement that it is obligatory to
say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you), which cannot be
interpreted in any other way;
(ii) it is made obligatory by use of the word haqq
(translated above as duty);
(iii) it is made obligatory by use of the word 'ala (on).
This word clearly means that it is obligatory
(iv) it is enjoined. There can be no doubt that there are
many duties that are proven tobe obligatory on the basis of less
evidence than this. And Allah knows best.
End quote from Haashiyat Ibn al-Qayyim 'ala Sunan Abi Dawood, 13/259
He also said: The apparent meaning of the hadeeth mentioned above is
that saying Yarhamuk Allah is an individual obligation upon everyone
who hears the one who sneezed say Al-hamdu Lillah; it is not
acceptable for just one of them to say it. This is one of the two
scholarly opinions, which was favoured by the Maalikis Ibn Abi Zayd
and Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi, and it cannot be otherwise.
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 2/437
6.
With regard to giving him advice if he asks for it, it is most likely
that offering advice is a communal obligation.
Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The apparent meaning of the words of Ahmad and our companions is that
it is obligatory to offer advice to the Muslim, even if he does not
ask for it, as is the apparent meaning of the reports.
End quote from al-Adaabash-Shar'iyyah by Ibn Muflih, 1/307
Al-Mullah 'Ali al-Qaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"If he asks you for advice" means if he asks you for advice, then
giveit to him; it is obligatory.It is also obligatory to give advice
even if he did not ask for it.
End quote from Mirqaat al-Mafaateeh, 5/213
al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is clear that what is meant by "duty" (haqq) here is that it is
obligatory. This is different from the wordsof Ibn Battaal who said
that what is meant is theduty of respect and companionship. It
seemsthat what is meant here is that it is a communal obligation.
End quote from Fath al-Baari, 3/113
And Allah knows best.

Our attitude and duties towards New Year's Eve

· The first day of the Christian yearshould be regarded as an ordinary
day. We should not show any sign of celebration.
· Everyone should check his familyand children lest they celebrate
itdue to the influence of a friend ora TV channel, or due to a sense
ofcuriosity or imitation. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn
'Umar both, that the Prophet, , said: "Each of you is a caretaker and
each of you is responsible for those under his care. The ruler is a
caretaker of people and is responsible for his subjects. The man is a
caretaker of his family and is responsible for his family members. The
woman is a caretaker of her husband's house and children and is
responsible for them. The servant is a caretaker of his master's
property and is responsible for it. Each of you is acaretaker and is
responsible for those under his care." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Al-Munaawi said, "It is incumbent upon each of you to dispense justice
if one is a ruler and not to be treacherous if he is ruled. Everyone
is a caretaker andis responsible for those under hiscare in the
Hereafter. The one who has anyone under his care has to be fair with
them, and do what is beneficial for them in terms of religious and
worldly matters as well as all relevant things. If he fulfills that,
he will receive a great reward. Otherwise, one of those who were under
his care may ask him for his rights in the Hereafter." [ Faydh
Al-Qadeer [
· Congratulations and gifts must not be exchanged with either Muslims
or non-Muslims who celebrate the night of the birthday of Christ .
Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "It is forbidden by unanimous agreement of
scholars to congratulate the disbelievers on their specific rites,
such as their feasts and fasting, by saying, for example, "Merry
Christmas!" or "Happy feast!" and the like. Even if the Muslim who
says that does not become a disbeliever for doing so, he has certainly
done something that is forbidden. Thisis equal to congratulating them
on prostrating to the cross. It is agreater sin in the sight of Allaah
The Almighty and more reprehensible than congratulating them on
drinking alcohol, committing adultery andthe like. Many people who do
not practice any religion do that, and they are unaware of the
ugliness of their actions.
The one who does that exposes himself to the Wrath of Allaah The
Almighty if he congratulates someone on a sin, religious innovation or
disbelief.
Righteous scholars used to avoid congratulating despots on coming to
power and those who were ignorant on assuming the office of a judge,
teacher or Mufti (a scholar who is qualified to issue religious
verdicts) to save themselves from the wrath of Allaah The Almighty and
for fear of losing their status in His sight. If the Muslim
congratulates themto avoid the evil he anticipates from them and says
nothing but good words and supplicates for their guidance and success,
thereis no harm in that. Guidance is sought from Allaah The Almighty."
[ Ahkaam Ahl Ath-Thimmah [
· It is not permissible to take a holiday from studies, official or
private work.
· It is not permissible to contact live programs over the satellite
channels and radio stations to request songs, or send greetings and
the like, unless one contacts these stations to disapprove of such
acts. It was narrated on the authority of Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri that he
heard the Messenger of Allaah, , saying: "Whoever among you sees evil,
let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then
with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his
heart – and that is the weakest level of faith." [Muslim]
· Muslim merchants should fear Allaah The Almighty and not sell
anything that helps to depict andcontribute to the celebrations of
that rite. Ibn Al-Haajj said, "Itis unlawful for the Muslim to sell
the Christians meat, food, clothing or to lend them riding animals,
because in doing so he will be helping them with their disbelief,
something that should be disallowed by Muslim rulers." [ Fataawa Ibn
Hajar Al-Haytami [

Imitating non-Muslims and the celebration of the New Year

Nowadays, whenever anybody visits some of the Muslim countries, they
find that the circumstances within them are quite different to what
they would have expected. One only needs to set foot in these
countries and begin to wander their streets to witness the
tragicbehaviour of its inhabitants.
When one observes the level of joy and ecstasy as the different
classes of people within the Muslim communities prepare to receive
Christmas and New Year's Eve, it seems impossible to believe what one
previously heard about the Muslim countriesand how its people were
adhering to Islam.
The entrances of hotels, cafés and stores are festooned with Christmas
decorations; photographers dress up as Santa Claus and go around
taking souvenir photos of people; florists compete in selling their
produce for people who rush to buy it for this occasion regardlessof
the price. Some Muslims prepare to hold parties in their houses and
hotels and these hotels have tempting special offers for people to
hold their parties in their halls and party rooms during that period.
The media plays a huge part in propagating these celebrations; it
prepares various television programmes and series in anticipation of
these events.
The fact of the matter is that all of these actions represent a
comprehensive imitation of western culture and can only be the result
of very low levels of faith or indeed a total lack of it; to exhibit
this type of behaviour is to strip oneself from the distinction and
superiority of Islam and it is also an evil which makes Muslims who
partake in such celebrations be included in the saying of the Prophet
: "He who imitates a people will befrom among them (on the Day of
Judgement)." [Abu Daawood] Andin another narration, he said: "The one
who imitates people other than us (i.e., in faith) is not from us. Do
not imitate the Jews or the Christians." [Tirmithi]Imaam Ahmad said:
"The very least that this Hadeeth entails is the prohibitionof
imitating them (i.e., the Jews and the Christians); although it is
also apparent that the Hadeeth labels the one who does so as a
disbeliever (as Allaah Says what means): "O you who have believed! Do
not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact]
allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then
indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed Allaah guides not the wrongdoing
people." [Quran 5: 51 [
When Muslims imitate non-Muslims their rank in the Sight of Allaah
decreases. This is because a Muslim is superior to a disbeliever, so
if he were to imitate a disbeliever then he would descend from his
lofty rank to that which is inferior and this is a form of being
ungrateful for the bounties of Allaah and an insult to the religion of
Islam because Islam is superior to everything else and nothing should
be given priority over it.
Islam has established a path to guidance which differs from the
culture and customs of the disbelievers regardless of whether they are
from the people of the book or otherwise. Islam abrogates all previous
religions and legislations and ourMuslim nation is the one to be
followed and not one which should blindly imitate others.
Anas ibn Maalik said: "The Prophet arrived in Madeenah while people
were celebrating two particular festivals, so he asked: "What is (the
significance of) these two days?" Some peoplereplied: ' They are days
which we used to celebrate during the pre-Islamic era.' So the
Messenger replied: "Allaah has replaced them for you with two days
which are better, the day of 'Eed Al-Fitr and 'Eed Al-Adh-haa" "
[AbuDaawood] . Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to
celebrate New Year, because is it not one of the celebrations of
theMuslims.
Muslim merchants and traders must not participate in any aspect of
celebrating this day; they should not imitate the Christian merchants
in the types of merchandise they sell during this period and they
should refrain from decorating their shops with special lights and
other kinds of decorations to commemorate this occasion.
Imaam Ibn Al-Haajj mentioned in his book which mentioned the sayings
of the Maaliki school of opinion in Islaam: "It is not permissible for
any Muslim to sell the Christians anything distinctly used during
their religious celebrations, whether it is meat, grease or clothing;
they should also refrain from assisting them in any of the affairs of
their religion, because this is a form of honouring disbelief and
aiding them in their disbelief and the Muslim leaders should forbid
the Muslims from doing so. This is the ruling of Imaam Maalik and
others and I do not know of any Islamic scholar who differed with this
ruling."
It is our religious duty to boycott these celebrations; are we
unableto prevent our children and othermembers of our household from
participating in these immoral celebrations? How can a Muslim father
watch his children preparefor these parties on New Years Eve and
remain silent? Some parents even participate in this by purchasing
items for the parties and by making their own plans for that night
with their friends and relatives so that the way is paved for their
children to spend the night with their girlfriend or boyfriend by
listening to music, dancing, intermixing with the opposite sex and
many other acts that Allaah has prohibited and which would make
morality shed tears and chastity protest.
Such parents seem to consider these actions as normal, despite the
fact that they will certainly beheld to account for the cultivation
and upbringing of their children. Allaah Says what means: " O you who
have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose
fuel is people and stones…" [Quran 66: 6] Did such fathers, who did
not prevent their children from celebrating the New Year protect
themselves andtheir children from the Hellfire?
Fear Allaah in your behaviour and actions; remain firm on His
obedience and refrain from disobeying Him; encourage your wives and
children to adhere to Islamic rulings and assist them inthis; rebuke
them and restrain them from committing sins so that you may protect
yourselves from the Hellfire.
Many Muslims do not seem to realise that these celebrations are an
integral part of the Christian religion and form part of its rituals.
Being joyful and participating in their religious celebrations is in
fact a celebration and an honouring of disbelief, which has a
devastatingimpact upon the creed and faith of a Muslim.
How can a Muslim rejoice at any celebration of the non-Muslims while
he reads the book of Allaahin which He Almighty Says what means: "
Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture nor the
polytheists wishthat any good should be sent down to you from your
Lord…" . [Quran 2:105 [
How can a Muslim rejoice while he reads the words of Allaah where He
Almighty Says what means: "Many of the People of the Scripture wish
they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of
envy from themselves…" [Quran 2: 109 [
How can any Muslim compromisehis creed and faith and join the
Christians in their rituals of disbelief while Allaah Says what means:
"They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be
alike…" [Quran 4: 89]and, "If they gain dominance over you, they would
be [i.e., behave] to you as enemies and extend against you their hands
and their tongues with evil, and they wish you would disbelieve."
[Quran 60: 2 [
Fear Allaah and thank Him for having guided you to Islam and for
making you distinct and superior by sending Muhammad , the Prophet of
mercy, especially for you. Allaah has made you the best nation that
was ever sent to mankind, provided you adhere to Islam andfollow the
Prophet .
Be proud of your religion, because it is the only one that is based on
sound creed, just legislation and honourable manners. Do not be
deceived by what many people do for they are unaware of the reality of
Islam; resist these evil innovations which have conquered our
communities by boycotting these celebrations and be as Allaah Says
(what means): "Follow [O Mankind] what has been revealed to you from
your Lord and do not followother than Him any allies…" [Quran 7: 3]and
do not be as Allaah Says (what means): "And be not like those who
forgot Allaah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the
defiantly disobedient." [Quran 59: 19]but do everything that will make
you prosper in this life and the Hereafter.

When there is a Sick Person in Our House

Illness is a trial from Allaah The Almighty, with which He, The
Exalted, afflicts whomever He wills from among His servants; totest
this person and purify them from any sins. The Prophet said: "A pious
Muslim's situation is amazing, for it is all good; and this is not for
anyone except for the pious Muslim. If he is granted[from Allaah]
welfare, he is thankful and this is good for him.If he is inflicted
with distress he is patient and this is good for him." [Muslim]
A member of the family may become ill and bedridden; or there may be
elderly members that need special care. Cases suchas these definitely
require a greatdeal of concern and conscientiousness. A feeling of
tranquility and psychological comfort are necessary in a patient's
room, which is a positive factor in the process of recovery. This
requires:
• Caring for the patient and supplicating Allaah The Almighty that He
cures him, in a way that helps the patient feel optimistic and pleased
with the decree of Allaah The Almighty. We supplicate for the patient
by saying, "Ath-hib Al-Ba's Rab An-Naas. Ishfi wa anta Ash-Shaafi,la
Shifaa' Illa Shifaa'uk, Shifaa'an la Yughaadiru Saqama." (Remove pain,
O Lord of people. Cure for You are the Healer and there is nocure
except Yours, [Your cure is] acure that leaves no illness.)
[Al-Bukhaari]
• Another Du'aa (supplication) forthe sick is: "Allaahumma Rab
An-Naas, Muth-hib Al-Ba's, Ishfi anta Ash-Shaafi, wala Shaafi Illa
ant, Ishfi Shifaa'an la Yughaadiru Saqama." (O Allaah, Lord of people,
Remover of pain. Heal for You are The Healer and there is no healer
except You. Cure a cure that leaves no illness.) [Ahmad and
Al-Bukhaari]
• The lighting in the patient's room should be suitably low to give a
feeling of comfort and peace. Care should be taken so that the lights
do not point directly into the patient's eyes. When the patient needs
sufficientlighting to be able to read, this can be provided if his
condition allows it.
• Ventilation in the room should be suitable without letting the
patient be exposed to strong air currents.
On opening windows to freshen the air in the room, a partition should
be placed so that air currents do not directly blow towards the
patient. Limiting theair flow can also be achieved by opening the
windows slightly. Maintaining a constant temperature in the patient's
room is also very important.
• Maintaining the room's cleanliness without upsetting thepatient by
taking care to use disinfectants [avoiding toxins likechorine] in the
cleaning process, and trying to minimize the circulation of dust
particles and noise pollution that result duringcleaning.
• Having plants and flowers in the patient's room [or as a view from
his window] because it provides a kind of joy and refreshment, and
helps the patient to be more comfortable psychologically. Changing the
arrangement of the flowers from time to time imparts a feeling of
change and prevents boredom. Itis important to take care to keep
strongly scented flowers away from the patient's bed if his health
requires that.
• Fulfilling the patient's needs and providing his requirements
without him having to repeatedlyrequest them.
• If the patient is able to serve himself, it is best to have his
medications nearby within reach,on a table near o him; along witha
glass of water, paper tissues, a small clock, a Quran, a book he
enjoys, a small radio and so on.

The Quran is the delight of the heart

Allaah, the Exalted, revealed the Quran, to be a beacon of light that
cannot be extinguished. It is a methodology and way of life that is
perfect in all respects. In itis strength that cannot be equaled or
repelled. It is the foundation of Eemaan (Faith) andthe spring of
knowledge. Allaah willed that the Quran be what quenches the thirst
for knowledge. It is the delight of the people of wisdom. The Quran is
the greatest cure for all ailments. It is Allaah's Rope that cannot be
severed. It is the Wise Reminder and the truly Straight Path.
In the Quran are the parables of those who were before us, a prophesy
of that which will be after us and a criterion to judge between us. It
is Truth with certainty that was revealed to us.The one who lives
according to its dictations will be rewarded. The one who judges
according toit will be just. The one who calls to it is on the
Straight Path. Allaah raises and lowers people's status based on their
adherence to it. The Quran, on the Day of Judgment, will intercede on
behalf of those who recited it.
Prophet Muhammad said: "The one who reads a single letter from the
Book of Allaah will be rewarded with one good deed. (Know that) A good
deed ismultiplied ten times over. I do not say Alif Laam Meem is one
letter. Verily, Alif is one letter, Laam is one letter, Meem is one
letter." [At-Tirmithi]
The Book of Allaah to mankind's guidance is like the soul in relation
to the body. Therefore, he who abandons its recitation and does not
act in accordance toits laws is in a state of spiritual death. Allaah
Almighty says (whatmeans): {And is one who was dead and We gave him
life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one
who is in darkness, never to emerge there from?} [Quran 6:122]
A person without Quran is like a person without water, air and
medicine. Allaah, the Most Exalted, says (what means): {And We send
down of the Quran, that which is healing and mercy for the believers,
but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.} [Quran 17:82]
The Quran is a healing for the body and the soul. Whenever life
becomes hard and complicated, the Light of the Quran will
alwaysbrighten the way. It will be a source of solace and tranquility.
It will be a defender to you when you are powerless and in need. When
the Muslim recites the Quran, he will feel matchless tranquility in
his heart and being.This causes him only to fear Allaah alone.
Allaah Almighty says (what means):
{Those to whom people [i.e. hypocrites] said, "Indeed, the people have
gathered against you, so fear them." But it [merely] increased them in
faith, and they said, "Sufficient for us is Allaah, and [He is] the
best Disposer of affairs." So they returned with favor from Allaah and
bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of
Allaah, and Allaah is the Possessor of great bounty. That is only
Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters. So fear them not, but
fear Me, if you are [indeed] believers.} [Quran 3:173-175]
Sadly, many have not taken this Quran into consideration and have
neglected its recitation and implementation. They sought theworldly
life and neglected the Hereafter. Allaah says (what means): {And if
you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the
way of Allaah. They follow not except assumption, and they are not
butfalsifying.} [Quran 6:116]
Tragically, there are those who recite the Quran in its entirety and
finish with little more than with what they began with in terms of
contemplation and action. Some are so concerned with how they sound,
they beautify their voice without ever listening to what is being
ordered or prohibited. Truly, there are many reciters of the Quran
that the Quran is free from them and their evil. They recite the Quran
and are oppressive to themselves and others by not following its
orders or forbiddingits prohibitions.
Nothing is more valuable to a Muslim in his worldly life and in the
Hereafter than reciting the Quran and reflecting and trying to
comprehend its meaning. In doing so, an individual will become
acquainted with what is good and what is evil. He will see the effects
of disobedience of Allaah and its punishment in the parables of those
who have comebefore us. An example of such a punishment is the flood
that wassent upon the people of Nooh (Noah) and others similar to it.
It is a source of inspiration andit strengthens one's belief in
Allaah. For this reason, Allaah says (what means):
{ … and when His (Allaah's) verses(Quran) are recited to them, it
increases them in faith; and upontheir Lord they rely.} [Quran 8:2]
This Book was sent and revealed from above the seven Heavens so that
it could be comprehended and implemented, it is not just tobe recited
while the heart is pre-occupied. Allaah Almighty says (what means):
{[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad,
sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam], that they might reflect upon its verses
and that those of understanding would be reminded} [Quran 38:29]
What has happened to our hearts? Why are our hearts locked out and
unresponsive to the Quran? Why do the words enter from one ear and
exit out the other? Why have our hearts hardened? Let us comprehend
the Quran and implement it in our lives. Let us be from those who
implement the Quran in our days and recite it during our nights.