بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad
O Allah, send peace and blessings upon Muhammad (ﷺ) and the family of Muhammad (ﷺ)
Ibn Mas’ud (radhiAllahu anhu) reported: The Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam said,
مَا أَصَابَ أَحَدًا قَطُّ هَمٌّ وَلا حَزَنٌ فَقَالَ : اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ ، سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي وَنُورَ صَدْرِي ، وَجِلاءَ حُزْنِي وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي . إِلا أَذْهَبَ اللَّهُ هَمَّهُ وَحُزْنَهُ وَأَبْدَلَهُ مَكَانَهُ فَرَحًا " . قَالَ : فَقِيلَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، أَفَلا نَتَعَلَّمُهَا ؟ قَالَ : فَقَالَ : " بَلَى ، يَنْبَغِي لِمَنْ سَمِعَهَا أَنْ يَتَعَلَّمَهَا
"There is no-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says:
‘Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn amatika naasiyati bi yadika, maadhi fi hukmika, ‘adlun fiy qadaa’ika. As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’ huzni wa dhihaab hammi.
(O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your male and female slaves, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur’an the harvest of my heart and the light of my chest, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),’
but Allah will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, should we learn this?” He said: “Of course; everyone who hears it should learn it.”
[Musnad Ahmad]
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Living Islam: Manners of Eating and Drinking
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Good health is one of the most magnificent graces of Allah to His slaves.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said, “There are two blessings that many people are cheated out of: health and free time. (Bukhari)
Ibn Al-Jawzi said, “A person might be healthy but not have free time due to being busy with his livelihood, and might be well off but not healthy; so when these two are combined and the person is overcome by laziness from performing acts of obedience, he is truly cheated.”
The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, also said: "The one who is physically healthy, safe in his community and is sufficiently nurtured will possess the whole world." [Tirmidhi]
Narrated Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The first question asked to a believer at the Day of Resurrection concerning the delights of this world is: Have not we preserved your body and quenched your thirst with cold water?" [Tirmidhi]
The one who is healthy must be thankful and use his health to serve the Lord and not use it to disobey the Lord, or waste this great blessing of health.
1. The rules of eating and drinking are based on the following principles:
(1) Gratitude
The food we eat is of the most manifest blessings to us for which gratitude is incumbent on us. This is shown by venerating the food before us, sitting before it as slaves sitting before a treasure, not letting any of it go to waste, expressing heartfelt gratitude after eating, and utilizing its energy in pleasing the One who provided it to
us.
(2) Living for the next life
A Muslim eats to live; not vice versa. Heedlessly indulging in blessings, in complete oblivion to the purpose of one’s life and the wisdom in being given these blessings, turns blessings into a curse, and a door to Allah into a barrier from Him. Moderation is essential.
Modern science have showed us again and again that excessive eating causes a number of illnesses within our bodies, including:
1. Brain Diseases
2. Eye Diseases
3. E.N.T Diseases. (Ear, Nose, Throat)
4. Chest and Lung Diseases
5. Heart and Volves Diseases
6. Liver and Gall Bladder Diseases
7. Diabetes
8. High Blood Pressure
9. Destruction Of Brain Veins
10. Psychological Diseases
11. Depression
12. Stroke
If you ponder over the list again you will more or less judge it as a death list rather than a list giving details about the problems caused from excessive eating.
2. Eating and drinking come under the following categories1:
(1) Obligatory
This is the amount needed to ward off death and to enable one to offer the prayers standing [and fulfill one’s other obligations].
(2) Recommended: This is the amount that enables one to undertake recommended acts of worship, and teaching and studying sacred knowledge.
(3) Permissible: This is the eating up to one’s fill to increase one’s strength.
(4) Disliked: This is eating above the fill slightly to a degree that does not harm one.
(5) Forbidden: This is eating above one’s fill unless it is for the intention of strengthening oneself for a fast or so that one’s guest is not ashamed to eat or the like.
3. Manners of Eating
(1) To intend to strengthen oneself for worship, and not to merely savor the flavor and satisfy desire. The sign of this is that one does not reach out for food except when hungry and raises the hand before satiety. Whoever does this has no need for a doctor.
(2) To wash both hands up to the wrists. To eat on a cloth spread out on the ground, as this is closer to humility, and not on a table.
Anas relates, “[The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)] never ate on a table...they would eat on mats on the floor (sufar)”
(3) To draw near to the food and not to demand that it be brought closer to one as that entails pride and belittling the blessing.
(4) To sit in a humble posture; not reclining, lying or resting on something. The sunnah is to sit, leaning towards the food, on one’s left leg with the right leg raised before one. This way of eating is proven to be the best and safest, because all the organs are left in their natural condition which Allah created.
It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “I eat as a slave eats. I sit as a slave sits. I am but a slave.”
It is narrated in a hadith that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) prohibited the man to eat while lying with his face downward.
The concept of reclining has been explained in various ways:
1. To sit cross-legged.
2. To lean on an object.
3. To lean upon a flank (side).
Leaning upon a flank is the most harmful way of sitting because when you lean upon a flank it alters the natural way of food. Sitting cross-legged or leaning on an object are the ways the powerful people sit, not slaves.
Abu Nu'aim related that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) prohibited sleeping immediately after dinner as he said that this fact hardens the heart. Thus, the doctors have advised us to walk after dinner about one hundred steps and prohibit sleeping immediately after as this is very harmful. The Muslim doctors say that one should pray after supper so that the aliments settle at the bottom of the stomach in order to make the digestion easier and better.
(5) To increase the number of hands at the meal, even if with children and family members, for the best food is that at which the hands are many.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily, the most beloved food to Allah is that has many hands over it.”
The companions said to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), “O Messenger of Allah; we eat and we are never satisfied.” He replied, “Perhaps you eat separately?” to which they replied, “Yes.” He said, “Gather together
over your food and mention the name of Allah, you will be blessed in it.”
(6) Eating in a large plate shared by people is more beloved to Allah and more effective in bringing hearts together than eating in small individual plates.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had a large plate called algharra that would be carried by four people.
(7) To not stand from the food except after satisfying one’s need.
(8) To not find fault in what is presented of food and drink; rather, if one likes it one eats it and if not, one leaves it.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) “never criticized food; if he liked it he ate it and if he didn’t like it he left it.”
(9) To wash the hands before and after eating, and to not dry the hands before eating, to retain the traces of washing and to dry them after eating to remove traces of eating.
(10) To say before eating, “O Allah, bless us in it and feed us better than it.”
(11) To begin eating with, “With the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,” (Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim). If one forgets then one should say, when one remembers, “With the name of Allah, in its beginning and its end,” (Bismillah awwalahu wa aakhirahu).
(12) To say, “All praise is for Allah,” (Alhamdulillah) at the end.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever eats food and says, “All praise is for Allah who fed me this and provided it to me without any ability of mine or power,” his previous sins are forgiven.”
(13) To truly feel that one is eating of Allah’s blessings, with His permission and for his sake, lest the meal be the means to a dreadful questioning on Judgment Day.
It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, after being given meat, dates and water, “By the One in whose hands is my soul, this is the blessing that you will be asked about,” and he recited
the verse “You will be asked on that day about blessings.”(Qur’an, 102:8) He then said, “When you come across the likes of this and you outstretch your hands, say, “In the name of Allah,” and when you are satiated, say,
“All praise is for Allah Who filled us, blessed us and gave of His bounty.” This will suffice for that.”
(14) To eat from the edges of the plate and not its center. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Blessing is in the center of the plate, so eat from its sides and don’t eat from its head.”
(15) To eat with the right hand; although there is no harm in using the left hand in breaking up the food.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “When one of you eats, let him eat with his right hand, and when he drinks, let him drink with his right hand, for the Devil eats with his left and drinks with his
left.”
(16) To eat with three fingers; the thumb, forefinger and middle finger. It is best to eat with the fingers and not a spoon to observe the sunnah.
It has been mentioned in the interpretation of “We have surely honored the children of Adam,” (17:70) that it means, “We gave them fingers to eat with.”
(17) Bread should be shown as much respect as a person can show.
It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Honor bread, for verily Allah has honored it; whoever honors bread, Allah honors him.”
Honoring bread includes:
a. Not waiting for sauce to eat with the bread.
b. Not to serve more bread than needed.
c. To pick up bread pieces that fall, no matter how small, and eat them out of venerating the blessing of Allah.
d. To not place bread pieces on a road unless it is to feed ants [or other creatures].
e. To remove it from a disrespectful place [for example under peoples feet] and place it in a respectful place.
f. To not place the salt shaker and plate on the bread
g. To not wipe the hand and knife with bread, unless one subsequently eats thatbread, and some say even then it is disliked.
h. To not eat the centre of the bread and leave the edges, or to just eat what rose of the bread, unless others will eat the rest; or unless one’s teeth cannot handle some parts of the bread.
i. To not choose some pieces of bread over others.
j. To not throw bread on the earth.
k. To not eat new bread pieces if a broken piece remains. Nahlawi comments, “This matter has been tested: whoever venerates Allah by venerating His blessings, Allah is kind to him and honors him, and if an affliction befalls people, He makes for him a relief and a way out.”
(18) It is permissible to eat more than one kind of food at a single meal, and as for what has been transmitted from the early community regarding the dislike of this, it is to be understood as meaning being accustomed to luxuries without any religious benefit being intended; for indeed the limbs all speak, willingly, with gratitude when eating what they find delicious of lawful foods.
(19) The hungrier one is, the more manners one should show when eating: one should be slow and dignified, not avid and rushed.
(20) To prefer others in one’s food. This is by leaving some of one’s food to give in charity to orphans, the poor and the like.
(21) To eat before praying if the food is present and one has a desire for it. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “If dinner is placed and the prayer commences then start with dinner.”
(22) To eat moderately.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “There is no container that the son of Adam fills worse than the stomach. Morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for the son of Adam. If he must do more, then a third for his food, a third for his drink and a third for his breath.”
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was once informed of a man who would eat a lot when he was a non Muslim and ate only a little after he converted, and he said, “The believer eats from one intestine and the disbeliever eats from seven intestines.”
(23) To lick one’s fingers before wiping with a cloth.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “When one of you eats, let him not wipe his hand until he licks it.”
And in another hadith, “When one of you eats, let him lick his fingers for he does not know in which of his food is the blessing.”
(24) To completely finish all food in one’s plate.
In a hadith, “Whoever eats in a plate and then licks it clean, the plate seeks forgiveness for him.” Some explain this as meaning whoever eats in a plate then licks it clean out of humility and lowliness, and venerating the
blessing of Allah in his provision, and protecting it from wastage, he is forgiven, and since this forgiveness is by virtue of the plate it is as if it prays for his forgiveness. Others maintain that it literally prays for
forgiveness. The life of inanimate objects is discussed later in this work.
4 The following measures are avoided while eating.
(1) To eat reclining.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “I do not eat reclining.”
The angel Jibril (upon whom be peace) once came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) with another angel who said, “Allah gives you a choice between being a slave prophet or being a king.” The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) turned to Jibril (upon whom be peace) as if to seek his counsel, and he gestured that he should be humble, so he said, “Rather I will be a slave prophet.” He never ate food reclining after that.
(2) To eat food that is overly hot.
(3) To be extravagant. If someone eats a variety of foods at a single meal it should be with the intention to strengthen himself for the worship of Allah: if he gets bored with one flavor he eats another until he completes what he needs for strength, or intends inviting guests group after group.
(4) To not waste a morsel that falls to the ground.
(5) To eat in the marketplace in front of people, as opposed to eating from behind a barrier where others cannot see.
(6) To eat in the street if one is someone of social significance whose honor is detracted by that.
(7) To eat in a graveyard. This shows disrespect to the graves of the believers, and vitiates the lesson for which graves are visited.
(8) To eat everything he desires. That is wastefulness.
(9) To eat purely to satisfy his lust: this will lead to being denied wisdom.30
(10) To eat in a state of major ritual impurity before washing one’s mouth.
(11) Eating to one’s fill.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Those who have the longest hunger on Judgment Day, are those who were the most satiated in this world.”
Abu Hurayra once walked by people eating a roast sheep and refused to eat with them when they invited him, saying, “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) left this world and never ate his fill
of barley bread.”
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)said, “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) never ate to his fill twice in a single day until he left this world.”
Moderate eating enables one to remember the plight of the needy.
(12) To overeat.
Overeating leads to forgetfulness, laziness, foul-naturedness, hard-heartedness, and increased need for food and drink.
It is narrated that Jundub ibn Samura, a companion of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), said to his son when he had overeaten until he vomited, “Had you died I wouldn’t have prayed over you.”
The benefits of eating in less are:
1. The heart remains pure. This leads to recognition of the bounties of Allah.
2. Love for Allah develops in the purified heart.
3. Mercy and tenderness become the attributes of the heart.
4. Pleasure is experienced in Du'a (supplication) and dhikr (remembrance of Allah)
5. Pride and rebellion of the Nafs are restraint and eliminated.
6. The difficulty of even a little hunger leads to abstention from sins. The inclination for sins decreases.
7. One stays healthy.
8. One feels less sleepy, and laziness in regard to tahajjud (night vigil prayer) and other acts of Ibaadah (worship) is uprooted.
If the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) detested food he would not eat so much to overburden his nature. This is a great basis of health preservation, for when a human being eats what nature abhors, then the human being would be damaged.
Eating less keeps one healthy, sharpens memory, reduces hours of sleep, helps smooth breathing and saves one from being sluggish.
(13) Blowing on the food.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade blowing on food and drink. This has been explained by some scholars as being a practice that can put others off of the food or affect the flavor of the food.
(14) To find food disgusting; except that which is harmful, for example if burnt or gone rancid.
(15) Throwing food away. This is unlawful wastefulness.
(16) To use the energy of the food in disobeying Allah.
(17) To eat from the center of the plate. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Blessings
descend on the center of the food, so eat from the edges.”
(18) To stand from the food before satisfying one’s need. It is from venerating food and observing proper manners with it that one not break up the eating.
5. Containers of food should be covered.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Cover your food and drink, even if by placing a stick over it.”
He also said, “Cover your containers and tighten your drinking flasks for there is a night in the year in which disease descends and does not pass any uncovered containers and drinking flasks except that the disease enters
it.”
6. Manners of Drinking
(1) To hold the cup in the right hand.
(2) To begin with the name of Allah (basmala).
(3) To drink intending to obey the Divine command, “Eat and drink.” (Qur’an, 7:31)
(4) To drink in sips, not gulps.
(5) To drink in three breaths.
(6) To not breath over the cup; rather, one moves it to the side and says, “Alhamdulillah”, then returns it to drink more and says, “Bismilla.”
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade breathing in a container or blowing in it.
(7) To say at the end, “All praise is for Allah who made it sweet and pleasant by His mercy and did not make it burning and salty by our sins.”
(8) If it is milk one says, “O Allah, bless us in it and increase us in it.” It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “There is nothing that takes the place of food and drink except milk.
(9) Cold drinks are more effective at satisfying thirst and more effective in drawing the heart
to gratitude. The most beloved drinks to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) were cold, sweet drinks.
(10) To seek blessings in drinking the leftover water of one’s Muslim brother, especially of scholars and the righteous.
(11) To not refuse Zamzam water when offered.
(12) If the cup is passed around a group, it should be passed to the right.
(13) It is superior to drink sitting, although there is no harm in drinking standing, except for leftover wudu water and zamzam water which are drunk standing, facing the Qiblah.
(14) To avoid drinking while walking. This is disliked except for travelers.
(15) To avoid drinking in a way to resemble drinking alcohol. This is impermissible.
(16) To avoid drinking water used to lift ritual impurity. This is disliked.
(17) To avoid drinking the leftover water of a member of the opposite sex who is not one’s wife or unmarriageable kin. This is impermissible.
Lawful and Unlawful food.
Eating the lawful is of the most important of obligations. The following creatures are unlawful to eat:
(1) All predatory land animals, including lions, dogs, wolves and bears.
(2) All birds of prey, including eagles, falcons, hawks and vultures.
Predatory animals are forbidden because their nature is oppression and harm, and their nature transfers to the eater, so they are forbidden for the betterment of the eater. [The proof that traits transfer through food is the
saying of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)] “Do not let your children feed from the breast of an ignoramus for the milk has an effect.”
(3) All rodents, including mice, rats, hedgehogs and weasels.
(4) All insects, including flies, hornets, spiders, ants and scorpions.
(5) All reptiles, including snakes and lizards.
(6) Pigs and elephants.
(7) Domesticated donkeys.
(8) All sea creatures except fish. Fish found dead and floated on their backs are also
impermissible.
All other land animals and all other birds may be eaten. It is impermissible to eat the meat of cows and camels and other animals that are fed carrion and other forms of filth, unless they are kept away from filthy food until the foul smell leaves them. If it is fed some filthy food and some normal food, and there is no bad smell in its meat then there is no harm in eating it.
5. The following are impermissible from any animal: flowing blood, external sexual organs, testicles, the bladder, and the gall bladder.
6. A worm inside of a fruit is permissible if eaten along with the fruit and one is not able to avoid eating it, otherwise it is impermissible.
7. All animals permissible to eat must be slaughtered by a Muslim, Christian or Jew, all of which must mention the name of God and cut the blood vessels, wind pipe and esophagus in the throat of the animal. Meat cannot be eaten if slaughtered by a member of another religious community or was slaughtered by someone who intentionally omitted
mentioning the name of Allah.
8. All parts of all animals may be used for any purpose once purified except for the pig whose body parts can never be purified.
9.All produce of the earth is lawful to eat.
10. Someone in a state of duress who is compelled to eat non-slaughtered meat, and who’s not doing so will result in his/her death, is obliged to eat the non-slaughtered meat to an extent that wards off death. Human meat, however, may never be eaten, no matter what the circumstances.
11. Someone in a state of duress may take food from another person to ward off death, even without their permission, although he must pay them back.
12. Someone forced by another person to eat or drink something unlawful, with a threat of imprisonment or physical beating from which serious damage is not feared, may not consume the unlawful. Someone forced to do so with a threat of losing his life or losing a limb may consume the unlawful, and to not do so would be sinful.48
13. It is impermissible to eat something that harms the body. These are of three types:
(1) Things whose harm is apparent and destructive. These include poison, glass, iron, mercury and the like. This is prohibited to consume.
(2) Things whose harm is apparent but not destructive. These include dirt, clay, rocks and the like. This is prohibitively disliked to consume.
(3) Things whose harm is not apparent. These are things that harm people whose bodies are ready to be harmed by them and do not harm others, for example someone with a food allergy. There is no prohibition or dislike in consuming such foods but they should be avoided lest they result in serious illness.
14. All intoxicating drinks are unlawful, even if taken in quantities that do not lead to intoxication.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Good health is one of the most magnificent graces of Allah to His slaves.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said, “There are two blessings that many people are cheated out of: health and free time. (Bukhari)
Ibn Al-Jawzi said, “A person might be healthy but not have free time due to being busy with his livelihood, and might be well off but not healthy; so when these two are combined and the person is overcome by laziness from performing acts of obedience, he is truly cheated.”
The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, also said: "The one who is physically healthy, safe in his community and is sufficiently nurtured will possess the whole world." [Tirmidhi]
Narrated Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The first question asked to a believer at the Day of Resurrection concerning the delights of this world is: Have not we preserved your body and quenched your thirst with cold water?" [Tirmidhi]
The one who is healthy must be thankful and use his health to serve the Lord and not use it to disobey the Lord, or waste this great blessing of health.
1. The rules of eating and drinking are based on the following principles:
(1) Gratitude
The food we eat is of the most manifest blessings to us for which gratitude is incumbent on us. This is shown by venerating the food before us, sitting before it as slaves sitting before a treasure, not letting any of it go to waste, expressing heartfelt gratitude after eating, and utilizing its energy in pleasing the One who provided it to
us.
(2) Living for the next life
A Muslim eats to live; not vice versa. Heedlessly indulging in blessings, in complete oblivion to the purpose of one’s life and the wisdom in being given these blessings, turns blessings into a curse, and a door to Allah into a barrier from Him. Moderation is essential.
Modern science have showed us again and again that excessive eating causes a number of illnesses within our bodies, including:
1. Brain Diseases
2. Eye Diseases
3. E.N.T Diseases. (Ear, Nose, Throat)
4. Chest and Lung Diseases
5. Heart and Volves Diseases
6. Liver and Gall Bladder Diseases
7. Diabetes
8. High Blood Pressure
9. Destruction Of Brain Veins
10. Psychological Diseases
11. Depression
12. Stroke
If you ponder over the list again you will more or less judge it as a death list rather than a list giving details about the problems caused from excessive eating.
2. Eating and drinking come under the following categories1:
(1) Obligatory
This is the amount needed to ward off death and to enable one to offer the prayers standing [and fulfill one’s other obligations].
(2) Recommended: This is the amount that enables one to undertake recommended acts of worship, and teaching and studying sacred knowledge.
(3) Permissible: This is the eating up to one’s fill to increase one’s strength.
(4) Disliked: This is eating above the fill slightly to a degree that does not harm one.
(5) Forbidden: This is eating above one’s fill unless it is for the intention of strengthening oneself for a fast or so that one’s guest is not ashamed to eat or the like.
3. Manners of Eating
(1) To intend to strengthen oneself for worship, and not to merely savor the flavor and satisfy desire. The sign of this is that one does not reach out for food except when hungry and raises the hand before satiety. Whoever does this has no need for a doctor.
(2) To wash both hands up to the wrists. To eat on a cloth spread out on the ground, as this is closer to humility, and not on a table.
Anas relates, “[The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)] never ate on a table...they would eat on mats on the floor (sufar)”
(3) To draw near to the food and not to demand that it be brought closer to one as that entails pride and belittling the blessing.
(4) To sit in a humble posture; not reclining, lying or resting on something. The sunnah is to sit, leaning towards the food, on one’s left leg with the right leg raised before one. This way of eating is proven to be the best and safest, because all the organs are left in their natural condition which Allah created.
It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “I eat as a slave eats. I sit as a slave sits. I am but a slave.”
It is narrated in a hadith that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) prohibited the man to eat while lying with his face downward.
The concept of reclining has been explained in various ways:
1. To sit cross-legged.
2. To lean on an object.
3. To lean upon a flank (side).
Leaning upon a flank is the most harmful way of sitting because when you lean upon a flank it alters the natural way of food. Sitting cross-legged or leaning on an object are the ways the powerful people sit, not slaves.
Abu Nu'aim related that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) prohibited sleeping immediately after dinner as he said that this fact hardens the heart. Thus, the doctors have advised us to walk after dinner about one hundred steps and prohibit sleeping immediately after as this is very harmful. The Muslim doctors say that one should pray after supper so that the aliments settle at the bottom of the stomach in order to make the digestion easier and better.
(5) To increase the number of hands at the meal, even if with children and family members, for the best food is that at which the hands are many.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily, the most beloved food to Allah is that has many hands over it.”
The companions said to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), “O Messenger of Allah; we eat and we are never satisfied.” He replied, “Perhaps you eat separately?” to which they replied, “Yes.” He said, “Gather together
over your food and mention the name of Allah, you will be blessed in it.”
(6) Eating in a large plate shared by people is more beloved to Allah and more effective in bringing hearts together than eating in small individual plates.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had a large plate called algharra that would be carried by four people.
(7) To not stand from the food except after satisfying one’s need.
(8) To not find fault in what is presented of food and drink; rather, if one likes it one eats it and if not, one leaves it.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) “never criticized food; if he liked it he ate it and if he didn’t like it he left it.”
(9) To wash the hands before and after eating, and to not dry the hands before eating, to retain the traces of washing and to dry them after eating to remove traces of eating.
(10) To say before eating, “O Allah, bless us in it and feed us better than it.”
(11) To begin eating with, “With the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,” (Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim). If one forgets then one should say, when one remembers, “With the name of Allah, in its beginning and its end,” (Bismillah awwalahu wa aakhirahu).
(12) To say, “All praise is for Allah,” (Alhamdulillah) at the end.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever eats food and says, “All praise is for Allah who fed me this and provided it to me without any ability of mine or power,” his previous sins are forgiven.”
(13) To truly feel that one is eating of Allah’s blessings, with His permission and for his sake, lest the meal be the means to a dreadful questioning on Judgment Day.
It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, after being given meat, dates and water, “By the One in whose hands is my soul, this is the blessing that you will be asked about,” and he recited
the verse “You will be asked on that day about blessings.”(Qur’an, 102:8) He then said, “When you come across the likes of this and you outstretch your hands, say, “In the name of Allah,” and when you are satiated, say,
“All praise is for Allah Who filled us, blessed us and gave of His bounty.” This will suffice for that.”
(14) To eat from the edges of the plate and not its center. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Blessing is in the center of the plate, so eat from its sides and don’t eat from its head.”
(15) To eat with the right hand; although there is no harm in using the left hand in breaking up the food.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “When one of you eats, let him eat with his right hand, and when he drinks, let him drink with his right hand, for the Devil eats with his left and drinks with his
left.”
(16) To eat with three fingers; the thumb, forefinger and middle finger. It is best to eat with the fingers and not a spoon to observe the sunnah.
It has been mentioned in the interpretation of “We have surely honored the children of Adam,” (17:70) that it means, “We gave them fingers to eat with.”
(17) Bread should be shown as much respect as a person can show.
It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Honor bread, for verily Allah has honored it; whoever honors bread, Allah honors him.”
Honoring bread includes:
a. Not waiting for sauce to eat with the bread.
b. Not to serve more bread than needed.
c. To pick up bread pieces that fall, no matter how small, and eat them out of venerating the blessing of Allah.
d. To not place bread pieces on a road unless it is to feed ants [or other creatures].
e. To remove it from a disrespectful place [for example under peoples feet] and place it in a respectful place.
f. To not place the salt shaker and plate on the bread
g. To not wipe the hand and knife with bread, unless one subsequently eats thatbread, and some say even then it is disliked.
h. To not eat the centre of the bread and leave the edges, or to just eat what rose of the bread, unless others will eat the rest; or unless one’s teeth cannot handle some parts of the bread.
i. To not choose some pieces of bread over others.
j. To not throw bread on the earth.
k. To not eat new bread pieces if a broken piece remains. Nahlawi comments, “This matter has been tested: whoever venerates Allah by venerating His blessings, Allah is kind to him and honors him, and if an affliction befalls people, He makes for him a relief and a way out.”
(18) It is permissible to eat more than one kind of food at a single meal, and as for what has been transmitted from the early community regarding the dislike of this, it is to be understood as meaning being accustomed to luxuries without any religious benefit being intended; for indeed the limbs all speak, willingly, with gratitude when eating what they find delicious of lawful foods.
(19) The hungrier one is, the more manners one should show when eating: one should be slow and dignified, not avid and rushed.
(20) To prefer others in one’s food. This is by leaving some of one’s food to give in charity to orphans, the poor and the like.
(21) To eat before praying if the food is present and one has a desire for it. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “If dinner is placed and the prayer commences then start with dinner.”
(22) To eat moderately.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “There is no container that the son of Adam fills worse than the stomach. Morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for the son of Adam. If he must do more, then a third for his food, a third for his drink and a third for his breath.”
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was once informed of a man who would eat a lot when he was a non Muslim and ate only a little after he converted, and he said, “The believer eats from one intestine and the disbeliever eats from seven intestines.”
(23) To lick one’s fingers before wiping with a cloth.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “When one of you eats, let him not wipe his hand until he licks it.”
And in another hadith, “When one of you eats, let him lick his fingers for he does not know in which of his food is the blessing.”
(24) To completely finish all food in one’s plate.
In a hadith, “Whoever eats in a plate and then licks it clean, the plate seeks forgiveness for him.” Some explain this as meaning whoever eats in a plate then licks it clean out of humility and lowliness, and venerating the
blessing of Allah in his provision, and protecting it from wastage, he is forgiven, and since this forgiveness is by virtue of the plate it is as if it prays for his forgiveness. Others maintain that it literally prays for
forgiveness. The life of inanimate objects is discussed later in this work.
4 The following measures are avoided while eating.
(1) To eat reclining.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “I do not eat reclining.”
The angel Jibril (upon whom be peace) once came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) with another angel who said, “Allah gives you a choice between being a slave prophet or being a king.” The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) turned to Jibril (upon whom be peace) as if to seek his counsel, and he gestured that he should be humble, so he said, “Rather I will be a slave prophet.” He never ate food reclining after that.
(2) To eat food that is overly hot.
(3) To be extravagant. If someone eats a variety of foods at a single meal it should be with the intention to strengthen himself for the worship of Allah: if he gets bored with one flavor he eats another until he completes what he needs for strength, or intends inviting guests group after group.
(4) To not waste a morsel that falls to the ground.
(5) To eat in the marketplace in front of people, as opposed to eating from behind a barrier where others cannot see.
(6) To eat in the street if one is someone of social significance whose honor is detracted by that.
(7) To eat in a graveyard. This shows disrespect to the graves of the believers, and vitiates the lesson for which graves are visited.
(8) To eat everything he desires. That is wastefulness.
(9) To eat purely to satisfy his lust: this will lead to being denied wisdom.30
(10) To eat in a state of major ritual impurity before washing one’s mouth.
(11) Eating to one’s fill.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Those who have the longest hunger on Judgment Day, are those who were the most satiated in this world.”
Abu Hurayra once walked by people eating a roast sheep and refused to eat with them when they invited him, saying, “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) left this world and never ate his fill
of barley bread.”
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)said, “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) never ate to his fill twice in a single day until he left this world.”
Moderate eating enables one to remember the plight of the needy.
(12) To overeat.
Overeating leads to forgetfulness, laziness, foul-naturedness, hard-heartedness, and increased need for food and drink.
It is narrated that Jundub ibn Samura, a companion of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), said to his son when he had overeaten until he vomited, “Had you died I wouldn’t have prayed over you.”
The benefits of eating in less are:
1. The heart remains pure. This leads to recognition of the bounties of Allah.
2. Love for Allah develops in the purified heart.
3. Mercy and tenderness become the attributes of the heart.
4. Pleasure is experienced in Du'a (supplication) and dhikr (remembrance of Allah)
5. Pride and rebellion of the Nafs are restraint and eliminated.
6. The difficulty of even a little hunger leads to abstention from sins. The inclination for sins decreases.
7. One stays healthy.
8. One feels less sleepy, and laziness in regard to tahajjud (night vigil prayer) and other acts of Ibaadah (worship) is uprooted.
If the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) detested food he would not eat so much to overburden his nature. This is a great basis of health preservation, for when a human being eats what nature abhors, then the human being would be damaged.
Eating less keeps one healthy, sharpens memory, reduces hours of sleep, helps smooth breathing and saves one from being sluggish.
(13) Blowing on the food.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade blowing on food and drink. This has been explained by some scholars as being a practice that can put others off of the food or affect the flavor of the food.
(14) To find food disgusting; except that which is harmful, for example if burnt or gone rancid.
(15) Throwing food away. This is unlawful wastefulness.
(16) To use the energy of the food in disobeying Allah.
(17) To eat from the center of the plate. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Blessings
descend on the center of the food, so eat from the edges.”
(18) To stand from the food before satisfying one’s need. It is from venerating food and observing proper manners with it that one not break up the eating.
5. Containers of food should be covered.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Cover your food and drink, even if by placing a stick over it.”
He also said, “Cover your containers and tighten your drinking flasks for there is a night in the year in which disease descends and does not pass any uncovered containers and drinking flasks except that the disease enters
it.”
6. Manners of Drinking
(1) To hold the cup in the right hand.
(2) To begin with the name of Allah (basmala).
(3) To drink intending to obey the Divine command, “Eat and drink.” (Qur’an, 7:31)
(4) To drink in sips, not gulps.
(5) To drink in three breaths.
(6) To not breath over the cup; rather, one moves it to the side and says, “Alhamdulillah”, then returns it to drink more and says, “Bismilla.”
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade breathing in a container or blowing in it.
(7) To say at the end, “All praise is for Allah who made it sweet and pleasant by His mercy and did not make it burning and salty by our sins.”
(8) If it is milk one says, “O Allah, bless us in it and increase us in it.” It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “There is nothing that takes the place of food and drink except milk.
(9) Cold drinks are more effective at satisfying thirst and more effective in drawing the heart
to gratitude. The most beloved drinks to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) were cold, sweet drinks.
(10) To seek blessings in drinking the leftover water of one’s Muslim brother, especially of scholars and the righteous.
(11) To not refuse Zamzam water when offered.
(12) If the cup is passed around a group, it should be passed to the right.
(13) It is superior to drink sitting, although there is no harm in drinking standing, except for leftover wudu water and zamzam water which are drunk standing, facing the Qiblah.
(14) To avoid drinking while walking. This is disliked except for travelers.
(15) To avoid drinking in a way to resemble drinking alcohol. This is impermissible.
(16) To avoid drinking water used to lift ritual impurity. This is disliked.
(17) To avoid drinking the leftover water of a member of the opposite sex who is not one’s wife or unmarriageable kin. This is impermissible.
Lawful and Unlawful food.
Eating the lawful is of the most important of obligations. The following creatures are unlawful to eat:
(1) All predatory land animals, including lions, dogs, wolves and bears.
(2) All birds of prey, including eagles, falcons, hawks and vultures.
Predatory animals are forbidden because their nature is oppression and harm, and their nature transfers to the eater, so they are forbidden for the betterment of the eater. [The proof that traits transfer through food is the
saying of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)] “Do not let your children feed from the breast of an ignoramus for the milk has an effect.”
(3) All rodents, including mice, rats, hedgehogs and weasels.
(4) All insects, including flies, hornets, spiders, ants and scorpions.
(5) All reptiles, including snakes and lizards.
(6) Pigs and elephants.
(7) Domesticated donkeys.
(8) All sea creatures except fish. Fish found dead and floated on their backs are also
impermissible.
All other land animals and all other birds may be eaten. It is impermissible to eat the meat of cows and camels and other animals that are fed carrion and other forms of filth, unless they are kept away from filthy food until the foul smell leaves them. If it is fed some filthy food and some normal food, and there is no bad smell in its meat then there is no harm in eating it.
5. The following are impermissible from any animal: flowing blood, external sexual organs, testicles, the bladder, and the gall bladder.
6. A worm inside of a fruit is permissible if eaten along with the fruit and one is not able to avoid eating it, otherwise it is impermissible.
7. All animals permissible to eat must be slaughtered by a Muslim, Christian or Jew, all of which must mention the name of God and cut the blood vessels, wind pipe and esophagus in the throat of the animal. Meat cannot be eaten if slaughtered by a member of another religious community or was slaughtered by someone who intentionally omitted
mentioning the name of Allah.
8. All parts of all animals may be used for any purpose once purified except for the pig whose body parts can never be purified.
9.All produce of the earth is lawful to eat.
10. Someone in a state of duress who is compelled to eat non-slaughtered meat, and who’s not doing so will result in his/her death, is obliged to eat the non-slaughtered meat to an extent that wards off death. Human meat, however, may never be eaten, no matter what the circumstances.
11. Someone in a state of duress may take food from another person to ward off death, even without their permission, although he must pay them back.
12. Someone forced by another person to eat or drink something unlawful, with a threat of imprisonment or physical beating from which serious damage is not feared, may not consume the unlawful. Someone forced to do so with a threat of losing his life or losing a limb may consume the unlawful, and to not do so would be sinful.48
13. It is impermissible to eat something that harms the body. These are of three types:
(1) Things whose harm is apparent and destructive. These include poison, glass, iron, mercury and the like. This is prohibited to consume.
(2) Things whose harm is apparent but not destructive. These include dirt, clay, rocks and the like. This is prohibitively disliked to consume.
(3) Things whose harm is not apparent. These are things that harm people whose bodies are ready to be harmed by them and do not harm others, for example someone with a food allergy. There is no prohibition or dislike in consuming such foods but they should be avoided lest they result in serious illness.
14. All intoxicating drinks are unlawful, even if taken in quantities that do not lead to intoxication.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Home, Sweet Home
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Allah Almighty calls human home a place of comfort and peace, the highest qualification on human home.
By this, it is evident that the real purpose of our homes is to have comfort of the body and peace of the heart. Peace is really the peace of mind and heart, something one finds in one's home only, and peace is the greatest need indeed.
The world of today is at the height of its building craze. Limitless expenditure is incurred on their superficial finishing. But, there are very few homes among them which would provide peace of mind and heart. In fact, the artificially imposed additions in them become the very agents which destroy comfort and peace, and even in the absence of such material extravagance, the kind of people one confronts in the house is a misfortune which sucks that peace away. When such elegant houses are compared with a modest hut, the dweller of the hut who is blessed with comfort and peace for his body and heart is certainly living in a better place.
Similarly, the real purpose of marital life was also determined to be peace as Allah Almighty says,
A married life which fails to achieve this purpose remains deprived of the real benefit destined for it. Life in our day is infested with so many customs and formalities reaching the limits of absurdity in showing what you have through all sorts of artificial veneers. To compound the problem further, the outpourings of Western cultural and social norms and products have provided everything one needs to embellish personal surroundings with artificial decor - but, it has certainly made human beings become all deprived of what would be real comfort for their bodies and peace for their hearts.
Many of our homes are full of shortcomings and neglect of Islam, so it’s time to take action.
Our home plays a vital role in this life and especially the next. It is the main place to protect yourself and your family from the fire of Hell by making your house a place of worship and encouragement of doing good deeds.
Allah Almighty says,
There is a great responsibility for the head of the household on the Day of Judgement.
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Allah will ask every shepherd about that which was entrusted to his care, whether he took care of it or neglected it, and He will even ask a man about his family. [Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh]
The home is a way to protect yourself and keep your evil away from people. Uqbah ibn Amir asked the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: How can salvation be achieved? He replied: Control your tongue, keep to your house, and weep over your sins. [At-Tirmidhi]
A reflection point is to connect the controlling of your tongue to keeping to your house; the home is not only a place to protect yourself from the fitan (tribulations) of the outside world, but also a way to keep your own evil away from others.
How To Bring True Peace and Tranquility Into Your Home?
1. Establish prayer in your home
Prayer is the first thing you will be asked about on the Day of Judgement and the first thing you should establish in your house for yourself and your family.
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
The house in which remembrance of Allah is made and the house in which Allah is not remembered are like the living and the dead. [Muslim]
Is your house a place where the angels are writing down backbiting, swearing, heated arguments, violence, display between relatives or neighbors who are not mahram, where music and indecent TV programs are being played, where each family with their own gadget/electronic playing games or idling? The first step is to make your house a qiblah — a place of prayer.
The Sahabaah (Companions) used to be keen to pray at home, apart from the fard (obligatory) prayers (which they prayed in congregation in the masjid). With regard to men the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: The best of prayer is a man’s prayer in his house – apart from the prescribed prayers. [Al-Bukhaari] And: A man’s voluntary prayers in his house will bring more reward than his voluntary prayers at other people’s places, just as his obligatory prayers with the people are better than his obligatory prayers alone. [Ibn Abi Shaybah, saheeh al-Jaami’]
For women it is even better to pray in her house than in the masjid. Umm Humayd, may Allah be pleased with her, came to the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said: O Messenger of Allah, I love to pray with you. He said: I know that you love to pray with me, but praying in your house is better for you than praying in your courtyard, and praying in your courtyard is better for you than praying in the mosque of your people, and praying in the masjid of your people is better for you than praying in my masjid. So she ordered that a prayer-place be built for her in the furthest and darkest part of her house, and she always prayed there until she met Allah (i.e., until she died). [Ahmad, Saheeh]
“Her house” refers to the room in which the woman is and “her courtyard” to the central part of the house to which all the doors are open, like the hallway. What a blessing that your house gives you the opportunity to fulfil this beautiful advice of the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam himself.
Praying in the masjid should not be a norm for women and if a woman should go to the masjid, she should properly and modestly cover herself and behave modestly so as not to cause fitnah upon herself and others.
Play the adhaan in your house if you live in a place where there is no public adhaan. It will greatly enhance an atmosphere of emaan in your house, help you to pray on time, and have a great effect on the children.
2. Revive the sunan of the house
Incorporating the Prophetic examples and supplications in our daily lives will bring blessings into our homes. The sunan of eating, drinking, sleeping, waking up, before entering the toilet, after leaving the toilet,waking up, purifying yourself, and getting dressed all take place in your house.
a) Sunnah of leaving your house
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: If a man goes out of his house and says:
b) Sunnah of entering your house
When you enter your house say:
Then say As-Salaamu 'Alaykum.
Muslim [Hadith no. 2018] says that one should mention the Name of Allah when entering the home and when beginning to eat; and that the devil, hearing this, says: "There is no shelter for us here tonight and no food."
c) Bless your household by saying salaam
Saying the salaam when you enter your house is mustahabb (recommended).
Anas ibn Malik said: The Messenger of Allah salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to me: O my son, when you enter upon your family and say salaam, it will be a blessing for you and the members of your household. [At-Tirmidhi, hasan]
Allah Almighty says,
d) Use the siwaak (tooth stick) when you enter your house
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: When the Messenger of Allah entered his house, the first thing he would do was use siwaak. [Muslim]
e) Recite Surah al-Baqarah in your house
The Messenger of Allah salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Do not make your houses into graves. The shaytan flees from (and in another variation: does not enter) a house in which surah al-Baqarah is recited. [Muslim, Al-Haakim]
f) Recite the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah for three nights
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Allah wrote a document two thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, which is kept near the Throne, and He revealed two verses of it with which He concluded Surah al-Baqarah. If they are recited in a house for three consecutive nights, the shaytan will not approach it. [Ahmad]
May Allah bless our homes and protect them from evil. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there,
Which seek thro' the world, is ne'er met elsewhere.
Home! Home!
Sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home
There's no place like home! ............lyrics from a 19th century song
Allah Almighty calls human home a place of comfort and peace, the highest qualification on human home.
... وَاللَّـهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّن بُيُوتِكُمْ سَكَنًا[Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:80]
And Allah has made for you from your homes a place of comfort...
By this, it is evident that the real purpose of our homes is to have comfort of the body and peace of the heart. Peace is really the peace of mind and heart, something one finds in one's home only, and peace is the greatest need indeed.
The world of today is at the height of its building craze. Limitless expenditure is incurred on their superficial finishing. But, there are very few homes among them which would provide peace of mind and heart. In fact, the artificially imposed additions in them become the very agents which destroy comfort and peace, and even in the absence of such material extravagance, the kind of people one confronts in the house is a misfortune which sucks that peace away. When such elegant houses are compared with a modest hut, the dweller of the hut who is blessed with comfort and peace for his body and heart is certainly living in a better place.
Similarly, the real purpose of marital life was also determined to be peace as Allah Almighty says,
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢١[Qur'an, Ar-Rum 30:21]
And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought. (21)
A married life which fails to achieve this purpose remains deprived of the real benefit destined for it. Life in our day is infested with so many customs and formalities reaching the limits of absurdity in showing what you have through all sorts of artificial veneers. To compound the problem further, the outpourings of Western cultural and social norms and products have provided everything one needs to embellish personal surroundings with artificial decor - but, it has certainly made human beings become all deprived of what would be real comfort for their bodies and peace for their hearts.
Many of our homes are full of shortcomings and neglect of Islam, so it’s time to take action.
Our home plays a vital role in this life and especially the next. It is the main place to protect yourself and your family from the fire of Hell by making your house a place of worship and encouragement of doing good deeds.
Allah Almighty says,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ اللَّـهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦[Qur'an, At-Tahrim 66:6]
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded. (6)
There is a great responsibility for the head of the household on the Day of Judgement.
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Allah will ask every shepherd about that which was entrusted to his care, whether he took care of it or neglected it, and He will even ask a man about his family. [Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh]
The home is a way to protect yourself and keep your evil away from people. Uqbah ibn Amir asked the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: How can salvation be achieved? He replied: Control your tongue, keep to your house, and weep over your sins. [At-Tirmidhi]
A reflection point is to connect the controlling of your tongue to keeping to your house; the home is not only a place to protect yourself from the fitan (tribulations) of the outside world, but also a way to keep your own evil away from others.
How To Bring True Peace and Tranquility Into Your Home?
1. Establish prayer in your home
Prayer is the first thing you will be asked about on the Day of Judgement and the first thing you should establish in your house for yourself and your family.
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
The house in which remembrance of Allah is made and the house in which Allah is not remembered are like the living and the dead. [Muslim]
Is your house a place where the angels are writing down backbiting, swearing, heated arguments, violence, display between relatives or neighbors who are not mahram, where music and indecent TV programs are being played, where each family with their own gadget/electronic playing games or idling? The first step is to make your house a qiblah — a place of prayer.
The Sahabaah (Companions) used to be keen to pray at home, apart from the fard (obligatory) prayers (which they prayed in congregation in the masjid). With regard to men the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: The best of prayer is a man’s prayer in his house – apart from the prescribed prayers. [Al-Bukhaari] And: A man’s voluntary prayers in his house will bring more reward than his voluntary prayers at other people’s places, just as his obligatory prayers with the people are better than his obligatory prayers alone. [Ibn Abi Shaybah, saheeh al-Jaami’]
For women it is even better to pray in her house than in the masjid. Umm Humayd, may Allah be pleased with her, came to the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said: O Messenger of Allah, I love to pray with you. He said: I know that you love to pray with me, but praying in your house is better for you than praying in your courtyard, and praying in your courtyard is better for you than praying in the mosque of your people, and praying in the masjid of your people is better for you than praying in my masjid. So she ordered that a prayer-place be built for her in the furthest and darkest part of her house, and she always prayed there until she met Allah (i.e., until she died). [Ahmad, Saheeh]
“Her house” refers to the room in which the woman is and “her courtyard” to the central part of the house to which all the doors are open, like the hallway. What a blessing that your house gives you the opportunity to fulfil this beautiful advice of the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam himself.
Praying in the masjid should not be a norm for women and if a woman should go to the masjid, she should properly and modestly cover herself and behave modestly so as not to cause fitnah upon herself and others.
Play the adhaan in your house if you live in a place where there is no public adhaan. It will greatly enhance an atmosphere of emaan in your house, help you to pray on time, and have a great effect on the children.
2. Revive the sunan of the house
Incorporating the Prophetic examples and supplications in our daily lives will bring blessings into our homes. The sunan of eating, drinking, sleeping, waking up, before entering the toilet, after leaving the toilet,waking up, purifying yourself, and getting dressed all take place in your house.
a) Sunnah of leaving your house
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: If a man goes out of his house and says:
بِسْمِ اللهِ ، تَوَكَّلْـتُ عَلى اللهِ وَلا حَوْلَ وَلا قُـوَّةَ إِلاّ بِالله[Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi]
Bismillaahi, tawakkaltu `alaa-llaahi, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah
In the name of Allah, I put my trust in Allah, and there is no help and no strength except in Allah.
It will be said to him: this will take care of you, you are guided, you have what you need and you are protected. The shaytan will stay away from him, and another shaytan will say to him: what can you do with a man who is guided, provided for and protected?
الَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَضِلَّ، أّوْ أُضَلَّ، أَوْ أَزِلَّ، أَوْ أُزَلَّ، أَوْ أَظْلِمَ، أَوْ أُظْلَمَ، أَوْ أَجْهَلَ، أَوْ يُجْهَلَ عَلَيَّ".[Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, An-Nasa'i, At-Tirmidhi]
Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika 'an 'adhilla, 'aw 'udhalla, 'aw 'azilla, 'aw 'uzalla, 'aw 'adhlima, 'aw 'udhlama, 'aw 'ajhala 'aw yujhala 'alayya.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I misguide others , or I am misguided by others , lest I cause others to err or I am caused to err , lest I abuse others or be abused, and lest I behave foolishly or meet with the foolishness of others.
b) Sunnah of entering your house
When you enter your house say:
بِسْـمِ اللهِ وَلَجْنـا، وَبِسْـمِ اللهِ خَـرَجْنـا، وَعَلـى رَبِّنـا تَوَكّلْـنا.[Abu Dawud 4/325.]
Bismillaahi walajnaa, wa bismillaahi kharajnaa, wa ‘alaa rabbinaa tawakkalnaa
In the Name of Allah we enter , in the Name of Allah we leave , and upon our Lord we depend.
Then say As-Salaamu 'Alaykum.
Muslim [Hadith no. 2018] says that one should mention the Name of Allah when entering the home and when beginning to eat; and that the devil, hearing this, says: "There is no shelter for us here tonight and no food."
c) Bless your household by saying salaam
Saying the salaam when you enter your house is mustahabb (recommended).
Anas ibn Malik said: The Messenger of Allah salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to me: O my son, when you enter upon your family and say salaam, it will be a blessing for you and the members of your household. [At-Tirmidhi, hasan]
Allah Almighty says,
فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُم بُيُوتًا فَسَلِّمُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةً مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّـهِ مُبَارَكَةً طَيِّبَةً ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٦١ ...[Quran, An-Nur 24:61]
... But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon each other - a greeting from Allah (i.e. say: As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum — peace be on you), blessed and good. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses [of ordinance] that you may understand. (61)
d) Use the siwaak (tooth stick) when you enter your house
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: When the Messenger of Allah entered his house, the first thing he would do was use siwaak. [Muslim]
e) Recite Surah al-Baqarah in your house
The Messenger of Allah salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Do not make your houses into graves. The shaytan flees from (and in another variation: does not enter) a house in which surah al-Baqarah is recited. [Muslim, Al-Haakim]
f) Recite the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah for three nights
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Allah wrote a document two thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, which is kept near the Throne, and He revealed two verses of it with which He concluded Surah al-Baqarah. If they are recited in a house for three consecutive nights, the shaytan will not approach it. [Ahmad]
May Allah bless our homes and protect them from evil. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Living Islam: Visiting and Manners of Visiting
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Human beings, by nature, loves companionship and friendships and Islam encourages social relationship.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The believer, who mixes with people and endures their harm is better than the one who does not associate with people nor endure their harm.” (Ibn Majah).
Mixing with people, with sincerity towards them and compassion for them is Sunna and is more virtuous than being alone for supererogatory worship. This is because it is harder to bear and has a greater reward for the one who undertakes it as it should be undertaken and avoids its perils.
Paying visits is a means of socialization. Interactions with other Muslims are governed by basic principles, when observed, leads to sound relationship, strengthens bonds, reminds the heedless, teaches the ignorant, refreshes the souls and alleviates sorrow, promote love and cooperation among a community which is of the most important objectives of Islam. These principles include:
(1) Showing good character.
(2) Respecting the feelings of others
(3) Making each other happy.
(4) Giving respect where it is due.
(5) Dealing with others for the sake of Allah, not personal interest.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily the believer reaches with his good character the rank of the one who fasts and prays.”
It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily from the matters that necessitate forgiveness, is entering happiness into the heart of your Muslim brother.
There are general guidelines that govern interacting with others and among them is to mix with others with one’s limbs, not with one’s heart and religion. Abu Ali al-Daqqaq said, “Dress as people dress, eat from what they eat, and be apart from them in your inmost being." What is meant by this is that he should protect his religion always, and should not let socializing be a reason to let his religion weaken.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was reported to have visited a number of his companions. He used to visit Abu Bakr frequently. ‘Urwah narrated on the authority of 'Aisha that she said: “I reached the age of discretion while may parents had already been practicing the religion (of Islam) and not a single day passed without the Prophet coming to visit us in the morning and evening. One midday, we were sitting in the house of Abu Bakr when somebody announced: ‘Here is the Prophet coming to visit us at a time he do not usually visit us.” (Al-Bukhari).
Anas Ibn Malik narrated, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) visited some of the Ansar in their house and ate some food there. When he wanted to leave, he ordered that a place be prepared for him where he could pray. He then prayed there and supplicates for his hosts.” (Al-Bukhari).
Visiting is of different kinds. Some of which are obligatory while others are commendable. Holidays are opportunity to fulfill obligations and to spend one’s time with useful things. This is a reminder, for the reminder benefits the believers and in order that beauties of this world may not make us forget this obligation. It is also clear that pressures of these days make many of us oblivious of matters that are of priority just as the mass media unnecessarily magnifies useless things in this life and neglects obligations that are of importance.
Visiting one’s parents is an act of being kind to them. Paying regular visits to them should include fulfilling their obligations, assisting them and being gentle with them. Being busy should not be an excuse for neglecting one’s parents. Allah gives importance to their rights and commands us to honor them when He says: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them, but address them in terms of honors. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: “My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.” (Qur'an, Al-Israa: 23-24).
A man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) asking him permission to go for Jihaad and the Prophet asked him, ‘Are your parents alive?’ He said, ‘Yes’. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) then said, “Make your Jihaad by taking good care of them.” (Al-Bukhari).
Paying visits to the kith and kin with the intention of being kind to them and extending material and moral support to them is also commendable. Being kind to the kith and kin is an act that Allah loves. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Allah created the creation and when He finished, the womb got up and caught hold of Allah whereupon Allah said, ‘What is the matter?’ On the that it said, ‘I seek refuge with You from Al-Qatee’ah (those who sever the ties of kith and kin). On that Alaah said, ‘Will you accept (be satisfied) if I bestow my favors on him who keeps your ties and withhold My favors from him who severs your ties?’ On that it said, ‘Yes, O my Lord!’ Then Allah said, ‘That is for you.’ Abu Hurayrah then recites: “Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship.” (Qur'an, Muhammad: 22).
It is also commendable to visit neighbors in order to know their conditions and assist them and to share with them their happiness and sorrow. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) underscored the importance of being kind to them when he said: “Jibreel kept admonishing me of being kind to the neighbor until I though that he would make him an inheritor.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim).
The sick Muslim also has a right of visit from his fellow Muslims because of its good effect. It makes him happy and makes him forget his sickness as well. Supplicating for him also alleviates his pains. Islam regards reluctance to visit the sick as a negligence of a right that is due to Allah. the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘O son of Adam! 1 was sick and you did not visit Me. He will say, “O my Lord! How could I visit You while You are the Lord of all the worlds?” Allah will then say, ‘Don’t you know that My slave so and so was sick and you did not visit him? Don’t you know that, if you had visited him, you would have found Me with him?” (Muslim).
Would you not then seek the mercy of Allah by visiting the sick and earn by that forgiveness for your sins?!
When you visit a sick person, his illness become alleviated and say as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was reported to have said when visiting the sick: “Laa Ba‘Sa Tahoorun, InshaAllah” Meaning, never mind! It is a purification. InshaAllah.” (Al-Bukhari).
When you visit the sick, remind him of Allah and that He is the only One that can cure. Remind Him of the virtues of being patient and being satisfies with Allah’s decree.
Do also visit your bereaved brethrens and remember the Prophet’s saying: “Any believer who consoles his brother who is afflicted with a calamity, Allah will make him wear a garment of honor on the Day of Resurrection.” (Ibn Majah).
It is also commendable to visit the orphans and show them compassion. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, I and the guardian of orphan will be like this in Paradise -demonstrating his index and middle fingers and separating between them a little.” (Al-Bukhari).
Paying visits to the Ulamaa' and righteous people is also a fruitful, for one learns from their acts of worship, their indifference to worldly things and their piety. While it is commendable to visit the contemporary Ulamaa', it is also rewarding to spend some time with the early scholars of Islam by visiting them through their books.
Exchanging visits for the sake of Allah among Muslims gladdens the hearts and it is a cause for Allah’s love. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “A man visited a brother of his in another town. Allah sent an angel to lie in wait for him along his way. When he came upon the angel, he asked him, ‘Where are you going? He answered: ‘I am going to visit a brother of mine in this town?’ The angel asked further: ‘Is there any favor that you want to get from him? The man said, ‘No, it is only that I love him for Allah’s sake.’ The angel then said: ‘I am a messenger of Allah to you (to tell you) that, Allah loves you as you love your brother for His sake.” (Muslim).
In a Qudsi hadith, Allah says: “My loves becomes due for those who love each other for My sake; those who sit with one another for My sake, those who visit one another for My sake and those who spend for one another for My sake.” (Malik & Ahmad).
Paying visits however has manners that strengthen social relationships.
Among its etiquette is to choose the proper time and day; for invading other people’s homes without their permission negates Islamic manners. Also, paying unnecessarily frequent visits leads to boredom, wastes time and is likely to breed hatred. This fact must especially be considered when visiting people of high responsibility like scholars because of their many responsibilities and scarce time. Paying a lot of purposeless visits leads to idle talk, backbiting and engaging in forbidden amusements. One should also keep away from gatherings in which there are free mix of men and women as it happens in some family visits for, that leads to temptation and corruption and leaves the door open for shaytan to wreck his havoc.
Of the lofty manners that Islam teaches is the etiquette of seeking permission before one enters other people’s houses. One should ask permission three times, saying, “Assalamu alaykum, O people of the house,” and then saying, “Can so-and-so enter?” One waits after each time for the amount of time taken for someone to finish eating, finish wudu, or finish four cycles of prayer.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to teach his companions this manner. A man of Banu ‘Aamir tribe related that he asked for the Prophet’s permission to enter upon him while he was in a house and said, ‘can I enter?’ The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) then ordered his servant to go to that man and teach him the manner of seeking permission that he should say, ‘Assalaamu Alaykum. Can I enter?’ (Abu Dawood).
If one is given permission, one enters, otherwise one leaves, free of malice. One should not therefore get angry if he is told to go back, for people have their excuses and are entitled to their privacy.
Allah Almighty says: “And if you asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you.” (Qur'an, An-Nur: 28).
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “if any one of you seeks permission to enter a house three times and he is not given permission to enter, he should go back.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim).
If a voice calls out to one, “Who is it?” one does not say, “Me,” rather one says, “Can so-and-so enter?”
It is also an etiquette of visit to knock the door gently (if ringing the door bell, press it 3 times and one waits after each time for the amount of time taken for someone to finish eating, finish wudu, or finish four cycles of prayer.) and you should not stand in front of the door nor look into the house (from a crack in the door e.g.) before you are permitted to enter. This is in order to protect people’s homes and their privacy.
Islam so respects the sanctity of people’s homes that it treats it with impunity if the eye of the person who peeps into other people’s house is gouged out.
Abu Hurayrah narrated that he heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying, “If a man peeps at you without your permission and you cast a pebble at him and his eye is gouged out, there is no blame on you.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim).
One should not refuse kindnesses extended to one by the host, such as a cushion to sit on, unless one observes sitting on the floor out of humility. It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Three things are not refused: cushions, oil and milk."
Such is the Islamic teaching that reforms the social life and impart in people noble feelings and sublime conduct.
There is also a kind of visit that is recommended: visiting the graveyard. Paying visit to graveyard softens hearts, makes one indifferent to this worldly life and gives admonition. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) in fact encouraged it when he said, “I had forbidden you from visiting graveyard, and you can now visit it.” (Muslim).
When you visit the graves, you will remember death and know that you will one day lie in one of those graves.
Whenever your heart becomes forgetful and your soul becomes totally occupied with this life, visit the graveyard and ponder over those who are buried there. Yesterday, they were eating, drinking and enjoining life like you. They are now being held responsible for their deeds. Nothing benefits them except their good deeds.
Visiting the graveyard reminds of the life after death. So that he strives to do good deeds and remembers the reward that is with Allah.
May Allah enable us to perform this supererogatory work of visiting with excellence. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Human beings, by nature, loves companionship and friendships and Islam encourages social relationship.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The believer, who mixes with people and endures their harm is better than the one who does not associate with people nor endure their harm.” (Ibn Majah).
Mixing with people, with sincerity towards them and compassion for them is Sunna and is more virtuous than being alone for supererogatory worship. This is because it is harder to bear and has a greater reward for the one who undertakes it as it should be undertaken and avoids its perils.
Paying visits is a means of socialization. Interactions with other Muslims are governed by basic principles, when observed, leads to sound relationship, strengthens bonds, reminds the heedless, teaches the ignorant, refreshes the souls and alleviates sorrow, promote love and cooperation among a community which is of the most important objectives of Islam. These principles include:
(1) Showing good character.
(2) Respecting the feelings of others
(3) Making each other happy.
(4) Giving respect where it is due.
(5) Dealing with others for the sake of Allah, not personal interest.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily the believer reaches with his good character the rank of the one who fasts and prays.”
It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily from the matters that necessitate forgiveness, is entering happiness into the heart of your Muslim brother.
There are general guidelines that govern interacting with others and among them is to mix with others with one’s limbs, not with one’s heart and religion. Abu Ali al-Daqqaq said, “Dress as people dress, eat from what they eat, and be apart from them in your inmost being." What is meant by this is that he should protect his religion always, and should not let socializing be a reason to let his religion weaken.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was reported to have visited a number of his companions. He used to visit Abu Bakr frequently. ‘Urwah narrated on the authority of 'Aisha that she said: “I reached the age of discretion while may parents had already been practicing the religion (of Islam) and not a single day passed without the Prophet coming to visit us in the morning and evening. One midday, we were sitting in the house of Abu Bakr when somebody announced: ‘Here is the Prophet coming to visit us at a time he do not usually visit us.” (Al-Bukhari).
Anas Ibn Malik narrated, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) visited some of the Ansar in their house and ate some food there. When he wanted to leave, he ordered that a place be prepared for him where he could pray. He then prayed there and supplicates for his hosts.” (Al-Bukhari).
Visiting is of different kinds. Some of which are obligatory while others are commendable. Holidays are opportunity to fulfill obligations and to spend one’s time with useful things. This is a reminder, for the reminder benefits the believers and in order that beauties of this world may not make us forget this obligation. It is also clear that pressures of these days make many of us oblivious of matters that are of priority just as the mass media unnecessarily magnifies useless things in this life and neglects obligations that are of importance.
Visiting one’s parents is an act of being kind to them. Paying regular visits to them should include fulfilling their obligations, assisting them and being gentle with them. Being busy should not be an excuse for neglecting one’s parents. Allah gives importance to their rights and commands us to honor them when He says: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them, but address them in terms of honors. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: “My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.” (Qur'an, Al-Israa: 23-24).
A man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) asking him permission to go for Jihaad and the Prophet asked him, ‘Are your parents alive?’ He said, ‘Yes’. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) then said, “Make your Jihaad by taking good care of them.” (Al-Bukhari).
Paying visits to the kith and kin with the intention of being kind to them and extending material and moral support to them is also commendable. Being kind to the kith and kin is an act that Allah loves. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Allah created the creation and when He finished, the womb got up and caught hold of Allah whereupon Allah said, ‘What is the matter?’ On the that it said, ‘I seek refuge with You from Al-Qatee’ah (those who sever the ties of kith and kin). On that Alaah said, ‘Will you accept (be satisfied) if I bestow my favors on him who keeps your ties and withhold My favors from him who severs your ties?’ On that it said, ‘Yes, O my Lord!’ Then Allah said, ‘That is for you.’ Abu Hurayrah then recites: “Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship.” (Qur'an, Muhammad: 22).
It is also commendable to visit neighbors in order to know their conditions and assist them and to share with them their happiness and sorrow. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) underscored the importance of being kind to them when he said: “Jibreel kept admonishing me of being kind to the neighbor until I though that he would make him an inheritor.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim).
The sick Muslim also has a right of visit from his fellow Muslims because of its good effect. It makes him happy and makes him forget his sickness as well. Supplicating for him also alleviates his pains. Islam regards reluctance to visit the sick as a negligence of a right that is due to Allah. the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘O son of Adam! 1 was sick and you did not visit Me. He will say, “O my Lord! How could I visit You while You are the Lord of all the worlds?” Allah will then say, ‘Don’t you know that My slave so and so was sick and you did not visit him? Don’t you know that, if you had visited him, you would have found Me with him?” (Muslim).
Would you not then seek the mercy of Allah by visiting the sick and earn by that forgiveness for your sins?!
When you visit a sick person, his illness become alleviated and say as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was reported to have said when visiting the sick: “Laa Ba‘Sa Tahoorun, InshaAllah” Meaning, never mind! It is a purification. InshaAllah.” (Al-Bukhari).
When you visit the sick, remind him of Allah and that He is the only One that can cure. Remind Him of the virtues of being patient and being satisfies with Allah’s decree.
Do also visit your bereaved brethrens and remember the Prophet’s saying: “Any believer who consoles his brother who is afflicted with a calamity, Allah will make him wear a garment of honor on the Day of Resurrection.” (Ibn Majah).
It is also commendable to visit the orphans and show them compassion. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, I and the guardian of orphan will be like this in Paradise -demonstrating his index and middle fingers and separating between them a little.” (Al-Bukhari).
Paying visits to the Ulamaa' and righteous people is also a fruitful, for one learns from their acts of worship, their indifference to worldly things and their piety. While it is commendable to visit the contemporary Ulamaa', it is also rewarding to spend some time with the early scholars of Islam by visiting them through their books.
Exchanging visits for the sake of Allah among Muslims gladdens the hearts and it is a cause for Allah’s love. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “A man visited a brother of his in another town. Allah sent an angel to lie in wait for him along his way. When he came upon the angel, he asked him, ‘Where are you going? He answered: ‘I am going to visit a brother of mine in this town?’ The angel asked further: ‘Is there any favor that you want to get from him? The man said, ‘No, it is only that I love him for Allah’s sake.’ The angel then said: ‘I am a messenger of Allah to you (to tell you) that, Allah loves you as you love your brother for His sake.” (Muslim).
In a Qudsi hadith, Allah says: “My loves becomes due for those who love each other for My sake; those who sit with one another for My sake, those who visit one another for My sake and those who spend for one another for My sake.” (Malik & Ahmad).
Paying visits however has manners that strengthen social relationships.
Among its etiquette is to choose the proper time and day; for invading other people’s homes without their permission negates Islamic manners. Also, paying unnecessarily frequent visits leads to boredom, wastes time and is likely to breed hatred. This fact must especially be considered when visiting people of high responsibility like scholars because of their many responsibilities and scarce time. Paying a lot of purposeless visits leads to idle talk, backbiting and engaging in forbidden amusements. One should also keep away from gatherings in which there are free mix of men and women as it happens in some family visits for, that leads to temptation and corruption and leaves the door open for shaytan to wreck his havoc.
Of the lofty manners that Islam teaches is the etiquette of seeking permission before one enters other people’s houses. One should ask permission three times, saying, “Assalamu alaykum, O people of the house,” and then saying, “Can so-and-so enter?” One waits after each time for the amount of time taken for someone to finish eating, finish wudu, or finish four cycles of prayer.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to teach his companions this manner. A man of Banu ‘Aamir tribe related that he asked for the Prophet’s permission to enter upon him while he was in a house and said, ‘can I enter?’ The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) then ordered his servant to go to that man and teach him the manner of seeking permission that he should say, ‘Assalaamu Alaykum. Can I enter?’ (Abu Dawood).
If one is given permission, one enters, otherwise one leaves, free of malice. One should not therefore get angry if he is told to go back, for people have their excuses and are entitled to their privacy.
Allah Almighty says: “And if you asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you.” (Qur'an, An-Nur: 28).
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “if any one of you seeks permission to enter a house three times and he is not given permission to enter, he should go back.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim).
If a voice calls out to one, “Who is it?” one does not say, “Me,” rather one says, “Can so-and-so enter?”
It is also an etiquette of visit to knock the door gently (if ringing the door bell, press it 3 times and one waits after each time for the amount of time taken for someone to finish eating, finish wudu, or finish four cycles of prayer.) and you should not stand in front of the door nor look into the house (from a crack in the door e.g.) before you are permitted to enter. This is in order to protect people’s homes and their privacy.
Islam so respects the sanctity of people’s homes that it treats it with impunity if the eye of the person who peeps into other people’s house is gouged out.
Abu Hurayrah narrated that he heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying, “If a man peeps at you without your permission and you cast a pebble at him and his eye is gouged out, there is no blame on you.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim).
One should not refuse kindnesses extended to one by the host, such as a cushion to sit on, unless one observes sitting on the floor out of humility. It is reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Three things are not refused: cushions, oil and milk."
Such is the Islamic teaching that reforms the social life and impart in people noble feelings and sublime conduct.
There is also a kind of visit that is recommended: visiting the graveyard. Paying visit to graveyard softens hearts, makes one indifferent to this worldly life and gives admonition. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) in fact encouraged it when he said, “I had forbidden you from visiting graveyard, and you can now visit it.” (Muslim).
When you visit the graves, you will remember death and know that you will one day lie in one of those graves.
Whenever your heart becomes forgetful and your soul becomes totally occupied with this life, visit the graveyard and ponder over those who are buried there. Yesterday, they were eating, drinking and enjoining life like you. They are now being held responsible for their deeds. Nothing benefits them except their good deeds.
Visiting the graveyard reminds of the life after death. So that he strives to do good deeds and remembers the reward that is with Allah.
May Allah enable us to perform this supererogatory work of visiting with excellence. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
A Mother's Advice to Her Daughter Getting Married
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
This speech from about 1400 years ago, may seem outdated and one-sided, but there is much wisdom if you look it as mutual advice for how the husband and wife should treat each other. So both partners should serve one another, please one another, protect one another, etc.
Indeed, the advice is beautiful and shows the superiority of the salaf (earlier generations of Muslims) over the khalaf (later generations). It also shows, and Allah knows best, how the Salaf had deep knowledge of the religion of Allah and acted upon that knowledge. And indeed, they would not learn anything from the religion of Allah except that they would not move on unless they had acted upon it. As for us, then we do everything except acting upon the knowledge that we have. So may Allah rectify our situation and make us follow the salaf in truth and reality.
Abd al-Malik (Radiyallaahu ‘anhu) said:
When ‘Awf ibn Muhallim al-Shaybani, one of the most highly respected leaders of the Arab nobility during the jahiliyyah, married his daughter Umm Iyas to al-Harith ibn ‘Amr al-Kindi.
She was made ready to be taken to the groom, her mother, Umamah came into her room to advise her and said:
O my daughter, if it were deemed unnecessary to give you this advice because of good manners and noble descent, then it would have been unnecessary for you, because you posses these qualities, but it will serve as a reminder to those who are forgetful, and will help those who are wise.
O my daughter, if a woman were able to do without a husband by virtue of her father’s wealth and her need for her father, then you of all people would be most able to do without a husband, but women were created for men just as men were created for them.
O my daughter, you are about to leave the home in which you grew up, where you first learned to walk, to go to a place you do not know, to a companion to whom you are unfamiliar. By marrying you, he has become a master over you, so be like a servant to him, and he will become like a servant to you.
Take from me ten qualities, which will be a provision and a reminder for you:
The first and second of them are: be content in his company, and listen to and obey him, for contentment brings peace of mind, and listening to and obeying one’s husband pleases Allah.
The third and fourth of them are: make sure that you smell good and look good; he should not see anything ugly in you, and he should not smell anything but a pleasant smell from you. Kohl is the best kind of beautification to be found, and water is better than the rarest perfume.
The fifth and sixth of them are: prepare his food on time, and keep quiet when he is asleep, for raging hunger is like a burning flame, and disturbing his sleep will make him angry.
The seventh and eight of them are: take care of his servants (or employees) and children, and take care of his wealth, for taking care of his wealth shows that you appreciate him, and taking care of his children and servants shows good management.
The ninth and tenth of them are: never disclose any of his secrets, and never disobey any of his orders, for if you disclose any of his secrets you will never feel safe from his possible betrayal, and if you disobey him, his heart will be filled with hatred towards you.
Be careful, O my daughter, of showing joy in front of him when he is upset, and do not show sorrow in front of him when he is happy, because the former shows a lack of judgment whilst the latter will make him unhappy.
Show him as much honor and respect as you can, and agree with him as much as you can, so that he will enjoy your companionship and conversation.
Know, O my daughter, that you will not achieve what you would like to until you put his pleasure before your own, and his wishes before yours, in whatever you like and dislike. And may Allah choose what is best for you and protect you.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
This speech from about 1400 years ago, may seem outdated and one-sided, but there is much wisdom if you look it as mutual advice for how the husband and wife should treat each other. So both partners should serve one another, please one another, protect one another, etc.
Indeed, the advice is beautiful and shows the superiority of the salaf (earlier generations of Muslims) over the khalaf (later generations). It also shows, and Allah knows best, how the Salaf had deep knowledge of the religion of Allah and acted upon that knowledge. And indeed, they would not learn anything from the religion of Allah except that they would not move on unless they had acted upon it. As for us, then we do everything except acting upon the knowledge that we have. So may Allah rectify our situation and make us follow the salaf in truth and reality.
Abd al-Malik (Radiyallaahu ‘anhu) said:
When ‘Awf ibn Muhallim al-Shaybani, one of the most highly respected leaders of the Arab nobility during the jahiliyyah, married his daughter Umm Iyas to al-Harith ibn ‘Amr al-Kindi.
She was made ready to be taken to the groom, her mother, Umamah came into her room to advise her and said:
O my daughter, if it were deemed unnecessary to give you this advice because of good manners and noble descent, then it would have been unnecessary for you, because you posses these qualities, but it will serve as a reminder to those who are forgetful, and will help those who are wise.
O my daughter, if a woman were able to do without a husband by virtue of her father’s wealth and her need for her father, then you of all people would be most able to do without a husband, but women were created for men just as men were created for them.
O my daughter, you are about to leave the home in which you grew up, where you first learned to walk, to go to a place you do not know, to a companion to whom you are unfamiliar. By marrying you, he has become a master over you, so be like a servant to him, and he will become like a servant to you.
Take from me ten qualities, which will be a provision and a reminder for you:
The first and second of them are: be content in his company, and listen to and obey him, for contentment brings peace of mind, and listening to and obeying one’s husband pleases Allah.
The third and fourth of them are: make sure that you smell good and look good; he should not see anything ugly in you, and he should not smell anything but a pleasant smell from you. Kohl is the best kind of beautification to be found, and water is better than the rarest perfume.
The fifth and sixth of them are: prepare his food on time, and keep quiet when he is asleep, for raging hunger is like a burning flame, and disturbing his sleep will make him angry.
The seventh and eight of them are: take care of his servants (or employees) and children, and take care of his wealth, for taking care of his wealth shows that you appreciate him, and taking care of his children and servants shows good management.
The ninth and tenth of them are: never disclose any of his secrets, and never disobey any of his orders, for if you disclose any of his secrets you will never feel safe from his possible betrayal, and if you disobey him, his heart will be filled with hatred towards you.
Be careful, O my daughter, of showing joy in front of him when he is upset, and do not show sorrow in front of him when he is happy, because the former shows a lack of judgment whilst the latter will make him unhappy.
Show him as much honor and respect as you can, and agree with him as much as you can, so that he will enjoy your companionship and conversation.
Know, O my daughter, that you will not achieve what you would like to until you put his pleasure before your own, and his wishes before yours, in whatever you like and dislike. And may Allah choose what is best for you and protect you.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Monday, November 24, 2014
Imam Al-Ghazzali on Qualities Conducive to a Happy Marriage
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
r
I pray that you are well.
Excerpts from Book on the Etiquette of Marriage of The Revival of the Religious Sciences By ABU HAMID AL-GHAZZALI (TRANSLATED BY MADELAIN FARAH)
There are eight qualities which render a conjugal life happy and which must be sought in the woman in order to assure the perpetuity of the marriage: piety, good character, beauty, a small dowry, ability to bear children, virginity, [good] lineage, and she should not be a close relative.
Piety
That she should be virtuous and religious is the most fundamental requisite, and to that end [special] care must be taken. For, if her religious principles are too weak to give her the strength to be virtuous and constant, she will humiliate her husband, disgrace him among people, trouble his heart with jealousy, and thereby render his life miserable. Should he succumb to passion and jealousy, he would remain in trial and tribulation. Should he, on the other hand, follow the path of permissiveness, he would be apathetic toward his religion and honor and would be guilty of lacking zeal and pride. Also, if she is beautiful but corrupt, she will be the cause of greater tribulation; for then it becomes difficult for the husband to separate from her: Thus he is neither able to renounce her nor to endure her. His position is like that of one who came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and said, “0 Messenger of God, I have a wife who cannot turn back a touching hand.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Divorce her”; to which he replied, “I love her.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) responded, “Then, keep her.”“ The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) commanded him to hold onto her, for if he divorces her he would yearn for her and become corrupt like her. Seeing that the man's heart was in anguish, he [the Prophet] considered it preferable for him to continue his marriage and thus safeguard himself against corruption. If her faith be corrupted in squandering his possessions or in some other respect, he will remain in misery. [However,] if he remains silent and does not denounce [her deeds], he becomes a partaker of her transgression and a violator of the Almighty's command: “Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire.” If he, on the other hand, denies and disputes [her ways],, he will be miserable throughout his life.
For that reason, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) took pains in encouraging people to adhere to the faith saying, “A woman may be married either for her possessions, her beauty, her reputation, or her religion; for if you do marry other than a religious woman, may your hands be rubbed with dirt [taribat yadak].” Another hadith states: “He who marries a woman for her possessions and beauty loses both her beauty and her possessions; [but] he who marries her for the sake of her faith will be blessed by God with her possessions and her beauty.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) also said, “A woman should not be married [only] for her beauty, because her beauty may destroy her; neither for her wealth, as this may make her tyrannical; [rather] marry the woman for her religious faith.” He emphatically recommended religious faith, because such a woman would bolster up the [husband's] faith. If she is not pious, she will be an element of distraction and of trouble in her husband's religion.
Good Character
Good character is the second quality. It is an important requisite in the search for emptying the heart and in the pursuit of favorable surroundings for religion. For if she is vicious, ill-tongued, ill-mannered, and ungrateful, more harm than good will come from her. Toleration of a woman's tongue would try the saints. An Arab said, “Do not marry one of the following six types of women: an 'annanah [hypochondriac], a mannanah [upbraider], a hannanah [yearner], a hiddaqah [coveter], a barraqah (narcissist], or a shaddaqah [prattler].
The 'annanah is one who excessively moans, complains, and [always] wraps her head. Marrying a constantly ill [woman] or one who feigns illness is of no avail.
The mannanah is one who is constantly needling her husband by saying, “I did such and such for you.”
The hannanah is one who yearns after a previous husband or after her offspring from some other husband. This, too, is among the things to be avoided.
The hiddaqah is one who looks at everything, covets it, and forces her husband to buy it.
The barraqah can be one of two:
(a) one who spends the whole day fixing her face or making it up and beautifying it in order to give it a lustre, or
(b) one who becomes angry at mealtime, thus eating only by herself and singling out her share from everything.
A Yemeni expression which is appropriately used for a woman, or a child, who is not satisfied with the food given to her [or him], is Baraqat al-mar ‘atu wa baraqa’l-sabiyyu al-ta’ama, that is, to become angry at meal time.
The shaddaqah is one who prattles a great deal; in this context the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Almighty God detests the loudmouthed prattler.“
It is related that the Azdi traveler,” during his journey, met Prophet Elias alayhissalaam who ordered him to get married and discouraged him from celibacy. He then said, “Don't marry any of the following four types: a mukhlali'ah [divorce-minded], a mubariyah [boaster], an 'ahirah [harlot], or a nashiz [conceited].”
Al-mukhlali'ah is one who asks for the divorce (khul') every hour for no reason.
In Islamic law, a compensation (khutah) must be paid by the wife when a divorce is sought by her (Hughes, Dictionary of Islam, 274). This law is laid down in Qur’an 2:229: “And if ye fear that they may not be able to keep the limits of Allah, in that case it is no sin for either of them if the woman ransom herself.”
Al-mubariyah is one who boasts of the superiority of another and is proud of her worldly advantages.
Al'ahirah is a loose woman who is known to have lovers and intimate companions. To her the Almighty referred when He said, “nor of loose conduct” [Qur’an 4:25].
Al-nashiz is one who adopts a haughty attitude toward her husband in deed and word: the word nashaz designates that which is elevated above the ground.
Nashaz is the noun derived from the same root as nashiz. In Islamic law, nushuz means “violation of marital duties on the part of either husband or wife, specifically, recalcitrance of the woman toward her husband, and brutal treatment of the wife by the husband” (Wehr, Dictionary, 966).
'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, “The worst characteristics of men constitutes the best characteristics of women; namely, stinginess, pride, and cowardice. For if the woman is stingy, she will preserve her own and her husband's possessions; if she is proud, she will refrain from addressing loose and improper words to everyone; and if she is cowardly, she will dread everything and will therefore not go out of her house and will avoid compromising situations for fear of her husband. These accounts indicate the sum total of the good qualities sought in marriage.
Beauty
The third, beauty of face, is desired because through it fortification is attained. For [a man's] natural disposition is generally not contented with an ugly woman, [even] when good character and physical beauty are often inseparable. What we have transmitted is encouragement to look for a pious woman and not marry one for her beauty, which does not discourage the cherishing of beauty, but rather discourages marrying a woman for her beauty alone [while she be] corrupt in religion. Beauty, per se, oftentimes makes marriage desirable and detracts from the importance of religion. Indicative of the regard given to beauty is the fact that closeness and love are often realized through it. For that reason the Shari'ah enjoined the safeguarding of the means to intimacy, and seeing [the woman] before marriage was deemed desirable.
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “If Allah should incline the heart of one of you toward a woman, let him look at her, for it will bring them closer together.”“ That is to say, it will cause them to be closer to each other like the closeness of the epidermis to the endodermis, which is the inner skin [as opposed to] the epidermis [which] is the outer skin. He mentions that only to stress the degree of closeness. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “There is something in the eyes of the Ansar; therefore, if one of you wishes to marry one of their women, let him look at them.” It was said [in effect] that those women were “blear-eyed.” It was also said, “small-eyed.”
Some God-fearing men would not marry off their daughters until they are seen as a precaution against delusion. Al A'mash said, “Every marriage occurring without looking ends in worry and sadness.” It is obvious that looking does not reveal character, religion, or wealth; rather, it distinguishes beauty from ugliness.
It was related that during the time of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), a man got married. The man had colored his hair and the dyestuff had faded. The woman's family complained to 'Umar saying, “We thought he was a young man.” 'Umar beat him excessively and said, “You have deceived the people.”
It is related that Bilal and Suhayb came to a bedouin household and asked to marry their daughters. They were asked: “Who are you?” Bilal said, “I am Bilal and this is my brother, Suhayb. We were misguided, but Allah has directed us; we were enslaved, but Allah freed us; we were dependent [on others], but Allah has made us independent; if you should give us wives, then thanks be to Allah; and if you should turn us away, then praise be to Allah.” They [the household] answered, “Rather, you will marry, and thanks be to Allah.” Suhayb said to Bilal, “Would that you had mentioned our association and dealings with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam).” He replied, “Be quiet. I spoke the truth and the truth will get you married.”
One may be deceived both in beauty and in character; therefore it is desirable to avoid deception in beauty by looking, and [deception] in character by description and inquiry. It is desirable that this precede marriage. A description of her character and beauty should not be sought from any but one who is keen, who is truthful, who is well versed in the apparent and the hidden [qualities], who is not predisposed toward her lest he should praise her too much, and who does not envy her lest he should not praise her enough. In stating the basis for marriage and in describing the would-be wives, the natural disposition leans toward exaggeration and excessiveness. Few are the ones who are truthful and are inclined to modesty; rather, deception and enticement often predominate. Caution, therefore, is important for one who would guard himself against longing for a woman other than his wife.
As for the man whose purpose in having a wife is mere observation of the sunna, bearing children, or caring for the house, should he renounce beauty, he would draw nearer to asceticism; because seeking beauty, in short, is a worldly interest even though in the case of some individuals [it] may be an aid to religion.
Abu Sulayman al-Darani said, “Indifference (zuhd) [to worldly interests may be] in anything, even in women.” Thus a man [might] marry an old woman because he has preferred to renounce worldly delights. Malik b. Dinar used to say, “Many a man among you would refrain from marrying an orphan, whose feeding and clothing would cost little and who would be easily satisfied, thus gaining merit [before Allah]. Rather, he would marry the daughter of so and so-meaning prominent people-who would make many demands of him saying, `Clothe me with such and such.'“ Ahmad ibn Hanbal preferred a one-eyed [woman] over her sister who was beautiful. For he asked: “Who is the better behaved of the two?” He was told: “The one-eyed.” He replied: “Give her to me in marriage.” Such is the constant endeavor of one who does not seek [mere] sensual pleasures. If someone cannot secure his faith without a source of pleasure, then let him seek beauty because enjoyment of what is lawful strengthens faith.
It has been said that if a woman is beautiful, of good character, with black eyes and hair, large eyes, white complexion, loves her husband, and has an eye to no other man, she is in the image of the houris [hawar]. For Almighty God has ascribed to the women of paradise this description in the verse, “the good and beautiful” [Qur’an 60:70] (by “good” He meant “those enjoying good manners”); in the verse “of modest gaze” [37:48]; and in the verse “lovers ('urub), friends” [56:37]. (By “lovers,” He means someone who is in love with her husband and desirous of seducing him so as to complete her pleasure. By al-hawar, He meant whiteness; al-hawra' is a woman with intense whiteness of the sclera, profound blackness of the eyes matching the profound blackness of the hair, and big, wide[-set] eyes.)
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “The best of your women is one who pleases her husband when he looks at her, who obeys him when he commands her, and guards his memory and his possessions when he is absent.” Her husband will be delighted to look at her if she loves him.
Dowry (Mahr)
The fourth quality is that her dowry should be small. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) declared that “The best women are those whose faces are the most beautiful and whose dowries are the smallest.” He enjoined against excessiveness in dowries.” The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) married one of his wives for a dowry of ten dirhams and household furnishings that consisted of a hand mill, a jug, a pillow made of skin stuffed with palm fibers,” and a stone ('iliyy); in the case of another, he feasted with two measures of barley;” and for another, with two measures of dates and two of mush (sawiq).
'Umar [also] used to enjoin against excessive dowries and used to say, “In getting married and in marrying of his daughters, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) never spent more than 400 dirhams.” If paying excessive dowries for women were a virtue, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) would have been the first to do so.
One of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) was married for a date-pit of gold equal to five dirhams. Sa'aid b. al-Musayyab married his daughter to Abu Hurayrah for two dirhams. He then took her personally to him by night, let her in through the door, then departed. Seven days later, he came back and greeted her. Even if he [Sa'id] had married for ten dirhams to be different from the rest of the ulema, there would be nothing wrong with his act.
A khabar states that “a woman's blessing is in marrying and in bearing children quickly, and “in the reasonableness of her dowry." He also said, “The most blessed among them are the ones with the smallest dowries.”
Just as it is undesirable for the woman's dowry to be excessive, it is undesirable for the man to ask about the possessions of the woman. Marriage should never be motivated by avidity for wealth. Al-Thawri said, “Should one marry and ask `What does the woman possess?' know ye that he is a thief; and should a person give them a present, it should not be with the purpose of forcing them to reciprocate with more; likewise, should they give him a present, the expectation of receiving more [than they gave] is immoral. Exchanging gifts is desirable, and results in friendship.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “If you exchange gifts, you will love each other.” As pertains to seeking more, it is included in the words of the Almighty: “And show not favor, seeking worldly gain” [Qur’an 74:6], that is to say, give [not] in order to receive more; also in the Almighty's words: “That which ye give in usury in order that it may increase on (other) people's property” [30:39], for usurious interest is the increase, and that [giving a gift] is an attempt to increase the principal, though it is not usurious. All such attempts are detested and are regarded as heretical in marriage. For they resemble trading and gambling, and their aim corrupts marriage.
Childbearing
The fifth quality is that the woman be able to bear children. Should she be known to be barren, then one should avoid marrying her. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Marry the loving child-bearer”; if she has no husband and her affairs are not known, the decision should be based on her health and her youth for, given these two qualities, she will most likely be capable of bearing children.
Virginity
The sixth quality is that she should be a virgin. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said to Jabir, who had married an unwed deflowered woman, “Would that she were a virgin so you could daily with her and she with you.” Virginity has three advantages:
(a) First, the virgin will love the husband and feel close to him, which will favorably influence their conjugal attachment. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Marry the loving (woman)”; for the natural disposition is to be attached to the first mate with whom one has had intimate relations. On the other hand, a woman who has experienced men and life may not be satisfied with some of the qualities that differ from those she is accustomed to, and may, therefore, loathe the husband.
(b) Second, it engenders a greater measure of his love for her, as it is a man's nature to be somewhat repelled by a woman who has been touched by another husband; that would contradict [a man's] nature regardless of what might be said [to the contrary]. Certain natures find it more repulsive than others.
(c) Third, the virgin does not yearn after the first husband, because, in general, the surest love is that which is engendered with the first loved one.
Good Lineage
The seventh quality is that the wife should be of good lineage, that is to say, she should come from a religious and righteous background, because she will bring up her daughters and sons. If she is not well bred, she will not be able to raise her children well. For that reason the Prophet* said, “Beware of the green dung (khadra' al-diman).” It was asked, “What is the green dung?” He said, “The beautiful woman with an evil origin.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Exercise care in choosing [wives] for your sperm, for a hereditary quality is wont to return.”“
Not a Close Relative
The eighth quality is that she should not be a close relative, as that would lessen desire. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Don't marry close relatives for then the child is born scrawny”; that is to say, weak; such is the weakening effect it [marrying close relatives] has on desire. For desire is excited by the deep emotions which result from sight and touch; emotions are strengthened by whatever is unfamiliar and new. On the other hand, what is familiar and seen continuously renders the faculties incapable of fully appreciating it [desire], being affected by it, or becoming aroused through it. These are the qualities desired in women.
INQUIRY INTO THE HUSBAND'S CHARACTER
It is incumbent upon the guardian also to examine the qualities of the husband and to look after his daughter so as not to give her in marriage to one who is ugly, ill-mannered, weak in faith, negligent in upholding her rights, or unequal to her in descent. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) has said, “Marriage is enslavement; let one, therefore, be careful in whose hands he places his daughter.”“
Exercising caution on her behalf is important, because she becomes a slave by the marriage and cannot be freed from it, while the husband is able to obtain divorce at all times. Whoever gives his daughter in marriage to a person who is unjust, licentious, heretic, or an inebriate commits a crime against his religion and exposes himself to the wrath of Allah for having severed his parental tie by having made a bad choice. A man said to al-Hasan, “A number of suitors have asked for my daughter's hand in marriage; to whom should I give her?” He replied, “To the one who fears Allah; because if he loves her, he will be kind to her; and if he hates her, he will not wrong her.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Whoever gives his daughter in marriage to a licentious man has betrayed her womb.”
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
r
I pray that you are well.
Excerpts from Book on the Etiquette of Marriage of The Revival of the Religious Sciences By ABU HAMID AL-GHAZZALI (TRANSLATED BY MADELAIN FARAH)
There are eight qualities which render a conjugal life happy and which must be sought in the woman in order to assure the perpetuity of the marriage: piety, good character, beauty, a small dowry, ability to bear children, virginity, [good] lineage, and she should not be a close relative.
Piety
That she should be virtuous and religious is the most fundamental requisite, and to that end [special] care must be taken. For, if her religious principles are too weak to give her the strength to be virtuous and constant, she will humiliate her husband, disgrace him among people, trouble his heart with jealousy, and thereby render his life miserable. Should he succumb to passion and jealousy, he would remain in trial and tribulation. Should he, on the other hand, follow the path of permissiveness, he would be apathetic toward his religion and honor and would be guilty of lacking zeal and pride. Also, if she is beautiful but corrupt, she will be the cause of greater tribulation; for then it becomes difficult for the husband to separate from her: Thus he is neither able to renounce her nor to endure her. His position is like that of one who came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and said, “0 Messenger of God, I have a wife who cannot turn back a touching hand.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Divorce her”; to which he replied, “I love her.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) responded, “Then, keep her.”“ The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) commanded him to hold onto her, for if he divorces her he would yearn for her and become corrupt like her. Seeing that the man's heart was in anguish, he [the Prophet] considered it preferable for him to continue his marriage and thus safeguard himself against corruption. If her faith be corrupted in squandering his possessions or in some other respect, he will remain in misery. [However,] if he remains silent and does not denounce [her deeds], he becomes a partaker of her transgression and a violator of the Almighty's command: “Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire.” If he, on the other hand, denies and disputes [her ways],, he will be miserable throughout his life.
For that reason, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) took pains in encouraging people to adhere to the faith saying, “A woman may be married either for her possessions, her beauty, her reputation, or her religion; for if you do marry other than a religious woman, may your hands be rubbed with dirt [taribat yadak].” Another hadith states: “He who marries a woman for her possessions and beauty loses both her beauty and her possessions; [but] he who marries her for the sake of her faith will be blessed by God with her possessions and her beauty.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) also said, “A woman should not be married [only] for her beauty, because her beauty may destroy her; neither for her wealth, as this may make her tyrannical; [rather] marry the woman for her religious faith.” He emphatically recommended religious faith, because such a woman would bolster up the [husband's] faith. If she is not pious, she will be an element of distraction and of trouble in her husband's religion.
Good Character
Good character is the second quality. It is an important requisite in the search for emptying the heart and in the pursuit of favorable surroundings for religion. For if she is vicious, ill-tongued, ill-mannered, and ungrateful, more harm than good will come from her. Toleration of a woman's tongue would try the saints. An Arab said, “Do not marry one of the following six types of women: an 'annanah [hypochondriac], a mannanah [upbraider], a hannanah [yearner], a hiddaqah [coveter], a barraqah (narcissist], or a shaddaqah [prattler].
The 'annanah is one who excessively moans, complains, and [always] wraps her head. Marrying a constantly ill [woman] or one who feigns illness is of no avail.
The mannanah is one who is constantly needling her husband by saying, “I did such and such for you.”
The hannanah is one who yearns after a previous husband or after her offspring from some other husband. This, too, is among the things to be avoided.
The hiddaqah is one who looks at everything, covets it, and forces her husband to buy it.
The barraqah can be one of two:
(a) one who spends the whole day fixing her face or making it up and beautifying it in order to give it a lustre, or
(b) one who becomes angry at mealtime, thus eating only by herself and singling out her share from everything.
A Yemeni expression which is appropriately used for a woman, or a child, who is not satisfied with the food given to her [or him], is Baraqat al-mar ‘atu wa baraqa’l-sabiyyu al-ta’ama, that is, to become angry at meal time.
The shaddaqah is one who prattles a great deal; in this context the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Almighty God detests the loudmouthed prattler.“
It is related that the Azdi traveler,” during his journey, met Prophet Elias alayhissalaam who ordered him to get married and discouraged him from celibacy. He then said, “Don't marry any of the following four types: a mukhlali'ah [divorce-minded], a mubariyah [boaster], an 'ahirah [harlot], or a nashiz [conceited].”
Al-mukhlali'ah is one who asks for the divorce (khul') every hour for no reason.
In Islamic law, a compensation (khutah) must be paid by the wife when a divorce is sought by her (Hughes, Dictionary of Islam, 274). This law is laid down in Qur’an 2:229: “And if ye fear that they may not be able to keep the limits of Allah, in that case it is no sin for either of them if the woman ransom herself.”
Al-mubariyah is one who boasts of the superiority of another and is proud of her worldly advantages.
Al'ahirah is a loose woman who is known to have lovers and intimate companions. To her the Almighty referred when He said, “nor of loose conduct” [Qur’an 4:25].
Al-nashiz is one who adopts a haughty attitude toward her husband in deed and word: the word nashaz designates that which is elevated above the ground.
Nashaz is the noun derived from the same root as nashiz. In Islamic law, nushuz means “violation of marital duties on the part of either husband or wife, specifically, recalcitrance of the woman toward her husband, and brutal treatment of the wife by the husband” (Wehr, Dictionary, 966).
'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, “The worst characteristics of men constitutes the best characteristics of women; namely, stinginess, pride, and cowardice. For if the woman is stingy, she will preserve her own and her husband's possessions; if she is proud, she will refrain from addressing loose and improper words to everyone; and if she is cowardly, she will dread everything and will therefore not go out of her house and will avoid compromising situations for fear of her husband. These accounts indicate the sum total of the good qualities sought in marriage.
Beauty
The third, beauty of face, is desired because through it fortification is attained. For [a man's] natural disposition is generally not contented with an ugly woman, [even] when good character and physical beauty are often inseparable. What we have transmitted is encouragement to look for a pious woman and not marry one for her beauty, which does not discourage the cherishing of beauty, but rather discourages marrying a woman for her beauty alone [while she be] corrupt in religion. Beauty, per se, oftentimes makes marriage desirable and detracts from the importance of religion. Indicative of the regard given to beauty is the fact that closeness and love are often realized through it. For that reason the Shari'ah enjoined the safeguarding of the means to intimacy, and seeing [the woman] before marriage was deemed desirable.
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “If Allah should incline the heart of one of you toward a woman, let him look at her, for it will bring them closer together.”“ That is to say, it will cause them to be closer to each other like the closeness of the epidermis to the endodermis, which is the inner skin [as opposed to] the epidermis [which] is the outer skin. He mentions that only to stress the degree of closeness. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “There is something in the eyes of the Ansar; therefore, if one of you wishes to marry one of their women, let him look at them.” It was said [in effect] that those women were “blear-eyed.” It was also said, “small-eyed.”
Some God-fearing men would not marry off their daughters until they are seen as a precaution against delusion. Al A'mash said, “Every marriage occurring without looking ends in worry and sadness.” It is obvious that looking does not reveal character, religion, or wealth; rather, it distinguishes beauty from ugliness.
It was related that during the time of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), a man got married. The man had colored his hair and the dyestuff had faded. The woman's family complained to 'Umar saying, “We thought he was a young man.” 'Umar beat him excessively and said, “You have deceived the people.”
It is related that Bilal and Suhayb came to a bedouin household and asked to marry their daughters. They were asked: “Who are you?” Bilal said, “I am Bilal and this is my brother, Suhayb. We were misguided, but Allah has directed us; we were enslaved, but Allah freed us; we were dependent [on others], but Allah has made us independent; if you should give us wives, then thanks be to Allah; and if you should turn us away, then praise be to Allah.” They [the household] answered, “Rather, you will marry, and thanks be to Allah.” Suhayb said to Bilal, “Would that you had mentioned our association and dealings with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam).” He replied, “Be quiet. I spoke the truth and the truth will get you married.”
One may be deceived both in beauty and in character; therefore it is desirable to avoid deception in beauty by looking, and [deception] in character by description and inquiry. It is desirable that this precede marriage. A description of her character and beauty should not be sought from any but one who is keen, who is truthful, who is well versed in the apparent and the hidden [qualities], who is not predisposed toward her lest he should praise her too much, and who does not envy her lest he should not praise her enough. In stating the basis for marriage and in describing the would-be wives, the natural disposition leans toward exaggeration and excessiveness. Few are the ones who are truthful and are inclined to modesty; rather, deception and enticement often predominate. Caution, therefore, is important for one who would guard himself against longing for a woman other than his wife.
As for the man whose purpose in having a wife is mere observation of the sunna, bearing children, or caring for the house, should he renounce beauty, he would draw nearer to asceticism; because seeking beauty, in short, is a worldly interest even though in the case of some individuals [it] may be an aid to religion.
Abu Sulayman al-Darani said, “Indifference (zuhd) [to worldly interests may be] in anything, even in women.” Thus a man [might] marry an old woman because he has preferred to renounce worldly delights. Malik b. Dinar used to say, “Many a man among you would refrain from marrying an orphan, whose feeding and clothing would cost little and who would be easily satisfied, thus gaining merit [before Allah]. Rather, he would marry the daughter of so and so-meaning prominent people-who would make many demands of him saying, `Clothe me with such and such.'“ Ahmad ibn Hanbal preferred a one-eyed [woman] over her sister who was beautiful. For he asked: “Who is the better behaved of the two?” He was told: “The one-eyed.” He replied: “Give her to me in marriage.” Such is the constant endeavor of one who does not seek [mere] sensual pleasures. If someone cannot secure his faith without a source of pleasure, then let him seek beauty because enjoyment of what is lawful strengthens faith.
It has been said that if a woman is beautiful, of good character, with black eyes and hair, large eyes, white complexion, loves her husband, and has an eye to no other man, she is in the image of the houris [hawar]. For Almighty God has ascribed to the women of paradise this description in the verse, “the good and beautiful” [Qur’an 60:70] (by “good” He meant “those enjoying good manners”); in the verse “of modest gaze” [37:48]; and in the verse “lovers ('urub), friends” [56:37]. (By “lovers,” He means someone who is in love with her husband and desirous of seducing him so as to complete her pleasure. By al-hawar, He meant whiteness; al-hawra' is a woman with intense whiteness of the sclera, profound blackness of the eyes matching the profound blackness of the hair, and big, wide[-set] eyes.)
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “The best of your women is one who pleases her husband when he looks at her, who obeys him when he commands her, and guards his memory and his possessions when he is absent.” Her husband will be delighted to look at her if she loves him.
Dowry (Mahr)
The fourth quality is that her dowry should be small. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) declared that “The best women are those whose faces are the most beautiful and whose dowries are the smallest.” He enjoined against excessiveness in dowries.” The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) married one of his wives for a dowry of ten dirhams and household furnishings that consisted of a hand mill, a jug, a pillow made of skin stuffed with palm fibers,” and a stone ('iliyy); in the case of another, he feasted with two measures of barley;” and for another, with two measures of dates and two of mush (sawiq).
'Umar [also] used to enjoin against excessive dowries and used to say, “In getting married and in marrying of his daughters, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) never spent more than 400 dirhams.” If paying excessive dowries for women were a virtue, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) would have been the first to do so.
One of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) was married for a date-pit of gold equal to five dirhams. Sa'aid b. al-Musayyab married his daughter to Abu Hurayrah for two dirhams. He then took her personally to him by night, let her in through the door, then departed. Seven days later, he came back and greeted her. Even if he [Sa'id] had married for ten dirhams to be different from the rest of the ulema, there would be nothing wrong with his act.
A khabar states that “a woman's blessing is in marrying and in bearing children quickly, and “in the reasonableness of her dowry." He also said, “The most blessed among them are the ones with the smallest dowries.”
Just as it is undesirable for the woman's dowry to be excessive, it is undesirable for the man to ask about the possessions of the woman. Marriage should never be motivated by avidity for wealth. Al-Thawri said, “Should one marry and ask `What does the woman possess?' know ye that he is a thief; and should a person give them a present, it should not be with the purpose of forcing them to reciprocate with more; likewise, should they give him a present, the expectation of receiving more [than they gave] is immoral. Exchanging gifts is desirable, and results in friendship.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “If you exchange gifts, you will love each other.” As pertains to seeking more, it is included in the words of the Almighty: “And show not favor, seeking worldly gain” [Qur’an 74:6], that is to say, give [not] in order to receive more; also in the Almighty's words: “That which ye give in usury in order that it may increase on (other) people's property” [30:39], for usurious interest is the increase, and that [giving a gift] is an attempt to increase the principal, though it is not usurious. All such attempts are detested and are regarded as heretical in marriage. For they resemble trading and gambling, and their aim corrupts marriage.
Childbearing
The fifth quality is that the woman be able to bear children. Should she be known to be barren, then one should avoid marrying her. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Marry the loving child-bearer”; if she has no husband and her affairs are not known, the decision should be based on her health and her youth for, given these two qualities, she will most likely be capable of bearing children.
Virginity
The sixth quality is that she should be a virgin. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said to Jabir, who had married an unwed deflowered woman, “Would that she were a virgin so you could daily with her and she with you.” Virginity has three advantages:
(a) First, the virgin will love the husband and feel close to him, which will favorably influence their conjugal attachment. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Marry the loving (woman)”; for the natural disposition is to be attached to the first mate with whom one has had intimate relations. On the other hand, a woman who has experienced men and life may not be satisfied with some of the qualities that differ from those she is accustomed to, and may, therefore, loathe the husband.
(b) Second, it engenders a greater measure of his love for her, as it is a man's nature to be somewhat repelled by a woman who has been touched by another husband; that would contradict [a man's] nature regardless of what might be said [to the contrary]. Certain natures find it more repulsive than others.
(c) Third, the virgin does not yearn after the first husband, because, in general, the surest love is that which is engendered with the first loved one.
Good Lineage
The seventh quality is that the wife should be of good lineage, that is to say, she should come from a religious and righteous background, because she will bring up her daughters and sons. If she is not well bred, she will not be able to raise her children well. For that reason the Prophet* said, “Beware of the green dung (khadra' al-diman).” It was asked, “What is the green dung?” He said, “The beautiful woman with an evil origin.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Exercise care in choosing [wives] for your sperm, for a hereditary quality is wont to return.”“
Not a Close Relative
The eighth quality is that she should not be a close relative, as that would lessen desire. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Don't marry close relatives for then the child is born scrawny”; that is to say, weak; such is the weakening effect it [marrying close relatives] has on desire. For desire is excited by the deep emotions which result from sight and touch; emotions are strengthened by whatever is unfamiliar and new. On the other hand, what is familiar and seen continuously renders the faculties incapable of fully appreciating it [desire], being affected by it, or becoming aroused through it. These are the qualities desired in women.
INQUIRY INTO THE HUSBAND'S CHARACTER
It is incumbent upon the guardian also to examine the qualities of the husband and to look after his daughter so as not to give her in marriage to one who is ugly, ill-mannered, weak in faith, negligent in upholding her rights, or unequal to her in descent. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) has said, “Marriage is enslavement; let one, therefore, be careful in whose hands he places his daughter.”“
Exercising caution on her behalf is important, because she becomes a slave by the marriage and cannot be freed from it, while the husband is able to obtain divorce at all times. Whoever gives his daughter in marriage to a person who is unjust, licentious, heretic, or an inebriate commits a crime against his religion and exposes himself to the wrath of Allah for having severed his parental tie by having made a bad choice. A man said to al-Hasan, “A number of suitors have asked for my daughter's hand in marriage; to whom should I give her?” He replied, “To the one who fears Allah; because if he loves her, he will be kind to her; and if he hates her, he will not wrong her.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Whoever gives his daughter in marriage to a licentious man has betrayed her womb.”
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Sunday, November 23, 2014
The Intentions of Marriage
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
It is narrated on the authority of Amir al-Mu'minin (Leader of the Believers), Abu Hafs 'Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), say:
"Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for." [Related by Bukhari & Muslim]
From alhaddad.org--intentions of marriage
“Kitab an-niyat كتاب النيات (book of intentions)”
by Al Habib Muhammad bin A’lawi al-A’idarus (Sa’d)
The following are intentions one should have when entering into marriage. The intentions were composed by the great Shaykh, the ‘Arif of Allah, ‘Ali bin Abi-Bakr as-Sakran, may Allah shower them both with mercy.
I intend to enter into this marriage and take this wife (or husband) for the love of Allah ‘Azza-wa-Jall and to have children so that the human race shall continue.
I also intend [to enter this marriage] for the love of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, so that he may take pride in it, as he said: “Marry and increase in numbers, as I will take pride in you before other nations on the Day of Judgement.”
I have intended in this marriage—and all the actions and words that come from it—to be blessed by the prayer of a pious child; or for his intercession if he dies young before me.
I have intended by this marriage to protect myself from Satan, by breaking the desire, [and thus] breaking the temptations of Satan, to lower the gaze, and reduce the Wiswas (withdrawing whisperer).
I have also intended to protect my private parts from lewdness (illegal intercourse).
I have intended in this marriage the amusement of the self and to bring joy to it through by companionship (with my spouse); looking, and playing freely and to bring comfort to the heart and strengthening it for worship.
I have intended in this marriage the relief of the nafs and cherish it through companionship, the pleasure that comes through gazing at one’s spouse, mutual foreplay, the repose that floods the heart and strengthening it for worshiping.
I have intended by it, the relieving of the heart from the worries of housekeeping, cooking, sweeping, making the bed, cleaning the dishes and taking care of lively duties.
I have intended by this marriage, to struggle with the nafs and to train it ‘through care and guardianship’, to fulfill the rights of the family and to be patient with their characters, to endure the harm that comes from them, to work towards making them good, to guide them to the religious path, to struggle to seek lawful earnings for them, to command them to discipline the children by also asking from Allah for it and success for his sake and to drop between his hands and to show the excessive need towards Him in gaining it.
I have intended all the previous for Allah Almighty.
I have intended all the previous and more from whatever I control, say and do in this marriage for Allah Almighty.
I have intended in this marriage whatever Your righteous servants and Your acting scholars have intended.
Allahumma, give us success as you have given them, help us as you have helped them. Overlook our shortcomings, accept [this] from us and do not entrust us to ourselves, even for the blink of an eye. Make good for us, all of the previous, by Your Grace and Generosity in good and in good health.
Allahumma, forgive us and have mercy upon us, be content with us and accept from us. Enter us into paradise and save us from the hell fire and make good all of our affairs.
Allahumma, grant me in everything—in this marriage and all of my affairs—Your Help, Blessing and Peace. Protect me from preoccupying myself with other than You and do not put obstacles between me and Your obedience and make this marriage sufficient and virtuous for me.
Allahumma, I—my moments of movement and stillness—am entrusted to You, so protect me; wherever I happen to be, take my affairs as You have taken the affairs of Your pious servants.
Allahumma, help us, together with our parents, children, spouses, our Shuyukh, our brothers, all our relatives, all those who come from the same womb as us, all those who have rights over us, and those who have the minimum of rights over us.
Allahumma, assist me in remembrance of You, gratitude towards You and excellence in You worship, O Lord of the Worlds.
Allahumma, guide us and grant us success, O Lord of the Worlds.
Allahumma, make us live this life by Your Book and the Sunnah, O the One who is Majestic and Noble.
Allahumma, we ask you by that which is accepted from us and by whatever brought us closer to You.
Ameen.
And send blessings and salutations, by Your Majesty, to the most noble of all envoys, Muhammad the seal of all prophets, his family and companions. And all praise is to Allah Lord of the Worlds.
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
It is narrated on the authority of Amir al-Mu'minin (Leader of the Believers), Abu Hafs 'Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), say:
"Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for." [Related by Bukhari & Muslim]
From alhaddad.org--intentions of marriage
“Kitab an-niyat كتاب النيات (book of intentions)”
by Al Habib Muhammad bin A’lawi al-A’idarus (Sa’d)
The following are intentions one should have when entering into marriage. The intentions were composed by the great Shaykh, the ‘Arif of Allah, ‘Ali bin Abi-Bakr as-Sakran, may Allah shower them both with mercy.
I intend to enter into this marriage and take this wife (or husband) for the love of Allah ‘Azza-wa-Jall and to have children so that the human race shall continue.
I also intend [to enter this marriage] for the love of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, so that he may take pride in it, as he said: “Marry and increase in numbers, as I will take pride in you before other nations on the Day of Judgement.”
I have intended in this marriage—and all the actions and words that come from it—to be blessed by the prayer of a pious child; or for his intercession if he dies young before me.
I have intended by this marriage to protect myself from Satan, by breaking the desire, [and thus] breaking the temptations of Satan, to lower the gaze, and reduce the Wiswas (withdrawing whisperer).
I have also intended to protect my private parts from lewdness (illegal intercourse).
I have intended in this marriage the amusement of the self and to bring joy to it through by companionship (with my spouse); looking, and playing freely and to bring comfort to the heart and strengthening it for worship.
I have intended in this marriage the relief of the nafs and cherish it through companionship, the pleasure that comes through gazing at one’s spouse, mutual foreplay, the repose that floods the heart and strengthening it for worshiping.
I have intended by it, the relieving of the heart from the worries of housekeeping, cooking, sweeping, making the bed, cleaning the dishes and taking care of lively duties.
I have intended by this marriage, to struggle with the nafs and to train it ‘through care and guardianship’, to fulfill the rights of the family and to be patient with their characters, to endure the harm that comes from them, to work towards making them good, to guide them to the religious path, to struggle to seek lawful earnings for them, to command them to discipline the children by also asking from Allah for it and success for his sake and to drop between his hands and to show the excessive need towards Him in gaining it.
I have intended all the previous for Allah Almighty.
I have intended all the previous and more from whatever I control, say and do in this marriage for Allah Almighty.
I have intended in this marriage whatever Your righteous servants and Your acting scholars have intended.
Allahumma, give us success as you have given them, help us as you have helped them. Overlook our shortcomings, accept [this] from us and do not entrust us to ourselves, even for the blink of an eye. Make good for us, all of the previous, by Your Grace and Generosity in good and in good health.
Allahumma, forgive us and have mercy upon us, be content with us and accept from us. Enter us into paradise and save us from the hell fire and make good all of our affairs.
Allahumma, grant me in everything—in this marriage and all of my affairs—Your Help, Blessing and Peace. Protect me from preoccupying myself with other than You and do not put obstacles between me and Your obedience and make this marriage sufficient and virtuous for me.
Allahumma, I—my moments of movement and stillness—am entrusted to You, so protect me; wherever I happen to be, take my affairs as You have taken the affairs of Your pious servants.
Allahumma, help us, together with our parents, children, spouses, our Shuyukh, our brothers, all our relatives, all those who come from the same womb as us, all those who have rights over us, and those who have the minimum of rights over us.
Allahumma, assist me in remembrance of You, gratitude towards You and excellence in You worship, O Lord of the Worlds.
Allahumma, guide us and grant us success, O Lord of the Worlds.
Allahumma, make us live this life by Your Book and the Sunnah, O the One who is Majestic and Noble.
Allahumma, we ask you by that which is accepted from us and by whatever brought us closer to You.
Ameen.
And send blessings and salutations, by Your Majesty, to the most noble of all envoys, Muhammad the seal of all prophets, his family and companions. And all praise is to Allah Lord of the Worlds.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Treading the Path of Humility
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We all want Paradise but always remember that entering Paradise is through the mercy of Allah, not through our works.
Imam Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "No one of you will be saved because of his deeds."
They (the companions) said: "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?"
He said: "Not even me, unless Allah bestows mercy upon me. So do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night, and adopt a moderate course, adopt a moderate course (he said it twice) whereby you will reach your target (Paradise)."
We should look at our works as incomplete and none of them is good enough, sincere enough or pure enough to present to Allah. Habeeb Abu Muhammad Al-Ajmi, one of the students of Hasan Al-Basri who was the student of Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them) used to say, "O my Lord, here I am with nothing whatsoever. My hands are chained up to my neck. I am being led to You like a slave who doesn't own anything whatsoever."
Hasan Al-Basri (may Allah be pleased with him) used to cry from fear of the Hellfire as if the Hellfire was only created for him. He believed that everyone will be safe except him. He was working with that attitude. He thinks goodly of others and he doesn't think goodly of himself and of his works.
Don't ever sit idle, always be prepared for death, for death is right next to you. Don't ever waste time. Have this presence of leaving this world in your mind.
The people who Allah talks about are doers of good and they pray tahajjud almost all night and they sleep little but before Fajr comes, they ask Allah for forgiveness, not for reward. We can expect reward for our good works because Allah is generous and we have good opinion of Allah but at the same time we don't take pride in our works and we don't depend on our works because we don't know if they have been accepted by Allah and we know that Allah sent these good works as gifts and He inspired us to do these works. So humble ourselves as what Habeeb Al-Ajmi said, we are His slaves who don't own anything whatsoever.
So, we should never never relax. Even if we are praying tahajjud all night, even if we are reciting Qur'an all the time, we should not depend on our works to enter Paradise, rather we should always depend on Allah alone. But we do the work and we ask Allah for forgiveness and mercy and we ask Allah to accept that work from us.
That's why Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail (may Allah give them peace) after doing something as great as building the Ka'bah, they were afraid that Allah won't accept from them and they asked Allah to accept their work as recorded for us in the Qur'an:
Until now the reward of a prayer in the Ka'bah is worth 100000 prayers in other places (except Masjid An-Nabawi in Madinah and Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem). This is a sign that Allah accepted their du'a.
Such is the humility of the Prophets and the righteous predecessors. With all the great works they have done and their du'as answered, that did not tempt them to believe they are someone special and that they would be saved in the Day of Judgement.
We love the righteous for the sake of Allah and we ask Allah to make us one of them and it is not difficult for Him.
May Allah grant us contentment, sincerity and humility before Him. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We all want Paradise but always remember that entering Paradise is through the mercy of Allah, not through our works.
Imam Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "No one of you will be saved because of his deeds."
They (the companions) said: "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?"
He said: "Not even me, unless Allah bestows mercy upon me. So do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night, and adopt a moderate course, adopt a moderate course (he said it twice) whereby you will reach your target (Paradise)."
We should look at our works as incomplete and none of them is good enough, sincere enough or pure enough to present to Allah. Habeeb Abu Muhammad Al-Ajmi, one of the students of Hasan Al-Basri who was the student of Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them) used to say, "O my Lord, here I am with nothing whatsoever. My hands are chained up to my neck. I am being led to You like a slave who doesn't own anything whatsoever."
Hasan Al-Basri (may Allah be pleased with him) used to cry from fear of the Hellfire as if the Hellfire was only created for him. He believed that everyone will be safe except him. He was working with that attitude. He thinks goodly of others and he doesn't think goodly of himself and of his works.
Don't ever sit idle, always be prepared for death, for death is right next to you. Don't ever waste time. Have this presence of leaving this world in your mind.
إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ وَعُيُونٍ ﴿١٥﴾ ءَاخِذِينَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَبْلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٦﴾ كَانُوا۟ قَلِيلًا مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ ﴿١٧﴾ وَبِٱلْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ ﴿١٨[Qur'an, Adh-Dhariyat 51:16-18]
Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs, (15) Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good. (16) They used to sleep but little of the night, (17) And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness, (18)
The people who Allah talks about are doers of good and they pray tahajjud almost all night and they sleep little but before Fajr comes, they ask Allah for forgiveness, not for reward. We can expect reward for our good works because Allah is generous and we have good opinion of Allah but at the same time we don't take pride in our works and we don't depend on our works because we don't know if they have been accepted by Allah and we know that Allah sent these good works as gifts and He inspired us to do these works. So humble ourselves as what Habeeb Al-Ajmi said, we are His slaves who don't own anything whatsoever.
So, we should never never relax. Even if we are praying tahajjud all night, even if we are reciting Qur'an all the time, we should not depend on our works to enter Paradise, rather we should always depend on Allah alone. But we do the work and we ask Allah for forgiveness and mercy and we ask Allah to accept that work from us.
That's why Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail (may Allah give them peace) after doing something as great as building the Ka'bah, they were afraid that Allah won't accept from them and they asked Allah to accept their work as recorded for us in the Qur'an:
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ ٱلْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ﴿١٢٧[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:127]
And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing. (127)
Until now the reward of a prayer in the Ka'bah is worth 100000 prayers in other places (except Masjid An-Nabawi in Madinah and Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem). This is a sign that Allah accepted their du'a.
Such is the humility of the Prophets and the righteous predecessors. With all the great works they have done and their du'as answered, that did not tempt them to believe they are someone special and that they would be saved in the Day of Judgement.
We love the righteous for the sake of Allah and we ask Allah to make us one of them and it is not difficult for Him.
May Allah grant us contentment, sincerity and humility before Him. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Friday, November 21, 2014
Revive the Sunnah -- Fortress of Protection From All Types of Evil
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The world around us is fraught with problems -- familial, financial, social, educational, political, environmental, etc. Trials are rife in this society. People seem to be stumbling a lot, suffering a lot. The good people are looking for solutions. But the solutions are there in the teachings of the last Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), if only we know and implement them.
"Verily, tribulations befall people due to their negligence and foolishness, and there is no other remedy for this except through the remembrance of Allah and beneficial knowledge."
We can't change the world overnight, but we can change ourselves today.
Begin reviving the sunnah of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) by doing some adhkar (remembrance of Allah) in the morning and evening and encourage your own family and close circle to do so.
Allah Almighty says,
First, whenever Allah addresses the believers, it is upon us to sit upright and listen attentively because we consider ourselves as believers.
Allah reminds us in this verse that the daily life of a believer is revolved around His remembrance (dhikrullah) from the time we wake up until we go to sleep at night. Unlike the five daily prayers, fasting, or hajj, dhikrullah is a form of worship for which there is no limit or defined quantity, no particular time or period, no defined posture or position, nor even the state of purity through ablution is required. Dhikrullah is required all the time, in all circumstances, whether one is traveling or is at home, whether one is healthy or ill, whether one is on land or at sea, whether it is day or night - dhikrullah is required all the time. Therefore no excuse is acceptable for neglecting dhikrullah except that one may have lost his senses and become unconscious. The merits, blessings and rewards for doing dhikr are also numerous.
The instruction of remembering Allah in abundance is given to show gratitude for all the blessings He has bestowed us, and we benefit by being grateful.
Allah has promised that if we are thankful, He will give us more. So thankfulness is the key to increase.
Allah Almighty says,
Imam Ahmad has reported from Abu ad-Darda' (رضي الله عنه) and that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to the noble companions 'Should I not tell you a thing that is better than all your deeds and is most acceptable to your Lord, and which would raise your grades, and is better than giving silver and gold in charity and alms and is also better than your embarking for Jihad wherein you face and kill the enemy and the enemy kills you? The noble companions and asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) about that thing. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, remembrance of Allah, the Mightiest the Most Glorious". (Ibn Kathir)
Let's busy our minds, hearts and tongues with remembrance of Allah instead of busy them with scandals, gossips, idle chats, argumentations, hatred, and those things that don't concern us (which are things that don't benefit us in the Hereafter), etc.
Fortress of Protection
Let's begin with these morning and evening adhkar of protection and add gradually with other adhkar as you progress.
1.
The person who recites this dhikr 7x in the morning and 7x in the evening Allah will suffice for him in regards to his worries in this world as well as the Hereafter. In other words Allah will remove all of his worries in this world as well as the Hereafter.
2.
3.
The person who recites this 3x in the morning and 3x in the evening, Allah will take it upon Himself to please the person in the Day of Resurrection.
There is no Muslim who says in the morning and the evening three times: “I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and with Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) as my Prophet, except that it will be a right upon Allah to please him on the Day of Judgment." (Ahmad)
4.
The person who recites this 100x in a single day, he will be rewarded the reward of emancipating or freeing 10 slaves and rewarded 100 reward and 100 sins will be erased from his account and he will be given protection from all types of evil such as from the devil and jinn.
5.
"O Allah, You are my Lord, none has the right to be worshipped except You, You created me and I am Your servant and I abide to Your covenant and promise as best I can, I take refuge in You from the evil of which I have committed. I acknowledge Your favor upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily none can forgive sin except You." [Al-Bukhari]
Then person who recites this in the evening and if he were to pass away that night, he will enter Jannah. And the person who recites this in the morning and if he were to pass away during the day, he will enter Jannah.
6. The greatest verse in the Qur'an is Ayatul Kursi. The person who recites this in the morning he will be offered a protection from all types of evil jinn and devil. And the person who recites this in the evening, he will be given protection throughout the night from all types of evil.
7. Of course, recite Surah Al-Kahf every Friday (and the first 10 and last 10 verses in the morning and evening) for it is a protection against the trial of the Dajjal.
Abu ad-Darda' (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever commits to memory the first ten Ayat of the Surah Al-Kahf, will be protected from (the trial of) Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist).'' [Muslim]
In another narration, the Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "(Whoever commits to memory) the last ten Ayat of Surat Al-Kahf, he will be protected from (the trial of) Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist).''
Ad-Dajjal will appear sometime before Yaum-ul-Qiyamah (Day of Judgment). Allah, the Almighty, will give him some supernatural powers the manifestation of which will shake the faith of many people. For this reason, this will be a serious trial. All Prophets warned their people against him. Our Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) also warned us against him and ordered us to guard ourselves from it and strictly advised us to seek Refuge of Allah against it. This Hadith tells us the way to save ourselves from Ad-Dajjal.
The recitation of the first or the last ten Ayat of Surat Al-Kahf, in the morning and evening, is very useful for this purpose.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: “The Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Whoever reads Surah al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, a light will shine for him from beneath his feet to the clouds of the sky, which will shine for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be forgiven (his sins) between the two Fridays.’”
Please spread the word.
"There is none who invites (others) towards guidance, except that for him shall be the rewards of all those who follow him - and this shall not in the slightest cause a reduction in their own rewards" said our beloved Prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam).
May Allah grant us tawfiq and Allah alone gives success. May Allah save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The world around us is fraught with problems -- familial, financial, social, educational, political, environmental, etc. Trials are rife in this society. People seem to be stumbling a lot, suffering a lot. The good people are looking for solutions. But the solutions are there in the teachings of the last Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), if only we know and implement them.
"Verily, tribulations befall people due to their negligence and foolishness, and there is no other remedy for this except through the remembrance of Allah and beneficial knowledge."
We can't change the world overnight, but we can change ourselves today.
Begin reviving the sunnah of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) by doing some adhkar (remembrance of Allah) in the morning and evening and encourage your own family and close circle to do so.
Allah Almighty says,
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا ﴿٤١﴾ وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا ﴿٤٢﴾ هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُصَلِّى عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتُهُۥ لِيُخْرِجَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ ۚ وَكَانَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًا ﴿٤٣[Qur'an, Al-Ahzab 33:41-43]
O you who have believed, remember Allah abundantly (41) And exalt Him morning and afternoon. (42) It is He who confers blessing upon you, and His angels [ask Him to do so] that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light. And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful. (43)
First, whenever Allah addresses the believers, it is upon us to sit upright and listen attentively because we consider ourselves as believers.
Allah reminds us in this verse that the daily life of a believer is revolved around His remembrance (dhikrullah) from the time we wake up until we go to sleep at night. Unlike the five daily prayers, fasting, or hajj, dhikrullah is a form of worship for which there is no limit or defined quantity, no particular time or period, no defined posture or position, nor even the state of purity through ablution is required. Dhikrullah is required all the time, in all circumstances, whether one is traveling or is at home, whether one is healthy or ill, whether one is on land or at sea, whether it is day or night - dhikrullah is required all the time. Therefore no excuse is acceptable for neglecting dhikrullah except that one may have lost his senses and become unconscious. The merits, blessings and rewards for doing dhikr are also numerous.
The instruction of remembering Allah in abundance is given to show gratitude for all the blessings He has bestowed us, and we benefit by being grateful.
Allah has promised that if we are thankful, He will give us more. So thankfulness is the key to increase.
Allah Almighty says,
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ[Qur'an Ibrahim 14:7]
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' " (7)
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٧٣[Qur'an An-Naml 27:73]
And indeed, your Lord is full of bounty for the people, but most of them do not show gratitude." (73)
Imam Ahmad has reported from Abu ad-Darda' (رضي الله عنه) and that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to the noble companions 'Should I not tell you a thing that is better than all your deeds and is most acceptable to your Lord, and which would raise your grades, and is better than giving silver and gold in charity and alms and is also better than your embarking for Jihad wherein you face and kill the enemy and the enemy kills you? The noble companions and asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) about that thing. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, remembrance of Allah, the Mightiest the Most Glorious". (Ibn Kathir)
Let's busy our minds, hearts and tongues with remembrance of Allah instead of busy them with scandals, gossips, idle chats, argumentations, hatred, and those things that don't concern us (which are things that don't benefit us in the Hereafter), etc.
Fortress of Protection
Let's begin with these morning and evening adhkar of protection and add gradually with other adhkar as you progress.
1.
حَسْبِـيَ اللّهُ لا إلهَ إلاّ هُوَ عَلَـيهِ تَوَكَّـلتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ العَرْشِ العَظـيمAllah is Sufficient for me, none has the right to be worshipped except Him, upon Him I rely and He is Lord of the exalted throne. [Abu Dawood]
Hasbiyal-lahu la ilaha illa huwa, AAalayhi tawakkalt, wahuwa rabbul-AAarshil-AAatheem
The person who recites this dhikr 7x in the morning and 7x in the evening Allah will suffice for him in regards to his worries in this world as well as the Hereafter. In other words Allah will remove all of his worries in this world as well as the Hereafter.
2.
بسم الله الذي لا يضر مع اسمه شيء في الأرض ولا في السماء وهو السميع العليم"In the name of Allah with Whose Name there can be no harm in the earth or in the heavens and He is the Hearer the Knower” whoever says it three times in the morning and three times in the evening, nothing will harm him." [Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad]
3.
رَضِيتُ باللهِ رَبَّاً، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِيناً، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَى اللهُ عَلِيهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَبِيَّاً"I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and with Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as my Prophet.”
The person who recites this 3x in the morning and 3x in the evening, Allah will take it upon Himself to please the person in the Day of Resurrection.
There is no Muslim who says in the morning and the evening three times: “I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and with Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) as my Prophet, except that it will be a right upon Allah to please him on the Day of Judgment." (Ahmad)
4.
لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ"None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, He has no partner, His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things." [Muslim]
Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer
The person who recites this 100x in a single day, he will be rewarded the reward of emancipating or freeing 10 slaves and rewarded 100 reward and 100 sins will be erased from his account and he will be given protection from all types of evil such as from the devil and jinn.
5.
اللّهـمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّـي لا إلهَ إلاّ أَنْتَ ، خَلَقْتَنـي وَأَنا عَبْـدُك ، وَأَنا عَلـى عَهْـدِكَ وَوَعْـدِكَ ما اسْتَـطَعْـت ، أَعـوذُبِكَ مِنْ شَـرِّ ما صَنَـعْت ، أَبـوءُ لَـكَ بِنِعْـمَتِـكَ عَلَـيَّ وَأَبـوءُ بِذَنْـبي فَاغْفـِرْ لي فَإِنَّـهُ لا يَغْـفِرُ الذُّنـوبَ إِلاّ أَنْتَ
Allahumma anta rabbee la ilaha illa ant, khalaqtanee wa-ana AAabduk, wa-ana AAala AAahdika wawaAAdika mas-tataAAt, aAAoothu bika min sharri ma sanaAAt, aboo-o laka biniAAmatika AAalay, wa-aboo-o bithanbee, faghfir lee fa-innahu la yaghfiruth-thunooba illa ant
"O Allah, You are my Lord, none has the right to be worshipped except You, You created me and I am Your servant and I abide to Your covenant and promise as best I can, I take refuge in You from the evil of which I have committed. I acknowledge Your favor upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily none can forgive sin except You." [Al-Bukhari]
Then person who recites this in the evening and if he were to pass away that night, he will enter Jannah. And the person who recites this in the morning and if he were to pass away during the day, he will enter Jannah.
6. The greatest verse in the Qur'an is Ayatul Kursi. The person who recites this in the morning he will be offered a protection from all types of evil jinn and devil. And the person who recites this in the evening, he will be given protection throughout the night from all types of evil.
ٱللَّـهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ﴿٢٥٥"Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. (255)" [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:255]
7. Of course, recite Surah Al-Kahf every Friday (and the first 10 and last 10 verses in the morning and evening) for it is a protection against the trial of the Dajjal.
Abu ad-Darda' (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever commits to memory the first ten Ayat of the Surah Al-Kahf, will be protected from (the trial of) Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist).'' [Muslim]
In another narration, the Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "(Whoever commits to memory) the last ten Ayat of Surat Al-Kahf, he will be protected from (the trial of) Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist).''
Ad-Dajjal will appear sometime before Yaum-ul-Qiyamah (Day of Judgment). Allah, the Almighty, will give him some supernatural powers the manifestation of which will shake the faith of many people. For this reason, this will be a serious trial. All Prophets warned their people against him. Our Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) also warned us against him and ordered us to guard ourselves from it and strictly advised us to seek Refuge of Allah against it. This Hadith tells us the way to save ourselves from Ad-Dajjal.
The recitation of the first or the last ten Ayat of Surat Al-Kahf, in the morning and evening, is very useful for this purpose.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: “The Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Whoever reads Surah al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, a light will shine for him from beneath his feet to the clouds of the sky, which will shine for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be forgiven (his sins) between the two Fridays.’”
Please spread the word.
"There is none who invites (others) towards guidance, except that for him shall be the rewards of all those who follow him - and this shall not in the slightest cause a reduction in their own rewards" said our beloved Prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam).
May Allah grant us tawfiq and Allah alone gives success. May Allah save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)