The lineage of the Prophet Muhammad-I

The lineage of Prophet Muhammadhas three versions: The first was
authenticated by biographers and genealogists and states that Prophet
Muhammad'sgenealogy has been traced to Adnaan. The second is subject
to controversies and doubt. It traces his lineage beyond Adnaan back
to prophet Ibraaheem)Abraham(. The third version, which definitely has
some inaccuracies, traces his lineage beyondIbraaheem back to Aadam
)Adam(.
The first part: MuhammadIbn 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdul-Muttalib )who
wascalled Shaybah( Ibn Haashim, )named 'Amr( Ibn 'Abd Munaf )called
Al-Mugheera( Ibn Qusayy)also called Zayd( Ibn Kilaab Ibn Murrah Ibn
Ka'b Ibn Lu'ayy Ibn Ghaalib Ibn Fahr )who was called Quraysh and whose
tribe was called after him( Ibn Maalik Ibn An-Nadr )so called Qays(
Ibn Kinaanah Ibn Khuzaymah Ibn Mudrikah)who was called 'Amir( Ibn
Elias Ibn Mudar Ibn Nizar Ibn Ma'ad Ibn Adnaan.
The second part: Adnaan Ibn Add Ibn Humaisi' Ibn Salaman Ibn 'Aws Ibn
BuzIbn Qamwal Ibn Obai Ibn 'Awwam Ibn Nashid Ibn Haza Ibn Bildas Ibn
YadlafIbn Tabikh Ibn Jahim Ibn Nahish Ibn Makhi Ibn Aid Ibn 'Abqar Ibn
'Ubaid Ibn Ad-Da'a Ibn Hamdan Ibn Sanbir Ibn Yathrabi Ibn Yahzin Ibn
Yalhan Ibn Ar'awi Ibn Aid Ibn DeshanIbn Aisar Ibn Afnad Ibn Aiham Ibn
Muksar Ibn Nahith Ibn Zarih Ibn SamiIbn Mazzi Ibn 'Awda Ibn Aram Ibn
Qaidar Ibn Ismaa'eel )Ishmael( son of Ibraaheem )Abraham(, may Allaah
exalt their mention.
The third part: beyond IbraaheemIbn Tarih)Azar( Ibn Nahur Ibn Saru'
Ibn Ra'u Ibn Falikh Ibn Abir Ibn Shalikh Ibn Arfakhshad Ibn Sam Ibn
Nooh )Noah(Ibn Lamik Ibn Mutwashlack Ibn Akhnukh ]Prophet Idrees
)Enoch([Ibn Yarid Ibn Mahla'il Ibn QaIbn Anusha Ibn Shith Ibn Aadam.
The prophetic family:
The family of Prophet Muhammadis called the Hashimite family after his
grandfather Haashim Ibn 'Abd Munaf. Let us now speak a little about
Haashim and his descendants:
1-Haashim: He was the one responsible for giving food and water to the
pilgrims. This had been his charge when the sons of 'Abd Munaf and
those of 'Abd Ad-Dar compromised on dividingthe charges between them.
Haashim was wealthy and honest. He was the first to offer the pilgrims
sopped bread in broth. His first name was 'Amr but he was called
Haashim because he had been in the practice of crumbling bread )for
the pilgrims(.
He was also the first man who started Quraysh's two journeys of summer
and winter. It was reported that he went to Syria as a merchant. In
Al-Madeenah, he married Salmah, the daughter of 'Amr from Bani 'Adi
Ibn An-Najjaar. He spent some time with her in Al-Madeenah then he
left for Syria again while she was pregnant. He died in Ghazza in
Palestine in 497 CE. Later, his wife gave birth to 'Abdul-Muttalib and
named him Shaybah because of the white hair on his head, and brought
him up in her father's house in Al-Madeenah. None of hisfamily in
Makkah learnedof his birth. Haashim had four sons: Asad, Abu
Saifi,Nadla and 'Abdul-Muttalib, and five daughters Ash-Shifa,
Khalida, Da'ifa, Ruqyah and Jannah.
2-'Abdul-Muttalib: After the death of Haashim, thecharge of the
pilgrims' food and water went to his brother, Al-Muttalib Ibn 'Abd
Munaf )who washonest, generous and trustworthy(. When 'Abdul-Muttalib
reached the age of boyhood, his uncle Al-Muttalib heard of him and
went to Al-Madeenah to fetch him. When he saw him, tears filled his
eyes and rolled down his cheeks, he embraced him and took him on his
camel. The boy, however, abstained from going with him to Makkah until
he took his mother's consent. Al-Muttalib asked her to send the boy
with him to Makkah, but she refused. He managed to convince hersaying:
"Your son is going to Makkah to restore his father's authority, and to
live in the vicinity of the Sacred House."
There in Makkah, people wondered at seeing 'Abdul-Muttalib, and they
considered him the slave of Al-Muttalib. Al-Muttalibsaid: "He is my
nephew, the son of my brother Haashim." The boy was brought up in
Al-Muttalib's house, but later on Al-Muttalib died in Bardman in
Yemen, so 'Abdul-Muttalib took overand managed to maintain his
people's prestige and exceeded his grandfather in his honorable
behavior, which earned him deep love and high esteem from the people
of Makkah.
3-When Al-Muttalib died, Nawfal usurped 'Abdul-Muttalib's charges, so
the latter asked for help fromthe Quraysh, but they abstained from
extending any sort of support to either of them. Consequently, he
wrote to his uncles of Bani An-Najjaar )his mother's brothers( to come
to his aid. His uncle,Abu Sa'd Ibn 'Adyy )his mother's brother(
marched to Makkah at the head of eighty horsemen and camped inAbtah in
Makkah. 'Abdul-Muttalib received the men and invited them to go to his
house but Abu Sa'd said: "Not before I meet Nawfal." He found Nawfal
sitting with some old men of Quraysh in theshade of Al-Ka'bah. Abu
Sa'd drew his sword and said: "I swear by Allaah that if you don't
restore to my nephew what you have taken, I will kill you with this
sword." Nawfal was thus forced to give up what he had usurped, and the
notables of Quraysh were made to witness to his words.
Abu Sa'd then went to 'Abdul-Muttalib's house where he stayed for
three nights, made 'Umrah )minor pilgrimage( and left backfor
Al-Madeenah. Later on, Nawfal entered into alliance with Bani 'Abd
Shams Ibn 'Abd Munaf against Bani Haashim. When Khuza'a, a tribe, saw
Bani An-Najjaar's support to 'Abdul-Muttalib they said: "He is our son
as he is yours. Wehave more reasons to support him than you." 'Abd
Munaf's mother was one of them. They went into An-Nadwa House )a place
they used to gatherin to discuss serious matters( and entered into
alliance with Bani Haashim against Bani 'Abd Shams and Nawfal. It was
an alliance that was later to constitute the main reason for the
conquest of Makkah. 'Abdul-Muttalib witnessed two importantevents in
his lifetime, namely digging the Zamzam well and the Elephant raid.
Digging the Well of Zamzam
The well of Zamzam originated for the sake ofIsmaa'eelwhen he and his
mother Haajar)Hagar( were overtaken by thirst, Allaah the Almighty
caused a streamof water to flow in the empty desert. Haajar contained
the flowing water by building a mound around it and it turned into a
well. At the time of leaving Makkah, the Jurhum tribe coveredit with
dust and so, for a long time it could not be traced. When the task of
giving water to the pilgrims was entrusted to'Abdul-Muttalib, he
started searching for it along with his elder son Haarith, but their
efforts proved fruitless.
One day, 'Abdul-Muttalib saw the location of the well of Zamzam in his
dream and started digging for it. There were two idols, 'Isaf and
Naa'ilah kept at that spot.The Quraysh resented thisdisturbance and
became hostile and ready to fight. Although they wereonly two, father
and son, they prevailed over them and continued digging the well.
Realizing his isolation, 'Abdul-Muttalib invoked Allaah the Almighty
that in case He gave him ten sons, he would sacrifice one of hissons
in the name of God. After a short period, the well appeared and he was
also blessed with tensons.

The lineage of the Prophet Muhammad-II

The Elephant Raid
The King of Abyssinia )Ethiopia( had capturedYemenfor a very short
period. During the lifetime of 'Abdul-Muttalib,Yemenwas under the rule
of the King of Abyssinia. In those days Abrahah Ashram was the
governor ofYemenon behalf of the king. He built a temple inYemenand
persuaded the Arabs to perform Hajj at thetempleofYemeninstead of the
Ka'bah. However, he was not successful in his endeavor. In order to
put him to disgrace, an Arab defecated in the temple to desecrate it.
Abrahah grew so furious that he invaded Makkah with the intention of
destroying the Houseof Allaah -- the Ka'bah. He used elephants in his
attack, so the people of Makkah called them thePeople of the Elephant
and the year came to be known as the Year of the Elephant.
When the Quraysh came to know of the attack, they were filled with
fear, as they were no match for such a large and strong army. They
jointly requested their chief,'Abdul-Muttalib to go to Abrahah and
explore a way to avert the battle. When 'Abdul-Muttalib presented
himself to Abrahah, hewas greatly impressed and held him in high
esteem. 'Abdul-Muttalib stated that Abrahah's army had captured 200
camels, which belonged to him. Thereupon Abrahah remarked that he took
him to be a wise person but he obviously was mistaken. He
)'Abdul-Muttalib( was aware that Abrahah had come with the sole
purpose of demolishing the House of Allaah — the Ka'bah. However,
intentionally ignoring the topic, he only spoke of his camels instead
of saving the Ka'bah.
'Abdul-Muttalib said: " I am merely the owner of the camels, but this
House also has an Owner and He will save it."
The answer enraged Abrahah andhe burst out in anger saying he would
see if the Lord of the House would save it. His army was destroyed and
left like an empty field from which all the corn has been eaten up,
and only the straw with stalks and stubblewas left. The complete rout
of Abrahah's forces after 'Abdul Muttalib's daring reply was a
verysignificant event forArabia, which put great fear of Allaah in
their hearts.
After that fateful event, the rule ofYemenwent out of the hands of the
Abyssinian king and Sayf Ibn Dhi Yazin captured the country.
'Abdul-Muttalib took some nobles of Quraysh and went to congratulate
Sayf on his victory. Sayf Ibn Dhi Yazin gave 'Abdul-Muttalib glad
tidings that the last Prophet would be raised from his
)'Abdul-Muttalib's( offspring. This prophecy found wide currency and
fame. All the members of the delegation thought that the last Prophet
would be raised from their progeny. Each of them contacted the
soothsayers and monks hoping for good news but returned disappointed.
We have mentioned that 'Abdul-Muttalib invoked Allaah the Almighty
that in case he was granted ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them
in the nameof God. 'Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons, Al-Haarith,
Az-Zubayr, Abu Talib, 'Abdullaah, Hamzah, Abu Lahab, Ghidaq, Maqwam,
Safar and Al-'Abbaas. He also had six daughters, who were Umm
Al-Hakim, Barrah, 'Atikah, Safiya, Arwa and Omayma.
'Abdullaah was the father of Prophet Muhammad. His mother was Fatimah,
daughter of'Amr Ibn 'A'idh Ibn 'Imran Ibn Makhzum Ibn Yaqdha Ibn
Murrah.'Abdullaah was the most handsome of 'Abdul-Muttalib's sons, the
chastest and the most loved. He was also the son whomthe divination
arrows pointed at, to be slaughtered as a sacrifice toAl-Ka'bah. When
'Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons and they reached maturity, he revealed to
them hissecret vow which they silently and obediently accepted. Their
names were written on divination arrows and given to the guardian of
their most beloved goddess, Hubal.
The arrows were shuffled and drawn. An arrow showed that it was
'Abdullaah to be sacrificed. 'Abdul-Muttalib then took the boyto
Al-Ka'bah with a razor to slaughter the boy. Quraysh, his uncles from
Makhzoom tribe and his brother Abu Talib, however, tried to dissuade
him from consummating his purpose. Aftermuch discussion they turned to
Saja', a famous soothsayer. She pointed out that blood money fortheir
)'Abdul-Muttalib's( clan was ten camels. Thus, they should
put'Abdullaah on one side and ten camels on the other and then draw
the lots.
In case the camels were chosen they would be slaughtered, but
if'Abdullaah was chosen they should add ten more camels and draw
again. They should keep adding to the number of the camels until the
camels were drawn. This exercise went on until the number of camels
reached one hundred. 'Abdul-Muttalib drew the lots twice more for his
personal satisfaction, but each time it fill upon the camels. Hence,
100 camels were slaughtered and 'Abdullaah was saved. Since that time,
the blood money of a person who was killed was fixed at one hundred
camels.
'Abdul-Muttalib chose Aaminah, daughter of Wahab Ibn 'Abd Munaaf Ibn
Zahrah Ibn Kilaab, as a wife for his son, 'Abdullaah. In the light of
this ancestral lineage,she stood eminent in respect of nobility of
position and descent. Her father was the chief of Bani Zahrah, to whom
great honor was attributed. They were married in Makkah, and soon
after 'Abdullaah was sent by his father to buy dates in Madeenah where
he died. According to another version, 'Abdullaah went toSyriaon a
trade journey and died in Al-Madeenah on his way back. He was buried
in the house of An-Nabigha Al-Ju'di. He was twenty-five years old when
he died. Most historians state that his death was two months before
the birth of Prophet Muhammad. Some others said that his death was two
months after the Prophet's birth. When Aaminah was informed of her
husband's death, she composed a heart-rending elegy in his memory.
'Abdullaah left very little wealth --five camels, a small number of
goats, a woman servant called Barakah Umm Ayman, who would later
serve as the Prophet's nursemaid.

The world before the Prophet Muhammad

When Almighty Allah sent His lastand greatest Prophet,
Muhammadsallallaaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, , humankind was immersed in a
state of degeneration. The messages of the past prophets had been
distorted and ignored, civilizationwas on the decline and humanity had
slumped into an age of darkness, with disbelief, oppression and
corruption prevalent everywhere. The condition of the world at that
time presented the gloomiest picture ever of human history.
At the time of the birth of Prophet Muhammad,, there existed two great
powers on earth: one in the East and another in the West. In the East
there was the Persian Empire, and in the West, theRoman Empire. As it
might be expected, these two powers were actively hostile and almost
permanently at war with one another. As a result, they were weak and
disunited, though appearing to be otherwise. Despite their disunity
and weakness, they made no serious effort to eradicate the causes of
their instability.
The Arabs were living under no better conditions. They were families
and tribes comprising different attitudes and feelings; but they were
all similar in one respect: they were slaves of habits and impulses.
They used to take pride in invasion and plunder. Moreover, they were
so low in their moral affairs that a number of them used to bury their
daughters alive.
Religiously speaking, the Arabs of that era were mostly idol
worshippers. Some of them used to make their own gods from sweets, and
subsequently, they would eat them when they got hungry. They had
replaced the monotheism of Ibraaheem)Abraham(with the worship of
idols, stars and demons, turning the Ka'bah, which was built for the
One and Only Creator,into a pantheon of idols. In addition, tribal
rivalries and blood feuds ran among them likethe burning desert sands
ofArabia.
The people of Makkah used to practice usury on a large scale with very
high interest rates -- sometimes a hundred percent. When the debtors
were not able to repay -- and that was most often the case -- they
were enslaved or obliged to force their wives and daughters to commit
certain sins, in order to be able tocollect enough money to repay the
debt.
Ignorance was not confined to the Arabs alone. On the fringes
ofArabiawhere the desert gives way to hospitable lands, met the
ever-changing borders of 'world arrogance', the two superpowersof the
age: the Persian and the Roman Empires.
The fire-worshipping Persians, with their strange concept of dualism
were further plagued by the still weirder Mazdakite doctrine )i.e. a
socio-religious movement that flared up in the Sasanian Kavad )488-531
CE( founded by Mazdak son of Bamdad(, that advocated communal
ownership and even ruled that women were the common property of all
men. LikeMani a few centuries earlier, who had claimed a new religion
by combining the teachings of Jesusand Zoroaster, Mazdakite's movement
was also a reaction tothe corruption of the traditional priestly
class. Both creeds died away after the execution of their proponents,
who more or less depended on royal patronage. Onthe other hand, the
Sasanian aristocracy aligned with the Zoroastrian clergy was steeped
inpleasures, burdening the oppressed masses with heavy taxes and
oppression.
At the other end was the Byzantine world, which though claiming to
profess a divinely revealed religion, had in fact polluted the
monotheist message of Prophet Jesuswith the sediments of ancient Greek
and Roman pagan thoughts, resulting in the birth ofChristianity. In
381 CE, the Greco-Roman Church council rejected the doctrine of Arius
of Alexandria, to which most of the eastern provinces of the empire
adhered, and in its place the council had coined the belief thatGod
and Jesusare of one substance and therefore co-existent. Arius and his
followers had held the belief in the uniqueness and majesty of God,
Who Alone, they said has existed since eternity, while Jesuswas
created in time.
There were colonies of Jews scattered across West Asia andNorth
Africato whom several Messengers had been sent by Almighty Allaah.
However, even these divine favors had failed to reform them. The laws
sent to Prophet Moseshad been distorted and tampered with.
Further to the east lay the once flourishing cultures
ofChinaandIndiawhich were groping in darkness. Confucianism had
confused the Chinese, robbing their minds of any positive thinking. On
the other hand, Hinduism had no universal pretensions whatsoever, and
waspeculiar to the geographical confines ofIndiaor more
properlyNorthern Indiaand its Aryan invaders. Conversion of foreigners
was difficult because one had to be born in a particularcaste and it
was the mystery of'Karma'that determined one's fate.
In short, wars, bloodshed, slavery, oppression of women and the
deprived held sway everywhere, might ruled over right. The world was
in dire distress but no one seemed capable of delivering it from
darkness. No religion, ideology, creed or cult during those times,
could offer any hope to the agonies and frustrations of humankind.
None of the religions in currency had any universal outlook or
evenpretensions and were limited to insurmountable geographical and
psychological barriers, preaching discrimination and the narrow-minded
superiority of a particular race.
Thus, it was in such a chaotic state of depression that AlmightyAllaah
sent His last great Prophet,with the universal Message ofIslam to save
humankind from disbelief, oppression, corruption, ignorance and moral
decadence that was dragging humanity towards self-annihilation.

Arabia before the Prophet Muhammad –II

Social Life of the Arabs:
Before the advent of Prophet Muhammad, Arabian society was divided
into several social strata, which produced both advantages and
disadvantages in the resultant social structure. Women among the
nobility were accorded an advanced degree of esteem. They enjoyed
considerable free will in almost all spheres of life and their
decision would usually be enforced. They were so highly cherished and
fiercely protected, that very often bloodshed resulted in defense of
real or imaginary slurs to their honor. In fact, women were believed
to be the most decisive factors that ledto bloody fights or friendly
peace among tribes. These privileges notwithstanding, the family
system in Arabia was wholly patriarchal. The marriage contract rested
completely in the hands of the woman's legal guardian whose words with
regard to her marital status could never be questioned.
On the other hand, there were other sectors where prostitution and
indecency were rampant andin full operation. Abu Daawoodon the
authority of 'Aa'ishahreported four kinds of marriage in pre-Islamic
Arabia: The first was similar to present-day Islamic marriage
procedures, in which case a man gives his daughter in marriage to
another man after a dowry has been agreed on. In the second type, the
husband would send his wife – after the menstruation period –to
cohabit with another man in order to conceive. After conception her
husband would, ifhe desired, have sexual intercourse with her. A third
kindwas that a group of less than ten men would have sexual
intercourse with a woman. If she conceived and gave birth to a child,
she would send for these men, and nobody could abstain. They would
come together to herhouse. She would then say: 'You know what you have
done. I havegiven birth to a child and it is your child' )pointing to
one of them(. The man meant would have to accept. The fourth kind was
that many men would have intercourse with a certain woman )a
prostitute(. She would not prevent anybody. Such women used to put a
certain flagat their gates to invite in anyone who liked. If this
woman got pregnant and gave birth to a child, she would collect those
men, and a soothsayer would tellwhose child it was. The appointed
father would take the child and declare him/her his own. When the
Prophetdeclared Islam in Arabia, he cancelled all these forms of
sexual contact except that of present Islamic marriage.
Pre-Islamic Arabs had no limited number of wives. They could marry two
sisters at the same time, or even the wives of their fathers if
divorced or widowed, and divorce was to a very great extent in the
power of the husband.
With respect to the pre-Islamic parent-child relationship, we see that
life in Arabia was paradoxical and presented a gloomy picture of
contrasts. Whilst some Arabs held children dear to their hearts and
cherished them greatly, others buried their female children alive
because an illusory fear of poverty and shame weighed heavily on them.
Another aspect of the Arabs' life, which deserves mention, is the
bedouin's deep-seated emotionalattachment to his clan. Family or
perhaps tribal-pride, was one of the strongest passions within him.
The unity of blood relations as the principle that bound the Arabs
into social unity was formed and supported by tribal-pride. Their
undisputed motto was "Support your brother whether he is an oppressor
or oppressed." They disregarded theIslamic amendment, which statesthat
supporting an oppressive brother implies deterring him from
transgression.
Hunger for leadership and a keen sense of inter-tribal competition
often resulted in bitter tribal warfare, despite their having
descended from one common ancestor. In this regard, the continued
bloody conflicts of many Arab tribes like 'Aws and Khazraj, 'Abs and
Dhubyaan, Bakr and Taghlib etc. are striking examples.
Inter-tribal relationships were fragile and weak due to
continualinter-tribal wars of attrition. The deep devotion of the
tribes to certain religious superstitions and venerable customs often
curbed their impetuous tendencyto quench their thirst for blood. In
other cases, the respect for alliance, loyalty and dependency
sometimes brought about a spirit of companionship, and aborted
groundless bases of dispute. A time-honored custom of suspending
hostilities during the sacred months )Muharram, Rajab, Thul-Qi'dah,
and Thul-Hijjah( functioned favorably and provided an opportunity for
them to earn their living and coexist in peace.
We may sum up the social situation in Arabia by saying that the Arabs
of the pre-Islamic period were groping about in darkness and
ignorance, entangled in a mesh of superstitions paralyzing their mind
and causing them to lead an animal-like life. The common woman was a
marketable commodity and regarded as a piece of inanimate property.
Inter-tribal relationships were fragile. Greed for wealth and
involvement in futile wars were the main objectives that governed
their self-centered policies.
The Economic Situation:
The economic situation ran in line with the social atmosphere, and the
Arabian way of life illustrated this phenomenon quite clearly. Trade
was the most common means of livelihood. Trade journeys could not be
undertaken unless caravan routeswere deemed safe and there was
inter-tribal peace – two imperative necessities unfortunately lacking
in Arabia, except during the prohibited months within which the Arabs
held their assemblies at the annual markets of 'Ukaath, Thil-Majaz,
Mijannah and others.
Industry was alien to the Arabian psychology. Most of the available
industries of knitting and tanneryin Arabia were done by people coming
from Yemen, Heerah and the borders of Syria.
Ethics:
1. Hospitality: The Arabs used to compete with one another in
hospitality and take utmost pridein it. Almost half of their
collection of ancient poetry was dedicated to the merits and nobility
attached to entertaining one's guest. They would sacrifice their
private sustenance for a cold or hungry guest. They wouldnot hesitate
to incur heavy blood-money and relevant burdens just to stop
blood-shed, and consequently merit praise and eulogy.
In the context of hospitality, there springs to mind their common
habits of drinking and serving wine, which was regarded as a channel
branching out of generosity and showing hospitality. Gambling was also
another practice closely associated with generosity, since the
proceeds would always go to charity. Even the Noble Quran makes note
of the benefits that are derived from drinking wine and gambling, but
also says)what means(: "And the sin of them is greater than their
benefit." ]Quran 2:219[
2. Keeping a covenant: For the Arab, to make a promise was like
incurring a debt. He would go through great pains and hardshipto
uphold the deep-rooted tradition of keeping a covenant. The literature
of that period is filled with stories highlighting this merit.
3. Sense of honor and repudiationof injustice: This attribute stemmed
mainly from exaggerated courage, a keen sense of self-esteem and
impetuosity. The Arabs was always quick to rise in revolt and
retaliation against the least allusion to humiliation or slackness. An
Arab would never hesitate to sacrifice himself to maintain his
ever-alert sense of self-respect.
4. Forbearance, perseverance and mildness: In general, the pre-Islamic
Arabs lacked these qualities. They may have regarded these traits with
great admiration, but their impetuosityand war-like spirit led to
their own lives being sadly wanting in them.
5. Pure and simple bedouin life: The bedouin Arab lifestyle, still
untarnished with the accessories of deceptive urban appearances, was a
driving reason to their nature of truthfulness, honesty and detachment
from intrigue and treachery.
Such priceless ethics coupled with the favorable geographical position
of Arabia were in fact the factors that lay behind the Arabs being
chosen to undertake the burden of communicating the Message )of Islam(
and leading humankind down a new course of life.
The most priceless ethics, besidesbeing true to their covenants, were
no doubt their sense of self-esteem and strong determination -- two
human traits indispensable in combatingevil and eliminating moral
corruption on the one hand, and establishing a righteous and just
society on the other.

Dought and clear - Ruling on saying Bala (yes indeed) when the verse “Is not Allaah the Best of judges?” [al-Teen 95:8] is recited.

What is the ruling on saying Bala (yes indeed)when the imam says "Is
not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8]? Or is that bid'ah (an
innovation)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with the person who is praying behind the imam
saying that, or sayingSubhaanaka fa bala(Glory be to You, yesindeed)
and so on, whenthe imam recites (interpretation of the meaning):"Is
not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the dead?"
[al-Qiyaamah 75:40]or"Is not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen
95:8].
This is the view of the Maalikis. It says inMawaahib al-Jaleel(2/253):
If there is a mention of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) in the imam's recitation, there is nothing wrong with the
person who is praying behind him sending blessings on him, or if there
is any mention of Paradise or Hell, there is nothing wrong with asking
Allaah for Paradise or seeking refuge with Himfrom Hell, and that may
happen time after time. The same applies to a person saying, when
theimam says"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the
dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40]: Yes, He is Able to do all things, and so
on.
This is also the view of the Hanbalis. It says inSharh
al-Muntaha(1/206): The worshipper may saySubhaanaka fa bala(Glory be
to You, yesindeed) and so on, when(the imam) recites (interpretation
of the meaning):"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to
the dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40], whether it is an obligatory or naafil
prayer, because of the report. With regard to the verse"Is not Allaah
the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8], the report is subject to further
discussion. End quote.
See:al-Furoo'(1/481) andal-Insaaf(2/107).
The report referred to was narrated by Abu Dawood (884) from Moosa ibn
Abi 'Aa'ishah who said: A man was praying on his roof, and when he
recited the verse"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life
to the dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40], he would saySubhaanaka fa
bala(Glory be to You, yes indeed). They asked him about that and he
said: I heard it from the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him).
Its isnaad is da'eef, because there is an interruption between Moosa
and the Sahaabi, and there is at least one other man omitted, as was
stated by al-Hafiz inal-Nukat al-Ziraaf(11/210) andNataa'ij
al-Afkaar(2/48).
Even if the report were saheeh, it does not meanthat this is to be
done in an obligatory prayer, rather what seems to be the case is that
the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do that
in obligatory prayers, because if he did that it would have been
narrated, as it was narrated that he did it innight prayers (qiyaam
al-layl). In the hadeeth of Hudhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
it says: I prayed with the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) one night, and he started to recite al-Baqarah and I
thought: he will bow when he reaches one hundred, but he carried on.
Then I thought that he would finish it in the two rak'ahs, but he
carried on. Then I thought he would bow after finishing it, but he
started to recite al-Nisa' and recited it all, then hestarted to
recite Aal 'Imraan and recited it all,reciting with a slow and
measured pace. When he reached a verse that spoke of glorifying
Allaah, he glorified Allaah; when he reacheda verse that spoke of
asking of Him, he asked of Him; when he reacheda verse that spoke of
seeking refuge with Him, he sought refuge with Him... Narrated by Muslim
(772).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
But with regard to naafilprayer, especially in night prayers (qiyaam
al-layl), it is Sunnah to seek refuge with Allaah when reciting a
verse that speaks of seeking refuge, and to ask (for mercy) when
reciting a verse that speaks of mercy, following the example of the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
andbecause that helps one to focus more and ponder more deeply. When
praying qiyaam al-layl it is Sunnah to recite at length, and to recite
a great deal and bow and prostrate and so on. But in an obligatory
prayer, it is not Sunnah to do this although it is permissible. If
someone were to say: What is your evidence for this distinction, and
you were to say that what is proven concerning naafil prayers also
applies to obligatory prayers,
Our answer is: the evidence for this is that the Messenger(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) offered three prayers every night and
day in which he recited out loud, and he recited verses which spoke of
warnings, and verses which spoke of mercy, and the Sahaabah who
transmitted from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) how the prayer is to be performed did not narrate that he used to
do that in the obligatoryprayers. If it was Sunnahhe would have done
it, and if he had done it, it would have been transmitted. As it was
not transmitted, we know that he did not do it. As he did not do it,
weknow that it is not Sunnah. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with
them) were keen tofollow everything that the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, to such an extent that they
couldtell when he was reciting in the prayers inwhich Qur'aan is
recited silently from the movement of his beard. When he fell silent
between the opening takbeer and recitation, Abu Hurayrah asked him
what he said, and if he had fallen silent when reciting a verse that
spoke of warning to seek refuge with Allaah, or in a verse that spoke
of mercy to ask of Allaah,they would undoubtedlyhave transmitted it.
If someone were to say: If that is the case, then why do you not say
that it is not allowed in an obligatory prayer, as some scholars did,
because the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Pray as you have seen me praying" (al-Bukhaari (602))?
The answer is: The fact that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) did not do a thing does not mean that it is forbidden,
because he(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave us a basic
principle: "This prayer is not the right place for any of the people's
speech, rather it is tasbeeh, takbeer and recitation of Qur'aan."
Narrated by Muslim (537). Du'aa' is not "people's speech" so it does
not invalidate prayer. So the basic principle is that it is
permissible, but we do not recommend a person to do that in an
obligatory prayer, for the reasons given above.
So the reciter may say it when he recites (interpretation of the
meaning):"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the
dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40], because there is a hadeeth about it and
Imam Ahmad stated that and said: If the reciter recites ...during prayer
or otherwise, he may say:Subhaanakafa bala(Glory to You, yes indeed),
in both obligatory and naafil prayers.
And if he recites"Is not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8],
he may saySubhaanaka fa bala(Glory to You, yes indeed).
End quote fromal-Sharh al-Mumti'(1/604-605).
The Shaykh (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: We have heard
some people who were praying in congregation,when the imam recites"Is
not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8], they say:Bala(yes
indeed). Is that acceptable?
He replied: This is acceptable, because when Allaah says,"Is not
Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8], you may say; Bala (Yes
indeed). And whenever similar verses are recited, we may say Bala(Yes
indeed).
"Is not Allaah Sufficient for His slave?" [al-Zumar 39:36]- you may
say Yes indeed.
"Is not Allaah All-Mighty, Possessor of Retribution?" [al-Zumar
39:37]- you may say Yes indeed.
"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the dead?"
[al-Qiyaamah 75:40]- you may say Yes indeed.
But if saying this will distract the worshipper from listening to the
imam, then he should not do it. But if it comes at the end of a verse
where the imam will pause, then it will not distract him, so when he
says:"Is not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen95:8], he may say Yes
indeed. End quote fromLiqa' al-Baab il-Maftooh(11/81).
Note: The hadeeth referred to in the words quoted from Ibn Muflih
"subject to further discussion" was narratedby Abu Dawood (887) and
al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever among you recites
(interpretation of the meaning):'By the fig, and the olive' [al-Teen
95:1]and comes to the end of it,'Is not Allaah the Best of judges?'
[al-Teen 95:8], let him sayBala wa ana 'ala dhaalika min
al-shaahideen(yes indeed, and I am one of the witnesses to that). And
if he recites (interpretation of the meaning):'I swear by the Day of
Resurrection' [al-Qiyaamah 75:1]and comes to the end of it,"Is not He
(Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the dead?" [al-Qiyaamah
75:40], let him say Bala (yes indeed). And if he recites'By the winds
(or angels or the Messengers of Allaah) sent forth one after another'
[al-Mursalaat 77:1]and he reaches (the verse) (interpretation of the
meaning):'Then in what statement after this (the Qur'aan) will they
believe?' [al-Mursalaat 77:50], let him say:Aamanna Billaah(we believe
in Allaah)." The isnaad of this hadeeth includes a majhool (unknown)
narrator, as was stated by al-Tirmidhi after quotingit. It was classed
as da'eef by a number of imams, such as al-Nawawi inal-Majmoo'(3/563)
and others. Al-Albaani quoted it inDa'eef Abi Dawood.

Dought and clear - The du’aa’ which saved the Sahaabi from the thief, in which are the words “Yaa Wadood,yaa Dhaa’l-‘arsh il’majeed (O Most Loving,O Owner of the majestic Throne)”.

I would like to find out the status of these ahaadeeth, because I
received this message via e-mail and I do not know how sound it is:
Read it three times and Allaah will answer, in sha Allaah.
"O Most Loving, O Most Loving, O Owner of the majestic Throne, O
Initiator, O Returner, O You Who do whatever You will, I ask You by
theLight of Your Countenance which fills the pillars of Your Throne,
and I ask You by Your Power by which You control all of Your creation,
and I ask You by Your mercy which encompasses all things, there is no
god but You, O Helper help me" – three times.
Praise be to Allaah.
The du'aa' mentioned was narrated in a hadeeth which tells a story
that is well known and widely circulated in chat rooms and forums, and
perhaps it is appropriate to quote it so that we may explain about it.
It was narrated that Anasibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: There was one of the companions of the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), one of the Ansaar, who was known by
the kunyah of Abu Mu'allaq. He was a merchant who did trade with his
own wealth andon behalf of others, and he used to travel all over, and
he was a piousascetic. He went out on one occasion and was met by an
armed thief who said to him: Give me what you have, for I will kill
you. He said: You do not need my blood, all you want is the wealth. He
said: As for the wealth, it is mine; all I want is your blood. He
said: If you insist, then let me pray four rak'ahs. He said: Pray as
much as you want. So he did wudoo', then he prayed four rak'ahs, and
amongthe words that he said indu'aa' in the last prostration were: "O
Most Loving, O Most Loving, O Owner of the majestic Throne, O
Initiator, O Returner, O You Who do whatever You will, I ask You by
theLight of Your Countenance which fills the pillars of Your Throne,
and I ask You by Your Power by which You control all of Your creation,
and I ask You by Your mercy which encompasses all things, there is no
god but You, O Helper help me" – three times.
He said this du'aa' three times, then he saw a horseman who was
holding a spear betweenthe ears of his horse, and when the thief saw
him, he turned to him and stabbed him and killed him, then he turned
to him and said: Get up. He said: Who are you, may my father and
mother be sacrificed for you? Allaah has helped me by you today. He
said: I am an angel from the fourth heaven. Whenyou said your du'aa'
the first time, I heard the gates of heaven tremble,then when you said
yourdu'aa' the second time I heard a noise from the people of heaven,
then when you said your du'aa' the third time it was said to me: The
du'aa' of one who is in distress, and I asked Allaah to let me kill
him.
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: So you should know
thatwhoever does wudoo' and prays four rak'ahs and recites this
du'aa', will receive an answer, whether he is in distress or not.
Narrated by Ibn Abi'l-Dunya inMajaabi al-Da'wah(64)
andal-Hawaatif(24). It was also narrated via this isnaad by
al-Laalkaa'i inSharh Usool al-I'tiqaad(5/166), in a chapter
entitledSiyaaq ma ruwiya min karaamaat AbiMu'allaq(Reports of the
miracles of Abu Mu'allaq). And it was narrated by Abu Moosa al-Madeeni
– as stated byal-Haafiz Ibn Hajar inal-Isaabah(7/379) in his biography
of Abu Mu'allaq al-Ansaari, and he quoted it in full in his
bookal-Wazaa'if. It was narrated from him by hisstudent Ibn al-Atheer
inAsad al-Ghaabah(6/295).All of them narrated it via al-Kalbi from
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him).
But the report of al-Kalbiwas unclear and the reports from him varied.
On one occasion he narrated it from al-Hasan from Anas – as in the
report of Ibn Abi'l-Dunya.
On another occasion he narrated it from al-Hasan from Ubayy ibn Ka'b –
as mentioned by Ibn Hajar inal-Isaabah, concerning the isnaad ofAbu
Moosa al-Madeeni.
On another occasion he narrated it from Abu Saalih from Anas – as in
the report of Ibn al-Atheer from Abu Moosa al-Madeeni.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This isnaad is problematic, and the problem stems either from the
unknown al-Kalbi or from someone further back inthe isnaad than him.
Al-Hasan – i.e., al-Basri – was mudallis and he used the word 'an
[meaning "from"], so theisnaad is weak.
It is strange that Abu Mu'allaq is mentioned asbeing one of the
Sahaabah, but they did not mention anything toprove that he was such,
apart from this fabricated text with this weak isnaad. Hence – and
Allaah knows best – it was not narrated by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr
inal-Isti'aab. Al-Dhahabi said inal-Tajreed(2/204): He has an amazing
hadeeth, but itsisnaad includes al-Kalbi, who is not thiqah
(trustworthy). It is narrated in Mujaaboo al-Da'wah, and you can see
when you read it that he said concerning al-Kalbi: He is not thiqah
(trustworthy). This indicates that no attention was paid to what he
said in the isnaad, "he is not the author of the Tafseer", because
al-Kalbi who is the author of the Tafseeris known not to be
trustworthy. It says inal-Mughni: They rejectedhim, and he was
regarded as a liar by Sulaymaan al-Taymi, Zaa'idah, and Ibn Ma'een. He
was also rejected by Ibn Qattaan and 'Abd al-Rahmaan.
It is also strange that thisstory was quoted by Ibn al-Qayyim at the
beginning of his bookal-Jawaab al-Kaafi li mansa'ala 'an al-Dawa'
al-Shaafifrom this reportof Ibn Abi'l-Dunya, attributing it to
al-Hasanwithout commenting on its isnaad!
Al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah(5737)
I say:
Al-Kalbi has a corroborating report from Maalik ibn Dinar. Al-Qushayri
narrated a similar story inal-Risaalah al-Qushayriyyah(2/85, 86,
chapter on Du'aa') and said:
Abu'l-Husayn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bashraan in Baghdad told us: Abu
'Amr 'Uthmaan ibn Ahmad, who was known as Ibn al-Sammaak, told us:
Muhammad ibn 'Abd Rabbihi al-Hadrami told us: Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik
told us: Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj told us: Maalik ibn Dinar said: al-Hasan
told us, from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) … and
he quoted the hadeeth.
But this corroborating report is not valid, because there are two
problems with this isnaad:
-1-
Muhammad ibn 'Abd Rabbihi al-Hadrami – I could find no biography for him.
-2-
Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik, who narrated it from Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj: I
do not know him either. There were three men with this name whose
biographies I found:
(i)Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malikal-Khuzaa'i, their freed slave from Mosul,
who narrated from Ghassaan ibn al-Rabee' and Muhammad ibn Sulayman
Laween and a number of others. Al-Tabaraani narrated from him.
(ii)Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik Abu Yazeed al-Kufi who settled in Basra.
He narrated from 'Awn ibn Moosa and 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan
ibn Ibraaheem al-Ansaari. Abu Haatim wrote from him in Basra and Abu
Zur'ah narrated from him. He was asked abouthim and said he was a
Shaykh.
Al-Jarh wa'l-Ta'deelby Ibn Abi Haatim (2/362).
(iii)Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik al-'Utbi, who narrated from Yahya ibn
Sa'eed al-Ansaari. Abu Sa'eed al-Ashajj narratedfrom him.
Al-Thiqaatby Ibn Hibbaan (6/97).
As you can see, it seems that none of them are the one mentioned in the hadeeth.
But al-Haafiz Ibn Makoola mentioned inal-Ikmaal(5/101) a report
narrated from Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj under the name of Bishraan ibn 'Abd
al-Malik, and he said:
As for Bishraan, he is Bishraan ibn 'Abd al-Malik, and I think he was
Mawsili (from Mosul). He narrated hadeeth from Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj
ibn 'Imraan al-Samarqandi in Baysaan from Maalik ibn Dinar.
End quote.
Perhaps this is the one who is referred to, and his name was shortened
in the book of al-Qushayri to Bishr.
As for Ibn al-Sammaak, he is thiqah (trustworthy). His biography is
inSiyarA'laam al-Nubala'by al-Dhahabi (17/312).
The same is true of Maalik ibn Dinar (d. 127 AH). His biography is
inTahdheeb al-Tahdheeb(10/15).
To sum up:
The story and the du'aa' are not saheeh (sound) in any way whatsoever,
although there is nothing wrong with the phrases used in the du'aa';
rather the words are sound and good, as testified by the texts of the
Qur'aan and Sunnah.But that does not mean that the one who says this
du'aa' will necessarily be saved, or that we should believe that
Allaah will help the one who says it. Such matters depend on the
soundness of the isnaad going back to the Prophet(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). As the isnaadin this case is not saheeh, we
should not believe that. But if anyone wants to memorize these words
and recite them in du'aa', without regarding them as something that is
prescribed in Islam, there is nothing wrong with that in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought and clear - Guidelines on shar’i wird.

Is reading some sorts of daroods like darood-taj and darood_lakhi and
darood_tunajaiyna etc bidaa`t.
Praise be to Allaah.
We know nothing aboutwhat is in these wirds (daroods), but we can tell
you some guidelines that you can follow in order to know what is
prescribed in Islam and what is bid'ah:
1 – The best wirds are those whose words were narrated from the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because Allaah did
not choose forhim anything but the most perfect and the best, and he
did not choose anything but that for his ummah.
2 – It is permissible for a person to send blessings upon the
Prophet(peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) in words that were
not narrated (in sharee'ah), so long asthey do not include anything
that is forbidden, such as exaggerating about him,or praying to Allaah
by virtue of the Prophet, or calling upon him insteadof Allaah.
3 – The one who is remembering Allaah (reciting dhikr) should not
specify any particular time, number or manner of reciting dhikr unless
that is proven with saheeh evidence, because Allaahcannot be
worshipped except in the manner that He has prescribed inHis Book or
on the lips ofHis Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). Worship must be that which is prescribed in sharee'ah, with
regard to the act itself, the manner in which it is done, the time
when it is done andhow many times it is done. Whoever adopts a wird
whose wording was not narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), or specifies aparticular number of times or does
it at a specific time, is committing bid'ah.
The scholars called this bid'ahal-bid'ah al-idaafiyyah(additional
innovation??), because the action itself is prescribed in sharee'ah,
but some innovation hasbeen added to it with regard to the manner, the
number of times or when it is to be done.
You should note that all goodness rests in following that which
hasbeen narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). Whoever studies those who recite made-up wirds will find
that usually they are falling short when it comes to doing that which
was narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) such as thedhikrs for morning and evening, etc. This confirms
what was narrated from one of thesalaf, who said that no person ever
introduces an innovation but he gives up an equivalent Sunnah.
And Allaah knows best.

Sharing and team-work is in nature's way

When two goats meet upon a narrow bridge over deep water, how dothey behave?
Neither of them can turn back again, neither can pass the other,
because the bridge is too narrow; if they should thrust one another,
they might bothfall into the water and bedrowned.
Nature, then, has taught them, that if the one lays himself down and
permits the other to go over him, both remain without hurt.
Moral of the story: Even so, people should rather endure to be trod
upon, than to fall into debate and discord one with another! It is
better to yieldthan to come to misfortune through stubbornness.

I would like to know what Heaven and Hell arelike!

An Angel was having a conversation with the Lord one day and
said,"Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like?"
The Lord sent the Angel to two doors. The Angel opened one of the
doors and looked in. In the middle of the room was alarge round table.
In the middle of the table was alarge pot of stew which smelled
delicious and made the Angel's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They
appeared to be famished.They were holding spoons with very long
handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to
reach into thepot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle
was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into
their mouths.
The Angel shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, "You have seen Hell. Now go to the next door."
The Angel went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly
the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the
large pot of stew which made the Angel's mouth water. The people were
equipped with the same long handled spoons, buthere the people were
well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The Angel said, "I don't understand."
"It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but oneskill. You see, they
have learned to share by feeding each other, while the greedy think
only of themselves."
Moral of the story: Its people's attitude that makes our place of
work,a hell or heaven! 'Help and Seek Help' this makesall the
difference to each individual's life and makes our lives hell or
heaven. Success and happiness is all about effective team-work make it
a great place to work.

No Other Than Allah is Prayed To

By the verse revealed in the Qur'an, " O Prophet! Allah is enough
for you, and for the faithful who follow you. " (Surat al-Anfal,
64), believers know that Allah is the only One Whom to ask help. He
is the most superior, the most powerful and the One Who sees and
hears everything. Allah is the One Who is excluded from all
deficient features, and Who is the Owner of eternal power. All power
in the universe is in His hands. So help and forgiveness should be
asked for only and only from Allah, Whom everyone is need for and
Who Himself does not need anyone. In the Qur'an it is revealed that
it is wrong to pray to others than Allah and that Allah is the sole
authority of prayer:
" So do not call on any other god along with Allah or you will be
among those who will be punished. " (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 213)
Conclusion
Prayer is an example of Allah's mercy and compassion for His
servants. Believers can pray to Allah at every moment and under
every condition and they are peaceful that Allah will accept these
prayers in the best ways. In this way, they can tell their deepest
secrets and the most hidden desires to Allah, and live the
goodness, prosperity and beauty that comes from the knowledge that
Allah is the only friend , guide and helper. We can see the biggest
secret in Allah accepting prayers in the lives of prophets as we
have mentioned in some examples. There is a relation in praying and
carrying out the actions Allah commands. The physical effort shown
for Allah's good pleasure, mercy and Paradise is an act of worship as
important as prayer. Allah revealed in the Qur'an about the
importance of effort: " But as for anyone who desires the akhira, and
strives for it with the striving it deserves, being a believer, the
striving of such people will be gratefully acknowledged. " (Surat
al-Isra', 19)
Islamic scholar Imam Rabbani explained this matter with these words:
"Desiring something means attaining it; indeed, Almighty Allah does
not make His servant pray for something He will not
accept."Believers who know that their actions are also prayers not
only pray at moments of difficulty but at every moment by feeling
the existence and mightiness of Allah. They preserve this close
connection to Almighty Allah at every moment of their lives.

How Did Our Prophets Pray?

Praying is a way of submitting to Allah and all people need prayer.
The most erudite examples of this is that all Prophets pray to Allah
by submitting to Him in every matter as revealed in the Qur'an. In
the prayers of our Prophet (saas) and all other prophets, we see
both their submission to Allah, the fact that they see Allah as
their sole friend and helper and that they praise our Lord's glory
with His most beautiful names.
The Prayer of Our Prophet (saas)
In the prayers of our Prophet Mohammad (saas), the most beautiful
examples of citing Allah with His names are revealed. One of the
verses in which our Prophet (saas)'s prayers are mentioned is as
follows:
" Say, 'O Allah! Master of the Kingdom! You give sovereignty to
whoever You will You take sovereignty from whoever You will. You
exalt whoever You will You abase whoever You will. All good is in
Your hands. You have power over all things. " (Surah Al 'Imran, 26)
In the narrations, it is noted that our Prophet (saas) prayed to our
Lord to give him a good morality and good nature.
"O Allah! Enhance goodness and ethics! O Divine! Remove from me bad
morals! . " (Tirmidhi, Imam Ahmad and Haqim; Hujjat al-Islam Imam
Gadhali, Ihyau Ulum id-din, volume 2, Translation: Dr. Sitki Gulle,
Huzur Publishing, Istanbul 1998, p.789)
The Prayer of the Prophet Noah (pbuh)
The patience of the Prophet Noah (pbuh), who called his society to
the true religion for years with an exemplary determination, was
praised in the Qur'an. The Prophet Noah (pbuh) struggled against his
society that acted with enmity towards him and the believers who
were with him. The fact that the Prophet Noah (pbuh) turned to
Allah in every situation, and prayed by hoping for his help
sincerely is a great example for believers. In one verse, it is
revealed that Allah knew the condition the Prophet Noah (pbuh) was
in and that he prayed as follows:
" He called upon his Lord: 'I am overwhelmed, so help me!' " (Surat
al-Qamar, 10)
Allah accepted the Prophet Noah (pbuh)'s prayer and commanded him
to prepare for the Flood, which was going to take place in future.
The Prophet Noah (pbuh) began to build a massive ship by the
command of Allah, even though there was no sea or lake nearby. During
the construction of the ship, he was continuously subject to
spiritual pressure by his society. When the time came Allah's
promise was realized and the flood disaster took place.
The Prayer of the Prophet Jonah (pbuh)
In the Qur'an, it is revealed that this valuable prophet of ours
separated himself from his people, as they did not respond to his
calls. (Surat as-Saffat, 139–142) As it is revealed in the verses,
following this, there was a draw in the ship that the Prophet Jonah
(pbuh) was traveling on and as a result of the draw it was decided
that the Prophet Jonah (pbuh) was to be thrown into the sea. On top
of these events, the Prophet Jonah (pbuh) submitted to Allah and
prayed to Him. Allah revealed this event as such in the Qur'an:
" And Jonah when he left in anger and thought We would not punish
him. He called out in the pitch darkness: 'There is no god but You!
Glory be to You! Truly I have been one of the wrongdoers.' We
responded to him and rescued him from his grief. That is how We
rescue the belivers ." (Surat al-Anbiya', 87–88)
As it is revealed in the verses the Prophet Jonah (pbuh) confessed
his condition sincerely in his prayer. He prayed to Allah and
waited for His help. Our Lord, Who has infinite mercy, accepted the
Prophet Jonah (pbuh)'s redemption and saved him from the stomach of
the fish by accepting his prayer.
The Prayer of the Prophet Job (pbuh)
In the Qur'an, the Prophet Job (pbuh)'s patience was mentioned as an
example to believers. The Prophet Job (pbuh) who received
revelations from Allah and who was a selected servant (Surat
an-Nisa, 163) experienced serious trouble and went through a
difficult period. However, despite all of the heavy tribulations
he was in, he always set an example for believers with his patience
and submission to Allah. (Surah Sad, 44) The sincere prayer of this
holy prophet of ours was revealed in one verse as follows:
" And Job when he called out to his Lord, 'Great harm has afflicted
me and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful,' " (Surat
al-Anbiya', 83)
It is revealed in the Qur'an that Almighty Allah accepted the
prayer of the Prophet Job (pbuh) who was one of His sincere servants:
" We responded to him and removed from him the harm which was
afflicting him and restored his family to him, and the same again
with them, as a mercy direct from Us and a Reminder to all
worshippers. " (Surat al-Anbiya', 84)
Prayer, which is an important means to reach Almighty Allah, the
All-Knowing and the All-Hearing, Who is nearer to man than his
jugular vein (Surah Qaf, 16), is an act of worship believers carry
out in every occasion and condition. However, when believers do
this, as it is revealed in the verse " But you will not will unless
Allah wills ..." (Surat al-Insan, 30) they behave in a manner
conscious of the fact that everything is always under the control of
our Lord and that everything is realized by His will.
There is a Response to Sincere Prayers in Both the World and the Hereafter
Prayer leads the person towards what is going to happen in his
destiny; Allah is the One Who determines destiny and creates prayer.
However, the blessing that comes following a prayer contains
prosperity in this world and a good return in the Hereafter. A
person's whole life is a result of the active or verbal prayers
previously made, whether he realizes it or not. Active prayer is our
actions and efforts put forth on the subject of prayer by Allah's
leave. When this effort is not for the good pleasure of Allah –as
is the case with some people- it could still be a means for an
individual to reach his or her wishes, by Allah's leave. People who
do not have faith but carry out their active prayers with great
ambition, for example, those who work and earn a lot, becomes rich
or becomes expert about a subject and becomes famous, have reached
that degree through their active struggle by holding onto causes,
and again by Allah's leave. However, active prayers that are not
made for the good pleasure of Allah will bring no benefit to the
individual in the Hereafter even if a person reaches his or her
objectives from time to time in this world.

Power of Prayer

Prayer, which is an important connection with Almighty Allah, is
demanding in the sense that we demonstrate our weakness in front of
Almighty Allah. Our Lord reveals that prayer is an important act of
worship with the verse, " Say: 'What has My Lord to do with you if
you do not call on Him? ..." (Surat al-Furqan, 77)
Actually the need to form a connection with Allah exists in every
man's character, entailed in creation. However, while praying is
an inseparable part of their lives for believers, for some people it
is an act of worship to be remembered only when they face with
difficulties or life-threatening situations. However, this is a big
mistake because what is truly good is to ask for Almighty Allah's
help both in difficulty and ease and to take refuge in His mercy.
Being Determined in Prayer
Allah has made it possible for His servants to reach anything that
He sees as good and beautiful. However, being determined in the
prayer being made is just as important as the prayer itself.
Praying with patience is an indication of the need for the desires
prayed for, of the inconvenience about this matter and most
importantly an indication that one's closeness to Allah has
increased. Being determined in prayer makes the believer more mature
and bestows on him a strong will and character. A believer who
shows determination in prayer gets much in return by earning a deep
faith, which is more valuable than most of the things he asked for.
It is revealed in the Qur'an that one needs to be determined in
prayer as such:
" Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. But that is a very hard
thing, except for the humble:" (Surat al-Baqara, 45)
Our valuable Prophet (saas) has stated how much he needs Allah
sometimes by praying for years on and our Lord, the All-Merciful,
has given what he asked for at the best time. The fact that Allah
accepts every prayer, both open and hidden, is due to His
Mightiness and Grace. Allah never leaves any thought which crosses
one's mind without a return. However, "accepting a prayer" does not
mean something happening as it was asked for because sometimes a
person may be demanding something harmful to himself. Almighty Allah
reveals as such about this matter:
" Man prays for evil just as he prays for good. Man is prone to be
impetuous." (Surat al-Isra', 11)
Allah knows best what is good and what is bad for a person because
He is the One Who appreciates everything. As with His every work,
there are many wonders hidden in the way He accepts prayers. For
example, the Prophet Jacob (pbuh) rejoining his son the Prophet
Joseph (pbuh) after many long years, the Prophet Joseph (pbuh)
gaining power and rulership after staying in prison for a long time,
the Prophet Ayoob (pbuh) being saved from the pain caused by satan;
all of these occurred after showing great patience and continuous
prayers. Almighty Allah has accepted the prayers of these sincere
servants of His at the best time for them and has made them mature,
educated them, increased their loyalty and sincerity and turned
them into servants worthy of high degrees in Paradise.
How Does Allah Accept Prayer?
· When a believer prays, he knows that Allah hears him and
will always accept his prayer in any way. This is because he
realizes that events do not take place in a coincidental way, but
according to the destiny determined by Allah and in the way He
wills. Therefore, he has no doubt that he will not have any return
for his prayer. Praying with this sincere spirit causes great
goodness by Allah's leave. In one verse, it is revealed that our
Lord will always accept a prayer as a manifestation of His name
"Al-Mujib" (One Who accepts the demands of those who beg to Him).
" If My slaves ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the
caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me
and believe in Me so that hopefully they will be rightly guided. "
(Surat al-Baqara, 186)
· The reason that something asked for in a prayer is given
with delay, or accepted in a completely different way, could also
be that our Lord tests His servants. Allah may grant His blessings
after certain periods of time in order to test the patience of His
servants and to make them mature according to a certain reason.
Due to this and similar reasons, it cannot be expected that every
prayer is realized as it is asked for and as soon as possible. As it
is stated by the great Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman, Allah may give
less of something asked for in prayer or sometimes more of it as a
reward or because of the reasons we mentioned above He may not
grant them at all. However, in every condition, Allah accepts the
prayer of the one who prays to Him.

Friday Prayer for Women: Obligatory?

Question:
Is it obligatory for women to go to Fridayprayer as it is for men?I've
always been taught that for men it is fard, and women can pray at home
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
From a previous post by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani:
There is scholarly consensus (ijma`) that:
a) the Friday prayer is not obligatory for women; and
b) if a woman performs the Friday prayer, it is valid. [Nawawi,
al-Majmu`, 4.350, quoting Ibn al-Mundhir and others]
Imam Sarakhsi explains in his Mabsut that there is a difference between:
a) conditions of obligation (i.e. those conditions that make an action
obligatory to perform); and
b) conditions of validity (i.e. those conditions thatmake an action
valid, if fulfilled). [Sarakhsi, al-Mabsut, 2.23]
The reason why it is not obligatory for women to perform the Friday
prayer is because of the hardship and possible harm entailed in them
doing so�especially in the case of mothers and others. However, if a
woman goes ahead and attends the Friday prayer, it counts because she
bore the hardship entailed. [Sarakhsi, al-Mabsut; Nawawi, al-Majmu`]
Imam Nawawi mentions that it has been established by a large body of
authentic hadiths that women usedto pray behind the Prophet (Allah
bless him and give him peace) at his mosque, and women�s interaction
with men is not haram when there isn�t seclusion (or any other harm)
entailed. [Nawawi,al-Majmu`, 3.350]
And Allah alone gives success.
Wassalam,

Fathwa, - Women and Congregational Prayer

Question:
Is there more reward for women to pray at home or in congregation with
men (that being not necessarily in a mosque with separate praying
areas)?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
From a previous questionanswered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani:
A man only gets full reward for his prayers, by what our beloved
Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us, if he prays in
congregation, in the masjid. For a woman, on the other hand, he told
us that, 'A woman's prayer in the depths of her house is better than
her prayer in this masjid of mine.' [(is better) = has more reward;
(this masjid of mine) = the Masjid al-Nabawi!]
Had women's full rewardfor prayer depended on going to the masjid or
praying in congregation,then this would have placed a great hardship
and spiritual loss on mothers and other women who are at home. Rather,
from Allah's infinite wisdom and mercy, He made the religious
responsibility ofeach gender consonant with the nature of their social
roles.
As for praying in congregation with men, there is nothing wrong with
it. In fact, if a man isunable to make it to the masjid for some
reason, it is recommended for him to pray in congregation with his
family, to get the reward.
However, it is generally disliked for women to goto the masjid just to
pray in congregation, becauseit is reversing the nature of their
religious responsibility, as we have seen. BUT, if they want to go to
the masjid for other reasons, such asgaining religious knowledge,
asking a question, meeting other religious sisters [for good company
is often not readily found at home or at school, and is a necessary
fuel for one'sspiritual life], then there is nothing wrong with going
to the masjid or praying in congregation there.
Wassalam,

Fathwa, - If someone's menstrual period begins during their travel, should one pray regularly or as a tr

Question:
If someone's menstrual period begins during their travel, should one
prayregularly or as a traveller after it ends?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
May Allah's peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad, his
folk, companions, andfollowers
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
Being considered a traveller is not contingent to one's menstrual
cycle. Thus, when one's period ends and one is a traveller, one prays
as a traveller does.
And Allah alone gives success.

Q & A on menstruation and post-partum bleeding –II

Question:A woman had blood beginning to flow )i.e., her menses( while
she was in the Mosque of the Prophet. She stayed in the mosque for a
short while, until her husband had finished his prayer, so that she
could leave with him. Did she commit a sin?
Q & A on menstruation and post-partum bleeding –I
Response:If she was not able to depart from the mosque by herself,
then there is no harm in what she did. However, if she was able to
leave by herself, then it was obligatory upon her to exit as quickly
as possible. This is because the menstruating woman, the woman who has
post-partum bleeding and a sexually defiled person are not allowed to
sit in the mosques. This is based onAllaah's statement which forbids
certain categoriesof people from approaching the places of prayer, one
of which is)what means(:"…Nor while sexually defiled, except when
travelling on a road…"]Quran 4: 43[)1(
It is also narrated from the Prophetthat he said:"Ido not permit the
menstruating woman or the sexually defiled person to enter the
mosque."]Abu Daawood[
Shaykh Ibn Baaz
Footnotes
1. Note that the verse is in reference only to those who are sexually
defiled. Obviously, the differences between a menstruating woman and a
sexually defiled person are very great. Hence, one cannot make an
analogy between the two. Furthermore, there is also a difference of
opinion concerning whether this verse implies anyone who becomes
sexually defiled or only the travellers who become sexually defiled.
Question:Is it allowed for a menstruating woman to read a book of
supplications on the Day of 'Arafah )i.e., the ninth of Thul-Hijjah(,
given the fact that the book contains Quranic verses?
Response:There is no harm in a menstruating or post-partum bleeding
woman reading the books of supplications that are written for the
rites of the pilgrimage. Infact, there is nothing wrong with her even
reciting the Quran, according to the correct opinion, as there is no
authentic, clear text prohibiting a menstruating or post-partum
bleeding woman from reciting the Quran. The narration thatwe do have
is concerned with the sexually defiled person only, which confirms
that such a person should not recite the Quran while he/she issexually
defiled, and this was narrated by 'Ali. As for the menstruating or
post-partum bleeding woman, there is the Hadeeth that was narrated by
Ibn 'Umarwhich states: "Neither the menstruating womannor the sexually
defiled person is to recite anything from the Quran." ]Abu Daawood,
At-Tirmithi & Others[
However, this is weak. This is because it is from the narrations of
Ismaa'eel Ibn 'Ayyaash onthe authority of people from the Hijaaz
)westernArabia(, and he is weak when he narrates from them. However,
the menstruating or post-partum bleeding woman may recite from her
memory without touching the Quran. As for the sexually defiled person,
he/she may not even recite the Quran from memory or touch the Mus-haf
)a copy of the Quran( until he/she makes Ghusl )ritual bathing(. The
difference between the two is that the amount of time one is sexually
defiled for is very short, as he may make Ghusl as soon as he has done
the act with his spouse. The amount of time is not long, and he isin
control of its duration as he may make Ghusl whenever he wishes. Even
if he cannot find water, he can make Tayammum )dry ablution using
soil( and can then pray or recite the Quran. However, the menstruating
or post-partum bleeding woman does not have control over its duration,
such control is in the hand of Allaah. Menstruation and post-partum
bleeding last for days. Therefore, itis allowed for them to recite the
Quran so that they do not forget what they have memorised and so that
they will not lose the merits of recitingit. They may also learn the
laws of the Sharee'ah)Islamic Law( from the Book of Allaah. Therefore,
it follows that it is certainly permissible for her to read the books
of supplications that have verses and Hadeeth intermixed within them.
This is the correct opinion of the scholarson that point.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz
Question:Some women have miscarriages - sometimes the foetus comes out
fully formed while at others it is only partially formed. I would like
you to make clear the ruling for prayer in both of those situations.
Response:If a woman has a miscarriage and the foetus has distinctly
human features, such as a head, limbs and so forth, then her bleeding
is post-natal bleeding. She should, therefore, follow the rulings of
one who has post-natal bleeding. She should not pray or fast and her
husband cannot have sexual intercourse with her until the bleeding
stops, or she completes forty days. If the bleedingstops before the
fortieth day, she must make Ghusl, pray, and fast if it is Ramadan,
and her husband may have sexualintercourse with her )if she is not
fasting and it isnot Ramadan(.
There is no minimum length of time for post-natal bleeding. The
bleeding could stop after ten days, more or less, and she must then
make Ghusl, and all the laws of a ritually pure person willthen apply
to her. If she sees any blood after the fortieth day, it is considered
bleeding from illness. She would then fast and pray with that bleeding
and it is permissible for her husband to have sexual intercourse with
her. Shemust make ablution for the time of every prayer, like for the
Mustahaadhah,)1(as the Prophettold Faatimah bint Abu Hubaysh:"Make
ablution for )the time of( every prayer.")2(
If the blood that flows from her after the forty-day period coincides
with the time of her menses, then it takes on the ruling of menses. It
is forbidden for her to prayor fast until she becomes pure. It is also
forbidden for her husband to have intercourse with her.
However, if the miscarried foetus does not resemble a human being,
such as when it is simply a smooth lump of flesh or clot of blood,
then she takes the ruling of Istihaadhah and not that of post-partum
bleeding. She should pray, fast during Ramadan and may have
intercourse with her husband. She should make ablution for every
prayer while keeping herself clean from the blood by using a panty
liner or something similar, as she would for the Mustahaadhah, until
the bleeding stops.
She may also combine the Thuhr )noon( and 'Asr)afternoon( prayers
together and the Maghrib )sunset( and 'Ishaa' )night( prayers. She may
also make a Ghusl for the combined prayers and a separate Ghusl for
the Fajr prayer, based on the confirmed Hadeeth of Hamnah bint Jahsh.
This is because she is to be treated as a Mustahaadhah, according to
the people of knowledge.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz
Footnotes
1. The Mustahaaadhah is the woman with Istihaadhah. Istihaadhah is
either a prolonged flow of blood )called menorrhagia in English( or
bleeding outside of the menses)called metrorrhagia in English(. Many
hospitals and medical clinics in theUnited Stateshave pamphlets
stating what women should do in such cases. In some cases, especially
when the bleeding is prolonged, it may be symptoms of some other
disorder.
2. This translator was not able to find this Hadeeth with this exact
wording. The authentic narrations in Al-Bukhaari and Muslim simply
state that she is tomake ablution for every prayer.

Q & A on menstruation and post-partum bleeding –I

Using pills that prevent menstruation
Shaykh Ibn Baaz
Question:There are pills that prevent menses or delay their
occurrence. Is it allowed for a woman to use such pills during the
time of Hajj )pilgrimage to Makkah( only out of fear of her menses
arriving?
Response:It is allowed for a woman to use pills that prevent her
menses during the time of Hajj out of fear that her menses may come.
But this should only be done after she has consulted with a )health(
specialist who canensure that her health will be fine. Similarly, she
may do the same during Ramadan if she desires to fast with the
people.)1(
The Standing Committee
Footnotes
)1( There seems to be no need forwomen to go to such lengths. This
could probably be considered a kind of overzealousness. There is no
real certainty as to the health risks of such pills as well as birth
control pills. Furthermore, the menses are a natural matter that
Allaah has ordained for women and there is no need to flee from them.
Hence, it must be considered best for women to abstain from such pills
since there is no necessity for them and they )women( cannot be
certain of their side effects. Allaah knows best
Discontinuation of bleeding during menses
Question:Sometimes, during my menses, I have blood for four days and
then the bleeding stops for three days. Then, on the seventh day the
bleeding returns,but with less intensity. Then, the bleeding turns to
a brown colour until the twelfth day. I hope you will guide me to what
is correct in this matter.
Response:The days that you mentioned, the four and the six day periods
)i.e., the first to the fourth day, and then the seventh to twelfth
day(, are days of menstruation. You should not pray or fast during
those days. It is not allowed for your husband to have sexual
intercourse with you during those days either. Youshould make Ghusl
)ritual bathing( after the first four days and then pray, and your
husband may have intercourse with you during the period between the
fourth and the sixth days. Also, there is no prohibition upon
yourfasting during these days.
If that occurs during Ramadan, it is obligatory upon you to fast on
the days that you are not on yourmenses. When you become pure after
the second six days )i.e., theseventh to twelfth days(, you must make
Ghusl, pray and fast like any other time of purity. This is because
the monthly menses can increase or decrease. Its days are sometimes
together and sometimes separated. May Allaah guide us all to what
pleases Him. May He provide us, you and all theMuslims with
understanding and steadfastness in the religion.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz
Footnotes
)1(In response to this question, the Shaykh has basically given
theHanbali view of the question. There are some other views which may
be more significant that state the entire period is that of
menstruation )i.e., the full12 days in this case(. Allaah knows best
Drops of blood after making Ghusl
Question:I notice that sometimesafter making the Ghusl that follows my
monthly menses, after having had my period for the normal five days, I
have a verysmall number of drops )of blood( emerging. This occurs
immediately after I make Ghusl. After that, nothing else emerges. I do
not know what to do. ShouldI follow my normal five-day period and
simply ignore what occurs after that and continue to pray and fast? Or
should I consider that day also as part of my period and not pray or
fast during it? Note that such a thing does not always occur to me,
butonly occurs every two or three monthly cycles. I hope you will
benefit me on this matter.
Response:If what emerges after your washing is either yellow or brown,
then it is not to be taken into consideration )as menses( and it takes
the same ruling as urine.)1(
However, if it is clearly blood, it will then be considered part of
the menses and you must repeat the Ghusl due to what is confirmed from
Umm 'Atiyyahwho was a female companion of the Messenger of Allaahwho
stated: "We would not consider yellowish or brownish discharge as
anything)2(after we had been purified]from menses[.")3(
Shaykh Ibn Baaz
Footnotes
1. Meaning, it must be washed offthe clothing and the person mustmake
ablution from such a discharge.
2. That is: "We would not consider it as menses."
3. Recorded by Al-Bukhaari
If a woman ends her menses before sunset, she must perform the Thuhr
and 'Asr Prayers
Question:When a menstruating woman becomes pure before sunrise, is it
obligatory upon her to perform the Maghrib and 'Ishaa' prayers?
Similarly, if she becomes pure before sunset, is it obligatory upon
her to perform the Thuhr and 'Asr prayers?
Response:If a menstruating or post-partum bleeding woman becomes pure
before sunset, it is obligatory upon her to perform both the Thuhr and
'Asr prayers, according to the strongest opinion among the scholars.
Similar is the case if she becomes pure before dawn. In that case, she
must perform the Maghrib and 'Ishaa' prayers. This has beennarrated
from Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn 'Awf and 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abbaas. This is the
opinion of the majority of the scholars. Similarly, if a menstruating
or post-partum bleeding woman becomes pure before sunrise, it
isobligatory upon her to perform the Fajr )dawn( prayer. And from
Allaah is guidance.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz
The menstruating woman keeping herself clean from urine
Question:When I am menstruating, I do not clean myself of urine with
water because I fear that the water mayharm me. What is the ruling
concerning that?
Response:It suffices, in place of water, to clean yourself with clean
tissue paper or any other pure solid object that will removethe impure
substance, such as a large stone, a piece of wood, or similar objects.
This wiping should be done three times or more, until the impure
substanceis removed. This ruling is not just for you or anyone in a
case like yours; rather, it is for all Muslim men and women under all
circumstances. This is based on what has been confirmed from
'Aa'ishahthat the Prophetsaid:"When one of you goes to relieve
himself, he should clean himself with three stones, and that will be
sufficient for him."]Ahmad & Others[
It is also confirmed from SalmaanAl-Faarisithat it was said to him:
"Your Prophet teaches you everything, even how to go to the lavatory."
Salmaanreplied: "Certainly! He prohibited us from facing the
Qiblah)direction of the Ka'bah( while defecating or urinating, from
cleaning our genitals with our right hand, from cleaning ourselves
with less than three stones and from cleaning ourselves with dung or
bone."]Muslim, Abu Daawood & At-Tirmithi[

The covenant between the Prophet and the Jews

Soon after emigrating to Al-Madeenah and makingsure that the pillars
of the new Islamic community were well established on strong bases of
administrative, political and ideological unity, the Prophetembarked
upon the task of establishing regular and clearly-defined relations
with the non-Muslims there, who comprised of Jews and Arab tribes. All
of these efforts were exerted solely to provide peace, security, and
prosperity to all mankind at large, and to bring about a spirit of
rapport and harmony within his region in particular.
The Prophetwas also keen on establishing friendly relations between
the Muslims andnon-Muslims. He was verymeticulous in not leavingany
area in the charter that would allow pre-Islamic traditions to slip in
or violate the new environment he wanted to establish.
Geographically, the nearest people to Al-Madeenah were the Jews.
Despite harbouringevil intentions and nursing a bitter grudge, they
showed neither the least resistance nor the slightest animosity. The
Prophetdecided to ratify a treaty with them with clauses that provided
full freedom in faith and wealth. He had no intention whatsoever of
following severe policies involving banishment, seizure of wealth and
land, or hostility.
Included in the treaty were a number of terms and conditions. The
maincondition being that, in case of an attack on Al-Madeenah launched
byoutsiders, the people of Al-Madeenah as a whole would raise arms,
collectively, against the enemies. Another condition being that the
Jews of Al-Madeenah would not provide refuge to the Quraysh of Makkah
or their allies. None of the citizens of Al-Madeenah would put any
hurdle in the way of anyone else's religion, life or property. If two
people of Al-Madeenah had a falling-out on an issue and were not able
to find any solution to it by themselves, they would have to abide by
the decision made by the Prophetconcerning it. The Muslims of
Al-Madeenah would be considered as friends of the Jews, and they )the
Jews( would therefore have to treat as friends those tribes and clans
who were in alliance with the Muslims. All kinds of fighting and
bloodshed would be treated as prohibited in the territory of
Al-Madeenah.
The most important provisions of the treaty were as follows:
1. The Jews of the tribe of 'Awf were to be one community with
the believers. The Jews would profess their religion and the Muslims
theirs.
2. The Jews would be responsible for their expenditure, and the
Muslims for theirs.
3. If attacked by a third party, each would come to the
assistance of the other.
4. Each party would hold counsel with the other. Mutual
relations would be founded on righteousness; sin was totally excluded.
5. Neither group would commit sins to the prejudice of the other.
6. The wronged partywould be aided.
7. The Jews would contribute to the cost of any war, so long as
they were fighting alongside the believers.
8. Al-Madeenah would remain sacred andinviolable for all who
would join this treaty.
9. If any disagreement were to arise between the signatories of
this treaty, then Allah the All-High and His Messengerwould settle the
dispute.
10. The signatories to this treaty would boycott Quraysh
commercially; they would also abstain from extending any support to
them.
11. Each would contribute to defending Al-Madeenah, in case of
aforeign attack, in its respective area.
12. This treaty would not hinder either party from seeking lawful revenge.
After the agreement wasfinalised, the Prophetmade an all-out effort to
bring the clans around Al-Madeenah into the fold of this pact so that
all disruptions, disorder and bloodshed were curbed once and for all.
The Prophetwas so eager to widen the scopeof this pact that he made a
special journey to premises of Dhamrah bin Bakr bin 'Abd Manaaf to
bring them around to this recently signed pact. He won over their
chief, 'Amr bin Makhshi, to the idea and he put his initials on the
document. He also got the people of Mount Buwat and of Thul-'Ushayrah
in Yanbu' and Banu Mudlij to accept the peace treaty. The purpose of
the Prophetin constructing this peace pact was to create an atmosphere
of peace andorder so that the people could be at peace and be able to
reflect on the message of Islam in an air of safety and security.
These peace efforts were yet to bring fruit when clandestine
activities in Al-Madeenah and onslaughts from outside plunged
Al-Madeenah into disorder once again.
Al-Madeenah and its suburbs, after the ratification of this treaty,
turned into a coalition state, with Al-Madeenah proper as capital and
Muhammadas de facto president; authorityrested primarily in the hands
of the Muslims, and consequently it was a real capital of Islam.
The peace pact made all the people of Al-Madeenah recognise the
strength and supremacy of Islam and they all signed it, signifying
their acceptance of the superiority of the Muslims.