Biographies - Bi Safiyyah – Mother of Maulana Ilyas Dehlvi

Bi Saffiyah was an excellent reciter and memoriser of the Holy Qur'an.
She had memorised the Holy Bookduring her son Yahya's suckling and she
had a command on memory that few could stand to contest. She had the
habit of going through the Qur'an Al-Majid once daily during the month
of Ramadanand thus would complete 30 repititions of the Noble Book. It
was also her practice to perform the household duties and
therecitation simultaneously. Her daily practice other than Ramadan
was that she would recite:
*.Durood shareef5000 times
*.Ism Dhat(One of Allahs names chosen on the virtue of its meaning) 5000 times
*.بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم(in the name of Allah, the Gracious, the
Merciful) 900 times
*.يا مغنى(O Enricher, Provider to His slaves) 1100 tiimes
*.استغفار(I beg Thine pardon, Mighty Lord) 500 times
*.حسبى الله ونعم الوكيل(Allah sufficeth me! Most excellent is He in
whom we trust) 500 times
*.سبحان الله(Glory be to Allah) 200 times
*.الحمد للله(Praise be to Allah) 200 times
*.لااله الا الله(There is no God but Allah) 200 times
*.الله اكبر(Allah is the Greatest) 200 times
*.افوض امر الى الله(I confide my cause unto Allah) 100 times
*.حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل(Allah is sufficient for us, Most excellent is
He in whom we trust) 100 times
*.رب انى مغلوب فانتصر(My Lord, I am vanquished, so give me help) 100 times
*.رب انى مسنى الضر وانت ارحم الراحمين(My Lord, Lo adversity afficeth
me, and thou are Most Merciful of all who show mercy) 100 times
*.لااله الا انت سبحنك انى كنتمن الظلمين(There is no God save Thee, Be
Thou Glorified! Lo! I have been a wrong doer) 100 times
and, moreover she wouldrecite some part of the Holy Qur'an.
Source: Leading Ladies, who made a difference in the lives of others
Subhanallah such an amazing example of a Pious Woman from Modern
history, not only did she engage in Dhikr of Allah, but she would also
fulfill her household chores and reared her children with an islamic
upbringing. May Allah give us the ability to tread in the footsteps of
our pious predecessors, generate the love of Allahin our hearts,
obtain nearness to our Lord and live our lives in accoradance to the
Shariah. Ameen

Breaching covenants – a trait of the immoral

Whenever a person makes a promise, he or she must fulfill it; if he or
she commits him/herself to something, whether it concerns other people
or Allaah The Almighty, and then falls shortof delivering on it, that
is considered a breach of the pledge. The righteous believers never
break their covenants, which is rather typical of immoralpeople and
hypocrites. Allaah TheAlmighty Says (what means):{AndWe did not find
for most of them any covenant; but indeed, We found most of them
defiantly disobedient.}[Quran 7:102]
The Prophet,, also warned us:"A person who has the following four
[characteristics] is a pure hypocrite and he who possesses one of them
has a traitof hypocrisy until he abandons it: when he talks, he lies;
when he isparty to a covenant, he proves to be treacherous; when he
makes apromise, he breaks it; and when he disagrees with others, he
disputes violently."[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] In fact, he,, depicted a
person who has this dispraised trait as one who has lost his or her
nobility and religion, when he said:"A person who is not trustworthy
has no faith and whoever breaches his pledge has no religion."[Ahmad]
That is why Ibn Al-Jawzisaid,"Violating an agreement is characteristic
of the depraved and those who [do that] will receive their punishment
some day."Also, Muhammad ibn Ka'b Al-Qurathisaid,"Three traits afflict
the one who has them: scheming, being unjust and breaching a
covenant"; he then recited the verses where Allaah The Almighty Says
(what means):
{But the evil plot does not encompass except its own people.}[Quran 35:43]
{O mankind, your injustice is only against yourselves.}[Quran 10:23]
{So he who breaks his word only breaks it to the detriment of
himself.}[Quran 48:10]"
Commenting on the third verse, Ibn 'Atiyyahsaid,"Breaking one's word
means contravening a pledge; thus, [a man who does so] harms his soul
and his breaching of the covenant is only to his own detriment."
The prohibition of this major sin
Allaah The Almighty forbade the believers from breaking their pledges
and rendered it compulsory for them to fulfill them, as He Says (what
means):
{And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that
about which one will be] questioned.}[Quran 17:34]
{O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts.}[Quran 5:1]
There is abundant proof indicating the obligation of fulfilling
covenants and the prohibition of breaching it. Consequently, some
scholars considered violating an agreement as one of the gravest
errors. Among them are:
- Imaam Ath-Thahabiwho said,"The forty-fifth major sin is treachery
and breaching a covenant."
- Imaam Ibn Hajarwho stated,"Considering infringementof an agreement
as one of the major sins is the view of many scholars."
- Imaam Ibn 'Atiyyahwho declared,"It is prohibited to violate any
permissible pact between Muslims."
Consequences of breaching a covenant
This act has many evil consequences that affect both individuals and
communities. It leads to dispute and dissension, hostility and hatred;
it removes confidence from within the society and causes others to
lose faith in the Muslim community. Inaddition to this, Allaah The
Almighty threatened those who go against their word, with various
punishments, some of which are:
1- 1. A curse on, and hardness of,the heart
In the following Quranic verse, Allaah The Almighty relates abouta
group of the Children of Israel, when He Says (what means):{So for
their breaching of the covenant We cursed them and made their hearts
hard. They distort words from their [proper]usages and have forgotten
a portion of that of which they were reminded. And you will still
observe deceit among them, except a few of them.}[Quran 5:13] Shaykh
Ash-Shinqeetisaid,"He who violates a pact that he was a party to,
harms no one but himself and subjects himself to the Curse of Allaah."
2- 2. Great loss in this life and theHereafter
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{Who break the covenantof Allaah
after contracting it and sever that which Allaah has ordered to be
joined and cause corruption on earth. It is those who are the
losers}[Quran 2:27], both in this life and in the Hereafter.
Al-Haafith Ibn Hajardrew attention to this when he said,"When the
Quraysh infringed their treaty with the tribe of Khuzaa'ah, who were
allies of the Prophetthe repercussions were that the Muslims invaded
them and conquered Makkah. Those people then sought security and
instantly became humiliated following their previous state of pride
and power; and they remained this way until they reverted to Islam."
3- 3. Prevalence of murder and being overcome by enemies
This is one of the immediate retributions that afflict communities
when they allow the habit of breaking pledges to permeate them. This
is indicated by the Hadeeth where the Prophet,, said:"Whenever people
[begin to] breach the covenant, killing spreads among them."[Ibn
Maajah, Saheeh - Albaani] Talking about some punishments that afflict
the Ummah when certain acts of disobedience become rampant among
Muslims, the Prophet,, said:"When they breach the Covenant of Allaah
and that of HisMessengerAllaah would give a foreign enemy power over
them, who would seize some of what they have."[Ibn Maajah and others]
4- 4. Disgrace and painful punishment on the Day of Resurrection
On the Day of Judgment, when Allaah The Almighty gathers all
ofmankind, every treacherous person will be branded by a sign; and it
will be announced, "This is the treachery of so-and-so, the son of
so-and-so." That is the disgrace, followed by a painful punishment, as
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{Butthose who break the Covenant
of Allaah after contracting it and sever that which Allaah Has Ordered
to be joined and spread corruption on earth - for them is the curse,
and they will have the worst home.}[Quran 13:25]
5- 5. The ignominy of being the worst people in the Sight of Allaah
The Almighty
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{Indeed, the worst of living
creatures in the Sight of Allaah are those who have disbelieved, and
they will not [ever] believe - the ones with whom you made a covenant
but then they break their covenant every time, and they do not fear
Allaah.}[Quran 8:55-56] Commenting on these verses, Imaam Ibn
Katheersaid,"Allaah The Almighty states here that the most debased
living things on earth are the disbelievers who do not have faith in
Him and who break their covenants whenever they committo them and even
when they vowto honor them. They are not mindful of Allaah The
Almighty in any of the sins they do."
Islam warnsagainst breaching covenants, even with enemies. Our
righteous predecessors have set wonderful examples in this respect.
'Amr ibn 'Abasahrelates:"There was a [provisional]covenant between
Mu'aawiyahand the Romans. Before the end of the period, he moved
towards their land in order to invade them after the treaty would
expire. Upon seeing this, an old man remarked, 'Allaah is The
Greatest, Allaah is The Greatest! Fulfill the covenant and do not
breach it. The Messenger of Allaahsaid,'Whoever enters into an
agreement with some people is not permitted to make a single move [in
breach of it] until the term expires or he renounces [it] with them on
equal terms.''"Hence, as soon as Mu'aawiyahheard that, he withdrew.
We will conclude with the remarks of Al-Haafith Ibn Hajarregarding
this topic:"Treachery is a grave major sin, particularly when it comes
from aperson who is in a position of authority. That is because his
infringement harms many peopleand he is not forced to do that because
fulfilling it instead is within his capacity."

Maintaining the ties of kinship

Verses of the Noble Quran and various Hadeeth of the Prophet,, call
strongly for the upholding of kinship ties and encourage this by
offering worldly and religious rewards.
There is no doubt that a society whose members maintain family
relations and treat each other mercifully forms an invincible fortand
a fortified castle. It produces close-knit families and a solid social
structure that provides the world with leaders, instructors, thinkers,
teachers, callers and reformers, who carry the torches of guidance to
their nation and all of humanity.
This article focuses on upholding good relations with kindred, which
is among the greatest and noblest morals.
Definition
Kinship ties refer to a person's bond with his paternal and maternal
relatives; and, maintaining them implies being good and kind to one's
relations in both words and deeds. This includes visiting them, asking
after them, supporting the needyamong them and helping them with their
affairs.
There are many virtues of upholding kinship ties, as doing so is:
1-A sign of faith: Abu Hurayrahnarrated that the Prophet,,
said:"Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day should behospitable
to his guest; and whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day should
maintain his kinship ties; and whoever believes in Allaah and the Last
Day, should speak well or remain silent."[Al-Bukhaari] In this
Hadeeth, the Prophet,, referred to three things that make people
cooperate with and love each other: extending a warm welcome to
visitors, preserving the ties of kindred andusing kind words. In fact,
he,, established a connection between these qualities and faith, in
effect, saying that anyone who believes in Allaah The Almighty and the
Last Day does not sever his kinship ties; and, that is because
maintaining kinship ties is a sign of faith.
2-A cause for increased blessings in one's provisions and age: All
people want to have a luxurious and prolonged life, because the desire
for possessions and life aretwo basic instincts in every human being.
Therefore, whoever wants to achieve this should have good relations
with his or her family, as Anasnarrated that the Prophet,,
said:"Whoever loves to be granted ample provisions and a long life,
should maintain good ties with his or her relatives."[Al-Bukhaari]. In
a different wording, 'Alirelated that the Prophet,, added that if such
aman also"desires to be [..] protected against an evil end [of life],
let him fear Allaah The Almighty and maintain good ties with his
relatives."[Al-Bazzaar and Al-Haakim]
3-A reason for Allaah The Almighty to also maintain ties with a
servant and honor him or her: 'Aa'ishahrelated that the Prophet,,
said:"The womb [i.e., ties of kinship] is suspended from the throne
[of Allaah The Almighty], saying: Whoever preserves me, Allaah will
uphold ties with him [or her] and he who severs me, Allaah willsever
the bond with him."[Muslim] Allaah The Almighty positively responds to
this plea, thereby treating with kindness those who keep good
relations with family and cutting off those who do not. And,
certainly, it would be horrible for a weak, helpless slave if Allaah
The Almighty severed ties with him.
4-A factor that enables one to be admitted to Paradise: The Prophet,,
said:"O people exchange greetings (i.e., say: 'As-salaamu 'Alaykum'
(peace be on you) to one another), feed people, maintain kinship ties
and pray at night when others are asleep, so that you may enter
Paradise in peace."[Ahmad, At-Tirmithi and ibn Maajah]
Maintaining ties of kinship does not mean visiting, helping or serving
one's relatives in return for similar deeds on their part. True
upholding of family relations is to do so with those kith and kin who
sever their bondwith us. Thus, it refers to visiting relatives who do
not visit us, and being good to those who wrong us. 'Abdullaah ibn
'Amr ibn Al-'Aasnarrates that the Prophet,, said:"A man who perfectly
maintains the ties of kinship is not he who recompenses the good done
to him by his relatives; rather, he is the one who is on agreeable
terms with those kin who have severed [their] bond with
him."[Al-Bukhaari]
In another Hadeeth on the authority of Abu Hurayrahit was mentioned
that a man came to the Prophet,, and said:"I have relatives whom I
maintain ties with, but they cut me off, and I treat them kindly, but
they deal badly with me. I am gentle with them, but they are harsh to
me.''The Messenger of Allaah,, replied:"If you are as you say, it is
as if you are feeding them hot ashes; you will have a supporter from
Allaah against them, as longas you continue to act the way you
are."[Muslim]
Imaam An-Nawawisaid:"Hotashes are used as a metaphor to demonstrate
that such relatives bear as much guilt as the pain and agony
experienced by the person who eats them. As for theone who treats such
relatives kindly, there is no argument against him, rather they are
the ones who commit a grievous sin by mistreating and harming him."
Moreover, this Hadeeth is a consolation for the many who are afflicted
with rude relatives; in their repayment of evil with good and the
former's meeting their wickedness with goodness, it is evident that it
is only the latter who are the real losers.

The ethical framework for a Muslim investor

Money, money, money. Doesn't it make your head spin sometimes?Think of
all the things you can do if you just had a little more…
Unfortunately, this compelling greed and need sometimes drivesus to
make financially unsound decisions, and worse still, even un-Islamic
ones. The following article outlines various aspects ofIslamic
financial dealings, from paying the one you hire to what not to pay
when you owe someone. There are so many evidences with regard to
Islamic finance that they cannot and must not be ignored. If you ever
intend to spend another dollar, you must read on.
The Hirer and the Laborer
Nothing bonds employees to their place of work more than the
fulfillment of their contractual rights, including receiving their
wages on time – such treatment fosters loyalty and a sense of
belonging as well as financial security for themselves and their
family. The Prophetsaid: "Give the laborer his wages before his sweat
dries away." [Ibn Maajah]. Hegave a stern warning to those who do not
meet their obligations by saying:"Allaah Almighty Said (what means):
'I will be an opponent to three types of people on the Day of
Resurrection: one who makes a covenant in My name, but proves
treacherous; one who sells a free person and eats his price and onewho
employs a laborer and takes full work from him, but does not pay him
for his labor.'"[Al-Bukhaari].
Our Wealth and Charity
However, the highest among the list of financial obligations is thatof
our obligation toward our Creator. The rich begin to fulfill this
obligation by giving Zakaah to the poor and they continue the
fulfillment by giving charitable donations whenever needed. Fulfilling
one's obligationtowards Allaah purifies the capital from inadvertent
errors and suspicion, as well as purifies the soul from stinginess and
selfishness.
Charity does not eat away capital,rather it increases it. On the
otherhand, withholding Zakaah is a direct reason for bankruptcy. When
people withhold Zakaah, Allaah withholds rain from them and if it were
not for the sake of preserving cattle and wildlife, therain would
cease altogether. Evidence abounds on these issuesfrom both the Quran
and Sunnah.
Allaah Says (what means):"… Andthose who hoard gold and silver and
spend it not in the way of Allaah – give them tidings of a painful
punishment. The Day when it (the gold and silver whose Zakaah was not
paid) will be heated in the Hellfire and seared therewith will be
their foreheads, their flanks and their backs, (it will be said),
'This is what you hoarded for yourselves,so taste what you used to
hoard.'"[Quran 9:34-35].
Allaah also Says (what means):"And those within whose wealth is a
known right (Zakaah). For thepetitioner and the deprived."[Quran
70:24-24].
And in another verse, Allaah Says (what means):"Take, (O Muhammad),
from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them
increase, and invoke (Allaah's blessings) upon them. Indeed, your
invocations are reassurance for them. And Allaah is Hearing and
Knowing."[Quran 9:103].
The Prophetsaid:"No owner of treasure who does not pay Zakaah (would
be spared) but (his hoard) would be heated in the Hellfire. These
would be made into plates and with these, his sides and his forehead
would be cauterized till Allaah pronounces judgment among Hisservants
during a Day, the extent of which would be fifty thousand years. He
would then see his path, leading either to Paradise or to
Hellfire…"[Muslim].
One has only to regard the effect that Zakaah has on society to
recognize its importance. The money is paid by the rich in orderto
fulfill their obligation towards Allaah, and then used by the poorto
relieve their suffering. In a society where giving and receiving are
carried out in good faith, the poor live peacefully with the rich in a
flourishing and stable solidarity. The Prophetgave an example of this
society by saying:"When the Ash'arites run short of provisions in the
campaigns or run short of food for their children in Al-Madeenah, they
collect whatever is with them in a cloth and then partake equally from
one vessel. They are from me and I am from them."[Al-Bukhaari].
Avoiding Ribaa (Interest)
A careful analysis of the history ofcivilizations reveals a common
root to all turmoil and political unrest – and that root is usury.
This is the reason why Islam tookan extremely firm stand on the issue
of interest.
Muslim investors should be extremely careful to avoid engaging in
transactions involving interest or in any transaction involving
interest masquerading as a seemingly lawful transaction.
Allaah forbade interest and threatened those who take it with severe
punishment, when He Says (what means):
"Those who consume interest cannot stand (on the Day of Resurrection)
except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That
is because they say: 'Trade is (just) like interest.' But Allaah has
permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received an
admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past, and his
affair rests with Allaah. But whoever returns (to dealing in interest
or usury) – those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide
eternally therein. Allaah destroys interest and gives increase for
charities. And Allaah does not like every sinning disbeliever."[Quran
2:275-276].
Allaah Almighty declared war against those who take interest and
encouraged lenders to be patient with borrowers to the point of
absolving them from all, or part, of the loan in the following verse,
when He Says (what means):
"O you who have believed, fear Allaah and give up what remains (due
to you) of interest, if you should be believers. And if you donot,
then be informed of a war (against you) from Allaah and His Messenger.
But if you repent, youmay have your capital – (thus) you do no wrong,
nor are you wronged. And if someone is in hardship, then (let there
be) postponement until (a time of) ease. But if you give (from your
right as) charity, then it is better for you, if you only knew."[Quran
2:278-281]
Islam's ruling on taking interest is very straightforward and severe.
It is considered to be one of the seven mortal sins. The
Prophetsaid:"Avoid the seven great destructive sins." Thepeople
inquired: 'O Allaah's Messenger! What are they?' He said: 'To join
others in worship along with Allaah, to practice sorcery, to take the
life which Allaah has forbidden except for a just cause (according to
Islamic law), to eat up Ribaa (usury), to eat up an orphan's wealth,
to show one's back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at
the time of fighting; and to accuse chaste women, who do not have any
unchaste thoughts and are good believers.'"[Al-Bukhaari].
The Prophetwent on to cursethe taker of interest, its payer and also
the one who records it, including the two witnesses. Hesaid:"They are
all equal."[Muslim].
The Prophetfurther said:"This night I dreamt that two men came and
took me to a holy land whence we proceeded on tillwe reached a river
of blood, where a man was standing, and on its bank was standing
anotherman with stones in his hands. The man in the middle of the
river tried to come out, but the other threw a stone in his mouthand
forced him to go back to his original place. So, whenever he tried to
come out, the other man would throw a stone in his mouth and force him
to go back to his former place. I asked: 'Whois this?' I was told:
'The person inthe river used to eat Ribaa.'"[Al-Bukhaari].