Stick To The Sunnah

“What is your Manhaj” is one of the most absurd questions I have ever come across in my life. It is like asking, “how are you haluka?” or, “kaifa are you doing?”. These sentences do not make any sense. Half English half Arabic! This is a loaded question, to trick innocent Muslims because, the listener understands the “What is your…” part. However, the “manhaj” part is the one that throws everyone off. On the one hand a person is trying to understand the question, and on top of that one is faced with the dilemma of translating or understanding the meaning of ‘manhaj’.

It should be understood - with certainty - that there is no evidence in Sahih Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, where the noble messenger of Allah (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) asked such a question. He (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) was simple, straightforward and clear; delivering the message to guide people towards the straight path with truth. Whenever enthusiastic Muslims, trained and brain-washed, ask the question, “What is your manhaj?” One should demand that the questioner provide the evidence from Sahih Hadith where such a question was asked by the noble messenger of Allah (sallahu alayhi wa sallam). This question is manufactured, loaded and aimed at misleading, misguiding and insulting the intellect of the common Muslim. The Arabic word “Manhaj” comes from the root word “nahaja” (he followed), and the noun “nahaj” - means “path / way”. To understand this word clearly let me put this word in a sentence. In Arabic, “Yanhaju manhaj ar-rasoollahi sallahu alayhi wa sallam” - He is following (yanhaju) the way (manhaj) of the prophet Muhammed (sallahu alayhi wa sallam). Anyone who speaks Arabic should know full well that the question, “Maa Manhaj?” (what path) - is a phrase not a sentence. It means nothing. Now if I asked the question, “Maa Manhajuka?” (What is your way?). This is a meaningful sentence but vague in nature, because “manhaj” is a word that applies to any path. So, the question is still vague. It is noteworthy at this point to compare this question “what is your manhaj” to the question that will be asked in the angels of the grave (Munkar and Nakeer). The question in the grave will be, “Maa Deenuka? (What is your deen). It is interesting to know that even the Angel of Death will not ask the question “Maa Manhajuka?”. It is very unfortunate that we have Muslims running around harrassing, rather insulting, people with a question as if answering this is vital to entering into paradise. The answer is that anyone who knowingly asks this question is dangerously following the manhaj, meaning the way, of the Jews.

This is their habit. They ask seemingly intelligent questions with the intention of misguiding people. But let us go a bit further so that we can treat this problem and not leave it alone. If you are asked, “What is your Manhaj?”, I would simply recite the following verses of the Quran from Surah Fatiha, “Siraatal ladheena an’amta alayhim”.

This is the answer given by Allah Almighty regarding the path / way / nahaj / manhaj / tareeqa / road; to put it SIMPLY “siraatal mustaqeem” - the straight path. Isn’t that what we all want? Now compare the deceitful question “What is your manhaj” to the words of Allah almighty who asks the same question and answers this as following:

“Ihdee nasiraatal mustaqeem” - guide us unto the straight path (meaning the right manhaj <——— it should be noted that this word has never been used in the Quran to describe guidance; absolutely nowhere in the Quran!)

“Siraatal ladheena” - The path of THOSE (He didn’t say Path of Quran and Sahih Hadith, or follow ONLY the Quran and Sahih Bukhari)

“an’amta alayhim” - “THOSE, means people. A group that has been“favored” by Allah almighty. So who are they? Obviously the prophets and Imam-ul-Ambiya (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his esteemed companions (the sahaba).

May Allah keep our deen intact and protect our faith from distortions.

Where is Allah?

compiled by Abu Abdullah from ‘The Ever-Merciful Istawaa Upon the Throne’ by Shaikh Abdullah As-Sabt

Important: I apologize for not mentioning the salaam on the Prophet next to his name. So we give salaam and blessings (sala Allah alehi wasalam) of Allah upon the Messenger and we say that may Allah be pleased with the companions (radi Allah anhum) and may Allah’s mercy be upon the imams and scholars (rahmat Allah alehum).

The Importance of the Issue

1.The Quran

2.The Sunnah

3.The Ijma’ of the Sahaba and their sayings

4.The sayings of the Tabiyeen and Tabe-tabiyeen

5.The sayings of the Imams (including Abul Hasan al-Ashari)

6.Logical reasoning.

7.Conclusion

Importance of the Topic

The importance of this topic is directly related to the importance of Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) and the perfection of Tawheed in one’s life and actions. As a scholar of old said that whoever does not know where His Creator is does not worship Him.

Another importance reason for this topic is to refute the groups of innovation who have distorted the teachings of Islam and distorted the words and attributes of Allah. Among them, the Sufis for instance, claim that Allah is everywhere. They keep harping on this same tone until they make people believe that what they claim is truth and undisputed truth. However, despite their unfounded contention, the books of hadith and scholars, nay the book of Quran-the actual speech of Allah is itself filled with verse upon verse refuting the heretic concept of Allah, the Omniscient, the Omnipotent being everywhere in His Glorified Essence. Rather this heresy is nothing but disbelief as will be explicitly proven in this short treatise, and this belief amounts to no less than pantheism-the belief that God is everywhere, in everything.

The main sources of Islam will be touched upon, gathering proof after proof to the answer to the question of where Allah is. The last topic of discussion-logical reasoning is the weakest proof in Islam but for those out there, who find it hard to accept the word of Allah, the words of Rasul, the Sahaba, the Imams, then they can not even rely upon their minds to proof their claims of Allah being everywhere. In order, this article will intend to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Allah is above the Heavens, separate from the creation but among his creation by His Hearing (as-Samiy), His Seeing (al-Baseer) and His Knowledge (al-Aleem).

Evidences from the Qur’an

As mentioned earlier, the Qur’an is full of both explicit and implicit proofs. Among the implicit proofs are the several verses that mention of deeds and Jesus being raised to Allah. Obviously, only what is below is raised or ascends. As Allah says, the meaning of which is:

“And when Allah said: ‘O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself’.”[3:55]

“To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds lift them.”[35:10]

“From Allah, the Lord of the Places of Ascent, the angels and the Ruh (Gabriel) ascend to Him in a day the measure whereof is of fifty thousand years.”[70:3-4]

And there are many other verses of similar nature but the above should suffice in making the point. Among the explicit verses, there are several other verses that mention clearly that their Lord is above them

“And He is the Subduer, above His slaves, and He is the All-Wise, Well Acquainted with all things.”[6:18]

And even more clearer:

“Do you feel secure that He, Who is fis-sama (above the heavens), will not cause the earth to sink…Or do you feel secure that He, Who is fis-sama (above the heavens) will not send against you a violent whirlwind?” [67:16-17]

It is important to point out here that the literal translation of ‘fis-sama’ is ‘in’ the heavens. The scholars of tafseer have explained it according to the Arabic language for ‘fi’ in this context to have the meaning of above as it is not possible for Allah to be surrounded by His creation i.e. the heavens. Also, sometimes the word ‘fi’ is used in the meaning of ‘ala’ (on) as mentioned in another verse:

“I will surely crucify you ‘fi’ (on) the trunks of palm-trees.”[20:71]

Now, obviously the ‘fi’ in this verse refers not to ‘in’ but to ‘on’ as one cannot be crucified within a trunk!

The other interpretation is based on the variant meanings of the word ‘Sama’ which in Arabic can refers to that which is elevated-the higher, or uppermost of anything (the Muhkam). It can also refer to the ceiling of a house, to the sky, to the heavens and to elevation and transcendence. The meaning should not be, hence, confused with its predominant acceptation, a word of well-known meaning: the sky-the canopy of the earth (taj al-aroos). Hence, the verse could be translated as the one Who is in transcendence to all creation which in essence, has the same meaning of being above the heavens.

Evidences from the Sunnah (the Way) of the Prophet

The sunnah of the Prophet is the explanation of the Quran. One cannot take the Quran alone without letting the sunnah tag along. Like the Quran, the Prophet made it extremely clear the truth on this matter of where Allah is. Some of the ahadith on this matter are quoted next:

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Messenger said, “Whoever donates the equal of a date from whatever was collected righteously, and only good is ascended to Allah, then, He will accept it (the charity) with His Right and raise it for its giver till it becomes like a mountain.” [Bukhari]

More clear:

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As related that the Messenger said, “Allah grants mercy to the merciful. Be merciful to those who are on the earth, (then) He Who is fis-Sama (above the heavens) will be merciful to you.” [Abu Dawood & At-Tirmidhi]

Even more clearer:

Jabir ibn Abdillah said: “The Messenger of Allah said in his speech on the day of Arafah: ‘Did I convey (the Message).’ They said: ‘Yes.’ While raising his finger to the sky and then pointing at them, he said: ‘O my Lord, be a witness.” [Muslim]

And the Muslims of today have the audacity to say that Allah is everywhere when their own Messenger pointed nowhere except to the sky above him in this clear hadith. I ask you, O Muslims, if you were to sit in front of me and I were to refer to you, would not I point directly to you and NOT the ground or to the sky to do so? So, why is it then when the Prophet points to the sky above him to refer to Allah we do not understand from this that Allah was above him, is above you and all his creations? Why do we wonder any more?

Finally, justice cannot be done to this topic without mentioning the hadith about the slave-girl, whose faith was affirmed by just two questions, one being ‘Where is Allah?’:

Muawiyah bin Al-Hakam As-Salmi said:

“I had a slave-girl who used to herd sheep for me. One day I discovered that a wolf had killed one of her sheep, and I’m a man from the children of Adam, I get upset like they get upset, and I slapped her in the face. Then I went to the Prophet who impressed upon me the seriousness of my act. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should I not set her free?’ He said, ‘Bring her to me.’ He asked her, ‘Where is Allah’, She said, ‘He is above the heavens.’ He said, ‘Who am I?’ She said, ‘You are the Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Free her, for she is a believer.’ (Muslim and Abu Dawud)

Among the benefits inherent to this hadith (as mentioned by Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno in ‘The Pillars of Islam and Iman’- pub. Maktaba Dar-as-Salaam) are:

1. The Companions of the Prophet used to refer to him all of their problems, whether minor or major. Hence, all issues for judgment should be referred to Allah and His Messenger, acting upon the Statement of Allah :

   “But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Mohammed) a judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.” (V.4: 65)

2. The Prophet reproached the Companion for slapping the slave-girl and considered it a serious matter.
3. Belief is a condition for freeing a slave and since the Prophet allowed her to be free, she had to be judged a believer by the Prophet otherwise she would continue to be a slave.
4. The necessity of asking about Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism); and part of it is the belief that Allah is above His Throne, knowledge of this being mandatory.
5. The legitimacy of asking “Where is Allah?”; the fact that asking such is actually Sunnah, since the Prophet himself did not hesitate asking about it.
6. The obligation of replying that Allah is above the heavens, since the Prophet affirmed the reply of the slave girl and it also goes along with the Statement of Allah in the Quran:

   “Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allah), will not cause the earth to sink with you?” (V. 67: 16)

7. The correctness of Belief includes the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
8. The belief that Allah is above the heaven indicates soundness of one’s Belief, and it is mandatory on every believer to accept this position.
9. The refutation of the erroneous belief that Allah is in every place by His Essence. The truth is that Allah is with us by His Knowledge not by His Supreme Self.
10. The fact that the Prophet ordered for the slave-girl to be brought to her to allow him to test her shows that he did not possess the knowledge of the unseen [except of what Allah informed him. This refutes the claim of many Sufis and other Muslims that the Prophet had complete knowledge of the unseen].

The Ijma of the Sahaba and Their Sayings

As Muslims, we have three main sources of our deen. Two have already been mentioned. The third is Ijma’ of the Sahaba because the Sahaba would never agree on falsehood. Let us examine some statements from this generation:

From the first Khalifa:

Abu Bakr As-Sideeq said: “Whoever worshipped Mohammed, Mohammed has died. Whoever worshipped Allah, Allah is Alive fis-Sama (above the heavens), and death does not touch Him.” [Ad-Darimi in Ar-Radd ‘Alal-Jahmiyyah].

Other than stating that Allah is indeed above the Heavens, Abu Bakr made another important refutation here. And that is to refute all those who say that Mohammed is actually alive and we can direct our dua’ to him or that he can become a source of shifa’ (intercession) or wasila (nearness to Allah) in this life. Indeed, the Prophet will be a shifa’ for the Muslims on the Day of Judgment and indeed following the sunnah of Allah and His Rasul will be a source of wasila in this life but asking the Prophet for intercession in this life or seeking his help in nearness to Allah by saying ‘O Mohammed, bring us nearer to Allah’ or ‘O Mohammed, we ask Allah to grant so and so for your sake’ is nothing but falsehood and goes against Tawheed.

From the second Khalifa:

Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Syria riding on his camel. The companions said to him: “O leader of the believers, will you not ride a Birthoun (a jade, horse of mean, non Arab breed) so you may be intercepted by the great and noted people.” Umar replied: “Do I not see you from here? Verily the matter comes from here” (and he pointed with his hand to the sky). [Ibn Qayyim in Ijtima al-Joyush al-Islamiyyah]

The Sayings of the Tabiyeen and the Tabe-Tabiyeen

The second generation after the companions (tabiyeen) continued the firmness in matters of Aqeedah. There are too many to enumerate. A few examples include Marwan, Qatadah, Sulayman, Al-Taymi, Muqatil and so on. [Al-Uluw by At-Thahabee]

And we continue to see the same thinking in the next generation (the tabe-tabiyeen). As narrated by Al-Bayhaqi:

“We used to say, while at-Tabiyeen were still many, that Allah, all praise to Him, is upon His Throne. We believe in what the Sunnah has told us of His Attributes.” [Al-Uluw by At-Thahabee].

And as Muslims we know that the throne of Allah is above the heavens and the earth.

The Sayings of the Imam (including Abul Hasan al-Ashari)

The Imams of the four famous madhabs were not fearful of making the truth known. Nay, they would never be afraid of spreading the true knowledge. We start by the saying of Imam Abu-Haneefa which in itself sums up the importance of this whole treatise:

“Whoever says that he does not know whether His Lord is above the heavens or on earth is a disbeliever (kafir!), because Allah has said (meaning): ‘The Ever-Merciful Istawa (rose) upon His Throne’ [20-5]. And His Throne is above the seven heavens.” Abu Muti al-Balkhi asked him: “What if says that yes Allah is upon His Throne but he does not know whether the throne is above the earth or on earth itself?” To which Abu Haneefa replied, “He is (still) a disbeliever (kafir), because he rejected that Allah is above the heavens , and that the creation make supplications above to their Lord and not downward.” [At-Thahabee in Al-Uluw]

Is there need to say more? But let us continue with Imam Shafi (who mentions about what Imam Malik too believed) who said:

“The sunnah that we follow along with our companions, followers of hadith whom I met and took knowledge from, like Sufiyan, Imam Malik, and others, is that we believe that there is no god except Allah and that Mohammed is His Messenger. And that Allah , the Praised One, is upon His Throne fis-sama (above the heavens). He comes closer to His slaves as He wills. Allah descends to the lower heaven as He wills.” [At-Thahabee in Al-Uluw]

No other Imam has sayings about Istawa than Imam of As-Sunnah Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He wrote his famous book, Ar-Radd ala al-Jahmiyyah. Please refer to this book for countless arguments on this issue.

It is benefit to mention the sayings of Imam Abul Hasan al-Ashari quite prominently as he was unjustly accused of sayings which he later refuted and disowned, while adhering to the belief of the righteous group of ahl-Sunnah wal Jamah. In his book ‘Ibanah’ (the Clarification), al-Ashari clearly refutes many of the sayings of the ‘followers’ of the Imam. What strangeness then, that the leader of the Asha’ris denies himself most of this group’s sayings and beliefs? How even more strange that Imam al-Ashari recanted all his false beliefs while his ‘followers’ wish to still hold fast onto these? Imam Abul Hasan al-Ashari says in ‘Ibanah’:

“If one asks me what I say about al-Istawa (Allah’s rising upon the throne)? We say to him: ‘Allah Istawa ala (rose upon) His Throne. Allah said so meaning of which is: The Ever-Merciful Istawa (rose) upon His Throne’ [20-5]. Some of the Mu’tazilah, al-jahmiyyah and Khawarij said about this verse that it means He captured, overpowered and owned (the Throne), and that Allah is everywhere; they denied the possibility that Allah is upon His Throne as the righteous people affirm Him to be; and they took the ‘Istawa’ (the settling) to symbolize power. If it were as they asserted, then what difference would there be between the Throne and the earth?”

How true are these statements. Yet we continue to find in many of today’s translations of the Quran the same disease of mistranslation and denying the attributes of Allah. How many of us would continue to say confidently that Allah is everywhere making nothing but a statement of pantheism and shirk (polytheism).

And At-Tirmidhi, the great muhaditheen said: “He is above the Throne as He described in His Book. His Knowledge, Power, and Lordship are everywhere.” [Al-fatawa by Ibn Taymeeah]

And behold, think about the following statement from the great scholar Ibn Khuzaymah:

“Whoever does not affirm that Allah is above His heavens, upon His Throne and that He is distinct from His creation; must be forced to repent. If he does not repent, then he must be beheaded and then thrown into a garbage dump, so that the Muslims and the Ahl-Dhimma (the Christians and the Jew) will not suffer from his stinking smell.” [Al-Hakim in Al-Marifah].

Logical Reasoning

Some people who are devoid of the light of faith in their hearts, those who still yearn to follow their aql (intellect) in matters of deen will perhaps understand this concept through their own medicine, i.e., logical reasoning through aql. The following should be enough to close all questions about this topic if one can be so proud to reject the previous proofs. After having exposed this group’s refutation of what the best generations of Islam believed in, we will now expose even the logic of the deniers of truth:

The evidence mentioned in the previous chapter either indicates, or does not indicate that Allah is everywhere .

(a) If it does not indicate that Allah is everywhere, then they can no longer use it for argument.

(b) If it does indicate (that Allah is everywhere), then logical evidence, or discerned evidence (from ayat or ahadeeth) will either emerge to indicate, or not to indicate the conspicuous falseness (of claiming that Allah is everywhere).

(c) If (a) is true, then this is our proof that their claim, that Allah is everywhere, is false.

(d) If(b) is true, then [we tell them]: you are, therefore, obliged to say that Allah is everywhere; and you are further obliged to say that Allah is in garbage dumps, people’s stomachs, and in rest rooms. May Allah be highly exalted above that, and may Allah curse him who has drawn us to have to write this.

(e) If you say that Allah is not in these dirty places because He is praised from such, then we say: “Where is your proof?” If via the discerned evidence it becomes apparent to you that He is every place, and these dirty places are places, then He must be there. And you cannot exclude places without textual proof (discerned evidence), and that is not to be found; therefore, these texts must imply one meaning which is that it is with His knowledge that Allah is with us, wherever we are.

Conclusion

Many a ayat in the Quran are used by the liars and heretics to prove their claim that Allah is everywhere. Among them are the verses pointing to Allah’s closeness to His Creation to the point of being closer than the jugular vein. But how then, if one accepts that this is proof that Allah is everywhere, will one refute all the countless arguments/verses/ahadith that were presented here. Is it then that there is contradiction in the Book of Allah, the Sunnah and that all the Imams and the scholars have preached falsehood? No rather the claim that Allah is everywhere is misinterpretation to the point of being disbelief. These verses merely point to the fact that Allah is everywhere but only by His Knowledge, His Seeing, His Hearing and His Power. Only this explanation will allow one to be in compliance with all the other proofs from the Quran, the Sunnah and the Ijma of the companions.

There are numerous evidences to prove our belief, (that Allah is upon the Throne). We end this discussion with what Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said to a Jahmi: “On the Day of Resurrection, Won’t there be Paradise, Hell-fire, the Throne, and the Air?” The Jahmi replied: “Yes.” Ahmad said: “Then where will our Lord be?” The Jahmi replied: “He will be everywhere and in everything as He was in this life …” Ahmad said: “Then, according to you: that of Allah which was upon the Throne, will be upon the Throne, and that of Allah which was in Paradise, will be in Paradise, and that of Allah which was in Hell-fire, will be in Hell-fire, and that of Allah which was in the Air, will be in the Air? It was at that point that their lying about Allah, whose praise is exalted became clear.” [Ar-Radd ‘Ala Az-Zanadiqah]. 

The Sunnahs that the Muslim should observe on the day of Eid are as follows: 

1 – Doing ghusl before going out to the prayer. 

It was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth in al-Muwatta’ and elsewhere that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar used to do ghusl on the day of al-Fitr before going out to the prayer-place in the morning. Al-Muwatta’ 428. 

Al- Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said that the Muslims were unanimously agreed that it is mustahabb to do ghusl for Eid prayer. 

The reason why it is mustahabb is the same reason as that for doing ghusl before Jumu’ah and other public gatherings. Rather on Eid the reason is even stronger. 

2 – Eating before going out to pray on Eid al-Fitr and after the prayer on Eid al-Adha: 

Part of the etiquette is not to go out to pray on Eid al-Fitr until one has eaten some dates, because of the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari from Anas ibn Maalik, who said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used not to go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates… of which he would eat an odd number. Al-Bukhaari, 953. 

It is mustahabb to eat before going out to emphasize the fact that it is forbidden to fast on that day and to demonstrate that the fast has ended. 

Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) suggested that the reason for that was so as to ward off the possibility of adding to the fast, and to hasten to obey the command of Allaah. Al-Fath, 2/446 

Whoever does not have any dates may break his fast with anything that is permissible. 

But on Eid al-Adha it is mustahabb not to eat anything until one comes back from the prayer, so he should eat from the udhiyah if he has offered a sacrifice. If he is not going to offer a sacrifice there is nothing wrong with eating before the prayer. 

3 – Takbeer on the day of Eid 

This is one of the greatest Sunnahs on the day of Eid because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“(He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allaah [i.e. to say Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar: Allaah is the Most Great)] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him”

[al-Baqarah 2:185] 

It was narrated that al-Waleed ibn Muslim said: I asked al-Awzaa’i and Maalik ibn Anas about saying Takbeer out loud on the two Eids. They said, Yes, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar used to say it out loud on the day of al-Fitr until the imam came out (to lead the prayers). 

It was narrated in a saheeh report that ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sulami said, “They emphasized it more on the day of al-Fitr than the day of al-Adha.”. Wakee’ said, this refers to the takbeer. See Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 3/122/ 

Al-Daaraqutni and others narrated that on the morning of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, Ibn ‘Umar would strive hard in reciting takbeer until he came to the prayer place, then he would recite takbeer until the imam came out. 

Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated with a saheeh isnaad that al-Zuhri said: The people used to recite Takbeer on Eid when they came out of their houses until they came to the prayer place, and until the imam came out. When the imam came out they fell silent, and when he said takbeer they said takbeer. See Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 1/121 

Saying takbeer when coming out of one’s house to the prayer place and until the imam came out was something that was well known among the salaf (early generations). This has been narrated by a number of scholars such as Ibn Abi Shaybah, ‘Abd a l-Razzaaq and al-Firyaabi in Ahkaam al-Eidayn from a group of the salaf. For example, Naafi’ ibn Jubayr used to recite takbeer and was astonished that the people did not do so, and he said, “Why do you not recite takbeer?” 

Ibn Shihaab al-Zuhri (may Allaah have mercy on him) used to say, “The people used to recite takbeer from the time they came out of their houses until the imam came in.” 

The time for takbeer on Eid al-Fitr starts from the night before Eid until the imam enters to lead the Eid prayer. 

In the case of Eid al-Adha, the takbeer begins on the first day of Dhu’l-Hijjah and lasts until sunset on the last of the days of tashreeq. 

Description of the takbeer: 

It was narrated in the Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he used to recite takbeer during the days of tashreeq: 

Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar, Allaah akbar, wa Lillaah il-hamd (Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is most Great, there is no god but Allaah, Allaah is Most great, Allaah is most great, and to Allaah be praise). 

It was also narrated elsewhere by Ibn Abi Shaybah with the same isnaad, but with the phrase “Allaahu akbar” repeated three times. 

Al-Mahaamili narrated with a saheeh isnaad also from Ibn Mas’ood: “Allaahu akbaru kabeera, Allaahu akbaru kabeera, Allaahu akbar wa ajallu, Allaahu akbar wa Lillaah il-hamd (Allaah is Most Great indeed, Allaah is Most Great indeed, Allaah is most Great and Glorified, Allaah is Most Great and to Allaah be praise).” See al-Irwa’, 3/126. 

4 – Offering congratulations 

The etiquette of Eid also includes the congratulations and good wishes exchanged by people, no matter what the wording, such as saying to one another Taqabbala Allaah minna wa minkum (May Allaah accept (good deeds) from us and from you” or “Eid mubaarak” and other permissible expressions of congratulations. 

It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Nufayr said: When the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) met one another on the day of Eid, they would say to one another, “May Allaah accept (good deeds) from us and from you.” Ibn Hajar said, its isnaad is hasan. Al-Fath, 2/446. 

Offering congratulations was something that was well known among the Sahaabah, and scholars such as Imam Ahmad and others allowed it. There is evidence which suggests that it is prescribed to offer congratulations and good wishes on special occasions, and that the Sahaabah congratulated one another when good things happened, such as when Allaah accepted the repentance of a man, they went and congratulated him for that, and so on. 

Undoubtedly these congratulations are among the noble characteristics among the Muslims. 

The least that may be said concerning the subject of congratulations is that you should return the greetings of those who congratulate you on Eid, and keep quiet if others keep quiet, as Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If anyone congratulates you, then respond, otherwise do not initiate it. 

5 – Adorning oneself on the occasion of Eid. 

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that ‘Umar took a brocade cloak that was for sale in the market and brought it to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, buy this and adorn yourself with it for Eid and for receiving the delegations.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, “Rather this is the dress of one who has no share (of piety or of reward in the Hereafter)…” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 948. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) agreed with ‘Umar on the idea of adorning oneself for Eid, but he denounced him for choosing this cloak because it was made of silk. 

It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had a cloak which he would wear on the two Eids and on Fridays. Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, 1756, 

Al-Bayhaqi narrated with a saheeh isnaad that Ibn ‘Umar used to wear his best clothes on Eid. 

So a man should wear the best clothes that he has when going out for Eid. 

With regard to women, they should avoid adorning themselves when they go out for Eid, because they are forbidden to show off their adornments to non-mahram men. It is also haraam for a woman who wants to go out to put on perfume or to expose men to temptation, because they are only going out for the purpose of worship. 

6 – Going to the prayer by one route and returning by another. 

It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: On the day of Eid, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to vary his route. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 986. 

It was said that the reason for that was so that the two routes would testify for him on the Day of Resurrection, for the earth will speak on the Day of Resurrection and say what was done on it, both good and bad. 

And it was said that it was in order to manifest the symbols of Islam on both routes, or to manifest the remembrance of Allaah (dhikr), or to annoy the hypocrites and Jews, and to scare them with the large number of people who were with him. And it was said that it was in order to attend to the people’s needs, to answer their questions, teach them, set an example and give charity to the needy, or to visit his relatives and uphold the ties of kinship.

 And Allaah knows best.

     There are many Sunnahs of fasting, including the following: 

1 – It is Sunnah if someone insults you to respond in a better manner and say, “I am fasting,” because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fasting is a paradise so there should be no obscene or offensive talk or behaviour. If a person fights him or insults him, let him say, ‘I am fasting,’ twice. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better before Allaah then the fragrance of musk. [Allaah says:] ‘He gives up his food, drink and desire for My sake. Fasting is for Me and I will reward for it, and a good deed receives the reward of ten like it.’” Al-Bukhaari, no. 1894; Muslim, 1151. 

2 – It is Sunnah for the fasting person to eat suhoor, because it was proven in al-Saheehayn that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Eat suhoor for in suhoor there is blessing.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1923; Muslim, 1059). 

3 – It is Sunnah to delay suhoor because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari from Anas from Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “We ate suhoor with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he got up to pray.” I said: “How much time was there between the adhaan and suhoor?” He said: “The time it takes to recite fifty verses.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1921). 

4 – It is Sunnah to hasten to break the fast because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The people will continue to be fine so long as they hasten to break the fast.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1957; Muslim, 1098).  

5 – It is Sunnah to break the fast with fresh dates; if none are available then with dry dates; if none are available then with water – because of the hadeeth of Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to break his fast with fresh dates before praying; if there were no (fresh dates) then with dry dates, and if there were no (dried dates) then he would take a few sips of water.

(Nararted by Abu Dawood, no. 2356; al-Tirmidhi, 696; classed as hasan in al-Irwa’, 4/45) 

6 – It is Sunnah when breaking the fast to say what is narrated in the hadeeth, which is to say Bismillaah. This is obligatory according to the correct view because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined that. The words “Allaahumma laka sumtu wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu, Allaahumma taqabbal minni, innaka antaal-samee’ al-‘aleem (O Allaah, for You I have fasted and with Your provision I have broken my fast, O Allaah accept (this fast) from me for You are the All-Hearing, All-Knowing) are da’eef (weak), as stated by Ibn al-Qayyim (Zaad al-Ma’aad, 2/51).  There is also another report: “Dhahaba al-‘zama’ wa abtallat al-‘urooq wa thabata al-ajr in sha Allaah (the thirst is gone, the veins have been moistened and the reward is assured, if Allaah wills).” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2357; al-Bayhaqi, 4/239; classed as hasan in al-Irwa’, 4/39). 

There are ahaadeeth which speak of the virtue of the du’aa’ of the fasting person, such as the following: 

(i)                It was narrated from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveler.” Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, 3/345; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Saheeh 1797. 

(ii)              It was narrated from Abu Umaamah in a marfoo’ report: “Every time the fast is broken Allaah has people whom He ransoms.” Narrated by Ahmad, 21698; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/491. 

(iii)            It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri in a marfoo’ report: “Allaah ransoms people every day and night – i.e., in Ramadaan – and every day and night the Muslim has a prayer that is answered.” Narrated by al-Bazzaar; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/491. 

Introduction:

Teacher: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraheem al-Luhaidan (KSA, Qaadhi & Imam of Jamia al-Nasir Masjid)

Shaykh Muhammad Al Luhaidan is a Judge by profession based in Saudi Arabia and a world renowned Saudi based Qur’an reciter known for his unique emotional style. He is currently the Imam of Jamia Al Nasir Masjid in Riyadh. Shaykh Muhammad Al Luhaidan has participated in numerous Islamic conferences and events in many countries including Turkey, Australia, Malaysia, Kuwait aswell as the Tayyibun Annual Conference in London 2011.

What is du’aa?

Du’aa is literally meaning invocation, is an act of supplication. The term is derived from an Arabic word meaning to ‘call out’ or to ‘summon’, and Muslims regard this as a profound act of worship. This is when Muslim people from all over connect with God and ask him for forgiveness and favors.

Allaah says: ”And your Lord says: “Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)!” (Qur’aan 40:60)

Du’aa Masalah:

This is when you ask Allaah to ward off a hardship or calamity or ask for a blessing. Every means of cause (to do something).

Two types of causes:

1. In accordance to Shariah:

If you place your hand on your head and recite a specific Soorah (according to the Sunnah) the pain will go away.

2. In accordance to the way of the universe:

When a person has a headache then takes paracetemol this is classified as a cause for it to be removed.

Sharah - Ruqya

Universe - Medicine

Even though they are causes it is Allaah who removes it

The cause which is forbidden: Cause which is legislated in accordance to shariah and universe:

- If a person wears a ring to cure him it is shirk if he thinks the ring helped him and Allaah did not.

- If he believes it is a cause but Allaah is the curer but it hasn’t been proven this is minor shirk.

It is reported on the authority of Umran Ibn Husain (ra), that Allah’s Messenger  saw a man with a brass ring in his hand, and he asked him: “What is this?” He replied: “It is for protection from al-waahinah.” The Prophet  answered:

“Remove it at once, for verily, it will not increase you except in weakness, and were you to die whilst wearing it, you would never be successful.” (Narrated by Ahmad, with an acceptable Sanad)

Umran Ibn Husain (ra) informs us in this Hadith that the Prophet  saw a man with a brass ring in his hand, and he asked him for what purpose he was wearing it. The man answered that he was wearing it to protect him from illness, at which the Prophet   ordered him to remove it and informed him that it would only cause him to become weak and not protect him from illness at all, and that should he die while wearing it and believing in its power to protect him, he would not succeed in the Hereafter, nor would he know eternal bliss.

Ruqya:

- Ruqya is a prescribed act and is legislated in Shariah.

The 3 conditions of Ruqya:

1. The person should not believe that the recitation itself is a cause
2. It cannot involve seeking aid from Jinn or Shaytaan or Talisman
3. A person to do ruqya is to recite and spit lightly

You must have tawakkul and belief in Allaah when doing ruqya. When a person’s reliance in Allaah is strong and his eemaan (faith) is high, this is beneficial. With Allaah’s permission the person will be cured.

Shaykh Muhammed al-Luhaidan once went to visit a sheikh in Madeenah who was suffering from evil eye, his illness lasted for 6 months. Luhaidan went with olive oil and he used it once on the person, and Alhamdulilah the person was cured instantly. 

Talisman:

The two types of Amulets:

1. Ayaats of the Qur’aan

2. Seeking aid from devil (this is shirk)

Shaykh Saalih al-Munajjid said:

It is not permissible to wear amulets even if they are from the Holy Qur’aan, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever wears an amulet, may Allaah not fulfil his need, and whoever wears a sea-shell, may Allaah not give him peace.”  Narrated by Ahmad (17440); classed as hasan by Shu’ayb al-Arna’oot in Tahqeeq al-Musnad. 

And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever wears an amulet has committed shirk.” This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’. 

If amulets contain Qur’aan, then there is a difference of scholarly opinion concerning them. The more correct view is that they are not allowed, because of the general meaning of the evidence, and so as to ward off the means (that may lead to shirk). And that is also because of the disrespect to which they are exposed in most cases, because the wearer sleeps wearing the amulet, and enters the toilet wearing it, and so on. 

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (1/212): The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is haraam to wear amulets if they contain something other than Qur’aan, but they differed concerning those that contain Qur’aan. Some of them allowed wearing them and some of them did not allow that. The view that it is not allowed is more correct, because of the general meaning of the ahaadeeth and so as to ward off the means (that may lead to shirk). End quote. 

Shaykh Muhammed al-Luhaidan then gave advice by saying do not beautify your child so much when they go outside, as they might be afflicted by evil eye. If you wish to dress them up nicely then do so, but try to limit it, they don’t always have to wear the latest brands or the high brand names, keep it simple inshaa’Allaah.

Seeking blessings:

2 types (That which is allowed and that which is forbidden):

1. Seeking blessings from places that are known like the 3 masjids (Masjid al-Haram, Masjid al-Aqsa and Masjid al-Nabawi).

The Black Stone is the stone which is inset into the south-eastern corner of the Holy Ka’bah on the outside, in a setting of silver. It is the starting-point for tawaaf. Currently it is a meter and a half above the ground.  

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kissed the Black Stone, and his ummah followed his lead in doing so.

 It was narrated that ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) came to the Black Stone and kissed it, then he said: “I know that you are only a stone which can neither bring benefit nor cause harm. Were it not that I had seen the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kiss you, I would not have kissed you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1520; Muslim, 1720)

2. Seeking blessings in Ramadhaan. One of the benefits of fasting in Ramadan is that it is a means by which sins are forgiven and bad deeds are expiated. 

Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and hope for reward, his past sins will be forgiven. (Bukhaari & Muslim)

The five prayers, one Friday to another Friday, and one Ramadan to another Ramadan expiate whatever sins are committed between them as long as the major sins are avoided. (Muslim)

There are two times of happiness for the fasting person: when he breaks his fast he is happy and when he meets Allah he is happy. (Muslim)

Fasting is a means of protection, so the person should not speak badly or act rudely. And if someone fights him or insults him, let him say twice, “I am fasting.” I swear by the one in whose hand is my soul, the smell of a fasting person’s mouth is better to Allah than the scent of perfume. (Allah says) “He leaves his food, his drink, and his desire just for Me. Fasting is just for Me and I will reward it, and a good deed is worth ten like it.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

In paradise, there is a gate called “al-Rayyān.” The fasting people will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection;no one other than they will enter through it. It will be said, “Where are the fasting people?” So they will stand. Noone but they will enter through it. And when they all pass through it, it will be locked and then no one else will enterthrough it.

3. Specific statement & action:

Praying 2 rakah before Fajr, 4 before Dhuhr and 2 after, 2 or 4 before Asr, 2 after Maghrib and 4 before Isha and 2 after. Fasting Mondays and Thursdays, gathering to eat food, Salatul Jama’ah, recitation of the Qur’aan etc these all have blessings in them.

So any statement of action done by the Prophet is a legislated blessing.

4. The Prophet’s Comapnions use to seek blessings from the Prophet’s sweat, hair, wudoo etc.

Seeking barakah from the relics of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was done at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), from things like the water he used for wudoo’, his garment, his food and drink, his hair and everything from him. The ‘Abbaasi (Abassid) khaleefahs and the ‘Uthmaanis (Ottomans) after them preserved the cloak of the Prophet, seeking barakah from it, especially at times of war.  

Seeking blessing from things that touched his body, (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as his wudoo’, sweat, hair and so on, was something which was known to and was permissible according to the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), and those who followed them in truth, because of the goodness and barakah that are to be found in that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of this. 

The prohibited blessings:

1. If you go Hajj seeking blessing other than in Ramadhaan

2. If you go places were there is barakah (blessings) but practice bid’ah. This is not legislated.

3. Seeking blessings from graves, through rocks and trees is shirk

4. If you make du’aa to a person seeking blessing this is major shirk, if you believe he is a cause this is minor shirk

The causes and means are of 2 types.

Sacrifice (Slaughtering):

- Slaughter may sometimes be a sacrifice, done to glorify and venerate Allaah, and it may sometimes be done to honour a guest or to provide meat to eat and so on. In the first case, it is not permissible to offer this kind of glorification and veneration to anyone other than Allaah; whoever offers that to anyone other than Allaah has associated someone else with Him and committed major shirk (shirk akbar), and the meat he slaughtered is regarded as maytah (dead meat). But in the second case, this is permissible and may be required, but in all cases it is not permissible to mention the name of anyone other than Allaah when slaughtering the meat, otherwise it becomes maytah (dead meat) which is haraam, so mentioning the name of Allaah when slaughtering the animal is a separate issue from the issue of the purpose of the slaughter. 

2 Pillars:

- The name you say 

- And who it is for (niyyah)

Types of Sarcrifices:

1. To slaughter in the Name of Allaah and a person intends to draw close to Allaah

2. To eat and give to guest

3. To slaughter other than Allaah’s Name i.e to go to a grave of a pious person and say in the name of so and so this is major shirk because your seeking aid from other than Allaah

4. To slaughter for other than Allaah

Nadr (vowing):

Al-Isfahaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) says, in his book Mufradaat Alfaaz al-Qur’aan (Vocabulary of the Qur’aan), p. 797:

“Al-Nadhr (vow): when you oblige yourself to do something that is not obligatory because of something that you want to happen. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘[Maryam said:] I have vowed a fast unto the Most Beneficent (Allaah)…’ [Maryam 19:26].”

So a vow is the action, on the part of a person who is adult and of sound mind (mukallaf), of obliging himself to do something that is not obligatory, whether he intends to do it straight away or makes his doing it conditional upon something else.

- Vowing is an act of worship so it is not allowed to be carried out for anyone like Ali Ibn Abi Talib or al-Hussain. Shaykh Ibn Baaz said this person has committed major shirk.

Fulfilling legitimate (shar’i) vows is obligatory according to sharee’ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then let them complete the prescribed duties (manaasik of Hajj) for them, and perform their vows…” [al-Hajj 22:29]. Imaam al-Shawkaani said: “This means that they have to do this.” 

Types of vows and their fulfilment:

1: Vows which must be fulfilled (vows to do acts of worship and obedience to Allaah)

This includes every vow which involves a promise to do some kind of act of worship, such as praying, fasting, performing ‘Umrah or Hajj, upholding family ties, doing I’tikaaf (retreat for worship in the mosque), jihaad, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. For example, a person may say, “It is my duty towards Allaah to fast such-and-such (days)” or to give such-and-such in charity, or to go for Hajj this year, or to pray two rak’ahs in al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah] in thanksgiving to Allaah for curing a sick person. Or he may make a vow of doing some act of worship conditional upon something that will benefit him if it happens, so he says, “If my absent loved one returns or Allaah protects me from the evil of my enemy, I will fast such-and-such (days) or give such-and-such in charity.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever vows to do some act of worship and obedience to Allaah, then let him do it, and whoever vows to do some sin, let him not do it.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6202).

If a man vows to do some act of worship then circumstances change and prevent him from fulfilling his vow, such as he vows to fast for a month or to go for Hajj or ‘Umrah, then he falls sick and is unable to fast or travel, or he vows to give charity, then he becomes poor and is unable to give what he promised, then in such cases he must offer expiation (kafaarah) for breaking his vow, which is the same as kafaarat yameen (expiation for breaking an oath). Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said, “Whoever makes a vow and is then unable to fulfil it, his expiation is kafaarat yameen.” (Reported by Abu Dawood. Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in Buloogh al-Maraam, Its isnaad is saheeh, and some huffaaz thought it was mawqoof.).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Fataawa (33/49): “If a man intends to vow to do some act of worship and obedience to Allaah, then he must fulfil it. If he does not fulfil his vow to Allaah, then he must offer kafaarat yameen, according to the majority of the salaf (early generations of Islam).”

2: Vows which it is forbidden to fulfil, and for which kafaarat yameen must be offered

This includes different types of vows:

Vows to commit sin:

This is every vow which involves disobedience to Allaah, such as vows to bring oil, candles or money to graves or shrines (mashhads), or to visit tombs and shrines of shirk. This is in some ways like making vows to idols. It is also forbidden to fulfil vows which promise to do some sin, like committing zinaa (adultery, fornication), drinking alcohol, stealing, taking orphans’ property, denying someone’s rights, or cutting family ties by cutting a certain relative off or not entering his house for no shar’i reason. All of these are not permitted at all, and (the person who makes such a vow) must offer kafaarat yameen in expiation for his vow. The evidence (daleel) that it is not permissible to fulfil this kind of vow is the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever vows to do some act of worship and obedience to Allaah, then let him do it, and whoever vows to do some sin, let him not do it.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari). ‘Imraan ibn Husayn reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There should be no fulfilment of a vow to commit sin.” (Reported by Muslim, 3099).

Vows that go against a shar’i text (of the Qur’aan or Sunnah):

If a Muslim makes a vow then it becomes clear to him that this vow of his goes against a clear, saheeh text that contains some command or prohibition, then he must refrain from fulfilling his vow, and offer kafaarat yameen for it. The evidence for this is the report of al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) from Ziyaad ibn Jubayr, who said: “I was with Ibn ‘Umar and a man asked him, ‘I made a vow to fast every Tuesday or Wednesday as long as I live, and it so happens that this day is Yawm al-Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice, i.e., the first day of Eid al-Adha).’ He said, ‘Allaah has commanded us to fulfil vows and we are forbidden to fast on Yawm al-Nahr.’ He repeated this to him, and said no more and no less.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 6212).

Imaam Ahmad reported that Ziyaad ibn Jubayr said: “A man asked Ibn ‘Umar, whilst he was walking in Mina, ‘I made a vow to fast every Tuesday or Wednesday, and it so happens that this day is Yawm al-Nahr, so what do you think?’ He said, ‘Allaah, may He be exalted, has commanded us to fulfil our vows, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us [or he said: we were forbidden] to fast on Yawm al-Nahr.’ The man thought that he had not heard him properly, so he said, ‘I made a vow to fast every Tuesday or Wednesday, and it so happens that this day is Yawm al-Nahr.’ [Ibn ‘Umar] said, ‘Allaah, may He be exalted, has commanded us to fulfil our vows, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us [or he said: we were forbidden] to fast on Yawm al-Nahr.’ They kept repeating this exchange until they reached the mountain.”

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: “The scholars agree that it is not permitted to fast on Yawm al-Fitr and Yawm al-Nahr, neither as an act of worship nor in fulfilment of a vow.”

Seeking refuge:

- To seek refuge from a person in the creation who is not alive or absent it is major shirk

Different types:

1. Present - To seek aid from a person who is present in which he is able to help

2. Absent - Person seeking refuge in the absent or dead is shirk

3. Someone who is unable - Someone who is around but is unable from harm, only Allaah can remove the harm

4. Seeking refuge in Allaah - When a person seeks refuge in Allaah this is an act of Tawheed. If he does it to a person this is major shirk

Istigfar:

- Seeking reguge in a person who is absent for shelter is major shirk

- A person who is alive but not present (by supplicating) it is major shirk

- If a person is present and able to help, this is allowed like Prophet Musa aided his people

If there are any mistakes please let me know. If Anything In It Is Correct Then It Is Not From Me, But From Allaah, If Anything Is Incorrect Then It Is From Me.

Asaalaamu’alakium wa rahmatulahi wa barakatuhu.

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Is This Sister Going Jannah?

“O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allaah, but do that which they are commanded” [al-Tahreem 66:6]

=== SIGN OF DAY OF JUDGEMENT====

The Messenger of Allaah (sallaAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Of the people of Hell there are two types whom I have never seen, the one possessing whips like the tail of an ox and they flog people with them. The second one, women who would be naked in spite of their being dressed, who are seduced (to wrong paths) and seduce others with their hair high like humps. These women would not get into Al-Jannah and they would not perceive its odor, although its fragrance can be perceived from such and such distance. [Saheeh Muslim]

Allaah says:

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms,) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. [Soorah Al-Noor 24:31]

Allaah says:

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e.screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is Ever OftForgiving, Most Merciful. [Soorah Al-Ahzaab 33:59]

May Allaah ‘Azza Wajjal make us all firm upon the deen… Allaahumma Aameen.

More Info: http://islamqa.com/en/ref/6991

A Day With Ibn Taymiyyah

Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah
al-Mufassir, al-Mujaahid, al-Mujtahid, al-Muhaddith, al-Mujaddid

‘Ibn Taymiyyah’s Daily Routine’

al-Imam al-Bazzar wrote a long, first hand account of the life of Ibn Taymiyyah, who was his personal friend and companion. The book is called ‘al-A’lam al-’Aliyyah fi Manaqib Ibn Taymiyyah,’ and this is a very, very small glimpse from it:

“During the nights, he would separate himself from everybody, secluding himself with his Lord, strictly maintaining his recitation of the Mighty Qur’an, and repeating the various types of daily and nightly worship.

When the night was over, he would rejoin the people for the Fajr prayer, praying the optional prayer before meeting them. When he would begin the prayer, your heart would want to fly from its place just from the way in which he would make takbirat al-ihram. When he would begin the prayer, his limbs would shake, moving him left and right. When he would recite, he would elongate his recitation, just as was authentically reported in regards to the recitation of the Messenger of Allah. His bowing and prostration, as well as his coming up from them, are from the most complete of what has ever been reported in regards to the obligatory prayer. And he would severely lighten his sitting for the first tashahhud, and would say the first taslim out loud, to the point that everyone who was present would hear it…

…And I came to know that it was his habit that nobody would speak to him unless absolutely necessary after the morning prayer. He would remain in a state of dhikr of Allah, listening to himself. Sometimes, he would let those sitting next to him listen to his dhikr, all the while constantly turning his eyesight to the sky. He would remain in such a state until the Sun rose, and the time in which prayer is forbidden had passed.

During my stay in Damascus with him, I would spend some of the day and most of the night with him. He would draw me near to him, sitting me beside him. I would hear what he would recite and repeat, and I saw that he would repeat ‘al-Fatihah’ over and over again, and would spend all of his time between Fajr and sunrise doing this.

So, I kept thinking to myself, wondering: why would he recite this specific chapter of the Qur’an in exclusion to the others? Eventually, it became clear to me – and Allah Knows best – that his intention in doing so was to combine with his recitation between what was narrated in the ahadith and what was discussed by the scholars, in regards to whether the narrated adhkar should take precedence over recitation of the Qur’an, or vice versa. So, he saw that in repeating ‘al-Fatihah,’ he could combine between both opinions, and reap the benefits of both actions, and this was from his strength in logic and depth of insight.

After this, he would pray Duha, and if he wanted to hear Hadith in another place, he would rush to that place with whoever was with him at the time.

It was rare that any intelligent person would see him and not come and kiss his hands. Even the busiest of businessmen would walk from what they were doing to greet him and seek his blessings. With all of this, he would give everyone of them their share of time, greetings, etc.

If he saw any evil in the street, he would work to remove it, and if he heard of a funeral taking place, he would rush to pray in it, or would apologize for missing it. Sometimes, he would go to the grave of the deceased after he finished listening to Hadith and pray over it.

Afterwards, he would return to his mosque, where he would remain either giving fatawa to the people or fulfilling their needs, until it was time to pray Dhuhr in congregation. He would spend the rest of the day in such a manner.

His classes were general for the old, the young, the wealthy, the poor, the free, the slave, males, and females. He appealed to everyone that would pass by him of the people, and everyone of them would feel that Ibn Taymiyyah was treating them better than he was treating anyone else present.

He would then pray Maghrib, and would follow it up with as much optional prayer as Allah made possible. I, or someone else, would then read his writings to him, and he would benefit us with various points and notes. We would do this until we prayed ‘Isha’, after which we would continue as we were before, delving into the various fields of knowledge. We would do this until much of the night had passed. During this entire time – night and day – Ibn Taymiyyah would constantly remember Allah, mention His Oneness, and seek His forgiveness.

And he would constantly raise his eyesight to the sky, and would not stop doing this, as if he saw something there that kept his eyesight hooked. He would do this for as long as I was staying with him.

So, Subhan Allah! How short were these days! If only they were longer! By Allah, until this day, there has never been a time in my life that is more beloved to me than the time I spent with him, and I was never seen in a better state than I was at that time, and this was for no other reason than the barakah of the Shaykh, may Allah be Pleased with him.

Every week, he would visit the sick, especially those at the hospital.

I have been informed by more than one person – whose trustworthiness I do not doubt – that the entire life of the Shaykh was spent in the way that I witnessed (and described above). So, what worship, and what jihad is better than this

The Prophet’s Noble Manners, By Ibn Al-Qayyim

Ibn Al-Qayyim summarized the extent of the Prophet’s noble manners by saying:

“The Prophet (saw) used to greet the children when he passed by them. Sometimes, a little girl would take him by the hand and he would allow her to lead him wherever she wanted. He (saw) used to lick his fingers after eating. He (saw) would be in the service of his family when at home.

Never would he become angry because of something personal. He (saw) used to repair his own sandals and mend his own torn clothes. He would milk his goat himself for his own family. He would feed his own camel. He used to eat with his servants, sit in the company of the poor people, and personally take care of the needs of widows and orphans.

He would be the one to initiate the greeting when meeting people. He would respond to the humblest of invitations.

He (saw) lived a very modest lifestyle, a man of soft manners, naturally kind, easy to get along with, having a pleasant smile on his face, gracefully humble, extremely generous but not wasteful. Soft-hearted and gentle in his dealings with each and every Muslim, lowering the wings of humility to the believers, bearing their companionship in such a gentle way.”

[Madaarij As-Saalikeen, 3/111-112]

Al-Albaani asked about Sayyid Qutb | Young Minds Busy with the Wrong Stuff

Al-Albaani: I say that there is a very precious chapter in this book [i.e., ‘Milestones,’ of Sayyid Qutb], I believe its title is, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah – A Way of Life,’ this is what I say.

And just now I said: the man was not a scholar, but he has statements which have light on them, which have knowledge coming from them, like [the ones made in the chapter, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah] A Way of Life.’

I believe that many of our Salafi brothers have not adopted the meaning of this chapter’s title, that Laa ilaaha illallaah is a way of life …

The Meccan Man: And you said these statements to us personally in a house twenty five years ago.

Al-Albaani: Possibly, I don’t remember now what I said [then], but the man [i.e., Qutb] has a book called Social Justice in Islaam which has no value. But Milestones has some topics that are extremely valuable.

The Yemeni Youth: I passed by Shaikh Rabee [ibn Haadi al-Madkhali] and he gave me two books to give to you …

Al-Albaani: Two hand-written books or printed?

The Yemeni Youth: No, printed. And also another book which he wanted to be read to you called, ‘Hakadhaa Allamal-Anbiyaa,’ and the two other books are about Sayyid Qutb’s works. One of them is called, ‘Sayyid Qutb’s Slander of The Companions of the Messenger of Allaah,’ and in it he [i.e., Shaikh Rabee] relied on the sixth print from the year 1964ce before Sayyid Qutb died by two years.

Al-Albaani: May Allaah guide him. May Allaah guide him. My brother, what is the benefit of this book?

The Yemeni Youth: He wants you to take a look at them and the book, ‘Aqaa’iduhu Wa Fikruhu,’ and these two books have been printed. This meeting came quickly and the books were in my house so I couldn’t … the brothers came to me in the mosque and told me there was a meeting now with the Shaikh [i.e., al-Albaani] … so the books are at home but I gave a copy of each one to Shaikh Ali Hasan, O Shaikh, he [i.e., Shaikh Rabee] means to show the many aqidah mistakes which are in them.

And likewise, ya’ni, he wants you to … the point is he is warning the people from this, especially because when he [i.e., Qutb] explains Laa ilaaha illallaah, he says that the polytheists didn’t dispute with Laa ilaaha illallaah and that the Messages [of the Prophets] only came to tackle the issue of Rububiyyah and not Uluhiyyah, especially this [final] message [i.e., Islaam]. Some people say that he was the best who spoke about it … he holds that Laa ilaaha illallaah, tawheed al-Uluhiyyah, that the polytheists were in agreement over it, that the issue was only in tawhid ar-Rububiyyah, and he repeated this many times.

Al-Albaani: … you read this yourself?

The Yemeni Youth: Yes, I read it, but I didn’t read it in his book Zilaal, I read it in the book of Shaikh Rabee where he quoted him, about four times he said such things in different phrases, maybe I … I wrote some of his expressions down [and can read them to you] … he said, ‘So the issue of Uluhiyyah was not the area of dispute but rather the issue of Rububiyyah is the one which the Messages [of the Prophets] confronted, and it is the one which the final message confronted …’ and so on … Shaikh Abdullaah Al-Duwaish also rebutted him regarding his statement that if an Islamic government was established it has the right to pass laws to regulate life … [like] laws to take wealth from the people since it is the property of the community, i.e., it has statements like this of the communists.

The point is, O Shaikh, that there are many things, the most important of them is his statement about Musaa [عليه السلام] when he said [about him], ‘The irascible youth,’ … and many such statements … and he also interpreted Allaah’s Attribute of Speech to mean His Intent, that it refers to intent, also regarding the Quraan he said that it was from Allaah’s workmanship, for example, when Allaah, the One free of all defects and the Most High, said in Surah Saad … he [i.e., Qutb] said that this is truly from Allaah’s workmanship [i.e., this could be taken to mean he is saying the Quraan is created] and in Surah Aali-Imraan, “So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers.” [Aali-Imraan 3:139] he said … as far as I recall, traverse the methodology which …

Al-Albaani: And you, why do you fatigue and tire your memory trying to memorise these texts which are not from Prophetic speech?

The Yemeni Youth: No, O Shaikh …

Al-Albaani: Why? Why? Don’t say, ‘No.’

The Yemeni Youth: Just so, I read this just now and because I want to put this to you so I tried to …

Al-Albaani: Why do you want to put it to me?

The Yemeni Youth: Firstly, so that the people can be wary of these books, wallaahi, if one says something about them … they regard them to be the books of an Imaam and mujaddid.

Al-Albaani: I will ask you a question. These people who hold these books to be authoritative sources of knowledge, are they Salafis?

The Yemeni Youth: Wallaahi …

Al-Albaani: Yes, you intend not to answer any question.

The Yemeni Youth: They, O Shaikh … some of them are not Salafis like the Ikhwaan and so on, and some of them are from other groups, and some of them are those who say they are Salafi or to be more precise are those who say we are from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah but they do not say they are Salafi, they say we are from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah.

The Meccan Man: You haven’t answered the Shaikh’s question.

Al-Albaani: There’s no point.

The Yemeni Youth: When we say to them … even when you speak about an issue, O Shaikh …

Al-Albaani: If Abu Talhah [i.e., the Yemeni Youth] can’t come to an understanding with a Salafi like him [i.e., Shaikh al-Albaani], then how will he come to an understanding with others. Tell me, let’s see.

The Yemeni Youth: O Shaikh, if I say they are Salafis …

Al-Albaani: Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaah. I asked you if they are Salafis or not? And now I’m telling you that if you are not able to come to an understanding with me, then how will you be able to come to an understanding with others who are opponents of the da’wah? How?

The Yemeni Youth: We benefit and learn from you.

Al-Albaani: And how does learning take place?

The Yemeni Youth: By paying attention …

Al-Albaani: Thus, when a question is directed at you, focus your mind and think about the way to answer it if you have an answer. It is not necessary that you do answer [if you don’t have an answer, but] if you have one say, ‘I think such and such …’ and thus there will be some give and take, there will be benefit. As for us implementing the saying of the poet, ‘She went East and I went West,’ what a great difference there is between east and west.

I advise you not to busy your young mind with memorising that which will of a certainty not benefit you and which may harm you, [it may not harm you] for a certainty, but it may [nevertheless] harm you.

Don’t memorise the statements of so and so, and so and so, and so and so, and so and so, [people who] you think are more than likely not on the Straight Path with us–because you have not been commissioned to refute everyone who makes a mistake.

What do you think about what I just said?

The Yemeni Youth: It is good, O Shaikh.

Al-Albaani: [Do you have] any points to make about it?

The Yemeni Youth: It is good, only, the point … if it were to warn for example?

Al-Albaani: You’re warning us now?

The Yemeni Youth: No, the people for example.

Al-Albaani: I’m asking you, are you now warning us? Why, then?

The Yemeni Youth: To clarify.

Al-Albaani: To clarify, why?

The Yemeni Youth: Just a short while ago you mentioned a phrase …

Al-Albaani: He’s digressed, he’s digressed. I say to you, ‘Why?’ Namely, you want to warn, who are you warning?

The Yemeni Youth: Ya’ni, O Shaikh, I heard you say regarding the issue of Laa ilaaha illallaah that he said yes, that life … [i.e., that you praised the title to his book and people may take this to mean you are praising him so we have to warn …’

Al-Albaani: Yes, by Allaah, what do you think about this title? That which you heard from me, what are your comments on it, in relation to your statement?

The Yemeni Youth: But I think, and Allaah knows best, the people will …