ummtaalib

The body of a deceased person totally submits and surrenders itself to those who are washing it. They move the body to the left, to the right, they tilt it, they pour water over it but there is no resistance or complaint from the body with regards to being moved or the temperature of the water. Thus the body is thoroughly washed and ready to be lowered into the grave. In the same way when a person submits and surrenders his/her heart to Allah Ta’ala, which may have turned dead due to sin and desire, then with the grace and mercy of Allah Ta’ala his/her heart will be spiritually cleansed and ready to be presented in the court of Allah Ta’ala. uswatulmuslimah.co.za

Maria al-Qibtiyya Maria al-Qibtiyya (may Allah be pleased with her) is said to have married the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and certainly everyone gave her the same title of respect as the Prophet's wives, 'Umm al Muminin' 'Mother of the Believers'. Maria was born in upper Egypt of a Coptic father and Greek mother and moved to the court of the Muqawqis when she was still very young. She arrived in Medina to join the Prophet's household just after the Prophet returned from the treaty with Quraish which was contracted at al-Hudaybiyya. Maria gave birth to a healthy son in 9 AH, the same year that his daughter Zaynab died, and the Prophet named his new son Ibrahim, after the ancestor of both the Jews and the Christians, the Prophet from whom all the Prophets who came after him were descended. Unfortunately, when he was only eighteen months old, Ibrahim became seriously ill and died. Even though he knew that his small son would go to the Garden, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) could not help shedding some tears. When some of his Companions asked him why he was weeping, he replied, "It is my humanness." As Ibrahim's body was being buried, the sun was eclipsed and it grew dark and gloomy. Some people thought this was connected with Ibrahim's death, but the Prophet soon clarified this. "The sun and the moon are two of Allah's signs," he said, "they are not eclipsed because of anyone's birth or death. When you see these signs, make haste to remember Allah in prayer." Although the kafirun used to mock the Prophet Muhammad because he had no sons, and say that he was 'cut off' , Allah made it clear in the following surah that the station of the Prophet Muhammad was far above that of any other man; In the name of Allah, The Merciful, the Compassionate: Surely We have given you AL Khawthar, so pray to your Lord and offer sacrifice. Surely he who mocks you is the one cut off. (Quran 108:1-3) Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets, and Allah has knowledge of all things. (Quran 33:40) Maria was honored and respected by the Prophet and his family and Companions. She spent three years of her life with the Prophet, until his death, and died five years later in 16 AH, (may Allah be pleased with her) For the last five years of her life, she remained a recluse and almost never went out except to visit the grave of the Prophet or her son's grave. After her death, Umar ibn al Khattab led the prayer over her and she was buried in al Baqi.

Maymuna Maymuna bint al-Harith, (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 thirty six years old. Maymuna's sister, Umm al-Fadl Lubaba, was the mother of Abdullah ibn Abbas, the son of one of the uncles of the Prophet and the one of the wisest of his Companions. Umm al-Fadl was one of the earliest Companions of the Prophet. Once Abu Lahab, the enemy of Allah and the Messenger of Allah, entered the house of his brother, al-Abbas, and proceeded to attack Abbas client, Abu Rafi, because he had embraced Islam. Abu Lahab knocked him to the ground and knelt on him, continuing to beat him. Umm al Fadl grabbed a post that was there and cracked it across Abu Lahab's head, saying, "Will you victimize him because his master is absent?" He treated in shame and died a week later. Zaynab bint Khuzayma, Umm al Muminin, was also her half-sister. Her other sisters included Asma bint Umays, the wife of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, who later married Abu Bakr, and Salma bint Umays, the wife of Hamza, the "Lion of Allah". Her full sisters were Lubaba, Asma and Izza. Maymuna was thus one of the 'Ahlul- Bayt' , 'the people of the House', not only by virtue of being a wife of the Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but also because she was related to him. Zayd bin Arqam related that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "I implore you by Allah! The People of my House!" three times. Zayd was asked who were the People of the House, and he said, "The family of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the family of Jafar ibn Abi Talib, the family Aqil ibn Abi Talib, and the family of Al Abbas ibn Abdal Muttalib." Maymuna or Barra as she was then called, yearned to marry the Prophet. She went to her sister, Umm al Fadl to talk to her about that and she, in turn, spoke to her husband, al-Abbas. Al-Abbas immediately went to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with Maymuna's offer of marriage to him and her proposal was accepted. When the good news reached her, she was on a camel, and she immediately got off the camel and said, "The camel and what is on it is for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." They were married in the month of Shawwal in 7 AH just after the Muslims of Medina were permitted to visit Mecca under the terms of the treaty of Hudaybiyya to perform umra. Allah Almighty sent the following ayat about this: Any believing woman who dedicates herself to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her, that is only for thee and not for the believers. (Quran 33:50) The Prophet gave her the name, Maymuna, meaning "blessed", and Maymuna lived with the Prophet for just over three years, until his death. She was obviously very good natured and got on well with everyone, and no quarrel or disagreement with any of the Prophet's other wives has been related about her. 'A'isha said about her, "Among us, she had the most fear of Allah and did the most to maintain ties of kinship." It was in her room that the Prophet first began to feel the effects of what became his final illness and asked the permission of his wives to stay in A'isha's room while it lasted. After the Prophet's death, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) Maymuna continued to live in Medina for another forty years, dying at the age of eighty, in 51 AH, (may Allah be pleased with her), being the last of the Prophet's wives to die. She asked to be buried where had married the Prophet at Saraf and her request was carried out. It is related that at the funeral of Maymuna, Ibn Abbas said, "This is the wife of Allah's Messenger, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so when you lift her bier, do not shake her or disturb her, but be gentle." It is also related by Ibn Abbas that he once stayed the night as a guest of Maymuna, who was his aunt, and the Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) They slept on their blanket lengthways and he slept at the end, crossways. After they had all slept for awhile, the Prophet rose in the middle of the night to pray the tahajjud prayer, and Ibn Abbas joined him. They both did wudu, and he prayed eleven rakats with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Then they both went back to sleep again until dawn. Bilal called the adhan, and the Prophet did another two short rakats, before going into the mosque to lead the Dawn Prayer. Ibn Abbas said that one of the dua'ahs that the Prophet made during this night was : "O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing, light on my sight, light behind me, light in front of me, light on my right, light on my left, light above me and light below me; place light in my sinew, in my flesh, in my blood, in my hair and in my skin; place light in my soul and make light abundant for me; make me light and grant me light." It is commonly agreed that it was after the Prophet had married Maymuna, giving him now nine wives (A'isha, Sawda, Hafsa, Umm Salama, Zainab bint Jahsh, Juwayriyya, Umm Habiba, Safiyya and Maymuna), that the following ayat was revealed: It is not lawful for you (O Muhammad, to marry more) women after this, nor to exchange them for other wives, even though their beauty is pleasing to you, except those whom your right hand possesses (as maid servants); and Allah is always watching over everything. (Quran 33:52) After this, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not marry again. When however, the Christian ruler, or Muqawqis, of Egypt, sent him two Christian slave girls 0 who were sisters as a gift (in response to the Prophet's letter inviting him to embrace Islam), along with a fine robe and some medicine the Prophet, accepted one of the slave girls, Maria, into his household; he gave her sister Serene, to a man whom he wished to honor, namely Hassan ibn Thabit; he accepted the robe; and he returned the medicine with the message, "My Sunna is my medicine!" This occurred in 7 AH, when the Prophet wassixty years old and Maria was twenty years old. inkofscholars

wa'alaykumus salaam sis, bro CH has posted the Arabic for the quotes in English in the OP

Holidays! Will My Child Survive? “Holidays,” in the life of a child, simply means, “Freedom.” The child is no longer restricted by school and madrasah hours. Thus the child feels absolved of all forms of responsibility. This “freedom” makes the child very vulnerable to the attacks of nafs (the desire) and shaytaan (the devil). However our beautiful deen of Islam comes to our rescue. We are reminded of our daily duties as a Muslim. Our salaah, quraan, zikr and du’aa are the forts for our protection. Every parent’s concern is, “Will my child survive this holiday, in an environment of sin and temptation?” The answer depends on our sincerity and to the extent we turn to Allah Ta’ala. When parent’s try their level best to safeguard their child from the challenges of the time, then Allah Ta’ala will make the arrangement for the protection of the child, even in apparently impossible situations. We need to turn to Allah Ta’ala ourselves and also make our children do the same. For far too long we have looked at the problem and remained despondent. It is time that we adopt the solutions and progress as a family. When the light is switched on, instantly the layers of darkness will disappear. When the light of good actions enters our lives, then the darknesses of sin will leave our lives. It is not possible for the night and the day to coexist at one time and place. Therefore, let us start with at least the following aspects immediately and see the immediate benefits. 1. Ensure that all members of the family regularly perform their five daily salaah. Boys who are seven years of age should accompany the father to the musjid. 2. Everyone must start their day after fajr salaah with the recitation of surah yaseen. Besides this some portion of the quraan majeed must be recited daily. 3. Daily ta’leem of the fazaa-il kitaabs should take place in the home, even if just for 10 minutes. 4. Encourage the children to recite 100 times istighfaar and durood shareef. Also keep advising one’s children with love and affection to refrain from all sinful activities. May Allah Ta’ala protect us all. uswatulmuslimah.co.za

When a child does something wrong, the punishment needs to be meted out in such a way that the child develops an aversion to the misdeed and not to the person meting out the punishment. As adults we value our self-respect and we dislike being embarrassed before others. The child as well, likes to preserve his self-dignity and respect. When we punish the child, we have injured his pride. He realises his wrong and abstains from it. However, if his pride is injured repeatedly and he realizes that he has lost his respect before others, he tends to become shameless and it now becomes difficult to stop his evil habit. At times the child feels that the one punishing him has no mercy and love for him, so why should he display manners and obedience. Thus in such circumstances, punishment is more detrimental and harmful to the child. uswatulmuslimah

My favorite lil spot is the little area on my prayer rug where i place my face and hands before Allah and i can say anything i want to Him I can ask Him for anything And even if it's just a whisper He can hear the screams inside And even if it's just one tear He know there's an ocean deep inside It is my time with Allah when no one can interfere It is my time alone with my Creator and when the rest of the world disappears It doesn't matter how many times i do this a day... I still feel as if it's the last time i could do it that day I want Him to know how much i love Him How much i need Him How much i want to please Him Be with Him And how much i want to be better for Him All it takes is a few minutes on my lil prayer rug to feel close to Allah All it takes is a quick reminder that one day I'll be in front of Allah For me to humble myself before Him and ask Him for forgiveness Ask for guidance and for His sweetness For i can do all things with Him on my side I can overcome all the heartbreak and pain that's inside Just as long as Allah hears my cry And carries me through this life It is on that lil space where my face and hands land on my prayer rug that i feel most at ease It is that lil space that fills me most with peace Where i can just hand it all over to Allah and trust in Him to get me through Where i can cry and cry and know Allah will take care of me when i don't know what to do When i prostrate before Allah it's just me and Him Just my heart talking sincerely to Him No one else knows what i'm saying or what i'm feeling; just Him It is my place to get away from this world even for just a few minutes and turn towards my Creator My Sustainer My Everything....My Rabb, and know that if i just whisper He can hear and see all that's inside And everytime i ask and cry, He takes a lil piece of my heart and mends it back together inside. It's that lil space that gives me all these things My favorite spot is that lil space on my prayer rug where i place my hands and face It is in that lil space...where it's just me and Allah...in my lil space unknown author

Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The pious offspring who casts a single look of affection at his parents receives a reward from Allah equal to the reward of an accepted Hajj.” The people enquired: “O Prophet of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), if someone casts a hundred such glances of love and affection at his parents, what then?” The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Yes, indeed, even if one does so a hundred times a day, he will get a hundred fold reward. Allah is far greater than you imagine and is completely free from petty narrow mindedness.” (Sahih Muslim) Love your parents and consider this act as a privilege and a source of reward in the eternal world. How much parents love their children, how much they happily sacrifice for them, and how much they want their child to be more privileged than they are, can only be understood when a person becomes a parent themself. Nobody likes to see others get ahead of him/her in this world except parents, who love to see their children better off than them in every way and for this they willingly sacrifice whatever they have. Allah Ta'ala is the only one who really knows what is inside a parent’s heart. In order to help us to acknowledge and be grateful for their love Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) gives us mountains of reward from Himself for loving our parents. Truly, no-one is as appreciative as Allah Ta'ala of the love that parents shower on their children. Should a person look at his/her parents lovingly even a hundred times a day, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will give them the reward of a hundred accepted Hajjs. There is no scarcity with Him. He needs to set no quotas on how much reward a person may earn in a day. It is humans who are petty and stingy towards each other. islaaminfo.co.za

Q. Please comment about the use of clothing with eyes (moorath) for children or adults during the day or night? Are there any Hadith indicating that such clothing should not be worn by Muslims and what are the dangers of doing so or how are we depriving ourselves and children by wearing such garments? A. Images of animate objects printed or embroided on clothing are not permissible. The prohibition of such images have been explicitly mentioned in the Hadith. Sayyiduna Abu Talhah (Radiyallahu Anhu) reports that the Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: "The Malaaikah (angels of mercy) do not enter a house wherein there are pictures (of animate objects)". (Sahih Muslim, Hadith #: 5485) Unfortunately, such clothing has become increasingly common in Muslim homes especially in children's and infant's clothing. Parents should exercize caution and keep in mind the above mentioned Hadith when purchasing clothing for children. It should not be such that the home is deprived of the blessings of the Mala'ikah due to negligence of this aspect of Shari'ah. And Allah Knows Best Mufti Suhail Tarmahomed Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians 223 Alpine Road, Overport, Durban

The Ideal Woman The ideal woman is the balance in society. She is the pivot of humanity. Her uprightness and soundness causes the society to be upright and sound. She is a treasure for the husband, a fortune for the children, a jewel for the parents and a blessing for humanity. Great men have been nurtured in the lap of such women. As the famous saying states, “Behind every successful man there is a woman.”

Allah, The Most Exalted says: "Verily, those who say: 'Our Lord is (only) Allah,' and thereafter stand firm and straight (on the Islamic Faith of Monotheism), on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Such shall be the dwellers of Jannah, abiding therein (forever), - a reward for what they used to do." (Qur’aan - 46:13, 14) The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: "Follow the Right Path of Faith strictly, and be steadfast; and keep in mind that none of you can achieve salvation through his (good) actions." Someone asked, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?" He (pbuh) said, "Not even me, unless Allah grants me His Mercy and Grace". (Hadith: Muslim) EISLAM

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.”