Prophet Ismail and hisMother

When Ismail (alayhis salam) was still a small baby, his father Ibrahim
(alayhis salam) took him and his mother, Hajra, to the site of the
Ka'ba. He gave them some dates and a goat skin full of water and left
them there. At that time no one lived at the Ka'ba, and there was no
water nearby. As Ibrahim (alayhis salam) was walking away, Ismail's
(alayhis salam) mother followed him, asking why she and her son were
being left in sucha desolate place. She askedseveral times but he
would not answer her. Finally, she asked if Allah had ordered him to
do thisand he replied that it was so. Upon hearing this, she accepted
Allah's will and returned to the site where Ibrahim (alayhis salam)
had left her.
As soon as Ibrahim (alayhis salam) was out of sight, he turned and
prayed to Allah to protect and provide for his family which he had
left out in the wilderness:
"O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley
without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House; In order, O our Lordthat
they may establish regular prayer ; So fill the hearts of some among
men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits; So that they
may give thanks." (al-Qur'an 14:37)
Ismail (alayhis salam) and his mother lived for some time on the
supply of water and dates, but finally the water began to give out,
and Ismail's (alayhis salam) mother could no longer produce sufficient
milk to nurse herbaby. The baby became agitated and near to death
because of his thirst. The mother could not bear to see her child
suffering, so she ran to the top of nearby Mt. Safa to see if she
could find someone to help her. When she could see no one, she ran
down the mountain and across the valley to Mt. Marwa. Seven times she
ran from one mountain to the other, looking in vain for assistance.
After the seventh time she heard a voice and she called out toit for
help. When she looked she saw an angel digging the earth with his heel
until water flowed forth. That place was the site of Zam-zam. She
carefully made a depression around the place where the water was
flowing, and filled herwaterbag with her hands. Then she was able to
drinkwater and nurse her baby. The angel told her not to be afraid,
that she and her son would be provided for.
Ismail (alayhis salam) and his mother continued to live at the Ka'ba
all by themselves for some time. One day some people of the Jurhum
tribe were passing through the valley. They didn't intend to stop,
because they knew that there had neverbeen any water in that valley.
But they saw a kindof bird which was known to frequent wet spots, so
they followed it to the spring of Zam-zam. There they found Ismail's
mothersitting by the water.
Ismail's (alayhis salam) mother was a very sociable person who
lovedthe company of others, so she readily agreed to their request to
stop there for a while, provided that they did not claim possession
ofthe water. Some of the people of Jurhum decided to settle
permanently by Zam-zam and sent for their families. Ismail (alayhis
salam) grew up with these people and learned to speak Arabic from
them. When he grewup, they urged him to marry one of their women.
You can read about Ismail and his mother in Sahih al-Bukhari IV:582-584.

6a] Turning off the cell phone during the Fridaykhutbah – does this come under the heading of idle action that invalidates the reward of Jumu’ah?

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
6a]
2. He is enjoined to be quiet and refrain from speaking. It is
haraam for him to speak whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah, and
it is also haraam for him to move, fidget, touch the pebbles, draw
lines on the ground, or anything else of that nature.

6] Turning off the cell phone during the Fridaykhutbah – does this come under the heading of idle action that invalidates the reward of Jumu’ah?

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
6]
During the Friday khutbah, some brothers' cell phones ring whilst
thekhateeb is delivering the khutbah on the minbar, and some of them
have musical tones that are similar to the tunes of promiscuous songs.
Thosewhose cell phones ring turn them off during the khutbah. Is this
regarded as coming under the heading of idle action to which the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) referred in his
hadeeth? Does this mean that there is no Jumu'ah for the one who
engages in idle action, and that thereward of Jumu'ah becomes like the
reward for Zuhr only? We hope you can clarify this matter.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Using musical tunes as thering tones for cell phones is an evil action
and is haraam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) forbade all musical instruments. See the answer to question
no. 47407 .
The one who forgets to turn off his cell phone during the Friday
khutbahhas to turn it off if it rings,even if the ring tone is
permissible, because leaving it disturbs the khateeb and other
worshippers, and distractsthem from the obligation of listening to the
khateeb.
We hope that switching itoff does not come under the heading of idle
talk that is forbidden during the Friday khutbah, whichis referred to
in the question. This is mentioned in the words of the Prophet (peace
andblessings of Allaah be upon him), "but whoever touches the pebbles
has engaged in an idle action." Narrated by Muslim (857).
The hadeeth applies to the one who fiddles with something that
distracts him from listening to the khutbah, such as a cell phone, a
carpet and so on.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar, in Fathal-Baari, commentary on hadeeth no (934),
narrated that the majorityof scholars said that the one who needs to
enjoin something good or forbid something bad at the time of the
khutbah may do so by gesturing.
Al-Nawawi said in Sharh Saheeh Muslim:
This hadeeth indicates that all kinds of speech are haraam during the
khutbah. … Rather the way to do it if one wants to tell someone else
not to speak is by gesturing to him to be quiet, if he will understand
it. End quote.
Based on this, then a slight movement that is done for a good reason
is acceptable and is not idle action, and there is nothing wrong with
doing it during the Friday khutbah.
Secondly:
The meaning of the Prophet's words, "There isno Jumu'ah for him",
concerning the one who engages in idle action during the Friday
khutbah, is that it will be recorded for him as Zuhr, and he will be
deprived ofthe reward for Jumu'ah prayer.
It was narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "If a person engages in idle action or steps over
people's necks, it will be Zuhr for him." Narrated byAbu Dawood (347);
classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Al-Nadr ibn Shameel said: "you engaged in idle action" means: you lost
something of your reward; and it was said: you invalidated the
virtueof your Jumu'ah. And it was said: Your Jumu'ah became Zuhr.
I [Ibn Hajar] said: The comments of the scholars of [Arabic] language
are close in meaning, and the latter view is supported by what Abu
Dawood andIbn Khuzaymah narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr in a
marfoo' hadeeth: "If aperson engages in idle action or steps over
people's necks, it will be Zuhr for him." Ibn Wahb –one of the
narrators – said: What it means is: Hisprayer is still valid but he is
deprived of the virtue of Jumu'ah. End quote.
Fath al-Baari (2/414).
Badr al-Deen al-'Ayni (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The words "it will be Zuhr for him" mean: his Jumu'ah will be Zuhr for
him, in the sense that the virtue that he would haveattained from
Jumu'ah will not be attained, because he failed to fulfil the
condition of this virtue. End quote.
Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood (2/169).
What those who come to Jumu'ah prayer should do is respect the symbols
of Allaah, which includes keeping the physical faculties still and
refraining from fidgeting, and keeping the tongue still and refraining
from talking, otherwise he has sinned and his Jumu'ah has become Zuhr.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him)said:
Undoubtedly the Muslim is enjoined during the khutbah to listen and
pay attention, and stop moving. He is enjoined to do two things:
1. Be silent and still, and refrain from moving or fidgeting.
:->

5a] Is it permissible for him to complete the purchase when he can hear the call to prayer?

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
5a]
To sum up: Jumu'ah cannot be compared with other prayers, but if he
avoids such situations so that he will not be distracted from praying
incongregation, that is better.
Whatever the case, if his buying and selling may distract him from
performing prayer in congregation, then it is haraam, but in some
casesthe prayer may be delayed, if the Imam is late, so a person may
buy or sell something on his way, and it may not affecthis attending
the prayer. But if he avoids that and adheres to what applies to
Jumu'ah, that will be more on the safe side, so it is like Jumu'ah
with regard to precautions.

And Allah knows best.

5] Is it permissible for him to complete the purchase when he can hear the call to prayer?

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
5]
Sometimes when I'm in the market place and I amin a store and have
chosen something and amat the checkout, the call toprayer is given. Is
it permissible for me to complete the purchase or is that haraam?
Also, sometimes we are inthe car and the muezzin has already given the
call to prayer, and we stop at the grocery and my brother asks the
shopkeeper to sell him something. Does this also come under the
prohibition?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If that is the adhaan for Jumu'ah prayer that comes after the khateeb
has ascended the minbar, then it is haraam to buy and sell at that
time, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "O you who
believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah (prayer)
on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu'ah
religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and leave off business
(and every other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!"
[al-Jumu'ah 62:9].
The words "O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed
for the Salaah (prayer) on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the
remembrance of Allaah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah
(prayer)] and leave off business" mean: stop dealing with trade and
come and listen to the khutbah and perform Jumu'ah prayer in the
mosque with the imam. This means that it is haraam to buy and sell
after the second adhaan which comes when the khateeb sits on the
minbar, until the prayer ends, unless there is a case of necessity
which calls for buying or selling, such as buying water for the
purpose of purification or a garment to cover one's 'awrah for prayer.
End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 13/101-102
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said:
Buying and selling after the second call to Jumu'ahis haraam and also
invalid. Based on that, thetransaction is invalid, so itis not
permissible for the purchaser to dispose of what he has bought,
because he has not taken possession of it, and it is not permissible
for the seller to dispose of the money paid, because he has not taken
possession of it. This is a serious matter, because some people may
buy or sell after the second call to Jumu'ah, then take things on the
assumption that they now belong to them.End quote.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti', 8/52.
So it is not permissible to buy or sell after the second adhaan for
Jumu'ah, because what is required is to hasten to the mosque in order
to hear the khutbah and pray, and buying and selling distracts from
that.
But if that happens with regard to all the other prayers (Fajr, Zuhr,
'Asr, Maghrib and 'Isha'), there is nothing wrong with it, so long as
it does not distract one from praying in congregation and causeone to
miss it.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Men whom neither trade
nor sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allaah (with heart
and tongue) nor from performing As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât) nor from
giving the Zakât. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be
overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of
Resurrection)" [al-Noor 24:37].
Those are men who, even if they do business and sell and buy, there is
nothing haraam in that, but it should not distract them and make them
give precedence to that and prefer it over the remembrance of Allah,
establishing prayer and giving zakaah; rather theyshould make
obedience toAllah and worship of Him their ultimate aim, so whatever
keeps them from that, they should reject it.
End quote from Tafseer al-Sa'di, p. 569
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it haraam
tobuy and sell during the adhaan or after it? What about on Fridays?
He replied:
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "O you who believe
(Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah (prayer) on
Friday (Jumu'ah prayer)..." [al-Jumu'ah 62:9], so it is not permissible
to buy and sell or to rent or do any other kind of transaction; rather
peopleshould focus on Jumu'ah prayer and hasten to prayJumu'ah, and
not let anything else distract them.
With regard to other prayers, they may or may not come under the same
rulings as Jumu'ah, but to be on the safe side, one should not do
anything after the call to prayer, after the adhaan for Zuhr, 'Asr or
Maghrib, because that may distract him from praying in congregation.
So it is better to avoid that, unless it is some minor matter that
will not distract him, so perhaps there is nothing wrong with it,
because Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, only spoke about the
issue of Jumu'ah, because it is very important and it is obligatory to
attend it, and one misses out by missing it. So it is a serious matter
and is a weekly obligation.
:->

Why aren't travellers mentioned in the hadeeth, “Jumu’ah prayer is an obligatory duty for every Muslim except four”?

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
In a hadeeth of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) it says: "Jumu'ah prayer is an obligatory duty for every Muslim
except four." Why is it that travellers not included among those for
whom Jumu'ah prayer is waived in this hadeeth?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The hadeeth referred to inthe question was narratedfrom Taariq ibn
Shihaab (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Jumu'ah prayer is an obligatory
duty for every Muslim, to be offered in congregation, except four:a
slave who is owned, or woman, or a child, or one who is sick."
Narrated by Abu Dawood (1067). Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo' (4/483):
Its isnaad is saheeh according to the conditions of the two shaykhs
(al-Bukhaari and Muslim). Ibn Rajab said in Fath al-Baari (5/327): Its
isnaad is saheeh. Ibn Katheer said in Irshaad al-Faqeeh (1/190): Its
isnaad is jayyid. It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami' (3111).
It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The
traveller is not obliged to pray Jumu'ah." Al-Haafiz said in Buloogh
al-Maraam: Its isnaad is da'eef.
The exception of the traveller is also mentioned in a number
ofhadeeths, including the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, according to which
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said:
"There arefive for whom Jumu'ah is not obligatory: the woman, the
traveller, the slave, the child and the people of the wilderness."It
says in Majma' al-Zawaa'id: It was narrated by al-Tabaraani in
al-Awsat and its isnaad includes Ibraaheem ibn Hammaad, who was
classed as da'eef (weak) by al-Daaraqutni. Shaykh al-Albaani (may
Allah have mercy on him) said: (He is) da'eef jiddan (very weak).
It is no secret that the shar'i rulings should be derived from all of
the hadeeths that were narrated concerning this specific subject, and
they should not be derived from only one hadeeth whilst ignoring the
rest ofthe hadeeths.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned a
number, as we see in the hadeeth being asked about here, and
mentioning a number does not necessarily meanthat it is limited to
this number. The aim may have been to make it easier to remember this
hadeeth for those who heard it. A similar example is the words of the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): "There are seven
whom Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there will be no
shade but His…" By compiling all the hadeeths which speak of this
great matter ("Allah will shade them with His shade") it becomes clear
that there are more than 20 such categories, not only seven.
Al-San'aani said in Subul al-Salaam:
We can see from the hadeeths that Jumu'ah is not obligatory for six
people: children, as there is consensus that Jumu'ah is not obligatory
for them;slaves, as there is consensus on this matter except for
Dawood; women, and there is consensus that it is not obligatory for
them; sick people; travellers, who are not obliged to attend it; and
the sixth category, which is the people of thewilderness. End quote.
And Allah knows best.

4a] Is it prescribed to do ghusl on Fridays for women?

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
4a]
and because the aim is cleanliness, and they are all the same
withregard to that. It is not Sunnah for the one who does not intend
to attend,even if he is one of those who should attend Jumu'ah,
because of the meaning of the hadeeth and because the reason is no
longer present; and because of the hadeeth ofIbn 'Umar, according to
which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Whoever comes to Jumu'ah, man or woman, let him do ghusl, and whoever
does not come to it, man or woman, doesnot have to do ghusl." Narrated
by al-Bayhaqi with this wording and with a saheeh isnaad. End quote.
And Allah knows best.

4] Is it prescribed to do ghusl on Fridays for women?

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
4]
Is doing ghusl on Fridays is obligatory for women too?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Doing ghusl on Fridays is mustahabb, not obligatory, according to the
majority of fuqaha', although some of them were of the view that it is
obligatory.
Secondly:
This ghusl is prescribed for those who come to Jumu'ah prayers,
whether men or women, although it is men who are addressed in the
verse which tells them to attend the prayer, as Allaah says
(interpretationof the meaning):
"O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the
Salaah (prayer) on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come tothe remembrance of
Allaah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and
leave off business (and every other thing). That is better for you if
you did but know!"
[al-Jumu'ah 62:9].
But if a woman attends Jumu'ah prayer, it is prescribed for her to do
ghusl for it and observe its etiquette.
Ibn Hibbaan wrote a chapter in his Saheeh entitled: It is mustahabb
for women to do ghusl forJumu'ah if they want to attend it. Then he
quoted the hadeeth of 'Uthmaan ibn Waaqid al-'Umari from Naafi' from
Ibn 'Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever comes to Jumu'ah, man or woman, let
him do ghusl."
The authenticity of the hadeeth is agreed upon, apart from the
additional words "man or woman". This additional material was narrated
by Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibbaan, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan, and that
there was a difference of opinion as to whether it issaheeh or not.
It was classed as saheeh by al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) in
al-Majmoo' (4/405) and Ibn Mulaqqin in al-Badr al-Muneer (4/649).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Fath
(2/358): According to the report of 'Uthmaan ibn Waaqid from Naafi',
which is narrated by Abu 'Awaanah, Ibn Khuzaymahand Ibn Hibbaan in
their Saheehs with the wording, "Whoever comes to Jumu'ah, man
orwoman, let him do ghusl, and whoever does not come to it does not
have to do ghusl," its men are thiqaat (trustworthy). But al-Bazzaar
said: I am afraid that there is some wahm (weakness of memory) in
'Uthmaan ibn 'Aaqid.
What al-Bazzaar was afraid of, namely wahm (weak memory) of 'Uthmaan
ibn Waaqid, was stated with certainty by Abu Dawood, the author of
al-Sunan, may Allah have mercy on him.
Abu 'Ubayd al-Aajurri said:I asked Abu Dawood about him and he said:
Heis da'eef (weak). I said to Abu Dawood: 'Abbaas ibn Muhammad
narrated from Yahya ibn Ma'een that he is trustworthy. He said: He is
da'eef (weak). He narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever comes to Jumu'ah, man orwoman, let
him do ghusl.", but we do not know of anyone who saysthis apart from
him.
End quote from Tahdheebal-Kamaal, 19/505
Al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) stated definitively that this
additional material is odd and he classed it as weak, as it says in
al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah (8/430).
What may support the view that women should do ghusl for Jumu'ah is
the reports narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musannaf from 'Ubaydah
bint Naa'il who said: I heard Ibn 'Umar and the daughter of Sa'd ibn
Abi Waqqaas say: Whoever among you (women) comes to Jumu'ah, let her
do ghusl. Something similar was narrated fromTawoos, and it was
narrated from Shaqeeq that he used to tell his family, both men and
women, to do ghusl on Fridays. See al-Musannaf (2/9).
Doing ghusl for Jumu'ah makes sense, because it is cleanliness and
puts a stop to unpleasant odoursthat annoy other people present. Hence
women are asked to do that if they want to attend.
Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath: al-Zayn ibn al-Muneer said: And it was
narrated from Maalik that whoeverattends Jumu'ah apart from men, if
their attendance is to seek virtue, it is prescribed for them to do
ghusl and observe all the etiquettes of Jumu'ah, but if they attend on
the spur of the moment, then no.
End quote from al-Fath al-Baari.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo' (4/405):
Doing ghusl on Friday is Sunnah, not obligatory in the sense that not
doing it is a sin, and there is no difference of opinion among us
concerning that. With regard to the one for whom it is Sunnah, there
are four views, but the correct view that is supported by the text and
regard by theauthor and the majority as the correct view is the
following: It is Sunnah for everyone who wants to attend Jumu'ah, man,
woman, child, traveller, slave and others, because of the apparent
meaning of the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar, and because the aim is
cleanliness, and they are all the same withregard to that.
:->

Praying Jumu‘ah in the neighbourhood mosqueis better unless there is some purpose to be served by going to a more distant mosque

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
We live in a western country, and many of the brothers in the mosque
dislike the imam, because his khutbahs are too long and he reviles the
people. Should we pray behind him or go to the Turkish mosque? There
is no thirdmosque, only these two. Please advise us, may Allah reward
you.
Praise be to Allaah.
If the imam reviles the people and causes difficulties for them by
making his khutbah too long, then there is nothing wrong with
thempraying Jumu'ah in the other mosque. Rather there is nothing wrong
in the first place with a person praying in whichever of the two
mosques he wants, but it is better if he prays in his neighbourhood
mosque, unless there are things in the Turkish mosque that are
contrary to sharee'ah, that you have not mentioned, which made you
feel reluctant to move to it. In that case you should tell us about
that.
You should advise the imam and call upon him to make the khutbah
shorter and pay attention to the congregation's situation.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) was asked: Is it
permissible for a worshipper on Friday to leave the mosque that is in
his own locality and go to another mosque that isfurther away, because
thekhateeb there is more knowledgeable and speaks well.
He replied: It is better for the people of a neighbourhood to pray in
their own mosque, so thatthey can get to know one another and create
friendships among themselves, and thus encourage one another. But if a
person goes to another mosque for religious benefits, such as
acquiring knowledge or listening to a khutbah that will have more of
an impact on him and help him gain more knowledge, there is nothing
wrong with that. The Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to
pray with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) in his mosque, because of the virtue of the imam and the virtue
of the mosque, then they would go and pray in their local mosques, as
Mu'aadh (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do at the time of the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) knew about that butdid not
rebuke him.

And Allah knows best.

3a] Ruling on offering Jumu‘ah prayer in a church where there are images or statues

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
3a]
The Standing Committee and Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy
on him) issued fatwas stating that it is makrooh to pray in a place in
which there are images, but the prayer is valid if that takes place.
In Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (5/377) [vol. 2] it says: What is the
ruling on praying in the house or room in which there are statues of
animals or humans for decoration?
Answer: It is haraam to keep images or statues and put them in houses,
because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said
to'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "Do not leave any image
without erasing it or any built-up grave without levelling it." And
because he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The
angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image." It
is makrooh to pray in a room in which there are pictures hanging or
statues, especially if they are in front of the person when he faces
the qiblah. But the prayer is valid.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas.
Bakr Abu Zayd, 'Abd al-'Azeez Aal al-Shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan,
'Abd-Allah ibn Ghadyaan, 'Abd al-Razzaaq 'Afeefi, 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn
'Abd-Allah ibn Baaz. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said:… As for the
prayer, it is valid, but it is makrooh to pray in a place in which
there are images except in the case of necessity; if nothing else is
available, then there is nothing wrong with it. End quote.
To sum up:
1. There is nothing wrong with praying inside the church if it is
free of images and statues, whether that is Jumu'ah prayer or any
other prayer.
2. It is makrooh to pray in a church if there are images or
statues in it. If the Muslims need to pray there because there is no
other place available, and they cover these statues with something
that will conceal them, there is nothing wrong with it and it is not
makrooh.
And Allah knows best.

3] Ruling on offering Jumu‘ah prayer in a church where there are images or statues

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
3]
I am a Junior doctor working in UK. We muslimdoctors are usually at
work during Juma prayer time. Hence often it UK doctors at work offer
Juma prayer in small rooms which are either Multifaith rooms(where
people from all faith can pray, ofter idols are kept in these rooms
which are covered during Juma prayer) or in dedicated muslim prayer
rooms. In my hospital there is a dedicated muslim prayer room where we
offer prayer regularly at least for day time prayers, but still as
this room is small, we offer Juma on the side in the church to be able
toaccomodate the large no of doctros attending Jumaprayer. My question
is, is Juma Valid in such all the above different places mentioned
above. One of my acquaintence comented that, Juma is only valid in a
place where all five daily prayers are being offered in congregation.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible to pray ina church if there are no images or statues in it.
Al-Bukhaari included a chapter in his Saheeh which he entitled:
Chapteron praying in a "chapel". 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: We will not enter your churches because of the images in them.
Ibn 'Abbaas would pray in a "chapel" except a "chapel"in which there
were statues. Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Chapter on
praying in "chapels"; a "chapel" is a place of worship for Christians.
The author of al-Muhkam said: The "chapel" is the cell of the monk,
or, it was said, the church of the Christians, and the latter is the
reliable view. The ruling on "chapels" also applies to churches,
synagogues, hermits' cells, temples in which there are idols, fire
temples and so on. End quote.
If there are images or statues in it, the fuqaha' differed concerning
the ruling on praying there in that case. Some of them are of the view
that it is haraam, but the majority are of the view that it is
makrooh. The reason given by those who regard it as haraam is the
general meaning of the evidence which indicates that statues and
keeping them are haraam, becausethe presence of these images prevents
the angels from entering that place.
Al-Bukhaari (3225) and Muslim (2106) narrated from Abu Talhah that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The angels
do not enter a house in which there is a dog or animage."
Al-Tirmidhi (2806) and Abu Dawood (4158) narrated that Abu Hurayrah
said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "Jibreel came to me and said: 'I was going to cometo you
yesterday and nothing prevented me from entering upon you in the house
where you were except that at the door of the house there was a statue
of a man, and in the house there was a curtain on which there were
images, and inthe house there was a dog. So give instructions that the
head of the statue at the door should be cut off, so that it will look
like a tree. And give instructions that the curtain should be cut up
and made into two pillows that will be placedon the ground and stepped
on. And issue instructions that the dog be put outside.'" So the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did
that. And the dog was a puppy belonging to al-Hasan or al-Husayn that
was under a bed, andhe gave instructions that it should be taken
outside.
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami', no. 68.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allahhave mercy on him) said: There is nothing wrong
with praying in a church that is clean. That was allowed by al-Hasan,
'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azeez, al-Sha'bi, al-Awzaa'i, and Sa'eed ibn 'Abd
al-'Azeez. It was also narrated from 'Umar and Abu Moosa. Ibn'Abbaas
and Maalik regarded churches as makrooh because of the images. But we
know thatthe Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed
at the Ka'bah when there were images in it. It is also included in the
words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him):
"Wherever you are when the time forprayer comes, pray, for it [the
earth] is a place of prayer."
End quote from al-Mughni, 1/407
Among those who were of the view that it is haraam to pray in a church
if there are imagesin it was Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah
have mercy on him). See: al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 2/59
The prohibition on praying in churches does not mean that such a
prayer is invalid; rather the prayer is valid although it involves
sin, because the reason why praying in churches is not allowed does
not have to do with the prayer; ratherit is because of the imagesin
those places, as stated above. So the reason for the prohibition is
differentfrom the prayer and othermatters pertaining to it.

If there is snow or rain, does that make it permissible to miss Jumu‘ah?

Did the Prophet (blessingsand peace of Allah be upon him) ever miss
the Jummaa prayer because of bad weather. the weather which is meant
isabout 20cm of snow.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There is no report in the Sunnah that the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) did not pray Jumu'ah becauseof rain or snow;
rather he did not pray it when travelling.
Secondly:
It is permissible to not pray Jumu'ah and prayers in congregation in
the event of heavy rain, cold wind or snow which is bothersome to
people and makes it difficult for them to go to Jumu'ah, because of
the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (901) and Muslim, according to
which Ibn 'Abbaas (ra) said to his muezzin on a rainy day: When you
say Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasool-Allaah, do not say, Hayya 'ala
al-salaah (cometo prayer); rather say, Sallu fi buyootikum (pray in
your houses). It was as if the people found that objectionable. He
said: One who is better than me did that. Jumu'ah is obligatory, but I
did not want to force you to walkin the mud and on slippery ground.
[al-Nawawi] said: This hadeeth indicates that Jumu'ah may be waived
because of rain and the like. This is our view and the view of others.
Something different was narrated from Maalik (may Allah have mercy
onhim). And Allaah knows best which is correct. End quote.
The Hanbalis regarded snow as one of the reasons that make it
permissible not to go to Jumu'ah or prayers in congregation.
Its says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa' (1/495): Attendance at Jumu'ah or
prayers in congregation may be waived in the event of rain, mud, snow,
ice or a cold wind on a dark night, because of thewords of Ibn 'Umar:
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would ask his
caller to call out on a cold or rainy night when travelling: Pray
where you are. Agreed upon. It was also narrated from Ibn Maajah with
a saheeh isnaad, but he did not say "when travelling." In al-Saheehayn
it was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaasthat he said to his muezzin on a rainy
day -- Muslim added that it was a Friday -- … and he narrated the
hadeeth quoted above. And the same applies to snow, ice and cold.
This confirms that cold wind on a dark night is anexcuse, because it
is likely that it will rain. End quote.
It is well known that many people are not bothered by snow and it does
not prevent them from going to work and meeting other needs. For these
people, snow is no excuse for them not to attend Jumu'ah. But if it
bothers them and makes it very hard for them to get to the mosque,
then itis an excuse.
And Allah knows best.

There is no stipulation that Jumu‘ah prayer should be offered in a masjid or jaami‘

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
One of my acquaintence comented that, Juma is only valid in a place
where all five daily prayers are being offered in congregation.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no stipulation that Jumu'ah prayer should be offered in a
masjid or jaami' accordingto the majority of fuqaha' of the Hanafi,
Shaafa'i andHanbali madhhabs, unlike the Maalikis.
It says in al-Bahr al-Raa'iq (2/162), which is a Hanafi book: The
words "and general permission" mean: The condition of it being valid
is that it should be done in the usual manner. So, for example, if a
ruler were toclose the gates of the fortress and lead his family and
troops in offering Jumu'ah prayer, that is not valid. This is what it
says in al-Khulaasah. In al-Muheetit says that if he opens thegate of
his palace and gives the people permission to enter, it is valid
although it is makrooh, because he did not fulfil the right of the
Jaami' mosque. End quote.
It says in Tarh al-Tathreeb(3/190): Our view (i.e., theShaafa'i
madhhab) is that establishing Jumu'ah is not only to be done in
themosque; rather it may be performed in an ordinary building. If they
do it in a place other than a mosque, the one who enters that place
should not pray during the khutbah, because there is no "greeting"
(2-rak'ah prayer upon entering) for it. End quote.
It says in al-Insaaf (2/378), which is a Hanbali book: With regardto
the words "it is permissible to perform it in various buildings or
buildings that are on the edge of the wilderness", this is the view of
our madhhab and it is the view of most of the scholars of the madhhab,
many of whom stated it definitively. And it was said that it is not
permissible to perform it anywhere except in the jaami'. End quote.
With regard to the Maalikis, they stipulated that it must be
performedin the jaami', as stated above.
Khaleel al-Maaliki said concerning the conditions of Jumu'ah: [It
should be] in a jaami' that is built separately.
In al-Taaj wa'l-Ikleel (2/520) it says: "In the jaami'." Ibn Basheer
said: The jaami ' is one of the conditions of offering this prayer.
Ibn Rushd said: It is not valid to establish Jumu'ah except in a
designated mosque. Al-Baaji said: One of the conditions is a mosque
that is built specifically forthat purpose in the usual style of
mosques. End quote.
To sum up:
Jumu'ah prayer in the place mentioned is valid according to the
majority of scholars, if it is not possible to allocate a specific
place for the Muslims to pray and if they cannot go to the nearest
mosque or Islamiccentre in which Jumu'ah prayer is offered.
And Allah knows best.

2a. Why is Friday singled out for great importance?

2a
''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
[al-An'aam 6:124].
"Allah knows best with whom to place His Message" means: not everyone
is qualified or fitto convey His Message; rather the Message has
those who are suited to conveying it and it cannotbefit any but these
people; Allah knows better than you who these people are. If all
individuals were equal -- as these people claim -- there could have
been no argument against them inthis verse.
Similarly, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Thus We have tried someof them with others, that they might say: 'Is
it these(poor believers) that Allahhas favoured from amongst us?' Does
not Allah know best those who are grateful?"
[al-An'aam 6:53].
What is meant is: Allah knows best who will give thanks for His
blessings, so He singles them out forHis bounty from among those who
will not be grateful to Him. Not everyone is fit to thank Him or to
receive His blessings and be singled out for this honour.
Thoseindividuals and places andso on that Allah chooses have some
inherent qualities that are not found in other people andplaces, and
it is for that reason that Allah chose them, gave them precedence
because of those virtues and selectedthem. This is His creation and
His choice. "And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses"
[al-Qasas 28:68]. Allah does not choose anything and give it
precedence except for a reason that led to it being singled out and
given precedence. Yes, He is the One Who created this reason, as He is
the One Who created it then chose it after creating it.
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/53-54
To sum up, all the characteristics of this great prayer are by the
grace of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, to His slaves. He
chose it by His decree and singled it out for His bounty and
blessings, thus it attained this great importance in this world and in
the Hereafter.
And Allah knows best.

2. Why is Friday singled out for great importance?

2
''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
I want to know why Friday Prayer is importantand Different then other ?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, chose Friday to be the best of
days before Him, and He singled it out for major events and great
qualities,which are the reason whyMuslims are obliged to venerate this
day and take it as one of their Eids or festivals in which Allah has
prescribed rituals thatHe has not prescribed for other days.
On our website we have previously quoted a great deal of evidence to
support this view, which you can see in the answers to the following
questions: 9211 , 12309 and 13692
Secondly:
Moreover, Jumu'ah prayer has a particular virtue andgreat qualities
through the barakah (blessing) of this great day.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Jumu'ah prayer is singled out from among all the other obligatory
prayers for having particular characteristics that are not found in
other prayers, including the fact that it is offered in congregation,
has a minimum number of worshippers required in order for it to be
valid, theiqaamah is a condition of its being valid, one must not be
travelling in order for it to be obligatory, andthe recitation is done
out loud.
There is an emphasis on its imortance the like of which is not
mentioned for other prayers except 'Asr prayer. In the four Sunans it
is narrated in the hadeeth of Abu'l-Ja'd ad-Dumari – who was a
Companion – that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "Whoever misses three Jumu'ahs out of heedlessness,
Allah will place a seal on his heart."
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/384-385.
The Prophet's Sunnah alsosingles out Jumu'ah prayer by encouraging
believers to do ghusl for itand to wear perfume (for men only). It is
also strongly encouraged to come early for the prayer and there is a
great deal of reward for walking to the prayer. Concerning these
special characteristics, Sa'eed ibn Mansoor narrated from Na'eem ibn
'Abdullah al-Mujammir that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased
with him) issued instructions that the mosque of Madinah be perfumed
with incenseevery Friday at midday, aswas narrated by Ibn al-Qayyim in
Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/370.
Thirdly:
The main reason for venerating Friday prayer is because of the divine
decree that singled out this prayer and this day for special virtues.
This is one of the manifestations of Allah's Lordship (ruboobiyyah),
as He alone singles out for veneration whatever He Wills of His
creation and whatever times and places He chooses. He is the One Who
does whatever He wills for reasons that He, may He be glorified,
knows.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is the only One Who has the
power to create and to choose from among His creation. Allah, may He
be exalted, says (interpretation of themeaning): "And your Lord
creates whatsoever He wills and chooses" [al-Qasas 28:68]. If you
ponder this creation, you will realize that this choosing and singling
out are proof of His Lordship and Oneness, and of the perfection of
His wisdom, knowledge and might; that He is Allah, besides Whom there
is no other god, and He has no partner who can create asHe creates, or
choose as He chooses, or control as He controls. This choice, control
and singling out, the effects of which are evident in this world, are
among the greatest signs of His Lordship and the greatest testimony to
His Oneness, the perfection ofHis attributes and the truthfulness of
His Messengers.
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/40-43
Al-'Allaamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) also stated
that this singling out and choice are indicative of the inherent
virtue of the thing chosen,for which Allah blessed this time. By His
knowledge and wisdom, Allah may grant to a certain place, time or
person that which qualifies it to be chosen by Allah and favoured
above others.
He (may Allah have mercyon him) said:
This concept may not be understood by the one who regards all
individuals, deeds, times and places as equal, and claims that there
is nothing inherent that makes one thing better than another, and that
precedence is given to some things over others for no reason. This
view isinvalid for more than forty reasons that I have listed
elsewhere. It is sufficient, in order to understand the falseness of
this view and how corrupt it is, to note that Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, refuted this false view when He said
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And when there comes to them a sign (from Allah) they say: 'We shall
not believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers of
Allah had received.' Allah knows best with whom toplace His Message"
[al-An'aam 6:124].
:->

Sneezing During Friday Sermon

Friday Prayers
What should a person do if he sneezes during the Jumu'ah khutbah
(sermon)? Should he say "al-hamdu Lillah"?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If a person who is listening to the khutbah (sermon) on Friday
sneezes, he should say "al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allah)" quietly
to himself. If anyone hears him, it is not permissible for him to say
to him "Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)".
It says in al-Mudawwanah(1/230): Maalik said concerning someone who
sneezes when the imam isdelivering the khutbah that he should say
"al-hamdu Lillah" quietly to himself. No one should say "Yarhamuk
Allah" to the one who sneezed when the imam is delivering the khutbah.
End quote.
Al-Mirdaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is permissible for
him tosay Ameen to the du'aa' and to say "al-hamdulillah" silently
ifhe sneezes. End quote from al-Insaaf, 2/418
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If he sneezes, he
has to praise Allah (say "al-hamdu Lillah") to himself and not raise
his voice.
End quote from Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 12/411
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said: If a member
of the congregation sneezes on Friday, he should say "al-hamdulillah"
silently. If he says it out loud and the people around him hear him,
it is not permissible for them to say "Yarhamuk Allah" to him.

And Allah knows best.

1a] There is no saheeh hadeeth about Salaat al-Tasbeeh

1a]
forthe one who wants more, so he should be content with that which is proven,and he has no need of that which is the subject of differences of opinion and doubts.

And Allah knows best./ - - - :-> 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

1] There is no saheeh hadeeth about Salaat al-Tasbeeh

.1]
Brother I wanted to knowthe status and ruling on"Salat-ul-Tasbih" which is explained as is very important and referenced is given from Abu’Dawood& Tirimzi but without the Hadith number and it says"Our Beloved Prophet Muhammed (Sallallaho Alihiwassallam) said to hisuncle (father’s brother) Sayyiduna Abbass (may Allah be pleased with him) Oh uncle shall I not give you Shall I not grant you Shall I not award you Shall I not do mercy on you When you do 10 things Allah will forgive your sins: of the future and of the past; new and old; those you have forgotten and those you did knowingly; big and small; hidden and revealed. Then he (Sallallaho Alihiwassallam)explained the taught the way to pray Salatul Tasbihand then said if you can pray this salah once a day,if you can not pray once a day then every Friday, and even if this is not possible then once a month and even if this is not possible then once a year and even if this is notpossible then at least once in a lifetime (Abu’Dawood & Tirimzi) and it said that this phrase “Subhaan Allahi Wal Hamdulillahi Wa Laa ilaha illal Laahu Wallahu Akbar " should be recited in different steps in Sal’ah to make it to a count of 300. What is the ruling onthis and is this from an authentic source.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed as to whether Salaat al-Tasbeeh is prescribed in Islam. The reason for this difference of opinion concerning it isthe difference of opinion concerning the soundnessof the hadeeth which speaks of it. The prominent scholars are of the view that it is da‘eef (weak).
1. Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (1/438):
With regard to Salaat al-Tasbeeh, Ahmad said: I do not like it. It was said to him: Why? He said: There is nothing saheeh about it, and he waved his hand as if dismissing it. End quote.
2. al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab (3/547-548):
al-Qaadi Husayn, and the authors of al-Tahdheeb and al-Tatimmah said: Salaat al-Tasbeeh is mustahabb, because of the hadeeth narrated concerning it. But this view of it as mustahabb issubject to further discussion, because the hadeeth in question is da‘eef (weak), and it involves changing the regular format of the prayer, so it should not bedone without a hadeeth (to support it). Al-Tirmidhisaid: More than one hadeeth was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) concerning Salaat al-Tasbeeh, but not many of them are saheeh. And al-‘Aqeeli said: There is noproven hadeeth about Salaat al-Tasbeeh. End quote.
3. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah havemercy on him) said in Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (11/579):
The best of the reports narrated about these prayers is the hadeeth about Salaat al-Tasbeeh, which was narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi, but nevertheless none of the four imams spoke of it; in fact, Ahmad regarded the hadeeth as da‘eef, and these prayers are not mustahabb.
4. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (14/327):
What seems more likely to be correct in my opinion is that Salaat al-Tasbeeh is not sunnah, and that the hadeeth about it is da‘eef. This is for several reasons:
(i) The basic principle concerning acts of worship is that they aredisallowed unless there is proven evidence that theyare prescribed.
(ii) The hadeeth is mudtarib (weak); there is a difference of opinion concerning it for several reasons.
(iii) None of the imams regarded it as mustahabb.
(iv) If this prayer was prescribed, the ummah would have narrated a report concerning which there was no doubt and it would have been well known among them because of its great benefit. Moreover, it is notlike any other act of worship, because there is no act of worship in which so much choice is given that it may be doneonce every day, or once ina week, or once in a month, or once in a year, or once in a lifetime. Because the weak hadeeth states that it is ofgreat benefit and becauseit is not like any other act of worship, yet it is not well known and was not transmitted, we know that there is no basis for it, because if an act of worship is different from other acts of worship, andif it were of great benefit, people would pay attention to it and transmit it, and it would be popular and well known. Because that is not the case with regard to this prayer, we know that it is not prescribed. Hence none of the imams regarded it as mustahabb,as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah havemercy on him) said. Among the naafil acts which are proven to be prescribed in Islam there is a great deal of goodness and barakah forthe one who wants more, so he should be content with that which is proven,
:->/ - - - :-> 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 Arrows of Satan

Satan readies himself and chooses his prey carefully. He is determined as he shoots the arrows of looks to go through your eyes, tearing the veils of modesty and chastity. This arouses the desires of the weakheart, which commands the body to pursue the satisfaction of such desires. The tongue speaks, the legs walk, and thus, unlawful acts are committed and the soul falls into the mire of sin.
“That is purer for them”
In order to ward off this Satanic cycle, Allaah The Almighty instructed his believing slaves, both men and women, to lower their gaze. He told them that this would purify them. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allaah is acquainted with what they do. And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts.} [Quran 24:30-31]
Ibn Al-Qayyim said in Al-Fawaa’id that Sahl ibn ‘Abdullaah says,"Abandoning the order is greater than committing the prohibition in the sight of Allaahbecause Aadam (Adam) was forbidden to eat from the tree and when he ate from it Allaah accepted his repentance,but Satan was ordered to prostrate to Aadam, when he refused and Allaah did not accept his repentance."
Ibn Al-Qayyim said in Ad-Daa’ wad-Dawaa’, “Look at the accuracy of the Quranic expression in the order to lowerthe gaze, as if Allaah The Almighty reminds us that not lowering the gaze causes the doom of the doer and his suffering in this life and in the Hereafter. Failing to lower one’sgaze is the basis for the problems that afflict man. An unlawful look generates thoughts, then thoughts generate ideas, then ideas generate desires, then desires generate will, which develops into resolve and determination, then the action inevitably takes place if there is nothing to prevent it.”
This is the destructive cycle of Satan, which traps the one who does not lower his gaze, then records the images and scenes seen by his treacherous eyes. Satan waits for the moment of weakness in man's faith to release these images and scenes in his mind and soul, igniting his sexual desire, which dominates the heart that commands the body to disobey Allaah The Almighty, and so on in a consecutive sequence. The more the images vary, the easier arousal and falling into sin will be. On the other hand, the less the images and scenes, the weaker their impact and influence on the heart will be. According to a saying, "Patienceover lowering the gaze is easierthan patience over the pain of its consequences."
O Muslim who does not lower his gaze, if your eyes roam around looking at the charms ofbeautiful women, you would plant in your heart thorns of loss and regret.
“Allaah knows that which deceives the eyes”
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {He knows that which deceives the eyes and what thebreasts conceal.} [Quran 40:19] This is a great verse and the interpreter of the Quran, Ibn Mas‘ood tells you its meaning, "It refers to a man who enters a person's house where there is a beautiful woman among them, or that a beautiful woman passes by them, and while they do not notice him, he looks at her; when they see him, he lowers his gaze. However, Allaah The Almighty knows that he inwardly wishes to see her private parts."
The great scholar, Al-Ameen Ash-Shinqeeti said in Adhwaa’ Al-Bayaan, "The verse contains a warning for the one who betrays with his eyes by looking at what is unlawful for him. The slave of Allaah will stand before Allaah and be questioned about his senses. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.} [Quran 17:36]
If you will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about your stares and looks, have you prepared an answer for this?
The fornication of the eyes
To make this act more repugnant to the souls, the Prophet called it adultery of the eyes. It was narrated on theauthority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said: "Allaah has written for the son of Aadam his inevitable share ofadultery. The adultery of the eye is looking (at what is prohibited), the adultery of the ears is listening (to what is prohibited), the adultery of the tongue is uttering (what it is unlawful to utter), the adultery of the hand is doing (what is prohibited), the adultery of the legs is walking (to what is prohibited) and the heart desires and wishes for (adultery) and the private parts affirm that or contradict it." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim (this is the wording of Muslim )]
In Sharh Saheeh Muslim, An-Nawawi said, “The meaning of the Hadeeth is that a share of adultery is written for the son of Aadam. Some people commit actual adultery by entering the male genital organ into the genital organ of a female who is unlawful to him./ - - - :-> 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

love stories : Pyramus and Thisbe

Famous sad love stories- the title itself is self-explanatory. It's
really hard to pinpoint the exact number of historians, philosophers,
kings, psychologists and poets who have tried to explain love in a
different way and yet the underlying emotion always remains the same.
Love is a state of heart and no matter how many definitions you try;
you will always feel exhilarated and blessed once you are in love.
Evenwith closed eyes, you can feel its presence and your heart will
keep dancing on the melody of its beats. The intensity experienced
during love is truly unexplainable. Sharing love stories make us
remember and feel the eternal love and it completely redefines the way
oneexperiences love.
The story of Pyramus and Thisbe is touching but tragic. The story has
the power to move anyone who reads it. The fable has its origins in
the Roman Mythology. The tale of Pyramus and Thisbe has enthralled
many young loversover the centuries and it has lost none of its charm
even during the modern age. Pyramus was anextremely handsome man
whereas Thisbe was the most beautiful girl in the Babylonia. They both
were neighbours and had grown up together.
As they grew up, love blossomed but it was the forbidden fruit for the
lovers. Their parents were totally against them marrying each other
and that forced both of them to meet clandestinely if they could.
However, their parents could not suppress the lights of love burning
in the hearts of love birds. One fine day, they decided to run away
from their homes and meet the next day under a mulberry tree near tomb
of Ninus. Thisbe was the first one to reach on spot and was waiting
for Pyramus.
That's when the tragedy struck and story took a devastating turn.There
was a fountain nearby where a lioness came to quench her thirst. The
sight of lioness made Thisbe panic and she hurried to safety in some
hollow rocks nearby. While she was running she left her veil behind.
The lioness came near, sniffed the veil and tore it in his bloody
jaws. At that very moment, Pyramus arrived near the mulberry tree and
found the tattered blood stained veil. He thought that his love was
dead and was completely devastated. He blamed himself to be the cause
of Tisbe's death and in a moment of agony, pierced his chest with his
own sword. Tisbe, who was still hiding in the rocks, came out of her
hiding place and seeing the dead body of her lover, she was totally
shattered and grief-stricken. She also took the sword and killed
herself and thus one of the purest love stories ended in pain and
death.

ANNIVERSARY

all my love for you FREE!wishing u a very happy ANNIVERSARY
Happy Anniversary and May your marriage be Blessed with love, joy
Andcompanionship For all theyears of your lives
If I met you on tomorrow I would still give you my heart If you should
say,"do you still love me?" I`dsay, "Till death do us part"
That speial day is here again The day we took our vows You're just as
speial 2 me 2day As u still get me aroused. Happy Anniversary Lover
Happy Anniversary and May ur marriage be blessed with love, joy
andcompanionship for all the years of ur lives.
Best wishes to you both on ur anniversary, May the love that you share
Last your lifetime through, As you make a wonderful pair.

Ruling on stoning the Jamaraat with a piece ofconcrete

What is the ruling on stoning the Jamaraat witha piece of concrete? It
looked the same as the stones to me, until someone pointed that outto
me on the second day. Do I have to repeat the stoning? What is the
ruling on stoning the Jamaraat with a piece of abig rock after
breaking it into small pieces?
Praise be to Allah.
The majority of fuqaha' stipulated that the Jamaraat should be stoned
with pebbles, which are small stones of whatever type of rock.
Concrete is not rock, so it is not acceptable, according to the
majority.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allahhave mercy on him) said: It is acceptable to
stone the Jamaraat with anything that is called pebbles, which are
small stones, whether they are black or white or red, and whether they
are marble, flint, granite and so on. This is the view of Maalik and
ash-Shaafa'i. al-Qaadi said: Marble, buraam and kadhdhaan (types of
rock)are not acceptable. And we may understand from his words that
marble andsolid stones are not acceptable either. Abu Haneefah said:
It is permissible to use dried clay or mud, or anything that comes
from the earth. Something similar was stated by ath-Thawri.It was
narrated from Sakeenah bint al-Husayn that she stoned the Jamarah, and
a man was handing pebbles to her, and she was saying takbeer with each
throw. And she dropped a pebble, so she threw her ring.
We also have a report that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) stonedthe Jamaraat with pebbles, and he told the people
to throw pebbles the size of chickpeas, so nothing other than pebbles
is to be picked up,and that includes pebbles of all types. It is not
permissible to single out any particular type without evidence, or to
add anything else to it, because it is a topic in which there is no
room for analogy.
End quote from al-Mughni, 3/218
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (15/277) it says: When stoning the
jamaraat, it is stipulated that the pebbles be of stone, according to
the majority of fuqaha' (Maalikis, Shaafa'is and Hanbalis). So it is
not permissible to use gold, silver, iron, lead, wood, clay, seeds,
dust, pearls, antimony or plaster in their view, because the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) threw pebbles and
instructed us to throw pebbles the size of chickpeas, so nothing else
should be picked up. The Shaafaa'is allowed stoning the Jamaraat
withall kinds of stones.
The Hanafis were of the view that it is permissible to stone the
Jamaraat with all kinds of things that come from the earth, such as
stones, mud and clay, and everything with which it is permissible to
do tayammum, but it is not permissible to use wood, amber, pearls or
gemstones, because they are not from the earth. End quote.
Based on this, there is nothing wrong with breaking stones or large
rocks and stoning the Jamaraat with them.
As for throwing concrete or pieces of brick, it is not acceptable
according to the majority, although it is acceptable according to the
Hanafis. However the view of the majority is more on the safe side.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) was asked: What is
the ruling on stoning the Jamaraat with pieces of concrete?
He replied: Some scholars think that the stones that are taken from
concrete are not acceptable for stoning the Jamaraat, unless this
piece of concrete contains stone. Ifit contains stone then there is
nothing wrong with it.
End quote from Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 23/125
To sum up: If on the first day you threw pieces of concrete in which
there was no stone, then your stoning was not valid according to the
majority, and you have to sacrifice a sheep, the meat of which is to
be distributed among the poor of the Haram; you may delegate someone
to do that on your behalf.
If you cannot afford the price of a sheep, then you do not have to do anything.
And Allah knows best.

There is no clean place to do wudoo’ and pray –should he delay prayer?

I work for an american company, I am the only muslim. there is no
clean place or feasible place to perform wadu during the day, and
there is no private place to perform salat.. Is it haram to wait until
I get home to perform Duhr and Asr salat.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslim has to understand the importance of prayer and the
necessity of observingprayer regularly at the appointed times,
fulfilling all the conditions and pillars and essential parts of the
prayer. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, As-Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours"
[al-Nisa' 4:103]
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood said: I asked the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Which deed is most
beloved to Allaah?" He said, "Prayer performed on time." He said,
"Then what?" He said, "Honouring one's parents." He said, "Then
what?" He said, "Jihad for the sake of Allaah."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (504) and Muslim (85).
So it is not permissible forthe Muslim to delay his prayer beyond the
time it is due. Wudoo' does not require a clean place. Evenif we
assume that it does, the questioner could make sure that he has wudoo'
before coming to work and keep his wudoo' so that he can pray on time.
He has to offer prayer on time. Looking for a clean place where he can
perform the prayer is not too difficult. Prayer is valid in any place
on earthso long as it is clean and pure. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The earth has been made for me
a place of prayer and purification, so whenever the time of prayer
comes for any man of my ummah, let him pray." Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
335; Muslim, 521. Sharee'ah only excludes from that specific places in
which prayer is not valid, which include graveyards and bathrooms. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "All the
earth is a place of prostration apart from graveyards and bathrooms."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 492; classedas saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh
Abi Dawood.
So the workplace may be a place of prayer if it is clean. If it is not
easy thenhe should look for somewhere else. Asking his bosses to
allocate a corner where he can pray is not something that is
difficult.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
If he deliberately delays the prayer until the time is too short to
meet all the conditions and do all the essential parts of the prayer,
such as if there is some impure substance on him, or he is junub
anddelays the prayer so that if he does ghusl the time for prayer will
be over, then he has to purify himself first, but he is a sinner
because he is doingthe prayer at the wrong time. He should have
purified himself before the time became too short and prayed on
time.When he delays it, then he has to do what is required in the
right sequence even though he is a sinner because of his delaying it.
Sharh al-'Umdah, 4/58.
If he is unable to fulfil oneof the conditions of prayer being valid –
such as tahaarah (purity) – then he should pray on time and he is
exempted from this condition. It is not permissible to delay the
prayer until its time is over in order to fulfil that condition.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
Because those who are obliged to pray when the time for prayer comes,
but are unable to fulfil one of its conditions or essential parts at
that moment, but will be able to do so after the time forprayer is
over, it is not permissible for them to delay the prayer until its
time is over. If this were permissible then the one who is unable to
purify himself, cover himself, bow or prostrate, or do any other
condition or essential part of the prayer would be allowed to delay
the prayer until he is able to do that, if he knows or thinks it most
likely that he will be able to do it. This is contrary tothe Qur'aan,
Sunnah and scholarly consensus, because sharee'ah's concern that the
prayer be performed on time is greater than its concern for any other
condition or essential part of prayer that cannot be done. Hence it is
not permissibleto delay the prayer until its time is over because
ofbeing unable to do some of the essential parts. When the time for
the obligatory prayer is too short and one cannot fulfilthe
conditions, then doingthe prayer on time takes precedence over the
conditions. There is only one time when fulfilling the conditions
takes precedence over the act itself, which is when the act becomes
obligatory towards the end of its time, such as when a sleeper wakes
up at the end of the time, in which case the prayer becomes obligatory
when he wakes up, and he must fulfil the conditions of prayer. The
applies if someone wakes up after the time for prayer is over.

And Allaah knows best.