1] Ramadan: The Month of Deeds

1]
All praise belongs to Allah the Most High, who created both life and
deathas a test to see who is foremost in deed. ThroughHis infinite
mercy He blessed mankind with selected times and seasonsin which the
best deeds are made obligatory and the reward for good deedsis
multiplied. Allah, the Most Wise, prescribed the third pillar of
Islam, fasting, in the second year after the hijrah of the final
Messenger (peace be upon him). Fasting is obligatory upon every sane
Muslim adult, Allah the Most High says,
"O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for
you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain
taqwa." [1]
Taqwa is defined as "the consciousness of the soul to fulfil what
Allah the Most High has commandedand abstain from what He has
prohibited" [2] . Fastingis therefore a means towards achieving a
level of self-restraint. The scholars of tafsir (exegesis)mention
various behaviours that are restrained by fasting including eating,
drinking, fulfilling one's desires, being angry and disobeying Allah
the Most High in general. Sufyan Al Thawri said,
"The reason for the title muttaqin (those who havetaqwa) is that they
leave that which is not left".
Ibn al-Qayyimsaid
"The objective behind fasting is to restrain the soul from desires
(for food,drink, and sexual relations), divert it from itsnormal
circumstances, tame the strong desires, prepare it to attain the
happiness and benefits (from fasting), and purify itfrom its untamed
state. By experiencing the intensity of hunger and thirst, one
isreminded of the condition of the hungry stomachs of needy people."
[3]
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said "On the first night of Ramadan, the devils and rebellious jinn
are bound in chains; the gates of Paradise are opened until not a
single gate remains closed. The gates of Hell are bound shut until not
a single gate remains open. Then a caller calls out, 'O desirer of
good, go forth! Odesirer of evil, restrain yourself! Allah is
emancipating people from the Fire every night'." [4]
On the last day of Sha'ban, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a
sermon and said
, "O people! A great and blessed month has approached you, a month
containing a night better than a thousand months. Allah has made
fasting in its days an obligation and prayer in its nights a
(recommended) voluntary act. Anyone who seeks nearness to Allah in
this month through any virtuous act will be like one who carried out
an obligatory act at another time (outside of Ramadan),and whoever
performs an obligatory act in this month will be like one who
performed seventy such acts at another time. It is the month of
patience,and the reward for patience is Paradise. It is the month of
equality, the month in which the wealth of the believer is
increased..." [5]
With the reward for obligatory acts multiplied, one must exert to
performthem in the best of manners, and with the reward for voluntary
acts multiplied one must hasten to perform good deeds. Ramadan is
withoutdoubt a golden opportunity for the one who seeks to be absolved
from the Hell fire and the one who yearns to dwell in Paradise,
wherein they will have all that they desire.
Many Muslims assume thatwhen Ramadan comes they will endeavour to
become obedient Muslims and do the maximum possible good deeds for the
whole month. If you imagine the reality as a graph, what happens is
that you start off with a peak and then the influx ofdeeds becomes
difficult forso many reasons, so you trough or lull for much of this
precious month. You then try a bit harder at theend to try to catch
laylat-ul-Qadr (the night of decree), but even then youmay sleep some
nights and even miss some obligatory prayers! This approach to Ramadan
is not correct will repeatedly fail. The Messenger (peace be upon him)
and his companions would pray, fast, and be obedient to Allah all year
round. In Ramadan, like other special times in the year, they would
maximise theirefforts to excel in good deeds.
Ramadan should be used as a platform to change lives, every day should
get increasingly better, the case being even more so each and every
year. Allah the Most High loves those deeds that are done with
consistency, because they represent a Muslim's personality, and they
are the deeds that will pave the path to Jannah (paradise). Prior to
Ramadan, Muslims must perform the obligatory acts, otherwise they will
be punished for their negligence after this life. The obligatory acts
should be supplemented with voluntary acts that are part of one's
daily routine. Once Ramadan arrives then that is the time to exceed
beyond your :->

--
- - - - - - -

Bride-Price / Dowry for a poor man

One day, a woman came to see the Prophet of Allah [PBUH= Allah's
blessings and Peace be upon him] and said: "Oh! Messenger of Allah! I
do not have a husband and I want to be a good wife; i give myself to
you."
The Messenger of Allah [PBUH] kept silent for a long while.
Suddenly, a man who waspresent stood up and asked if the woman would
accept him for a husband.
The Messenger of Allah [PBUH] said: "Do you haveanything to give her
as a dowry."
The man thought and said: "I have half of my cloth," and indeed he was
wearing a single cloth around him.
"If you give her part of this cloth, you will have nothing to wear
anymore;it will become her possession. Find something else." Since at
this time the followers of Islam and the Prophet himself [PBUH] were
poor,the man thought again a long time and declared:"No, I do not
possess a thing to give her."
The Messenger of Allah then told him: "Go to yourhouse and look for
something, even if it is an iron ring."
The man departed and came back a while later, and declared: "I looked
everywhere, but I did not find anything to give her as her dowry."
After reflection, the Prophet of Allah [PBUH]said: "Did you learnsome
of the Qur'an?"
"Yes, I have learned by heart so-and-so Surahs [chapters of the Qur'an]"
The Messenger of Alah [PBUH] therefore declared:"Teach her what you
know of the Qur'an, and this will constitute her dowry."
The couple felt contented with what was proposed, and they got married.

--
- - - - - - -

The miracle at the spring of Tabuk

During the year of Tabuk, they went out with the Messenger of Allah
[PBUH=May Allah bless him and grant him Peace],and the Messenger of
Allah (PBUH) prayed Dhur and 'Asr together.
Then he said, "Tomorrow we will meet, Insha Allah, at the spring of
Tabuk. Do not go there until well into the morning. You should not
touch the water until i arrive." We all agreed and, the day after, we
all gathered at the spring of Tabuk. But, when we got there, two men
had already reached it before us and the springwas dripping with very
little water.
The Messenger of Allah [PBUH] approached and asked them: "Did you
touche this water?" They said: "Yes, we did." "Take water with your
hands from the spring little by little until you have collected a
small amount in something." When this was done, the Messenger of Allah
[PBUH] washed his face and hands on it. Then he put it back into the
spring and the spring began to flow with abundant water, and the
people began to draw water from it. Then he said [PBUH): "If you live
long enough, you will see this place full with gardens."

--
- - - - - - -

4a] Laylat al-Qadar - Dividing Qiyaam al-layl into two parts during the last ten days of Ramadan

4a] Laylat al-Qadar
~
:-> The reason why some people object to that is that it is contrary
to what is customary among the people of their countries and most of
the people nowadays; and because ofignorance of the Sunnah and reports
and of the practice of the Sahaabah, Taabi'oon and the imams of Islam;
and because of what some people think, that our prayer during thelast
ten days is a kind of salat al-ta'qeeb which was regarded as makroohby
some scholars, but thatis not in fact the case, because ta'qeeb is a
voluntary prayer offered in congregation after finishing Taraweeh and
Witr.
This is how all the fuqaha'defined ta'qeeb, as a voluntary prayer
offered in congregation after finishing Witr immediately after
Taraweeh. From these words it is clear that prayer offered in
congregation before Witr is not ta'qeeb. End quote.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said in Ithaaf Ahl al-Eemaan bi Majaalis
Shahr Ramadaan:
In the last ten days of Ramadan, the Muslims increase their efforts in
worship, following the example of the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) and seeking Laylat al-Qadr which is better than a
thousand months. Those who pray twenty-three rak'ahs at the beginning
of the month break it up during the last ten days, so they pray ten
rak'ahs at the beginning of the night, calling it Taraweeh, and they
pray ten at the end of the night, making them lengthy, and following
it with three rak'ahs of Witr, which they call qiyaam. This is a
variation in naming only. In fact all of it may be called Taraweeh or
it maybe called qiyaam. As for those who pray eleven or thirteen
rak'ahs at the beginning of the month, they add ten rak'ahs to that
during the last ten days, which they pray at the end of the night,
making it lengthy, makingthe most of the virtue of the last ten days
and increasing their efforts to do good. They have a precedent among
the Sahaabah and others whoprayed twenty-three rak'ahs, as stated
above. Thus they combine the two opinions: the opinionwhich favours
offering thirteen rak'ahs during the first twenty days and the opinion
which favoursoffering twenty-three during the last ten days.

And Allah knows best.

--
- - - - - - -

4] Laylat al-Qadar - Dividing Qiyaam al-layl into two parts during the last ten days of Ramadan

4] Laylat al-Qadar
~
I hope that you could tell me about the opinions of the scholars with
regard to the ruling on dividing Taraweeh prayers in the last ten days
of Ramadan into two parts: at the beginning of the night and at the
end, as is done in many mosques. Please also mention the evidenceif
possible.
Praise be to Allaah.
What is mustahabb during the nights of Ramadan is to spend them in
qiyaam, prayer and worship, and to single out the last ten nights for
extra worship and striving, seeking forgiveness and mercy and seeking
Laylat al-Qadr which is better than a thousand months.
Moreover, Taraaweeh prayer is regarded as a kind of Qiyaam al-layl
andthey call it Taraweeh because people take brief breaks between
rak'ahs. Hence the matter is broadin scope, and it is permissible for
a person to pray whatever he wants of rak'ahs, at whatever time of the
night he wants.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (34/123):
There is no difference of opinion among the fuqaha' with regard to it
being Sunnah to pray during the nights of Ramadan (Qiyaam
al-layl),because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer, out of
faith and seeking the reward of Allah, his previous sins will be
forgiven."
The fuqaha' said: Taraweeh is the qiyaam (Qiyaam al-layl) of Ramadan.
Hence it is best to spend most of the night in it, because it is
Qiyaam al-layl. End quote.
What many imams do nowadays -- especially in the last ten days of
Ramadan -- leading the people in Taraweeh prayer immediately after
'Isha', then going back to the mosque in the last part of the night to
pray qiyaam, is something thatis prescribed and it is not forbidden.
There is no reason to suggest it is notallowed. What is required is to
strive hard in the lastten days according to one's ability. If a
person breaks up his night between prayer, resting, sleeping, and
reading Qur'aan, then he has donewell.
Shaykh 'Abd-Allaah Abaabateen said, as is narrated in al-Durar
al-Saniyyah (4/364):
In response to what somepeople do of objecting to the one who prays
more during the last ten days ofRamadan than he usually did in the
first twenty days, on the grounds that this is more than is usual and
is ignorance of the Sunnah and the practice of the Sahaabah, Taabi'een
and imams of Islam,
We say: There are hadeeths from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) which encourage praying Qiyaam al-layl during
Ramadan, and particularly emphasise it during the last ten days.
Once it becomes clear thatthere is no specific number of rak'ahs for
Taraweeh, and that the time for it according to allscholars is from
after the Sunnah of 'Isha' until the break of dawn, and that spending
the night in worship is a confirmed Sunnah, and that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) prayed taraweeh for many
nights in congregation, then how can anyone object to the one who
prays more during the last ten nights than he did at the beginning of
the month? So during the last ten days, he prays at the beginning of
the night, as he did at the beginning ofthe month, or a little, or a
lot, without praying Witr, for the sake of those who are weak and want
to limit themselves to that; then after that he does more prayers in
congregation and calls all of it qiyaam or taraweeh.
Perhaps the one who objects to that is confusedby what many of the
fuqaha' say, that it is mustahabb for the imam not to pray more than
one includes than one khatmah (reading of the entire Qur'aan), unless
thepeople behind him prefer to do more than that. The reason they gave
for not doing more than one khatmah is the hardship that may be caused
for the people behind him, not because doing more than that is not
prescribedin sharee'ah. So from theirwording we may conclude that if
people behind him want to do more than one khatmah, that is good, as
was clearly stated in the words of the scholars.
As for what many of the common people say, calling what is done at the
beginning of the nightTaraweeh and the prayersoffered after that
qiyaam, this is what the uneducated people say. Rather all of it is
qiyaam and taraweeh. The qiyaam of Ramadaan is called Taraweeh because
they used to have a rest (yastareehoona) after every four rak'ahs
because they used to make the prayers lengthy.The reason why some
people object to that is that it is contrary to what is customary
among the people of their countries and most of the people nowadays;
and because ofignorance of the Sunnah and reports and of the practice
of the Sahaabah, :->

--
- - - - - - -

A Plant Fashions itself to Display the Name of Allah

--
- - - - - - -

Reward for Helping Others

Ibn Abbas narrated, Once Iwas in a state of itikaaf in the Prophet's
Mosque (Medina). A certain person came to me and sat down. I said to
him, 'O so and so, you look sad'. He said, 'Yes of course, o fraternal
brother of the Prophet. So-and-so has his due on me, and by theone who
lies in eternal peace in the grave (i.e. Prophet Muhammad), I am not
able to pay the debt' I said, 'Should I not talk to him about your
debt?' He said, 'You can do so if you like' There upon I put my shoes
on and went out of the mosque. The person asked him, 'Have you
forgotten the state you were in (i.e. itikaaf)?' I replied, 'Not at
all, but I have heard rom the one who lies in eternal peace in the
grave [saying this his eyes became filled with tears], said:
"One who moves to fulfill any need of his brother, and makes effort
for it, will find it better than itikaaf of ten years; and one who
performs itikaaf for one day for the pleasure of Allah, he will create
a distance of three ditches between him and the hell - and each ditch
has a width which lies between East and West, or between the heaven
and earth."
Source: Al Targhib Vol II p 272.
By the blessings of Allah, we are approaching another Ramadan. For
most of us, we feel a little taste of hunger during this month only.
But thereare billions for whom it is a matter of daily life. Let us
get immense rewards by helping our needy brothers and sisters around
the world during this month of generosity./
-
to help a heart Patiant: Address want to send Any Amount. * Write
to 'aydnajimudeen@ymail.com'

--
- - - - - - -

2a] A Golden Principle About How to Benefit from the Qur’an

2a]
Allah says,
"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The metaphor of His
light is that of a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp inside a
glass, the glass like a brilliant start, lit from a blessed tree, an
olive, neither of the east nor the west, its oil all but giving off
light even if no fire touches it. Light upon light! Allah guides to
His Light whoever He wills, Allah propounds metaphors for mankind and
Allah has knowledge of all things." [5]
This verse refers to the light of the innate nature covered by the
light of revelation; this is the condition of the person who has a
living, receiving heart. We have explained this verse, its subtleties
and lessons in detail in ourbook, Ijtima` al-Juyush al-Islamiyyah `ala
Ghazw al-Mu`attila wa'l-Jahmiyyah. [6]
Therefore, the person who has this type of attentive heart receives
the meanings of the Qur'an and readily accepts them so much so that it
seems as if the words have been inscribed in his heart and he is able
to recite them fluidly from memory.
Other people have hearts which fall below the level of those mentioned
above;their hearts are not as ready to receive the truth, they are not
completely alive, and their innate nature is not as refined.
Therefore, they stand in need of a witness who would differentiate the
truth from falsehood for them. In order to be guided, such a person
must pay the utmost attention to the Qur'an's words, he must devote
his heart to it, ponder it and comprehend its meanings, and only after
this will he come to realise that it is true.
The first type of person sees the truth of what he is invited to and
informed of with his own eyes. The second type of person has learned
that it is the truth, has certainty in it and is satisfied. The first
has attained the ranking of beneficence, ihsan and the second has
attained the ranking of faith, iman . Thefirst has attained `ilm
al-yaqin from which his heart has ascended to the degree of ` ayn
al-yaqin . The second has acquired that level of unwavering belief
which takes him out of the fold of disbelief and into the fold of
Islam. [7]
` Ayn al-Yaqin is of two categories: what is acquired in this world
and what is acquired in the Hereafter. In this world it is to the
heart what the beheld is to the eye. All thematters of the unseen
thatthe Messengers informed us of will be seen by the eye in the
Hereafter and the inner sight in this world; in both cases, this is
`ayn al-yaqin. 1 Qaf (50): 37 2 Ya Sin (36): 69-70 3 Ibn Qutaybah,
Gharibu'l-Qur'an, pg. 419 4 Saba' (34): 6 5 al-Nur (24): 35 6 Ibn
al-Qayyim, Ijtima`, pp. 6-12. He also discussed this verse in al-Wabil
al-Sayyib, pp. 65-68, I`lam al-Muwaqqi`in, vol. 1, pp. 205-209,
al-Sawa`iq al-Mursalah, vol. 3, pg. 8517 i.e. he has acquired the
station of `ilm al-yaqin/

--
- - - - - - -

1] A Golden Principle About How to Benefit from the Qur’an

1]
If you truly want to benefit from the Qur'an, your heart must be
attentive and alert when reciting it or listening to it.Listen to it
carefully with presence of mind, paying attention to it as if Allah
Himself was speaking to you directly. Understand that this Qur'an is
an address directed to you from Allah, Most High, upon the tongue of
His Messenger (SAW).
Allah, Most High, says,
"Truly there is a reminder in this for anyone who has a heart, or who
listens attentively with presence of mind." [1]
A deep and lasting impression is dependant upon something that will
stimulate a person, a location that can be influenced, his being in
theright condition, and removing any barrier that would impede this
from happening. This verse mentions of all of these in the most
succinct and lucidof ways; clearly articulating the intended meaning.
"Truly there is a reminder in this"
refers to the previous verses of this chapter. This,the Qur'an, is the stimulus.
"for anyone who has a heart"
refers to the location that can be influenced. The heart referred to
here is the living heart: the heart that is aware of Allah. He, Most
High, says,
"it is simply a reminder and a clear Qur'an so that you may warn
thosewho are truly alive," [2]
i.e. those whose hearts arealive.
"or who listens attentively,"
i.e. directs his faculty of hearing towards it and pays it the utmost
attention. This is the condition that must exist for a person to be
roused by the words.
"with presence of mind,"
i.e. with an alert and present heart, not one thatis unmindful and
absent. Ibn Qutaybah said,
i.e. a person who listens attentively to Allah's Book with presence of
heart andmind, not someone who isunmindful with an absent air.' [3]
This then alludes to the barrier: an unmindful and inattentive heart
which does not understand what is being said and, as such, is unable
to reflect upon it or direct any conscious thought towards it.
Therefore, if all these things come together, the end-result is
obtained: benefiting from the Qur'anand taking heed.
If someone were to ask: if the end-result, the lasting impression, is
only attained by the combination of these matters, why then did Allah
say
"or"
in the verse,
"or who listens attentively"
which implies a choice between one or another option? Surely "and"
should have been mentioned in its place?
It is said in reply: this is a good question; "or" has been mentioned
by taking into consideration the state of the addressee.
Some people have hearts which are alive, hearts thatwill readily
accept the truth and whose innate nature ( fitrah ) is intact; if such
a person was to reflect in his very heart and turn his mind to it, he
would conclude that the Qur'an is authentic and true. His heart would
witness what the Qur'an informs it of and the subsequent impression
upon it would be light layered on top of the light of its innate
nature. This is the description of those about whom it is said,
"those who have been given knowledge see that what has been sent down
to you from your Lord is the truth." [4]
Concerning them, Allah says,:->

--
- - - - - - -

Does the one who startsto pray Taraweeh have to complete it?

If a Muslim starts to pray Taraweeh, does he have to complete it? Or
can he pray as much as he wants and then leave?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no doubt that Taraweeh is a Sunnah andis naafil; it is the
qiyaam of Ramadan. The same may be said of night prayers, Duha
(forenoon) prayer and the regular Sunnah prayers that are offered
along with the obligatory prayers. All of them are naafil, so he may
do them if he wants or not do them if he wants, but doing them is
better.
If he starts to pray Taraweeh with the imam and wants to leave
beforecompleting it, there is nothing wrong with that, but staying
with the imam until he finishes is better, and it will be recorded for
him as if he spent this night in prayer, because the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever prays qiyaam
with the imam until he finishes, Allah will record for him the qiyaam
of onenight." So if he stays with the imam until he completes it, he
will have attained the virtue of spending the whole night in prayer,
but if he leaves after praying some rak'ahs, there is nothing wrong
with that and no sin, because it is naafil. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)

--
- - - - - - -

The dhikr that is prescribed when breaking the fast

What is the ruling on the du'aa' from hadeeth which they say are
da'eef (weak), such as:
1 – Saying when breakingthe fast: "Allaahumma laka sumtu wa 'ala
rizqikaaftartu (O Allaah, for You Ihave fasted and by Your provision I
have broken the fast)."
2 – Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah astaghfir Allaah as'aluka
al-jannah wa a'oodhu bika min al-naar (I bear witness that there is no
god but Allaah, I ask Allaah for forgiveness, I ask You for Paradise
and Iseek refuge with You from the Fire).
Is this prescribed, permissible, not permissible, makrooh, notvalid or haraam?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Saying du'aa' in the wordsmentioned when breaking the fast was
narrated in a da'eef (weak) hadeeth which was narrated by Abu Dawood
(2358) from Mu'aadh ibn Zuhrah, who heard that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, when he broke his fast,
"Allaahumma laka sumtu was 'ala rizqika aftartu (O Allaah, for You
Ihave fasted and by Your provision I have broken the fast)."
There is no need for this, because we have the report narrated by Abu
Dawood (2357) from Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who
said: When the Messengerof Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) broke his fast, he would say: "Dhahaba al-zamau'a, wa
abtallat al-'urooq wa thabata al-ajr insha Allah (Thirst has gone, the
veins are moist, and the reward is assured, if Allaah wills)." This
hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Secondly:
It is mustahabb for the fasting person to say du'aa' whilst he is
fasting and when breaking the fast, because of the reportnarrated by
Ahmad (8030) from Abu Hurayrah(may Allaah be pleased with him) who
said: We said: O Messenger of Allaah, when we see you our hearts are
softened and we are people of the Hereafter, but when we leave you we
are attracted by this world and by our womenfolk and children. He
said: "If you were always as you are when you are with me, the angels
would shake hands with you andthey would visit you in your houses. If
you did not commit sin, Allaah would bring another people who would
commit sin so that He could forgive them." He said: We said: O
Messenger of Allaah, tell us about Paradise, what isit built of? He
said: "Bricksof gold and bricks of silver; its mortar is musk, its
pebbles are pearls and rubies, its soil is saffron. Whoever enters it
will be happy and will never be miserable, he will abide therein
forever and never die. His clothes will never wear out and his youth
will never fade. There are three whose du'aa' will not be rejected: a
just ruler, a fasting person until he breaks the fast, and the prayer
of one who has been wronged. Itis borne on the clouds andthe gates of
heaven are opened for it, and the Lord, may He be glorified and
exalted, says: 'By My glory, I will grant you help even if it is after
some time.'"
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shu'ayb al-Arna'oot in Tahqeeq al-Musnad.
It was also narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2525) with the words, "… the
fasting person when he breaks his fast…" This was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
So you may ask Allaah for Paradise and seek refuge with Him from the
Fire, and you can pray for forgiveness, and offer other du'aa's that
are prescribed in Islam. As for the du'aa' in this particular form –
Ashhaduan laa ilaaha ill-Allaah astaghfir Allaah as'aluka al-jannah wa
a'oodhu bika min al-naar (I bear witness that there is no god but
Allaah, I ask Allaah for forgiveness, I ask You for Paradise and Iseek
refuge with You from the Fire) – we could not find any source for it.
And Allaah knows best.

--
- - - - - - -

The virtue of giving iftaar to one who is fasting

What is the reward for giving iftaar to one who isfasting?
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated that Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
gives iftaar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his,
without that detracting from the reward of the fasting person in the
slightest."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 807; Ibn Maajah, 1746. Classed as saheeh by
Ibn Hibaan, 8/216 and by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6415.
Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said: What is meant by giving him
iftaar is giving him enough to satisfy him. Al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 194
The righteous salaf were keen to provide food for others and they
thought that this was one of the best of righteous deeds.
One of the salaf said: For me to invite ten of my companions and feed
them food that they like is dearer to me than freeing ten of the sons
of Ismaa'eel from slavery.
Many of the salaf used to give up their iftaar for others, such as
'Abd-Allaah ibn Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), Dawood
al-Taa'i, Maalik ibn Dinar and Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Ibn 'Umar used only
to break his fast with orphans and the poor andneedy.
There were among the salaf those who used to offer food to their
brothers whilst fasting, and they would sit and serve them, such as
al-Hasan and Ibn al-Mubaarak.
Abu al-Siwaar al-'Adawi said: Men from the tribe of Banu 'Adiyy used
to pray in this mosque and not one of them would break his fast on his
own; if they found someone to join them they would eat with him,
otherwise they would take their food out to the mosque and eat with
the people, and the people would eat with them.
From the 'ibaadah of providing food for people stem many other acts of
worship such as creating love and friendship towards those who are
given the food, which is a means of entering Paradise, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "You will not enter
Paradise until you truly believe, and you will not truly believe until
you love one another." Narrated by Muslim, 54. It also fosters the
practice ofsitting with righteous people and seeking reward by helping
them to do acts of worship for which they gain strength by eating your
food.

--
- - - - - - -

He told his wife to make food for him during the day in Ramadan!

I have a daughter who is married and she and her husband came to stay
with us during the month of Ramadan. After we hadfasted for one week
of themonth, my daughter's husband went with his friends for an
excursion, and the shaytaan tempted them and they ate and drank during
the day in Ramadan. On the morning of the next day, my daughter's
husband asked her to make food for him but she refused. He swore that
he would divorce her if she did not make it, and she swore that she
would not make it. In order to get out of this situation, I asked my
son's wife to make food for him and she refused, but I forced her to
do it, so she made food for him reluctantly, and he sat and ate on his
own and none of us ate with him. Were we sinning in this case? What do
we have todo in order to expiate thissin?.

Praise be to Allaah.
There is no doubt that breaking the fast in Ramadan with no legitimate
excuse is a major sin and grave evil. If it is done because of an
excuse such as travelling -- which means a journey of approximately 70
or 80km, which is the distance that could be covered in one night on
mounts and on foot, which is what is called travelling -- there
isnothing wrong with breaking the fast in this case. But if one is at
homeor on the outskirts of the city, that is not called travelling and
breaking the fast in this case is a major sin. The one who helps the
person to break his fast shares with him inthe sin, because Allah, may
He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness
andpiety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression"
[al-Maa'idah 5:2].
The one who helps a person who breaks the fast in Ramadan without an
excuse, by offering himfood or coffee or tea or any other food or
drink is a sinner who is a partner in sin with the one who breaks the
fast, but his fast is still valid and is not invalidated by his
helping that person. But he is a sinner and he has to repent to Allah.
As you forced your daughter or your son's wife to make the food, you
have to repent to Allah. You did wrong by telling her to make food for
him. She did right by not obeying him, because there is no obedience
to acreated being if it involvesdisobedience towards the Creator. The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Obedience is
only in that which is right and proper." If her husband ordered her to
bring him food during the day in Ramadan, without any excuse that
would make it permissible for him to break the fast, such as sickness
or travelling, she has no right to help him to do that which Allah
hasforbidden, even if he gets angry or divorces her, because obedience
to Allah takes precedence over obedience to one's husband or father or
ruler,because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "Obedience is only in that which is right and proper"; he also
said: "There is no obedience to any created being if it involves
disobedience towards Allah."
This man is not regarded as a traveller because he stayed with them
for a week and it seems that hehad decided to stay for more than four
days. This means that he was obliged to fast according to the correct
scholarly view, which is the view ofthe majority of scholars. As they
had decided to stay for more than four days with their in-laws, they
should have fasted with them. If the stay is four days or less, they
are not obliged to fast because they are travellers, but if they do
fast, there is nothing wrong with that. But as they intended to stay
with them for more than four days, what they should have done in this
case is fast, so as to avoid an area of scholarly disagreement and so
as tofollow the view of the majority, because the basic principle is
that one should fast in Ramadan, and there is some doubt as to whether
it was permissible to break the fast. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)

--
- - - - - - -

The fasting person should try hard eat sahoor even if it is a little

We often hear about sahoor during the blessedmonth of Ramadan, and we
hear in the hadeeths that are quoted in the mosques that sahoor is a
blessing. But sometimes we do not want to eat sahoor because we had
supper late, so we omit this blessing. Is there any sin on us for
that?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no doubt that sahoor is a Sunnah and anact of worship,
because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
enjoined that. He said: "Eat sahoor, for insahoor there is barakah
(blessing)." And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the people of
the Book is eating sahoor." The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) used to eat sahoor, so sahoor isSunnah but it is not
obligatory. The one who does not eat sahoor is notsinning but he is
forsakinga Sunnah.
So people should eat sahoor even if it is only a little; it does not
have to be a lot. So one should eatsahoor using whatever is available,
whether it is a few dates or some other kind of food, at the end ofthe
night. If there is no food or he does not feel like eating, then he
can drink a little milk or at least water, whatever he can, and he
should not forgo sahoor, because there is barakah and a great deal of
goodness in eating it; it will help the fasting person in whatever he
does during the day. So the fasting person should not forgo sahoor
even if it is a little, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "Eat sahoor, for in sahoor there is barakah
(blessing)." This is what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said, and this kind of barakah should not be ignored; rather
thebeliever should be keen to attain it even if that is by eating a
small amount of food or dates or milk, which will help him in both
religious and worldly acts during the day. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)

--
- - - - - - -

Should Maghrib prayer be given precedence over food or should food be given precedence over prayer?

How should the Muslim break his fast? Because many people are
distracted by eating until the time for Maghrib prayer ends, and if
you ask them they tell you: There is no prayer in the presence of
food. Is it permissible to quote these words as evidence, because the
time for Maghrib is short? Now what should I do? Should I break my
fast with somedates and then pray Maghrib and after that finish
eating, or should I finish eating completely and then pray Maghrib?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Sunnah is for the fasting person to hasten to break the fast as
soon as he is certain that the sun has set, because of the hadeeths
"The people will continue to be fine solong as they hasten to break
the fast" and "The most beloved of the slaves of Allah to Allah
arethose who are quickest tobreak the fast." The best way for the one
who is fasting is to break his fast with a few dates, then delay
eating until after Maghrib prayer, so that hemay combine the Sunnah of
hastening to break the fast and praying Maghrib at the beginning of
its time, in congregation, following the example of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
With regard to the hadeeths, "There is no prayer in the presence of
food or when resisting the urge to relieve oneself" and "If 'Isha' and
dinner come at the same time, start with dinner," and similar reports,
what is meant is if a person is offered food or if he comes to eat,
then he should start with the foodbefore praying, so that he can pray
without his mindbeing focused on the foodand his prayer then will be
offered with proper focus and humility. But heshould not ask for food
tobe brought before praying if that means thathe will miss out on
offering the prayer at the beginning of its time or praying in
congregation.
And Allah is the source of strength; may Allah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End
quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez Aal al-Shaykh,
Shaykh 'Abd-Allah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh Saalih al-fawzaan, Shaykh Bakr
Abu Zayd.

--
- - - - - - -

2a] Getting Children Accustomed to Fasting

2a]
It should be noted that if the child becomes too exhausted, you should
not insist that he completes the fast, so thatthis will not make him
hate acts of worship or lead to him lying or make him sick, because he
is notyet one of those who are accountable. It is important to pay
attention to this and not be harsh with regard to telling the child to
fast.
And Allah knows best.

--
- - - - - - -

2] Getting Children Accustomed to Fasting

2] I have a son who is nine years old and I would like your help in
teaching me how I can make my son get used to fasting Ramadan in sha
Allaah, because he only fasted 15days of Ramadan last year.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We are very happy to see questions like this, which is indicative of
great care and concern for children and for raising them to worship
Allah. This is good care for those whom Allah has entrustedto the
parents' care.
Secondly:
A boy of nine years of ageis not one of those who are accountable for
fasting according to sharee'ah (Islamic law), because he has not yet
reached puberty. But Allahhas enjoined parents to raise their children
to do acts of worship. Allah commands them to teach their children the
prayer when they are seven years old, and to smack them (lightly) if
they do not do it when they are ten years old. The Companions (may
Allah be pleased with them) used to make their children fast when they
were small so as to make them get used to this great act of worship.
All ofthat is indicative of great concern to raise one's children with
the best of attributes and deeds.
With regard to prayer:
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: " Teach your children to pray when they are sevenyears old and
smack themif they do not pray when they are ten years old, and
separate them in their beds." Narrated by Abu Dawood (495) and classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
With regard to fasting:
It was narrated that al-Rubayyi' bint Mu'awwidh ibn 'Afra' (may Allah
be pleased with her) said: On the morning of 'Ashoora', the Messenger
of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to the
villages of the Ansaar around Madeenah, saying: "Whoever started the
day fasting, let him complete his fast, and whoever started the day
not fasting, let him complete the rest of the day (without food)."
After that, we used to faston this day, and we would make our children
fast too, even the little ones in sha Allaah. We would make them toys
out of wool, and if one of them cried for food, we would give (that
toy) to him until it was time to break the fast.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1960) and Muslim (1136).
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to one who was drunk during
Ramadan: "Woe toyou! Even our children arefasting!" And he hit him.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari ina mu'allaq report, Bab Sawm al-Subyaan
(Chapter on the fast of children).
The age at which parents should start teaching theirchildren to fast
is the age when they are able to fast, which varies according to the
physical constitution of each child, but some scholars have defined it
as the age of ten years.
For more details on that please see the answer to question number
65558 , in which there is important information.
Thirdly:
With regard to means of helping children to get used to fasting, that
may involve a number of things, such as:
1. Telling them of the virtues of fasting and thatit is one of the
most important means of entering Paradise, and that in Paradise there
is a gate called al-Rayyaan through which those whofast will enter.
2. Prior experience of getting used to fasting, such as fasting a
few daysin the month of Sha'ban, so that fasting in Ramadan will not
come asa shock to them.
3. Fasting part of the day and increasing the time gradually.
4. Delaying sahoor (pre-dawn meal) until the last part of the
night. Thatwill help them to fast during the day.
5. Encouraging them to fast by giving them rewards each day or each week.
6. Praising them in front of the family at the time of iftaar
(breaking fast) and sahoor, because that will raise their morale.
7. Instilling a spirit of competition for the one who has more
than one child, whilst rememberingthat it is essential not to rebuke
the one who is struggling.
8. Distracting the one who gets hungry by letting him sleep or
play permissible games that do not involve effort, as the noble
Sahaabah (Companions) used to do with their children. There are
suitable programmes for children and cartoons on the trustworthy
Islamic channels with which you can distract them.
9. It is preferable for the father to take his son -- especially
after 'Asr -- toattend the prayer and lessons, and to stay in the
mosque to read Qur'aan and remember Allah.
10. Arranging visits duringthe day and night to families whose young
children are also fasting, so as to encourage them to carry on
fasting.
11. Rewarding them with permissible trips after iftaar, or making the
kindsof food, sweets, fruits and juices that they want.
It should be noted:->

--
- - - - - - -

Ruling on offering food to non-Muslim workers during the day in Ramadan

There is a man who has land and has non-Muslim workers. They asked him
to give them food during the day in Ramadan, otherwise they will leave
the job. And in fact he did bring them food in Ramadan throughout the
month. What is your opinion on this action?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Bringing non-Muslims [into the country] to workis not appropriate and
they should not be brought; rather no non-Muslims should be brought
in, because bringing in non-Muslims may adversely affect a person in
himself or in his beliefs or in his attitude, or it may adversely
affect his children and household members, especially female
servantsand nannies, because the harm they cause is great. So no one
should be brought to work in the house or to raise the children except
Muslim women only. The same applies to men; only Muslims should be
brought in and not non-Muslims, because they cause a great deal of
harm and because their beliefs and attitudes are not the same as the
beliefs and attitudes of Muslims. So it is essential to avoid bringing
them in so as to avoid the evil that may be caused by following their
example and mixing with them.
Moreover, it is not permissible for any religion but one to remainin
the Arabian Peninsula; there should not be two religions in it. But
these servants and workers maystay there for a long time because of
work or because of wanting to work. It is not permissibleto bring
non-Muslims intothe Arabian Peninsula, because the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Expel the Jews and Christians
from the Arabian Peninsula." And according to another version he said:
"Expel themushrikeen (polytheists)."And he left instructions to that
effect when he died (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). So it
is not permissible for a Muslim to bring in anyonebut Muslim men and
women into the Arabian Peninsula, and not anyone else.
No one should be broughtinto the Arabian peninsulaexcept Muslims, as
we have stated above, because the Messenger (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) enjoined that the mushrikeen, Jews and Christians
should be expelled from it and only one religion should be leftin it,
because it is the cradle of Islam and because the Muslims pin their
hopes on it after Allah, and take it as an example. Therefore if
non-Muslims are brought in, that opens the door to other people
bringing in non-Muslims and mixing with them, and this will cause a
great deal of harm to all.
With regard to offering food to them:
It is not permissible to offer food to them. If theyare not Muslim and
they want food to be offered to them in Ramadan, he should not help
them with that. If they are kuffaar, even if they fast their fast will
not be valid.However, the minor issuesof sharee'ah are addressed to
them, and if that is addressed to them it is not permissible to help
them in that which will go against sharee'ah. Rather they should be
advised and taught in the hope that they might become Muslim. So they
should be called to Islam and told about what is good and right in the
hope that they might become Muslim, then one will attain a reward like
theirs. "The one who tells another about something good will have a
reward like that of the one who does it." "If one man wereto be guided
through you that would be better for you than having red camels (the
best kind)." This is what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said.
If they insist, then they are the ones who should make their own food.
They are the ones who should take care of their own needs in this
regard, in the hope that they maybe influenced by this and become
Muslim. Otherwise their contracts should be cancelled and Allah will
bring someone better than them. He should not take this matter lightly
and if they decide to leave the job, then praise be to Allah, they
have given up the job and Allah will bring people better than them. So
he should never help them in this matter; he should not help them to
find food and drink in Ramadan, whether they are kaafirs or evildoers
(faasiq) among the Muslims who do not fast. They should not help them
to eat or drink in Ramadan or help them to do anything that Allah
hasforbidden. They can do it for themselves and buy what they need
themselves. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)

--
- - - - - - -

1a] The story of the killing of ‘Asma bint Marwaan is false

1a] who said:
A woman from Banu Khatamah wrote poetry lampooning the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and news of that reached
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and upset him.
He said: "Who will deal with her for me?" A man from among her people
said: I will, O Messenger of Allah!She was a seller of dates, so he
went to her and said to her: Do you have any dates? She said: Yes. So
she showed him some dates, and he said: I want something better than
this. So she went inside toshow him and he followed her and looked
right and left, but he did not see anything except a small table, and
he kept hitting her head with it until he killed her. Then he went to
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O
Messenger of Allah,I have taken care of her for you. The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The validity of what
you have done is something that no one could dispute."
This woman was 'Asma bint Marwaan.
This is an invalid isnaad and a fabricated report that was narrated by
Muhammad ibn al-Hajjaaj of whom al-Bukhaari said:His hadeeth is to be
rejected. Ibn Ma'een said: (He is) an evil liar. Ad-Daaraqutni said:
(He is)a liar; and on one occasion he said: He is nottrustworthy.
Mizaan al-I'tidaal, 3/509
Ibn 'Adiyy said: Muhammad ibn al-Hajjaaj fabricated the hadeeth about
the woman who used to lampoon the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him), according to which when she was killed he
(allegedly) said: "The validity of what you have done is something
that noone could dispute."
End quote from al-Mawdoo'aat by Ibn al-Jawzi 3/18
This hadeeth was also mentioned by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have
mercy on him) in ad-Da'eefah (6013); he said it is fabricated
(mawdoo').
It was narrated by al-Waaqidi in al-Maghaazi(p. 173) and via him by
al-Qadaa'i (858): 'Abdullahibn al-Haarith told me, from his father,
that 'Asma bint Marwaan, fromBanu Umayyah ibn Zayd, was married to
Yazeed ibn Zayd ibn Hisn al-Khatmi. She used to revile the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), criticise Islam and incite
people against the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
When news of what she said and her incitement of the people reached
'Umayr ibn 'Adiyyibn Kharashah ibn Umayyah al-Khatmi, he said: O
Allah, I make a vow to You that I shall killher if You grant a safe
return to Madinah to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) – as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) was inBadr at that time. When the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came back from Badr,
'Umayr ibn 'Adiyy came to her in the middle of the night and entered
upon her in her house when she had agroup of her children sleeping
around her, including an infant who was still being breastfed. He
reached out to touch her and found the infant whom she was
breastfeeding. He pushed the child aside then he plunged his sword
into her chest until it came outof her back. Then he wentout and
prayed Fajr with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) in Madinah. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) finished praying, he looked at 'Umayr and said: Did you kill
the daughter of Marwaan? He said: Yes, may my father be sacrificed for
you, O Messenger of Allah.
'Umayr was afraid that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) would not approve of his killing her, so he said: Is there
any sinon me for that, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "The validity of
whatyou have done is something that no one could dispute." And this is
the first time I heard this phrase from the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him). 'Umayr said: The Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) turnedto those who were around him and
said: "If you want to see a man who supported Allah and His Messenger,
then look at 'Ubayr ibn 'Adiyy."
End quote.
This is a worthless isnaad. Imam Ahmad said concerning al-Waaqidi –
whose name was Muhammad ibn 'Umar ibnWaaqid – : He is a liar; he
alters hadeeths. Ibn Ma'een said: He is not trustworthy. On one
occasion he said: His hadeeth is not to be written down.
Al-Bukhaariand Abu Haatim said: He is matrook (rejected). Abu Haatim
and an-Nasaa'i said: He fabricates hadeeth. Ibn 'Adiyy said: His
hadeeths are odd and problematic. Ibn al-Madeeni said: al-Waaqidi
fabricates hadeeth.
Mizaan al-I'tidaal, 3/663
An-Nasaa'i said: The liars who are known for fabricating hadeeth are
four: Ibraaheem ibn Abi Yahya in Madinah, al-Waaqidi in Baghdad,
Muqaatil in Khorasan and Muhammad ibn Sa'eed in Syria./

--
- - - - - - -

1] The story of the killing of ‘Asma bint Marwaan is false

1]
brother my question was about the death of Asmaabint Marwaan people
speaking against islam say that she was killed on the order of the
prophet in a very brutal way and this indicates according tosome about
the messenger of Allahs lust for power in yathrib It would be highly
appreciated if this topic is explained so that i can answer these
people how benevolent the messenger of Allah was
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Allah, may He be exalted, has told us in His holy Book that He only
sent HisMessenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
as a mercy to all people. Allah, may He be glorified, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And We have sent you (OMuhammad SAW) not but as a mercy for the
Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)"
[al-Anbiya' 21:107].
The one who accepts this mercy and gives thanks for this grace will be
blessed in this world and in the Hereafter; the one who rejects it and
denies it will be a loser in this world and in the Hereafter.
End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/385
Al-Haakim narrated in al-Mustadrak (100) that Abu Hurayrah said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "O
people, I am but a bestowed mercy." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
inSaheeh al-Jaami', 2345.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the one who
pardoned all of Quraysh, even though they had let him down, opposed
him, expelled him, waged war against him and incited the Arabs against
him. When he conquered Makkah, he pardoned them and did not punish
them or take revenge on them for their bad treatment.
He is the one who pardoned the Jewish woman who had poisoned the
mutton for him. al-Bukhaari (2617) and Muslim (5834) narrated from
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Jewish woman
brought the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) some
poisoned mutton and he ate some of it. Then she was brought to him and
itwas said: Will you give us permission to execute her? He said: No.
'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never took revenge for his
own sake, unless one of the sacred limits of Allaah hadbeen
transgressed, then he would take revenge for the sake of Allaah.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6126) and Muslim (2327).
Al-Bukhaari (4838) narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas (may
Allah be pleased with him) concerning this versein the Qur'aan – "O
Prophet (Muhammad SAW)! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and
abearer of glad tidings, anda warner" [al-Ahzaab 33:45] – that he
said: In the Torah it says: O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness
and as a bearer of glad tidings, a saviour to the unlettered. You are
My slave and My Messenger, and I have named you al-Mutawakkil(the one
who puts his trust solely in Allah). He is not coarse or uncouth,
shouting in the marketplace; he does not repay evil with evil,
ratherhe overlooks and forgives.
The reports that speak of his patience in putting up with annoyance,
and his forgiveness and tolerance,his not holding things against
people and his returning evil with good are innumerable. These people
only want to undermine the status of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) as a sign of their increase in kufr and because
of the jealousy, resentment and hatred they have in their hearts, and
because they hope and wish to extinguish the light of Allah. "But
Allah will complete His Light even though the disbelievers hate (it)."
[as-Saff 61:8].
It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) forbade the killing ofwomen. Abu Dawood (2669) narrated that
Rabaah ibn Rabee' said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) on a campaign, and he saw thepeople
gathered around something. He sent a manto find out what they were
looking at, and he came back and told him that it was a woman who had
been killed. He said: "Such a one could not have been a fighter."
Khaalid ibn al-Waleed wasleading the vanguard of the army, so he sent
a man to him and said: "TellKhaalid: Do not kill any woman or hired
worker."
Secondly:
As for the report about the slaying of 'Asma bint Marwaan that is
propagated by these liars,it is a fabricated report. It was narrated
by al-Qadaa'i in Musnad ash-Shihaab (856), al-Khateeb in at-Tareekh
(13/99), Ibn 'Asaakir in hisTareekh (51/244), and Ibn'Umar al-Harbi in
his Fawaa'id (50), all via Muhammad ibn al-Hajjaaj al-Lakhami Abu
Ibraaheem al-Waasiti from Mujaalid ibn Sa'eed from ash-Sha'bi from Ibn
'Abbaas, who said :->

--
- - - - - - -

Can a woman who is observing ‘iddah following the death of her husband go out to pray Taraweeh and go to work?

My husband died 45 days ago, and I am used to going to pray Tarweeh in
the mosque the during the month of Ramadan. Isit permissible for me to
go to the mosque in orderto offer the prayer before my 'iddah is
complete? Is it permissible for me to do my job in the grocery store?
Please note that the grocery store is in the same house. Is it
permissible for the one who visits the graves to eat from any tree
that is planted in the graveyard?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We ask Allah to reward you in your calamity and to compensate you with
something better.
Secondly:
The woman who is observing 'iddah following the death of herhusband
should not go out at night except in cases of necessity. Your going
out to pray Taraweeh is not a necessity. Based on that, you should
pray Taraweeh in your house.
Thirdly:
It is permissible for the woman who is observing 'iddah following the
death of her husband to go out during the day to work, but when night
comes she has to stay at home. So there is nothing wrong with your
workingin the grocery, so long as that is during the day only.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allahhave mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (8/130):
The woman who is observing 'iddah may go out for her needs during the
day, whether she is divorced or has recently lost her husband, because
of the report narrated by Jaabir who said: My maternal aunt was thrice
divorced, and she went out to harvest her palm trees. She was met by a
man who rebuked her and toldher not to do that. She mentioned that to
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he said:
"Go out and harvest your palm trees, for perhaps you willgive charity
from it or do something good." Narrated by al-Nasaa'i and Abu Dawood.
Mujaahid narrated: Some men were martyred on the day of Uhud and their
wives came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah,we feel lonely at night; can
we sleep in the house of one of us and then in the morning we will go
back to our own houses? The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "(Stay together and) talk in the house of one
of you, then when you want to sleep, let each one of you go to her own
house." So she is not allowed to stay overnight anywhere but in her
own house, and should not go out at night, except in case of
necessity, because the night is the time when immorality is most
likely to occur, unlike the day, which is the time when most people go
about their needs and earn a living, and buy what they need. End
quote.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (20/440): The basic principle
is that a woman should observe mourning in the house of her husband in
which she waswhen he died, and she should not go out of it except in
case of need or necessity, such as going tothe hospital if she is
sick, or buying what she needsfrom the marketplace such as bread and
the like,if she does not have any one with her who can do that. End
quote.
As for eating from the trees that are planted in the graveyard, there
is nothing wrong with that, but you should note that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade women to visit the
graves. This has been discussed in the answer toquestion number 8198 .
And Allaah knows best.

--
- - - - - - -

A surgeon loses concentration because of fasting; is it permissible forhim to break the fast?

There is a surgeon who does four or five operations a day, i.e., he is
responsible for the lives of four or five people. He experiences
difficulty when fasting because he loses concentration and hiswork
requires concentration and precision to a great extent.Is it
permissible for him to break the fast? Please notethat he remains in
this situation throughout the year, apart from one day off per week.
Praise be to Allaah.
Fasting Ramadan is obligatory for every adult, sane, non-travelling,
healthy Muslim, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for
you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become
Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).
184. [Observing Sawm (fasts)] for a fixed number of days, but if any
of you isill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from
other days"
[al-Baqarah 2:183, 184].
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam on which it is built, as
is well known and established, and all Muslims show great respect for
this duty of fasting throughout the Muslim world. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Thus it is [an obligation that mankind owes to Allaah] and whosoever
honours the Symbols of Allaah, then it is truly, fromthe piety of the
hearts"
[al-Hajj 22:32].
See also the answer to question number 38747 .
What the Muslim should do is honour this symbol because Allah has
honoured it, and he shouldbeware of taking the matter lightly. He
should strive to find all possible means of preserving it as Allah has
enjoined. If it is too difficult for him to fast whilst working, then
he has to shift his work from daytime to night-time, if that is
possible. These kinds of regular operations-- i.e., those that are not
emergency cases -- can be done at night as easily as by day, as is the
practice ofmany doctors.
If it is not possible for him to shift his work to the night-time,
then he must take his annual leave during the month of Ramadan or
during part ofit at least, if it is possible for him to do that, and
devote that time to fasting.
If that is not possible, and he cannot find other work in which he can
fast duringthe day in Ramadan, and he will be harmed by giving up his
job, then it is permissible for him to break the fast on the days on
which fasting causes considerable hardship, but he should not break
the fast just for fear of hardship; then he should make up the days
that he did not fast during his weekly break or on other days when he
is able to make it up, on condition that he complete making up the
days that he did not fast before Ramadan begins in the following year.
It says in Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat (1/478): If a person's work is
hard and he will be harmed by giving it up and he is afraid of
physical harm, then he may break the fastand make it up later on. This
was stated by al-Aajurri. End quote.
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (28/57) it says: The Hanafis said: With
regard to those whose work involves physical effort and who are in
need of their earnings, such as bakers and harvesters, if he knows
that if he works he will encounter harm that may make it permissible
for him not to fast, then it that case it is haraam for him to break
the fast before he actually encounters hardship. End quote.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (10/244): It is not
permissible for a worker tobreak the fast during the day in Ramadan
just because he is working, butif he encounters great hardship that
forces him tobreak the fast during the day, then he may break the fast
with something that will ward off that hardship, then refrain
fromeating and drinking until Maghrib, when he may break the fast with
the people but he should make up that day on which he broke the fast.

And Allah knows best.

--
- - - - - - -

2a] Is he responsible for thedeath of the one who was hurt in this accident?

2a]
The same applies tothese who work as firefighters; if a fire
occursduring the day and they go to rescue someone andthey cannot do
that except by breaking the fast and eating food to give them physical
strength, then they should break the fast and eat that which will give
them physical strength. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh al-'Uthaymeen,

--
- - - - - - -

2] Is he responsible for thedeath of the one who was hurt in this accident?

2]
I am an emergency worker, working for the health department. I was
required to attend the scene of a traffic accident, where the injured
person was lying on the ground. When I reached the injured person – I
was notentirely sure whether he had a pulse or not – I moved him into
the ambulance and administered the necessary first aid, namelyCPR
(cardiopulmonary resuscitation). That was after I had ascertained,
inside the ambulance, that no pulse was present.When I reached the
hospital I handed him over to the emergency department, and they put
him in the resuscitation room. One of the doctors asked me: Did he
have a pulse during transportation from the accident scene? And I
replied No, without thinking. I was not sure about that, whether he
had a pulse or not. The time from the accident site to the hospital
was approximately half an hour, during which time I was doing
resuscitation. I was fasting and I was exhausted because of the effort
I expended during the trip to the hospital. Hardly had I said that
word but they removed all the equipment from the injured person and
declared that he was dead. I have been feeling guilty ever since; if I
had said yes, they would have carried on trying to resuscitate him and
that might have been, after Allah, the means of bringing him back to
life. Now I keep going over it in my mind. The accident happened more
than two years ago. What do I haveto do now? Do I have to offer any
expiation? How can I stop thinking about this matter? Please note that
these worries are giving me sleepless nightsand haunt me every time I
give first aid. I hope that you will answer me as soon as possible.
May Allah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
From asking some doctorsabout your situation, it seems to us that you
are not to blame from a technical point of view; the role of emergency
medical personnel is in the vicinity of the incident, where they are
to do whatever they can to treat those who are injured, and that role
endswhen they hand over the injured persons to the emergency ward
doctor.
The work of the emergency ward doctor begins when the injured person
is handed over to him and he does not havethe right to base serious
decisions on what the emergency worker says. The doctor has to do
whatever he can for the injured person, regardless of what the
emergency worker says, which may be lacking or mistaken.
Removing resuscitation equipment from the patient is not to be based
on the testimony of an emergency worker; ratherit is to be based on
the opinion of a specialist doctor after allowing enough time to hook
the patient up to the resuscitation equipment.
The patient can only have arrived at the hospital alive or dead. If he
was alive upon arrival, the resuscitation equipment should not be
removed except following the decision of three specialistdoctors. If
he was dead onarrival, there is no need for resuscitation equipment in
the first place. These two scenarioshave been discussed in the answer
the question no. 115104 .
Thus it becomes clear thatthe responsibility lies withthe doctor and
not with the ambulance worker.
Based on that, it does not seem that you are to blame for whatever
happened with the patient, so there is no need for anxiety or
distress. We ask Allah to have mercy on the deceased if he was a
Muslim.
You have to do your job well and fear Allah with regard to patients
and accident victims, and to be certain and definitive with your
testimony.
Secondly:
You said that you were fasting and you were exhausted because of
fasting. It should be notedthat if fasting will lead you to fall short
in your work, which may expose accident victims to danger, then you
have to break the fast. This applies if your fast was obligatory. If
it was a naafil fast, then the matter is even more clear.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said:
Whoever breaks the fast in order to save a person who is drowning or
beingburned in a fire and is onewho has to be saved, thenhe should
break his fast and make it up later on. For example, if you see a
house that is on fire and there are Muslim people inside, and you
cannot fulfil the duty of saving them except by breaking the fast and
drinking water so as to have the strength to save these people, then
it is permissible for you – and is indeed obligatory upon you – in
this case to breakthe fast in order to save them. The same applies
tothese who work as firefighters;

--
- - - - - - -

--
- - - - - - -

7e] Zakaat al-Fitr

7e]
"It is not permissible to give any part of zakaah to a kaafir, whether
it iszakaat al-fitr or zakaat al-maal… Maalik, al-Layth, Ahmad and Abu
Thawr said: 'They (i.e., kaafirs) should not be given it.'"
Zakaah should be given to the poor, those who have overwhelming debts,
and those whose salaries are not enough to last until the end of the
month,in accordance with the level of their needs.
It is not permissible for the one who gives zakaat al-fitr to buy it
back from the one to whom he has given it.
( Fataawaa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen ).
Payment and distribution
· It is preferable for the person who is giving to share it out
himself. (Al-Shaafa'i said): �I prefer to share out zakaat al-fitr
myself rather than give it to the one who is collecting it.�
· Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: �Al-Shaafa'i said in
al-Mukhtasar : 'Zakaatal-fitr is to be shared out among those to whom
zakaat al-maalis shared out. I preferthat it should be given to
relatives on whom it is not obligatory to spend at all.' He said: 'If
he prefers to give it to the one who is collecting it, this should be
fine, in sha Allaah… but it is better to share it out himself… If he
gives it to the Muslim leader or the collectoror the one who is
collecting the people's zakaat al-fitr, and he is givenpermission to
give it, this is fine, but sharing it out himselfis better than all of
this.��
( al-Majmoo� , part 6).
· It is permissible to appoint a trustworthy person to hand it over to
those who are entitled to it, but if heis not trustworthy, then it is
not allowed.�Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mu'ammal said: "I heard Ibn Abi
Mulaykah, when a man was saying to him, 'So-and-so told me to leave my
zakaat al-fitr in the mosque,' Ibn Abi Mulaykah said, 'He does not
know what he is talking about. You go and share it out (yourself),
otherwise Ibn Hishaam (the governor who was collecting it in the
mosque) will give it to his guards and whoever he wants' (i.e., he
would give it to people who were not entitled to it)."
( Al-Umm : Baab day'at Zakaat al-Fitr qabla Qasmihaa ).
Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated that it is
permissible to share out one saa' among a group of people, or togive
many saa's to one person…
Maalik said: "there is nothing wrong with a man giving sadaqatal-fitr
on behalf of himself and his family to one needy person."
( al-Mudawwanah , part 1, Baab fi Qasm Zakaat al-Fitr ).
If one is giving less than a saa' to a poor person, this must be
pointed out, because he might use it to payhis own zakaat al-fitr.
It is permissible for a poor person, if he receives zakaat al-fitrah
from someone and he has more than he needs, to give it on his own
behalf or on behalf ofone of those who are dependent on him, if he is
sure that the food is OK (i.e., it is the right type of foodand the
quantity is sufficient).
Where to give zakaat al-fitr
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "As for zakaat
al-fitr, it should be shared out in the country where it became
obligatory, whether a person haswealth there or not, because it is the
reason why zakaat became obligatory…"
( al-Mughni , part 2, Fasl idhaa kaana al-muzakki fi balad wa maaluhu fi balad )
It was reported in al-Mudawwanah Fiqhal-Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have
mercy on him): "I said: What is the opinion of Maalik on someone who
comes from Ifreeqiyah ('Africa') and is in Egypt on the day of Fitr –
where should he give his zakaat al-fitr? Malik said: [Heshould give
it] wherehe is. Maalik said: if his family in Ifreeqiyah give it on
his behalf, that is fine. (What was meant by Ifreeqiyah/'Africa' in
those days is different from what it means now)."
(Part 1, Baab fi Ikhraaj al-Musaafir Zakaat al-Fitr )
We ask Allaah to accept the worship ofall of us and to join us with
the righteous. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his
family and companions./

--
- - - - - - -

7d] Zakath ul Fithr

7d]
There is a time when it is mustahabb (preferable) to give itand a time
when it is permissible to give it.
The time when it is mustahabb to give it is on the day of Eid, because
of the hadeeth quoted above. For this reason it is Sunnah todelay the
Eid prayer on Eid al-Fitr so as to allow enough time for those who
have to give zakaat al-fitr to do so, and to have breakfast before
coming out. On the other hand, it is Sunnah to hasten the Eid prayers
on Eid al-Adhaa so that the people can go and offer their sacrifices
and eat from them.
The time when it is permissible to give zakaat al-fitr is one or two
days before Eid. In Saheeh al-Bukhaari it is reported that Naafi'
said: "Ibn 'Umar used to give on behalf of the young and the old, and
he even usedto give on behalf of my sons. He would give to those who
took it, and it would be given a day or twobefore (Eid) al-Fitr."
("Those who took it" refers to those who were appointed by the imaam
to collect the sadaqat al-fitr).
Naafi' said: "Ibn 'Umar used to send zakaat al-fitr to the one who was
collecting it two or three days before ('Eid) al-Fitr."
( al-Mudawwanah , part 1, Baab Ta'jeel al-Zakaah qabla huloolihaa ).
It is disliked (makrooh) to delay giving it until after Salaat
al-'Eid; some scholars said that thisis haraam and is counted as
qadaa' (making up a duty that has not been performed on time), on the
basis of the hadeeth, "Whoever pays it before the prayer, it is an
accepted zakaat, and whoever pays it afterthe prayer, it is just a
kind of charity."
(Reported by Abu Dawood, 1371).
It says in ' Awn al-Ma'bood Sharh Abi Dawood : "Obviously, the one who
gives zakaat al-fitr after the prayer is like one who did not give it,
because they have in common the fact thatthey did not give this
obligatory charity. Most of the scholars think that giving it before
Salaat al-'Eid is only mustahabb, and they confirmed that it is OK to
give it at any time until the end of the day of Fitr,but this opinion
is refuted by the hadeeth. With regard to delaying it until after the
day of Eid, Ibn Ruslaan said: "This is haraam by consensus, because it
is zakaah, so the one who delays it must be committing a sin, as is
the case when one delays a prayer."
So it is haraam to delay giving it for no good reason, becausethis
defeats the purpose, which is to save the poor from having to ask on
the day of joy. If a persondelays giving it with no excuse, he has
committed a sin but he still has to make itup.
Zakaat al-fitr has to be handed over to someone who is entitled to it
or someone who has been appointed to collect it, at the right time
before the Eid prayer. If a man wants to give it to a particular
person, butcannot find him or a trustee who can accept it on his
behalf, and he is afraid that time is running out, he has to give it
to another entitled person, and not delay giving it. If a person wants
to give his zakaat al-fitr to a specific needy person, and is afraid
that he may not see him at the appropriate time, he should tell him to
appoint someone to accept it on his behalf, or to appoint him (the
giver) to take it from himself on his behalf. Then when the time
comes, he can take it to him in a bag or whatever, or keep it for him
as a trust until he sees him.
If the one who wantsto give zakaat appoints someone else to give it on
his behalf, he is still responsible for it until he is certain that
his deputy has carried out his instructions.
( Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan: Ahkaam Zakaat al-Fitr , by Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen).
To whom it may be given
Zakaat al-Fitr may be given to the eight categories of people to whom
zakaat al-maal may be given.This is the opinion of the majority.
According to the Maalikis, one of the opinions of Ahmad and the
opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah, it should be given exclusively to the poor
and needy.
· (Al-Shaafa'i said): �Zakaat al-fitr should be divided among those
among whom zakaat al-maal is divided, and it shouldnot be spent
anywhere else… It should be shared out among the poor and needy,
slaves who have made a contractto purchase their freedom from their
masters, debtors, those who are fighting in the way ofAllaah, and
wayfarers.
( Kitaab al-Umm : Baab Day�ah Zakaat al-Fitr qabla Qasmihaa )
· Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after quoting the
hadeeth of Ibn �Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Mu'aadh
(may Allaah be pleased with him):"Tell them that they have to give
sadaqah (charity) that is to be taken from their wealth and given to
the poor":

--
- - - - - - -

7c] Zakaat al-Fitr

7c]
Al-Shaafa'i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "If the staple food
of a people is corn, pearl millet (dukhn), thin-husked barley (sult),
rice or any grain on which zakaat is obligatory, then they may give it
as zakaat al-fitr.
(Al-Shaafa'i, al-Umm , part 2, Baab al-Rajul yakhtalifu qootuhu )
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "Our companions said:
'It is a condition of giving something as zakaat al-fitr that it
should be one of the foodstuffs on which zakaat is paid at the rate of
one-tenth (i.e.,zakaah of grains and fruits). Nothing else is
acceptable except aqit (dried yoghurt), cheese and milk.'"
Al-Maawardi said: "This is the case even though some of the people who
live on islands and others have fish or eggs as their staple food;
these are not acceptable (as zakaat al-fitr) and there is no
difference (amongthe scholars concerning this). As regards meat, the
correct view is that stated by al-Shaafa'i and confirmed by
al-Musannif and the companions in all that was narrated from them:
that it is not acceptable (as zakaat al-fitr), and this is the
unanimousview (of the scholars)… Our companions said: 'This is the
case even if their staple food is fruits on which they do not have to
give one-tenth as zakaat, such as figs etc. Theseare not acceptable
(aszakaat al-fitr) at all."
( Al-Majmoo' , part 6: al-Waajib fi Zakaat al-Fitr ).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "If it was said,
'You must give asaa' of dates everywhere, whetherit is the staple food
or not,' this is a disputed matter which is subject to ijtihaad. There
are some people who saythat it is obligatory, and others who say that
in each country itis obligatory to give asaa' of whatever is the
staple food there, as the Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allaah be
upon him) specified five types offood for zakaat al-fitr, so in each
country they can give the equivalent of a saa' of their staple food.
This is more correct, and is closer to the principles of sharee'ah,
for how can you make it obligatory for people whose staple food is
fish, for example, or rice or pearl millet, togive dates? … And Allaah
is the Source of strength.
( I'laam al-Muwaqqa'een , part 2, al-Qiyaas ) .
It is permissible to give pasta ("macaroni") that is made from wheat,
but one must make certain that the weight is equivalent to the weight
of a saa' of wheat.
As for giving zakaat al-fitr in the form of money, this is not
permissible at all, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said that it mustbe given in the form of food, not money.
He clearly stated that it is to be given in theform of food, so it is
not permissible to give it in any other form and Islam wantsit to be
given openly, not secretly. The Sahaabah gave zakaat al-fitr in the
form of food, and we should follow, not innovate. The giving of zakaat
al-fitr in theform of food is regulated by the measure of saa', and if
it were to be given in the form of money,it could not be regulated in
this manner: according to the price of what would it be worked out and
given? There are obvious benefits to giving it in the form of staple
foods, such as at times when businessmen are hoarding certain goods,
prices have gone up, or at times of war and inflation. If someone were
to say, "But money is more useful for the poor, because then they can
buy what they want, and they might need something other thanfood, so
the poor person might sell the food and lose money." The responseto
this is that there are other sources for meeting the needs of the poor
with regard to shelter, clothing and so on, which are provided for
from thezakaat paid on people's wealth (zakaat al-maal), general
charity and other kinds of donations. Let us put things into the
proper Islamic perspective and adhere to what was set out by the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah beupon him), who told us that
giving a saa' of food to feed the poor is obligatory. If we give food
to a poor person, he will eat it and will benefitfrom it sooner or
later, because it is thekind of food he uses anyway.
On this basis, it is not permissible, for the purposes of zakaat
al-fitr, to give money for a person to pay off his debts or to cover
the cost of surgery for a sick person or to pay for tuition for a
needy student and so on. There are other sources for this kind of
help, as stated above.
The time for giving zakaat al-fitr
It should be given before the Eid prayer,as is stated in the hadeeth
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah beupon him) "commanded
that it should be given before the people went out to pray."
(Al-Bukhaari, 1407).

--
- - - - - - -