Imam Nawawi

IMAM NAWAWI [631 - 676 A.H]
Birth and Birth place:
The complete name of Imam Nawawi is Abu Zakaria Mohiuddin Yahya, son
of Sharaf An-Nawawi, son of Murry,son of Hassan, son of Hussain, son
of Muhammad , son of Juma,son of Hazam. Nawawi refers to Nawa, a place
near Damascus, in the suburb of the city of Howran. One of his
ancestors named Hazam had settled at this place. Imam Nawawi was born
at Nawa in the year 631 A.H. His father, a virtuous and pious man,
resolved to arrange for proper and befitting education as he had
discovered the symptoms of heavenly intelligence and wisdom in his
promising child at an early stage.
Shaikh Yasin bin Yousuf Marakashi, a saintly figure of Nawa says: "I
saw Imam Nawawi at Nawa when he was a youth of ten years of age.Other
boys of his age used to force him to play with them, but Imam Nawawi
would always avoid the play and wouldremain busy with the recitation
of the Noble Qur'an. When they tried to domineer and insisted on his
joining their games, he bewailed and expressed his no concern over
their foolish action. On observing his sagacityand profundity, a
special love and affection developed in my heart for young Nawawi. I
approached his teacher and urged him to take exceptional care of this
lad as he was to become a great religious scholar and most pious saint
of future. His teacher asked whether I was a soothsayer or an
astrologer. I told him I am neither soothsayer nor an astrologer but
Allah caused me to utter these words." His teacherconveyed this
incident to Imam's father and he keeping in view the learning quest of
his son, decided to dedicate the life of his son for the service and
promotion ofthe cause of Islamic Faith.
In a short period, Nawawi learnt to read the Holy Qur'an and by that
time he nearly had attained puberty. Nawa had no academic or scholarly
atmosphere andthere were no religious academies or institutes where
one could earn excellence in religious learning, so his father took
him to Damascus, which was considered the center of learning and
scholarship, and the students from far and wide gathered there for
schooling. During that period, there were more than three hundred
institutes, colleges and universities in Damascus. Imam Nawawi joined
Madrasah Rawahiyah which was affiliated withthe Ummvi University. The
founder and patron of this Madrasah was a trader named Zakiuddin
Abul-Qassim who was known as Ibn Rawahah. Madrasah was named after
him. Noted and eminent teachers of the period taught in that Madrasah.
Imam Nawawi says, "I studied in this institution for two years. During
my stay in Madrasah Rawahiyah, I never had complete rest and lived on
the limited food supplied by the institution." As a routine he used to
sleep very little at night. When it became irresistible as a human
being, he would lean and slumber for a while against the supportof
books. After a short duration he would again be hard at his scholastic
pursuits.
His Teachers and Guides:
During his stay at Damascus, he studied from more than twenty
celebrated teachers. These teachers were regarded as masters and
authority of their subject field and disciplines they taught. Imam
studied Hadith, Islamic Jurisprudence, its principles, syntax and
Etymology from great scholars of his time. Abu Ibrahim Ishaq bin Ahmad
AI-Maghribi, Abu Muhammad Abdur-Rahman bin Ibrahim Al-Fazari,
Radiyuddin AbuIshaq Ibrahim bin Abu Hafs Umar bin Mudar Al-Mudari, Abu
Ishaq Ibrahim bin Isa Al-Muradi,Abul-Baqa Khalid bin Yusuf An-Nablusi,
Abul-Abbas Ahmad bin Salim Al-Misri, Abu Abdullah Al-Jiyani, Abul-Fath
Umar bin Bandar, Abu Muhammad At-Tanukhi, Sharafuddin Abdul-Aziz bin
Muhammad Al-Ansari, Abul-Faraj Abdur-Rahmanbin Muhammad bin Ahmad
Al-Maqdisi, Abul-Fada'il Sallar bin Al-Hasan Al Arbali etc.
His Students:
There were hundreds of Imam's students, among them some notables are:
Alauddin bin Attar, Ibn Abbas Ahmad bin Ibrahim, Abul-Abbas
Al-Ja'fari, Abul-Abbas Ahmad bin Farah, Rashid Ismail bin Mu'allim
Al-Hanafi, Abu Abdullah Al-Hanbali, AbulAbbas Al-Wasti, Jamaluddin
Sulaiman bin Omar Az-Zar'i, AbulFaraj Abdur-Rahman bin Muhammad bin
Abdul-Hamid AlMaqdisi, Badr Muhammad bin Ibrahim, Shamsuddin Muhammad
bin Abu Bakr, Ash-Shihab Muhammad bin Abdul-Khaliq, Hibatullah
Al-Barizi, Abul-Hajjaj Yusuf bin Az-Zaki etc.
His Desire and Crave for Learning:
Imam Nawawi had endless thirst for knowledge, and it can beguessed
from his daily practice of studies. He used to read daily twelve
lessons and write explanation and commentary of every lesson and also
made important additions. Whatever the book ImamNawawi read, he put
down the marginal notesand explanations on that book. His
intelligence, hard work, love, devotion and absorption in his-studies
amazed his teachers and they become fond of him and began to praise
and admire him. According toImam Dhahabi, Imam Nawawi's concentration
and absorption in academic love gained proverbial fame. He had devoted
all his time for learning and scholarship.Other than reading and
writing, he spent his timecontemplating on the interacted and complex
issues and in finding their solutions. Allah had also conferred upon
him the gift of fast memory and depth of thought, and he who makes the
right use of this boon, there remains no doubt in his sagacity and
discernment. Imam Nawawi made full benefit of his God given qualities
and potentialities and earnedthe highest degree of honor.
Imam's Simplicity and Niceness of Manners:
The learned persons, eliteof the society and the public greatly
respected the Imam on account of his piety, learning and excellent
character. He used simple dress and atesimple food. Devout scholars do
not care about worldly chattels, they give preference to religious and
academic pursuits, propagation of Faith etc. They experience more
heavenly delight and joy in such activities than those who seek
satisfaction in luxurious foods, precious clothes and other worldly
things.Imam Nawawi had a prominent place among the erudite notables of
his age. He was God-fearing person having illustrious and glorious
aims regarding propagation of Faith. Celebrated Sheikh Mohiuddin
expresses his impression about Imam Nawawi as thus:
"Imam Nawawi had threedistinctive commendable qualities in his person.
If anybody have only one out of these three, people return to him in
abundance for guidance. First, having knowledge and its dissemination.
Second, to evade completely from the worldly inclinations, and the
third, inviting to all that is good ( Islam ) enjoining Al-Ma'ruf
[i.e., Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do] and
forbidding Al-Munkar [polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has
forbidden]. Imam Nawawi had all three in him."
Imam Nawawi's worksand his death
The learned Imam had a very short life but even during this short
period, he had written a large number of books on different subjects.
Every work of the Imam is a masterwork and a treasure of knowledge.
Hundreds and thousands of people benefit from these works.
Some of the Prestigious Works of Imam Nawawi are:
Commentary on Sahih Al-Bukhari , Al-Minhaj fi Sharh Sahih Muslim ,
Riyad-us-Saliheen, Kitab-ur-Raudah, Commentary on Mohadhdhab,
Tahdhib-ul-Asma was-Sifat, Kitab-ul-Adhkar, Arba'een, At-Taqreeb fi
Ilmil-Hadith wal-Irshad fihi, Kitab-ulMubhamat, At-Tibyan, Al-Idah fi
Manasikil-Hajj, Sharh Sahih AlBukhari (Naqis), Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud
(Naqis), Tabaqat Ash Shafi'iyah, Muhimmatul-Ahkam,
Manaqib-ush-Shafi'i, Bustan-ulArifeen, Al-Khulasatu fil-Hadith,
Mukhtasar At- Tirmidhi , A1Masa'il Al-Manthurah, Al-'Umdah fi
Tashihit-Tanbih and others.
After spending 28 years of age, Imam Nawawi returned to his hometown.
Soon after his arrival at Nawa, he felt ill and died. Imam Nawawi is
still living in the hearts of Muslims. His works are of everlasting
value. May Allah bless Imam Nawawi.
--

- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/m?hl=en&twu=1/
- - - -

Jinn are Created from Fire

Jinn are other kind of creations of God. Like angels, the jinn's
appearance also differs from that of man. In the Qur'an we are told
that man was created from clay, while the jinn were created from fire:
We created mankind outof dried clay formed from fetid black mud.
Wecreated the jinn before, out of the fire of a searing wind. (Surat
al-Hijr, 26-27)
He created man from dryearth like baked clay, and He created the jinn
from a fusion of fire. (Suratar-Rahman, 14-15)
In the Qur'an, God also reveals His purpose in creating man and the jinn:
I only created jinn and man to worship Me. (Suratadh-Dhariyat, 56)
It is clear that even though man and the jinn are very different
beings they both were created to worship only God by livingby the
values He prescribed. God has revealed in many verses that both angels
and the jinn have some characteristics that differ from human
characteristics. For instance, both can transport matter:
He (Solomon) said,"Council! Who among you will bring me her (the Queen
of Sheba's) throne before they cometo me in submission?" An audacious
one among the jinn said, "I will bring it to you before you get up
from your seat. I am strong and trustworthy enough to do it." (Surat
an-Naml,38-39)
The Qur'an also reveals that the jinn, just like the angels, were
created before man. When He created the Prophet Adam (pbuh) God
commanded the angels and the jinn to prostrate before him. Afterthat,
He reveals that satan is one of the jinn:
When We said to the angels, "Prostrate yourselves to Adam," they
prostrated, with theexception of Diabolis. Hewas one of the jinn and
wantonly deviated from his Lord's command. Do you take him and his
offspring as protectors apart from Me when they are your enemy? How
evil is the exchangethe wrongdoers make! (Surat al-Kahf, 50)
Creation is easy for God, Who can create from nothing and with no
previous cause. Just as He created the angels and thejinn in different
forms from nothing, He also created man as a separate being from
nothing and with no need for evolution. The same applies to other
living things, such as animals and plants. God created all of these
spontaneously out of nothing and without having them evolve – in other
words, without turning one species into another. Every one of these is
a product of the flawless systems God's might and sovereignty brought
about.

--

- - -
Translate:
http://translate.google.com/m?hl=en&twu=1/
- - - -

Mayan people believe that the year 2012 is the beginning of a new age when some blessed people will appear

Mayan people belive that the date December 21st, 2012, which is the
end of the Mayan calendar system made up of periods of thousands of
years, refers to the end of a long age.
According to the Mayan calendar the world enters a new age every
1million 872 thousand days. The history of the world consists of
periodsof nearly 5125 years and the end of each one of these periods
mark radical changes and great renovations.
According to the Mayan people, the period in which we live is the
fifthand the last period and it will come to an end onthe date
13.0.0.0.0. According to the Gregorian calendar, this date is 21
December 2012.
According to the Calendar of the Maya, the date of December 22nd 2012
would be represented by what arenamed: 13 Baktun, 0 Katun, 0 Tun, 0
Uinal, and 0 Kin. On their calendar a total of 1,872,000 days will
have elapsed since the beginning of the Maya Era, and this date will
mark the new beginningof the New Era.
For this reason, Mayan people think that December 21st, 2012 is not
only the end of a particular period. They believe that this date is
the beginning of a new period during which some wise, blessed people
will appear and bring a Golden Age to the world.
The Stella (stone structure) depicting that the date December 21st,
2012 is the time when an age will end and a new one will begin.
A stella was found nearby Nohoch Mul, the second highest pyramid among
the Coba Pyramids of the Ancient Mayan civilization. This stella
depicts the age that starts on August 11, 3114 BC and ends in December
21st 2012.
It is estimated that this stella is at least 2000 years old, because
settlements in the area where the pyramids of Coba exist have been
dated somewhere between 600 and 900 CE.
Mayan glifs signifying December 22th, 2012
According to the Mayan people the end of the long Mayan Cycle will
bring the end of the age of oppression and violence, and this will
bethe beginning of the "Golden Age". However this beginning will not
be a peaceful transformation; there will be upheavals in every corner
of the world, many disasters will come upon that will wear-out the
structures of the state. These will not happen in a short while; they
will occur in a long period of time. Again according to the Mayan
people, followingall these happenings, "great blessed people", whom
they believe will be the spiritual leaders of all humanity, will come.
Before their coming, there will be spiritual workers who will prepare
their way. Mayan people believe that the date December 21st, 2012
signifies the time when these spiritual workers will gradually
increase their influence.

How the Prophet Moses' (pbuh) Staff turned into a Snake

As He did with the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), God also gave miracles to the
Prophet Moses (pbuh), who, as we know, by the will of God saved his
people from Pharaoh by dividing the sea in two. Again by the will of
God, the Prophet Moses' (pbuh) staff turned into a snake. Thisis how
this fact is revealed in the Qur'an:
What is that in your right hand, Moses?'
He said, 'It is my staff. I lean on it and beat down leaves for my
sheep with it and have other uses for it.'
He said, 'Throw it down, Moses.'
He threw it down and suddenly it was a slithering snake.
He said, 'Take hold of it and have no fear. We will return it to its
original form. (Surah Ta Ha, 17-21)
As with the example of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh)making a bird out of
mud, the phenomenon of the Prophet Moses' (pbuh) staff is also one of
the greatest proofs that God can create a living thing outside natural
causes.
The moment the ProphetMoses (pbuh) casts downthe rod on his hands, it
turns, as a blessing from God, from being a lifeless piece of wood
into a fast-moving snakethat swallows everything produced by the
others there, in other words that possesses a digestive system. In
this way, God shows people an example of how He creates life out of
nothing. Inanimate matter comes to life onlyby God commanding it to
"Be!" This miracle bestowed on the Prophet Moses (pbuh) byGod
demolished the superstitious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, and the
people around him immediately saw the truth, abandoned their
superstitious beliefs and believed in God.
God creates from nothing with no need ofnatural causes. In the same
way that He created the jinn and the angels in different ways,He also
created human beings as separate entities, with no need for evolution.
The same applies to other living things, such as animals and plants.
God has created all of these from nothing, without causing any of them
to evolve, in other words, without turning one species into another.
As is revealed in verses, God gives the command"Be!" and it is:
It is He Who created the heavens and the Earth with truth. The day He
says 'Be!' it is. His speech is Truth… (Surat al-An'am, 73)
Our Word to a thing when We desire it is just to say to it 'Be!' and
it is. (Surat an-Nahl, 40)
It is He Who gives life and causes to die. When He decides on
something, He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is. (Surah Ghafir, 68)
That being the case, it is therefore a grave error for believers to
raise specious objections to this clear fact and to make inconsistent
claimsalong the lines of "God created living things through evolution"
and"In creating, He used mutations, natural selection, the
intermediate stages between apes and humans."