ummtaalib

The 15th night of Sha’baan is known as Laylatul Baraa’ah or the Night of Emancipation. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has stated: “Allah Ta'ala looks upon all His creation on the middle Night of Sha'baan and forgives them all, except the one who associates partners with Him or the one who has hatred in his heart (against a Muslim).” (Authenticated as Saheeh in Saheeh ibn Hibban) There are those who cast doubts about the significance of this night. They would be wise to consider the words of Ibn Taymiya and Albaani, whom they consider as Imaams. Ibn Taymiya writes in his Al-Fataawal Kubra, “As for the middle night of Sha’baan, indeed it holds virtue.” Albaani when discussing the Ahadith regarding the 15th night of Sha’baan writes, “In essence, the Hadith, considering the different narrations, is Saheeh (rigorously authenticated) without any doubt.” He further says that those who deny the virtue of this night, then it is due to their haste in passing rulings and the absence of effort in researching the Ahadith. (Silsilatul Ahadithis Sahihah) The 15th night of Sha’baan is indeed an auspicious night. It is a night of forgiveness and mercy. Let us be of those fortunate ones who maximise the benefits of this night and thereby welcome Ramadhan spiritually rejuvenated. Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians 223 Alpine Road, Overport, Durban

Words of Inspiration Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for. All the water in the ocean could never sink a ship unless the water gets inside. Likewise, all the pressures of life can never hurt you unless you let it in. (idealwoman.org)

Allah, The Most Exalted says: "And in Allah (Alone) let the believers, put their trust." (Qur’aan-14:11) The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: "If you all depend on Allah with due reliance, He would certainly give you provision as He gives it to birds who go forth hungry in the morning and return with full belly in the evening". (Hadith: Tirmidhi) EISLAM

When will Zakaat be Obligatory? Q: When will zakaat be obligatory and how should one work out one's zakaat date? A: The first day a person acquires wealth (upon which zakaat is compulsory) which equals the nisaab and the wealth remains with him for an entire lunar year, zakaat will be waajib on that wealth. E.g. Zaid acquired R3, 000 (which for example is the nisaab amount) on the first day of the lunar year (1st of Muharram 1434). This wealth remained with him for an entire lunar year. On the 1st of Muharram 1435 zakaat will be waajib upon the wealth. It should be noted that if the amount decreased during the course of the year e.g. R3, 000 decreased to R1, 000 but at the end of the zakaat year (1st of Muharram 1435) the amount returned to R3, 000 or more, zakaat will be waajib. However, if during the year all the money was spent, then despite the full amount (R3, 000) being possessed at the end of the lunar year, zakaat will not be waajib. Instead one year will be calculated from the date that he once again acquired the nisaab amount. (وشرط كمال النصاب) ولو سائمة (في طرفي الحول) في الابتداء للانعقاد وفي الانتهاء للوجوب (فلا يضر نقصانه بينهما) فلو هلك كله بطل الحول قوله: (وشرط كمال النصاب إلخ) أي ولو حكما، لما في البحر والنهر، لو كان له غنم للتجارة تساوي نصابا فماتت قبل الحول فدبغ جلودها وتم الحول عليها كان عليه الزكاة إن بلغت نصابا، ولو تخمر عصيره الذي للتجارة قبل الحول ثم صار خلا وتم الحول عليه وهو كذلك لا زكاة عليه؛ لأن النصاب في الأول باق لبقاء الجلد لتقومه بخلافه في الثاني. وروى ابن سماعة أنه عليه الزكاة في الثاني أيضا قوله: (للانعقاد) أي انعقاد السبب أي تحققه بتملك النصاب ط قوله: (للوجوب) أي لتحقق الوجوب عليه ط قوله: (فلو هلك كله) أي في أثناء الحول بطل الحول، حتى لو استفاد فيه غيره استأنف له حولا جديدا وتقدم حكم هلاكه بعد تمام الحول في زكاة الغنم. قال في النهر: ومنه أي من الهلاك ما لو جعل السائمة علوفة؛ لأن زوال الوصف كزوال العين (شامي 2/302) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Al-Mu'awwadhat Supplications for Safety & Refuge from Calamities by Shaykh Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh NOW AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD Here

Adab of Ramadhan As for Ramadhan, do extreme adab of Ramadhan Mubarak. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said [narrated in Bukhari]: ‏ « من لم يدع قول الزور والعمل به والجهل فليس لله حاجة أن يدع طعامه وشرابه » The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, whoever does not leave qawl az zoor and working in accordance to it Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and his drink. What is haraam in other days is more haraam in Ramadhan. Do not trouble or offend anyone. Be like someone in a Kanqha. Go about your work and daily activities but remain alag salag [separate]. Be like someone in search of something. [This type of person is too preoccupied about his worry to look at other’s faults.] What is this thing you are searching for? Allah Ta’alah’s pleasure. In a Hadith Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم tells us to give the labourer his wage before his perspiration dies. What then, do you think of Allah, the best of those who recompense? He will forgive you even before you finish your fast! This is as long you show adab towards the month of Ramadhan. In Ramadhan, do as much dua as you can. If you cannot lift your hands due to extreme hunger, then make dua whilst sitting or lying. Do not leave dua. May Allah grant us Taufeeq. باتیں کم کرو اور کام زيادہ کرو Spend less time talking and more time doing good deeds. وقت نکالوگے تو وقت ملے گا If you take time out [to do worship], you will be given [blessings in] time. Hadhrat Maulana Adam Lunat Saahib darsdays.blogspot.com

Beautiful is She.... Beautiful, is she, who loves for the sake of Allah. Beautiful, is she, who walks in humility. Beautiful, is she, who strives for piety. Beautiful, is she, who aims for the stars. Beautiful, is she, who loves to learn. True beauty comes not from her appearance but rather comes from within. Beautiful, is her mind, heart, and soul……. idealwoman.org

Safiyya Safiyya bint Huyayy, (may Allah be pleased with her) married the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in 7 AH, when the Prophet was sixty years old and she was seventeen years old. As in the case of juwayriyya bint Harith, this marriage occurred after one of the Muslims' decisive battles, in this case, the battle of Khaybar. After the battle of Khaybar in which the Muslims defeated the Jews, two women were brought before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by Bilal, the black mu'adhdhin of Medina whose beautifully piercing voice constantly called the Muslims to prayer right up until the Prophet's death- after which he could not bring himself to call the adhan anymore, until he was present at the surrender of Jerusalem to the khalif Umar in 17 AH. They had passed by those who had been killed in the fighting. One of the two women was shrieking and screaming, and rubbing dust in her hair, while the other was mute with shock. The silent one was Safiyya, the daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Banu Nadir who had all been expelled from Medina in 4 AH after plotting to kill the Messenger of Allah by dropping a stone on his head as he sat talking with their leaders. The noisy one was Safiyya's cousin. Safiyya could trace her lineage directly back to Harun, the brother of the Prophet Moses (peace be upon them). The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked someone to look after the woman who was screaming and then took off his cloak and placed it over the shoulders of Safiyya, whose husband had been killed in the battle. It was a gesture of pity, but from that moment she was to be honored and given great respect in the Muslim community. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned to Bilal and said, "Bilal, has Allah plucked mercy from your heart that you let these two women pass by those of their menfolk who have been killed?" This was considered a severe reprimand, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) rarely criticized the behavior of those who served him. Anas ibn Malik, for example once said, "I served the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for eight years. He never once scolded me for something that I had done or for something that I had not done." Like Umm Habiba, Safiyya was the daughter of a great chief. The only person who could save her from becoming a slave after having enjoyed such a high position was the Prophet. Although her father had planned to assassinate Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) after the battle of Uhud, and had conspired with the Banu Qurayza to exterminate all the Muslims during the battle of al-Khandaq, it was characteristic of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he did not bear any grudges. For those who did wrong, he felt pity rather than anger, and for those who had done no wrong, he had even greater compassion. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) invited Safiyya to embrace Islam, which she did, and having given her, her freedom, he then married her. Some people may have wondered how it was that Safiyya could accept Islam and marry the Prophet when her father had been his bitter enemy, and when bloody battles had taken place between the Jews and the Muslims. The answer may be found in what she has related of her early life as the daughter of the chief of the Banu Nadir. She said, (may Allah be pleased with her): "I was my father's favorite and also a favorite with my uncle Yasir. They could never see me with one of their children without picking me up. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to Medina, my father and my uncle went to see him. It was very early in the morning and between dawn and sunrise. They did not return until the sun was setting. They came back worn out and depressed, walking with slow, heavy steps. I smiled to them as I always did, but neither of them took any notice of me because they were so miserable. I head Abu Yasir ask my father, 'Is it him?' 'Yes, it is.' 'Can you recognize him? Can you verify it?' 'Yes, I can recognize him too well.' 'What do you feel towards him?' 'Enmity, enmity as long as I live.' The significance of this conversation is evident when we recall that in the Torah of the Jews, it was written that a Prophet would come who would lead those who followed him to victory. Indeed before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to Medina, the Jews used to threaten the idol worshippers of Yathrib, as it was then called, that when the next Prophet came to the believers were going to exterminate them, just as the Jews had exterminated other tribes who refused to worship God in the past. As in any case, of the Prophet Jesus, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who had been clearly described in the Torah - but rejected by many of the Jews when he actually came - the next and last Prophet was accurately described in the Torah, which also contained signs by which the Jews could easily recognize him. Thus Ka'b al-Ahbar, one of the Jews of that time who embraced Islam, relates that this Prophet is described in the Torah as follows: 'My slave, Ahmad, the Chosen, born in Mecca, who will emigrate to Medina (or he said Tayyiba - another name given to Yathrib); his community will be those who praise Allah in every state.' And 'Amr ibn al-'As said that it also says in the Torah: 'O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good news and a warner and a refuge for the illiterate. You are My slave and My messenger. I have called you the one on whom people rely, one who is neither coarse nor vulgar, and who neither shouts in the markets nor repays evil with evil, but rather pardons and forgives. Allah will not take him back to Himself until the crooked community has been straightened out by him and they say, "There is no god but Allah." Through him, blind eyes, deaf ears and covered hearts will be opened.' It was thanks to these descriptions in the Torah, that the most learned rabbi of the Jews, 'Abdullah ibn Salam, had embraced Islam on seeing Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and it was because of these descriptions that Huyayy ibn Akhtab was also able to recognize him. However Huyayy, like most of the other Jews, was deeply disappointed that the last Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a descendant of Isma'il and not of Ishaq, (the two sons of the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon them), since the Jews of that time claimed exclusive descent from Ishaq, through the twelve sons of his son Ya'qub (who was also known as Israel), from whom the twelve tribes of Israel had originated. Not only did Huyayy resent the fact that the last Prophet had appeared amongst the Arabs, but also he did not want to lose his position of power and leadership over his people. It was for these reasons that Huyayy secretly decided to oppose and fight the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) while in public he and the other leaders of the Jews made peace treaties with the Muslims and the Jews broke as soon as it seemed a favorable time to do so. Although Safiyya was Huyayy's daughter, she had a pure heart and had always wanted to worship her Creator and Lord, the One who had sent Moses, to whom she was related, and Jesus, and finally Muhammad, may Allah be pleased with all of them. Thus as soon as the opportunity arose, not only to follow the last Prophet, but also to be married to him, she took it. Although Safiyya had in Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) a most kind and considerate husband, she was not always favorably accepted by some of his other wives, especially when she had first joined the Prophet's household. It is related by Anas that on one occasion, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) found Safiyya weeping. When he asked her what the matter was, she replied that she heard thHafsa had disparagingly described her as 'the daughter of a Jew'. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) responded by saying, "You are certainly the daughter of a Prophet (Harun), and certainly your uncle was a Prophet (Moses), and you are certainly the wife of a Prophet (Muhammad), so what is there in that to be scornful towards you?" Then he said to Hafsa, "O Hafsa, fear Allah!" Once the Prophet was accompanied on a journey by Safiyya and Zaynab bint Jahsh when Safiyya' s camel went lame. Zaynab had an extra camel and the Prophet asked her if she would give it to Safiyya. Zaynab retorted, "Should I give to that Jewess!" The Prophet turned away from her in anger and would not have anything to do with her for two or three months not to show his disapproval of what she had said. Some three years later, when Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was in his final illness, Safiyya felt for him deeply and sincerely. "O Messenger of Allah," she said, "I wish it was I who was suffering instead of you." Some of the wives winked at each other which made the Prophet cross and he exclaimed, "By Allah, she spoke the truth!" She still underwent difficulties after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Once a slavegirl she owned went to the Amir al Muminin Umar and said, "Amir al Muminin! Safiyya loves the Sabbath and maintains ties with the Jews!" Umar asked Safiyya about that and she said, "I have not loved the Sabbath since Allah replaced it with Friday for me, and I only maintain ties with those Jews to whom I am related by kinship." She asked her slavegirl what had possessed her to carries lie to Umar and the girl replied, "Shaytan!" Safiyya said, "Go, you are free." Safiyya was with the Prophet for nearly four years, She was only twenty-one when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, and lived as a widow for the next thirty-nine years, dying in 50 AH, at the age of sixty (may Allah be pleased with her). inkofscholars

Umm Habiba Umm Habiba Ramla bint Abu Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with her, in fact married the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in 1 AH, although she did not actually come to live with him in Medina until 7 AH, when the Prophet was sixty years old and she was thirty-five. Umm Habiba was the daughter of Abu Sufyan, who for some of his life was one of the most resolute enemies of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) spending much of his great wealth in opposing the Muslims, and leading the armies of the kafirun against the Muslims in all the early major battles, including the battles of Badr, Uhud and al-Khandaq. Indeed it was not until the conquest of Mecca, when the Prophet generously pardoned him, that Abu Sufyan embraced Islam and began to fight with the Muslims instead of against them. Umm Habiba and her first husband, who was called Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh, the brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh, were among the first people to embrace Islam in Mecca, and they were among those early Muslims who emigrated to Abyssinia in order to be safe. Once in Abyssinia, however, Ubaydullah abandoned Islam and became a Christian. He tried to make her become Christian, but she stood fast. This put Umm Habiba in a difficult position, since a Muslim woman can only be married to be a Muslim man. She could no longer live with her husband, and once they had been divorced, she could not return to her father, who was still busy fighting the Muslims. So she remained with her daughter in Abyssinia, living a very simple life in isolation, waiting to see what Allah would decree for her. One day, as Umm Habiba sat in her solitary room, a stranger in a strange land far from her home, a maidservant knocked on her door and said that she had been sent by the Negus who had a message for her. The message was that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had asked for her hand in marriage, and that if she accepted this proposal that she was to name one of the accepted this proposal then she was to name one of the Muslims in Abyssinia as her wakil, so that the marriage ceremony could take place in Abyssinia even though she was not in the same place as the Prophet. Naturally Umm Habiba was overjoyed and accepted immediately. "Allah has given you good news! Allah has give you good news!" she cried, pulling off what little jewelry she had and giving it to the smiling girl. She asked her to repeat the message three times since she could hardly believe her ears. Soon after this, all the Muslims who had sought refuge in Abyssinia were summoned to the palace of the Negus to witness the simple marriage ceremony in which the on the Prophet's behalf and her wakil, Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-As, acting on her behalf. When the marriage was finalized, the Negus addressed the gathering with these words: "I praise Allah, the Holy, and I declare that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger and that He gave the good news to Jesus the son of Mary. "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) requested me to conclude the marriage contract between him and Umm Habiba, the daughter of Abu Sufyan. I agreed to do what he requested, and on his behalf I give her a dowry of four hundred gold dinars." The Negus handed over the amount to Khalid ibn Sa'id who stood up and said: "All praise is due to Allah. I praise Him and I seek His help and forgiveness and I turn to Him in repentance. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger whom He has sent with the deen of guidance and truth so that it may prevail over all other religions, however much those who reject dislike this. "I agreed to do what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) requested and acted as the wakil on behalf of Umm Habiba, the daughter of Abu Sufyan. May Allah bless His Messenger and his wife. Congratulations to Umm Habiba for the goodness which Allah has decreed for her." Khalid took the dowry and handed it over to Umm Habiba. Thus although she could not travel to Arabia straight away, she was provided for by the Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from the moment and that they were married. The Muslims who had witnessed the marriage contract were just about to leave, when the Negus said to them, "Sit down, for it is the practice of the Prophets to serve food at marriages." Joyfully everyone sat down again to eat and celebrate the happy occasion. Umm Habiba especially could hardly believe her good fortune, and she later described how eager she was to share her happiness, saying: "When I received the money as my dowry, I sent fifty mithqals of gold to the servant girl who had first brought me the good news, and I said to her, 'I gave you what I did when you gave me the good news because at that time I did not have any money at all.' "Shortly afterwards, she came to me and returned the gold. She also produced a case which contained the necklace I had given to her and gave it to me, saying, 'The Negus has instructed me not to take anything from you, and he has commanded the women in his household to present you with gifts of perfume.' "On the following day, she brought me ambergris, saffron and aloes wood oil and said, 'I have a favor to ask of you.' '"What is it?' I asked. '"I have accepted Islam,' she replied, 'and now I followed the deen of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Please convey my greetings of peace to him, and let him know that I believe in Allah and His Prophet. Please do not forget.'" Six years later, in 7 AH, when the emigrant Muslims in Abyssinia were finally able to return to Arabia, Umm Habiba came to Medina and there the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who had just returned victorious from Khaybar, warmly welcomed her. Umm Habiba relates: "When I met the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I told him all about the arrangements that had been made for the marriage, and about my relationship with the girl. I told him that she had become a Muslim and conveyed her greetings of peace to him. He was filled with joy at the news and said, 'Wa alayha as salam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh' - 'And on her be the peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessing.'" The strength of Umm Habiba' s character can be measured by what happened shortly before the conquest of Mecca, when her father, Abu Sufyan, came to Medina after the Quraish had broken the treaty of Hudaybiyya, in order to try and re-negotiate a fresh settlement with the Prophet Muhammad and the Muslims. He first went to Umm Habiba's room and was about to sit down on the blanket on which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) slept when Umm Habiba, who had not seen her father for over six years, asked him not to sit on it and quickly folded it up and put it away. "Am I too good for the bed, or it is the bed too good for me?" he asked. "how can the enemy of Islam sit on the bed of the Holy Prophet?" she replied. It was only after Abu Sufyan had embraced Islam, after the conquest of Mecca, and had become the enemy of the enemies of Islam, that Umm Habiba accepted and loved him again as her father. When she received the news that her father and brother Mu'awiya, who later became the Khalif of the Muslims, had become Muslims after the conquest, she fell down in prostration to Allah out of thankfulness. Umm Habiba spent four years of her life with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and lived for another thirty-three years after he had died, dying at the age of seventy-two in 44 AH, may Allah be pleased with her. Like all the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) Umm Habiba spent much of her time remembering Allah and worshipping Him. She has related that once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to her, "A house will be built in the Garden for anyone who, in the space of a day and a night, prays twelve voluntary rak'ats;" and she added, "I have never stopped doing this since I it from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessinof Allah be upon him). inkofscholars

Based on classic primers By Sheikh Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Bismillahi wal hamdulillah wassalatu wassalamu ala Rasoolillah, Ilmul Hadith is the science of the study of hadith. What defines "Hadith" will be mentioned later, but to begin with I would like to emphasize that the science of Hadith is one of many religious sciences. Just looking at the fundamental sciences there is Usul-Al-Quran (fundamentals of Quran), Usul Al-Hadith (fundamentals of Hadith), Lughah (language, including balaghah, Fasahah) and Usul al-Fiqh (the fundamentals of Fiqh). The science of Hadith is one that is dependent on the science of Quran but also one that is necessary for the proper understanding of Quran. A point I would like to make now is that there are people out there who question the necessity of hadith, in fact, the Qura'niyoon claim that hadith is irrelevant and that they will only study Quran. This is a ludicrous claim. Allah says in Quran: "[2:129] Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, and sanctify them: for Thou art the Exalted in Might, the Wise." They keyword here being that the messenger is to teach them the book AND impart wisdom upon them. Even the Sahabah had problems understand some of the language of Quran. In sourat Al-Hashr Allah tells us: "[59:7] So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you." He also says: "[4:65] But no, by thy Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make thee judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against thy decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction." Finally, Allah says: "[4:59] O ye who believe! obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: that is best, and most suitable for final determination." Overall, I believe it is blasphemy on Allah subhanahu wa taala to believe that he sent an irrelevant or faulty messenger. If the messenger was irrelevant and added nothing to the religion, then why didn't Allah send down the book in one piece? Why pass it to us through a messenger? Now a look at some of the terminology used in conjunction with this science: 1-Hadith: a) In a linguistic sense, "hadith" means a communication or a story. b) From a technical perspective (relative to the science of hadith): It is the collection prophet's deeds, statements and concessions. In addition to this, any traditions that carry a description of the Prophet (PBUH) and his physical appearance and properties are considered hadith, such as "Ash-Shama"l Al-Muhammadiyah." In Quran, the word hadith is used. Allah refers to Quran as being "Ahsan Al-Hadith" (39:23) which means the best of messages or the best of words. He also warns "[68:44] Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message (hadith): by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not." 2-Sunnah: a) Hadith is often referred to as "As-Sunnah." The word "Sunnah" is used interchangeably with the word "Hadith" especially when we are talking about the sources of Islamic Jurisprudence (First is Quran, second is Hadith or Sunnah). b) Sunnah also means the Prophet's way of life. c) Sunnah is also a Fiqh Rank when discerning the rulings of the different issues. Such deed is sunnah means that it is recommended or emphasized. The importance of hadith: The Prophet (saaw) was a walking Quran. He was the manifestation of Quran on earth. And the companions were very aware of this. This is why they accompanied him. This is why they have the title "Companions of the Prophet (saaw)." The term "Companion" is not used loosely. Not everyone who became a believer at the time of the Prophet (saaw) is a companion, only those who got to to meet him (except for one man whom the Prophet saaw referred to him as a companion even though he could not come and meet the prophet saaw). The Companions of the Prophet (saaw) realized his value and so they put an unbelievable amount of effort to be with him and to record and cherish everything he said and did. Omar (raa) had a deal with another companion that they would alternate, one would go out and work to provide for his family while the other would stay with the prophet and record all that he said and did. At the end of the day they would share what they learned. Abu Hurairah is another example. Though he became a Muslim fairly late in the Prophet's years of Prophethood, yet he has the most narrations of all the Prophet's companions. It is because as soon as he became a Muslim, he became one of Ahlu-Suffah (poor companions who stayed at the mosque of the Prophet saaw) and he dedicated his life to accompanying the Prophet (saaw) and learning from him. So much so that some companions have tested him because of his many narrations and he passed their tests. This tradition was kept so closely that if the Prophet (saaw) did something in the original tradition, the narrators through out time have did the exact same thing. There is a whole category of hadith called "Al-Musalsalat" in which the narrator would say "and then the prophet (saaw) did this.." and he would the exact same thing the prophet (saaw) did. For example, smile, or shake hands or entwine ones fingers with another's fingers (tashbeek). This is how precise these people maintained that tradition, that even if the Prophet (saaw) would do a gesture they would be sure to mention it and repeat it. The need for the science of hadith: The science of Hadith is a very specific and exact science. The science of "Jarh wa Ta'deel" (examination of the narrators), is one that has very specific and clear laws and fundamentals that we will touch upon. The ahadith (plural of hadith) of the Prophet (SAAW) went far and wide. The Companions of the Prophet (SAAW) went far away from Madinah. Just consider that the army that conquered Mecca was 10,000 strong and there were only a few thousand companions in Madinah during the time of Omar (RAA). When you consider that each companion probably did not narrate the hadith or tradition to just one person but a group of students, then you can imagine the tree getting wider and wider.. And so the necessity of collecting this tradition becomes apparent. The Collection of Hadith: The earliest collections of hadith were done by the Companions themselves. Some Companions kept scrolls of hadith. We know that Abu Bakr (RAA) kept a collection of hadith. Yet, most of the tradition of hadith was transferred in spoken form. The first collection of hadith was done by Abu Bakr ibn Hazm and was commissioned by Omar ibn Abdul-Aziz. Following that, many famous collections were made, the first and most prominent is the Muwatta' of Imam Malik, this was followed by many others such as Musnad Imam Ahmed, Sahih Al-Bukhari, Mustadrak Al-Hakim and so forth. Transmission of Hadith: There are eight ways in which hadith can be transmitted from one person to another as the scholars of hadith have discerned: a) Listening: The recipient of the hadith listened to the transmitter of the hadith and memorized it from him/her. b) Presenting: The recipient of the hadith retold it in the presence of the transmitter and he approved of that narration. This is particularly important in our time. We live in the information age. There is an abundance of information, but there is a lack of Ilm. Because information is being transferred carelessly. It is important to note that those who reported hadith as transmitted from others without their permission were known as the "Thieves of Hadith." c) Permission: The transmitter of the hadith has given the recipient permission to narrate ahadith from him. d) Handing down: A book of hadith was given by the transmitter to the recipient and he was allowed to narrate from it. e) Written: A written message was sent from the transmitter to the recipient that contained the hadith. f) Made known (I'lam): To inform about ahadith. This means that the informer informs someone that the he the [informer has the permission to transmit a certain book of hadith on a certain scholar's authority. Some scholars permit this while others reject it. g) Bequest: The transmitter stated the hadith in his bequest to the recipient. h) Found: The recipient came upon a work by the transmitter that contained this hadith. This was noted down by the scholars of hadith, and how the hadith was transmitted adds value to the authenticity of the hadith. For example, when relating ahadith, often you will see the authors of the books of hadith write "Hadathana" or "Akhbarana" or sometimes they would just write "'an folan 'an ilan" (word "'an" means this hadith was reported "by" so and so). These are not random words and are not used without consequence. For example, "Hadathana" denotes that the teacher read to the student and the student is reporting that, while "akhbarana" means that the student himself read it to the teacher and was approved of the way he memorized it. The study of hadith: Scholars have given the study of hadith a great weight. They argued over how early one can start studying it and how one can perfect it. Some said as early as 10 years, others said 12, 15 or 20. Incidentally, one scholar said a child can start learning hadith as soon as he can tell the difference between a cow and a donkey. J As an example of how early you can begin, Imam Shafii memorized all of Imam Malik's Muwata' when he was only 10. Authentication of Hadith: Why Authenticate hadith? Why go through all the different ranks and levels and scrutiny of each narrator? The main reason was to preserve hadith from being corrupted and altered by ideological and political influence. That is, to protect hadith from fabrication. Fabrication had many reasons, some were political, some were simply personal interest. Still, once the fear of people making up ahadith and attributing them to the prophet became a real one, scholars of religion began to dedicate themselves to preservation of the prophetic traditions. (Intermission) Hadith Ranking: The ranks of hadith were devised by scholars of hadith to evaluate the chain and the body of the hadith and give it a rank that helps weed out fabricated ahadith. It should be noted that even these rankings are not absolute. Some scholars of hadith were more strict than others. The scholars of hadith themselves are ranked as "Mo'tadel" (moderate) such as Al-Zhahabi, "Motashaddid" (strict) such as Ibn Al-Jawzi and Ad-Daraqutani and "Mutasahil" (Lenient) such as Al-Hakim. When determining the authenticity of a hadith, the scholars examine the body of the hadith and the chain of narrators. The chain is examined for two things, frequency of narration and continuity to the prophet. In addition to this, each narrator in the chain is evaluated for his honesty and strength of memory. Frequency of narration: a) Mutawatir: A mutawatir hadith is one that is narrated by a group of people in each level of its chain. An example of "tawatur" is the fact that Antarctica exists. It is something that a large group of people saw (either in real life or satellite photos) and then reported to a greater host of people who then wrote it in books to the rest of us. Mutawatir comes in two types: 1. Literally: Meaning that we have many copies of the hadith narrated by different people but all the exact same words. Those are very few among the collection of prophetic tradition. 2. Contextually: This means that the hadith is narrated by many people in each level of the chain but not in the exact same words. There are many such ahadith and most of them form the fundamental of Islamic beliefs and jurisprudence. b) Ahaad: This type constitutes the majority of the prophetic traditions.It is the hadith that only has a few concurrent narrators at each level in its chain of narration. This in turn is divided into a few subgroups. It is important to understand that in the categories below, the number listed represent the fewest number of concurrent narrators at any level in the chain. So, for example if a hadith has 6 companion narrators (that is level 1) and then 8 tabieen narrators (level 2) and then 2 level 3 narrators and then 12 level 4 narrators, then the width of this hadith's chain is �2� which is the width of the chain at level 3 because that is the narrowest that the chain got to. So, this hadith would be Aziz (chain width of 2) even though it is narrated by 6 Companions and ultimately 10 people. Here are the types of Ahaad hadith: 1. Mashhoor (famous): It does not mean famous among people, but frequently seen. This is the hadith that has a minimum chain width of three. 2. Aziz (precious/rare): It is the hadith that has a minimum chain width of two. 3. Gharib (stranger): It is the hadith that has a minimal chain width of one. 4. al-Fard (single): This is of two types: (fard mutlaq): where this particular hadith was transmitted by that particular person only. Or (fard nisbi) this has different meanings (1) none of the trustworthy narrators transmitted this hadith except this person, or (we can say) others narrated it as well but they were not trustworthy. (2) none of the scholars from any other region transmitted it except scholars from one region. Continuity of Narration: a) Marfoo�: Connected to the Prophet (SAAW). Means the Companion narrator specifically stated that the Prophet (SAAW) said this. b) Hokm Al-Marfoo': Connected by reasoning. When the Companion did not mention it is a saying of the Prophet (SAAW) yet it is a matter that could have only come from the Prophet (PBUH). c) Musnad/Mutassil: Fully connected, this means there are no missing gaps in the chain, everyone in the chain heard it from the person directly before him in the chain. d) Mawqoof (stopped): the hadith is the saying of the Companion. e) Maqtoo' (cut): the hadith is the saying or teaching of a tabi'ee (generation after the Companions). f) Mursal: The Tabi'ee narrates that the Prophet (SAAW) said without mentioning the Companion who told him this. g) Mu'alaq (hanging): There is a discontinuity in the chain at the beginning. h) Munqati: There is a discontinuity in the chain in the middle. i) Mo'dal: There is a gap of two narrators in the chain. j) Mo'an'an: Narrated through the use of "'an" as explained before. k) Musalsal: Narrated including a gesture or act by the Prophet (SAAW) that is included in the tradition. Ranks of Hadith: Now we examine the different rankings of hadith which as we said is a function of examining the hadith's chain as well as its body. a) Maqbool (accepted): This means the hadith is accepted as proof in Islamic Jurisprudence. So that a scholar of Islamic Law can hold this hadith to his peers as proof of his point of view. This is divided into: 1. Sahih (correct/proper form): This is the highest rank of authenticity and it has two sub ranks: i. Intrinsic Sahih: Sahih because its chain and body have passed all the necessary bars. ii. Sahih through other means: This means the hadith has slight flaws in its chain that should rank it as Hassan (see below) but because of other ahadith that may resonate the meaning the hadith is elevated to the ranks of Sahih. 2. Hassan (good/well): Like wise it can also be divided into intrinsic Hassan and Hassan through other means which may be a weak hadith originally. b) Mardood (rejected): This denotes the ahadith that have serious flaws in their chain or body that prevent them from being a proof in Jurisprudence and law. They are divided into two types: 1. Da'eef (weak): This is ahadith that has flaws in its chain that cannot be reconciled. This does not necessarily mean the hadith is not true or that it is fabricated. It basically means that this hadith through this chain cannot be taken reliably to be the words of the Prophet (SAAW). 2. Mawdoo' (fabricated): This is a hadith that has an obvious taint of fabrication into its chain or body. Here is a list of the criteria for qualifying a hadith as Sahih: a) No contradictions with Quran or other well established Sahih hadith. b) Continuity of the chain of narrators. c) No Ellah (defects). And there has been many works on the "Defects of hadith" by prominent scholars like At-Termizhi and Ad-Daraqutani. d) And every narrator in the chain had to be Adil (Righteous), Truthful and Dabit (of strong memory). If a sahih hadith fails some of these conditions, it is degraded into the rank of Hassan. Some flaws though would bring the hadith down to the rank of Da'eef. I would like to interject here a note on the usage of Da'eef hadith. Some people treat Da'eef hadith nowadays as if it is useful. When someone says a hadith they say "Oh, I heard it is Da'eef" as if that somehow makes the hadith void. This is an incorrect approach, if hadith da'eef was useless, then why did all those scholars of hadith maintain it for 1400 hundred years? Why not just take it out? Da'eef has many uses in our life and it is well established that you can follow weak hadith in Fadha'il (moral encouragement/spirituality). There are works by great scholars of hadith on how and when to use Da'eef hadith. In fact, sometimes a Da'eef hadith can be used in Jurisprudence and taken as text. An example of this is the Prophet's hadith that "there is no bequest for an heir" meaning that you cannot bequest part of your estate to someone who will inherit you naturally. This is a Da'eef hadith yet one that has been used by scholars of inheritance because it has been so widely accepted and practiced. Terminology of the scholars of hadith: Just so that can get a picture of the amount of work and dedication these scholars put into their work, let us look at the titles and ranks they hold: A scholar who is called a "Hujjah" of hadith is one who memorizes at least 300,000 ahadith. A Hafiz is one who memorizes 100,000. A Hakim is one who memorizes all of the known ahadith. If you find these numbers amazing. Consider this.. Imam Ahmad memorized one thousand thousand ahadith (not a type, that is one million). He said of them he knew 700,000+ that were Sahih. Abu Zar'a Ar-Razi memorized 700,00 ahadith. Muslim memorized 140,000 on Tafseer (explanation of Quran) and 300,000 ahadith in total. Imam Bukhari memorized 100,000 Sahih hadith and 200,000 that were not Sahih. A final point to think about is that despite all their work, the scholars of hadith are still scholars of hadith. Being a scholar of hadith does not automatically make one a scholar of Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence). An obvious example of this is Al-Amash who was one of the greatest scholars of hadith in the time of Imam Abu Hanifah. And when he was asked on a certain matter he said he knew no hadith on this matter. Yet Abu Hanifah gave a fatwah on this matter based on a hadith that he proclaimed that he heard from al-Amash. When Al-Amash inquired from Imam Abu Hanifah, the Imam explained to him how he used one of the ahadith that Al-Amash told him to view this and Al-Amash said "We (the scholars of hadith) are like the Pharmacists and you (the scholars of Fiqh) are like the Doctors." Question: Is there a certain science behind the naming of the books of hadith as Sahih Bukhari or Musnad Ahmad and so forth? Answer: Yes, there is actually very specific terminology for naming books of hadith: a) Sahih: Means the book only contains Sahih ahadith. Examples of this would be Sahih Al-Bukhari. b) Sunan: Means the book is ordered in the ordering of the books of fiqh (that is, it begins with Taharah "purity" and then Prayer, fasting, charity"). c) Al-Jami': Means the book contains eight specific chapters in its index. Those include Seerah (life of the Prophet SAAW) and Tafseer (explanation of Quran). d) Musnad: Means the book is indexed by the Sahabah (i.e. one chapter for ahadith narrated by Aysha, then one for ahadith narrated by Omar and so forth). e) Mustadrak: A continuation of a work by a previous scholar. An example would be a scholar who would try to collect all the sahih hadith on Seerah. And then a later scholar would write a book that would append ahadith he believes the original author omitted or did not know about. MMVIII © Qibla.

اللَّهُم¡ اِنِّى اَسْئَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَجِيْحًا Allahumma inni as'aluka 'ilman-naaji'han O Allah! I ask You for useful Knowledge سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ Subhanaka la 'ilma lana 'illa ma 'allamtana 'innaka 'antal-'Alimul Hakim Glory be to you, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. Verily, it is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise [surah Baqarah; 2:32] رَبِّ زدْنيِ عِلْماً وَ رْزُقْنيِ فَهْماً Rabbi zidni 'ilman war zuqni fahman O Allah! Advance me in Knowledge and true understanding يَا عَلِيمُ عَلِّمْنِىْ Ya Alimu, alimni O All-Knowing, grant me knowledge رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا Rabbi zidni ilma O my Lord! Advance me in Knowledge [surah Ta-Ha; 20:114]

اللَّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلاً وَ إنْتَ تَحْعَلُ الْحزْنَ إذَا شِئْتَ سَهْ Allahumma la sahla illa ma ja'altu sahla, wa 'anta taj-alul hazna idha shi'ta sahla O Allah! There is nothing easy except what You make easy, and You make the difficult easy if it be Your Will [ibn Hibban] اللَّهُمَّ الْطُفْ بِىْ فِىْ تَيْسِيْرِ كُلِّ عَسِيْرٍ فَاِنَّ تَيْسِيْرَ ; كُلِّ عَسِيْرٍ عَلَيْكَ يَسِيْرٌَ Allahumma Tufiltuf bi fi taysiri kulli 'asirin, fainna taysirra kuuli 'asirin 'alaika yassirun O Allah! Make easy for me every difficult thing, with Your special favour and Kindness, for it is easy for You to make every difficult thing easy أللِّهُم النّفَعنِي بِمَا عَلَّمتَنِي وَ عَلِّمنِيِ مَا يَنفَعنِي Allahumma infa'nii bimaa 'allamtanii wa'allimnii maa yanfa' unii O Allah! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me. اللهم اني اسالك العفو والعافية Allahumma inni as'alukal 'afuwawal-afiya O Allah! I seek your forgiveness and well being (meaning in examination, memory, and concentration etc) اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا , وَ رِزْقًا طَيَّبًا , وَ عَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً Allahumma inni as'aluka 'Ilman naafi'an, wa rizqan tayyiban, wa 'amalan mutaqabbalan O Allah! I ask You for knowledge that is of benefit, a good provision and deeds that will be accepted. [ibn Majah and others] اللَّهُمَّ اِنِّى اَسْئَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّه عَاجِله وَ اجِلِه مَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ وَ مَا لَمْ اَعْلَمْ Allahumma inni as'aluka min al khairi kullihi 'ajilihi wa ajilihi, ma 'alimtu minhu wa ma lam a'alam O Allah! I ask You for all the good which is in the present or in the future, which I know and which I do not know [a comprehensive du'a taught to Aisha by the Prophet (saws)]

Put your hand on the place where you feel pain and say بِسْمِ اللهِ Bismillaah Then say: أَعُوذُ باللهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مَنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ Transliteration: 'A'oothu billaahi wa qudratihi min sharri maa 'ajidu wa 'uhaathiru. Translation: I seek refuge in Allah and in His Power from the evil of what I find and of what I guard against. Sahih Muslim

بسم الله الذي لا يضر مع اسمه شيء في الارض ولا في السماء وهو السميع العليم Trasliteration: “Bimillahi al-lazi la yadhurru ma’a ismihi shayun fil ardhi wa la fi as-sama-i wa huwa as-samee’ ul-’aleem.” Translation: “By the name of Allah, nothing can harm with His name anything in the earth and the sky; and He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” Hadhrat Abban Bin Uthman (RA) narrates from his father that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “That any servant who recites [the above-mentioned du'a] three times in the morning and evening, nothing will harm him.”

It is sad to see average Americans in the media these days calling for putting Muslims in this country in detention camps with minimum means of survival. I don’t really blame the average American for having that kind of feeling when I look at the way Islam is covered in the media, especially concerning the issue of terrorism. Many words like “terrorist,” “hijacker,” and “kidnapper,” have been alternatively used synonymously with Muslim. “Whenever someone from any country commits a crime, he is referred to by his name and sometimes his nationality. However, when he turns out to be a Muslim even by name, the word “Muslim” always precedes his name in the media, even if he was from the Druze, who are not Muslims and do not like to be referred to as such. The man who was accused in London of putting a bomb in his girlfriend’s purse was talked about as if he were the sole representative of Islam. That particular case is interesting because of the strong violations of Islam made by the perpetrator. First, a Muslim man cannot have a girlfriend in the colloquial sense, let alone be guilty of the crime of impregnating her. Sex outside marriage is considered adultery and is prohibited in Islam. Worse than this was the attempt to kill the innocents on the plane. Not only in peace but also in war Islam prohibits terrorism, kidnapping and hijacking, when carried against civilians, and whoever commits this is a murderer in Islam and is to be punished by the Islamic state. During wars, Islam prohibits the Muslims soldiers from harming civilians, women, children, the elderly, and the religious man like priests and rabbis. It also prohibits cutting down trees and destroying civilian constructions. Many Islamic terms like “Jihad” and “Islam” have been abused by violent groups. Nobody has power over such groups to force them to stop abusing such names. That could happen to Christianity as well by any Mafia group that could call itself “The Christian Crusade Group” for example. In that case, we won’t consider them as representatives of Christianity just as we don’t consider Adolf Hitler the ideal of Christians. When we want to learn about the Christian belief we read the Bible, and hope the Christians will go and read the Qur’an and the Hadith (Muhammad’s traditions) since only these represent Islam. Christian are five to seven per cent of the population of countries like Jordan, Syria, and Egypt, and have been living there peacefully for over 1400 years. Nobody put them in detention camps during the massacre of 70,000 Muslims in Jerusalem during the Crusade wars, which took place in those particular areas, nor were they harmed during the massacre of the Muslims and the Jews in Spain in 1492. It is against Islam to punish those for crimes committed by others, who were violating their Christian faith, which has love as its main teaching. The most misinterpreted term is “Jihad” which is referred to as the Holy War. Jihad is not only a defensive war, as some Muslims try ignorantly to defend it. It is also an offensive war against any unjust regime that does not let its citizens choose their faith. If such a regime exists, then the war is carried against that regime and not against the people of that country. It should never be interpret as a way of compulsion of the belief on others since there is an explicit verse in the Qur’an that says: “There is no compulsion in religion.” Had that been the case there would have never been any Christian, Jews, or non-Muslim in the Islamic world during the past 1400 years. Concerning the case of Lebanon, that country became like a pot with too many fingers dipped in. Nothing is stable over there and not many people are following the teachings of their faiths. There are crimes in Lebanon that are committed under the names of all religions and not only Islam. Sabra and Shattila are not that far away. Everybody is fighting everybody else and there is a lot of overlapping between the groups’ interests. So, I don’t think it is far to judge Islam from what has been done in Lebanon nor is it fair to judge Christianity or Judaism from what we have seen there either. By: Hussain Al-Hussein inkofscholars.com

By getting married you are not just getting a wife, you are getting your whole world. From now until the rest of your days your wife will be your partner, your companion, and your best friend. She will share your moments, your days, and your years. She will share your joys and sorrows, your successes and failures, your dreams and your fears. When you are ill, she will take the best care of you; when you need help, she will do all she can for you; When you have a secret, she will keep it; when you need advice, she will give you the best advice. She will always be with you: when you wake up in the morning the first thing your eyes will see will be hers; during the day, she will be with you, if for a moment she is not with you by her physical body, she will be thinking of you, praying for you with all her heart, mind, and soul; when you go to sleep at night, the last thing your eyes will see will be her; and when you are asleep you will still see her in your dreams. In short, she will be your whole world and you will be her whole world. The best description that I personally have ever read describing the closeness of the spouses to each other is the Qur'anic verse which says: "they are your garments and you are their garments" (Surah Al Baqarah 2:187). Indeed, spouses are like garments to each other because they provide one another with the protection, the comfort, the cover, the support, and the adornment that garments provide to humans. Just imagine a journey in the winter of Alaska without garments! Our spouses provide us with the same level of comfort, protection, cover, and support in the journey of our lives on this earth as garments would do in the Alaskan journey. The relationship between the spouses is the most amazing of all human relations: the amount of love and affection, intimacy and closeness, mercy and compassion, peace and tranquility that fills the hearts of the spouses is simply inexplicable. The only rational explanation for these most amazing of all human feelings is that: it is an act of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, "And Allah has made for you Mates (and Companions of your own nature..." (Surah Al Nahl 16:72) Only our Almighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala in His Infinite Power, Boundless Mercy, and Great Wisdom can create and ingrain these amazing and blessed feelings in the hearts of the spouses. In fact Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is reminding those who search for His signs in the universe that these feelings in the hearts of the spouses are among the signs that should guide humans to His existence as He says in the Qur'an, "And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwel! l in tranquillity with them and He has put love and mercy between your hearts: verily in that are signs for those who reflect." (Surah Al Rum 30:21) But Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala knows that the human heart is not a staticentity, it is sometimes weak and at times dynamic. Feelings can and do change with time. Love may wither and fade away. The marital bond might weaken if not properly cared for. Happiness in marriage cannot be taken for granted; continuous happiness requires constant giving from both sides. For the tree of marital love to remain alive and keep growing, the soil has to be sustained, maintained, watered and nurtured. Remember that our Prophet Muhammad Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam had found the time to go out to the desert and race with his wife Aisha. She out ran him but later after she had gained some weight, he out ran her. The show of emotions is necessary to keep the marital bond away from rusting and disintegrating. Remember that you will be rewarded by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala for any emotions you show to your wife as the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam said "one would be rewarded for anything that he does seeking the pleasure of Allah even the food that he puts in the mouth of his wife" Never underestimate the importance of seemingly little things as putting food in your wife's mouth, opening the car's door for her, etc. Remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam used to extend his knee to his wife to assist her up to ride the camel. Try to always find some time for both of you to pray together. Strengthening the bond between you and Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is the best guarantee that your own marital bond would always remain strong. Having peace with Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala will always result in having more peace at home. Remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam gave glad tidings for those couples who wake up at night to pray together. The Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam even urged the spouse who rises up first to wake the other spouse up even by throwing cold water on his/her face. Always try your best to be good to your wife by words and by deeds. Talk to her, smile to her, seek her advice, ask for her opinion, spend quality time with her and always remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam said: "The best of you are those who are best to their wives" Finally, it is common that spouses vow to love and honor their spouses until death do them part. I do believe that this vow is good or even great, but not enough! It is not enough that you love your wife. You have to love what she loves as well. Her family, her loved ones must also become your loved ones. Don't be like my colleague who was unhappy about his wife's parents coming to visit for few weeks. He candidly said to her "I don't like your parents" Naturally she angrily looked at him straight in the eye and said " I don't like yours either"... Also, it is not enough that you love her until death do you part. Love should never end and we do believe there is life after death where those who did righteousness in this world will be joined by their spouses (Surah Al Zukhruf 43:70) and offsprings. The best example in this regard is the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam whose love for Khadija, his wife of 25 years extended to include all those she loved and continued even after her death. It was many years after her death and he never forgot her and whenever a goat was slaughtered in his house he would send portions of it to Khadija's family and friends and whenever he felt that the visitor at the door might be Khadija's sister Hala, he would pray saying "O Allah let it be Hala." A talk by Shaykh Abdullah Adhami inkofscolars.com

The Qur'an The Qur'an can be defined as follows: The speech of Allah, sent down upon the last Prophet Muhammad, through the Angel Gabriel, in its precise meaning and precise wording, transmitted to us by numerous persons (tawatur), both verbally and in writing. Inimitable and unique, protected by God from corruption. The word Qur'an The Arabic word 'qur'an' is derived from the root qara'a, which has various meanings, such as to read, [sura 17: 93.] to recite, [sura 75:18:17: 46.] etc. Qur'an is a verbal noun and hence means the 'reading' or 'recitation'. As used in the Qur'an itself, the word refers to the revelation from Allah in the broad sense [sura 17: 82.] and is not always restricted to the written form in the shape of a book, as we have it before us today. However, it means revelation to Muhammad only, while revelation to other prophets has been referred to by different names (e.g. taurat, injil, kitab, etc.). Other Names of the Qur'an The revelation from Allah to the Prophet Muhammad is referred to in the Qur'an itself by the name qur'an (recitation) as well as by other names, such as e.g. furqan (criterion, see 25: 1). tanzil (sent down, see 26: 192). dhikr (reminder, see 15: 9). kitab (scripture, see 21:10). Other references to the Qur'an are by such words as nur (light), huda (guidance), rahma (mercy), majid (glorious), mubarak (blessed), bashir (announcer), nadhir (warner), etc. All these names reflect one of the various aspects of the revealed word of Allah. The Meaning of hadith [For details on hadith see: A'zami, Muhammad Mustafa: Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, Indianapolis, 1977.] The word hadith means news, report or narration. It is in this general sense that the word is used in the Qur'an. [e.g. Sura 12:101.] Technically, the word hadith, (pl. ahadith) means in particular the reports (verbal and written) about the sunna of the Prophet Muhammad. Hadith reports about the Prophet Muhammad are of the following kinds: What he said (qaul). What he did (fi'l). What he (silently) approved (taqrir) in others' actions. There are also reports about him, i.e. about what he was like (sifa). The difference between the Qur'an and Hadith. There is agreement among most Muslim scholars that the contents of the sunna are also from Allah. Hence they have described it as also being the result of some form of inspiration. [For details see kitab al-risala, by Imam al-Shafi'i, Cairo, n.d., especially pp. 28-9. In English: Khadduri Majid, Islamic Jurisprudence. Shafi'i's Risala, Baltimore, 1961, chapter 5, especially pp. 121-2.] The contents of the sunna are however expressed through the Prophet's own words or actions, while in the case of the Qur'an the Angel Gabriel brought the exact wording and contents to the Prophet, who received this as revelation and then announced it, in the very same manner that he received it. The difference between these two forms has been illustrated by Suyuti (following Juwaini) in the following manner: 'The revealed speech of Allah is of two kinds: As to the first kind, Allah says to Gabriel: Tell the Prophet to whom I sent you that Allah tells him to do this and this, and He ordered him something. So Gabriel understood what His Lord had told him. Then he descended with this to the Prophet and told him what His Lord had told him, but the expression is not this (same) expression, just as a king says to someone upon whom he relies: Tell so-and-so: The king says to you: strive in his service and gather your army for fighting ... and when the messenger (goes and) says: The king tells you: do not fail in my service, and do not let the army break up, and call for fighting, etc., then he has not lied nor shortened (the message) ... 'And as to the other kind, Allah says to Gabriel: Read to the Prophet this (piece of) writing, and Gabriel descended with it from Allah, without altering it the least, just as (if) the king writes a written (instruction) and hands it over to his trustworthy (servant) and says (to him): Read it to so-and-so. Suyuti said: The Qur'an belongs to the second kind, and the first kind is the sunna, and from this derives the reporting of the sunna according to the meaning unlike the Qur'an." [sabuni, tibyan, p.52] It is generally accepted that the difference between Qur'an and sunna is as follows: The ahadith from or about the Prophet Muhammad are: The words or actions of a human being, and not the speech of God as the Qur'an is. Not necessarily reported in tbeir precise wording, as the Qur'an is. Not necessarily transmitted by tawatur, except in some instances. Hadith Qudsi [For an introduction to the subject and select sample texts, see e.g. Ibrahim Izzuddin and Denis Johnson-Davies: Forty Hadith Qudsi, Beirut, Damascus, 1980.] Qudsi means holy, or pure. There are some reports from the Prophet Muhammad where he relates to the people what God has said (says) or did (does), but this information is not part of the Qur'an. Such a report is called hadith qudsi, e.g.: Abu Huraira reported that Allah's messenger said: 'Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, said: If My servant likes to meet me, I like to meet him, and if he dislikes to meet Me, I dislike to meet him.' [Forty Hadith Qudsi, Beirut, Damascus, 1980, No. 30.] While the common factor between hadith qudsi and the Qur'an is that both contain words from Allah which have been revealed to Muhammad, the main points of difference between Qur'an and hadith qudsi are as follows: In the Qur'an the precise wording is from Allah, while in the hadith qudsi the wording is given by the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur'an has been brought to Muhammad only by the Angel Gabriel, while hadith qudsi may also have been inspired otherwise, such as e.g. in a dream. The Qur'an is inimitable and unique, but not so the hadith qudsi. The Qur'an has been transmitted by numerous persons, (tawatur) but the hadith and hadith qudsi often only by a few or even one individual. There are hadith qudsi which are sahth, but also others hasan, or even da'if, while there is no doubt at all about any aya from the Qur'an. Another point is that a hadith qudsi cannot be recited in prayer. Distinctive Features of the Qur'an The most important distinction between the Qur'an and all other words or writings therefore is that the Qur'an is the speech from Allah, revealed in its precise meaning and wording through the Angel Gabriel, transmitted by many, inimitable, unique and protected by Allah Himself against any corruption. SunniPath

By Shaykh Amin Kholwadia The word tabi’i literally means someone who follows. Muslims reserve the use of this word for those who met and followed the Companions of the Prophet (upon him blessing and peace). The word sahabi literally means someone who is a companion. Muslims reserve the use of this word for someone who met and followed the Prophet Muhammad (upon him blessing and peace). Alqamah was a great scholar from amongst the Tabi’i group of Muslims. Abdullah ibn Umar was a great scholar from amongst the Sahabi group of Muslims. ‘Alqamah appears frequently as a narrator in the hadith chain of Abu Hanifa. While comparing the juristic acumen (fiqh) of Alqamah and Ibn Umar, Abu Hanifa – who was a Tabi’i jurist himself – made the following remark: “If it had not been for the merit of companionship (with the Prophet Muhammad, upon him blessing and peace), I would have said that ‘Alqamah is more juristically perceptive (afqah) than Ibn Umar.” For Abu Hanifa – and other Sunni scholars – companionship (suhba) has a ranking that is above that of any acquired academic merit. This merit of companionship which Abu Hanfia spoke of was not merely based on a simple romantic allegiance to the Companions. Nor was it a reaction to the socio-political factors of early Muslim history. It was based on a pristine understanding of popular Islamic facts. The parameters of Muslim theology were well-known by the time Abu Hanifa came into learning Islam formally. Sunni principles were rooted in popular Islam. The principles of wahi (revelation) were amongst those that were commonly accepted in the Muslim mind. What follows is a discussion about a Sunni principle in popular Islam. A hadith is a narration – of any sort – from the Prophet Muhammad (upon him blessing and peace). One of the most popular and prized hadith amongst all Muslims is known as the “Hadith of Jibril.[1]” Muslims who adhere to the rules of taqlid – following a particular school of legal thought – and those who do not; and those Muslims who wish to be known as progressive minded in the war-plagued modern world, they all love this hadith very dearly. Some quote the hadith because it calls Muslims to adopt a sense of ihsan (excellence in worship); others quote the hadith on the pulpit during their Friday sermons. There are even those who use the hadith as a summary of Islam itself. Scholars of hadith have written volumes on the commentary of this beautiful hadith. No Muslim dare doubt the veracity of this hadith as it speaks to the mind and soul of his religious intelligence. Even non-Muslim admirers of Islam hold this hadith in high esteem. Abu Hurairah, a companion of the Prophet (upon him blessing and peace), had accepted Islam only three years prior to the Prophet’s leaving this world. Abu Hurairah is one of several companions who have reported this hadith. It follows that many of the earlier Companions must have witnessed the event of this hadith. Hence, this hadith is part of popular Islam. Sunni Muslims believe that only a nabi (a prophet) can be a recipient of communicable wahi (revelation)[2]. Sunni Muslims also believe that Allah uses angels as agents who communicate the Divine Word and message. A non-nabi is not at all privy to communicable wahi since he does not have the faculty to actually receive that level of rational communication. A non-nabi does not have the tools to receive wahi that has to be communicated to other human beings for the sake of procuring their salvation. Hence, tabligh (conveying wahi) is primarily a function of prophets and not of non-prophets. In order for a non-prophet to qualify for the function of tabligh, he/she would have to be prepped to at least potentially receive communicable wahi. Wahi comes from the All Mighty Allah Who sends it down to the world of angels who then act as agents or transmitters of wahi. These angels are not visible to any human being – that is other than prophets. Jibril is the angel who is designated to bring wahi to all prophets. The un-lettered Prophet Muhammad (upon him blessing and peace) had coached the spiritual psyche of his companions with such great dexterity that they became equipped to carry the burden of tabligh (conveying the message to others). As a favor to the Companions, Allah sent Jibril to visit them while the Prophet Muhammad (upon him blessing and peace) was still amongst them. The Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (upon him blessing and peace) saw Jibril with their own eyes and heard him with their own ears. The Prophet (upon him blessing and peace)asked Umar, who went out looking for this person when he left the gathering, “Do you know who that was Umar?” When Umar responded in the negative, the Prophet stated, “This was Jibril. He came to teach you your Din (religion).” The suhba of the Prophet was so intense that it brought down Allah’s providence which came in the form of Jibril coming to teach them what he taught the Prophet (upon him blessings and peace). The companionship with the Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) had now converted ordinary human beings into special human beings who were blessed with the witnessing of the arch angel Jibril. A couple of years later, in his address at the Farewell Hajj, the Prophet (upon him blessing and peace) ordained every companion to carry the burden of tabligh when he said, “Convey from me – even though it might even be one ayah[3] (that you convey).” Through suhba, the Sahaba were now equipped – actually – to carry the burden of tabligh to other human beings. Even though a hadith is a narration from the Prophet Muhammad (upon him blessing and peace), Muslim scholars showed their unique juristic (fiqhi) acumen by naming this hadith the Hadith of Jibril. This is because this hadith is not about what the Sahaba narrated from the Prophet (upon him blessing and peace). It is about what the Sahaba narrated from Jibril. The miracle of Prophet Muhammad (upon him blessing and peace) was that he stamped his spiritual legacy on the hearts of his companions so that they inherited some of his prophetic abilities also. So it is no wonder that Abu Hanifa — and other heirs of the Companions – gave the Companions an academic ranking above the degree of juristic acumen (fiqh). We should follow suit if we love the Hadith of Jibril. Text of the Hadith of Jibril “One day when we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (upon him blessing and peace), there came to us a man whose clothes were of exceeding whiteness and whose hair was of exceeding blackness. There were no signs of travel upon him although none of us knew him. He sat down knee to knee opposite the Prophet (upon him blessing and peace), upon whose thighs he placed the palms of his hands saying, “O Muhammad, tell me what is Islam (Submission)?” The Messenger (upon him blessing and peace) answered him saying, “Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, to perform the prayer, pay (the charity of) Zakat, fast (the month of) Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the Holy House (Ka’ba) – if you can.” He said, “You have spoken truthfully.” We were amazed that, having questioned him (upon him blessing and peace), he should corroborate him. Then he said, “Tell me what is Faith (Iman)?” He (upon him blessing and peace) answered, “To believe in Allah, His Angels, His books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe that no good or evil comes but by His Providence.” “You have spoken truthfully,” he said, and then, “Tell me what is Excellence (Ihsan)?” He SAW answered, “To worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, yet He sees you.” “You have spoken truthfully,” he said, and then, “Tell me of the Hour.” He (upon him blessing and peace) answered, “The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner.” He said, “Then tell me of its signs.” He (upon him blessing and peace) answered, “That the slave-girl shall give birth to her mistress, and those who were but barefoot, naked, needy herdsmen shall build buildings ever higher and higher.” Then the stranger went away, and I stayed a while after he had gone, and the Prophet SAW said to me, “O Umar, do you know the questioner, who he was?” I said, “God and His Messenger (upon him blessing and peace)know best.” He (upon him blessing and peace) said, “It was Jibril (Gabriel). He came to teach you your religion.” This narration is from Sahih al-Bukhari [1] A translation of the text of this hadith is cited at the end of this article [2] In the case of the Mother of Musa and Maryam, their wahi was not at all communicated to others. In fact, their wahi was meant to be kept hidden from people. [3] The word aya in this hadith refers not only to any of the Quran, but also a hadith. This article was featured in Darul Qasim’s AlQasim newsletter. You can visit the DarulQasim website at www.darulqasim.org.

By Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Fadl al-Rahman al-A’zami Translated by Hafiz Muhammad Karolia The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) awakening during the night [of the 15th of Sha'ban] and visiting the graveyard is recorded in some [of the previously mentioned] ahadith. However, visiting of the graveyard is not a special characteristic of this night. Instead, it is proven from another authentic narration that Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) would visit the graveyard during the last portion of every night. Sayyidatuna ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) narrates that whenever it was her turn for the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) to spend the night with, he would visit Baqi’ (the graveyard of Madinah) and would say: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ دَارَ قَوْمٍ مُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَتَاكُمْ مَا تُوعَدُونَ غَدًا مُؤَجَّلُونَ وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لاَحِقُونَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لأَهْلِ بَقِيعِ الْغَرْقَدِ Peace be upon you oh dwellers of the Muslim graveyard. Death, which was promised to you has indeed befallen you. You are already journeying towards tomorrow (the Hereafter). Verily, if Allah wills, we will also join you. O Allah, forgive the inmates of Baqi’. (Sahih Muslim, hadith 2126) Imam al-Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) writes “From this it is learnt that visiting the graveyard, greeting its inmates and making du’a of forgiveness and mercy for them is mustahab (desirable).” (Sharh Sahih Muslim, 1:313) There is another hadith in Sahih Muslim wherein ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) explains a similar subject matter as was seen in the narration concerning the night of Bara’at (15th night of Sha’ban). (It is a generally accepted fact that all the ahadith in Sahih Muslim are authentic.) She says: “Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) once entered my room when it was my turn for him to spend the night with. He placed his sheet aside, removed his sandals and kept them at his feet. He spread the edge of his shawl over the bedding and lay down. He lay still until he thought I had fallen asleep. He then took his sheet slowly, wore his shoes and gently opened the door, and (as he left), closed the door very gently. I also dressed, donned my veil and left behind him. He went to Baqi’ where he remained standing for a long time. He thereafter raised and dropped his hands thrice and returned. I also returned. He was walking fast and I did the same in order not to be detected. I· hastened my pace in conformance to his and thus reached home before him. Just as I lay down, he entered the room. He asked: A’isha, why are you breathing so heavily? I replied that there was nothing to it. He said: Tell me otherwise Allah will inform me. I replied: May my parents be sacrificed for thee and then related the entire incident to him. He asked: Are you the same person I saw in the distance? I replied in the affirmative. He gave me a slight push with his fist in my chest, the effect of which I felt, and he asked once again: Did you think that Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) would oppress you? I replied: No matter how much people try to hide something from you, then too Allah informs you. The Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) then said to me Jibril (Allah’s peace be upon him) came to me. He called me and he concealed it from you. I responded to his call, but I too concealed it from you (for he did not come to you), as you were not fully dressed. I thought that you had fallen asleep and did not desire to awaken you. Besides, I feared that you would become scared. Jibril said to me: Your Lord commands you to visit the inmates of Baqi’ and make du’a for their forgiveness. ‘A’isha questioned the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) as to what he recited there. He replied: Say the following du’a: السَّلاَمُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَيَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنَّا وَالْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَلاَحِقُونَ ‏ Peace be upon the believing (mu’min) Inhabitants of the home and may Allah shower mercy upon the deceased amongst us and those whose death still awaits them. And verily, if Allah wills, we will soon join you. (Sahih Muslim, hadith 2127) There is no specific reference in this hadith to the night of Bara’at or any other night. Furthermore, it is understood from the previous hadith that whenever it was ‘A’isha’s turn for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) to spend the night with, he would visit the graveyard. Thus a wide and general application of this practice is understood. Aside from visiting the graveyard on the night of Bara’at, we should ponder as to what extent our practice conforms to the authentic ahadith of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Are we following a norm, or are our actions truly spurred by an intention to follow the Sunnah? The turn of ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) occurred once every week. It can thus be concluded from the above narrations that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) would visit the graveyard a minimum of once a week. Buraydah al-Aslami (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “I originally prohibited you from visiting the graves, however I now advise you to visit the graves.” Another hadith on the topic adds that this will cause you to remember death. (Sahih Muslim) This hadith does not restrict the visit to either day or night. We should therefore visit the graveyard whenever we have an opportunity. Remember death and make du’a for the forgiveness of the deceased. We should not suffice with visiting the graveyard on the night of Bara’at and thereafter neglect this virtuous act during the rest of the year. In the hadith, no specific day e.g. Friday, Thursday, etc., has been reserved for the visiting of the graves. We should therefore abstain from giving any particular day significance for this practice. Source

Dua (Prayer) at the Beginning of the Fast Wa bisawmi ghadinn nawaiytu min shahri ramadan I intend to keep the fast for tomorrow in the month of Ramadan Dua (Prayer) at the End of the Fast Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu wa alayka tawakkaltu wa ala rizq-ika-aftartu O Allah! I fasted for You and I believe in You and I put my trust in You and I break my fast with Your sustenance

As I sit here alone, the tears rolling down my face It is not salt, but pain that I taste So I leave now to go stand before You I am helpless and alone, what else can I do? I have asked, I have begged but my sins block my du'a I will come now still begging, forgive me O Allah Forgive me and grant me what it is that I ask For me it is impossible but for You a simple task I try and I try but I do not succeed But I understand and know it is because Your Words I do not heed I hear, yes I hear but I do not always obey Perhaps that is why I am destitute, isolated and why You have written that I will be alone this way I have no to blame but the person in the mirror I see No one else must pay for my sins, no one else, no one else, no one else but me So I stand before You to again beg forgiveness because You said that I can You have told us in Your Book that You are Ar-Rahman I will ask, I will beg but my sins may block my du'a But I will keep asking, forgive me O Allah by Anon sunniforum.com

Juwayriyya Juwayriyya bint Harith, may Allah be pleased with her, married the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in 5 AH, when the Prophet was fifty-eight years old and she was twenty, not long after his marriage to Zaynab bint Jahsh, and as a result of the Muslims ' successful campaign against the Banu Mustaliq who were swiftly defeated after the Prophet's surprise attack. Among the captives taken in this campaign was the beautiful Juwayriyya, the daughter of al-Harith, who was the chief of the Banu Mustaliq. She was afraid that once the Muslims realized who she was, they would demand an exorbitant ransom for her safe release. After the Muslims had returned to Medina with their booty and prisoners, she demanded to see the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) hoping that he would help to prevent what she feared. Seeing how beautiful she was, A'isha was not keen on her seeing the Prophet. But she persisted, and eventually she was permitted to see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and was taken to him while he was with A'isha. After she had finished speaking, the Prophet thought for a moment, and then said, "Shall I tell you what would be better than this?" He then asked her to marry him, and she immediately accepted. Although Juwayriyya was young and beautiful and of noble lineage, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was thinking of how to save her and all her tribe from an ignoble fate. By marrying Juwayriyya, the Banu Mustaliq would be able to enter Islam with honor, and with the humiliation of their recent defeat removed, so that it would no longer be felt necessary by them to embark on a war of vengeance that would have continued until one of the two parties had been annihilated. As soon as the marriage was announced, all the booty that had been taken from the Banu Mustaliq was returned, and all the captives were set free, for they were now the in laws of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Thus A'isha once said of Juwayriyya, "I know of no woman who was more of a blessing to her people than Juwayriyya bint al-Harith." After they were married, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) changed her name was Barra to Juwayriyya. It has been related by Juwayriyya that early one morning the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left her room while she was doing the dawn prayer. He returned later that morning and she was still sitting in the same place. "have you been sitting in the same place since I left you?" he asked. "Yes," she replied. Whereupon the Prophet said, "I recited four phrases three times after I left you, and if these were to be weighed against what you have been reciting since dawn, they would still outweigh them. They are: 'Glory be to Allah and Praise be to Him as much as the number of his creations, and His pleasure, and the weight of His Throne, and the ink of His words.'" Which reminds us of the following ayat of the Qur'an: Say: 'If the sea were the ink for the words of My Lord, truly the sea would be used up before the words of my Lord were completed, and even if We used the same again to assist. (Qur'an 18:109) Juwayriyya was married to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for six years, and lived for another thirty-nine years after his death, dying in 50 AH at the age of sixty-five, may Allah be pleased with her. Majlisul Ulama

Zaynab bint Jahsh Zaynab bint Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with her, married the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in 5 AH, when she was thirty-five and the Prophet was fifty-eight, but only after her pervious marriage, which had been arranged by the Prophet himself, had ended in divorce. As with all the marriages of the Prophet Muhammad, there was much for all the Muslims to learn from it. Zaynab bint Jahsh was the Prophet Muhammad's cousin, her mother Umayma being the daughter of Abdul Muttalib, Muhammad's grandfather, who, while he was alive, had ensured the safety of his grandson, thanks to his position as one of the most respected leaders of the Quraish. Thus Zaynab bint Jahsh came from one of the noblest families of the Quraish, and everyone expected her to eventually marry a man with the same high social status. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was well aware that it is a person's standing in the eyes of Allah that is important, rather than his or her status in the eyes of the people. He wanted her to marry a young man called Zayd ibn Harith, whose background was very different to that of Zaynab bint Jahsh. Zayd had been taken prisoner while he was still a child during one of the inter-tribal wars that had been common before the coming of Islam. He had been sold as a slave to a nephew of Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) who had given Zayd to her as a gift. In turn, Khadijah had given him to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the days before the revelation of the Qur'an had begun, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had given him his freedom and adopted him as his own son, at the age of eight. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had watched both Zayd and Zaynab grow up, and thought they would make a good couple, and that their marriage would demonstrate that it was not who their ancestors were, but rather their standing in the sight of Allah, that mattered. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked for her hand on behalf of Zayd, Zaynab had her family were shocked at the idea of her marrying a man who in their eyes was only a freed slave. Moreover, Zaynab had wanted to marry the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself and in fact he had already been asked by her family whether or not he would like to marry her. At first both she and her brother refused, but then the following ayat was revealed: It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any say in their decision; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has most clearly gone astray. (Quran 33:36) When Zayd, who had also had misgivings about the proposed match, and Zaynab realized that there was no difference between what the Prophet wanted and what Allah wanted, they both agreed to the marriage, the Prophet providing a handsome dowry for Zaynab on Zayd's behalf. The marriage, however, was not a success. Although both Zaynab and Zayd were the best of people, who loved Allah and His Messenger, they were very different and in the end they could not overcome their incompatibility. Zayd asked the Prophet's permission to divorce Zaynab more than once, and although he was counseled to hold onto his wife and to fear Allah, in the end the divorce took place. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then was ordered by Allah to marry Zaynab bint Jahsh, while he did in 5 AH, when he was fifty-eight years old, and she was thirty-five years old. In doing so, he demonstrated beyond doubt that in Islam an adopted son is not regarded in the same light as a natural son, and that although a father may never marry a woman whom his natural son has married and then divorced, the father of an adopted son is permitted to marry a woman who was once, but is no longer, married to that adopted son. Furthermore, by marrying Zaynab, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also confirmed that it is permissible for cousins to marry, and , at the same time, Zaynab was given her heart's desire to be married to the Best of Creation. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) received the command to marry Zaynab while he was with A'isha. After he had received the revelation, he smiled and said, "Who will go and give Zaynab the good news?" and he recited the ayat that he had received. Some say that it was Zayd himself who told her the good news. When Zaynab heard the news, she stopped what she was doing and prayed to thank Allah. Afterwards, she was fond of pointing out that her marriage had been arranged by Allah. It was at this point that the Prophet changed her name from Barra to Zaynab. Zaynab's wedding feast was also the occasion for another ayat of Qur'an to be sent down. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sacrificed a sheep and then commanded his servant, Anas, to invite the people to partake of it. After they had eaten, two men remained there after the meal chatting. The Messenger of Allah went out and said goodnight to his other wives and then came back and the two men were still there chatting. It was very hard on the Prophet who did not like to criticize people directly, and so he waited patiently until they left. Then Allah sent down the following ayat which is known as "The Ayat of Hijab": O you who believe! Do not go into the Prophet's rooms except after being given permission to come and eat, not waiting for the food to be prepared, However, when you are called, then go in and when you have eaten, then disperse, and do not remain wanting to chat together. If you do that, it causes injury to the Prophet though he is too reticent to tell you. But Allah is not reticent with the truth. When you ask his wives for something, ask them from behind a screen. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. It is not for you to cause injury to the Messenger of Allah nor ever to marry his wives after him. TO do that would be something dreadful in the sight of Allah. Whether you make something known or conceal it, Allah has knowledge of all things. There is no blame on them regarding their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their brothers' s sons or their sisters' s sons or their women or those their right hands own. Have fear of Allah. Allah is witness over everything. Allah and His angels pray blessings of the Prophet. O you who believe! Pray blessings on him and ask for peace for him. (Quran 33:53-56) Zaynab was a woman who was constantly immersed in the worship of Allah. It is related by Anas ibn Malik that once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered the mosque and found a rope hanging down between two of the pillars, and so he said, "What is this?" He was told, "It is for Zaynab. She prays, and when she loses concentration or feels tired, she holds onto it." At this time the Prophet said, "Untie it. Pray as long as you feel fresh, but when you lose concentration or become tired, you should stop." Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for six years, and lived for another nine years after his death, dying at the age of fifty, in 20 AH, and thus fulfilling the Prophet's indication that she would be the first of his wives to die aftehim. Zaynab bint Jahsh, like Zaynab bint Khuzayma before her, was very generous to the poor, and indeed the Prophet said, when speaking of her to his other wives, "She is the most generous among you." It has been related by A'isha that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once said to his wives, "The one who has the longest hands among you will meet me again the soonest." A'isha added, "They use to measure each other's hands to see whose as longest, and it was the hand of Zaynab that was the longest, because she used to work by hand and give away (what she earned) in charity." The Messenger of Allah said to Umar, "Zaynab bint Jahsh is one who is full of prayer." A man said, "Messenger of Allah, what is that?" He said, "The one who is humble and earnest in prayer." A'isha also said that Zaynab, "I have never seen a woman so pure as Zaynab, so God-fearing, so truthful, so attentive to family ties, so generous, so self-sacrificing in everyday life, so charitable, and thus so close to Allah, the Exalted." Several years after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had died, when Umar was the khalif, great wealth came to the Muslims as a result of their victories in fighting the Persians. The immense treasures of Chosroes, the Persian Emperor, fell into their hands, and when Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Zaynab a pile of gold as her share of the treasure, she called her maid servant and told her to take a handful of it to so-and-so, naming one of the poor people of Medina. One after another, she named all the poor people whom she knew, until they had all received a share of the treasure. Then she told her maidservant to see what was left. All that remained of the large pile of gold was eighty dinars, and this she accepted as her share, thanking Allah for it; but, because she believed so much money was a temptation, she asked Allah that she would never witness such a large distribution of wealth again. By the time a year had passed, when Umar again came to distribute money amongst those wives of the Prophet who were still alive, her prayer had been granted for she had already passed away, may Allah be pleased with her. Majlisul Ulama

DUA ON SEEING ONE’S FACE IN THE MIRROR Allahumma anta hassanta khalqe fa hassin khuluqi. (O Allah! Thou made my physical constitution quite good, make my disposotion good too.)

Muslims are assured for several reasons that the Qur’an is indeed the Word of God. Here are eight reasons : 1. Physical incapacity. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was physically incapable to write the Qur’an. History has him as an unlettered man who could not write anything more than his own name. How could he write a book? 2. Sincerity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was morally constrained to tell the truth about the origin of the Qur’an. He was noted to be so honest and trustworthy that even his enemies called him al-Amin (the trustworthy). Moreover, he suffered persecution, refused offers to compromise, and maintained his message for a period of twenty-three years. Historians of religion have to conclude that he was sincere. 3. Psychology. The Qur’an speaks to the Prophet, commands him, and even criticizes him. Such contents do not point to the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the self-conscious author. On the other hand, the author declares himself to be the creator of the heavens and the earth. 4. History. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was incapable of writing the Qur’an. The Qur’an details items of history which were not known to the Prophet (peace be upon him) or his contemporaries. And independent studies confirm that the Qur’an was true in what it said. 5. Prophecy. The Qur’an speaks prophetically, detailing what the future holds. Then the future unfolds exactly as foretold. Who could author such a book? 6. Science. The Qur’an draws attention to a wide range of physical phenomena in order to teach moral lessons. The statements were not meant to teach science. Yet modern scientists are amazed at the accuracy of these statements. For example, the Qur’an said things about the growth and development of the human embryo which could not be studied without the use of a microscope. Dr. Keith Moore was professor and chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Toronto. After reviewing the Qur’anic statements he said: "I am amazed at the accuracy of these statements which were already made in the 7th century AD." Such knowledge in the Qur’an points to God as its source. 7. Consistency. The Qur’an challenges skeptics to find errors in it, which, if found, would disprove its divine claim. But no one has yet been able to point to a real error in it. 8. Inimitability. A unique feature of the Qur’an is that no one is able to produce a book that would match its beauty, eloquence and wisdom. The Qur’an itself challenges humankind to produce even a chapter like it. But no one has been able to do it. These eight reasons together form a strong cumulative case in favor of the Qur’an’s divine origin. Hence Muslims can be confident that the belief of Islam, which is based on the Qur’an, is true. Shabir Ally Author : Shabir Ally