ummtaalib

Loans and Debts: The Islamic Perspective By Shaykhul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh Taking loans Allāh ta‘ālā has full control over the financial situation of each and every person. Whether a person is well off or struggling to make ends meet, this is all decreed by Allāh ta‘ālā. For those struggling financially, taking a loan is a way of alleviating financial difficulty. However, one should try his utmost to avoid taking loans as they can lead to many ills. This is why Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam would make the following du‘ā: اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْمَأْثَمِ وَالْمَغْرَمِ O Allāh! I seek refuge in You from sins and debt. When Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam was asked as to why he frequently sought refuge in Allāh ta‘ālā from being in debt, he said, “Indeed, when a person incurs a debt, he will lie when he speaks and he will break promises whenever he makes them.” (Al-Bukhārī, Muslim) It is evident from the hadīth that after taking a loan, if a person is unable to repay on time, he will resort to lying and breaking promises. As loans are often taken from family and friends, if there are delays in repaying or fulfilling promises, it will eventually lead to disputes that will destroy family ties and friendships. This point is captured in an Arabic saying: الْقَرْضُ مِقْرَاضُ الْمَحَبَّةِ Loans are the scissors of love. Therefore, one should always try to avoid taking loans. However, our Dīn has made taking loans permissible for situations when one has no other choice. If one has to resort to taking loans they should keep the following points in mind: • The option of taking a loan is only for those who are in dire need. It is not appropriate for a person to take a loan just to fulfil one’s desires, for example spending on holidays, expensive cars and unnecessary house extensions. • The loan arrangements should be in complete conformity with the rules and injunctions of Dīn. Loans should not be taken from interest-based sources nor have impermissible conditions. • One should have a genuine and sincere intention to repay the loan as the assistance of Allāh ta‘ālā will be with him. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has said: One who takes the money of people with the intention of repaying it, Allāh ta‘ālā will repay it on his behalf. (Al-Bukhārī) This means that Allāh ta‘ālā will create the means and grant barakah in his sustenance, to enable him to repay the debt. • One should make every effort to repay the loan on time. If one is unable to do so, the creditor should be informed and a polite request made for extra time. • One should refrain from unnecessary spending whilst being in debt, as this will result in delays in repaying the loan. • One should make a record of the loan, whether it is large or small, so that the loan and its amount are not forgotten. This will save disputes in the future. • If one has not paid off a loan before his death then he should make a provision in his will for its repayment. If he passes away without paying off the loan or making a bequest, he will be questioned in the Court of Allāh ta‘ālā. Granting loans Those who have the means should support those who are in need by giving loans. Allāh ta‘ālā grants extra wealth to people so they can help others who are in need. Therefore, those who have been blessed with more than their needs should spend as much as possible in good causes; one such good cause is giving loans. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said: “On the night of Mi‘rāj, I saw written on the door of Jannah, ‘(The reward of) Sadaqah is ten times and (the reward of giving a loan) is eighteen times.’ I asked, ‘O Jibra’īl! Why is giving a loan better than sadaqah?’ He said, ‘Because the beggar may ask and already have, whilst the one asking for a loan only asks when in need.’” (Ibn Mājah) After giving a loan, if a situation arises where the debtor is finding it difficult to repay on time, the creditor should extend the time for repayment. Allāh ta‘ālā says: Even better than extending the time, is waiving the repayment of the loan. If the loan is of such an amount that waiving it completely will not bring any difficulty upon the lender, then it is better to do so. Allāh ta‘ālā says: And for those who forgive others and waive their debts, Allāh ta‘ālā will definitely be merciful towards them on the Day of Qiyāmah. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has said: Allāh will grant a place in His shade to that person who grants respite to a poor person (in the repayment of a debt) or cancels the debt (partly or altogether). (Muslim) Managing expenditure to avoid debts Those who have been granted barakah in their wealth should try their utmost to ensure a situation does not arise whereby they are forced into taking loans. One method of doing so is by controlling expenditure so that it is in accordance to our income. It should not be the case that our expenditure exceeds our income, thereby taking us into debt. Hadrat Muftī Muhammad Shafī‘ rahimahullāh and Hadrat Mawlānā Masīhullāh Khān rahimahullāh would say: “Income is not in our control; but expenditure is, so what is not in our control should be based on what is in our control.” Nowadays, people just spend without any consideration of their income. This is incorrect. There is a saying in English, “Stretch (one’s) legs according to the coverlet (bedspread).” If one stretches his legs more than his bedspread, he will feel cold, but if he stretches according to the size of the bedspread he will remain comfortable. Similarly, if we let our expenditure go beyond our income, we will fall into debt, and if we limit our expenditure according to our income, we will always remain financially stable. The reason why many people complain about their financial circumstances is the fact that they spend on things they do not need. If we analyse our weekly shopping for example, we will realise that 20-30% of our purchases are unnecessary. Why should one who is in dire circumstances be spending £10-£15 a week on luxuries like chocolates, sweets or soft drinks? Many of us come across items which are on offer e.g. “buy one, get one free,” and we immediately purchase these items thinking that we are getting a good deal. However, the reality is that most of the time we are not in need of even the one item we are paying for. This is why we must make a list of the things we need before we go shopping and not think about it whilst we are there. Make a list and then only buy what is on the list, so that we can avoid unnecessary expenditure. In summary, we must be grateful to Allāh ta‘ālā for the wealth that He has given us. This gratitude demands that we take care of it and not squander it here and there, so that we become compelled to take loans. If a situation arises where we must take a loan, then we should keep in mind the points that have been mentioned above. May Allāh ta‘ālā grant us the ability to act upon these advices. Āmīn. Extracted from Riyāḍul Jannah, Vol. 28 No. 2, Feb 2019 © Riyādul Janna

Question: What are the differences between the words “Qalb”, “Fu’aad” and “Lubb” as used in the Qur’an? Answer: As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, The Qur’an expresses the word “heart” using different Arabic words at different times; these can mostly be summed up as the Arabic words qalb, fuaad and lubb. Since in the Arabic language, there is no such thing as an exact synonym, there are subtle differences in the root meanings and indications given by the different words that must be understood if one wants to understand the nuances of the Qur’anic message. When does Allah Most High say Qalb? Why is it different than fuaad? Let’s look at their underlying meanings first, then move on to how the meanings are used to express highly nuanced messages. al-Qalb Imam al-Raghib in his Mufradaat says that qalb literally means to turn something around on its face, or to flip something over, such as the turning over of a cloth, or the turning of a person when they turn away from the direction they were going in to another direction. Hence, its derivatives all express some form of this flipping or turning over, so inqilaab as a verb can be used in the Qur’an for “turning on their heels”, or changing your direction to retreat and flee from battle, or as a noun to mean the act of overthrowing someone, where a sense of a flip in power or revolution (literally) is expressed. It is also used in its passive sense to express being turned, rather re-turned, to Allah, Most High, after death. Then, al-Raghib says that this term is applied to the human heart (physically as well), it is said, because of its frequent turning over, or going through what we call “changes of heart” where emotions, decisions and opinions flip and switch often. He says the term “heart” itself goes to encompass the soul, knowledge, bravery and more. He points out however that the heart is not the same as the intellect, but that the heart is often generalized as the intellect the same way that a river doesn’t literally run, but rather its water runs, but the running is generalized to the river because it contains the water. Allah Ta’ala even says “Nuqallibu al-af’ida”, which is using another word for heart, al-fuaad, to say “we turn the hearts” from one opinion to another. The qalb is a heart that can either be sick or sound, dead or alive, due to the beliefs and certainty inside it. Al-Jurjani refers to it as the “true essence of a human being”, while al-Hakeem al-Tirmidhi, who dedicated an entire book to the difference between the words for “heart”, said the qalb contains all levels of inner being. al-Fuaad Imam Al-Raghib says fuaad basically means qalb (i.e. heart), with the distinction that a heart is called a fuaad when there is a sense of kindling or burning, so its derivative is used to refer to roasting meat under flame, after which the meat is called fa’eed. Fu’aad (or its plural af’ida) is specifically used to highlight how much the burning heart has an ability to effect things. When a flame burns brightly, it is akin to a heart that is excited with eagerness, and there is a sense of commotion and pulsation. It has also been called the emotional cover around the qalb, giving the sense that the qalb is deeper and more special than the superficial emotions of the fuaad. This view, purely linguistic, is what E. Lane favours in his Lexicon, however, scholars who have a hand in actually seeing the word applied in Qur’anic contexts have said that the fuaad is actually deeper than the qalb in the sense that it is the place where witnessing takes place and the light of knowing God is kindled. Al-Lubb The lubb [pl. albaab] signifies the pure intellect, free from inner blemishes and suspicion (note this is deeper than simply “the mind” or “brain”). The word itself means the marrow, pith or innermost core of something – a tree, a fruit or the breast of mankind, the heart. It is also said to represent the most discerning type of intellect, so that every lubb is an intellect, but not every intellect reaches the level of a lubb. For this reason, Allah Ta’ala constantly uses Ulul-Albaab, the people of hearts, to refer to those intelligent and discerning believers who are in touch with their innermost core that recognizes the signs of Allah and understands the Truth, free from the tumultuous emotions of the fuaad and beyond the hesitating fickleness of the human qalb. This is truly the heart of hearts. Al-Sadr In his tafseer, al-Nisabouri also mentions al-sadr (chest) as being another word for heart in the Qur’an, the same way that when we say the “breasts of mankind”, we mean their hearts on the most external and shallow level. Allah Ta’ala often uses sadr when speaking about “expanding the breast” of His prophets such as Musa and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them), because sadr is the broadest, most general term, and so it is understood that the other layers of the heart will also be expanded. However, for the rest of mankind, it is also the place where secrets are kept, where the Shayton whispers, and where the ego that commands to evil takes hold of a person, but it should be noted that these influential forces, at least linguistically, have access only to the outermost aspect of the heart, not its inner layers, for which the individual alone is accountable to keep pure or to corrupt. The Heart of the Matter To sum up, an to use al-Hakeem al-Tirmidhi’s example, the sadr is where one’s Islam rests, a general term. The qalb is the place where certainty and faith (al-eemaan) rests, and it is like the eye, which is a term applied to all of its component parts that see. The fuaad is the place of witnessing and seeing, like the pupil to the eye, and finally, the lubb is the innermost place where tawheed rests, the light in the vision of the eye. The Ulul-albaab, those people of true hearts, peel away the skin of a metaphorical existence, and subsist in the core (lubb) of the true existence, which is only through the belief in the Oneness of Allah Ta’ala. Wasalam, Abdullah Misra Answered by Sidi Abdullah Anik Misra Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani النكتة العاشرة : في الفرق بين الصدر والقلب والفؤاد واللب . الصدر مقر الإسلام { أفمن شرح الله صدره للإسلام } [ الزمر : 22 ] والقلب مقر الإيمان { حبب إليكم الإيمان وزينه في قلوبكم } [ الحجرات : 7 ] { أولئك كتب في قلوبهم الإيمان } [ المجادلة : 22 ] والفؤاد مقر المشاهدة { ما كذب الفؤاد ما رأى } [ النجم : 11 ] واللب مقام التوحيد { إنما يتذكر أولوا الألباب } [ الزمر : 9 ] أي الذين خرجوا من قشر الوجود المجازي وبقوا بلب الوجود الحقيقي . ثم إن القلب كاللوح المحفوظ في العالم الصغير فإذا ركب العقل سفينة التوفيق وألقاها في بحار أمواج المعقولات من عالم الروحانيات هبت من مهاب العظمة والكبرياء رخاء السعادة تارة ودبور الأدبار أخرى ، فحينئذٍ يضطر الراكب إلى التماس أنوار الهدايات وطلب انفتاح أبواب السعادات فيقول { رب اشرح لي صدري } وإنما سأل موسى شرح الصدر دون القلب لأن انشراح الصدر يستلزم انشراح القلب دون العكس . وأيضاً شرح الصدر كالمقدمة لشرح القلب والجواد يكفيه الإشارة ، فإذا علم أنه طالب للمقدمة فلا يليق بكرمه أن يمنعه النتيجة . وأيضاً إنه راعى الأدب في الطلب فاقتصر على طلب الأدنى . فلا جرم أعطى المقصود فقال { قد أتيت سؤلك يا موسى } وحين اجترأ في طلب الرؤية بقوله { أرني أنظر إليك } [ الأعراف : 143 ] أجيب بقوله { لن تراني } . واعلم أن جميع المهيئات الممكنة كالبلور الصافي الموضع في مقابلة شمس القدس ونور العظمة ومشرق الجلال ، فإذا وقع للقلب التفات إليها حصلت له نسبة إليها بأسرها ، فينعكس شعاع كبرياء الإلهية من كل واحد منها إلى القلب فيحرق القلب . ومعلوم أن المحرق كلما كان أكثر كان الاحتراق أتم ، فلهذا قال موسى { رب اشرح لي صدري } حتى أقوى على إدراك درجات الممكنات وأصل إلى مقام الاحتراق بأنوار الجلال كما نبينا صلى الله عليه وسلم « أرني الأشياء كما هي » وههنا دقيقة وهي أن موسى لما زاد لفظة { لي } في قوله { رب اشرح لي } دون أن يقول « رب اشرح صدّري » علم أنه أراد أن تعود منفعة الشرح إليه فلا جرم يقول يوم القيامة « نفسي نفسي » وإن نبينا صلى الله عليه وسلم لما لم ينس أمته في مقام القرب إذ قيل له « السلام عليك أيها النبي » فقال : « السلام علينا وعلى عباد الله الصالحين » ، فلا جرم يقول يوم القيامة « أمتي أمتي » وشتان ما بين نبي يتضرع إلى الله ويقول { رب اشرح لي صدري } وبين نبي يخاطب أولاً بقوله { ألم نشرح لك صدرك } [ الشرح : 1 ] . ولا يخفى أن المراد بالشرح والتيسير عند أهل السنة هو خلقهما ، وعند المعتزلة تحريك الدواعي والبواعث بفعل الألطاف المسهلة ، فإنه يحتمل أن يكون هناك من الألطاف ما لا يحسن فعلها إلا بعد هذا السؤال Source

Jazakallah, very informative erm...just to point out for the information of those Muslims not consuming samusas/pastries in Ramadhaan (masha-allah), puff pastry not used for samusas brother CH...the forzen pastry is used for various fillings and then baked : )

Omar Hisham al-Arabi Surah Ar-Rahmaan - soothing, heart melting https://youtu.be/sHDmxMrCfCw Verses of Tranquility - SAKINAH أيات السكينة لدفع الهموم https://youtu.be/EBec54KMu58 The Healing Verses https://youtu.be/6H52-brhfi4

FREE ASSOCIATION AND PRAYER In therapy we use a technique called free association, a practice in psychoanalytic therapy, which is to let the client share thoughts, words, and anything else that comes to the mind freely. Now, the benefit of this is to help clients understand what they really think and feel about themselves, others, and the situations they are experiencing versus what they tell themselves they think and feel, in an atmosphere of non-judgmental curiosity and acceptance. A powerful experience! Now, I've been thinking about the concept of 'Dua' in our beautiful religion, and how similar it is to free association in psychoanalytic therapy. When we make dua to Allah; with our hearts, we are talking to Allah about our thoughts, worries and stressors. When talking to him we are our authentic selves, not the self we show to the world but our true self. We talk to him about our mistakes, insecurities, challenges and things that we find difficult to even speak about with others. We feel safe, held, accepted in a non-judgmental environment. We understand our problems better and feel at peace. How content and relieved do we feel after we talk to Allah with our hearts! A sense of healing! We are instilled with hope, strength and courage. Alhamdulillah This is the beauty of Dua. He listens and responds beautifully, in ways we just haven't really understood. Subhanallah! "And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” (Surat Ghafir: 60) Taken from Quotes from Therapy on Instagram https://instagram.com/quotesfromtherapy?igshid=q5qxfx0viopy

Jazaakallaahu khayraa for posting this... concern has been on many people's minds and no one was saying anything

Jazaakillaahu khayraa I always thought these were all separate du'as

Assalaamu 'alaykum Brother please format your posts before posting

The Isnād System: An Unbroken Link to The Prophet By Shaykh Muntasir Zaman Pause for a moment, and ask yourself: what are the greatest accomplishments of the Muslim civilization? At first thought, a number of things will probably come to mind, ranging from mathematics to medicine to architecture—perhaps even coffee.[1] But unfortunately we tend to overlook one of the greatest accomplishments, if not the greatest: the isnād system. That a person, till this day, can attribute a hadīth to the Prophet and then follow it with a list of authorities reaching back successively to the source is what scholars as early as Abū Bakr al-Thaqafī (d. 309 AH)[2] described as an exclusive accomplishment of the Muslim civilization.[3] The word sanad (lit. base)[4] refers to the chain of transmitters leading to the text of a hadīth while isnād refers to the mentioning of the chain.[5] Majority of scholars, however, use both terms interchangeably.[6] Al-Bukhārī (d. 256 AH), for instance, mentions, “Makkī ibn Ibrahīm—Yazīd ibn Abī ‘Ubayd Allāh—Salamah: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say, ‘Whoever lies about me should prepare his abode in the fire.’”[7] In this example, the names leading to the text form the sanad of the hadith.[8] The usage of isnād began simultaneously with the transmission of the Prophet’s hadiths. Companions like Abū Salamah al-Makhzūmī (d. 3 AH),[9] and Ja‘far ibn Abī Tālib (d. 8 AH),[10] who passed away during the Prophet’s lifetime,[11] transmitted hadiths citing the Prophet as their source.[12] Furthermore, Companions who were preoccupied with their daily responsibilities would take turns to attend the gathering of the Prophet. When the present partner would relate the day’s teachings to the absent partner, he would obviously preface his words with “The Prophet said so and so.”[13] The shortness of the chain­, i.e. direct transmission from the Prophet, makes this first rudimentary usage of isnād unnoticeable. During this time, transmitters were not required to disclose their sources. That is why we find Companions like Anas ibn Mālik, who lived during the Medinan period, relate incidents from the Meccan period without citing their sources.[14] This was not an issue because even the thought of lying about the Prophet was inconceivable to the Companions.[15] Shortly after the Prophet’s demise, the Companions exercised caution vis-à-vis hadiths,[16] with Abū Bakr spearheading the initiative.[17] When al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah narrated a hadith about a grandmother’s share of inheritance, Abū Bakr asked for corroboration, which Muhammad ibn Maslamah duly provided.[18] ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb also asked Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī for corroboration when he narrated the hadith about seeking permission thrice for entering a person’s house; in this case, Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī stood in his support.[19] The assassination of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān (Allāh be pleased with him) in 35 AH, later described as the strife (Fitnah), marks a major shift in the course of Islamic history.[20] Until the events that led to the tragic incident, there was considerable stability throughout the Muslim world.[21] Driven by a thirst to bolster their political and theological views,[22] people thereafter began to fabricate hadiths, which prompted scholars to exercise even further caution. Recounting this delicate phase, Ibn Sīrīn (d. 110 AH) explains, “In the early period, no one would ask about isnād. But when the strife[23] occurred people would say, “Name for us your sources.”[24] It is understood from Ibn Sīrīn’s words that the practice of citing one’s source, or isnād, for a hadīth existed before the Fitnah, but was not a requirement—it was within the discretion of a transmitter.[25] During the first century AH, the isnād system had fully developed and formed part and parcel of the transmission of hadiths.[26] Until a hadith was supported by an isnād, it held no weight in the sight of Hadīth scholars.[27] In this respect, ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mubārak (d. 181 AH) made the proverbial remark, “Isnād is part of religion. Were it not for isnād, a person could say whatever he wanted. If you ask him, ‘Who told you this?’ He cannot reply.”[28] Sufyān al-Thawrī (d. 161 AH) said, “Isnād is the weapon of a believer. When he is not equipped with his weapon, how will he combat?”[29] The emphasis scholars placed on isnād in the field of Hadīth had rippling effects on other disciplines, like Qur’ānic exegesis, jurisprudence, history, and poetry. The leading exegete, Ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī (d. 310 AH), for instance, when quoting an opinion on the commentary of a verse, couples it with a chain of transmission that traces back to the source.[30] The extent this emphasis permeated even the most mundane subjects is at times unbelievable. A collection of stories about love entitled “Masāri‘ al-‘Ushshāq” where the author, Abū Muhammad al-Sarrāj (d. 500 AH), painstakingly cites lengthy chains of transmission is a case in point.[31] An argument has been put forward for the usage of isnād before the advent of Islām, in an attempt to negate the notion that it is an exclusively Islāmic accomplishment. To this end, examples are adduced from pre-Islāmic poetry,[32] Jewish scripture[33] and Hindu literature.[34] These examples, however, are not substantive; there is a stark contrast between the isnāds employed in these examples and how Muslims used isnāds. The fifth century Andalusian polymath, Ibn Hazm (d. 456 AH), explains what is meant by the exclusivity of isnād among Muslims.[35] From six forms of transmission, he writes, three are exclusive to Muslims. The third form deserves particular attention, “Transmission from the Prophet via reliable narrators, each disclosing the name and lineage of the informant, and each of known status, person, time, and place.”[36] More simply put, Muslims may not have been the first to use isnād per se—for argument’s sake—but they were definitely the first to give it value by providing unbroken chains and documenting detailed accounts of the narrators, better known as the field of al-Jarh wa al-Ta‘dīl (accreditation and criticism). After all, what use is a list of narrators when nothing is known about them save their names? The Muslim civilization is truly unrivalled in its documentation of the biographical information of Hadīth transmitters. Aloys Sprenger (d. 1893 CE), the celebrated Western academic and critic of Islam, could not help but acknowledge this unparalleled accomplishment. He writes: The glory of the literature of the Mohammedans is its literary biography. There is no nation, nor has there been any which like them has during twelve centuries recorded the life of every man of letters. If the biographical records of the Musalmans were collected, we should probably have accounts of the lives of half a million of distinguished persons, and it would be found that there is not a decennium of their history, nor a place of importance which has not its representatives.[37] Before concluding, it will be beneficial to address two issues. First, as the science of Hadīth developed, a hadīth was identified with its isnād and not its text (matn). [38] The growth of isnāds was a natural outcome of transmission: assuming one Companion imparted a hadith to five students who in turn did the same, etcetera, the number of routes would have increased exponentially. Through the process of transmission, therefore, the number of isnāds multiplied without an increase in the number of texts.[39] Consequently, when ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Mahdī said, “I know thirteen hadīths via al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah from the Prophet regarding wiping on the socks,”[40] he was referring to a single text transmitted through thirteen different channels.[41] Keeping this technicality in mind will allow us to understand what scholars meant when they described the staggering number of hadīths they knew, such as al-Bukhārī’s memorization of one-hundred thousand authentic hadiths[42] or Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s compilation of his Musnad from a pool of seven-hundred thousand hadīths.[43] Furthermore, apart from Prophetic hadiths, included in these large numbers are the statements of the Companions and Successors.[44] Second, simply citing a chain of transmission for a report, be it a hadith or otherwise, does not necessitate its authenticity. This is more so in the case of books like Ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī’s Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk—a primary source for subsequent historians—where the author gathers all available reports as transmitted to him and then consigns the responsibility of analyzing the chains of transmission to the reader.[45] But at the same time, it should be remembered that the isnād system, as Anwar Shāh al-Kashmīrī (d. 1933 CE) would often remind his students, was formally instituted to prevent the inclusion of extra-Islamic material, not to remove established Islamic teachings.[46] [1] See: 1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World, pp.12, 64, 198. [2] Al-Baghdādī, Sharaf Ashāb al-Hadīth, p.40. On the identity of Abū Bakr al-Thaqafī, see: Abū Ghuddah, al-Isnād min al-Dīn, p.23. Al-Thaqafī relates the idea of exclusivity from an earlier unidentified source. Muhammad ibn Hātim ibn al-Mufażaffar and Abū Tālib al-Makkī (d. 386 AH) have made similar remarks [al-Baghdādī, Sharaf Ashāb al-Hadīth, p.40; al-Makkī, Qūt al-Qulūb, vol.1, p.385]. I have yet to locate Muhammad ibn Hātim’s exact date of demise. Thus far, the following is some available data: (1) he reportedly narrates from Yahyā ibn Ma‘īn (d. 233 AH) [al-Bayhaqī, Shu‘ab al-mān, vol.4, p.362]; (2) Abū al-‘Abbās al-Daghūlī (d. 325 AH) [Al-Baghdādī, Sharaf Ashāb al-Hadīth, p.40] and Halīm ibn Dāwūd al-Kashshī (d. 357 AH) [Ibn Mākūlā, al-Ikmāl, vol.2, p.492] narrate from him. [3] Ibn Hibbān, al-Majrūhīn, vol.1 p.30; al-Hākim, al-Mustadrak ‘alā al-Sahīhayn, vol.1, p.41; al-Kattānī, Fahras al-Fahāris, vol.1, p.80. [4] Ibn Jamā‘ah, al-Manhal al-Rawī, p.30. There are three possible linguistic origins for the term sanad: elevation/raise, base/authority, and harshness/strength. See: al-Jawnfūrī, Nawādir al-Hadīth, p.37. [5] Al-Thanawī, Kashfshāf Istilihāt al-Funūn wa al-‘Ulūm, p.984; Abū Ghuddah, al-Isnād min al-Dīn, p.14. [6] Ibn al-‘Ajamī, Hashiyah ‘alā Tadrīb al-Rāwī, vol.3, p.89. For more on both terms, see: al-Suyūtī, Tadrīb al-Rāwī [with editor’s footnotes], vol.2, pp.31-33; al-Qārī, Sharh Sharh al-Nukhbah, pp.159-160; al-Jawnfūrī, Nawādir al-Hadīth, pp.37-38; Tāriq ibn ‘Awad Allāh, Sharh Lughat al-Muhaddith, pp.62-63. Be it as it may, as Shams al-Dīn al-Sakhāwi (d. 902 AH) explains, this is a flexible matter. See: al-Sakhāwī, Fath al-Mughīth, vol.1, p.23. [7] Al-Bukhārī, al-Jāmi‘ al-Musnad al-Sahīh, vol.1 p.33. [8] Abū Ghuddah, al-Isnād min al-Dīn, p.14. [9] Al-Tirmidhī, al-Sunan, vol.5, p.414; cf. al-Mizzī, Tuhfat al-Ashrāf, no.6577. [10] Ahmad, al-Musnad, vol.3, p.262; cf. Ibn Hajar, Ithāf al-Maharah, vol.4, p.75/Itrāf al-Musnid al-Mu‘talī, vol.2, p.208. [11] In Tadrīb al-Rāwī, Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūtī dedicated chapter 92 to the hadiths of those Companions who passed away during the Prophet’s lifetime. See: al-Suyūtī, Tadrīb al-Rāwī, vol.5, pp.635-636. He is said to have also authored a book on the subject. See: Hājī Khalīfah, Kashf al-Zunūn, vol.2, p.1683. [12] Fallātah, al-Wad‘ fī al-Hadīth, vol.2, pp.15-19. [13] See, for instance, al-Bukhārī, al-Jāmi‘ al-Musnad al-Sahīh, vol.1, p.29; al-A‘żamī, On Schacht’s Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence, p.155. [14] Fallātah, al-Wad‘ fī al-Hadīth, vol.2, p.19. [15] Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib said, “We did not hear from the Prophet everything we narrate from him directly. We heard from him, and our companions would also narrate to us [from him]. But we would not lie.” See: Ahmad, al-‘Ilal wa Ma‘rifat al-Rijāl, vol.2, p.410. Anas ibn Mālik said, “By Allah, we would not lie. We did not know what lying was.” See: al-Fasawī, al-Ma‘rifah wa al-Tārīkh, vol.2, pp.633-634. For a study of the alleged reports of fabrication during the Prophet’s lifetime, see: Abū Ghuddah, Lamahat, pp.56-65. [16] On the report of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib taking an oath from a narrator before accepting his hadiths, see: al-Bukhārī, al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr, vol.2, p.54. [17] Al-Dhahabī, Tadhkirat al-Huffāż, vol.1, p.9. [18] Al-Tirmidhī, al-Sunan, vol.3, p.491. [19] Mālik, al-Muwatta’, vol.5, p.1403. For an important clarification on these and other similar reports, see: al-Suyūtī, Tadrīb al-Rāwī, vo.2, p.188; al-Sibā‘ī, al-Sunnāh wa Makānatuhā fī al-Tashrī‘ al-Islāmī, pp.85-89. [20] Abū Ghuddah, Lamahāt, p.73. [21] See: Mullā Khātir, Bid‘at Da‘wā al-I‘timād ‘alā al-Kitāb Dūn al-Sunnāh, p.18. [22] Mustafā al-Sibā‘ī enumerates seven factors that prompted the fabrication of hadīths. See: al-Sibā‘ī, al-Sunnah wa Makānatuhā fī al-Tashrī‘ al-Islāmī, pp.96-105. [23] There is considerable debate on the interpretation of ‘Fitnah’ in the words of Ibn Sīrīn. Some scholars opine that it refers to the assassination of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān. See: Abū Ghuddah, Lamahāt, p.73. Based on a statement of Ibrāhim al-Nakha‘ī that people only began asking for isnād during the era al-Mukhtār ibn Abī ‘Ubayd al-Thaqafī (d. 67 AH), some argue for a later date. See: Ahmad, al-‘Ilal wa Ma‘rifat al-Rijāl, vol.3, p.380. With variations on the specific date, many contemporary scholars agree that fabrication began around the year 40 AH. Mujīr al-Khatīb explains that sparks of fabrication began during the period of the Successors when the first wave of trials and innovations surfaced; thus, leaving the date abstract so as to include the various opinions is more preferable. See: al-Hasanī, Ma‘rifat Madār al-Isnād, vol.1, p.385. For a study of Orientalist views on the date of the origins of isnād, see: al-A‘żamī, Studies In Early Hadīth Literature, pp.216-217/On Schacht’s Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence, pp.166-168; Siddiqi, Hadīth Literature: Its Origins Development and Special Features, pp.79-80. [24] Muslim, Introduction to his Sahīh, p.11. [25] Al-A‘żamī, Studies In Early Hadīth Literature, p.217. [26] Ibid., p.213. [27] See: Abū Ghuddah, Lamahāt, p.145. Despite the weakness of a hadith’s chain of transmission, scholars at times would authenticate its contents due to external factors, like inherited practice. For more on this, see: al-Kawtharī, al-Maqālāt, pp.75-78; Abū Ghuddah, al-Ajwibah al-Fādilah, p.228 f.; Brown, Did the Prophet Say It or Not? The Literal, Historical, and Effective Truth of Hadīths in Early Sunnism, p.277; also see Haydar Hasan’s treatise in: al-Nu‘mānī, al-Imām Ibn Mājah wa Kitābuhū al-Sunan, pp.86-90. This brings to mind the priceless observation of Anwar Shāh al-Kashmīrī, “It [Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī’s judgment] is premised only on rules while al-Tirmidhī’s assessment is based on sense and sound intuition, and, truly, this is knowledge. And [rigid] rules are a blind man’s walking stick.” See: al-Kashmīrī, Fayd al-Bārī, vol.6, p.216/vol.4, p.130. But in the same breath, another piece of advice should not escape our attention, “Do not be like the one to whom it is said: you remembered one thing, but you forgot many things.” See: Ibid. [al-Mīrathī, al-Badr al-Sārī], vol.4, p.130. [28] Muslim, Introduction to his Sahīh, p.11. [29] Al-Baghdādī, Sharaf Ashāb al-Hadīth, p.42 [30] Abū Ghuddah, Lamahāt, pp.143-145. [31] See: al-Sarrāj, Masāri‘ al-‘Ushshāq; Siddique, Hadīth Literature, p.84. Scholars like al-Jāhiz (235 AH), Abū al-Faraj al-Asfahānī (d. 356 AH), and Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597 AH) even cite isnāds for light hearted anecdotes. See: al-A‘żamī, On Schacht’s Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence, p.154. [32] Al-Asad, Masādir al-Shi‘r al-Jāhilī, pp.255 f.; al-A‘żamī, Studies In Early Hadīth Literature, p.212. Schoeler negates the possibility of isnāds being used by pre-Islāmic poets. See: Cook, The Opponents of the Writing of Tradition in Early Islam, pp.511-512. [33] Horovits, Alter Und Ursprung des Isnad, Der Islam, VIII, pp.39-47; Cook, The Opponents of the Writing of Tradition in Early Islam, pp.510– 512. Horovits did not provide evidence to show that these chains were not later fabrications. He does, however, write, “In the Talmudic literature, there is no idea of a chronological method, and the oldest extant work attempting such an arrangement was composed after 885 AD—more than a century later than the earliest Islamic work on isnād-critique. From this fact, and from the fact that the important Jewish works had been composed in the Islamic dominions, it may be inferred that the historical interest was due to the Islamic influence [emphasis mine].” See: Horovits, Alter, p.47; Siddiqi, Hadīth Literature, p.81, 150. [34] See: Siddiqi, Hadīth Literature, pp.78-79, 81. [35] Ibn Hazm, al-Fisal, vol.2, pp.67-70. [36] Ibid. [37] Sprenger, A Biographical Dictionary of Persons Who Knew Mohammad, vol.1, p.1. There is a degree of exaggeration in these figures, but there is no doubt that the Muslim civilization is peerless in this accomplishment. See: Abū Ghuddah, Lamahāt, p.163. [38] Abbott, Studies in Arabic Literary Papyri II, p.66; Brown, Hadīth, p.219. [39] It is difficult to determine the exact number of individual hadiths. Nevertheless, Sālih Ahmad al-Shāmī gathered the hadiths of 14 major Hadīth compilations: the six canonical books, Muwatta’ Mālik, Musnad Ahmad, the Sunans of al-Dārimī and al-Bayhaqī, the Sahīhs of Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibbān, al-Mustadrak of al-Hākim, and al-Mukhtārah of al-Diyā’ al-Maqdisī. In total, he gathered 114,194 hadīths, and after removing repetitions, there remained 28,430 hadīths. It should be noted that he did not regard the narration of two different Companions for an identical hadith as a repetition. See: al-Shāmī, Ma‘ālim al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, p.9. [40] Al-Rāzī, al-Jarh wa al-Ta‘dīl, vol.1, p.261 [41] al-A‘żamī, Studies In Early Hadīth Literature, p.302. [42] Al-Baghdādī, Tārīkh Baghdād, vol.2, p.340. [43] Abū Musā, Khasā’is al-Musnad, p.21. [44] Shākir, Footnotes on Khasā’is al-Musnad, p.21; Abū Ghuddah, Footnotes on Mabādī’ ‘Ilm al-Hadīth wa Usūluh, p.55; al-A‘żamī, Studies In Early Hadīth Literature, p.303. [45] See: al-Tabarī, Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk, vol.1, pp. 7-8; al-Kawtharī, al-Maqālāt, p.404. Ibn Hajar writes, “Most Hadīth scholars of the past—from 200 AH onwards—believed that citing a hadith with its chain of transmission absolved them of the responsibility [of analyzing it].” See: Ibn Hajar, Lisān al-Mīzān, vol.4 p.125; cf. ‘Awwāmah, Footnotes on Tadrīb al-Rāwī, vol.3, pp.519-520. Zayn al-Dīn al-‘Irāqī explains that although citing a hadith alongside its problematic chain without expounding on its defects is reprehensible, to do so without citing its chain at all is worse. See: al-‘Irāqī, Sharh al-Tabsirah wa al-Tadhkirah, vol.1, p.313; Brown, Did the Prophet Say It or Not? The Literal, Historical, and Effective Truth of Hadīths in Early Sunnism, pp.281-282. [46] Abū Ghuddah, al-Ajwibah al-Fādilah, p.238. Darultahqiq

How should a person paralysed from the waist downwards perform salaah? Q: An individual is paralysed from the waist downwards. He is unable to make wudhu and there is no one present to help him make wudhu. How will such a person perform his salaah? https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmuftionline.co.za%2Fb.jpg&t=1610268483&ymreqid=1e76d8aa-a6f0-66f7-1cdc-b5000101d900&sig=8nX3rykhWhXTVdVRtb2iig--~D A: If there is no person present who will be able to assist him make wudhu, then if he is able to make taymmum, he should make tayammum and perform salaah. If he is unable to make tayammum, then he should not perform salaah in this state of hadath. However, he will imitate a person performing salaah by carrying out the postures of salaah without making niyyat of salaah and without reciting anything during the salaah. Later on, when he is able to make wudhu, he should make wudhu and make qadha of the salaah. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. ( من عجز ) مبتدأ خبره تيمم ( عن استعمال الماء ) المطلق الكافي لطهارته لصلاة تفوت إلى خلف ( لبعده ) ولو مقيما في المصر ( ميلا ) أربعة آلاف ذراع وهو أربع وعشرون أصبعا وهي ست شعيرات ظهر لبطن وهي ست شعرات بغل ( أو لمرض ) يشتد أو يمتد بغلبة ظن أو قول حاذق مسلم ولو بتحرك أو لم يجد من توضئه ... ( تيمم ) لهذه الأعذار كلها (الدر المختار 1/ 232-236) قال الشامي : قوله ( أو لم يجد ) أي أو كان لا يخاف الاشتداد ولا الامتداد لكنه لا يقدر بنفسه ولم يجد من يوضئه (رد المحتار 1/ 233) (والمحصور فاقد) الماء والتراب (الطهورين) بأن حبس في مكان نجس ولا يمكنه إخراج تراب مطهر، وكذا العاجز عنهما لمرض (يؤخرها عنده: وقالا: يتشبه) بالمصلين وجوبا، فيركع ويسجد إن وجد مكانا يابسا وإلا يومئ قائما ثم يعيد كالصوم (به يفتى وإليه صح رجوعه) أي الإمام كما في الفيض، قال الشامي: (قوله وقالا يتشبه بالمصلين) أي احتراما للوقت. قال ط: ولا يقرأ كما في أبي السعود، سواء كان حدثه أصغر أو أكبر. اهـ. قلت: وظاهره أنه لا ينوي أيضا؛ لأنه تشبه لا صلاة حقيقية تأمل (رد المحتار 1/253-252) ولا يتشبه فاقد الماء والتراب الطهور بحبس عندهما وقال أبو يوسف يتشبه بالإيماء والعاجز الذي لا يجد من يوضئه يتيمم اتفاقا ولو وجد من يعينه فلا قدرة له عند الإمام بقدرة الغير خلافا لهما وقال العلامة الطحطاوي رحمه الله: (قوله بحبس) متعلق بفاقد ومثل الحبس العجز عنهما بمرض كما في السيد أو بوضع خشب في يديه (قوله وقال أبو يوسف يتشبه بالإيماء) إقامة لحق الوقت وهذا هو الصحيح عنده لأنه لو سجد لصار مستعملا للنجاسة لعدم وجود الطاهر وقيل يركع ويسجد إن وجد مكانا يابسا أفاده في الشرح والذي في السيد نقلا عن التنوير وشرحه وقالا يتشبه بالمصلين وجوبا فيركع ويسجد إن وجد مكانا يابسا وإلا يومىء قائما ثم يعيد به يفتي وإليه صح رجوع الإمام ثم قال ومعنى التشبه بالمصلين أن لا يقصد بالقيام الصلاة ولا يقرأ شيئا وإذا حنى ظهره لا يقصد الركوع ولا السجود ولا يسبح اهـ وتحصل منه أن التشبه متفق عليه وإنه بالركوع والسجود لا بالإيماء على ما عليه الفتوى (حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح صـ 117) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Gathering on the fortieth day after the demise of a deceased Q: Is it correct to gather on the fortieth day after the demise of a deceased in order to recite the Quraan Majeed, etc. and convey the reward to him? https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmuftionline.co.za%2Fb.jpg&t=1609593361&ymreqid=1e76d8aa-a6f0-66f7-1ce1-1c000101ee00&sig=jvzYSOhA_g4IpxGWbSOeoQ--~D A: There is no basis for gathering on the fortieth day for the purpose of reciting the Quraan Majeed, feeding, etc. and conveying the reward to the deceased. The correct way is that people recite individually from wherever they are and convey the reward to the deceased. This is much more beneficial and rewarding. And Allah Ta'ala knows best. عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس فيه فهو رد (صحيح البخاري، الرقم: 2697) ويكره اتخاذ الضيافة من الطعام من أهل الميت لأنه شرع في السرور لا في الشرور وهي بدعة مستقبحة وروى الإمام أحمد وابن ماجة بإسناد صحيح عن جرير بن عبد الله قال: كنا نعد الاجتماع إلى أهل الميت وصنعهم الطعام من النياحة اهـ (رد المحتار 2/240) ويكره اتخاذ الطعام في اليوم الأول والثالث وبعد الأسبوع والأعياد ونقل الطعام إلى القبر في المواسم واتخاذ الدعوة بقراءة القرآن وجمع الصلحاء والقراء للختم أو لقراءة سورة الأنعام أو الإخلاص فالحاصل أن اتخاذ الطعام عند قراءة القرآن لأجل الأكل يكره (الفتاوى البزازية على هامش الهندية 4/81) الأصل في هذا الباب أن الإنسان له أن يجعل ثواب عمله لغيره عند أهل السنة والجماعة صلاة كان أو صوما أو حجا أو صدقة أو قراءة قرآن أو الأذكار إلى غير ذلك من جميع أنواع البر ويصل ذلك إلى الميت وينفعه (تبيين الحقائق 2/83) وما ذاك (أي كون الفعل بدعة) إلا لكونها لم تؤثر في خصوص هذا الموضع (رد المحتار 2/235) فتاوى محموديه 5/524 Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned regarding Akbar Ali who was one of his associates: Akbar Ali was a very intelligent person. Once, while in dialogue with a Christian, he posed the following question to him, “If a person wishes to turn his entire focus towards Allah Ta‘ala throughout his life, and remain engaged in ibaadah twenty-four hours of the day, in such a manner that his heart is not consumed by the world, then do you Christians have any method whereby he can acquire this?” The Christian replied, “No, there is no such method in the religion of Christianity.” Akbar Ali then said, “However, there is such a method in the religion of Islam. Islam has shown us a complete and perfect way of life through following the Mubaarak Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). In every department of human living, and at every occasion in a person’s life, there are certain sunnats and etiquettes to be practiced and azkaar (du‘aas) to be recited whereby one will be able to remember Allah Ta‘ala. Islam has taught us that on awakening, we should recite certain du‘aas, when sitting and waking up from a gathering, then we should recite certain du‘aas, and likewise, when lying down to sleep, when eating and before and after relieving ourselves, then we should recite certain du‘aas. “In essence, there is no condition or occasion in the life of a believer for which there is no beautiful and comprehensive teaching of Shari‘ah directed towards him through which he can remain perpetually engaged in the remembrance and obedience of Allah Ta‘ala.” After mentioning the above, Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) remarked, “Akbar Ali’s question to the Christian was quite remarkable, and in reality, only the religion of Islam has taught man a method whereby one can remain engaged in the ibaadah of Allah Ta‘ala at all times. In essence, Islam has prescribed separate injunctions and teachings for every occasion and condition for people to remain on guidance. Hence, through practising on these sunnats and fulfilling these various forms of ibaadah (acts of worship) at different times during the night and day and on different occasions, one will continue to find a special motivation towards the love of Allah Ta‘ala, and finding any hardship and difficulty, one will remain in the state of ibaadah. (Malfoozaat Husn-ul-Azeez pg. 237) Ihyaauddeen.co.za

Grief & Happiness – A Test By Shaykhul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh If we carefully reflect on our lives, we will realise that we all experience moments of both grief and happiness. One will never experience only grief or only happiness throughout his life. Every human being from the time of Sayyidunā Ādam ‘alayhis salām till today will have experienced both grief and happiness and this will be the case for every person to come till the last day. After moments, days, weeks or months of grief, Allāh ta‘ālā changes the situation and one finds himself enjoying happiness. Similarly after a period of happiness, be it short or long, a person will experience some grief. Happiness and Grief: Samples of Jannah and Jahannam One of the wisdoms behind creating grief and happiness and making us experience both is that after spending time in this world, a person will depart for the Hereafter where there is Jannah and Jahannam. The characteristic of Jannah is eternal comfort and happiness, whilst the characteristic of Jahannam is eternal hardship and grief. This world, however, bears the characteristics of both Jannah and Jahannam. The grief and happiness experienced here is, in effect, a sample of the eternal and unimaginable grief or happiness to come in the Hereafter. When one is struck with any condition that brings grief, for example illness and poverty, one should understand that this is merely a sample of the grief of the Hereafter. Allāh ta‘ālā puts His servants in this grief as a reminder that if they are unable to bear the limited and temporary grief of this world, then how will they bear the everlasting grief of Jahannam? Similarly, Allāh ta‘ālā gives one the taste of happiness, so that one can reflect and acknowledge that if temporary bounties of this world can bring such happiness, then what about the happiness acquired through the inconceivable bounties of Jannah. They serve as reminders for us to try our utmost to safeguard ourselves from the everlasting grief and strive to acquire the everlasting happiness of the Hereafter. Happiness and Grief: Tests from Allāh ta‘ālā Happiness and grief are both tests from Allāh ta‘ālā. Everything that we experience in this world either brings happiness or grief. Life is a blessing which results in happiness. The birth of a child or recovery of a loved one after being on the brink of death are certainly sources of happiness. On the other hand, losing a loved one is a source of grief. Everything in this world has a life and a death. Prosperity in business is life, whilst bankruptcy is its death. Honour and reputation is life, whilst humiliation and disgrace is its death. Similarly health is life, whilst illness is its death. Allāh ta‘ālā has created these two conditions to test His servants, to see whether the servant is patient and persevering when struck with grief and whether he is grateful when blessed with happiness. Causes Behind Afflictions It is important to understand that there isn’t always a single cause behind the afflictions and trials one experiences. When someone is struck with a calamity, the general tendency is to assume that it is a punishment from Allāh ta‘ālā as a consequence of the person’s sins. This is not always the case. No one has the right to be suspicious about someone else’s internal condition. The causes of afflictions can be good as well as bad. Those afflicted fall into one of three categories: 1. The afflicted is not content with the Decree of Allāh ta‘ālā and complains saying things like, ‘Why did this happen to me? What have I done to deserve this?’ This is a sign that the calamity is a punishment from Allāh ta‘ālā. 2. The afflicted is content with the Decree of Allāh ta‘ālā and exercises patience despite the discomfort. This is a sign that the calamity is a blessing and that the sins of the afflicted are being forgiven. Alhamdulillāh, majority of the Muslims find themselves in this category when afflicted. 3. The afflicted not only observes patience and refrains from complaining but also shows gratitude to Allāh ta‘ālā for having saved him from something worse. When afflicted with an illness, for instance, he will remain thankful for being able to walk, see and hear. When his wealth is taken away from him, he thanks Allāh ta‘ālā for having protected his life. This is a sign that the one afflicted is a very special servant of Allāh ta‘ālā and the affliction is a means of elevating his status. Immense Reward for Sabr In light of the above, one should remember that grief is a test from Allāh ta‘ālā and one should bear it with patience; and true patience is to accept the Decision of Allāh ta‘ālā wholeheartedly. For such people are glad tidings and immense reward. Allāh ta‘ālā says, We will most definitely test you with some fear and hunger, and loss in wealth, lives and fruits. And give glad tidings to the patient ones, those who when afflicted with an adversity say, ‘Indeed, to Allāh we belong and indeed, to Him we will return. (2:155-156) Indeed, the patient ones will be given their reward in full without measure. (39:10) Three Components of Shukr (Gratitude) Another test from Allāh ta‘ālā is that of blessings and bounties which result in happiness. Allāh ta‘ālā desires to see shukr from those blessed with his favours. And this shukr comprises of three parts: 1. Firstly, one needs to acknowledge with the heart and mind that one was not deserving of the blessings and bounties he enjoys. One should never feel that any bounty was a result of one’s effort and striving. Although such a thought does not usually arise regarding the bounties granted by Allāh ta‘ālā directly, such as the eyes and ears; but thoughts like these can occur with regard to bounties that apparently seem to have been acquired through one’s efforts. Wealth and knowledge are examples of such bounties. If the mind happens to think this way, then one should repel this thought by asking questions such as, ‘Who gave me the ability to strive in the first place? What about those who are more intelligent and able in this field than me?’ Moreover, one should always remember that Allāh ta‘ālā is capable of taking away the blessing in a split of a second if He wills. 2. Secondly, one should declare with the tongue what one has acknowledged with the heart and mind and thereafter, thank Him and praise Him saying, ‘Allāhumma lakal-hamdu wa lakash-shukr’ (O Allāh! For You is all praise and for You is all gratitude). One should also acknowledge that he can never praise Allāh ta‘ālā for His Blessings as He deserves to be praised. Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam supplicated: لَا أُحْصِيْ ثَـنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْـنَـيْتَ عَلٰى نَفْسِكَ I cannot truly praise You; You are as You have praised Yourself. (Ibn Mājah) 3. Thirdly, one should refrain from utilising the Bounties of Allāh ta‘ālā in disobeying Him. The eyes, the ears, the tongue, wealth, health, knowledge and every bounty Allāh ta‘ālā has blessed us with should never be utilised in disobedience to Him. Only then can one be regarded truly grateful to Allāh ta‘ālā. Patience and Gratitude: Two Doors of Jannah Sabr (patience) in times of grief and shukr (gratitude) in times of happiness are both means of entering Jannah. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has said, How wonderful is the situation of a believer! Every situation of his is khayr (goodness) for him, and this is for no one except the believer; if he finds himself in a favourable situation, he expresses gratitude, and this is good for him; and if he is afflicted with adversity, he exercises patience, and this is good for him. (Muslim) A Beautiful Incident Regarding Shukr There is a well-known incident of Sayyidunā Dāwūd ‘alayhis salām with regards to expressing true gratitude to Allāh ta‘ālā. Whilst engaged in shukr for the Blessings of Allāh ta‘ālā, he was inspired with a wonderful thought, ‘The tawfīq of shukr upon blessings granted by Allāh ta‘ālā is also a blessing from Him. Therefore, it is necessary to express shukr for this also.’ Upon engaging in shukr a second time, the same thought occurred again, so he carried out shukr for a third time. He then thought, ‘The tawfīq to express gratitude for a third time is yet another blessing.’ Now Sayyidunā Dāwūd ‘alayhis salām thought to himself that this is a never-ending cycle. Every shukr will always be a new blessing upon which another shukr will be necessary. Therefore, it is impossible to fulfil the responsibility of doing shukr. Sayyidunā Dāwūd ‘alayhis salām was compelled to say: O my Rabb! How can I be [truly] grateful to You when my shukr to You is also a blessing from You upon me? Upon this, Allāh ta‘ālā said, O Dāwūd! Now you have expressed (true) gratitude to Me. May Allāh ta‘ālā grant us the tawfīq to adopt the beautiful qualities of sabr and shukr. Āmīn. Extracted from Riyāḍul Jannah, Vol. 29 No. 7, 2020 © Riyādul Jannah

Yes I know and I mailed brother Arshad couple of weeks ago

Illness - A Blessing in Disguise By Shaykhul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh Innumerable Favours of Allāh ta‘ālā Allāh ta‘ālā states, Allāh ta‘ālā has bestowed us with so many bounties that our minds are unable to encompass them and we would never be able to enumerate them. Rather, often we fail to realise a bounty to be a blessing being showered upon us. Furthermore, many times we regard a certain bounty to be an adversity! Illness – a Bounty from Allāh ta‘ālā Illnesses have always been around and will continue to be. Various forms of illnesses are prevalent throughout the world. At times people become ill in large numbers; the current Coronavirus pandemic being a prime example of this. It would be unintelligent to believe that we can completely eradicate every illness and have an ‘illness free’ world. However, as Muslims we need to understand what our thinking should be with regards to illnesses; we need to contemplate and realise whether illnesses are in reality adversities or actually blessings in disguise. Generally, health is perceived to be a bounty from Allāh ta‘ālā and rightly so. However, illness is also a bounty from Allāh ta‘ālā. Fundamentally, health and illness are no different for a believer; both are a bounty and blessing from Allāh ta‘ālā. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has stated, Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has explained in this Hadīth that both situations of adversity and ease are ‘khayr’. Accordingly, a believer’s attitude should be that he does not act according to circumstances, but rather according to his objective, i.e. the Pleasure of Allāh ta‘ālā. Therefore, in reality, no situation should be adverse for him because his focus will be to acquire Divine Pleasure by remaining within the parameters set by Allāh ta‘ālā and His Rasūl sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam for those circumstances. In a favourable situation, he will ensure he is grateful to Allāh ta‘ālā by not violating any of His Commands, whilst in adversity, he will exercise patience and act accordingly. As a result, he will acquire the Pleasure of Allāh ta‘ālā in both situations, hence the adversity will also prove to be a blessing for him. Positive Aspects of Illness If we analyse the situation of a person afflicted with illness, we do not find him at any disadvantage in the pursuit of his objective, the Pleasure of Allāh ta‘ālā. Rather, we will conclude that he has a greater advantage than those in privileged circumstances. Let us look at some of the benefits that a sick person acquires when he becomes ill. 1. Special Blessings, Mercies and Guidance from Allāh ta‘ālā Allāh ta‘ālā states, As is apparent from the above verse, one who exercises patience during illness or adversity and says ‘innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rāji‘ūn’, he will receive special blessings from Allāh ta‘ālā as well as general mercies and Allāh ta‘ālā will increase him in hidāyah (guidance) too. 2. Expiation of Sins In one Hadīth, Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has stated, In another Hadīth, a Sahābī radhiyallāhu ‘anhu commented regarding a person who had passed away, ‘Glad tidings for him that he died without becoming ill.’ Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam replied, Woe to you! What do you know? It is possible that had Allāh afflicted him with an illness, He would have forgiven his sins through its medium. (Al-Muwattā, Imām Mālik rahimahullāh) 3. A High Status in the Court of Allāh ta‘ālā Many virtues have been mentioned with regards to those people who visit the sick. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has said, Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has also said, If such are the virtues for those who visit the sick, then what status must the sick person hold in the Court of Allāh ta‘ālā? 4. A Sign of Goodness Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has stated, 5. Award of Jannah Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has stated, 6. Martyrdom Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has stated, 7. Proximity to Allāh ta‘ālā Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has stated, 8. Reward Beyond Measure Allāh ta‘ālā states, Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has stated, If one is ill himself or if someone in his family is ill, then he should make du‘ā for the removal of the illness, spend in charity and also resort to medicine, but one should not fear illness or have a disliking for it. When there are so many Dīnī benefits for those who are afflicted with adversity or illness, then surely, it should be recognised as a blessing in disguise. Making Du‘ā for the Removal of Illness A question may arise in a person’s mind that if illness is such a great blessing, then why should we want to make du‘ā or resort to medicine for its cure? In this regard, I would like to mention an incident: Hadrat Mawlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī rahimahullāh narrates that the great spiritual mentor, Hadrat Hājī Imdādullāh rahimahullāh was once discussing the positive aspects of illnesses. Coincidentally, a person came to request Hadrat to make du‘ā for his wife who was ill. Hadrat Thānwī rahimahullāh mentions that I thought to myself, ‘How will Hadrat make du‘ā for the lady as this will entail asking Allāh ta‘ālā to take away a blessing granted by Him?’ Hadrat Mawlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī rahimahullāh says that Hadrat Hājī Imdādullāh rahimahullāh supplicated: O Allāh! Health is a blessing and illness is also a blessing; however, we are incapable of enduring the blessing of illness, so change it with the blessing of health which we are able to endure (happily). In conclusion, a believer should always keep acquiring the Pleasure of Allāh ta‘ālā in mind and regard every situation and circumstance a blessing from Allāh ta‘ālā. Surely, no situation will be an adversity for him if he learns to face it in the correct manner. Hence, the current pandemic of Coronavirus should also not over-concern a believer. A person should take all preventive measures and thereafter if he remains safe, alhamdulillāh, and if he is afflicted then too, alhamdulillāh, as he will be blessed with numerous Dīnī benefits that he will reap in this world and the Hereafter. Extracted from Riyāḍul Jannah, Vol. 29 No. 4/5, 2020 © At-Tazkiyah

Q: I know that kaffaarah fasts have to be kept consecutively, with no break in between. My question is that if a female has to keep kaffaarah fasts, then how will she keep them consecutively, taking into consideration that her haidh will come between the fasts? A: The days of her haidh are excluded from her kaffaarah days. Hence, immediately after the haidh ends, she should continue with the kaffaarah. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. قلت أرأيت المرأة يجب عليها شهران متتابعان فتحيض فيهما أتستقبل الصيام أم كيف تصنع قال إن كان الحيض يصيبها في كل شهر لا بد لها منه فعليها أن تقضي أيام حيضها ولا تستقبل الصيام وتصل ذلك بالشهرين (الأصل للشيباني 2/220) ولو كانت امرأة فصامت عن كفارة الإفطار في رمضان أو عن كفارة القتل فحاضت في خلال ذلك لا يلزمها الاستقبال لأنها لا تجد صوم شهرين لا تحيض فيهما فكانت معذورة (بدائع الصنائع 5/111) (فإن لم يجد ما يعتق صام شهرين متتابعين ليس فيهما رمضان وأيام منهية) وهي يوم الفطر ويوم النحر وأيام التشريق لأن التتابع منصوص عليه وشهر رمضان لم يشرع فيه صوم آخر غيره في حق المقيم الصحيح والصوم في العيدين وأيام التشريق منهي عنه فلا يتأدى به الكامل وينقطع التتابع بدخول هذه الأيام لأنه يجد شهرين متواليين خاليين عن هذه الأيام بخلاف ما إذا حاضت المرأة في صوم كفارة الإفطار أو القتل حيث لا ينقطع به الترتيب لأنها لا تجد بدا منه في شهرين بخلاف كفارة اليمين والنفاس والمرض حيث يستقبل في هذه الأشياء لأنه يمكن وجود شهرين خاليين عن النفاس والمرض ومدة كفارة اليمين قليلة فيمكنها أن تصوم مرتبا من غير حرج (تبيين الحقائق 3/10) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach

Never heard Mufti sahib speal Urdu before!

Jazakallaahu khayran for taking time to make these videos

House or Home? “Home is where the heart is” forms a well-known phrase which we often hear. However, we seldom hear a person say “house is where the heart is”. The reason is simple – the word ‘house’ generally refers to just the structure, be it of brick and concrete or stone and mud, while the word ‘home’ refers to the special place to which a person belongs and where he feels most comfortable, relaxed and ‘at home’. Let us now ask ourselves, “How many of us feel at home in our own houses?” Before we ‘jump the gun’ in our eagerness to answer, let us ponder over the following: Do we feel trapped in our homes, and feel like we just need to go out? Despite us having every amenity and comfort in our homes, is it inconceivable for us to spend a holiday at home? When we enter our homes, do we feel peace, tranquillity and happiness? Are we overwhelmed by feelings of gloom, depression and frustration? If it feels as if our home is permanently permeated by the darkness of fighting, quarrelling and discontentment, then we need to look beyond Eskom for enlightenment. In this regard, we will find the ‘down-lighter of Dua and the ‘quarrel-breaking contentment-making current of the Quraan indispensable and irreplaceable. Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu) says: “The house in which the Quraan is read, its household members increase, virtues and barakah multiply, angels come down upon them and the Shayaateen run far away from there, but the house in which the Quraan is not read, life there becomes difficult and empty of barakah, angels leave the house and the Shayaateen stay in it.” (Ithaafus Saadatil Muttaqeen vol. 4, pg. 466) Naturally, the environment of a house filled with Shayaateen and void of angels will be one of misery and unhappiness. However, there is no need to despair, as we literally hold the flawless formula in our hands – The Quraan. We need to enliven our houses, transforming them into homes of happiness, by daily reciting some portion of the Quraan. Whether collectively or individually, every member of the home should be part of this effort to illuminate the home with the Noor (light) of the Quraan. When recitation of the Quraan is replaced by reading posts on WhatsApp and Facebook or reading novels and blogs, then the angels are forced to flee as the Shayaateen flock to the family’s home. Just as we repel mosquitoes with ‘Peaceful Sleep’, let us repel the Shayaateen with the Quraan to enjoy peace, not only in our sleep but also in our wakefulness, and in every other aspect of our lives. uswatulmuslimah

Dealing with an abusive father I would like to ask if your father abuses you as a child and has hurt you and beat you up leaving you with marks to go to school and has abused you since a little child to the point you felt like you worth nothing and you didn’t do anything to deserve what had happened to you and he later abandons you because he believes that you disrespected him, when all your life he made you feel as if everything was your fault when it wasn’t and mother of that child even knows that because she has been abused as well. Since 14 the child’s family has been divorced and the father has used Allah swt for his wrong doings and has been very cultural. I read a hadith saying that cutting off ties who are blood related and not being helped will not enter paradise and this whole time this person has not been helped or supported and abandoned since 14 years old from his father.This child lives with his mother who has supported him. My question is what should this person do , what should the one do who has been abandoned, not been supported, and been abused by his father? This person is good and loves Islam and tries his best to be good and has been making dua and praying for his father but is still full of pain, while his father doesn’t feel at all he has done anything wrong and feels nothing towards this child. Is this kid at fault? Is the child in a state of getting bad deeds because of this problem? Is there any way to get closer to Allah swt to get rid of this pain? Answer: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah. May Allah’s peace and blessings shower upon our beloved Messenger. Dear Questioner, I pray that this message finds you in a state of strengthened iman and renewed spirits. Children who have suffered abuse often blame themselves, seeking to find some explanation for the abuser’s behavior. Please understand this: You are not at fault for what happened! No parent has the right to abuse his or her child. Allah Most High has entrusted parents with a tremendous amana or trust: raising, nurturing, and loving a human being, and teaching that child about his or her religion. When a parent violates this trust through abuse, be it physical, mental, or emotional, or neglects his or her child through abandonment or non-support, these actions constitute enormities, major sins in the sight of Allah Most High. The abusive and negligent parent will have much to answer for on the Day of Judgment, when Allah Most High knows what we have done, down to an atom’s weight of good or evil. It is obligatory for that parent to repent to Allah Most High and beg His forgiveness for violating the responsibility with which he or she was entrusted. You are right to continue to pray for your father. Allah Most High hears and responds to our prayers, often in ways that may not be immediately apparent. A crucial first step in resolving your anger toward your father is to pray for him. It is completely natural that you have a certain amount of resentment. The thing to remember is that: 1. You are not at fault. A child does not ask to be abused. 2. Your father is answerable to Allah Most High for what he has done. 3. Resentment and bitterness can tear a person’s heart. You don’t want to be weighed down by these feelings, so strive to put things in perspective and move on with your life. Alhamdulillah, you have a mother who seems to have looked out for you. 4. Yes, you will feel pain, but you can channel these feelings in a different direction. Allah willing, when you start your own family, you will know what NOT to do in raising your children. 5. As far as your relationship with your father is concerned, you can still maintain family ties by praying for him and being good to him, but you MUST NOT subject yourself to any type of abuse. The Prophet, peace be upon him said, “A person should help his brother whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed. If he is the oppressor he should prevent him from doing it, for that is his help; and if he is the oppressed he should be helped (against oppression).” [Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Number 6254] 6. Last but certainly not least, you may want to seek the help of a qualified counselor or therapist to help you work through these issues. The effects of child abuse can linger well into adulthood, and it may be of benefit to learn some strategies for coping with your pain, learning from it, and moving beyond. Turn to Allah Most High in all your thoughts and prayers. Be constant in your obligatory prayers and perform voluntary worship. It is reported in a Hadith Qudsi: On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: ‘Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.'” [Bukhari]

Click on image to enlarge Taken from Instagram @quotesfromtherapy

What is the Nifaas (post-natal bleeding) period for a woman after childbirth? Q. I am a mother of 3 children Alhamdulillah. The Nifaas period for the 1st child was 40 days, for the second child 25 days and for the 3rd child 41 days. How many days is my Nifaas period now? (Question published as received) A. The maximum period of Nifaas (lochia/post-natal bleeding) is 40 days whilst there is no minimum limit. If the bleeding of Nifaas exceeds the limit of 40 days, then one will revert to one’s previous habit. In the enquired case, the bleeding of Nifaas exceeded the limit of 40 days and therefore, you will revert to your previous habit of 25 days. As such, it is necessary to make Qadha of the Salaahs, fasts etc. not observed after the 25th day. (Hidaayah 1/35) And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Ismaeel Bassa Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai (The answer hereby given is specifically based on the question asked and should be read together with the question asked. Islamic rulings on this Q&A newsletter are answered in accordance to the Hanafi Fiqh unless otherwise stated.) Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Dua at the time of distress and anxiety – 7 One should recite the following dua at the time of distress and anxiety لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers عن سعد، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: دعوة ذي النون إذ دعا وهو في بطن الحوت: لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إني كنت من الظالمين، فإنه لم يدع بها رجل مسلم في شيء قط إلا استجاب الله له (سنن الترمذي، الرقم: 3505) Hazrat Sad (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “The dua of Zun-Noon (Hazrat Yunus [alaihis salaam]) which he made at the time when he was in the belly of the fish is لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ, and whichever Muslim makes this dua to Allah Ta‘ala and begs of Him for anything, Allah Ta‘ala accepts his dua.”

Q. What are the different types of Mahr for Nikah and how are they calculated? (Question published as received) A. One of the many rights of a woman upon a man at the time of Nikah is Mahr (Dowry). Allah Ta’ala states in the Quran, “And give to the women (whom you marry) their Mahr (Dowry) with a good heart.” (Surah Nisaa; V: 4) Hereunder are three types of Mahr (Dowry): 1) Minimum Mahr: The minimum Mahr stipulated for a woman is 10 silver coins (dirhams). This is equivalent to 30.615 grams of silver and R405 (as of November 17, 2020). A man cannot give a woman less that this amount as Mahr. Rasoolullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said, “There is no Mahr less than 10 silver coins (dirhams)” (Baihaqi) There is no maximum limit for Mahr. However, it is disliked in going to extremes in asking and giving exorbitant amounts of Mahr. 2) Mahr of the wives of Rasoolullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam: The Mahr that Rasoolullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam gave to most of his wives was 500 silver coins. This is equivalent to 1530. 9 grams of silver and R20 100 (as of November 17, 2020). It is preferable (Mustahab) for a man to give a woman 500 silver coins at the time of Nikah if he can afford it. Sayyiduna Abu Salama Radhiyallahu Anha says that she asked Aaisha Radhiyallahu Anha: “What was the amount of dower of Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam?” She said: “It was twelve 'uqiya and one nash (Islamic measurement).” She said: “Do you know what is a nash?” I said: “No.” She said: “It is half of an ‘uqiya, which amounts to five hundred silver coins (dirhams), and that was the dower given by Rasoolullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam to his wives.” (Sahih Muslim) 3) Mahr of Fathimah Radhiyallahu Anha (Mahr Fathimi): This refers to the Mahr given to Sayyidatuna Fathimah Radhiyallahu Anha by Sayyiduna Ali Radhiyallahu Anhu. One view holds that the amount given was the same as the Mahr of the wives of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam (500 silver coins) while another view holds that its amount is 480 silver coins. NB. The Jamiat KZN, as well as several other Ulama bodies, uses the former view in calculating the Mahr Fatimi. In doing so, the practice of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam in giving Mahr is incorporated as well. And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Ismaeel Bassa Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai (The answer hereby given is specifically based on the question asked and should be read together with the question asked. Islamic rulings on this Q&A newsletter are answered in accordance to the Hanafi Fiqh unless otherwise stated.) Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

beautiful anecdote!