Dought & clear, - {Islamic history and biography}, - * Where is al-Husayn buried, and how importantis it to know where the graves of the Sahaabah are?

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A questioner says that people talk a great deal and have different opinions about where the grave of al-Husayn is located. Can the Muslims benefit from knowing exactly where it is?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In fact people differed concerning that. It was said that he is buried in Syria, or in Iraq, and Allaah knows best what is true. With regard to his head, they also differed concerning that; it was said that it is buried in Syria, or in Iraq, or in Egypt. The correct view is that the site in Egypt is not his grave, rather that is a mistake and the head of al-Husayn is not there. A number of scholars have written essays on that and explained that there is no evidence for the head of al-Husayn being in Egypt. The most likely to be correct is the view that it is in Syria, because it was taken to Yazeed ibn Mu’aawiyah who was in Syria. There is no basis for the view that it was taken to Egypt. Either it was kept in Syria or it was returned to his body in Iraq.
Whatever the case, the people do not need to know where it is buried or where it is. Rather what is prescribed is to pray for forgiveness and mercy for him, may Allaah forgive him and be pleased with him, for he was killed unlawfully. So we should pray for forgiveness and mercy for him, and hope for much good for him. He and his brother al-Hasan will be the leaders of the youth of Paradise, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said. May Allaah be pleased with them.
If a person’s grave is known, there is nothing wrong with saying salaams to him and making du’aa’ for him, as other graves may be visited, without going to extremes in that or worshipping them. It is not permissible to ask the dead to intercede, because nothing can be asked of the dead; rather we should make du’aa’ for them and pray for mercy for them if they were Muslims, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Visit the graves, for they will remind you of the Hereafter.”
If a person visits the graves of al-Husayn or al-Hasan or any other Muslim to make du’aa’ for them and pray for mercy and forgiveness for them, as he would do at the grave of any other Muslim, this is Sunnah. But visiting graves to pray to their occupants or seek their help or ask them to intercede – this is a reprehensible action, and indeed it is major shirk. It is not permissible to build mosques or domes etc over graves, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May Allaah curse the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” (Saheeh – agreed upon). And because it was narrated from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) inal-Saheehthat the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade plastering over graves, sitting on them and erecting structures over them.” So t is not permissible to plaster over graves, perfume them, place screens around them or erect structures over them; all of that is forbidden and these are means that lead to shirk. And we should not pray at graves because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Those who came before you used to take the graves of their Prophets and righteous people as places of worship; do not take graves as places of worship, for I forbid you to do that.” (Narrated by Muslim in hisSaheehfrom Jundub ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Bajali (may Allaah be pleased with him).
This hadeeth indicates that it is not permissible to pray at graves or to take them as mosques; and because that is a means that leads to shirk and worshipping someone other than Allaah by calling upon them (the occupants of the graves), seeking their help, making vows to them, and touching the graves to seek their blessings. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against that. Rather graves should be visited in the manner prescribed in sharee’ah only, to give salaams to them and make du’aa’ for them and pray for mercy for them, but without travelling specifically for that purpose.
And Allaah is the Source of strength and the Guide to the straight path.

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Dought & clear, - {Islamic history and biography}, - * al-Masjid al-Aqsa and theDome of the Rock

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I have recently received an Email advising me of the status of the Masjid al Aqsa and diffrentiating it from the doom of the rock.
Can you please clarify the situation and advise, if the Masjid e Aqsa is different from the Doom of the Rock, why do we see its picture representing Masjid e Aqsa at all Islamic places, and I (and many other muslims) were completely inaware of the difference.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem) was the first of the two qiblahs, and is one of the three mosques to which people may travel for the purpose of worship. And it was said that it was built by Sulaymaan (peace be upon him), as stated inSunan al-Nasaa’i(693) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Nasaa’i. And it was said that it existed before Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) and that Sulaymaan rebuilt it; this is based on the evidence narrated inal-Saheehaynfrom Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, which mosque was built on earth first?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah].’ I said, ‘Then which?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Aqsa.’ I said, ‘How much time was there between them?’ He said, ‘Forty years. So wherever you are when the time for prayer comes, pray, for that is the best thing to do.’”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3366; Muslim, 520.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken on the Night Journey (isra’) to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), where he led the Prophets in prayer in this blessed mosque.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allaah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him]
Who took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (at Makkah) to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsaa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer”
[al-Isra’ 17:1]
The Dome of the Rock was built by the caliph ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan in 72 AH.
It says inal-Mawsoo’ah al-Filasteeniyyah(4/203): “The name al-Masjid al-Aqsa was historically applied to the entire sanctuary (al-Haram al-Shareef) and the buildings in it, the most important of which is the Dome of the Rock which was built by ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan in 72 AH/691 CE, which is regarded as one of the greatest Islamic historical buildings. But today the name is applied to the great mosque which is situated in the southern part of the sanctuary plateau.”
It also says inal-Mawsoo’ah(3/23): “The Dome of the Rock is situated in the middle of the plateau of al-Masjid al-Aqsa, which is in the southeastern part of the city of al-Quds (Jerusalem). It is a spacious rectangular plateau which measures 480 meters from north to south, and 300 meters from east to west. This plateau occupies approximately one-fifth of the area of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The mosque which is the place of prayer is not the Dome of the Rock, but because pictures of the Dome are so widespread, many Muslims think when they see it that this is the mosque. This is not in fact the case. The Mosque is situated in the southern portion of the plateau, and the Dome is built on the raised rock that is situated in the middle of the plateau.
We have already seen above that the name of the mosque was historically applied to the whole plateau.
This is supported by the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) inMajmoo’at al-Rasaa’il al-Kubra, 2/61: “Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is the name for the whole of the place of worship built by Sulaymaan (peace be upon him). Some people started to give the name of al-Aqsa to the prayer-place which was built by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab in front of it. Praying in this prayer-place which ‘Umar built for the Muslims is better than praying in the rest of the mosque, because when ‘Umar conquered Jerusalem there was a huge garbage dump on the rock, since the Christians wanted to show their scorn for the place towards which the Jews used to pray. So ‘Umar issued orders that the filth be removed and he said to Ka’b: ‘Where do you think we should build a place of prayer for the Muslims?’ He said, ‘Behind the rock.’ He said, ‘O you son of a Jewish woman! Are influenced by your Jewish ideas! Rather I will build it in front of it.’
Hence when the imams of this ummah entered the mosque, they would go and pray in the prayer-place that was built by ‘Umar. With regard to the Rock, neither ‘Umar nor any of the Sahaabah prayed there, and there was no dome over it during the time of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs. It was open to the sky during the caliphate of ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan, ‘Ali, Mu’aawiyah, Yazeed and Marwaan… The scholars among the Sahaabah and those who followed them in truth did not venerate the rock because it was an abrogated qiblah… rather it was venerated by the Jews and some of the Christians.”
‘Umar denounced Ka’b al-Ahbaar and called him the son of a Jewish woman because Ka’b had been a Jewish scholar and rabbi, so when he suggested to ‘Umar that he should build the mosque behind the rock, that was out of respect for the rock so that the Muslims would face it when praying, and veneration of the rock was part of the religion of the Jews, not the religion of the Muslims.
The Muslims’ fondness for the picture of the Dome may be because of the beauty of this building, but this does not excuse them from the resulting mistake of not distinguishing between the Mosque and the buildings that surround it.
This may be one of the plots and tricks of the Jews, because of their veneration for the rock and their facing it in prayer. Or is may be in order to give importance to the Rock so that they can fulfil their desire to build the so-called Temple of Solomon on the ruins of al-Masjid al-Aqsa. This is by making the Muslims think that al-Masjid al-Aqsa is the Dome of the Rock, so that if the Jews start to destroy al-Masjid al-Aqsa and the Muslims denounce them for that, they will tell them, “Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is fine,” and will show them a picture of the Dome of the Rock. Thus they will achieve their aims and be safe from the Muslims’ criticism.
We ask Allaah to restore the Muslims’ power and glory, and to cleanse al-Masjid al-Aqsa of the brothers of the monkeys and pigs, for Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not (cf. Yoosuf 12:21).
And Allaah knows best.

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For children, - Learning from Children and Babies

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بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيم -
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-For children, - Learning from Children and Babies
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-We can learn so much from children. And most of us have the good fortune to get to be closely reacquainted with the magic of childhood twenty or thirty years after we were children. If our children then have children, we get another lesson some years further down the track.
It would seem that many parents see the teaching process as a one way street. Parents can also do well to spend more time learning from their children and less time teaching.
Children know a lot more about having a good time than most adults. Children know how to laugh. They don't need much to laugh at. Sometimes they don't need anything at all. They laugh because it feels good. Did you get your quota of laughs today?
They are delightfully spontaneous. Children don't analyse and work everything out. They are just busy "being". Whatever we meet grown ups who are so spontaneous, we tend to treasure them also. Let's do less thinking and more responding.
Children are eternally fascinated. They are curious. Everything is a new exciting experience, to be absorbed. Adults switched off. Many of us have forgotten what a magic place this planet is.
Children are also very accepting. They are without prejudice. Rich or poor or black or white, you are OK. A child is not your religion or your politics.
Kids have enormous resilience and determination. If they want, they don't quit. Their persistence is really something to be admired, as well as endured. Children just keep going for it. When you learned to walk, you kept at it and kept at it. You fall over and got up. Finally you learned to walk! Do you still exhibit that kind of determination?
In a nutshell - Spend time with children. Learn more about laughter, spontaneity, curiosity, acceptance, resilience, trust, determination, and your imagination. They are here to teach us!
- /-{Alhamdulillaah}

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Qanoon e Shariat, - Beliefs {Part 3}

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{continued...Part 2} - - Who is Ahl-e-Bait (the Holy Prophet's immediate family)
Ahl-e-Bait is the Holy Prophet's wives and children. Just like the Sahhabis, there has been a lot of virtuous verses and Hadiths for them. To love the Sahhabis and Ahl-e-Bait is to love the Holy Prophet Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam.
Belief. To accuse the mother of all Muslims Hazrat Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be pleased with her) with adultery is definitely Kufr and is an apostate. [Shara-e-Aquaid, Wa takmeel, Wa Hindiya etc]
Belief: Hazraat - Hasnain (Imam Hasan and Hussain) are of the highest grade of martyrs. Those who reject any of their Martyrdoms is a misguided person and from a bad sect.
Belief: Those who call Hazrat Imam Hussain (May Allah be pleased with him) a traitor or show Yazid as correct is a rejected person and a Kharji and therefore rightful of the fire of hell. There is no doubt in Yazid being wrong, however, do not call Yazid a Kafir or call him a Muslim, but remain quiet.
Belief: Those who do not love the Sahhabis or Ahl-e-Bait is a misguided person and from the wrong sect.
Rule: To get involved in the details of disagreements between the Sahhabis is forbidden and strictly forbidden. To hold them against their mistakes or because of this, blame them or show them as no longer evident on faith is not allowed and is against the order of Allah or his Messenger.
WILAAYAT - FRIENDSHIP OF ALLAH
Wali is a pious Muslim who due to his knowledge and closeness to Allah has been given a specific position. Usually this grade is given after strictly following the Shariat and also devotion and worship. It is however, given sometimes from birth and therefore without devotion and effort. Out of all the Aulia, the highest grade is held by the Calipha-e-Raashideen. There have been Aulia in every era and will always be in every era, however, their recognition is difficult. Allah have given the Aulia great strength, whoever asks for their help is given that help even though they may be a great distance away. There knowledge is extensive, upto the extent that many give information of 'Makaana Wamaayakoon' (what has happened and what will happen) and on 'Lo'he Mahfooz'. After death their power and strength increases. To visit their shrines is to gain virtue, prosperity and blessing. To present them with Eesaal-e-Sawab is a very good thing and a way of gaining blessings. To perform the 'Urs' (death anniversary) of Aulia-e-Kiram, meaning every year to pray the Quran, perform Fatiha, speech ceremony, Eesaal-e-Sawab are all good things and are worthy of reward. However, as regard to bad acts and non allowable actions like, dance, music, group acts etc. are all sinful deeds and are even more sinful when performed near shrines.
What qualifications are necessary for a Peer
To become followers of Aulia and to become involved with them is a worthy action to gain reward in both worlds, it is therefore necessary for these four qualifying aspects to be necessary in a Peer, for one to perform Bai'at (take oath).
They must be a Sunni with the correct beliefs, otherwise you may actually lose your faith.
He must have enough knowledge so that he can complete his necessary actions by looking at books, otherwise he will no be able to differentiate between forbidden and acceptable, allowed and not allowed.
He must not be a Fasiq (wrongdoer, one who does not follow Shariat) as it is necessary to disrespect a Fasiq and it is important to respect a Peer.
His tree of virtue must be connected to the Holy Prophet otherwise he will not gain virtue from the top.
TAQLEED - THE FOLLOWING OF THE FOUR IMAMS
Taqleed, meaning to follow one of the four Imams of religion in orders of Islamic law (Shariat), i.e. Imam Azam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Shafa'ee or Imam Hambal and to pray Namaz as per their way or perform Roza, Zakat etc. is necessary (Wajib) to follow one of them and is known as Taqieed Shakhshi.
Notice: These Imams have not made a rule on their own accord but have explained the meaning of the Quran and Hadith which a normal person or even an Alim could not understand. Therefore to follow these Imams is really following the Quran and Hadith.
Rule: Whoever follows one Imam, cannot follow another Imam, for example, to follow some rules as per one Imam and other rules as per another Imam as it is necessary to firmly follow one Imam.. It is also not allowed to change from one Imam to another e.g. become a Hanafi from Shafa'ee etc. and so whoever you have followed upto today you must continue following him. It is also a joint agreement by all Ulema that you cannot follow another Imam or a Mujtahid (religious director) except for one of these four.

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