25 November 2012
2 minute Survey on what to do after the Seerah:
Please visit this Survey Link
or click below:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R7LJWBJ
Summary
Survey on what to do after the Seerah
Seerah:
Prophet* sends Leaders to Yemen (Muadh and Abu Musa)
Advice on how to bring people closer to Islam and not overburden new Muslims with too many rules
Prophet* approved of Muadh doing Ijtehad
Muadh tells Abu Musa how to get reward for sleeping
Muadh hands the money back to the Khalifah
What is Sunnah?
Linguistically, means a path or a way
Defined differently to Scholars of Hadith, Scholars of Law making and Scholars of Principles of Law
In Fiqh, Sunnah is synonymous to Nafilah or Mandub, meaning a recommended act
In Usul al-Fiqh it is a source for extracting rulings of Hukm Shar’i (Fard, Mandub, Mubah, Makruh, Haram)
Sunnah is a definitive source mentioned in Qur’an
Types of Sunnah include –
i - Qawli (verbal) – what he* said
ii - Taqriri (Approval) – what he* allowed (with silence)
iii - Fa’eli (Actions) – what deeds and actions he* did
The Prophet*’s actions are of 3 types:
1 - Actions as part of Prophet*’s Nature as a human
2 - Actions Specifically for the Prophet* and no-one else
3 - Actions of the Prophet* Carrying Legal Consequences which can be either
- an explanation for a text / Qur’an showing us how to do things like praying
- actions which fall under the category of Mandub or Nafilah
- actions which fall under the category of Mubah
Don’t forget things for the Bank of Akhirah
Quiz sometime before Christmas (i/A)
Survey on what to do after the Seerah:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R7LJWBJ
Please complete the Online Survey:
We are about to finish the Seerah of the Prophet*, InshaAllah. What we would like to know is what topic people wanted to study after this on a regular basis in Future Circles. Please vote for which things you would like to discuss during the Circle. Or give your own suggestions. This shouldn't take more than 2 minutes (InshaAllah)
Q: What topic would you like to study after the Seerah is finished?
- Lives of the first 4 Khulafah (Caliph - Islamic Leaders) = Abu Bakr, Umer, Uthman & Ali
- Lives of the Prophets (Adam to Isa/Jesus)
- Other (please specify)
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* sends Leaders to Yemen
Muadh bin Jabal – A brief background
One of the greatest of Muadh’s contributions to the ummah of Muhammad was that he was one of the group of six who collected the Quran during the lifetime of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Whenever a group of companions met and Muadh was among them, they would look at him with awe and respect on account of his knowledge. The Prophet and his two Khalifahs after him placed this unique gift and power in the service of Islam . After the liberation of Mecca, the Quraish became Muslims en masse. The Prophet immediately saw the need of the new Muslims for teachers to instruct them in the fundamentals of Islam and to make them truly understand the spirit and letter of its laws. He appointed Attab ibn Usay as his deputy in Mecca and he asked Muadh ibn Jabal to stay with him and teach people the Quran and instruct them in the religion. Sometime after the Prophet had returned to Medina, messengers of the kings of Yemen came to him announcing that they and the people of Yemen had become Muslims. They requested that some teachers should be with them to teach Islam to the people. For this task the Prophet commissioned a group of competent duat (missionaries) and made Muadh ibn Jabal their amir.
How to Invite New Muslims to Islam
Abu Musa and Muadh were sent to Yemen and the Prophet* said to both of them "Facilitate things for the people (Be kind and lenient) and do not make things difficult (for people), and give them good tidings, and do not repulse them and both of you should obey each other." Abu Musa said, "O Allah's Prophet! In our land there is an alcoholic drink (prepared) from barley called Al-Mizr, and another (prepared) from honey, called Al-Bit"' The Prophet said, "All intoxicants are prohibited."
The Prophet* sent Muadh bin Jabal to Yemen and said, "Invite the people to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I am Allah's Apostle, and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in every day and night (in twenty-four hours), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakat from their property and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor."
How to Judge according to Islam
He* then put the following question to Muadh: "According to what will you judge?" "According to the Book of God," replied Muadh. "And if you find nothing therein?" "According to the Sunnah of the Prophet of God." "And if you find nothing therein?" "Then I will exert myself (exercise ijtihad) to form my own judgment." The Prophet* was pleased with this reply and said: "Praise be to God Who has guided the messenger of the Prophet to that which pleases the Prophet." The Prophet* personally bade farewell to this mission of guidance and light and walked for some distance alongside Muadh as he rode out of the city. Finally he* said to him: "O Muadh, perhaps you shall not meet me again after this year. Perhaps when you return you shall see only my mosque and my grave." Muadh wept. Those with him wept too. A feeling of sadness and desolation overtook him as he parted from his beloved Prophet*. The Prophet*'s premonition was correct. The eyes of Muadh never beheld the Prophet* after that moment. The Prophet* died before Muadh returned from the Yemen. There is no doubt that Muadh wept when he returned to Medina and found there was no longer the blessed company of the Prophet*.
Abu Musa and Muadh meet up for advice
Abu Musa & Muadh had been sent together to different parts of Yemen but agreed to meet up whenever they were near each other. Abu Musa said, "I came to the Prophet along with two men (from the tribe) of Ash'ariyin, one on my right and the other on my left, while Allah's Apostle was brushing his teeth (with a Siwak), and both men asked him for some employment. The Prophet said, 'O Abu Musa (O 'Abdullah bin Qais!).' I said, 'By Him Who sent you with the Truth, these two men did not tell me what was in their hearts and I did not feel (realize) that they were seeking employment.' As if I were looking now at his Siwak being drawn to a corner under his lips, and he said, 'We never (or, we do not) appoint for our affairs anyone who seeks to be employed. But O Abu Musa! (or 'Abdullah bin Qais!) Go to Yemen.'" The Prophet then sent Muadh bin Jabal after him and when Muadh reached him, he spread out a cushion for him and requested him to get down (and sit on the cushion). Behold: There was a fettered man beside Abu Musa. Muadh asked, "Who is this (man)?" Abu Mu’sa said, "He was a Jew and became a Muslim and then reverted back to Judaism." Then Abu Mu’sa requested Muadh to sit down but Muadh said, "I will not sit down till he has been killed for apostasy. This is the judgment of Allah and His Apostle (for such cases) and repeated it thrice. Then Abu Mu’sa ordered that the man be killed, and he was killed.
Being rewarded for Sleeping
Muadh asked Abu Musa, "How do you recite the Quran?" Abu Musa replied, "I recite it while I am standing, sitting or riding my riding animals, at intervals and piecemeal." Muadh said, "But I sleep and then get up. I sleep and hope for Allah's Reward for my sleep as I seek His Reward for my night prayer." Then he (i.e. Muadh) pitched a tent and they started visiting each other.
Muadh making money as the Amir
When Muadh returned from Yemen during Abu Bakr's caliphate, Umer Ibn Al Khattaab was informed that Muadh become wealthy, and he suggested to Abu Bakr that the community should have half of Muadh's wealth. Umer did not waste much time as he rushed to Muadh's house and told him about what he and Abu Bakr had agreed on. Muadh was an honest and trustworthy man. The fact that he had made a fortune did not make him vulnerable to suspicion or sin; therefore, he turned down Umer's suggestion and refuted his viewpoint. Finally, 'Umer left him. The next day, Muadh hurried towards 'Umer's house and no sooner had he laid his eyes on him than he hugged him. His tears flowed as he said, " Last night, I saw in my dream that I was crossing deep water. I nearly drowned were it not for your help, 'Umer." Afterwards, they both went to Abu Bakr's presence where Muadh asked him to take half his money, but Abu Bakr said," No, I will take nothing from you." Umer glanced at Muadh and said, "Now it is halaal and blessed."
First, the pious Abu Bakr would not take from Muadh one penny unless he was absolutely positive that he had earned it in a lawful halaal way. Second, Umer was not trying to accuse or cast suspicion on Muadh.
Main Topic: What is Sunnah ?
What is Sunnah
Sunnah, linguistically, means a path or a way. As a juristic term “Sunnah” has different meanings to various disciplines of the Islamic culture.
• To the Ulema of Hadith:
Sunnah refers to all that is narrated from the Prophet*, his acts, his sayings, whatever he has tacitly approved, and all the reports that describe his physical attributes and character.
• To the Ulema of Fiqh (Jurisprudence):
Sunnah refers to the category of Mandub or Nafilah (Recommended act). In this sense, Sunnah is used synonymously with Mandub. As an example, praying extra prayers or fasting extra days other than in Ramadan is Mandub or Nafilah.
• To the Ulema of Usul al-Fiqh:
Sunnah refers to another source of Shari’ah along with the Qur’an. Thus, in the usage of Usul al-Fiqh, one might say that fasting days other than in Ramadan is from Sunnah, denoting that the Sunnah has validated this ruling.
The usage of Sunnah in Usul al-Fiqh should not be confused with the Sunnah in Fiqh. In Fiqh, the term Sunnah is synonymous to Nafilah or Mandub, meaning a recommended act. In Usul al-Fiqh, it is a source for extracting rulings, and it establishes the following types of Hukm Shar’i:
• Fard: For example, the method of praying the Salah is established from the Sunnah and not the Qur’an. The Qur’an issues the command to pray.
• Mandub / Sunnah: Fasting on Monday is Mandub and is established from the Sunnah.
• Mubah: At times the Prophet* drank water while sitting or standing.
• Makruh: Eating garlic before going to masjid is Makruh and is established from the Sunnah.
• Haram: Fasting on the day of Eid is Haram and is established from the Sunnah.
The Sunnah is a definitive source
Allah says in the Qur’an: “He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah.” (TMQ An-Nisa: 80) “And no, by thy Lord, they would never believe until they refer to you in the issues and disputes that are between them” (TMQ An-Nisa: 65) “He does not speak of his own desires and whims; indeed he is inspired by Wahy (revelation).” (TMQ An-Najm: 2 & 3) “What the Messenger has given you then take it, and what he prohibits then abstain from it.” (TMQ Al-Hashr: 7) “And we have revealed to you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr, for you to explain it to the people.” (TMQ An-Nahl: 44) “Say (O Muhammad): If you love Allah then follow me, and Allah will love you.” (TMQ Al-Imran: 31)
The Messenger of Allah* said: “One of you who while reclining on his chair is quoted a Hadith from me, and he says to the person who quoted the Hadith, ‘we have the Book of Allah (Qur’an), so what we find in it from what is Halal we will take it as Halal, and what we find in it that is Haram, we’ll treat as Haram.’ (The Prophet* continued...) But whatever the Messenger of Allah has made Haram, it is like that thing which Allah has made Haram.” The narration of Jabir adds: “Whosoever comes to know a hadith about me and he rejects it. He has rejected three: Allah, His Messenger and the one who informed him of the hadith.” Abdul-Aziz reported from Amr bin Amr - the freed slave of Al Mutallib bin Hantab that the Messenger of Allah* said: “I have left nothing concerning which Allah has given you an order without giving you that order; nor have I left anything concerning that which He has prohibited without giving you that prohibition.”
These Ayah and Hadith establish without any doubt that both the Qur’an and the Sunnah are from Allah and consequently both are sources for legislation. The Sunnah is a very fundamental element in Islam and knowing the Sunnah is a prerequisite for understanding and applying the Qur’an.
Types of Sunnah
A. Qawli (verbal):
Consists of the sayings of the Prophet* on any subject, for example: “He who cheats is not one of us.” (Ahmad)
B. Taqriri (Approval):
Consists of the approval of the Prophet*. If something was done in front of him* and he* didn’t disapprove it, then it is considered an approval. As an example, the Prophet* approved the way women prayed in the mosque; separate from the men, but in the same room.
C. Fa’eli (Actions):
Consists of the Prophet*’s deeds and practices, such as the way he* used to pray or perform Hajj.
The following paragraphs address the actions of the Prophet* and their legislative (legal) impact. The actions of the Messenger* can be divided into three parts. The first section consists of those actions, which were natural to him as a human being, secondly, actions, which were specific to him as a Prophet*, and thirdly, actions, which carry legislative impact.
i. Actions as part of Prophet*’s Nature
These actions include the way he stood, sat, ate or drank. For example it is reported that when he* walked and wanted to turn his head to another direction, he* would turn his entire body. This type of action has no legislative impact, except in certain cases when he* recommended doing a particular action. Then such an action would be considered Mandub. For example, there is a Hadith telling a Sahabi to eat with his right hand, which shifts the action, initially falling under a Mubah (permissible) category, to a Mandub (recommended) category. The Sunnah also excludes specialised and technical knowledge, such as medicine and agriculture because it is not held to be part of the function of Prophethood.
ii. Actions Specifically for the Prophet*
Allah has sent the Messenger* with rules that are specifically related to him* only. Some examples of these rules are:
• He* was ordered to pray the Tahajjud and the Ishraq Salah as Fard on him*.
• He* was allowed to continue his* fasting into the night.
• His* marriage contracts did not have to include a dowry (Mahr).
• His* wives could not remarry.
• He* was allowed to marry more than four wives at a time.
Whoever performs any of these actions is sinning because these actions are exclusively for the Prophet*.
iii. Actions of the Prophet* Carrying Legislative Consequences.
The kinds of actions, which carry legislative consequences, are of three types:
a) The action of the Messenger of Allah*, which provides an explanation for a text.
If this explanation was for a rule or text that was obligatory, then the explanation also becomes obligatory. If the explanation was for a rule that was Mandub, then the explanation also becomes Mandub. Generally speaking, the explanation takes the same status as the rule. Some examples will clarify this principle.
The Qur’an obligates the establishment of the Salah. Any explanation of performing the Salah by the Messenger* is thus also an obligation. For example, he* recited Surah Fatihah while standing and always recited the Surah during each Rakah. Except for people who are excused due to physical disabilities, reciting Surah Fatihah must be done while standing in Fard prayers.
Allah ordered the Messenger* to rule the people with what was revealed to him*. Thus, the way the Messenger* ruled the people (by Islam) is an obligation. Some argue that the Messenger* did not leave details about the ruling, rather he* left general outlines, and that it is left to our intellect to innovate and initiate new forms of ruling. Many Muslims believe this point and are using democracy and parliamentary processes to rule the Muslims. However, since any order that is addressed to the Messenger* is also addressed to all Muslims, the order to rule by the revelation is an order to all Muslims. The Qur’an warns us that those who do not rule by Islam are Zalim, Fasiq or Kafirs. (see Al Ma’idah: 44 to 47)
When we study the Seerah, we find an abundance of details related to ruling by Islam. For example, the Messenger’s* saying that: “The children of Israel were sent Prophets. Every time a Prophet died or was killed, another Prophet would succeed him. However, there will be no Prophet after me and there will be Khulafa and they will be many. So the Sahabah asked, „What should we do?’ He said, fulfil the Bay’ah to the first, the first and give them their rights for Allah will hold them accountable for their responsibilities.” (Muslim) In addition, the Prophet* said that there should be only one Khaleefah: “If the Ba’yah is given to two Khaleefahs, then kill the latter one.” (Muslim)
He* also told us that whoever backs away from his Bay’ah, Allah will be angry with him. The Seerah also defines the pillars of the State’s ruling system - it being made up of the Head of State, Delegates and Executive Representatives of the Head of State, Governors, Provincial Governors, Amir of Jihad, Judges of the Judicial Branch, the Majlis of the Ummah (Consultation Assembly) and the Administrative Council.
Since Islam detailed these aspects as an explanation of the order to rule, this explanation takes the same status as the order and is thereby mandatory for us to implement. This explanation should refute any claim by any person that utilizing a democratic, parliamentary, republican, monarchical, or dictatorial method of ruling is within the boundaries of Islam.
b) The actions of the Prophet*, which fall under the category of Mandub or Nafilah.
Examples of such actions are fasting 6 days during the month of Shawwal, making special Dhikr on occasions, and praying Sunnah Salah. Following the Uswah (example) of the Messenger* means to perform the action in the same way he* performed it. So, if he* did an action as Mandub then we must follow him* in doing that action as Mandub. If the action is done as a Fard, then the emulation of that action has to be done as a Fard. We cannot switch and do any action that he* did as a Fard and make it into a Sunnah, and conversely, we cannot change a Sunnah to a Fard. There are, however, some who feel that actions falling under this category are Fard (mandatory). This opinion is arrived at without a deep and comprehensive study of all the evidences and Daleel.
c) The actions of the Prophet*, which fall under the category of Mubah.
Since the actions are permissible, they result in neither attaining the pleasure nor the displeasure of Allah. An example of such an action is the time duration of ten years for the treaty of Hudaybiah. The ten years is not a fixed or set limit for treaties to be signed by the Khaleefah. Consequently, it is Mubah for the Khaleefah to sign a treaty for five or fifteen years. Another example is digging the ditch in the Battle of the Ditch. This tactic was used to defend Medina. So today, digging the ditch does not have to be done.
Children’s Feedback
Du'as for everyday use
Paradise and a Paradise Poem
Surah al-Asr
News Topic
Floods and a Gaza Map
Homework
Belief ~ How do we derive / make laws in Islam ?
What is the process of lawmaking ?
Showing posts with label actions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label actions. Show all posts
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Monday, 10 September 2012
9 September 2012
Summary:
Seerah: Between Hunain and Tabuk
The Prophet* dispatched a number of smaller armies to consolidate the surrounding tribes and areas, and to demolish the last remnants of idolatry
If the Prophet* leads the army it is known as a Ghazwah, and a Sirayah if lead by the Sahabae
One tribe was fought as they refused to pay the Jizyah
This tribe then had a poetry and speech contest with the Muslims in the mosque precinct
Adi bin Hatim’s sister was captured and released by the Prophet*, who knew more about his religion than Adi
The Prophet* prophesised the conquering of Persia, the immense wealth of the early Muslims and the security provided to the Ummah by the early Khulafah (Caliphs)
Main Topic: Naveed's Belief Pathway
Answering the 3 fundamental questions makes us think and ponder - which if done sincerely leads us to realise that the Creator exists and He created us. Then we look for our purpose in life to define our relationship with the Creator and come across Islam - after realising that the Creator would send us messages on how to live and where to get these answers from. We then study and realise that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah and tells us how to live our life - forming the Actions we do based on the fact that only Allah has the right to make laws for us. These laws are authentically preserved in Islam and by following them, every action being linked to Allah's Word with the right intention, we will please Allah and seek the afterlife which answers the 3 fundamental questions!
Shahnam Charity Event
Well done to the children (supported by their parents) as the money keeps rolling in: the provisional amount raised is OVER £13,000 so far. You can still donate by visiting the charity website: www.shahnam.org
Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the peace blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an
Events Between Hunain & Tabuk: Missions and Platoons After The Conquest
Upon returning from this long successful travel, the Prophet* stayed in Medina where he received delegates and dispatched agents and appointed preachers and callers to Islam everywhere. Those whose hearts were still full of prejudice against Islam and therefore were too proud to embrace Allah’s religion, were decisively muffled on their non-acquiescence in the status quo prevalent then in Arabia. Here is a mini-image about the believed ones. We have already stated that the Messenger’s arrival in Medina was by the last days of the eighth year of Al-Hijra. No sooner the crescent of Muharram of the ninth year turned up than the Prophet* dispatched the believed ones, to the tribes as shown in the list below:
1. ‘Uyaina bin Hisn to Bani Tamim.
2. Yazeed bin Husain to Aslam and Ghifar.
3. ‘Abbad bin Bishr Al-Ashhali to Sulaim and Muzainah.
4. Rafi‘ bin Mukaith to Juhainah.
5. ‘Amr bin Al-‘As to Bani Fazarah.
6. Ad-Dahhak bin Sufyan to Bani Kilab.
7. Basheer bin Sufyan to Bani Ka‘b.
8. Ibn Al-Lutabiyah Al-Azdi to Bani Dhubyan.
9. Al-Muhajir bin Abi Omaiyah to Sana‘a’ (Al-Aswad Al-‘Ansi called at him when he was in it).
10. Ziyad bin Labid to Hadramout.
11. ‘Adi bin Hatim to Tai’ and Bani Asad.
12. Malik bin Nuwairah to Bani Hanzalah.
13. Az-Zabraqan bin Badr to Bani Sa‘d (a portion of them).
14. Qais bin ‘Asim to Bani Sa‘d (a portion of them).
15. Al-‘Ala’ bin Al-Hadrami to Al-Bahrain.
16. ‘Ali bin Abi Talib to Najran (to collect Sadaqa & Jizya).
Some of these agents were despatched in Muharram, 7 A.H., others were sent later until the tribes they were heading for had completely converted into Islam. Such a move clearly demonstrates the great success that the Islamic Da‘wah (Call) enjoyed after Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty. However, shortly after the conquest of Mecca, people began to embrace Islam in large hosts.
The Platoons:
In the same way that the believed ones were dispatched to the tribes, we understand that dispatching some more platoons to all regions of Arabia is a necessity for the prevalence and domination of security on all lands of Arabia. Here is a list of those platoons:
1. ‘Uyaina bin Hisn Al-Fazari’s platoon in Al-Muharram, the ninth year of Al-Hijra to Bani Tamim. It consisted of fifty horsemen, none of them was an Emigrant or a Helper. This expedition was dispatched due to the fact that Bani Tamim had already urged other tribes not to pay tribute (Al-Jizya) and eventually stopped them from paying it. Therefore, ‘Uyaina bin Hisn set out to fight them. All the way long he marched by night and lurked by day. He went on that way till he overtook them and attacked them in the desert. They fled back for their lives. Eleven men, twenty-one women and thirty boys were captured then. He drove them back to Medina and were housed in Ramlah bint Al-Harith’s residence. Ten of their leaders, who came to the Prophet’s door, called out unto him saying: “O Muhammad come out and face us.” When he went out they held him and started talking. He exchanged talk with them for a while then left them and went to perform the noon prayer.
After prayer he sat in the mosque-patio. They proclaimed a desire to show boasting and self-pride. For this purpose they introduced their orator ‘Utarid bin Hajib who delivered his speech. The Prophet* asked Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas — the Muslim orator — to respond. He did that. In return, they brought forth their poet Az- Zabraqan bin Badr who recited some boastful poetry. Hassan bin Thabit, the poet of Islam, promptly replied back. When talks and poet came to an end, Al-Aqra‘ bin Habis said: “Their orator is more eloquent than ours, and their poet is more poetically learned than ours. Their voices and sayings excel ours, as well.” Eventually they announced their embracing Islam. Consequently, the Prophet* acknowledged their Islamisation, awarded them well, and rendered them back their women and children.
2. A platoon headed by Qutbah bin ‘Amir to a spot called Khath‘am in Tabalah, a plot of land not far from Turbah. That was in Safar, 9 A.H. Accompanied by twenty men and only ten camels to mount alternatively on, Qutbah raided them and fought so fiercely that a great number of both parties were wounded and some others were killed. The Muslims drove back with them camels, women and sheep to Medina.
3. The mission of Dahhak bin Sufyan Al-Kilabi to Bani Kilab in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. This mission was sent to Bani Kilab to call them to embrace Islam. Refusing to embrace Islam, they started to fight against the Muslims, but were defeated and sustained one man killed.
4. The three hundred men expedition of ‘Alqamah bin Mujazziz Al-Mudlaji to Jeddah shores in Rabi‘ Al-Akhir. This expedition was dispatched to fight against some men from (Al-Habasha) Abyssinia (Ethiopia), who gathered together near the shores of Jeddah and exercised acts of piracy against the Meccans. Therefore he crossed the sea till he got to an island. But as soon as the pirates had learned of Muslims’ arrival, they fled.
5. The task of the platoon of ‘Ali bin Abi Talib was to demolish Al-Qullus, which was an idol that belonged to Tai’ tribe. That was in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. ‘Ali was dispatched by the Prophet* with o ne hundred fifty men. A hundred of them were on camels. The other fifty were on horseback. He held a black flag and a white banner. • At dawn they raided Mahallat Hatim, demolished the idol and filled their hands with spoils, camels and sheep booties, whereas ‘Adi fled to Ash-Sham. The sister of ‘Adi bin Hatim was one of the captives. Inside Al-Qullus safe, Muslims found three swords and three armours. On the way they distributed the spoils and put aside the best things to the Prophet*. They did not share the Hatims.
Upon arrival in Medina, the sister of ‘Adi bin Hatim begged the Prophet* to have mercy on her and said: “O Messenger of Allah, my brother is absent and father is dead, and I am too old to render any service. Be beneficent to me so that Allah may be bountiful to you.” He said: “Who is your brother?” She said: “It is ‘Adi bin Hatim.” “Is he not the one who fled from Allah and his Messenger?” Said the Prophet* then went away from her. Next day she reiterated the same thing as the day before and received the same answer. A day later she uttered similar words, this time he made benefaction to her. The man who was beside the Prophet, and whom she thought to be ‘Ali, said to her: “Ask for an animal from him to ride on.” And she was granted her request.
She returned to Ash-Sham where she met her brother and said to him: “The Messenger of Allah* has done me such noble deed that your father would never have done it. Therefore, willy-nilly, frightened or secure, you should go and see him.” Unsecure neither protected by someone, not even recommended by a letter as a means of protection, ‘Adi came and met the Prophet. The Prophet* took him home with him. As soon as he sat before him, the Prophet* thanked Allah and praised him, then said: “What makes you flee? Do you flee lest you should say there is no god but Allah? Do you know any other god but Allah?” “No” he said, then talked for a while. The Prophet went on saying: “Certainly you flee so that you may not hear the statement saying ‘Allah is the Greatest.’ Do you know anyone who is greater than Allah?” “No” he said. “The Jews are those whose portion is wrath, and the Christians are those who have gone astray,” the Prophet retorted. “I am a Muslim and I believe in one God (Allah).” ‘Adi finally proclaimed with a joyous face. The Prophet ordered him a residence with one of the Helpers. From that time he started calling at the Prophet* in the mornings and in the evenings.
On the authority of Ibn Ishaq, when the Prophet* made him sit down in front of him in his house, the Prophet said, “O ‘Adi, were you not cast in disbelief?” “Yes”. ‘Adi said. “Did you not share one quarter of your people’s gains?” “Yes”. Said ‘Adi. The Prophet* said: “It is sinful in your religion to do such a thing, and you should not allow yourself to do it.” “Yes, by Allah, that is true”, said ‘Adi. “Thus I worked out that he was a Prophet inspired by Allah, and sent to people. He knows what is unknown.”
In another version, the Prophet* said: “‘Adi, embrace Islam and you shall be secure.” “But I am a man of religion.” Said ‘Adi. “I know your religion better than you.” Said the Prophet. “Do you know my religion better than me?” ‘Adi asked. The Prophet replied, “Yes”. He said: “Are you not cast in disbelief because you appropriate to yourself the fourth of your people’s gains?” “Yes”. Said ‘Adi. “It is unlawful in your religion to do such a thing.” The Prophet said, and ‘‘Adi added: “He did not need to say it again for I immediately acquiesced it.”
Al-Bukhari narrates that ‘Adi said: While we were with the Prophet*, a man came in and complained to him about poverty. Then another man came in and complained about highway robbery. The Prophet* then said: “O ‘Adi, have you ever been to Al-Hirah? If you were doomed to live long life, you would be able to see a riding camel woman travel from Hirah till it circumambulates Al-Ka‘bah fearing none but Allah; and if you were to live long enough you would open the treasures of Kisra. And if you were to live long you would be able to see man offering a handful of gold or silver to others but none accepts to take it.” At the end of this Hadith ‘Adi later on says: “I have seen a riding camel woman travel from Al-Hirah till it circumambulates the Ka‘bah fearing none but Allah, I have also been one of those who opened the treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz. If you were to live long life you would witness what the Prophet, Abul Qasim,* had already said about ‘offering a handful of …’ i.e. the Prophet’s prophecies did really come true.”
Main Topic: Naveed's Belief Pathway
We talked through the Belief Pathway (see below). This is to help the children (and their parents) understand the processes that we’ve been going through over the past few months. We talked through the Belief Pathway (see below). This is to help the children (and their parents) understand the processes that we’ve been going through over the past few months. This is to show that we have not been doing things in a random fashion but trying to tie together two strands of fundamental understanding of Islam. These two strands are linked in the pathway shown below, and these two strands are aspects of belief and aspects of actions (through Shariah and Fiqh).
The Belief Pathway demonstrates how all the fundamental questions and issues that we've been discussing after the Seerah section tie together with how we should live our life and where we get these answers from.
Briefly, we started off by talking about the three fundamental questions that every human being thinks about (why am I here, where did I come from, where am I going). By answering these fundamental questions human beings will set out their plan for life and how they want to live their life. These answers don't come automatically but every individual needs to go through a certain process. Some people are told what to believe and do and they leave it there. If people are sincere in trying to answer these questions for themselves they will necessarily stop to think and ponder about themselves and their reality. The way the body interacts with the reality is through the senses and this is the surface of our reality. By thinking and pondering people will necessarily come to the conclusion that they could not come into existence by themselves and needed to be created and that is the next step in the realisation of a Creator.
This rational conclusion would then lead them on to trying to find out their relationship with the Creator (as in the three fundamental relationships for every human being = his relationship with himself, his relationship with others, and his relationship with the Creator). Every sincere individual would then earnestly search for the purpose of life and exhaust themselves in trying to find this. Hence they would search out everybody or everything that claims to hold the truth. It is only right that the Creator tells us how to live by communicating with us - through Messengers & Prophets. Even a superficial analysis of many these answers would allow any individual to discredit them and the answers provided by Islam and its holy book (the Qur'an) would be self evidently correct - or at least worth further study (not a superficial analysis as was undertaken by the recent Channel 4 programme!).
Detailed analysis of the Qur'an would demonstrate that this is indeed a miracle and the inimitable Word of God. We defined a miracle as something which is impossible happening as opposed to a rare event.
Having established that the Qur'an is direct from Allah we now have to accept everything that is in there and follow whatever it tells us to do because this is direct communication from our Creator. Hence we find that Allah defines what we should believe in (Aqeeda) and how we should live our life through our actions. This is non-negotiable! These latter sections of belief will be tackled in the coming study circles (InshaAllah).
The second strand of what we have been doing in the study Circle is looking at these actions in greater detail. These actions which form the basis of our law are derived from Allah through establishing the authenticity of the Qur'an and the Hadith - the system of preservation through the oral tradition. Hence, we have agreed that sovereignty (the right to make the laws) belongs only to Allah and we get these from the Qur'an, Sunnah (Hadith), Ijma-as-Sahabah (Consensus of Companions) and Qiyas (Divine Analogy).
These are the only sources of law for us to learn how to live our life and we have been trying to dissect some of the terminology involved in this process. Other important aspects of our actions are the fact that every action we do needs to be based on what we are told to do by Allah - which means every action needs an evidence from Islam (Qur'an & Sunnah) and needs to be done for the right intention (Niyah). If we do this we will be pleasing our Creator which is the reason we live our life - with the desire to get to a pleasant afterlife (rather than the unpleasant place!). Hence the Belief Pathway brings us back to where we started in trying to answer the three fundamental questions - we now have the answer! This process can also be used to talk to or to discuss with other Muslims and non-Muslims about our belief and why we do what we do. In fact, it should be one major way in which we try and do Dawah to the non-Muslims -- all though not exclusively the only way.
As stated, InshaAllah our fight to go through the remaining parts of the pathway over the coming weeks.
No feedback or News topic
Homework:
- Seerah ~ Why did the Prophet* announce publically who he was going to attack when preparing for the Battle of Tabuk. Normally he* would keep it a secret – come up with some reasons why he* may have done this…
[For the older kids to ponder:]
- Belief ~ Whilst talking about ‘thinking’ and realising the Creator’s existence we talked about the mythical child brought up by wolves or in a jungle – why is this child incapable of proper thought??
Summary:
Seerah: Between Hunain and Tabuk
The Prophet* dispatched a number of smaller armies to consolidate the surrounding tribes and areas, and to demolish the last remnants of idolatry
If the Prophet* leads the army it is known as a Ghazwah, and a Sirayah if lead by the Sahabae
One tribe was fought as they refused to pay the Jizyah
This tribe then had a poetry and speech contest with the Muslims in the mosque precinct
Adi bin Hatim’s sister was captured and released by the Prophet*, who knew more about his religion than Adi
The Prophet* prophesised the conquering of Persia, the immense wealth of the early Muslims and the security provided to the Ummah by the early Khulafah (Caliphs)
Main Topic: Naveed's Belief Pathway
Answering the 3 fundamental questions makes us think and ponder - which if done sincerely leads us to realise that the Creator exists and He created us. Then we look for our purpose in life to define our relationship with the Creator and come across Islam - after realising that the Creator would send us messages on how to live and where to get these answers from. We then study and realise that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah and tells us how to live our life - forming the Actions we do based on the fact that only Allah has the right to make laws for us. These laws are authentically preserved in Islam and by following them, every action being linked to Allah's Word with the right intention, we will please Allah and seek the afterlife which answers the 3 fundamental questions!
Shahnam Charity Event
Well done to the children (supported by their parents) as the money keeps rolling in: the provisional amount raised is OVER £13,000 so far. You can still donate by visiting the charity website: www.shahnam.org
Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the peace blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an
Events Between Hunain & Tabuk: Missions and Platoons After The Conquest
Upon returning from this long successful travel, the Prophet* stayed in Medina where he received delegates and dispatched agents and appointed preachers and callers to Islam everywhere. Those whose hearts were still full of prejudice against Islam and therefore were too proud to embrace Allah’s religion, were decisively muffled on their non-acquiescence in the status quo prevalent then in Arabia. Here is a mini-image about the believed ones. We have already stated that the Messenger’s arrival in Medina was by the last days of the eighth year of Al-Hijra. No sooner the crescent of Muharram of the ninth year turned up than the Prophet* dispatched the believed ones, to the tribes as shown in the list below:
1. ‘Uyaina bin Hisn to Bani Tamim.
2. Yazeed bin Husain to Aslam and Ghifar.
3. ‘Abbad bin Bishr Al-Ashhali to Sulaim and Muzainah.
4. Rafi‘ bin Mukaith to Juhainah.
5. ‘Amr bin Al-‘As to Bani Fazarah.
6. Ad-Dahhak bin Sufyan to Bani Kilab.
7. Basheer bin Sufyan to Bani Ka‘b.
8. Ibn Al-Lutabiyah Al-Azdi to Bani Dhubyan.
9. Al-Muhajir bin Abi Omaiyah to Sana‘a’ (Al-Aswad Al-‘Ansi called at him when he was in it).
10. Ziyad bin Labid to Hadramout.
11. ‘Adi bin Hatim to Tai’ and Bani Asad.
12. Malik bin Nuwairah to Bani Hanzalah.
13. Az-Zabraqan bin Badr to Bani Sa‘d (a portion of them).
14. Qais bin ‘Asim to Bani Sa‘d (a portion of them).
15. Al-‘Ala’ bin Al-Hadrami to Al-Bahrain.
16. ‘Ali bin Abi Talib to Najran (to collect Sadaqa & Jizya).
Some of these agents were despatched in Muharram, 7 A.H., others were sent later until the tribes they were heading for had completely converted into Islam. Such a move clearly demonstrates the great success that the Islamic Da‘wah (Call) enjoyed after Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty. However, shortly after the conquest of Mecca, people began to embrace Islam in large hosts.
The Platoons:
In the same way that the believed ones were dispatched to the tribes, we understand that dispatching some more platoons to all regions of Arabia is a necessity for the prevalence and domination of security on all lands of Arabia. Here is a list of those platoons:
1. ‘Uyaina bin Hisn Al-Fazari’s platoon in Al-Muharram, the ninth year of Al-Hijra to Bani Tamim. It consisted of fifty horsemen, none of them was an Emigrant or a Helper. This expedition was dispatched due to the fact that Bani Tamim had already urged other tribes not to pay tribute (Al-Jizya) and eventually stopped them from paying it. Therefore, ‘Uyaina bin Hisn set out to fight them. All the way long he marched by night and lurked by day. He went on that way till he overtook them and attacked them in the desert. They fled back for their lives. Eleven men, twenty-one women and thirty boys were captured then. He drove them back to Medina and were housed in Ramlah bint Al-Harith’s residence. Ten of their leaders, who came to the Prophet’s door, called out unto him saying: “O Muhammad come out and face us.” When he went out they held him and started talking. He exchanged talk with them for a while then left them and went to perform the noon prayer.
After prayer he sat in the mosque-patio. They proclaimed a desire to show boasting and self-pride. For this purpose they introduced their orator ‘Utarid bin Hajib who delivered his speech. The Prophet* asked Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas — the Muslim orator — to respond. He did that. In return, they brought forth their poet Az- Zabraqan bin Badr who recited some boastful poetry. Hassan bin Thabit, the poet of Islam, promptly replied back. When talks and poet came to an end, Al-Aqra‘ bin Habis said: “Their orator is more eloquent than ours, and their poet is more poetically learned than ours. Their voices and sayings excel ours, as well.” Eventually they announced their embracing Islam. Consequently, the Prophet* acknowledged their Islamisation, awarded them well, and rendered them back their women and children.
2. A platoon headed by Qutbah bin ‘Amir to a spot called Khath‘am in Tabalah, a plot of land not far from Turbah. That was in Safar, 9 A.H. Accompanied by twenty men and only ten camels to mount alternatively on, Qutbah raided them and fought so fiercely that a great number of both parties were wounded and some others were killed. The Muslims drove back with them camels, women and sheep to Medina.
3. The mission of Dahhak bin Sufyan Al-Kilabi to Bani Kilab in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. This mission was sent to Bani Kilab to call them to embrace Islam. Refusing to embrace Islam, they started to fight against the Muslims, but were defeated and sustained one man killed.
4. The three hundred men expedition of ‘Alqamah bin Mujazziz Al-Mudlaji to Jeddah shores in Rabi‘ Al-Akhir. This expedition was dispatched to fight against some men from (Al-Habasha) Abyssinia (Ethiopia), who gathered together near the shores of Jeddah and exercised acts of piracy against the Meccans. Therefore he crossed the sea till he got to an island. But as soon as the pirates had learned of Muslims’ arrival, they fled.
5. The task of the platoon of ‘Ali bin Abi Talib was to demolish Al-Qullus, which was an idol that belonged to Tai’ tribe. That was in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. ‘Ali was dispatched by the Prophet* with o ne hundred fifty men. A hundred of them were on camels. The other fifty were on horseback. He held a black flag and a white banner. • At dawn they raided Mahallat Hatim, demolished the idol and filled their hands with spoils, camels and sheep booties, whereas ‘Adi fled to Ash-Sham. The sister of ‘Adi bin Hatim was one of the captives. Inside Al-Qullus safe, Muslims found three swords and three armours. On the way they distributed the spoils and put aside the best things to the Prophet*. They did not share the Hatims.
Upon arrival in Medina, the sister of ‘Adi bin Hatim begged the Prophet* to have mercy on her and said: “O Messenger of Allah, my brother is absent and father is dead, and I am too old to render any service. Be beneficent to me so that Allah may be bountiful to you.” He said: “Who is your brother?” She said: “It is ‘Adi bin Hatim.” “Is he not the one who fled from Allah and his Messenger?” Said the Prophet* then went away from her. Next day she reiterated the same thing as the day before and received the same answer. A day later she uttered similar words, this time he made benefaction to her. The man who was beside the Prophet, and whom she thought to be ‘Ali, said to her: “Ask for an animal from him to ride on.” And she was granted her request.
She returned to Ash-Sham where she met her brother and said to him: “The Messenger of Allah* has done me such noble deed that your father would never have done it. Therefore, willy-nilly, frightened or secure, you should go and see him.” Unsecure neither protected by someone, not even recommended by a letter as a means of protection, ‘Adi came and met the Prophet. The Prophet* took him home with him. As soon as he sat before him, the Prophet* thanked Allah and praised him, then said: “What makes you flee? Do you flee lest you should say there is no god but Allah? Do you know any other god but Allah?” “No” he said, then talked for a while. The Prophet went on saying: “Certainly you flee so that you may not hear the statement saying ‘Allah is the Greatest.’ Do you know anyone who is greater than Allah?” “No” he said. “The Jews are those whose portion is wrath, and the Christians are those who have gone astray,” the Prophet retorted. “I am a Muslim and I believe in one God (Allah).” ‘Adi finally proclaimed with a joyous face. The Prophet ordered him a residence with one of the Helpers. From that time he started calling at the Prophet* in the mornings and in the evenings.
On the authority of Ibn Ishaq, when the Prophet* made him sit down in front of him in his house, the Prophet said, “O ‘Adi, were you not cast in disbelief?” “Yes”. ‘Adi said. “Did you not share one quarter of your people’s gains?” “Yes”. Said ‘Adi. The Prophet* said: “It is sinful in your religion to do such a thing, and you should not allow yourself to do it.” “Yes, by Allah, that is true”, said ‘Adi. “Thus I worked out that he was a Prophet inspired by Allah, and sent to people. He knows what is unknown.”
In another version, the Prophet* said: “‘Adi, embrace Islam and you shall be secure.” “But I am a man of religion.” Said ‘Adi. “I know your religion better than you.” Said the Prophet. “Do you know my religion better than me?” ‘Adi asked. The Prophet replied, “Yes”. He said: “Are you not cast in disbelief because you appropriate to yourself the fourth of your people’s gains?” “Yes”. Said ‘Adi. “It is unlawful in your religion to do such a thing.” The Prophet said, and ‘‘Adi added: “He did not need to say it again for I immediately acquiesced it.”
Al-Bukhari narrates that ‘Adi said: While we were with the Prophet*, a man came in and complained to him about poverty. Then another man came in and complained about highway robbery. The Prophet* then said: “O ‘Adi, have you ever been to Al-Hirah? If you were doomed to live long life, you would be able to see a riding camel woman travel from Hirah till it circumambulates Al-Ka‘bah fearing none but Allah; and if you were to live long enough you would open the treasures of Kisra. And if you were to live long you would be able to see man offering a handful of gold or silver to others but none accepts to take it.” At the end of this Hadith ‘Adi later on says: “I have seen a riding camel woman travel from Al-Hirah till it circumambulates the Ka‘bah fearing none but Allah, I have also been one of those who opened the treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz. If you were to live long life you would witness what the Prophet, Abul Qasim,* had already said about ‘offering a handful of …’ i.e. the Prophet’s prophecies did really come true.”
Main Topic: Naveed's Belief Pathway
The Belief Pathway demonstrates how all the fundamental questions and issues that we've been discussing after the Seerah section tie together with how we should live our life and where we get these answers from.
Briefly, we started off by talking about the three fundamental questions that every human being thinks about (why am I here, where did I come from, where am I going). By answering these fundamental questions human beings will set out their plan for life and how they want to live their life. These answers don't come automatically but every individual needs to go through a certain process. Some people are told what to believe and do and they leave it there. If people are sincere in trying to answer these questions for themselves they will necessarily stop to think and ponder about themselves and their reality. The way the body interacts with the reality is through the senses and this is the surface of our reality. By thinking and pondering people will necessarily come to the conclusion that they could not come into existence by themselves and needed to be created and that is the next step in the realisation of a Creator.
This rational conclusion would then lead them on to trying to find out their relationship with the Creator (as in the three fundamental relationships for every human being = his relationship with himself, his relationship with others, and his relationship with the Creator). Every sincere individual would then earnestly search for the purpose of life and exhaust themselves in trying to find this. Hence they would search out everybody or everything that claims to hold the truth. It is only right that the Creator tells us how to live by communicating with us - through Messengers & Prophets. Even a superficial analysis of many these answers would allow any individual to discredit them and the answers provided by Islam and its holy book (the Qur'an) would be self evidently correct - or at least worth further study (not a superficial analysis as was undertaken by the recent Channel 4 programme!).
Detailed analysis of the Qur'an would demonstrate that this is indeed a miracle and the inimitable Word of God. We defined a miracle as something which is impossible happening as opposed to a rare event.
Having established that the Qur'an is direct from Allah we now have to accept everything that is in there and follow whatever it tells us to do because this is direct communication from our Creator. Hence we find that Allah defines what we should believe in (Aqeeda) and how we should live our life through our actions. This is non-negotiable! These latter sections of belief will be tackled in the coming study circles (InshaAllah).
The second strand of what we have been doing in the study Circle is looking at these actions in greater detail. These actions which form the basis of our law are derived from Allah through establishing the authenticity of the Qur'an and the Hadith - the system of preservation through the oral tradition. Hence, we have agreed that sovereignty (the right to make the laws) belongs only to Allah and we get these from the Qur'an, Sunnah (Hadith), Ijma-as-Sahabah (Consensus of Companions) and Qiyas (Divine Analogy).
These are the only sources of law for us to learn how to live our life and we have been trying to dissect some of the terminology involved in this process. Other important aspects of our actions are the fact that every action we do needs to be based on what we are told to do by Allah - which means every action needs an evidence from Islam (Qur'an & Sunnah) and needs to be done for the right intention (Niyah). If we do this we will be pleasing our Creator which is the reason we live our life - with the desire to get to a pleasant afterlife (rather than the unpleasant place!). Hence the Belief Pathway brings us back to where we started in trying to answer the three fundamental questions - we now have the answer! This process can also be used to talk to or to discuss with other Muslims and non-Muslims about our belief and why we do what we do. In fact, it should be one major way in which we try and do Dawah to the non-Muslims -- all though not exclusively the only way.
As stated, InshaAllah our fight to go through the remaining parts of the pathway over the coming weeks.
No feedback or News topic
Homework:
- Seerah ~ Why did the Prophet* announce publically who he was going to attack when preparing for the Battle of Tabuk. Normally he* would keep it a secret – come up with some reasons why he* may have done this…
[For the older kids to ponder:]
- Belief ~ Whilst talking about ‘thinking’ and realising the Creator’s existence we talked about the mythical child brought up by wolves or in a jungle – why is this child incapable of proper thought??
Monday, 27 February 2012
26 February2012
Khaibar Falls (3);Intentions, Actions and Rewards
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
*: 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.
Children's Feedback:
What we should expect from our Islam
What are we good at?
Monday, 5 December 2011
4 December 2011
Questionnaire / Quiz !!
Some sample questions to be uploaded soon (I/A).
Well Done to all those who took part.
Some Selected Questions:
1 Give 1 reason why mothers are so important in Islam [5 marks]
a)
2 What are the 5 Pillars of Islam [20 marks]
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
3 What are the 6 articles of Belief (Aqeedah) [18 marks]
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
4 To pass exams you must
a) Do nothing and hope to pass
b) Prepare to pass
c) Trust in yourself
5 “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” (Qur’an, 2:286). Who are tested the hardest
a) The weak people
b) The prophets
c) The clever people
6 Many rituals during Hajj are related to which Prophet
a) Ibrahim
b) Nuh
c) Musa
7 Some Muslim medical students are boycotting lectures on evolution because
a) They think Allah created Adam
b) Science proves Darwin to be true
c) They think mankind is descended from apes
8 Dhikr is
a) Remembering Allah
b) Giving Charity
c) Seeking forgiveness
9 Can Muslims fast on the day of Eid
a) Yes as fasting is a good thing
b) Yes if they are doing Eid the next day
c) No as it is Haram
10 Muslims should be United because
a) We control most of the world’s oil
b) We are a quarter of the world’s population
c) We are One Ummah
17 The Prophet gave orders that none should pray the afternoon prayer (Asr) until he had reached Bani Quraizah territory. This incident shows that
a) Differences of opinion are allowed in Islam
b) Differences of opinion are not allowed in Islam
c) Agreements are never possible in Islam
18 What is the Arabic for Trench / Ditch
a) Al-Khandaq
b) Al-Ahzab
c) Ar-Riqa
25 Saad ibn Muath was the leader of which tribe
a) Aus
b) Khazraj
c) Muhajir
26 Salman al-Farsi mentioned digging a trench. This shows Muslims that
a) There is a conflict between science/technology and Islam
b) New technology (madinniyah) is allowed in Islam
c) Cultural ideas (hadhara) conflicting Islam can be taken by Muslims
27 How many months in an Islamic Calendar Year
a) 10
b) 12
c) 15
33 In the Banu Mustaliq campaign, some Muslims started in-fighting and Abdullah ibn Ubai criticised the Prophet*. The Prophet* said that Muslims should be One Ummah (Nation) and that nationalism (pride and allegiance in the place we are born) is
a) Haram and a sign of jahilliyah (ignorance)
b) Fine because we can travel and spread Islam
c) Something encouraged for all Muslims because we learn new cultures
38 Which is most correct
a) Proof and Evidence are the same thing
b) Proof is not as good as Evidence
c) Proof is better than Evidence
46 Prophets on the Levels of Heaven, which is the correct order below (from level 1 to 7)
a) Adam – Isa/Yahya – Yusuf – Idris – Harun – Musa – Ibrahim
b) Adam – Isa/Yahya – Idris – Yunus – Harun – Musa – AcIbrahim
c) Adam – Isa/Yahya – Yaqub – Idris – Musa – Harun – Ibrahim
47 List (in Arabic or English) the 5 different categories of Hukm Shariah Actions [25 marks]
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
64 Hadith 33 of Nawawi's 40 Hadith (‘…But the burden of proof is upon the claimant and the taking of an oath is upon the one who denies (the allegation)’), scholars have said that a witness should be
a) Sane, competent and forgetful
b) A person of integrity and dishonesty
c) Of good memory
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