Does the Qur'an contain any prophecies about the future? Have anyof these proved true?

Yes, the Qur'an contains many prophecies about the future. Many of
these have already proved true, and we confidently expectthat the
others will also come to pass in due time. In addition, no statement
in the Qur'an has ever proved to be false.
Let us see some examplesof Qur'anic prophecies that has already been
fulfilled. One example is a prophecy that occurs in Surah 30 of the
Qur'an. In the first six verses Allah promised that the Romans who had
just been defeated in the year 615 C.E. would turn around and win a
decisivevictory within nine years. At the time this statementwas made,
no human could envision how it could come to pass. The Romans had been
so soundly defeated that no hope was left that they could make a
comeback within such a short periodof time. The disbelievers mocked at
the Muslims over this passage in the Qur'an because they thought the
prophecy would surely fail. One man, Ummayah bin Khalafby name, even
placed a bet of a hundred camels that the prophecy would fail. Abu
Bakr, the closest follower of the prophet, on whom be peace, took up
that challenge becausehe was sure that the wordof God could never
fail. True enough, within the specified period, in the year 624 CE,
the Romans confronted the Persians inbattle at a place called Issus.
The Romans won their decisive victory exactly as prophecised in the
Qur'an, and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased withhim, won the bet of one
hundred camels. In the meantime, however, revelation from Allah had
prohibited gambling, so the prophet directed Abu Bakr to give away the
camels to the poor and needy.
So the prophecy was fulfilled. But there is moreto this. The same
verses contain yet another prophecy. It says that while the Romans are
winning their victory, the believers in the Qur'an will rejoice in the
victory granted by Allah. We know from history that in that very year
the Muslims were threatened with total annihilation, but Allah rescued
them. The Muslims had been driven out of Mecca, their hometown. Now
they found safe haven in Medina. But the unbelievers could not
restknowing that the Muslimswere free to practice theirfaith somewhere
else. So they marched against the Muslims with an army of one thousand
men fully equipped for battle. The Muslims mustered the best defense
they could, amere 313 men lacking suitable equipment for battle. From
a human point of view, the greater force would win, but the help of
Allah was with thesmall group of believers. Miraculously, the
believerswon, and the Qur'anic prophecy was fulfilled despite all
odds. The unfolding of this double prophecy proves beyond doubt that
the Qur'an could not have been authored by any human being.
Another prophecy occurs in Surah 111 of the Qur'an. That Surah states
that a certain man and hiswife will perish as unbelievers. This was
uttered at a time when noone but God could say who will or will not
become believers later on.Many of the most severe opponents in the
early days became devoted followers in later days. But not this
couple. They tried everything to oppose, ridicule, and disprove the
Qur'an. One would expect that they would also pretend to become
believers just to throw doubt on the accuracy of the Qur'an. But they
did not apply this obvious strategy. What prevented them, if not the
power of God and the truth of His word?
In this way many prophecies were fulfilled, and not one has ever
failed. This gives us every reason to place our full confidence in the
book of God.

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The two wolves inside of us

An old Indian Grandfather said to his grandson who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice........
"Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy.
It is like taking poison andwishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times."
He continued......
"It is as if there are two wolves inside me;
One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmonywith all round him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to doso, and in the right way. He saves all his energy forthe right fight.
But the other wolf, ahhh!
He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason.
He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.
Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyesand asked...
"Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said......
"The one I feed."/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

The Intensity of its Fire

Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated: "When Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, 'Your ordinary fire is one of the 70 potions of the Hellfire,' someone commented, 'O Messenger of Allah, wouldit (ordinary fire) not be sufficient (to burn the wrongdoers)?' At that, Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, 'The Hellfire has 69 more portions than ordinary (worldly) fire, and all of them are as hot as this (worldly fire).'"
[Sahih al-Bukhari]
"Verily, Allah has cursed the disbelievers and prepared for them a Blazing Fire. Dwelling therein forever, and they will find no protector or helper."
[al-Ahzab, 33: 64-65]
"But he who is given his record behind his back will soon cry for destruction, and he will enter a blazing Fire."
[al Inshiqaq, 84: 10-12]
"No, they deny the Hour (of the judgment to come), but We have prepared a blazing fire forsuch as deny the Hour. When it sees them from a far off place, they will hear its fury and its ragingsigh. And when they are cast, bound, in chains, intoconstricted place therein, they will plead therein fordestruction. Do not plead today for a single destruction; plead for destruction oft-repeated."
[al-Furqan, 25: 11-14]
"The companions of the left hand - what are the companions of the left hand? (They will be) in the midst of a fierce blast (of fire) and in boiling water."
[al Waqi'ah, 56: 41-42]
"But, he whose scales are light his home will be a pit. And what will make you understand what thatis? (It is ) a fire, blazing fiercely."
[al Qari'ah, 101: 8-11]
"Soon will I cast him into Saqar (the Hellfire). And what will explain to you what Saqar is? It permits nothing to endure, and it leaves nothing alone, darkening and changing the color of man."
[al Muddaththir, 74: 26-29]
"Their abode will be Hell. Every time it abates. We will increase for them the blaze (the fierceness) of the fire."
[al Isra, 17: 97]
"Those are the ones, who have exchanged the Hereafter for the gains of this worldly life. The punishment will not be lightened for them, and they will not be aided."
[al Baqarah, 2: 86]
"So taste, (the result of your deeds), for We will not increase you except inpunishment."
[an Naba, 78: 30]
Anas (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "The most favored man among the dwellers of the Earth will be brought from among the people of the Fire on the Day of Resurrection. He will be dyed in the Firebut once, and then it will be said to him, 'O son of Adam, have you ever seengood at all? Has any pleasure ever come to you?' He will say, 'No, by Allah, O Lord.' Then the most miserable people in the world will be brought from the people of Paradise and will be dyed with the dye of Paradise. It will be said to him, 'O son of Adam, have you ever seen any misery, andhas any hardship ever come to you? ' He will say,'No, by Allah, O my Lord. No misery ever came to me, nor did I see any hardship.'"
[Muslim]/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

"O Allah! You have grantedme the honor and privilege of talking to you directly,

Once Moosa (as) asked Allah swt:
"O Allah! You have grantedme the honor and privilege of talking to you
directly, Have you given this privilege to any other person?"
Allah swt replied: "O Moosa during the last period I am going to send
an Ummat, who will be the Ummat of Muhammad (saw) with dry lips,
parched tongues, emaciated body with eyes sunken deep into their
sockets, with livers dry andstomachs suffering the pangs of hunger.
They will call out to me (in dua) theywill be much much closer to me
than you O Moosa! while you speak to me, there are 70000 veils between
you and I but at the time of iftaar there willnot be a single veil
between ME and the fasting
Ummati of Muhammad (SAW). O Moosa I have taken upon Myself the
responsibility that at the time of iftaar I will never refuse the dua
of a fasting person"

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Jesus said that he is the way and that noone can come to God except through him. What do Muslims say about that?

Muslims believe that Jesus, on whom be peace, was indeed the way. This
means that he showed the way by which people should approach God. He
expected that people should follow him and imitate him. His early
followers were called followers of the way because, obviously, they
followed Jesus, and Jesus was the way (see Acts 9:2;18:25; 19:9;
19:23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22). They were also called Christians, which
means 'imitators ofChrist' (see Acts 11 :26). This shows that the
early followers of Jesus copied and imitated him.
Jesus had said that his true followers will hold on to his teachings,
then they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free (see
John 8:31-32). God did reveal His truth in these last times. And true
followers of Jesus will readily acceptthat truth, for they will find
it in agreement with the unadulterated teachings of Jesus. In these
last times God has sent a messenger and declared that anyone whoclaims
to love Him must follow His messenger, on whom be peace. God directs
His messenger as follows:
Say! If you love Allah thenfollow me. Allah will love you and forgive
your sins. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (Qur'an 3:31).
Now this messenger, Muhammad, on whom be peace, has brought God's
final message for all of humankind. If we love God we must follow him.
He brought the truth which Jesus said his true followers will
recognize. The truth sets people free from unreasonable doctrines and
dogmas.
Confusion arises in the minds of some who imagine that Jesus is the
only way for peoples of all times and all places. Clearly, the Old
Testamentprophets directed people to Yahweh, the only God. They showed
therefore the way to Yahweh. In fact, people were calling on the name
of Yahweh since the time of Adam (see Genesis 4:1).
Jesus was the way for his time; now Muhammad is the way. We believe in
both of them, and we worship the one God whom they both worshipped.
These men showed us the way to worship God. Jesus, for example, fell
on his knees and worshipped God (see Luke 22:4 1). He also fell on his
face and worshipped God (see Matthew 26:39). Muhammad too adopted
similar postures of humility in worshipping God. Likewise is the
practice of the true imitators of Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon
both of them.
Finally, we should recall that Jesus is the way, not the destination.
He spoke of one who is greater than himself (see John 14:28). And he
said that, that one alone is the only true God (see John 17:3).
God has sent numerous prophets and messengers.Each in his time was the
way to God. No one can approach God in a way contrary to the way of
God's messenger. This is why God said that He will call to account
anyone who does not listen to Hisprophet who will speak inHis name
(see Deuteronomy 18:19).

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Should he follow the local people with regardto starting and ending the fast?

The sighting of the moon in my country was delayed by two days, and
there is a group of people who follow the general sighting and fast
with Saudi and other neighbouring lands. I started to follow this
group this year and I fasted one day before my country. Do I have to
make up the fast, knowing that the sightinghere was proved after that?
Should I break the fast with my country or when the moon is
sightedanywhere?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In the answer to question no. 12660 we stated that if the Muslim is in
a Muslim country that relieson sighting of the moon to mark the
beginning and end of the month, then he must follow that country, and
it is not permissible for him to differ from it in starting and ending
the fast.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
fast is the day when you fast, breaking the fast is the day when you
break the fast, and sacrifice is the day when you offer the
sacrifice." Narrated by AbuDawood (2324) and al-Tirmidhi (697);
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
The imams differed with regard to the question of whether, if the moon
is sighted in one place, all the Muslims are obliged to fast, or are
only the nearby countries obliged to fast and not the
distantcountries, or are those whose sighting coincides with that
sighting obligedto fast, and not those whose sighting did not coincide
with it? There areseveral opinions.
The Muslim should follow the scholars of his own country in whichever
of these views they believe to be more correct, based on the evidence
that they have available, and he should not start or end the fast on
his own.
We have quoted the statement of the Council of Senior Scholars on this
issue in the answer to question no. 50487 , in which they said:
… the members of the Council of Senior Scholars think that matters
should be left as they are and that this subject should not be stirred
up. Each Islamic state should have the right to choose whichever
opinion it wishes, based on the suggestions of its own scholars,
because each view has its evidence and proofs.
Please read this statement in full, because it is important.
Based on this, you should follow your country whichrelies on the
sighting of the moon to establish the beginning and end of the month
and the beginning and end of the fast. If you do that, you will have
done well and you are notrequired to make up the fast.
And Allaah knows best.

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Is moonsighting essential?

Is it essential for the people to sight the new moon of Ramadaan?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The majority of scholars are of the view that sighting the new moon
ofRamadaan on the first night of the month is a communal obligation,
andif all the people fail to do it then they are sinning. This is also
the Hanafi view.
Some of the fuqaha' were of the view that moon sighting is mustahabb.
It says in Majma' al-Anhaar (1/283): It is a communal obligation for
the people to seek the new moon on the evening of the twenty-ninth of
Sha'baan or Ramadaan, and also of Dhu'l-Qa'dah, and it is obligatory
for the ruler to enjoin the people to do that.
It says in al-Fataawa al-Hindiyyah (1/197): It is obligatory for the
people to seek the new moon on the twenty-ninth of Sha'baan at the
time of sunset, and if they see it they must fast. If it is cloudy
then they must complete the month as thirty days. End quote.
See: Fath al-Qadeer (2/313).
It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa' (2/300): It is mustahabb for the
peopleon the night before the thirtieth of Sha'baan to sight the new
moon of Ramadaan.
It is mustahabb to sight the new moon so as to beon the safe side with
regard to fasting and so as to avoid disputes. It was narrated that
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to count the days in
Sha'baan morecarefully than at any other time, then he wouldfast when
he sighted (the new moon) of Ramadaan. Narrated by al-Daaraqutniwith a
saheeh isnaad.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah in a marfoo' report: "Count the days
of Sha'baan for the sake of Ramadaan." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi. End
quote.
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi (678).
It says in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: They should strive to count its days accurately, and that is by
means of watching the waxing and waning of themoon, so that they will
becertain of when to expectthe new moon of Ramadaan and will not miss
any of it. End quote.
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (22/23) it says: Sighting the new moon is
something that isdecreed by the fact that some acts of worship are
connected to specific times. It is prescribed for the Muslims to
strive in seeking it and it is more important on the night before the
thirtieth of Sha'baan, in order to find out whether Ramadaan has
begun, and on the night before the thirtieth of Ramadaan in order to
find out whether the month has ended and Shawwaal has begun, andon the
night before the thirtieth of Dhu'l-Qa'dah to find out if Dhu'l-Hijjah
has begun. These three months have to do with two of the pillars of
Islam,namely fasting and Hajj, and the setting of the dates for 'Eid
al-Fitr and 'Eid al-Adha.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged
seeking the sighting of the moon. It was narratedthat Abu Hurayrah
said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Fast when you see it and break the fast when you see it, and if it is
too cloudy then complete the number (of days) of Sha'baan as thirty."
And it was narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "The month is twenty-nine days, so do not fast
until you see it, and if it is cloudy then complete the month as
thirty days." Thefirst hadeeth enjoins fasting the month of Ramadaan
when its new moon is sighted or when the month of Sha'baan is
completed with thirty days, and it enjoins ending the fast when the
new moon of Shawwaal issighted, or when Ramadaan is completed with
thirty days. The second hadeeth forbids fasting Ramadaan before the
new moon is sighted or before Sha'baan has been completed if it is
cloudy.
And there is a hadeeth narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) in which he enjoined paying attentionto the new
moon of Sha'baan because of Ramadaan. He said: "Count the days of
Sha'baan carefully for the sake of Ramadaan." This hadeeth shows the
importance of paying attention to the month of Sha'baan in order to
workout when Ramadaan starts. It was narrated from 'Aa'ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to count the days in Sha'baan more carefully
than at any other time, then he would fast when he sighted (the new
moon) of Ramadaan, and if it was cloudy he would count thirty days and
then fast.
The commentators said: i.e., he would make sure to count the days of
Sha'baan carefully in order to begin the fast of Ramadaan at the right
time.

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Observing fast is the special duty for all of us in this month. May we could change track of our lives towards duties of Islam. May Allah accept all of your prayers

Famous Islamic Quotes about Ramadan
Given below are some of the best Ramadan quotes that speak about how
the Islamic community should observe this event and what they should
abstain from during this festive occasion. The Ramadan quotes will
also help you get into the mood of the festival.
1)(It was) the month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'aan, a
guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the
criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of yousights (the
crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present
at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month…"
- [al-Baqarah 2:185]
2) "Whoever backbites his Muslim brothers, his fasting will be invalid
and his ablution null. Should hedie in such a state, he will die like
the one who decreed lawful what Allah has forbidden."
- Prophet Muhammad
3)"Allaah has made Laylat al-Qadr in this month, which is better than
a thousand months, as Allaah says...The Night of Al-Qadr is better
than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh
[Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allaah's Permission with all Decrees, there is
peace until the appearanceof dawn." -
[al-Qadar 97:1-5]
4)He is the One GOD; the Creator, the Initiator, the Designer. To Him
belong the most beautiful names. Glorifying Him is everything in the
heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, Most Wise." -
[Quran 59:24]
5) Allah is with those who restrain themselves. -
Quran

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Resting on a sackcloth

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: Once I
went to the Holy Prophet (SAW). He was resting on a sackcloth, which
had welted his body. Seeing this I began to weep. He said: "Why are
you weeping?" I said: "These Caesars and Chosroes, the kings of
Byzantium and Iran, sleep on carpets of silk and velvet and you have
to take rest on sackcloth! I weep becauseof this." He said: "There is
no need of weeping over it" (for the world is for them and for us is
the hereafter). Extracted from the book "Shamail-e-Tirmidhi" by Shaikh
Ahmed E. Bemat.
All the pleasures of this world are temporary. So, let us strive hard
for the hereafter where Allah willgrant us unimaginable forms of
pleasures.

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The Fuel of Hell-Fire

"Those who has disbelieved - their wealth and their children will
never benefit them anything with Allah. And those are the ones who are
the fuel of Hellfire."
[ali'-Imran, 3: 10]
Jinn:
"And there are among us Muslims (in submission to Allah) and others
who deviate from justice. And whoever accepts Islam has sought out the
right path. As for those who deviate, they will be firewood for the
Hellfire."
[al-Jinn, 72: 14-15]
Stones:
"But if you cannot - and ofa surety you cannot - thenfear the fire
whose fuel is men and stones, which is prepared for those who reject
faith."
[al Baqarah, 2: 24]
"O you who believe, save yourselves and your families from a fire
whosefuel is men and stones, over which are appointed angels, stern
and severe, who do not disobey Allah in what He orders them and who do
precisely what they are commanded."
[al-Tahreem, 66: 6]
False Gods
"Verily, you (unbelievers) and what you worship besides Allah are fuel
for Hellfire, You will surely come to it. If those had (truly) been
gods, they would not have come to it. But all will abide therein
eternally."
[al-Anbiya, 21: 98-99]
"And the Fierce Fire will be brought out before those straying in
evil, and it will be said to them, 'Where are those you worshipped
besides Allah? Can they help you or help themselves?' Thenthey will be
thrown into it(the Hellfire) on their faces- they and those straying
in evil and the soldiers of Iblees, all together."

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Allah is sufficient as a surety

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "An Israeli man asked anotherIsraeli to lend him one
thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former
replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' The second said, 'I want
a surety.' The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The
second said, 'You are right,' and lent him the money for a certain
period. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his job, he
searched for a conveyanceso that he might reach in time for the
repayment ofthe debt, but he could notfind any. So, he took a piece of
wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a
letter to the lender and then closed (i.e. sealed) the hole tightly.
He took the piece of wood to the sea and said. 'O Allah! Youknow well
that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded
a surety from me but I told him that Allah's Guarantee was sufficient
and he acceptedYour guarantee. He then asked for a witness and I told
him that Allah was sufficient as a Witness, and he accepted You as a
Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could
pay his money but could not find,so I hand over this moneyto You.'
Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out
far into it, and then hewent away. Meanwhile hestarted searching for a
conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country.
One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had
arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of
wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for
fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it.
Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to
him and said, 'By Allah, I had been trying hard to get a boat so that
I could bring you your money, but failed to get one before the one I
have come by.' The lender asked, 'Have you sent something to me?' The
debtor replied, 'Ihave told you I could not get a boat other than the
one I have come by.' The lender said, 'Allah has delivered on your
behalf the money you sent in thepiece of wood. So, you may keep your
one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path.'" Source:
Sahih Bukhari (Volume 3, Book 37, Number 488h)

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Is there a Sunnah prayer before Jumua‘ah?

We know from the saheeh hadeeths that there are four rak'ahs before
Zuhr. How should we do these rak'ahs on Friday? It is known that there
are no Sunnah prayers before Jumu'ah, but for a person who has the
habit of praying thesefour rak'ahs, is it acceptable for him to do
them on Friday? Is it acceptable for him to praythem before the sun
passes the zenith?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There is no proven report from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) that he prescribed a regular Sunnah (Sunnah
raatibah) prayer to be offered before it, and there is no proven
report from any ofthe Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) that they prayed anyregular Sunnah prayer before
Jumu'ah like the regular Sunnah prayer of Zuhr or any other prayer.
It is not valid to pray the regular Sunnah prayer of Zuhr on Friday,
because Jumu'ah is not Zuhr; rather it is a prayer with its own
rulings. So it is notZuhr and it is not valid either to compare it to
Zuhr in that regard.
See the answer to question no. 114765
With regard to the report which says that Ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be
pleased with him) used topray four rak'ahs before Jumu'ah and four
afterwards, it was narrated by at-Tirmidhi ina mu'allaqan which he
narrated in a way that indicates that it is weak; itis also mawqoof,
with a isnaad that ends with Ibn Mas'ood. The commentator on
at-Tirmidhi narrated from al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on
him) that 'Abd ar-Razzaaq and at-Tabaraani narrated it ina marfoo'
report, but its isnaad has some weakness and interruptions, and a
report that is like this cannot be quoted as evidence.
See: Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 8/261
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: (It is) munkar,
as it says in as-Silsilah ad-Da'eefah, 3/83
Secondly:
It is mustahabb for the one who comes to Jumu'ah to offer voluntary
prayers beforehand, whatever he is able to do, from when he enters the
mosque until the imam comes out to the people, without that being
limited to a specific number. So he may pray two or four rak'ahs, or
whatever Allahwills that he should pray.
Al-Bukhaari (883) and Muslim (657) narrated that Salmaan al-Faarisi
said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does ghusl on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can,
uses (hair) oil or perfumes himself with the perfume of his house,
then goes out (for the Jumu'ah prayer) and does not separate between
two (persons sitting together in the mosque), then prays as much as is
decreed for him, then remains silent whilst the imam is speaking, his
sins between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven for
him."
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, discussing matters
that are specific to Friday:
It is not makrooh to pray on Friday at the time of the zenith,
according to ash-Shaafa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) and those who
agreed with him. This is the view favoured by our shaykh,
Abu'l-'Abbaas ibn Taymiyah, and he did not base his view on the
hadeeth of Layth from Mujaahid from Abu'l-Khaleel from Abu Qataadah
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which
states that it is makrooh to pray at midday except on Friday, and he
said: "Hell flares up (at noon) except on Friday". Rather he based his
view on a report which states that whoever comes to Jumu'ah, it is
mustahabb for him to pray until the imam comes out.
He quoted the hadeeth of Salmaan mentioned above, then he said: The
report recommends praying as much as is decreed for one, and not
stopping until the time when the imam comes out.
Hence more than one of the salaf, including 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may
Allah be pleased with him), who was followed in that by Imam Ahmad ibn
Hanbal, said that the appearance of the imam prevents prayer and his
khutbah prevents speaking. They said that the factor which prevents
prayer is the appearance of the imam, not the mid-point of the day
(noon).
Moreover, if the people are inside the mosque, beneath the roof, and
they cannot tell when the zenith occurs, and a man is focusing on his
prayer, he does not know when the zenith occurs and he cannot go out,
stepping over people's necks to look at the sun and come back, and it
is not prescribed for him to do that. End quote from Zaadal-Ma'aad,
1/365
Ash-Shawkaani also regarded this view as being more correct and
henoted that the hadeeth ofSalmaan mentioned above makes an exception
to the general meaning of the hadeeths that forbid praying at the time
of the zenith. See Nayl al-Awtaar, 3/313

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Story of a man called Juraij

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said,"There was an Israeli mancalled Juraij, while he
was praying, his mother came and called him, but he didnot respond to
her call. Hesaid (to himself) whether he should continue the prayer or
reply to his mother. She came to him the second time and called him
and said, "O Allah! Do not let him die until he sees the faces of
prostitutes." Juraij used tolive in a hermitage. A woman said that she
would entice Juraij, so shewent to him and presented herself (for an
evil act) but he refused. She then went to a shepherd and allowed him
to commit an illegal sexual intercourse with her and later she gave
birth to a boy. She allegedthat the baby was from Juraij. The people
went to Juraij and broke down his hermitage, pulled him outof it and
abused him. He performed ablution and offered the prayer, then he went
to the male (baby) and asked him; "O boy! Who is your father?" The
baby replied that his father was the shepherd. The people said that
they would build for him a hermitage of gold but Juraij asked them to
makeit of mud only." Source: Sahih Bukhari (Volume 3, Book 43, Number
662)
Allah's help is with those who are sincere to their faith.

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Two things that he feared

It is said about Shaddad ibne Aws (RA) that he once began to cry.
People asked about his crying, and he replied: It is something I heard
from Rasulullah (SAW) which makes me weep when I remember it.
Rasulullah (SAW) had said: I fear for my people from Shirk (ascribing
partners to Allah) and Hidden Desires. Shaddad (RA) says: I had asked:
O Rasulullah! Would your people be guilty of idolatry after your
death? Rasulullah (SAW) had replied: Yes (but) they will not worship
the sun, the moon, a stone or an idol; but they will act for display
(without sincerity). Hidden Desire isthat one of them will startthe
day fasting, but when one of his desires will present itself to him;
he will abandon his fast (and satisfy his desire). Source: Musnad
Ahmed.
Let us not worship nicely so that others can see andpraise us. Today,
we wear beautiful clothes and jewelleries when attending an invitation
or meeting a renowned person. Whereas, when the pious people of the
past would get up for tahajjud prayer at night, they would wear their
best clothes, put on the surma and decorate themselves nicely to stand
in front of Allah.

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