26 February2012
Khaibar Falls (3);Intentions, Actions and Rewards

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 use of catapults in warfare

Last week we briefly mentioned how the Muslim Army found a quantity of weapons stored in cellars, including some engines of war. These were brought out to be used in other assaults, a ballista (catapults) for hurling rocks and two testudos for bringing men up to the walls beneath an impregnable roof so that they could breach an entrance; thanks to these engines, the easier fortresses fell one by one. The first powerful resistance they encountered was at a stronghold named Na'im, Here the garrison came out in great force, and on that day every attack made by the Muslims was repulsed.

Shortly after this battle, the Jews moved to ’Abi Castle and barricaded themselves inside. The same events recurred; the Muslims besieged the new site for three days and then the great Muslim hero Abu Dujanah Sammak bin Kharshah Al-Ansari — of the red ribbon — led the Muslim army and broke into the castle, conducted fierce military operations within and forced the remaining Jews to flee for their lives into another fort, An-Nizar. An-Nizar was the most powerful fort, and the Jews came to the established conviction that it was too immune to be stormed, so they deemed it a safe place for their children and women. The Muslims, however, were not dismayed but dragged on the siege, but because standing at a commanding top, the fort was impregnable. The Jews inside were too cowardly to meet the Muslims in open fight but rather hurled a shower of arrows and stones on the attackers. Considering this situation, the Prophet* ordered that rams be used and these proved effective and caused cracks in the ramparts providing an easy access into the heart of the fort, where the Jews were put to rout and fled in all directions leaving behind their women and children. With these series of military victories, the first division of Khaibar was totally reduced, and the Jews in the other minor fortresses evacuated them and fled to the second division.

The catapult is a war machine that is used to demolish walls behind which the enemies fortify themselves. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used it to throw stones at those walls, but he most certainly did not employ snakes or fire. The intended targets were the fortifications and the enemy combatants who were fighting from their stations upon the fortifications and from directly behind them. The targets intended by the catapults were clearly not civilians, women, or children, though there was a possibility under those circumstances that some civilians could have been injured unintentionally. This, however, is quite different than intentionally attacking civilian targets, women, and children. Any direct attack against such people is categorically unlawful and had been expressly prohibited by the Prophet*. During the battles of those days a catapult served the same purpose as artillery serves in modern warfare.

Modern Western armies claim to fight with ‘Smart Weapons’ but many of these lead to the killing of innocent people – including aerial bombing, drone attacks, army tank fire, cluster munitions. Indeed, the greatest terror attacks in history (Nagasaki & Hiroshima atomic bombs) were clearly aimed to kill civilians and not just military persons. Hence, Muslims should be aware of the rules of warfare and other countries should not preach justice and fairness when they clearly do not care about innocents dying on or near a battlefield, or even far away from a battlefield (as with current US policy).

The little girl and the Prophet

A brief story about how a young girl, along with other female helpers who wanted to take care of the wounded during the battle, was sat with the Prophet* on his camel. When they dismounted the Prophet* noticed that she was curled up by the foot of the camel and he also saw some blood stain on the saddle. He* enquired whether this was the first time she had her menses and she said it was and he reassured her, and told her to wash the stain with salt and water – which she did. After the battle and the distribution of the spoils of war, the Prophet* sought her out by name and personally put a necklace around her neck. She later said that she never parted with the necklace and wrote in her will that when she died, as a sign of respect for the Prophet*, she wanted her body to be washed with water mixed with salt.

Khaibar falls

The last of the strongholds to make any resistance was Qamus. This belonged to the family of Kinanah, one of the richest and most powerful clans of the Bani Nadir. Some of them had long lived in Khaibar whereas others of the family, including Kinanah himself, had recently settled there after they had been exiled from Yathrib. It was they especially who had been counting on the help of Ghatafan, whose failure to keep their promise had been an unnerving disappointment for them; and they were still further demoralised by the bad news brought by all those fugitives who had now crowded into Qamus. They none the less held out for fourteen days; then Kinanah sent word that he wished to come to terms with the Prophet, who said he was willing to negotiate.

Ibn Abi Al-Huqaiq was despatched to the Messenger of Allah* to negotiate the surrender treaty. The Prophet* agreed to spare their lives on condition they evacuate Khaibar and the adjacent land, leaving whatever gold and silver they had in their possession. However, he stipulated that he would disavow any commitment if they concealed anything. So the chieftain came down from the fortress with others of his family; and it was agreed that none of the garrison should be put to death or made captive -neither they nor their families -on condition that they should leave Khaibar and that all their possessions should become the property of the victors. The Prophet then added a further clause, namely that his obligation to spare their lives and let them go free should be annulled with regard to anyone who might try to conceal any of his possessions. Kinanah and the others agreed to this; and the Prophet called on Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Ali and Zubayr and ten of the Jews to witness the agreement.

After the fall of Qamus the two remaining fortresses surrendered on the same terms. Then the Jews of Khaibar consulted together, and sent a deputation to the Prophet, suggesting that since they were skilled in the management of their farms and their orchards he should allow them to remain in their homes, and they would pay him a yearly rent of half the produce. To this the Prophet agreed; but he stipulated that if in the future he decided to banish them they must go.

Thus, the Muslims had a decisive victory. The Jews lost ninety-three (93) men while the loss on the Muslim side was only nineteen (19) men.

Stealing from the Spoils of War

Abu Hurayra said, "We went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the yea rof Khaybar. We did not capture any gold or silver except for personal effects, clothes, and baggage. Rifaa ibn Zayd presented a black slave boy to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whose name was Midam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made for Wadi'l-Qura, and when he arrived there, Midam was unsaddling the camel of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when a stray arrow struck and killed him. The people said, Praise be to Allah! The Garden!' The Messenger of Allah said, 'No! By He in whose hand my self is! The cloak which he took from the spoils on the Day of Khaybar before they were distributed will blaze with fire on him.' When the people heard that, a man brought a sandal-strap or two sandal-straps to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'A sandal-strap or two sandal-straps of fire!' "

Story of Kinanah

Shortly afterwards, the forts were handed over to the Muslims and all Khaibar was reduced and brought under the sway of Islam. This treaty notwithstanding, Abi Al-Huqaiq’s two sons concealed a leather bag full of jewels, and money belonging to Huyai bin Al-Akhtab, who carried it with him when Banu Nadir had been banished. But it soon became clear to both Jews and Muslims that much wealth was being hidden. Where was the famed treasure of the Bani Nadir which they had brought with them from Medina, and which they had so lavishly displayed in their procession through its streets? The Prophet questioned Kinanah about this, and he replied that since their arrival in Khaibar the treasure had all been sold to pay for more arms and armour and fortifications. The Jews knew that he was lying, and were all the more apprehensive because many of them now believed themselves to be in the presence of a Prophet. They held that they had no need to follow him, because he had not been sent to them; but it would be clearly vain to try to deceive him. One of them, who had Kinanah's welfare at heart, went to him and begged him to hide nothing, for if he did the Prophet would certainly be informed of it. Kinanah angrily rebuked him; but within less than a day the treasure was discovered, and Kinanah was put to death together with a cousin of his who was found to be privy to the concealment. Their families were made captive. Abi Al-Huqaiq’s two sons were killed in recompense for breaching the covenant, and Safiyah, Huyai’s daughter was taken as a captive.

Zainab tries to poison the Prophet*

When all the terms had been agreed upon, and when the victorious army had rested, the widowed wife of Sallam ibn Mishkam roasted a lamb and poisoned every part of it with a deadly poison which she concentrated especially in the shoulders, having learnt on inquiry that the Prophet preferred the shoulder of lamb to the other joints. Then she brought it to the camp and set it before him, whereupon he thanked her and invited those of his Companions who were present to sup with him. It happened on this occasion that seated next to the Prophet was a Khazrajite named Bishr, the son of that Bara' who had led the Muslims of Yathrib to the Second 'Aqabah and who had been the first ever to pray the ritual prayer in the direction of Mecca. When the Prophet took a mouthful of lamb, Bishr did the same and swallowed it, but the Prophet spat out what was in his mouth, saying to the others: "Hold off your hands! This shoulder proclaimeth unto me that it is poisoned." He sent for the woman and asked her if she had poisoned the joint. "Who told thee?" she asked. "The shoulder itself," said the Prophet. "What made thee do it?" "Well thou knowest," she said, "what thou hast done unto my people; and thou hast slain my father and mine uncle and my husband. So I told myself: 'If he be a king, I shall be well quit of him; and if he be a Prophet he will be informed of the poison.' " The Prophet none the less pardoned the woman. The face of Bishr was already ashen pale, and he died shortly afterwards. Then it is narrated in some hadith that the lady was killed because of Bishr’s death.

Nawawi's Forty Hadith

Hadith 37: Intentions, Actions and Rewards

“… from among the sayings he relates from His Lord (glorified and exalted be He)”

This statement shows us that this is a qudsi hadith, in which the Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, directly related words of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, that were not to be contained in the Qur’an.

 ”Verily, Allah recorded the good deeds and the evil deeds.”

Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, has already recorded and decreed which deeds are deserving of reward and which are deserving of punishment. In this narration of the hadith the wording is “Allah recorded” implying that Allah Himself recorded these things. In other narrations it states that the angels record the deeds at the command of Allah, which is the more common understanding, supported by other hadith.  These two understandings have been reconciled by some scholars who stated that the recording by Allah implies two matters. One is the recording of the good and bad deeds by Allah in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lauh al-Mahfoodh), which took place before any of the deeds were actually performed, according to Allah’s knowledge of when they will occur. The second recording is when the person actually performs the deeds, at which time they are recorded by the angels according to Allah’s justice and mercy. Imam at-Tabari said that in this hadith is evidence for the statement that the Two Recording Angels, [assigned to each person to write down the good and bad deeds of that person], write down not just the actions but also what the person intends to do of good or evil, and they know what he resolves to do in his heart. Other scholars think that the Two Angels only write down that which is apparent from the outward actions of the person, or from what they hear him say. It may be that the  Two Angels know all that which a person intends in his heart, and it is conceivable that Allah has granted for them a means to attain this knowledge [which is from the Knowledge of the Ghayb or Unseen], just as He has granted a means to many of the Prophets to attain knowledge of many things from the Unseen. However, we should not argue about these 2 possibilities as this is part of the Knowledge of the Unseen. The fact that all our good and bad deeds are recorded should be a reminder to us that anything we do and say should not be taken lightly. Nothing escapes Allah’s knowledge, and everything will be recorded as either a good or bad deed. This should cause us to pause before we act and ask ourselves, ‘Will this be recorded for me as a good deed or an evil deed?’ Call yourself to account before you are called to account.

“Then He clarified how [that recording should occur:] whoever decided to do a good deed but he did not do it, Allah records it with Him as a complete good deed.”

We can see from this hadith that Allah  has divided deeds into four categories: deciding to do good deeds and then not doing them, doing good deeds, deciding to do evil deeds and then not doing them and doing evil deeds.

1. The first concept to understand is al-haajis, which is a fleeting thought that occurs in one’s mind but does not stay. This kind of thought can occur to anyone and its content may be quite evil, but we are not held accountable for this. This hadith is not referring to this type of thought.

2. The second concept to understand is al-khaatir, which is a thought that comes into one’s mind, that a person gives some thought or consideration to, but then dismisses. This thought can also be quite evil, coming either from shaitan or one’s own soul, but once it has passed the person does not give anymore consideration to it. We are not held responsible for this type of thought either.

3. The third concept is ‘the speech of a person to himself’ and this goes beyond the other levels to contemplate whether or not we should actually perform this action. If we do not act on this then we will not be held responsible for this thought.

By the mercy of Allah we are not held accountable for any of the above listed type of thoughts. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, advised us: “Verily, Allah has overlooked for [the members of] my nation what their souls think about as long as they do not act on it or speak about it.” (Recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim)  Although we are not held accountable, if evil thoughts do come to our minds we should refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.

4. The next level is a decision or al-hamm, and that is what this portion of the hadith is referring to. This is where the heart is determined to do a specific act. It is a decision that is just short of a complete resolution to act. It is this type of intention that this hadith is referring to. So whoever decides in their heart, and becomes determined to do a good deed, but they are unable to do it, will have a reward with Allah that is equal to a complete good deed. This determination in the heart, it should be noted is different to having a fleeting thought, or lightly contemplating something. This special reward is reserved for those who had resolved in their hearts to do a good deed, for the sake of Allah, but were unable to do it. And Allah knows best what is in the hearts.

“And if he decided to do it and actually did it, Allah records it with Him as ten good deeds up to seven hundred up to many times over.”

SubhanAllah, such is the mercy of Allah that when we actually do a good deed, He not only rewards us for that, but He increases our reward at least ten times! Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof” (Surah al-Anaam:160) How easy Allah makes it for us to make our scale of good deeds heavy on the Day of Judgement, all praises and glory be to Him. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, tells us in this part of the hadith, that some good deeds could actually receive up to seven hundred times the reward of the deed. We should immediately ask ourselves, what is it that secures a reward as great as seven hundred times? One deed that is specifically multiplied seven hundred fold, is the act of giving wealth for the sake of Allah. Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, says in the Qur’an: “The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is as that of a grain [of corn]. It grows seven ears and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is all-sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knowing” (Surah al-Baqarah:261) There is also the following example from the hadith: “On the authority of Abu Masood al-Ansaari who said: A man came with a camel and its reigns, saying, “This is for the sake of Allah.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “For you, on the Day of Resurrection, will be seven hundred camels, all of them with their reigns.” (Recorded in Muslim)  We also have hadith that tell us that a deed may be rewarded so many times over that the total amount is known only to Allah. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Every good deed that a human performs is multiplied ten times up to seven hundred. And Allah has said, ‘Except for the fast for it is done for My sake and I shall reward it [even more]. The person leaves his desires and food for My sake…” (Recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Patience and perseverance is another deed that is rewarded by an amount that is known only to Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an: “Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full without measure.” (Surah al-Zumar:10) In fact, the same deed may be performed by two different people and the reward for each of them may be totally different. We can see from this, that the amount of multiple reward is based on a number of factors, including the excellence of one’s Islam, one’s sincerity and purity in action, the excellence of the deed itself and the need for the deed done. In this way even a small deed may secure a large reward with Allah.

“If he decided to do an evil deed but he did not do it, Allah records it with Him as one complete good deed.”

If a person considers doing an evil deed, but fears Allah and changes their mind, a full good deed is recorded for them. From this we can see that restraining oneself from evil for the sake of Allah, is a good deed and deserves to be rewarded as such. If a person is able to make restraint for the sake of Allah a part of their character, Allah promises they be from among the inhabitants of Paradise: “But as for him who feared standing before his Lord and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts, verily, Paradise will be his abode,” (Surah al-Naaziaat:40-41)  It may be the case that someone decides not to perform an evil deed, simply out of fear of what others may think of them. In this case some scholars say that the person may be held accountable for this intention, because they put the fear of men over fear of Allah, and Allah knows best. If a person decided to perform an evil deed and is prevented from doing so simply by circumstance, they will still be held accountable for this evil intention. The question arises – if a person decides to do a good deed and it is counted as a good deed, shouldn’t the one who decides to do an evil deed have it counted as an evil deed? The answer is that this is part of the blessings and mercy of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. Allah records the evil deeds of people and them responsible for it as an act of justice on His part. And He forgives other deeds and disregards the decision to do evil as an act of His mercy. We can see the wisdom behind this mercy when we consider that if a person knows they will be held accountable just for the evil thought, there is not much to stop them from actually committing the sin. But if that person restrains themselves, no evil deed will be recorded for them, in fact there is the incentive of achieving a good deed. Then, if they actually go forward and do the good deed, it will be multiplied for them many times. And Allah is the most Just, full of Mercy.

1. The one who decides or just has the intention to do the evil act but then he refrains from doing it because of his fear of the people or does not like to be blamed by them. Some scholars say this person will be punished.

 2. The person decides to do the evil act but was not able to perform it because of external factors (qadr). For example, a person decides to break into a house to steal, but he does not succeed and runs away because a police car is driving around the area. Some scholars say that he will be punished though he did not steal.

 3. Someone who decides and has the intention to do the evil act, makes the effort but is not able to perform it because of his lack of strength or capabilities. Scholars say this person will be punished. For instance, if two Muslims fight each other with the intention of killing each other, as stated in the well-known hadith, both the killer and the one who has been killed will be in the Hellfire. The Companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah, this is the killer - what about the poor person who has been killed?" The Prophet*, said he had the intention to kill his friend or brother but was not able to because he was killed himself.

 4. Someone has the intention to do an evil act and talks to others about it but does not do it. Some scholars say that he will be punished just because of his bad intention. Other scholars say he will not be punished unless the sin itself is the impermissible kind of speech like slander, backbiting or lying.

”If he decided to do it and he actually did it, Allah records it as one evil deed.”

Allah is not unjust to any of His creation. If a person commits an evil deed, it is recorded as one bad deed without any multiplication. Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, tells us in the Qur’an: “Whoever brings an evil deed shall have only the recompense of the like thereof, and they will not be wronged.” (Surah al-Anaam:160) From above, that when a person intends to do a good deed, this is in itself considered a good deed, and if they then go on to perform the deed, the reward is multiplied a minimum of ten times. If a person intends to do an evil deed, but does not do it, a good deed is recorded for them. If they actually perform an evil deed, it is only counted as one evil deed with no multiplication. We should note though that evil deeds do differ in their weight and gravity. So whilst they are only counted as one evil deed, some of these deeds may be graver than others. Very grave sins include destructive sins such as adultery, murder, shirk and so forth. The time at which the sin is committed may contribute to the gravity, such as wrongdoing committed during the Inviolable Months, being worse than that committed at other times. The sanctity of the place where the wrongdoing was committed also increases the gravity of the sin. Allah says of sins committed in the Inviolable Mosque: “And whoever inclines to evil therein or to do wrong, him We shall cause to taste a painful torment” (Surah al-Hajj:26)

The nobility of the person, or the fact that they are taken as an example can also make the sin graver. Allah says: “O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits an open illegal sexual intercourse, the torment for her will be doubled. And that is easy for Allah.” (Surah Al Ahzaab:30)

Many scholars have also noted that if a person shows pleasure at having committed a sin the enormity of the sin would be considered greater. The sin is also made greater by telling others about what you have done. The Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, said: “All of my Nation are to be forgiven except those who publicise their sins. Publicising the sins includes a person doing something during the night and then in the morning, although Allah had kept that act concealed for him, he says, ‘O so and so, last night I did such and such’. He spent the whole night being concealed by his Lord and in the morning he uncovered what Allah had kept concealed for him.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The enormity of the sin is also greater when there is little excuse for the person to commit the sin. This means that the act was not committed by a person who was overcome by their desires. The Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, said: “There are three [categories of people] to whom Allah will not speak [any pleasing words], for whom Allah will not cleanse of their sins and at whom Allah will not look and they shall have a grievous punishment. [They are] an old man who commits illegal sexual intercourse, a lying king and an arrogant impoverished person.” (Recorded by Muslim)

If we consider how merciful Allah is with recompensing our deeds, we will see that the only ones who are destroyed are those who destroy themselves willingly. If a person restrains themselves and then does a good deed, they will find their reward multiplied by Allah. And Allah is the Most Just, the Most Kind.

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13 November 2011

Zainab, Adoption and Uraynah Thieves

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 Prophet* Marries Zainab with Zaid

Zainab bint Jahsh came from a wealthy tribe and influential background, whereas Zaid, Muhammad’s adopted son, was poor and had at one time been Muhammad’s slave. She had married Zaid on the orders of Muhammad since he wanted to use this marital bond for the purpose of destroying class barriers. The Prophet* had arranged the marriage with the idea of shattering the ancient Arabian barrier against a slave or even a former slave marrying a "free-born" woman. Tradition says that Zainab and her brother were at first against the marriage, but in deference to the Prophet* and with great reservation, Zainab and her brother (acting as Zainab’s guardian) finally consented to it. Zaid was also not disposed to the union, for he was already happily married to another freed slave, Umm Ayman. As much as the Prophet* wanted to use the marriage to break down class barriers, the betrothed were still conditioned by them. On several occasions the couple were about to divorce, but each time the Prophet* persuaded them to persevere and not to separate. He had said on another occasion: "Of all things allowed the most hateful unto God is divorce." And when Zaid came again with the same proposal again the Prophet* insisted that he should keep his wife. But the marriage between Zaid and Zainab had not been a happy one, and Zaid found it no longer tolerable, so by mutual agreement with Zainab he divorced her.

The Prophet* Marries Zainab and Clarification of Adoption

Some months passed and then one day when the Prophet* was talking with one of his wives the power of the Revelation overwhelmed him; and when he came to himself his first words were: "Who will go unto Zainab and tell her the good tidings that God hath given her to me in marriage, even from Heaven?" Salma was near at hand-Safiyyah's servant who had long considered herself a member of the Prophet*'s household -and she went in haste to Zainab's house. When she heard the wonderful tidings, Zainab magnified God and threw herself down in prostration towards Mecca. Then she took off her anklets and bracelets of silver, and gave them to Salma, Zainab was no longer young, being almost in her fortieth year, but she had retained her remarkable beauty. She was, moreover, a woman of great piety, who fasted much and kept long vigils and gave generously to the poor. As a skilled worker in leather she could make shoes and other objects, and all that she earned in this way was for her a means of charity. There could be no question in her case of any formal wedding, for the marriage was announced in the revealed verses as a bond already contracted: “We have married her to thee”. It remained for the bride to be brought to the bridegroom, and this was done without delay.

The verses also said that in future adopted sons should be named after their fathers who begot them; and from that day Zaid was known as Zaid ibn Harithah instead of Zaid ibn Muhammad, as he had been called ever since his adoption some thirty-five years previously. But this change did not annul his adoption as such, nor did it affect in any way the love and the intimacy between the adopter and the adopted, who were now nearing their sixtieth and fiftieth years. It was merely a reminder that there was no blood relationship; and in this sense the Revelation continued: Muhammad is not the father of any man amongst you, but he is the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophet*s.

Some argue that this marriage served more than one purpose. First, the Prophet* was responsible for arranging Zainab's marriage to Zaid. In a sense, then, he was also indirectly responsible for the unhappiness she felt in her marriage. Her marriage to the Prophet* now provided her the honour she felt she deserved, and exonerated the Prophet*. Second, Zaid had been adopted as the Prophet*'s son. Eventually, however, the Qur'an prohibited the practice of changing the parental identity of adopted persons. Zaid, then, was to no longer be called "son of Muhammad" but rather "a close friend." The Prophet*'s marriage to the divorced wife of Zaid was a practical demonstration that the adopted relationship was not equal to a real blood-relationship. A man cannot marry the divorced wife of his real son but he can marry the divorced wife of his adopted son. The abolishment of the age-old practice was a positive improvement for the adopted persons. People outside of Islam still continue this practice for their own benefit. They adopt children and rob them of their real identity, making them believe they are real children of the household in which they grow up. When such children realize the truth they suffer much disappointment and grief. The adoptive process continues for the selfish gain of the adoptive parents.

At the same time other Revelations stressed the great difference between the Prophet* and his followers. They were not to address him ever by his name as they addressed each other. The permission which God had given him, in virtue of his new marriage, to have more than four wives, was for him alone, and not for the rest of the community. Moreover, his wives were given the title of the mothers of the faithful, and their status was such that it would be an enormity in the eyes of God if, having been married to the Prophet*, they should ever be given in marriage to another man. If the believers wished to ask a favour of one of them -for their intercession with the Prophet* was often sought -they must do so from behind a curtain. They were also told: O ye who have faith, enter not the dwellings of the Prophet* unto a meal without waiting for its time to come, except if leave be given you. But if ye are invited then enter, and when ye have fed then disperse. Linger not in hope of discourse. Verily that would be irksome unto the Prophet*, and he would shrink from telling you, but God shrinketh not from the truth.

Later, the Prophet* would talk about which wife would die first. He replied: "She of the longest reach will be the soonest of you to join me," whereupon they set about measuring their arms, one against another. Presumably, though it is not recorded, Sawdah was the winner of this contest, for she was the tallest of them and in general the largest. Zainab, on the other hand, was a small woman, with an arm to match. But it was Zainab who died first of them all, some ten years later. Only then did they realise that by "she of the longest reach" the Prophet* had meant the most giving, for Zainab was exceedingly generous, like her predecessor of the same name who had been called "the mother of the poor".

Uraynah Robbers

A group of people from 'Ukl (Eight members B. Uraynah , a Bedouin tribe) came to the Prophet*, embraced Islam and then they were living with the people of As-Suffa, but they became ill as the climate of Medina did not suit them, so they said, "O Allah's Apostle! Provide us with milk." The Prophet* said, I see no other way for you than to use the camels of Allah's Apostle." So they went and drank the milk and urine of the camels, (as medicine) and became healthy and fat. The Prophet* gave them some camels to take with them; instructed them to drink the camel’s milk and urine as medicines. They took the camels in the plain south of Quba for grazing. Following Muhammad’s prescription, they soon recovered from their stomach problem. Then they escaped with the camels by killing the camel herdsman by cutting off his hands and legs and poking thorny spikes into his tongue and eyes. When this news reached Muhammad, he dispatched twenty horsemen in hot pursuit of the robbers. They caught the robbers and recovered all the camels except one. The eight captives were then brought to Muhammad. On Muhammad’s order their arms and legs were cut off and their eyes were put off. The trunks of these wretched victims were then laid side by side in the hot sun in the plain of Al-Harra until they died. On this occasion the verses on the punishment of waging war against Allah and for theft were released (5:39, 33). Abu Qilaba said, "Those people committed theft and murder and fought against Allah and His Apostle."

According to the Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, the eight men were killed "according to the law of equality/reciprocity" in Islam. Although the punishment seems severe we must remember that these people left Islam, killed and mutilated a person, stole (highway banditry) things despite being treated kindly by the Prophet* and getting better after following his orders. Some scholars say that other verses later clarified (or abrogated) punishments and we do not find any similar punishments in Islam.

Scholars also derive lessons from the Prophet*’s order to ‘herd the camels and to drink their milk and urine (as a medicine)’. Whilst urine is usually forbidden (Haram) it was allowed for medicinal reasons. Some scholars extrapolate a general principle that, for medicinal reasons or care, things which were haram become permissible based upon this incident. Other scholars are more confined in their interpretation of this incident and what medicines or cures are allowed.

We should also note that modern medicine uses urine ingredients: PREMARIN (name stands for PREgnant MARe urine). This Estrogen product is given to postmenopausal Women (as Hoemone Replacement Therapy – HRT).

Hadith: No time to discuss

Feedback:

The Life of the Prophet

The M5 crash

Juj & Majooj

News:

Death in King's Heath of a young girl on a bike

Quiz: 

Prophets on the different levels of Heaven:
In the First Heaven he saw Adam being shown the souls of his descendents both good and bad. In the Second Heaven he saw Isa (Jesus) and Yayha (John), son of Zachariah. In the Third Heaven he saw the handsome Yusuf (Joseph), son of Yaqub (Jacob). In the Fourth Heaven he saw Idris, the prophet from before the flood. In the Fifth Heaven he saw Moses' older brother, Harun (Aaron), with his long white beard. In the Sixth Heaven Muhammad met a tall man with a hooked nose and Gabriel said it was Musa (Moses). In the Seventh Heaven Muhammad saw an old man with his back against al-Bayt al-Mamur - the gate to Paradise where 70,000 angels pass through each day but do not return until Judgment Day. Gabriel identified him as Ibrahim (Abraham).

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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