27 March 2011

27 March 2011

To be updated soon (InshaAllah)

Seerah:

- the role of Muslim Women in the Battle of Uhud

- death of abdullah bin Jahsh & Musa'b ibn Umair

Hadith - Sadaqah

News - Doggy doo-doo and shooting neighbours

20 March 2011

20 March 2011

To be updated soon (I/A)

Seerah:

- Orderly Retreat in Uhud

- Acts of heroism

Hadith:

- Charitable Acts

News:

- Western Bombing of Libya

13 March 2011

13 March 2011

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

The Muslims are winning and the Quraish flee

Ibn Ishaq said: "Then Allah sent down His Help unto the Muslims and verified His Promise to them. They chased the idolaters and evacuated them from their camp. No doubt it was a certain defeat." In a version by ‘Abdullah bin Az- Zubair that his father had said: "By Allah, I was watching the servants of Hind bint ‘Utbah and her women friends fleeing with their garments gathered up. No one was there to prevent us from capturing them." Al- Bara’ bin ‘Azib said: "When we fought them, they fled, and their women could be seen fleeing in the mountains with their anklets and legs revealed." The Muslims pursued the enemies putting them to sword and collecting the spoils.

War activities went on and on fiercely with the Muslims in full command of the whole

military developments until the idolaters finally staggered and retreated, leaving all motives of alleged pride, and affected dignity in oblivion, and their standard trodden by the feet of the fighters with none ever courageous enough to approach it.

The Archers’ Fatal Mistake

While the small army of Islam were recording the second absolute and clear victory over the Meccans the majority of the archers on the mountainside committed a fatal mistake that turned the whole situation upside down, and constituted a source of heavy losses amongst the Muslims. Previously, the archers had received positive orders to their position whatever the course of the main engagement. In spite of those strict orders, and their leader’s — ‘Abdullah bin Jubair — warning, forty archers deserted their posts, enticed by the too soon roar of victory as well as worldly avarice for the spoils of war. The others, however, nine in number and ‘Abdullah, their leader, decided to abide by the Prophet’s* order and stay where they were until they were given leave or killed to the last. Consequently the cleft was left inadequately defended .

The shrewd Khalid bin Al-Waleed seized this golden opportunity to turn swiftly round to the rear of the Muslim army and encompass them. Exterminating Ibn Jubair and his group, they fell promptly upon the rear of the Muslims and his horsemen uttered a shout that signalled the new military developments. The polytheists returned once again to counterattack the Muslims. An idolist woman — called ‘Umra bint ‘Alqama Al-Harithiyah — rushed to the lying-on-earth standard, picked it up and hoisted it. The idolaters gathered together around the standard and called out unto one another till they encircled the Muslims and stoodfast to fight again.

Tide turns against the Muslims

The Muslims got entrapped between two parts of the enemy. The Messenger of Allah* was then among a small group of fighters — nine in number at the rear of the army, watching the engagement and braving the Muslim fighters. Khalid and his men took him by utter surprise, and obliged him to follow either of two options:

a. To flee for his life and abandon his army to its doomed end, or

b. To take action at the risk of his life, rally the ranks of the Muslims again and work their way through the hills of Uhud towards the encompassed army.

The genius of the Messenger of Allah*, his peerless and matchless courage made him opt for the second course. He raised his voice calling out unto his Companions: "Slaves of Allah." He did that though he knew that his loud voice would be heard by the idolaters before it was heard by the Muslims. He called out unto them risking his life in this delicate situation. The idolaters, indeed, recognized him and reached his position even before the other Muslims could do so.

The encompassment of the Muslims revealed three categories of people: The first group were those who were only interested in themselves and they went so mad that they fled. They left the battlefield and did not know what happened to the others.

Some of this group fled as far as Medina. Some others went up the mountain. The second Muslim group were those who returned to the battle, but mixed with the idolaters in such a way that they could not recognize one another. Consequently some of them were killed by mistake. ‘Aishah [R] said: "When it was Uhud Battle, the idolaters were utterly defeated. Satan then called out: ‘O slaves of Allah. Beware the rear (i.e. the enemy is approaching from behind)’. So those who were at the front turned back and fought the ones who were behind." Then Hudhaifah caught sight of his father ‘Al-Yaman’ about to be killed by other Muslims. So he said: "O servants of Allah! Beware! This is my father. This is my father." ‘Aishah [R] said: "But they did not part with him till he was killed." Hudhaifah then said: "May Allah forgive you." And ‘Urwa said: "By Allah, from that time on Hudhaifah has always been blessed and wealthy till he died."

At this awkward time they heard someone calling: "Muhammad is killed." This news made them even more bewildered and almost out of sense. Their morale broke down, or almost did in a great number of individuals. Some of them stopped fighting, slackened, and cast down their weapons. Others thought of getting in touch with ‘Abdullah bin Ubai — the head of the hypocrites — and seeking his assistance to fetch them a security pledge from Abu Sufyan.

An Emigrant passed by a Helper who was besmeared by blood. He said: "O fellow! Have you heard of Muhammad*’s murder?" The Helper answered: "If Muhammad* were killed, then he must have completed the delivery of the Message. So fight in defence of your religion!"

Ansar Defend the Prophet

As those groups of Muslims were receiving the blows of the idolaters and resisting instantly, the fight flared up around the Messenger of Allah*, who had only nine people around him. We have already mentioned that when the idolaters started their encompassment there were only nine persons around the Messenger of Allah*; and that as soon as he called out unto the Muslims: "Come on! I am the Messenger of Allah*," the idolaters heard his voice and recognized him. So they turned back and attacked him with all their power before any of his Companions ran to his aid.

A violent raging struggle broke out between the nine Muslims and the idolaters during which peerless sort of love, self-sacrifice, bravery and heroism were revealed. Muslim, on the authority of Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah* along with seven Helpers and two Emigrants, was confined to a trap when the idolaters attacked him. The Messenger of Allah* then said: " He who pushes back those idolaters, will be housed in Paradise." or "He will be my Companion in Paradise." One of the Helpers stepped forward and fought the idolaters in defence of the Prophet* till he was killed. Then they attacked the Messenger* again. The same process was repeated again and again till all the seven Helpers were killed. Then the Messenger of Allah* said to his two Quraishite Companions: "We have not done justice to our Companions." The last of those seven Helpers was ‘Amara bin Yazeed bin As-Sakan, who kept on fighting till his wounds neutralized him and he fell dead.

Thabit bin Ad-Dahdah called unto his people saying: "O kinfolk of Helpers, if Muhammad* were killed, Allah is Everlasting and He never dies. Fight in defence of your Faith. Allah will help you and so you will be victorious." A group of Helpers joined him and all set out and attacked a battalion of Khalid’s horsemen. He kept on fighting till he and his friends were killed. With such boldness and encouragement, the Muslims soon recovered their spirits, came round to senses and desisted the idea of surrender or contacting the hypocrite ‘Abdullah bin Ubai. They took up arms and resumed the fight attempting to make way to the headquarters, particularly after the news of the Prophet*’s death had been falsified. The glad tidings nerved them, and helped them to manage quite successfully the break of the military blockade, and concentrate their forces in an immune place to resume a relentless and fierce fight against the polytheists. The third group of Muslims were those who cared for nothing except the Prophet*. At the head of them were notable Companions like Abu Bakr, ‘Umar bin Al- Khattab, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib and others, who hastened to protect the Prophet* through unrivalled devotion.

The Prophet* is injured

After the fall of Ibn Sakan, the Messenger of Allah* remained alone with only those two Quraishites. Abu ‘Uthman said: "At that time, there were none with the Prophet* except Talha bin ‘Ubaidullah and Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas. That was a most awkward and dangerous hour for the Prophet*, but it was a golden opportunity for the idolaters who promptly took advantage of it. They concentrated their attack on the Prophet* and looked forward to killing him.

‘Utbah bin Abi Waqqas pelted him with stones. One of the stones fell on his face. His lower right incisor Ruba‘iya (i.e. the tooth that is between a canine and a front tooth) was injured. His lower lip was wounded. He was also attacked by ‘Abdullah bin Shihab Az-Zuhri who cleaved his forehead. ‘Abdullah bin Qami’a (Qami’a means ‘a humiliated woman’), who was an obstinate strong horseman, struck him violently on his shoulder with his sword; and that stroke hurt the Messenger of Allah* for over a month — though it was not strong enough to break his two armours. He dealt a heavy blow on his cheek. It was so strong that two rings of his iron-ringed helmet penetrated into his holy cheek. "Take this stroke from me, I am Ibn Qami’a." He said while striking the Messenger with his sword. The Messenger of Allah* replied — while he was wiping the blood flowing on his face: "I implore Allah to humiliate you." In Al-Bukhari it is stated his incisor broke, his head was cleaved, and that he started wiping the blood off it and saying: "(I wonder) how can people who cut the face of their Prophet* and break the incisor of his — he who calls them to worship Allah. How can such people thrive or be successful?"

It is quite certain that killing the Prophet* was their primary aim, but the two Mohajir — Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas and Talha bin ‘Ubaidullah, who showed great and rare courage and fought so fiercely and boldly that — though they were only two — were able to stop the idolaters short of realizing their aim. They were of the best skillful Arab archers and kept on militating in defence of the Messenger of Allah* till the whole squad of idolaters was driven off him*.

The Messenger of Allah* emptied his quiver of arrows and said to Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas: "Shoot, an arrow Sa‘d. May my father and mother be sacrified for you." The Prophet* had never gathered his parents except in the case of Sa‘d — a privilege granted to him for his efficiency.  Jabir said: "When the idolaters reached him, the Messenger of Allah* said: ‘Who will suffice us their evils (i.e. fight them back)?’ Talha said: ‘I will.’" Then Jabir mentioned the advance of the Helpers to fight and how they were killed one after the other. "When all the Helpers were killed, Talha proceeded forward to fight as much as the other eleven ones did till his hand was hurt and his fingers were cut off. So he said: ‘Be they cut off!’ The Prophet* said: ‘If you had said: In the Name of Allah, the angels would have raised you up before the people’s very eyes.’" Then he said: "Allah drove the idolaters off them." It is stated that Talha had sustained thirty- nine or thirty-five wounds, and his fingers (i.e. the forefinger and the one next to it — got paralyzed. The Prophet* then said about Talha: "He who desires to see a martyr walking on the ground, let him look at Talha bin ‘Ubaidullah."

All those events happened in no time. If the Prophet*’s elite Companions had realized the grave situation immediately, they would have rushed on the spot and would not have left him sustain these wounds. Unfortunately, they got there after the Messenger of Allah* had been wounded and six of the Helpers killed, the seventh was staggering under the brunt of wounds and desperately militating in defence of the Prophet*. However as soon as they arrived they encircled the Messenger with their bodies and weapons and were alert enough to prevent the enemies from reaching him. The first one who returned to give help, was his cavemate Abu Bakr As-Siddiq.

Abu Bakr had said: "When it was Uhud Day and at the time that the Prophet* was left behind, I was the first to go back and see him. Before him I saw a man fighting to shield him from the enemies. I said to myself: ‘I wish he were Talha. Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you. (O Allah) Let him be Talha! Let my parents be sacrificed for you!’ On the way, I was overtaken by Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, who was then moving as swiftly as a bird. We both rushed to dress the Prophet*’s wounds. There we found Talha suffering from serious wounds before the Messenger of Allah*. The Prophet* said: ‘See to your brother. His deed entitled him for an abode in Paradise.’ I noticed that two rings of the iron-ringed helmet had penetrated his cheek. So I set out to take them out; but Abu ‘Ubaidah demanded: ‘By Allah, O Abu Bakr — I beseech you, let me do it myself.’ Fearing to hurt the Prophet* he started pulling one of the two rings out very slowly and carefully with his mouth.

At those awkward moments of that day, a group of Muslim heroes gathered around the Prophet* forming a shield to protect him from the idolaters. Some of them were Abu Dujana, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, Sahl bin Haneef, Malik bin — Sinan the father of Abu Sa‘îd Al-Khudri, Umm‘Amara, Nusaiba bint Ka‘b Al-Maziniya, Qatada bin An-Nu‘man, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, Hatib bin Abi Balta‘a and Abu Talha. The number of idolaters was steadily increasing; and their attacks, naturally, got severer. Their press had increased to an extent that the Messenger of Allah* fell into one of the holes dug and designed by Abu ‘Amir Al-Fasiq to be used as traps.

Hadith
Hadith 24 of Nawawi's 40 Hadith: (Hadith Qudsi)

It was relayed on the authority of Abu Dhar al-Ghifari that the Prophet* said, of what he related from his Lord, magnified and exhalted be He, Who said: "O My servants, I have made oppression unlawful for Me and unlawful for you, so do not commit oppression against one another. O My servants, all of you are liable to err except for those whom I guide on the right path, therefore seek guidance from Me so that I should direct you to the right path. O My servants, all of you are hungry (needy) except for those whom I feed, therefore seek food from Me so that I may feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked (need clothes) except for those whom I provide garments, therefore seek clothing from Me so that I should clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day and I am there to pardon your sins, therefore seek forgiveness from Me so that I should grant you pardon. O My servants, you can neither do Me any harm nor can you do Me any good. O My servants, even if the first amongst you and the last amongst you and the whole human race of yours and that of Jinns become as pious as the most pious heart of any one amongst you, it will not add anything to My Power or Kingdom. O My servants, even if the first amongst you and the last amongst you and the whole human race of yours and that of Jinns become as wicked as the most wicked heart of anyone amongst you, it will not decrease anything from My Power or Kingdom. O My servants, even if the first amongst you and the last amongst you and the whole human race of yours and that of Jinns gather together on a sector of land and all ask of Me and if I were to give everyone of them what they asked, that will not in any way decrease what I have anymore than a needle decreases what is in the ocean when it is put into it. O My servants, these deeds of yours which I am recording for you I shall reward you for them, so he who finds good should praise Allah and he who finds other than that should not blame anyone but himself." [Muslim]

As also mentioned in many verses of the Qur'an, Allah affirms His absolute justice (fairness) and negates that He has never committed any kind of injustice towards anyone. Some verses of the holy Qur'an in this regards are: "Your Lord is not at all unjust to His slaves" [41:46]; "No wise shall We be unjust to them but it is they who have been unjust to themselves" [43:76]; "And Allah wills no injustice for His slaves" [40:31]; and "...and Allah wills no injustice to the world" [3:108].

The forbidden injustices include all forms.

- The first, the highest level and the most extreme form of injustice is al-shirk or associating partners with Allah. Allah says in the Qur'an: "Verily joining others in worship with Allah is a great form of injustice indeed" [31:13]

- The second form is unjust towards one ownself such as committing sins.

- The third form is dhulm or unjust towards others whether human beings or other creatures.

The hadith shows us that humans are always in great need for Allah. We need Allah for everything because we are poor and needy. Allah is the only One Who does not need anybody. He does not need anything from us. He is the Almighty and the Most Powerful. So a Muslim should show his or her need to Allah all the time and should seek Allah's support and Tawfiq in whatever he or she does. That is why we are ordered to do a lot of dhikr all the time because it expresses our needs to Allah. It is by the help of Allah that we are able to do things. We are able to move and walk. We are able to sleep and wake up and do all our activities. All our internal bodily systems such as breathing, blood circulation and digestion and so on depend and work on Allah's Will. If any of these functions stop working, no one can bring it back to normal except Allah. So we should always be grateful to Allah.

Guidance is a great mercy and ni'mah from Allah the Almighty. It is very important for every Muslim to know that the most valuable thing that we have in our life is this guidance. Allah has guided us to the right path or iman and we have to be grateful to Him. This guidance in the form of the Qur'an was revealed to us by Allah through His Messenger, Muhammad*. So we should stick to its guidance and follow its teachings as a guide for us in everything we do in our lives. Our efforts alone cannot guide us. Even though we have our own will and choice, they are not independent. They are under Allah's will and choice and belong to Him. We have aql (mind) but again it is created by Allah. We also have fitrah or the natural deposition but it is also created by Allah and belongs to Him. All these things are created by Allah. Allah showed us the right way to follow and be guided and warn us against Shaitan who is our greatest enemy and cause of our wrongdoings and misguidance. Allah also showed us how to deal with our own desires which He created in us. He told us that we should not be misled by these desires. We have to use them in the right ways.

When it comes to the issue of misguidance, we must know that it is not from the choice of Allah because He does not want us to be misguided. It is from our own will and choice. When someone is misguided it is his or her own attitude and behaviour and it is he or she who chooses it to be like that. For example, takabur (arrogance) is one source of misguidance but it is a person's character and attitude which affect the heart and cause misguidance. So when a person chooses to be misguided he or she will be so by his or her own will and not by Allah's misguidance. Allah's misguidance comes later as punishment for the person who chooses to be misguided. But if the person is misguided because of external factors which is out of his hands, he will be excused.

At the end of the hadith it is mentioned and stressed that whoever finds good record he should be thankful to Allah and praise Him for that, and anyone who finds other than that, which means bad record, he should not blame anyone except himself. This is a clear statement that shows the personal responsibility of one's actions. It is the person's own will and choice and not Allah's. Allah is al-A'dil or Just. He never does injustice to His servants. In the Qur'an, we can find many verses that explain how people blame themselves during the Day of Judgment for not following the right path. It is the people themselves who chose to be misguided and hence they cannot blame any one else but themselves. This is also an important aspect of al-qadar that should be understood.

The door of Taubah or repentance is open for all. The acceptance of our repentance is always available. Islam is a practical religion. It acknowledges our weaknesses. People are always subject to wrongdoings. They may neglect or delay performing obligations (wajib) or they may even indulge in sins (ma'asi') but Allah is Oft-Forgiving and His door is open to all wrongdoers. We are given the chance to repent and come back to Allah. This is a mercy from Allah. If we truly repent to Allah, our sins will be forgiven and even the bad records will be changed into good ones. Allah is telling us that He is Forgiving, Merciful and Compassionate. He requires us to come to Him and seek His forgiveness. We should know that the door of Allah is open to us all the time. If we do something wrong at night, we should come back to Him in the morning and if we do something wrong in the morning, we should come to seek His forgiveness during the night. We are always encouraged to do istighfar, which means to remember Allah and praise Him by reciting His Dhikr. We should maintain this istighfar regularly, for example, during the morning and evening times. It is also recommended to recite these adhkar after the salah and in some other specific times. We are encouraged to read these dhikr in our hearts.

The hadith shows the generosity of Almighty Allah. Allah gives His servants a lot of bounties and favours. The more they ask Him, the more He gives them His Ni'mah and countless Bounties. He wants us to ask Him more and seek His help and support. This is different from human beings because humans do not like to be asked frequently. The more you ask a human, the more they hate you and eventually will turn away from you. But the more we ask Allah the more He gives us. He wants us to come closer to Him and show Him our needs and humbleness. He will be pleased by our frequent taubah and repentance. This is also a kind of ibadah which is required to be practiced.

The hadith shows us the proper relationship between mankind and Allah. It shows us the many attributes of Allah such as being Merciful, Forgiving, Powerful and Compassionate. In contrast, we as human beings are poor, needy and weak. We are in continuous need for Allah, our creator and sustainer. We need His Guidance, Help and Support. That is why in every raka'ah of our salah we are required to recite Umu al-Kitab or Surah al-Fatihah. We recite it at least 17 times everyday. It reminds us of our extreme need for our Lord and His Guidance and Support. Also this will strengthen our faith and iman.

Tsunami and Earthquake

06 March 2011

06 March 2011

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Surah al-Imran (verses related to Uhud in Qur'an)

And (remember) when you (Muhammad SAW) left your household in the morning to post the believers at their stations for the battle (of Uhud). And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower (121) When two parties from among you were about to lose heart, but Allah was their Walî (Supporter and Protector). And in Allah should the believers put their trust. (122) And Allah has already made you victorious at Badr, when you were a weak little force. So fear Allah much that you may be grateful. (123) (Remember) when you (Muhammad SAW) said to the believers, "Is it not enough for you that your Lord (Allah) should help you with three thousand angels; sent down?" (124) "Yes, if you hold on to patience and piety, and the enemy comes rushing at you; your Lord will help you with five thousand angels having marks (of distinction)." (125)

Allah made it not but as a message of good news for you and as an assurance to your hearts. And there is no victory except from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. (126) That He might cut off a part of those who disbelieve, or expose them to infamy, so that they retire frustrated. (127) Not for you (O Muhammad SAW, but for Allah) is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardons) them or punishes them; verily, they are the Zâlimûn (polytheists, disobedients, and wrong-doers). (128) And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (129)

O you who believe! Eat not Ribâ (usury) doubled and multiplied, but fear Allah that you may be successful. (130) And fear the Fire, which is prepared for the disbelievers. (131) And obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) that you may obtain mercy. (132) And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - see V.2:2). (133) Those who spend [in Allah's Cause] in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinûn (the good - doers). (134) And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allah - And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.. (135) For such, the reward is Forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath (Paradise), wherein they shall abide forever. How excellent is this reward for the doers (who do righteous deeds according to Allah's Orders). (136)

Many similar ways (and mishaps of life) were faced by nations (believers and disbelievers) that have passed away before you (as you have faced in the battle of Uhud), so travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who disbelieved (in the Oneness of Allah, and disobeyed Him and His Messengers). (137) This (the Qur'ân) is a plain statement for mankind, a guidance and instruction to those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - see V.2:2). (138) So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers. (139) If a wound (and killing) has touched you, be sure a similar wound (and killing) has touched the others. And so are the days (good and not so good), We give to men by turns, that Allah may test those who believe, and that He may take martyrs from among you. And Allah likes not the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong¬doers). (140)

And that Allah may test (or purify) the believers (from sins) and destroy the disbelievers (141) Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Sâbirun (the patient)? (142) You did indeed wish for death (Ash¬Shahâdah - martyrdom) before you met it. Now you have seen it openly with your own eyes. (143) Muhammad (SAW) is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful. (144) And no person can ever die except by Allah's Leave and at an appointed term. And whoever desires a reward in (this) world, We shall give him of it; and whoever desires a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give him thereof. And We shall reward the grateful. (145)

And many a Prophet (i.e. many from amongst the Prophets) fought (in Allah's Cause) and along with him (fought) large bands of religious learned men. But they never lost heart for that which did befall them in Allah's Way, nor did they weaken nor degrade themselves. And Allah loves As-Sâbirun (the patient). (146) And they said nothing but: "Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our transgressions (in keeping our duties to You), establish our feet firmly, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk." (147) So Allah gave them the reward of this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loves Al-Muhsinûn (the good-doers - see the footnote of V.3:134 and of V.9:120). (148)

O you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve, they will send you back on your heels, and you will turn back (from Faith) as losers. (149) Nay, Allah is your Maulâ (Patron, Lord, Helper and Protector), and He is the Best of helpers. (150) We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined others in worship with Allah, for which He had sent no authority; their abode will be the Fire and how evil is the abode of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong¬doers). (151) And Allah did indeed fulfil His Promise to you when you were killing them (your enemy) with His Permission; until (the moment) you lost your courage and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed after He showed you (of the booty) which you love. Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire the Hereafter. Then He made you flee from them (your enemy), that He might test you. But surely, He forgave you, and Allah is Most Gracious to the believers. (152) (And remember) when you ran away (dreadfully) without even casting a side glance at anyone, and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) was in your rear calling you back. There did Allah give you one distress after another by way of requital to teach you not to grieve for that which had escaped you, nor for that which had befallen you. And Allah is Well¬Aware of all that you do. (153)

Then after the distress, He sent down security for you. Slumber overtook a party of you, while another party was thinking about themselves (as how to save their ownselves, ignoring the others and the Prophet SAW) and thought wrongly of Allah - the thought of ignorance. They said, "Have we any part in the affair?" Say you (O Muhammad SAW): "Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allah." They hide within themselves what they dare not reveal to you, saying: "If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here." Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death," but that Allah might test what is in your breasts; and to purify that which was in your hearts (sins), and Allah is All¬Knower of what is in (your) breasts. (154) Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met (i.e. the battle of Uhud), it was Shaitân (Satan) who caused them to backslide (run away from the battlefield) because of some (sins) they had earned. But Allah, indeed, has forgiven them. Surely, Allah is Oft¬Forgiving, Most Forbearing. (155)

O you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites) and who say to their brethren when they travel through the earth or go out to fight: "If they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed," so that Allah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts. It is Allah that gives life and causes death. And Allah is All¬Seer of what you do. (156) And if you are killed or die in the Way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all that they amass (of worldly wealths). (157) And whether you die, or are killed, verily, unto Allah you shall be gathered. (158) And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh¬hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah's) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). (159) If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allah (Alone) let believers put their trust. (160)

It is not for any Prophet to take illegally a part of booty (Ghulul), and whosoever deceives his companions as regards the booty, he shall bring forth on the Day of Resurrection that which he took (illegally). Then every person shall be paid in full what he has earned, - and they shall not be dealt with unjustly. (161) Is then one who follows (seeks) the good Pleasure of Allah (by not taking illegally a part of the booty) like the one who draws on himself the Wrath of Allah (by taking a part of the booty illegally - Ghulul)? - his abode is Hell, - and worst, indeed is that destination! (162) They are in varying grades with Allah, and Allah is All¬Seer of what they do. (163) Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur'ân), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur'ân) and Al¬Hikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW (i.e. his legal ways, statements, acts of worship)], while before that they had been in manifest error. (164) (What is the matter with you?) When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: "From where does this come to us?" Say (to them), "It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds)." And Allah has power over all things. (165)

And what you suffered (of the disaster) on the day (of the battle of Uhud when) the two armies met, was by the leave of Allah, in order that He might test the believers. (166) And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the Way of Allah or (at least) defend yourselves." They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you." They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to Faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allah has full knowledge of what they conceal. (167) (They are) the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat (at home): "If only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed." Say: "Avert death from your ownselves, if you speak the truth." (168) Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision- (169) They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty, rejoice for the sake of those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind (not yet martyred) that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve. (170) They rejoice in a Grace and a Bounty from Allah, and that Allah will not waste the reward of the believers. (171)

Those who answered (the Call of) Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) after being wounded; for those of them who did good deeds and feared Allah, there is a great reward. (172) Those (i.e. believers) unto whom the people (hypocrites) said, "Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered against you (a great army), therefore, fear them." But it (only) increased them in Faith, and they said: "Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)." (173) So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty. (174) It is only Shaitân (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his Auliyâ' [supporters and friends (polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger, Muhammad SAW)], so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers. (175)

And let not those grieve you (O Muhammad SAW) who rush with haste to disbelieve; verily, not the least harm will they do to Allah. It is Allah's Will to give them no portion in the Hereafter. For them there is a great torment. (176) Verily, those who purchase disbelief at the price of Faith, not the least harm will they do to Allah. For them, there is a painful torment. (177) And let not the disbelievers think that Our postponing of their punishment is good for them. We postpone the punishment only so that they may increase in sinfulness. And for them is a disgracing torment. (178) Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Ghaib (unseen), but Allah chooses of His Messengers whom He wills. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. And if you believe and fear Allah, then for you there is a great reward. (179)

Assassination of Asadullah (the Lion of Allah) and Master of the Martyrs: Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib:

Hamzah’s assassin, Wahshi bin Harb, described how he killed Hamzah. He said: “I was a slave working to Jubair bin Mut‘im, whose paternal uncle Tu‘aimah bin ‘Adi was injured at Badr Battle. So when Quraish marched to Uhud, Jubair said to me: ‘If you kill Hamzah, the uncle of Muhammad, stealthily you shall be manumitted.’ ”

“So I marched with the people to Uhud.” He used to describe himself as, “I am a picaro good at spearing.” “So when the two parties fought, I set out seeking Hamzah. I saw him amidst people fighting. He was like a white and black striped camel, striking severely with his sword and no one could stand on his way. By Allah! When I was getting ready and trying to seize the fit opportunity to spear him, hiding sometimes behind a tree or a rock hoping that he might draw nearer and be within range — at that moment I caught sight of Siba‘ bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza going closer towards him. When Hamzah observed him, he said: ‘Come on!’. Then he struck one strong stroke that could hardly miss his head.”

Wahshi said: “Then I balanced my spear and shook it till I was content with it, then I speared him and it went down into his stomach and issued out between his legs. He attempted moving towards me but he was overcome by his wound. I left him there with the spear in his entrails till he died. Then I came to him, pulled out my spear and returned to the encampment place. I stayed there and did not go out, for he was the only one I sought. I only killed him to free myself. So as soon as I got back to Makkah, I became a free man.”

The Story of Wahshi

Wahshi relates his story of conversion: "After the Battle of Uhud, I continued to live in Makkah for quite a long time until the Muslims conquered Makkah. I then ran away to Ta'if, but soon Islam reached that area as well. I heard that however grave the crime of a person might be, [Muhammad] forgave him. I, therefore, reached [Muhammad] with Shahadatayn on my lips. Muhammad saw me and said "Are you the same Wahshy, the Ethiopian?" I replied in the affirmative. Thereupon he said: "How did you kill Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib?" I gave an account of the matter. Muhammad was moved and said: "I should not see your face until you are resurrected, because the heart-rending calamity fell upon my uncle at your hands".

Wahshi says: "So long as Muhammad was alive I kept myself hidden from him. After his death the battle with Musaylimah took place. I joined the army of Islam and used the same weapon against Musaylimah and succeeded in killing him with the help of one of the Ansar. If I killed the best of men (Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib) with this weapon, the worst man, too, did not escape its terror."

Hadith

Hadith 23 of Nawawi's 40 Hadith:

On the authority of Abu Malik al-Harith bin 'Asim al-Ash'ari who said: The Messenger of Allah* said: "Purification is half of iman (faith). Saying 'Al-Hamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah) fills the scales. Saying 'Subhanallah wa al-Hamdulillahi' (Exhalted be Allah and Praise be to Allah) fills the space between the heavens and the earth. Salah (prayer) is a light. Sadaqah (charity) is a proof. Sabr (patience) is a shining glory. The Qur'an is an argument either for you or against you. Everybody goes out in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves."  [Muslim]

This hadith is a Principle from amongst the Principles of Islam, and it encompasses within it many important matters and fundamental principles of the Deen.

Purity

As for 'Purity' then what is intended here is the action. There are different views and interpretations of the term 'al-tuhur' or purification. He says that some scholars have interpreted al-tuhur as to mean 'avoiding sins'. Others say that wudu' or ablution is a 'half of iman'. The term shatr or "half" (as mentioned in the sentence: "Purification is half of iman") also had different interpretations among the scholars: shatr means "part" and not "half; al-tuhur means the reward of ablution will be multiplied to the half of the reward of iman; iman nullifies all major sins while wudu' nullifies minor sins. So in this regard, wudu' is equal to half of iman; al-tuhur means iman along with wudu' eliminate and nullify sins; the meaning of iman in the hadith is salah (prayer) as mentioned in the Qur'an, in Surah al-Baqarah, Ayah 143. In this ayah Allah called salah 'iman' and the salah will not be accepted unless there is a wudu'. So that is why ablution can be considered as half of salah; or indeed the parts that constitute iman such as words and actions are all to purify and clean the heart or the inner parts of the body. And there is also a purification of the external body by using water and ablution and this is specific to the body only. Hence, there are two divisions of iman; the first division purifies the heart and the internal body and the second division purifies and cleans the external body. So in this regard, both divisions are two equal parts of iman."

Praise be to Allah

And as for his* statement "'al-Hamdu lillah' [Praise be to Allah] fills the scales" then its meaning is that due to the great reward for reciting the Praise of Allah, the scale of good deeds of the worshipper is filled. And it is apparent from the texts of the Qur'an and the Sunnah that the deeds of the slave will be weighed on the Day of Judgement, and will either be heavy or light.

Glory be to Allah

And similar to this is his* statement "and 'SubhanAllah' [Glory be to Allah - How far is Allah from every imperfection] and 'al-Hamdu lillah' fill that which is between heaven and earth" and the reason for its great virtue is that it combines within it the denial for Allah of all forms of deficiency and imperfection, and establishes our complete dependence upon Him and need of Him.

The hadith mentions that the phrase al-Hamdulillah fills the mizan (scales) and Subhanallah and al-Hamdulillah each fills (or both together fill) the space between the heavens and earth. The hadith shows the importance, greatness and significance of dhikr Allah or remembrance of Allah subhana wa ta'ala. For example, merely reciting one phrase such as Subhanallah gives rewards that fill the heavens! It shows just how important these phrases are for every Muslim. Some scholars stated that the full reward of reciting dhikr will be given to the person who recites them while thinking of their meaning and submitting to their implication. The hadith actually indicates the greatness of these phrases: al-Hamdulillah, Subhanallah wa al-Hamdulillah. The phrase Subhanallah can be recited alone or together with al-Hamdulillah as stated in the text of this hadith. This shows the worthiness of what is called al-Tasbih, glorifying Allah and al-Tahmid, praising and thanking Allah. Ibn Rajab stated that al-Tahmid is greater than al-Tasbih. It means that to be grateful and thankful to Allah is better than being in a state of Tasbih or glorifying Him and denying imperfection towards Him. The phrase 'al-Hamdulillah' shows gratitude and thankfulness to Allah. It is a positive concept while al-Tasbih is to deny any negative traits towards Almighty Allah and so al-Tahmid is better than al-Tasbih. Also, al-Hamdulillah is not just thankfulness to Allah. It involves more general aspects because it can be expressed both in words and actions. For example, when you do good deeds, it means al-Hamdulillah, just as when you say good words.

Prayer

And his* statement "the Salah (Prayer) is a Light" means that it prevents a person from sin, forbids him from fahsha' (lusts) and guides him towards that which is Right, just as one uses a light to illuminate ones way. And it has also been said that it means that its reward will be a light for the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, or that it will be a clear and apparent light on the face of the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, and also in this life in the form of beauty and radiance in his face. And this is the opposite of those who do not Pray, and Allah knows best.

Charity

The hadith further explains the role of sadaqah (charity) in our lives. It says charity is a burhan (proof) for the Muslim. Burhan literally means 'sunlight' in Arabic. This emphasises that charity is a bright and clear proof like the sunlight. It is a proof that reflects the iman of the believer. People who pay charity regularly for the sake of Allah express a strong iman. They feel the pleasure of iman in their hearts. Imam Ibn Rajab says that the reason why charity is an evidence of iman is that people usually love wealth and money and if they challenge this love and overpower their greed for the sake of Allah, they indeed have strong iman. And when the slave will be asked on the Day of Resurrection about how he spent his wealth, then his spending in charity will be a proof for him in answering that question, so he will say "I spent it in charity". And others have said that its meaning is that charity is a proof showing the Iman of the giver, since the hypocrite does not give charity as he does not believe in its prescription or benefit. So whoever spends in charity, then this is an indication of the strength of his Iman.

Patience

The hadith says "Patience is a dhiya' or brightness". According to Ibn Rajab, linguistically al-dhiya' (brightness) is different from al-nur (light). Al-dhiya' is more powerful than al-nur, because it not only gives out light but also heat, while al-nur gives out only a shining light. That is why in the Qur'an the term dhiya' is used for sunlight which, beside its light, has heat or high temperature, but the term al-nur is used for the moonlight which gives out only light and does not emit heat. Being patient is a very difficult and painful experience. It requires a lot of effort and struggle within. So when people control themselves and overcome impatience, they develop a good habit of self-control and become masters of their own selves. This is the real meaning of al-sabr or patience. Al-sabr literally means to 'withhold' or control something. It means to control the nafs and prevent it from being in a state of panic or impatience. It also means to prevent the tongue from complaining or saying negative things. People do not practice this value. They become impatient for minor reasons. They seem to be against the qadar and plans of Allah in their lives.

Imam Ibn Rajab says that there are three kinds of al-sabr or patience in Islam:

1. Al-Sabru ala da'ati allahi - to be patient in performing the acts of worship or ibadah of Allah.

2. Al-Sabru an ma'asi allahi - to be patient in the acts of avoiding sins (ma'asi) or disobedience of Allah.

3. Al-Sabru ala aqdari allahi - to be patient with the Qadar of Allah or His plans which are predestined by Him and happens to us in our lives.

Qur'an is a Proof

And as for his* statement "and the Qur'an is a Proof either for you or against you" then its meaning is clear that if one recites it and acts upon it, then one will attain great benefit from it, and if not then it will be a proof against us. So people who recite the Qur'an, learn it and practice its rulings are people who become the people of the Qur'an and it (the Qur'an) will be a proof for them. But those who ignore the Qur'an and never read or practice it in their lives, then the Qur'an will stand against them during the Day of Judgment. One of contemporary scholars observed that people do not read the Qur'an except when someone dies. They recite the Qur'an on a dead body but this is not the aim of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is revealed for the living and not for those who have passed away.

Selling your Soul

And his* statement "Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin" means that every person strives for his soul, so amongst mankind are those who sell themselves for Allah through their obeying Him, and thus free their souls from the Punishment, as Allah ta'ala has said : "Verily, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that theirs shall be Paradise". And whoever sells his soul for Shaytan and his desires through his following them, then he has destroyed his soul. The person who struggles to worship Allah and obeys Him is the one who frees himself and the person who indulges in sins is the one who destroys himself. According to the hadith, every morning when people go out of their houses they are either gaining rewards and profit or getting losses. If they work for Allah and obey Him they are winners, but if they violate the rules of Allah and disobey Him then they gain nothing but loss after loss.

News

Saudi Scholars ban marches

Saudi Arabia bans all marches as mass protest is planned for Friday
[see link above - click on it]
The Saudi Interior Ministry said the kingdom has banned all demonstrations because they contradict Islamic laws and social values. The ministry said some people have tried to get around the law to "achieve illegitimate aims" and it warned that security forces were authorised to act against violators. By way of emphasis, a statement broadcast on Saudi television said the authorities would "use all measures" to prevent any attempt to disrupt public order. 

As mentioned the Saudi Kings and princes are getting nervous because the Muslim Ummah is waking up and realising that they do not want to live under oppression and injustice. These puppet rulers will do anything, it seems, to stay in power and maintain their control over the Ummah and her wealth. They will use the army and media to stay in power. The kings in Arabia are also now claiming that it is unislamic to demonstrate – as they fear the will of the people. Hence, they have asked their ‘government scholars’ to come up with a fatwa to support their views. Muslims should be aware and very suspicious of scholars who are paid by the government as their loyalty will often be to the ruler and not to Allah.

Even a brief examination of the life of the Prophet* shows emphatically that demonstrations are permissible in Islam and were even used in the time of the Prophet*. Children in the Study Circle gave the example when Umer & Hamza marched around the Kaaba in two columns with the Prophet.  Also, the public gathering of Hasan bin Thabit when he demonstrated against the Quraish by reciting publicly his poems was a demonstration.

Homework from 06 March 2011: 

1. Seerah: What injuries happened to the Prophet* during Uhud and who injured him? 

2. What do you understand from the next (number 24) of Nawawi's 40 Hadith:

It was relayed on the authority of Abu Dhar al-Ghifari that the Prophet* said, of what he related from his Lord, magnified and exhalted be He, Who said: "O My servants, I have made oppression unlawful for Me and unlawful for you, so do not commit oppression against one another. O My servants, all of you are liable to err except for those whom I guide on the right path, therefore seek guidance from Me so that I should direct you to the right path. O My servants, all of you are hungry (needy) except for those whom I feed, therefore seek food from Me so that I may feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked (need clothes) except for those whom I provide garments, therefore seek clothing from Me so that I should clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day and I am there to pardon your sins, therefore seek forgiveness from Me so that I should grant you pardon. O My servants, you can neither do Me any harm nor can you do Me any good. O My servants, even if the first amongst you and the last amongst you and the whole human race of yours and that of Jinns become as pious as the most pious heart of any one amongst you, it will not add anything to My Power or Kingdom. O My servants, even if the first amongst you and the last amongst you and the whole human race of yours and that of Jinns become as wicked as the most wicked heart of anyone amongst you, it will not decrease anything from My Power or Kingdom. O My servants, even if the first amongst you and the last amongst you and the whole human race of yours and that of Jinns gather together on a sector of land and all ask of Me and if I were to give everyone of them what they asked, that will not in any way decrease what I have anymore than a needle decreases what is in the ocean when it is put into it. O My servants, these deeds of yours which I am recording for you I shall reward you for them, so he who finds good should praise Allah and he who finds other than that should not blame anyone but himself." [Muslim] 

3. News Topics from this week: Any interesting news articles from the week that relate to Islam or the Muslims? Bring a clipping or print out if you can...

27 February 2011

27 February 2011

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

The Archers
The Prophet now chose out his best archers: of these he attached to himself Zayd, Sa'd his cousin of Zuhrah, and Sa'ib the son of Uthman ibn Maz’un amongst others; but he told fifty of them to take up their position on a rise a little to the left of his main force. He put over them 'Abd Allah ibn Jubayr, a man of Aws, and gave them their orders, saying: "Keep their cavalry from us with your arrows. Let them not come upon us from bur rear. Be the tide of battle for us or against us, stay at this post! If ye see us plundering the enemy, seek not to have a share in it; and if ye see us being slain, come not to our aid."? He said to their leader: “Drive off the horses from us by means of arrows, lest they should attack us from behind (the rear). Whether we win the battle or lose it, stand steadily in your position and mind that we are not attacked from your side.”
“If you see us snatched into pieces by birds, do not leave this position of yours till I send for you. And if you see that we have defeated the enemy and trodden on them do not desert your position till I send for you.” With the assignment of this squad and locating it on the mountainside and the issuance of those strict military orders, the Messenger of Allah* blocked the only groove that might lead the idolaters stealthily to the rear of Muslim ranks and might even enable them to encircle them in an encompassment procedure.

Political Manoeuvres Of Quraish - dividing the Muslims (then and now):
A little time before the break out of the battle, Quraish made some endeavours to sow the seeds of discord and dispute among the Muslims. First, Abu Sufyan sent to the Helpers a message saying: “Leave us alone to fight our cousins and do not interfere. If you stand aside, we will not fight you; for fighting you is not a target of ours.” But that attempt proved to be fruitless.
Undespaired by the first failure, Quraish made another attempt, for the same purport but now with the assistance of a traitor called Abu Amir Al- Fasiq, whose name was Abd Amr bin Saifi. He was called a monk, but the Messenger of Allah* nicknamed him Al-Fasiq (i.e. perverted transgressor; dissolute). As he was the head of Aws in Al-Jahiliya, he could not tolerate Islam when it came. He announced his enmity to the Messenger of Allah* in public. He left Medina for the Quraishites in Mecca to rally them against the Messenger of Allah* and to urge them to start the fight against him. He claimed that he was obeyed and esteemed by his people and that as soon as they saw him come they would join him immediately. So he was the first one among the mob and slaves of Quraish to show resistance. He called out unto his people, recognized them and said: “O kinfolk of Aws! I am Abu Amir.” Their reply was “No eyes of anybody shall be consoled by viewing you, O Fasiq.” Hearing them say so, he said: “My people must have been afflicted by an evil after my departure.” Therefore when the fight broke out, he fought them fiercely and pelted his people with stones, as well. That was how the second attempt of Quraish to sow the seeds of discord among people of Faith. This, however, revealed the great terror of the Quraishites cast in their hearts in spite of their supremacy in number and equipment.

Battle of Uhud commences
It was a wise and carefully-laid plan which revealed the genius of military leadership that the Prophet* possessed. No other leader could have drawn a more accurate or wise plan. Although he approached the site later than the enemy, he managed to occupy better positions. He made the rocky mountainside to function as shield for the army’s rear and right flank. He was able, by blocking the only vulnerable gap on the side, to provide additional maximum protection for the rear as well as the left wing. For fear of possible defeat, and to deter the Muslims from fleeing, in which case they would fall easy prisoners in the hands of the enemy, he chose a high place for encampment. Moreover a strategic site of this sort would surely inflict heavy losses on the polytheists if they thought of approaching or occupying his positions. In a further step, he reduced the enemy to a narrow scope of choice when they were cornered for encampment in geographically low positions that would avail them nothing of the benefits of any possible victory; at the same time they would not be able to escape the pursuit of the Muslims in case victory sided with the latter. To make up for the quantitative shortage in fighting personnel, he chose a picked body of fighters to stand at the front.

Abu Dujanah and the Prophet's sword
Having put on another coat of mail he took up a sword and brandished it, saying: "Who will take this sword, together with its right?" Immediately Umar went to take it, but the Prophet turned away from him, saying again: "Who will take this sword, together with its right?" Zubayr said he would take it, but again the Prophet turned away, repeating his question a third time. "What is its right," O Messenger of God?" said Abu Dujanah, a man of Khazraj, "Its right," said the Prophet, "is that you should strike the foe with it until its blade be bent." "I will take it, together with its right," he said, and the Prophet gave it to him. He was a valiant man, who gloried in battle. His red turban was well known, and among the Khazraj it was called the turban of death. When he put it on, as now he did, winding it round his helmet, they knew that he meant to inflict great slaughter on the enemy; and none could doubt that this was his firm intention as sword in hand he strutted up and down between the lines. Seeing him, the Prophet said: "That is a way of walking which God detests, save at such a time and place as this."! Abu Dujana was a man of courage who used to swagger at war. He had a red band which he wore round his head. Whenever he was head-banded everybody knew that he was determined to fight to death.
Abu Dujana, recognized by the red band worn round his head, came forth, fighting with the sword of the Messenger of Allah*. He was determined to pay its price at all costs. He killed all the idolaters that stood on his way splitting and dispersing their ranks. Az-Zubair bin Al-Awwam said: “I felt angry and discouraged when the Messenger of Allah* refused to give me the sword but gave it to Abu Dujana. I said to myself: ‘I am his paternal cousin — the cousin of his aunt Safiya — a Quraishite, besides, I was the first who demanded it and yet he favoured him to me. By Allah, I will watch how he will use it.’ So I followed him, I saw him take out his red band and wear it round his head. Seeing him like that, the Helpers said, Abu Dujana had worn the band of death.’ Then he set out saying loudly: l ‘I am the one whom my intimate friend made covenant with, when we were under the palmtrees on the mountain side. The covenant that we made was that I should not fight at the rear. But fight at the front heroically with the sword of Allah and His Messenger.’ No one stood the way of Abu Dujana but was killed. There was a man among the idolaters whose only target was to finish off the wounded Muslims. During the fight Abu Dujana drew near that man; so I implored Allah that they might engage in combat. They in fact did and exchanged two sword-strokes. The idolater struck Abu Dujana, but he escaped it and it pierced into his leather shield. The idolater’s sword now stuck to it, Abu Dujana struck him with the sword and killed him. Into the thick of the battle, he rushed to kill a person who was inciting the enemy to fight the Muslims.

The Standard Bearers
The idolaters applied the rows system in the mobilization of their army. The general leadership of the army was entrusted to Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb, who would be in the centre-position of the army. Khalid bin Al-Waleed was on the right wing; whereas ‘Ikrima, the son of Abu Jahl was on the left. Safwan bin Omaiya was in charge of infantry men. The archers were under the command of Abdullah bin Abi Rabia. As for the standard, a squad of Bani Abd Ad-Dar were in charge to bear it. Thus was the distribution of the posts of the army ever since Abd Munaf had already assigned them. Abu Sufyan, the general leader, reminded his men — the standard bearers — of what had happened to Quraish on Badr Day (i.e. battle) when their standard bearer, An-Nadr bin Al-Harith, was captured. In an attempt to wage their anger and enmity to the Muslims he said: “O Bani Abd Ad-Dar! You have been assigned bearers of our standard and you know that the standard is the first thing that the enemy attacks. Should it fall, we fall down too. Therefore, I say either you guarantee its safety or leave it for us, and we will certainly suffice you that task.” Abu Sufyan’s attempt seemed to be fruitful. For his speech made Bani Abd Ad-Dar so extremely angry that they threatened him and almost attacked him for that. Addressing him, they said: “You want us to deliver you the custodianship of the standard? Tomorrow when we fight them, you will witness our deeds.” As a matter of fact, they fought bravely and stoodfast in defence of the standard till they were all killed.

Hanzalah
One of the brave adventurers of that day was Hanzala Al-Ghaseel — He was Hanzala bin Abu Amir. Abu Amir was the very monk that was nicknamed Al-Fasiq’ (i.e. the dissolute, evildoer). He is the very one that we have recently mentioned. Hanzala, who was newly married, left his wife’s bed for Al-Jihad. When he faced the idolaters on the battlefield, he made his way through their ranks till he reached their leader Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb and had almost killed him, if he had not been ordained to be a martyr. For at that moment he was seen by Shaddad bin Al-Aswad who struck him to death.

The Muslims are winning
The archers squad whom the Messenger of Allah* located on the Archers Mountain, had the upper hand in administering the war activities to go in favour of the Muslim army. The Makkan horsemen — commanded by Khalid bin Al-Waleed, supported by Abu Amir Al-Fasiq — had for three times attacked the left wing of the Muslim army with the aim of crushing it and then infiltrating into the rear to create a sort of confusion and disorder in the ranks of the Muslims and subsequently inflict heavy defeat on them. But thanks to the dexterity and great efforts of the archers, the three assaults were thwarted.
War activities went on and on fierecly with the Muslims in full command of the whole military developments until the idolaters finally staggered and retreated, leaving all motives of alleged pride, and affected dignity in oblivion, and their standard trodden by the feet of the fighters with none ever courageous enough to approach it. It seemed as if the three thousand idolaters had been fighting thirty thousand Muslims and not merely several hundreds.

Hadith
Hadith 22 of Nawawi's 40 Hadith:
Abu Abdullah Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari reported that a man questioned the Messenger of Allah* saying: "Do you see, if I pray the prescribed (prayers), fast during Ramadhan, treat the lawful as permissible and treat the forbidden as prohibited, but do nothing more than that, shall I enter Paradise?” He (the Prophet, sallallahu Alayhi wasallam) answered: “Yes.” [Muslim]

This man who questioned the Prophet* was an-Nu'maan bin Qawqal. One thing that we notice about the hadith is that Hajj and Zakah are not mentioned even though they make up the five Pillars of Islam. According to some scholars, the person who asked the question passed away (in the Battle of Uhud) before hajj was made an obligation. As for zakah, it is possible that it also was not yet made an obligation; alternatively, the person questioning was not a person of wealth and therefore was not required to pay zakah.
One scholar has said : "What is apparent from his statement 'treat as forbidden that which is Haram' is two issues. The first: that he believes those things to be forbidden. The second: that he does not perform those actions, which is different from the case of treating the Halal as permissible, as in the latter case it is sufficient to believe that they are permissible [without actually performing all of them]."
The author of al-Mufham said that in this hadith the Prophet* did not mention to the questioner any of the voluntary actions, and this is a proof indicating the permissibility of leaving all of the voluntary actions. But the one who does so, and does not perform anything from the voluntary deeds, has deprived his soul of a tremendous profit and an immense reward. And the one who persists upon leaving something from the Sunnah is considered to have a deficiency in his Religion, and an impairment to his decency and justice.
And here the Prophet* left out the Sunnah and other voluntary acts in his advice to the man to make the Religion easy for him, due to his having recently accepted Islam, as excessive obligations may have alienated him from the Religion. And he* knew that if the man established himself upon Islaam and if Allah opened his heart to the Deen, then he would, of his own accord, seek those voluntary actions which the other Muslims sought. Also, it is possible that the Prophet* did not mention the voluntary deeds in his advice so that the man would not wrongly assume that such actions are also obligatory.
And similarly in another hadith: A man asked the Prophet* about the Salah (Prayer), so he* told him that they are five. So the man said : "Am I required to perform any more [other than these five] ?" to which the Prophet* replied "No, except that which you perform voluntarily". Then the man asked about the Fasting, and the Hajj and other prescribed matters, and the Prophet* answered him [in a similar manner]. Then at the end of this the man said: "By Allah, I will not increase upon this, nor will I perform less than it", to which the Prophet* said : "He will be Successful if he is truthful", and in another narration "If he holds onto that which he has been commanded with then he will enter Paradise".
And the Sunnah and voluntary deeds have been prescribed to complete and beautify the Obligatory deeds. So in the case of this questioner, and the one mentioned before him, the Prophet* did not include in his advice the voluntary deeds in order to make the Religion easy for them, until their own understanding of the Deen increased, which would then lead to a desire to attain the reward of the voluntary deeds.
So he who preserves the deeds obligatory upon him, and performs them in their time, without leaving anything from them or violating any of their requisites, then he will attain a tremendous and immense Success - may Allah grant us that. And similarly, he who comes with the obligatory deeds and then follows that up with additional voluntary deeds will achieve a Success even greater than the first.
These obligatory acts mentioned in the hadith that will lead a person to Paradise require strong belief in Allah, commitment and continuous efforts. Only then will it be an easy task to achieve. This hadith implies that the mustahab (or sunnah or preferable deeds) are not necessary for one to be able to enter Paradise. What counts or what matters is fulfilling the obligatory acts. However, we are encouraged to perform preferable deeds according to our capacity and whenever possible. The significance of performing preferable acts is that it will lead us in getting closer to Allah subhana wa ta’ala. In addition, preferable deeds compensate for our shortcomings in performing the obligatory acts.

News:

Turmoil in Libya: This was briefly discussed. The continued fighting and killing in cities across Libya where the people are rising up against the western-backed dictator and fried – Colonel Ghaddafi. It is well known that he is a tyrant and persecutes Muslims. There are many stories of him doing unspeakable things to sincere Muslims. It is also well known that he denies the Sunnah and its significance in Islam. We should not have any sympathy for tyrants like this and pray that victory for the Muslims is close.

Homework from 27 February 2011:
1a. Seerah: What happened to Wahshi after he assasinated Hamzah?
1b. Seerah: Read the verses from the Surah that was revealed after the Battle of Uhud and chose your favourite verses (and why you have chosen these)? HINT ~ These are between verses 121 - 179 of Surah al-Imran
2. What do you understand from the next (number 22) of Nawawi's 40 Hadith:
On the authority of Abu Malik al-Harith bin 'Asim al-Ash'ari, who said: The Messenger of Allah* said: "Purification is half of iman (faith). Saying 'Al-Hamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah) fills the scales. Saying 'Subhanallah wa al-Hamdulillahi' (Exhalted be Allah and Praise be to Allah) fills the space between the heavens and the earth. Salah (prayer) is a light. Sadaqah (charity) is a proof. Sabr (patience) is a shining glory. The Qur'an is an argument either for you or against you. Everybody goes out in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves." [Muslim]
3. News Topics from this week: Suggested Topics: Libya, Banks. Any interesting news articles from the week that relate to Islam or the Muslims? Bring a clipping or print out if you can...