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Parents “We enjoined man to treat his parents kindly. His mother bore him with hardship and delivered him with hardship and his bearing and weaning are in thirty months…” (Qur’an 46:15) Abu Huraira reported: A man asked the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, “Who is most deserving of my good company?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man asked, “Then who?” The Prophet said “Your mother.” The man asked again, “Then who?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man asked again, “Then who?” The Prophet said, “Your father.” (Bukhārī, Muslim) Appreciating efforts of Parents Cling to the feet of your mother

Youth in Early Islam I have been sent with the pure and natural religion, to the youth (who) had backed me while the old had opposed me", Shaykh Al-Kandahlawi in his book, "Lives of the Sahaba", relates that the Prophet used to have twenty young men from the Ansar with him at all times, whom he would send to various missions and for various purposes to attend to his affairs. Youth during early Islam Mus'ab ibn Umair RA Abdullah ibn Mas'ood RA Ghaseel-ul-Malaika - Hanzalah RA

Love & Romance Love comes after marriage. Before marriage, it is infatuation which results in pain, disappointment, disaster, and regret. The person who knows that you could be tempted to fall for him before marriage, will not trust you to be faithful to him. If you could disobey Allah Ta’ala, he will figure that you are likely to disobey him also. However, if he knows that you are loyal and faithful to your Creator, he will undoubtedly have full conviction that you will be loyal to him and won’t ever betray him. Dealing with Teenage Crushes Romance in Islam The romantic Prophet - How to be romantic with your spouse Advice to those getting married Love before Marriage When desire takes over - Advice for college and university students

3 Pieces of Advice From Imam al-Ghazali’s “O My Beloved Son” [These are rough notes of a talk delivered by Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed (db) on October 28, 2010] وَذَكِّرۡ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers. [51:55] * The script within square brackets are Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed [db]’s personal comments on the text of the letter. Imam Al-Ghazali (rh) wrote a letter to one of his students and this student was a graduate from the Madrassa (Islamic Institution of Learning) that Imam Al-Ghazali was teaching at. The Student actually wrote Imam Al-Ghazali a letter asking him for some final words of advice, which he promised in his letter, that he would bind close to his heart and do his utmost effort to practice upon throughout his life. Imam Al-Ghazali wrote him a very long letter which has been printed in the Arab world as a small Risala or an epistle. Imam Al-Ghazali (rh) begins this letter to his student, whom he affectionately calls walad (=Son), by saying Ya ayyuhal walad al-mehboobi i.e. O my beloved Son. And, in the course of this long letter, one of the things that Imam Al-Ghazali (rh) mentions are: 8 particular pieces of advice which are taken from a very famous story of a Shaykh of the Muslim Ummah by the name of Shaykh Shaqiq al-balkhi (rh): Shaykh Shaqiq-al-balki (rh) had a student named Hatim al-Asam (rh). Hatim al-Asam was once in the company of his Shaykh, when Shaykh Shaqiq asked him: You have had my company for thirty years, what have you learnt in the 30 years that you have been with me? [This also gives us an insight into the way people in the early Islamic period organized their relationship – it was a long term commitment. One could only imagine what it would be like to associate with a Shaykh, a wali of Allah swt, somebody like Shaykh Shaqiq rah for 30 years!] So, after 30 years of having the student, the Shaykh asked him what have you learnt or got out from these 30 years, Hatim rah responded that: Shaykh, there are 8 useful lessons that I have learnt from you and I hope that they will be enough for me, and they will be sufficient to bring about my nija’at, my forgiveness and salvation, on the Day of Judgement. So the Shaykh asked him, what are they? [And this is how he replied. Imam al-Ghazali included this story in his letter so as to counsel his student.] First Lesson I learnt that to be human is to Love. So, Instead of loving the temporary things (like other human beings do), I fell in love with aimal as-saleh (righteous actions). When I was in your company, what I learnt from your company is how to observe humanity. [All of the lessons have this common feature: it shows that one of the things he learnt from his Shaykh was how to understand humanity. It is interesting how even in the West and all over the world in general, Humanities is a major area of study. The secular tradition was to study philosophy, history, literature, liberal arts, fine arts etc. in order to understand what the human experience was. However, in our Deen, or the Sacred Sciences, it means to drown yourself in Qur’an, in the Seerah (Life of Nabi-e-karim saw), in the Sunnah Ahadith, Teachings and Kaifiat (States) of Nabi-e-karim saw to look at the path of the Siddiqin (The Righteous), the Shuhada (The Martyrs), and Saliheen. And, the basis of all these sources is to understand Humanity. Hatim al-Asam begins every lesson with that: I learnt from you, what to learn from humanity itself and from human beings.] So, he says that I observed humanity and I saw that it is the very part of human nature that every single human being is in love with something or someone or some idea. [He reflected on the human experience that: to be human is to love.] When I looked at the people around me, I realized that all of them had different objects of love. But, I noticed what was common to all of them, was that whatever they chose to love- whatever they chose to give their heart to – they could only take it up to the grave. But when they entered their grave, none of their beloveds could enter with them – none of their beloveds could take the next step in the journey with them. So, Hatim says that I learnt how to understand humanity from you and when I saw this about humanity that: Every human being loves something The objects that people love don’t go past their grave …I realized that what I should do, since I am also human, and I will also inevitably love something, I should love what is best i.e. that which would enter ones grave and be a friend to one in the grave, and be a companion to a person on the next stage of the journey. When I reflected on what that was, I realized that nothing could lay claim to that except: aimal as-saleh (Righteous Actions, Ibadat/worship etc) And so, I fell in love with aimal as-Saleh. I gave my love, my muhabbah to aimal as-saleh. [ Now, if we just take this one lesson: It shows how much one learns when they associate themselves for a long period of time with the Ullema and Mashaikh Now, one thing is to say that I want to do amaal-e-salih, one thing would be to say that I want to be regular and consistent in amaal-e-salihaat ; Here, he is saying that I fell in love with amaal-e-salih! That person whose human state is such that the greatest object of their love (in terms of things) are those things that are pleasing to Allah swt; those actions that are righteous and pious – then imagine what type of life that person would lead! This is something that we have to learn, but we can learn it gradually – like a piece-meal: We should start with some amal-e-salih and try to fall in love with them. For most of us, there would be no better amal to start with than our Salah. Now, the question is: How can I fall in love with Salah? That is going to be when you enjoy Salah.How to enjoy Salah? A person will be able to enjoy Salah, when they feel Allah swt in their prayer.How can we feel Allah swt in our Prayer? That is called dhikr; by feeling Allah swt outside our prayer. The more and more a person remembers Allah swt outside their Salah, the more they will be able to remember Him inside their Salah –> When they remember Allah Ta’ala inside their Salah –> they will start enjoying their Salah –> once they start enjoying their Salah, they will be passionate about their Salah; they will love their Salah. And, that is how our pious elders were and that is what they were trying to train people to become like – and it is one of the major aspects of Tazkiya and Tasawwuf – to take a person who is cold, dispassionate and habitual about his/her amaal and to make her/him passionate and loving about their amaal and their ibadaat towards Allah swt. One way in which we could begin to learn and practice this advice is: Try to think in terms of love; that I have to love these amaal. That is why there are so many adaab in our Deen for all of the acts of worship, so that the acts become more enjoyable and we perform them with love. For example, Adaab of Salah include: praying at a clean place, making wudhu externally and trying to purify ourselves of all types of worldly thoughts and distractions before we pray, to dress in good clothing, to apply perfume etc. Why? To make it a more pleasurable experience, and to make it an act of love! Just like we see in this world, when people do an act of love, they try to gift wrap it, give out an invitation, make sure the table is clean, prepare the meal nicely, put up candles, flowers for decoration etc i.e. these little etiquettes not only manifest love but are actually creating and amplifying the feeling of love. So, if we want to make our Salah an act of love, we need to start focusing on the adaab of Salah. As opposed to praying like most of us do it: hastily, rapidly, praying as an obligation only – Imam An-nawwawi calls it the prayer of Ibaad and he means it in a negative sense like the concept of enslaved humans is that they are forced to do what their masters tell them. We don’t want our salah to be like that, instead we should focus on beautifying it; making it an act of love. The first way, then, for us, is to try to do amal on this advice that we need to focus on our salah. Second Lesson I learnt that to be human is to desire. So I kept my nafs away from unlawful desires. And I kept making this mujahida until my nafs was pleased with only that which Allah swt was pleased with. The second lesson that Shaykh Hatim (rh) says that he learnt from his Shaykh – Shaykh Shaqiq (rh) – is that again he said that I saw humanity, I reflected upon the human condition and I saw that to be human is to desire. I thought that every human being is also guided by their desires, their pleasures, by what their nafs desires. And he says that I specifically thought of this ayah in the Qur’an: وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ Whereas for the one who feared to stand before his Lord, and restrained his self from the (evil) desire, the Paradise will be the abode. That indeed for that person who fears the status and the exalted rank of their Rabb – of Allah swt – and due to that fear and awe and reverence of Allah swt’s Might and Majesty – wa nahaya nafsa anil hawa – they prevent and they keep their nafs from following its vain and idle pleasures; from following its whims and fancies; fa innal jannata hiya al-ma’wa – that indeed Jannah will be that person’s eternal abode. [Here he is looking at this human condition and he is getting hidayah from the Qur’an al-Kareem.] Then he thinks that I need to stop; I’m also a human being, I also have a nafs, my human nafs is also going to have pleasures and desires, what is Allah swt telling me in the Qur’an; that you should stop, forbid, and keep your nafs back from following its unlawful desires and pleasures. So what I learnt from you, Shaykh, was that I have to keep my nafs away from my unlawful desires and pleasures. And he says that he kept making this mujahida (effort) until his nafs was pleased with only that which Allah swt was pleased with. [It means that: Ultimately in our deen, watch this carefully, ultimately in our deen we do refer back to doing what we please. And the most ultimate stage of life in which we do that is akhirah. Allah swt actually will endow us with a purity that we will do anything and everything that pleases us, but now we are so pure that whatever is pleasing us is exactly what’s pleasing to Him. This second nature and attribute of humanity, or aspect of human nature, is something that’s going to be with us for an eternity. That is why Allah swt uses these different phrases in constructs, over and over again in Qur’an; la tashtari anfusa hum – the ahl al-Jannah will do in Jannah what their nafs desires. So nafs having desires, and human beings wanting to do what their nafs desires, this is actually the aspect and attribute of Jannah. Allah swt wants in this world for us to do our tazkiyah, and to purify that nafs so much that it becomes nafs al-mutma’inah (purified soul), that it is radhiya tam mardhiyyah (pleasing and well pleased with Him) – it is pleased with Allah swt, its pleasure lies with which Allah swt is pleased. That nafs also desires. It doesn’t mean that nafs al-mutma’inah does not feel desire. It feels desire. But the difference between this and nafs al-ammarah (the commanding nafs) is that the nafs al-mutma’innah desires those things that Allah swt desires. That is why it’s in a state of ‘itminan, in a state of tranquillity.] So what he does is that he says that I realized that I’m a human, I have a nafs, to be human is to have a nafs, to have a nafs means to have desires, so: 1. I have to prevent my nafs from desiring. [Part of the reason we end up back in sin is because we haven’t tried to prevent our nafs from desiring that sin. What we are trying to do is wage a very difficult battle, and that is to let our nafs keep desiring it, and we only try to prevent our nafs from acting on the desires – and that’s a very difficult thing to do. Sooner or later the nafs is going to overcome us. What we really need to do is prevent our nafs from having those desires. That’s what Allah swt is saying that nahaya nafsa anil hawa – that the person prevents the nafs from having desires. If we can prevent the nafs itself from having unlawful desires, then the question of us acting on those desires, or thinking along those lines, or yearning for those things is completely gone. This is something that the mashaikh of tasawwuf understood so well that how deeply we have to purify ourselves.] 2. I worked on my nafs to make it have good desires. This is another battle that we are trying to wage and that is our nafs does not desire to pray. Despite my nafs not desiring it, I’m still going to try to do it. Sooner or later we are going to slip. We have to go deeper and make our nafs desire those things. We want to take our nafs away from desiring things we don’t want to do and for the things that we want to do, we have to go deeper and try to make our nafs desire them. When our nafs desires them itself, then doing those things becomes very easy. We can here see the depth of these people, and their understanding of deen, one can see how deeply they were able to engage themselves in this ibadat and dhikr of Allah swt, and how intensely they were able to train their students to do that. Third Lesson I learnt that to be human is to acquire. I looked around and saw that everybody was trying to acquire things of the world. And I realized that the things of the world are necessarily bound to fade away, so I started giving away my extraneous wealth and possessions (to get the eternal rewards of the akhirah). Third thing that Shaykh Hatim (rh) mentions which he learnt from keeping the company of his shaykh, that I saw humanity has another thing to them and that is that they all strive for something. They are always striving, yearning, seeking, acquiring something. To be human is to strive, to be human is to acquire, to be human is to achieve, to be human is to attain. Then I looked around and I said that let me see what is it that all these people are acquiring, what is the object of their acquisition? He saw that basically almost everybody was trying to acquire things of the dunya. He reflected on another ayah of the Qur’an al-Kareem: مَا عِندَكُمۡ يَنفَدُ‌ۖ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقٍ۬‌ۗ What is with you shall perish and what is with Allah shall last. [16:96] That that which is with you, that which is in your possession, that which you can acquire in this world, is fading, is ephemeral; it dwindles away, passes away. And, wa ma indallah – that which lies with Allah swt, that which is in the possession and dominion of Allah swt is eternal, it is subsisting, it is never ending. He said that once I realized this, that the things that I can acquire in this world aren’t going to be everlasting, are bound to, necessarily, fade away then what I’m going to do is that I’m going to distribute them. And what he did was that he gave away all of his extraneous money and possessions. He did not give away everything. But he gave away what we call zayed an al-zarurah – that was beyond his needs, as he perceived them to be, he gave them away. [This is one of the early teachings of tasawwuf that a lot of people in contemporary times have a difficulty with. They say that why do you have to give things away, why can’t we enjoy this world? Why can’t we be of this world and why can’t we seek this world? Certainly, the later tradition of tasawwuf is a bit more soft on this, and even in the early tradition of tasawwuf you do have mashaikh who, in terms of their own lives and in their teachings, were quite well off. Some Sahaba karam (ra) like Syedna Uthman al-Ghani (ra) were very well-off. He gave a lot of money and goods in charity. But both in the lifetime of Nabi e Kareem (sws) and after the Beloved Messenger (sws) passed away from this world, even after giving away so much in charity, he remained well-off. So here you have two different possibilities of tasawwuf. The way that I think we can do amal on this is that we don’t have to give away everything absolutely that is beyond our need, but we should have a habit of giving. It is very important to have that. I think a lot of us were so settled and content in our worldly lifestyles. We were very convinced and quite certain that we don’t have to give away everything, that we don’t need to have zuhd anymore, we don’t have to renounce the world. We use that as an excuse to give away nothing. What I have heard from our mashaikh, ulema and elders, and which Prophet sws himself says in a hadith is that you should try to give from that which you love. It can also mean that to to give charity from that which you are attached to, that which you are fond of. In other words, for this type of tazkiyah, for this type of purification, we have to give something that we don’t want to give. Sometimes somebody does some fund raising for some cause. You are sitting there, and you are moved by it. In your heart you feel that I only want to give $10 or $20. And, if you think about it, you don’t want to give $30. That’s an opportunity for you to go and give the $30. It’s an opportunity to do that 3rd lesson which Shaykh Hatim (rh) has mentioned i.e. to give away what we are attached to. A lot of us give away those things that we are not attached to. We give away things that we don’t have muhabbat for. That type of giving is easy for us. This means that the whole notion of inda kum – that which you possess, that which is attached to you and you are attached to it, that is about which Allah swt is saying that all of that is going to be nothing. This whole world, every single thing that people have, is going to come to nothing when they pass away, and certainly when the world ends itself. So it means to give away from those things that we always thought of keeping with us. Not just to give away the extra money, not just to give something that we view as extra. Rather to give away something that we though that indeed that was mine, and we never imagined that it could ever be other than mine, to give something like that away. That is what Hatim (rh) is saying which had a big impact on him and that played a very big role in his tazkiyah.] We have mentioned 3 of those 8 lessons that Imam al-Ghazali (rh) wrote to his student in his letter. And we make du’a to Allah swt that may He enable us as well to make aimal as-Saleh the passion of our heart, to make it the object of our love, and to help us first and foremost do that in our salah, and to do that by bringing us to the adaab, the ettiquetes of ibadat and dhikr that befits Allah swt’s status. And then secondly, may Allah swt help us to not just avoid the bad desires, but to actually go deeper and take out those bad desires and bad pleasures. And also not just to outwardly do good acts, but to try to go deeper and try to make our nafs desire the good acts. And thirdly, may He enable us to be among those people who give away some things, even just a few things, that we viewed always to be ours, may He enable us to give a part of that away in His name and for His sake, for the khidmat and benefit of His deen, for the people of His deen, so that we will also be able to feel and respond to the ayah – that everything that is with us is actually going to fade away. And may Allah swt enable us to benefit from the advice of Shaykh Shaqiq (rh), Shaykh Hatim and Imam al-Ghazali (rh). Source

Distributing dates after nikaah Q: Is there any narration in regards to throwing kajoor in a nikaah? A: At the time of nikaah, distributing dates by giving it to people or by throwing it towards people is permissible and established in the Hadith of Sunanul Kubra of Imaam Bayhaqi. However, in the case where one throws the dates towards the people, one should ensure that the respect of the musjid is not compromised and one does not hurt anyone. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. عن عائشة رضى الله عنها أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تزوج بعض نسائه فنثر عليه التمر (سنن الكبرى للبيهقي #15078) قال الشامي : مطلب له الأخذ من نثار السكر في العرس ويقرره أن مجرد الإلقاء من غير كلام يفيد هذا الحكم كمن ينثر السكر والدراهم في العرس وغيره فمن أخذ شيئا ملكه لأن الحال دليل على الإذن وعلى هذا لو وضع الماء والجمد على بابه يباح الشرب منه لمن مر به من غني أو فقير وكذا إذا غرس شجرة في موضع لا ملك فيه لأحد وأباح للناس ثمارها وكل ذلك مأخوذ من الحديث اه ملخصا من شرح السير الكبير (رد المحتار 4/285) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Duaa for Protection from Knowledge that Does Not Benefit عن زيد بن أرقم رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم كان يقول اللهم إني أعوذ بك من علم لا ينفع ومن قلب لا يخشع ومن نفس لا تشبع ومن دعوة لا يستجاب لها رواه مسلم والترمذي والنسائي وهو قطعة من حديث (الترغيب والترهيب 1/167) Hazrat Zaid bin Arqam (Radhiyallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to make the following Duaa: “O Allah, I seek Your protection from such knowledge that does not benefit; and from a heart that does not have khushoo’ (at the time of carrying out ibaadat); and from a nafs that does not get satiated (and content, but rather always desires more of the world); and (I seek protection) from a duaa that is not answered.” ihyaauddeen.co.za

By Khalid Baig 27 Safar 1424, 17 April 2004 If the life of this world is an illusion, the period of greatest illusion occurs during youth. It is a period of high energy and great enthusiasm, coupled with an air of invincibility and perpetuity. Like the driver of a fast car, one may also develop a disdain for the slower cars on the highway of life. It is difficult to imagine that the car will run out of fuel and that one day the engine will wear out. For the moment though the car is fast and it can go places! For this reason there are special warnings for the youth and glad tidings for the person who uses this energy wisely. A famous hadith tells us that on the Day of Judgment no man will be able to move from his place until he answers five questions. "How did he spend his life? How did he utilize his youth? How did he earn his wealth? How did he spend it? And, how did he practice what he learnt?" [Sunan al-Tirmidhi]. While the first question asks generally about one's life pattern, the second especially focuses on the period of youth. On the other hand, the person who devoted his youth to the worship of Allah will be among the selected seven kinds of people: "There are seven people for whom Allah will provide His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His shade: 1. A just ruler. 2. A youth who grew up in the worship of Allah. 3. A man whose heart is attached to the mosque. 4. Two men who love each other for Allah's sake; they meet for the sake of Allah and part company for His sake. 5. A man who is invited by a woman of beauty and position [to sin], but he refuses saying: 'I fear Allah.' 6. A man who gives in charity secretly such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives. 7. A man whose eyes shed tears as he remembers Allah in private." [Bukhari, Muslim]. Hence the profound advice in another famous hadith to value five things: "Youth before old age, health before sickness, wealth before poverty, free time before preoccupation, and life before death." A fast car is dangerous if it does not have strong controls. And that is where Shaitan targets the vulnerable --- by loosening the controls. It has been his time-tested trick to work through temptations and make desires look irresistible. The path of deviation looks good. It is cool. It is fun. It is endlessly entertaining. The only problem is, it leads to assured disaster. This is the path of MTV and pop culture; of music and hip-hop; of rebellion and generation gap. 'Generation gap' is a clever term that aims at giving scientific respectability to rudeness and rebellion. The idea is to create a wedge between generations and make it look acceptable for a young person to be indifferent to any wise counsel from one's close and well-wishing elders. Which reminds us of the special challenge faced by the youth today. While temptations have always been strong in young age, today the problem is magnified by mega efforts targeting the youth, especially the Muslim youth in the Western world, at all levels including intellectual and philosophical. A favorite theme of these campaigns is to separate Islam from its culture. When in France, follow the French culture not the Muslim Algerian one, so the argument goes. This argument needs to be carefully deconstructed. Like all clever arguments this one also begins with a bit of truth. It is true that Islam is a universal religion and not restricted to a particular region. It is also true that many Muslim lands, during their period of decline, developed or adopted some cultural practices that were not based in Islam and need to be pruned. Certainly, not everything that has become accepted social practice in every Muslim country is Islamic. But it is a very long jump from there to conclude that everything being done in the Muslim world is un-Islamic and must be jettisoned. And it is even more bizarre to suggest that the replacement of all that with the pop-culture is just fine. When Islam reached the lands that today form the Muslim world, it influenced the life style and cultural practices there without forcing a monoculture. For example the wedding practices vary as you move from region to region in the Muslim world. (The picture is complicated by the introduction of many non-Islamic practices there as well.) Yet they also retain common features traceable to Islamic teachings. These include: 1. Marriage is a sacred act and an important religious obligation and not just a means of fulfilling physical needs. 2. While the ultimate decision to marry each other remains with the bride and groom, parental help, guidance, and support in arranging it is a blessing for them. The propaganda machine presents this common core of Islamic culture as a great burden, but one only needs to look at the unfortunate millions who are left on their own in the name of freedom, to ascertain the truth. Is it not true that if one were to draw a family-and-home-life-disaster map of the world, it will coincide with a map of the Western world? The distinctly safe area will be the Muslim world, with a gray area within it coinciding with the areas of Westernization. The safeguards and the disaster are built into the underlying cultural values and one cannot do a wholesale exchange of cultural practices without buying into the underlying values and facing the consequences. Does it mean that all Muslims can aim at is to make mini Pakistans in England or mini Algerias in France? Not at all. Islam allows for growth and adaptation and early Muslims have left great examples of it. Theirs was an example of a natural adjustment that was fully informed by Islamic teachings; it did not damage the underlying values. And it tremendously enriched the new societies. The same healthy adaptation can happen today, with benefits for everyone. The great task of Muslim youth will be to bring the life-giving message of Islam to wherever they live. With love, dedication, wisdom, and insight. But if you give up all you have, how can you give anything to anyone? Article taken (with Thanks) from Albalagh.net

Challenges facing the Youth A much needed discussion of one of the main challenges that young Muslims, both male and females, face in today's society: How to remain steadfast on the Deen and keep ones natural desires in balance. The challenge living in this society being such that its prevalent message is to stimulate and empower the sexual desires, a society in which sexual activity and promiscuity are seen as the norm. No doubt these things have only led to an increase of moral and social disruption and corruption. The speaker discusses all these challenges and gives a holistic view as to help understand where these desires come from and gives practical pointers (both spiritual, psychologically and social) for the concerned individual to help tackle this issue, to keep first and foremost their faith secure as well maintain a healthy, pure, productive lifestyle. Developing Immunity in a Hyper Sexualised Society - Mufti Abdul Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcQ2wTN0b-M&feature=youtu.be

Music & Musical Instruments Hadhrat Abu Maalik Ash'ari (radhiyallahu anhu) says that he heard Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) say: "Most certainly, there will be in my Ummah people who will make lawful fornication, silk, liquor and musical instruments." Bukhari In another version of this narration, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Most certainly, people from my Ummah will consume liquor which they will describe with some other name. Over their heads will be playing musical instruments and singing girls. Allah will cause the earth to swallow them, and from among them He will transform into apes and pigs." Ibn Maajah The truth about music Evils of music Ahaadith - music Music and singing - a detailed article Instrument free music Concerts and nasheeds Q/A is it permitted to listen to music Disposing of musical instruments Dancing

Friendship Keeping the right friends Friends who bring us closer to Allah should be sought The effects of company

Get the reply and du’as of the Angels In Islam, we are constantly thought to focus on our duty, irrespective of whether the next party does their part or not. We are answerable for our own deeds, not that of others. Likewise, we are rewarded for doing our duty, even if others fail. In keeping with this teaching, we find that if one says Salam to his fellow Muslim and does not receive a reply, Allah Ta’ala instructs the Angels to actually reply to him. Similarly, when one sneezes and says Alhamdulillah. If nobody replies to him, here too the Angels and other creations reply to him. A Beautiful Hadith on Salam Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu’anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: ‘As-Salam is one of the names of Allah Ta’ala that has been placed on Earth. So, spread it amongst yourselves! For indeed when a Muslim passes by a group of people and greets them [first] with Salam and they reply to him, he will supersede their rank by virtue of merely reminding them of the Salam. If they do not reply to him, then those [Angels] who are better and more purer will have replied! (Musnad Bazzar and Tabarani, with a reliable chain. See Targhib, Majma’uz Zawaid, vol.8 pg.29 and Fadlul Mun’im, vol.2 pg.459 and Faydul Qadir, Hadith: 4846 for authentication) Let’s take advantage of this beautiful benefit of saying Salam first, and also be assured that in the event of the person not replying, its the Angels of Allah who will reply to our greeting insha Allah. The Angel’s reply to our sneeze The following is recorded from Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu’anhuma) with a reliable chain: ‘When one sneezes, [even if he is alone] he should still say: Alhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘Alamin. When he does so, the Angels reply to him saying: Yarhamukallah.’ (May Allah have mercy on you) The renowned Tabi’i, Ibrahim Nakha’i (rahimahullah) said: ‘Therefore, after saying Alhamdulillah… one who is alone [or one who does not receive a reply from those present] should say: Yarhamunallahu wa iyyakum.’ (May Allah Ta’ala have mercy on you and I) As a reply to the Angels and other creation. Refer: Al-Adabul Mufrad of Imam Bukhari, Hadith: 946, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 26517 and Fathul Bari, Hadith: 6221) May Allah Ta’ala grant us the tawfiq (ability) to practice on the above. al-miftah

Giving the wife a monthly allowance Q: Is it necessary for the husband to give his wife an allowance? A: Shariah commands that the husband provide his wife with Nafaqah. Nafaqah entails providing the wife with shelter, food, clothing and the necessities of life in accordance to their financial status and position. Apart from this, it is recommended, though not an obligation, for the husband to also give his wife a monthly allowance to purchase whatever she requires for herself. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. أَسكِنوهُنَّ مِن حَيثُ سَكَنتُم مِن وُجدِكُم وَلا تُضارّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقوا عَلَيهِنَّ وَإِن كُنَّ أُولـٰتِ حَملٍ فَأَنفِقوا عَلَيهِنَّ حَتّىٰ يَضَعنَ حَملَهُنَّ فَإِن أَرضَعنَ لَكُم فَـٔاتوهُنَّ أُجورَهُنَّ وَأتَمِروا بَينَكُم بِمَعروفٍ وَإِن تَعاسَرتُم فَسَتُرضِعُ لَهُ أُخرىٰ ﴿٦﴾ لِيُنفِق ذو سَعَةٍ مِن سَعَتِهِ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيهِ رِزقُهُ فَليُنفِق مِمّا ءاتىٰهُ اللَّـهُ لا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّـهُ نَفسًا إِلّا ما ءاتىٰها سَيَجعَلُ اللَّـهُ بَعدَ عُسرٍ يُسرًا ﴿الطلاق: ٧﴾ عن عائشة أن هند بنت عتبة قالت يا رسول الله إن أبا سفيان رجل شحيح وليس يعطيني ما يكفيني وولدي إلا ما أخذت منه وهو لا يعلم فقال خذي ما يكفيك وولدك بالمعروف (صحيح البخاري رقم 5049) باب النفقة هي لغة ما ينفقه الإنسان على عياله وشرعا ( هي الطعام والكسوة والسكنى ) (الدر المختار 3/571-572) ( فتجب للزوجة ... على زوجها ... بقدر حالهما ) به يفتى قال الشامي: قوله ( به يفتى ) ... قال في البحر واتفقوا على وجوب نفقة الموسرين إذا كانا موسرين وعلى نفقة المعسرين إذا كانا معسرين وإنما الاختلاف فيما إذا كان أحدهما موسرا والآخر معسرا فعلى ظاهر الرواية الاعتبار لحال الرجل فإن كان موسرا وهي معسرة فعليه نفقة الموسرين وفي عكسه نفقة المعسرين وأما على المفتى به فتجب نفقة الوسط في المسألتين وهو فوق نفقة المعسرة ودون نفقة الموسرة (رد المحتار 3/572-575) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Part 5 1. It is makrooh for a person to make ta’ziyat for a second time when he has already made it before. 2. It is preferable to make ta’ziyat after the burial. However, it is permissible to make ta’ziyat before the burial. 3. If a person cannot present himself for ta’ziyat due to certain circumstances, then he may write a letter or send a message of condolence to the family of the deceased.

Is it permissible to have intimacy if the bleeding ends before the haidh pattern? Q: If I bled for nine days last month and this month I bled for five days, can I have relations with my husband after five days? A: No, it is not permissible. Since your previous haidh pattern was nine days, it is compulsory to refrain from relations for nine days as it is possible that the bleeding may recommence. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. ( ويحل وطؤها إذا انقطع حيضها لأكثره ) بلا غسل وجوبا بل ندبا ( وإن ) انقطع لدون أقله تتوضأ وتصلي في آخر الوقت وإن ( لأقله ) فإن لدون عادتها لم يحل وتغتسل وتصلي وتصوم احتياطا وإن لعادتها فإن كتابية حل في الحال وإلا ( لا ) يحل ( حتى تغتسل ) أو تتيمم بشرطه ( أو يمضي عليها زمن يسع الغسل ) ولبس الثياب ( والتحريمة ) يعني من آخر وقت الصلاة لتعليلهم بوجوبها في ذمتها حتى لو طهرت في وقت العيد لا بد أن يمضي وقت الظهر كما في السراج وهل تعتبر التحريمة في الصوم الأصح لا وهي من الطهر مطلقا وكذا الغسل لو لأكثره وإلا فمن الحيض فتقضي إن بقي بعد الغسل والتحريمة ولو لعشرة فقدر التحريمة فقط لئلا فقط لئلا تزيد أيامه على عشرة فليحفظ ( و ) وطؤها ( يكفر مستحله ) كما جزم به غير واحد وكذا مستحل وطء الدبر عند الجمهور مجتبى.(الدر المختار 1/294-297) قال العلامة ابن عابدين-رحمه الله-: (قوله إذا انقطع حيضها لأكثره) مثله النفاس، وحل الوطء بعد الأكثر ليس بمتوقف على انقطاع الدم صرح به في العناية والنهاية وغيرهما، وإنما ذكره ليبني عليه ما بعده قال ط: ويؤخذ منه جواز الوطء حال نزول دم الاستحاضة اهـ وقدمنا عن البحر أنه يجوز الاستمتاع بما بين السرة والركبة بحائل بغير الوطء ولو تلطخ دما. اهـ وهذا في الحائض، فيدل على جواز وطء المستحاضة وإن تلطخ دما وسيأتي ما يؤيده فافهم (قوله وجوبا) منصوب بعامل محذوف أي بلا غسل يجب وجوبا، ومثله قوله بل ندبا (قوله بل ندبا) ؛ لأن قراءة - {حتى يطهرن} [البقرة: 222]- بالتشديد تقتضي حرمة الوطء إلى غاية الاغتسال فحملناها على ما إذا كان أيامها أقل من عشرة دفعا للتعارض بين القراءتين، فظاهره يورث شبهة فلهذا لا يستحب نوح عن الكافي قوله لدون أقله) أي أقل الحيض وهو ثلاثة أيام (قوله في آخر الوقت) أي وجوبا بركوي، والمراد آخر الوقت المستحب دون المكروه كما هو ظاهر سياق كلام الدرر وصدر الشريعة. قال ط: وأهمل الشارح حكم الجماع، ويظهر عدم حله بدليل مسألة الانقطاع على الأقل وهو دون العادة. قلت: قد يفرق بين تحقق الحيض وعدمه، وانظر ما نذكره قبيل قوله والنفاس لأم التوأمين (قوله وإن ولأقله) اللام بمعنى بعد ط (قوله لم يحل) أي الوطء وإن اغتسلت؛ لأن العود في العادة غالب بحر (قوله وتغتسل وتصلي) أي في آخر الوقت المستحب، وتأخيره إليه واجب هنا أما في صورة الانقطاع لتمام العادة فإنه مستحب كما في النهاية والبدائع وغيرهما (قوله احتياطا) علة للأفعال الثلاثة (رد المحتار1/294) ومنها وجوب الاغتسال عند الانقطاع هكذا في الكفاية إذا مضى أكثر مدة الحيض وهو العشرة يحل وطؤها قبل الغسل مبتدأة كانت أو معتادة ويستحب له أن لا يطأها حتى تغتسل هكذا في المحيط وإذا انقطع دم الحيض لأقل من عشرة أيام لم يجز وطؤها حتى تغتسل أو يمضي عليها آخر وقت الصلاة الذي يسع الاغتسال والتحريمة لأن الصلاة إنما تجب عليها إذا وجدت من آخر الوقت هذا القدر هكذا في الزاهدي وأما مضي كمال الوقت بأن ينقطع دمها في أول الوقت ويدوم الانقطاع حتى يمضي الوقت فليس بمشروط هكذا في النهاية لو انقطع دمها دون عادتها يكره قربانها وإن اغتسلت حتى تمضي عادتها وعليها أن تصلي وتصوم للاحتياط هكذا في التبيين.(الفتاوى الهندية 1/39) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

The Seven under the Shade of Allah ta'ala'as Throne Take care of Five... Allah ta'ala's Pleasure with the Youth

Ah, youth! Ask those who are now older, and they may have regrets for not utilizing their time more effectively. Ask youth in their prime, and they may think they’ll remain young forever - carelessly and easily swayed by things around them. Ah, youth! How can we harness that time best? How can we keep focused during our youth and keep the youth that come after us, focused? What are some of the traps that fool us in youth, steering us away, swaying us, rather than keeping us steadfast on the straight path? Inshaallah, in the posts that follow, we will gather reminders that will help us answer these questions to better harness our time, protect us from traps that will lead to regret, and will help us remain focused and steadfast on the deen. Table of Contents Post/Description Youth in ahadeeth Friendships Music Love and romance Youth in Early Islam Parents Internet Haraam substances Haraam fantasizing Suicide Various other Articles Work in Progress......

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St Valentine’s Day Advice for Muslims Wifaqul Ulama Public Affairs (Department)

Q. A Hindu couple had been married. The Hindu wife accepted Islam. Can the revert Muslim woman who had been a Hindu wife marry a Muslim man immediately after accepting Islam or does she have to wait for a period before making Nikah? When can she make Nikah? (Question published as received) A. If a non-Muslim woman accepts Islam and her non-Muslim husband does not accept Islam, the woman will have to observe the Iddah period of three menstrual cycles if she is menstruating, three Months if she is not menstruating, or if she is pregnant, then until she gives birth before she can marry a Muslim man. If her husband does not accept Islam before the termination of her Iddah period, her marriage with her non-Muslim husband will terminate and she is free to marry a Muslim man. (Shaami 3/191) 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)

Is it wrong to cry over the deceased? Question Please clarify if someone cannot control his tears while remembering his beloved child who has passed away, is there anything wrong with this? I have read that when tears flow, it is a kind of mercy from Allah and it is not haram. Answer Crying over a deceased is certainly allowed. There were numerous instances wherein Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) himself cried over a deceased or someone who was in the throes of death. Among them are the following: 1) Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu ‘anhu) says, “We visited Abu Sayf, the blacksmith, with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He was the father of the wet-nurse of Ibrahim [the son of Nabi -sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam-]. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) held Ibrahim, kissed him and smelt him. Then later we visited him when Ibrahim was breathing his last. The eyes of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) began to flow with tears. Sayyiduna ‘Abdur Rahman ibn ‘Awf (radiyallahu ‘anhu) asked [out of astonishment], ‘Even you, O Rasulullah!’ [Why are you crying?] Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘O Ibn ‘Awf, it is mercy.’ Then more tears followed and he said, ‘The eye weeps and the heart grieves and we say nothing except what pleases our Rabb. O Ibrahim, we are grieved at your departure.” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 1303 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 2315 with variation in the wording) 2) Sayyiduna Usamah ibn Zayd (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports, “The daughter [Zaynab -radiyallahu ‘anha] of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sent a message to him saying, ‘One of my sons is in the throes of death, so come.’ He sent his greetings to her and said, ‘Indeed what Allah takes is his and what He gives is his. Everything has a fixed term with Him, so she should adopt patience and anticipate reward.’ She again sent for him taking an oath that he should certainly come. He got up with Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah, Mu’adh ibn Jabal, Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Zayd ibn Thabit and some other men (radiyallahu ‘anhum).The child was brought to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and he was shuddering. (I think he said, “Like an old water skin.”). Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)’s eyes began flowing with tears. Sa’d (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said, ‘O Rasulullah, what is this?’ He said, ‘This is mercy which Allah has put in the hearts of His slaves. Allah is merciful to His slaves who are merciful [to others].” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 1284 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 923) 3) Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) reports, “Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah fell ill. So Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), came to visit him with ‘Abdur Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ‘anhum). When he arrived, he found him surrounded by his family and asked, ‘Has he passed away?’ They said, ‘No, O Rasulullah’. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then began to weep. When the people saw Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) weeping, they also wept. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then said, ‘Listen, Allah does not punish for the tears of the eyes nor for the sorrow of the heart, but he punishes or shows mercy on account of this,’ and he pointed to his tongue” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 924 and Sahih Bukhari, with slight addition in the wording, Hadith: 1304) The above narrations illustrate the permissibility of crying over a deceased as well as when remembering the deceased. However wailing and screaming has been prohibited, as explained in the following Hadiths: 1) Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The deceased is punished in his grave for the wailing done over him.” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 1292 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 927) 2) Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said, Leave [the daughters of Khalid ibn Walid -radiyallahu ‘anhu] to cry over him, as long as they do not throw sand on their heads or shout. (Sub heading of Sahih Bukhari, before Hadith: 1291) And Allah Ta’ala Knows best. Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar hadithanswers

THE CONCEPT OF TOTAL ANNIHILATION(FANAA) AN EXAMPLE WITH VIDEO GAMES. Question: Asalamualaykum What do Scholars say on the concept of total anhilation of the self in Sufism? I know it is recognised in other traditions, but is this recognised in Islam? Wassalaam Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Consider the following Hadith: قال: ما الإحسان؟ قال: أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه، فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك صحيح البخاري (50) Translation: Jibrail Alayhis Salaam said: What is Ihsan. "He (Nabi ﷺ) replied, "It is that you should worship Allah as though you can see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." (Sahih Al-Bukhari: 50) Other scholars have translated this Hadith with the following words: It is that you should worship Allah as though you can see Him, if it is not possible for you to worship Allah in that manner, then worship Allah as though he can see you.[1] Mulla Ali Qari Explains the Hadith by stating: “The worship (of a person worshipping Allah with the quality of Ihsan) should be similar to the person who is seeing Allah, in terms of fear, hayaa, humility, concentration and devotion, respect, purity, loyalty.”[2] The essence of worship is that we worship Allah with the Quality of Ihsan. Attaining the quality of complete Ihsan in ones worship requires many years of training and struggling against ones Nafs (desires), along with fulfilling the commands of Shariah. Before one gains complete Ihsan, a person will go through many stages of concentration, such as no concentration at all, concentration with little devotion, concentration with awareness of ones surroundings. The Mashaaikh of Tasawwuf, who specialise in the states and stages of ones Nafs have termed these different stages for ease and understanding. One of these stages is what you have referred to as annihilation, also known as Fanaa in the terminology of the Mashaaikh of Tasawwuf. Maulana Qutbud Deen Dimishqi has explained Fanaa in his book ‘Imdadus Sulook’[3] with the following words: “The essence of Thikr is total absorption in the remembrance of the Object of Thikr, i.e. Allah Ta’ala. If during the process of Thikr, the Thikr is remembered, then this too is a hijab (veil / barrier). The stage of annihilation is called Fana which means to be oblivious of one’s nafs, limbs, senses and all external things. Everything has to be annihilated in Allah Ta’ala and whenever the Thaakir returns to his senses, he should find only Allah. If in this condition the Saalik is aware that he has become fully annihilated, then this awareness is a contamination of a sort. The state of Kamaal (Perfection) is to become annihilated of even the state of annihilation, i.e. the Thaakir is totally oblivious of being annihilated (fana). This lofty state is the limit of fana. May Allah bestow this rank to us and to all Taalibeen (Searchers of Allah’s Proximity). The reciter of Kalimah Tayyibah should necessarily observe certain things. Minus these, there is no benefit: 1) He should understand what he is saying. “What am I negating and what am I affirming?” He should understand this. All things claiming divinity are negated, e.g. the nafs, shaitaan, desire and lust. Thus Allah Ta’ala says: “What! Have you seen the one who has taken his desires as his god?” The Zaat of Allah Ta’ala is affirmed. This is the conception of the Thikr known as Nafi-Ithbaat (Negation and Affirmation). 2) At the time of Thikr keep the heart brimming with the glory and grandeur of Allah and understand that besides Allah there is no mahboob and maqsood….. 4) The recitation of Kalimah Tayyibah should be with honour and respect. If this in not observed, hardness of heart and denseness of mind will set in. Such a Mureed will not qualify for the muhabbat of the Mashaa-ikh. The Doors of Qurb (Divine Proximity) and Mushaahadah (Divine Perception) will not open for him. Even if someone has reached the loftiest realms of Il-liyyeen by virtue of his noble character, his disrespect for Kalimah Tayyibah will bring about his fall into the lowest depths of Saafileen (the low stages of degradation). 5) Absolute concentration. Focusing the mind with full determination on Allah Ta’ala.”[4] A modern-day similarity of the above can be given to a youngster playing such video games which he plays for hours on end without stopping, to such an extent that he even forgets how many hours he has been playing for and how many hours he hasn’t eaten for. Such youngsters are common within todays society. Consider the following news articles. One is regarding a 18 year old teenager who played video games for 40 hours continuously and did not eat or sleep for two days. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/entry/diablo-3-death-chuang-taiwan-_n_1683036 The following news article is regarding a 32 year old man who died after playing video games for three days continuously. https://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/19/world/taiwan-gamer-death/index.html The news article also mentions the statement of the police that “gamers in the café continued as if nothing happened even when the police and paramedics arrived.” A similar situation can be found in the following news article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2012/02/04/2003524636 There are also examples of people who we see in our community who have a passion for certain activities (such as studying, reading, sports etc) who become so engrossed in their activities that they become totally oblivious of their surroundings. These examples are a form of annihilation, although this annihilation is in worldly matters, which is of no benefit in the Aakhirah. On the other hand, when a Mu’min makes an ardent effort on himself for many years, and worships Allah with total concentration and devotion, he also attains a higher level of concentration and devotion which has been termed by the Sufi Mashaayikh as Fanaa, wherein a person is oblivious of everything besides Allah. It is such a worship which we should aspire to attain and make an effort for. May Allah make us among his devoted servants and grant us His Ridwaan (pleasure). Aameen. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Riḍwān Ur Rahman Student Darul Iftaa Cardiff, Wales Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai [1] شرح المشكاة للطيبي الكاشف عن حقائق السنن (2/ 430) وأما تقدير الشرط والجزاء فهو أن يقال: إن لم تعبدالله كأنك تراه فاعبده كأنه يراك. وتحرير المعنى وإن لم تكن تراه كذلك أي مثل تلك الرؤية المعنوية فكن بحيث إنه يراك حديث کے إصلاحي مضامين 2/64 [2] مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح (1/ 61) أي: حال كونك مشبها بمن ينظر إلى الله خوفا منه وحياء، وخضوعا، وخشوعا، وأدبا، وصفاء، ووفاء، وهذا من جوامع الكلم [3] https://archive.org/details/ImdadUsSulookByShaykhRasheedAhmadGangohir.a http://www.asic-sa.co.za/images/irshaadul_mulook_for_web_pdf.pdf [4] Irshaadul Mulook – Translation: Majlisul Ulama South Africa.

Part 4 1.It is permissible to praise the deceased. However, when praising him, one should ensure that one does not exaggerate or praise him for characteristics that were not found in him. Similarly, one should not adopt the styles and ways of the kuffaar in praising him. 2.The period of ta’ziyat is three days. After the third day, it is makrooh to go for ta’ziyat. However, if a person could not present himself for ta’ziyat within the three days, due to being out on a journey, then when he returns from the journey, he may go for ta’ziyat, even though the three days have elapsed.

Fitan – How to Safeguard Yourself By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh We often hear ‘we are in the era of fitnas’ and ‘there are many fitnas in our times’. We come across this word, fitnah, during lectures and talks too. Let us understand what this word means. The word ‘fitnah’ (plural: fitan) is literally used in the context of heating gold to distinguish pure gold from the contaminated. However, it has various usages in religious text such as punishment, difficulty, calamity, sin, test, trial etc. The appropriate context for our discussion is where the word fitnah is used to mean test or trial. Tests and trials are such that they bring to light the inner condition or ability of a person in whatever field this test is taken. For example, if a person is tested on his knowledge on a certain subject, the test will reveal his level of insight in that subject. Therefore, we can say that fitnah is that which exposes the (true) condition of good or bad in a person. As Qiyāmah draws closer, fitan will increase. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has stated: The nature of these fitan will be such that they will not be simple tests; rather they will be extremely severe and mind boggling. A person will find it extremely difficult to differentiate between truth & falsehood and right & wrong. In this hadīth the fitan have been termed as ‘portions of the dark night’. In places where there is no artificial lighting a person will be able to experience the darkness that night has in it. As time passes, this darkness of night intensifies and it feels like a portion of darkness has been replaced by yet a darker portion. Similar will be the fitan before qiyamah; they will be severe and will intensify and continue to become more and more difficult as the Final Hour moves closer and closer. Many ahādīth discuss the severity of these fitan and our compassionate and loving Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has warned us for the very reason that we do not fall into such trials. The one who becomes a victim of these trials will be an unfortunate one, as he will not be able to safeguard his Dīn, resulting in being unsuccessful in both worlds. It is for this reason these fitan are also termed as tribulations and calamities. The degree of severity of these fitan can be gauged from the hadīth that a person’s Īmān will be at stake and for insignificant worldly benefits, a person will leave his Dīn. In a hadīth of Imām Muslim rahimahullāh it is stated: Hasten towards good deeds before there will be fitan like portions of the dark night; a person will wake up in the morning as a believer but will leave the fold of Islām by the evening or a person will be a believer in the evening but by the morning he will be a non-believer; he will sell his religion for worldly goods. These fitan will become so severe that they will engulf even those who will merely glance at them. Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said: They [fitan] will engulf those who will peek towards them. (Al-Bukhārī) Further, our Rasūl sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam advises: ...the one who finds a shelter or refuge [from them] should take refuge in it. (Al-Bukhārī) The question that arises now is what are the things that will give us shelter and refuge from fitan? How can we save ourselves from these fitan? The answer is as follows: 1. Good Deeds One should hold fast to the entire Dīn, carrying out all the farā’id and wājibāt and abstaining from the harām and makrūhāt tahrīmiyyah. Moreover, sunan and nawāfil should also be part of our lives. In every aspect of our lives, from beliefs to worldly transactions, Dīn should dictate our every step. Allāh ta‘ālā states: O you who believe, enter into Islām completely, and do not follow the footsteps of satan. Surely, he is an open enemy for you. (2:208) If we hold fast to the whole Dīn of Allāh ta‘ālā, then our lives will be full of good deeds and it is with the good deeds a person will be able to challenge the fitan as mentioned in the hadīth earlier: Hasten towards good deeds before there will be fitan like portions of the dark night... (Muslim) 2. Have Control Over your Tongue Controlling one’s tongue entails first and foremost speaking good. The best thing a person can do is speak righteous. In contrast, speaking evil or wrong is no doubt abhorrent and disliked, hence we should abstain from polluting the tongue with such speech. The controlling of the tongue and abstaining from speaking also includes situations where one is aware of his deficiency in self-discipline, being that he generally falls into evil speech though he initially begins with righteous speech. It is for such individuals Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has stated: The one who remained silent saved himself. (At-Tirmidhī) Controlling the tongue in essence means we dictate what emits from it; if both good and evil is being uttered then it is a sign that we are not in control. If only good and righteous speech is being spoken, then we are in control. Therefore, a person needs to assess before speaking and follow the principle: “Think before you speak.” This can be achieved by speaking with full attention towards the speech like that person who is being interviewed. He very carefully evaluates every word he speaks. Likewise, we too need to monitor and evaluate every word we say in our day to day conversations. 3. Mixing Less and Remaining in the Confines of your Home One should not leave the home without necessity. This is a general advice addressed to both men and women. A person leaving the home without necessity will make himself prone to fitan, especially where the environment is that of sin. In our times, being physically at home does not necessarily mean that the person is in the ‘home’ as a person surfing the net is in essence out of their ‘home’. Similarly, when reading literature or when listening to a lecture, a person is no longer in the ‘home’, they are in the company of the author or the lecturer. The same can be said for the one using social media or a smartphone. To stay confined to our homes is in reality to stay away from every engagement in which one will become prone to the disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā as any such engagement will essentially mean leaving the vicinity of the home and becoming prone to fitan. The above two points can be summarised as inculcating the habits of ‘Qillat-ul-kalām’ (reducing the speech) and ‘Qillatu ikhtilāt ma‘al-anām’ (reducing intermingling with the creation of Allāh ta‘ālā) which are points from the prescription of soul purification prescribed by mashāikh through which a person nourishes their soul and safeguards it from deteriorating spiritually. The conclusion of ‘Qillat-ul-kalām’ is that one should avoid unnecessary speech and the conclusion of ‘Qillatu ikhtilāt ma‘al-anām’ is that one avoids unnecessary interaction with people. Avoiding unnecessary interaction will ensure that unnecessary speech is also avoided, as the less a person interacts with others the less the chance to speak. A point to note here is that ‘Qillatu ikhtilāt ma‘al-anām’ does not mean that one leaves mixing with people altogether, because so many people have rights over us which we are obliged to fulfil. It is every person’s duty to interact and socialise with family, parents, relatives and others therefore, reduction in intermingling means that a person does not exceed the limit by keeping the following points in mind: a. To mix only out of necessity. b. Not to violate any command of Allāh ta‘ālā. c. Not to get involved in lā ya‘nī (futile and baseless activity). 4. Tawbah and Asking for Forgiveness When making effort in following the commands of Allāh ta‘ālā, we are prone to making errors. Therefore, it is essential that we repent; and in repenting we should express our remorse and regret by crying to Allāh ta‘ālā. Note: The above three points have been mentioned in the hadīth narrated by Sayyidunā ‘Uqbah bin ‘Āmir radhiyallāhu ‘anhu who asked Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam, ‘In what lies salvation and safety?’ Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam gave the above three instructions. These will assure us of a state by which we will be able to safeguard our Dīn and ultimately save ourselves from fitan. 5. Reciting Sūrah Al-Kahf In the hadith we find that the recitation of Sūrah Al-Kahf on the day of Friday provides safety from the fitnah of dajjāl. In another hadith we find that the greatest fitnah that will come upon this ummah is the fitnah of dajjāl. By inference we can say that if Sūrah Al-Kahf will save a person from the fitnah of dajjāl, then it will surely save us from all the other fitan which are comparatively inferior. 6. Holding Fast to the Gatherings of the Pious ‘Ulamā Holding fast to and frequenting the gathering of authentic, reliable ‘Ulamā who fear Allāh ta‘ālā is a very secure way to save one’s self from the fitan. Such company will give us the correct understanding of the Dīn and also the spiritual nourishment to assist us to combat the nafs and shaytān. 7. Du‘ā Du‘ā is the weapon of the believer. One should regularly seek Allāh ta‘ālā’s refuge by supplicating to Him. We find in the hādith, narrated by Imām Ahmad rahimahullāh, a supplication: O Allāh, I seek refuge with You from all tribulations: those that are apparent and those that are hidden. We should try and make a habit of making this supplication at least three times after every salāh. Al-Mu’awwadhāt, a compilation by this humble servant, should also be included in one’s daily practices (ma‘mūlāt) as it contains supplications, from the Qur’ān and the ahādīth, which seek refuge in Allāh ta‘ālā from all misfortunes of this world and the hereafter. My late mentor, Hadrat Hājī Muhammad Fārūq sāhib rahimahullāh used to say: If we hold fast to these few points, inshā’allāh, we will be able to safeguard ourselves from the ever increasing and intensifying fitan. © Riyādul Jannah (Vol. 24 No. 4/5, Apr/May 2015)