Essences of Taqwaa

Ar-Raafidah Abnaa Al-Yahuud (The Raafidah Are The Sons Of The Jews)

2013-02-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

In The Name Of Allah

All Praise Is Due To Allah (Subhanahu Wa’ Ta’alaa), Inshallah Let us look at the beginnings of this Deviated sect which arose in the early generations.

The word Raafidah means “rejectors”, the Rawaafidh have obtained their name by their rejection of Zayd ibn ‘Alee ibn al-Hussayn ibn Alee ibn Abee Taalib , the great grandson of ‘Alee Bin Abee Taalib (Radiyallahu Anhu).

Imaam adh-Dhahabee said in his Siyaar A’laam an-Nubalaa (5/390):

قال عيسى بن يونس جاءت الرافضة زيدا فقالوا تبرأ من أبي بكر وعمر حتى ننصرك قال بل أتولاهما قالوا إذا نرفضك فمن ثم قيل لهم الرافضة

(Eesaa bin Yoonus said: The Raafidah came to Zayd and said to him, “Free yourself from Abee Bakr and ‘Umar so that we can aid you” he said, “Rather I will give allegience to them” they said, “Then we reject you” so then it was said to them, “ar-Raafidah” (the rejectors)

Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned in his Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (4/435):

قيل للإمام أحمد‏:‏ من الرافضي‏؟‏ قال‏:‏ الذي يسب أبا بكر وعمر‏.‏ وبهذا سميت الرافضة، فإنهم رفضوا زيد بن علي لما تولى الخليفتين أبا بكر وعمر، لبغضهم لهما، فالمبغض لهما هو الرافضي، وقيل‏:‏ إنما سموا رافضة لرفضهم أبا بكر وعمر

(It was said to Imaam Ahmad: “Who is the Raafidhee?” He said: “Those who insult Abaa Bakr and ‘Umar.And by this they were named the Raafidah, for they rejected Zayd bin ‘Alee when he gave allegiance to the two Khaleefah’s Abaa Bakr and ‘Umar, because of their hatred for them. And the one who hates them is the Raafidhee.” And they were named as the Raafidhah because of their rejection of Abaa Bakr and ‘Umar.)

He then said:

وأصل الرفض من المنافقين الزنادقة، فإنه ابتدعه ابن سبأ الزنديق

(And the foundation of rejection is from the hypocrites and the herectics, for they followed the innovation of the heretic Ibn Saba’)

He also said in volume 28 on page 483:

وقد ذكر أهل العلم أن مبدأ الرفض إنما كان من الزنديق عبد الله بن سبأ؛ فإنه أظهر الإسلام وأبطن اليهودية، وطلب أن يفسد الإسلام، كما فعل بولص النصرانى، الذى كان يهوديا فى إفساد دين النصارى

(And the people of knowledge have mentioned that the beginning of the Rafdh (rejection) is from the Heretic (Zindeeq) ‘Abdullaah bin Saba’. For he manifested Islaam and he hid his Judaism and he sought to cause corruption in Islaam just like Paul the Christian, the Jewish one who caused corruption in the religion of the Christians.)

So the foundation of the Raafidhee belief is found in this man, ‘Abdullaah bin Saba’.

Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalaanee said in his (Leesaanul Meezaan):

عبد الله بن سبا من غلاة الزنادقة ضال مضل

((‘Abdullaah bin Saba’ from the extremists of the heretics, deviated and deviates others))

Muhammad bin Sa’eed al-Asbahaanee said: “I heard Shareek Bin Abdillaah, Qaadhee of Koofaa saying: “Take knowledge from whoever you meet except the Raafidhah, for they fabricate hadeeth and take it as religion

And Aboo Zur’ah ar-Raazee said:

وقال أبو زرعة الرازي : ( إذا رأيت الرجل ينقص أحداً من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فاعلم أنه

زنديق

(If you find a man insulting any one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah then know that he is a Heretic (Zindeeq)

Allaah says in Surah Jaathiyyah:

محمد رسول الله والذين معه أشداء على الكفار رحماء بينهم تراهم ركعاً سجداً يبتغون فضلاً من الله و رضواناً سيماهم في وجوههم من أثر السجود ذلك مثلهم في التوراة و مثلهم في الإنجيل كزرع أخرج شطئه فآزره فاستغلظ فاستوى على سوقه يعجب الزراع ليغيظ بهم الكفار

(Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah and those with him are harsh with the disbelievers and gentle among themselves. So that the disbelievers may become enraged with them.)

Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (4/219):

ومن هذه الآية انتزع الإمام مالك رحمة الله عليه في رواية عنه بتكفير الروافض الذين يبغضون الصحابة رضي الله عنهم قال : لأنهم يغيظونهم ومن غاظ الصحابة رضي الله عنهم فهو كافر لهذه الآية ووافقه طائفة من العلماء رضي الله عنهم على ذلك

(And in this verse Imaam Maalik (رحمه الله) used as evidence for the Takfeer of the Rawaafidh, those who are enraged with the Sahaabah رضي الله عنهم. He said: “That is because they become enraged with them and whoever is enraged with the Sahaabah رضي الله عنهم then he is a Kaafir (disbeliever) due to this verse” and a group of the Ulemaa (scholars), may Allaah be pleased with them, agreed with him on that.)

Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said in his book ’Minhaaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah’

“They free themselves from all of the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam), except a very small number that reaches ten odd…

When the origin and base of their madhhab rests upon ignorance, then they became the greatest of all the factions in ignorance and lying…

The people of knowledge are agreed, by way of transmittal, reporting, and chain of narration that the Raafidah are most lying of all of the factions, and lying amongst them is an ancient matter, and for this reason the Scholars of Islaam used to know that they are distinguished with abundant lying…

They say, “Our religion is taqiyyah (deception)”!! And this is that one of them says with his tongue what is other than what is in his heart, and this is lying and hypocrisy…

They are greatest of people in opposition to those in authority, and the furthest of the people from obeying them, except under compulsion…

What striving is more astray than the striving of the one who tires himself with a lengthy tiring, and indulges in much “al-qaal wal-qeel (i.e. hearsay)”, and separates from the Jamaa’ah of the Muslims, and curses the foremost (in goodness) and the successors after them, and aids the Disbelievers and Hypocrites, and devises many types of stratagems, plots, and traverses whatever paths are possible for him to traverse, and supports himself with false testimony, and who keeps his followers attached by the rope of deception”.

And ‘Abdul-Maalik bin Habeeb said:

من غلا من الشيعة في بغض عثمان والبراءة منه أُدب أدبا شديدا، ومن زاد إلى بغض أبي بكر وعمر فالعقوبة عليه أشد، ويكرر ضربه، ويطال سجنه، حتى يموت

(Whoever is in extremes from the Shee’ah in hating ‘Uthmaan and freeing himself from him then he should be punished with a severe punishment, and if he increases to hating Abee Bakr and ‘Umar then his punishment is harsher, and he should be beaten and his imprisonment increased until he dies)

Al-Khallaal also reported (2/557 – 558) that Imaam Ahmad said:

من شتم أخاف عليه الكفر مثل الروافض

(The one who reviles the Companions, I fear for him the disbelieve like that of the Rawaafidh))

Imaam as-Sam’aanee said in his Al-Insaab 6/341,

واجتمعت الأمة على تكفير الإمامية لأنهم يعتقدون تضليل الصحابة وينكرون إجماعهم وينسبونهم إلى ما لا يليق بهم

(And the Ummah has consensus on the takfeer of the Imaamiyyah (raafidah), because they believe that the Sahaabah deviated and they denounce their consensus and ascribe to them that which is not affirmed of them)

Imaam al-Bukhaaree said in his Khalq Af’aal al-’Ibaad 125,

ما أبالي صليت خلف الجهمي والرافضي ، أم صليت خلف اليهود والنصارى ولا يسلم عليهم ولا يعادون ولا يناكحون ولا يشهدون ولا تؤكل ذبائحهم

(I do not give any consideration to prayer behind the Jahmee and the Raafidhee, nor praying behind a Jew or Christian. They are not to be greeted, nor are they to be visited, nor are they to be married, nor is their testimony accepted, nor are their sacrificed meat to be eaten.)

Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah reported in his as-Saarim al-Maslool on page 570 that Ahmad bin Yoonus said:

لو أن يهودياً ذبح شاة ، وذبح رافضي لأكلت ذبيحة اليهودي ، ولم آكل ذبيحة الرافضي لأنه مرتد عن الإسلام

(If a Jew were to sacrifice a sheep and a Raafidhee was to sacrifice one, I would eat the sacrifice of the Jew, and I will not eat the sacrifice of the Raafidhee because they are apostates from Islaam)

Al-Bukhaaree reported in his Khalq Af’aal al-’Ibaad (125) from ibn Mahdee that he said,

هما ملتان الجهمية والرافضية

(They are two separate religions, the Jahmiyyah and the Raafidhiyyah)

Imaam al-Laalikaa’ee reported in his Usool al-I’tiqaad Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah:

سمعت عبد الرحمن بن مهدي وسألته عن الصلاة خلف اصحاب الأهواء قال نعم لا يصلي خلف هؤلاء الصنفين الجهمية والروافض فإن الجهمية كفار بكتاب الله

(I heard from ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Mahdee and asked him about the Salaah behind the people of desire and he said: “Yes, do not pray behind those two group, the Jahmiyyah and the Rawaafidh, for the Jahmiyyah are disbelievers in the Book of Allaah)

Ibn Battah reported in his al-Ibaanah (Number 200) that al-Marwazee said,

That he had asked Aboo ‘Abdillaah Ahmad bin Hanbal about the one who reviles Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan and ‘Aa’ishah (رضي الله عنهم) and he said:

مَا أَرَاهُ عَلَى اَلْإِسْلَامِ

(I do not see them upon Islaam)

Imaam Ibn Hazm al-Andalusee said in his Fisal fee Milal wan Nihal (2/213):

وأما قولهم ( يعني النصارى ) في دعوى الروافض تبديل القرآن فإن الروافض ليسوا من المسلمين ، إنما هي فرقة حدث أولها بعد موت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بخمس وعشرين سنة .. وهي طائفة تجري مجرى اليهود والنصارى في الكذب والكفر

(And as for their statement (meaning the Christians) in the case of the Rawaafidh and their changing of the Qur’aan, then the Rawaafidh are not from the Muslims. Indeed it is a sect which the first of them arose after the death of the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) by 25 years… and it is a group that went the way of the Jews and the Christians in lying and disbelief)

Ibn Taymiyyah reported in his Minhaaj as-Sunnah (1/59 -62):

Mu’mal Ibn Ihaab said: I heard Yazeed Bin Haaroon (d. 206H) saying

وقال مؤمل بن إهاب سمعت يزيد بن هارون يقول يكتب عن كل صاحب بدعة إذا لم يكن داعية إلا الرافضة فإنهم يكذبون

(The narrations of every person of innovation can be written as long as he is not a caller to it, except the Raafidah, since they are liars.)

Ibn Taymiyyah recorded in his Minhaaj as-Sunnah (1/69):

قال أبو حاتم الرازي سمعت يونس بن عبد الأعلى يقول قال أشهب بن عبد العزيز سئل مالك عن

الرافضة فقال لا تكلمهم ولا ترو عنهم فإنهم يكذبون وقال أبو حاتم حدثنا حرملة قال سمعت الشافعي يقول لم أر أحدا أشهد بالزور من الرافضة

(Aboo Haatim ar-Raazee (d.277H) said, “I heard Yoonus bin ‘Abd al-A’laa saying: Ashhaab bin ‘Abdul’Azeez asked Maalik (d.179H) about the Raafidah, so he said, “Do not speak to them and do not narrate from them, since they lie. And Aboo Haatim said, “Harmalah related to us saying: I heard ash-Shaafi’ee (d.204H) saying, “I have not seen anyone testifying for more evil than the Raafidah.”)

Imaam Ibn Battah mentioned in his al-Ibaanah (Number 193) that Aboo Bakr bin ‘Ayyaash said:

لَا أُصَلِّي عَلَى رَافِضِيٍّ وَلَا حَرُورِيٍّ لِأَنَّ اَلرَّافِضِيَّ يَجْعَلُ عُمَرَ كَافِرًا وَالْحَرُورِيَّ يَجْعَلُ عَلِيًّا كَافِرًا

(I will not pray over the Raafidhee or the Harooree, because the Raafidhee makes ‘Umar a kaafir (disbeliever) and the Harooree makes ‘Alee a Kaafir)

Ibn Taymiyyah said in his Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (28/ 482) about the Rawaafidh:

أنهم شر من عامة أهل الأهواء ، وأحق بالقتال من الخوارج

(They are an evil from the general people of desires, and they are more deserving of being killed than the Khawaarij)

Al-Khallaal reported in his Sunnah (2/566) that Moosaa bin Haaroon bin Ziyaad said:

قال سمعت الفريابي ورجل يسأله عمن شتم أبا بكر قال كافر قال فيصلي عليه قال لا وسألته كيف يصنع به وهو يقول لا إله إلا الله قال لا تمسوه بأيديكم ارفعوه بالخشب حتى تواروه في حفرته

(I heard al-Faryaabee and a man asked him about the one who reviles Abaa Bakr and he said “A disbeliever”, he said, “So is he to be prayed over?” He said, “No” And I asked him, “How is he to be dealt with when he says ‘Laa Illaaha Illa Allaah’?” He replied, “Do not touch him with your hands. Raise him upon a plank of wood so you can slide himinto his pit“)

“ We Ask Allah Subhanahu Wa’ Ta’aalaa To Wage War Against These Zanaadiqah (Heretics), And We Ask Him To Protect Ahlu-Sunnah As-Salafiyoon In The Blessed Land, Yemen, Specifically Dar-El-Hadeeth, Dammaj. We Ask Allah To Make The Ahlu-Sunnah Victorious Over The Enemies Of Islam, Who Live For No Other Purpose But To Attack The Religion & The Companions Of The Prophet. O Allah Protect Our Brothers, Sisters, Children In Dammaj, From The Evil Plots Of The Ahlul-Bida’h And The Kufaar. O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Swift to Account, Defeat The Groups (of disbelievers). O Allah , defeat them and shake them.”

Fatwaa on a Valentine's Day

2013-02-14T17:18:00.003-08:00

Valentine’s Day

Question:

In the recent times there has spread the celebrating of ‘Eid ul-Hubb (Valentine’s Day) – particularly among the female students. And it is a holiday from the holidays of the Christians, and the clothing will be completely in red garments and shoes, and they exchange red flowers with each other. We hope from your eminence an explanation of the ruling of celebrating the likes of this holiday. What is your advice to Muslims regarding the likes of these affairs, and may Allaah preserve you and protect you?

Answer:

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Giver of Mercy Wa ‘alaykumus-salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh Celebrating the Holiday of Love (i.e. Valentine’s Day) is not permissible for various reasons. The first: That is an innovated holiday that has no basis for it in the Sharee’ah. The second: That it calls to passion and infatuation. The third: That it calls to busying the heart with the likes of these affairs that are trivial and opposed to the guidance of the Righteous Predecessors (As-Salaf us-Saalih), may Allaah be pleased with them. So it is not permissible to introduce on this day (i.e. Valentine’s Day) anything from the aspects of holiday celebrating, regardless of whether it is foods, or drinks, or clothing, or exchanging gifts, or other than that. It is incumbent upon the Muslim to be distinguished and noble with his religion, and that he not be a characterless person who follows everyone who cries out. I ask Allaah, the Most High, to protect the Muslims from all of the trials, whatever is apparent or hidden of them, and that He guards over us with His care and His aid.

Written by Muhammad Saalih Al-‘Uthaymeen on 5/11/1420 hijri.

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen

Majmoo’ Rasaa’il wa Fataawaa Ash-Shaikh Muhammad bin Saalih Al-‘Uthaymeen

The Truth Has Come

2012-02-11T21:44:00.001-08:00

From the perspective of the statement of Allah, The Most High:

(و بشر المؤمنين)

(And give glad-tidings to the believers)

With all will I would like to inform our brothers and sisters in Islaam that the truth has become apparent and it has prevailed over falsehood, as Allah The Most High, said:

{ وَقُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا }

(Say: the truth has come and falsehood has vanished, verily falsehood is ever bound to vanish)

And the statement of Allah, The Almighty:

:{ لَقَدِ ابْتَغَوُا الْفِتْنَةَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَقَلَّبُوا لَكَ الْأُمُورَ حَتَّى جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ }

(Verily, they had plotted sedition before, and had upset matters for you, until the truth (victory) came and the decree of Allah became manifest though they hated it)

The truth has become crystal clear as the clarity of the sun in mid-day for whose heart is pure; contrary to those who are sick in the hearts, as the statement of the poet when he said:

قد تنكر العين ضوء الشمس من رمد --- و قد ينكر الفم طعم الماء من سقم

The eye can probably deny sun-light due to sickness of the eye --- likewise the mouth can probably deny the taste of water due to illness

The truth of the genuine and pure call of Salafiyyah, the way of our righteous predecessors who were from the furthest of the people away from tainting the religion of Allah of that which oppose it from begging, hizbiyyah (bias partisanship),innovations, tam’yee (watering down the truth), and of showing enmity towards the people of truth and so forth of what we currently witness from some who ascribe themselves to Salafiyyah, while in reality Salafiyyah is far-off from what they are upon, as the distance between the east and the west, due to them inventing innovated principles to defend the errors of those who have deviated from the upright path which Allah The Most High, commanded to follow, as he said:

وَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءهُمْ

(So be upright as you were commanded and do not follow their desires)

So numerous people whether they be in North America or Europe or even some parts of Asia attest to the deviation of these people who call to the blind-following of the scholars and call to be self-attached to the personalities of the scholars as an alternative of the proofs of the Quraan and Sunnah. For verily their works of writing are much void from verses and authentic hadiths to the degree they suffice themselves by calling those who oppose them to be hadaadis, extremists, as only a cover of ashes on the eyes to divert the public’s attention from their errors which they were firstly advised regarding then openly refuted on.

Allah, The Almighty made their evil plots of monopolizing the call of Salafiyyah in the west to back fire on them, as more and more people begin to expose their hideous politic schemes in the da’wah. While those who refute them rightly continue to move on with their affairs of obtaining beneficial knowledge then freely sharing it with their brothers and sisters in Islaam at no cost, without requesting anything in return for their da’wah which is contrary to them and the success relies with Allah.

Our scholars highly encourage us neither to support nor cooperate with them upon their deviation, rather we should abandon their lectures, tapes and from viewing their websites. We should not be lenient regarding this affair for verily the spreading of falsehood only occurs from the result of lack of cooperation from the people in opposing the likes of these individuals who persist to ascribe to some of the salafi scholars statements; which they either directly or indirectly freed themselves from. However Allah guides who he wills, he turns the hearts how he wishes, so we ask Allah to guide us and them.

What these individuals are renowned for is flaunting their organization as if they are many in numbers while in reality you may possibly find them so small in numbers that you can even count them on your fingers. Their logos and flyers are commonly built upon deception so much so one may assume them to be greater than what they really are, yes oh my brothers and sisters in Islaam numbers is not a standard yet still they are still deceptive in this specific factor, and Allah’s aid is sought.

However Allah has delegated men who are jealous for his religion, who are willing to stand firm to defend the call of Salafiyyah from what they wish to manipulate it to be, men who will respond to them robustly by the aid of Allah, while not fearing the blame of no one rather they hope in Allah the immense reward of speaking the truth and they fear from His great torment of not speaking the truth. For verily there is nothing beyond the truth except misguidance as Allah, The Most High, said:

فماذا بعد الحق إلا الضلال

(So what is beyond the truth except misguidance)

Also from what these people are known for is boasting and bragging about them being in the field of da’wah for many years while We acknowledge their past efforts however we must judge a person upon what he is upon now then how he was, as Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“You should not look at what the person used to do, rather you should look at what kind of person they are today. The one who gets bogged down about people's pasts, is just like Iblees who said to Allah, ‘You created me from fire and you created him from clay’ (al-Minhaaj volume 2 page 4300, an excerpt from the website trinimuslims)

Also what is so virtuous of giving da’wah for many years while lacking the basic requirements of giving da’wah, is it not more virtuous being in the presence of scholars then pretending to be a scholar. We ask Allah to free us from their affliction.

Lastly, I remind them that empires and kingdoms fell due to oppression let alone an over promoted organization that openly and secretly oppresses the people of truth. So fear the supplication of the oppressed one, for verily there is no barrier between Allah and his supplication.

Written by your brother in Islam

Abu Fajr Abdul Fattaah bin U’thmaan as-Somaalee

Following the Understanding of the Salaf

2012-02-04T19:12:00.001-08:00

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

باب مصادر الاستدلال عند أهل السنة:
الكتاب، السنة، فهم سلف الأمة، وبيان أثر التنكب
عن منهج فهم السلف في أبواب العقيدة
Chapter
Being a Discussion of the Sources which the Ahlus-Sunnah Derive Proofs from: The Book, The Sunnah, and The Understanding of the Pious Predecessors of the Ummah And a Clarification of the Effect of Deviating from the Methodology of the Pious Predecessors in the Affairs of Creed

“In the Name of Allaah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, all praise is for Allaah, and may the peace and praise of Allaah be upon the Messenger of Allaah, may the prayers of Allaah, the Most High, be upon him, his family, and his Companions. As for what follows:

Then verily Allaah, the Most High, has favoured us with the blessing of faith, and has favoured the ummah with the scholars, the ones whom He, the Most High, honoured through the knowledge He gave them so that they could illuminate the path to Allaah and to the worship of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, for the people. And they are the inheritors of the Prophets without doubt. The reason for our coming here [today], [a reason] which will remain, inshaa Allaah, is [to seek] the Pleasure of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and to seek [that] knowledge which leads to it, inshaa Allaah.

And by Allaah, this is certainly an excellent hour that we are able to meet our Shaikh, our scholar and our great teacher, the Shaikh Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, in the name of the residents of this district firstly, the Shuwaikah district, we welcome our excellent Shaikh wholeheartedly, and [we welcome him] in the name of the residents of Al-Mafraq, and especially [in the name of] its students of knowledge, who all welcome [him] too and who have been eager to meet our noble teacher today–and there is no harm in that because all of us are eager to hear the pearls of knowledge and wisdom that he possesses inshaa Allaah.

So let us listen to the knowledge that Allaah, the Most High, has favoured him with, then after he finishes, or after our Shaikh finishes, the door to questions will open, on the condition that they are written [for which] small pieces of paper are readily available inshaa Allaah. I repeat again, a pleasant hour, and welcome to our noble Shaikh.”

Al-Albaani: “Welcome to you all. Indeed all praise is due to Allaah, we praise Him and seek His Aid and we seek His Forgiveness, and we seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls, and the evil of our actions. Whoever Allaah guides then there is none to misguide him; and whoever He misguides then there is none to guide him. And I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, alone, having no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Slave and His Messenger. And the worst of the affairs are the newly invented matters, and every newly invented matter is an innovation.

And every innovation is misguidance. And all misguidance is in the Fire.

I thank the brother, the teacher, Ibrahim for his introduction and praise, and there is nothing for me to say in response to that except that I follow the first Caliph Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq, may Allaah the Most High be pleased with him, who was the true and first Caliph of the Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) yet even so when he would hear someone praise him with good–and I believe that that praise, whatever excessiveness the one who said it [to Abu Bakr] may have gone to, since he was the Caliph of the Prophet of Allaah then it [i.e., such praise] was true, yet despite that, and Allaah’s aid is sought, despite that he would say, “O Allaah! Do not hold me to account for what they say, and make me better than what they think, and forgive me concerning those things they do not know about.” This is what the greatest truthful one [As-Siddeeq al-Akbar] would say, so what should we who came after him say?

So I say, emulating him, “O Allaah! Do not hold me to account for what they say, and make me better than what they think, and forgive me concerning those things they do not know about.”

The truth, and the truth I say, is that I am not the one who you heard described just now by our noble brother Ibrahim.

I am only a student of knowledge. Nothing else.

And it is upon every student of knowledge to implement the saying of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), “Narrate from me even if it is only one aayah, narrate from me even if it is only one aayah … narrate from the People of Israa’eel and there is no harm … and whoever lies upon me let him take his seat in the Hellfire.” Reported by al-Bukhaari from the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr.

So upon this, and to be in accordance with this noble prophetic text and the other successive texts mentioned in the Book of Allaah and the hadiths of the Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) we expend efforts to convey to the people what they may not know–but this does not mean that we have become as [described in] the good suspicions our brothers have about us, it is not like that.

The reality which I feel from the depth of my soul is that when I hear such speech [i.e., praise] I remember the old proverb, well-known among the writers, and it is, “Indeed, in our land, the bugaath has become an eagle,” “Indeed, in our land, the bugaath has become an eagle.” Maybe the meaning of this speech or this proverb will be hidden from some people. The bugaath is a small bird of no value, so this small bird becomes an eagle in the eyes of the people due to their ignorance of the strength and hugeness of the [real] eagle. So this proverb applies to many of those who, [either] with truth and correctness, or with mistakes and falsehood, call to Islaam.

But Allaah knows that the land, all the Islamic lands, are empty of those concerning whom it is correct to say, “So and so is a scholar,” except for very, very few. As occurs in the authentic saying of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) which Imaam Bukhari reported in his Sahih by way of Abdullaah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas, may Allaah be pleased with him, that he said that the Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that Allaah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the breasts of the scholars, but He takes it away by taking away the scholars such that when no scholar remains–and here is that which proves the point–such that when no scholar remains, the people take the ignorant ones as leaders and so they are asked and they give religious verdicts without knowledge and [thus] are misguided and lead others astray too.

When Allaah intends to take away knowledge, he does not snatch it away from the breasts of the people of knowledge, such that the scholar becomes as though he had never ever learnt anything, no, this is not from the Way of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, concerning His Servants, especially His righteous servants: that He take away the knowledge they gained from their breasts, [knowledge which they gained] to seek His Pleasure, solely for His Face, the Mighty and Majestic, as you just heard what the brother Ibrahim, may Allaah bless him, said, even if only brief, that this gathering is only for seeking knowledge.

So Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, is Just and Fair, [He] truly does not pluck away the knowledge from the breasts of the people of knowledge. But Allaah’s established Way is that He takes away the knowledge by taking the [souls of the] scholars, as He did with the Master of the scholars, Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) such that when there is no scholar left, the people take the ignorant ones as leaders who are then asked and who give religious verdicts without knowledge, so they are misguided and misguide others.

This does not mean that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, will leave the earth devoid of any scholars who will establish the proof of Allaah against His servants, rather it means that the further we go in time, the less knowledge there will be, and [that] the further [we go in time] the more it will decrease and the more deficient it will become until there will not remain on the face of the earth anyone who will say, “Allaah, Allaah.”

You hear this hadith many times, and it is an authentic one, “The Hour will not be established when there is someone on the face of the earth saying, ‘Allaah, Allaah.’” [Reported by Muslim 392]. “… someone saying, ‘Allaah, Allaah.’” And many are the likes of those mentioned at the end of the earlier hadith, [the hadith stating that] Allaah’s taking away of knowledge is by taking away the scholars, until when no scholar remains the people take the ignorant ones as leaders, from these leaders are those who interpret the Quraan and the Sunnah with an interpretation which opposes what the scholars were upon, and I don’t say [that it opposes] only [what the] Salaf were upon, rather [that it also opposes what] those who came later [the khalaf] were upon too.

For they use this hadith, “Allaah, Allaah …” to prove the permissibility, the recommendation even, to remember Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, with this word alone, “Allaah, Allaah …”

[And so] that a person is not deceived and that an ignorant one does not act ignorantly upon hearing this hadith based upon such misinterpretations, I see it fit that I should remind our brothers present here, even if only in passing, that this interpretation is invalid.

Firstly, due to the fact that it is elucidated in another narration from the Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Secondly, since if this interpretation were correct, our Pious Predecessors [Salaf as-Saalih], may Allaah be pleased with them all, would have acted upon it [in that manner], so when they did not do so, then their turning away from acting upon it based on this interpretation proves its falsehood.

So what do you think if the other narration is added to this, that Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, reported this hadith in his Musnad [3/201, no. 13104] with an authentic chain of narration with the wording, “The Hour will not be established when on the face of the earth there is someone who says, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.” So this is what is meant by Allaah’s Name which was repeated, repeated in the first narration.

The point is that today the earth, most regrettably, is void of those scholars who used to fill this wide, expansive earth with their knowledge which they would spread between the ranks of their nation, so today they have become, as is said:

“And they were, when counted, few in number
So today they have become the fewest of the few.”

So we hope that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, makes us students of knowledge who truly adopt the same course as the scholars and who truthfully follow their path. This is what we hope for from Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, that He makes us from those students who follow that way about which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge thereby, Allaah will make easy for him the path to Paradise.” Reported by Muslim [no. 7028].

And this opens the door for me to speak about this knowledge which is mentioned many times, very many times, in the Quraan, as in His Saying, the Most High, “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” [Zumar 39:9], and His Saying, the Mighty and Majestic, “Allaah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees,” [Mujaadilah 58:11] What is this knowledge whose people Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, praised along with those who follow it and those who follow their path?

The answer is as Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, the student of the Shaikh of Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said:

“Knowledge is, “Allaah said … His Messenger said …
The Companions said …” and it is not hidden

Knowledge is not your raising up a dispute foolishly
Between the Messenger and the opinion of a faqeeh,

Never! And nor is it the denial of the Attributes or the negation of them
Whilst trying to be cautious in avoiding tamtheel [holding that Allaah has equals from His creation in all aspects] and tashbeeh [holding that Allaah has equals in some aspects].”

So we take from these words, from this poetry which we rarely hear from the speech of the poets, since the poetry of the scholars differs from that of the poets, and this is a man of knowledge who is also good at poetry, and he is saying that knowledge is, “Allaah said,” at the first level, and the second is, “The Prophet of Allaah said,” and the third level is, “The Companions said.”

During this pleasant evening gathering [which is] blessed inshaa Allaah, I will make my speech about [the fact that] these words of Ibn Al-Qayyim remind us of an extremely important reality which the majority of the callers to Islaam spread-out [in the world] today [and who call] in the name of Islaam, are ignorant of.

This reality, what is it?

What is well-known amongst all of these callers is that Islaam is only the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of Allaah’s Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and this is true, there being no doubt about it, but it is [still] deficient. This deficiency is what Ibn al-Qayyim pointed to in his previous poetry where after the Book and the Sunnah he mentioned the Companions. [So] knowledge is: Allaah said, His Prophet said, the Companions said … and so on.

Nowadays it is very rare that we hear anyone mention the Companions along with the Book and the Sunnah, and they all, as we know, are the Leaders of the Pious Predecessors, about whom it has been narrated in mutawaatir form from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that he said, “The best of the people is my generation …” and do not say as the majority of people from the callers do, “The best of generations …” [since this wording] “The best of generations …” has no basis in the Sunnah. The authentic Sunnah in the two Sahihs and other than them from the references of hadith and the sunnah are absolute in reporting the hadith with the wording, “The best of the people is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.”

Imaan Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah included these Companions–who are at the head of the three generations which have been given the testimony of goodness–with the Book and the Sunnah. So was this inclusion on his part [based upon] an opinion, independent judgement [ijtihaad], or a deduction which is possible could be mistaken, since [as is said], ‘Every thoroughbred stumbles [once],’ if I might say, [stumbles] many times? [Transl. note i.e., every scholar, no matter what his status, will make a mistake]. The answer is no, this is not a deduction and nor independent judgement which is possible can be mistaken, it is, in fact, compliance with the Book of Allaah and the saying of the Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). As for the Book, then it is the saying of our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, in the Noble Quraan, “And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the Believers …” [Nisaa 4:115] “… and follows other than the way of the Believers …” our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, did not limit in this aayah–and if He did it [still] would have been true [i.e., whatever He says is true]–He didn’t [limit Himself] by saying, “And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him we shall keep him in the path he has chosen.”

Rather He said out of perfect and extensive wisdom which is what we are in the process of explaining and clarifying right now, He said, “… and follows other than the way of the Believers …” [He said], “And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the Believers we shall keep him in the path he has chosen and burn him in Hell–and evil it is as a destination.”

I’d like you to keep this aayah firmly in your minds and hearts and [I’d like that] you do not let it go, for it is the truth just as sure as it is that you can speak, and with that you will be saved from deviating towards the left or right and [you will be saved]–even if only in a single matter or single issue–from being from a group other than the Saved Sect, or the misguided sects, because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said in the well-known hadith, and I will restrict myself now to just mentioning the point of proof from it,

“And my nation will split into seventy three groups, all of them will be in the Fire except one.” They said, “Which [group] is it, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “It is the Jamaa’ah.” [Saheeh al-Jaami, 2042]. The Jamaa’ah is the path of the believers. So the hadith, even if it isn’t a direct revelation [revealed like the Quraan] from Allaah to the heart of His Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then nevertheless it is an extraction from the previous aayah, “… and follows other than the way of the Believers …”

So when the one who contradicts and opposes the Messenger and follows other than the way of the Believers has been threatened with the Fire, then the converse is also true: that whoever does follow the path of the Believers has been promised Paradise without any doubt or uncertainty.

Thus, when the Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) answered the question, “What is the Saved Sect? Who are they?” He said, “The Jamaa’ah,” so the Jamaa’ah is the group of Muslims, and then there is another narration which confirms this meaning, rather, increases upon this one in explanation and clarity, where he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said “It is what I and my Companions are upon.” “My Companions …” so this is the path of the Believers.

So when Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said in his previously quoted poetry, “The Companions said …” then he extracted that solely from the previous aayah and this hadith. Likewise the well-known hadith, the hadith of Irbaad ibn Saariyyah, may Allaah the Most High be pleased with him, [concerning] which I will also restrict myself to mentioning that part which proves the point so that there will be an opportunity for questions, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “So upon you is [to follow] my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me.”

Therefore, here, as was the case with the hadith before it and the previous aayah the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) didn’t say, “Upon you is to follow my Sunnah only,” rather in addition to [following] his Sunnah, he added [the necessity of] following the rightly guided Caliphs. And from here we say, especially in this day and age, a time in which opinions, thinking and groups are in conflict [with each other], and where the sects and groups have become numerous such that many of the Muslim youth live in a state of bewilderment, not knowing which group to join–it is here that the answer comes in the aayah and the two aforementioned sayings of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Follow the path of the Believers: the path of the believers of this day and age? The answer is no, rather those of the past era, the first era, that of the Companions, the Pious Predecessors, it is fitting that these are the ones who are our example and the ones we follow–and no one else on the face of the earth, whatsoever.

Thus, our call, and here is the point of proof, is based upon three foundations: the Book, the Sunnah and following the Pious Predecessors. So whoever thinks that he follows the Book and the Sunnah and does not follow the Pious Predecessors and [along with this] his unspoken condition says, and perhaps he [even] says it verbally, that, “They [i.e., the Salaf], were men, and we [too] are men,” then he will be in deviation and misguidance. Why? Because he has not acted upon these texts which I just read out to you.

Did he follow the path of the Believers? No.
Did he follow the path of the Companions of the Noble Prophet? No.

What did he follow? He followed, if not his desires, then [at the very least] he has followed his intellect. And is the intellect infallible? The answer is no. So he has gone plainly astray.

I believe that the cause for the great conflict inherited in these well-known groups of old, and that new conflict which arises today is the lack of returning to this third source: the Pious Predecessors.

Because everyone claims affiliation to the Book and the Sunnah, and for so long we’ve heard the bewildered youth say statements such as, “O my brother, these people say, ‘The Book and the Sunnah.’ And those people [also] say, ‘The Book and the Sunnah.’ What is the determining judgement?” [It is] the Book, the Sunnah and the methodology of the Pious Predecessors. So whoever relies upon the Book and the Sunnah without relying upon the Pious Predecessors then he has not relied upon the Book and the Sunnah, but has rather relied upon his intellect, if not his desires.

It is from my habits that I coin some examples to clarify this issue, this crucial fundamental principle in fact, concerning the methodology of the Pious Predecessors. There is a saying that is reported from Al-Faarooq, Umar ibn al-Khattaab, may Allaah the Most High be pleased with him, that he said, “When the people of desires and innovations debate with you using the Quraan, then debate with them using the Sunnah, for the Quraan can be interpreted in many different ways.” For what, why did Umar say this sentence?

I say: [he did so] due to the fact that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, said, addressing his Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the Quraan, “And We sent down unto you the Reminder [i.e., the Quraan] that you may explain clearly to the people what was sent down to them,” [Nahl 16:44]. So what do you say? Do you think that an Arab Muslim, let’s say as it were, he is the Seebawayhi [i.e., the famous master grammarian] of his time in being acquainted with the Arabic language, its literature, and its expression, can he understand the Quraan through a path other than that of our Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)? The answer is no, since if not then His Saying, the Most High, i.e., “…that you may explain clearly to the people what was sent down to them,” would be in vain. And far be it that the Speech of Allaah contain anything vain whatsoever.

So, whoever wants to understand the Quraan by other than the way of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then he has indeed strayed far away. Thereafter, is it possible for that man to understand the Quraan and the Sunnah by other than the way of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) (Compilers Note: I think this is a slip of the tongue on behalf of the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, and I think what he meant to say was, “other than the way of the Companions,” may Allaah be pleased with them all) the answer here also is no, [and] that is because they are the ones who:

Firstly: Transmitted the wording of the Quraan to us which Allaah revealed to the heart of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Secondly: Conveyed his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) explanation to us which was mentioned in the previous aayah, and [they also conveyed] his implementation (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of this Noble Quraan. And here I have to make a point, which I hope will be brief.

The Prophet’s, (صلى الله عليه وسلم) explanation is of three types:

1 Verbal
2 Action
3 His consent

His verbal [explanations], who conveyed them [to us]? His Companions.
His [explanations in the form of] actions, who conveyed them [to us]? His Companions.
His [explanations in the form of his] consent, who conveyed it [to us]? His Companions.

Due to this, it is not possible for us to restrict ourselves to understanding the Book and the Sunnah based upon our linguistic capabilities alone, rather we have to seek help in that. [Yet at the same time] this does not mean that we can dispense with the language, no.

For this reason we believe that those foreigners who have not mastered the Arabic language have fallen into many, many mistakes. Especially when they fall into this mistake [which is connected to] the fundamental principles: and that is their lack of returning to the Pious Predecessors in understanding the Book and the Sunnah.

I do not mean by what I have just said that we do not rely upon the language. How so? When we want to understand the speech of the Companions then we must understand the Arabic language just as we must be acquainted with it to understand the Quraan and the Sunnah. But we say: the explanation of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) which has been mentioned in the aforementioned aayah is split into three categories:

1 Speech/verbal
2 Actions/non-verbal
3 Silent approval

Let us give an example or more in order to grasp that this classification is a reality which none can deny. His Saying, the Blessed and Most High, “[As for] the thief, the male and the female, amputate their hands …” [Maa’idah 5:38]. Look now at how we cannot rely solely on the language when explaining the Quraan [since] linguistically a thief is anybody who steals some wealth from a secure place, whatever this wealth is, it can have no value, [maybe] he stole an egg, for example, a penny or five, linguistically such a person is called a thief. He said, “[As for] the thief, the male and the female, amputate their hands …” does everyone who steals have their hand amputated? The answer is no. Why? Because the one who explains and who was charged with explaining–the one who explains is the Prophet of Allaah, and the thing being explained is the Speech of Allaah–the Prophet explained to us whose hands from the male and female thief is to be cut off, “It is not cut off except for a quarter of a deenaar and upwards.” Reported by Bukhaari and Muslim [no. 4494] by way of Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm from Amrah from Aishah, may Allaah be pleased with her.

So whoever steals less than a quarter of a deenaar, then even though linguistically he is called a thief, he is not named as such in the Sharee’ah.

So from here we come to a knowledge-based reality which many of the students of knowledge are heedless of: [which is that] there is [on one hand] a traditional Arabic language and [on the other]there is a Sharee’ah language, [and] Allaah is the One who laid it down. The Arabs who speak the language of the Quraan, the language in which the Quraan was revealed, did not know such [Sharee’ah] usage before it. So when the [term] thief is used linguistically, it includes all thieves, but when it is mentioned in the legislative sense, then it does not include every thief, but only those who have stolen a quarter of a deenaar or more.

Thus, this is an actual example showing us that we cannot restrict ourselves to our acquaintance with the Arabic language when understanding the Book and the Sunnah. And this is something which many of the authors of today fall into, they invest their knowledge of the Arabic language with authority over the noble aayahs and the prophetic sayings explaining them [based upon this], and thus they come with an innovated explanation which the Muslims before them did not know. For this reason we say that it is obligatory to understand that the true call of Islaam is based upon three principles, on three fundamentals:

1 The Book
2 The Sunnah
3 What the Pious Predecessors were upon

Thus the aayah, “[As for] the thief, the male and the female …,” is not explained according to the language, but rather in conformity with the language of the Sharee’ah which said that, “It is not cut off except for a quarter of a deenaar and upwards.”

Then at the end of the aayah, He said, “… amputate their hands …” what is a hand linguistically? All of this is a hand, from the fingertips to … so is it amputated from here or from here or from here? The Prophet explained this through his actions, we do not have an authentic saying [from him] as there was regarding the definition of the theft for which the hand of the thief deserves to be cut off, we do not have a hadith defining the place that is to be amputated from his verbal explanations. We only have his actual, practical, applied [non-verbal, physical] explanation. Where did we get this practical implementation from? From our Pious Predecessors, the Companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

This is the second category, the physical [non-verbal] explanation.

The Third Category: The Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) approval for something: he doesn’t reject or forbid it, this approval is not a saying from him, [i.e., is not verbal], and neither is it an action which he carried out, rather this action was performed by someone else, everything which he saw and acknowledged … so when he saw something and remained silent and agreed to it, then this thing became an established, permissible matter. And when he saw something and rejected it, even if some of the Companions did that thing but it has been established that the Prophet forbade it, then this thing which he forbade differs totally from that which he approved.

And here are two examples for both of these issues, and this is from the hadith not commonly known to the students of knowledge: Abdullaah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattaab, may Allaah the Most High be pleased with them both, said, “We used to drink and eat while standing, and we would eat while walking in the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).” In this hadith Abdullah spoke about two matters:

1 About drinking while standing
2 And about eating while walking

And [he mentioned] that this was something which occurred during the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), so what is the legislative ruling regarding these two matters, i.e., drinking while standing and eating while walking? When we apply what we previously said, we are able to come to a ruling, naturally, whilst bearing in mind an inescapable addition which is that: whoever has knowledge regarding what the Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was upon [whether it is a] saying, an action or a tacit approval … so when we refer back to the authentic Sunnah concerning that which is connected to the first issue which many Muslims have been afflicted with if not most of them and [in which] they have opposed the saying of the noble Prophet, [this issue being] drinking while standing, they used to drink while standing, they used to wear gold, they used to weak silk, these are realities which it is not possible to deny, but did the Prophet approve of that?

The answer is that he rejected some things and approved of others. So whatever he disapproved of falls under the definition of being something rejected, and whatever he approved of falls under the category of being something known. So he rejected drinking while standing in many hadiths, and I do not want to go into mentioning them here so that we do not leave, firstly, that which we planned for ourselves [about] summarizing the speech in this topic so as to make way for questions, and secondly, that this issue alone requires a separate sitting to deal with it.

But it is sufficient for me to report one authentic hadith to you which Imaam Muslim relates in his Sahih, [and it is] from the hadiths reported from Anas ibn Maalik, may Allaah the Most High be pleased with him, that he said, “The Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) forbade us from drinking while standing,” and in another wording, “The Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) prevented/deterred [us from] drinking while standing,” Thus, this thing [i.e., drinking while standing] which, according to the [above] hadith of Ibn Umar, was done in the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), [but then] he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) forbade it, and so that which they used to do [i.e., drinking while standing] became something overruled/annulled, due to the Prophet forbidding it. But the second part of the hadith, i.e., that they would eat while walking, no forbiddance of the Prophet
(صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning it has been reported to us, and so we can deduce a legislative ruling from this tacit approval.

I will suffice with this for now in clarifying the necessity of relying upon the understanding of the Pious Predecessors when understanding the Book and the Sunnah, and that a person does not restrict himself to understanding the Book and the Sunnah according to whatever seems to be correct to him according to his [own] knowledge, if I don’t say, his ignorance.

But so that the importance of this check, i.e., ‘… upon the methodology of the Pious Predecessors…’ be understood, I must mention some examples to you.

From a long time ago the Muslims split up into many groups. You hear of the Mu’tazilah, the Murji’ah, the Khawaarij, you hear of the Zaidiyyah let alone the Raafidee Shi’ites, and so on. However deeply-rooted in misguidance these groups are, you will not find any of them not sharing with all of the Muslims in their saying that, “We are on the Book and the Sunnah.’ None of them will say, “We do not embrace the Book and the Sunnah,” since if not, if one of them were to say this, he would have left Islaam totally. So, why then is there this difference when all of them rely on the Book and the Sunnah? And I bear witness that they rely on the Book and the Sunnah, but how is this reliance? [It is a reliance] without the third principle, “… on the understanding of the Pious Predecessors.”

Along with another addition which must be pointed to, which is that the Sunnah differs totally from the Noble Quraan in that the Noble Quraan is preserved between its two covers as is known by everybody. As for the Sunnah then it:

Firstly: is spread out over hundreds of books, if I don’t say thousands of books, from them is a very large portion which is still in the world of the unseen, the world of manuscripts.

Thereafter, even those books which are in print today contain that which is authentic and that which is weak. So those who rely on the Sunnah, whether it be those who associate themselves to Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah and the methodology of the Pious Predecessors, or those from the other groups, many of these [are people who] cannot distinguish the authentic Sunnah from the weak and thus they fall into that which contravenes the Book and the Sunnah, due to their relying on weak or fabricated hadiths.

The proof is that there are some groups of old and those of today which we pointed to that reject certain Quranic realities and prophetic sayings. {For example] the Noble Quraan confirms and gives glad tidings to the believers of an extremely great blessing which they will be honoured with when they meet Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, in the Garden of Pleasure–wherein the Lord of all the worlds will appear to them and so they will see Him, as that Salafi scholar said:

“The Believers will see Him without asking ‘How?’ [And without] tashbeeh and nor coining any similtudes [for Him].”

There are texts from the Quraan and tens of sayings of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning this, so how could some of the old and present day groups deny this blessing? As for the old groups: the Mu’tazilah, today there is not found, as far as I know, anyone on the face of the earth who says, “We are Mu’tazilah, we are on the madhhab of the Mu’tazilah.”

But I did see a stupid man, proclaiming that he was a Mu’tazilee and who strenuously denied legislated [shar’iyyah] realities, [and this was] because he had made his intellect his judge.

So these Mu’tazilah denied this blessing and said, based upon their weak intellect, they said, “It is impossible that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, be seen.” So what did they do? Did they reject the Quraan? In the Noble Quraan, Allaah says, “[Some] faces that Day, will be radiant. Looking at their Lord.” [Qiyaamah 75:22-23] Did they reject this aayah? No. If they had rejected it they would have disbelieved and committed apostasy. But to this day, Ahlus-Sunnah judge that the Mu’tazilah are misguided but they do not throw them out of the fold of Islaam, because they did not reject this aayah, rather they rejected its true meaning which has come in the Sunnah as we shall mention.

So when Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, said about the Believers, the people of Paradise, “[Some] faces that Day, will be radiant. Looking at their Lord,” they resorted to trickery, believing in its wording but disbelieving in its meaning, and the wording, as the scholars say, is the mold from which the meaning is taken. So if we believe in the wording but disbelieve/reject the meaning, then this faith does not nourish nor avail against hunger [i.e., does not benefit]. But why is it that these [people] rejected this seeing?

[They did so because] it was too difficult for their intellects to perceive and envisage that it can be possible for this feeble, created servant to openly see Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, as [happened with] the Jews when they made [that] request of Moosaa, so Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, told them that they were incapable of that in the famous story, “… look at the mountain, if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.” [A’raaf 7:143]. Their intellects were not able to comprehend this, so they were forced to play around with the Quranic text and to misinterpret it. Why?

Because their faith in the Unseen was weak and their faith in their [own] intellects was stronger than their faith in the Unseen which they were ordered with at the beginning of Surah al-Baqarah, “Alif. Laam. Meem. This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allaah. Those who believe in the Unseen …” [Baqarah 2:1-3]. So Allaah is the most unseen of all the unseen, thus it is upon us to attest to the truthfulness of and to believe in whatever our Lord says about Himself, for our senses are very limited.

The Mu’tazilah never acknowledged this reality and for this reason they denied many facts from the Sharee’ah, from them is His Saying, the Blessed and Most High, “[Some] faces that Day, will be radiant. Looking at their Lord,” likewise the other aayah, which maybe lighter as regards those people than the first one, and it is His Saying, the Mighty and Majestic, “For those who have done good is the best [reward], and extra …” [Yunus 10:26]. “For those who have done good is the best [reward] …” i.e., Paradise, “… and extra …” i.e., seeing Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, in the Hereafter, as occurs in the hadith reported in Sahih Muslim with an authentic chain of narration from Sa’d ibn Abee Waqqaas, who said, “The Prophet of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “For those who have done good is the best [reward] …” ‘Paradise,’ “… and extra …” ‘Seeing Allaah.’”

The Mu’tazilah–as did the Shi’ites, and they are Mu’tazilah in creed, the Shi’ites are Mu’tazilah in creed–they rejected [the fact] that Allaah will be seen, [something which was] openly declared in the first aayah and which was explained by the Prophet of Allaah concerning the other aayah, along with the fact that the hadiths from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in this regard have reached the level of being mutawaatir.

So their misinterpretation of the Quraan caused them to fall into rejecting the authentic hadiths from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) so they left [the possibility of them] being the Saved Sect, “That which I and my Companions are upon.” The Prophet was upon the belief that the believers will see their Lord, because it has been reported in the two Sahihs from the hadith of a group of the Companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) from them: Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, Anas ibn Maalik, and in other than the Sahih from Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq and so on, [that] he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,

“You shall certainly see your Lord on the Day of Resurrection as you see the moon on the night of the full moon, and you will have no difficulty or trouble in seeing Him.” [There are] two narrations, one reporting [the Arabic word which occurs in the hadith and whose meaning is], “… and you will have no difficulty or trouble in seeing Him …” with a shaddah and the other without.

The meaning is that you will not doubt seeing Him just as you do not doubt seeing the moon on the night of the full moon when there are no clouds.

They rejected these hadiths based upon their intellects, thus they did not submit and believe, and as a result they were weak in faith. This is an example of what some of the groups of the past fell into.

And upon this today are the Khawaarij, and from them the Ibaadiyyah who have now become active in calling to their misguidance. And they have articles and books which they distribute, and they are reviving the rebellion which the Khawaarij of old were known for in many of their deviations, from which is their denial that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, will be seen in Paradise.

Now we will bring you a modern-day example: the Qadianis. Maybe you have heard of them, they say the same as we do: we bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah [and so do they], they pray the five prayers, establish the Jumu’ah, perform the pilgrimage [Hajj] to the Sacred Sanctuary, and they perform the lesser pilgrimage [umrah], there is no difference between us and them as Muslims.

But they differ with us in many issues of creed–and here is the point of proof–they say that the door to prophethood has not yet been closed, they say that messengers after Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) will come, and they believe that one of them came to Qadiyan in a town in India, and that whoever does not believe in this prophet who was with them is a disbeliever. How did they say this when there is the clear aayah, “But he is the Messenger of Allaah and the Seal of the Prophets …?” [Ahzaab 33:40] How did they say this when there are mutawaatir hadiths that, “There is no prophet after me?” [Bukhaari and Muslim].

So they misinterpreted the Quraan and the Sunnah and did not explain them as the Pious Predecessors explained them, [an explanation] which the Muslims followed one another in, in succession, without any difference between them, until this aberrant, misguided one came alone, called Mirza Ghulam Ahmad al-Qadiyani, so he claimed to be a prophet, and his is a long story which we are not now in the middle of explaining. So many people were fooled by him from those who had no knowledge of this reality [i.e., taking the understanding of the Pious Predecessors] which is a protection for the Muslim from deviating to the right or left as these Qadiyanis did with this Dajjaal of theirs who claimed prophethood.

What did he do with the aayah, “But he is the Messenger of Allaah and the Seal of the Prophets …”? They said, “The Seal of the Prophets doesn’t mean that there is no prophet after him. It means that he is the adornment of the Prophets, just as a ring is the adornment of the fingers, in the same way, Muhammad is the adornment of the Prophets.” So they did not disbelieve in the aayah, they didn’t say, “Allaah did not reveal this to the heart of the Prophet.” But they disbelieved in its true meaning. Thus, what benefit is there in believing in the wording without believing in the true meaning? And when this is the reality in which there is no doubt, what is the path to attaining the true meanings of the Book and the Sunnah?

You have come to know the path [now]: it is not that we rely on our knowledge of the [Arabic] language or its literature and [nor that] we explain the Quraan and the Sunnah with our desires or our habits or our customs or our schools of thought or our ways, it is only as was said, and I will end the talk with this quote:

“All good is in following the Salaf, and all evil is in the innovations of those who came later [khalaf].”

Maybe in this there is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present [in mind].”

Mawsoo’atul-Allaamah, al-Imaam, Mujaddidil-Asr, Muhammad Naasirid-Deen al-Albaani, of Shaikh Shady Noaman, vol. 1, pp. 212-230.

source:http://shaikhalbaani.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/following-the-understanding-of-the-salaf/

Brief Biographies of some of the People of Knowledge

2012-01-14T16:30:00.001-08:00

From the People of Knowledge

The Khalifah Umar bin AbdulAzeez
He was the Khalifah and great Imaam Umar bin AbdulAzeez ibn Marwan bin al-Hakm bin Abee al-Aas, his kunya was Abu Hafs and he was from the Quraish. His mother was the granddaughter of Umar bin al-Khattab. He was born in 63 A.H. and passed away in the year 101A.H.

Narrated by AbdulAzeez bin Yazeed al-‘Aylee who said : Sulaiman did Hajj & Umar bin AbdulAzeez was with him, it started to thunder & lightening struck so much that their hearts nearly came out, so Sulaiman said, Abu Hafs, have you ever seen a night like this or even heard of one like this? He answered: O Ameer al-Mumneen! This is the sound of the mercy of Allaah, so how would it be if you heard the sound of the punishment of Allaah! ?

Al-‘Awza’ee said : Umar bin AbdulAzeez wrote a letter to us, no one memorized it except me and Makhool : ‘To proceed, indeed whoever remembers death a lot, then he is pleased with little in this world, and he who adds his speech in comparison to his action, then he lessens his speech except with that which will benefit him and as-salaam.’

Sufyaan bin Saeed ath-Thawree -Rahimullaah
Sufyaan bin Saeed ath-Thawree (161 A.H.) was born in Koofah in a place called Thawr, his kunya is Abu Abdullaah, he narrated many ahadeeth and many scholars say that he was the Ameer ul Mumineen of hadeeth of his time. His father was also a great Muhaddith (Scholar of hadeeth).

Abdullaah ibn Mubarak -Rahimullaah- said: ‘I wrote hadeeth from over 1,100 Shaykhs and I didn’t write from anyone better than Sufyaan.

Sufyaan ath-Thawree said: The Angels are the guardians of the heavens & the Companions of hadeeth (as-haabul hadeeth) are the guardians in the earth.

Refer to Thahdheeb at thahdheeb by Ibn Hajar 2/56 & Siyaar ‘Alaam an-Nubalaa by adh-Dhahabee 7/229.

Maalik ibn Anas -Rahimullaah
Maalik ibn Anas ibn Aamir was born in Madeenah in 93 A.H. & died in 179 A.H. His kunya was Abu Abdullaah, he had the famous title of ‘Imaam Dar ul Hijrah’ which means Madeenah.
His grandfather Aamir was from amongst the major Companions. He was a Muhadith and a Faqih.

He taught hadeeth in Madeenah for 40 years. He did not want his famous book al-Muwatta to become the only book that was relied upon.

Abdullaah bin al-Mubarak -Rahimullaah
Abdullaah bin al-Mubarak al-Hanzaalee at-Tameemee the great Imaam,
AbdulAzeez bin Abee Rizma’ said : There’s no characteristic from the good characteristics except that it was combined in Abdullaah bin al-Mubarak, shyness, hospitality, good behaviour, a good companionship, it is good to sit with him, Zuhud and piety and in everything.

He passed away -Rahimullaah- in 181 A.H.

Imaam Shaafiee -Rahimullaah
Imaam Shaafiee was born in 150 A.H. and grew up in Makkah. He was a beautiful man. Ibn Abdul Barr -Rahimullaah- mentions that he had memorised the Qur’aan by the age 7 and memorised al-Muwatta by 10 years of age, and was giving legal verdicts from 15 years of age.

His ancestry goes back to the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- (his grandfather al-Muttalib was the brother of the grandfather of the Prophet.) At the age of 20 he began studying with Imaam Maalik in Madina until Imaam Maalik -Rahimullaah-passed away.

Imaam Ahmad -Rahimullaah- was also his student. He died in 204 A.H. in old Cairo, due to injuries from being stabbed.

Yahya bin Ma’een -Rahimullaah
Abu Zakariya, Yahya bin Ma’een bin ‘Awn al-Ghatfaanee.
It is said that Yahya’s father left Yahya a million dirham in inhaeritance, and Yahya spent all of it in the field of Hadeeth until he did not have shoes to wear.

He was the elder of his peers, from the likes of ‘Alee bin Madeenee, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Ishaaq bin Rah’wayaa & Abu Bakr bin Abee Shayba -Rahimhumullaah.

A man came to Imaam Ahmad & said : O Aba Abdillaah, look at these ahaadeeth indeed there is a mistake in them. So Imaam Ahmad said: Go to Abu Zakariya, for indeed he knows the mistake.

Imaam Ahmad said about Yahya bin Ma’een: Here is a man that Allaah created for this matter, he exposes the lies of the liars.

He died in the year 233 A.H.

Abu Zura’h ar-Razee -Rahimullaah
Abu Zura’h, UbaidAllaah bin ‘AbdulKareem bin Yazeed al-Qurashee ar-Razee.
He started travelling for knowledge when he was 13 years of age, and on his second journey he was away for 14 yrs.

Imaam adh-Dahabee said: He was unique of his time, in memory power, intelligence, and in the Deen, sincerity and knowledge and action.

Yahya bin Manda said: It is said that Abu Huraira -Radi Allaahu anhu- had the most powerful memory from this Ummah, then it is Abu Zura’h ar-Razee.

Abu Hatim said: If you saw ar-Razee and others hating Abu Zura’h then know that person is a mubtadi’.

He passed away to the mercy of Allaah in 264 A.H.

Abu Hatim ar-Raazee -Rahimullaah
Abu Hatim, Muhammad bin Idrees bin al-Mundhir al-Qhatfaanee ar-Raazee, who died in 277 A.H.

He first started to memorize narrations when he was 14 years old, he was so knowledgeable that by just looking at the hadeeth he could give a judgement on it, whether it was authentic or not.

Abu Hatim and Abu Zura’h were good friends.

Imaam adh-Dahabee said: If Abu Hatim says someone is thiqa’ (trustworthy), then hold onto his saying, because he does not make anyone thiqa’ (trustworthy) except a narrator who has authentic hadeeth.

an-Nisaa’ee -Rahimullaah
Abu AbdurRahmaan Ahmad bin Shuaib bin ‘Alee al-Khurasaanee an-Nisaa’ee, who died in the year 303 A.H.

It is said that the town from which an-Nisaa’ee came from, was named Nisa’ which means women, and the story behind it’s name is because when the Muslims came to conquer it during the earlier period of Islaam, the men were not present in the town, so the women came out to fight, when the Muslims saw that, they did not fight, because women are not fought against.

Ibn Katheer mentions that Imaam an-Nisaa’ee was very beautiful and his face was like a candle.

He started travelling for knowledge at a young age. Ibn ‘Adee said: I heard Mansoor the Faqhiee and Abu Jafar at-Tahawee say: Abu AbdurRahmaan is a Imaam from the Imaams of the Muslims.

Abu Ya’ala al-Khaleelee said: That his book is added to the books of al-Bukharee, Muslim and Abu Dawood, …and his opinion in Jarh wa Ta’deel (praising and criticising narrators) is relied upon.

He was very strict and firm in Jarh wa Ta’deel (praising and criticising narrators). He -Rahimullaah- died in Makkah and was buried there.

ad-Daraqutni -Rahimullaah
He is the great scholar of Hadeeth, who has collected a ‘Sunaan’ his name is Abul-Hasan, ‘Alee bin Umar bin Ahmad ad-Daraqutni, who died in the year 385 A.H. at the age of 80 years.

He had a tremendous memory, Raja’ bin Muhammad al-Mu’adl said: I said to Daraqutni: ‘Have you ever seen anyone like yourself?’ and he replied that Allaah says : ‘Do not praise your selves.’
Then al-Mu’adl said I leaned towards him and said: ‘I have not seen anyone gather what you have gathered.’

Adh-Dhahabee said: ‘This man never entered into philosophy nor debating, nor did he investigate it but rather he was a Salafee.’

Ibn Salaah -Rahimullaah
He is Ibn Taqi ud-Deen Uthmaan bin Abdurrahman Salaah ud-Deen, He died in 643 A.H. he was a great scholar of hadeeth, especially in the field of the science of hadeeth, Imaam ad-Dhahbee said: ‘He was a Salafee, he had a correct creed, not entering into the ta’weel (interpolation) of the philosophers, he believed in what was established from the texts, neither going too deep, nor over bound.’

Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah -Rahimullaah
Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah Taqi ud-Deen Abul-‘Abbaas Ahmad Ibn ‘Abdul-Haleem Ibn ‘Abdus-Salaam Ibn Taymeeyah al-Harraanee al-Hanbalee, was born on Monday the 10th of Rabi’ al-Awwal 66l A.H. at Harraan (northern Iraq).

His grandfather, Abu al-Barkat Majd-ud-Deen ibn Taymeeyah (d.653AH) was a reputed teacher of the Hanbalee School Damascus was the centre of Islaamic studies at that time, and Ahmad Ibn Taymeeyah followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a scholar of Islaamic studies, by studying with the great scholars of his time.

As for the religions sciences, Ibn Taymeeyah studied the Qur’aan, Hadeeth and Sharee’ah. He learnt the Hanbalee Fiqh (law) from his own father.

Ibn Taymiyyah -Rahimullaah- had great love for Tafseer (Qur’aanic exegesis). He read over a hundred commentaries of the Qur’aan.

He completed his studies when he was a teenager and at age 19 he became a professor of Islaamic studies. Who was well versed in Qur’aanic studies, Hadeeth, Fiqh, theology, Arabic grammar and scholastic theology, etc.

The Muslim scholars, like adh-Dhahabee, Ibn Katheer, Ibn al-‘Imad al-Hanbalee and many others praised Ibn Taymiyyah and considered him one of the greatest scholars of Islaam of all time.

Ibn Taymiyyah -Rahimullaah- died in jail in Damascus on the night of Sunday-Monday 20th Dhul-Qa’dah 728 A.H. at the age of 67, and is buried in Damascus.

Bin Abdul Haady al-Maqdasee -Rahimullaah
He is Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Abdul Haady al-Jama ‘alee al-Maqdasee, he died in the 744 A.H., he was born in Palestine. From his Shaykhs were Ibn Taymeeyah, ad-Dahabee & al-Mizzee, amongst others.

He -Rahimullaah- had a great amount of books that he authored; he had an illness for nearly three months before he passed away with the Kalimah (testification) on his lips.

Ibn Katheer mentions about him: he was Mustaqeem on the way of the Salaf, and in following the Book & the Sunnah.

Ibn al-Qayyim -Rahimullaah
He is Muhammad ibn Abee Bakr Ibn Qayyim Shamsud-Deen, Abu Abdullaah, the great scholar Imaam, judge, Mujahid, the famous student of Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah -Rahimullaah.

He passed away on the Adhan of ‘esha prayer at the age of 60 years. In the year 751A.H. and is buried next to his father.

He was brought up in an environment of knowledge, studied under his father and under Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah -Rahimullaah- for 17years until the death of the shaykh.

He -Rahimullaah- was a great scholar in all the sciences of Islaam, grammar, hadeeth, fiqh, Adaab and Akhlaaq. He was well known for his worship & travelling in pursuit of knowledge.

Ibn Rajab -Rahimullaah
He is Zain ud-Deen AbduRahmaan bin Ahmad, ibn Rajab -Rahimullaah. One of the great scholars of Hadeeth & Fiqh. He died in 795 A.H.

Ibn Hajr -Rahimullaah- said: ‘He perfected the knowledge of Hadeeth, and became the most knowledgeable about the inaccuracies of Hadeeth and tracing their routes from the people of his time.’

Ibn al-Emaad al-Hambalee said: ‘That his gatherings for reminding the hearts would cause shudders & he was beneficial, a blessing for the general people. The different groups would gather under him, their hearts would fill with love and would incline towards him. He has many beneficial works and has authored many books.’

Ibn Hajr al-Asqaalanee -Rahimullaah
He is Shihaab ud-Deen, Abu Fadl, Ahmad bin ‘Alee al-Asqaalanee, he died in 852 A.H.

He was a great scholar of Hadeeth, he was given the title of Ameer ul-Mumineen of Hadeeth in his time.

Ibn Fahad said: ‘Eyes have not seen one like him and he hasn’t seen anyone like himself.’

He used to follow and stick to the Sunnah very firmly in all his affairs. He used to call to the Sunnah with his speech and his writings; he used to warn against opposing it and was severe in his disapproval of Bida’.

He wrote a very famous explanation of the Saheeh of al-Bukharee, called Fath-ul-Bari.

ash-Shawkanee -Rahimullaah
He is Muhammad bin ‘Alee ash-Shawkanee who died in the year 1250 A.H. he lived in Sana’, Yemen.

He studied under his father who was a great scholar of Yemen, and he authored many books in the different sciences of Islaam, in Tafseer he wrote ‘Fathul-Qadeer’, & in the field of hadeeth he wrote ‘Nail awtaar’.

Muhammad NaasirudDeen al-Albaanee -Rahimullaah
Shaykh Muhammad NaasirudDeen al-Albaanee he was born in Albania in the year 1332 A.H. into a poor family. His father and the family made Hijrah to Damascus.

In Damascus Shaykh al-Albaanee completed his initial education and was then taught the Qur’aan, Tajweed, sciences of Arabic language, fiqh of the Hanafee madhab and further branches of the Deen by various Shaykhs and friends of his father.

He also learnt from his father the art of clock and watch repair - and became highly skilled in that and famous for it and derived his earnings through it. He began to specialise in the field of Hadeeth and its related sciences by the age of 20- being influenced by articles in 'al-Manaar' magazine.

Since he could not afford many of the books he required he would borrow them from the famous library of Damascus - "al-Maktabah adth Dthaahiriyyah" or sometimes from book sellers.

He became engrossed with the science of Hadeeth to the extent that he would sometimes close up his shop and remain in the library for up to twelve hours - breaking off his work only for prayer - he would not even leave to eat, but would take two light snacks with him.

Eventually the library authorities granted him a special room to himself for his study and his own key for access to the library before normal opening time. Often he would remain at work from early morning until after ‘Ishaa. During this time he produced many useful works - many of which are still waiting to be printed.

The Shaykh faced much opposition in his efforts to promote Tawheed and the Sunnah but he bore this with patient perseverance. His works - mainly in the field of Hadeeth and its sciences number over 100.

His students are many and include many Shaykhs of the present day amongst them:
Shaykh Hamdee 'Abdul-Majeed, Shaykh Muqbil ibn Haadee al-Waadi'ee, Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zaynoo, Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan Abdus-Samad.

The Shaykh -Rahimullaah- passed away on Saturday 22 Jumaadaa ath-Thaaniyah 1420 A.H./2 October 1999. He was 87 years of age. May Allaah -subhaanahu wa ta'aala- have Mercy upon his soul, Aameen.

Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn Uthaimeen -Rahimullaah
He is Abu Abdillaah Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn Uthaimeen al-Wahabee at-Tameemee.

Born in Unayzah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 27th of Ramadan in the year 1347 hijree, he memorized the Qur’aan at a young age and he studied under the shaykh Abdur Rahmaan as-Sa’adee, he studied fiqh, grammar, hadeeth and tafseer.

He also studied under the shaykh Abdul Azeez ibn Baaz. He was also a member of the Council of Eminent Scholars of Saudi Arabia; he wrote over 40 works, he regularly delivered lectures in the masjid al-Haraam in Makka in the Rammadan and Hajj seasons.

He passed away in the year 1421A.H. and is buried in Makkah.

taken from Siyaar ‘Alaam an-Nubalaa & Thahdheeb at Thahdheeb
And other works

The Kursī of Allāh – Shaykh al-Albānī

2012-01-14T16:29:00.001-08:00

The Kursī of Allāh
source: silsilat ul-ahādīth us-sahīha ~ the series of authentic narrations ~ hadīth no. 109
Abu Dharr al-Ghifārī said that the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“The seven heavens in comparison to the Kursī is nothing but like a ring thrown in a desert, and the excellence of the ʽArsh (Throne of Allāh) over the Kursī is like the excellence of that desert over that ring.”
~*~*~*~
Shaykh al-Albānī comments:
“The hadīth comes forth as an explanation of (Allāh’s) statement, the Most High: ‘His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth,’[1] and it is clear with regard to the existence of the Kursī being the greatest of creations after the Throne (of Allāh), and that it is an independent, physical entity and not something abstract. Therefore, there is a refutation in (this hadīth) against the one who interprets (the Kursī) to mean ‘dominion’ and ‘extent of rule,’ as mentioned in some explanations of the Qur’ān. And it was not narrated from Ibn Abbās that (the Kursī) is ‘knowledge,’ so it is not correct to attribute it to him because it is from the narration of Jaʽfar bin Abi l-Mughīra from Saʽīd bin Jubayr from (Ibn ʽAbbās). Ibn Jarīr reported it. Ibn Mandah said: ‘Ibn Abi l-Mughīra is not strong with regard to (narrating from) Ibn Jubayr.’
And know that it is not correct to describe the Kursī…as in some narrations that…four angels carry it, each angel having four faces, and their feet are upon the rock that is under the seventh earth, etc. So all of this is not correct in being attributed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and some of (these narrations) are more severe in weakness than others.”
Translator’s Note: Shaykh Al-Albānī after this however, did grade the following narration as authentic:
Abu Mūsā al-Ashʽarī said: “The Kursī is the place of the two Feet and it has a groaning like that of a camel saddle.”[2]
~ asaheeha translations ~ @ www.asaheeha.wordpress.com
[1] Sūrat ul-Baqarah, 2:255
[2] Mukhtasar ul-ʽUlū #85, graded Sahīh Mawqūf (attributed to a Companion) by Shaykh al-Albānī

taken from:

Taking Money for Reciting the Qu'ran

2012-01-14T16:26:00.001-08:00

Taking Money for Reciting the Quran is not Permissible, while it is Allowed for Teaching it

Question:

Some of those who memorize the Quran in Morocco, earn their living by reciting it. Whenever there is a banquet they attend to read the Quran without contemplating its meaning nor respecting its recitation. They attend such parties only to collect money and charitable gifts from people who accept the blessing. After collecting these gifts, they divide it amongst themselves while poor people do not receive anything from it. What is the ruling of Islamic law on this charity which they collect and divide amongst themselves, and the recitation which they use? I read that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: He who uses the Quran to earn his living, will come on the Day of Resurrection with a bony face. i.e. no flesh on it. Is this Hadith authentic? And What is the meaning of the following Verse: Say, I do not ask you for a reward. [1]
Answer:

First, the recitation of the Quran is a sheer ritual, and a means of seeking nearness to Allaah. The Muslim is supposed to fulfil these rituals for the sake of Allaah, and His reward. One should not expect a reward nor appreciation from fellow humans. It was never reported that the Pious Predecessors hired someone to read Quran in their parties. Nor was it reported that one of them charged money for reciting the Quran neither in a joyful occasion or otherwise. Rather, they read the Book of Allaah being desirous of what He has prepared for them. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) ordered the reader of the Quran to ask Allaah by it, and warned him against begging. At-Tirmithi narrated in his Sunan that Imran bin Husain passed by a preacher, who after he finished preaching started begging. Imran said: I heard the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) say: Whoever recites the Quran should petition Allaah by it, for there will come a people who will recite the Quran and then ask the people (for money for it). [2] As for taking money for teaching it, or reading it for healing or for the purpose of benefiting others is permissible according to authentic Hadiths. Of such is the Hadith of Abu Said when he took a herd of sheep for healing somebody by reciting Surah Al-Fatihah. And the Hadith of Sahl when the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) married a man to a woman and considered her dowry teaching her the Quranic chapters the man memorised. Therefore, he who charges money for reciting the Quran, or hires people to do so, opposes the consensus of the Pious Predecessors, may Allaah grant them mercy. Second: The Quran is the Speech of Allaah, its superiority over the humans speech is like the superiority of Allaah over His creatures. It is the best formula of remembrance. He who recites it must observe its recitations etiquette, that is to listen quietly, and contemplate its meaning, and not to disturb the listeners. Allaah, the Exalted says: When the Quran is being read, listen and keep silent that you may be granted mercy. And remember your Lord in your mind with humility and fear, not with loud voice in the morning and evening, and be not of the heedless. [3] Third: People are of different levels of minds and understanding. Every responsible Muslim must know what is necessary in the religion and the Islamic rulings according to the ability to understand, the time availability, for himself to apply and to teach others. The very first thing one must understand and care for is the Book of Allaah. Whatever he does not understand from it, he should seek the help of Allaah, then consult the scholars, for Allaah does not overburden a slave beyond his capacity. Being unable to understand the Quran after trying his best, he should not stop from reading it, for then there would be no blame on him. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: He who is expert in reciting the Quran will be in the company of the honourable, obedient angels, while he who reads the Quran with difficulty shall have double reward. [4] Fourth: It is permissible for a poor person to take from charity that which suffices him and his dependants, but if he is charging money for reading the Quran, or for preaching, or giving such monies for the hope of receiving blessings, or for asking them to supplicate for him is not permissible. This was not the practice of the Muslims during the first three generations for whom the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) vouched for their merits and excellence. Fifth: The meaning of: Say: I do not ask you a reward. [5] Allaah, the Exalted, commanded His messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) to tell his people that he is not seeking rewards or money for conveying to them what was revealed to him from his Lord, and his calling them to worship Allaah alone, and the rest of Islamic laws. Rather, he was commissioned with the role of delivering and clarifying the obeying of his Lord, seeking His pleasure, and expecting reward from Him alone. Thus to eliminate from the minds of the polytheists the suspicion that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) called them to follow him coveting for wealth or position, he clarified that he invited them to the truth purely for the sake of Allaah. This was the case of all the Messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention. They never asked for reward from people for preaching them. As for warning against earning a living by the Quran, it is already mentioned in the first paragraph of the answer. And as for the question about the punishment for doing so, such as a person will come on the Day of Resurrection without flesh on his face. This is certainly a severe threat served to anyone who begs for no valid reason, whether by reading the Quran or otherwise. Abdullah bin Umar reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: One of you would keep begging until he meets Allaah, without a piece of flesh on his face. [6] In another version he said: One would keep begging so that on the Day of Resurrection he would come without a piece of flesh on his face. [7] Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Whoever asks (begs) from people to increase his wealth, he in fact would be asking for live coal. So let him take more fire or less. [8] So whoever asks people by the Quran, the Hadith of Imran bin Husain applies to him if he is poor. But if he is rich then all the threatening of the above-mentioned Hadith applies to him. As for the Hadith which you quoted in your question, we do not recognise its authenticity. And Allaah knows best.

[1] Sad 38:86 [2] At-Tirmithi no. 2917 and Ahmad 4:432 [3] Al-Araf 7:204-205 [4] Muslim no. 798, Ibn Majah no. 3779 and Ahmad 6:98, 170, 266 [5] Al-Furqan 25:57 [6] Muslim no. 1040 and Ahmad 2:15, 88 [7] Al-Bukhari no. 1474 and Muslim no. 1040 [8] Muslim no. 1041, Ibn Majah no. 1838 and Ahmad 2:231

taken from: FatwaIslam.com

A righteous wife will be with her...

2012-01-14T16:23:00.002-08:00

Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

A righteous wife will be with her righteous husband for many years, and she is the one who is meant in the hadeeth in which the Messenger of Allaah (sallahu alayhi wa salaam) said: “This world is temporary conveniences and the best of its comforts is a believing wife, who when you look at her she pleases you and if you tell her to do something she obeys you, and if you are away from her she protects you with regard to herself and your wealth.”

This is what the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salaam) enjoined when the Muhaajiroon asked him which kind of wealth they should acquire, and he said: “Let one of you acquire a tongue that remembers Allaah, a thankful heart, and a believing wife who will help him with regard to the Hereafter.” Narrated by at-Tirmidhee from Saalim ibn Abi’l-Ja’d, from Thawbaan.

She may offer the love and compassion that Allaah speaks of in His Book, and the pain of separation may be harder for her than death in some cases, and harder than losing wealth or leaving one’s homeland, especially if one of them is fond of the other or they have children together who will be harmed by separation.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (35/299).

is Jarh Wa Ta'deel Dead??

2012-01-14T16:22:00.001-08:00

A questioned was posed to the Imaam Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy upon him):
Q."Has the Sunnah of Jarh (Disparaging/Criticizing) and T'adeel (Praising) died?"

A. "I fear that this is a statement of truth that falsehood is intended by. The science of Jarh wa T'adeel has not died, nor has it been buried and it has not become sick, and the praise is for Allaah. Rather it is standing. The science of Jarh wa T'adeel is used with witnesses in the presence of the judge. It is possible that a people criticize/disparage the disputant and the judge seeks from them the proof. Also the science is used in the matter of the narrations (of the people). We indeed heard the recitation of our Imaam (in salaah) the statement of Allaah:
"Oh you who believe, when a criminal comes to you with news, verify it"
(Soorah al-Hujuraat: 6)
Therefore the science of Jarh wa T'adeel remains (applicable) as long as mankind remains. So as long as mankind remains the science of Jarh wa T'adeel remains. However I fear that a person may say: This individual is disparaged and this one is not, taking from this fatwaa as a means to spead the faults of the people. Based upon this, if there is a fault within a person and the benefit, need or necessity requires that it be clarified then there's no harm in that. There's no harm in clarifying the matter. However it's better that a person says: Some of the people do such and such or some of the people say such and such. This is for two reasons:
1. The person frees (himself) from mentioning a specific name/person
2. This ruling will include the person (who is being spoken about) and others.

This is the case unless we see a specific person who the people have been put to trial by and he calls to an innovation or misguidance. In this case it's a must that the person be mentioned specifically in order that the people do not become deceived by him."

Taken from: http://maktabahuthaymeen.blogspot.com/2011/12/is-jarh-wa-t-dead-response-by-imaam-al.html

Importance Of Marriage & The Benefits Of Marriage At An Early Age

2011-11-03T02:17:00.001-07:00

From among the benefits of getting married at an early age is the obtaining of children, which make the youth delighted at their presence.

Allah says:

And those who say: "Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders for the Muttaqýn (pious)"

(Al-Furqan 25:74)

Wives and children are a deligh; Allah promised that marriage brings about pleasure. This pleasure encourages and persuades the youth to take an interest in matrimony.

This is also similar to how Allah mentioned that children are a share of this world's beauty.

Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds (five compulsory prayers, deeds of Allah's obedience, good and nice talk, remembrance of Allah with glorification, praises and thanks, etc.), that last, are better with your Lord for rewards and better in respect of hope.

(Al-Kahf 18:46)

Therefore, this world is adorned by children. The human-being seeks out adornment the same ways he tries to obtain wealth. Similarly, he craves for children, because they are equal to wealth in their existence. This is in this world. Then in the hereafter, righteous children can benefit their fathers as the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

"Whenever the son of Adam dies his action stop except three: Knowledge that benefits people, a recurring charity, and a righteous child that supplicates for his parent ."

(Hadeeth Saheeh, Collected by Muslim #1631)

The second benefit of matrimony at an early age is that it produces children increasing the Muslim Ummah and Islamic society. The Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) said

"Marry the loving and fertile, for verily I want to have the largest Ummah on the Day of Resurrection."

[Hadeeth Saheeh, Collected by Abu Dawud in his Sunnan (#2050), An-Nisa'i in his Sunnan As-Sughara (#3227), Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak (#2/162), and Ibn Hibban in his Saheeh (#4057), Al-Baghawee in his Sharh-us-Sunnah (#9/17), Al-Bayhaqee in his Sunnan Al-Kubraa (#7/81) on the authority of Ma'qal Ibn Yasaar. Graded Saheeh by Imam Al-Albani in his checking of Abu Dawud.]

Great blessing result from marriage. From among them are the ones we previously mentioned. So if these virtues and blessings are explained to the adolescents, then the fallacious problems that hinder people from getting married will disappear.

As for the saying that, getting married at an early age diverts from gaining knowledge and from studying, this is not the case. Rather, the opposite of this is correct because tranquillity, peace of mind, and pleasure never cease to be obtained through marriage. These things help the student to reach his goal because, he has peace of mind, and his thoughts are not cluttered due to discomfort and this helps him study.

Now on the other hand abstaining from marriage in reality blocks whatever knowledge he wants to attain, because it is not possible to acquire knowledge in a state of confusion and anxiety. However, if he gets married, his mind is at rest and his soul is at ease. He gets a house to take as a shelter and a wife who relaxes and helps him. These things help him to attain knowledge.

If Allah makes it easy and this marriage becomes a source of comfort to become a relationship, then this is from among the things which make it easy for the student to pursue knowledge. Matrimony does not block the path to knowledge as some believe. For that reason, having children is an enormous blessing in this life and in the next.

As for the statement that marriage at an early age burdens the adolescent to supply provisions for his children, wife and other responsibilities, this also is not correct. Along with marriage comes blessings and well-being. Matrimony is obedience to Allah and His Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him) and there is good in every act of obedience. So if the youth gets married following the orders of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) by seeking the blessings that have been promised with the correct intentions, then this marriage will be a reason for his blessings. The provisions are in the hands of Allah.

Allah, the Mighty and Majestic states:

وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللّهِ رِزْقُهَا

And no (moving) living creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah.

(Hud 11:6)

Consequently, if Allah makes it easy for you to get married, then He will make providing for your children easy.

نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ

We provide sustenance for you and for them. (Al-An'aam 6:151)

Marriage does not burden the young man above his ability as some of the people think. Marriage brings benefits and blessings. Matrimony is a necessary Sunnah of Allah for the human-being. Matrimony is not a horrible nightmare. It is only a door from the doors of righteousness for the person with the correct intention.

As for the excuses about the obstacles placed in the path of marriage, then this is from their evil behaviour. Marriage in itself does not require such things as a plump dowry, parties which amount to more than required or other expenses with no authority from Allah. Rather, what is required is a wedding with ease.

Hence, it is a duty to clarify to the people that these extravagances placed in the path to a wedding bring about evil consequences for their sons and daughters. These extravagances are not from their well-being. Therefore, it is a must to remedy these problems, so that matrimony can return to its ease and convenience.

We ask Allah the Glorious and Most High to grant us the safety of success, guidance and to rectify the condition of all of us. We ask Allah to rectify the Muslim youth and to return the Muslims to their rank and honor the same way Allah gave the Muslim honor before. We ask Allah to return this honor and to rectify the Muslims state.

Allah says the Most High:

وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

But honour, power and glory belong to Allah, His Messenger (Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him), and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not. (Al-Munafiqun 63:8)

We ask Allah to give the Muslims insight in their religion and to protect them from the evil of their enemies. Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, his family and all his companions. Praise be to Allah.

Taken from: (Islam's Solution For The Problems Facing Todays Youth Pgs. 44-48)

By Ash-Sheykh Saalih Al-Fawzaan

The Importance Of Marriage

(Kitaab An-Nikaah, Saheeh Bukhaari Vol: 7; Hadith Number:5065)

Chapter: The Statement of the Prophet

(Peace Be Upon Him)

'Whoever is able to marry, should marry, for that will help him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.).'  And should a person marry (even if) he has no desire for marriage?

Narrated 'Alqamah: while I was with Abdullaah, Uthman met him at Mina and said, 'O Abu Abdur-Rahmaan! I have something to say to you.' So both of them went aside and Uthmaan said, 'O Abu Abdur-Rahmaan!  Shall we marry you to a virgin who will make you remember your past days?  When Abdullaah felt that he was not in need of that, he beckoned me (to join him) saying, 'O Alqamah'  Then I heard him saying (in reply to Uthmaan), 'As you have said that, (I tell you that) the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) once said to us, 'O young people! Whoever among you is able to marry, should marry, and whoever is not able to marry, is recommended to observe fast as fasting will diminish his sexual power'.

Shaikh Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz (Rahimahullaah) stated:

Therefore, to get marriage is the correct (thing to do) as a complete obligation upon the one who has shahwa (sexual desires) even if he is not in fear of falling to Zinaa.  This is with regards to the one whose situation allows him to get married.

And in this is a (manifestation) of Uthman's righteous moral conduct.  It (shows) that the elderly person can get married as long as he has the strength for sexual relations.

And the main address (in this hadith) is directed at the young people, because in most cases they possess greater desires and are more in need of that (i.e. fulfilment of such desires)

[Source: Al-Hulalul Ibreeziyyah Min At-Taleeqaat Al-baaziyyah Alaa Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree Volume 4; Hadith No:5065; Footnote Number 2]

A Noble Example For All Believers To Follow

The Patience Of Yusuf (Peace Be Upon Him) And His Fear Of Allaah In Turning Away From The One Who Called Him To The Evil And Shameful Act Of Zinaa

Imaam Sadi (Rahimahullaah) mentioned some of the difficult circumstances Yusuf (Peace Be upon Him) faced at the time when he was being called to the evil act of Zinaa.

[1] Firstly; Allah has placed in man's nature an inclination towards a woman, just like the inclination of a thirsty person towards water and that of a hungry person towards food. And even though many people do exercise patience with regards to their (desire) for food and drink, but not with regards to their (desire) for women. This is not (something) blameworthy if it is in accordance with what is permissible, rather it is something praiseworthy.

[2] Yusuf (at the time) was a young man, and the sexual desire of a young man is much stronger.

[3] He was a bachelor.

[4] He was a slave of the Azeez's wife and was bought for a few dirhams. And a slave has no control over his affairs.

[5] He was a stranger in the land; a stranger in a strange land can fulfil desires, which he is not able to fulfil in his own land and in the presence of his family and those who know him well.

[6] The wife of the Azeez was a woman of high status and beauty; so one these two (affairs) calls one to agree with her request.

[7] The wife of the Azeez was not inaccessible.

[8] She sought after Yusuf; she desired him and was infatuated with him. Many men become filled with vanity/pride when a woman (merely) waves or winks at them.

[9] Yusuf was living in her house. He was under her authority and would have feared being harmed for refusing to obey her in what she was calling him to.

[10] Yusuf was safe from being exposed; because she sought after him and locked the doors.

[11] She also appeared in her best adornment and said to Yusuf, 'Come on O you!'

[12] She also threatened Yusuf with imprisonment and belittlement.

[13] She sought the assistance of the rest of the women and Yusuf sought the assistance of Allaah against them. He said:

'Unless You (Allaah) turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one (of those who commit sin and deserve blame or those who do deeds) of the ignorant'

[Surah Yusuf; Ayah: 33]

Despite all these difficult circumstances surrounding Yusuf (Peace Be Upon Him), he exercised patience and preferred obedience to his Lord. He preferred the pleasure of Allaah and fear of Him. His love of Allaah made him choose imprisonment over committing adultery. He said:

'O my Lord! Prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me.'[Surah Yusuf; Ayah: 33]

Yusuf knew that he could not avert what they were calling him to; and that if his Lord does not protect him and avert the plot of those women, he will be inclined towards them and become of the ignorant ones. This is from Yusuf's perfect knowledge about his Lord and himself.

“Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will keep his face seventy years’ distance from Hell,”

2011-11-03T02:04:00.001-07:00

Superiority of fasting Mondays and Thursdays to fasting al-Ayyaam al-Beed
This action is better and brings a greater reward, and fasting three days (of every month) is included in that. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and he used to say: “They are two days on which deeds are shown to Allaah, may He be glorified, and I would like my deeds to be shown (to Him) when I am fasting.” and Allaah is the source of strength. End quote. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutawwi’ah (15/387, 388)

It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me, ‘If you fast any part of the month then fast on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.’” (al-Nasaa’i, 2424; Ibn Maajah, 1707; Ahmad, 210; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 673).

And it was narrated from Hunaydah ibn Khaalid from his wife that one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and the day of ‘Ashoora’ and three days of each month – the first Monday and two Thursdays.”
Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 21829; Abu Dawood, 2437; classed as da’eef in Nasab al-Raayah, 2/180, but classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Hunaydah ibn Khaalid reported from his wife that some of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, on the day of ‘Aashooraa’, on three days of each month, and on the first two Mondays and Thursdays of each month." (Reported by al-Nisaa’i, 4/205 and by Abu Dawud; classified by al-Albaani as saheeh in Saheeh Abi Dawud, 2/462).

The day of ‘Arafaah, which is the ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah. It is mustahabb only for those who are not standing in ‘Arafaah itself, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said concerning the virtue of the three fasts mentioned above: “The observance of three days' fast every month and that of Ramadan every year is equivalent to fasting for the entire year. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of ‘Arafaah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of ‘Aashoora’ may atone for the sins of the preceding year.” (Muslim, 1162).

The day of ‘Aashoora’ which is the tenth of Muharram. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Aashoora’. He said, “I do not know of any day on the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fasted that was better than this day and any month that was better than this month, meaning Ramadaan.” (al-Bukhaari, 2006; Muslim, 1132). It is Sunnah to fast the day before or the day after along with ‘Aashoora’, in order to be different from the Jews.

The month of Shawwaal. It is Sunnah to fast six days of Shawwaal, because the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan then fasts six days of Shawwaal, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime.” (Muslim, 1164).

The month of Muharraam: it is Sunnah to fast whatever one can of this month, because of the hadeeth: “The best of fasting after Ramadaan is the month of Allaah Muharram, and the best of prayer after the obligatory prayers is prayer at night (qiyaam al-layl).” (Muslim, 1163).

The month of Sha’baan, as it was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast until we thought that he would never break his fast, and he would not fast until we thought that he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fast an entire month apart from Ramadaan, and the month in which I saw him fast the most was Sha’baan. He used to fast all of Sha’baan or all of it apart from a few days.” (al-Bukhaari, 1969; Muslim, 1156).

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “My close friend [i.e., the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] advised me to do three things which I will never give up until I die: fasting three days each month, praying Duha, and sleeping after praying Witr.” (al-Bukhaari, 1178; Muslim, 721)

‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him): “We were young men with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and we did not have anything (i.e., we could not afford to get married). The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to us, ‘O young men, whoever among you can afford to get married, then let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding chastity. And whoever is not able to do that, then let him fast, for that will be a shield for him.’” (al-Bukhaari, 5066; Muslim, 1400).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “As for Friday, it is not Sunnah to fast on this day, and it is makrooh to single it out for fasting.” (See al-Sharh al-Mumti’, vol. 6, p. 465)

It is makrooh to single out Saturday for fasting, because of the report narrated by al-Tirmidhi (744), Abu Dawood (2421) and Ibn Maajah (1726) from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Busr, from his sister, that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not fast on Saturdays apart from days when you are obliged to fast. If any one of you cannot find anything other than grape stalks or the twigs of a tree, let him chew it (to make sure that he is not fasting).” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’ (960). .

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (3/52): Our companions said: It is makrooh to single out Saturday for fasting … what is makrooh is singling out that day. If he fasts another day along with it, then it is not makrooh, because of the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah and Juwayriyah.

Abu Hurayrah is the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1985) and Muslim (1144) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “No one of you should fast on Friday, unless he fasts (a day) before it or after it.”

The hadeeth of Juwayriyah was narrated by al-Bukhaari (1986) from Juwayriyah bint al-Haarith (may Allaah be pleased with her), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon her on a Friday and she was fasting. He said; “Did you fast yesterday?” She said, “No.” He said: “Do you intend to fast tomorrow?” She said: “No.” He said: “Then break your fast.”

It is proven in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The most beloved of fasting to Allaah is the fast of Dawood; he used to fast one day and not the next.”

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It should be noted that different scenarios may apply with regard to fasting on a Saturday.

1 – It may be obligatory, such as observing a Ramadaan fast during Ramadaan or making it up later on, or observing a fast as expiation (kafaarah), or instead of offering a sacrifice when performing Hajj tamattu’, and so on. There is nothing wrong with that so long as he does not single it out deliberately thinking that there is some virtue in that.

2 – If he fasts on the Friday before, there is nothing wrong with it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to one of the Mothers of the Believers who was fasting on a Friday: “Did you fast yesterday?” She said: “No.” He said: “Are you going to fast tomorrow?” She said, “No.” He said: “Then break your fast.” The words, “Are you going to fast tomorrow?” indicate that it is permissible to fast Saturday along with Friday.

3 – If it happens to be one of the days when it is prescribed to fast, such as Ayyaam al-Beed (the 13th, 14th and 15th of each hijri month), ‘Arafah, ‘Ashoora’, six days of Shawwaal for one who has fasted Ramadaan, and the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah. There is nothing wrong with that, because he is not fasting because it is Saturday, rather it is because it is one of the days when it is prescribed to fast.

4 – When it happens to be a day when he habitually fasts, such as a person whose habit is to fast alternate days, and the day that he fasts happens to be a Saturday, then there is nothing wrong with it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said when he forbade fasting one or two days before Ramadaan begins: “except a man who (habitually) observes a fast, in which case let him fast.” This is similar.

5 – If he singles it out to observe a voluntary fast for one day only. This is what is forbidden, if the hadeeth forbidding it is proven to be saheeh.

End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (20/57)

Abu Talhah Dawud bin Ronald Burbank and his Wife Have Died

2011-11-03T02:01:00.002-07:00

May Allaah have Mercy upon them both
Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank and his wife passed away earlier today, Tuesday 1st November 2011 (5th Dhul-Hijjah 1432H) - may Allaah shower them both with His abundant Mercy.
(Their Janaazah will be prayed at the Haram Masjid in Makkah, after Fajr on Wednesday 6th Dhul-Hijjah, inshaa'Allaah)
The eyes shed tears, there is sadness and grief in the heart, but we only say things pleasing to our Lord. Indeed we are saddened by the passing away of our brother Abu Talhah, rahimahullaah and his wife (rahimahallaah).

"Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji'oon."
"Indeed to Allaah we belong and to Him we shall return."

Allaah, the Most Perfect and the Most High, said,

"And give glad tidings to the patient - those who, when afflicted with a calamity, say 'Indeed to Allaah we belong and to Him we shall return.' It is those who will be rewarded with blessings and mercy from their Lord. And it is those who are the guided ones."

(Al-Baqarah 2:155-157)

Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wassallam) said: "To Allaah belongs what He took, and to Him belongs what He gave. Everything is recorded with him for an appointed term.." (Ahkaamul-Janaa'iz of Al-Albaanee)

Both Abu Talhah and Umm Talhah were in a state of Ihraam, calling out the talbiyah wherein the Tawheed of Allaah, the sole right He has of worship is called out with an audible voice. The Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wassallam) stated on an occasion when a Companion died in a state of Ihraam:

"Wash him with water and sidr (lotus), and shroud him in two garments. Do not embalm or perfume him, and do not cover his head or face. He will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment making the Talbiyah."
[Bukhaaree and Muslim]

They passed away in this month of Dhul-Hijjah on their way to Hajj in these, the most virtuous days in the world, as the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wassallam) stated - days in which righteous deeds are most beloved to Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Most Majestic.

The bus they were on caught fire, and both of them were killed in the fire. Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wassallam) stated:

"Death from burning is a Shahaadah (martyrdom)…"
[Declared hasan by Shaikh al-Albaanee in Ahkaamul-Janaa'iz, p.55]

I have known Abu Talhah and his family (Umm Talhah) for twenty years. He has been my teacher, my friend, my confidant, an adviser, a support for myself and my family throughout this time. In the depths of battles practically throughout the whole of the nineties he stood firm against the people of misguidance and bid'ah, translating material in clarification of the haqq and propagating the haqq, without any compromising or fearing the blame of the blamers. He stood firm against the Soofees, the Ash'arees, the Khawaarij and the Shi'ah - he translated the works of the scholars both past and present, making clear the path of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah. He defended the honour of the scholars such as Shaikh Ibn Baaz, Shaikh Shaikh Al-Albaanee, Shaikh Muqbil bin Haadee and Shaikh Rabee al-Madkhalee when the partisans and the innovators in the West tried to dishonour and discredit them. He became a symbol and a sign of Salafiyyah in the West, and we do not praise anyone beyond Allaah, the Most High.

He translated scores of books of the Scholars, he translated 'At-Tawassul' of Shaikh al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah) and thereby clarified the belief of Ahlus-Sunnah in opposition to the grave worshippers and Soofees. He translated 'The Reality of Soofism' of Shaikh Muhammad bin Rabee al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah), he translated 'The Explanation of the Three Principles' of Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah), he translated 'The Methodology of the Prophets in Calling to Allaah' of Shaikh Rabee' al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah), he translated 'The Explanation of the Creed' of Imaam al-Barbahaaree (rahimahullaah), and much more besides.

In the nineties, when the da'wah was in its infancy, many people left the Salafi Manhaj, preferring the paths of innovation - Dawud (rahimahullaah) saw them come and saw them go, but he would not join them in their opposition. Rather he would advise those who were once with us upon this path of Sunnah, he would show great concern for them so that they not become misguided. He would make du'aa for them, and then leave their affair to Allaah, and stop his association with them, only for the sake of Allaah. He would not compromise with them, nor praise those who opposed this blessed Manhaj. He was the first person to translate the rudood (refutations) of Shaikh Muqbil, Shaikh al-Albaanee and Shaikh Rabee' against Jam'iyyah Ihyaa Turaath al-Islaamee - he stemmed and almost cut off their bid'ah in the UK by way of these translations (by the permission of Allaah). Allaah had blessed him with skills of translation that I have not seen equaled in the West, and Allaah knows best.

The Scholars loved and praised him and spoke highly of him, and were saddened at his passing away as has been narrated from Shaikh Muhammad bin Haadee, Shaikh Rabee', Shaikh Muhammad al-Anjaree, Shaikh Ahmad as-Subay'ee and Shaikh Falaah bin Ismaa'eel. In fact, Shaikh al-Anjaree (hafidhahullaah) called me himself seeking news about Abu Talhah and his wife - he made du'aa for them and praised them for their nobility and virtues, and then he made du'aa for their children and ended by giving me some valuable advice.

Shaikh Muqbil (rahimahullaah) heard of the excellence of Dawood and wrote a tazkiyyah for him nearly fifteen years ago! Shaikh Abdus-Salaam Burjiss Aal Abdul-Kareem (rahimahullaah) used to sit with us and advice us with the importance of knowledge and adhering to the Salafi Manhaj - he loved the company of Abu Talhah as did Shaikh Muhammad bin Haadee upon their several visits to Birmingham. There has not been a time that I have met with Shaikh Muhammad bin Haadee except that he would ask about the welfare of Abu Talhah. I recall back in 1999 when I was in Kuwait sitting in a gathering of mashayikh and they had heard that one of the children of Abu Talhah had become ill - they spoke well of him and made du'aa for his child. Then they asked me to convey their salutations to him. When Shaikh Abdus-Salaam Burjiss (rahimahullaah), a former judge and scholar of Riyadh, would visit us from time to time in Birmingham along with Shaikh Muhammad bin Haadee, he would bring gifts - he knew the shyness of Dawud, and would ask me to pass the gift to him on his behalf.

He started teaching regularly in the mid 90's upon the advice of Shaikh Muhammad al-Anjaree. This was after Shaikh al-Anjaree saw that the people of partisanship had left us and scattered, and we were few in number who remained upon the Sunnah and Salafiyyah. So Shaikh al-Anjaree encouraged him to step up and teach the people what he possessed of knowledge and call the people to Salafiyyah. So we set up classes, and only a handful sat in those duroos of ours in the early days - as this was in the era of the split from JIMAS and after Ihyaa Turaath (with the help of Suhaib Hasan and Green Lane) had poisoned many of the people with their hizbiyyah. But Abu Talhah persisted and continued not flinching from the immense task ahead of him. Shaikh al-Anjaree requested from me to remain close to Abu Talhah, to support him, encourage him and strengthen him in his determination.

Slowly but surely the numbers grew, the da'wah spread, the opposers were silenced, the truth became clearer and clearer. The da'wah of the scholars took root, wal-hamdulillaah. Abu Talhah would teach from the well-known books, such as 'Kitaabut-Tawheed' of Shaikh ul-Islaam Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhaab, 'Al-Aqeedatul-Waasitiyyah' of Ibn Taymiyyah, 'Riyaadhus-Saaliheen' of an-Nawawee, 'as-Saheehah' of Shaikh al-Albaanee and many others. With these efforts and the efforts of others, and by the Grace of Allaah, Birmingham became a destination for Salafis in the UK, an island of Salafiyyah in this land. People traveled and moved with their families to Birmingham. The scholars heard of the efforts being made and when asked about the da'wah in Europe, they would praise the efforts of the brothers in Birmingham at 'Salafi Publications', and encourage co-operation with them (such as Shaikh Muqbil) and even living amongst them, if one could not migrate to a Muslim land (such as Shaikh Ubaid, Shaikh Falaah and Shaikh al-Anjaree). We worked collectively and tirelessly in disseminating the Salafi da'wah: Abu Talhah, Abu Hakeem, Abu Iyaad (and others), and there is no doubt regarding the prominent and exceptional role Abu Talhah (rahimahullaah) played in conveying this da'wah over the last 20 years.

Abu Talhah (rahimahullaah) continued and never stopped calling the people to the aqeedah and the manhaj and the fiqh and the akhlaaq and the adaab of the Salaf - not for one moment have I known him to be upon anything other than that. He was firm upon the Sunnah, not compromising - if he knew something to be the haqq, he would hold to it with his molar teeth. Though he lived far from the Masjid, he would still walk miles to reach the Masjid as-Salafi, hoping for the reward from Allaah and a removal of sin for every step that he took, rahimahullaah. I would ask him, "Dawood, why do you not learn to drive?" He would respond, "No thank you, I'm fine walking," and we would laugh. He would not carry a mobile phone, and had no interest in having one, as he knew it would occupy him away from "more important matters". He would rarely travel out of Birmingham for da'wah, and on several occasions he would seek our advice before traveling. He was a loving and caring husband and father, with a beautiful sense of humor. He was full of information, and we would talk for hours sometimes about the Deen and worldly matters of interest, but never was he lewd or foul ever. He was conscious of time and being on time and not wasting time. In the trips to visit the Mashayikh of Saudi Arabia, I would share the hotel room with him, we would talk for hours about the affairs of da'wah - sometimes he would disappear, and we would not see him for hours - then he'd reappear clutching bags of books that he had picked up at some obscure bookshop in Makkah or Madinah, then he'd sit down flicking through them for hours. He'd return to the UK, quite often with overweight luggage! We'd have fun discussing the various scenarios to expect at the airport when our bags are weighed. He would say, "Well if Abu Hakeem can get away with it, so will I... inshaa'Allaah!".

He was from the founders of al-Maktabah as-Salafiyyah and a pillar of its early success, as his translations and research were an invaluable part of the da'wah. It is amazing looking back at where we began in the early 90's and how much we have gone through - and all praise is due to Allaah - that Salafiyyah has tens and thousands of adherents now in the UK, and to think that Allaah had decreed Abu Talhah (rahimahullaah) to be a leading figure in that call, and we praise no one beyond Allaah. My brothers and sisters, make no mistake, he (rahimhullaah) remained steadfast till the last.

I invited him to my home only a few weeks ago, him and his family and his children. They spent the day with us till just before Maghrib. We spoke about the early days of the da'wah when we were isolated, yet stood firm and we spoke of the duroos in those days, classes that were based around the manhaj of tasfiyyah and tarbiyyah. How the people abandoned us, prevented us and how the Mashayikh stuck by us and would advise us, and then we would return back 're-charged' and enthused with energy, walhamdulillaah, Shaikh Muhammad bin Haadee, Shaikh Rabee' and Shaikh al-Anjaree being the most instrumental in encouragement! May Allaah bless and preserve our mashiyikh.

We spoke of the sittings with the scholars, when Abu Talhah, Abu Hakeem, Abu Iyaad, Hasan as-Somaalee and myself would go regularly to Saudi Arabia and sit with the scholars; the hajj and 'umrahs that we made together - happy times and tough battles, memories that we cherished dearly. And how we have grown into middle-age upon this da'wah, and how many scholars have passed away; and how old the living ones have become. We spoke about Shaikh Rabee' (hafidhahullaah) a lot, and Abu Talhah expressed how much love he had for the Shaikh, and how angered he is at those who speak ill of him, and of Shaikh Ubaid and Shaikh Muhammad bin Haadee (whom he loved greatly). We spoke about natural health and issues related to natural medicine, as he was a proponent of natural foods and healthy living. He loved our brother Abu Iyaad and would praise him often for his efforts in the da'wah and his translations, and in bringing to the forefront the importance of Prophetic medicine and healthy living by eating healthily. We spoke in this visit of his to my home about where to get hold of organic and raw food, we exchanged websites of organic suppliers - his sons sat, listened and participated in our discussions with polite and useful comments, showing the excellent tarbiyyah of the parents upon their children. We spoke for hours, in the pleasure of each others company.

Umm Talhah (rahimahallaah) was a caring and careful mother - a joyful character who loved her children and cared immensely for the Sunnah and its implementation in the home. A day before she left for Hajj, she rang our home and spoke to my wife about how she was so overjoyed that Allaah, the Most Perfect and Most High, had given her another opportunity to perform Hajj, this endeavour for Allaah's sake. May Allaah unite these two loving parents with their children once more in the highest and most noble company, in the highest level of Jannah.

Wallaahi, my brothers and sisters, I have do not know of anyone in the West more meticulous in acting upon the Sunnah than Abu Talhah - he would know fine details of how the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wassallam) walked, talked, ate and behaved and he would follow him in that precisely. He was from the shyest of the people, from the most humble and with the least concern for the world and its glitter. I do not say this out of flattery for anyone, nor to raise a person above his level, but rather from my truthful knowledge of him. And this is something that was witnessed by Shaikh Muhammad bin Haadee, Shaikh Falaah bin Ismaa'eel and Shaikh al-Anjaree amongst others. They would mention this to us about Abu Talhah (rahimahullaah) in his absence and praise his humbleness. Myself and Abu Hakeem have heard this from our mashayikh.

There is no doubt that we are saddened at the loss of our brother and his wife, especially those of us in the arena of da'wah! My brothers such as Abu Hakeem, Abu Iyaad, Hasan as-Somaalee, Kashiff Khan, the Shoorah of al-Maktabah as-Salafiyyah (Abu Junaide and Abu Fudayl) and others, may Allaah preserve them all, as well as those who attend the duroos and frequent the Masjid - all have expressed their sadness at the departure of this beloved brother and his wife. Myself and Abu Hakeem have received calls and messages from all across the UK, and the USA, Canada, KSA, Kuwait, the Caribbean, and Sri Lanka (to name a few) mentioning their sadness at the loss of our brother and sister - yet we utter only those words which please our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic.

O Allaah! Forgive Abu Talhah and forgive Umm Talhah, elevate their position amongst the guided ones, and raise good successors for them from their offspring. Forgive us and them, O Lord of the worlds, expand and illuminate their graves, for them both. Allaahumma Ameen!
Abu Khadeejah 'Abdul-Waahid Alam
Birmingham, UK.

The Extremist Sufis and the Unity of Being [Wahdatul-Wujood] | 2

2011-10-09T12:49:00.002-07:00

Thus, when a heedless Muslim says that Allaah is present in all that exists he will intend one of two things by it, and they are totally contradictory: the true existent, i.e., Allaah, and the possible existent, i.e., the creation. If he intends this meaning, then he has fallen into a creed other than wahdatul-wujood, i.e., [he has fallen into] hulool [divine indwelling].
You know, for example, that some Islamic groups believe that Allaah enters/dwells within certain esteemed–according to them–personalities.
You will see these Alawites or Ismailis for example, maybe you have read a lot about the Ismailis whose leader is the Aga Khan, every year he would be weighed in gold in America.
So they believe that the one worshipped transmigrates into him, indwells in him; this is called hulool. It is less than wahdatul-wujood which we just spoke about.
Wahdatul-Wujood is referring to something which cannot be separated one from the other, in hulool Allaah is separate and distinct from His creation as the scholars say but, according to them [i.e., the extremist Sufis] obviously, He has indwelled and transmigrated into a person.
So when this person who says that Allaah is present in all that exists means that there are two existents, then that means that one of them entered the other, instead of entering a person He entered the entire universe. This, of course, is disbelief and absolutely no Muslim doubts that it is.
And if by [the statement], ‘Allaah is present in all that exists,’ he intends the first meaning, i.e., there is no Creator or created, there is only one thing, then this disbelief is much more severe.
You see these Muslims who fast and pray along with us and we pray behind them etc., if you were to say to one of them, ‘‘[Your statement that] Allaah is present in all that exists,’ does it mean one of these two meanings?! Does it mean the total unity of existence that the Sufis refer to, i.e., that there is no Creator or created, or does it refer to indwelling [hulool], i.e., that Allaah created the creation then entered it?’–I do not think that a Muslim can believe such a creed as either of these.
So, why do you use this statement? Why don’t you emulate the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who said, ‘None of you should say, ‘My soul has become evil [khabuthat],’ but he should say, ‘My soul has become remorseless [laqisat].’ The meaning of [the Arabic word], ‘khabuthat’ is the same as ‘laqisat,’ ‘laqisat’ means ‘khabuthat,’ but the Prophet wanted us to talk about ourselves with kind words even though the meaning is the same.
So what is wrong with us? When we talk about our Lord the Blessed and Most High it is not allowed for us to say a word which can give an impression of disbelief or misguidance.
In reality, when such topics are discussed and most of the people present take heed [of the point being made], as though some of them had hitherto been in heedlessness, some of them will say, ‘We don’t mean that Allaah the Blessed and Most High has entered all of His Creation Himself,’ and we didn’t say that they did intend that, for if they had–and this is another topic–it would be disbelief, but the point being discussed now is about refining the terminology [being used].
So, [we ask these people], ‘What do you mean by, ‘Allaah is present in all that exists?’ [They reply, saying,] ‘His Knowledge.’
How beautiful!
Without doubt, Allaah has encompassed all things in His Knowledge, He has encompassed all things, the Blessed and Most High–but the wording used is incorrect.
You want to talk about Allaah’s Knowledge, then say, ‘Allaah surrounds (comprehends) all things in (His) Knowledge.’ [Talaaq 65:12], a text from the Noble Quraan [itself], ‘Allaah surrounds (comprehends) all things in (His) Knowledge.’ [Say], ‘Not a secret in the earth or the heavens is hidden from Him.’ [But] don’t say that Allaah, the One who is worshipped and possesses every characteristic of perfection and Who is free from every shortcoming–don’t say that, ‘Allaah is everywhere,’ [or] ‘Allaah is present in all that exists,’ instead say, ‘He surrounds (comprehends) all things in (His) Knowledge.’

Devil Swore: “And indeed I will order them to alter the creation of Allaah.”

2011-10-07T13:16:00.001-07:00

Also from the things that Allaah has made forbidden for the women is to change the creation of Allaah, which the Devil swore that he would order the Children of Aadam to do:
"And indeed I will order them to alter the creation of Allaah." [Surah An-Nisaa: 119]
The interpretation of this verse that it refers to eyebrow-plucking, tattooing, teeth-filing, and hair extensions, has come to us in a hadeeth: "The Prophet cursed the woman who plucks eyebrows and the one who has her eyebrows plucked; the woman who extends hair and has her hair extended; and the woman who tattoos and has herself tattooed." [15]
A Naamisah is someone who plucks the hair from the eyebrows with either a scissor or a razor blade or by removing it using any other method by which eyebrow hair is removed. This is what is known as an-nams (eyebrow-plucking) which the Prophet cursed any woman that did it. A Mutanammisah is a woman that asks for her eyebrows to be plucked. She is also cursed based on the statement of Allaah's Messenger .
There are women that have been afflicted by this crime of plucking the eyebrows based on their following of the disbelieving women, lewd sinful women and ignorant women that do not care about disobeying Allaah and His Messenger . Then after they remove their eye-brows, they bring a color dye and draw lines in its place. O, how perfect Allaah is from all imperfections!! Are dyes better than eyebrows? Are they better than what Allaah has created?! This is altering Allaah's creation. So it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to follow these evil practices and immoral customs, and change Allaah's creation.
A Waashimah is a woman that draws tattoos, which is done by either sticking needles into the skin or slicing open the skin to the point that bloods comes out and putting in its place some dye or coloring until there remains green lines either on her hand or her face. This is washam, i.e. tattooing.
A Mustawshimah is a woman that requests that this be done to her. This is a form of changing and altering Allaah's creation. By Allaah, which of the two is better the color of the skin, which Allaah created, or this deformed color?? Rather it is blind-following and obedience to the Devil in what he orders:
"And indeed I will order them to alter the creation of Allaah." [Surah An-Nisaa: 119]
A Waasilah is a woman that attaches another set of hair to her own hair. This is deceptive and misleading. An example of it is when a woman puts on a wig or she adds pieces of hair to her own hair to the point that someone will think that this is how her hair is, when in fact it is someone else's hair and not from herself. This woman is a Waasilah and she as well as the one who asks for this to be done to her are both cursed.
Likewise, al-washar means: Filing and making gaps in the teeth. "The Prophet cursed the women that make gaps between their teeth for beauty." [16].This refers to the women that file their teeth and place gaps between them, thinking that this is from beauty when in fact it is obedience to the Devil. Washar is unlawful. As for fixing one's teeth if there are defects in them and they need to be fixed, then there is nothing wrong with this since it is a form of treatment or a means of removing a deformity. As for teeth that do not have any flaws or disease, then it is not permissible for a woman to apply any form of filing, placing of gaps, and so on to them.
Notes:
15 Reported by Imaam Al-Bukhaaree (71/61 & 62) from the narration of `Abdullaah bin Mas'ood
16 See Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree (7/61 & 62) from the narration of `Abdullaah bin Mas'ood

The Extremist Sufis and the Unity of Being [Wahdatul-Wujood] | 1

2011-10-07T13:14:00.002-07:00

Al-Albani: All of you must have heard of a group called the Sufis, and of a [type of] knowledge, or Sufi spiritual path [sulook] knows as tasowwuf.
The people who ascribe themselves to this tawsowwuf are of differing ranks, some of them have overstepped all limits and left Islaam in the name of Islamic Sufism, left Islaam just as a strand of hair is pulled out of dough [i.e., totally]. Why?
Because their interpretation of aayahs from the noble Quraan [is so incorrect that it] and philosophy and apostasy are one and the same. In the eyes of the scholars of the Muslims they are known as the people who believe in Wahdatul-Wujood [lit: the unity of existence], the ones who say the same thing as the atheists, but their wording differs from that of the atheists, they say, ‘There is nothing except one.’ So [according to them] the universe that we see is Allaah. For this reason they are called people who believe in Wahdatul-Wujood.
The Muslims say that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah [Laa ilaaha illallaah], in this sentence there is an affirmation and a negation. There is a negation of whoever might interpret falsely (the presence of another god), then the affirmation that Allaah is the one and only God, the Most High.
As for those Sufis, then they say, ‘There is no He but He.’ They then paraphrase it and make it a form of remembrance which they repeat for themselves, [saying], ‘He, He …’ This is a dangerous deviation as you can see, i.e., a denial of the true existence of Allaah, and following on from that, a denial of the legislation, no Islaam … no Judaism, no Christianity–because there is no [differentiation between the] slave and the Lord, a Lord who obligates others to worship Him and a slave who is obligated to worship. For this reason one of them said:
God [Rabb] is man and man is God
How I wish to know who the one ordered (to perform worship) is
If you say man (is the one ordered), then that is a denial (of the presence of a God, based on the concept that God is man and man is God!)
And if you say God, how can He be obligated?!
[According to them] there is no He but He. So in the end: He is He!
There are words that emanate from Muslims who bear witness [by saying] Laa ilaaha illallaah Muhammad Rasulullaah, these people are not atheists but they will sometimes utter words which lead them to that false aqidah. This is something very dangerous and hardly any but a few are safe from it.
Now in our normal gatherings [you will hear] one of them say whether on a particular occasion or not, ‘Allaah is present in all that exists,’ [this statement of theirs] equals, ‘There is no He but He.’
You will hear [this statement] many times, ‘Allaah is present in all that exists,’ and after close scrutiny of its meaning and purport and what it entails one can see that it equates to the saying of the Sufis–the extremists amongst them obviously–who openly declare that, ‘There is no He but He.’
There are Two Existents Not One
Because if we were to ponder over the declaration of truth which is when a believer truly says, ‘None has the right to be worshiped except Allaah,’ [then we will find] that it establishes two existences.
‘None has the right to be worshiped except Allaah,’ negates the false deities which are worshipped other than Allaah, and they are present [as is mentioned, for example,] in the Quraan in the statement of Noah to his people, “And they have said, 'You shall not leave your gods, nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwa', nor Yaghuth, nor Ya'uq, nor Nasr.'” [Nooh 71:23] These were idols worshipped instead of Allaah, for that reason when Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, sent Noah عليه السلام to his people he ordered them to worship Allaah alone.
So, ‘None has the right to be worshiped …’ is a negation of the false deities which are present. ‘… except Allaah,’ is an affirmation of the existence of the Truth, i.e., Allaah the Blessed and Most High.
So there are two existences. It is not possible for a Muslim who, firstly, understands his Islaam and who, secondly, believes that Allaah created him, not to affirm two [separate] existents.
The scholars of tawheed refer to the First Existent, i.e., that of the Creator the Most High, He exists in His Essence, i.e., is eternal, having no beginning. So His existence is termed as being the necessarily existent [Waajibul-Wujood].
As for the other existent then it is [called] the contingent or possible existent which is mankind and all creation. Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said to it, ‘Be!’ And it was. So it was preceded by nonexistence in contrast to the existence of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic–for He is the First having no beginning, as you all know.

The Saved Sect, by Shaikh Muhammad Bazmool

2011-10-07T13:13:00.001-07:00

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu 'ala rasulullaah
Amma-ba'd

The Saved Sect, by Shaikh Muhammad Bazmool (hafidhahullaah) [The following are notes - not verbatim - from the Friday afternoon telelink with Masjid al-Bukhari]

After khutbat al-Hajjah, Shaikh Muhammad Bazmool meticulously laid out his talk with the following index:

1- Ta`ifatul Mansoora (Aided Sect)
2- Firaaq (the division)
3- Meaning of Firaaq (sects)
4- Meaning of the Messenger's (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) statement "All in the fire except one"
5- Arkan, Usool (Pillars, Foundations) of The Saved Sect

Then the shaikh gave a brief beneficial explanation [the following are notes - not verbatim]:

1- The Saved Sect is a name from the names of Ahlus-Sunnah, such as Ahlul-Hadeeth. They are those who hold on to the Sunnah. They will be victorious over the others, sometimes via the sword and sometimes via evidences and proofs. The Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said (what means): There will never cease to be a group from my Ummah upon the truth, uppermost. They will not be harmed by those who desert them or those who oppose them, until the affair of Allaah - the Blessed and Exalted - arrives, and they are in this state.

Even during the time of 'Eesa (Jesus, 'alayhi salaam)...

2- The name Najia (saved) gives proof to the fact that there will groups which are not saved. The Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said (what means): This Ummah will divide into 73 sects, all of them in the hellfire except one. He was asked, "Which one is that, o Messenger of Allaah?" He (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: That which I and my companions are upon. [Abu Dawud, Ibn Maajah, Ahmad, Ad-Daaramee]

3- Firqa (sect) is those who follow a man or book or principle - other than the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and what he came with - and call to it, and love and hate for its sake. This is a firqa, such as Ikhwanul Muslimeen, Firqat at-Tableegh, Hizb-ut-Tahreer, Surooris, (and Raafidah, Soofiyah, Qadriyah, Ash'ariyah, Mu'tazila, Jahmeeyah, Murji'a).

So the Ikhwanul Muslimeen call to what ------> (founder) Hassan Banna said, and love and hate for his sake.

Likewise, the Tableeghis [call to what -------> (founder) Muhammad Ilyas said, and love and hate for his sake]

[Hizb-ut-]Tahreeris [call to what -------> (founder) Taqiudeen An-Nabahani said, and love and hate for his sake]

Surooris [call to what -------> (founder) Muhammad Suroor said, and love and hate for his sake]

The only group that is saved are those who make the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and what he came with the origin, and love and hate according to it. The other sects love and hate according to what Banna said or [Muhammad Ilyas said, or what Taqiudeen An-Nabahani , or what Muhammad Suroor said.]

4- The Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) issued a ruling with his statement "All in the fire except one." The scholars mentioned this text is from the texts of threat. If Allaah wills, He will punish them, and if He wills, He will forgive them, as long as they do not die upon Shirk or nullify their Islaam.

Allaah (what means) said: Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin. (An-Nisa, ayah 48)

All these groups - other than The Saved Sect - subject themselves to the threat of the fire. These deviant Sects are two:

a- Sects that oppose the Messenger, and exit Islaam
b- Sects that oppose the Messenger, and do not exit Islaam

5- The Arkan, Usool (Pillars, Foundations) of The Saved Sect are four:

- Firstly, al-Ikhlaas (sincerity). The people of The Saved Sect know that Allaah is Ar-Raqeeb (All-Watcher) and do actions only for Allaah.

Allaah said (what means): And they were not commanded except that they should worship Allaah, purely and sincerely, singling Him out in worship (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and to establish the Salaat and give Zakat: and that is the upright religion. (Al-Baiyinah, ayah 5)

The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said (what means): I have been commanded to fight the polytheists until they testify 'there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.'

- Secondly, following the Sunnah. The Saved Sect are eager to follow the Sunnah.

Allaah said (what means): And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad, (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination. (An-Nisa, ayah 115)

Allaah said (what means): And let those who oppose the Messenger's (Muhammad) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements, etc.) (among the sects) beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant, etc.) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them. (An-Nur, ayah 63)

Allaah said (what means): It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error. (Al-Ahzab, ayah 36)

Allaah said (what means): But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission. (An-Nisa`, ayah 65)

The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said (what means): Whoever introduces or invents something into this affair (Deen) of ours, it will be rejected.

The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said (what means): Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with this affair (Deen) of ours, it will be rejected.

Imam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) said: Do not speak about a matter except if you have an Imam preceding you [in that statement].

And these first two foundations stem from the shahadatain. The Saved Sect know the only way to be saved from the fire is by following the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said (what means): I am leaving you two things, and you will never go astray as long as you cling to them - they are the Book of Allaah and my Sunnah.

- Thirdly, warning against bid'ah and its people. The Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) warned of this in every khutbah, with his statement: Beware of the newly invented matters, for every bid'ah is misguidance... The Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) taught the companions this. And bid'ah is to worship (or believe) other than the way the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) taught. This is one of the points that distinguish The Saved Sect; they warn against bid'ah and its people, and do not accept hizbiyyah nor cooperate with them.

Allaah said (what means): And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad, (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination. (An-Nisa, ayah 115)

'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood (radiallaahu 'anhu) said: Follow and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed. The Salaf (radiallaahu 'anhum) used to warn against bid'ah, and wrote many books regarding this, such as I'teesam, Ash-Shatabee...

- Fourthly, sticking to the Jama'ah and not dividing. And his (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) statement in the hadeeth of Al 'Irbaad bin Saariyah (radiallaahu 'anhu), who said: "The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) admonished us one day after the early morning prayer. The admonition was heartfelt and eloquent and caused the eyes to shed tears and the hearts to tremble. A man from amongst us said, 'Certainly, it is as if this is a farewell admonition, so with what do you advise us, O Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam)? He replied: I advise you to fear Allaah and to listen and obey those in authority over you even if it were an Abyssinian slave. Indeed, whoever from amongst you lives long will witness much differeing. So incumbent upon you is my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided khulafaa (Caliphs) after me. Bite (hold) onto it with your molar teeth. And beware of newly invented matters (in the religion), for verily every newly invented matter (in the religion) is a bid'ah, and every bid'ah is a misguidance."

All four foundations of Salaffiyah are in this above hadeeth:

- Ikhlaas is in the Messenger's statement, "Fear Allaah."

- Following the Sunnah is in the Messenger's statement, "Upon you is my Sunnah."

- Warning against bid'ah and its people is in the Messenger's statement, "And beware of newly invented matters."

- Sticking to the Jama'ah and not dividing is in the Messenger's statement, "Listen and obey those in authority over you, even if it were an Abyssinian slave."

So hold on to the jama'ah; as for people who want to cause chaos, they accuse the rulers, they rally people against the rulers. The People of The Saved Sect advise people to obey the ruler.

In the hadeeth of Hudhaifah bin al-Yamaan (radiallaahu 'anhu), he said: "People used to ask the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) about the good times, but I used to ask him about bad times lest they overtake me.

I said: Messenger of Allaah, we were in the midst of ignorance and evil, and then Allaah brought us this good (time through Islam). Is there any bad time after this good one?

He said: Yes.

I asked: Will there be a good time again after that bad time?

He said: Yes, but therein will be a hidden evil.

I asked: What will be the evil hidden therein?

He said: (That time will witness the rise of) the people who will adopt ways other than mine and seek guidance other than mine. You will know (their) good points as well as (their) bad points.

I asked: Will there be a bad time after this good one?

He said: Yes. (A time will come) when there will be people standing and inviting at the gates of Hell. Whosoever responds to their call they will throw them into the fire.

I said: Messenger of Allaah, describe them for us.

He said: All right. They will be a people having the same complexion as ours and speaking our language.

I said: Messenger of Allaah, what do you suggest if I happen to live in that time?

He said: You should stick to the main body of the Muslims and their leader.

I said: If they have no (such thing as the) main body and have no leader?

He said: Separate yourself from all these factions, though you may have to eat the roots of trees (in a jungle) until death comes to you and you are in this state." (Collected by Bukhari and Muslim. The wording of the above is that of Imaam Muslim)
__________________________________________________ _______________________

In Shaikh Muhammad Bazmool's Book "The Salafi Methodology", he explained these foundations in detail, in addition to the legislated means of adherence to The Saved Sect and safety from bid'ah and hizbiyyah, and the legislated means to individual and communal rectification, in addition to many other benefits.

Here is an excerpt of this highly recommended book. On page 47 of the translated version, the shaikh wrote:

"There are distinct characteristics and qualities that the true Salafi is known by as opposed to those who falsely claim to adhere to the Salafi methodology. From these characteristics are the following:

The first characteristic: Their allegiance and disassociation (al-walaa wal-baraa) revolves around following the way of the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam).

The second characteristic: Their hallmark is that they follow [the Sunnah].

The third characteristic: They are upon moderation in all their affairs.

The fourth characteristic: They are a people who are united and in agreement, and they are firm and resolute upon the truth.

The fifith characteristic: They work towards the establishment of the Religion through the seeking of correct Islaamic knowledge and its application.

Here is a detailed explanation of these characteristics: ..." [The explanation of these characteristics begins on page 48 and continues through page 100, before the beginning of the ensuing chapter. It is a highly recommended book, especially in these times when people wear the clothes of Salafiyyah in order to fight it! Allaahul Musta'aan!]

Selections from "Essay on the Jinn - Demonic Visions" : Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah

2011-09-18T13:21:00.002-07:00

Ibn Taymeeyah mentioned the following historical incident concerning al-Hallaaj and a group of his followers,

"Some of them requested some sweets from al-Hallaaj, so he got up and went to a spot a short distance away, then returned with a plateful of sweets. It was later discovered that it had been stolen from a candy shop in Yemen and carried by a devil to that area."

Ibn Taymeeyah went on to say,

"Incidents similar to this have happened to others who, like al-Hallaaj, also achieved the pinnacle of satanic states, and we know of quite a few such people in our time as well as other times. For instance, there is a person presently residing in Damascus whom the devil used to carry from the Saaliheeyah mountain to villages around Damascus. He would appear out of the air and enter the windows of houses in which people were gathered to witness his 'miraculous entrance.'"

Ibn Taymeeyah also quoted another mystic master who admitted that he used to fornicate with women and sodomise young boys.

The former mystic master said, "A black dog with two white spots between his eyes would come to me and say, 'Verily such and such a person has made an oath by you and he will come to you tomorrow to inform you about it. I have already fulfilled his need for your sake.' The person would then come to him the next day and the Sufi master would reveal the details of his oath to him and how it was fulfilled. The Sufi master went on to say, 'I used to walk about the city and a black pole with a light on top of it would lead the way.' " Ibn Taymeeyah said, "When the Sufi master repented and began to pray, fast, and avoid the forbidden, the black dog went away."

He also narrated the following about another mystic master who had the aid of devils whom he would despatch to possess people:

"When the family of the possessed would come to him seeking a cure, he would send a message to his demon companion and they would leave the possessed persons, as a result, the Shaykh would be given many dirhams for his services. Sometimes the Jinn would bring him dirhams and food which they stole from people, so much so that the Shaykh would request dates from his devils and they would take them from beehives in which some poeple had hidden their dates. When the beehive owners would look for their dates they would find them gone."

About yet another mystic, Ibn Taymeeyah relates,

"There was a Shaykh knowledgeable in the religious sciences and Qur'anic recitation to whom the devils came and eventually managed to seduce. They told him that Salaah was no longer required of him and that they would bring him whatever he wished. As soon as he complied with their wishes, they began to bring him a variety of sweets and fruit. This continued until he was advised to repent by some scholars that he visited who were firmly following the Sunnah. He subsequently repented and repaid the owners of the sweets for what he ate while under the influence of the JINN."

He then went on to say,

"Many of those who call on Shaykhs in time of need saying, 'O master so and so, or Shaykh so and so, fulfill my need' have seen an image of the Shaykh saying, 'I will fulfill your need and put your heart at ease,' then it fulfills their needs or repels their enemies. In such cases it is a devil taking the Shaykh's form when they committed Shirk by associating partners with Allaah and calling on others beside Him."

Ibn Taymeeyah then went on to enumerate similar instances involving himself saying,

"I know of many such incidences even among a group of my companions who called on me in times when they were struck by calamities. One was afraid of the Romans and another of the Tatars. Both of them mentioned that they called out to me, they saw me in the air and I repelled their enemies for them. I informed them that I did not hear their cries nor did I repel their enemies. It was a devil taking my appearance to seduce them when they associated partners with Allaah the Almighty.

Similar incidents have also happened to the students of my contemporaries among the scholars, whereby some of their students have sought refuge in them and have seen them fulfill their needs. The scholars have also denied doing so and indicated that it was in fact the work of devils."

In another book, Ibn Taymeeyah said,

"I know people whom the plants greet and inform them of their beneficial ingredients, however it is, in fact, Satan who has entered the plants and spoken to them.

I also know of others to whom stones and trees speak saying, "Congratulations, Oh friend of Allaah" and when the people recite Aayatul-Kursee it stops.

I am acquainted with yet others who have gone bird-hunting and the sparrows addressed them saying, "Take me so that the poor may eat me." Such are cases of the evil JINN possessing the birds. in the same way that others who, while in their house with the doors and vice versa.

He may even be taken through the closed city gates and back again swiftly by the JINN. Lights may shine on him or someone looking like his friend may call on him but, if he recites Aayatul-Kursee continually, it will all dissappear."

"Some mystics have also said that the JINN showed them something shiny like water and glass in which images or pictures of whatever they sought information would appear and they in turn wold inform people."

Source:

Essay on the Jinn - Demonic Visions - Author: Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah
Based on "Eedah ad-Dalaalah fee 'Umoom ar-Risaalah", from volume 19 of "Majmoo' Al-Fataawaa" (A Collection of Religious Rulings); volume 35 of "Majmoo' Al-Fataawaa" and Ibn Taymeeyah's classic, " Al-Furqaan Bayna Awliyaa ar-Rahmaan wa Awliyaa ash-Shaytaan."

The ruling on jihad for women - it is not obligatory

2011-09-12T00:21:00.002-07:00

Praise be to Allaah.

Jihad is not obligatory for women.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

In order for jihad to be obligatory there are seven conditions:

being Muslim, being an adult, being of sound mind, being free, being male, being physically sound and being able to afford it financially.

With regard to being Muslim, adult and of sound mind, these are essential conditions for all Islamic duties, because a kaafir is not to be trusted in jihad, an insane person cannot go for jihad and a child is physically weak.

Ibn ‘Umar said:

“I presented myself to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the day of Uhud when I was fourteen years old, and he did not let me join the fighting.”

Agreed upon. …

With regard to being male, this is stipulated because of the report narrated from ‘Aa’ishah who said:

“O Messenger of Allaah, do women have to engage in jihad?

He said:

“Jihad in which there is no fighting:

Hajj and ‘Umrah.”

And because women are not able to fight because they are (physically) weak.

From al-Mughni, 9/163.

The hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) was narrated by Ahmad (25361) and Ibn Maajah (2901); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah.

Can a woman go out to help the mujaahideen and treat the wounded?

Al-Sarkhasi said in Sharh al-Siyar al-Kabeer (1/184):

Chapter on women fighting alongside men and being present in war:

He said: we do not like women to fight alongside men in war because a woman does not have the right physical make-up for fighting, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) indicated when he said:

“This one was not a fighter” (said when he saw the body of a woman slain on the battlefield).

And when a woman fights, the ‘awrah of the Muslims may become exposed and the mushrikeen will rejoice at that, and that may be a cause of the mushrikeen increasing their hopes of defeating the Muslims, and they may think that the Muslims are weak because they had to bring the women to fight, so they will say,

‘They need the help of women to fight us.”

So this should be avoided.

For this reason it is not recommended for women to participate directly in the fighting.

But if the Muslims have no choice and are forced to do that, because repelling the kuffaar when necessary by whatever means the Muslims have at their disposal, is permissible, rather it is obligatory.

The story of Hunayn is quoted as evidence for that.

At the end of this story it says:

Umm Sulaym bint Milhaan, who was fighting that day with a cloth tied around her stomach, said:

“O Messenger of Allaah, what do you think about these people who ran away from you and let you down?

You should not forgive them if Allaah gives you power over them.”

He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“O Umm Sulaym, the forgiveness of Allaah is immense.”

She repeated that three times, and each time the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“The mercy of Allaah is immense.”

In al-Maghaazi it is narrated that she said:

“O Messenger of Allaah, should we not kill these who ran away (from the battlefield) as we killed the mushrikeen?”

He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“The forgiveness of Allaah is immense.”

What greater need can there be for women to fight than this incident when the men fled and abandoned the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

This clearly shows that there is nothing wrong with women fighting when that is essential, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not prevent this woman from fighting on that occasion.

But it is not narrated that he gave the women permission to fight on other occasions.

There is nothing wrong with old women being present at times of war to tend the wounded, bring water and cook food for the soldiers if they need that, because of the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qarat al-Azdi who said:

The womenfolk of Khaalid ibn al-Waleed and the womenfolk of the Sahaabah had their sleeves rolled up, bringing water to the mujaahideen and reciting encouraging poetry, when he was fighting the Byzantines.

What is meant here is old women, because young women are not allowed to go out for fear of fitnah, and old women can take care of the needs in such situations.

And it was narrated that Umm Mutaa’, who was present at Khaybar with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), said:

I saw Aslam (one of the Arab tribes) when they complained to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the difficulties they were facing, so he recommended that they engage in jihad and they responded.

I saw that Aslam were the first ones to reach the fortress and the sun did not set on that day until Allaah had enabled us to conquer it.

This clearly shows that she went out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he did not forbid her to do so.

From this we know that there is nothing wrong with an old woman going out to help the mujaahideen by doing tasks that are appropriate for them. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

End quote.

It says in Khishshaaf al-Qinaa’ (3/26):

Women are not allowed (to engage in jihad) because they are a source of temptation, as well as not being qualified to fight, because of their natural tendency to be weak and cowardly, and because there is no guarantee that the enemy will not capture them and regard it as permissible to do to them that which Allaah has forbidden.

Some of the scholars said: except the wife of the ruler or commander, who may be present to attend to his needs, because of the actions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or an old women in cases of need only, such as giving water to the troops and treating the wounded, because al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh said:

“We used to go out to fight with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), bringing water and serving them, bringing back the wounded and the slain to Madeenah.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari.

And a similar report was narrated from Anas by Muslim. That is because men may be distracted from these tasks by fighting, so this is a help to the Muslims and supporting them in their fight.

All of this has to do with jihad in cases where the enemy has not invaded the Muslim land, in which case jihad becomes obligatory on every able-bodied person, man or woman, and a woman may then go out without her husband’s permission.

Al-Kaasaani al-Hanafi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“But at times of general mobilization, such as when the enemy is seeking to invade a Muslim land, then it becomes an individual obligation (fard ‘ayn) on every single Muslim who is able to fight, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“March forth, whether you are light (being healthy, young and wealthy) or heavy (being ill, old and poor)”

[al-Tawbah 9:41]

It was said that this was revealed concerning general mobilization.

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“It was not becoming of the people of Al-Madinah and the bedouins of the neighbourhood to remain behind Allaah’s Messenger (Muhammad r when fighting in Allaah’s Cause) and (it was not becoming of them) to prefer their own lives to his life”

[al-Tawbah 9:120]

From Badaa’i’ al-Sanaa’i’, 7/98

It says something similar in al-Sharh al-Sagheer, one of the Maaliki books (2/274): that if the enemy attacks a Muslim land, then jihad becomes an individual obligation for every man and woman.

In conclusion:

Jihad is not obligatory for women in principle, except in cases of necessity, such as if the kuffaar attack a Muslim land, in which case jihad becomes obligatory for women, according to their abilities.

If a woman is not able to fight then she is not obliged to do so, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope”

[al-Baqarah 2:286]

And Allaah knows best.

Who are the ones who will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like mountains but Allah will make them like scattered dust?

2011-09-12T00:20:00.001-07:00

Ibn Maajah (4245) narrated from Thawbaan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“I certainly know people of my ummah who will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like the mountains of Tihaamah, but Allaah will make them like scattered dust.”

Thawbaan said: O Messenger of Allaah, describe them to us and tell us more, so that we will not become of them unknowingly. He said:

“They are your brothers and from your race, worshipping at night as you do, but they will be people who, when they are alone, transgress the sacred limits of Allaah.”

This is a saheeh hadeeth; it was classed as such by al-Buwaysari in Misbaah al-Zujaajah (4/246) and al-Albaani in al-Saheehah. Al-Mundhiri said in al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb (3/170): Its narrators are thiqaat (trustworthy).

Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) in al-Zawaajir (3/49) regarded it as pretending to be righteous outwardly and transgressing the sacred limits; even committing minor sins when one is alone is regarded as something major, and he quoted this hadeeth as evidence, and said:

The one whose habit is to make a show of being good and concealing his evil ways causes more harm and misguidance to the Muslims, because he has no piety and no fear of Allah.

End quote.

Secondly:

Repentance to Allah, if it is sincere, erases what came before it of sin, no matter what that sin is. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills; and whoever sets up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin”

[al-Nisa’ 4:48]

“Say: ‘O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful.

54. ‘And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam) before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped.

55. ‘And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’aan, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!’

[al-Zumar 39:53-55].

Allaah listed the major sins and immoral actions which He and His righteous close friends disdain, then He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”

[al-Furqaan 25:68-70].

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

Repentance cannot be sound except with three things: restoring the rights of others, feeling regret for his sins and striving to make up for what he missed of good deeds.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Restoring the rights of others means: repenting from the sins that he committed against Allah, and paying off the dues that he owes to other people.

Feeling regret for his sins means: may be interpreted in two ways:

(i) feeling sad for his sins, which is indicative of his turning back towards Allah, unlike one who is not upset by his sin, which is indicative of the corruption and deadening of his heart;

(ii) being upset by his brother's sins, so that it is as if he is the one who has done it, and he does not rejoice in his brother's misfortune. This is indicative of the softening of his heart and his love of Allah.

Striving to make up for what he missed: this means catching up with what he has missed out on acts of worship and drawing close to Allah, by doing acts similar to them or better than them, especially for what is rest of his life, when the time of his meeting Allah draws near.

End quote.

Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/434

The Ruling on Fasting During Sha'baan

2011-08-27T14:56:00.001-07:00

On authority of A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said" the
Messenger, 'Alaihi as salaatu was salaam: use to fast until we (the
companions) would say" he (sallallahu 'allehi wa salam) does not break
his fast" and he use to break his fast until we would say "verily he
does not fast" I have not seen the Messenger (sallallahu 'allehi wa
salam) fast a complete month other than Ramadan and never use to fast
more in a month than he did in the month of Sha'baan.

Reported by Al Bukaari :(1969) and Muslim: (1053)

Aisha also narrated, may Allah be pleased with her, the Messenger
(sallallahu alllehi wa salam) never use to fast more than he did in
the month of Sha'baan , for verily he use to fast the whole month.
In the narration of Muslim: he use to fast the whole month except a
small portion of it.

And he(sallallahu 'allehi wa salam) use too say " take from the
actions of worship that which you are capable of maintaining verily
Allah does not become uninterested until you become uninterested in
the acts of worship.

Reported by Al Bukaari:(1970) and Muslim: (782)

On authority of Ibn Abbaas, (may Allah be pleased with him), the
Messenger , 'Alaihi as salaatu was salaam did not fast a complete
month other than the month of Ramadaan and he use fast in other
occasions until someone would say" No by Allah he does not break his
fast" and other times he would refrain from fasting until one would
say "No by Allah he does not fast"

Reported by Muslim:(1971)

It is evident from previous narrations that the Messenger (sallallahu
alayhi wa salam) never use to fast a complete month other than the
month of Ramadan. However, in the narration of 'Aisha the scholars
differed as to what she meant by her statement "He(sallallahu aleyhi
wa sallam) used to fast the whole month of Sha'ban, and in the
narration of Imam Muslim , he use to fast the whole month except a
small portion of it.

Imam An Nawawi mentioned in his explanation of Saheeh Muslim (8-279) "
and her statement ,may Allah be pleased with her, – he use to fast the
whole month of Sha'ban, he use to fast the whole month except a small
portion of it.- The second half of her statement (i.e. he use to fast
the whole month except a small portion of it) is an explanation of the
first half (i.e. he use to fast the whole month of Sha'ban). He ( may
the mercy of Allah be upon him), then continued to say'' it has also
been said (about the meaning of the hadeeth) that he ( the Messenger
salahu 'alahi wa salam) use to fast most of the month on some
occasions while on others he use to fast the whole month.

It has also been said that he (the messenger salahu alaihi wa salam)
use to fast the beginning of the month in some years while in some
years he use to fast the middle of the month and yet in others he
would fast the end of the month of Sha'baan. He would not leave any
of the month except he would fast in it however throughout the course
several years.

Al Haafidh bin Rajb Al Hanabi stated in his book "Wadhaaif Ashuhuur"
after mentioning the previous ahaadeeth and others about the manner in
which the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam fasted during the month
of Sha'baan "a group from amongst the scholars from them being Ibn
Mubaarak have deemed that the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam did
not fast a complete month of Sha'baan, rather he use to fast the
majority of Sha'baan. This is confirmed by the statement of 'Aisha
-may Allah be pleased with her- which is found in Saheeh Muslim "I
have not known that the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam fasted a
complete month other than the month of Ramadhan and in another
narration also found in Saheeh Muslim she said " I have not seen him
(i.e.Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam) fasting a complete month
since he came to Madinah other than the month of Ramadhan. In another
narration found in Saheeh Muslim she said " I have not known of the
messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam that he read the Quraan in one
night or fasted a whole month other than Ramadhan. Ibn Rajb then
mentioned in a final narration on the authority of 'Aisha also found
in Saheeh Muslim that she said "I have not seen him ( the Messenger
salallahu 'alahi wa salam) standing the (whole) night in prayer until
dawn or fasting continuously except in the month of Ramadhan. In the
saheehain on the authority of Ibn Abbas ,may Allah be pleased with
them said " the Messenger salallahu alahi wa salam fasted a whole
month other than Ramadhan while he (Ibn Abbas) disliked to fast a
whole month other than Ramadhan. Abridged.

BENEFIT: Abu Dawood may Allah have mercy on him narrated in his book
"Sunan Abi Dawood #(2024)" as well as others on the authority of Umm
Salamah that she said " The Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam never
use to fast a complete month throughout the year except Sha'baan he
use to join it with Ramadhan. Al Haafidh bin Hajr said in his
explanation of the meaning of this hadeeth (Fath Albari 4\272) "he use
to fast the majority of the month and Imam At Tirmidhi reported that
Ibn Mubaarak said it is permissible in the Arabic language if he fasts
most of the month for him to say he fasted the whole month, and it is
said so and so stood throughout the whole night (i.e. in worship) and
it is possible that he had dinner and was also busy with some of his
affairs. Imam At Tirmidhi then said it is as if Ibn Mubaark united
between the two hadeeths (the hadeeth of 'Aisha where she said the
Messenger did not fast a whole month other than Ramadhan and the
previous hadeeth of Umm Salamah) by this. Then Ibn Hajr selected the
view of Imam An Nawawi that the first part of the statement of Aisha
was explained by the second part.

The summary of that which has come to pass is that the sunnah of the
Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam during the month Sha'baan is to
increase in fasting more than one usually fasts in any other month.
This fast is also not restricted to any specific sequence like fasting
one day and breaking the following which is known as the fast of the
Messenger of Allah Dawood -peace be upon him-. Rather one should fast
as much as possible in this month, with the condition that he avoids
fasting the final few days as the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam
has prohibited this and we will discuss it in the near future ,if
Allah wills.

What is the Wisdom of Increasing in Fast During this Month?

Shaykh Albaani may Allah have mercy on him in his book Irwa Algaleel
(4\103) mentioned a narration found in the Musnad on Imam Ahmed as
well as the Sunan of Imam An Nisaai that Usmah bin Zaid ,may Allah be
pleased with him, asked the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam "I
have not seen you fast in any month the way you fast in Sha'baan" He
,salallahu alahi wa salam, then replied by saying "That is a month
(i,e, Sha'baan) that the people are neglectful of between Ramadhan and
Sha'baan and it is also a month that the actions are raised to the
lord of the worlds and I like for my actions to be raised while I am
fasting. Shaykh Albaani mentioned this narration and stated that it
is an authentic hadeeth. Therefore, we benefit from this hadeeth the
wisdom in which the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam use to
increase in his fast during this blessed month.

I ask Allah to except my efforts in this short translation and to
benefit by it Islam and the Muslims. I also ask Him to make us from
those who act upon our knowledge.

Translation: Mahmood bin Muhammad As Somali( a current Student in Damaaj)

Woe to you! That is the inheritance of Muhammad, salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam

2011-08-27T14:42:00.001-07:00

Aboo Hurayrah (radiallaahu 'anhu) once passed by the market in Madinah. He stopped at the market and said: "O people of the market, how incapable you are!" They said, "And how is that Aboo Hurayrah?" He replied, "Over there, the inheritance of Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is being distributed and you are here! Won't you go and take your share?" "Where is it?" they asked. He replied, "In the Masjid." So they hurried to the Masjid, and Aboo Hurayrah waited for them until they returned. When they came back, he said, "What’s the matter?" They replied, "Aboo Hurayrah! We went to the Masjid, but we didn't see anything being distributed." Aboo Hurayrah asked them, "And you didn't see anyone in the Masjid?" They replied, "Indeed we did; we saw people praying, others reciting Qur`an and others studying the regulations of halal and haram."

So Aboo Hurayrah said, "Woe to you! That is the inheritance of Muhammad, salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam."

[Reported by at-Tabaraani in al-Aswaat, with a hassan chain of narrators; Al-Albanee also graded it hasan in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa Tarheeb, Vol 1, pg. 19.]

"... a woman never worships Allâh in the way she does when she worships Him in her house."

2011-08-27T14:40:00.001-07:00

Women are ‘Awrah - Explained
‘Abdullâh b. Mas’ûd – Allâh be pleased with him – said:
Women are but an ‘awrah (something private to be covered). A woman might leave her house without there being any problem with her, but the Shaytân seeks her out and says [to her], “You will not pass by anyone except that you will impress/please him.” A woman puts on her clothes and is asked where she is going, to which she replies, “To visit a sick person,” or “to attend a funeral”, or “to pray in the masjid”; but a woman never worships Allâh in the way she does when she worships Him in her house.
Al-Tabarânî. Graded sahîh by Shaykh Al-Albânî in Sahîh Al-Targhîbi wa Al-TarhîbVol. 1 p84.

taken from:http://sayingsofthesalaf.blogspot.com/

Is the Sufi’s Stabbing themselves with Skewers a Miracle?

2011-08-27T14:38:00.002-07:00

I had travelled to Aleppo from Damascus for da’wah and gave a lesson after which the people dispersed. Normally four to five people from our brothers, our friends, stay behind. [This time] another person stayed behind with them who I had never seen before. He was sitting there, far away from me. His stomach was like this, he was not overweight, slim, yet along with that his stomach was like this [i.e., sticking out].
I said to him, ‘What is this?’
He said, ‘This is ‘Rahmaaniyyah.’’ That was the first time I heard this word, [I heard it] there in Aleppo. I said, ‘What does Rahmaaniyyah mean?’
He said, ‘It means the skewers.’
I said, ‘So why did you come to me?’ I knew why. He said:
‘To show you our miracles [karaamaat].’
I said to him, ‘This is easy [to deal with].’ That day I had a two-sided blade with me to sharpen my pencil, each side was like this, small.
I said to him, ‘[If that’s the case], I’ll hit you with this blade using my hand.’
So he said, ‘[No], with my hand,’ i.e., he wanted to strike himself with the blade which I would give him.
So I said, ‘No, with my hand.’
He said, ‘With my hand.’ So the people started to look at these words being repeated by both sides, I was saying, ‘With my hand,’ and he was saying, ‘With my hand.’
‘With my hand.’
‘With my hand.’
‘With my hand.’
‘With my hand.’
‘With my hand.’
And I naturally was more patient than him because firstly, I knew I was upon the truth and secondly so many years have passed by me, as many as Allaah has willed, calling all types of people to the true religion of Allaah.
So he became tired and fed up.
[And when he did] the last thing he said was, ‘What’s the difference?’
I was saying to him, ‘With my hand.’ And he was saying to me, ‘With my hand. With my hand.’ Afterwards he got tired and became fed up, and said, ‘What’s the difference?’
I said, ‘If there is no difference, [then] with my hand.’ He then turned the topic on its head, and this is from their ignorance.
He called the person whose house it was, and his name was Abu Ahmad, he said to him, ‘O Abu Ahmad! Bring the brazier [i.e., a metal container for carrying hot coal, etc.].’
I understood what he meant and so I said, ‘O Abu Ahmad, don’t bring the brazier, bring a matchstick.’ Subhaanallaah, he was from the Sufis and they were used to wearing a white head covering without the head cord [iqaal, the round black cord Arabs wear to keep the head covering in place].
So he brought the matchstick. I lit it and got up going towards him and said, ‘You will denounce this false claim of yours or otherwise I will burn you.’
Miskeen, he was speechless, silent, not saying a single word.
I was moving towards him step by step until I came close to him–and I really put the matchstick onto his head covering, and it started to catch fire.
Then I took it and rubbed it against itself like this [i.e., put it out after having proved the falsehood of his claim], fearing that the sparks would increase, I [put it out] like this, and then said to him, ‘Go to those Shaikhs of yours and tell them:
‘These are the miracles [karaamaat] of the Salafis.’

The Siwaak is pleasing to the Lord

2011-08-27T14:37:00.002-07:00

The Siwaak which is sometimes called the 'Miswak' is a cleaning tool taken from the Arak tree. The Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) used to stress its use for numerous benefits, some of which are mentioned below. The Siwaak is used as a natural medical tool to clean the teeth, remove plaque and bacteria. It also strengthens the gums.
The Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "The siwaak is a purification for the mouth and pleasing to the Lord." [Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, Saheeh Al-Jaami' (3696) Sheikh Albaani rahimahullaah said it is saheeh].
The Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "If it wasn't to cause difficulty to my nation I would have ordered them to use the Siwaak for every ablution." [Saheeh Al-Jaami' (5319) Sheikh Albaani rahimahullaah said it is saheeh].
The Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said that the Siwaak is from the fitrah (natural state) [Saheeh Al-Jaami' (4009) Sheikh Albaani rahimahullaah said it is hasan].
The Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) never used to sleep except that the Siwaak was by his head and when he (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) woke up he began with the Siwaak. [See Saheehah (2111) and Saheeh Al-Jaami' (4872) Sheikh Albaani rahimahullaah said it is hasan].
Hudayfah ibnul Yamaan t said, "The Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) used to purify his mouth with the Siwaak when waking up for Tahajjud (night prayer)." [Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "When the Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) would enter the house he would begin with the Siwaak." [Saheeh Muslim].
The Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "Purify your mouth with the siwaak because it is the path where the Qur'an emanates from." [Saheeh ibn Maajah].
Narrated Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that from the favours of Allah that He bestowed upon me was that the Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) died in my house on the day of my turn while he was leaning on my chest. Allah made my saliva mix with his at his death. When Abdulrahman (my brother) entered upon me with a Siwaak in his hand and I was supporting (the back of) Allah's Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) on my chest. I saw the Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) looking at it(i.e the Siwaak) and I knew He (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) loved the Siwaak, so I said to him, "Shall I take it for you?" He (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) nodded in agreement. So I took it and it was too stiff for him to use, so I said to him, "shall I soften it for you?" He (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) nodded showing his approval. So I softened it and cleaned his teeth with it. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (4449)].
Sheikh Saalih Al-Fawzan says regarding the hadeeth, "If It wasn't for causing difficulty to my nation, I would have ordered them with the Siwaak" He said:
This hadeeth shows that the Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) was merciful to his nation. He (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) didn't want any difficulty for them. Rather, He (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) wanted ease for them and He (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) would do actions (of worship) and not order others with them for fear that it would be difficult for them but sufficed with just encouraging them with it.
Siwaak is to use the tooth stick in the mouth to remove the smell and what may be left of food because the mouth could have bad breath due to the food getting stuck in the mouth. Also, it is used to remove smells emanating from the stomach rising to the mouth. Islam is a religion of cleanliness.
The explainer of "Subul sallam" said number of hadeeth on the Siwaak has reached about 100.
Using the Siwaak is from the traits of the Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) and it is from the fitrah (natural state) of a person. It is a stressed Sunnah and it is used in all times but especially for five occasions:
1. While doing wudu (ablution).
2. While beginning to pray.
3. When waking up from sleep
4. The Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) would use the Siwaak when reading the Qur'an due to it being the speech of Allah and due to the presence of the angels.
5. When the person senses the change of smell in their mouth.
It is preferable to use the Siwaak all the time even for the fasting person and for the one who is not fasting.
The best type of Siwaak comes from the Arak tree because it is soft and has a good smell.
It is preferable to use the Siwaak to remove bad smells when going to the mosque. This is why the Messenger (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) ordered that a person should not eat garlic while going to the mosque.

What is the difference between Sihr (witchcraft/magic) and ‘Ayn (the evil /envious eye)?

2011-08-22T01:26:00.001-07:00

[Fatawas of the Permanent Committee, Group 1, Volume 1, page 547-548]

The second question of Fatwa no. 6366

Q2: What is the difference between Sihr (witchcraft/magic) and ‘Ayn (the evil/envious eye)?

Is the evil eye real in the view of religion and has a legal ruling on? What is the remedy for both the envier and the envied if the evil eye has a real effect?

A: In the linguistic sense the word Sihr (witchcraft/magic) means: What is hidden and its means are secret. In the terminological sense, Sihr is the practice of using charms and spells, some of which afflict hearts and bodies causing the person to fall ill, sometimes to die, or cause separation between man and his wife. Allah (Exalted be He) says (what means): And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allâh’s Leave.

As for the Arabic word ‘Ayn (literally, the eye), it is derived from (‘Aan - Ya‘in), and refers to when a person harms another by casting an evil eye on him. The ‘Ayn (evil eye) is real, for it is narrated in the authentic Hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The (evil) eyeis real; and if anything were to precede destiny, it would be the (evil) eye. And if you (the envier) are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure for the envied), you should take such a bath.” The ‘Ayn (evil eye) is forbidden the same as Sihr (witchcraft). The remedy for the envier is that upon seeing something that pleases him, one should mention Allah and invoke Allah to bless what he sees, as it is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If you see something that you like, why do you not supplicate (Allah’s) blessings on it? He should say, “Ma sha’ Allah laa quwwata illa billah.” (Whatever Allah wills! There is no power except with Allah), then invoke Allah’s blessings for that person. As for the envied, he should protect himself by strong faith and trust in Allah. He should also read a regular portion of the Qur’an and recite the Prophetic supplications to be said at regular times of the day. If it happens that the envied knows the person who cast an evil eye on him, he is sanctioned by Shari‘ah to ask that person to wash his face, hands and the inside of his waist-wrap in a basin of water then he (the envied) should take a bath with that water.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in this regard: And if you (the envier) are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure for the envied), you should take such a bath.

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions!

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’

Member	Member	Deputy Chairman	Chairman
`Abdullah ibn Qa`ud	`Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan	`Abdul-Razzaq `Afify	`Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz

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Wearing out the Devils

إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيُنْضِي شَيَاْطِيْنَهُ؛ كَمَا يُنْضِي أَحَدُكُمْ بَعِيْرَه فِي الْسَّفَر

From Abu Hurairah in marfoo’ form: “Indeed the believer wears out his devils just like one of you wears out his camel on a journey.”

Silisilah | 3586 | Hasan