Treasure

Posted Dec 17, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 10 Comments

Friday approaches once again many of us might read surah Kahf, yet how much of its wisdom escapes us?

The story of Muusa and Khidr shows the importance of seeking knowledge and even the etiquttes that should be present in the student. A very beautiful point that might not be clear to many of us is the following I read in the book Taqyeed al-’Ilm by Imaam al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee

On the authority of Sa’eed bin Jubayr that Ibn ‘Abbas said concering the verse:

وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُ كَنزٌ لَّهُمَا

And underneath it [ie the wall] was a treasure belonging to them [the orphans]

[This treasure] was neither gold nor silver, rather it was scrolls of knowledge.

Al-Hasan ibn Saalih said:

And what treasure could be better then knowledge! 

Life in Madeenah

Posted Dec 08, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 13 Comments

Since it is the dream of every muslim to live in Madeenah I thought I’d write a little about how life in Madeenah actually is.

Anyone who might have come to Saudi Arabia for ‘Umrah or Hajj will certainly tell you that Madeenah is very much different to Makkah. In Madeenah your heart finds peace and tranquility unlike Makkah where the life is a bit more hectic. So what is it really like living in the city of the Prophet? Read more

Is there such a thing as Major and Minor Bid'ah?

Posted Dec 07, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 5 Comments

In his book al-’Itisaam Imaam ash-Shaatiby writes concerning Bid’ah

[This is based upon] That in the Sharee’ah the prohibited things and sin in general are divided into what is considered major and minor. In the same way this is applied to bid’ah, there is a major and minor aspect to it.

So what are the conditions for a bid’ah to be considered minor?

1. That he is not persistent upon it [i.e he does not do it all the time]

2. That he does not call towards it.

3.  That he does not do it in a gathering of people.

4. That he does not think of it as minor or tries to belittle the fact that it is a bid’ah

So if these conditions are applied then it is hoped for that the bid’ah will be a minor one, but if these conditions are not met then what is dreaded is that it might become a major bid’ah [however both are extremely dangerous to the religion]

And Allah knows best.

What to study?

Posted Dec 07, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 3 Comments

Whenever I get the chance I buy books with every penny I get. And there is nothing I enjoy more then to skim read new books I have bought. The other day I bought a really nice book called “Aqeedah ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah” the author being Shaykh Muhammad bin Ibraheem al-Hamad. The book deals with alot of things but what I like the most is the fact that the late mufti Shaykh Bin Baz reviewed the book and added bits to it. Here is an extract touching on a topic that concerns many youngsters today.

[The correct aqeedah] does not go against sound knowledge rather it reinforces it and calls towards it. So the benefitting knowledge, which both the Qur’aan and the Sunnah call towards is the type of knowledge that will bring its bearer [true] benefit and there is no difference wether this type of knowledge is connected with the dunya or the aakhirah rather whatever purifies the actions and softens the manners and guides to the straight path then it is from beneficial knowledge.

And the Sharee’ah, in all its perfection has ordered for the study of all types of beneficial knowledge. From the study of Tawheed, Fiqh Arabic language even Economics, Politics, Warfare and knowledge pertaining to Industry (and medicine [Shaykh Bin Baaz added this himself]) and any other type of beneficial knowledge that will benefit the individual aswell as the community as a whole.

So there is no type of beneficial knowledge that the Sharee’ah has not orded the study of, regardless if it’s pertaining to the religion or the dunya, in truth whatever beneficial knowledge from the dunya has been linked to the aakhirah [i.e a person with the right intention will be rewarded for it]

And alot of people have gone to both extremes concerning this, some people from the ahl al-ghuluw [people who make the religion difficult upon themselves] have said only study the religion and others like secularists have said only study the dunya and thus both have gone astray.

Diwaan Shaafi'ee

Posted Dec 04, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 7 Comments

This is perhaps the one poem by Imaam Shaafiee I love the most! Do not just skip the arabic and read the english try reading both it is very beautiful. 

إن لله عبــادا فـــطنا       طلقوا الدنيا وخافـوا الفتنا

Verily to Allah belongs slaves with intellect — They divorced [left off] this dunyah and were afraid of fitnah

نظــروا فيهـا فلما علموا      أنها ليـست للـحي وطنا

They looked into it [i.e this world] and upon realizing — That indeed it is not an abode for the living [i.e everyone will come to die]

جــعلوها لجــة واتخذوا     صالح الأعمـال فيها سفنا

So they percieved it as a stormy ocean [that would bring destruction] and they took — Their good deeds as ships therein [in order to survive]

Du'aa on Friday

Posted Dec 04, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 2 Comments

Make the most out of your Friday!

Shaykh al-Albaane in his book Jaami’ Saheeh al-Athkaar he writes:

On the authority of Anas bin Maalik that the Prophet said:

Seek the one hour that is hoped for [i.e your supplications will be accepted] on the day of Jumu’ah [friday] after the Asr Prayer until the sun sets. [Saheeh Tirmidhee 489]

On the authority of Jaabir radiyaAllahu ‘anhu that the Messenger of Allah said:

The day of Jumu’ah [friday] is twelve hours, there is no muslim slave that asks Allah the Most High [on that day] anything except that He grants him it. Then seek the last hour after the Asr Prayer. [Saheeh Abee Dawuud 1048]

Although there has been alot of dispute amongst scholars about this special hour during the friday wherein which Allah accepts the supplications, these hadiths are quite clear regarding this matter.

Also the Shaykh adds to this saying:

And it has been agreed upon that all the companions were in agreement that the hour, [mentioned in the hadith] is the last hour of the day of Jumu’ah so going against this is not allowed.

Personal experiance at Hajj

Posted Dec 01, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 8 Comments

To be honest I was very reluctant to write this due to a number of reasons. I do not think any words can ever do true justice to what hajj really is like, also this blog is not meant for me to talk about myself since I am a nobody [yet I have enough stalkers as it is]. But since I have been asked numerous times I thought it might be interesting for brothers and sisters to read about the Hajj of a student of knowledge. Read more

Hajj and Istighfaar

Posted Dec 01, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with No Comments

Shaykh Abdu-Razzaq bin Abdul-Muhsin al-’Abbaad writes concerning the hajj in his book Min Madrasatu-l-Hajj

It is often that Allah commands for istighfaar, especially at the end of acts of obedience and upon completion of worship.

Allah the Most High says:

ثُمَّ أَفِيضُواْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَفَاضَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَغْفِرُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

and surge onward together with the multitude of all the other people who surge onward, and ask God to forgive you your sins: for, verily, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

And the surge mentioned in the verse here is in reference to the return towards Mina where the Hujjaj stay during the days of hajj. And Allah ordered them to do istighfaar so that it patches up any mistakes or short comings that might have occured.

Similarly it was from the practise of the Prophet to end his good deeds with istighfaar. It is authentically narrated in Saheeh Muslim  that the Prophet used to say upon finishing salah, astaghfirullah three times. Even at the end of the night prayers he used to end it with istighfaar.

Allah the Most High said:

وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالأَسْحَارِ

and [those who] pray for forgiveness in the early morning.

And he used to conclude his sittings with istighfaar as has been authentically reported by Aboo Dawuud on the authority of Abee Burzah al-Aslamee that whenever the Prophet wanted to end a sitting he used to say:

SubhaanakAllahuma wa Bihamdika ash-Hadu an laa ilaaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atuubu ilayk

The Prophet even ended his life with Istighfaar as has been narrated by Imaam Bukhaaree in his saheeh on the authority of ‘Aishah. During his last days in this world whilst being in the care of his beloved wife ‘Aishah she heared him repeating.

Allahuma ighfirlee warhamnee wa alhiqnee bi rafeeqil ‘ala

O Allah forgive me and have mercy upon me and make me join the company of the noble ones!