Good Character
Narrated AbudDarda’ (رضى الله تعالى عنه):
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) said: There is nothing heavier than good character put in the scale of a believer on the Day of Resurrection. [Sunan Abu Dawud]
Month: May 2011
Mercy of Allah
Abu Abdullah al Jawhari relates, once I went for Hajj. On the night of Arafat at Muzdalifah I dreamt of two angels descending from heaven. One asked the other. “How many people made Wukoof (the stand before Allah) of Arafah this year . His companion replied, “600,000 of which only 6 peoples Hajj was accepted by Allah”. When I heard this I wanted to cry out aloud. ‘The first angel then inquired, “What did Allah do with he Hajj of the remaining pilgrims?” The second angel replied, “Allah looked at them with mercy and forgave 100,000 people for every one accepted Hajj’; thus accepted the Hajj of 600,000. “That is the Mercy of Allah, He bestows it on whomever He wills and the rnercy of Allah is great’.
A pious man relates that once I left for hajj. On the way I slept under the moonlit night, when I heard a voice of a weak man. “Oh Abu Ishaaq I have been waiting for you since yesterday. I went close to him and found that he was a very young thin man, close to death. He was surrounded by lots of flowers, some of which I had never seen before. I asked him where he was from. He mentioned a town and then said, “I was living a life of luxury when my nafs demanded seclusion from it all, so I left, puzzled and confused to the jungles and now I am here on the verge of death. I prayed to Allah to send me a Wali of His and I hope you are him”. I asked, “Do you have any parents?” he replied “Yes, I also have a brother and sisters”. I further questioned, “Did you ever desire to meet them or remember them?” He replied, “Never except today, I wished to smell their fragrance. These wild beasts took pity on me. They cried and brought me these flowers”. Ibraheem says, ‘A big snake then came with a big narcissus in his mouth and contended, “Remove your evil from him, Allah is aware of the condition of his friends and those that are obedient to him”.
Ibraheem revealed, “On seeing this I fainted and when I came round the young man had died”. I then fell asleep again, I woke up to realise that I was on the road to Makkah for Hajj. After I had completed the Hajj, I went to the city the young man had mentioned. There I discovered a woman who resembled him. She had a pot of water in her hands. I approached her and confirmed her identity. I then related the incident to her.
She asked, “So how did you find the young man? and then remarked, “I have been waiting three days for you”. I mentioned the words of the young man, which were, “I wished to smell their fragrance”- She screamed, “The fragrance reached him”. After this exclamation, she died. Later a few women came and took care of her burial.
Nikah
The society that one lives in has a direct effect on one’s life. Hence every person desires for and strives to build a healthy society. Among the aspects that form the bedrock of a healthy society is the institution of Nikah. By means of Nikah one finds solace and comfort which enables one to fulfil one’s duties to Allah Ta’ala. It also provides a lawful avenue to fulfil a basic in-born need. A pure human race flourishes as a result of the bond of Nikah, while countless social evils are dispelled by it. Take away the institution of Nikah and in a short time the society will sink to such depths of moral degradation which are unimaginable.
The West has to a great extent abandoned the customary marriage and adopted in its place the “living together” concept. When the partners do not feel like “living together” anymore, they just say “good bye” and part company. The result of this is glaring for all the world to see. Abortion, thousands of illegitimate children, AIDS, teenage pregnancies and suicide are just a few of the many direct consequences of abandoning the bond of marriage.
Least Expense
Thus the importance of Nikah can never be over emphasised. In the light of what has been mentioned it is much easier to grasp the true implications of the words of Rasulullah who said: “Verily the Nikah which is blessed with the greatest amount of Barakah (blessings) is that Nikah wherein the least expense is incurred.” By stressing the aspect of incurring the least expenditure, Rasulullah paved the way for the Nikah to be easily affordable for the rich and poor alike. When this advice is not heeded, Nikah becomes a costly affair. It becomes a big worry and a huge burden. The very rich will afford it, the middle class will resort to loans (even on interest) in order to make it, while the poor will only dream about it. The matter does not end there. Those who cannot afford it and abstain are prone to becoming victims of the social evils mentioned above and thus every level of society is affected.
Wastage
However this Sunnah and Ibadah of Nikah has in many cases become just a Kuffaar style wedding. The greatest expense is incurred. Every effort is made to keep up with the trend. To start off with, thousands of rands are wasted on absolutely futile wedding cards (which, as time goes, become more fashionable and expensive in order to impress). The most impressionable and expensive venues are booked. Much more wealth, which is purely a gift and bounty from Allah Ta’ala, is squandered on hiring floral arrangements and other fancy accessories. The “stage” (for the wedding show) is then made up at considerable cost. The wastage list goes on, with many new shocking items being added on. Such weddings are actually setting the stage to destroy all Barakah from the Nikah. The Barakah is totally lost, while the great impression which one sets out to make is also seldom achieved. After having filled their bellies, people generally leave commenting on the wastage and discussing the flaws and defects.
Sophisticated Begging
While on the one hand thousands of rands are wasted on futile aspects, at the same time some novel ideas have been invented to extract “gifts” from others. Invitations are sent out (with or without the knowledge of the bride-to-be) towards a “bridal shower” which takes place a few days before the wedding. The unwritten rule is that the invited person must come with a gift for the bride. It is unthinkable to attend without bringing a gift along. This subtle way of extracting gifts tantamount to a sophisticated form of begging. People are being invited to “please come along,” and with it goes the unwritten rule, the object of the invitation – “and don’t forget the present!” This is in direct conflict with the Hadith wherein it is mentioned: “The wealth of a Muslim is not permissible except when he gives it whole-heartedly (without coercion or obligation).” Thus it is time to break away from these alien customs and practices which destroy the Barakah from the Nikah.
Foundation
The Nikah is the foundation of the building that has to be erected upon it – the building of a lifelong marriage. If this foundation is absolutely weakened and deprived of the Barakah from Allah Ta’ala, how much hope can one then have of the building remaining firmly erect on such a weak foundation?
Solution
The only solution then is to return to the Sunnah – by adopting the guidance of Rasulullah and the Sahaaba . Far from inviting the world, many of the Sahaaba were married while Rasulullah was present in Madinatul Munawwara without Rasulullah being aware of the Nikah. Neither did they deem it necessary that he should be informed, nor did Rasulullah take exception to this attitude. The Nikah in that era was an extremely simple affair. The least cost was incurred. The greatest amount of Barakah was attained. This is the example that we have to keep as an ideal in front of us. Then every attempt should be made to follow it as closely as possible.
Shackles VS Natural Freedom
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the intelligence and ability to release ourselves from the heavy and burdensome shackles of baseless customs. May He enable us to adopt the wonderful Sunnah so that we may earn His pleasure while at the same time enjoy the numerous benefits of the Sunnah, among which are its absolute ease, elegant simplicity and natural freedom.
Source: www.classicalislamgroup.com
Water With the Taste of Honey
A pious man relates, whilst I was sitting next to the Ka’ba an old man with his face covered came and drank water from the well of Zam Zam using a container. I then drank what he had left over and found that it tasted of honey. I turned to see where he had gone, but he had left.
The next day I came and sat next to the well, the old man came again with his face covered. On this occasion he drew out the water with a bucket and drank from it. As usual he left some behind which I drank. This time I found the water tasted of sweet milk. I had never tasted anything better.
Tawfeeq
If you do not make an intention of acquiring Khair (Deeni goodness) from ‘Ilm, then you will be deprived of Tawfeeq.
Imam Abu Haneefah (r.a)
Halal Diet and Pregnancy
We are what we eat. Today we complain our children are disobedient towards us, but why the surprise? If we feed our children haram (even while in the womb) then the thoughts that will be bred in their minds (later in life) will be haram. Understand well, halal foods breed halal thoughts and halal actions whilst haram food breeds haram thoughts and haram actions.
Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanwi narrates, ‘If before birth of the child, parents were to reform themselves and adopt piety, then there is no reason why the child born too should not be pious. The actions of parents during pregnancy have a profound effect on the unborn child. Accordingly, the son of a saint was quite mischievous. Somebody queried the saint; ‘It is indeed strange; you are so pious yet your son so naughty?’ The saint replied, ‘ One evening I was invited to meals by a rich person (whose income was doubtful). After eating, my nafs became excited and I made love to my wife who became pregnant. This child is the effect of the doubtful food.’
Therefore, during pregnancy (especially) it is of the utmost importance to eat a varied halal diet brought from halal income. If in doubt regarding ingredients, leave it out.
Source: Ashrafs Blessings of Marriage published by Ashrafs Amanat
Fire of Hell
It is related that Zainul Abideen would pray one thousand rakahs every night, even if he were travelling. When he performed ablution he would turn yellow and during prayer he would tremble. When asked why this happened to him, he responded, “Do you not know who I stand before?” If the wind blew he would fall down unconscious out of the fear of Allah.
Once there was a fire in his house while he was prostrating in prayer. The people began to warn him, “Oh son of the messenger of Allah, FIRE! FIRE!” He did not raise his head untill the fire had extinguished itself. He was later asked why he did not respond to the cries of the people. He replied “The fire of hell had diverted my attention”.
Three Companions
In this world you have three companions:
one is faithful, the others are treacherous.
The latter are friends and possessions;
the faithful one is excellence in deeds.
Your wealth won’t come with you out of your palace;
your friend will come, but only as far as the grave.
When the day of doom comes to meet you,
your friend will say, “I’ve come this far, but no farther.
I will stand a while at your grave.”
Your deeds alone are faithful: make them your refuge,
for they alone will accompany you into the depths of the tomb.
Mathnawi of Maulana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi
Finding a Marriage Partner
Q. What are Islamically permissible ways in which to meet women with intention for marriage, if you live in a society where your best opportunity to meet a muslim woman is at the workplace or in a secondary school?
A. Marriage is an institution which is filled with respect and dignity and so, everything that leads to marriage must be filled with the same. Dating, as we have seen brings about a great amount of sins and wrongdoings on the part of the boy and the girl. As such, a Muslim boy or girl must never be trapped into this web of satan.
In accordance to the guidelines given in the beautiful teachings of Islam, when one seeks a partner in marriage, he/she must consult with the parents or other close family members. The parents/guardian etc. will then enquire from others in the community and beyond about a good boy or girl for their son/daughter. When a certain match is found, the parents/guardian should enquire about the traits, habits and character of that person. If they are pleased, then they would introduce the boy to the girl. At this point the boy and girl may speak to each other within the presence of blood relatives and may then decide that they would marry each other. Even at this time, it is not permissible for both of them to go out alone, to be in seclusion or to maintain any sort of relationship which is seen from a husband and wife.
Besides the above, if a boy happens to see a girl which may interest him or vice versa, then they must consult with their parents and proceed thereafter in accordance to the guidelines given in the beautiful teachings of Islam. If the parent finds it difficult to find a suitable wife/husband for their son/daughter (through their contacts) then they may continue to enquire from friends, the Imam, persons in the community or even distant relatives.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan
Darul Uloom Trinidad & Tobago
Be counted among the Righteous
Abu Is’haaq Ebrahim Ibne Ad’ham said to a man during the tawaaf; “Remember dear brother, you will never be counted among the righteous ones until you have crossed six bridges:
1 That you close the door of favours on yourself and open the door of hardship for yourself;
2 That you refrain from love of honour and prefer humility;
3 That you refrain from comfort and accept hardship;
4 That you discard love of sleep and enforce on yourself love of remaining awake – for ibaadah;
5 That you discard riches and prefer poverty; and
6 That you disassociate yourself from hoping and prepare for death.”