Is it permissible to offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah for a specific blessing?

Is it permissible for a person who has bought a car or a house to
offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The blessings that Allaah bestows upon people are many, and His bounty
andgenerosity towards them are vast. A blessing can only be responded
to by giving thanks and appreciating it. Allaah, may He be glorified
and exalted, has enjoined giving thanks to Him, for He is Appreciative
and loves those who give thanks.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"So eat of the lawful and good food which Allaah has provided for you.
And be grateful for the Graces of Allaah, if it is He Whom you
worship"
[al-Nahl 16:144]
"seek your provision fromAllaah (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and
be grateful to Him. To Him(Alone) you will be brought back"
[al-'Ankaboot 29:17]
Part of being grateful to Allaah is seeking to draw closer to Him by
means ofdifferent kinds of acts of worship and to endear oneself to
Him by means of good deeds such as prayer, zakaah, fasting and so on.
Another part of being grateful to Allaah is givingthanks to Him by
means of sacrifice rituals, which means offering a sacrifice for the
sake of Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
his commentary on the verse "Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and
sacrifice (to Him only)" [al-Kawthar 108:2]:
What is meant is that prayer and sacrifice are the best of the things
by means of which one may draw closer to Allaah, and the usage of the
word fa (translated here as "therefore") points to the reason, i.e.,
doing that – prayer and sacrifice – in gratitude for that which Allaah
has given him of al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise) and much goodness.
So he should give thanks to the One Who has blessed him and worship
Him, and the twogreatest types of worship are these two acts of
worship; indeed, prayer is the ultimate act of worship. It is as if He
is saying to him: We have given you al-Kawthar and a great deal of
goodness, and We have blessed you with that because you have been
doing these two acts of worship in gratitude for Our blessing to you;
these are the reasons why We have bestowed these blessings upon you,
so do these two things for Us, for prayer and sacrifice are surrounded
by blessings that come before them and after them. The best financial
act of worship is sacrifice and the best physical act of worship is
prayer, and the benefits that a slave of Allaah may gain from prayer
cannot be compared to any othertype of worship, as is known by those
whose hearts are alive and those of high aspirations. Adding to it the
benefits of offering sacrifice, whichis a sign of devotion to Allaah
and thinking positively of Him, and having strong certainty and faith
about that which is in the hand of Allaah is something wonderful, if
that is accompanied by faith and sincerity. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) obeyed the command of his Lord and
prayed and sacrificed a great deal to Him; he even sacrificed
sixty-three camels with his own hand during the Farewell Pilgrimage,
and he used to offer sacrifices on the Eids and at other times. End
quote.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa 916/532).
If Allaah bestows a great blessing upon a person – and all His
blessing are great – then it is mustahabb for him to give thanks to
Allaah for itby showing kindness to people, so he should offer a
sacrifice and make food and invite his brothers and friends, and give
charity to those who are in need.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (26/180-181):
It is mustahabb to give thanks anew when new blessings come, by
speaking words of praise. Gratitude for that may also be expressed by
doing acts of worship, which includes offering a sacrifice or inviting
peopleto a meal. The fuqaha' have mentioned the kindsof meals that may
be offered when blessing arerenewed, such as the wakeerah which is
made for a new home, or naqee'ah which is made on the return of an
absentloved one, and hidhaaq which is done when a child completes a
reading of the Qur'aan.
The view of the Hanbalis, the more correct view among the Shaafa'is,
is that these meals are mustahabb.
Ibn Qudaamah said: Theseinvitations – other than the wedding feast
(waleemah) and 'aqeeqah– are something good, but they are like
invitations that are given for no reason; if the person who does them
intends thereby to give thanks to Allaah for His blessing and to feed
his brothers and offer food, then he will have the reward for that in
sha Allaah.

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Can a person be considered as a shaheed if he dies whilst on a business tripby sea?

Can a person be considered as a shaheed (martyr) if he dies whilst on
a business trip by sea?
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked
about a man who traveled by sea for the purpose of trade, and he was
drowned – did he dieas a shaheed?
He replied, yes, he died as a shaheed, so long as he was not
travelling for sinful purposes. For it wasnarrated in a saheeh report
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"The one who drowns is ashaheed, the one who dies of a stomach disease
is a shaheed, the one whois burnt to death is a shaheed, the one who
dies of the plague is a shaheed, the woman whodies giving birth is a
shaheed, and the one who is crushed by a collapsing building is a
shaheed." And people killed in other ways were also mentioned.
Travelling by sea for the purpose of trade is permissible, if one
thinks it is most likely to be safe.If it is not safe then he should
not travel for the purpose of trade; if he didthat [i.e., traveled
when it was not safe to do so], then he has contributed to his own
death, and in such a case we cannot saythat he was a shaheed. And
Allaah knows best

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The reward of patience is praiseworthy

Hazrat Abu Hasan Siraaj R.A. says: I was performing tawaaf once while
on Haj; when I saw a very pretty woman, shining in her beauty. I
looked at her and said:"By Allah, this beauty and fine complexion must
surely be because she never experienced any grief or sorrow."
When I said this she overheard me and said:"Sir, it is that what you
think? By Allah, I am bent down under all the sorrows and grief that
have come my way. My heart and mind is filled with so much grief and
allalong there has been no one can who share these with me."
I asked: "And how is that, lady?"
She replied: "My husband once slaughtered a goat as a Qurbaani
offering, while I was breast feedingmy infant child. My two young sons
were playing around me. When I went to cook the meat, the one son said
to the other: 'Come, let me show you how father slaughtered the goat.'
The other said: 'Well show me.' The first one then made the second
once lie down andcut his throat, as his father had slaughtered the
goat. When he realized what had happened, he ran away into the
mountains; where he was attacked bya wolf and eaten up.
The father went in search for him; searching from place to place until
he died of extreme thirst. In the mean time I was at home frantic with
worry waiting for news of him. I put down my infant child and went to
the door to inquire about anyone who might have news of my husband.
The child crawled to the fireplace where a pot was boiling. The child
touched it and the boiling pot fell upon the baby, burning it to death
in such a ghastly manner that the child�s meat became separated from
the bones.
When my married daughter heard all this, in the house of her
husband,she fell down of shock. Thus I was left alone to bear all
that."
I asked her: "And how, lady; did you manage all these misfortunes with
patience?"
She replied: "Whoever ponders on the difference between patience and
impatience, finds a world of difference between the two. The reward of
patience is praiseworthy; whereas for impatience there is nothing."
Then she recited some lines of poetry before walking away:
Patience did I exercise,
For that was my strongestpillar;
And should impatience have helped me,
Then I would have tried her.
Such patience did I on have that;
Had my trails descended on mountain high,
In broken rocks they would have ended.
Indeed did I control my eyes,
Those tears not fall;
And now within my heart alone,
My tears do roll.
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May Allah (SWT) grant us the ability to be patient! Ameen!

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The lady who spoke nothing besides the Quran

An elderly Arab lady was sitting at the trunk of a tree, on the way to
Haj. Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA) happened to pass that way. He
was also heading for Baitullah,for Hajj, and to the Sacred tomb of the
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu �layhi Wasallam). Seeing this lady very
disturbed and ina state of despair, (distressed) he spoke to her. The
discussion is recorded as follows:
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah
The lady: "The word from a merciful Lord is Peace" (Surah 36 Aayat
58). She meant that the reply of salaam is from Allah, MostHigh,
Himself.
She said further: "Those whom Allah sendeth astray, there is no guide
for them." (Surah 7 Aayat 186). She meant that she has lost her way.
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Where are you coming from?
The lady: "Glorified be He who carried His servant by night from the
Musjid-e-Aqsa (invioble place of worship) to the Musjid-e-Haraam" (Far
distant place of worship) (Surah17 Aayat1). She meant that she had
come from Musjid-e-Aqsa.
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): How long are you in this place?
The lady: "For three nights" (Surah 19 Aayat10).
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): What arrangements are made for your food?
The lady: "And who (Allah) feedeth me and watereth me" (Surah 26 Aayat
79). She meant thatsomehow or the other, her food is provided to her
by Allah.
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Is there anywater for Wudhu?
The lady: "And ye find notwater, then go to high clean soil and (make
tayammum) rub your faces and hands." (therewith) (Surah 4 Aayat43).
She meant that she makes tayammum, due tonot finding water.
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Here is some food. Partake of it.
The lady: "Strictly observethe fast till nightfall" (Surah 2 Aayat
187). She indicated that she is fasting.
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): This is not the month of Ramadaan.
The lady: "And he who does good of his own accord (for him) lo! Allah
is responsive, aware". (Surah 2 Aayat158) meaning that I have observed
an optional (nafl) fast.
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): It is permitted to break the fast
when in a journey.
The lady: "And that ye fastis better for you, if you did but know."
(Surah 2 Aayat 184)
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Speak like how I speak.
The lady: "He (man) uttereth no word but there is with him an observer
ready" (Surah 50Aayat 18). She meant thatsince every word of a person
is observed and recorded, she is taking precaution by speaking only in
the words of the Holy Quran.
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Which clan do you belong to?
The lady: "Follow not thatwhereof thou hast no knowledge, lo! The
hearing and the sight and heart of each of these it will be asked"
(Surah 17 Aayat36). She meant those things that you have no knowledge
of, nor do they concern you, you are wasting your strength (senses) by
enquiring about them.
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Forgive me.I have certainly made a mistake.
The lady: "Have no fear this day. May Allah forgiveyou" (Surah 12 Aayat 92)
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Would you like to travel on my
cameland meet your caravan?
The lady: "And whatsoever good ye do Allah knoweth it" (Surah 2Aayat
197). Meaning that if you will do this good deeds towards me, Allah
will recompense you for it.
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Well, then you may mount it.
Saying this he made the camel to sit down.
The lady: "Tell the believing men (when confronted by women) to lower
their gaze". (Surah 24 Aayat 30).
Hadhrat Abdullah understood and (turned) looked away. While she was
mounting, the camel jerked and her clothes gotestrangled in the saddle
(dorsers) and she proclaimed: "whatever of misfortune striketh you,
itis what your hands have earned." (Surah 42 Aayat 30).
In other words she was drawing Hadhrat Abdullahbin Mubarak's (RA)
attention towards this mishap. Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA)
understood and he tied the legs of the camel and he straightened the
strapsof the saddle (or dorser).
She applauded him for hisproficiency and capability by saying "And we
made Sulaiman to understand" (Surah 21 Aayat 79). When the journey was
about to begin, the lady recited the Aayats which are read when
undertaking a journey"Glorified be he who hath subdued these unto us,
and we were not capable (of subduing them). And lo, unto our Lord we
are returning." (Surah 43 Aayat 13).
Hadhrat Abdullh bin Mubarak (RA) held the bridle (or nose string) of
the camel. He began to hum the (Huddi) famous Arabic song for
travelling, and he started walking very fast.
The lady: "Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice" (Surah 31
Aayath 19) ...

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