We are but human

Posted Aug 31, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with No Comments

Imam al-Kisa’ee (one of the 7 Qurra’) relates: ‘I lead Haroon al-Rashid [the amir of the muslims] in prayer one day and he took a liking to my recitation. But then I made a mistake that not even a child makes! I wanted to say,

ولعلهم يرجعون
‘… So that they may return’

But instead I said,

ولعلهم يرجعين
‘… So that they (she) may return’ – [In other words, he mixed up the verb indicating a single fem. subject rather than the masc. plural]

He said, ‘By Allah, Haroon didn’t have the boldness to say ‘You have made a mistake,’ but when I finished the prayer he asked me, ‘O Kisa’ee, what language/Qira’ah is this?’ I said, ‘O leader of the faithful, even the fine horses stumble at times.’ He said, ‘Yes, this is true.’

http://fajr.wordpress.com/category/seeking-knowledge-ilm/

Remembering Allah

Posted Aug 29, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 1 Comment

Narrated by ‘Abdullaah bin Busr [he] said that a man came to the Prophet and said “O Messenger of Allah! Verily, the sanctions of Islam have become too numerous for me [to perform them all]. Inform me of something (simple) that I may adhere to.” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Let your tongue always be moist with the rememberance of Allah.” [Reported by al-Tirmidhee no. 3375 and Ibn Maajah no. 3793 and Ibn Hibbaan no. 814]

‘Abdullaah bin Mas’uud said:

Muusa – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – said, My Lord! Which deed is the most beloved to You? He [the Most High] replied:

The one amongst them that remembers Me the most

Ibn ‘Abbas said:

Increase in Dhikr [remembrance of Allah] so much so that the hypocrites say you are showing off.

Mu’aadh bin Jabal said:

For me to remember Allah [do dhikr] from morning to evening is more beloved to me then fighting with horses for the sake of Allah from morning to evening.

al-Hasan al-Basri said:

The most beloved slaves to Allah are the ones that remember Him the most [doing dhikr].

Aboo Hurairah used to have a string with 1000 knots, he never used to go to sleep except glorifying Allah [using it]

Khaalid bin Mi’daan used to glorify Allah [tasbeeh] 40,000 [forty thousand] every day not including that which he used to read from the Qur’aan. When he passed away he was placed on his bed to be giving a ghusl, his finger started to move glorifying Allah.

It was said to ‘Umair bin Haani we do not see your tongue getting tired, how many times a day do you glorify Allah? He replied 100, 000 [one hundered thousand] times a day.

Ka’b said:

Whoever increases in his remembrance of Allah [dhikr] will be saved from hypocrisy

[Translation from al-Jaami' al-'Uloom wal-Hikam by Imaam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali]

Ruling concerning religious speech after the Friday prayers and does a muslim have to sit and listen to it?

Posted Aug 28, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with No Comments

[Allah] the Most High said:

And when the prayer is concluded then disperse in the land and seek from the blessings of Allah and remember Allah much so that you might become successful [Suurah al-Jum'ah Aayah 10]

Shaykh ibn ‘Uthaymeen – may Allah have mercy upon him – said:

And in this [the verse] there is a hint that there is no khutbah after the Friday prayers because Allah said:

And when the prayer is concluded then disperse in the land

So there is no khutbah nor any speech or reminder, what is sufficent is the reminder in the Friday sermon which was established during the time of the Prophet and it is because of this Imaam Ahmed [bin Hanbal] said:

If anyone speaks after the Friday prayers do not listen to him, except that it is news from the ruler

Because it is upon the masses to listen [attentively] to news from the ruler, since this is the right of the ruler.

As for any general advice ,then the khutbah is enough. The best of guidance is the guidance of the Prophet and he never used to give speeches after the [Friday] prayer and it has not been reported from him through any authentic hadeeth nor unauthentic hadeeth so then from where is this!

The dog in surah al-Kahf

Posted Aug 28, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 4 Comments

Many of us will read this surah on Fridays yet many of the benefits from the surah might slip the attention of most of us common people. One of such, is the mentioning of the dog in the story of the sleepers of the cave. What is the meaning of bringing up the mention of a dog, whose saliva is considered impure and the very ownership of a dog will cause the owner to decrease in reward not to mention that the Angels will not come close to a place where there are dogs present, so then what is the purpose of mentioning this animal? Read more

Jealousy

Posted Aug 27, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 2 Comments

This is hoping for the removal of the  blessing of the other, and it is [based upon] hatred and contempt towards other people’s blessings. Jealousy is an evil disease, a killing poison, no one is saved from it except the one that is saved by the All-Mighty Most High.

Because of this, it is said:

No body is free from jealousy, but the lowly person shows his jealousy and the noble person witholds it [i.e does not show it] [Ibn Taymiyyah's Amraad al-quluub wa shifaa-uhaa p.134] Read more

What is the meaning of a strong believer?

Posted Aug 27, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with No Comments

On the authority of Aboo Hurairah may Allah be pleased with him said, the Messenger of Allah said

‘Al-mu’min al-qawiyy [a strong believer] is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer and in both there is goodness..’ [Report by Muslim Kitaab al-Qadr no. 02664] Read more

Story of the lady who spoke Qur'aan

Posted Aug 22, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 12 Comments

Abdullaah bin Mubaarak – may Allah have mercy upon him –  said:

I sat out for hajj to the sacred house of Allah and visiting the masjid of His Prophet may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. As I was in the road, I suddenly saw a black figure and when I managed to distinguish it I realised it was an old woman wearing a garment and a headscarf made out of cotton, I said to her:

“Assalaamu ‘Alyka Warahmatullahi Wabaraktuh”

She replied, “Salaamun qawlan min rabi-Raheem [Peace: a word from a Merciful Lord.]” Read more

Limit for hastening to catch the Imaam in Rukuu'

Posted Aug 20, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with No Comments

On the authority of Aboo Hurairah radiyalAllahu ‘anhu said I heared the Messenger of Allah saying:

When the Iqaamah for the salah is given, do not come to it running but rather come to it walking, and adhere to as-Sakeenah [tranquility], then whatever you reach [of the prayer] pray it and whatever you miss of it [the prayer] then make it up. [Reported by Bukhaaree, Kitaab al-Jumu'ah no. 908 and Muslim Kitaab al-Masaajid no. 602]

Shaykh ibn ‘Uthaymeen – may Allah have mercy upon him – said explaining this hadeeth:

His [the Prophet] statment:

When the Iqaamah for the salah is given, do not come to it running

Meaning, that when you hear the Iqaamah from outside the masjid, and this is evidence that the Iqaamah is [to be] heared from outside the masjid, and this is the apperent meaning.

In the statment of the Prophet:

but rather come to it walking, and adhere to as-Sakeenah [tranquility]

[Meaning] walking naturally and adhere to tranquility [when walking].

So there is evidence that the person walks in a natural way, and he does not make his steps short, as some scholars have preferred, and as for the statment of the Prophet:

…He does not take a step except that Allah raises him a level.

But if he makes his steps small and walks without haste and reaches the masjid like this then the Prophet said:

then whatever you reach [of the prayer] pray it and whatever you miss of it [the prayer] then make it up.

An exception, as mentioned by the scholars, would be if the person is afraid that he might miss the actual raka’ah meaning missing the rukuu’, then there is no problem in hurrying a little. Hastening in such a way that it is not considered as “ugly”, then there is no problem in that, but it is not befitting that this hastening is considered “ugly”, having alot of movement and sound to it.

What is the meaning of "The shade, on the day where there is no shade but His"?

Posted Aug 18, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 6 Comments

Shaykh ibn ‘Uthaymeen – may Allah have mercy upon him – said explaining the hadeeth of the Prophet:

Seven [types of people] will be shaded by Allah underneath His shade the day when there is no shade but His [Reported by Bukhaaree, Kitaab al-athaan no. 660 and Muslim, Kitaab al-Zakaah no. 1031]

He said:

Here, a very important question arises which I would like to bring to your attention and that is, some people believe that the meaning of shade in the hadeeth is the shade of the Lord the Most High, and this is a very wrong assumption, no one will assume such a thing but an ignorant person. This is because the people will be on the earth and this shade is due to the sun, so if this shade was that of the Lord Most High then this would imply that the sun would be above Allah, and this is something impossible that will not happen, since Allah – Glorified be He – is above His creation and encompasses everything.

But the meaning [in the hadeeth] is [rather] the shade that Allah will create that day providing shade for those who deserve it. Allah only ascribed this shade to Himself because no one will be able to provide shade but Him. There will not be any buildings or anything to put above  the heads of people there will only be the shade that Allah will create for His [believing] slaves on that day.

This is why Allah attributed the shade to Himself, to show how special it is [and out of honour, since anything attributed to Allah is honourable]

When do you say inshaAllah regarding things of the future?

Posted Aug 18, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with No Comments

On the authority of Aboo Hurairah radiyaAllahu ‘anhu that the Messenger of Allah said on the day of Khaybar:

I will surely hand over the flag [of battle] to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, Allah will give victory through his hands…[Reported by Muslim, Kitaab Fadhaa'il al-Sahaabah no. 2405]

Shaykh ibn ‘Uthaymeen – may Allah have mercy upon him – said adding [explanation] to this hadeeth:

In this hadeeth there is evidence that it is allowed for a person to say, I will surely do such and such in the future, even if he does not say inshaAllah [with it]. But it is important to know the difference between a person who is informing us about his [personal] desires [and hopes for the future] and a person informing you that he has intended to do something. As for the first then there is no problem with not saying inshaAllah along with it, because this person is [only] informing us about his hopes and wishes, but as for the second person who has intended firmly upon doing the deed then this person has to say inshaAllah, connecting his will with the will of Allah.

Allah the Most High says:

And do not say about a matter, I will surely do it tomorrow, except inshaAllah [if Allah wills] [Suurah al-Kahf Aayah 23-24]

So there is a difference between a person who is informing us about his hopes and wishes and another informing us that he will surely do such and such tomorrow, because tomorrow is not yours, perhaps you will die before tomorrow or perhaps you will remain until tomorrow but due to circumstances you will not be able to do what you said or even Allah Himself might remove your will from that particular deed [i.e so that you will not do it] as often happens, how often does not a person want to do a particular deed only to be left with no will for it at the end of the day by the will of Allah.

Because of this we say, that in this hadeeth there is evidence for a man to say I will do such and such informing about his hopes and desires not with a firm intention of doing, because his future belongs to Allah, however if your informing about your hopes then there is no problem.