Islamic Research Foundation An International Resource Centre For Understanding And Clarification, On Islam And Comparative Religion. Islamic Research Foundation Provides For Free Hire And Sale, Video And Audio Cassettes, On Islam And Comparative Religion. This Being, The Largest And Best Collection Internationally. It Includes Films, Television Programmes, Documentaries, Qur’anic And Islamic Studies Programmes As Well As Interviews, Lectures, Symposia, Debates, Etc., Of World Renowned Speakers Like Shaikh Ahmed Deedat – South Africa, Dr. Zakir Naik- India, Dr. Jamal Badawi – Canada, Dr. Khalid Al-Mansoor – U.S.A., Brother Yusuf Islam – U.K., Brother Gary Miller – Canada, Dr. Israr Ahmed -Pakistan, Maulana Abdul Karim Parekh- India, And Many Others. Islamic Research Foundation Also Provides On Request, Free Literature On Islam And Comparative Religion. Please Phone, Call, Or Write To Islamic Research Foundation, 56/58, Tandel Street (North), Dongri, Mumbai 400 009.
(Azan Continued….)
(Dr. Mohammed) Bismillah Hiraman Nirrahim. We initiate today’s programme with the Qirat, the recitation from the Holy Qur’an by Brother Ashraf Muhammedy.
(Ashraf Mohammedy) (Arabic)…The translation from Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2 – verse 255. ‘I seek refuge with Allah from satan the accursed.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Allah, there is no God but He, the Living, the Self Subsisting, Eternal – No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all the things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permits. He knows what appears to His creatures, as before or after, or behind Him. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge, except as He wills.
His throne does extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in the guarding and preserving them, for He is the most High, the Supreme in glory’.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. ‘Say: O people of the Book come to common terms as between you and us. That we worship none but Allah, that we associate no partners with Him. That we erect not from amongst ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah.
If then they turn back, say: Bear witness that we at least are Muslims bowing to the will of Allah. Verily Allah has spoken the truth’.
(Dr. Muhammed) Respected brothers and sisters, Assalaam Alaiykum, May peace be upon you. On behalf of the Islamic Research Foundation, I Dr. Muhammad Naik, welcome all of you to today’s programme. As did I, you may too have read, two days back, in the sacred space of ‘The Times of India’, Mumbai, the following verses…And I quote…‘Hold fast all together, to God’s rope and be not divided among yourselves. Remember with gratitude, God’s favour on you, for you were enemies, and He joined your hearts in love – So that by His grace you became brethren. Let there arise out of you, one community, inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong’ - Holy Qur’an, Surah Al Imran, Ch. 3, verses 103 and 104. This quotation aptly represents, the Islamic Research Foundation’s striving for Islamic Dawa’h, the proper presentation, understanding and clarification of the message of Islam, amongst Muslims and Non-Muslims, as well as removing misconceptions about Islam, amongst Muslims and Non-Muslims. Reason, logic, and modern scientific understanding, are the basis of all our presentations. The IRF office complex has a Video cassette library, a Publication department, a Cable and Satellite Television production studio, an Audio Video Recording department, and a Computer department. It also has a multi purpose Audio Visual reading room, an Auditorium, a Sales Outlet called Islamic Dimensions, a Ladies’ Wing and a Children’s Wing. These provide the much needed facilities and services for understanding the overall excellence of Islam and its proper teachings. The IRF office complex and its facilities are open from 10.00 am to 8.30 p.m. daily, except Fridays. The regular programmes of the IRF include, organizing public lectures, followed by open question and answer sessions like this one today. Symposia, Open forum Interactions and other such programmes, Providing more than 3500 video cassette titles on Islam and comparative religion to the public, on free hire. Free distribution of more than 50 publications on Islam, on request. Distribution of the Holy Qur’an with translation for understanding the message of God, meant for the whole of humankind. Regular interactions internationally on the Internet for presenting the proper message of Islam as well as removing misconceptions about Islam. The IRF also has its own web site for providing information and clarifications about Islam. Through the cable TV relay networks in Mumbai alone, The IRF videocassettes, on Islam reach more than one million homes daily, for approximately 3 hours. The ATN satellite TV channel, telecasts IRF programmes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 to 6.30 A.M. Indian Standard Time across 68 countries of the world. The NEPC satellite TV channel and other TV channels too telecast IRF programmes regularly. Dr. Zakir Naik, though a medical doctor by professional training, has devoted himself for analyzing Islam, and other religions objectively to understand and spread the real truth, understanding and clarifications about religion, as a way of life. He is an International orator on Islam and Comparative Religion. In fact in the last one year itself, in addition to his many talks in India, Dr. Zakir has delivered more than 160 public talks abroad, in the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Srilanka and Bahrain. He will Inshallah leave, next weekend for a series of public talks in Kuwait. He is acclaimed widely for his logical, reasonable and scientific approach towards his subject. He is appreciated for his comparative knowledge of Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, specially for his verbatim quotations from Religious Scriptures. ‘Concept of God in Major Religions’ – Why have we chosen this topic? We not only need to understand and realize what God is, and what are His qualities, but also… and it is very important…we need to know, what God certainly is not. Brothers and Sisters, to promote better understanding and integration on similarities between religions, as well as living in real harmony along with the differences, the Islamic Research Foundation presents today’s, talk on ‘Concept of God in Major religions’ by Dr. Zakir Naik.
(Dr. Zakir) (Arabic)…Respected Elders and my dear Brothers and Sisters, I welcome all of you with the Islamic greetings, Assalmu Alikum Wa Rahmatullahi, Wa Barakathu. May Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Almighty God be on all of you. The Non-Muslims may be wondering that, what was I murmuring or uttering in the beginning of my talk. I was not trying to mesmerize you, or hypnotize you, but I was reciting few verses of the Holy Qur’an from Surah Taha, Ch. No. 20, verses No. 25 and 28. When Allah Subhana Wa Taala, Almighty God asks Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) to deliver the message to the Pharoah, Moses (peace be upon him), he prays to Almighty God, Allah Subhana Wa Taala, and recites these verses. (Arabic)…. ‘Oh my Lord expand my breast for me, Expand my center for me, (Arabic)… And make my task easy for me,(Arabic)… And remove the impediment from my speech’. Since we know that Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was a stamerer, was a stuterer – So he prays to the Almighty God to remove the stamering, to loosen his tongue, as well as remove the barrier, if there is any between him, and the person to whom he is going to deliver the message. If a person is giving a talk, on other religions, those people in the audience who do not belong to that religion, they may think that this person is going to speak against their Religion. For example, if suppose, a Hindu is giving a talk on other Religions, the Non-Hindus may feel that, he is going to speak against my Religion. If a Christian is giving a talk on other Religions, the Non-Christians may feel that, he is going to speak against my religion. Similarly, I being a Muslim, when I am giving a talk on other Religions, the Non-Muslims may feel, that I am going to speak against their Religion. That is the reason, I am praying to Allah Subhana Wa Taala, Almighty God, to loosen my tongue as well as remove the impediment, the barrier – mental or otherwise, if there is any, between me and you. The topic of this morning’s talk is… ‘Concept of God in Major Religions’. ‘Religion’… according to the Oxford Dictionary means…‘A belief in a Super Human controlling power, especially a personal God or gods, that deserve obedience and worship’. The Qari, Brother Ashraf Muhamedy, he recited few verses of the Holy Qur’an from Surah Al Imran, Ch. No.3, V. No. 64, which says…(Arabic)… ‘Say to the people of the book’ (Arabic)… ‘that come to common terms as between us and you’ Which is the first term? (Arabic)…‘that we worship none but Allah’. (Arabic)…‘that we associate no partners with Him’. (Arabic)…‘that we erect not among ourselves, Lords and Patrons, other than Allah’. (Arabic)…‘if then they turn back’. (Arabic)…‘say we bear witness’. (Arabic)… ‘that we are Muslims bowing our will to Allah Subhana Wa Taala’. This is a verse of the Holy Qur’an which shows you a way how to speak with people of different communities. It says : (Arabic)…‘That came to common terms as between us and you’. Which is the first term? (Arabic)….‘That we worship none but Allah’ (Arabic)… ‘that we associate no partners with Him’. One thing common in all the Major Religions of the world is, that the God they worship, they believe He is the same God for them, as well as for the others. For eg… the God which the Hindus worship, they believe He is the same God for the Hindus as well as for the Non-Hindus. The God which the Christians worship, they believe He is the same God, for the Christians as well as for the Non-Christians. Similarly the God…Allah Subhana Wa Taala which we Muslims worship, we believe He is the same Allah Subhana Wa Taala for the Muslims, as well as for the Non-Muslims. The Major Religions of the world can be broadly classified as : Semetic Religions and Non Semetic Religions. The Non Semetic Religions are further divided into Aryan and the Non Aryan Religions. The Semetic Religions are those Religions that are followed by the Semites. Who are the Semites? The Semites are the descendents of ‘Shem’, who was the son of Prophet Noah (Peace be upon him) which is mentioned in the Bible, in the book Genesis, Ch. No. 5 and Ch.No. 11. So Semetic Religions are those Religions, that are followed by the Jews, by the Arabs, by the Asyrians by the Ponysians – who speak Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Acadians, Ponysians, etc. The major amongst the Semetic Religions are, Judaism, Christianity and Islam – all of which are Prophetic Religions. The Non Sematic Religions are further divided into Aryan and Non-Aryan Religions. The Aryan Religions, are the Religions followed by the Aryans – a group of Indo-European speaking community, which spread in Iran and Northern India, in the 1st half of the 2nd millenium B.C, that is 2000 to 1500 B.C. The Aryan Religion is further divided into Vedic and Non – Vedic Religion. The Vedic religion is ‘Brahaminism’ which has been given the misnomer of Hindusium. The Non-Vedic Religions, are Sikhism, Buddism, Jainism, etc. Amongst the Non-Aryan Religions, we have those of the Chinese origin like ‘Taoism’, ‘Confusism’, etc – those of the Japanese origin, like ‘Shintuism’, etc. But most of these Religions, they do not have a concept of God. Therefore they are preferably called as ethical systems, instead of Religions. As far as my talk today will be concerned, I will be speaking about the Concept of God in Major Religions, of ‘Semetic’ and ‘Aryan’ origin. To understand the concept of God, the best and the most accurate way is to analyze their Religious Scriptures, and understand what it has to speak about God. Trying to analyze the concept of God, by looking at the followers is not always correct, because most of the followers they themselves do not know what their Scripture speaks about God. So let us, analyze today, the concept of God in Major Religions by analyzing their Religious Scriptures. First we will discuss the Aryan Religion. Hinduism is the most popular of all the Aryan religions. And if you ask a common Hindu, that… How many gods does he believe in? Some may say 3, some may say 33, some may say a 1000, while the others may say, 33 crores, 330 million. But if you ask, a Hindu learned man, who knows his Religious Scriptures, he will tell you that a Hindu should actually believe, only in God. The major difference between the common Hindu and the Muslim is that, the common Hindu believes in a Philosophy known as ‘Pantheism’ – that is, everything is god. The tree is god, the sun is god, the moon is god, the snake is god, the monkey is god, the human beings are god. The Muslim believes that everything is God’s – GOD with an Apostofy ‘S’, everything belongs to God. The tree belongs to God, the sun belongs to God, the moon belongs to God, the snake belongs to God, the monkey belongs to God, the human beings belong to God. So the major difference between the common Hindu and the Muslim, is the Apostofy ‘S’. The Hindus say, everything is God, and we Muslims say everything is God’s – God with a Apostofy ‘S’. If we can solve this difference of Apostofy ‘S’, the Hindus and the Muslims will be united. How do you do it? As the Qur’an says… (Arabic)….. ‘That come to common terms as between us and you’. Which is the first term? (Arabic)…‘that we worship none but Allah’, (Arabic)… ‘that we associate no partners with Him’. So let us analyze the concept of God in Hinduisum, by analyzing their Religious Scriptures. The most popular amongst all the Hindu Religious Scriptures, is the ‘Bhagwat Geeta’. This is a copy of Bhagwat Geeta – In the IRF we have Alhamdulillah, more than 30 different translations only of Bhagwat Geeta. The Bhagwat Geeta says in Ch. No. 7, V. No.20 ‘That those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship the demi gods’ – That means the materialistic people, they worship demi gods – That means not the true Almighty God. The Upanishads are the other Sacred Scriptures of the Hindus. It is mentioned in the Chandogya Upanishad, Ch.No. 6, Section No. 2, Verse No.1. ‘God is one only… ‘Akam Avidetuim’… not a second’ That means – There is only God, He doesn’t have any partner, He is alone. Same as the Holy Qur’an which is mentioned in Surah Ikhlas, Ch. No. 112, V. No.1, (Arabic)… ‘Say He is Allah, one and only’. It is mentioned in the Sweta Sutara Upanishad, Ch. No. 6, Verse No.9, ‘Na Kasia Kasji Janita Nakadipa’, which means….‘Of Him there is no parents, nor Lord’ He has got no parents, He has got no masters – That means, He alone is sufficient, He is not dependent on anyone else. As the Holy Qur’an says in Surah Ikhlas, Ch. No.112, V. No.3, (Arabic)…‘He begets not nor is He begotten’ The quotation I gave from ‘Upanishads’, was translated by S. Radha Krishnan, and we have other translations also in our foundation. Further, if you read in the Sweta Sutara Upanishads, Ch. No. 4, V. No. 19, it says …‘Natastiya Pratima Asti’ ‘There is no likeness of Him’
Muslim Bride Muslim Brides Muslim Boy Muslim Boys Muslim Girl Muslim Girls Muslim Groom Muslim Grooms Muslim Matrimony Muslim Matrimonial Muslim Matrimonials Muslim Marriage Muslim Matrimonial site Muslim Matrimonial sites
Sunday, February 28, 2010
How to keep the romance alive in your marriage
Here are some tips for keeping romance alive in your marriage:
Have a 'one night stand' at regular intervals. Take time out for each other albeit for just a night. Time alone together. No meals to cook. No kids to attend to. With no other commitments to distract you, romance comes more naturally.
Plan dates months in advance. Keep looking forward to them. And mark these dates in different colors in your diary. Check this daily. This will turn mundane birthdays, anniversaries into special moments to be cherished.
The 3 magic words mean a lot. Say them often. In fact email, call or SMS each other just to say, I love you.
Laughing together is as essential as making love. This brings you together.
Have fun together. Take time out on a Sunday evening to play board games. Or if you are outdoor people then challenge each other to a game of tennis.
Listen.
Action speaks louder than words. Take the initiative and create the mood. Hugs and kisses add a spark to your marriage.
Complement each other on new clothes, new haircut or even the choice of footwear. This shows you notice change in each other.
Make love together more often. Different places. Different ways.
Surprise each other. This can be fun. Surprise your mate with a special evening. Book a table at your favorite restaurant and enjoy a romantic candle light dinner.
(Courtesy by doshiza.com
Have a 'one night stand' at regular intervals. Take time out for each other albeit for just a night. Time alone together. No meals to cook. No kids to attend to. With no other commitments to distract you, romance comes more naturally.
Plan dates months in advance. Keep looking forward to them. And mark these dates in different colors in your diary. Check this daily. This will turn mundane birthdays, anniversaries into special moments to be cherished.
The 3 magic words mean a lot. Say them often. In fact email, call or SMS each other just to say, I love you.
Laughing together is as essential as making love. This brings you together.
Have fun together. Take time out on a Sunday evening to play board games. Or if you are outdoor people then challenge each other to a game of tennis.
Listen.
Action speaks louder than words. Take the initiative and create the mood. Hugs and kisses add a spark to your marriage.
Complement each other on new clothes, new haircut or even the choice of footwear. This shows you notice change in each other.
Make love together more often. Different places. Different ways.
Surprise each other. This can be fun. Surprise your mate with a special evening. Book a table at your favorite restaurant and enjoy a romantic candle light dinner.
(Courtesy by doshiza.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Fabulous Submerged Flower Wedding Centerpieces
Are you looking for a way to really make a statement with your wedding centerpieces? Do you want a design that is fresh, contemporary, and gorgeous? Then check out the great trend of fabulous submerged flower wedding centerpieces.
Submerged floral centerpieces are a really cool twist on the traditional wedding table décor. The basic ingredients are a tall clear cylinder (or tall square) vase, tall flowers or branches of berries, and of course, plenty of water. There are a variety of floral options that will hold their form beautifully under water, and there is something in a color to suit any season or palette.
The style of your wedding centerpieces should be a strong match to the general feeling of your wedding. Submerged flower centerpieces are great because they can be designed to complement a wide variety of wedding themes. For example, if you are having a formal evening wedding with lots of crystal bridal jewelry, you can use the submerged flowers not as a stand alone centerpiece, but as an accent in the vase which will have a full and lush bouquet set on the top. This is a fantastic way to incorporate a breath of fresh air into a formal wedding. If you like, you can even have the florist hang teardrop crystals from the top bouquet to coordinate with your crystal bridal jewelry.
For an elegant wedding, the perfect flower to submerge is orchids. Their form is ideal: multiple blossoms on one long stem, and they hold their shape very well under the water. Orchids come in a breathtaking array of colors and even some really interesting patterns, such as spotted orchids. To be really on point with the trend, bright green orchids are ideal. Bold orange orchids are another favorite for submerged floral centerpieces, as are luxe purple ones. The best part is that you only need one or two stems of orchids per vase, so you can get the luxurious effect of the exotic flower without investing much of your wedding budget.
Another excellent flower to use for a submerged centerpiece is the tulip. You take a bunch of tulips, long stems and all, and plunge them into the vase as one group. This looks especially pretty if you slightly twist the stems so that they swirl around the outer edge of the glass. Tulips are very nice for spring weddings in cheery colors like pink and yellow. Because the tulips have a more definite top than the orchids, this is a flower that would look the best as a stand alone centerpiece, without an additional bouquet perched on top.
Berries are another wonderful idea for submerged centerpieces. Particularly popular are hypericum berries, which are a florists' favorite. Russet colored berries would be fantastic for a fall wedding. You can add in a branch with a small scale blossom in a complementary color such as yellow, or let the berries be the center of attention. This makes a lovely display for a simple autumn wedding. Simply surround the vase with some chunky cream colored pillar candles for an easy but elegant centerpiece.
Submerged flower centerpieces are a terrific addition to almost any style of wedding. They are very chic and modern, and yet they can also be reasonably priced and easy enough to do yourself. When you can get so much style for such little effort, you know that you have found a winning design!
Submerged floral centerpieces are a really cool twist on the traditional wedding table décor. The basic ingredients are a tall clear cylinder (or tall square) vase, tall flowers or branches of berries, and of course, plenty of water. There are a variety of floral options that will hold their form beautifully under water, and there is something in a color to suit any season or palette.
The style of your wedding centerpieces should be a strong match to the general feeling of your wedding. Submerged flower centerpieces are great because they can be designed to complement a wide variety of wedding themes. For example, if you are having a formal evening wedding with lots of crystal bridal jewelry, you can use the submerged flowers not as a stand alone centerpiece, but as an accent in the vase which will have a full and lush bouquet set on the top. This is a fantastic way to incorporate a breath of fresh air into a formal wedding. If you like, you can even have the florist hang teardrop crystals from the top bouquet to coordinate with your crystal bridal jewelry.
For an elegant wedding, the perfect flower to submerge is orchids. Their form is ideal: multiple blossoms on one long stem, and they hold their shape very well under the water. Orchids come in a breathtaking array of colors and even some really interesting patterns, such as spotted orchids. To be really on point with the trend, bright green orchids are ideal. Bold orange orchids are another favorite for submerged floral centerpieces, as are luxe purple ones. The best part is that you only need one or two stems of orchids per vase, so you can get the luxurious effect of the exotic flower without investing much of your wedding budget.
Another excellent flower to use for a submerged centerpiece is the tulip. You take a bunch of tulips, long stems and all, and plunge them into the vase as one group. This looks especially pretty if you slightly twist the stems so that they swirl around the outer edge of the glass. Tulips are very nice for spring weddings in cheery colors like pink and yellow. Because the tulips have a more definite top than the orchids, this is a flower that would look the best as a stand alone centerpiece, without an additional bouquet perched on top.
Berries are another wonderful idea for submerged centerpieces. Particularly popular are hypericum berries, which are a florists' favorite. Russet colored berries would be fantastic for a fall wedding. You can add in a branch with a small scale blossom in a complementary color such as yellow, or let the berries be the center of attention. This makes a lovely display for a simple autumn wedding. Simply surround the vase with some chunky cream colored pillar candles for an easy but elegant centerpiece.
Submerged flower centerpieces are a terrific addition to almost any style of wedding. They are very chic and modern, and yet they can also be reasonably priced and easy enough to do yourself. When you can get so much style for such little effort, you know that you have found a winning design!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
My Mother, My Best Friend
Aseer ibn Jaabir narrates: Whenever people would come from Yemen, Umar would ask them, "Is Uways Al-Qaranee amongst you?" until, one year, he met Uways. He said, "Are you Uways Al-Qaranee?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar continued, "From Muraad, then Qaran?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then asked, "Were you once afflicted with leprosy and your skin healed except for a dirham's area?"
Uways said, "Yes."
Umar finally asked, "Do you have a mother (that is alive)?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, 'Uways ibn Aamir will come to you with the delegations from Yemen, from Muraad, then from Qaran. He was once afflicted with leprosy and his skin healed except for a dirham's area. He has a mother, and he treats her kindly. If he was to ever swear by Allah (for something) Allah would fulfill his oath. If you can, request that he ask forgiveness for you." Umar then requested from Uways, "Ask forgiveness for me." And Uways Al-Qaranee did.
Allah ta'aala commanded us in the Qur’an:
"And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both attain old age in your life, then do not say to them 'uff' (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them, rather address them in terms of honor / And lower for them the wing of submission and humility through mercy. And say, 'My Lord! Grant them Your mercy as they brought me up when I was small.'" [Al Isra' 17/23-24]
Ad-Daylami collected from Al-Husayn ibn Ali, that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"If Allah knew any smaller than 'uff' (tsk) to be disespectful to parents, He would have decreed it to be haram!"
A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam seeking permission to go for jihaad. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Are your parents alive?"
He said, "Yes."
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Perform jihaad (in you kind treatment) of them." [Bukhari]
If someone came to you today and offered you a free lunch, no doubt your response would be to smile, speak kindly to them, and reserve a special place in your heart for their memory. Why is it then that our parents receive only cold stares, harsh words and bitter treatment and they are who they are in our lives? For twenty or thirty years they fed us, clothed us, washed us, and showered their mercy on our soft skin. Their love for us never dies even if we do; it is a love that goes even beyond us, to our children and even our children’s children.
Dear brothers and sisters, we all have parents, whether they are with us or not, and many have not understood the severity of their position in our lives and their right to be respected and revered. Today I want to remind you and I of the true position of our parents, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Birr al-waalidayn is a characteristic of the mu'min. Al-Hasan Al-Basree defined it saying, "Al-birr is to obey the parents in everything that they ask so long as it is not to disobey Allah. Uqooq is to disown your parents, denying them all of your goodness."
By the ijama' of the 'ulama, being respectful and obedient to one’s parents is fard. Ibn Hazm said, "(Obeying ones parents) is Fard!" and he quoted the verse:
And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents.
To better understand what is meant by birr al-walidayn (kindness to parents), the scholars set the following conditions for one to follow:
One: He should place the pleasure of his parents above the pleasure of anyone else, including himself and his wife and kids – everyone. Two: He should obey them in everything they command or forbid, whether it agrees with his desires or not, so long as they do not command the disobedience of Allah.
Three: He should present them with everything he feels they desire, whether they ask for it or not. He should present it with kindness and mercy, understanding that no matter what he does he will always have some shortcomings in fulfilling the true kindness that his parents deserve.
Allah's love comes when our parents love us. And Allah's anger comes when our parents are angry with us. Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu said, "There are three things that will not be accepted if its mate is not fulfilled." And he mentioned,
"Thank Me (Allah) and your parents…" [Luqman 31/14]
Ibn Abbaas continued, "Thus whoever thanks Allah and is not thankful to his parents, Allah will not accept from him."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"The pleasure of Allah is from the pleasure of the parents, and the anger of Allah is from the anger of the parents."
Let us think about how many of us treat our parents. We shy away from them when they may need something. We never visit if we are away from them. In fact, many people dispose of their parents in retirement homes. And when an argument ignites between our parents and us, many of us shout at them as if we were arguing with our evilest enemy. May Allah protect us all.
Compare this to those that came before us. Dhibyaan ibn Ali At-Thowree radi Allahu anhu used to travel with his mother to Makkah. There, in the scorching heat, he would dig a little pool and fill it with cool water. Then he would turn to his mother and say, "Ummi, sit in this water to cool yourself."
For many of us, our friends are more precious to us than our mother and father. Forgetful we are of the time a man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and asked him who is more worthy of his dear companionship. He – sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam – said, "Your mother!" The man asked again and again, and the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam replied, "Your mother! Your mother!" Until on the fourth time he - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Your father."
Today, when the common question is asked, "Who is your best friend?" How many people would say, "My mother!" But this is how the question should be answered and implemented.
What pleases our parents comes before everything, so long as it is not in disobedience of Allah. The scholars understood this and set the example for us. Haywah bin Shurayh radi Allahu anhu, one of the imam's of our ummah, used to give classes in front of his home. During the class, his mother would call him to feed the chickens. He would stand up, leave the halaqa, and go feed the chickens. We all want Allah to accept from us; we would all like to enter Paradise. Look down dear brothers and sisters, and you will find paradise at the feet of your mother.
Narrated Ahmad and An-Nasaa'ee, from Mu'aawiyah ibn Jaahimah As-Sulamee: My father, Jaahimah radi Allahu anhu went to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, I would like to go out and fight for the sake of Allah, and I have come to you for advice."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Is your mother alive?"
He said, "Yes."
"Then stay near her," advised the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "For at her feet is Jannah!"
On the other side, making our parents sad or even making them cry is one of the many ways to earn Allah's anger. Imam Ahmad narrates, from Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Al-Aas radi Alllahu anhu: A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam to give him his pledge of allegiance. He said, "I have come to pledge allegiance to you for hijrah and I have left both my parents behind crying."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam commanded him, "Go back, and the same way that you made them cry, make them laugh."
Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu said, "Making ones parents cry is amongst the uqooq, a major sin!"
Shaykh al-Qaasim once said, "Subhan Allah! How can we leave our parents sobbing, tears that the throne of Allah shakes for, tears that unsettle the angels in the heavens, and then we claim that we want to go for jihaad so that Allah will be pleased with us? Go back and make them happy with your visit as you made them sad by your departure. If they laugh and are pleased with you, Allah will be pleased."
During the funeral of his mother, Al-Haarith Al-Aklee radi Allahu anhu weeped. When asked for the reason of his tears he said, "Why should I not cry when one of my doors to Paradise has now closed?"
PART II
We reap what we plant. In a far away land, a long time ago, a boy was born blind. His widowed mother, the good Muslimah that she was, did not lose hope in her du'a and pray she did, continuously. A few years later, the boy's sight returned, alhamdulillah. Soon after she realized that her village was not befitting for her son to excel in Islamic education, so with her son in hand they migrated to Makkah. There she saw that he was being instructed in Qur'an and Hadith, the latter becoming the young man's focus. He went out far and wide collecting Hadith and compiled a Hadith book that sits next to the Qur'an in authenticity forgetting not his mother who had raised him well. His mother named him Muhammad ibn Isma'il, and many of us know him today as Al-Imam Al-Bukhari!
Dear brothers and sisters, how often is it that a farmer plants wheat and it comes out as a sunflower? You may say, never! For how can someone farm the seed of one plant and expect some other plant to grow. It just does not happen. Similarly, some parents leave their children waddling in the mud of television, music, movies, and disbelieving friends. Then, when the child reaches grade 12 and asks to go to the prom with his girlfriend, or when he enters university and stops praying, or when he gets married to a kafir and himself becomes one, then the parents say, "What happened?"
Brothers and sisters, it is the harvest of what we planted. If we do not raise our children to be obedient, where do we expect them to learn? If we do not practice Islam ourselves, who will be our children's example? How do you teach a child to wake up for Fajr, when he sees his own father and mother sleeping in, day after day? You may ask: how do I raise my children to be good Muslims, obedient to their parents? Consider the following:
Firstly: One should discipline their children throughout their youth. Hisham ibn Abd Al-Malik missed a son of his during Jumah one week. When he met him later, he asked him, "Why did you miss Jumah?"
His son replied, "My donkey couldn't make the trip."
His father then said, "Couldn't you have walked!" For an entire year after that, Hisham ibn Abd Al-Malik made his son walk to Jumah.
Secondly: The piety of the father and mother reaches the children. In the Qur'an, Allah recalls for us the story of Khidr, and how he rebuilt a wall for 2 orphans.
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town. Under it was a treasure belonging to them and their father was a righteous man…(Al Kahf 18/82)
Look at how Allah protected these orphans because of the piety of their father. In tafseer, it is said that it was in fact because of the piety of their grandfather seven generations back! Sa'eed ibn Jubayr said, "I often lengthen my salah for the sake of my son; perhaps Allah may protect him (because of it)."
In conclusion, let us reflect on the virtue of respecting our parents:
It is one of the greatest things that we can do. In Bukhari and Muslim, from Abdullah ibn Mas'ood radi Allahu anhu, a man asked the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "What deed is most beloved by Allah?"
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Salah on time."
The man asked, "And then?"
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Respecting and revering ones parents."
He asked, "And then?"
"Jihaad for the sake of Allah."
It is a means by which our sins are forgiven. When Allah commanded in the Qur'an:
And We enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents …
The next verse tells us:
Respecting our parents will lead us to Jannah! In Muslim, Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, "May he perish! May he perish! May he perish!"
It was asked, "Who, O Messenger of Allah?"
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "He whose parents attain old age in his life - one or both of them - and he does not enter Paradise (because of his goodness towards them)."
And when our parents are gone, the goodness towards them does not end.
Malik ibn Rabi'ah Al-Saa'idi narrated: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam when an Ansari man came and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, is there anything left from my birr to my parents that I should present to them after their death?"
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Yes, four things: Pray and ask forgiveness for them. Fulfill their pledges. Be kind to their friends. And maintain the ties of kinship that come from only their direction. That is what is left from your birr to them after their death."
Ahmad, Abu Dawood, and Ibn Maajah reported that Aamir ibn Abd Allah ibn Az-Zubayr radi Allahu anhu said, "My father died, and for an entire year I did not ask Allah for anything except that He forgive my father."
Remember dear brothers and sisters as you meet your parents today, the words of Rasul Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "Fa feehima fa jaahid!" – Do Jihad in (your kind treatment of) your parents.
O Allah, forgive us and our parents, and reward them with the finest reward. O Allah, elevate their position in the hereafter and this dunya; make that which befalls them an expiation for their sins. O Allah, grant them residence in Firdaus, the highest level of Jannah, with the Prophets, the Siddeeqeen, and the Martyrs.
Ameen.
Spread the Knowledge?
Share this article and share in the ajr for each person who reads!
He said, "Yes."
Umar continued, "From Muraad, then Qaran?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then asked, "Were you once afflicted with leprosy and your skin healed except for a dirham's area?"
Uways said, "Yes."
Umar finally asked, "Do you have a mother (that is alive)?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, 'Uways ibn Aamir will come to you with the delegations from Yemen, from Muraad, then from Qaran. He was once afflicted with leprosy and his skin healed except for a dirham's area. He has a mother, and he treats her kindly. If he was to ever swear by Allah (for something) Allah would fulfill his oath. If you can, request that he ask forgiveness for you." Umar then requested from Uways, "Ask forgiveness for me." And Uways Al-Qaranee did.
Allah ta'aala commanded us in the Qur’an:
"And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both attain old age in your life, then do not say to them 'uff' (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them, rather address them in terms of honor / And lower for them the wing of submission and humility through mercy. And say, 'My Lord! Grant them Your mercy as they brought me up when I was small.'" [Al Isra' 17/23-24]
Ad-Daylami collected from Al-Husayn ibn Ali, that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"If Allah knew any smaller than 'uff' (tsk) to be disespectful to parents, He would have decreed it to be haram!"
A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam seeking permission to go for jihaad. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Are your parents alive?"
He said, "Yes."
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Perform jihaad (in you kind treatment) of them." [Bukhari]
If someone came to you today and offered you a free lunch, no doubt your response would be to smile, speak kindly to them, and reserve a special place in your heart for their memory. Why is it then that our parents receive only cold stares, harsh words and bitter treatment and they are who they are in our lives? For twenty or thirty years they fed us, clothed us, washed us, and showered their mercy on our soft skin. Their love for us never dies even if we do; it is a love that goes even beyond us, to our children and even our children’s children.
Dear brothers and sisters, we all have parents, whether they are with us or not, and many have not understood the severity of their position in our lives and their right to be respected and revered. Today I want to remind you and I of the true position of our parents, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Birr al-waalidayn is a characteristic of the mu'min. Al-Hasan Al-Basree defined it saying, "Al-birr is to obey the parents in everything that they ask so long as it is not to disobey Allah. Uqooq is to disown your parents, denying them all of your goodness."
By the ijama' of the 'ulama, being respectful and obedient to one’s parents is fard. Ibn Hazm said, "(Obeying ones parents) is Fard!" and he quoted the verse:
And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents.
To better understand what is meant by birr al-walidayn (kindness to parents), the scholars set the following conditions for one to follow:
One: He should place the pleasure of his parents above the pleasure of anyone else, including himself and his wife and kids – everyone. Two: He should obey them in everything they command or forbid, whether it agrees with his desires or not, so long as they do not command the disobedience of Allah.
Three: He should present them with everything he feels they desire, whether they ask for it or not. He should present it with kindness and mercy, understanding that no matter what he does he will always have some shortcomings in fulfilling the true kindness that his parents deserve.
Allah's love comes when our parents love us. And Allah's anger comes when our parents are angry with us. Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu said, "There are three things that will not be accepted if its mate is not fulfilled." And he mentioned,
"Thank Me (Allah) and your parents…" [Luqman 31/14]
Ibn Abbaas continued, "Thus whoever thanks Allah and is not thankful to his parents, Allah will not accept from him."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"The pleasure of Allah is from the pleasure of the parents, and the anger of Allah is from the anger of the parents."
Let us think about how many of us treat our parents. We shy away from them when they may need something. We never visit if we are away from them. In fact, many people dispose of their parents in retirement homes. And when an argument ignites between our parents and us, many of us shout at them as if we were arguing with our evilest enemy. May Allah protect us all.
Compare this to those that came before us. Dhibyaan ibn Ali At-Thowree radi Allahu anhu used to travel with his mother to Makkah. There, in the scorching heat, he would dig a little pool and fill it with cool water. Then he would turn to his mother and say, "Ummi, sit in this water to cool yourself."
For many of us, our friends are more precious to us than our mother and father. Forgetful we are of the time a man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and asked him who is more worthy of his dear companionship. He – sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam – said, "Your mother!" The man asked again and again, and the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam replied, "Your mother! Your mother!" Until on the fourth time he - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Your father."
Today, when the common question is asked, "Who is your best friend?" How many people would say, "My mother!" But this is how the question should be answered and implemented.
What pleases our parents comes before everything, so long as it is not in disobedience of Allah. The scholars understood this and set the example for us. Haywah bin Shurayh radi Allahu anhu, one of the imam's of our ummah, used to give classes in front of his home. During the class, his mother would call him to feed the chickens. He would stand up, leave the halaqa, and go feed the chickens. We all want Allah to accept from us; we would all like to enter Paradise. Look down dear brothers and sisters, and you will find paradise at the feet of your mother.
Narrated Ahmad and An-Nasaa'ee, from Mu'aawiyah ibn Jaahimah As-Sulamee: My father, Jaahimah radi Allahu anhu went to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, I would like to go out and fight for the sake of Allah, and I have come to you for advice."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Is your mother alive?"
He said, "Yes."
"Then stay near her," advised the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "For at her feet is Jannah!"
On the other side, making our parents sad or even making them cry is one of the many ways to earn Allah's anger. Imam Ahmad narrates, from Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Al-Aas radi Alllahu anhu: A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam to give him his pledge of allegiance. He said, "I have come to pledge allegiance to you for hijrah and I have left both my parents behind crying."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam commanded him, "Go back, and the same way that you made them cry, make them laugh."
Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu said, "Making ones parents cry is amongst the uqooq, a major sin!"
Shaykh al-Qaasim once said, "Subhan Allah! How can we leave our parents sobbing, tears that the throne of Allah shakes for, tears that unsettle the angels in the heavens, and then we claim that we want to go for jihaad so that Allah will be pleased with us? Go back and make them happy with your visit as you made them sad by your departure. If they laugh and are pleased with you, Allah will be pleased."
During the funeral of his mother, Al-Haarith Al-Aklee radi Allahu anhu weeped. When asked for the reason of his tears he said, "Why should I not cry when one of my doors to Paradise has now closed?"
PART II
We reap what we plant. In a far away land, a long time ago, a boy was born blind. His widowed mother, the good Muslimah that she was, did not lose hope in her du'a and pray she did, continuously. A few years later, the boy's sight returned, alhamdulillah. Soon after she realized that her village was not befitting for her son to excel in Islamic education, so with her son in hand they migrated to Makkah. There she saw that he was being instructed in Qur'an and Hadith, the latter becoming the young man's focus. He went out far and wide collecting Hadith and compiled a Hadith book that sits next to the Qur'an in authenticity forgetting not his mother who had raised him well. His mother named him Muhammad ibn Isma'il, and many of us know him today as Al-Imam Al-Bukhari!
Dear brothers and sisters, how often is it that a farmer plants wheat and it comes out as a sunflower? You may say, never! For how can someone farm the seed of one plant and expect some other plant to grow. It just does not happen. Similarly, some parents leave their children waddling in the mud of television, music, movies, and disbelieving friends. Then, when the child reaches grade 12 and asks to go to the prom with his girlfriend, or when he enters university and stops praying, or when he gets married to a kafir and himself becomes one, then the parents say, "What happened?"
Brothers and sisters, it is the harvest of what we planted. If we do not raise our children to be obedient, where do we expect them to learn? If we do not practice Islam ourselves, who will be our children's example? How do you teach a child to wake up for Fajr, when he sees his own father and mother sleeping in, day after day? You may ask: how do I raise my children to be good Muslims, obedient to their parents? Consider the following:
Firstly: One should discipline their children throughout their youth. Hisham ibn Abd Al-Malik missed a son of his during Jumah one week. When he met him later, he asked him, "Why did you miss Jumah?"
His son replied, "My donkey couldn't make the trip."
His father then said, "Couldn't you have walked!" For an entire year after that, Hisham ibn Abd Al-Malik made his son walk to Jumah.
Secondly: The piety of the father and mother reaches the children. In the Qur'an, Allah recalls for us the story of Khidr, and how he rebuilt a wall for 2 orphans.
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town. Under it was a treasure belonging to them and their father was a righteous man…(Al Kahf 18/82)
Look at how Allah protected these orphans because of the piety of their father. In tafseer, it is said that it was in fact because of the piety of their grandfather seven generations back! Sa'eed ibn Jubayr said, "I often lengthen my salah for the sake of my son; perhaps Allah may protect him (because of it)."
In conclusion, let us reflect on the virtue of respecting our parents:
It is one of the greatest things that we can do. In Bukhari and Muslim, from Abdullah ibn Mas'ood radi Allahu anhu, a man asked the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "What deed is most beloved by Allah?"
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Salah on time."
The man asked, "And then?"
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Respecting and revering ones parents."
He asked, "And then?"
"Jihaad for the sake of Allah."
It is a means by which our sins are forgiven. When Allah commanded in the Qur'an:
And We enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents …
The next verse tells us:
Respecting our parents will lead us to Jannah! In Muslim, Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, "May he perish! May he perish! May he perish!"
It was asked, "Who, O Messenger of Allah?"
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "He whose parents attain old age in his life - one or both of them - and he does not enter Paradise (because of his goodness towards them)."
And when our parents are gone, the goodness towards them does not end.
Malik ibn Rabi'ah Al-Saa'idi narrated: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam when an Ansari man came and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, is there anything left from my birr to my parents that I should present to them after their death?"
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Yes, four things: Pray and ask forgiveness for them. Fulfill their pledges. Be kind to their friends. And maintain the ties of kinship that come from only their direction. That is what is left from your birr to them after their death."
Ahmad, Abu Dawood, and Ibn Maajah reported that Aamir ibn Abd Allah ibn Az-Zubayr radi Allahu anhu said, "My father died, and for an entire year I did not ask Allah for anything except that He forgive my father."
Remember dear brothers and sisters as you meet your parents today, the words of Rasul Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "Fa feehima fa jaahid!" – Do Jihad in (your kind treatment of) your parents.
O Allah, forgive us and our parents, and reward them with the finest reward. O Allah, elevate their position in the hereafter and this dunya; make that which befalls them an expiation for their sins. O Allah, grant them residence in Firdaus, the highest level of Jannah, with the Prophets, the Siddeeqeen, and the Martyrs.
Ameen.
Spread the Knowledge?
Share this article and share in the ajr for each person who reads!
Kinds of Speech that we Must Refrain From
Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslim has to control his tongue and not speak unless he says something good.
Al-Bukhaari (6018) and Muslim (47) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him speak good or else keep silent…”
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “If he wants to speak, then if what he wants to say is good and he is confident that he will be rewarded for it, whether it is obligatory or praiseworthy, then let him speak, but if it does not seem to him that it is good and he will be rewarded for it, then let him refrain from speaking, whether he thinks it is haraam or makrooh or permissible. Based on this, it is recommended to refrain from saying permissible words and we are enjoined to avoid that, lest that lead us into something that is haraam or makrooh, which is what happens in many cases or in most cases. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)’
[Qaaf 50:18]
Imam al-Shaafa’i understood the hadeeth to mean that if a person wants to say something, he should think about it: if it seems to him that it will not do any harm, then he should speak, but if he thinks that it will do some harm or he thinks that this is most likely, then he should refrain from speaking.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to control our tongues in more than one hadeeth, such as that narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2406) from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is salvation?’ He said, ‘Control your tongue, keep to your house and weep over your sin.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 3331.
Al-Tirmidhi (2616) also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Mu’aadh, after teaching him some of the laws of Islam, “Shall I not tell you what is the foundation of all that?” I [Mu’aadh] said: “Of course, O Prophet of Allaah.” He took hold of his tongue and said, “Control this.” I said, “O Prophet of Allaah, will we be held responsible for what we say with it?” He said, “May your mother be bereft of you, O Mu’aadh! Will the people be thrown into Hell on their faces or on their noses for anything other than the harvest of their tongues?”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2110.
The hadeeth enjoins refraining from indulging in specific things, because that is something that is of no benefit to a person, and indeed it may cause him a great deal of harm in his spiritual and worldly affairs.
It was narrated from Ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If my companions are mentioned, then keep quiet; if the stars are mentioned, then keep quiet; and if the divine decree is mentioned, then keep quiet.” (Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 2/96. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 34).
This hadeeth indicates that it is not permissible for a person to speak badly of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that he should keep quiet about the disputes that occurred among them, because speaking badly of them or criticizing them implies that one is rejecting what Allaah said about them in the Qur’aan, where He praised them by saying (interpretation of the meaning):
“And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success”
[al-Tawbah 9:100]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allaah and (His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers)”
[al-Fath 48:29]
This is how Allaah has described them in His Book, so no doubt they are of just character and are the best and greatest of mankind. So no one hates them but a hypocrite and no one loves them but a believer.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“One of the basic principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that they think and say nothing to criticize the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah has described them in the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And those who came after them say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful’
[al-Hashr 69:10]
And they obey the command of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): ‘Do not curse my companions, for by the One in Whose hand is my soul, if any one of you were to spend the equivalent of Mount Uhud in gold, he would not reach the status of one of them, nor even come half way.’ (Agreed upon).”
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 3/152.
Abu Zar’ah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“If you see a man criticizing any one of the Sahaabah, then know that he is a heretic, because the Qur’aan is true, and the Messenger is true, and what he brought is true, and no one conveyed all of that to us but the Sahaabah. So whoever criticizes them means in effect to say that the Qur’aan and Sunnah are false, so it is more appropriate that he should be criticized and ruled to be a heretic who is misguided.”
Al-Sawaa’iq al-Muhriqah ‘ala Ahl al-Rafd wa’l-Dalaal wa’l-Zandaqah, 2/608.
With regard to the second part of the hadeeth, which enjoins refraining from speaking about the stars, what is referred to by that – and Allaah knows best – is seeking guidance by the stars concerning matters that are unseen, as the people of the jaahiliyyah used to do by means of astrology, such as using the movement of heavenly bodies to indicate when certain earthly events would occur, such as the blowing of the wind, rainfall, changes in prices, and other matters which they claimed to know from the movements of heavenly bodies. They used to say that whoever got married under such and such a star, such and such would happen to him, or whoever traveled under such and such a star, such and such would happen to him, and whoever was born under such and such a star would be lucky or unlucky, etc.
(See Kitaab al-Tawheed by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Baab Id’aa’ ‘ilm al-Ghayb min Qiraa’at al-Kaff wa’l-Finjaan wa ghayrihima. See also Fataawa al-‘Aqeedah, 2/185-186-187-190) by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, where he makes some very useful comments).
With regard to the third part of the hadeeth, which refers to refraining from speaking about the divine decree (al-qadar), Abu Ja’far al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“The divine decree is a secret known which Allaah has hidden from His creation. No angel who is close to Him and no Prophet whom He sent knows that. Pursuing such matters only leads to failure and deprivation of the mercy of Allaah, and it leads to injustice, so beware of looking into the matter, thinking about it and wondering about it. Allaah has kept knowledge of His decree from His slaves, and has forbidden them to pursue the matter, as He says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning):
‘He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned’
[al-Anbiya’ 21:23]
So whoever questions what Allaah does has rejected the ruling of the Book, and whoever rejects the ruling of the Book is a kaafir.”
Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, p. 276
So the Muslim has to submit to Allaah in all His affairs, and know that whatever happens to him could never have missed him, and what misses him could never have happened to him. There is a lot that may be said on this topic. May Allaah bless the man who believes in the will and decree of Allaah without indulging in philosophical discussion about the matter.
And Allaah knows best.
Spread the Knowledge?
Share this article and share in the ajr for each person who reads
The Muslim has to control his tongue and not speak unless he says something good.
Al-Bukhaari (6018) and Muslim (47) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him speak good or else keep silent…”
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “If he wants to speak, then if what he wants to say is good and he is confident that he will be rewarded for it, whether it is obligatory or praiseworthy, then let him speak, but if it does not seem to him that it is good and he will be rewarded for it, then let him refrain from speaking, whether he thinks it is haraam or makrooh or permissible. Based on this, it is recommended to refrain from saying permissible words and we are enjoined to avoid that, lest that lead us into something that is haraam or makrooh, which is what happens in many cases or in most cases. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)’
[Qaaf 50:18]
Imam al-Shaafa’i understood the hadeeth to mean that if a person wants to say something, he should think about it: if it seems to him that it will not do any harm, then he should speak, but if he thinks that it will do some harm or he thinks that this is most likely, then he should refrain from speaking.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to control our tongues in more than one hadeeth, such as that narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2406) from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is salvation?’ He said, ‘Control your tongue, keep to your house and weep over your sin.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 3331.
Al-Tirmidhi (2616) also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Mu’aadh, after teaching him some of the laws of Islam, “Shall I not tell you what is the foundation of all that?” I [Mu’aadh] said: “Of course, O Prophet of Allaah.” He took hold of his tongue and said, “Control this.” I said, “O Prophet of Allaah, will we be held responsible for what we say with it?” He said, “May your mother be bereft of you, O Mu’aadh! Will the people be thrown into Hell on their faces or on their noses for anything other than the harvest of their tongues?”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2110.
The hadeeth enjoins refraining from indulging in specific things, because that is something that is of no benefit to a person, and indeed it may cause him a great deal of harm in his spiritual and worldly affairs.
It was narrated from Ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If my companions are mentioned, then keep quiet; if the stars are mentioned, then keep quiet; and if the divine decree is mentioned, then keep quiet.” (Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 2/96. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 34).
This hadeeth indicates that it is not permissible for a person to speak badly of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that he should keep quiet about the disputes that occurred among them, because speaking badly of them or criticizing them implies that one is rejecting what Allaah said about them in the Qur’aan, where He praised them by saying (interpretation of the meaning):
“And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success”
[al-Tawbah 9:100]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allaah and (His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers)”
[al-Fath 48:29]
This is how Allaah has described them in His Book, so no doubt they are of just character and are the best and greatest of mankind. So no one hates them but a hypocrite and no one loves them but a believer.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“One of the basic principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that they think and say nothing to criticize the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah has described them in the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And those who came after them say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful’
[al-Hashr 69:10]
And they obey the command of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): ‘Do not curse my companions, for by the One in Whose hand is my soul, if any one of you were to spend the equivalent of Mount Uhud in gold, he would not reach the status of one of them, nor even come half way.’ (Agreed upon).”
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 3/152.
Abu Zar’ah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“If you see a man criticizing any one of the Sahaabah, then know that he is a heretic, because the Qur’aan is true, and the Messenger is true, and what he brought is true, and no one conveyed all of that to us but the Sahaabah. So whoever criticizes them means in effect to say that the Qur’aan and Sunnah are false, so it is more appropriate that he should be criticized and ruled to be a heretic who is misguided.”
Al-Sawaa’iq al-Muhriqah ‘ala Ahl al-Rafd wa’l-Dalaal wa’l-Zandaqah, 2/608.
With regard to the second part of the hadeeth, which enjoins refraining from speaking about the stars, what is referred to by that – and Allaah knows best – is seeking guidance by the stars concerning matters that are unseen, as the people of the jaahiliyyah used to do by means of astrology, such as using the movement of heavenly bodies to indicate when certain earthly events would occur, such as the blowing of the wind, rainfall, changes in prices, and other matters which they claimed to know from the movements of heavenly bodies. They used to say that whoever got married under such and such a star, such and such would happen to him, or whoever traveled under such and such a star, such and such would happen to him, and whoever was born under such and such a star would be lucky or unlucky, etc.
(See Kitaab al-Tawheed by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Baab Id’aa’ ‘ilm al-Ghayb min Qiraa’at al-Kaff wa’l-Finjaan wa ghayrihima. See also Fataawa al-‘Aqeedah, 2/185-186-187-190) by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, where he makes some very useful comments).
With regard to the third part of the hadeeth, which refers to refraining from speaking about the divine decree (al-qadar), Abu Ja’far al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“The divine decree is a secret known which Allaah has hidden from His creation. No angel who is close to Him and no Prophet whom He sent knows that. Pursuing such matters only leads to failure and deprivation of the mercy of Allaah, and it leads to injustice, so beware of looking into the matter, thinking about it and wondering about it. Allaah has kept knowledge of His decree from His slaves, and has forbidden them to pursue the matter, as He says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning):
‘He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned’
[al-Anbiya’ 21:23]
So whoever questions what Allaah does has rejected the ruling of the Book, and whoever rejects the ruling of the Book is a kaafir.”
Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, p. 276
So the Muslim has to submit to Allaah in all His affairs, and know that whatever happens to him could never have missed him, and what misses him could never have happened to him. There is a lot that may be said on this topic. May Allaah bless the man who believes in the will and decree of Allaah without indulging in philosophical discussion about the matter.
And Allaah knows best.
Spread the Knowledge?
Share this article and share in the ajr for each person who reads
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)