The days ofRamadanpassby very quickly, as if they were fleeting
moments. We welcomedRamadanlast year and bade it farewell and we are
welcomingRamadanagain after a short while,so we should hasten to do
good deeds in this month and strive to fill it with all the deeds
which Allaah The Almighty is pleased with and with that the actions
which will help us on the Day when we meet Him.
How can we prepare for Ramadan?
We can prepare forRamadanby taking ourselves to account and
recognizing our shortcomings in living upto the testimony that none
has the right to be worshipped but Allaah The Almighty and that
Muhammad is His Messenger.
We should set ourselves straight so that inRamadanwe will have a
higher degree of faith, asfaith increases and decreases. It increases
through obedience to Allaah The Almighty and decreases through
disobedience and sin. The first act of obediencethat a person should
achieve is that of being atrue slave of Allaah The Almighty and
believing that there is none that is rightfully worshipped except
Allaah The Almighty. Thus, a person should direct all acts of worship
to Allaah The Almighty and not associate anyone else in worship with
Him. Each of us should realize that he could not have escaped whatever
has befallen him, and whatever has missed himcould not have befallen
him, and that everything happens by the will and decree of Allaah The
Almighty.
We should avoid everything that could undermine our commitment to the
two testimonies of faith. This means keeping away from innovations and
things that have been introduced into the religion. We should also
follow the principle of observing loyalty and disassociation by taking
the believers as our allies, as well as regarding the disbelievers and
hypocrites as our enemies, so we should rejoice when the Muslimsgain a
victory over their enemies. We must follow the example of the
Prophet,, and his Companions and adhere to theSunnah)tradition( of the
Prophet,, and the way of the rightly-guided successors who came after
him. We must love theSunnahand love those who adhere to it and defend
it, in whatever country they are, and of whatever color or nationality
they are.
We should bring ourselves to account and recognize our shortcomings in
performing acts of worship such as praying in congregation,
remembering Allaah The Almighty, paying attention to the rights of
neighbors, relatives and the Muslims in general, spreading the
greeting ofSalaam, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil,
urging one another to follow the truth, to be patient, to be steadfast
indoing so, to persist in avoiding evil actions and in doing good
deeds, and accepting the decreeof Allaah The Almighty with patience.
Then we should bring ourselves to account for committing sins and
following desires. We should stop ourselves from persisting in that
state, whether the sin is great or small, whether itis a sin of the
eye, by looking at that which Allaah The Almighty has forbidden, or by
listeningto music, or by walking to things which Allaah The Almighty
does not like, or by using one's hands to strike in a manner with
which Allaah The Almighty is notpleased, or by consumingthings that
Allaah The Almighty has forbidden such as usury and bribes, or any
other means of consuming people's wealth unlawfully.
We should never forget that Allaah The Almighty stretches forth His
hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who sinned at
night, andHe stretches forth His hand at night to accept the
repentance of those who sinned during the day.
Allaah The Almighty Says)what means(:
·}And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the
heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous who spend ]in the cause
of Allaah[ during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who
pardon the people - and Allaah loves the doers of good; And those who,
when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves ]by transgression[,
remember Allaah and seek forgiveness for theirsins - and who can
forgive sins except Allaah? - and ]who[ do not persist in what they
havedone while they know. Those - their reward is forgiveness from
their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow ]in Paradise[,
wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent isthe reward of
the]righteous[ workers.{]Quran3: 133-136[,
·}Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves ]by
sinning[, do not despair of the mercy of Allaah. Indeed, Allaah
forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the forgiving, the
merciful.{]Quran 39:53[
·}And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himselfbut then seeks forgiveness
of Allaah will find Allaah forgiving and merciful{]Quran 4:110[
This is the proper way to welcomeRamadan: by taking ourselves to
account, repenting and seeking forgiveness. As the saying goes,"The
wise man is the one who takes stock of himself and strives to do that
which will benefit him after death, and the helpless one is that who
follows his own desires and engages in wishful thinking, )assuming
that Allaah will forgive him regardless of what he does and that he
does not need to strive to do good deeds(."]Narrated by Shaddaad ibn
Aws[ ]Al-Albaani:Dha'eef[
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Islam is a religion of Mercy, Peace and Blessing. Its teachings emphasize kind hear tedness, help, sympathy, forgiveness, sacrifice, love and care.Qur’an, the Shari’ah and the life of our beloved Prophet (SAW) mirrors this attribute, and it should be reflected in the conduct of a Momin.Islam appreciates those who are kind to their fellow being,and dislikes them who are hard hearted, curt, and hypocrite.Recall that historical moment, when Prophet (SAW) entered Makkah as a conqueror. There was before him a multitude of surrendered enemies, former oppressors and persecutors, who had evicted the Muslims from their homes, deprived them of their belongings, humiliated and intimidated Prophet (SAW) hatched schemes for his murder and tortured and killed his companions. But Prophet (SAW) displayed his usual magnanimity, generosity, and kind heartedness by forgiving all of them and declaring general amnesty...Subhanallah. May Allah help us tailor our life according to the teachings of Islam. (Aameen)./-
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Thursday, July 18, 2013
Ramadan Articles - Making the Most of Ramadan - I
Biographies - Abdullah ibn Masood
Abdullah Ibn Masoodرضى الله تعالى عنه was of the tribe of Banu Huzail
and was also the sworn ally of Banu Zahra.WhenAbdullah Ibn Masoodرضى
الله تعالىعنه was still a youth, not yet past the age of puberty, he
used to roamthe mountain trails of Makkahfar away from people, tending
the flocks of a Quraish chieftain, Uqbah Ibn Muayt. People called him
'Ibn Umm Abd', the son ofthe mother of a slave. His real name was
Abdullah and his fathers name wasMasood.
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنهmeets the Prophet
The youth had heard the news of the Prophet whom had appeared among
his people but he did not attach any importance to it both because of
his age and because he was usually far away from Makkan society. It
was his habit to leave with the flock of Uqbah early in the morning
and not return until nightfall.
One day while tending the flocks,Abdullah Ibn Masoodرضى الله تعالىعنه
saw two men, middle-aged and of dignified bearing, coming towards him
from a distance. They were obviously very thirsty and tired. They came
up to him, greeted him and said, 'Young man, milk one of these sheep
for us that we may quench our thirst and recover our strength.'
'I cannot,' replied the young man. 'The sheep are not mine. I am only
responsible for looking after them.'
The two men did not argue with him. In fact, despite their thirst,
they were extremely pleased at his honest reply. The two men were the
blessed Prophet himself and his companion, Abu Bakr Siddiq. They had
gone out on that day to the mountains of Makkahto escape the violent
persecution of the Quraish.
The young man in turn was impressed with the Prophet and his companion
and soon became quite attached tothem.
It was not long before Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه became a
Muslimand offered to be in the service of the Prophet . The Prophet
agreed and from that day, the fortunate Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله
تعالى عنه gave up tending sheep in exchange for looking after the
needs of the blessed Prophet . He was the sixth man to accept Islam.
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه remained closely attached to
the Prophet . He would attend to his needs both inside and outside the
house. He would accompany him on journeys and expeditions. He would
wake him when he slept. He would shield him when he washed. He would
carry his staff and his Siwak (toothbrush) and attend to his other
personal needs. It was forthese reasons that the Sahabah took to
calling him Saheb-e-Siwak (bearer of the siwak), Saheb-e-Nalaen
(bearer of the slippers), Saheb-e-Mutahara (bearer of the water) and
also Saheb-e-Wisadah (bearerof the bedroll).
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه received a unique training in
the householdof the Prophet . He was under the guidance of the Prophet
, he adopted his manner and followed his every trait until it wassaid
of him, 'He was the closest to the Prophet in character.' Abdullah was
often mistaken as one of the Blessed Household. Abu Musa Ashari رضى
الله تعالى عنه says, 'When we came from Yemen, we thought for some
time that Abdullah رضى الله تعالى عنه was a member of the Blessed
Household, because Abdullah رضى الله تعالى عنه and his mother were
constantly coming and going in the Prophet presence. Furthermore, the
Prophetonce said to Abdullah, "O Abdullah, you do not need permission
to enter my house. You are alwayswelcome."
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه was the best at reciting the
Qur'aan among the companions and he understood it better thanthem all.
He was therefore the most knowledgeable on the Shari'ah. Nothing can
illustrate this better than the story of the man whocame to Umar Ibn
al-Khattab رضى الله تعالى عنه as he was standing on the plain of
Arafat and said: 'I have come, O Amir al-Mumineen, from Kufa where I
left a man filling copies of the Qur'aan from memory.' Umar رضى الله
تعالى عنه became very angry and paced up and down beside his camel,
fuming.'Who is he?' he asked. 'Abdullah Ibn Masood,' replied the man.
Umar's anger subsided and he regained his composure. 'Woe to you,' he
said to the man. 'By Allah, I don'tknow of any person left who is more
qualified in this matter than he is. Letme tell you about this.' Umar
رضى الله تعالى عنه continued: 'One night the Messenger of Allah was
having a conversation with Abu Bakr رضى الله تعالى عنه about the
situation of Muslims. I was with them. When the Prophet left, we left
with him alsoand as we passed through the mosque, there was a man
standing in Prayer whomwe did not recognise. The Prophet stood and
listened to him, then turned to us and said, "Whoever wants to read
the Qur'aan as fresh as when it was revealed, then let him read
according to the recitation of Ibn Umm Abd."
After the Prayer, as Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه satmaking
supplications, theProphet said, "Ask and it will be given to you. Ask
and it will be given to you." I said to myself, I should go to
Abdullah IbnMasood رضى الله تعالى عنه straight awayand tell him the
good news of the Prophet's ensuring acceptance of his supplications. I
went and did so but found thatAbu Bakr رضى الله تعالى عنه had gone
before me and conveyed the good news to him. ByAllah, I have never yet
beaten Abu Bakr رضى الله تعالى عنه in the doing of any good.' In
another Hadith, the Prophet said, 'Learn the Qur'aan from four people,
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه , Salim Maula Abi Huzaifah رضى
الله تعالى عنه , Ubayy Ibn Kaab رضى الله تعالى عنه and Muaz Ibn Jabal
رضى الله تعالى عنه .' The Prophet has also said, 'Read the Qur'aan
inthe same manner as Abdullah Ibn Masood teaches.'
Note: The most popular and widely read Qiraat is that of Imaam Hafs.
He relates from Imaam Aasim Kufi and he in turn relates from Abu Abdur
Rahman Abdullah Ibn Habib As-Sulmiyi, who relates from Uthman Ibn
Affan, Ali Ibn Talib, Abdullah Ibn Masood, Ubayy Ibn Kaab and Zaid Ibn
Thaabit. They all, in turn, relate directly from the Prophet .
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه attained such a knowledge of
the Qur'aan that he would say, 'By Him besides Whom there is no Allah,
no verse of the book of Allah has been revealed without my knowing
where it was revealed and the circumstances of its revelation. By
Allah, if Iknow there was anyone who knew more of the Book of Allah, I
will do whatever is in my power to be with him.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه was not exaggerating in what he
said about himself. Once Umar Ibn al-Khattab رضى الله تعالى عنه met a
caravanon one of his journeys as caliph. It was pitch dark and the
caravan could not be seen properly. Umar رضى الله تعالى عنه ordered
someone to hail the caravan. It happened that Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى
الله تعالى عنه was in it.
'From where do you come?' asked Umar رضى الله تعالى عنه . 'From a deep
valley,' came the reply, using the Qur'aanicexpression – fajj
amiq.'And where are you going?' asked Umar.' To the ancient house,'
came the reply, using the Qur'aanic expression – al-bayt al-atiq.
'There is a learned person (alim) among them,' said Umar and he
commanded someone to ask the person, 'Which part of the Qur'aan is the
greatest?' 'Allah. There is no Deity except Him, the Living, the
Self-subsisting. Neither slumber overtakes Him nor sleep,' replied the
person answering, quoting the Ayat al-Kursi (the verse of the
Throne).'Which part of the Qur'aan is the most clear on justice?'
'Allah commands what it just and fair, the feeding of relatives,'
'What it the most comprehensive statement of the Qur'aan?' 'Whoever
does an atoms weight of goodshall see it, and whoever does an atom's
weight ofevil shall see it.' 'Which part of the Qur'aan gives risk to
the greatest hope?'
'Say, O my servants who have wasted their resources, do not despairof
the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is the
Forgiving, the Compassionate.' Thereupon Umar asked, 'Is Abdullah Ibn
Masood among you? 'Yes, by Allah,' the men in the caravan replied.
The Prophet had always desired to make Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه a
leader of men, as it is clear from the following words of the Prophet
, 'If I was to make anyone a leader over someone without consulting
anyone, I would make Ibn Masood a leader.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه would refrain from narrating
Hadith in fear of mistakes. However when he did narrate a Hadith, he
was very particular and precociousin what he attributed to the Prophet
. He would turn pale and quake in fear whenever he accidentally
attributed something to the Prophet, even though the Prophet has said,
'Whatever Ibn Masood narrates to you, believe him.' Whenever he gave a
verdict, he would attribute it to himself, saying that it was his own
opinion and that it was from Allah if it was correct and that it was
from himself and Satan, ifit was incorrect. For this reason, many
Fatwahs have been attributed to Abdullah instead of the Prophet .
Imaam Nisai writes in his Sunan: 'A man married a woman, then he
passed away before he could consummate his weddingor set a dowry for
his wife. When the issue wasplaced before the Sahabah, they advised
them to go to Abdullah. When they came to Abdullah, he tried to avoid
them and told them to ask someone else. Finally he relented and said,
"The woman will receive Mehr-e-Mithl.If the verdict is correct, it is
of Allah. If it is incorrect, then it is of Satan and I. Neither Allah
and the Prophet are responsible for it." A Sahabi by the name of
Maakal Ibn Al-Ashjai was also present and he said, "I swear by Allah,
you have given the same verdict that the Prophet gave in the favour of
Broan Bint Washile Al-Ashjai. Your verdict is in accordance with the
Prophet." On hearing this, Abdullah rejoiced as he had never rejoiced
before. The majority of Fatwahs of Iraq and the Hanafi Fiqh are based
upon the Fatwahs of Abdullah Ibn Masood His authority in Fiqh was such
that the other Sahabahwould refuse to give a Fatwah during while he
was still alive. They would always refer any seeker to him. Students
who wanted to enter his service and gainknowledge from him were always
constantly petitioning him.
Khatima Ibn Abu Subrah once went to Madinahand prayed for a pious
companion. Hurraira wasAllah's reply. Abu Hurrairaasked Khatima where
he had come from. He replied that he had travelled for two days from
Kufa. Abu Hurraira said to him, 'Is not Saad Ibn Malik, who is
Mustajab-ul-Dawat amongst you? Is not Ibn Masood, who was the bearer
of the Prophet slippers and ablution water amongst you? Is not
Huzaifah, who was privy to the Prophet thoughts amongst you? Isnot
Amar amongst you, who Allah granted refugefrom Shaytaan through the
Prophets tongue amongst you? Is not he who knows the two Divine Books
(the Qur'aan and the New Testament), Salman Farsi amongst you?'
Coincidentally, all the Sahabah . who Hazrat Abu Hurraira mentioned
were in Kufa at that time.
Hazrat Saad narrates, 'Once there were six of usin the service of the
Prophet . Besides me were Abdullah Ibn Masood and Bilal Habshee. Some
pagans ofMakkah came before the Prophet and began to say, "Remove
these people first, then we shall talk." The Prophet was still
considering whether sending us out would win over their hearts and
make them more receptive to Islam, when the following versewas
revealed: 'Send not away those who call on their Lord, morning and
evening, seeking His Face.' (Q6:52)
Saad proudly states, 'This verse was revealed for us.' Who can match
the status of those who are praised by Allah? The whole point of the
worship of Allah is the pleasure of Allah. These six attained the glad
tidings of Allah in their lifetime that Allah was pleased with them.
As anyone who has takenan in depth, study on the knowledge of the
Sahabah will tell you, the knowledge of the Sahabah climaxed in two
people, Ali and Abdullah.
On one hand, we have Allah, the Prophet and hisSahabah who sing the
praises of Abdullah Ibn Masood's excellence in knowledge and
character. On the other hand, we have a sect of narrow-minded and
totally unqualified people who, ironically, call themselves
Ahl-e-Hadith (the people of the Hadith), better known as the
Ghair-Muqalids (the leaderless), saying that Abdullah Ibn Masood
wasuninformed regarding the Prophet Salaah. Wasn't Abdullah Ibn Masood
the one who the Sahabah would mistake as one of the Blessed Household?
Wasn't he theconstant companion of the Prophet for thirty years? But
then, according to the Ghair-Muqalids, Ali and Saad were also
uninformed of the Prophet Salaah, and that all three of these great
Sahabah were in reality, non-entities.
Abdullah Ibn Masood wasthe first man to recite aloud the words of the
Qur'aan before a gathering of the Quraish. The companions of the
Prophet were together one day in Makkah. They were still few in
number, weak and oppressed. They said, 'The Quraish have not yet heard
the Qur'aan being recited openly and loudly. Who isthe man who could
reciteit for them?' 'I shall reciteit for them,' volunteered Abdullah
Ibn Masood. 'Weare afraid for you,' they said. 'We only want someone
who has a clan who would protect him from their evil.' 'Let me,'
Abdullah Ibn Masood insisted, 'Allah shall protect me and keep me away
from their evil.' He then went out to the mosque until he reached
Maqam Ibrahim (a landmark situated a few meters from the Kabah). It
was dawn and the Quraish were sitting around the Kabah. Abdullah began
to recite Surah Rahman. The Quraish looked at him intently and some of
them asked, 'What is Ibn Umm Abd saying? Damn him! He is reciting some
of what Muhammad brought!'
They began to slap his face but he continued reciting. When he
concluded his recital, his face was covered with welts and blood. 'By
Allah,' said Abdullah, 'the enemies of Allah are more uncomfortable
than I am at this moment.If you wish, I shall return tomorrow and do
the same.' 'You have done enough,' they said. 'You have made them hear
what they dislike.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood did Hijrat three times, twice to Ethiopia and once
to Madinah. He participated in every Gazwah. It was he who beheaded
Abu Jahl in Badr. It was to himthat the Prophet presented Abu Jahl's
sword as a share in the booty. The Caliph Umar sent Abdullah Ibn
Masoodto Kufa to educate the people and to take charge of the
Bait-ul-Maal. When Umar fixed salaries for the Sahabah, he offered
Abdullah a salary too. Abdullah refused and said, 'Why do you try to
turn me to the world.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنهdeath
Abdullah Ibn Masood lived to the time of CaliphUthman. It was during
this era that he retired from his post and returned to Madinah. When
he was sick and onhis death-bed, Uthman came to visit him and said,
'What is your ailment?' 'My sins.' 'And what do you desire?' 'Themercy
of my Lord.' 'Shall Inot give you your stipendwhich you have refused
to take for years now?' 'I have no need of it.' 'Let itbe for your
daughters after you.' 'Do you fear poverty for my children? Ihave
commanded them to read Surah al-Waqiah every night for I have heard
the Prophet saying, "Whoever reads Al-Waqiah every night shall not be
afflicted by poverty ever."
That night, in either 33 or34 A.H, Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى
عنه passed away to the company of his Lord, his tongue moist with the
remembrance ofAllah and with the recitation of the verses ofHis Book.
and was also the sworn ally of Banu Zahra.WhenAbdullah Ibn Masoodرضى
الله تعالىعنه was still a youth, not yet past the age of puberty, he
used to roamthe mountain trails of Makkahfar away from people, tending
the flocks of a Quraish chieftain, Uqbah Ibn Muayt. People called him
'Ibn Umm Abd', the son ofthe mother of a slave. His real name was
Abdullah and his fathers name wasMasood.
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنهmeets the Prophet
The youth had heard the news of the Prophet whom had appeared among
his people but he did not attach any importance to it both because of
his age and because he was usually far away from Makkan society. It
was his habit to leave with the flock of Uqbah early in the morning
and not return until nightfall.
One day while tending the flocks,Abdullah Ibn Masoodرضى الله تعالىعنه
saw two men, middle-aged and of dignified bearing, coming towards him
from a distance. They were obviously very thirsty and tired. They came
up to him, greeted him and said, 'Young man, milk one of these sheep
for us that we may quench our thirst and recover our strength.'
'I cannot,' replied the young man. 'The sheep are not mine. I am only
responsible for looking after them.'
The two men did not argue with him. In fact, despite their thirst,
they were extremely pleased at his honest reply. The two men were the
blessed Prophet himself and his companion, Abu Bakr Siddiq. They had
gone out on that day to the mountains of Makkahto escape the violent
persecution of the Quraish.
The young man in turn was impressed with the Prophet and his companion
and soon became quite attached tothem.
It was not long before Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه became a
Muslimand offered to be in the service of the Prophet . The Prophet
agreed and from that day, the fortunate Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله
تعالى عنه gave up tending sheep in exchange for looking after the
needs of the blessed Prophet . He was the sixth man to accept Islam.
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه remained closely attached to
the Prophet . He would attend to his needs both inside and outside the
house. He would accompany him on journeys and expeditions. He would
wake him when he slept. He would shield him when he washed. He would
carry his staff and his Siwak (toothbrush) and attend to his other
personal needs. It was forthese reasons that the Sahabah took to
calling him Saheb-e-Siwak (bearer of the siwak), Saheb-e-Nalaen
(bearer of the slippers), Saheb-e-Mutahara (bearer of the water) and
also Saheb-e-Wisadah (bearerof the bedroll).
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه received a unique training in
the householdof the Prophet . He was under the guidance of the Prophet
, he adopted his manner and followed his every trait until it wassaid
of him, 'He was the closest to the Prophet in character.' Abdullah was
often mistaken as one of the Blessed Household. Abu Musa Ashari رضى
الله تعالى عنه says, 'When we came from Yemen, we thought for some
time that Abdullah رضى الله تعالى عنه was a member of the Blessed
Household, because Abdullah رضى الله تعالى عنه and his mother were
constantly coming and going in the Prophet presence. Furthermore, the
Prophetonce said to Abdullah, "O Abdullah, you do not need permission
to enter my house. You are alwayswelcome."
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه was the best at reciting the
Qur'aan among the companions and he understood it better thanthem all.
He was therefore the most knowledgeable on the Shari'ah. Nothing can
illustrate this better than the story of the man whocame to Umar Ibn
al-Khattab رضى الله تعالى عنه as he was standing on the plain of
Arafat and said: 'I have come, O Amir al-Mumineen, from Kufa where I
left a man filling copies of the Qur'aan from memory.' Umar رضى الله
تعالى عنه became very angry and paced up and down beside his camel,
fuming.'Who is he?' he asked. 'Abdullah Ibn Masood,' replied the man.
Umar's anger subsided and he regained his composure. 'Woe to you,' he
said to the man. 'By Allah, I don'tknow of any person left who is more
qualified in this matter than he is. Letme tell you about this.' Umar
رضى الله تعالى عنه continued: 'One night the Messenger of Allah was
having a conversation with Abu Bakr رضى الله تعالى عنه about the
situation of Muslims. I was with them. When the Prophet left, we left
with him alsoand as we passed through the mosque, there was a man
standing in Prayer whomwe did not recognise. The Prophet stood and
listened to him, then turned to us and said, "Whoever wants to read
the Qur'aan as fresh as when it was revealed, then let him read
according to the recitation of Ibn Umm Abd."
After the Prayer, as Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه satmaking
supplications, theProphet said, "Ask and it will be given to you. Ask
and it will be given to you." I said to myself, I should go to
Abdullah IbnMasood رضى الله تعالى عنه straight awayand tell him the
good news of the Prophet's ensuring acceptance of his supplications. I
went and did so but found thatAbu Bakr رضى الله تعالى عنه had gone
before me and conveyed the good news to him. ByAllah, I have never yet
beaten Abu Bakr رضى الله تعالى عنه in the doing of any good.' In
another Hadith, the Prophet said, 'Learn the Qur'aan from four people,
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه , Salim Maula Abi Huzaifah رضى
الله تعالى عنه , Ubayy Ibn Kaab رضى الله تعالى عنه and Muaz Ibn Jabal
رضى الله تعالى عنه .' The Prophet has also said, 'Read the Qur'aan
inthe same manner as Abdullah Ibn Masood teaches.'
Note: The most popular and widely read Qiraat is that of Imaam Hafs.
He relates from Imaam Aasim Kufi and he in turn relates from Abu Abdur
Rahman Abdullah Ibn Habib As-Sulmiyi, who relates from Uthman Ibn
Affan, Ali Ibn Talib, Abdullah Ibn Masood, Ubayy Ibn Kaab and Zaid Ibn
Thaabit. They all, in turn, relate directly from the Prophet .
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه attained such a knowledge of
the Qur'aan that he would say, 'By Him besides Whom there is no Allah,
no verse of the book of Allah has been revealed without my knowing
where it was revealed and the circumstances of its revelation. By
Allah, if Iknow there was anyone who knew more of the Book of Allah, I
will do whatever is in my power to be with him.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه was not exaggerating in what he
said about himself. Once Umar Ibn al-Khattab رضى الله تعالى عنه met a
caravanon one of his journeys as caliph. It was pitch dark and the
caravan could not be seen properly. Umar رضى الله تعالى عنه ordered
someone to hail the caravan. It happened that Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى
الله تعالى عنه was in it.
'From where do you come?' asked Umar رضى الله تعالى عنه . 'From a deep
valley,' came the reply, using the Qur'aanicexpression – fajj
amiq.'And where are you going?' asked Umar.' To the ancient house,'
came the reply, using the Qur'aanic expression – al-bayt al-atiq.
'There is a learned person (alim) among them,' said Umar and he
commanded someone to ask the person, 'Which part of the Qur'aan is the
greatest?' 'Allah. There is no Deity except Him, the Living, the
Self-subsisting. Neither slumber overtakes Him nor sleep,' replied the
person answering, quoting the Ayat al-Kursi (the verse of the
Throne).'Which part of the Qur'aan is the most clear on justice?'
'Allah commands what it just and fair, the feeding of relatives,'
'What it the most comprehensive statement of the Qur'aan?' 'Whoever
does an atoms weight of goodshall see it, and whoever does an atom's
weight ofevil shall see it.' 'Which part of the Qur'aan gives risk to
the greatest hope?'
'Say, O my servants who have wasted their resources, do not despairof
the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is the
Forgiving, the Compassionate.' Thereupon Umar asked, 'Is Abdullah Ibn
Masood among you? 'Yes, by Allah,' the men in the caravan replied.
The Prophet had always desired to make Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه a
leader of men, as it is clear from the following words of the Prophet
, 'If I was to make anyone a leader over someone without consulting
anyone, I would make Ibn Masood a leader.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنه would refrain from narrating
Hadith in fear of mistakes. However when he did narrate a Hadith, he
was very particular and precociousin what he attributed to the Prophet
. He would turn pale and quake in fear whenever he accidentally
attributed something to the Prophet, even though the Prophet has said,
'Whatever Ibn Masood narrates to you, believe him.' Whenever he gave a
verdict, he would attribute it to himself, saying that it was his own
opinion and that it was from Allah if it was correct and that it was
from himself and Satan, ifit was incorrect. For this reason, many
Fatwahs have been attributed to Abdullah instead of the Prophet .
Imaam Nisai writes in his Sunan: 'A man married a woman, then he
passed away before he could consummate his weddingor set a dowry for
his wife. When the issue wasplaced before the Sahabah, they advised
them to go to Abdullah. When they came to Abdullah, he tried to avoid
them and told them to ask someone else. Finally he relented and said,
"The woman will receive Mehr-e-Mithl.If the verdict is correct, it is
of Allah. If it is incorrect, then it is of Satan and I. Neither Allah
and the Prophet are responsible for it." A Sahabi by the name of
Maakal Ibn Al-Ashjai was also present and he said, "I swear by Allah,
you have given the same verdict that the Prophet gave in the favour of
Broan Bint Washile Al-Ashjai. Your verdict is in accordance with the
Prophet." On hearing this, Abdullah rejoiced as he had never rejoiced
before. The majority of Fatwahs of Iraq and the Hanafi Fiqh are based
upon the Fatwahs of Abdullah Ibn Masood His authority in Fiqh was such
that the other Sahabahwould refuse to give a Fatwah during while he
was still alive. They would always refer any seeker to him. Students
who wanted to enter his service and gainknowledge from him were always
constantly petitioning him.
Khatima Ibn Abu Subrah once went to Madinahand prayed for a pious
companion. Hurraira wasAllah's reply. Abu Hurrairaasked Khatima where
he had come from. He replied that he had travelled for two days from
Kufa. Abu Hurraira said to him, 'Is not Saad Ibn Malik, who is
Mustajab-ul-Dawat amongst you? Is not Ibn Masood, who was the bearer
of the Prophet slippers and ablution water amongst you? Is not
Huzaifah, who was privy to the Prophet thoughts amongst you? Isnot
Amar amongst you, who Allah granted refugefrom Shaytaan through the
Prophets tongue amongst you? Is not he who knows the two Divine Books
(the Qur'aan and the New Testament), Salman Farsi amongst you?'
Coincidentally, all the Sahabah . who Hazrat Abu Hurraira mentioned
were in Kufa at that time.
Hazrat Saad narrates, 'Once there were six of usin the service of the
Prophet . Besides me were Abdullah Ibn Masood and Bilal Habshee. Some
pagans ofMakkah came before the Prophet and began to say, "Remove
these people first, then we shall talk." The Prophet was still
considering whether sending us out would win over their hearts and
make them more receptive to Islam, when the following versewas
revealed: 'Send not away those who call on their Lord, morning and
evening, seeking His Face.' (Q6:52)
Saad proudly states, 'This verse was revealed for us.' Who can match
the status of those who are praised by Allah? The whole point of the
worship of Allah is the pleasure of Allah. These six attained the glad
tidings of Allah in their lifetime that Allah was pleased with them.
As anyone who has takenan in depth, study on the knowledge of the
Sahabah will tell you, the knowledge of the Sahabah climaxed in two
people, Ali and Abdullah.
On one hand, we have Allah, the Prophet and hisSahabah who sing the
praises of Abdullah Ibn Masood's excellence in knowledge and
character. On the other hand, we have a sect of narrow-minded and
totally unqualified people who, ironically, call themselves
Ahl-e-Hadith (the people of the Hadith), better known as the
Ghair-Muqalids (the leaderless), saying that Abdullah Ibn Masood
wasuninformed regarding the Prophet Salaah. Wasn't Abdullah Ibn Masood
the one who the Sahabah would mistake as one of the Blessed Household?
Wasn't he theconstant companion of the Prophet for thirty years? But
then, according to the Ghair-Muqalids, Ali and Saad were also
uninformed of the Prophet Salaah, and that all three of these great
Sahabah were in reality, non-entities.
Abdullah Ibn Masood wasthe first man to recite aloud the words of the
Qur'aan before a gathering of the Quraish. The companions of the
Prophet were together one day in Makkah. They were still few in
number, weak and oppressed. They said, 'The Quraish have not yet heard
the Qur'aan being recited openly and loudly. Who isthe man who could
reciteit for them?' 'I shall reciteit for them,' volunteered Abdullah
Ibn Masood. 'Weare afraid for you,' they said. 'We only want someone
who has a clan who would protect him from their evil.' 'Let me,'
Abdullah Ibn Masood insisted, 'Allah shall protect me and keep me away
from their evil.' He then went out to the mosque until he reached
Maqam Ibrahim (a landmark situated a few meters from the Kabah). It
was dawn and the Quraish were sitting around the Kabah. Abdullah began
to recite Surah Rahman. The Quraish looked at him intently and some of
them asked, 'What is Ibn Umm Abd saying? Damn him! He is reciting some
of what Muhammad brought!'
They began to slap his face but he continued reciting. When he
concluded his recital, his face was covered with welts and blood. 'By
Allah,' said Abdullah, 'the enemies of Allah are more uncomfortable
than I am at this moment.If you wish, I shall return tomorrow and do
the same.' 'You have done enough,' they said. 'You have made them hear
what they dislike.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood did Hijrat three times, twice to Ethiopia and once
to Madinah. He participated in every Gazwah. It was he who beheaded
Abu Jahl in Badr. It was to himthat the Prophet presented Abu Jahl's
sword as a share in the booty. The Caliph Umar sent Abdullah Ibn
Masoodto Kufa to educate the people and to take charge of the
Bait-ul-Maal. When Umar fixed salaries for the Sahabah, he offered
Abdullah a salary too. Abdullah refused and said, 'Why do you try to
turn me to the world.'
Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى عنهdeath
Abdullah Ibn Masood lived to the time of CaliphUthman. It was during
this era that he retired from his post and returned to Madinah. When
he was sick and onhis death-bed, Uthman came to visit him and said,
'What is your ailment?' 'My sins.' 'And what do you desire?' 'Themercy
of my Lord.' 'Shall Inot give you your stipendwhich you have refused
to take for years now?' 'I have no need of it.' 'Let itbe for your
daughters after you.' 'Do you fear poverty for my children? Ihave
commanded them to read Surah al-Waqiah every night for I have heard
the Prophet saying, "Whoever reads Al-Waqiah every night shall not be
afflicted by poverty ever."
That night, in either 33 or34 A.H, Abdullah Ibn Masood رضى الله تعالى
عنه passed away to the company of his Lord, his tongue moist with the
remembrance ofAllah and with the recitation of the verses ofHis Book.
Biographies - Mufti Siraj Saleh
Hazrat Mufti Siraj Saleh sahib was born in Surat Lohara, India in
1970. At the age of 15, he completed hifz of the Holy Qur'an. He then
went on to study Qiraat, and qualified as an Alim from Randair Jamia
Husainia in the year 1993. After receiving authorisation in various
books, including the six major books of Ahadith. He went on to teach
at Jamiah Qasimiya Khorooqwhere he taught many Kutub (books) of Fiqh
and Hadith.
In 1994, he moved to Durban, South Africa where he got married, and
stayed under the auspicious company of Hakeem Akhtar sahib (d.b.) for
11 years. He wasthe Imam and Khateeb at Mahbubiya Masjid. He carried
on teaching Hadith and Tafseer in Durban.
In 2005, Mufti Siraj sahib moved to Bradford, England under the
instruction of his ustad. He has since been here. Currently, he?s an
Imam and Khateeb of Masjid-e-Quba, and a teacher of Tafseer and Hadith
at Jamiah Khatamun Nabiyeen, Bradford.
Currently, Mufti sahib is holding Dhikr majlis every Friday and Qur?an
Tafseer majlis every Sunday at Masjid-e-Quba.Alhamdullilah, he has
finished the tafseer of four parah?s/juz in a period of 4 years (audio
of the tafseer is available on the website).
Hazrat Mufti Siraj sahib is the Khalifah of Mufti Abdur-Razzaq Boupali
and of Qari Ramzaan sahib. He?s the younger brother of
Shaikh-ul-Hadith Hazrat Maulana Hanif Luharvi sahib (d.b.),who is a
well renowned scholar in the sub-continent.
Hazrat Mufti Siraj sahib is the author of two books; Safwatul Masadir
and Rawda-al-adab (translated into English).
Please rememberHazrat in your duas. May Allahgrant Hazrat Mufti Siraj
sahib more knowledgeand a long and prosperous life. May Allahalso give
us the ability to benefit from his enlightened company. Ameen.
1970. At the age of 15, he completed hifz of the Holy Qur'an. He then
went on to study Qiraat, and qualified as an Alim from Randair Jamia
Husainia in the year 1993. After receiving authorisation in various
books, including the six major books of Ahadith. He went on to teach
at Jamiah Qasimiya Khorooqwhere he taught many Kutub (books) of Fiqh
and Hadith.
In 1994, he moved to Durban, South Africa where he got married, and
stayed under the auspicious company of Hakeem Akhtar sahib (d.b.) for
11 years. He wasthe Imam and Khateeb at Mahbubiya Masjid. He carried
on teaching Hadith and Tafseer in Durban.
In 2005, Mufti Siraj sahib moved to Bradford, England under the
instruction of his ustad. He has since been here. Currently, he?s an
Imam and Khateeb of Masjid-e-Quba, and a teacher of Tafseer and Hadith
at Jamiah Khatamun Nabiyeen, Bradford.
Currently, Mufti sahib is holding Dhikr majlis every Friday and Qur?an
Tafseer majlis every Sunday at Masjid-e-Quba.Alhamdullilah, he has
finished the tafseer of four parah?s/juz in a period of 4 years (audio
of the tafseer is available on the website).
Hazrat Mufti Siraj sahib is the Khalifah of Mufti Abdur-Razzaq Boupali
and of Qari Ramzaan sahib. He?s the younger brother of
Shaikh-ul-Hadith Hazrat Maulana Hanif Luharvi sahib (d.b.),who is a
well renowned scholar in the sub-continent.
Hazrat Mufti Siraj sahib is the author of two books; Safwatul Masadir
and Rawda-al-adab (translated into English).
Please rememberHazrat in your duas. May Allahgrant Hazrat Mufti Siraj
sahib more knowledgeand a long and prosperous life. May Allahalso give
us the ability to benefit from his enlightened company. Ameen.
Ramadan Articles - Ramadaan - How to Attain Taqwaa
The concept of taqwaa is always linked to ibaadah in the Qur'an.
'Ibaadah can be defined as doing what Allah has commanded and avoiding
what He has prohibited. 'Ibaadah has also been defined as a concept
that includes all actions that Allah loves and approves of, whether
they are actions of the heart, the toungueor the limbs. So taqwaa
islinked with doing what iscorrect and avoiding thatwhich is wrong.
Taqwaa is the fruit of doing the actions of 'Ibaadah. In other words,
if one does what Allah has commanded him to do, and abstains from that
which he has been forbidden, he will achieve taqwaa. Allah mentions in
His Book (that means):
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed
for those before you, thatyou may become muttaqoon (those who have
taqwaa or piety)."[ Al-Baqarah 2:183 ]
In this aayah and in manyothers, Allah has shown us that taqwaa is the
result or fruit of doing actions of ibaadah.
The Meaning of Taqwaa
Now that we have clarified how to achieve taqwaa, we define what the
concept of taqwaa means. Taqwaa means: tocleanse or purify the heart
and the soul. This fact is proven by some ayaat in Surat Ash-Shams in
which Allah (T) says (what means):
"By the sun and its brightness, by the moon as it follows it, by the
dayas it shows its brightness,by the night as it conceals it, by the
heavenand its wondrous make, by the earth and all its expanse, and by
the soul and He Who perfected it in proportion, then He showed it what
is wrong for it and what is right for it - indeed he succeeds who
purifies it, and he fails who corruptsit."[Ash-Shams 91:1-10]
Allah begins this soorah by taking seven oaths. Whenever Allah begins
a soorah or an ayaah with an oath, He (T) does so to bear witness to
the fact that whatever follows this oath is very important and
essential for us to understand. Therefore, we should payvery close
attention to what is being said, and reflect upon its meanings. To
cleanse one's heart and to purify the soul, one must perform righteous
actions that Allah has enjoined upon us, and our destruction lies in
doing the actions that Allah has forbidden. As Allah is the Guardian
and Protector of the Soul, we should do every good deed hoping for
Allah's Mercy and fearing His Punishment, having full reliance and
trust in Him (T).
Purification of the Soul
Among the missions of the Prophet (saws), Allah sent him with the
command to purify the souls of the Muslims in particular, and of
mankind in general. Allah(T) says (what means):
"He it is who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among
themselves, reciting to them His ayaat, purifying them, and teaching
them the Book and the Hikmah, while before they had been in error."
[Al-Jumu'ah 62:2]
In this ayaah the word
1.To teach the Qur'an.
2.To teach the Sunnah.
3.To show the means of purifying the soul.
This purification is obtained by doing the proper acts of 'ibaadah and
by avoiding sins and disobedience.
Conditions for Attaining Taqwaa
How does a person knowthat his acts of 'ibaadah are helping him to
achieve taqwaa? To develop taqwaa, one must fulfill the following
conditions:
1)Ikhlaas, sincere intention that the act is performed purely for the
pleasure of Allah, out of love for Him, while hoping for His reward
and mercy, as well as fearing His anger and punishment if He is
disobeyed.
2)To do the deed in accordance with the authentic Sunnah. To have the
necessary knowledge of the 'ibaadah that is being performed. To know
howthe Prophet (saws) performed the action and proper times for the
performance of that action.
Concerning Ikhlaas, it must be present both before and after
performing the deed, with no riyaa or sum'ah (doing things to be seen
or heard by people). For instance, after doing a good deed, one must
not say to others, "Look at all the good I have been doing", or "I'm
such a marvelous person because I do such and such."
This formula, if used to achieve taqwaa, is scientific, in that if you
follow it, while fulfilling all of its conditions and their rights,
you will achieve taqwaa insha
'Ibaadah can be defined as doing what Allah has commanded and avoiding
what He has prohibited. 'Ibaadah has also been defined as a concept
that includes all actions that Allah loves and approves of, whether
they are actions of the heart, the toungueor the limbs. So taqwaa
islinked with doing what iscorrect and avoiding thatwhich is wrong.
Taqwaa is the fruit of doing the actions of 'Ibaadah. In other words,
if one does what Allah has commanded him to do, and abstains from that
which he has been forbidden, he will achieve taqwaa. Allah mentions in
His Book (that means):
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed
for those before you, thatyou may become muttaqoon (those who have
taqwaa or piety)."[ Al-Baqarah 2:183 ]
In this aayah and in manyothers, Allah has shown us that taqwaa is the
result or fruit of doing actions of ibaadah.
The Meaning of Taqwaa
Now that we have clarified how to achieve taqwaa, we define what the
concept of taqwaa means. Taqwaa means: tocleanse or purify the heart
and the soul. This fact is proven by some ayaat in Surat Ash-Shams in
which Allah (T) says (what means):
"By the sun and its brightness, by the moon as it follows it, by the
dayas it shows its brightness,by the night as it conceals it, by the
heavenand its wondrous make, by the earth and all its expanse, and by
the soul and He Who perfected it in proportion, then He showed it what
is wrong for it and what is right for it - indeed he succeeds who
purifies it, and he fails who corruptsit."[Ash-Shams 91:1-10]
Allah begins this soorah by taking seven oaths. Whenever Allah begins
a soorah or an ayaah with an oath, He (T) does so to bear witness to
the fact that whatever follows this oath is very important and
essential for us to understand. Therefore, we should payvery close
attention to what is being said, and reflect upon its meanings. To
cleanse one's heart and to purify the soul, one must perform righteous
actions that Allah has enjoined upon us, and our destruction lies in
doing the actions that Allah has forbidden. As Allah is the Guardian
and Protector of the Soul, we should do every good deed hoping for
Allah's Mercy and fearing His Punishment, having full reliance and
trust in Him (T).
Purification of the Soul
Among the missions of the Prophet (saws), Allah sent him with the
command to purify the souls of the Muslims in particular, and of
mankind in general. Allah(T) says (what means):
"He it is who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among
themselves, reciting to them His ayaat, purifying them, and teaching
them the Book and the Hikmah, while before they had been in error."
[Al-Jumu'ah 62:2]
In this ayaah the word
1.To teach the Qur'an.
2.To teach the Sunnah.
3.To show the means of purifying the soul.
This purification is obtained by doing the proper acts of 'ibaadah and
by avoiding sins and disobedience.
Conditions for Attaining Taqwaa
How does a person knowthat his acts of 'ibaadah are helping him to
achieve taqwaa? To develop taqwaa, one must fulfill the following
conditions:
1)Ikhlaas, sincere intention that the act is performed purely for the
pleasure of Allah, out of love for Him, while hoping for His reward
and mercy, as well as fearing His anger and punishment if He is
disobeyed.
2)To do the deed in accordance with the authentic Sunnah. To have the
necessary knowledge of the 'ibaadah that is being performed. To know
howthe Prophet (saws) performed the action and proper times for the
performance of that action.
Concerning Ikhlaas, it must be present both before and after
performing the deed, with no riyaa or sum'ah (doing things to be seen
or heard by people). For instance, after doing a good deed, one must
not say to others, "Look at all the good I have been doing", or "I'm
such a marvelous person because I do such and such."
This formula, if used to achieve taqwaa, is scientific, in that if you
follow it, while fulfilling all of its conditions and their rights,
you will achieve taqwaa insha
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