15 July 2012

Ramadhan Study Circle
(by Naila)

Early Muslims
In times gone by, early Muslims used to pray for 6 months before Ramadan to have the blessing of seeing another Ramadan and for 6 months after they would give thanks that they had seen another Ramadan. This shows how greatly they valued the sacred month of Ramadan.

Ramadan Opportunities
To see the value of need only look in 2 sources

Value of Ramadan
The Quran – Sura Baqara v. 183 “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed upon you as it was obligated upon those before you so that you may attain Taqwa”
The Hadith – Al Bukhari, from the Hadith of Jibreel: “O Mohammad, tell us about Islam. So he said: Islam is to testify that there is no diety worthy of worship except Allah, and that Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah and that you establish the prayer, give the Zakat, Fast the month of Ramadan and that you perform Hajj if you are able to.

Sighting of the moon
Ramadan starts with the sighting of the moon!
RULES
1. If one reputable person sights the moon the all muslims should fast. This is from the hadith in which Umar (ra) saw it and the Prophet (saw) ordered everyone to fast the next day (Abu Dawud). This view is currently supported by the World Fiqh Council.
2. (Some People say that) Two people are required to end it.
The reason for this is that only one person is required to hasten to good and two people are required to say that this blessed month has definitely ended. Above all it is important to start with certainty and end with certainty. (Others say one person is sufficient.)
3. If there is no sighting due to cloud cover etc then one should count until the 30th of Shabaan and then start fasting.

Intention
We should first start with intention.
Rules
1. Intention is important for any act of ibadah (be it prayers, fast, zakaat, hajj etc). This does not have to be said aloud. Even if it just in your heart that is fine.
2. Timing – For obligatory fast – should be done anytime before fajar even if it is the night before (Abu Dawuud)
                - For optional fast – if there is no food in the house can do niyaat even in the middle of the day (Muslim)
3. The Hanafi, Shafi and Ahmed Madhabs say that a new intention has to be made every day
4. Fast is broken by intention.

Actions that do not break the fast
Swallowing saliva or phlegm
Non-intentional vomiting
Shower or brushing teeth (as long as do not swallow)
Tasting food as long as do not swallow it (Ibn Abbas)
Food or blood between the teeth

Recommendations for fasting person
Eat suhoor (sehri) before Fajar – “Even if have gulp of water, Allah sends his mercy and the angels ask forgiveness for those who tae sahoor” (Ahmed)
Break fast before doing Magreeb prayer and do not delay in breaking the fast (Al Bukhari and Muslim)
Read more Quran (arabic better than tafsir) and seek as much forgiveness as possible in prayers
Give a lot in charity
Avoid lying, backbiting ans swearing. Say, “I am fasting”
The prophet (saw) used to say this dua when breaking his fast: “The thirst has been quenched and the veins wetted and the reward is established inshallah” (Abu Dawud)

Taraweh
Strongest opinion is for 8 Rakaat
Prophet (saw) used to read 5 juz in 1 rakaat. Stopped doing it as did not want it to become obligatory. Taraweh revived by Umar ra such that everyone prayed behind the imam.
Recommended to recite all the Quran from beginning to end. Jibrael as would go over the whole of the Quran with the Prophet (saw) every Ramadan. In his last Ramadan it was done twice.

Laylahtul - Qadr
“Verily we have revealed the Quran in the Night of Power. And what will inform you about the Night of Power? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The Angel and the Ruh descend in it by permission of their Lord and all decrees (all night) there is peace until Dawn” (Sura Al Qadr v 1-5)
If do 1 roza with iman have sins of all last yr forgiven
If do ramadan with iman have all past since forgiven
If pray on Lailatul Qadr have all sins of life forgiven (Al Bukhari and Muslim)
The prophet (saw) was about to reveal a lot about Lailatal Qadr but found 2 men arguing about it and the information was taken back up. From Al-Bukhari and Muslim know that it is in the odd nights of the last 10 nights of Ramadan. The wisdom of not knowing is that we look for this night in the last ten nights and may as a consequence do more ibadah.

Itikaf
The Prophet (saw) did this in the last 10 days of Ramadan until he passed away (Al Bukhari and Muslim). It should be done wherever one prays the most. For men at the mosque and for women at home. Some actions which are not permitted are: visiting the sick, looking after family matters, business. Some actions which are permitted are: all acts of worship, to teach about islam, move around the mosque, answer phone, go out for food, shower etc.
If break itikaaf then no qada is due though it is reported in Bukhari and Muslim thatwhen the Prophet (saw) broke his itkaaf he made it up in Shawal.

Zakat-ul-fitr
This allow the poor to have food. It should be paid on behalf of all family members. Can be given any time before Eid Salaat.

Eid Prayer
On Eid Day:-
Eat 3 dates after Fajar (or any odd number)
Shower and wear best clothes and use perfume/itar
Leave house one way and come back another
Praise Allah (swt) greatly
Make sure zakat ul fitr has been given before do Eid Prayers
Eid Greetings to others
Give a lot of charity

Benefit of fasting
Medical – reduces blood pressure and cholesterol
Spiritual – “Fasting is a shield from the fire” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Taqwa -  “Indeed there is a gate of Paradise called Ar-Rayaan and only those who fast will enter it” (Al Bukhari and Muslim)
Empathy for the poor
Reduce influence of the Shaitan upon us
Even by taking a gulp of water at Sahoor, Allah showers his mercy upon us
Every night one prayer of one fasting person is answered
It is an opportunity for learning more and making your deen stronger for the forthcoming year

Gates of Paradise are open and the gates of hell are locked and devils are chained (Al Bukhari and Muslim). Therefore able to see ourselves for how we really are without Shaitan’s whisperings and rectify our own character.
Allah frees many from the fire every night (At Tirmidhi)
Pray on the night of Laylatal Qadr with iman and all life’s sins are forgiven. (Al Bukhari and Muslim)

Final Thoughts ?
During Ramadan millions of Muslims around the world sacrifice their time and energy to seek the pleasure of Allah (swt). The mosques are full of people coming to read the Tarawhi namaaz. However, the next month the same mosques are nearly empty at prayer times. It is important to remember the spirit of Ramadan and try to maintain our good deeds and seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt) for the rest of the year!

QUIZ RESULT: Well done to the boys for winning the quiz by one point, even though they seemed to covet the second prize!!!!!!

27 May, 2012

Belief (part 4): Proof of Allah (continued)

No Seerah, or Fiqh for the Study Circle this day as we all talked about the Existence of Allah, and what 'Belief' really means. Trying to clear up some of the questions from the previous week(s). Some of the main points that we covered, and re-covered included:

Limited nature of the Universe
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 (cosmos) 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.
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 dependent upon the domino before it, and for that domino to fall over it is dependent 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 dependent 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.
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" Quran [TMQ 3:190] We cannot try to limit Allah with our limited understanding of the Universe

Who Created Allah?
When we ponder on the limited things all around us, we see that it is not azali (eternal - limitless), otherwise it would not have been limited! Therefore, it must be created by something else, which is the Creator of all things (that include man, life and the whole universe/cosmos). This “Creator”, is either:
i.    created by someone else,
ii.    creator of himself, or
iii.    azali (eternal - limitless) whose existence is indispensable (wajib ul-wujood).
It is absolutely false that he is created by someone else (as in option i), because he would then be limited. Also, he would not be the creator and would have been created. Who created him would be like the question of the dominoes we already talked about. This who-created-who (like chicken & egg) could not go on for infinity and must have a start point. Hence, we can exclude this option that Allah was created by someone else.
It is also false that he is the creator of himself (as option ii) and could not be rationally considered as the Creator. As for being self-created, the ramification of which would be he is created by himself and creating himself at the same time (simultaneously). This is simply absurd. He cannot be both existing and not-existing at the same time (simultaneously) in order to create himself! Hence, we can exclude this option that Allah created himself. Hence, the creator must be azali (eternal - limitless) whose existence is indispensable (option iii – nothing else fits rationally). He is Allah.

To 'Know' as a command on every soul
The Islamic Belief (Aqeeda) and subsequently the Islamic way of life has an intellectual basis – based on thinking and the mind. 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.

Firm Conviction in belief in Allah and hope / leap of faith in Allah
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]
Anyone who has a mind (the mental faculty) can comprehend from things that can be sensed that they have a creator. This is because what is noticed in all of them is that they are imperfect, weak and dependent, so they are definitely created. Therefore, it is sufficient to draw one's attention to anything in the universe, life and humankind to conclude from that the existence of the Creator and Organiser. Hence, looking at any celestial body of the universe, contemplating upon any facet of life, or comprehending any aspect of man, indicates definitely of the existence of Allah. Therefore, we see that the Qur’an draws attention to these things and orders humans to ponder upon them, their surroundings, and what is related to them, and to conclude from his pondering the existence of Allah. Thus man looks at things how they are in need of other things, so he definitely concludes from this the existence of Allah, the Creator. There are hundreds of Qur’anic ayat expressing this meaning:
"Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alteration of night and day, these are indeed signs for men of understanding." [Aali-Imran: 190]
"And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Behold! herein indeed are signs for men of knowledge." [Ar-Rum: 22]
"Will they not look at the camels, how they are created! And the heaven, how it is raised! And the mountains, how they are set up! And the earth, how it is spread!" [Al-Ghashiya: 17-20]
"So let man reflect, from what he is created. He is created from a gushing fluid, that is issued from between the loins and ribs." [At-Tariq: 5-7]
"Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the difference of night and day, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and in the ordinance of the winds, and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth are signs (of Allah's sovereignty) for people who have sense." [Al-Baqarah: 164]
In addition, there are so many ayat that call upon man to ponder deeply upon things and their surroundings and that which is related to them, thereby concluding from that the existence of the Creator, the Organiser. Thus belief in Allah is firmly established through reason and clear evidence.
Hence, there should be no element of ‘leap of faith’ or ‘blind faith’ like the people at the time of Ibrahim or the Quraish at the time of the Prophet. As Muslims, we should think and come to a rational conclusion in the existence of Allah and this should be done by everyone who can think!

Nature of Proof: Rational Proof and the limitations of Logic / Scientific Method
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 (observation, experimentation and deduction). Yet all of them are rational.
We discussed evidence and Proof and why rational thinking is superior to scientific thinking – as we can not always measure things so it does not mean things do not exist. Humans made inferences and deduce things from what we see and weigh things up. Not everything is testable!

Value of Actions
We very briefly talked about what is considered ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and where these concepts come from. But we mainly chatted about praying (or doing any good action or deed) with or witho  ut belief. Hence, a Muslim who believes in Allah and does good deeds requested by Him will get huge reward (i/A) but another person without belief in Allah may do the exact same action / deed but get no reward as they lack belief. So, all actions should be related to and stem from the belief. This is what Allah will be looking for first after we die – WHAT DID WE BELIEVE IN!!
Therefore, we are spending so much time talking about our belief and why this should be firm and unshakeable. When we do get tested by Allah, some people who do not have firm belief may have greater doubts about life & Allah if their belief is based upon a hereditary system (from their parents). It doesn’t necessarily mean their actions will be less rewarded by Allah but having a firm foundation for belief (upon which the five pillars of actions are built) could mean the actions are done with greater conviction.

Design Theory
We then explored the second strand of evidence (proof) of the existence of Allah (Creator). This is based on the theory of Divine Knowledge or Divine Design behind existence.

The story of Abu Hanifah and the boat
Imam Abu Hanifa (a great scholar of Islam) was known for his intelligence and so there came to him a group of atheists asking him to prove the Existence of Allah. Imam Abu Hanifa said, "Let me think," then he remarked, "I am thinking about a loaded ship that was tied to a port. The cargo unloaded itself without porters and the ship sailed away without a captain from port to port.” (Upon hearing this,) the atheists declared, "How can you say something like this! This is impossible. We cannot believe in it.” Imam Abu Hanifa replied, "If you do not believe in this then how do you believe in the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky and the earth – how can you believe that all these came into existence without an Originator?" Allah points out this intellectual proof in His Saying, "Were they created by nothing or were they themselves the creators?" [TMQ 52: 35]

The knock on the door
When we hear a knock on a door there are so many things we can learn from that, which include:
•    The wooden door makes a sound when it is knocked
•    Someone is likely knocking
•    Someone is likely knocking for a reason
•    Sound from the door travels
•    We can’t see the person knocking but believe they are there
•    Hard objects are good at knocking and making sound
•    The knocking attracts our attention
•    People usually respond to the knock
…And many more things
But the essence for this discussion is that the knocking gives us an indication that someone is making the sound. By contemplating on the Universe, our existence and mortality we can reasonably assume that we have been created by Allah. Not such a huge jump.

The pile of stones on the beach
Likewise, we talked about walking along the beach and finding a neat pile of stones stacked upon each other. Reason would tell us that this is unlikely to occur purely by chance but that someone constructed it in that fashion. Who is this Constructor or Designer – Muslims would call Him Allah. This is a rational conclusion not a far-fetched obscure unlikely theory…like what the atheists have.

Footprints and the sky and mountains
A further simple example was a story of a Bedouin who was asked, "How do you know your Lord?" The Bedouin could only reply with (the example of) that which was before him, so he said, "Droppings tell of a camel. Foot-prints tell of a traveller. The sky, the earth with mountain passes, seas with waves -do they not tell of the All-Hearer, the All-Seer?"

Homework:
- What did Khalid bin Walid do that caused the Prophet* to disown his actions
- Where is Allah and What was there before Allah