Is it permissible to say, “By Allah, I shall certainly discipline you, O nafs”?

I have come up with a campaign called "By Allah,I shall certainly
discipline you, O nafs". This is a campaign that promotes
self-development and jihad an-nafs. I am going to set up programs for
purifying the soul, softening the heart and reminding one of death,
and I want to post lectures by trustworthy shaykhs.
Is there anything wrong with saying I shall certainly discipline the
nafs that was created by Allah?
Does the fact that this title contains an oath mean that other
membersare compelled to join the campaign? Please note that I said
that whoever posts a comment on this topic will be regarded as having
joined us in this campaign.
Praise be to Allah.
There is nothing wrong with a person saying to himself, "I shall
certainly discipline you, O nafs" if he is disciplining himself in
accordance with the teachings of Islam. Even though Allah created the
nafs, the main purpose forwhich Allah has prescribed religion is to
discipline the nafs, purify it, and instruct it to do acts of worship
and obedience. To Allah belong the creation and the commandment.
Imam al-Aajurri (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If someone were to say: what evidence is there fordisciplining the
nafs? The answer is: The Qur'aan, the Sunnah and the wordsof the
Muslim scholars. End quote from Adab an-Nufoos, p. 9
He also said (p. 17):
How bad is the situation of the one who neglects to discipline his
nafs and train it on the basis of knowledge; and how good is the
situation of the one who pays attention to disciplining his nafs and
knows what Allah has enjoined upon him and what He has forbidden to
him, and is patient in going against the whims and desires of his
nafs, and seeks the help of Allah the Almightyin doing so. End quote.
And he narrated in his book (p. 13) that ar-Rabee' ibn Anas said,
concerning the verse "Ward off from yourselvesand your families a Fire
(Hell)" [at-Tahreem 66:6]: Discipline and train yourselves and your
families to adhere to the commands of Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted.
And he narrated (p. 14) that Sa'eed ibn Jubayr said: that is: proper
etiquette and manners.
Then he (may Allah have mercy on him) said (p. 15): Do you not see,
may Allah have mercy on you, that your Lord Most Generous is urging
you to discipline yourself and your families. Pay heed toAllah and
make yourselves adhere to that.End quote.
Based on that: there is nothing wrong with the phrase mentioned and
there is nothing wrong with giving the group the title mentioned, even
if this phrase was not narrated in this way from some of the Salaf, so
long as it is Islamically acceptable in and of itself and does not
include anything that is not appropriate according to Islam.
If you choose a title that is similar in meaning, suchas
"Self-discipline" or "Training the nafs" and soon, that is also good.
Suchwords were used as book titles by some of the Salaf.
The oath mentioned is not regarded as compelling anyone to jointhe
group; rather he is a member if he accepts the conditions stipulated
in the group.
And Allah knows best.

Answering the telephone whilst praying

They were praying one of the prayers at home when the telephone
started to ring, and it distracted them with its ringing for a long
time. Is it permissible in such cases for the worshipper to take a few
steps forwards or backwards and pick up the receiver and say "Allaahu
akbar" or raise his voice in recitation so that the caller will know
that he is praying – by analogy with(the hadeeth with speaks of)
opening the door to one who knocks or raisinghis voice so that he can
hear you?
Praise be to Allaah.
If the worshipper is in the position that you describeand the phone
starts ringing, it is permissible for him to lift the receiver,even if
he has to move a little way forward or back,or to the right or left,
on the condition that he keeps facing the qiblah and he says 'Subhaan
Allaah' so that the person who is calling will know (that he is
praying). It wasnarrated in al-Saheehayn that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray whilst
carrying his granddaughter Umaamah.When he did rukoo', he would put
her down, and when he stood up he would pick her up again. According
to a report in Muslim, this was when he was leading the people in
prayer in the mosque. (Narrated by Maalik, 1/170; al-Bukhaari,
1/487,in Sutrat al-Musalli, Baab idha hamala jaariyatan sagheeratan
'ala 'unuqihi; Muslim, 543, in al-Masaajid, Baab jawaaz Hamal
al-Subyaan; Abu Dawood, no. 917-920; al-Nasaa'i, 2/45).
Ahmad and others narrated that 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with
her) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) was praying in his house with the door closed. I came (to
the door) and he walked over and opened the door for me, then he went
back to his place." She mentioned that the door was in the direction
of the Qiblah. (Narrated by Ahmad, 6/31; Abu Dawood, 922; al-Nasaa'i,
1/178; al-Tirmidhi, 2/497).
Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever notices something
alarming whilst praying, then men should say 'Subhaan Allaah' and
women should clap their hands."
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.

The reason for coming back via a different route from the Eid prayer

I read that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to go to the Eid prayer viaone route and come back via a
different route. Whatis the reason for that?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (986) narrated that Jaabir ibn 'Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said:On the day of Eid, the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) would vary his route, i.e., he would
go viaone route and come back via a different route.
The believer is required tofollow the example of theProphet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) even if he doesnot know the reason
why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did
something.Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good
exampleto follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allaah and
the Last Day, and remembers Allaah much"
[al-Ahzaab 33:21]
Ibn Katheer said (3/756): This verse points to an important principle,
namely following the example of the Messengerof Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word and deed.
The scholars differed greatly as to the reason for this (i.e.,
returning via a different route).
Al-Haafiz said:
The scholars differed greatly as to the reason for this. I have
collected more than twenty different opinions, which Ihave summed up
and highlighted those that areweak. Al-Qaadi 'Abd al-Wahhaab
al-Maaliki said: Several opinions have been mentioned concerning that,
some of which are likely to be correct but most of which are
far-fetched.
For example:
1- He did that so that the two routes would bear witness for him,
or it was said: so that their inhabitants, jinns and humans, would
bear witness for him
2- It was said that it was so as to make them equal because they
are blessed by his passing through.
3- It was said that his route to the prayer-place was to his
right, and if he came back the same way he would be coming to the
left, so he went back by a different route. This requires evidence.
4- It was said that it was to make manifest thesymbols of Islam on
both routes, or to make manifest the remembrance of Allaah.
5- It was said that it was to annoy the hypocrites or the Jews, or
to alarm them by showing the large number of those who were with him.
Ibn Battaal thought this was most likely to be correct.
6- It was said that it was a precaution against the plots of the
two groups, or one of them. This needs verification.
7- It was said that he did that in order to make more people happy
or bring blessing to them by his passing through or by their seeing
him, and so that he might attend to their needs, answer their
questions, teach them, give them charity, greet them with salaam, etc
8- It was said that it was in order to visit his relatives and
uphold the ties of kinship.
9- It was said that it was in order to have a change of scene.
10-It was said that that when he went he gave charity and when he
cameback he had nothing left, so he came back via a different route so
that he would not have to refuse anyone who asked of him.This is a
very weak view as well as one that requires proof.
11-It was said that that route by which he went was longer than the
routeby which he came back, and he wanted to increase his reward by
taking more steps to get there, but on the way back he was hastening
to go home. This is the view favoured by al-Raafi'i, but he stated
that it requires evidence and that the reward for taking steps also
applies to the way back, as was proven in thehadeeth of Ubayy ibn
Ka'bwhich was narrated by al-Tirmidhi and others.
12-It was said that the angels stand on the roads and he wanted two
groups of angels to bear witness for him.
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned some of these reasons in Zaad al-Ma'aad
(1/449), then he said:
The most correct view is that he did this for these and other reasons.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said: If it is said, what is the reason for
coming back by a different route?
The answer is: to follow the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger
have decreed a matter that they should have anyoption in their
decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed
strayed into a plain error"
[al-Ahzaab 33:36 – interpretation of the meaning]
This is the reason… Then he mentioned some of the reasons quoted
abovefrom al-Haafiz.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen,

What is the definition of zakat?

Question:
What is the definition of zakat?
Answer:
Assalamu alaikum,
The definition of zakat is that it is:
�Transferring ownership ofan amount of material wealth specified by
the Lawgiver to a poor Muslimwho is not Hashimi nor their client,
without material benefit returning to the giver in any way, for the
sake of Allah Most High.� [Tumurtashi, Tanwiral-Absar]
There are many important points understood in this definition:
1. It is a condition that there be a transferring of ownership.
(Simply put: your zakat has to be given). As such, it is not valid to
forgive a debt someone owes you as zakat.
2. Zakat has to be given to the poor and needy. It is not valid to
give zakat for projects, mosques, and virtuous activity, unless the
zakat itself will be given to the poor and needy.
3. Zakat must be given to a Muslim. Unlike charity, it is not valid to
give zakat to a non-Muslim.
4. Zakat cannot normally be given to Hashimis (those from the family
of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)).
5. The giver cannot materially benefit from giving their zakat. As
such, one cannot give zakat to one�s parents, children, or spouse,
because benefits between these people are shared.
[Ibn Abidin and Haskafi, Radd al-Muhtar `ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar 2.2-4;
Ibn al-Humam and Marghinani, Fath al-Qadir Sharh al-Hidaya ]
Wassalam