#What Do You Know About Imam An-Nawawi?

[ynx1]

Do You Know What Is Beneficial Knowledge?

Imam Dhahabi [رحمه الله] said:

❝Do you know what is beneficial knowledge? It is that with which the Qur’aan was revealed, and explained by the Messenger [ﷺ] in statement and action, and the Messenger did not come prohibiting beneficial knowledge, the Messenger [عليه سلم] said:

‘Whoever does not desire my Sunnah is not of me.’

It is upon you O my brother to reflect over the Book of Allaah and to be addicted to looking into Saheeh al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim, Sunnan Nisa’ee, Riyadh by Nawawi and his book about Adhkaar, so you will be prosperous and successful. Be aware of the opinions of the philosophers, and the duties of the people of mathematical riddles, and the going hungry of monks, the fickle speech of the leaders of those who isolate themselves. All goodness is in following the merciful correct Deen, so seek aid and assistance with Allaah, O Allaah guide us to Your straight path.❞

[Seera Aalaam, (19/430)]

[alhajmabroor]

தமிழில்

4. They did fourteen laps of sa‘i for ‘umrah out of ignorance; is their ‘umrah valid?

Question:

My parents went for ‘umrah this year, after dreaming of it for approximately ten years or more. When they went to do sa‘i between as-Safa and al-Marwah, they did 14 laps instead of seven, because they thought that one lap was going from as-Safa to al-Marwah and back again. Is their ‘umrah valid like this or do they have to do it all over again?

Answer:

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

What every Muslim must do is learn what he needs to know about his religion so that his belief and worship will be correct. This is what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions to do, during the Hajj that he performed with the people. He said to them: “Learn from me your rituals (of Hajj), for I do not know, perhaps I will not perform Hajj again after this Hajj of mine.” Narrated by Muslim (1297)

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

This is an instruction, and what is meant is that these things that I have done during my pilgrimage of words, actions and ways of doing things are how Hajj is to be done, and they are your rituals, so learn them from me, accept them and keep them in mind; learn them and teach them to the people.

It was said to Imam Ahmad: Is seeking knowledge obligatory?

He said: Yes, about your religion; whatever you need to know, you should learn it.

He also said:

It is obligatory for him to seek knowledge of whatever will help him to practice his religion and he should not be negligent concerning it.

He was asked: Must he learn all the knowledge he needs in order to practice his religion?

He said: He should learn obligatory matters that he himself is required to do. He has no choice but to seek knowledge of them.

He was asked: Such as what?

He said: Whatever he cannot afford not to know such as prayer, fasting and so on.

Al-Adab ash-Shar‘iyyah by Ibn Muflih (2/99-100)

Secondly:

As your parents did more laps due to their ignorance of the ruling, their ‘umrah is valid. They did the seven laps of sa‘i that are required, and whatever was surplus to that is not counted and there is no ruling concerning it.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

I did sa‘i between as-Safa and al-Marwah, but I did each lap on the basis that going from as-Safa and back to as-Safa was one lap. Do I have to do offer any compensation for that?

The Shaykh replied:

This was something extra that you did. You did fourteen laps when what is required is seven, so the other seven do not count, because they were contrary to what is required by Islamic teaching. You are excused because of your ignorance, but you have to repent to Allah from that, and not do that again if you go for Hajj or ‘umrah, because you did what was required of seven laps, from as-Safa to al-Marwah, then from al-Marwah to as-Safa, starting with as-Safa and ending with al-Marwah, seven laps. End quote.

Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (17/341-342)

See: Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (22/424)

And Allah knows best.

தமிழில்

4. அறியாமையால் உம்ராவுக்காக பதினான்கு மடிகள் சாயி செய்தார்கள்; அவர்களின் உம்ரா செல்லுபடியாகுமா?

கேள்வி:

ஏறக்குறைய பத்து வருடங்கள் அல்லது அதற்கும் மேலாக கனவு கண்ட பிறகு, எனது பெற்றோர் இந்த ஆண்டு உம்ராவுக்குச் சென்றனர். அவர்கள் அஸ்ஸஃபாவிற்கும் அல் மர்வாவிற்கும் இட��யில் சயீ செய்யச் சென்றபோது, ​​ஒரு மடி அஸ்-ஸஃபாவிலிருந்து அல்-மர்வாவிற்குச் சென்று திரும்பும் என்று நினைத்ததால், ஏழு சுற்றுகளுக்குப் பதிலாக 14 சுற்றுகளைச் செய்தார்கள். அவர்களின் உம்ரா இப்படி செல்லுபடியாகுமா அல்லது மீண்டும் மீண்டும் செய்ய வேண்டுமா?

பதில்:

அல்லாஹ்வுக்கே புகழனைத்தும்.

முதலில்:

ஒவ்வொரு முஸ்லிமும் செய்ய வேண்டியது என்னவென்றால், அவர் தனது மதத்தைப் பற்றி தெரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டியதைக் கற்றுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும், இதனால் அவரது நம்பிக்கையும் வழிபாடும் சரியாக இருக்கும். இதைத்தான் நபிகள் நாயகம் (ஸல்) அவர்கள் ஹஜ்ஜின் போது தம் தோழர்களுக்கு அறிவுறுத்தினார்கள். அவர் அவர்களிடம் கூறினார்: "உங்கள் (ஹஜ்ஜின்) சடங்குகளை என்னிடமிருந்து கற்றுக் கொள்ளுங்கள், ஏனென்றால் எனக்குத் தெரியாது, ஒருவேளை என்னுடைய இந்த ஹஜ்ஜுக்குப் பிறகு நான் மீண்டும் ஹஜ் செய்யமாட்டேன்." முஸ்லிம் (1297) விவரித்தார்

அந்நவவி (ரஹ்) அவர்கள் கூறினார்கள்:

இது ஒரு அறிவுறுத்தலாகும், இதன் பொருள் என்னவென்றால், எனது புனித யாத்திரையின் போது நான் செய்த வார்த்தைகள், செயல்கள் மற்றும் செயல்களின் வழிகள் ஹஜ் எப்படி செய்யப்பட வேண்டும், அவை உங்கள் சடங்குகள், எனவே அவற்றை என்னிடமிருந்து கற்றுக் கொள்ளுங்கள், ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளுங்கள் அவற்றை மனதில் வைத்துக்கொள்ளவும்; அவற்றைக் கற்றுக் கொண்டு மக்களுக்குக் கற்றுக் கொடுங்கள்.

இமாம் அஹ்மத் அவர்களிடம் கூறப்பட்டது: அறிவைத் தேடுவது கடமையா?

அவர் கூறினார்: ஆம், உங்கள் மதத்தைப் பற்றி; நீங்கள் தெரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டியதை நீங்கள் கற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

அவர் மேலும் கூறியதாவது:

அவர் தனது மதத்தை கடைப்பிடிக்க உதவும் எந்த விஷயத்தைப் பற்றிய அறிவைத் தேடுவது அவருக்குக் கடமையாகும், அவர் அதைப் பற்றி அலட்சியமாக இருக்கக்கூடாது.

அவரிடம் கேட்கப்பட்டது: அவர் தனது மதத்தைப் பின்பற்றுவதற்குத் தேவையான அனைத்து அறிவையும் கற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டுமா?

அவர் கூறினார்: அவரே செய்ய வேண்டிய கடமையான விஷயங்களை அவர் கற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். அவற்றைப் பற்றிய அறிவைத் தேடுவதைத் தவிர அவருக்கு வேறு வழியில்லை.

அவரிடம் கேட்கப்பட்டது: அப்படி என்ன?

அவர் கூறினார்: பிரார்த்தனை, விரதம் மற்றும் பலவற்றை அறியாமல் இருக்க அவரா���் முடியாது.

இப்னு முஃப்லிஹ் (2/99-100) எழுதிய அல்-அதாப் அஷ்-ஷரிய்யா

இரண்டாவதாக:

உங்கள் பெற்றோர்கள் இந்த தீர்ப்பை அறியாத காரணத்தால் அதிக தடவைகள் செய்ததால் அவர்களின் உம்ரா செல்லுபடியாகும். அவர்கள் தேவையான சாயியின் ஏழு சுற்றுகளைச் செய்தார்கள், அதில் எது மிகையாக இருந்ததோ அது கணக்கிடப்படாது, அது குறித்து எந்த தீர்ப்பும் இல்லை.

ஷேக் இப்னு பாஸ் (ரஹ்) அவர்களிடம் கேட்கப்பட்டது:

நான் அஸ்-ஸஃபாவிற்கும் அல்-மர்வாவிற்கும் இடையில் ஸாயி செய்தேன், ஆனால் அஸ்-ஸஃபாவிலிருந்து அஸ்-ஸஃபாவுக்குச் செல்வது ஒரு மடி என்ற அடிப்படையில் ஒவ்வொரு மடியிலும் செய்தேன். அதற்கு நான் ஏதாவது இழப்பீடு வழங்க வேண்டுமா?

ஷேக் பதிலளித்தார்:

இது நீங்கள் செய்த கூடுதல் விஷயம். தேவையானது ஏழாக இருக்கும் போது நீங்கள் பதினான்கு சுற்றுகள் செய்தீர்கள், அதனால் மற்ற ஏழும் எண்ணப்படாது, ஏனெனில் அவை இஸ்லாமிய போதனைக்கு முரணாக இருந்தன. உங்கள் அறியாமையின் காரணமாக நீங்கள் மன்னிக்கப்படுகிறீர்கள், ஆனால் நீங்கள் அதிலிருந்து அல்லாஹ்விடம் வருந்த வேண்டும், மேலும் நீங்கள் ஹஜ் அல்லது 'உம்ராவுக்குச் சென்றால் அதை மீண்டும் செய்ய வேண்டாம், ஏனென்றால் அஸ்-ஸஃபா முதல் அல்-மர்வா வரை ஏழு சுற்றுகளுக்குத் தேவையானதைச் செய்தீர்கள். , பின்னர் அல்-மர்வாவிலிருந்து அஸ்-ஸஃபா வரை, அஸ்-ஸஃபாவில் தொடங்கி அல்-மர்வாவில் முடிவடையும், ஏழு சுற்றுகள். முடிவு மேற்கோள்.

மஜ்மூ’ ஃபதாவா இப்னு பாஸ் (17/341-342)

பார்க்க: ஃபதாவா அஷ்-ஷேக் இப்னு உதைமீன் (22/424)

மேலும் அல்லாஹ் நன்கு அறிந்தவன்.

[dinaive]

Praise be to Allah.

Dhikr before sleeping

There are so many sound du‘as for sleeping that were narrated in the Prophet’s Sunnah that Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“You should understand that the hadiths and reports concerning this matter are many; what we have mentioned is sufficient for the one who is enabled to act upon them. We refrain from quoting more for fear of tiring the student. Moreover, it is better for a person to do all that is mentioned concerning that, but if that is not possible, he should stick to what he is able to do of the most important thereof.” (Al-Adhkar, p.95)

Hadiths about du`a before sleeping

We will list here the sahih hadiths concerning this matter:

Blowing into the cupped palms

1– Blowing into the cupped palms and reciting the three mu‘awwidhat [surahs seeking refuge with Allah, the last three surahs of the Quran]:

It was narrated from ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to his bed every night, he would put his cupped hands together, then blow into them, then recite into them  Qul Huwa Allahu ahad, Qul a'udhu bi Rabb il-Falaq and Qul a'udhu bi Rabb il-Nas [i.e., the last three surahs of the Quran), then he would wipe his hands over as much of his body as he could, starting with his head and face, and the front part of his body. He would do that three times.

The word translated here as blow refers to spitting lightly and drily. Narrated by al-Bukhari (5017).

Reciting  Ayat al-Kursiy

2- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the collected zakah of Ramadan. Someone came and started to rummage in the food. I took hold of him and said, I will surely take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).… He [the one who came and rummaged in the food] said, When you go to your bed, recite Ayat al-Kursiy and you will be protected by Allah, and no devil will come near you until morning. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “He told you the truth even though he is a liar. That was a devil.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (2311).

Reciting the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah

3– Abu Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah every night, they will suffice him.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (5009) and Muslim (808).

The scholars differed as to what is meant by “they will suffice him.” It was said that it means they will protect him from harm during the night; or they will take the place of praying qiyam on that night. It may be that both are meant. And Allah knows best.

Reciting Surah al-Kafirun

4– Nawfal al-Ashja‘i (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to me: “Recite ‘Say: O disbelievers’ [al-Kafirun 109], then go to sleep at the end of it, for it is a disavowal of shirk.” Narrated by Abu Dawud (5055); classed as hasan by Ibn Hajar in Nataij al-Afkar (3/61).

Reciting Surah al-Isra

5–  ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not sleep before he recited Bani Israil [al-Isra] and az-Zumar. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (3402); he said: a hasan hadith. It was classed as hasan by al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Nataij al-Afkar (3/65).

Reciting Surah az-Zumar 

6– The evidence for this is the hadith quoted above.

Saying ‘Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya’

7– Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to sleep, he would say, “Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya (In your name, O Allah, I die and I live)”, and when he woke up he would say “Al-hamdu Lillah alladhi ahyana ba’da ma amatana wa ilayhi al-nushur (Praise be to Allah who has brought us back to life after causing us to die, and to Him is the resurrection).” Narrated by al-Bukhari (6324).

Saying ‘Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilayk…’

8– Al-Bara ibn ‘Azib said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When you go to bed, do wudu as if for prayer, then lie down on your right side, then say: ‘Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa wajjahtu wajhi ilayk, wa fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa aljatu zahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, la malja wa la manja minka illa ilayk. Amantu bi kitabik alladhi anzalt, wa bi nabiyyik alladhi arsalt (O Allah, I submit myself to You, I turn my face to You, I delegate my affairs to You and I rely totally on You, out of fear and hope of You. There is no refuge or sanctuary from You except in You. I believe in Your Book which You have revealed and in Your Prophet whom You have sent).’ Then if you die, you will have died on the fitrah, (natural state), so make these the last words you speak.” I repeated [these words] to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and when I reached the words “Amantu bi kitabik alladhi anzalt (I believe in Your Book which You have revealed)”, I said, “wa bi rasulika (and in Your Messenger).” He said: “No; ‘wa bi nabiyyika (and in Your Prophet)’.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (6311) and Muslim (2710).

Saying ‘Bismika Rabbi wada’tu janbi…’

9– Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“When one of you goes to his bed, let him dust off his bed with the inside of his lower garment, for he does not know what came onto it after he left it. Then let him say: Bismika Rabbi wada’tu janbi wa bika arfa’uhu wa in amsakta nafsi farhamha wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tuhfaz bihi ‘ibadika al-saalihin (In Your name, my Lord, I lie down, and in Your name I rise. If You should take my soul then have mercy on it, and if You should return my soul then protect it as You protect Your righteous slaves).””. Narrated by al-Bukhari (6320) and Muslim (2714).

Saying Subhan Allah, al-hamdulillah, Allahu akbar

10– It was narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib that Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him for a servant. He said:

“Shall I not tell you of something that is better for you than that? When you go to sleep, glorify Allah (by saying Subhan Allah) thirty-three times, praise Allah (by saying Al-hamdu Lillah) thirty-three times, and magnify Him (by saying Allahu akbar) thirty-four times.” And I have never abandoned [that practice] since then. It was said: Not even on the night of Siffin? He said: Not even on the night of Siffin. Narrated by al-Bukhari (5362) and Muslim (2727).

Saying ‘Allahumma qini ‘adhabaka yawma tab’ath ‘ibadaka’

11– It was narrated from Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) that when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to sleep, he would put his right hand under his right cheek, then he would say: “Allahumma qini ‘adhabaka yawma tab’ath ‘ibadaka (O Allah, protect me from Your punishment on the Day You resurrect Your slaves)” three times. Narrated by Abu Dawud (5045); classed as sahih by al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari (11/119).

Saying ‘Al-hamdu Lillah alladhi at’amana wa saqana…’

12– Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to his bed, he said: “Al-hamdu Lillah alladhi at’amana wa saqana wa kafana wa awana fakam mimman la kafi lahu wa la muwi (Praise be to Allah, Who fed us and gave us to drink, and Who is sufficient for us and has sheltered us, for how many have none to suffice them or shelter them).” Narrated by Muslim (2715).

Saying ‘Allahumma khalaqta nafsi wa anta tawaffaha…’

13- ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar narrated that he instructed a man, when he went to his bed, to say:

“Allahumma khalaqta nafsi wa anta tawaffaha, laka mamatuha wa mahyaya. In ahyaytaha fahfazha wa in amattaha faghfir laha. Allahumma inni asaluka al-‘afiyah (O Allah, You have created my soul and it is for You to take it in death. Its death and its life are in Your hand. If You cause it to live then protect it and if You cause it to die then forgive it. O Allah, I ask You to keep me safe and sound).”

A man said to him: Did you hear that from ‘Umar? He said: From one who is better than ‘Umar, from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Narrated by Muslim (2712).

Saying ‘Allahumma Rabb as-samawati wa Rabb al-ard…’

14– Suhayl said: Abu Salih used to tell us, if one of us wanted to sleep, to lie down on his right side and say:

“Allahumma Rabb as-samawati wa Rabb al-ard wa Rabb al-‘arsh il-‘azim, Rabbana wa Rabba kulli shayin, Faliq al-habb wa’l-nawa wa munzil at-Tawrati wa’l-Injili wa’l-Furqan, a‘udhu bika min sharri kulli shayin anta akhidhun bi nasiyatihi. Allahumma anta al-awwalu fa laysa qablaka shayun, wa anta al-akhiru fa laysa ba’daka shayun, wa anta az-zahiru fa laysa fawqaka shayun wa anta al-batin fa laysa dunaka shayun. Iqdi ‘anna al-dayna wa aghnina min al-faqri (O Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the mighty Throne, our Lord and Lord of all things, Splitter of the seed and the date stone, Revealer of the Tawrat (Torah), the Injil (Gospel) and the Furqan (Quran), I seek refuge in You from the evil of every creature that You seize by the forelock [i.e., have full control over them]. O Allah, You are the First and there is nothing before You; You are the Last and there is nothing after You. You are the Manifest (al-Zahir) and there is nothing above You; You are the Hidden (al-Batin) and there is nothing beyond You. Settle our debt and spare us from poverty).” He narrated that from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Narrated by Muslim (2713).

Saying ‘Allahumma inni a‘udhu bi wajhika al-karimi…’

15– It was narrated from ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he used to say when going to his bed: “Allahumma inni a‘udhu bi wajhika al-karimi wa kalimatik at-tammati min sharri ma anta akhidhun bi nasiyatihi; Allahumma anta takshif al-maghram wa’l-matham; Allahumma la yuhzamu junduka wa la yukhlafu wa‘duka wa la yanfa‘u dha’l-jaddi minka al-jadd. Subhanaka wa bihamdika (O Allah, I seek refuge in Your noble countenance and Your perfect words from the evil of all things that You seize by the forelock [i.e., have full control over them]. O Allah, You remove debt and sin. O Allah, Your troops will not be defeated, Your promise will not be broken, nor can the richness of a rich man avail him anything before You, glory and praise be to You).” Narrated by Abu Dawud (5052); classed as sahih by an-Nawawi in al-Adhkar (p. 111) and by Ibn Hajar in Nataij al-Afkar (2/384).

Saying ‘Bismillahi wada‘tu janbi…’

16– It was narrated from Abu’l-Azhar al-Anmari that when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to his bed at night, he said:

“Bismillahi wada‘tu janbi, Allahumma ighfir li dhanbi wa akhsi shaytani wa fukka rihani waj‘alni fi’n-nadi al-a‘la (In the name of Allah I lie down. O Allah, forgive me my sins, suppress my shaytan, ransom me and join me with the highest assembly [meaning the angels on high]). Narrated by Abu Dawud (5054); classed as hasan by an-Nawawi in al-Adhkar (p. 125) and by al-Haafiz in Nataij al-Afkar (3/60).

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: SPIRITUALITY IN ISLAM: PART 112

The meaning of Tasawwuf

Part 7

He sat down before the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) bracing his knees against his, resting his hands on his legs, and said:

“Muhammad, tell me about Islam.”

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and to perform the prayer, give zakat, fast in Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the House if you can find a way.”

He said: “You have spoken the truth,” and we were surprised that he should ask and then confirm the answer. Then he said:

“Tell me about true faith (iman),”

and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) answered:

“It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His inspired Books, His messengers, the Last Day, and in destiny, it’s good and evil.”

“You have spoken the truth,” he said,

“Now tell me about the perfection of faith (ihsan),”

and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) answered:

“It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you see Him not, He nevertheless sees you.”

The hadith continues to where ‘Umar said:

Then the visitor left. I waited a long while, and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to me, “Do you know, ‘Umar, who was the questioner?” and I replied, “Allah and His messenger know best.” He said,

“It was Gabriel, who came to you to teach you your religion” (Sahih Muslim, 1.37: hadith 8).

This is a sahih hadith, described by Imam Nawawi as one of the hadiths upon which the Islamic religion turns. The use of din in the last words of it, Atakum yu‘allimukum dinakum, “came to you to teach you your religion” entails that the religion of Islam is composed of the three fundamentals mentioned in the hadith: Islam, or external compliance with what Allah asks of us; Iman, or the belief in the unseen that the prophets have informed us of; and Ihsan, or to worship Allah as though one sees Him. The Qur'an says, in Surat Maryam,

“Surely We have revealed the Remembrance, and surely We shall preserve it” (Qur'an 15:9), and if we reflect how Allah, in His wisdom, has accomplished this, we see that it is by human beings, the traditional scholars He has sent at each level of the religion. The level of Islam has been preserved and conveyed to us by the Imams of Shari‘a or ‘Sacred Law’ and its ancillary disciplines; the level of Iman, by the Imams of ‘Aqida or ‘tenets of faith; and the level of Ihsan, “to worship Allah as though you see Him,” by the Imams of Tasawwuf.

The hadith’s very words “to worship Allah” show us the interrelation of these three fundamentals, for the how of “worship” is only known through the external prescriptions of Islam, while the validity of this worship, in turn, presupposes Iman or faith in Allah and the Islamic revelation, without which worship would be but empty motions; while the words, “as if you see Him,” show that Ihsan implies a human change, for it entails the experience of what, for most of us, is not experienced. So to understand Tasawwuf, we must look at the nature of this change in relation to both Islam and Iman, and this is the main focus of my talk tonight.

At the level of Islam, we said that Tasawwuf requires Islam, through ‘submission to the rules of Sacred Law.’ But Islam, for its part, equally requires Tasawwuf. Why? For the very good reason that the sunna which Muslims have been commanded to follow is not just the words and actions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), but also his states, states of the heart such as taqwa ‘godfearingness,’ ikhlas ‘sincerity,’ tawakkul ‘reliance on Allah,’ rahma ‘mercy,’ tawadu‘ ‘humility,’ and so on.

Now, it is characteristic of the Islamic ethic that human actions are not simply divided into two shades of morality, right or wrong; but rather five, arranged in order of their consequences in the next world. The obligatory (wajib) is that whose performance is rewarded by Allah in the next life and whose nonperformance is punished. The recommended (mandub) is that whose performance is rewarded, but whose nonperformance is not punished. The permissible (mubah) is indifferent, unconnected with either reward or punishment. The offensive (makruh) is that whose nonperformance is rewarded but whose performance is not punished. The unlawful (haram) is that whose nonperformance is rewarded and whose performance is punished if one dies unrepentant.

[quirkynomads]

Only one out of 1000 are in Paradise?

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

In an authentic tradition, we are informed that when the Reckoning begins on the Day of Resurrection, the initial judgment against people will be that nine hundred and ninety-nine out of a thousand are sentenced to the Hellfire. This is alarming, to say the least. But does it mean only one out of every thousand people will ever enter Paradise?

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَا آدَمُ فَيَقُولُ لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ وَالْخَيْرُ فِي يَدَيْكَ يَقُولُ أَخْرِجْ بَعْثَ النَّارِ‏ قَالَ وَمَا بَعْثُ النَّارِ قَالَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ تِسْعَمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ‏ قَالَ فَذَاكَ حِينَ يَشِيبُ الصَّغِيرُ وَت��ضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُمْ بِسُكَارَى وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ

Allah Almighty will say: O Adam! Adam will say: I am at Your service and Your call. Allah will say: Bring them out to the Hellfire. Adam will say: Who will be brought out to the Hellfire? Allah will say: Of every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine. That is when the hair of the young will turn gray, every pregnant woman will suffer miscarriage, and you will see people drunk while they are not intoxicated. Rather, the punishment of Allah is severe.

That was very hard on the companions and they said, “O Messenger of Allah, who is that one man?” The Prophet said:

أَبْشِرُوا فَإِنَّ مِنْ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ أَلْفًا وَمِنْكُمْ رَجُلٌ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لأَطْمَعُ أَنْ تَكُونُوا رُبُعَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ

Rejoice, for among Gog and Magog are a thousand and among you is one man. By the One in whose hand is my soul, I hope you will be a quarter of the people of Paradise.

They praised Allah and exalted Him, then the Prophet said:

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لأَطْمَعُ أَنْ تَكُونُوا ثُلُثَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ

By the One in whose hand is my soul, I hope you will be a third of the people of Paradise.

They praised Allah and exalted Him, then the Prophet said:

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لأَطْمَعُ أَنْ تَكُونُوا شَطْرَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ إِنَّ مَثَلَكُمْ فِي الأُمَمِ كَمَثَلِ الشَّعْرَةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ فِي جِلْدِ الثَّوْرِ الأَسْوَدِ أَوْ كَالرَّقْمَةِ فِي ذِرَاعِ الْحِمَارِ

By the One in whose hand is my soul, I hope you will be half of the people of Paradise. Verily, your likeness among the nations is that of a white hair on the skin of a black ox or a strip on the foreleg of a donkey.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 222, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

As Abu Sa’id al-Khudri noted, the announcement of so many people sentenced to Hellfire was very difficult for the companions to hear, and perhaps even more so for us. We have been told many times elsewhere that the mercy of Allah is vast, so are only a tiny fraction of humanity going to Paradise?

It is important to bring other texts of hope to balance the texts of fear, as well as to provide additional information to see the complete picture. We should not cite one text in isolation if it might make people despair. The scene described by the Prophet (ṣ) here is at the beginning of the Reckoning, before any intercession occurs to save people from their sentence.

‘Ali al-Qari commented on this tradition, writing:

مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ تِسْعَمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ قِيلَ هُمُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَوْجِبُونَ النَّارَ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ يُتْرَكُونَ فِيهَا بِقَدْرِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يُصْرَفُوا عَنْ طَرِيقِ جَهَنَّمَ بِالشَّفَاعَةِ ذَكَرَهُ ابْنُ الْمَلَكِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّه وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يَخْلُصُوا مِنْهَا بَعْدَ دُخُولِهَا بِالشَّفَاعَةِ

Nine hundred ninety-nine out of a thousand, it is said they are those have made Hellfire necessary upon them because of their sins and they are left therein by the measure of their sins. It is possible that they will be diverted from the path to Hell by the intercession, as mentioned by Ibn al-Malak, may Allah have mercy on him. It is possible that they will be freed after entering it by the intercession.

Source: Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ 8/3504

It is the belief of the people of Sunnah that sinful believers might be sentenced to Hellfire initially or cast into it as a temporary punishment to purify them of their sins, eventually being admitted into Paradise because of their faith, imperfect though it was.

Indeed, Imam Muslim records a hopeful tradition in his collection from the same companion, Abu Sai’d al-Khudri, before he narrates the fearful text of nine hundred ninety-nine in Hellfire.

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

يُدْخِلُ اللَّهُ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ الْجَنَّةَ يُدْخِلُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ بِرَحْمَتِهِ وَيُدْخِلُ أَهْلَ النَّارِ النَّارَ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ انْظُرُوا مَنْ وَجَدْتُمْ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ فَأَخْرِجُوهُ فَيُخْرَجُونَ مِنْهَا حُمَمًا قَدْ امْتَحَشُوا فَيُلْقَوْنَ فِي نَهَرِ الْحَيَاةِ أَوْ الْحَيَا فَيَنْبُتُونَ فِيهِ كَمَا تَنْبُتُ الْحِبَّةُ إِلَى جَانِبِ السَّيْلِ أَلَمْ تَرَوْهَا كَيْفَ تَخْرُجُ صَفْرَاءَ مُلْتَوِيَةً

Allah will admit the people of Paradise into Paradise among whomever He wills, due to His mercy, and He will admit the people of Hellfire into Hellfire, then Allah will say: Look for those with faith in their hearts as much as a seed and bring them out. Then, they will be brought out having been burned and turned into charcoal. They will be cast into the river of life and will sprout just as a seed in the silt is carried away by the flood. Have you not seen that it comes out yellow and entwined?

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 184, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Bringing the two texts together, we find the proper balance of fear and hope. Yes, at the initial Reckoning, a great number of people, even among believers, will be sentenced to Hellfire because of their sins. But those who had even a little faith, despite its significant deficiencies, will be purified by the Hellfire and then enter Paradise.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

يَخْرُجُ مِنْ النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَكَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ مَا يَزِنُ شَعِيرَةً ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَكَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ مَا يَزِنُ بُرَّةً ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَكَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ مَا يَزِنُ ذَرَّةً

One will be taken out of the Hellfire who said there is no God but Allah and he had good in his heart like the weight of a grain of barley. Then, one will be taken out of Hellfire who said there is no God but Allah and he had good in this heart like the weight of a grain of wheat. Then, one will be taken out of Hellfire who said there is no God but Allah and he had good in his heart like the weight of a speck.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 44, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

يُعَذَّبُ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ التَّوْحِيدِ فِي النَّارِ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا فِيهَا حُمَمًا ثُمَّ تُدْرِكُهُمْ الرَّحْمَةُ فَيُخْرَجُونَ وَيُطْرَحُونَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ فَيَرُشُّ عَلَيْهِمْ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ الْمَاءَ فَيَنْبُتُونَ كَمَا يَنْبُتُ الْغُثَاءُ فِي حِمَالَةِ السَّيْلِ ثُمَّ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ

Some people among those who worshiped Allah alone will be punished in Hellfire until they are coals. Then, the mercy of Allah will reach them and they will be taken out and presented at the gates of Paradise. The people of Paradise will pour water over them and they will grow just as the stubble carried by the stream grows; then, they will enter Paradise.

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2597, Grade: Sahih

Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام فَبَشَّرَنِي أَنَّهُ مَنْ مَاتَ مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ لَا يُشْرِكُ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

Gabriel, upon him be peace, came to me to give the good news that anyone from my nation who dies without associating partners with Allah will enter Paradise.

I said, “Even if he commits adultery and theft?” The Prophet said:

وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ

Even if he commits adultery and theft.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1180, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Al-Nawawi commented on this tradition, writing:

فَهُوَ حُجَّةٌ لِمَذْهَبِ أَهْلِ السَّنَةِ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَبَائِرِ لَا يُقْطَعُ لَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ وَأَنَّهُمْ إِنْ دَخَلُوهَا أُخْرِجُوا مِنْهَا وَخُتِمَ لَهُمْ بِالْخُلُودِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ

This tradition is a proof for the people of the Sunnah, that those who commit major sins will not remain in the Hellfire forever. If they enter it, they will be taken out and eventually admitted into Paradise.

Source: Sharḥ al-Nawawī ‘alá Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 94

All of this is from the mercy of Allah, which He bestows upon whomever He wishes among His servants. Be warned, however, not to take this blessing for granted like the people of the Book before us. They had this knowledge that the believers will not be punished in Hellfire forever, but they used it as an excuse to persist in sin.

Allah said:

وَقَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَةً ۚ قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ عَهْدَهُ ۖ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

They said: The Hellfire will never touch us except for a number of days. Say: Do you have a covenant from Allah? For Allah never violates His covenant, or do you say about Allah what you do not know?

Surat al-Baqarah 2:80

We know in a general sense that sinful believers will be taken out of Hellfire eventually, but we cannot guarantee for ourselves that we will be among them. We cannot even guarantee that we will die with enough faith to save us from eternal punishment!

Moreover, there is no possible pleasure in this world derived from sin that will be worth spending even a moment in Hell. A person who is touched by the Hellfire will immediately regret all of the evil things they did and forget all of the pleasures they used to enjoy.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

يُؤْتَى بِأَنْعَمِ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيُصْبَغُ فِي النَّارِ صَبْغَةً ثُمَّ يُقَالُ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ خَيْرًا قَطُّ هَلْ مَرَّ بِكَ نَعِيمٌ قَطُّ فَيَقُولُ لَا وَاللَّهِ يَا رَبِّ وَيُؤْتَى بِأَشَدِّ النَّاسِ بُؤْسًا فِي الدُّنْيَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيُصْبَغُ صَبْغَةً فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ بُؤْسًا قَطُّ هَلْ مَرَّ بِكَ شِدَّةٌ قَطُّ فَيَقُولُ لَا وَاللَّهِ يَا رَبِّ مَا مَرَّ بِي بُؤْسٌ قَطُّ وَلَا رَأَيْتُ شِدَّةً قَطُّ

The most privileged people in the world among the people of Hellfire will come on the Day of Resurrection to be dipped in Hellfire, then it will be said: O son of Adam, did you see any good? Did you get any blessing? He will say: No, by Allah, my Lord! Then, the most miserable people in the world among the people of Paradise will come on the Day of Resurrection to be dipped in Paradise, then it will be said: O son of Adam, did you see any hardship? Did you have any distress? He will say: No, by Allah, my Lord! I did not once see hardship or distress.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2807, Grade: Sahih

Again, we return to the need to balance fear and hope. If we only cite the tradition of nine hundred ninety-nine out of a thousand sentenced to Hellfire, it will certainly make some people despair, which is harmful to their faith. We should complement these dire warnings with reminders of the mercy of Allah and the various avenues to earn His forgiveness.

Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.

[suhyla]

Assalamualaikum,

I really want to begin listening to scholars and sheiks speaking, advising, explaining and storytelling etc... But i have grown quite skeptical about most of the sheiks on tv and radio and youtube due to many having political and mazhab-ical(?) Intentions and undertones with their own ideologies effecting their words outside of what was mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah.. so I've sadly grown quite distant from most of the stories and wisdoms mentioned in the seerah

My question is, can you recommend me someone who you think is 100% truthful in his word if it's a youtube channel or podcast or even books?

Also sorry if this was all over the place i really don't know a better way to word my thoughts

Thank you in advance ❤️

Wa alaykum as salam dear sister,

These options were recently shared by brother Hassam, which I found to be very helpful.

I have attached series on the seerah and the journey of the soul (i.e. death) in my Linktree. I'll add it again here for your convenience. If you guys are interested in more, I can update it regularly with more fascinating things I come across? I really enjoy listening to Sheikh Bilal Assad these days.

I also recommend going to your local mosque or seeing if they shifted to an online mode of teaching. If you feel your masjid is also the way you described, you may find others online that you identify more with. Mine livestreams halaqas and khutbahs for example, and I'm sure many others do as well.

If you'd like a book version of the seerah, I am currently reading the Sealed Nectar and it's absolutely amazing. Here is the newest edition. And here is the older edition, which is more affordable if the new one is out of your budget right now.

My teachers have also recommended the 40 Hadiths from Imam Nawawi and Minhaj ul-Muslim. They're on my TBR as well and heard they're absolute must-reads.

Books might be a better bet for knowledge if you don't want to hear anything political. At the end of the day, the people producing this content are humans and may share their opinions on non-Islamic issues such as politics, etc. from time to time.

A sister also recently recommended this brother's Facebook page. He refutes a lot of misconceptions about Islam and it seems to be full of beneficial content, although I haven't had the chance to extensively go through it yet.

All in all, I hope this helps you and may Allah bless you on your journey.

As always, if anyone else has any books, blogs, podcasts, channels, etc. to share please feel free to add so we can all benefit from each other :)

[questionsonislam]

What are the hadiths that we need the most in our daily life?

Actually, every hadith guides our lives. In this regard, we should benefit from relevant hadiths and verses in every issue (which is) related with our life.

We want to share a recommendation of Abu Dawud, which is one of the Kutub as- Sittah books, since we cannot quote all of the important hadiths that guide our lives.

Ibn al-Arabi stated the following about Abu Dawud's book named "Sunan":

“If a person knows the Qur'an and Abu Dawud's Sunan, it means that the person has obtained the beginning of the religious issues.”

Abu Dawud, who became distinguished with his knowledge, personality and his book called “Sunan” in the period when he lived, states the following in an evaluation attributed to him:

Among all of these hadiths, only four of them are sufficient for a wise person;

1. "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions." Sahih al-Bukhari

2. "Part of a person’s goodness in Islam is his leaving alone that which does not concern him"

3. "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself."

4. "Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these doubtful things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these doubtful things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart."

Shah Waliullah Dehlawi states the following about these four hadiths;

"...In order to perform prayers properly, the first hadith is sufficient.

- In order to prevent the precious life from being wasted, the second hadith is sufficient.

- To protect the rights of relatives, friends and neighbours is mentioned in the third hadith.

- The hesitations and doubts that can occur due to differences of evidences or disagreements of scholars are settled by the fourth hadith.

Thus, these four hadiths become like a master and a teacher in the eye of a wise person."

These four hadiths, which Abu Dawud determined as "the essence of Islam" according to us, surround almost all fields of a Muslim's life.

The hadith "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions" narrated by 'Umar bin Al-Khattab is the first hadith of Bukhari’'s book called 'Sahih', which is regarded as one of the soundest hadith resources. It should not be a coincidence that this hadith is mentioned right at the beginning of the book by Bukhari. Probably, Bukhari is giving a serious message to reader with the very first hadith:

"Have a sound intention in this deed of reading, which you have just started, and in all of the other actions and deeds in your life!" A few centuries later, Imam Nawawi also joined this message in his precious work called "Riyadhus-Salihin" and he included the hadith on 'intention' as the first hadith in his work.

In fact, the second hadith indicates gradualism together with the first hadith: The first step before deed- action is the soundness of the intention while the second step is the quality of the deed.

A Muslim person should observe quality in his deeds-actions based on this second step. He should give importance to content and quality in his preferences, and he should act in compliance with the principle of “being useful-being significant” according to the hadith.

The third hadith prevents “egoism” namely “selfishness”, which is perhaps one of the most important character problems of today. Surely, the reflections of this character problem on the social life are not pleasant.

The society which consist of people who say 'always to me', and who live with the philosophy 'the snake which does not touch me', who do not want things for each other, and who cannot share each other’s pain by heart are probably the clearest examples of these reflections.

Although there are different opinions and views related to the content of the hadith, the fourth hadith determines the attitude of Muslims in the face of problems by indicating the ease of practicing Islam clearly.

The formula of practicing Islam is given in the hadith clearly as keeping away from the issues about which there is no clear information and views.

It is also stated in the hadith that a person who keeps a way from this unclear field protects his religion and honor and it is stated that a person who enters this field is likened to a shepherd who grazes his sheep around this forbidden land.

There is no doubt that every hadith that is known to come from our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in a sound way is very important for us. These hadiths include different topics, and each of them addresses one aspect of our lives.

In addition to this, as Abu Dawud points out, some hadiths contain more practical and concise prophetic wisdoms about understanding Islam and telling people about Islam. From this point of view, these four hadiths fulfill a very important duty of determining a Muslims' life philosophy individually and socially.

In order to attain a result, it is a very important step for the Islamic community to listen to and act in accordance with these four hadiths in order to reach the point that is desired or aimed.

[ukhtiemaryam]

I just watched the documentary on Netflix about the trending case of Chris Watts who murdered his wife and his children. I HAVE TWO POINTS HERE.

FIRST POINT

If not because of social medias I will not know yet before watching the documentary that the husband was the murderer and I would have hope that it wasn't him.

Why? Because before the revelation of the husband's confession, the documentary first showed videos of the wife telling to the world how HAPPY she is about her MARRIAGE, how BLESSED she is to have a great FAMILY, BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, how proud she is to have her HUSBAND, a GOOD MAN, a GREAT HUSBAND and a GREAT FATHER. She seemed to have a PERFECT LIFE that most people wants to have.

They seemed so happy and blessed. She showed that to the world by posting pictures and videos and streaming every happy moment of her and her family and even successful businesses JUST LIKE WHAT MOST OF US is doing.

In ISLAM, we are ALWAYS REMINDED to not post pictures or videos of our achievements or success to AVOID EVIL EYE. Yes, it might be because of EVIL EYE. Wallaahu a'lam.

--

EVIL EYE is dangerous than black magic!

Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him said, "Most of those who die among my Ummah died because of the will and decree of Allaah, and then because of EVIL EYE."

May Allaah jalla wa 'alaa protect us.

--

Read these simple reminders (ctto) 👇🏻

1. Don't advertise your happy marriage on social media.

2. Do not advertise pregnancy on social media.

3. Don't advertise your kids achievements on social media.

4. Don't advertise your expensive buys on social media.

UNDERSTAND THIS ABOUT LIFE

1. Not everyone is going to be happy for you.

2. Most of the "nice" comments you get are just fake.

3. You just attracting the evil eye on you and your family.

4. You just attracting jealous people into your life.

5. You don't know who's saving your pictures & checking your updates.

6. You really need to stop this as because it may ruin your life, family, marriage and career.

BELIEVE ME - Social media sometimes is the devils eyes, ears and mouth, don't fall into the devils trap. Let a part of your life remain private.

--

SECOND POINT

At the end of the documentary, it is said in the video that "IN AMERICA THREE WOMEN ARE KILLED BY THEIR CURRENT OR EX PARTNERS EVERY DAY. PARENTS WHO MURDERED THEIR CHILDREN AND PARTNERS ARE MOSTLY MEN."

It is known to many that the main reason Chris killed his wife and children is because of his mistress.

This is the FITNAH of WOMEN to MEN. This is HOW FAR Men would go to FOLLOW their DESIRES.

That is why in Islam, POLYGAMY is allowed. Marrying 2 to 4 is allowed to make it HALAL. To avoid greater harm like in Chris' case. Because Men are WEAK when it comes to women. They easily fall on Shaytan's traps. Polygamy in Islam ofcourse have proper conditions that should be followed. A man can marry up to four women as long as he can be JUST to all his wives. (Long discussion)

And ofcourse MEN in Islam is ADVISED to avoid glancing at women especially mingling with Non-Mahram.

Please read this below (ctto)👇🏻👇🏻

--

Question:

Assalamualaikum wrm.wbt.,

Is it true that women are the greatest fitnah for men?

Answer:

Waalaikumussalam wrm. wbt.,

Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.

Allah SWT created every creation in pairs such as man and woman, day and night, the skies and the earth and others. However, Allah SWT has chosen humans as the most honoured of all creations for they are blessed with the ability to think.

Furthermore, among the purposes Allah SWT created mankind is to test them with trials and tribulations so that Allah SWT will determine who amongst them who has the best of deeds. At the same time, Allah SWT created women as a trial or fitnah for men. This is explained by Allah SWT in the Quran:

Allah SWT states:

زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ

“Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women…”

Surah Ali Imran (104)

According to the above question, there is a hadith which clearly states that woman is a fitnah for men. The hadith is narrated by Imam al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad and many others:

From Usamah bin Zaid RA, the Prophet PBUH said:

مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدِي فِتْنَةً أَضَرَّ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ

“I have not left after me any (chance) of turmoil more injurious to men than the harm done to the men because of women.”

Sahih al-Bukhari (5096) Sahih Muslim (2740)

According to Syeikh Abdullah al-Talidi, this hadith means that after the death of the Prophet PBUH, the greatest fitnah left by the Messenger PBUH is the fitnah of women which means Allah SWT created women as a creation that incites the desires of men and they are easily seduced by them. Thus, the fitnah of women is the greatest fitnah for all of her is a source of fitnah, such as her voice, looks, actions and others.

Likewise, it is stated in a hadith from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri RA, the Prophet PBUH said:

فَاتَّقُوا الدُّنْيَا وَاتَّقُوا النِّسَاءَ فَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ فِتْنَةِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ فِي النِّسَاءِ

“So, avoid the allurement of women: verily, the first trial for the people of Isra'il was caused by women.”

Sahih Muslim (2742)

The above hadith also stated that a Muslim should be conscientious around women which means he should be on his guard when he is socializing with a woman to avoid getting lured into fitnah.

Imam al-Nawawi Rahimahullah when commenting on this hadith said:

“Distance yourself from the fitnah of this world and women.” (See al-Minhaj Syarah Sahih Muslim, Al-Nawawi, 17/213)

The Honour of Women

When discussing the issue of the fitnah of women, it does not mean that women are viewed negatively according to syarak. Consequently, syarak honour and dignify the status of women. There are numerous advantages of women stated in sahih syarak evidences. Among them is a hadith narrated by Abdullah bin ‘Amr RA, where the Prophet PBUH said:

‏ الدُّنْيَا مَتَاعٌ وَخَيْرُ مَتَاعِ الدُّنْيَا الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَةُ

"The world is but a (quick passing) enjoyment; and the best enjoyment of the world is a pious and virtuous woman."

Sahih Muslim (715)

Imam al-Qurthubi when explaining the meaning of pious and virtuous woman stated in the above hadith as:

“She (woman) is someone who makes her husband happy when he sees her, when he instructed or ask for anything she would comply and when her husband is absent, she would protect (her husband’s dignity and honour) him and his property.”

This refers to the statement of the Prophet PBUH:

أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكَ بِخَيْرِ مَا يَكْنِزُ الْمَرْءُ الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَةُ إِذَا نَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا سَرَّتْه�� وَإِذَا أَمَرَهَا أَطَاعَتْهُ وَإِذَا غَابَ عَنْهَا حَفِظَتْهُ

“Let me inform you about the best a man hoards; it is a virtuous woman who pleases him when he looks at her, obeys him when he gives her a command, and guards his interests when he is away from her.”

Sunan Abu Daud (1664)

The same for a virtuous woman are those who are wives and also act as the main strength to their husbands. This is shown by Umm al-Mu’minin Khadijah binti Khuwailid R.Anha, when the Prophet PBUH is confused and scared after receiving the first revelation, Khadijah calmed the Prophet PBUH saying:

كَلاَّ وَاللَّهِ مَا يُخْزِيكَ اللَّهُ أَبَدًا، إِنَّكَ لَتَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ، وَتَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ، وَتَكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ، وَتَقْرِي الضَّيْفَ، وَتُعِينُ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ‏

"Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones."

Sahih al-Bukhari (3)

Conclusion

To conclude, every individual or human being is able to control his desires and saved from this fitnah. Hence, Islam has taught and placed guidelines for men when they are interacting with women and vice versa. Lastly, may Allah SWT protect us from fitnah of women and make our Muslim women as righteous and virtuous women. Amin.

Wallahua’lam

--

May Allaah guide us all.

Please see photos in the end to learn DUA to avoid evil eye and have Allaah's protection from it.

#repost #evileye #americanmurderfamilynextdoor #americanmurder #chriswatts #watts #wattsfamily

[mohammedawahid]

I’m about to get real (Pictures)

  , Many times I have asked the question on Facebook, “If something is forbidden for the Jews and/or the Christians, is it then logical to assume it is forbidden for the Muslims?” I always get no answer, even though the answer is obvious. The answer is yes, of course. So lets break down the issue of pictures by starting with the Second commandment given to Musa (A.S.)...

Allah SWT says in the Bible, In Exodus  20: 4-6:

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments”

The keywords in these verses are IMAGE and LIKENESS... 

Graven Image means a carved statue either from wood or stone or other materials. But we must not ignore the meaning of the words Image and likeness.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an image as:  a visual representation of something: such as  a likeness of an object produced on a photographic material,  a picture produced on an electronic display (such as a television or computer screen),  the optical counterpart of an object produced by an optical device (such as a lens or mirror) or an electronic device.

Next we will look at the word Likeness... 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a Likeness as: Copy or Portrait,

other words for likeness are Image or PICTURE...

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth”

So does this commandment include pictures? of course it does, it says OR ANY LIKENESS.. is a picture not a likeness... of course it is.

So what is a picture? only a drawing? Well again we look to the Merriam-Webster dictionary and it defines a picture as follows;  a design or representation made by various means (such as painting, drawing, or photography) So no a picture is not just a drawing, because picture is defined as a representation made by various means such as Photography.. so a photograph is a picture.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a photograph as  a picture or LIKENESS obtained by photography. 

You don’t need to be a Religious or Christian scholar to know that images of all sorts from all means are forbidden for Jews and Christians. Statues, Drawings and Photographs of any living thing.... But what about for Muslims? Just because they are forbidden for Jews and Christians as is proof from the bible. 

But surely that doesn’t mean they are forbidden for Muslims, right? 

WRONG!:

Narrated Abdullah ibn 'Umar (d. 73H) radiallahu 'anhu: Allah's Messenger sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, "Those who make these IMAGES (suwar) will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them, make alive what you have created." [Al-Bukhari 7/541, no.835; Muslim, 3/160, no. 5268]

Is an Photograph an image? YES!

Abu Hurayrah radiallahu 'anhu reported Allah's Messenger sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam as saying, "Angels do not enter a house (or any other place) where there are statues (tamathil) or pictures (tasawir)." [Muslim 3/1162, no. 5276]

One should realize that the prohibition of picture making is EXTREMELY SEVERE, that it is counted among the enormities, and the threats against doing it are very emphatic. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim relate that a man came to Ibn Abbas (Allah be well pleased with him and his father) and said, “My livelihood comes solely from my hands, and I make these pictures. Can you give me a legal opinion about them” Ibn Abbas told him, “Come closer,’ and the man did. “Closer,” he said, and the man did, until he put his hand on the man’s head and said: “Shall I tell you what I heard from the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammed (Allah bless him and give him peace) I heard the Messenger of Allah say, “Every maker of pictures will go to the fire, where a being will be set upon him to torment him in hell for each picture he made. So if you must, draw tress and things without animate life in them.” And Imam Tirmidhi relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “On the Day of Judgment, part of the hell fire will come forth with two eyes with which to see, two ears with which to hear, and a tongue with which to speak, saying, ‘I have been ordered to deal with three: he who holds there is another god besides Allah, with every arrogant tyrant, and with makers of pictures.” And Bukhari, Tirmidhi, and Imam Nasa’i relate the prophetic hadith form Ibn Abbas, “Whoever makes a picture, Allah shall torture him with it on the Day of Judgment until he can breathe life into it, and he will never be able to.” The reason for the unlawfulness of pictorial representation is that it imitates the creative act of Allah Most High, as is indicated by the hadith related by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim that A’isha (Allah be well pleased with her) said, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) returned from a trip, and I had draped a cloth with picture on it over a small closet. When he saw it, he ripped it down, his face colored, and he said, “A’isha, the people most severely tortured by Allah on the Day of Judgment will be those who try to imitate what Allah has created,” The foregoing hadiths show that producing representation is unlawful under any circumstances, and just as making a picture is unlawful, so too is procuring one, because the threat that pertains to the users, for pictures are only made to be used. The determining factor in the prohibition of procuring images is the purposes for which they are procured. For example, someone who buys cookies with the shape of animals is not doing wrong if his purpose is to eat, though the maker of them is doing wrong. And similarly with books containing pictures, if the buyer intends obtaining the text, then the presence of pictures is the fault of the printer, not the buyer. The same holds for photographs required for official documents: the authorities are responsible for the sin, not the individual forced to comply. (Islamic Academy)

so we can only conclude by using logic and common sense that an Image is a likeness, a likeness is a picture and a picture is a photograph... So photographs of yourself, your family and any other living thing that YOU yourself have created and put on social media is haram... I am myself guilty of this crime but ultimately I always end up deleting my pictures because I don’t feel comfortable having them. It’s a never ending cycle, at least with me, I delete them, take more, post them, then delete them again. May Allah give us the proper understanding and give us the ability to realize that it’s not just statues and drawings that are haram. It is ALL representation of living things that we create. Including drawings, statues and photographs/pictures. And buying those that we do not create and placing them in our homes is not allowed either. It is equally as bad. 

Al-Bukhaari (3226) and Muslim (2106) narrated from Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said; “The angels do not enter a house in which there is an image.”

Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The scholars said: The reason why they do not enter a house in which there is an image is because it is a grievous sin, and it is competing with the creation of Allah, may He be exalted, and some of them are images of things that are worshipped instead of Allah, may He be exalted.

[thetruthseekerway]

What Do You Know About Imam An-Nawawi?

New Post has been published on https://www.truth-seeker.info/jewels-of-islam/what-do-you-know-about-imam-an-nawawi/

What Do You Know About Imam An-Nawawi?

By Jamal Ad-Din Zarabozo

The Life of An-Nawawi

It is important for Muslims to take the time to learn about the lives of the pious predecessors. The great scholars and pious individuals of the past can be great examples of the living. Their behaviour and actions can have a great effect on their hearts. Their examples demonstrate that in every age, there were pious Muslims who followed the way of the Prophet (PBUH) and his noble Companions, without compromise and without giving in to the desires of this world. They demonstrate to the Muslims of today that the guidance of the Qur’an and Hadith was sufficient for them to lead their lives in manners pleasing to Allah, although they did not sit with and learn directly from the Prophet (PBUH) or even his close Companions.

Today, Muslims face many of the same problems, temptations and difficulties that these pious predecessors faced. The pious predecessors read and intensively studied the Qur’an and Hadith to attain guidance for their lives. They applied the Qur’an and Sunnah in their lives under various circumstances. What they derived from the Divine Guidance should be considered light for all of those who come after them who face circumstances similar to theirs.

There are many aspects of An-Nawawi’s life, in particular, that may set an example for those living today. In his introduction to his Master’s Thesis on An-Nawawi, Ahmad al-Haddad echoed these views when he stated,

“The third reason [for writing about An-Nawawi] was to bring to the forefront of the life of this extraordinary man who lived in a later time. It is hoped that this biography will bring to us and the coming generations great benefits with respect to the seriousness and striving for knowledge, with respect to asceticism and fearing Allah, and with respect to the bravery in publicly speaking the truth. The lives of the pious have the greatest effect on those who hear about them. Allah has certainly spoken the truth when He said, “And all that We relate to you (O Muhammad) of the news of the messenger [is] in order that We may make your heart strong and firm.” (Hud 11:20)

The goal here is to be brief. Therefore, only certain aspects of his life will be highlighted.[1]

Background to An-Nawawi’s Life

Islam in the Seventh Century of Hijrah

The Seventh Century of Islam was a very turbulent time, especially for the area of Sham (Greater Syria). It was during this Century that the Mongols invaded the East and the Crusaders controlled part of the Muslim lands from the West. In the year 656H, the Mongols invaded and conquered Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasids. In 658, however, under the reign of Al-Mudhafar Qutuz ibn ‘Abdullah and military leadership of Al-Dhahir Baybars, the Muslims handed the Mongols a stunning defeat at Ayn Jalut. Also, in 679H, when the Mongols again tried to conquer Aleppo, they were defeated. From that time onwards, Muslim forces continue to battle and make headway against the Mongols. Similarly, the Crusaders were defeated and removed from Sham in the year 691H.

By the grace and mercy of Allah, these turbulent times did not mean the end of Islam studies for the inhabitants of that area. In fact, when Nur ud-Din az-Zanki (d. 569H) entered Sham he found that the light of learning had been extinguished. Therefore, he made a concerted effort to encourage the people of that area to renew their studies of Islam. In the process, he opened many schools for the study of Islam. In fact, he opened the first Dar al-Hadith in Damascus, Aleppo and elsewhere. This same spirit of spreading knowledge and establishing educational institutions was carried on by those who ruled after Nur ad-Din az-Zanki, especially Sayf ud-Din Qalawun (d. 689H). Therefore, one does not find a shortage of scholars and learning even during that turbulent century of Islamic history.

An-Nawawi’s Birth and Upbringing

Muhy ud-Din [2] Abu Zakariyyah[3] Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Hizami an-Nawawi was born in the 631H (1233CE) in the village of Nawa, south of Damascus, Syria. Coming from Nawa, he is given the descriptive name of An-Nawawi, which is also sometimes written An-Nawaawi.

An-Nawawi did not come from a well-known family. There is very little mention, if any, of his grandfather, father and other relatives. This implies that they were a modest family. They also were not known for producing great scholars. However, his father did have a reputation for being very pious and God-fearing. His father had a garden in which he would grow food for his family. He would avoid, and taught his family to avoid, eating anything which may be forbidden in any way whatsoever. This was a true application of the following Hadith from Sunan at-Tirmidhi:

“O, People! Verily Allah is good and He does not accept but what is good. Allah has ordered the believers with the same command that He ordered the messengers. He said, ‘O Messengers, eat of the good and pure things and work righteous deeds. Verily, I am knowledgeable about what you do.’ And He said, ‘O believers! Eat of the good and wholesome things that We have provided for you.’ And he mentioned a man who was on a long journey, with dishevelled hair and dust-ridden, stretching out his hands to the sky, saying, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ while his food is of the forbidden and his provisions are of the forbidden. How is he going to be responded to [by Allah]?”

From his youth, Yahya an-Nawawi was not attracted to sports or playing. Indeed, other children chided him for this. From an early age, he turned his attention to his studies. He hated any activity that would take him away from memorizing the Qur’an. On one occasion, the children forced him to play with them and he cried because of the time that he was wasting.[4] It is not surprising then that he memorized the Qur’an at an early age.

At the age of eighteen, his father took him to Damascus to continue his studies. He excelled in the Shafi’i school of fiqh, memorizing some of its most important texts. He performed the pilgrimage to Makkah, visited Madinah and other locations but then returned to Damascus until prior to his death when he returned to his hometown of Nawa.

An-Nawawi’s Personal Life

His Pursuit of Knowledge

An-Nawawi first studied at the Saramiyyah school in Damascus. This is where his father left him. He had no housing there whatsoever. After some time, he approached the Shaykh of the school to ask if he had any housing, as many of the schools house their students. They had no housing so the Shaykh suggested that he go to Rawahiyyah School. There he was given a very small room in which he lived for a number of years. In fact, he remained in that small room until he was named the head of the Ashrafiyyah school, a number of years later.[5] It was stated that, when one visited him, the room was so small and the books were so many, that the only way one could sit down was to remove the books and pile them on top of each other to make some room to sit.

After Saramiyyah, he continued his studies at the Rawahiyyah school in Damascus. At one point in time, he was attending twelve lectures a day on assorted topics, including Arabic language, hadith, fiqh and Islamic legal theory. Some of his well-known teachers[6] included Ishaq ibn Ahmad al-Maghrabi al-Maqdisi (d. 650H), ‘Abdur-Rahman al-Anbari (d. 661H) and ‘Abdul-‘Aziz al-Ansari (d. 662H). He studied Sahih Muslim from Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Wasiti. In 655H, at the age of 24, he began teaching at the Ashrafiyyah school. His reputation and excellence as a scholar began to be recognized by the scholars and inhabitants of Damascus.

His pursuit of knowledge dominated his entire life. He would put all of his time into studying, learning, and teaching. It is even stated that he would not sleep except when sleep would overtake him. He would rest on his book and sleep for a little, then he would act startled upon awakening and continues studying. He once said about himself, “I spent two years without lying on the ground [to sleep] on my side.” That is, he would always study and write until sleep overtook while in a sitting position. Al-Qutb al-Yawnini said about him, “He would not waste any moment of the day or night but he would spend it busy with attaining knowledge. Even when he walking and in the streets, he will be busy going over what he had remembered and reviewing his notes. He continued gaining knowledge in that way for a period of six years.”[7]

It seems – and only Allah knows the reality – that Allah truly blessed his time. Perhaps this was due to a sincere intention to please Allah. As mentioned above, he would attend up to twelve classes a day. Commenting on that fact, Al-Diqr wrote:

“He used to have twelve study sessions a day with his teachers. These included explanations, verifications, commentaries, explaining the different aspects and expressions as well as exacting the correct wordings. This would take, at least approximation, twelve hours a day. Then he would need to review what he had learned and memories that need to be memorized. The very least approximation is that this would also take twelve hours a day. This is twenty-four hours in a day! When would he sleep? When would he eat? When would he perform the acts of worship? When would he perform the voluntary late-night prayers? It is well-known that he performed those types of acts of obedience and worship. When would all of that take place? He was in need of studying and reviewing for all the twenty fours in a day and night. This shows how Allah blessed and graced this man. Allah blessed him in his time. He gave him the ability to complete in one day what it takes everyone else two years to accomplish. This is the only way we can explain this tremendous undertaking that made him one of the greatest scholars of his time in about ten years. In fact, it made him the leader (Imam) of his time. This is also the only way we can explain all of his wonderful, detailed and radiant writings in a span of time that lasted no more than fifteen years. He spent all of his lifetime and living hours in learning, teaching and writing.” (Quoted in Al-Diqr (see footnote 1), p. 34)

His Austerity

He led a very austere and simple life. Some narrations state that all the clothing he possessed was a turban and long gown. He did not desire any of the pleasures of this world. At one point in time, he would not eat anything except some cake and olives that his father would send him from time to time from Nawa. One of the reasons for this was that he was certain that such food came from permissible sources.

He would refuse even permissible things out of fear that they may lead him to doubtful matters. Indeed, he refused to eat any of the fruits of Damascus because he knew that orchards, many of which were endowments and for orphans and others, were not handled properly and he feared that the food he would be eating was not from a permissible source. Another reason he gave for not eating the fruit was that much of it was handled through sharecropping and there was a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the validity of sharecropping. In a footnote, Al-Haddad points out that, in reality, all of those matters boiled down to one thing: An-Nawawi was afraid to involve himself in any matter concerning which there was even the slightest doubt.[8]

An-Nawawi desired to live a simple and pure life, although it would have been possible for him to live otherwise, given his teaching position and influence. Chief Justice Sulayman az-Zara’i narrated that he visited An-Nawawi on the day of ‘Eid. An-Nawawi was eating some kind of broth with no meat. He asked Sulayman to eat with him and he said that is was not appealing to him. Sulayman’s brother went and bought some roasted meat and sweets. Sulayman told An-Nawawi to eat from it and he refused. Sulayman said to him, “O my brother, is this forbidden?” He said, “No, but it is the food of the tyrants [and extravagant].” In this matter, he was following the example of the Prophet(PBUH) who could have enjoyed many of the bounties of this world, but, instead, his household would go days without cooking any meat or having their full of bread for two days straight.[9] It seems that An-Nawawi did not consider such food as impermissible, in general, as obviously the Prophet(PBUH) ate such foods. However, it seems that he was never sure that their source was permissible, so he refused to eat such foods.[10]

He was also well-known for his modesty. Part of his modesty included never being served by any of his students. At the same time, he continued to serve his students even into his old age.

An-Nawawi would fast perpetually (every day except the days of ‘Eid).[11] In general, he would only eat once a day, after the last obligatory prayer of the day; and he would only drink once a day, before dawn. When he drank, he would drink cold water out of fear that it may make him drowsy. Al-Haddad argues that this was done by An-Nawawi so that he would dedicate all of his time to work and worship instead of the pleasures of this life. Al-Haddad writes that it is said that knowledge is not attained by rest. In fact, he states, a person will not receive even part of knowledge unless he dedicates himself to it. If a person dedicates all of himself to knowledge, then he may achieve a portion of it. Al-Haddad states that perhaps this was An-Nawawi’s perception of knowledge. He left his heart completely free and open to receive the blessed knowledge of the religion of Islam.[12]

He did not accept a stipend for his teaching. It seems that he may have accepted money for the first year or two. That money he did receive, he would spend on books that were left as endowments after him. However, after that time, he refused to accept any money whatsoever for his services.[13]

One material possession of this world that An-Nawawi did have was books. In general, a student is greatly in need of books. He is perhaps as much in need of books than he is of food and water, as Al-Haddad pointed out. As alluded to earlier, An-Nawawi’s small room was like a warehouse of books. One of the testimonies as to how many books An-Nawawi had may be found in his introduction to At-Tahqiq wherein he said, “I have with me, of the books of Shafi’i fiqh, and all praises are due to Allah, about one hundred books, including well-known books, rare books and others.”[14] Al-Haddad comments, “If that was the case with the number of books of fiqh, which were not as plentiful as they were in later eras, then what about the number of books of hadith he must have had, as there were many more books of hadith available at his time.”[15] Taj ud-Din as-Subki (683-756H), who was a Chief Justice (Qadhi al-Qudha), was asked to complete one of An-Nawawi’s works, Al-Majmu’. He tried to excuse himself by saying that he did not have the number of references available to him that An-Nawawi had.

It seems clear though, that An-Nawawi’s goal was not simply to possess a large library. His books were not for decoration or display. Instead, he benefited greatly from these works and, from his lectures and writings, numerous people have benefited from them since then.

——–

Adapted from Commentary on the Forty Hadeeth of an-Nawawi, Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, published by Al-Basheer Publications & Translations with some minor amendments.

  Footnotes

Those readers interested in more details about the life of Imam An-Nawawi may consult Ala ud-Din ibn Al-Attar, Tuhfat at-Talibin fi Tarjumah al-Imam Muhy ud-Din (Riyadh: Dar as-Sami’i, 1414H), passim; Jalal ud-Din as-Suyuti, Al-Minhaj al-Sawi fi Tarjamah Al-Imam An-Nawawi (Beirut: Dar ibn Hazm, 1994), passim; ‘Abdul-Ghani ad-Diqr, Al-Imam An-Nawawi: Shaykh ul-Islam wa’l-Muslimin was Umdat al-Fuqaha wa’l-Muhadithin (Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 1980), passim. As-Suyuti relied greatly on Al-Attar, quoting lengthy passages from his work.

All of the biographical works give him the nickname “Muhy ud-Din” although he himself did not like to be called by it. He said that he did not forgive the person who gave him that nickname. He may have disliked that nickname because it means, “The one who gives life to the religion,” while, in fact, the religion of Islam is not in need of anyone to give it life. Al-Haddad argues that the name does become him but that out of modesty, he did not like to be called by it. (See Al-Haddad, p. 19) According to Al-Madabaghi, if a name or title of praise is disliked by someone, out of modesty, although the title fits him, then it is allowed to call that person by that name. This is not considered a type of backbiting or insult. See Hasan al-Madabaghi’s comments on the margin of Ahmad ibn Hajr al-Haytami, Fath al-Mubin li Sharh al-Arbain (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1978), p. 4.

He was given the name Abu Zakariyyah (“The Father of Zakariyyah”) although he never had a child by that name. It is not uncommon for me to be given agnomens while they are still underage and that agnomen remains with them throughout their lives. In Al-Majmu’, An-Nawawi argues that it is recommended for people to have agnomens, even if they do not have children. See Yahya an-Nawawi, Al-Majmu’ Sharh al-Muhadhab (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, n.d.) vol. 8, p. 438.

Al-Haddad, p. 26.

ibid, p. 32.

The most detailed discussion of the different teachers of Imam An-Nawawi may be found in Al-Haddad, pp. 41-70.

Quoted in Al-Diqr, p. 28.

Al-Haddad, p. 90.

ibid, p. 90.

Al-Diqr, p. 129.

There is a difference of opinion concerning perpetual fasting. An-Nawawi seemed to be of the view that it is permissible as long as one has the ability to do it and as long as one does not fast on those days which it is prohibited to fast. See An-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, vol. 8, p. 40.

Al-Haddad, p.35.

See Al-Diqr, p.127.

Quoted in Al-Haddad, p. 71.

ibid, p. 72.

[julaibib]

About the person asking the question with isha prayer I know it too that praying isha is until midnight and not until fajr prayer...but you answered it differently

I mentioned that it is better and requiredto pray in time,But if it is necessary, or forget the prayer, it is possible to pray it before fajr

This view that you say is the opinion of Shaykh Ibn BaazBut there are other ulama who say what I said to him, like Imam al-Nawawi

I do not say to pray after midnight, but if the prayer is delayed for some reason until this time, it is possible to pray

[iheartallah]

Why Laylatul Qadr? The Significance & Virtues of the Most Important Night of the Year

Islam makes certain times and places especially sacred. While a believer can certainly engage in worship such as remembering or glorifying God at any time (“standing, sitting or lying on their sides”[1]), some periods of time have special and unique blessings associated with them. Similarly, while the entirety of the Earth has been made a place of worship and prostration, there are some locations (such as the three Mosques) that are uniquely blessed. This creates within the psychology of the believer a yearning to seek out these unique opportunities in order to come closer to Allah. That yearning brings about several positive spiritual emotions: awe, reverence, wonder, anticipation, eagerness, excitement, hope, and longing, all of which are encompassed in the term shawq.[2]

As we live today in an era of digital distractions and materialistic heedlessness, often acts of worship are squeezed into brief moments in our daily routine, which does not furnish one with a complete transformative spiritual experience. Serious worship requires not just taking a brief moment to pray, but allowing our prayers to define our direction in life. Thus, Islam offers opportunities for intense spiritual experiences, experiences that involve setting aside the dunya (worldly life) and its distractions. Of the greatest of such opportunities are the blessed nights of Ramadan. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins.”[3] The foremost of these opportunities are the last ten nights of Ramadan. As the Prophet’s wife `A’isha narrates, “When the last ten nights began Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) kept awake at night (for prayer and devotion), wakened his family, and prepared himself to observe salah (with more vigor).”[4] It is no coincidence that i`tikaf (seclusion in the masjid) is also recommended in Ramadan. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to practice i`tikaf for the entirety of the last ten days of Ramadan.[5]

By far however, there is no day or night that has been emphasized more than the night known as laylat al-qadr (the Night of Decree). The Qur’an’s 97th chapter is dedicated entirely to this night:

Indeed, We revealed [the Qur’an] during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn. (97:1-5)

The companion Anas ibn Malik reported: “Ramadan approached, so the Messenger of God said: ‘This month has come to you, and in it there is a night that is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all goodness, and no one is deprived of its goodness except one who is truly deprived.’”[6]

The precise night on which Laylatul-Qadr occurs has not been mentioned. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Search for Laylatul-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.”[7] There is a tremendous wisdom behind not knowing exactly when it occurs, which scholars have pointed out. As Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (d. 620 H) writes:

God has concealed this night from the ummah so that they may strive in seeking it and performing worship throughout the month in the hopes of catching it. Similarly, He concealed the hour of special acceptance on Friday so that one would increase in their supplications throughout the day, and He concealed His Greatest Name (ism al-a’dham) amongst His Divine Names and His Pleasure with acts of obedience so that people would strive for them. And He concealed an individual’s lifespan and the Hour [of the Day of Judgment] so that humanity would continuously strive in good deeds, being heedful of them.[8]

The theological significance of Laylatul-Qadr

Islamic scholars differ regarding the meaning behind the name of ‘Laylatul-Qadr’, as the word ‘Qadr’ can hold a variety of meanings, and each has its own theological significance.

Some scholars defined ‘Qadr’ in the context of this holy night as ‘destiny/decree’ (qadar). To them, this meant that this was the night in which the destiny of each person was decided. It would be this night in which a person’s sustenance, lifespan, and other critical matters would be sealed for the coming year.

In support of this, ‘Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “It is written in Umm al-Kitab (the Heavenly copy of the Qur’an) during Laylatul-Qadr what shall come to pass in the following year of good and evil, sustenance, and lifespan. Even the pilgrimage of the pilgrim (shall be decided); it will be said ‘so-and-so will perform pilgrimage’ (on this night).”[9]

Al-Hasan Al-Basri (d. 110 H), Mujahid (d. 104 H) and Qatadah (d. 117 H)—three renowned early Muslim scholars—shared this view and were reported to have said that “all the affairs of lifespan, deeds, creation, and provision are decreed on Laylatul-Qadr in the month of Ramadan and will come to pass in the coming year.”[10]

Imam Al-Nawawi concluded his discussion on Laylatul-Qadr by saying: “It was named Laylatul-Qadr, meaning: the night of judgment and discernment (in the affairs of men). This meaning is what is true and popular.”[11]

Other scholars defined the meaning of ‘Qadr’ as ‘power,’ indicating the greatness of the honor and might of the night.[12] Similar to this view is the interpretation of ‘Qadr’ as ‘power’ in that the righteous deeds performed during this night are far more powerful than they would be on any other night.

Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “A person would attain the reward of the night, even if he has no knowledge of it. This is because the Prophet said ‘whoever stands (in prayer) during Laylatul-Qadr, with faith and hope, will be forgiven,’ and the Prophet did not make knowledge of the night a condition of their forgiveness. And had knowledge of the night become a necessary factor, the Prophet would have made this clear.”[13]

In this view, since knowledge of the night is not a prerequisite to prospering from the night, then it is not required for the worshipper to understand concepts of destiny or decree in order to achieve the rewards of worshipping on this night. All they need to do is perform acts of worship on that night.

Another meaning of ‘Qadr’ in the context of Laylatul-Qadr, involves the meaning of ‘restriction.’ This is understood to indicate that the earth becomes restricted as angels descend to the earth on the holy night, occupying the earth. This descent of the angels is referenced in the Qur’an, and since angels are typically associated with concepts such as light, guidance, and blessings, it is a symbol of how majestic Laylatul-Qadr is.[14] Furthermore, since angels occupy the highest heavens, they are described in the Qur’an as ‘close to God’; yet on Laylatul-Qadr they are ‘seeking permission’ from God to descend to earth in recognition of the divine blessings that God places on earth during this night.[15] In one narration, the Prophet ﷺ stated: “Truly the angels on this night are as numerous as the pebbles upon the earth.”[16]

Laylatul-Qadr has also been described as a gift for the Prophet Muhammad’s community (ummah). In the Muwatta of Imam Malik, there is a hadith that states: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was shown the lifespans of the people (who had gone) before him, or what Allah willed of that, and it was as if the lives of the people of his community had become too short for them to be able to do as many good actions as others before them had been able to do with their long lives, so Allah gave him Laylat al- Qadr, which is better than a thousand months.”[17]

In addition to the aforementioned significance related to Divine decree and providing the Prophet’s ummah with a unique opportunity for worship, there is also a special connection that Laylatul-Qadr has with the Qur’an. In Surah al-Qadr (97:1) and Surah al-Dukhan (44:3), it is mentioned that the Qur’an was revealed on this night. Ibn Abbas has explained this by mentioning on Laylatul-Qadr that the Qur’an was revealed in its entirety from the highest heaven to the lowest heaven, and placed in a special chamber called Bayt al-`Izzah (the House of Honor). From there, it was revealed gradually over the course of twenty three years to the Prophet Muhammad.[18] This was in order to emphasize the lofty status of the revelation and to announce to the inhabitants of the Heavens that this was the final revelation.[19] It is also mentioned by other scholars, such as Imam al-Sha’bi (d. 105 H), that the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad began in the month of Ramadan on Laylatul-Qadr when Jibreel first descended to visit the Prophet Muhammad.[20]

What is the connection between its function and its virtue?

What is the connection between Laylatul-Qadr being the night of decree, and also being the most virtuous night to pray on? Why is the night when angels descend with the decree also the best night to worship in?

One possible answer to this can be found in the explanation (tafsir) of the opening passage of Surah ad-Dukhan:

Hā, Meem. By the clear Book, verily, We revealed [the Qur’an] during a blessed night. Indeed, We have always forewarned humankind. On that night, every wise decree (amr hakeem) is specified, by Our command. Surely, We have always been sending [messengers] as a mercy from your Lord, indeed He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (44:1-6)

This passage reiterates the significance of Laylatul-Qadr as the night during which the fates, destinies, and decrees are sent down for the forthcoming year. The famous Qur’anic commentator, Abu’l-Thana’ al-Alusi (d. 1270 H/1854 CE), notes in his tafsir that when God says, “On that night, every hakeem decree is specified,” one of the meanings of hakeem is mukham (decisive) which entails that “this decree cannot be changed after it descends, in contrast to before that.”[21]

If a person reflects on all the things that could potentially happen to them in the coming year, they will experience immense hope and/or fear. Perhaps in the coming year they may experience—God forbid—the loss of a loved one, the onset of a debilitating illness, a bitter conflict, destruction of property, or worst of all the loss of their faith and connection to God.

Or perhaps in the coming year they may experience great joy and closeness with their family, the most successful achievement in their career, bliss in their marriage, a solution to old problems, new friendships and prosperity, or best of all growth in their relationship with the Divine. When a person reflects on this, he or she realizes that Laylatul-Qadr provides the perfect opportunity to pray for the realization of their best dreams, and the prevention of their worst nightmares. This is the night when that yearly decree is finalized. In a sense, this is that night when one’s fate is ‘downloaded’ from the heavens.

Just as a person awaiting the decree of a judge in the courtroom prays most intensely at the moment when that decree is about to be decided, likewise Laylatul-Qadr may signal that final opportunity to change one’s fate (taqdeer). After that, a person’s taqdeer in the record of the angels is only changed if it was written from before that it would be changed. The hadith scholar, Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani (d. 854 H) notes the difference between the contingent decree (al-Qada’ al-Mu’allaq) which God has given the angels and the irrevocable decree (al-Qada’ al-Mubram) which is with God.[22] The recording of one’s fate which the angels possess can be subject to change, as the Qur’an states “God erases and confirms what He wills” (13:39) and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Nothing averts fate except supplication (la yaruddu al-qadar illa al-du’a).”[23]  However, one’s record with God in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfudh) is immutable. Thus, a person praying on Laylatul-Qadr may result in their records with the angels being altered, before those records seal one’s fate for the coming year. Du’a on this night has the greatest power to change decree, hence the night is both the Night of Power and the Night of Decree.

There is also a special link between this night and seeking forgiveness from God. A’isha asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylatul-Qadr, what should I say during it?” And he instructed her to say:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عُفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

O Allah! You are Most Forgiving, and you love to forgive. So forgive me.[24]

The Prophet ﷺ instructed us to call out to Allah using the Divine name al-Afuww (The Most Forgiving) on this night, and this has a special connection with Qadar. The linguistic meaning of this Divine Name is explained by noting that the root of ‘afuw (forgiveness) linguistically connotes erasure (al-mahuw) and effacement (al-tams).[25] Thus, our prayers to Allah on this night are explicitly connected to a plea for Him to erase the consequences of our misdeeds. The Qur’an states that Allah’s ‘afuw protects calamity from being decreed for us as a result of our sins:

And whatever strikes you of calamity (museebah), it is because of what your hands have earned, although He pardons (ya’fuw) a great deal. (42:30)

So the decrees on Laylatul-Qadr may be descending with calamities that are consequences of our sins, and on this night we have an exclusive opportunity to invoke the forgiveness of al-Afuww to erase those sins as well as the resultant decree, and remove them from our fates for the upcoming year.

Seeking its rewards

As Laylatul-Qadr is certainly the most blessed night of the year, a person who misses it has certainly missed a tremendous amount of good.[26] Many scholars mentioned that what’s to be avoided beyond sin is wasting time on that precious night, unnecessary socializing with people, arguing, shopping, etc. One should keep in mind that the night technically starts at Maghrib (sunset), and be heedful of how time is spent from that point onwards. If a believing person is keen to obey his Lord and increase the good deeds in his record, he should strive to spend this night in worship and obedience. If this is facilitated for him, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.

Suratul-Alaq, which was revealed on this blessed night, begins with the command to read the Qur’an, and ends with the command to prostrate and draw close to your Lord. In that is a Divine prescription for how the night is to be spent. Ash-Shafi’i (d. 204 H) said that some of the pious predecessors preferred to spend this night in prayer, some in Quran, some in dua, and all are rewarded by Allah.[27] This also shows the importance of intention in that even if you don’t catch the night for some reason out of your control, you will still be fully rewarded for  it. While it is best to perform full i’itkaf (i.e., seclude yourself in the masjid for the entirety of the 10 days), there are many important things one can do even if one is unable to engage in i’tikaf.

Merely praying Isha and Fajr in congregation on that night is enough to fill its scales. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever attends Isha prayer in congregation, then he has the reward as if he had stood half of the night. And whoever prays Isha and Fajr in congregation, then he has the reward as if he had spend the entire night standing in prayer.”[28] Moreover, Imam Malik (d. 179 H) narrated that he had heard that Said ibn al-Musayyab (d. 94 H) used to say, “Whoever is present at Isha on Laylatul-Qadr has taken his portion from it.”[29]

If one is able to do more than that, the next step involves performing extra voluntary prayers during the night. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Whoever stands in prayer during Laylatul-Qadr with faith and hope in the reward of Allah, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.”[30]

Finally, as mentioned earlier, the supplication the Prophet ﷺ advised his wife A’isha to make on that blessed night is a prayer for an all-encompassing forgiveness that involves invoking Allah’s love for forgiveness.[31]

Here lies a benefit to the believer in discovering their own love to forgive as they invoke Allah’s love of forgiveness. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated to his companions: “I came to inform you of the (specific) night of Laylatul Qadr but found so-and-so arguing and (in the process of mediating) had the knowledge of the night lifted from me.”[32] Since the Prophet’s knowledge of the specific night of Laylatul-Qadr was taken from him due to internal fighting between two individuals, this serves as a reminder that the grudges between mankind veils them from attaining the pardon and forgiveness of the night. For just as the Prophet was veiled from knowing the night due to the grudges between others, it is by offering forgiveness to others, and overlooking each other’s faults, that we discover the forgiveness of Allah during Laylatul-Qadr.

And in the equation of success found in the limited efforts of that one night, is the embedded infinite mercy found in the eternal pathway to salvation. The same God who commands you to seek His pardon willingly offers it to you for an effort that can be performed even by the youngest and weakest amongst us. The same God who created you with limited years to do good, gives you days and nights that are equivalent to lifetimes of worship. And the same angel, Jibreel, that He sent to honor the Prophet ﷺ that night is sent to the earth that same night annually to honor his nation.

Source

[wisdomrays]

The Messenger of God: Muhammad: Part 110

The Number of Authentic Traditions: Part 2

The Messenger implanted such a zeal for learning in his followers' hearts that Islamic civilization, under the blessed shadow of which a considerable portion of humanity lived peacefully for centuries, was built on the pillars of belief, knowledge, piety, and brotherhood. In the lands through which the pure water of Islam flowed, innumerable flowers burst open in every field of science, and the scent diffused by them exhilarated the world.

Some of these flowers, like Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, read in two or three sessions the entire collection of authentic Traditions compiled by Imam Muslim. Imam Nawawi dedicated himself so thoroughly to teaching and writing that he never married—he did not want to assign any time to anything other than knowledge. Imam Sarakhsi, a great Hanafi jurist, was imprisoned in a well by a king. During that time, he dictated his monumental 30-volume compendium, Al-Mabsut, to his students from memory. When his students told him that Imam Shafi'i, founder of the Shafi'i legal school and regarded by some as the second reviver (mujaddid) of Islam, had memorized 300 fascicules of Traditions, he answered: "He knew the zakat (one-fortieth) of what I know."

The works of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Imam Suyuti, and others cover so many volumes that when divided among the days of their lives, we can see that they wrote about 20 pages every day. We cannot study or even read during our lives what each wrote during his lifetime.

Anas ibn Sirin, son of Muhammad ibn Sirin, one of the greatest Tabi'un scholars, says: "When I arrived in Kufa, 4,000 people were attending Hadith courses in mosques; 400 were experts in Islamic jurisprudence." To understand what it meant to be an expert in Islamic jurisprudence, consider the following: Ahmad ibn Hanbal, whose Musnad contains 40,000 Traditions chosen from among the one million in circulation, was not considered an expert jurist by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari. Nor was he given the same status as Abu Hanifa, Imam Abu Yusuf, Imam Shafi'i, Imam Malik, and the like. The fact that some did not consider such a great figure an expert jurist shows just what intellectual and scholarly heights a jurisprudent had to reach to be regarded as an expert.

The general atmosphere was extremely propitious for the development of both religious and secular sciences, especially the science of Tradition. Every Muslim strove to acquire knowledge of Islam and recognize its Holy Prophet fully. People had a great aptitude for literature and languages, for poetry was widespread during the pre-Islamic period. The Qur'an came, first of all, as an absolute and incomparable linguistic miracle. No literary or poetic expert denied its eloquence, and almost all of them gave up poetry after their conversion to dedicate themselves to the Qur'an and the Hadith. One of them, the poetess Hansa, became so deeply devoted to Islam that when her four sons were martyred at Qadisiyah, she praised God, saying: "O God, You gave me four sons, all of whom I have sacrificed in the way of Your Beloved (Prophet). Praise be to You, to the number of thousands." [4] That blessed woman found eight linguistic or poetic mistakes in a stanza of Hassan ibn Thabit, a famous Companion and poet. After the Revelation, she gave up poetry and focused on the Qur'an and the Hadith.

Life was quite simple in the desert. This enabled people to commit themselves to Islamic sciences. Also, they had very keen memories. For example, the Messenger once asked Zayd ibn Thabit to learn Hebrew; within a couple of weeks, he could read and write letters in it. Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, Qatada ibn Diama, Sha'bi, Ibrahim ibn Yazid al-Nakha'i, Imam Shafi'i, and many others publicly said that they never forgot a word after they memorized it. They could do this after either reading or hearing something only once.

When Imam Bukhari arrived in Baghdad, ten leading persons in Islamic sciences tested his knowledge of Hadith and memory. Each recited ten Traditions, changing either the order of the narrators in a chain of transmission or the chains with each other. For example, the famous Tradition: "Actions are judged according to intentions..." has the following chain (in descending order): Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Taymi, from Alqama ibn Waqqas al-Laysi, from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. When they were finished, Imam Bukhari corrected the chains one by one from memory and repeated each Tradition with its own sound chain of transmission. The scholars then admitted his learning and knowledge of Hadith. Ibn Khuzayma went so far as to say: "Neither Earth or Heaven has seen a second person as knowledgeable as you in this field."

Imam Bukhari never sold his knowledge for worldly benefits. When the ruler of Bukhara invited him to his palace to teach his children, the great Imam refused, saying: "Knowledge cannot be debased by being taken to a ruler. If the ruler desires knowledge, he should personally come to knowledge." The ruler replied by asking him to assign one day a week to his children. Bukhari refused again, saying: "I'm busy with teaching the Umma of Muhammad. So, I cannot waste my time teaching your children." The ruler exiled him, and this greatest figure in the science of Hadith spent his last days in exile.

[hassan-ibn-abdul-qadir]

Salam alaykum brother hope you are well inshallah. I want to start practising but I don’t know how and where to start. I want to learn about the hadiths of the prophet. If you can help guide me on what books to have and how to start off then I’ll be grateful.. Jazakallah khayr

Wa alaykum salaam Wa Rahmatullaahi wa barakatuh,

I’m well Thankyou May Allaah bless you. All praise is due to Allaah that you’ve decided to change for the better, becoming more observant of your religion isn’t something everyone is blessed with!

I think the first thing I should mention is that everything aside, one cannot progress if he doesn’t put the Qur’aan first, everything comes after the Qur’aan, a good friend of mine once said to me that no matter how much your interested in other things whether they’re Islamic sciences like hadith or Fiqh or even worldy studies/hobbies then they should all come second to the Qur’aan. Your daily portion of reciting, memorising and understanding of the Qur’aan should not be missed unless with a valid excuse. How can one progress with their religion when the Qur’aan is not given precedence? (Not saying that this is your case, I’m just saying this as a general advice because it’s a mistake I and many others made/make when becoming more observant).

That being said, I’m not a student of knowledge, ultimately it’ll be better for you to speak to people whose lives revolve around seeking ilm. What I’ll do is share what I know can perhaps be of some help. It’s best you start off by understanding a little concerning our aqidah, we should ground ourselves with atleast the very basics because the correct aqidah is the foundation of Islaam. Through having the correct aqidah will only then our deeds be accepted and Allaah knows best. I added this incase you didn’t know but perhaps you already do which is why you’re asking about hadith…

Moving on you mentioned hadith, so are you referring to memorising and understanding hadith or understanding terminology and classification of Hadith?  I’ve only been through that latter one very briefly in a one-day seminar but I have a book on the topic which is excellent called ‘hadith terminology and classification’ by Muhammad al Rahawaan and another which I’ve been recommended is ‘usool al hadith’ by Dr Bilal Phillips. Also ‘Mufti Muhammad Ibn Muneer’ explains them in a number of videos in this link (X) (I haven’t watched them yet).

As for memorising/understanding hadith then I’ve been personally advised to stick to 40 hadith of an Nawawi. I have a couple of the explanations of it like the explanation written by Sh Jamal Ud Din Zarabozo and Imaam Ibn Rajabs Jami al Uloom. Muhammad Ibn Muneer also has a single short video (X) where he focuses on the main rulings/lessons which should be taken from each hadith. 

Another book of hadith (which i’d focus more on simply understanding (at our basic stage) or for small research purposes is Riyadh Us Saliheen by Imam an Nawawi, the edition I have is great, a two volume with the commentary of Sh Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf (he’s from the kibaar Ulema of Pakistan). Muhammad Ibn Muneer also has a playlist of videos going through Riyaadh Us Saliheen, which are amazing. I think you’d notice I used him for all the video references because he’s a personal favorite, he never seems to complicate anything and to top it off his field of study is in the science of Hadith. 

I hope this helped, feel free to message/anon me if you need any more help or need me to clarify anything I’ve said.

[simplyhasanah]

DUA

The literal meaning of dua is invitation - inviting Allah to come into your life, to come to your house, to come and help, to come and take control of that thing. This is the heart of Ibadah - of adoration, of worship, of being God's servant, of seeking Him. This is dua.

Talking to Allah and inviting Him into your life is the essence of a relationship with Him.

If you want to know if you have a relationship with Allah, see how much dua you make. One of the names of Imam Ali was Ad-Da3aa - the one who makes dua. Half of his khutba would be dua. When he made dua he would cry; and when he would make dua the whole room would be in dua. And we can see that this quality of making dua, this love and this care in making dua has continued in his descendents. What is something that is striking about the scholars of Ahl-al-Bayt (the Family of the Prophet peace be upon him): their dua! The way they make dua until this day.

The Companions would spend much of their night in dua. We have Imam an-Nawawi's adhkaar which are all dua, volumes and volumes of dua - and this is not even including all the dua that were never recorded. These are the dua that were written down, in a community of ummiys - people who could not read and write. The chance of having a person who could read and write, near the Prophet peace be upon him when he was making dua, was about 1%. So few people at that time could read and write. And so these are the dua that were recorded, only a small percentage of those that he peace be upon him made! And also, what of all the ones that were being made in private by Rasul Allah peace be upon him. So you see, it is all about dua....

Having a relationship with God is this - it is talking to Him, not talking about Him. So many times we want to talk ABOUT God in order to escape talking TO Him...

We get so involved in all our actions and activities and activism...and it can often be an escape, because we are afraid of sitting alone with God and having a moment of truth and facing our own reality with Him.

We get so scared of telling God: just do what is best for me - so we don't even make the dua in that way...we try to control things via dua...we want to use God as a means to other ends, and not use other things in life as our means to Him - He being our true end, our true ultimate Desire. And then we get angry with God if He does not give us what we were asking in the form we asked for it....

People say to me: I made so much dua, crying and begging that Allah would stop me from doing this sin, and yet three weeks later, there I was doing it again...and I say: let's go back and see what you were actually asking for, and how. What we discover is that the person was complaining to God about their state and feeling angry about their state and disliking doing that sin because it does not fit with their self-image. It does not jive with the kind of person they want to be. It was a complaint about self, not a call to God. The dua was not being made in a state of feeling: I want to be with YOU God, and this sin is keeping me from that. It was not an invitation to God, it was just a long drawn-out rant about how unhappy the person is with his own self. Don't talk AT God, talk to God.

So what is dua? Let's go back to what we said at the start: dua is an invitation, not a demand, not a rant, not a complaint against yourself to God, or a complaint about God and what He is doing in your life. Instead, it is a humble and appreciative call of a servant to his Creator: come into my life, come and help me out, because YOU can.

As Rasul Allah peace be upon him taught us: Just talk to God. Invite Him to provide for you even the salt of your food; that is, invite Him to be in charge of the big matters and the small ones.

Shaykh Hamdi Ben Aissa

[drmaqazi]

MEANS OF GOODNESS, Hadith #29, FORTY HADITH, Imam an-Nawawi

On the authority of Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be please with him) who said:

I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act which will take me into Paradise and will keep me away from the Hellfire.' He (peace be upon him) said, 'You have asked me about a great matter, yet it is easy for him for whom Allah makes it easy. Worship Allah without associating any partners with Him; establish the prayer; pay the Zakah; fast in Ramadan; and make the pilgrimage to the House.’

"Then he (peace be upon him) said, 'Shall I not guide you towards the means of goodness? Fasting is a shield, charity wipes away sin as water extinguishes fire, and the praying of a man in the depths of the night.' Then he (peace be upon him) recited: '[Those] who forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allah's cause) out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do' [as-Sajdah, 16-17].

"Then he (peace be upon him) said, 'Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and its peak?' I said, 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He (peace be upon him) said, 'The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer and its peak is jihad.' Then he (peace be upon him) said, 'Shall I not tell you of the foundation of all of that?' I said, 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' So he took hold of his tongue and said, 'Restrain this.' I said, 'O Prophet of Allah, will we be taken to account for what we say with it?' He (peace be upon him) said, 'May your mother be bereaved of you, O Muadh! Is there anything that throws people into the Hellfire upon their faces, or on their noses, except the harvests of their tongues?’

Tirmidhi