For children, - Persistent Determination: You are not inferior to an Ant - Never Give Up(Perseverance in Islam)

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Tamerlane! Amir Timur was a great Mongolian King and great great grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynastyin India. He was one of the bravest and greatest warriors born in present Uzbekistan. He had conquered nearly half of the world known at that time. His courage was great. Amir Taimur, was someone who was so firm and unfaltering in every predicament, that he did not cower from any misfortune. He learnt from an Ant not to loose courage. He tells his own story as follows.
Once he was fighting a battle. He was defeated. He had to run away to the mountains to save his life. He hid himself in a safe place. Tired and hungry he sat at one place quietly watching little things around him. He noticed an Ant working. The Ant was carrying a grain of rice much bigger than itself. With this load the Ant tried to climb up a wall. The grain fell down. The Ant came down and lifted the grain once again. It started to climb the wall. Again the grain fell down and again it went down to try. The Ant did not loose courage. It tried again and again. The King tells us that the Ant tried thirty three times until it succeeded in taking the grain up the wall. The King learnt a lesson. Man looses courage. He was weak. He must grow strong.
I said to myself: O' Taimur! You are by no means inferior to an Ant. Arise and get back to work. So heartened, he went about collecting his run-away soldiers and officers. He rebuilt his army. He fought yet another battle. He won. Thereafter, one success after another came to him. He had learnt not to loose courage. He continued to battle until he became a great King.
Constant effort is the key to success. Ants know their lesson. Men have to learn. Never loose courage. Islam teaches true values of life. It teaches human beings not to despair. Each one must try harder and achieve greater results in life.
Noble Qur'an teaches: "And that there is nothing for man except what he tried, His efforts shall be seen. And rewarded to fullest extent." (Sura An-Najm 53:39-41)
Moral:Falling down is not defeat...defeat is when you refuse to get up...

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I'tikaaf, (residing in the mosque for worship), - Dought& clear, - * I’tikaafis prescribed inRamadaan andat other times

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Can i’tikaaf be done at any time or is it only to be done in Ramadaan?.
Praise be to Allaah.
I’tikaaf is Sunnah at any time, in Ramadaan or otherwise, but it is better in Ramadaan, especially in the last ten days of Ramadaan.
This is indicated by the general meaning of the evidence which speaks of i'tikaaf being mustahabb, which includes Ramadaan and other times. See question no. ( 48999).
Al-Nawawi said inal-Majmoo’(6/501):
I’tikaaf is Sunnah according to consensus, and it is not obligatory unless one vowed to do it – also according to consensus. It is mustahabb to do it a great deal and it is mustahabb especially in the last ten days of Ramadaan.
He also said (6/514):
The best i’tikaaf is that which is accompanied by fasting, and the best of that is in Ramadaan, and the best of that is the last ten days.
Al-Albaani said inQiyaam Ramadaan:
I'tikaaf is Sunnah in Ramadaan and at other times of the year. The basis for that is the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“…while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
And there are saheeh ahaadeeth which describe the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) observing i’tikaaf as well as numerous reports which describe the salaf as doing so too.
It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) observed i’tikaaf during ten days of Shawwaal as well. This is agreed upon.
‘Umar said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “During the Jaahiliyyah I vowed to observe i’tikaaf for one night in al-Masjid al-Haraam.” He said: “Fulfil your vow.” So he [‘Umar] observed i’tikaaf for one night. Agreed upon.
It is more emphasized in Ramadaan, because of the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i’tikaaf for ten days every Ramadaan, and in the year in which he passed away he observed i’tikaaf for twenty days. Narrated by al-Bukhaari.
The best i’tikaaf is at the end of Ramadaan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i’tikaaf for the last ten days of Ramadaan until he passed away. Agreed upon.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(15/437):
Undoubtedly i’tikaaf in the mosque is an act of worship, and (observing it) in Ramadaan is better than at other times. It is prescribed in Ramadaan and at other times.
SeeFiqh al-I’tikaafby Dr Khaalid al-Mushayqih, p. 41.

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I'tikaaf, (residing in the mosque for worship), - Dought& clear, - * The minimum length of time for i’tikaaf

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What is the minimum length of time for i’tikaaf ? Is it possible to observe i’tikaaf for a short time or does it have to be for several days?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars differed as to the minimum length of time for i’tikaaf.
The majority of scholars are of the view that the minimum length of time is a moment. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and Ahmad. Seeal-Durr al-Mukhtaar(1/445);al-Majmoo’, 6/489;al-Insaaf, 7/566.
Al-Nawawi said inal-Majmoo’, 6/514:
With regard to the minimum length of time for i’tikaaf, the majority stipulated that it must be observed in the mosque, and that it is permissible to do a lot or a little, even a hour or a moment.
They quoted several reports as evidence for that:
1 – That i’tikaaf in Arabic means staying, and the word may be applied to a long period of time or a short one; there is no report in sharee’ah that defines it as being a specific length of time.
Ibn Hazm said: I’tikaaf in the language of the Arabs means staying… any stay in the mosque for the sake of Allaah with the intention of drawing closer to Him is i’tikaaf… whether that is for a short time or a long time, because the Qur’aan and Sunnah do not specify any number or length of time.Al-Muhalla, 5/179
2 – Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that Ya’la ibn Umayyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I will stay in the mosque for an hour, and I am only staying to observe i’tikaaf. Ibn Hazm quoted this as evidence inal-Muhalla(5/179); it was quoted without comment by al-Haafiz inal-Fath. “Hour” here refers to a period of time but it does not mean an hour in the modern sense of sixty minutes.
Some scholars are of the opinion that the minimum length of i’tikaaf is one day. This was narrated from Abu Haneefah and was the view of some of the Maalikis. Shaykh Ibn Baaz said inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(15/441):
I’tikaaf means staying in the mosque to worship Allaah, whether that is for a long time or a short time, because as far as I know there is no report to indicate a set time, whether one or two days or more. This is an act of worship which is prescribed in Islam unless one vows to do it, in which case it becomes obligatory. This applies equally to men and women.

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I'tikaaf, (residing in the mosque for worship), - Dought& clear, - * Is it valid to observe i’tikaaf in any mosque?

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Is it valid to observe i’tikaaf in any mosque?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars differed concerning the characteristics of the mosque in which it is permissible to observe i’tikaaf. Some said that it is valid to observe i’tikaaf in any mosque, even if prayers in congregation are not held there, based on the general meaning of the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques”[al-Baqarah 2:187]
Imam Ahmad was of the view that it is conditional upon it being in a mosque in which prayers are held in congregation. He quoted the following evidence for that:
1 – The words of ‘Aa’ishah: “There should be no i’tikaaf except in a mosque in which prayers in congregation are held (masjid jamaa’ah).” Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in his essayQiyaam Ramadaan.
2 – Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “There should be no i’tikaaf except in a mosque in which prayer is established.”Al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 5/212.
3 – If a person observes i’tikaaf in a mosque in which prayers in congregation are not held, this will lead to one of two things:
(i) Either he will miss prayer in congregation, and it is not permissible for a man to miss prayer in congregation without a valid excuse.
(ii) Or he will go out a great deal in order to pray in another mosque, which defeats the purpose of i’tikaaf.
Seeal-Mughni, 4/461.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said inal-Sharh al-Mumti’(6/312): I’tikaaf is not valid unless it is observed in a mosque in which people gather (to pray)?
Is what is meant a mosque in which Jumu’ah prayers are held, or one in which prayers in congregation (jamaa’ah) are held?
The answer is: a mosque in which prayers in congregation are held; it does not have to be one in which Jumu’ah prayers are held, because the mosque in which prayers in congregation are not held is not a mosque in the true sense of the word, such as if the mosque has been abandoned by its people or they have moved away.
It is not essential that the mosque be one in which Jumu’ah prayers are held, because Jumu’ah does not happen repeatedly and going out to attend Jumu’ah does not affect i’tikaaf, unlike the five daily prayers which happen repeatedly every day and night.
This condition – that the mosque be one in which prayers are held in congregation – applies if the person observing i’tikaaf is a man. If it is a woman, her i’tikaaf is valid in any mosque, even if it is one in which prayers are not held in congregation, because prayer in congregation is not obligatory for woman.
Ibn Qudaamah said inal-Mughni:
A woman may observe i’tikaaf in any mosque; it does not have to be one in which prayers are held in congregation, because that is not obligatory for women. This is the view of al-Shaafa’i.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said inal-Sharh al-Mumti’(6/313):
If a woman observes i’tikaaf in a mosque in which prayers are not held in congregation, there is nothing wrong with that because she does not have to pray in congregation.

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