20 May 2012

Conquest of Mecca (3); Linguistic Meaning (4) and Limited Creation (3)

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

Umm Hani gives limited protection
Two persons took refuge in the house of Umm Hani, the sister of Ali. Ali, fully armed, besieged her house. On coming face to face with an unidentified officer, she introduced herself immediately and said: "In the capacity of a Muslim woman, I have given asylum to two persons and the asylum provided by a Muslim woman is respected like that provided by a Muslim man". At this moment, in order to make himself known to her, Ali pulled off his helmet from his head. The sister saw the brother whom the vicissitudes of time had separated from her for so many years. Her eyes were immediately filled with tears and she put her arms round Ali's neck. Thereafter both of them went before the Prophet* and he too approved the asylum provided by Umm Hani. Umm Hani noted that she saw the Prophet* praying 8 rakah (separated every 2 rakah) during the time Dhoha and some scholars say this was the prayer of victory and others conclude this is just the Dhoha prayer.

Bilal Pronounces Adhan and Returning the keys to the Kaaba
The time for noon prayers arrived. Bilal, the official mu'azzin of Islam, went on the roof of the Ka'bah and announced, with loud voice, the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad, making it reach the ears of those present in the general gathering. The obstinate idolaters were saying all sorts of things. One of them said: "Such and such person was lucky, because he died earlier and didn't hear adhan". It is mentioned that the Prophet* intended Bilal to make the Adhan to demonstrate the new system of Islam and to irritate / agitate the Quraish.
The Prophet* offered the noon prayers. Ali had asked that the honour of the keys to the Kaaba now be kept with the family of the Prophet*, but the Prophet* called Uthman bin Talhah and, returning the key of the Kaaba to him, said: "This position belongs to you and will remain safe in your family!" And nothing else could me expected from the Prophet* of Islam - the Prophet*, who takes orders from Allah and conveys the people: Allah commands you to return the things entrusted to you to the rightful owners. (Surah al-Nisa, 4:58) he should certainly precede others in returning such a big trust. He does not trample upon the rights of the people means of military strength. Hence he announces in open terms: "Custodianship of the key of the Kaaba is the admitted right of the son of Talhah and nobody shares this right with him." 

The Prophet*'s Speech to the People of Mecca
The Prophet* made clear that the old ways were gone and the new era of Islam cancelled all the old traditions. The rules of the game had changed and now Islam was in charge. He condemned every discrimination and laid stress upon the necessity of justice and equality between all classes, and said: "O Children of Hashim and Muttalib! I have been sent to you by Allah as His Messenger and the ties of love and kindness between you and myself are also unbreakable. You shouldn't, however, think that only relationship with me will ensure your salvation on the Day of Judgement. All of you should understand that my friend from amongst you and others is he who is pious and virtuous, and my connection with those, who come before Allah with a heavy burden of sins is cut off. I shan't be able to do anything for you on the Day of Judgement. (On that day) I and you will be responsible for our respective actions".
The Prophet* himself was an inhabitant of the same environments and knew fully well the ailments of the Arab society and their remedy. He knew the reason for the decline of the people of Mecca. Hence, he decided to look into the social ailments of the Arab society and to remedy them fully. The question of self-glorification on account of one's family, household or tribe was one of the deep-rooted ailments of the Arab society and the greatest pride for a person was that he should belong to a branch of a well-known tribe like Quraish. The Prophet* condemned this imaginary basis of superiority. He said, "O people! Allah has abolished from amongst you, under the tenets of Islam, the bases of pride of the Age of Ignorance and self-glorification on account of lineage. All are the descendants of Prophet* Adam and Adam was created with clay. The best person amongst you is he who refrains from sin and disobedience". In order to make the people understand that the criterion of superiority is only piety, he, in one of his sermons, divided all human beings into two groups, and declared only pious persons to be entitled to honour and superiority. By means of this division and classification, he nullified all imaginary standards of rank and position and said: "Before Allah, people consist of only two groups; one of those groups is that of the pious people, who are honourable before Allah, and the second group is that of the transgressors and the sinners, who are abject and humble before Him".

Superiority On Account Of Being An Arab
The Prophet* knew that the Arabs considered being of Arabian descent to be a great honour for themselves; they were proud of being of Arabian lineage. This spirit was like a contagious disease in them. To remedy this ailment and to do away with the conception of this superiority he turned to the people and said: "O people! Being an Arab is not the criterion of your personality or a part of your being, but only a mode of expression. The genealogical pride is not of any use to a person who does not carry out his duties properly, and it does not make amends for deficiency in his performances". "All persons have been equal in the past and are also equal at present like the teeth of a comb and an Arab does not enjoy any superiority over a non-Arab, nor is a red-coloured person superior to a black one. The criterion of superiority is piety".
The Hundred Years' Wars And Old Grudges
Owing to internal wars and continued bloodshed the people of Arabia had become a revengeful nation and they were constantly at war with one another. He then asked the people to ignore the entire bloodshed which had taken place during the Period of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah), and to treat all such dossiers as sealed. In this manner he prevented bloodshed which disturbed peace and order, and made the people forget transgression, plundering and murder, which could result in claims of blood-money or in confrontation. To achieve this end he declared: "I reject all claims relating to life and property and all imaginary honours of the past, and declare them to be baseless".
Islamic Brotherhood
A part of what the Prophet* said on that day related to the unity of the Muslims and the rights which a Muslim has on his brother Muslim. His aim in mentioning these advantages was that by maintaining such ties of friendship and unity, as well by honouring the rights enjoyed by the Muslims over one another, the non-Muslims might be inclined towards Islam and might join the ranks of the Muslims: "A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim and all the Muslims are brothers of one another and constitute one hand as against the non-Muslims. The blood of every one of them is equal to that of others and even the smallest among them can make a promise on behalf of others''.

Forgiving Safwan bin Umayyah
Safwan was the son of Umayyah, who had been killed in the Battle of Badr. Besides his other crimes and felonies he had hanged a Muslim in Mecca in broad daylight, to take revenge for the treatment meted out to his father. Fearing punishment, he decided to leave the Hijaz by sea. 'Umayr bin Wahab (who was once sent to assassinate the Prophet*) requested the Prophet* to forgive Safwan. The Prophet* accepted his recommendation and, as a token of protection given to Safwan, gave 'Umayr the turban which he was wearing at the time of his arrival in Mecca. 'Umayr went to Jeddah with that turban and brought Safwan to Mecca. When the Prophet*'s eyes fell on the greatest criminal of the time, he said to him with great magnanimity: "Your life and property are guaranteed. However, it will be better if you embrace Islam". He requested for two months time to think over the matter. The Prophet* said: "I am prepared to give you four months time instead of two months, so that you may choose this religion with thorough understanding". The period of four months had not yet passed when he embraced Islam.

Main Topic: Fiqh 4
(Linguistic and Shariah Meanings)
In previous study circles we have briefly mentioned that words can have more than 1 meaning. We have talked about Linguistic Meanings and Shariah/Islamic Meanings of words. To explain further:

• A linguistic meaning is the original meaning of the word in Arabic or where the word was derived from, and how this was originally used before Islam.
• A Shariah/Islamic Meaning is the new meaning to the word or phrase that is given to it by Islam (the Qur’an, the Prophet* or the scholars). Hence, when the word is commonly used now it is due to the new Islamic meaning of the word as this is the one related to reward and punishment from Allah.

Using some examples already mentioned: Linguistically, Fiqh implies having knowledge in depth. As a legal (Shariah/Islamic) term, Fiqh has two meanings: Having the knowledge of the rulings of Shariah (Islamic Law) which are extracted from the legislative sources; or all the Islamic laws. This definition is synonymous to the term Shariah.
The linguistic meaning of the word Shariah is a non-exhaustive source of water with which people satisfy their thirst. The term Shariah can also mean all the Islamic laws (ie., all the laws derived from the legislative sources of Islam), and so is also interchangeable with Fiqh.
Linguistically abrogation means cancelling (Izaalah) or changing the thing and transforming it from one state to another while it still exists in essence. Its Shariah meaning is the address (Khitaab) of the legislator (Allah) which prevents the continuation of a Hukm Shar’i (laws) of a previous address (Khitaab).
This is like Salah (prayer), whose linguistic meaning is du'a (suplication), and Islam gave it a new meaning (transferring it from the linguistic meaning to the divine/Shariah meaning) which then dominated its use. Thus, the Arabs used it a divine/Shariah meaning other than its linguistic meaning, and the linguistic meaning was abandoned while the divine/Shariah meaning dominated.
The word Sunnah originally means ‘path’ along which one travels. However, Muslims now use it to refer to either the example of the Prophet* or a recommended action from the Prophet*.
Another common term whose meaning has changed is that if Jihad. The linguistic meaning is that of ‘struggling or striving’, whereas the Shariah gave is a meaning related to fighting for Islam (in various manners). It is only the latter term that carries specific rewards in Islam according to the knowledgeable scholars.

Aqeeda: How strongly do we believe in Allah? Myth or reality?
We started off the study circle by talking about Superheroes, like Captain America, Batman, Superman, Spiderman; or the recent TV series Heroes; even touching upon mythical gods of previous cultures (Hindus & Greeks). There is often a need for limited humans like us to project power onto other beings – and super-powers to other super-beings. This reflects our own limitations – something we will come back to later. We recapped how Muslims should have a belief in Allah that is beyond superstition and ‘leap of faith’. Allah talks about this type of belief in the Qur’an: "Were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay they have no firm belief." [TMQ 52:35-36]
 
Logical, Scientific & Rational thought
Scientific (empirical) evidence is one type of evidence, but not the only type. Other types include the likes of logic, reports and conceptual analysis. Logical approaches are based on sound premises and a valid structure to argument (like mathematics). For example, the statements that all men are mortal combined with the observation that Abdul is a man rationally means that necessarily Abdul is mortal. Our acceptance of the concept that human beings are the product of a mother and father, allows us to establish, on analysis of this concept and its rational extension, that Aisha had a great great grandfather. None of these conclusions are scientific, for they do not involve the application of the scientific method. Yet all of them are rational.

Arguments about the nature of matter, universe and Allah: The limited nature of existence
When we look around us at everything we can sense one factor is shared by these things, and that is that they are all limited. By limited we mean that they have restrictions, a starting point and an ending point, and they have definable attributes i.e. they are all finite. Man is born and he dies. There is no-one alive who will not die. During his life span, he will grow to a certain height, weight and volume. The universe is defined as all the celestial planets. All these objects have certain mass, shape, volume and so on. The life span of a star may be very long, but a point in time will come when it will cease to exist. The universe is large, but still a finite space. No scientist could ever prove using hard facts that the universe has no bounds. In fact when we say that the universe arose from the Big Bang and expanding they inherently admit it is finite in size, otherwise it could not expand! There is nothing in reality which is unlimited. No matter how hard we try, man is unable to find anything unlimited around him. All he can perceive is the finite and limited.
A further attribute of everything around us is that they are all needy and dependent in order to continue existing. They are not self-sustaining or independent. Man has needs he has to satisfy in order to survive. He has organic needs - must eat and drink if he is to survive, and if he does not he will die. We see the need and dependency in plants and animals. They depend on other parts of the food chain for their existence. The water cycle is dependent on the sun, which is dependent on the laws of the galaxies and of burning mass, and so on... Nothing man can perceive is self-subsistent. So things exist, but do not have the power of existence. They cannot control when they die or when other bodies die.
Thus what we see is that everything around us is limited and finite. Everything that is limited and finite is dependant and everything that is dependant is dependant upon something greater than itself.
Applying this to everything we see will bring us to a conclusion. If everything in the universe is dependant because it has not the power of being in existence on its own accord, and is also finite and limited, then what is everything dependant upon for its existence? Hence, two possibilities exist:

• That is either all finite and limited objects depend upon each other in an infinite chain of inter dependencies (infinite regression). Or,
• There is a first cause a sole Creator upon which everything depends.

To explain this further we can understand this by way of analogy. Consider a set of dominoes for example, for the final domino to fall it is dependant upon the domino before it, and for that domino to fall over it is dependant upon the domino before it. Now imagine if there was an infinite number of dominoes…… would any of the dominoes fall over? The answer is no, none of the dominoes would fall over. Now to view any aspect of the universe we would see that something is already in existence in essence the last domino has fallen over. Thus meaning that finite things are not dependant upon each other in an infinite chain. Therefore, there needs to be a first cause or a sole Creator upon which everything depends and itself being independent. Now, we have noted that everything that is finite and limited is also dependant, hence, for something to be independent it would need to be infinite and unlimited. This is whom we Muslims call Allah the sole Creator, self subsistent, and completely unique and different from creation. Allah says "Declare, Allah is one and only, Allah is self sufficient (needy of nothing but upon which everything depends), Neither Allah begets nor was he begotten, And there is nothing equal to or comparable unto Allah" [TMQ 112]

Science cannot prove the existence of God. Not because it requires ‘faith’ but because of the limitations of the scientific method itself. As for rational evidence for the existence of God, that has been furnished, debated, refined and presented centuries ago. The Kalam Cosmological argument for example – was developed by Muslim scholars as early as the 11th century CE. The argument is profound yet simple: the material world we sense around us comprises of things (temporal phenomena) that depend for their existence on other things (temporal phenomena) and so forth. Such a series cannot continue to infinity, for if it did no one thing  would satisfy its dependence and nothing would exist. The fact that things do exist necessarily implies a finite series and, in turn, the existence of a being who determined both the existence of this series and the specific attributes or properties that define it. By rational extension, this being must be eternal and without beginning, otherwise it is temporal and forms part of the series. It must also be sentient for a timeless cause producing a temporal effect requires an independent will. Finally, effecting so grand a creation as the universe and all that it contains necessitates knowledge and power. Thus, by use of reason alone – no reference to scripture, ‘leaps of faith’ or assumptions – we deduce the existence of an eternal, necessary and transcendent being attributed with knowledge, power and sentience, otherwise known in the English language as ‘God’.
The idea and question of ‘God’ has serious implications because the answer obtained becomes the very basis by which we understand the creation and purpose of man, life round us and the whole existence of the universe. Therefore, the method used should not only be the rational thought but the comprehensive and agree with reality. Anything hypothetical or emotional should be rejected since their basis disagrees with ration and reality.
The Islamic Belief and subsequently the Islamic way of life has an intellectual basis. Therefore, Islam is neither a religion nor a set of values and rituals that arise from Blind Faith. Rather, Islam is an intellectual belief from which emanates a comprehensive system of life, be it for individuals or society. To understand the unique system that Islam offers necessitates the explanation of the Islamic belief i.e. the belief in God, Allah in Arabic, and the Word of God, the Qur’an.

We cannot try to limit Allah with our limited understanding of the Universe
The only rational and intellectual solution to the question of creation is that there is a Creator that has accounted for all that we see and perceive. Ration tells us that nothing can be created without a creator. Ultimately, there must be a Creator who is unlimited in every aspect. Hence, we cannot ask if Allah can build a wall over which he cannot jump, or make a stone that he cannot lift or make a square-circle – as these would be putting limits onto Allah and confining Him to our limited understanding of the universe and its laws. Allah is beyond this and not subject to these laws as He created them. So the questions do not make sense.
Belief in Allah is not a superstition nor a mythology, but is a definite fact that is established upon the use of the mind and is felt within every person. Hence, looking at any planet in the universe, contemplating on any phase of life, or comprehending any aspect of man provides a conclusive evidence for the existence of a Creator. "Verily in the Creation of the heavens and the Earth and the alternation of the night and the day the are indeed signs for a people who depth and thinking" [TMQ 3:190]

Children's Feedback:

The King and the Poor Person

Homework~

What did Khalid bin Walid do that caused the Prophet* to disown his actions

Where did Allah come from - Who created Allah?

13 May 2012

Cleaning the Kaaba, granting immunity; Fiqh (3) and Belief (2)

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

Military Forces Of Islam Enter The City
Before the forces of Islam reached the main roads of the city of Mecca, the Prophet* summoned all the commanders of the army and said to them: "It is my earnest desire that Mecca should be conquered without any bloodshed. Killing of non-combatant persons should, therefore, be avoided. However, ten persons namely 'Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl, Habbar bin Aswad, Abdullah bin Sa'd Abi Sarah, Miqyas Subabah Laythi, Huwairath bin Nuqayd, Abdullah Hilal and four women who have been guilty of murder or apostasy or blasphemy, whenever they are captured". This order was notified to all the soldiers through their commanders. Notwithstanding the fact that the mental attitude of the people of Mecca towards the Prophet* was very clear, he did not ignore military precautions at the time of entry into Mecca. His plan was as follows: All the units forming one line reached Zi Tuwa (an elevated point from where the houses of Mecca as well as the Kaaba and the Masjidul Haram can be seen), while the Prophet* was encircled by a regiment consisting of five thousand soldiers.
When the Prophet*’s eyes fell on the houses of Mecca, tears of joy gathered in his eyes and as a mark of thanksgiving for the victory which he had gained without any resistance on the part of Quraish, he, while riding the camel, bent himself so much that his beard touched the saddle fixed on the back of the camel. As a precautionary measure, he divided the army and sent a part of it from the upper side and another part from the lower side of Mecca. He did not content himself with only this and also sent units by all the routes which led to the city.
All the units entered the city without any fighting and the gates of the city were opened for them, except the unit which was commanded by Khalid bin Walid. The camel of the Prophet* entered the city with great dignity and grandeur from the highest point of Mecca (Azakhir). He alighted in Jahoon by the side of the grave of his dear uncle, Abu Talib, and a special tent was pitched for him.

The Prophet* cleanses the Kaaba of idols
The city of Mecca, which had been the centre of idol worship for a very long time, surrendered before the army of Islam and all the points of the city came under the control of the Muslim soldiery. The Prophet* took rest for some time in the tent. Thereafter he mounted a camel and proceeded to the Masjidul Haram for pilgrimage and tawaf (circumambulation) of the Kaaba. He had put on military dress, was wearing a helmet on his head and the Muhajirs and the Ansar encircling him reflected his greatness. The reins of the camel of the Prophet* were being held by Muhammad bin Maslamah, and the Muslims and some of the idolaters had lined up on his route. Some of them were astonished and over-awed whereas others were expressing their joy. For some good purposes the Prophet* did not alight from his camel and arrived in Masjidul Haram mounted on it and halted opposite the Black Stone. Instead of kissing the Black Stone he pointed towards it with a special stick which he was carrying in his hand and uttered Takbir. Imitating the Prophet, his companions, who were gathered round their illustrious leader uttered Takbir with a loud voice. The voice of Takbir reached the ears of the idolaters of Mecca, who had taken refuge in their houses or at elevated places.
A strange tumult prevailed in the mosque and the hue and cry of the people prevented the Prophet* from performing tawaf peacefully. The Prophet* made a sign to the people to remain quiet. Perfect silence prevailed immediately and all those within and outside the mosque began looking at the Prophet. He began performing tawaf and during the first round of tawaf, turned towards the three big idols named Hubal, Isaf and Na'ilah which had been installed above the gate of the Kaaba. He knocked them down with a stick or a spear which he was carrying in his hand and recited this verse: Say: Truth has come and falsehood has been banished and falsehood is certainly doomed to banishment. (Surah Isra, 17:81) As ordered by the Prophet, Hubal was broken to pieces before the very eyes of the idolaters.
In those days Uthman bin Talhah was the custodian of the keys of the Kaaba and this office of his was hereditary. The Prophet* asked Bilal to go to Uthman's house and bring the key of the Kaaba from him. Bilal conveyed the Prophet*’s message to the custodian. However, his mother prohibited him from surrendering the key and said, "Custodianship of the Kaaba is our hereditary honour and we should not lose this honour". Uthman caught the hand of his mother and took her into a closet and said, "If we don't give the key voluntarily, you should rest assured that they will take it from us forcibly''. The custodian unlocked the Kaaba and the Prophet* entered the Kaaba. Usamah bin Zayd and Bilal and the custodian himself followed him in. As ordered by the Prophet* the gate of the Kaaba was closed and Khalid bin Walid stood outside it to restrain the people from swarming towards the gate. He went in and saw images of Prophets Ibrahim and Ishmael, throwing divination arrows. He denounced these acts of Quraish and ordered that all idols be dismantled, images and effigies deleted. As ordered by the Prophet, the walls were washed with the water of the well of Zam Zam and the pictures were rubbed off by Umer. The Prophet* ordered the gate of the Kaaba to be opened. Then, placed both of his hands on the wooden frame of the gate and the people could see his sacred and luminous face, he addressed them thus: "Praised be Allah, Who has fulfilled His promise and helped His servant and routed the enemies"'.
The Almighty Allah had promised the Prophet* through revelation that He would make him return to his birth-place: (Muhammad) Allah who has commanded you to follow the guidance of the Qur'an will certainly return you victoriously to your place of birth. (Surah al-Qasas, 28:85).

The Prophet* grants general immunity
Complete silence prevailed over the precincts of the mosque and outside it. The people, holding their breath, were thinking different things. At this hour the people of Mecca were reminded of the cruelty, oppression and injustice which they had perpetrated and various other thoughts came to their minds. The people, who had risen a number of times to fight bloody battles against the Prophet, had wounded and killed his friends and companions, and had decided to conduct a night attack on his house and to cut him to pieces, were now in his control and he could take any sort of revenge on them. These people, while mentioning the big crimes committed by them, were saying to one another: "He will certainly put us to the sword or will kill some of us and detain others and will make our women and children prisoners". They were absorbed in different satanic thoughts when suddenly the Prophet* broke the silence and said, "What are you saying and what are you thinking about me?" The astonished and frightened people, keeping in mind the past favours of the Prophet, said with broken voice: "We are not thinking of anything about you except kindness and goodness. We consider you to be our honourable brother and the son of our honourable brother." When the Prophet, who was inherently kind and forgiving, heard these emotional sentences from them, he said in reply: "I too say to you the same thing, which my brother Yusuf said to his unkind brothers i.e., "Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful". While granting general amnesty the Prophet* addressed the people of Mecca thus: "You have been my very unreasonable countrymen. You refuted my prophethood and turned me out of my house. And when I took refuge in a far-off place, you rose to fight against me. However, inspite of all these crimes of yours, I forgive all of you and make you free and declare that you may go after the pursuits of your life."

The Blacklist
Shedding blood of the arch-criminals was declared lawful even under the curtains of Al-Kaaba. As for those who were killed, mention could be made of Abdul 'Uzza bin Khatal who had become a Muslim and then deputed to collect alms-tax in the company of a Helper. They had also a slave with them. Abdullah, in a fit of rage, killed the Helper's slave on account of a mere trifling dispute, and joined the pagan Arabs as an apostate. He was never repentant at this heinous crime but rather employed two women singers and incited them to sing satirically about the Prophet* peace be upon him. The other man who was put to death was Miqyas bin Sababa. He was a Muslim. A Helper accidently killed his brother Hisham. The Prophet* peace be upon him had arranged the payment of blood money to him, which he had accepted. His revengeful nature, however, was never appeased, so he killed the Helper and went to Mecca as an apostate. Similarly, Huwairith and one woman singer went to death. Abdullah bin Sa'd bin Abi Sarah, who embraced Islam but became apostate later, was one of the ten persons who were to be killed. The reason he ordered him to be killed was that he had been a Muslim and used to write down revelation; then he apostatized and returned to Quraysh [Mecca] and fled to Uthman Affan whose foster brother he was. The latter hid him until he brought him to the apostle after the situation in Mecca was tranquil, and asked that he might be granted immunity. The apostle* remained silent for a long time till finally he* said yes [granting Abdullah immunity from the execution order]. When Uthman had left he* said to his companions who were sitting around him, "I kept silent so that one of you might get up and strike off his head!" One of the Ansar said, "Then why didn't you give me a sign, O apostle of God?" He answered that a prophet does not kill by signals’.
On the other hand, every attempt was made to grant pardon to the people. 'Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl, who had attacked Khalid's detachment at the time of the entry into Mecca, was forgiven. To Wahshi, the murderer of Hamzah, the Prophet*’s uncle, and to Hind, who had chewed his liver, was also extended his generous clemency. The same generous treatment was accorded to Habar who had attacked the Prophet*’s daughter with a spear, while on her way from Mecca to Medina, so grievously that she ultimately died of the fatal injuries. In the same context of magnanimity peculiar to Muhammad peace be upon him, two chiefs of Quraish were pardoned once they had embraced Islam. They were Safwan bin Omaiyah and Fudalah bin 'Umair. The latter had attempted to assassinate the Prophet* peace be upon him while circumambulating in the Holy Sanctuary. The Prophet*’s matchless tolerance and broad-mindedness instigated by his mission as 'A mercy to all people', converted a terrible hypocrite into a faithful devout believer.

Fiqh Topic: Meccan & Medinan Verses, Abrogation / Cancellation

Types of Hukm Shara’i  
A. Fard (Compulsory):
B. Mandub, Mustahab, Sunnah or Nafilah (Recommended)
C. Mubah (Permissible)
D. Makruh (Disliked)
E. Haram (Prohibited)

The four definitive sources of Hukm Shar’i are;
•    the Qur’an
•    the Sunnah
•    Ijma’ as-Sahabah 
•    Qiyas

Linguistically, Fiqh implies having knowledge in depth. As a legal term, Fiqh has two meanings: Having the knowledge of the rulings of Shariah (Islamic Law) which are extracted from the legislative sources; or all the Islamic laws. This definition is synonymous to the term Shariah.

Usul al-Fiqh is the collection of principles relating to the methodology for the extraction of Fiqh or Islamic Laws: “the principles by which the mujtahid derives the legal rules of conduct from the specific evidences”.  

Within the Arabic language, there are rules for understanding the structure of an Ayah or Hadith. The rules of grammar in the Arabic language define the meaning of the Ayah or Hadith.  Unless the text of the Qur’an and Sunnah is correctly understood, no laws can be deduced from it. Examples of Qur’anic linguistic styles are:
•    Thanniy (speculative text),
•    Qatai (definitive text),
•    Amm (general text),
•    Khass (specific text),
•    Haqiqi (literal text), and
•    Majaazi (metaphorical text).

The linguistic meaning of the word Shariah is a non-exhaustive source of water with which people satisfy their thirst. The term Shariah is also interchangeable with Fiqh.

Qur’anic Verses: Meccan & Medinan verses
The commentators on the Qur’an divide the verses (and chapters) into two broad categories depending on when the Surah (or most of the verses in the Surah) were revealed. It doesn’t refer specifically to where the verses were revealed. Hence, they are defined and Mecca verses (if revealed when the Prophet* was in Mecca) and Medinan verses to describe those revealed when the Prophet was ruling in his Islamic State in Medina. Commentators have mentioned some other characteristics of these different verses / Surahs, namely:

Meccan Surahs: There are 86 chapters
Talks mostly on subjects related to faith and morals (Such as assigning partners to Allah, idol worship, life in the hereafter, good deeds and sins)
Verses that start with “Ya ayyuhan-nas (O people!)”
Verses are short.
Talks about mushriks (polytheists), does not mention Jews and Christians.
There is no verse about jihad (struggle)

Medinan Surahs: There are 28 chapters
Talks mostly on worships and practices meaning legal issues.
(Practices in exchange, murder, adultery, punishment of theft and slander, marriage and divorce methods)
Verses start with “Ya ayyuhal-lazina amanu (O believers)”
Verses are long.
Talks about Jews, Christians and hypocrites.
There are verses about jihad (struggle)

This is why Meccan surahs are focused on belief and building the strength of the Muslims because prior to migration the Muslims belief had to be made firm, but after the migration there was an Islamic State in Madinah which needed laws and regulation so most Medinan surahs are focused on that along with reminding Muslims the same message in Meccan surahs to keep their faith firm.

Abrogation / Cancellation
An essential aspect involved in interpreting the text of the Qur’an and Sunnah are issues surrounding abrogation of rulings from the Qur’an and Sunnah. The study of abrogation involves issues such as, what constitutes abrogation, how to understand it in relation to other Ayahs or Ahadith, and how to reconcile these differences. Linguistically abrogation means cancelling (Izaalah) or changing the thing and transforming it from one state to another while it still exists in essence. Technically, it is the address (Khitaab) of the legislator which prevents the continuation of a Hukm Shar’i of a previous address (Khitaab).
The abrogated (Mansookh) it is the Hukm which has been lifted, like the Hukm of waiting for complete year in respect to the widow. Allah has informed us of the occurrence of abrogation and the Ahkam which have been abrogated show us its true occurrence. “Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things?” (TMQ Al-Baqarah: 106)  “And when We change a Verse in place of another, and Allah knows the best of what He sends down, they (the disbelievers) say: you (O Muhammad [saw]) are but a liar. Nay but most of them know not.” (TMQ An-Nahl: 101)
Hence, these or not contradictions in the text, nor inconsistencies. The verses were revealed and were correct for their time but were superseded later on with other rules. We will discuss this in more detail in future weeks, I/A.

Review of the Survey Results

See blog post below

Aqeeda Topic: How strongly do we believe in Allah? Myth or reality?

As Muslims, Allah commands us in the Qur’an to ‘KNOW’ that there is but one Allah. We must be sure individually for ourselves – it is not good enough to just hope in Allah without certainty. The five pillars of Islam are built upon the firm foundations of the Aqeeda – a rock solid belief. How do we get at this belief? Are there any questions that we shouldn’t ask in Islam and how inquisitive should we be in search for the Truth?

Being sure of Allah
Are we following the belief of our forefathers and older generations, much like people in the time of Ibrahim, and the time of the Prophet*, where the Quraish would say that they are merely following the religion of their ancestors. This was their excuse. What is our reason for believing in Allah – is this an active firm belief or a sense of hope, faith and trust? How we can know that Allah truly exists, or is our belief in Him like a superstition – a level of belief or ‘faith’ similar to believing in ghosts or aliens.

Language of Maths
We also talked about assumptions we make about what we see around us and the language we use. Using the example of apples we explored whether 1 + 1 = 2. According to Mathematics is does but are there real life situations where this is true?

Attributes of Allah
Many people consider their concept of ‘God’ or Allah as a being that can do anything. There are many terms to address the attributes of Allah including Omnipotent (All-Powerful), Omniscient (All-Knowing), Omnipresence (being present everywhere).

We posed the question that is often used by atheists and non-believers in a Divine Creator that, if God can do anything, can He:
- build a wall over which he cannot jump
- make a stone that he cannot lift
- make a square-circle

It is important that Muslims know how to address these and other related questions. People attending the Study Circle were encouraged to think about these topics over the next week and we shall, by the Grace of Allah, start to address these points in coming weeks…

Aqeeda = Belief in Allah (Tawhid), The Angels, The Books of Allah, The Messengers of Allah (Muhammed* is the final one), Day of Judgement, and Divine Fate & Destiny

Children's Feedback:

Practice what you preach
5 senses
The company you keep (Good & Bad friends)
How we should spend our time

Homework:

Seerah ~ Why were the Ansar anxious after the Prophet conquered Mecca and how did he reassure them?

Belief ~ Can Allah do anything? Can Allah build a wall over which He cannot jump or can He make a square-circle?

11 December 2011

Hudaibiyah (1); Abraha; Exams

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

The Treaty of Hudaibiyah: part 1 – the journey the Mecca
One night the Prophet* dreamed that with his head shaved he entered the Ka'bah, and its key was in his hand. The next day he told his Companions of this and invited them to perform the Lesser Pilgrimage (Umrah) with him, whereupon they hastily set about making preparations so that they could leave as soon as possible. Between them they purchased seventy camels to be sacrificed in the sacred precinct. Their meat would then be distributed among the poor of Mecca. The Prophet decided to take one of his wives with him, and when lots were cast the lot fell to Umm Salamah. Also amongst the pilgrims were the two women of Khazraj who had been present at the Second 'Aqabah, Nusaybah and Umm Mani.
Each man took with him a sword, and what might be needed for hunting, but before they set off Umer and Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah suggested that they should go fully armed. Quraish, they said, might well take the opportunity of attacking them, despite the sacred month. But the Prophet refused, saying: "I will not carry arms; I have come forth for no end other than to make the Pilgrimage." At the first halt he called for the sacrificial camels to be brought to him, and he himself consecrated one of them, turning it to face towards Mecca, making a mark on its right flank, and placing garlands round its neck, after which he ordered that the others should be consecrated in the same way. He then sent on ahead a man of Khuza'ah, of the clan of Ka'b, to bring him back word of the reactions of Quraish.
The Prophet was bareheaded and had already donned the age-old traditional pilgrim's dress of two pieces of unstitched cloth, one girt round the waist to cover the lower part of the body, and the other draped round the shoulders. He now consecrated himself for the Pilgrimage with two prayer cycles, after which he began to utter the pilgrim's cry Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk, which means "Here I am at Thy service, O God." Most of the others followed his example, but a few preferred to wait until they had advanced somewhat further upon their journey, for the pilgrimal state carried with it certain restrictions about hunting.
When Quraish heard of the departure of the pilgrims from Medina, they were filled with misgivings, as the Prophet had anticipated, and they immediately summoned a meeting in the Assembly. Never had they known a more serious dilemma. If they, the guardians of the sanctuary, were to hinder the approach of over a thousand Arab pilgrims to the Holy House, this would be a most flagrant violation of the laws on which all their own greatness was founded. On the other hand, if they allowed their enemies to enter Mecca in peace and comfort, it would be an immense moral triumph for Muhammad. The tidings of it would spread throughout Arabia and be on everybody's lips; and it would serve to place the crown of defeat upon their own recent unsuccessful attack upon Medina. Perhaps worst of all, these pilgrims' performances of the ancient rites would serve to make the new faith more attractive and to confirm its claim to be the religion of Abraham. All things considered, it was out of the question to let them come. "By God, this shall not be," they said, "so long as there is a single eye amongst us with a glimmer of life left in it."
The scout that the Prophet* sent out came back to tell the Prophet* that a large number of slaves, as well as a huge army, were gathered to oppose him, and that the road to Makkah was completely blocked. The Prophet* consulted his Companions, who were of the opinion that they would fight none unless they were debarred from performing their pilgrimage.
When the pilgrims reached 'Usfan, the scout who had been sent on ahead rejoined them with the news that Quraish had sent Khalid bin Walid with a troop of two hundred horse to bar their approach. So the Prophet asked for a guide who could take them on by another way, and a man of Aslam led them a little towards the coast and then by a devious and difficult path until they reached the pass which leads down to Hudaibiyah, an open tract of land below Mecca at the edge of the sacred territory. Their detour had kept them well out of sight of Khalid, but at one point, when it was too late for him to take up another position, they raised so much dust that he realised what had happened, and galloped back to Mecca with his troop to warn Quraish of their approach.
The Prophet had chosen his favourite camel, Qaswa', for the Pilgrimage, and at the end of the pass she stopped and knelt. The rocks resounded as many of the men cried out ‘Hal! Hal!’, which is what they say to make a camel rise, but she remained as if rooted to the earth. "Qaswa' is stubborn," they said, but the Prophet knew well that it was a sign that they should go no further than Hudaibiyah, at any rate for the moment. "She is not stubborn," he said, "it is not in her nature; but He holdeth her who held the elephant." He added, referring to Quraish: "They shall not ask of me this day any concession which honoureth the rights of God but I will grant it them."! Then he spoke to Qaswa', and she quickly rose to her feet and bore him down to the edge of Hudaibiyah, followed by the other pilgrims. Here he told them to camp; but there was almost no water, only the dregs of it at the bottom of one or two hollows, and the men were complaining of thirst. The Prophet called Najiyah to him, the man of Aslam who was in charge of the sacrificial camels, and told him to bring him a pail of as much water as he could from the largest of the hollows, which he did. Having performed his ablution, the Prophet rinsed his mouth and spat back the water into the pail. Then, taking an arrow from his quiver, he said: "Go down with this water and pour it into the waters of the hollow; then stir them with this arrow." Najiyah did as he was bid, and water, clear and fresh, surged up so quickly and so plentifully at the touch of the arrow that he was almost overwhelmed before he could clamber out. The pilgrims gathered round the edge of the hollow and every man drank his fill, as did also the animals.

Abrahah and the Year of the Elephant
Just before  the Prophet* was born Yemen was under the rule of Abyssinia, and an Abyssinian named Abrahah was vice-regent. He built a magnificent cathedral in San'a', hoping thereby to make it supersede Mecca as the great place of pilgrimage for all Arabia. He had marble brought to it from one of the derelict palaces of the Queen of Sheba, and he set up crosses in it of gold and of silver, and pulpits of ivory and ebony, and he wrote to his master, the Negus: "I have built thee a church, O King, the like of which was never built for any king before thee; and I shall not rest until I have diverted unto it the pilgrimage of the Arabs." Nor did he make any secret of his intention, and great was the anger of the tribes throughout Hijaz and Najd. Finally a man of Kinanah, a tribe akin to Quraish, went to San'a' for the deliberate purpose of defiling the church (with excrement), which he did one night and then returned safely to his people.
When Abrahah heard of this he vowed that in revenge he would destroy the Ka'bah to the ground; and having made his preparations he set off for Mecca with a large army, in the head of which he placed an elephant. Some of the Arab tribes north of San'a' attempted to bar his way, but the Abyssinians put them to flight and captured their leader, Nufayl of the tribe of Khath'am. By way of ransom for his life, he offered to act as guide.
When the army reached Ta'if, the men of Thaqif came out to meet them, afraid that Abrahah might destroy their temple of al-Lat in mistake for the Ka'bah. They hastened to point out to him that he had not yet reached his goal, and they offered him a guide for the remainder of his march. Although he already had Nufayl, he accepted their offer, but the man died on the way, about two miles from Mecca, at a place called Mughammis, and they buried him. Afterwards the Arabs took to stoning his grave, and the people who live there still stone it to this day.
Abrahah halted at Mughammis, and sent on a detachment of horse to the outskirts of Mecca. They took what they could on the way, and sent back their plunder to Abrahah, including two hundred camels which were the property of 'Abd al-Muttalib. Quraish and other neighbouring tribes held a council of war, and decided that it was useless to try to resist the enemy. Meanwhile Abrahah sent a messenger to Mecca, bidding him to ask for the chief man there. He was to tell him they had not come to fight but only to destroy the temple, and if he wished to avoid all bloodshed he must come to the Abyssinian camp.
There had been no official chief of Quraish since the time when their privileges and responsibilities had been divided between the houses of 'Abd ad-Dar and 'Abdu Manaf, But most people had their opinion as to which of the chiefs of the clans was in fact if not by right the leading man of Mecca, and on this occasion the messenger was directed to the house of 'Abd al-Muttalib who, together with one of his sons, went back with the messenger to the camp. When Abrahah saw him he was so impressed by his appearance that he rose from his royal seat to greet him and then sat beside him on the carpet, telling his interpreter to inquire if he had a favour to ask. 'Abd al-Muttalib replied that the army had taken two hundred of his camels and he asked that they should be returned to him. Abrahah was somewhat surprised at the request, and said that he was disappointed in him, that he should be thinking of his camels rather than his religion which they had now come to destroy. 'Abd al-Muttalib replied: "I am the lord of the camels, and the temple likewise hath a lord who will defend it." "He cannot defend it against me," said Abrahah. "We shall see," said 'Abd al-Muttalib. "But give me my camels." And Abrahah gave orders for the camels to be returned.
'Abd al-Muttalib returned to Quraish and advised them to withdraw to the hills above the town. Then he went with some of his family and others to the Sanctuary. They stood beside him, praying to God for His help against Abrahah and his army, and he himself took hold of the metal ring in the middle of the Ka'bah door and said: "O God, thy slave protecteth his house. Protect Thou Thy House!" Having thus prayed, he went with the others to join the rest of Quraish in the hills at points where they could see what took place in the valley below.
The next morning Abrahah made ready to march into the town, intending to destroy the Ka'bah and then return to San'a' by the way they had come. The elephant, richly caparisoned, was led into the front of the army, which was already drawn up; and when the mighty animal reached his position his keeper Unays turned him the same way as the troops were turned, that is towards Mecca. But Nufayl, the reluctant guide, had marched most of the way in the van of the army with Unays, and had learned from him some of the words of command which the elephant understood; and while the head of Unays was turned to watch for the signal to advance, Nufayl took hold of the great ear and conveyed into it a subdued but intense imperative to kneel. Thereupon, to the surprise and dismay of Abrahah and the troops, the elephant slowly and deliberately knelt himself down to the ground. Unays ordered him to rise, but Nufayl's word had coincided with a command more powerful than that of any man, and the elephant would not move. They did everything they could to bring him to his feet; they even beat him about the head with iron bars and stuck iron hooks into his belly, but he remained like a rock. Then they tried the strategem of making the whole army turn about and march a few paces in the direction of the Yemen. He at once rose to his feet, turned round and followed them. Hopefully they turned round about again, and he also turned, but no sooner was he facing Mecca than again he knelt.
This was the clearest of portents not to move one step further forward, but Abrahah was blinded by his personal ambition for the sanctuary he had built and by his determination to destroy its great rival. If they had turned back then, perhaps they would all have escaped disaster. But suddenly it was too late: the western sky grew black, and a strange sound was heard; its volume increased as a great wave of darkness swept upon them from the direction of the sea, and the air above their heads, as high as they could see, was full of birds. Survivors said that they flew with a flight like that of swifts, and each bird had three pebbles the size of dried peas, one in its beak and one between the claws of each foot. They swooped to and fro over the ranks, pelting as they swooped, and the pebbles were so hard and launched with such velocity that they pierced even coats of mail. Every stone found its mark and killed its man, for as soon as a body was struck its flesh began to rot, quickly in some cases, more gradually in others. Not everyone was hit, and amongst those spared were Unays and the elephant, but all were terror-stricken. A few remained in the Hijaz and earned a livelihood by shepherding and other work. But the main part of the army returned in disorder to San'a': Many died by the wayside, and many others, Abrahah included, died soon after their return. As to Nufayl, he had slipped away from the army while all attention was concentrated on the elephant, and he made his way unscathed to the hills above Mecca. After that day Quraish were called by the Arabs "the people of God", and they were held in even greater respect than before, because God had answered their prayers and saved the Ka'bah from destruction. They are still honoured, but rather on account of a second event - no doubt not unconnected with the first -which took place in that same Year of the Elephant.

No Hadith or News

Main Topic:

Discussion about exams / tests !!

Exams (and lessons from the latest Quiz / Questionnaire)
We all know that life is one big exam – with the final results being dished out on the Day of Judgement. (Let us make du’a that we receive the book of deeds in the right hand – Ameen)
In order to pass most exams you need to PREPARE, which includes knowing what the test is about and how to pass. As Muslims, Allah has made it so easy for us by showing us the examination paper (all the questions) and giving us most of the answers. All we need to do is follow this! Allah wants us to get to Jannah (Paradise) hence HE tries to make is easy for us: Blessings such as Ramadhan, extra prayers, charity and kind words, kind thoughts etc – all good actions then multiplied…
Start preparing!

Reflecting on the recent Quiz / Questionnaire:
- Some answers in life are very easy for which there is also a great reward – don’t miss out
- Don’t miss out any questions – so you won’t get rewarded unless you try
- Belief / thoughts are important, as well as actions
- Sometimes there is no wrong answer – so try !
- There are always questions (or tests) of varying difficulty.

And the spread of ability is usually distributed in a ‘bell-shape’ or ‘normal distribution’ (see graph). A fair test will give this shape (and the Quiz / Questionnaire was fair) with most people doing well. Such is life. However, to sort ‘the wheat from the chaff’ or the ‘men from the boys’ harder questions are set to test & stretch ability in the extreme of the graph. But know what Allah says in Surat Al-Baqarah: “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” (Qur’an, 2:286). This is such a profound and comforting verse that we should all reflect on. Those that are tested hardest are the Prophets and all other tests (as part of al-Qadha w’al Qadr) are bearable for us humans. Hence, there should be no despair and no ultimate negation of this in acts like suicide. The tests we face – we can get through.

Well Done to everyone who did the Quiz / Questionnaire !!

Tests From Allah

Allah has tested the people of the past in various ways and will keep on testing His creation. He has informed us about these tests in the Quran. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad* also informed us that Allah will test us from time to time. Sometimes hardships and losses occur in life due to our sins. To wash of these sins in this world, Allah inflicts upon us these hardships:

Narrated By Aisha: Allah’s Apostle* said, “No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it were the prick he receives from a thorn.” (Bukhari). Narrated By Abu Said Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira: The Prophet* said, “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” (Bukhari)

Paying for sins in this world is much easier than paying in the Hereafter. It is a blessing in disguise which Allah bestows upon us and saves us from the payment of these sins in the Hereafter.

The Quran informs us what to do when we face these tests in our life and also tells us about the reward that we will receive if we are successful in dealing with the situation in the way we are expected to: Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, Who say, when afflicted with calamity: “To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return” They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance. - [TMQ 2:155-157]

We are to be patient during hard times and always remember that Allah is the Creator of everything and we all will return to Him. No deed is lost in front of Allah and we will be rewarded for even the smallest good that we ever did do. Trials afflicting us can be signs of His Love. It is narrated that Prophet Muhammad* said: Narrated By Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials.” (Bukhari)

Misfortune can bring a person towards the right path. It can make better Muslims out of people. Observing patience, remembering Allah and turning only to Him for help and guidance during such times, will help us attain Allah’s forgiveness and His rewards.

Allah tests man through various agencies, both through adversity and prosperity. A person with a luxurious life is tested to see how much he spends in the way of Allah and how much he is thankful to Allah for the blessings bestowed upon him. Another can be tested by the things he desires but does not and/or cannot possess. What do these people do is actually their test. Does the person deviate from the way of Allah to pursue the worldly gains? Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must ye return. [TMQ 21:35]

The Quran reminds us that in periods of hardships, we are to remain patient, remember Allah, and protect ourselves from committing that which is declared unlawful by Allah: Ye shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal selves; and ye shall certainly Hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from those who worship many gods. But if ye persevere patiently, and guard against evil,-then that will be a determining factor in all affairs. – [TMQ 3:186]

An important thing that we should always remember is that everyone is tested. If we declare that we are Muslims, that does not mean that we will not be tested in this world. The Quran is very clear on this issue: Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, “We believe”, and that they will not be tested? – [TMQ 29:2]

Surely Allah is not unjust and does not over burden a soul: On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear – [TMQ 2:286]

Tribulations are a part of life but that doesn’t make them easy. We still grieve — but how could we not? We are, after all, a very emotional creation. This world is an abode for tests and one should not deny or avoid these but should face them and pass them successfully. A person can be put into hardships for a number of reasons and we might not know those reasons when undergoing a certain loss but what we must do is always remember Allah, be patient, abstain from what is unlawful, give charity and ask Him to help ease out our hard times. If we do fail to do this then we should turn to Allah and ask for forgiveness. If you stand back and take a look at the whole picture, you will realize that what you have when faced by a tragedy is a choice. Will you go through the stages of grief, denying Allah’s destiny and the wisdom of His plan for you? Or will you realize that what you are going through is something you know you can handle? Whatever trial comes your way is something that Allah has planned and which He has guaranteed you can handle. Allah is Most Merciful & InshaAllah He will forgive us for the wrong that we do. So when you go through a difficult situation, be it the inevitable death of a loved one or the loss of a job or just a flat tire on the side of the highway, take a deep breath and say: “Say: ‘Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us…’” (TMQ 9:51)

Preparing for Exams and Preparing for Death

Each year we are faced with the scenario of sitting exams. Whether were at School, College or Uni, the outcomes of these decide whether we have progressed into the next year/semester or that we have failed and will need to re-sit our exams in order to continue our course. Indeed, it is very important for us to succeed, because the purpose of attending School, College or Uni is to gain expertise in specific areas to be able to gain employment and find work related to those areas. Hence we have a purpose for coming to university. We seek to achieve certain results, which require effort and hard work, in order for us to attain the degree.

During examinations this becomes very clear, because it is crunch time. Either you make it or you break it. So at this stage we are even more conscious about seeking those results and fulfilling the objective of attending university. For the preparation of these exams we see people change their entire timetable of activity. So people stop watching their favourite television programmes, some revise in the library till midnight, others have to let go of that x-box / Wii and shut off their online friends or limit going onto Facebook twice day as opposed to every hour! We will see people during this time whose health is very bad, because they haven’t been eating properly or at the right times. People who normally take pride in their appearances, all of a sudden are dressed shabby, because they have no time for this because of exams coming up.

Thinking affects our views/Attitudes

So we can see very clear patterns of thinking here and how it manages to transform a person’s behaviour radically. Everyone clearly realises, that they have to pass. They also realise that if they don’t pass then they still have the option to re-sit during summer time. However, there is one examination, one test which we all are a part of. The results of this exam are unknown to us presently. Each day that passes, we are monitored and are examined.

Reality of Death

The day when mankind will stand before Allah) on the day of reckoning definitely, and Allah will question us about our actions we performed in our life. The very life which Allah gave us without our choice and the one which he will take from us without our choice. This is the exam that every single human who has existed in this dunya, from the time of Adam and Bibi Hawa, to the last person to live in this dunya will face. And on that day we will not have the ability to go back to this world to make ourselves better. There will be no re-sits and the decision on that day made by Allah the supreme will be decisive and final, and nobody will be able to change it. Either it will be the Bliss of Jannah or the darkness of jahannam.

Our Attitude to Death

Islam answers the questions about our purpose in life, and gives us a direction in life. So we think about death and remind ourselves and question our actions. Those actions which Allah has given us a shariah for, to guide us to sirat-ul-mustaqim. So let us look at what attitude we should have towards the issue of death.

Allah’s Messenger* said to Abdullah b.Umar, “If you awoke in the morning, do not speak to yourself of the evening, and if you reach the evening, do not speak to yourself of the morning. Take from your life for your death, and from your health for your illness, as you, oh Abdullah, do not know what your name will be tomorrow” [Bukhari].

Remembrance of death continually keeps us in check in this dunya. It makes it realise that we have a contract with our creator. A contract with no expiry date specified. It is like a bomb, which is ticking and has no timer but just a question mark. You do not know when it will explode.  Allah says: “To every person is a term appointed. When their term is reached, not an hour can they delay it, nor by an hour can they advance it” [TMQ 7:34] Hence Life is limited, and time is short and there are many actions which we need to perform. Allah describes this in the following ayah: “It will seem to them that their life on Earth had spanned only one evening, or one morning” [TMQ 79; 46]

On the Authority of Abdullah bin Mas’ud (ra) who said: Once the Messenger of Allah (saw), slept on a mat made of date palm leaves and when he awoke the impressions of the mat were visible on his body. We (the Sahabah) said: “O messenger of Allah (saw) may we prepare a soft bedding for you?” Allah’s Messenger* said “I have nothing to do with this world, I am in this world like a rider who halts in the shade of a tree for a short period of time and after taking some rest, resumes his journey leaving the tree behind.” [Tirmidhi]

Remembrance of death is not crying and wailing and blaming one’s self when one is on the brink of death, or attending a funeral or visiting graves alone. Rather, remembrance of death is when a believer imagines that he will meet his Lord at any moment, and his actions will be cut off, as will his ability for repentance. So he will be aware of himself, careful to obey Allah (swt), wary of his Lord every second of his life.

What to Do

Exam time clearly shows us that those people who say they can’t change and their iman is weak are lying and fooling themselves. Exam time clearly shows us that Western Society makes people think individually and makes them avoid the real issues of life. Islam on the other hand builds a clear vision and a goal in life, part of which is that we seek education and we sit exams, and deem this as something which our deen has permitted. Let us question ourselves on our attitudes for the preparation of exams compared to our preparation for the life to come which is everlasting and has no end. Let us take today, this time, and this place where we renew our allegiance to Allah and promise that now will be the change to which the world will stand witness to. And Allah says: “And whoever believes in Allah and carries out His commands, Allah will forgive him his sins, and admit him into the Gardens of Paradise beneath which rivers flow, to live in forever, and this is the supreme success” [TMQ 64:9]

Feedback:

5 ways to Jannah (Paradise)

Levels of Jannah

Muslim Inventions - Mechanical Clock

Obedience to Parents

Children ~ Please Note that you can email your feedback topics to share: See COMMENTS below

30 October 2011
10 days Dhul-Hijjah; Ibrahim & a few battles

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

Some other Expeditions and Battles
After the Battle of the Trench, the Messenger* was in a position to confidently declare that thenceforth he would take the initiative in war and would not wait for the land of Islam to be invaded. Hence, shortly after the conclusion of the battle with the Coalition and Quraiza, the Prophet* began to despatch punitive expeditions to force the aggressive tribes and rebellious Arabians to come to peaceful terms with the rising state of Islam.

Bani Bakr Expedition
A platoon of thirty believers under the leadership of Muhammad bin Maslamah was despatched on a military mission in Muharram, the sixth year Hijri. It headed for the habitation of Bani Bakr sept. The Muslims attacked and dispersed them in all directions. Plenty of spoils fell to the lot of the Muslims who returned home with a terrible disbeliever, Thumamah bin Uthal Al-Hanafi, chief of Bani Hanifa, who had gone out by order of Musailama, the Liar, to assassinate the Prophet*. The Prophet’s Companions tied him to a pole of the Prophetic Mosque. To a question posed by the Prophet*, Thumamah used to say: "If you were to kill someone, then you would have to choose one of noble descent, if you were to be gracious, then let it be to a grateful man and if you were to ask for money, you would have to ask for it from a generous man." He repeated that three times on three different occasions. On the third time, the Prophet* ordered that he should be released. He soon went nearby, washed and then came back to profess the new faith addressing the Prophet*: "No face had been more awful to me than yours but now it is the closest to my heart, no religion had ever been more repugnant to me than yours, now it is the dearest in my heart. Now I want to perform the ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage)." The Prophet* gave him good tidings and asked him to do that. On his arrival in Mecca, the Quraishites accused him of apostasy. He denied it and affirmed that he had embraced Islam, and then swore that they would never get a grain from Yamama, a suburban area around Mecca, unless the Prophet* would allow it. In fact, he did it and refused to send food supplies to Mecca until the Prophet* interceded at the Makkans’ earnest plea.
Bani Lihyan Invasion
Bani Lihyan had acted treacherously towards ten of the Prophet’s Companions and had them hanged. Their habitation being situated deep in the heart of Hijaz on the borders of Mecca, and due to deep-seated blood-revenge between the Muslims on the one hand, and Quraish and the Arabians on the other, the Prophet* deemed it unwise to penetrate deep and come close to the greatest enemy, Quraish. However, when the power of the allied Coaltion collapsed and they began to slacken and resign to the current unfavourable balance of power, the Messenger of Allah* seized this rare opportunity and decided that it was time to take revenge on Bani Lihyan. He set out in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal or Jumada Al- Ula in the year six Hijri at the head of two hundred Muslim fighters and made a feint of heading for Syria, then soon changed route towards Batn Gharran, the scene of his Companions’ tragedy, and invoked Allah’s mercy on them. News of his march reached Bani Lihyan, who immediately fled to the mountain tops nearby and thus remained out of his reach. On his way back, the Prophet* despatched a group of ten horsemen to a place called Kura‘ Al-Ghamim, in the vicinity of the habitation of Quraish in order to indirectly confirm his growing military power. All these skirmishes took fourteen days, after which he left back for home.

Expeditions and Delegations continued
1. A platoon led by ‘Ukasha bin Al-Mihsan was despatched to a place called Al- Ghamir inhabited by Bani Asad in the year six Hijri. The enemy immediately fled leaving behind them two hundred camels which were taken to Medina.
2. A platoon led by Muhammad bin Maslamah set out towards the habitation of Bani Tha‘labah in Dhil Qassa. But a hundred men of the enemies ambushed and killed all of them except Muhammad bin Maslamah who managed to escape but badly wounded.
3. In retaliation against Bani Tha‘labah, Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, at the head of forty men, was despatched to Dhil Qassa. They walked that night and took the enemy by surprise in the morning. Again, they fled to the mountains except one who was injured, and later embraced Islam. A lot of booty fell to their lot in that particular incident.
4. A platoon, under the leadership of Zaid bin Haritha, was sent to Al-Jumum, the habitation of Bani Saleem, in the same year. A woman from Bani Muzaina showed them the way to the enemy’s camp. There the Muslims took some captives and gained a lot of booty. Later on, the Messenger of Allah* granted the woman her freedom and married her to one of his followers.
5. Zaid bin Haritha, in Jumada Al-Ula 6 Hijri, at the head of a hundred and seventy horsemen, set out to a place called Al-‘Ais, intercepted a caravan of Quraish led by Abul-Aas, the Prophet’s relative and looted their camels. Abul-Aas escaped and took refuge in Zainab’s (his wife and the Prophet’s daughter) house. He begged her to ask the Prophet* for the restitution of his wealth. The Prophet* recommended, but without coercion, that the people do that. They immediately gave the man back all his wealth. He went back to Mecca, gave over the trusts to those entitled to them, embraced Islam and emigrated to Medina where the Prophet* reunited him with his wife, Zainab, after three and a half years of their first marriage contract. The verse relating to prohibition of marriage between women Muslims and disbelievers had not been revealed then.
6. In Jumada Ath-Thania, the same year, Zaid at the head of fifteen men raided Bani Tha‘labah and captured twenty of their camels but the people had fled.
7. In Rajab of the same year, Zaid, at the head of twelve men, set out to a place called Wadi Al-Qura in a reconnaissance mission to explore the movements of the enemy. The people there attacked the Muslims, killed nine of them, while the rest including Zaid bin Haritha managed to escape.

Main Topic: The Greatness of first 10 days Dhul-Hijjah
 
Praise be to Allah Who has created Time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him, so that the Muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the Day of Judgement. This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one’s faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allah, and some kind of blessing though which Allah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He will.  The intelligent person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship Alhamdulillah, the blessed days of the Hijri month of "Dhul Hijjah" are upon us. "By the ten nights." [TMQ Al-Fajr 89:2]
The "ten nights" which Allah is swearing by here, are the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. Allah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that Prophet* said: "There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allah, or greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Sacrifice." He was asked: "Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?" He said: "Not even jihad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing." [Bukhari]
It is a great chance to collect uncountable hasanat . It is a great chance to renew your relation with Allah. Prepare now so you can start from the first night/day of the month [i.e. as soon as Dhul-Hijjah is announced]. You don't want to miss a moment of the best days in the sight of Allah.
Since the Prophet* referred to the 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah as: "...no days better than these days in the sight of Allah." [Ahmad], the scholars have said that these are better than Ramadan.
These texts and others indicate that these ten days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last ten days of Ramadaan. But the last ten nights of Ramadan are better, because they include Laylat al-Qadr ("the Night of Power"), which is better than a thousand months. Thus the various reports may be reconciled. Therefore, be very vigilant and don't waste these precious moments. Ask Allah to help you to benefit from this period of His special Grace.
•    Ask yourself these questions [non-rhetorical]:
•    Did you intend to benefit from these days?
•    What have you done to prepare for these 10 days?
•    Did you prepare a program?
•    What is your plan of action?
A brief guide to help you to prepare for the best days of the year:

1. Read the Qur'an:
Plan to complete the reading of the Qur'an within this period. If you read three juz a day, it can be accomplished. It is not difficult. Ask Allah to make it easy for you. We know reciting one letter is equal to ten hasanat . If you read three juz everyday, it translates to thousands of millions of hasanat. And this calculation is just based on the 1=10 ratio. These are special days of His Grace. Therefore, don't even think about how much Allah can/will increase and add it for you. You cannot fathom it. He is Kareem. He knows that you have ikhlas ; He will not count it as 1=10. He could raise it to 1=700 or even more. And this is what you can earn every day of these special days. Keep in mind that reciting the Qur'an is a good deed and Allah specially loves the good deeds done in these days: "And if He loves the good deeds, He will love the doer of those good deeds." If Allah loves someone, He will not punish them. Remember this concept so that the deeds you do come from your heart [don't be like a machine]. Honour the rights of the Qur'an when reciting it.

2. Increase in Nawafil Prayers:
Increase your supererogatory prayers. Do you really want to be closer to Allah? Do you really love Allah and seek His closeness? If, you want this, then know that Allah teaches you the means to gaining His qurb. Allah says: "Fall prostrate and draw near to Allah!" [TMQ Al-Alaq 96:19]
This is the way! Prostrate in sujud to Him and you will be closer to Him. The Prophet* said: "The closest that a person is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so say a great deal of du'a then." He* is commanding us to make a lot of du'a while in sujud. We need to do more. For he* said to: "...make lots of du'a." Remember, the Prophet* loved us and he knew that we have a lot of needs from Allah. This is why he taught us the way to get those needs fulfilled. Therefore, if you have needs, then you cannot leave sujud. Any sajdah without khushu' and without du'a is a big khasara . When the Prophet* instructed us to do a lot of sujud, it means to perform a lot of salah . "With each sajdah for Allah, He will raise you a level with it. And cancel a sin with it." So, the more you increase in your sujud, the closer you are to being a winner.
Examples for increasing nawafil salah:

• Salat Dhuha: Also known as al-Awwabeen, may be offered as 2, 4, 6 or 8 rak'at, prayed after the sun has risen and before the time for Dhuhr approaches. [Muslim] "Al-Awwab' means one who is obedient, or one who turns to obedience.
• 4 rak'at before and 4 after Dhuhr: "Whoever regularly performs four rak'at before Dhuhr and four after it, Allah will forbid him to the Fire." [Tirmidhi]
• 4 rak'at before ‘Asr - The Prophet* said: "May Allah have mercy on those who pray four rak'at before ‘Asr prayer." [Tirmidhi] You stand to gain the mercy of Allah because of the du'a of Prophet*.
• Tahhiyatul masjid: Greet the masjid with two rak'at: "If any one of you enters a mosque, he should pray two rak'at before sitting." [Bukhari and Muslim]
• Salat at-Tawbah: It could be any bad deed, any sin, you hear something bad , you see something bad, you feel your heart constricted because of something you have done and you didn't mean it, etc, you can erase it immediately with your prayer of repentance. Make a good wudhu' and offer two sincere rak'at of repentance. Ask Allah to forgive you. If it's from your heart, then know that Allah will cancel your sin.
• Qiyam al-Layl: With this prayer, we hope that Allah will illuminate our graves; will bestow nur on our faces; will cancel our bad deeds. Pray at least 2 rak'at. If you are able to follow the Sunnah, then pray all 11 rak'at.

Remember that in these special days and nights, Allah is sending His special mercy. Do you think that this special mercy will reach everybody? Do you think that it will reach the one who is in front of the TV watching a movie? Or playing on their compute / video games? Or do you think it will reach the one who is making sujud, ruku', tilawah, making istighfar, etc.? We have to show Allah that we want this special mercy. We need to make ourselves eligible for it.
Allah swears by the night [Surah Fajr]. Therefore, take care of the nights. Don't be among the losers. Write this in bold and make it your motivational factor for the special days: "We won't be among the losers!" Remember: "Our Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, comes down to the lowest heaven every night when the last third of the night is left, and He says: ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will ask Me for forgiveness, that I may forgive him?'." [Bukhari and Muslim] And, now that it is winter, we get really long nights. So it's a good chance to maximise our hasanat. Don't forget while you are praying qiyam that Allah Loves this deed. Therefore, He loves the doer of this deed also.
If we were lazy before, we will be active and good from now on. We will not be among the losers. If these days and nights are we were to distributing gifts (£10 or £50) during the study circles and ask people to "Come take this money", you will find people standing in long queues and hordes to collect them. Subhana'Allah, Allah is spreading mercy during these days. He is accepting supplications. He is offering unimaginably wonderful blessings that we don't even know of. So will we not work to get in those lines to gather Allah's gifts?

3. Makes lots of Dhikr:
Do a lot of dhikr, especially in these days. "There are no days greater in the sight of Allah..." [Ahmed] So what did the Prophet* tell us to do in these days? The Prophet* commanded us to oft recite Tasbeeh ("Subhan-Allah"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillah") and Takbeer ("Allahu Akbar") during this time. As soon as the announcement of Dhul-Hijjah is made, start your dhikr: "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha ill-Allah, Wallahu Akbar. Walilahilhamd."
Many people mistakenly believe that you chant this only on the day of Eid. But, it is meant to be recited from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah. Bukhari related that Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah said that they used to go out in the streets making loud takbir. They did not think that this was riya. They were busy with declaring the signs of Allah. This practice has now become a forgotten Sunnah. Why do people feel shy to follow this Sunnah? These are the days of takbir, tahlil and tahmid with raised voices. Therefore revive this Sunnah by doing audible tasbih during all of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. For women, when you are in your homes, raise your voices. You will remind your children, husbands, brothers, etc. Make it like a habit so that you will find yourself doing dhikr automatically. While walking, reclining, working, eating, just keep doing dhikr.
Send a lot of blessings and salam upon the Prophet* consistently. Just one hadith should be enough for the believer who loves Prophet*. It is enough honour that when you send your salam to Prophet*, Allah returns his soul to him in order to answer you: "There is no one who sends salam upon me but Allah will restore to me my soul so that I may return his salam." [Abu Dawud] Men are encouraged to recite these phrases out loud and women quietly. Therefore, send your darud and salam from your heart. Feel that special honour in doing that deed.

4. Seeking Forgiveness (Istighfar):
Repentance is obligatory at all times, but when the Muslim combines sincere repentance with good deeds during the days of most virtue, this is a sign of success, in shaAllah. Allah says:
"But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful." [28:67]
All kinds of dhikr will make your relation with Allah stronger and stronger. How many Muslim's are there today? 1.5 billion? In one minute it is possible to gain 1.5 billion hasanat. Allahu Akbar! How generous is Allah. No one will give you like Allah gives. So how can you gain 1.5 million hasanat? By making istighfar for all Muslim's. The Prophet* is reported to have said that when a person seeks forgiveness for all believers, Allah will write for him a hasanat for every one of those believers. Just say ‘Astaghfirullah' for yourself and for all the believers, from your heart. Allah is forgiving and generous. On the Day of Judgement, when you will see your book, you will find the record of your sins in it and you will feel regret. But, Subhana'Allah, you will find between these sins, Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah. InshaAllah, Allah, the Karim will cancel those sins that have istighfar beside them, around them, after them.
Luqman taught his sons to make istighfar. He said: "Oh my sons, istighfirullaha qaidun, istighfirullah qaimum, istghfirullaha raqibun [make istighfar when you are standing, sitting, reclining]. For the mercy of Allah is descending."
Indeed, rahamat are falling down like rain. So try to be under those rahamat. Look at it this way - there are seasons of mercy during which Allah sends down abundant mercy [like during Ramadan, like the days of Dhul-Hijjah, etc.]. Allah is always generous because that is one of His Attributes, but He says that He gives more during certain periods. Allah is Rahim always, but He says He has more mercy during a certain period. These days are like those special-rate promotions or sale season. Therefore, don't leave or ignore this sale. Go and ask for more. Keep saying ‘astaghfirullah', ‘astaghfirullah', astaghfirullah', keep insisting on it till Allah forgives you. Start from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah. "...nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness." [TMQ Al-Anfal 8:33]
We are informed that there is no punishment from Allah on the yastaghfirun. Allah relieves all problems with istighfar. Those who are persistent in istighfar in their lives, disasters and calamities will be repelled from them. Mercy is like a cloud on the head of the mustaghfirin . How do we know this? "Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy?" [TMQ An-Naml 27:46] Allah is telling us to make istighfar to gain His mercy. Let your istighfar ascend to Him and His mercy will descend upon you.

5. Fasting:
Fast as much as you can during these blessed days. If you can fast all of these days, then do so. Even in any regular day, Allah has promised a great reward for the one who fasts: "Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will keep his face seventy years distance away from the Fire because of it." [Muslim] So what about these special days for which it is said: "There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allah, or greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah." The Prophet* has said, "One fast during these days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one night during this period is equal to the worship in the "Lailatul-Qadr" [Tirmidhi]. Allah loves the good deeds in these days. Allah loves siyam. Put these two beloved things together. You are the doer of the things Allah loves. He will Love you, bi-idhnillah. Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet (SA) mentioned that, ‘the Prophet (SA) would never leave the fasting of Ashoora (the 10th of Muharram), Al-Ashr (the first 10 days of this month, excluding Eid) and three days of every month.
Any ‘ibadah, be it salah, dhikr, Qur'an, that is done during some periods of time and with them, are also periods of non action. Also don't forget you have if Allah wills, at least one du'a guaranteed with each siyam - at the time of breaking the fast. So that is nine opportune moments during this period.
These ten days include Yawm ‘Arafaah (the Day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allah perfected His Religion, the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other day. Regarding fasting on the day of ‘Arafah, the Prophet* said: "Fasting the day of ‘Arafah, I hope, will expiate the sins of the year before it and the year to come..." [Muslim] So how does this happen? Does this mean that we can fast on that day and for the rest of the year we can do whatever we want of bad deeds? No! It implies that Allah will help us to abstain from sins. And, if you commit a sin by mistake, He will cancel it due to His promise.

6. Charity:
Spending for the sake of Allah! Only Allah knows how many trials and calamities have been pushed away from us, our family and loved ones as a result of our sadaqah. Allah knows how many times relief and ease has come to us due to the sadaqah we gave. Therefore, give in the way of Allah, as much as you can. Don't leave any raised hands return empty. Show Allah that you love Him by spending from that which you love. Show Allah that all these things mean nothing besides gaining His ridha. Don't look and remind yourself of what you have already spent in the past. If Allah wills, He has accepted and written it for you. Now, think of how you can outdo that sadaqah during these days. Spend from what you love and Allah will love you.

7. Preserve the Ties of Kinship:
Preserve the ties of kinship for: "No one who severs the ties of kinship will enter Paradise." [Muslim] If it is difficult for you to call or meet every relative, then send them a message. But write with your heart and with the right intention. There is a man who connects with all of his near and far relatives. It is almost like a mission for him for the sake of Allah. He loves this ‘ibadah. Even those who are far away, he calls and connects them to the rest of the family and brings them all together. And subhana'Allah, Allah has given him a lot of wealth and with such ease and has made his life easy, and as a result of his deeds. The Prophet* promised this reward for the one who connects and maintains kinship: "Whoever would like his rizq to be increased and his life to be extended, should uphold the ties of kinship." [Bukhari and Muslim]
These were just a few of the wonderful things we can do during the forthcoming best days of Dhul-Hijjah. Therefore, if we want Allah's help with these deeds and our schedule for them, we need to do a lot of tawbah. The Salaf as-Salih used to say that they would feel prevented from qiyam al-layl due to their sins. They knew that when they want to do ‘ibadah and they are unable to do it, it is due sins. So, what do we need to do? A lot of istighfar with tawbah, real Tawbah! Ask Allah for help. Make the du'a: "O Allah, help me to remember You, to give You thanks, and to perform Your worship in the best manner." [Abu Dawud]

8. Offering Sacrifice
Zayd lbne Arqam relates that the Companions asked, "O Rasoolullah*, what is Qurbani?" He replied, "It is the sunnah of your father lbraheem." They asked again, "What benefit do we get from it?" He answered, "A reward for every hair (of the sacrificed animal)." "And (what reward is there for animals with) wool, O Rasoolullah*?" they asked. "A reward", he said, "for every fibre of the wool." [Ibn Majah]
There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbani than the sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of judgment with its horns, hair, and hooves (to be weighed). The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground. Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart. [Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah].  When a person slaughters a Qurbani animal, he is forgiven at the fall of the first drop of blood, and verily, the animal shall be brought forward on the Day of Judgment with its blood, meat etc, and shall be increased in weight seventy times more than its own weight, and thereafter it will be placed on the scale of deeds.

“And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers” [51:55]

Highlights from the Life of Ibrahim [Abraham]
Ibrahim was mentioned in 73 places in the Qur’aan, in 25 surahs of Qur’an. He was born in Babylon/Babil. He was from the Caldanians from modern day Iraq.
Dawa to his father: Ibrahim started his da’wah to his father and was very young when he did this; he was less than 16 years old. The father said: ‘Do you reject my gods, O Ibrahim (Abraham)? If you stop not (this), I will indeed stone you. So get away from me safely before I punish you.’ (19:46)
The Big One Did It: Ibrahim made da’wah to his people also. When he said to his father and his people: ‘What are these images, to which you are devoted?’ (21:52) “Indeed you and your fathers have been in manifest error.” (21:54) He took his axe, went to the temple and destroyed all of their idols except for the biggest one. He hung the axe on the shoulder of the largest.
Allah is Sufficient for Me: They said, “Burn him and help your aliha (gods), if you will be doing.” (21:68 ) So they put Ibrahim in this catapult and threw him in the fire. “O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim (Abraham)!” (21:69)
Allah Gives Life and Death: The king of Babylon (Namrud) was a powerful dictator and he debated with Ibrahim. “Allah is the One who gives life and takes it away. Can you do that?” ‘Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east; then cause it you to rise from the west.’
Ayn-ul Yaqeen (Certainty in Faith): “Take four birds, then cause them to incline towards you, and then put a portion of them on every hill, and call them, they will come to you in haste. And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.”
Lut Believed: Ibrahim made da’wah to his people but nobody believed in Ibrahim except his nephew. They had to flee from the persecution and oppression of their land. Ibrahim said: “I will emigrate for the sake of my Lord. Verily, He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (29:26)
Place Called Harraan: Dawa to the people of Harraan looking at the stars, moon, sun then Allah! He said: ‘O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship with Allah. Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (worshipping none but Allah Alone) and I am not of Al-Mushrikun.” (6:77-79)
Hijrah to Egypt: With his beautiful wife Sarah. The king wanted to place his hand on her, so she made a du’aa` to Allah and said, “Allah, take care of him.” His hand was paralyzed. “You have not presented me with a human woman; you have presented me with a devil.” He let her go. But to ward off her “evil” he gave her a gift – Hajar – as a slave. Sarah went back to Ibrahim with Hajar.
Glad Tidings of Children: Ibrahim received the commandment to circumcise himself from Allah and he did it when he was over 80 years old. Ibrahim married Hajar with the hope that they would have a child. Then Ibrahim was given the glad tidings of ghulaam haleem. Allah has described Ismail [Ishmael] with haleem, which is mild, gentle and forbearing.
Our Mother Hajar: Ismail was about two years of age. Ibrahim commanded his wife Hajar to accompany him in a long trip. Then suddenly in the middle of no where – dry desert, no settlements, no people – Ibrahim stopped. He left with them a sack filled with dates and he left with them some water. When these had finished, she climbed onto a mountain (As-Safa) looking for help then ran in the valley and then she climbed another mountain (Marwa). Then water was coming out of the sand through divine will of Allah (Zam Zam)
Ismail Grows Up: He married into the local tribe. Then Ibrahim would make some visits. One day he knocked on the door. Ismail’s wife opened the door and Ibrahim said, “Where is your husband?” She said, “He’s not here.” He asked, “How is your living?” She said, “We have a miserable life.” She complained – the food is not good; water is not good, etc. Ibrahim said to her, “Deliver my salaam to him and tell him to change his doorstep.” Ismail came home and and he felt something so he asked his wife, “Did somebody visit us?” She said, “Yes. An old man came. He asked about you. And he told me to deliver salaam to you and change your doorstep.” Ismail said, “That was my father and he is ordering me to separate from you. You are the doorstep. So go back home.” And he divorced her. The people of Jurhum loved Ismail so much that they married him another wife. Ibrahim made another trip a while later and he knocked on the door and asked his wife the same questions. She said, “Alhamdulillah! The best living.” She praised the simple lifestyle that they were leading. She was a righteous woman. Ibrahim asked, “What do you eat and drink?” She said, “Meat and water.” Ibrahim made du’aa` for them and said, “Make blessing in their food.” Ibrahim told her, “When your husband comes back, deliver my salaam to him and tell him to keep the doorstep.” So Ismail came back, and asked, “Did anyone visit us?” She conveyed Ibrahim’s message. Ismail told her, That was my father; you are the doorstep; and my father is telling me to keep you.
The Dream and Sacrifice: Ibrahim saw a dream when Ismail was older that he was was slaughtering his own son. Ismail said: “O my father, do what you are commanded to do. If Allah wills, you shall find me patient.” Ibrahim had the knife on the neck of Ismail, and he started to pass the knife over his  neck. Allah said, “O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!” Allah told him, “Verily, indeed, that was a manifest trial.” It was a test for Ibrahim, and he passed it. Now, we sacrifice on ‘Eid, following the Sunnah of Ibrahim. Ibrahim was told by Allah: “And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations (to come) in later times.” (37:108 ) The tashahud in every salah – we make salaam on Ibrahim in every prayer. We ask Allah to grant Ibrahim peace in every prayer. Millions of believers, throughout the generations, prayed for Allah to grant Ibrahim peace.
Building Al-Ka’bah: Allah says: “And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma’il (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka’bah at Mecca), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower. Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik (all the ceremonies of pilgrimage – Hajj and ‘Umrah, etc.), and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own (and indeed Allah answered their invocation by sending Muhammad Peace be upon him ), who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Quran) and Al-Hikmah (full knowledge of the Islamic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom [Sunnah] or Prophethood, etc.), and sanctify them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.’” (2:127-129)

Selected Qualities of Ibrahim

• He is from the 5 greatest Prophets: Muhammad, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Nuh. And Ibn Katheer says that the second greatest after them after Muhammad is Ibrahim.
• Ibrahim was mentioned in the Qur’an about 73 times, in 25 places.
• Ibrahim is the one who Allah has called in the Qur’an Khaleel Allah – the friend of Allah.
• Allah gave Ibrahim a name that was not given to anyone else in the Qur’an: Kaana Ummah. He was a nation by himself. He didn’t have anyone with him, but he counts as a nation.
• Allah says that he had khushoo’ of Allah.
• Allah says that he stayed away from all shirk. He had sincerity and understanding.
• Allah says about Ibrahim: “I will make you an imam (a leader / role model) for mankind.”
• Allah says all prophets and messengers that came afterwards came from Ibrahim’s descendants.

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