Your faith is your key to happiness

'Aa ' ishah was once asked, "Who is the best of women?" Sheanswered,
"She who does not usefoul language, who is unaware ofmen's cunningness
(so she does not become their rival), and whose heart is occupied with
nothing but adorning herself for her husband and caring for her
children."
Know, my dear sister, that believing in Allaah The Exalted is the
essence of your happiness and the source of comfort and tranquillity.
Indeed, misery, suffering, and constant agonies are caused by
abandoning faith inAllaah The Almighty, and neglecting His
remembrance, thankfulness to Him, and failing to fulfil the due rights
of the acts of worship. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): } "Those
who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of
Allaah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allaah the hearts are
assured." { [Quran 13:28 [H.S1 [
} "And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will lead a
depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection
blind." { [Quran 20:124]
A young Muslim immigrant to theUSA narrates that he had worked for a
wealthy businessman who owns companies there. Whenever this
businessman passed by this young man, he would find him smiling and
appearing happy, whereas, the employer was sad, worried and gloomy all
the time. Once he asked the young Muslim man about the secret behind
his smilewhich reflects happiness and joy. The young man simply
answered him, "Because I am Muslim." Thenthe businessman exclaimed,
"WillI find this happiness that you feelif I embrace Islam?" The young
man answered, "Yes." Then he accompanied his employer to an Islamic
Centre where he embraced Islam and then burst into tears. When he was
asked about the reason why he was crying, he answered, "This is the
first time in my entire life that I have experienced real happiness."
] Tareek As-Sa'aadah (The Way to Happiness)]
A mother's advice to her daughter
When 'Awf ibn Muhallim al-Shaybaani, one of the most highly respected
leaders of the Arab nobility during the Jaahiliyyah , (pre-Islamic
era) married his daughter Umm Iyaas to al-Haarith ibn 'Amr al-Kindi,
she was made ready to be taken to the groom, then her mother, Umaamah
came in to her, and advised her daughter saying,
My dear daughter, you are leavingthe home in which you have
beenbrought up and were raised, to a home which you do not know, and
with a new companion who you are not accustomed to. By marrying you,
he has become your guardian and superior. Therefore, be a slave to him
and he will be a slave to you.
My dear daughter, maintain theseten traits and he will always support
you. As for the first and second trait: Be content in your life with
him and be an obedient companion.
The third and fourth: Continuously be attentive to what his eyes fall
on and to what his nose might smell. Do not let him behold you
unattractive, and let him only smell pleasant scentsfrom you.
The fifth and the sixth: Be attentive to the time of his meals, and be
quiet during his sleep; for hunger is agitating, anddisturbing one's
sleep arouses anger.
The seventh and eighth: Preserve his money, and look after his
household and children, for guarding his money is a good
characteristic, and looking after his household and children is a way
of honoring him.
As for the ninth and tenth traits: Never expose his secrets or disobey
his orders, for if you expose his secrets you will not besafe from his
betrayal, and if you disobey his orders you will make him angry.
In addition, avoid expressing happiness while he is sad, or being
gloomy while he is happy, for the first quality is an act of
negligence, and the second displeases him.
Honor him the best you can, and he will honor you the best he can.
The more you agree with him, the longer he will stay in your company.
Know, that you will not attain what you aspire for unless you favor
his contentment over yours,and his desires over yours whether
concerning something that pleases or displeases you.
Steps to marital happiness
· Remember that you are not a man:
Many wives face marital failure due to developing complexes about
their femininity. Such women are not proud of their femininity, and do
not acknowledge their husbands' roleof being in charge and their right
to lead the family. Such women are paranoid, constantly feeling that
their husbands are trying to subdue them and exercise their
masculinity over them. Consequently, such a wife will try to prove
that she is equal to him. These poisonous beliefs will ruin their
lives and turn it into a living hell.
Such a woman should know that men and women complete one another; men
enjoy the qualities that women lack, and similarly, women enjoy the
qualities that men lack. Men's right to take charge over women does
not mean humiliation or suppression;rather, it means leadership,
responsibility, wisdom, compassion, mercy and affection.By virtue of
man's right to take charge, he can take his wife through their life
journey tosafety and happiness.
· Search for the positive side:
Many wives do not feel happy in their marriages because of their
negative perspective of their husbands; they only see their flaws and
defects. Their husbands might have countless good qualities that
surpass their defects, but their melancholic perspective of their life
blinds them from such good traits, thusshe is only able to see her
husband's weaknesses.
A wise wife should look for her husband's positive traits, enumerate
them, try to foster them and praise him for them. Moreover, she should
be patient with his flaws and defects, and try to overlook them. Were
she toconfront her husband's abuse with kindness, it would deeply
affect him and perhaps drive him to change his bad behavior with her,
and replace his flaws and defects with positive qualities.
· Make sure of your husband's love for you:
Verifying your husband's love for you is essential for the wife to
attain marital happiness. On the one hand, a husband should affirm his
love for his wife from time to time. On the other hand, a wife should
remind herself of her husband's love for her and tryto find reasons
which could verifythat love; the first of which was his proposal to
marry her in the first place which proves his attraction towards her
and his love for her. Besides, the fact thathe is still married to her
also indicates this. Add to that, the fact that he financially
supports her, tends to her, cares for her, and feels protective
jealousy over her. All this highlights his love forhis wife.
· Your happiness lies in your contentment:
How many women have deprived themselves of attaining marital happiness
because of wishing for what others have? The wife pushes her husband
to satisfy herdesires by providing her with luxuries that are not
necessary at all, knowing that he cannot afford that. On seeing her
husband unable to provide her with what she wants, she loses respect
for him and sees him as alazy and passive person.
If such a wife were to judge her life fairly, she would have seen
countless positive points and the bright side of the pages of her
life, that can guarantee her happiness if she is content with the
blessings that Allaah The Exalted has bestowed upon her. In the past,
the Muslim wife would stand at her porch biddingher husband farewell,
as he wentto work and remind him, "Fear Allaah The Almighty, and
beware,beware of bringing back home anything that is unlawful; we
canendure hunger, but we can never endure Hell." It is worth
mentioning that a happy person is not he who gets all that he wishes
for; since one's desires cannot be fully satisfied, and wishes
continue until the last breath. Actually, true happiness isfound in
contentment.

Hijaab is not a personal choice

Contrary to whatever you may believe, Hijaab (Islamic covering) is not
a free personal choice. As aMuslim woman, you are not free; you are a
slave of Allaah The Almighty. What is the relationship between freedom
and uncovering parts of your body, adorning yourself, and uncovering
your face? Does the belief that 'beauty of the soul is the real
beauty' entitle a woman to be indecently dressed?
The enemies of Islam have turnedwomen into a cheap commodity; they
despise you; they do not respect your mind, thought or character; they
are only concerned about your body. Otherwise, let me know: What is
the rationale behind an attractivewoman appearing on an advertisement
for razors or tires? Does this show respect for a woman's mind? Or
does this point to the fact that the media and marketing industry only
think about exploiting her body? Why do they not let women who are
covered in Hijaab be shown in their ads?
If you could listen to what your colleagues in the university or work
say about you behind your back, you would be horrified. They speak
about your looks. They do not care for your intelligence or
personality; they are only concerned about your femininity. This is
the nature of man, and whoever claims otherwise is either a liar or
abnormal.
Wearing Hijaab is not a free personal choice, and you are certainly
not free to do as you think fit; you are a slave of Allaah The
Almighty. You have no right to disobey His orders. Allaah The Almighty
Says (what means): } And whoever turns away from Myremembrance –
indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We willgather him on the
Day of Resurrection blind." He will say,"My Lord, why have You raised
me blind while I was [once] seeing?" [Allaah] will say, "Thus did Our
signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be
forgotten." And thus do We recompense he who transgressed and did not
believe in the signs of his Lord. And the punishment of the Hereafter
is more severe and more enduring. { [Quran 20:124-127]
Hijaab is not a free personal choice because it is the commandof
Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger , and the consensus of the
Muslim scholars. Furthermore, Hijaab gives you the chance to test the
truthfulness of those who claim that they are only concerned withyour
mind and character. If the case is true as they claim, wearing Hijaab
will help them focus on your character, not your make-up, clothes, or
charms. At this point you will discover the truth, and you will not
find any man paying you attention or speaking to you because they do
not need anything from you except your femininity.
It is shameful that a woman whopretends to respect herself and cherish
her honor and dignity seeks to impress people with her body. Surely,
you humiliate your humanity by failing to adhere to correct Hijaab and
by showing off your face in place.
An American woman says that she got fed up with such widespread
corruption in her society, where a woman is judged only according to
her appearance, and this greatly influences her field of work,
promotions, and the opportunities of practical and emotional life. She
adds that a woman has to always appear beautiful and attractive in
order to attain easy success in every stage of her life.
This woman converted to three religions that could not soothe her
agony. Now she adheres to a sect of Judaism because she admires the
fact that this sect obliges women to dress modestly and admonishes
them not to intermix with men except in case of necessity.
Another American woman says that she has embraced one of theold pagan
religions of the Native Americans because that religion pays special
respect to women, orders them to wear decent clothes and prohibits
extramarital and premarital relationships. She adds that she feels
that this religion respects women and protects values in society.
A practicing Muslim woman relates that she had been fully covered in
Hijaab when she was obliged to travel to a European country with her
family to receivemedical care for her father. In thehospital, a nurse
asked her permission to see her face, and when the nurse saw it, she
was shocked. She thought that the woman covered her face because she
was ugly or had a defect. When the nurse asked the woman why she was
covering up, the woman explained to her that Islam sees women as a
jewelthat must be kept away from the eyes of strangers. The woman said
that the nurse was listening attentively, and later, she said,"How
wonderful! I wish I could cover myself up like you. I suffer alot from
people's looks at the details of my body and feel that I am a dummy;
even here I feel that all people are staring at me."
Professor Sigrid Hunke, author of the famous book Allah's Sun
Risesover the West , outlines the glory of the Arabs and Muslims and
theinfluence of their civilization on the Western renaissance. In an
Islamic conference, she was asked to give advice to a Muslim woman who
wanted to discard her Hijaab . She said,
"A Muslim woman should not take the European or American women as role
models. By doing so, she loses the elements of her character. Thus,
she has to abide by the original guidance of Islam and follow in the
footsteps of theearly righteous women. She should cherish their
values and adapt them to the needs of modern times. She should also
focus on her significant mission of being a mother of the future Arab
generation."
Helen Stanberry, an American writer and a freelance journalist for
more than 250 American newspapers, publishes a daily article read by
millions of Americans. She spent several weeks in an Arab country, and
when she returned home, she said that the Arab society is perfect and
sound, and it should adhere to its customs which limitthe freedom of
young women and men reasonably. She adds that the Arabs have inherited
manners which necessitate limiting the freedom of the woman,
respecting the mother and father, and, more than that, eliminating the
immorality of theWest which is destroying the society and families in
Europe and America. She advises the Arabs to continue preventing the
free intermixing between the two sexes, narrow the freedom of the
girl, and adhere to Hijaab like the earlier generations did. This
would be better for the Arabs than immorality, liberty and the
profligacy of Europe and America.
Anger with this inferior look at women was condemned in the words of
Meryl Streep, an American actress, and the 1983 Academy Award winner.
In a press conference, she said that every time she visited a public
place, people would scrutinize the measurements of her body tomake
sure that she was a beautiful and worthy of being thebest American
actress. This disturbed her a lot because she knew that people looked
at her only to judge her body. .
She contested the so-called Women's Liberation Movement, saying that
she does not like the present-day concepts about women because they
view the ideal woman to be the one who has a slim body. [ Excerpted
from the book "Risaalah Ila Hawaa' by Rasheed Al-'OOwayid [
A woman so fond of the Abaya that she wears it at home
A Korean girl wrote on the internet, "I love your dress…yes…Ilove this
Abaya which fully covers the body. I love it so much and love to wear
it. I asked my cousin, who works in the Gulf region to send me one.
Once it was sent to me, I wore it immediately. Although many people
mocked me and were surprised at my appearance, I stillwear it from
time to time and sometimes at home. I feel greatlycomfortable and
content when wearing it."
At a time when women all over the world are searching for their
identity by returning to decency and covering up, many Muslim women
are trying to find ways and justifications to say that Hijaab is not a
religious obligation, or that the essence is more important than
appearances.
Muslim sister, do not sacrifice theeverlasting life in the Hereafter;
do not risk it. You cannot do that.It is either everlasting bliss or
everlasting doom. Many women before you followed the way of liberation
and pride, but they reaped loss, failure, depression and misery. What
will you lose if you put on Hijaab ? What will you lose if you cover
your hair, arms and legs? Please, answer: What loss will you incur?
What has your friend who puts on Hijaab lost? Do not expose yourself
to the anger of Allaah The Almighty; otherwise, you live in suffering,
misery and pain. You have to put on Hijaab and quit the futile
argument. Just put it on. You arenot wiser than the women who wore
it, nor are you more beautiful or smarter than they are. You may ask
them about it. Oslave of Allaah, The Compeller, return to your Lord,
submit and surrender to Him; beware of the anger of Allaah The
Sovereign. Hijaab is not a free, personal choice and you are not free.
Islamhas its rules and principles, so whoever claims to adhere to it
is not allowed to violate its rules. Whoever accepts Islam as a
religion should submit to its orders and avoid its prohibitions.
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } Whoever does righteousness,
whether male or female, while he is a believer, We will surely cause
him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in
the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do. { [Quran
16:97]

--

- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Hazrat Imam Hassan (R.A) & Hussain (R.A)

Story 1
Hazrat Sayyiduna Imam Hussain (R.A) is the beloved son of Hazrat
Sayyiduna Ali and Bibi Fatima (R.A) and the most beloved grandson of
Rasoolullah (S.A.W).
He was born on the 5th of Sha'baan in the year 4Al-Hijri. Our Beloved
Prophet (S.A.W) gave theAzaan in his right ear and the Iqaamah in his
left ear. He then placed his blessed saliva in the mouth of Hazrat
Imam Hussain (R.A) and made Dua for him.
On the 7th day he was named Hussain and his Aqeeqa was performed.
Rasoolullah (S.A.W) commanded Hazrat Bibi Fatima (R.A) to remove his
hair and to give silver in charity equivalent to the weightof the
hair.
Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) was without doubt a very handsome
personality. From his chest down to his blessed feet he was the image
of Rasoolullah (S.A.W), whereas his elder brother Hazrat Imam Hassan
(R.A) was the image of Rasoolullah(S.A.W) from his chest upto his
blessed head. The blessed face of Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) was so
bright that it would even shine in the darkness of night.
Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) was taught by Rasoolullah (S.A.W), Hazrat
Bibi Fatima (R.A) and Hazrat Ali (R.A). Holy Prophet (S.A.W) loved
Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) due to his piety and pure heart.
The Beloved Rasool (S.A.W) was also aware that the time would come
when his beloved grandson would save the Ummah from destruction at the
hands of a corrupt and tyrant leader.
Rasoolullah (S.A.W) lovedHazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) dearly. Hazrat
UmarFarooq (R.A) said, "Once, when I presented myself in the court of
Rasoolullah (S.A.W) I sawthat he was walking on his knees carrying
HazratImam Hussain (R.A) on his blessed back.
When I saw this, I said, "Your mode of transport is most splendid. On
hearing this, the BelovedRasool (S.A.W) replied, "OUmar, the passenger
is also very splendid.""
Hazrat Ya'la bin Marwaa (R.A) reports that Rasoolullah (S.A.W) said,
"Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain. Whosoever has kept Hussain
as his beloved, Allah is his beloved."
Hazrat Jaabir ibn Abdullah (R.A) states, "I heard from Rasoolullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), "Whosoever wishes to see the leader of
Paradise, he should look at Hussain ibn Ali (R.A).""
Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) was a very kind, gentle, generous,
merciful and Allah-fearing personality. He always cared for the poor
and oppressed, assisted the helpless, gave comfort to those in pain
and sorrow and showed great love and affection towards orphans. He was
the embodiment of the character of his grandfather Sayyiduna
Rasoolullah (S.A.W) and of his blessed parents. His tolerance and
patience was also exemplary. This was manifested by the fact that his
martyrdom had been foretold by the Beloved Rasool (S.A.W) and even
though he wasaware of this, he still made Sabr and waited for the Will
of Allah (S.W.T) to take its course.Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) was
also blessed with bravery of the highest degree and this bravery and
fearlessness was manifested on manyoccasions, particularly during the
Battle of Karbala.
Story 2
The following incidents should give us a glimpse of the exemplary
personality of Hazrat Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain (R.A):
Once, Hazrat Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain (R.A) wrote some words in
calligraphy on a blackboard. After they had completed writing, they
both told each other that the other's writing was better. They could
not come to an agreement as to whose writing was better, so they took
their work to Hazrat Ali (R.A) and asked him to make the decision.
He looked at their work and asked them to take it to their mother
Hazrat Bibi Fatima (R.A). She looked at their work andsaid that the
best personto make such a decision would be their beloved grandfather
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (S.A.W).
Both brothers then wentto the court of the Beloved Rasool (S.A.W), who
looked at their work and said, "This decision will be made byHazrat
Jibra'il (A.S).
Immediately Hazrat Jibra'il (A.S) appeared and said, "O Prophet of
Allah, this decision will be made by Almighty Allah (S.W.T)." Thus
Almighty Allah commanded Hazrat Jibra'il (A.S) to take an apple from
Jannat and to drop it over their boards. The best piece ofwork will be
that on which the apple will fall.
Hazrat Jibra'il (A.S) then did as commanded and dropped the apple over
the boards. The apple fell and split into two equal pieces, half on
the board of Hazrat Imam Hassan and half on the board of Hazrat Imam
Hussain (R.A).
Subhaanallah! This showed that both of their calligraphic writingwas
equal. It also shows us what excellence has been bestowed on the
grandsons of Rasoolullah(S.A.W) that the decision concerning their
writingis made in the Divine Court of Almighty Allah (S.W.T).
S tory 3
Once, Hazrat Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain (R.A) had gone outside for a
long time and Hazrat Bibi Fatima (R.A) became very worried. She was
still thinking about where the children might have gone when the
Beloved Rasool (S.A.W) arrived at her home. She immediately asked her
beloved father, "Ya Rasoolullah (S.A.W), Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain
cannot be found. They have gone out and we do not knowtheir
whereabouts."
Just then, Hazrat Jibra'il (A.S) descended and said, "Ya Rasoolullah
(S.A.W), there is nothing to worry about. Both thechildren are at a
certain place and Almighty Allah has appointed angels to protect
them."
On hearing this, Rasoolullah (S.A.W) wentto the spot pointed out by
Hazrat Jibra'il (A.S) and He (S.A.W) saw that both the beloved
grandsons were resting and an angel had one of his wings under them
and was shading them with the other wing. TheBeloved Rasool (S.A.W)
kissed both of them and carried them home to Hazrat Bibi Fatima (R.A).
Story 4
Once a Bedouin presented himself in the court of Hazrat Imam Hussain
(R.A) and said, "I heard your beloved grandfather (S.A.W) say that
when one is in needof anything, then one should request this from one
of four persons; either from a pious Arab,or from a pious master, or
from a Hafizul Qur'an, or from a graceful person, and all these four
qualities are found in you in the highest form.
The reason for this, is that if the entire Arabia received piety, it
is through your blessed family, and generosity is your beautiful
quality; asfor the Qur'an, this was revealed in your home and
concerning your gracefulness, I heard your beloved grandfather (S.A.W)
say, "If you wish to see me, then look at Hassan and Hussain.""
Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) listened to his words and then said, "I
heard my beloved grandfather Rasoolullah (S.A.W) saying, "Piety is
according to one's knowledge." I will thus ask you three religious
questions. I have with me this bag. If you answer one question I shall
give you one third of what is in the bag; if you answer two, then I
shall give you half of what is in this bag and ifyou answer all the
questions, then I shall give you all of what is in the bag."
Bedouin was very pleased and requested Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) to
present the questions. He asked, "Which action is the most exalted
amongst allactions?"
The Bedouin replied, "Tobring faith in Allah." Imam Hussain (R.A)
thenasked, "What protects a servant from destruction?"
He answered, "In having complete trust (faith) in Allah." Imam Hussain
(R.A) then asked, "What is that through which a servant attains his
splendour?" He answered, "By knowledge which is accompanied with good
deeds."
He asked, "And if one does not have this quality?" He answered, "He
should have that wealth in which there is generosity." He then asked,
"And what if one does not have such wealth?" He said, "He should be
patient in his poverty."
Imam Hussain (R.A) thenasked, "And what if someone is not in such
poverty (where he is patient)?" The Bedouin replied, "Then he should
be struck by a bolt of lightning." On hearing these answers, Hazrat
Imam Hussain (R.A) smiled and gave him the entire bag.
Story 5
Once Hazrat Imam Hassan, Hazrat Imam Hussain and Hazrat Abdullah ibn
Jaafar (R.A) had gone together on Hajj. On their way, the camel which
was carrying food, water andbelongings went astray and was left far
behind.
They came to a shack belonging to a very old woman. All three of them
went over to the shack and told the woman that they were very thirsty
and asked if she could spare them something to drink. The old woman
kindly milked her goats and presented the goats milkfor them to drink.
They then kindly asked ifshe had anything for them to eat. The old
woman said that the food was not prepared but if they wished to wait,
she would slaughter the goat and cook it for them. They thus agreed to
wait. The goat was slaughtered and the old woman cooked a delicious
meal.
All of them happily partook in the meal, andon leaving they informed
the old womanthat they were of the Quraish tribe and they invited her
to visit them in Medina Shareef, so that they may return hergenerous
favour. The three of them then continued on their journey. Her husband
came home later that day and found that she had cooked the goat. He
was very angry that she had fed the goat to people she did not even
know.
Some time passed and both the old woman andher husband became very
poor. They travelledto Medina Munawwarah where they earned very little
money gathering and selling camel droppings. Once while she was
walking in Medina Shareef, Hazrat Imam Hassan (R.A) spotted her. He
immediately went up to her and asked if she recognized him.
The old woman said thatshe could not and Imam Hassan (R.A) explained
to her that he was amongst those who stopped at her shack and partook
in a meal which she provided for them. On hearing this she was very
pleased and she informed HazratImam Hassan (R.A) of her situation.
Hazrat Imam Hassan (R.A) took her to his home and gave her one
thousand goats and one thousand dinars in cash. He then asked his
servant to take her to the home of Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A). Imam
Hussain (R.A) asked her what her brother had given her, and he too
blessed her with one thousand goatsand one thousand dinars.
Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) then asked his servant to take her to the
home of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Jaafar (R.A).He was very pleased to see
her and asked what both Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain (R.A) had given
her. She replied that all together they had given her two thousand
goats and two thousand dinars. On hearing this he gave her two
thousand goats and two thousand dinars.
The old woman was nowvery pleased, and took the four thousand goats
and four thousand dinars and went to her husband. She presented these
to him and said, "This is a gift from that generous family to whom I
had fed one goat." Subhaanallah! What generosity did Hazrat Imam
Hussain (R.A) and his family possess.
May Allah (S.W.T) grant usthe Taufeeq to instil in us; and our
children the beautiful qualities possessed by Hazrat Imam Hassan and
Imam Hussain (R.A) Ameen.

Hazrat Ali Murthuda (Radi Allah Unho)

ELECTIONS
After Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) passed away, Sayyiduna Ali
(radi Allahu anhu) waselected as the fourth Caliph by the Muslims.
During the period of the first three Caliphs, Madinatul Munawwarah
continued to be the capital of the Muslim world, but Sayyiduna Ali
(radi Allahu anhu) transferred the Islamic capital to Kufah in Iraq.
EARLY LIFE
Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) was the sonof Abu Taalib, an uncle of
Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Sayyiduna Ali
(radi Allahu anhu) was married to Sayyadah Bibi Fathima (radi Allahu
anha) , the daughter of Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) . They had 3 sons, Sayyiduna Hassan, Sayyiduna Hussain and
Sayyiduna Mohsin (radi Allahu anhumul ajma'in).
Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) took part inthe battle of Badr,
Khandaq and Khaibar. AtKhaibar, it was Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu
anhu) who subdued the Jews with his furious assault. He also held many
important positions during the time of Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam) and the first 3 Caliphs before him.
He had a love for learning and was a greatand learned person himself.
He had been given the title of "BaabulI'lm" or "Gate of Learning" by
Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). He was also
called "Asaadullah" or "Lion of Allah."
OPPOSITION The situation in Madinatul Munawwarah after the murder
(Shahaadah) of Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) was serious.
Sayyiduna Ali ( radi Allahu anhu's) first task was to rid Madinatul
Munawwarah of the rebels and to return the situation to normal.
Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) was able to force the rebels to
withdraw from Madinatul Munawwarah and to establish peace and order in
the city. The powerful governor of Syria, Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (radi
Allahu anhu) , challenged Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) and
refusedto pay homage to him. Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (radi Allahu anhu)
insisted that Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) arrest the murderers of
Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) and hand them over to him.
Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) was a man with a deep sense of
justice and did not want to accuse the wrong people. He needed a
peaceful period to trace the culprits. But, Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (radi
Allahu anhu) beganaccusing him of protecting the murderers, and in
this way the old enmity between the two families were revived.
SAYYIDUNA MU'AWIYAH (RADI ALLAHU ANHU) Unlike most of Sayyiduna
'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu's) governors, Sayyiduna Muaawiyah (radi
Allahu anhu) displayed great administrative ability and was very
popular. He was a God-fearing man and especially known for his mercy.
Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) was very strict in piety and straight
forward. Sayyiduna Muaawiyah (radi Allahu anhu) declared his
disobedience to him, because he felt that he was better qualified to
lead the Muslim world.
BATTLE OF THE CAMEL Another serious development took place.Sayyadah
Aishah (radi Allahu anha) and two leading Sahaba, Sayyiduna Talha and
Sayyiduna Zubair (radi Allahu anhuma) declaredtheir opposition to the
Khilaafat of Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) . They left Madinatul
Munawwarah for Makkatul Mukarramah and from there travelled to Basrah
where they rallied men and new supporters.
Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) had to crush all opposition. A bloody
battle took place near Basrah on the 9th of December 656 A.C. This
battle was sparked off by a third force who were the real
troublemakers. Just before the battle, both parties had already
reached an agreement to settle the dispute. But this third force, the
real assassinators of Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu), launched
an overnight attack on both camps simultaneously. Each side were under
the impression that the other had attacked. The battle began. Several
thousand men were lost including the two Sahaba. Sayyadah Aishah (radi
Allahu anha) was safe. She was ridinga camel during the battle-hence
the name "Battle of the Camel." Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu)
treated her in a most noble and dignified manner and respectfully sent
her back to Madinatul Munawwarah. She praised him and deeply regretted
opposing Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu). Kufa was now made the
capital of the Islamic world.
BATTLE OF SIFFIN Sayyiduna Muaawiyah (radi Allahu anhu) ralliedan army
to face Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu). A battle took place at
Siffin on the Syrian border in the July of 567 A.C. Sayyiduna
Muaawiyah (radi Allahu anhu) was no match for Sayyiduna Ali (radi
Allahu anhu) andbegan to retreat. By the clever proposal of Sayyiduna
Amr bin Al As (radi Allahu anhu), the retreating army raised pieces of
the Holy Quran on their spears demanding judgement between the two
parties. Many pious Muslims on the side of Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu
anhu) refused to fight seeing the Holy Quran displayed in the air.
JUDGEMENT
Two men, one from eachside, were appointed to settle the dispute.
Sayyiduna Abu Musa (radi Allahu anhu) , a pious Sahaba from Sayyiduna
Ali (radi Allahu anhu's) side, and the skilled Sayyiduna Amr (radi
Allahu anhu) from Sayyiduna Muaawiyah (radi Allahu anhu's) side.
Sayyiduna Musa (radi Allahu anhu) declared in front of the Muslims
that it was decided to recommend the removal of both Sayyiduna Ali and
Sayyiduna Muaawiyah (radi Allahu anhuma) and that the Muslims should
select another man for the Khilaafat. Sayyiduna Amr (radi Allahu anhu)
replied that: "He has declared the removal of his leader, while I
would conform Muaawiyah as the Caliph." Chaos followed.
KHAARIJEES Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) prepared tomeet Sayyiduna
Muaawiyah (radi Allahu anhu) again in battle, but he was moved from
his task by a serious conflict that occurred among his men. Some
narrow-minded people accused Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) of
accepting a man-made judgement. Their slogan was: "There is no
judgment but with Allah." They declared that Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyiduna
Muaawiyah and Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhumul ajma'in) were
unbelievers and that Jihad should be declaredagainst them. Ever since
this event, they have been known as the "Khaarijees" , which means,
"those who left the fold." They maintained that the Khilaafat should
be given to the most eligible Muslim, regardless of his origin. The
Kharijees are not regarded as Muslims.
ASSASSINATION On the 17th of July 659 A.C., Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu
anhu) overcame the Khaarijees in a battlenear Nahrawan, in which, it
is said, that 40 000 lives were lost.
In the early morning of the 24th of January 661 A.C., Abdul Rahman bin
Muljim, a Khaariji fanaticlay in ambush in the Masjid of Kufah and
stabbed Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) when he entered the musjid.
He passed away from thewound. He was 63 years old.
PERSONAL LIFE Sayyiduna Ali (radi allahu anhu) lived a simple life. He
refused any luxury food and wore simple clothes thinking of the poor.
He should sleep on the ground and even sit on the floor. He repaired
hisown clothes and shoes and even did manual labour. He spent nights
in Salaah and should fastfor three days in a row. Honesty, piety,
justice and love of truth were the main marks of his character.

--

- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤