The Theory of Knowledge

Perhaps the central preoccupation of philosophy is with questions connected with knowledge, the answers to which are called “the theory of knowledge.” Themost important questions asked in this area may be: What is the definition of knowledge? Is knowledge possible? Is there some knowledge which precedes birth, or is a babyborn like a blank slate? How do we know?
What is Knowledge?
It appears from certain Quranic verses that Islam supports the view that knowledge is a statement or a concept that corresponds with reality. Some Arabs used to believe that an intelligent man had two hearts. One might, if he got angry at his wife, tell her, “You are like my mother.” He wouldthen consider her as such and would not treat her the way one treats one’s wife. Another of them would adopt someone else’s son or daughter and attribute the child to himself, as if he were the biological father, just as people do now in the West. Allah declared all of these claims to be nothingmore than words in contradiction to reality. The Exalted said:
“Allah has not assigned unto any man two hearts within his body, nor has He made your wives whom you declare(to be your mothers) your mothers, nor has Hemade those whom you claim (to be your sons) your sons. These are justwords from your mouths. But Allah says the truth and He shows the way.” 1
Is Knowledge Possible?
If we take this question literally, we find it contradictory, because when a person asks about the possibility of knowledge it presupposes that he knows what knowledge is, and if he knows what knowledge is,then he knows something.However the point of the question is: how can we know if what we believe to be real actually corresponds with reality and is not merely imagination or delusion? The Noble Quran indicates that knowledge is possibleand that it is one of the blessings of Allah which requires gratitude.
Allah the Exalted said:
“Allah brings you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing, and gives you hearing and sight and hearts that you might give thanks.” 2
Is There a Knowledge Which Precedes Birth?
The above-mentioned verse is definitive in answering this question inthe negative. Knowledge, then, is acquired entirely after birth. But does this mean that the mind is a blank slate upon which the senses write what they want? No! We read ina h adeeth of the Prophet (pbuh), “ Every child is born with a pristine nature(fi t rah); then his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian. ” 3
This h adeeth indicates that although the human being is born knowing nothing, he is not born with an empty mind; rather, in this mind are theseeds of knowledge whichwill grow as he grows andreach completion with his maturity. However this knowledge, which is originally planted in each human being, may be overridden by external factors, even if they don’t have the power to completely extinguish it.
What is this knowledge whose seeds are implanted in the fitrah of ahuman being? The h adeeth treats fi t rah as being something different from Judaism, Christianity or Zoroastrianism, which means the fi t rah is Islam. Obviously the meaning is not that a person after thedevelopment of his mind finds himself knowledgeable about the details of the Islamic religion. Rather, two things are meant; first, each person is born with the seed of taw h eed in hismind, that is, the affirmation that no god deserves worship except the sole Creator.
Second, this person is born with a nature which is not suited to beliefs and conduct other than the realities and laws brought by Islam. For that reason Allah described the religion which he revealedto His Messenger (pbuh) asbeing the pristine nature on which Allah created His servants. Allah the Exalted said:
“So set your face for the religion as one by natureupright – the pristine nature (framed) by Allah on which He has created man. There is no altering(the laws of) Allah’s creation. That is the right religion, but most people do not know.” 4
When a person’s mind and disposition are designed so that nothing but the realities and laws of Islam suit them, he will feel no contentment or spiritual peace unless he has surrendered himself tobe a worshipper of Allah.
“Those who believe and whose hearts feel content with the remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah dohearts find rest.”

the answers of philosophy

Perhaps the only thing that philosophers have in common is the problems they grapple with, not the solutions they propose. So it is a mistake to ask aboutthe answers of philosophy to a given question, since the number of answers may equal the number of philosophers, or at least the number of schools of philosophy.
Therefore, true Muslim philosophy - if one must ascribe philosophy to Islam - consists of the answers we find in the primary sources of Islam, the Quran and the Sunnah,to those philosophic questions. A true Muslim philosopher is, then, one who relies in his philosophical answers upon those sources. He dives deep into the texts of the Quran and Sunnah, searching for those answers. He ponders their meanings, explains them, defends them and argues with those who dispute them using a style of reasoning and language understandable to the people of his era.
The sources of the Islamic philosophy are not,then, the writings of thosethinkers who have become famous under the label of “Muslim philosophers”, such as Al-Kindi, Al-Faraabi and IbnSina (Avicenna), because they took many of their axioms from Greek philosophy, even if they sometimes - by virtue of their Islamic cultural environment - contradicted it, even in certain fundamentals.
The true representativesof authentic Islamic thought were the scholars and jurists with deep knowledge of the Quran, Sunnah, and the statements of the earliest generations of Muslims, the Salaf . They were the staunchest opponents of the philosophers because of what they perceived in their thinking that contradicted what they knew to be Islamic realities established in the Quran, Sunnah and statements of the Salaf .
Philosophy in their time was synonymous with the thinking derived from the norms of polytheistic Greek thought. We find in the writings of Muslim scholars condemnation of it and advice to the peopleto stay away from it. However, if we employ a more general understanding of the term‘philosophy’ to mean the attempt to answer the fundamental questions associated with existence, the mind, morals and knowledge, I see no harm in calling the Islamic answers to these fundamental issues “Islamic philosophy”, as there is no point in arguing about words as long as their meanings areclear.
The following is a brief exposition of some of those answers, which I have condensed from various writings and lectures I have delivered on different occasions through the years. I prepared it in response to repeated requests to discuss the Islamic view onphilosophy. It is a difficult subject to treat adequatelyin a single one-hour lecture, but as our scholarsused to say, ‘That which cannot be fully achieved should not be fully abandoned.’

Ruling on praying in a mosque in which there is a grave

Is it correct to pray in mosques in which there are graves?
Praise be to Allaah.
Prayers should not be offered in mosques in which there are graves.
The graves should be dug up and the remains transferred to the public
graveyards, with each set of remains placed in an individual grave as
with all other graves. It is not permissible for graves to be left in
mosques, whether that is the grave of a wali ("saint") or of anyone
else, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) forbade that and warned against that, and he cursed the Jews and
Christians for doing that. It was narrated that he (peace and
blessings ofAllaah be upon him) said: "May Allah curse the Jews and
the Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places
ofworship." 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said, "He was
warning against what they had done." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1330,
Muslim, 529.
And when Umm Salamah and Umm Habeebah told him about a church in which
there were images, he (peace and blessings ofAllaah be upon him) said:
"When a righteous man died among them, they would build a place of
worship over his grave and put those images in it. They are the most
evil of mankind before Allaah." (Saheeh, agreed upon. Al-Bukhaari,
427; Muslim, 528)
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Those who
came before you took the graves of their Prophets and righteous people
as places of worship. Do not take graves as places of worship – I
forbid you to do that." (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, 532,from
Jundab ibn 'Abd-Allaah al-Bajali). So the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade taking graves as places of
worship and he cursed those who do that, stating that they are the
most evil of mankind. So we must beware of that.
It is known that everyone who prays at a grave is taking it as a place
of worship, and whoever builds a mosque over a grave has taken it as a
place of worship. So we must keep graves far away from the mosques and
not put graves inside mosques, in obedience to the command of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and so as to avoid
the curse issued by our Lord against those who build places of worship
over graves, because when a person prays in a mosque in which there is
a grave, theShaytaan may tempt him to call upon the deceased or to
seek his help, or to pray to him or prostrate to him, thus committing
major shirk; and because this is the action of the Jews and Christians
and we are obliged to differ from them and to keep away from their
ways andtheir evil actions. But if the graves are ancient and a mosque
was built over them, then it should be knocked down, because this is
an innovated thing, as was stated by the scholars, and so as to avoid
the means that may lead to shirk. And Allaah is the Source of
strength.

* If he follows the moon sighting from another country, is it acceptable to delay the Eid prayer so that he can pray withthe people in his country?

* Regarding starting fast and breaking fast times inRamadan month, I
don't observe a certain crescent,but I start my fasting of the holy
month based on testimony of two straight Muslims . The problem is that
the people of my country always start fast one day later and breaking
fast one day earlier than all Muslim majority all over the world. I am
much of the opinion that we should allbe unified in fast times, soI
fast and break fast with the majority. We are all Muslims in Islam
countriesfrom Indonesia to Morocco. My question is about the Eid
prayer, I can't travel to pray Eid, if Ipray it with my country
(knowing that this way it will be later), is it acceptable? Or should
I not pray with them (then I miss reward and blessings of it)?
Finally, I find nothing to say but"All power of change is really
Allah's".
Praise be to Allaah.
If the people of your country rely on moon sighting as prescribed in
sharee'ah, then you should start and end the fast with them, and you
should not differ from them and follow the moonsighting of another
country, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "The fast is the day when you fast and al-Fitr is the day
when you break the fast, and al-Adha is the day when you offer the
sacrifice." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 697, who said: some of the
scholars interpreted this hadeeth as meaning that the beginning and
end of the fast should be observed with the main body of Muslims and
the majority of the people. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
If you follow the madhhab of those who think that sighting the moon in
one country is binding upon all countries, and this means that Eid for
you comes before their Eid, then you should conceal the fact that you
have broken the fast and offer the Eid prayer with them on the
following day.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said:… If you think
that the first opinion should be followed and that if the sighting of
the new moon is proven in any part of the Muslim world in the manner
prescribed in sharee'ah and that it is binding to act upon that, but
your country does not follow that and follows one of the two other
opinions, then you should not openly show that you are differing from
them, because of the fitnah and confusion and arguments that may
result from that.You can fast secretly at the beginning of Ramadan and
break the fast secretly at the beginning of Shawwaal. As for differing
openly, that is not appropriate and it is not something that is
enjoined by Islam.

And Allah knows best.

Interesting ancient India tales & stories for kids

Right and Might
WHILE a deer was eating wild fruit, he heard an owl call "Haak, haak"
(a spear), and a cricket cry, "Wat" (surrounded), and, frightened, he
fled. In his flight he ran through the trees up into the mountains and
into streams. In one of the streams the deer stepped upon a small fish
and crushed it almost to death.Then the fish complained to the court,
and the deer, owl, cricket, and fish had a lawsuit. In the trial came
out this evidence:
As the deer fled, he ran into some dry grass, and the seed fell into
the eye of a wild chicken, and the pain of the seed in the eye of the
chicken caused it to fly up against a nest of redants. Alarmed, the
red antsflew out to do battle, and in their haste, bit a mongoose. The
mongoose ran into a vine of wild fruitand shook several pieces of it
on the head of a hermit who sat thinking under a tree. "Why did you, O
fruit, fall on my head?" cried the hermit. The fruit answered: "We did
not wish to fall; a mongoose ran against our vine and threw us down."
And the hermit asked, " O mongoose, why did you throw the fruit?" The
mongoose answered: "I did not wish to throw down the fruit, but the
redants bit me, and I ran against the vine." The hermit asked, " O
ants, why did you bite the mongoose?" The red ants replied: "The hen
flew against our nest and angered us." The hermit asked: " O hen, why
did you fly against the red ants' nest?" And the hen replied: "The
seed fell into my eyes and hurt me." Andthe hermit asked, " O seed,why
did you fall into the hen's eyes?" And the seed replied: "The deer
shook me down." The hermit saidunto the deer, "O deer, why did you
shake down the seed?" The deer answered: "I did not wish to do it, but
the owl called,frightening me, and I ran.""O owl," asked the
hermit,"why did you frighten the deer?" The owl replied: "I called,
but as I am accustomed to call---the cricket, too, called."
Having heard the evidence,the judge said, "The cricketmust replace the
crushed parts of the fish and make it well," as he, the cricket, had
called and frightened the deer. The cricket was smaller and weaker
than the owl or the deer, therefore had to bear the penalty.
The Man in the Moon
THERE was a blacksmith once who complained: "I am not well, and my
work is too warm. I want to be astone on the mountain. There it must
be cool, for the wind blows and the trees give a shade." A wise man
who had power over all things replied: "Go you, be a stone." And he
was a stone, high up on the mountain-side. It happened that a
stone-cutter came that way for a stone, and when he saw the one that
had been the blacksmith, he knew that it was what he sought, and he
began to cut it. Thestone cried out: "This hurts! I no longer want to
be a stone. A stone-cutter Iwant to be. That would be pleasant." The
wise man, humoring him, said, "Be a cutter." Thus he became a
stone-cutter, and as he went seeking suitable stone, he grew tired,
and his feet were sore. He whimpered, " I no longer want to cut stone.
I would be the sun; that would be pleasant." The wise man commanded, "
Be the sun."And he was the sun. But the sun was warmer than the
blacksmith, than a stone, than a stone-cutter, and he complained, "I
do not like this. I would be the moon. It looks cool." The wise man
spake yet again, "Be the moon." And he was the moon. "This is warmer
than being the sun," murmured he, "for the light from the sun shines
on me ever. I do notwant to be the moon. I would be a smith again.
That, verily, is the best life." But the wise man replied, " I am
weary of your changing. You wanted to be the moon; the moon you are,
and it you will remain."
And in yon high heaven lives he to this day.
The Legend of the Rice
IN the days when the earth was young and all things were better than
they now are, when men and women were strongerand of greater beauty,
andthe fruit of the trees was larger and sweeter than that which we
now eat, rice, the food of the people, was of larger grain. One grain
was all a man could eat; and in those early days, such, too,was the
merit of the people, they never had to toil gathering the rice, for,
when ripe, it fell from the stalks and rolled into the villages, even
unto the granaries. And upon a yearwhen the rice was larger and more
plentiful than ever before, a widow said to her daughter "Our
granaries are too small. We will pull them down and build larger."
When the old granaries were pulled down and the new one not yet ready
for use, the rice was ripe in the fields. Great haste was made, but
the rice came rolling in where the work was going on, and the widow,
angered, struck a grain and cried, "Could younot wait in the fields
until we were ready? You should not bother us now when you are not
wanted."

The Difference between Giving Up Sin and Being Made toGive Up Sin

Your corpse will not be able to cast lustful glances but that will not
warrant one any reward from AllahTa'ala, for the sacrifice of a corpse
is not acceptable in His court. Allah Ta'ala wants us to become His,
tosacrifice our desires, whims and fancies while hale and hearty,while
still alive and able to commit those sins. Why are you waiting forthat
time whendeath will reap your soul and you will be unable todisobey
Allah? This will be termed, 'being made to give up sins' andnot
'giving up sins'. Voluntarilygiving up sins while the choice to commit
them still exists within one will entail a lofty stage offriendship
with Allah Ta'ala. Bear the burden of leaving sins. If onedesires to
enjoy the pleasure of Allah's pleasure, bear the burden andexperience
thatpleasure wherein the burden itself will no longerremain a burden.

Story - Aladdin and the magic lamp

Long long time ago there lived animpoverished boy named Aladdin. He
found it difficult to meet ends as he lived it utter poverty. Until
one day an old manwalked up to him and said he was his uncle. As
Aladdin had losthis father and did really have an uncle he had never
seen, his mother welcomed this old man home. The next day, the uncle
gave Aladdin good clothes to wear and a tour of the city gardens.
Impressed with the makeover of her son, the mother readily agreed to
Aladdin working for the uncle.
But this old man was no uncle, infact he was a wicked magician who
wanted to use the services of the boy. So he took him along with him
though cities and gardens, until they reached a mountain. The magician
lit a fire and mumbled some words whichAladdin did not understand and
with a swish of the powder the ground beneath them opened.
Aladdin was afraid with the happenings but the magician assured him
that nothing would happen to him but he would have to listen to every
word he said. The magician told Aladdin toalight through the tunnel,
he would then come to a forked path with three ways, and he should
take the right and lead on until he came to fresh gardens. Right in
the centre of it would be a lamp that is glowing. Put off thelight,
remove the oil from it and bring the lamp back. But do not touch
anything else said the magician and led the boy down.
Oblivious of the essence of the lamp, Aladdin scampered throughthe way
and found the lamp. On his way back, he pocketed some fruits that were
shiny like he had never seen before. When he reached the opening, the
magician was glad and reached out his hand to take the lamp. Pullme
out first, said Aladdin but the magician refused. So Aladdin too
refused to give the lamp before being out in the open. So the angry
old man closed the ground above him.
Sobbing away, Aladdin's hand rubbed the lamp by mistake and out came a
genie. You are my master and I will do anything youcommand, it said.
Take me home said Aladdin and before he knew it, he was with his
mother. Instantaneously he related the entire story to look at his
mother's widened pupils. She summoned the genie to bring forth those
shiny fruits and food. And the two feasted for the first time in their
life. Life went well for a few years as their every wish came true.
Then one day he saw Jasmine, the daughter of the king and fell in love
with her. His mother madeproud presentations to the king with rich
gifts and fanfare. Looking at the magnanimous gifts the king readied
to give his daughter in marriage. Aladdin wished for a palace and the
samewas granted for the newly married couple.
The news of the grand palace spread far & wide and soon the evil
magician got to know of it. Soone day he went with a cart full of new
lamps shouting new for old. As Jasmine did not know the value of the
old lamp she exchanged it for a new one. And soon the magician
transposed the palace and the princess to Africa. Hearing this Aladdin
set out to rescue his love. With the help of the flying carpet and his
beloved monkey pet he found thelamp and summoned the genie toredo the
act.
He then punished the magician by adding poison to his drink that led
to the death of the old wicked man. Thereafter Aladdin his mother and
Jasmine lived happily ever after.

* How to Perform Eid Prayer:

* The Eid Prayer has two rak'ah to perform in the normal way, with the
only addition of six takbirs, three of them in the beginning of the
first rak'ah, and three of them just before ruku' in the second
rak'ah. The detailedway of performing the 'Eidprayer is as follows:
The Imam will begin the prayer without Adhan or Iqamah. He will begin
the prayer by reciting takbir ofTahrimah (Allahu Akbar). You should
raise your hands up to the ears, and reciting the takbir, you give a
little pause during which you should recite Thana' (Subhanak
Allahumma.......)· After the completion of Thana' the Imam will recite
takbir (Allahu Akbar) three times, and after reciting each Takbir
(Allahu Akbar) in a low voice, you should bring your hands down and
leave them earthwards. But, after the third takbir, you should setthem
at the level of your navel as you do in the normal prayer.
After these three takbirs the Imam will recite the Holy Qur'an, which
you should listen quietly. The rest of the rak'ah will be performed in
the normal way.
After rising for the second rak'ah, the Imam will begin the
recitations from the Qur'an during which you should remain calm and
quiet. When the Imamfinishes his recitation, he will recite three
takbirs once again, but this time itwill be before bowing down for
ruku'. At each takbir you should raise your hands up to the ears, and
after saying "Allahu Akbar' bring them down and leave them earthwards.
After these three takbirs have been called and completed, the Imam
will say another takbir for bowing down into the ruku' position. At
this takbir you need not raise your hands. You just bow down for your
ruku' saying, 'Allahu Akbar'. The rest of the Salah will be performed
in its usual way.
Khutbah: The Address of 'Eid-ul-fitr:
In this Salah, Khutbah is a Sunnah and is delivered after the Salah,
unlike the Salah of Jumu'ah where it is Fard and is delivered before
the Salah. However,listening to the Khutbah of'Eid Salah is wajib or
necessary and must be heard in perfect peace and silence.
It is a sunnah that the Imam begins the first Khutba by reciting
takbirs 'Allahu Akbar' nine times and the second Khutbah with reciting
it seven times.
Note: The way of 'Eid prayer described above is according to the
Hanafi school of Muslim jurists. Some other jurists, like Imam
Shafi'i, have some other ways to perform it. They recite Takbir twelve
times before beginning the recitations from the Holy Qur'an in both
rak'ah. This way is also permissible. If the Imam, being of the
Shafi'i school, follows this way, you can also follow him. Both
waysare based on the practice of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa
sallam.

4] Eid-ul-Fitr and its injunctions

4]
Eid-ul-fitr
The second meritorious aspect of Shawwal is that it has been chosen by AllahAlmighty for the celebration of "Eid-ul-fitr", one of the only two annual festivals recognizedby the Shari'ah. This happyday is designed by the Shari'ah as a sign of gratefulness by the Muslims on the accomplishment of Ramadan, and as an immediate reward by Allah for those who spent the month of Ramadan in fasting and performing other forms of 'ibadah.
Instead of commemorating an event from the past, the Shari'ah has prescribed the first of Shawwal as an annual festival for the Muslims at an occasion when they themselves accomplish a great 'ibadah. This approach reminds the Muslims that they should not rely only on the accomplishments of their ancestors, rather, they should themselves perform meritorious acts to please their Creator.
In prescribing the ways to celebrate the happy day, Islam has adopted anotherunique approach. The festivals of other religions or nations normally comprise of some acts of rejoicing and enjoyment. The whole happy day is normally spent in dancing, singing and playing.
In contrast, Islam has prescribed a simple yet graceful way to observe the happy day. First of all, it is mandatory on all the well-off Muslims to start their day by paying"Sadaqat-ul-fitr" to the poor of their society, so that they, too, may enjoy the day along with others, and may not be worried for earning their livelihoodat least on that day of happiness.
After paying the "Sadaqat-ul-fitr", the Muslims are required to proceed to an open place where they canoffer the Eid prayer collectively. In this way, they are supposed to present themselves before their Creator and offer tworak'ats of this special type of Salah, which makes them receive blessings from Allah and start their celebration by these divineblessings.
After the Salah also, they are supposed to rejoice theday in a responsible manner, without violating the limits prescribed for them and never indulging in the acts prohibited by Allah.
Keeping this point in view, we will now discuss specific rules prescribed forobserving the day of Eid-ul-fitr.
The Night Preceding 'Eid-ul-Fitr':
It had been the practice of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, that he would not sleep in the night preceding the day of Eid-ul-fitr. This night has been named in a Hadith asthe Night of Reward (Lailatul Jaiza). Almighty bestows his rewards on those who have spent the month of Ramadan abiding by the dictates of Shari'ah, and all their prayers in this night are accepted. Therefore, it is desirable to perform nafl prayers in this night. The Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is reported to have said:
Whoever stands up (in worship) in the nights preceding the two Eids expecting rewards from his Lord, his heart will not die when the other hearts will die. (Ibn Majah)
To benefit from this opportunity, one should perform as much worship in this night as he can, andshould pray for all his needs and desires.
Before Going to Eid Prayer:
The following acts are prescribed as Sunnah at the beginning of the day of 'Eid-ul-Fitr before proceeding to the Eid prayer:
1. To wake up early in the morning.
2. To clean one's teeth with a Miswaak or a brush.
3. To take a bath.
4. To put on one's best available clothes.
5. To wear perfume.
6. To eat a sweet food, preferably dates, before the Eid prayer.
7. To recite the following Takbir in the low voice while going to the 'Eid prayer:
Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar La Ilaha Ila Allah Wa AllahuAkbar Allahu Akbar Wa Lillahi Alhamd
Eid Prayer:
The second obligation on 'Eid day is to perform the 'Eid prayer. Some rules in this respect are mentionedhereunder:
1. The Eid prayer is Wajib (obligatory) on every maleMuslim.
2. The Eid prayer can be performed any time between the Ishraq and Zawal.
3. It is preferable that the 'Eid prayer is performed at an open field and not in a mosque. However, if, it is difficult for any reason to perform it in an open field,it can also be performed ina big mosque.
4. It is not advisable to hold the 'Eid prayer in every mosque, rather it is preferable that the people from several small mosques get together to either perform it in an open field or, in its absence, in a big mosque which can accommodate a large number of people.
5. No Nafl Salah can be performed before the 'Eid prayer, neither in one's home, nor at the place of' Eid prayer. Similarly, Nafl prayer cannot be performed after the Eid prayer at the same place. However, it can be performed after one comes back to his home.
6. The Eid prayer has neither Adhan nor Iqamah. :->

Eid-Ul-Fitr Prayer Ceremony

Eid-ul-fitr is one of the most important festivals of Muslims. Just
after the Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-fitr. All thepreparations
are done before hand for the occasion. Eid-ul-fitr prayer is the
integral part of Eid, which is worth mentioning.
Muslims wear new clothes early in the morning on this day. According
to the practices followed by the prophet Muhammad of conducting Eid
Prayers in open grounds therefore Eid prayers are carried in open sky.
All the Muslims visit Mosque (masjid) in the morning on this day and
recite the Takbir 揳llahu Akbar, allahu Akbar� meaning Allah is great
justbefore the prayer ceremony.
Once the Eid Ul fitr moon issighted the preparations for Eid Ul fitr
Celebrations begins.Soon after the Eid Prayer khutba or Islamic cermon
is delivered. The person reciting the Khutbais the lead of the prayer
and is called the khateeb.anyone can recite the Khutba provided that
he is male along with physical and mental purity.
Attending Khutba is not obligatory as attending the Eid prayer is
obligatoryfor all the male Muslims. Prophet also commanded all the
women to attend the prayers too. A Muslim can leave the Khutba
whenever he wishes to but not the prayer.
After khutba follows the Eid Dua. Large masses of Muslims assemble in
the mosque for the Eid Prayer ceremonies. The rush can be noticed
outside the mosque on the Eid day. Some people carry bags tokeep their
footwear抯 safe and one must carry musallas or sheets to sit on the Eid
prayer ground to pray.
After Eid-Ul-Fitr Prayer
Eid-Ul-Fitr is the festival to spread happiness and loveamong all the
relatives and near and dear one抯. After the prayer on this day there
is a get togetherat all the Muslims houses where all their near and
dear one抯 accompany them in the Eid meals. Muslims wish each other Eid
Mubarak that means Happy Eid. All the children receive gifts as a
token of love from all their relativesas Eid is the day to exchange
gifts among each other. The entire is day is marked with the triumph
and happiness spread all around and adding to the occasion of
Eid-Ul-Fitr.

Arab states announce Eid al-Fitr celebration to be marked Sunday

By AL ARABIYA
The Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the holy month of
Ramadan is to start on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom's religious
authorities announced.
Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and the United Arab Emirates also
announced the celebration to be marked on Sunday, following the
sighting of the new moonthat will mark the beginning of the lunar
month of Shawal, which follows the fasting monthof Ramadan in the
Muslimhijri calendar.
Throughout the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from drinking,
eating, smoking and sexual intercourse from sunrise to sunset.
Ramadan fasting is one ofthe five pillars of Islam, alongside the
belief in theOneness of God, the finality of the prophethood of
Mohammed, establishment of the dailyprayers, concern for and
almsgiving to the needy, and the lesser pilgrimage to Mecca for those
who are able.
Eid al-Fitr is one of the two biggest Muslim holidays of the year,
oftencompared to Christmas in its significance and revelry. The other
major holiday is the sacrificial feast of Eid al-Adha, at theend of
the hajj, the annualpilgrimage to Mecca.
In predominantly Muslim countries, the celebration can last for three
days. Muslims fill the mosques early in the morning to attend the
congregationalEid prayers.

Nigeria: Welcoming Eid El-Fitr

analysis
The rate at which time flies nowadays is phenomenal, and it challenges
us to set and pursue our order of priorities diligently and
appropriately. The euphoria of welcoming the month of Ramadan has
hardly died down when we begin to bid it farewell and welcome Eid
el-Fitr (Sallah), which we look forward to celebrating tomorrow or the
day after tomorrow asthe case may be.
Interestingly, Eid in Nigeria inspires such a unique excitement, which
surpasses what is obtained even in the countries regarded as the
cradle of Islam, the rich Arabian Gulf countries. Perhaps it is the
intense pressure an average Nigerian goes through in order to secure
and provide Eid related stuff and services to themselvesand their
dependents that provides the Eid atmosphere with such an exuberant
pulse that inspires tremendous enthusiasm for it.
For instance, the stress associated with the hustle and bustle to
secure the means to provide kayan sallah, tuwon sallah and indeed some
cash for yawon Sallah and other Eid-related activities is so enormous
that the joy of aperson who manages to secure such things in time
extends into the Eid days and gives the event such aspecial taste of
joy.
By the way, it is really pathetic that an average Nigerian Muslim has
become so poor to the extent that he merely looks forward to
celebrating the Eid in terms of enjoying some relatively better
quality foods and wearing some new clothes, which he ordinarily only
dreams of. This explains his apparent high consumption of the rare and
relatively abundant delicacies available during the Eid festivities.
For instance, he consumes a lot of meat, particularly during the Eid
el-Adha when meat is relatively easily accessible,apparently to quench
his burning appetite for it once and for all, as a resultof which he
upsets his stomach and ends up withdiarrhoea and other stomach-related
illnesses.
Incidentally, hardly anybody raises alarm overthis annual predictable
endemic diarrhoea amongst many people much less take any precautionary
measures. In many places, though, towards the Eid el-Adha
inparticular, demand for dates and kanwa increasesdramatically on the
assumption that they cureor perhaps prevent diarrhoea, which many
people deliberately brace up to suffer as a result of such high, and
sometimes reckless, intake of meat within a short period of time.
However, while the poor Nigerian chap regards such things as rare
luxuries, his counterpart inthe rich Arabian Gulf doesn't have that
level of joy during Eid because he is not looking forward to enjoying
anything he has taken for granted, which further explains the relative
dullness of the Eidin this region compared with countries like
Nigeria.
This is in spite of the enormous challenges associated with the
preparation for the festivities in Nigeria. For instance, tailors, who
are notorious for breaking promises, deprive many people of the joy of
wearing their kayan sallah, which inevitably affects their sense of
excitement during the festivities.
Unfortunately, this year's Eid will be particularly unexciting to many
people due to two prevailing phenomena; one of which is natural and
the other largely leadership-inflicted. The natural one is, of course,
the current climatic condition which has already caused floods in many
areas, while the leadership-inflicted is the persistent deterioration
ofsecurity situation in the country, which, for instance, is
presumably the real reason behind thesuspension of the grand durbar
festivities in Kano by the state's emirate council.
Although the Eid el-Fitr is called Karamar Sallah suggesting that it
is less significant than Eid el-Adha (Babbar Sallah), the former
inspires more enthusiasm than the latter. This is quite understandable
because the Eid el-Fitr falls after nine months from the last Eid
occasion while Eid el-Adha falls just a little over two months from
marking the Eid el-Fitr. Also, the Eid el-Fitr is immediately preceded
by Ramadan fasting of one full month, the ending of which attracts
celebration.
Ironically, however, despite the festive mood and celebratory
atmosphere of Eid in Nigeria, there emerges an unnecessary wave of
hunger of a sort as result of a self-inflicted food scarcity during
the Eid days. Although I don't know what obtains elsewhere in the
country, in my hometown of Kano and perhaps in the neighbouring
states, one can't understand why, though so many households offer
tuwon sallah, they hardly care to prepare any other meal for the rest
of the day and perhaps for the next day. Instead they prefer to keep
warming the same tuwon sallah repeatedly to have it for launch and for
dinner as well.

Eid Al-Fitr 2012: The day of reward for Muslims is finally here

As Allah (SWT) has promised unusually high reward for people who spend
on poor during thisholy month, Muslims also try their best to spend as
much as possible on the poor people of our society.
Their charity is not just limited to zakat, the obligatory 2.5 percent
that every well to do Muslim has to give as charity. Many Muslim
menand women spend on poor whatever they had saved during the year or
amajor part of it, thus helping other Muslims and non-Muslim brothers
and sisters.
By MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH JAVED
After a few days, the dusk will not be the same. It will, God willing,
raise the curtain from the month ofRamadhan. With the advent of
Shawwal, we will celebrate one of the happiest days of our life, Eid
al-Fitr. Happy Eid al-Fitr, may Allah accept our acts of devotion and
prayers. Aameen
Just remember the blessings of the graceful month that passed. It all
started with the sighting of moon which bid adieu to the month of
Shabaan and welcomed Ramadhan. Now after a month of intense training
we have been assigned with a phenomenal task of purification of self
and development of talents. The task begins along with the celebration
of Eid. The process of purification and development requires both
individual and collective efforts and inter-personal and
intra-personal efforts in order to make the entire humanity beneficial
with what we have been bestowed.
LET'S FOCUS CELEBRATION FIRST
Generally the way one celebrates his festival or any happy occasion
reflects the tradition and culture he follows. The traditional values,
in turn, reveal the basic teachings of that particular religion. The
religion of Fitr (original nature) – Islam – taught us to rejoice with
Allah in view; celebration is absolutely incomplete ifAllah is not
remembered. If He is born in mind, the festivity limits to the extent
of joy, never allows a person to transgress. The people around find a
true way of expressing joy; they neverget hurt with the behavioral
attitude of the persons engaged in celebration.
HOW TO CELEBRATE EID AL-FITR?
The way we have been ordained to celebrate the event has 'remembrance
of Allah' at its nucleus. Obviously every beneficialthing is a favour
of Allah as the Qur'ān mentions (An-Nahl: 53). Allah has showered the
moments of happiness; without His remembrance the celebration lacks
luster. The hearts should be filledwith complementary feelings and the
tongue must acknowledge the words of appreciation. Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be to him) has taught us to say Takbeer
(glorification) while on the way to the prayer ground (Eidgah):
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. La ilaha ill-lal-lah. Allahu Akbar, Allahu
Akbar. Wa-lilahill hamd.
Allah is great, Allah is great. There is no God but Allah. Allah is
great, Allah is great. And all praises beto Allah.
Offering of Salaatul Eid in congregation in an open place is highly
preferable except in case of bad weather like rains. Usage of two
separate routes to and from Eidgah is also favoured as it sends a
lively message to the carriers and viewers alike. One should try to
accompany as many persons of his family as hecan, not only men and
children but women too. What Umme Atiyah (may Allah be pleased with
her)reported actually communicates the true spirit of such a
celebration. She said: "TheMessenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be to him) ordained us to bring out on Eid al-Fitr and Eid
al-Adha, young women, Hijab-observing adult women and the menstruating
women. The menstruating womenstayed out of actual Salaatbut
participated in good deeds and Dua (supplication)." (Muslim)
One should leave his home along with his family members and
neighbours, march towards Eidgah collectively proclaiming the
Greatness of the Almighty Allah.
After offering prayers, meeting with relatives and friends, both
Muslims and non-Muslims and greeting them with good words is also
taught.

London - Eid Al-Fitr 2012: The day of reward for Muslims is finally here

August 18, 2012 | Filed under: National , opinion | Posted by: admin
Eid Al-Fitr 2012 is finally here. The month of fasting is ending today or tomorrow. The believers across the world observedRamadan with utmost care and tried to follow the teachings of Allah andHis Prophet as best as they could. Not just they refrained from eating and other worldly pleasures that are completely halal during the rest of the year, they also ensured that they prayed more and spent a lot more on poor during the month of Ramadan.

Eid-al-Fitr in United States

Quick Facts Eid al-Fitr, which is on the first day of the Islamic
month of Shawwal, marksthe end of the month-long fast of Ramadan.
Local names
Name Language
Eid-al-Fitr English
Eid-al-Fitr Spanish
Eid-al-Fitr 2012 Sunday, August 19, 2012
Eid-al-Fitr 2013 Thursday, August 8, 2013
Note: Regional customs ormoon sightings may cause a variation of the
date for Islamic holidays, which begin at sundown the day before the
date specified for the holiday. The Islamic calendar is lunar and the
days begin at sunset, so there may beone-day error depending on when
the New Moon isfirst seen.
List of dates for other years
Many Muslims in the United States celebrate Eid al-Fitr (also known as
Id al-Fitr or Eid ul-Fitr) on the first day of Shawwal in theIslamic
calendar. It marks the end of the month-longfast of Ramadan and the
start of a feast that lasts up to three days in some countries.
Many Muslims dress in fine clothing and children may receive gifts on
Eid al-Fitr. ©iStockphoto.com/DistinctiveImages
What do people do?
Eid al-Fitr is an important Islamic holiday that involves many Muslims
waking up early and praying either at an outdoor prayer ground or a
mosque. Many Muslims dress in their finest clothesand adorn their
homes with lights and other decorations. Old wrongs are forgiven and
money is given to the poor. Special foods are prepared and friends or
relatives are invited to share the feast. Gifts and greeting cards are
exchanged and children receive presents. Eid al-Fitr is a joyous
occasion but its underlyingpurpose is to praise God and give thanks to
him, according to Islamic belief.
Some Muslim groups in theUnited States campaign forschools in some
parts of the country to allocate Eid al-Fitr as a day off without
being penalized on Eid al-Fitr. For example, the Coalition for Muslim
SchoolHolidays, which is a group of more than 80 religious and ethnic
organizations, have been lobbying to have the two Eid al-Fitr and Eid
al-Adha designatedas days off in New York City schools.
Public life
Eid al-Fitr is not a federal public holiday in the United States.
However, many Islamic businesses and organizations may alter their
business hours during this event. There may be some congestion around
mosques around this time of the year.
Background
Eid al-Fitr is also known as the Feast of Fast-Breaking or the Lesser
Feast. It marks the end of Ramadanand the start of a feast that lasts
up to three days in some countries, such as Jordan and the United Arab
Emirates. It is one of Islam's two major festivals,with Eid al-Adha
being the other major festival. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of the
fasting that occurs during Ramadan.
It is not possible to predictthe date of Eid al-Fitr according to the
Gregoriancalendar accurately. This is because the month of Shawwal
begins, and hence the month of Ramadan ends, after a confirmed
sighting of the new moon. The new moonmay be sighted earlier or later
in specific locations. Hence, Muslims in differentcommunities, for
example on the east and west coasts of the USA and Canada, may begin
the Eid-al-Fitr celebrations on different dates.
About Eid-al-Fitr in other countries Read more about Eid-al-Fitr .
Eid-al-Fitr Observances Note: Regional customs or moon sightings may
causea variation of the date for Islamic holidays, which begin at
sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday. The
Islamiccalendar is lunar and the days begin at sunset, so there may be
one-day error depending on when the New Moon is first seen.

Eid Al Fitr in UAE will be on Sunday

Eid Al Fitr will be on Sunday, August 19, the first day of the Shawwal
month, Saudi Arabia announced on Friday.
The committee, which meton Friday under the chairmanship of Dr Hadef
Jouan Al Daheri, Minister ofJustice, said upon verification and
sighting ofthe crescent moon, that Saturday will be last day of
Ramadan, and Sunday will be the first day of Shawwal month.
On this auspicious occasion, the committee extended its heartfelt
congratulations to President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed
AlNahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice
President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Their
Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, andto
the people of the UAE.

Imam repeating some verses that speak of mercy or punishment

What is the ruling on the imam repeating some verses that speak of
mercy or punishment?.
Praise be to Allaah.
I do not know of anythingwrong with that, because it encourages the
people to ponder and focus and benefit. It was narrated that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) repeated the verse
(interpretation of the meaning): "If You punish them, they are Your
slaves, and if You forgive them, verily, You, only You, are the
All-Mighty, the All-Wise" [al-Maa'idah 5:118] several times.
To sum up: if it is done fora good reason and not forthe purpose of
showing off, then there is nothing wrong with it, but if he thinks
that repeating it may annoy them or resultin disturbing sounds such as
weeping, then it is better not to do that, so that there will not be
any distraction. But if repeating it will only lead to pondering and
proper focus on the prayer, then it is all good.

What is meant by reciting Qur’aan in a melodious voice

What is meant by reciting Qur’aan in a melodious voice?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In the saheeh Sunnah it is encouraged to recite the Qur’aan in a melodious voice, i.e., making the voice beautiful when reciting it. It does not mean that one should recite it as if singing, rather what is meant is that one should make the voice beautiful when reciting. For example the saheeh hadeeth says: “Allaah never listens to anything as He listens to aProphet with a beautiful voice reciting the Qur’aan out loud” and “He is not one of us who does not recite Qur’aan in a melodious voice when reciting it out loud.” Whatthis means is making the voice beautiful, as stated above.
The meaning of the hadeeth quoted above refers to listening in a manner that is befitting to Allaah and it is not like the attributes of His creation, as is the case with all His other attributes. It may be said of His listening that it is like His other attributes, that it is in a manner that is befitting to Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, and there is nothing like unto Him, may He be glorified and exalted. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer” [al-Shoora 42:11]. Reciting in a melodious tone means reciting out loud and making the voice beautiful and with proper focus, so that the heart is moved, because the aim isto stir the heart with this Qur’aan, so that people will fear Allaah and so that they will find peace and benefit from it. An example of this is the story of Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allaah be pleased with him), when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by him as he was reciting Qur’aan, and he started listening to him and said: “You have been given a beautiful voice like the beautiful voices of the family of Dawood.” When Abu Moosa came, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him aboutthat and Abu Moosa said: If I had known, O Messenger of Allaah, that you were listening, I would have made it very beautiful indeed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not denounce him for that, which indicates that making the voice beautiful and being careful in reciting is something that is required, so that both the reader and the listener will focus properly and will both benefit.

2a] The meaning of the hadeeth “ ‘Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad” is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan”

2a]
The Muslim cannot do without the two other issues, which are the
rulings and the promises and warnings. His knowledge cannot be
complete unless he looks at the Book of Allaah as a whole. The one who
stopsat Soorat al-Ikhlaas cannot know the other two matters.
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah – may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Rewards are of different types, just as wealth is of different types,
such as food, drink, clothing, houses, money and so on. If a man
possesses one type of wealth, to the value of one thousand dinars,
that does not mean that he can do without the other types. Rather if
he has wealth in the form of food, he also needs clothing and a place
to live, etc. Similarly if it is a type other than money, he still
needs other things. If he has nothing but money, he will need all
kinds of wealth that are usually needed. In al-Faatihah there are the
benefits of praise and du'aa' which people need, and Qul Huwa Allaahu
Ahad cannot replace it in that sense. Although its reward is very
great, he cannot benefit from it unless he also recites the Opening of
the Book (al-Faatihah) in his prayer.Hence if a person recites only
Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad in his prayer, without al-Faatihah, his prayer
is not valid. Even if he recited the whole of the Qur'aan without
al-Faatihah, his prayer would not be valid, because the al-Faatihah
refers to the basic needs that people cannot do without.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 17/131.
And he said:
The people need the commands, prohibitions and stories that are in
the Qur'aan, even though Tawheed is greater than that. Man needs to
know what he is enjoined to do and what he is forbidden to do; he need
to know what is enjoined upon him and the stories and promises and
rewards. These cannot be replaced by anything else, and Tawheed cannot
be replaced by these. The stories cannot take the place of the
commands and prohibitions, and the commands and prohibitions cannot
take the place of the stories. Rather everything that was sent down by
Allaah is beneficial and people need it.
If a person recites Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, he earns a reward
equivalentto the reward of one-thirdof the Qur'aan, but that does not
mean that the reward is of the same kind as that earned by reading the
rest of the Qur'aan. Rather he may need the kind of reward that comes
from reading the commands and prohibitions and stories, so Qul Huwa
Allaahu Ahadcannot take the place of all that.
And he said:
The knowledge that is to be gained by reading the rest of the Qur'aan
cannotbe gained by reciting this soorah only. So whoever reads the
whole Qur'aan is better than one who simply recites this soorah three
times in the sense that he earns different kinds of reward, even
though the one who recites Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad earns a reward
equivalent to that reward,but it is of one type and does not include
all the types that a person needs.This is like a man who hasthree
thousand dinars andanother who has food, clothing, accommodation and
money equivalent to three thousand dinars. The latter has that which
will benefit him in all his affairs, whereas the former needs what the
latter has, even though what he has is equivalent in value. Similarly,
if he has the finest food, equivalent to three thousand dinars in
value, he still needs clothing andaccommodation, and weapons and tools
that will ward off harm from him, and the like, which cannot be done
with foodalone.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa,

And Allaah knows best.

2] The meaning of the hadeeth “ ‘Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad” is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan”

2]
Answer 4156 item2
then there is no need to learn the entire quraan or to even read it
during ramadaan,etc all you haveto do is to read sura Ikhlas.I think
you made a mistake.Sura Ikhlas is the substance of 1/3 of the
quraan.it is amazing to believe that reading the sura Iklas 3 times
will give you the blessing of reading the ENTIRE quraan,then there is
no point reading the entire Quraan.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: there follow some of the ahaadeeth narratedfrom the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which state that Soorat
al-Ikhlaas (QulHuwa Allaahu Ahad) is equivalent to one-third ofthe
Qur'aan.
Al-Bukhaari (6643) narrated from Abu Sa'eed that a man heard another
man reciting Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad and repeating it. The next morning
he came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and told him about that. The man thought that it was too
little, but the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it is equivalent
to one-third ofthe Qur'aan."
Muslim (811) narrated from Abu'l-Dardaa' that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Is any one of you unable to
recite one-third of the Qur'aan in one night?" They said, "How could
anyone read one-third of the Qur'aan?" He said, "Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad
isequivalent to one-third ofthe Qur'aan."
Muslim (812) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Gather together,
for I willrecite to you one-third of the Qur'aan." So those who could
gather together gathered there, then the Prophet of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) cameout and recited Qul Huwa Allaahu
Ahad, then he went in. They said to one another, Perhaps there has
been some news fromheaven on account of which he has gone inside (the
house). Then the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) came out and said, "I told you that I wasgoing to recite to
you one-third of the Qur'aan. Verily it is equivalent to one-third of
the Qur'aan."
Secondly: The bounty of Allaah is immense, and Allaah has bestowed His
bounty upon this ummah and has made up for its short life span by
giving itmore reward for simple deeds. It is strange that with some
people, insteadof this motivating them to do more good, this makes
them apathetic and lazy in doing acts of worship, or they feel that
this bounty and reward is strange and farfetched.
With regard to the meaning of the hadeeth:
There is a difference between jaza' (reward) and ijza' (what is
sufficient). What is making the brother confused is that he does not
see the difference between them.
Jaza' means the reward which Allaah gives for obeying Him.
Ijza' means what is sufficient and takes the place of something else.
Reciting Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad brings a reward equivalent to reciting
one-third of the Qur'aan, but it does not take the place of reading
one-third of the Qur'aan.
If a person vows – for example – to read one-third of the Qur'aan, it
is not sufficient for him to read Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, because it is
equivalent to one-third ofthe Qur'aan in reward, butnot in terms of
being sufficient or taking the place of reading one-thirdof the
Qur'aan.
The same may be said of reciting it three times. If a person recites
it three times in his prayer, that does not mean that he does not have
to recite al-Faatihah, even though he will be given the reward of
reciting the whole Qur'aan.
A similar example is the reward given by the Lawgiver to one who
offers a single prayer in the Sanctuary of Makkah, and that he will
have the reward of one hundred thousand prayers. Does anyone take this
divine bounty to means that he does not have to pray for decades
because he offered a single prayer in the Haram that is equivalent to
one hundred thousand prayers?
Rather this has to do with reward; as for what is sufficient, that is
another matter altogether.
Moreover, none of the scholars has ever said thatthere is no need for
us to read the Qur'aan or that Qul Huwa Allaah Ahad is sufficient and
takes the place of that. The correct scholarly view is that this
soorah has this great virtue because the Qur'aan deals with three
topics: one-third for rulings, one-third for promises and warnings,
and one-third for the Divine names and attributes.
This soorah combines names and attributes.
This is the view of Abu'l-'Abbaas ibn Surayj, and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah stated that it was good in Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 17/103. :->

The Quraan and its Sciences 3

What is the secret of the number 7 in the Qur'aan and hadeeth?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Undoubtedly the Qur'aan is miraculous, and there are many facets to
its miraculous nature, such aslinguistic, legislative, and so on. Its
challenge to mankind and the jinn to produce something similar to it
still stands. Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"Say: If the mankind and the jinn were together to produce the like of
this Qur'aan, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they
helped one another"
[al-Isra' 17:88].
Ibn al-Qayyim discussed the number 7 in his book Zaad al-Ma'aad fi
Huda Khayr al-'Ibaad (4/90) when he discussed the hadeeth in
al-Saheehayn: "The one who eats seven dates of al-'Aaliyah in the
morning will not be harmed that day by poison or witchcraft." He said:
As for specifying the number seven, it has to do with the creation and
sahr'i commands of Allaah. Allaah created seven heavens, seven earths
and seven days, and man's creation is completed in seven stages;
Allaah has prescribed that His slaves should walk around the Ka'bah
seven times (tawaaf) and go back and forth between Safa and Marwah
seven times (saa'i), and stone the jamaraat with seven pebbles each,
and the takbeeraat of Eid are seven in the first rak'ah. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Instruct your
children to pray when they are seven." When the boy reaches theage of
seven he should begiven the choice between his parents according to
one report, and according to another report, his father has more right
to him than his mother; according to a third reporthis mother has more
rightto him. When he was sick,the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) ordered that water from seven skins bepoured on
him. Allaah sent the wind against the people of 'Aad for seven days.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked Allaah
tohelp him by sending uponhis people seven (years) like the seven
years of Yoosuf – i.e., seven years of famine. Allaah likened the
reward of one who gives charity to a grain that produces seven ears,
in each of which are one hundred grains. The number of ears of grain
seen by the companion ofYoosuf (in the dream) wasseven, the number of
years for which they werecultivated was seven, and (the reward for
charity) is multiplied seven hundred fold or more. Seventy thousand of
this ummah will be admitted to Paradise without being brought to
account.
Then Ibn al-Qayyim commented: Undoubtedlythis number has some special
qualities that are not shared by other numbers. … Allaah knows best
about His wisdom, laws and decree in singling out this number. End
quote.
Based on this, the correct view is to refrain from indulging in
discussion of the reason why this number is singled out for mention,
except on the basis of clear, sound evidence.

And Allaah knows best.

The Quraan and its Sciences 2

What is the ruling on the musajalah of the Qura'anic verses in order
to remember the verses and to fill the time with something of value?
It is not meant by it to belittleAllah's verses.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with using means that help one to remember and
properly memorize the Holy Qur'aan, such as competitions and testing
those who have memorized it, and paying attention to verses that sound
similar, rather these are things that are recommended (mustahabb),
because they reinforce one's memorization and help with it.
That includes what is called musaajalah, where a verse is recited to
the hafiz then he is asked to recite a verse that starts with the
letter with whichthe first verse ended.
And Allaah knows best.

The Quraan and its Sciences:- Commentary on the verse in which Allaah says: “Verily, Allaah will not change the (good) condition of a people aslong as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins andby being ungrateful

Commentary on the verse in which Allaah says: "Verily, Allaah will not
change the (good) condition of a people aslong as they do not change
their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins andby being
ungrateful anddisobedient to Allaah)" [al-Ra'd 13:11]
~
What is the meaning of the words of Allaah, may He be blessed and
exalted, in Soorat al-Ra'd (interpretation of the meaning): "Verily,
Allaah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as
they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (bycommitting
sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allaah)" [al-Ra'd
13:11]?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This is an important verse which indicates that Allaah, may He be
blessed and exalted, in His perfect justice and wisdom does not change
the condition of the people from good to bad or from bad to good, from
ease to hardship or from hardshipto ease, unless they change their
condition themselves. So if they are in a state of righteousnessand
goodness and they change, Allaah will changethings for them with
punishment, calamities, hardship, drought, famine,disunity and other
kinds of punishments as appropriate requital. Allaah says
(interpretationof the meaning): "And your Lord is not at all unjust to
(His) slaves" [Fussilat 41:46].
Or He may give them respite and give them time so that they might
truen to the right path, but if they do not then they will be seized
unexpectedly, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): "So, when
they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened
for them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of
their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We
took them (inpunishment), and lo! Theywere plunged into destruction
with deep regrets and sorrows" [al-An'aam 6:44]., meaning despairing
of all goodness -- we seek refuge in Allaah from the punishment and
wrath of Allaah. Or they may be given respite until the Dayof
Resurrection, when their punishment will be more severe, as Allaah
says (interpretation of themeaning):
"Consider not that Allaah is unaware of that which the Zâlimûn
(polytheists, wrongdoers) do, but He gives them respite up to aDay
when the eyes will stare in horror"[Ibraaheem 14:42], meaning that
they are given respite until after death, and that will be a greater
and more severe punishment.
Or they may be in a state of evil and sin, then they repent to Allaah
and turn back to Him, and they regret their sins and adhere to
obedience, so Allaah changes their state of wretchedness, hardshipand
poverty to ease, unityand righteousness because of their good deeds
and their repentance to Allaah, mayHe be glorified and exalted. It
says in another verse (interpretation of the meaning): "That is so
because Allaah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a
peopleuntil they change what is in their ownselves" [al-Anfaal 8:53].
This versetells us that if they are in a state of ease, comfort and
goodness, then they change and turn to sin, their situation will be
changed -- there is no power and no strength except with Allaah -- or
they may be given respite, as stated above. The opposite is also true:
if they were in a state of evil and sin, or disbelief and misguidance,
then they repent, regret their sin and adhere to obedience to Allaah,
Allaah will change their situation from bad to good; He will change
theirdisunity into unity and harmony; He will change their hardship to
ease, well being and plenty; He will change their situationfrom
draught, famine, , lack of water and so on torainfall, fertile land
and other kinds of goodness. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn Baaz/

1b] Ramadan 2012, The 30th Day

1b]
Our Prophet’s (Saas) Addresses To Hazrat Mahdi (As)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the peacock (adornment) of the Paradise. (Bihar al-Anwar, Vol 51, p.105)
Hazrat Mahdi (as), one of my children, comes into being, by the blessing of Allah, upon the approach of the Day of Judgment; the weakening of the believers' hearts because of death, hunger, fitnah and the disappearance of the Sunnah; and the emergence of innovationsand the loss of means by which to enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. His justice and prosperity will ease the believers' hearts, and friendship and love will settle between the non-Arab and the Arab nations. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 66)
Imam Hussain (as)'is reported as saying: “When Hazrat Mahdi (as) appears, people will not recognize him. Then HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WILLCOME HAVING A BEAUTIFULVISAGE...” (Iqdud Durar, p. 41)
A MAN CALLED AL-HARITH IBN HARRATH (LION) WILL COME FORTH FROM MA WARA AN-NAHR (TRANSOXIANA). His army will be led by a man called Mansur who will establish or consolidate things for Muhammad's family as Quraysh consolidated them for theMessenger of Allah (saas). Every believer must help him (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 36, 4277;Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib;At-Taj al-jami' lil 'usul fi ahadith al-Rasul, Mansur 'Ali Nasif, Vol. 5, p. 617)/

1b] Ramadan 2012, The 30th Day

1b]
Our Prophet’s (Saas) Addresses To Hazrat Mahdi (As)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the peacock (adornment) of the Paradise. (Bihar al-Anwar, Vol 51, p.105)
Hazrat Mahdi (as), one of my children, comes into being, by the blessing of Allah, upon the approach of the Day of Judgment; the weakening of the believers' hearts because of death, hunger, fitnah and the disappearance of the Sunnah; and the emergence of innovationsand the loss of means by which to enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. His justice and prosperity will ease the believers' hearts, and friendship and love will settle between the non-Arab and the Arab nations. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 66)
Imam Hussain (as)'is reported as saying: “When Hazrat Mahdi (as) appears, people will not recognize him. Then HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WILLCOME HAVING A BEAUTIFULVISAGE...” (Iqdud Durar, p. 41)
A MAN CALLED AL-HARITH IBN HARRATH (LION) WILL COME FORTH FROM MA WARA AN-NAHR (TRANSOXIANA). His army will be led by a man called Mansur who will establish or consolidate things for Muhammad's family as Quraysh consolidated them for theMessenger of Allah (saas). Every believer must help him (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 36, 4277;Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib;At-Taj al-jami' lil 'usul fi ahadith al-Rasul, Mansur 'Ali Nasif, Vol. 5, p. 617)/

1b] Ramadan 2012, The 30th Day

1b]
Our Prophet’s (Saas) Addresses To Hazrat Mahdi (As)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the peacock (adornment) of the Paradise. (Bihar al-Anwar, Vol 51, p.105)
Hazrat Mahdi (as), one of my children, comes into being, by the blessing of Allah, upon the approach of the Day of Judgment; the weakening of the believers' hearts because of death, hunger, fitnah and the disappearance of the Sunnah; and the emergence of innovationsand the loss of means by which to enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. His justice and prosperity will ease the believers' hearts, and friendship and love will settle between the non-Arab and the Arab nations. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 66)
Imam Hussain (as)'is reported as saying: “When Hazrat Mahdi (as) appears, people will not recognize him. Then HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WILLCOME HAVING A BEAUTIFULVISAGE...” (Iqdud Durar, p. 41)
A MAN CALLED AL-HARITH IBN HARRATH (LION) WILL COME FORTH FROM MA WARA AN-NAHR (TRANSOXIANA). His army will be led by a man called Mansur who will establish or consolidate things for Muhammad's family as Quraysh consolidated them for theMessenger of Allah (saas). Every believer must help him (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 36, 4277;Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib;At-Taj al-jami' lil 'usul fi ahadith al-Rasul, Mansur 'Ali Nasif, Vol. 5, p. 617)/

1a] Ramadan 2012, The 30th Day

1a]
A model of society in which people are forced toworship is completely contradictory to Islam. Belief and worship are only of any value when they are directed to Allah by the free will of the individual. If a system imposes belief and worship on people, then they will become religious out of fear of that system. From the religious point ofview, what really counts is that religion should be lived for Allah’s good pleasure in an environment where peoples’ consciences are totally free.
Because some people do not know these facts or due to misinformation, they may have some erroneous opinions about Islam. However when theylearn and experience that Islam is instrumental in approaching people with love and respect as well asnot presenting any threat to modernization, freedomof faith and thought, they will, by Allah’s leave, put aside these attitudes and thoughts. In one verse of the Qur’an, our All Mighty Lord of infinite mercy relates thus:
“Say: ‘Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Falsehood is always boundto vanish. (Surat al-Isra’, 81)
The Invalidity Of The ClaimThat ''Evolution Has Nothing To Do With Chance''
One of the issues that Darwinists have recently taken to espousing is the claim that “evolution has nothing to do with chance.” This claim, proposed with the incomprehensible and specious idea that “everything happened randomly, but that does not mean by chance,” serves no other purpose than to reveal how illogical Darwinists’ claims are.
- This claim, developed as a defense mechanism, was raised after everyone had realized how illogical the word chance was.
- It reflects Darwinists’ embarrassment over that idea.
- Because if Darwinists admit that fact, then everyone will realize that they are espousing the nonsensical idea that all the extraordinary complexity in living things came about by chance. Unwilling to suffer such embarrassment, Darwinists have sought a way out by saying, “we make no such claim.”
- They are trying to avoid this embarrassment by producing other words that mean exactly the same thing as chance. They are trying to give theimpression that they are making a more logical statement my using terms such as “random” instead.
- When asked, “if it is not chance, then what is it?” they again end up referring to chance from a more roundabout route.
- When they reject the idea of chance, Darwinists must admit the existence of a consciousness. But Darwinists reject any conscious intervention andconscious creation. In that case, what they espouse must therefore only be unconscious and chance phenomena. Anything elsewould be illogical.
Embarrassed by their claimof chance, Darwinists maintain that natural selection, a conscious mechanism, is responsible. But it is unclear to whom that consciousness belongs. They are ascribingconsciousness to nature here. If what Darwinists mean by nature is the ideology of naturalism, that falsely deifies nature, then they are clearly adopting another pagan religion.
- By saying this, Darwinists are trying to deceive people into thinking that nature has intelligence and the abilityto distinguish between truth and falsehood and toforesee the future. They are ascribing a power to it by referring to natural selection. The fact is, however, that nature is a single whole made up of stones, soil, trees, mountains, gravel etc. There is of course no possibility of these being able to select anything in the best and most perfect manner. This is therefore just another improper element of Darwinist demagoguery.
Darwinists reject the idea of a consciousness at any stage in their claims, because they would otherwise have to accept the existence of Almighty Allah. They therefore have to espouse a lack of consciousness, in other words, chance.
Our Prophet’s (Saas) Addresses To Hazrat Mahdi(As)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the peacock (adornment) of the Paradise. (Bihar al-Anwar, Vol 51, p. 105)
Hazrat Mahdi (as), one of my children, comes into being, by the blessing of Allah, upon the approach of the Day of Judgment; the weakening of the believers' hearts because of death, hunger, fitnah and the disappearance of the Sunnah; and the emergence of innovations and the loss of means by which to enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. His justice and prosperity will ease the believers' hearts, and friendship and love will settle between the non-Arab and the Arab nations. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 66)
Imam Hussain (as)'is reported as saying: “When Hazrat Mahdi (as) appears, people will not recognize him. Then HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WILL COME HAVING A BEAUTIFUL VISAGE...” (Iqdud Durar, p. 41)
A MAN CALLED AL-HARITH IBN HARRATH (LION) WILL COME FORTH FROM MA WARA AN-NAHR (TRANSOXIANA). :->

1] Ramadan 2012, The 30th Day

1]
There is no compulsion in religion. True guidance hasbecome clearly distinct from error. (Surat al-Baqara, 256)
"I was sent as a tolerant, seeker after Allah (one from the faith of the prophet Ibrahim(as)), and whoever opposes my Sunna is not one of us.” (Al-Jamis Sagir, 1. 427)
In brief, nobody should go along with idiots who try to portray Islam and horrible and filthy. That is out of the question. Being a Muslim is the lifestyle of the best quality people in the world. Just think, how can a person be most perfect? Living by Islam. How can he be the best and highest quality? Livingby Islam. The pleasantest, the most intelligent, the cleanest, the most accuratein his actions, the finest thinking, the most modest,the most affectionate, the most humane… I could go on for ever. Muslim is whatyou call someone who integrates all these qualities. Who knows Allahand is fully submitted to Him. Of course, knowing Allah is very important. (A9TV, May 10, 2012)
Islam Encourages FreedomOf Thought And DenouncesOppression And Compulsion
The Qur’an is a Book revealed to people as a guide to the true path and in this Book, Allah commands man to adopt good morals. This moralityis based upon concepts such as love, compassion and mercy. The word “Islam” is derived from theword meaning “peace” in Arabic. Islam is a religion revealed to mankind with the intention of presentinga peaceable life through which the infinite compassion and mercy of Allah manifest on earth. Allah calls all people to Islamic morals through which compassion, mercy and peace can be experienced all over the world. In Surat al-Baqara, verse 208, Allah addresses believers as follows:
O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of satan. He is an outright enemy to you.
As the verse makes clear, security can only be ensured by “entering into Islam”, that is, living by the values of the Qur’an. The values of the Qur’an hold a Muslim responsible for treating all people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, kindly and justly, protecting the needy and the innocent and preventing the “dissemination of mischief”. Mischief comprises all forms of anarchy and terror that remove security, comfort and peace. As Allah says in a verse, "Allah does not love corruption". (Surat al-Baqara, 205)
Islam is a religion which provides and guarantees freedom of ideas, thought and life. It has issued commands to prevent and forbid tension, disputes, slander and even negative thinking among people. In the same way that it is determinedly opposed to terrorism and all acts of violence, it has also forbidden even the slightest ideological pressure to be put on them:
There is no compulsion in religion. True guidance hasbecome clearly distinct from error. (Surat al-Baqara, 256)
Forcing people to believe in a religion or to adopt itsforms of belief is completely contrary to theessence and spirit of Islam.That is because according to Islam, true faith is only possible with free will and freedom of conscience. Of course, Muslims can advise and encourage each other about the features of Qur’anic morality. All believers are charged with explaining Qur’anic morality to people in the nicest manner possible. They will explain the beauties of religion in the light of the verse, “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition...” (Surat an-Nahl, 125) , however, they must also bear in mind the verse, “You are not responsible for their guidance, but Allah guides whoever He wills.” (Surat al-Baqara, 272)
They will never resort to compulsion, nor any kind of physical or psychological pressure. Neither will they use any worldly privilege to turn someone towards religion.When they receive a negative response to whatthey say, Muslims will reply along the lines of: “To you your religion, and to me, mine” (Surat al-Kafirun, 6)
The world we live in contains societies with all kinds of beliefs: Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, deist and even pagan. Muslims living in such a world must be tolerant of all beliefs they come up against, no matter what they may be, and behave forgivingly, justly and humanely. This responsibility placed on believers invites people to the beauty of the religion of Allah by means of peaceand tolerance. The decisionwhether or not to implement these truths, whether or not to believe, lies with the other party. Forcing that person to believe, or trying to impose anything on him, isa violation of Qur’anic morality. In fact, Allah issues a reminder to believers in the Qur’an:
If your Lord had willed, all the people on the earth would have believed. Do you think you can force people to be believers? (Surah Yunus, 99) :->

* If he follows the moon sighting from another country, is it acceptable to delay the Eid prayer so that he can pray withthe people in his country?

* Regarding starting fast and breaking fast times inRamadan month, I
don't observe a certain crescent,but I start my fasting of the holy
month based on testimony of two straight Muslims . The problem is that
the people of my country always start fast one day later and breaking
fast one day earlier than all Muslim majority all over the world. I am
much of the opinion that we should allbe unified in fast times, soI
fast and break fast with the majority. We are all Muslims in Islam
countriesfrom Indonesia to Morocco. My question is about the Eid
prayer, I can't travel to pray Eid, if Ipray it with my country
(knowing that this way it will be later), is it acceptable? Or should
I not pray with them (then I miss reward and blessings of it)?
Finally, I find nothing to say but"All power of change is really
Allah's".
Praise be to Allaah.
If the people of your country rely on moon sighting as prescribed in
sharee'ah, then you should start and end the fast with them, and you
should not differ from them and follow the moonsighting of another
country, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "The fast is the day when you fast and al-Fitr is the day
when you break the fast, and al-Adha is the day when you offer the
sacrifice." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 697, who said: some of the
scholars interpreted this hadeeth as meaning that the beginning and
end of the fast should be observed with the main body of Muslims and
the majority of the people. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
If you follow the madhhab of those who think that sighting the moon in
one country is binding upon all countries, and this means that Eid for
you comes before their Eid, then you should conceal the fact that you
have broken the fast and offer the Eid prayer with them on the
following day.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said:… If you think
that the first opinion should be followed and that if the sighting of
the new moon is proven in any part of the Muslim world in the manner
prescribed in sharee'ah and that it is binding to act upon that, but
your country does not follow that and follows one of the two other
opinions, then you should not openly show that you are differing from
them, because of the fitnah and confusion and arguments that may
result from that.You can fast secretly at the beginning of Ramadan and
break the fast secretly at the beginning of Shawwaal. As for differing
openly, that is not appropriate and it is not something that is
enjoined by Islam.

And Allah knows best.

* Is the fasting of Ramadaan only taken up by zakaat al-fitr?

* Is it true that the fasting of Ramadaan is suspended between heaven
and earth and is only taken up by zakaat al-fitr?.
Praise be to Allaah.
A hadeeth concerning thiswas narrated from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) but it is da'eef (weak).
In al-Jaami' al-Sagheer, al-Suyooti attributed it to Ibn Shaheen in
his Targheeb: It was narratedfrom al-Diya' from Jareer ibn 'Abd-Allaah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "The month of Ramadaan is suspended
between heaven and earth and is not taken up to Allaah except by
zakaat al-fitr."
It was classed as da'eef byal-Suyooti. Al-Mannaawi explained the
reason for that in Fayd al-Qadeer, where he said: It was narrated by
Ibn al-Jawzi in al-Waahiyaat and he said: it is not saheeh; its isnaad
includes Muhammad ibn 'Ubayd al-Basri who is majhool (unknown).
It was also classed as da'eef by al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth
al-Da'eefah (43). He said: Even if the hadeeth were saheeh, the
apparent meaning is that acceptance of the Ramadaan fast is dependent
upon paymentof sadaqat al-fitr, and if a person does not pay it,
hisfast will not be accepted, but I do not know of any scholar who
says that … and the hadeeth is not saheeh. End quote.
As the hadeeth is not saheeh, no one can say that the fast of
Ramadaanis only accepted with zakaat al-fitr, because no one can know
that exceptthe Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
It is proven in Sunan Abi Dawood that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr as a purification for
the fasting person from idle speech and obscene talk, and to feed the
poor." Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood.
This hadeeth explains the wisdom behind zakaat al-fitr, which is to
make up for any shortfall that occurred during fasting. It does not
say that fasting will not be accepted without zakaat al-fitr.
And Allaah knows best.

What are the boundaries of the Makkah Haram?

Please advise what includes the Haram boundries for Mecca. Is the
entire Mecca provice aHaram?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The boundaries of the Makkah Haram are well known and have clear
markers that have been set up in all directions with the name of the
location written on them so that people can see them.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The boundary of the Haram in the direction of Madinah is before
at-Tan'eem, by the housesof Banu Nifaar, three miles from Makkah. On
the road to Yemen, the boundary is Adaat Libn, seven miles from
Makkah. On the road to at-Taa'if it is at 'Arafaat, at the bottom of
Namirah, sevenmiles away. On the road to Iraq it is the mountain pass
of al-Muqatta', seven miles away. On the road to al-Ji'raanah it is in
the mountain pass of Aal 'Abdillah ibn Khaalid, nine miles away. On
the road to Jeddah it is Munqati'al-A'shaash, ten miles from Makkah.
End quote from al-Majmoo', 7/463
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (17/185-186):
The boundary of the Haram in the direction of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
is at at-Tan'eem, which is threemiles away. In the Maaliki books it
says it is four or five miles. Coming from Makkah, at-Tan'eem begins
at Buyoot as-Suqya, which are calledBuyoot Nifaar; nowadays it is
known as Masjid 'Aa'ishah (the mosque of 'Aa'ishah). The area between
the Ka'bah and at-Tan'eem is Haram (partof the sanctuary), and at-Tan
'eem is outside theHaram boundary. In the direction of Yemen, it is
seven miles, at Adaat Libn.
In the direction of Jeddah it is ten miles, at Munqata'al-A'shaash, at
the end of al-Hudaybiyah; which is part of the Haram.
In the direction of al-Ji'raanah it is nine miles, in the mountain
pass of 'Abdullah ibn Khaalid.
In the direction of Iraq it is seven miles, at a mountain pass on one
side of Jabal al-Muqatta'. In the books of the Maalikis it says that
it is eight miles.
In the direction of at-Taa'if it is at 'Arafaat, inthe bottom of
Namirah, seven miles, at the edge of 'Uranah.
Perhaps the differences in stating the number of miles is because of
differences in defining what is meant by a mile. The measurement by
miles starts from the Black Stone.
The boundaries of the Makkah Haram are currently marked in different
directions with clear markers that have been set up at its edges like
minarets, on which is written in the name of the location in Arabic
and other languages. End quote.
A mile is equivalent to 1848 meters.
Whatever is within the markers mentioned is part of the Makkah Haram,
and comes under all the shar'i rulings concerning it, regardless of
whatever administrative name is given to the place.
Whatever is outside of these markers is not part of the Makkah Haram
and none of the rulings on theHaram apply to it, even if it is called
"Makkah" or the people at some time regard it as being one of its
neighbourhoods.

And Allah knows best.