Fathwa, - Intention of performing the prayer on time or making up a missed prayer

Question
What is the religious ruling on making the intention of making up a
missed prayer and that ofperforming a prayer on time? Is the prayer
considered invalid if the worshipper does not differentiate between
the two intentions while performing the prayer?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
isHis slave and Messenger.
Muslim scholars unanimously agreed that the intention is a condition
for the validity of the prayer. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means):
{ And they were not commanded except to worship Allaah, [being]
sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish
prayer and to give Zakaah. And that is the correct religion. } [Quran
98:5]
The Prophet , said: " Verily, deeds are based on intentions and an
individual is (rewarded) only according to that which he intends. "
[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
The place of intention is the heart and not the tongue. Uttering the
intention is considered a religious innovation.
The role of intention is todistinguish acts of worship and
differentiate between these various acts as well.Prayers in Islam are
either obligatory or voluntary. Making an intention is a prerequisite
in each obligatory prayer in particular: the worshipper should make an
intention to perform aspecific prayer; Thuhr, 'Asr or the like.
Voluntary prayers are divided into two types:
First: Specified voluntary prayers which are performed on certain
occasions such as Salatul-Kusoof (i.e. eclipse prayer), Istisqaa' or
rain-invoking prayer, Taraaweeh (i.e. voluntaryprayer in Ramadhaan),
Witr and confirmed voluntary prayers. They all require an intention
from the worshipper. For instance, if he intends to perform a
voluntary prayer for the Thuhr or Maghrib prayer.
Second: General voluntary prayers, such as night prayers, which do not
require a specific intention but only the intention of performing
prayer.
However, Muslim scholarsdiffered about making an intention while
performing obligatory prayers. Is it obligatory tomake the intention
to perform an obligatory prayer or not? Should theworshipper make an
intention to perform a prayer on time if he is praying it on time?
Should the worshipper, who is re-offering the obligatory prayer, make
the intention of re-offering the prayer or not?
The preponderant opinion among most Muslim jurists is that it is not
mandatory for the worshipper to do so. The worshipper may settle for
making an intention of performing a specific obligatory prayer. For
example, if the 'Asr prayer is due and the worshipper wants to make up
for the Thuhr prayer, which he had missed, he should make the
intention of performing the Thuhr prayer and he is not obliged to make
the intention of making up for a missed prayer. When he performs the
'Asr prayer in its due time, he should merely make the intention of
performing the 'Asr prayer and not the intention of performing it at
its specific time.
Allaah Knows best. - - ▓███▓ Translator:->
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Fathwa, - Should Isti‘aathah be repeated in each Rak‘ah?

Question
What are the reported supplications that should be recited after the
opening Takbeer? Shouldone recite the Isti'aathah and Basmalah before
the recitation of Al-Faatihah? Should they be repeated in the second
Rak'ah as well?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
isHis slave and Messenger.
It is prescribed for the worshipper to recite the opening
supplication, make Isti'aathah saying: "A'oothu Billaahi min
Ash-Shaytaan Ar-Rajeem" (i.e. I seek refuge in Allaah from The
Accursed Satan), and Basmalah, saying: "Bismillaah Ar-Rahmaan
Ar-Raheem" (i.e. In the Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Ever
Merciful) after reciting Takbeerat Al-Ihraam (i.e. opening Takbeerah).
As for the repetition of Isti'aathah and Basmalah in each Rak'ah, the
view of the majority of Muslim scholars is that they should be recited
only in the first Rak'ah.
Al-Hasan , 'Ataa' , and Ibraaheem Al-Nakha'i believed that it is
recommended to repeat the Isti'aathah and Basmalah in each Rak'ah, and
this is the opinion of the Shaafi'i school of Fiqh.
They relied on the general meaning of the verse that reads (what
means): { So when you recite the Quran, [first] seek refuge in Allaah
from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy]. } [Quran16:98]
There is no doubt that this verse indicates the permissibility of
reciting the Isti'aathah before reading the Quran in general without
restricting it to the worshipper in prayer. Moreover, there are
Hadeeths underlining that talking is forbidden during prayer. They
indicate the impermissibility of talking during prayer without making
a distinction between the Isti'aathah and any other external talk
during the prayer on which there is no evidence highlightingwhether it
is impermissible or permissible.
It is more cautious and prudent to abide merely by what was reported
in the Sunnah of the Prophet . This is to recite the Isti'aathah in
the first Rak'ah only, as was reported in the Hadeeths.
For example, Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri said, " The Prophet , used to recite
this opening supplication during prayer: "A'oothu billaahi As-Samee'
Al-'aleem min Ash-Shaytaan Ar-Rajeem: min Hamzihi wa Nafkhihi,wa
Nafthihi. " (i.e. I seek refuge in Allaah The Hearing The Knowing from
Satan; his madness, arrogance and his poetry .) [Abu Daawood and
At-Tirmithi]
As for Al-Faatihah, the worshipper should recite the Basmalah each
time before reciting it. It should be recited in a low tone if the
prayer is silent (i.e. like Thuhr and 'Asr) or out loud if it is a
loud prayer (i.e. like Fajr, Maghrib and 'Ishaa'). The Prophet , often
recitedthe Basmalah in a low tone more than he recited it out loud.
Allaah Knows best. - - ▓███▓ Translator:->
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Fathwa, - Family problems do not justify abandoning prayer

Question
I am a nineteen-year old young man and am keen to perform the five
obligatory prayers in their due times. However,my problem is that I
live with my brother in his home and his wife hates it. She took money
from me and I informed my brother, thereupon I became the devil who
sowed the seeds of discord between my brother and his wife!
Thisincident gave rise to many problems between them and they stopped
talking to each other because of me. I started abandoning prayer and
stealing money from my brother's shop behind hisback. I have taken
about AED 1000 worth of money. Now, I need to put an end to this and
amthinking of leaving my brother's home. Should I give him his money
back or not, given that I have been working with him almost for an
entire year and he never gave me any pay, not for a month,a week or
even a day? This is the real reason behind me taking that money and I
do not know whether this is considered stealing in the Islamic
Sharee'ah or not?
The Prophet , said: "HeWhose Prayer did not restrain him from evil and
indecent acts, offered no Prayer at all."
Thank you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
isHis slave and Messenger.
First of all, you should sincerely repent to AllaahThe Exalted for
your sin and immediately abstain from abandoning prayer.Indeed, giving
up prayer is a grave sin. Prayer is the barrier and shield between a
Muslim and disbelief. The Prophet , said: " What lies between a man
and Shirk(i.e. polytheism) and disbelief is the abandonment of prayer.
" [Muslim, Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi]
The Prophet , also said:
· " What lies between belief and disbelief is the abandonment of
prayer. " [At-Tirmithi]
· " The covenant between us and them (i.e. the hypocrites) is prayer
so, ifanyone abandons it, he has become a disbeliever. " [Ahmad in
Al-Musnad, Al-Haakim in Al-Mustadrak and others]
There are other texts from the Quran and the Sunnah warning against
abandoning prayer and being rather lax in performing it. Hence,
youshould repent to Allaah The Exalted and perform the due obligatory
prayers as your Lord Has Commanded you.
Dear questioner, know that if you commit yourself to performing the
obligatory prayers, allyour problems will be solved. You will relish
pleasure and happiness in this worldly life and in the Hereafter as
well. Also, your prayers will shield you against committing sins and
indecent acts.
You should come clean, admit that you stole that money and confess
this to your brother while demanding your due right from him.
However,this should be done while maintaining the kinship ties between
the two of you and fostering brotherly love and tolerance. You should
make sure that this does not undermine your brotherhood bonds, ties of
kinship and the (mutual) obligations that they impose, as brotherhood
is priceless and more vital than anything else in the entire world.
We would like to remind you that the Hadeeth youmentioned is not
authentically proven to be the words of the Prophet , although its
meaning is true. They areproven to be the words of Ibn Mas'ood and Ibn
'Abbaas as ibn Katheer stated in his Tafseer concerning the verse.
Allaah Knows best.

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The role of merchants in spreading Islam

To call people to Allaah is the duty of every responsible and
conscientious Muslim. Since there is no priesthood in Islam or
sacerdotal class among Muslims, the duty of the call to Allaah cannot
be limited to an ill-conceived and imaginary group called the 'men of
religion as is the case with other religions.' In Islam, everyone is a
man (or woman) of religion and everyone will be accountable to Allaah
as to whether or not one fulfilled their obligations sincerely and to
the best of their abilities.
Urging Muslims to own up to their responsibilities in this respect,
Almighty Allaah Says (what means): " And who is better in speech than
one who calls to Allaah and does righteousness and says, 'Indeed, Iam
of the Muslims.'" [Quran 41: 33]
Therefore, one need not be a profound scholar or a great jurist to
call others to Islam. A Muslim should better be a caller to Islam by
his good conduct than by eloquentoration, for to preach others to do
something not practically embodied in the preacher's character is a
vain attempt to win hearts and minds. Moreover, doing so incurs
Allaah's displeasure, as He, the Almighty Says (what means): " O you
who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it
is with Allaah that you say that which you do not do ." [Quran 61:2-3]
The adage: "Actions speak louder than words" was well embodied in the
Islamic history, namely the spread of Islam in many non-Muslim
countries- like parts of Asia, Africa and Europe- through the good
conduct of Muslim merchants who came into commercial contacts with the
people of those countries.
Hereunder is a brief survey of that peaceful spread of Islam:
Southeast Asia
By the 14 th century CE, as Islam made its way through Indian and
Chinese merchants into the area of today's Malaysia , Buddhist and
Hindu influences gave way. Islam became the source of legitimacy for
the Malay feudal rulers. It was during this period that Islamic and
Malay identities combined together, though many Hindu and pre-Hindu
customs and practices remained part of the Malay cultural and social
mix.
Muslim influence in Southeast Asia is at least six centuries old,
i.e., it was present by 1400 A.D. Some argue that the Islamic presence
there goes back to at least 1100A.D. in the earliest areas of Islamic
influence, such as in Aceh and northern Sumatra in Indonesia .
Whatever exact dates and sources one chooses to support, there is no
doubt that the acceptance of Islam by many nations in present-day
Malaysia , southern Thailand , Indonesia , Brunei , and the southern
Philippines occurred within a few hundred years.
In the year 1500, the historian Anthony Reid notes that Islamic
influence was present in coastal ports of Sumatra, Java, and Malaysia
. Southeast Asian peoples came into direct contact with Muslim traders
who had been not just to India , but also to Arabia . Arabic scholars
also came to Malaysia and Indonesia , facilitating information about
the new religion.
The successful spread of Islam in Indonesia , Malaysia , and the
Philippines owed much to the introduction of theNoble Quran and other
Islamic books and references.
Today, 90% of Indonesians are Muslims, while over half of Malaysia 's
population is Muslim. In the Philippines , where the Spanish (andlater
Americans) won the war for religious converts, only 5% of the
population is Muslim.
Africa
The growth of cities was both a cause and effect of the spread of
Islam and economic growth in Muslim-ruled areas in Africa . Cultural
developments in literature, arts and sciences, manufacturing and trade
accompanied the spread of Islam and its influence on
religious,intellectual, economic and political life in those regions.
Although unified Muslim rule lasted only about a century, Islam kept
spreading and Muslim culture and society flourished.
Before 1500, Islam spreadwidely in sub-Saharan Africa . The first town
south of the Sahara that became majority Muslim was Gao on the Niger
River in Mali before 990, when a ruler accepted Islam. Over the
centuries, many rulers followed. By 1040, groups in Senegal became
Muslims. From them Islam spread to the region of today's Senegal ,
west Mali , and Guinea . After the Soninke of the Kingdom of Ghana
became Muslims about 1076, Islam spread along the Niger River .
Muslims established the kingdom of Mali in the thirteenth to fifteenth
centuries, and Songhai from1465 to 1600. Farther east, Kanem-Bornu
near Lake Chad became Muslim after 1100.
In West Africa, as was the case with Southeast Asia , it was traders
who introduced Islam, and many rulers accepted it first, followed by
others. African Muslim scholars became established in the major towns
like Timbuktu , and they taught, wrote and practiced Islamic law as
judges. Islam was established in West Africathroughout the Sahel belt
and along the Niger River into today's Nigeria .
It was famous trade routes which led to the empire of Ghana and
connected prominent African places like Timbuktu (in Mali ), the
present Nigeria , Tripoli and Tunisia . These routeshad made all the
above mentioned places famoustrade centers. These centers of trade
invariably became centers of Islamic learning and civilization. New
ideas came through visiting traders in the field of administrative
practices.
In East Africa , traders hadspread Islam down the coast by the tenth
century, and it gradually developed further in the following
centuries. In the Sudan , south of Egypt , the population of Nubia
gradually became Muslimduring the fourteenth century, through
immigration of Muslim Arab tribesmen. Muslim rule and influence,
however, did not extend south of Khartoum , where the Blue and White
Niles before 1500. - - ▓███▓ Translator:->
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On self-examination

In the Quran, Allaah Says (what means): "We will set up the scales of
justice for the day of resurrection, and no soul shall betreated
unjustly at all. And if there is [even] the weight of a mustard seed,
We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountants." [Quran,
21:47] Allaah also says, (what means): "Let every soul see what it
sends on before it for the day of account." [Quran 59:18] Caliph 'Umar
Ibn Al-Khattaab said,"Call yourselves to account beforeyou are called
to account."
The righteous men and women are always fully aware that they have come
into this world to carry on a spiritual undertaking the resulting gain
or loss of which is Paradise or Hellfire. He, therefore, is a wise man
who strife in worship and says to his soul, "O my soul, you have only
one life; no single moment that has passed can be recovered, for in
the counsel of Allaah the number of breaths allotted to you is fixed,
and cannot be increased. When life is over, no further spiritual work
is possible for you; therefore what you do, do now; treat this day as
if your life had been already spent and this were an extra day granted
toyou by the special favor of the Almighty. What can be greater folly
than to lose it?"
At the resurrection, a man will find all the hours of his life
arranged like a long series of treasure-chests. The lid of one will be
opened, and it will be seen to be full of light: it represents an hour
which he spent in doing good. His heart will be filled with such joy
that even a fraction of it would make the inhabitants of Hellfire
forget the fire. The lid of a second will be opened; it is pitch-dark
within,and from it issues such an evil odor as will cause every one to
hold his nose: it represents an hour which he spent in ill-doing, and
he will suffer such terror thata fraction of it would embitter
Paradise for the blessed. The lid of a third treasure-chest will be
opened; it will be seen to be empty and neither light nor dark within:
this represents the hour in which he did neither good nor evil. Then
he will feel remorse and confusion like that of a man who has been the
possessor of a great treasure and wasted it or let it slip from his
grasp.
Thus the whole series of the hours of one's life will be displayed,
one by one, to his gaze. Therefore a man should, say to his soul every
morning,"Allaah has given you twenty-fourtreasures; take heed lest you
loseany one of them, for you will not be able to endure the regret
that will follow such loss."
The Remembrance of Allaah
This consists in a man's remembering that Allaah observes all his acts
and thoughts. People only see the outward, while Allaah sees both the
outer and inner man.
When Zulaykhah, the king's wife, tempted Prophet Yoosuf (Joseph) she
cast a cloth over the faceof the idol she used to worship. Yoosuf said
to her, "O Zulaykhah, you are ashamed before a block of stone, and
should I not be ashamed before Him Who created the seven heavens and
the earth?"
'Abdullaah Ibn Deenaar related,"Once I was walking with the Caliph
'Umar near Makkah when we met a shepherd's slave-boy driving his
flock. 'Umar said to him, "Sell me a sheep." The boy answered, "They
are not mine, but my master's. Then, to try him, 'Umar said, "Well,
you can tell him that a wolf carried one off, and he will know nothing
about it." "No, he won't," said the boy, "But Allaah will." 'Umar
wept, then sent for the boy's master, purchased him and set him free.
He told the boy, "For this saying you are free in this world and shall
be free in the next."
The Degrees of Remembrance
There are two degrees of recollection of Allaah. The first degree is
that of those righteous people whose thoughts are altogether absorbed
in the contemplation of the majesty of Allaah and have no room in
their hearts for anything else at all.
Allaah the Almighty Says (what means): "The companions of the right
hand." [Quran 56:27] This is the second degree of the remembrance of
Allaah. The mentioned people are aware thatAllaah knows all about them
and feel abashed in His presence, yet they are not carried out of
themselves by the thought of His majesty, but remain clearly conscious
of themselves and of the world. Their condition is like that of a man
who should be suddenly surprised in a state of nakedness and should
hastily cover himself, while the other class resemble one who
suddenlyfinds himself in the presence of the King and is confused and
awestruck. The former subject every project which enters their minds
to a thorough scrutiny, foron the Last Day three questions will be
asked respecting every action: the first, "Why did you do this?" the
second, "In what way did you do this?" The third, "For what purpose
did you do this?" The first will be asked because a man should act
from divine and not merely Satanic or fleshly impulse. If this
question is satisfactorily answered, the second will test in what way
the action was done, wisely, or carelessly and negligently, and the
third question, whether it was done simply to please Allaah,or to gain
the approval of men. If a man understands the meaning of these
questions he will be verywatchful over the state of his heart, and how
he entertains thoughts which are likely to end in action.
In addition to such cautious discrimination before acting, a man
should call himself strictly toaccount for his past actions.
Everyevening he should examine his heart as to what he has done to see
whether he has gained or lost in his spiritual capital. This is the
more necessary as the heart is like a treacherous business partner,
always ready to cajole and deceive; sometimes it presents its own
selfishness under the guise of obedience to Allaah, so that a man
supposes he has gained, when in reality he has lost.
A righteous man named Amiya, sixty years of age, counted up thedays of
his life. He found them to be twenty-one thousand six hundred days. He
said to himself,"Alas! If I have committed one sinevery day, how can I
escape from the load of twenty-one thousand six hun­dred sins? " He
uttered a cry and fell to the ground; when they came to raise him they
found him dead. But most peopleare heedless, and never think of
calling themselves to account. People count on their rosaries with
self-satisfaction the numbers of times they have recited the name of
Allaah, but they keep no rosary for reckoningthe numberless idle words
they speak.
Finally, if a man finds himself sluggish and averse from austerity and
self-disci­pline, he should consort with one who is aproficient in
such practices so as to catch the contagion of his enthusiasm. One
righteous man used to say, " When I grow lukewarm in self-discipline,
I lookat Muhammad Ibn Waasi ' , and the sight of him rekindles my
fervor for at least a week " - - ▓███▓ Translator:->
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Our Duty Towards Islam

I will summarize our dutyin the following points:
First: Being proud of this religion. Allaah The Exalted Says (what
means): } So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior
if you are [true] believers. { [Quran 3: 139]
The era of hiding and feeling ashamed for belonging to Islam has ended
and the era of frankness and declaration has started. Itis painful and
harmful that people who lived in the quagmire of vice and committed
the utmost of prohibited sins have started to embrace the religion of
Allaah The Almighty, whereas we observe that some Muslims want to
bring misery to their nation and expose it to suffering.
Second: Seeking sound knowledge of the Sharee'ah (Islamic
legislation). Having a clear and enlightening argument is the best
means to boost one's morale. With Sharee'ah knowledge, one discovers
misguidance and deviation.
Third: Reviewing Westernand Eastern writings about their own
societiesand what both of them call to now after they hadtasted the
bitterness of misery due to abandoning religion and giving a free hand
to their desires.
Fourth: Directing our efforts with sincerity and determination to
bring up our children. It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah ,
said: "Each one of you is aguardian and is responsible for those under
his guardianship." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
A sound upbringing is a shield for children against floundering in
invalid behavior that the society is replete with, and it is their
protection against the misleading thoughts that are spread in it.
Fifth: Knowing the secularists through their writings and sayings,
warning people against their deception and misguidance, clarifying the
extent of their danger on the Ummah (Muslim nation) and its religion
and mentioning their experiments in Muslim countries which they may
implement in any other country which has not yet been exposedto their
secularism.
Sixth: Common people should gather around scholars, seekers of
knowledge and callers to Allaah The Almighty and adopt their opinions
and attitudes. They should distance themselves fromthe excitement and
improvised situations that the righteous youthsare dragged to so that
whoever wishes to fish may fish in troubled waters.
Suggestions
First: Girls' curricula should be based on a scientific Islamic view.
We have spent a long time during which we did not manage to
createeducational curricula befitting that sex. Equality in curricula
between men and women is a fault; this was mentioned earlier.
Second: Creating curricula in the Islamic culture that clarify the
woman's rights in Islam, her duties and position as well as the
deteriorated status of thewoman in the East and West and refuting the
malicious allegations of those who advocate emancipation. In the past,
we were not in need of such measures and we feared the spread of such
allegations. Now, however, we have been invaded by these allegations
in our very homes. It is also incorrectto delay these curricula until
the university stage.
Third: Woman's work must be addressed through comprehensive and
wide-scoped studies prepared by experts and knowledgeable people inthe
fields of education from among those who are proud of their religion
and acquainted with the Sharee'ah of their Lord.
Fourth: It is time, or rather it is overdue, for the project of a
girls' university to see the light; a project which puts an
educational plan befitting this sex and steers us clear of
contradicting opinions inthe society through its universities. It is
better for the Ummah to entrust responsibility in these universities
to sincere highly-qualified persons from among men and women, and
thereby the Ummah will distance itself from the evils of those who are
evil.
Reason and subjective conditions to establish this kind of university
is indisputable.
Fifth: Woman's work is not a pure administrativetask; rather, it is
related to her personality and role in society as well as how suitable
a certain kind of work is for her. Therefore, this matter must be
studied within the framework of Sharee'ah as well as the Ummah's
interest.
· What is the Ummah's need to graduate female hostesses/attendants,
when the danger of theirpotential work is known in advance?
· What is the Ummah's need to graduate groups of females who are
specialized in drama and theatrical arts?
· What is the Ummah's need to graduate a large number of females in
some specializations, such as decoration, agriculture and secretarial
work?
I am not saying that the woman cannot understand these specializations
or be good at them; rather, I mean that these are not the only
criteria.
Sixth: The so-called feminine departments in some governmental
administrations must be reconsidered. Is there any benefit in their
existence? Are they governed by the Sharee'ah regulations?
Seventh: To stop applyingthe credit hour system in educating girls as
this negatively influences the woman. It is not necessary that
everythingwhich is applied to men is also applied to women.
Eighth: The woman's employment system must be fairly addressed. It is
not fair that the woman leaves her home at 6:30 am and returns at 3
pm. It is also not fair that she remains more than twelve hours in the
school during the exams. What is the problem if the woman works only
half the working hours specified for the man andreceive half of his
wages?In this way, we will have the capacity to employ twice the
number of available workers or even more.
What is the problem if there are long holidays for the woman after
delivery in order to look after her newborn? Meanwhile, she should be
rewarded for this as she is undertaking the most serious task in life.
What is the problem if there are economic criteria for woman's work?
There are many houses where both the man and the woman work while
there are other houses where neither men nor women work!
All these points and manyothers could be subject to dialogue and
discussion, provided that we get rid of the complexof equality between
man and woman in the employment system. This is also contingent on
getting rid of the inferiority complex as well as regaining the
feeling of our distinction relative to other peoples of the world.

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Praised Manners, - What is zuhd (asceticism)?.

What is zuhd (asceticism)? Does it mean wearing scruffy clothing,
fasting constantly, and keeping away from society, or something else?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Zuhd does not mean wearing scruffy clothing,withdrawing from people
and keeping away from society, or fasting constantly. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the leader of all
zaahids (ascetics) but he would wear new clothes; adorn himself tomeet
delegations, for Jumu'ah and for Eid; mix with people and call them to
do good and teach them about their religion; and he forbade his
companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) to fast constantly.
Rather zuhd means shunning that which is haraam and that which Allaah
hates; avoiding shows of luxury and overindulging in worldlypleasures;
focusing on doing acts of worship; and making the best preparation for
the Hereafter. The best explanation of that is the life of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End
quote.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah li'l-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wa'l-Ifta
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Praised Manners, - Did children climb upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during prayer? .

Is there a sunnah of the holy prophet regarding him allowing children
toclimb upon him during prayer and where can I find it?
Praise be to Allaah.
It was proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere, in the hadeeth of Abu
Qutaadah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) used to pray whilst carrying Umaamah, the daughter of
Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). When he prostrated, he would put her down, and
when he stood up he would pick her up again.
According to one report:"I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) leading the people in prayer, with
Umaamah bint Abi'l-'Aas on his shoulders. When he bowed he would put
her down and when he stood up from prostrating he would pick her up
again."
Shaykh 'Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr
Al-Nasaa'i (1141) narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn Shaddaad that his
fathersaid: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) came out to us for one of the evening prayers (Maghrib or
'Isha'), carrying Hasan or Husayn. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) came forward, put the child down and
said Takbeer ("Allaahu akbar") to startthe prayer. Then he prostrated
during the prayer and his prostration lasted for a long time. My
father said: I raised my head and saw the child on theback of the
Messenger ofAllaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so I
went back to my prostration. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) finished praying, the people said to
him: 'O Messenger of Allaah, during your prayer you prostrated and it
took a long time, until we thought that something had happened, or
that you were receiving Revelation.' He said, 'Nothing happened, but
my son was riding on myback and I did not want to hurry him up until
he had had enough.'" (Saheeh al-Nasaa'i, 1093). - - ▓███▓
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Praised Manners, - The importance of being truthful.

What is the importance of being truthful, both inpersonal and business
relationships, in Islam? Islying ever considered and "acceptable"
action?
Praise be to Allaah.
Being truthful means speaking the truth and also saying things that
reflect reality.
Being truthful is one of the necessities of a human society, one of
the virtues of human behaviour, and brings great benefits, whilst
lying is one of the major elements of corruption in human society, and
the cause of the destruction of social structure and ties, one ofthe
most evil features of bad conduct, and causes widespread harm.
HenceIslam commanded truthfulness and forbadelying.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Be afraid of Allaah, and be with those who are
true (in word and deeds)." [al-Tawbah 9:119]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said (2/414): "It means: be
truthful and adhere to truthfulness, and you will be among its
peopleand will be saved from calamity, and this will make a way out
for you from your problems."
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"… if they had been true to Allaah, it would have been better for
them." [Muhammad 47:21]
'Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
'You must be truthful, for truthfulness leads to righteousness and
righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will keep speaking the truth
and striving to speak thetruth until he will be recorded with Allaah
as a siddeeq (speaker of the truth). Beware of telling lies, for lying
leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hellfire. A man will keep
telling lies and striving to tell lies until he is recorded with
Allaah as a liar." (Reported by Muslim, 4721)
This hadeeth indicates that truthfulness leads torighteousness
(al-birr), an all-embracing concept that includes all kinds of
goodness and different kinds of righteous deeds. Immorality is
basically aninclination towards deviation from the truth,and the
immoral person (faajir) is one who is inclined to turn away from the
path of guidance. Hence immorality and righteousness are diametrically
opposed.
Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with them
both)said: "I memorized from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him): 'Leave that which makes you doubt
for that which does not make you doubt, for truthfulness is certainty
and tranquillity, whilst lying is doubt and confusion." (Reported
byal-Tirmidhi, 2520; al-Nisaa'i, 8/327; and Ahmad, 1/200)
In the lengthy hadeeth of Abu Sufyaan describing his meeting with
Heraclius, Abu Sufyaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
"[Heraclius] said, 'What does he [meaning the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him] command you to do?' I said, 'He says:
worship Allaah alone and do not associate anything in worship with
Him, and abandon that which your forefathers did. He commands us to
pray, to be truthful, to be chaste and to uphold the ties ofkinship.'"
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1/30 and Muslim, 1773).
Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Two parties
to a deal have the option of changing their minds until they part; if
they are open and honest, their deal will be blessed, and if they
conceal and tell lies,the blessing of their dealwill be diminished."
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4/275 and Muslim, 1532.)
Truthfulness includes being truthful towards Allaah by worshipping Him
sincerely; being truthful towards one's own soul by making it adhere
to the laws of Allaah; and being truthful with people in one's words
and by keeping one's promises, and in dealings such as buying, selling
and marriage, so there should be no deceiving, cheating, falsifying or
withholding of information. Thus a person should be the same on the
inside and the outside.
As regards lying, it is highly forbidden, and is of varying degrees of
abhorrence and sin. The most obnoxious form of lying is falsely
attributing things to Allaah and His Messenger, because this involves
fabrication about the religion and isan act of outrage against Allaah.
Hence one of the characteristics of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) is that he truthfully conveyed that which
Allaah commanded him to convey. So Allaah said (interpretation of the
meanings):
"… who does more wrong than one who invents a lie against Allaah, to
lead mankind astray without knowledge. Certainly Allaah guides not the
people whi are zaalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.)"
[al-An'am 6:144]
"And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allaah?
Such will be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses will say,
'These are the ones who lied against their Lord!' No doubt! The curse
of Allaah is on the zaalimoon (polytheists, wrong-doers, oppressors,
etc.)." [Hood 11:18]
Equally bad is lying about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), as he is reported to have said in the mutawaatir
hadeeth: "Whoever lies about me deliberately, let him take his place
in Hell." (Agreed upon).
The basic rule with regard to lying is that it is not permitted, but
there are certain circumstances in which Islam permits lying to serve
a greater purpose or to prevent harm.
One of these situations iswhen a person mediatesbetween two disputing
parties in order to reconcile between them,if reconciliation cannot be
achieved in any otherway. Um Kalthoom (may Allaah be pleased with her)
reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "He is not a liar who reconcilesbetween people and conveys
something goodor says something good." (Reported by al-Bukhaari,
2495).
Another example is a man's speaking to his wife, or a woman speaking
to her husband, with regard to matters that will strengthen the ties
of love between them, even if that is accompanied by exaggeration.
Asma' bintYazeed said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: 'Lying is not permitted except in three
cases: a man's speaking to his wife to make her happy; lying attimes
of war; and lying in order to reconcile between people.'" (Reported by
al-Tirmidhi,1862; he said: it is a hasan hadeeth. See also Saheeh
Muslim, 4717).
One of the most important forms of both being truthful and lying is in
the area of promises and covenants.Being truthful in promises and
covenants is one of the characteristics by which the believers are
known.Both promises and covenants involve sayingsomething about an
issue to confirm that youwill do it, especially withregard to one's
duties towards Allaah. Allaah says, praising some of His slaves
(interpretationof the meanings):
"Those who are faithfully true to their amaanaat (all the duties which
Allaah has ordained, honesty, moral responsibility and trusts, etc.)
and to their covenants." [al-Mu'minoon 23:8]
"… and who fulfil their covenant when they make it…" [al-Baqarah 2:177]
"Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with
Allaah [i.e., they have gone out for jihad (holy fighting), and showed
not their backs to the disbelievers], of them some have fulfilledtheir
obligations (i.e., have been martyred), and some of them are still
waiting, but they have never changed [i.e., they never proved
treacherous to their covenant which they concluded with Allaah] in the
least." [al-Ahzaab 33:23]
We ask Allaah to make ussincere and truthful in word and deed. And
Allaah knows best.

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Islamic Stories, - A Thousand Camels

In the times of Umar (Radiallahu Anhu) there was a severe famine. All
the people of Madinah were suffering due to the shortage of food. A
caravan made up of a thousand camels loaded with a large stock of food
grains belonging toUthman (Radiallahu Anhu) arrived from Shaam
(Syria). Several merchants offered to buy all of it. He asked them
what profit they would pay. "Five per cent," they said. He answered
that he could get higher profit than that. They began to argue with
him, saying that they did not know of any merchant who would offer him
more than their quote. He saidto them, "I know of one who repays a
profit of more than seven hundred to a dirham (Arabian currency)." He
then recited the verse of the Noble Quran in which Allah Ta'ala
mentioned this profit."The likeness of those who spend their wealth in
the Way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows
seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold
increase to whom He pleases. AndAllah is All-Sufficient for His
creatures' needs, All-Knower." (2:261).
"O traders! Bear witness with me that I donate allthis to the poor
people of Madinah!" said Uthman (Radiallahu Anhu).
Source: Related by Shaikh Habibullah Mukhtaar in his book"Bringing Up
Children in Islaam" in the chapter ofGenerosity.
Dear readers, what ever we give for the sake of Allah is really ours
and whatever we keep with us will one day be someone else's. Let us
follow the footsteps of our Prophet and the pious Sahabah, with whom
Allah was pleased with, by helping the needy ones in this blessed
month of Ramadan. - - ▓███▓ Translator:->
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Islamic Stories, - Thirst for Learning

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
"After the passing away of the Prophet (peace beupon him), I said to
an Ansari friend of mine: 'The Prophet is not now with us. But a large
number of Sahabah are still among us. Let us go to them and get
knowledge of the Islamic practices.' He said: ' Who is going to
approach you for learning a regulation in the presence of these
eminent Sahabah?' I wasnot discouraged. I kept up my quest for
knowledge and approached every person who was supposed to have heard
something from the Prophet. I managed to gather substantial
information from the Ansar. If on my visit to someone of the Sahabah,
I found him asleep, I spread my shawl at the gate and satwaiting.
Sometimes my face and body would getcovered with dust, but I kept
sitting till they woke and I was able to contact them. Some of them
said: 'Abdullah you are the cousin of the Prophet; you could have sent
for us. Why did you take the trouble of coming to our places?' I said
to them: 'I must come to you, for I am a student and you are my
teachers.' Some people for whom I had waited said: 'Since when have
you been waiting for us?' I informed them that I had been sitting
there for a pretty long time. They said: 'What a pity! You could have
awakened us from our sleep.' I said: 'I did not like to disturb you
for my own sake.' I thus carried on my pursuits, till there came a
time when people began to flock to me for learning. My Ansari friend
realizedthis at that time and remarked: 'This boy has surely proved
himself more sensible than us.'"
Source: From the book"Stories of the Sahabah" by Shaikh Muhammad
Zakariyya Kaandhlawi.
Besides our quest for knowledge to earn a livelihood in this world, we
must as well gain sufficient knowledge of Islam. No matter what age
group we belong to at this moment, we should atleast have that much
Islamic knowledgewith which we can turn our 24 hours life into
worship. Those with knowledge and practice will be exalted in this
world and in the hereafter. - - ▓███▓ Translator:->
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Assalamu Alaikum - - -- - [Friday, May 17, 2013 Rajab 7, 1434] -- JUMMA MUBARAK -