12 April 215: Suleiman* and Bilqees; Scenes from the Day of Judgment

12 April 2015: Suleiman* and Bilqees and Scenes from the Day of Judgment

Lives of the Prophets: Suleiman* and Bilqees (part 1)

"He inspected the birds, and said: "What is the matter that I see not a hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? I will surely punish him with a severe torment, or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason."

But the hoopoe stayed not long, he came up and said: "I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Sheba with true news. I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds fair seeming to them, and has barred them from Allah's Way, so they have no guidance."

Al-La (this word has two interpretations) [As Satan has barred them from Allah's Way} so that they do not worship (prostrate before) Allah, or so that they may worship (prostrate before) Allah, Who brings light to what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. Allah, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!

(Suleiman) said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are one of the liars. Go with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what answer they return."

She said: "O chiefs! Verily! Here is a delivered to me a noble letter. Verily! It is from Suleiman and verily! It (reads): 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims (true believers who submit to Allah with full submission)."

She said: "O chiefs! Advise me in this case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me." They said: "We have great strength, and great ability for war, but it is for you to command; so think over what you will command." [TMQ 27:20-44]

Yemeni Dams

The people of Yemen (Sanaa) were quite renowned for their irrigation system due the scarcity of rain they made large dams with a clever method of channeling water all over their cities. The rain they would receive was usually seasonal and mentioned in the Qur’an (Mausum) – a word that we know in English as Monsoon!

The Hoopoe Brings Information to Suleiman

He set out to find the hoopoe bird, which could detect water under the ground. He sent signals all over the hoopoe to call on him, but it was nowhere to be found. In anger, he declared that unless the bird had a good reason for its absence, he would punish it severely. The hoopoe eventually came to Suleiman and explained the reason for its delay. "I have discovered something of which you are not aware. I have come from Sheba (Sab'a) with important news." Suleiman became curious, and his anger subsided. The bird continued: "Sab'a is ruled by a queen named Bilqees, who has plenty of everything, including a splendid throne. But in spite of all this wealth, Satan has entered her heart and the hearts of her people. She rules their minds completely. I was shocked to learn that they worship the sun instead of Allah the Almighty."

To check the hoopoe's information, Suleiman sent a letter to the queen with the bird. He instructed the bird to remain hidden and to watch everything.

* The group undertook an exercise to write a letter to the Queen from Suleiman*

The Queen of Sheba makes counsel

The hoopoe dropped the letter in front of the queen and flew away to hide. She excitedly opened and read it: "Verily! It is from Suleiman, and verily! It reads: 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, and Most Merciful; be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims (true believers who submit with full submission).'" ( TMQ 27:30-31).

The queen was very disturbed and hurriedly summoned her advisors. They reacted as to a challenge, for they felt that there was someone challenging them, hinting at war and defeat, and asking them to submit to his conditions. They told her that they could only offer advice, but it was her right to command action – as she was the Commander-in-Chief. She asked for their advice as she was a wise ruler but they said that if she wanted to go to war they were capable but the final decision was hers alone to command.

She sensed that they wanted to meet Suleiman's invasion threat with a battle. However, she told them: "Peace and friendship are better and wiser; war only brings humiliation, enslaves people and destroys the good things. I have decided to send gifts to Suleiman, selected from our most precious treasure. The courtiers who will deliver the gifts will also have an opportunity to learn about Suleiman and his military mighty."

Women Rulers

We then briefly talked about the hadith of the Prophet* about women rulers: "Narrated Abu Bakra: During the battle of Al-Jamal, Allah benefited me with a Word (I heard from the Prophet). When the Prophet heard the news that the people of the Persia had made the daughter of Khosrau their Queen (ruler), he said, "Never will succeed such a nation as makes a woman their ruler." [Bukhari]

This is not a prophesy about whether a nation will do well with a female ruler / leader but a statement that Allah does not permit (in Islam) for a woman to be a ruler (like Khalife) – as the issue was linked to ‘Success’ which equates to the Hereafter.

This does not mean that women are less intelligent than men, but it is a ruling that only Allah Knows the wisdom behind and it is best for both men and women. As for other positions than leadership like Judiciary, electing a Khaleefah, elect and be elected in Majlis al-Ummah (Ummah Council), and other such legitimate jobs that are not part of leadership, are permissible for her to carry out. Hence, women can become general judges and Hisba judges, This is permissible for both men and women.

Looking at the life of women during the time of the Prophet* women took part in life just like men, they carried intellectual and political struggle. The first martyr in Islam was Summayah, a woman, who carried the Dawah with the Prophet* Umm Umara and Umm Manee' were amongst the people who gave a pledge of support to the Prophet* in the second Aqabah pledge, with the men. Women treated the injured in the battlefield, they enjoined the good and forbade the evil, and they accounted the Khaleefah. Truly they were the twin-halves of men. All of this was according to the Shariah rule that regulated the life of men and women, and women were not a wasted effort, or house-ridden never leaving them.

And in the end, the best picture that portrays women in the Islamic life are given in the saying of Allah: "The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allah is greater. It is that which is the great attainment" (At-Tawba: 71-72)

The Day of Judgment

** Centre of the Universe video **

Here is the short video clip we saw: 
... we are not the centre of Universe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2d7czQbeOk

Size of the Universe

There are seven heavens. We are living in the lowest heaven, and this heaven, compared to the one above it, is like a ring in a desert. Every star that we see and every galaxy that is discovered are all within the lowest heaven. Allah says: “Verily! We have adorned the near heaven with the stars (for beauty).” (TMQ 37:6)

We are talking about light years of distance – the sun is about 8 minutes in light years. And the closest star is 4.25 light years. And each heaven is like a ring in a desert compared to the one above it. And the seventh heaven, compared to the al-Kursi of Allah is like a ring in a desert, and the Kursi compared to the Throne is like a ring in a desert.

Events of that Day:

The Wrapping of the Heavens

Allah will grab the earth with His Hand and then He will wrap the sky like a scroll – that is how easy it will be for Allah to sweep up this earth. Allah says, “Verily! We have adorned the near heaven with the stars (for beauty).” (TMQ 37:6) To Allah, it is just zeena (adornment). This vast creation, that we are struggling to understand, is just adornment to Allah, and on that Day, it will be wrapped in His Hand.

Allah says, “They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand….” (TMQ 39:67)

“And [remember] the Day when We shall roll up the heaven like a scroll rolled up for books. As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. [It is] a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it)” (TMQ 21: 1 04)

Spreading of the Earth

“On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens, and they (all creatures) will appear before Allah, the One, the Irresistible.” (TMQ 14:48)

lbn 'Abbaas said "Some things will be added to it and some will be taken away, and its hills, mountains, valleys and trees will disappear, and it will be spread out like an 'Ukaazi carpet.” The earth will change. It will not be in the same state. Some of the changes that will happen to the earth:

• It’s going to be spread. It won’t be a sphere any more (with gravity / mass). Muddat means that it is flattened and then spread. “And when the earth is stretched forth, And has cast out all that was in it and became empty.” (84:3-4) When the earth is spread, everything will be released on it; it doesn’t have its mass any more.
• The Prophet* says, “The people will be assembled on the day of judgment on a wide land that is Afraa (pale - not bright white, but pale white) and Naqi’ (used to describe the land in the hadith) is very fine, pure sand”.
• The Prophet* says in another hadith that the earth will be pressed and flattened out, nevertheless, the son of Adam will not have a position except the spot he is standing on. Allah will assemble the entire creation – the humans, the jinns, the animals and insects – it will be so crowded that you will only have the spot to stand which is covered by your feet. People will be crowded and pressing against each other on that difficult day.

What will happen to the mountains?

Allah also says, “And the earth and the mountains shall be removed from their places, and crushed with a single crushing.” (69:14) Allah also says, “And the mountains will be like carded wool,” (101:5) and “And when the mountains are blown away” (77:10)

“Then when the Trumpet will be blown with one blowing [the first one]. And the earth and the mountains shall be removed from their places, and crushed with a single crushing. Then on that Day shall the [Great] Event befall) (TMQ 69: 13-15)

“Nay! When the earth is ground to powder., (TMQ 89: 21)

“On the Day when the earth and the mountains will be in violent shake, and the mountains will be a heap of sand poured out.) (TMQ 73: 14)

And the mountains will be like flakes of wool.) (TMQ 70: 9)

And the mountains will be like carded wool) (TMQ 101: 5)

(And the mountains shall be moved away from their places and they will be as if they were a mirage) (TMQ 78: 20)

“And when the mountains are blown away.” (TMQ 77: 10)

“(And [remember] the Day We shall cause the mountains to pass away [like clouds of dust], and you will see the earth as a levelled plain .. ) (TMQ 18: 47)

“And they ask you concerning the mountains: say, 'My Lord will blast them and scatter them as particles of dust. Then He shall leave them as a level smooth plain. You will see therein nothing crooked or curved. ' (TMQ 20: 105-107)

The bursting forth and overflowing of the seas / Oceans

These seas which cover the greater part of our planet, in which such great numbers of creatures live and on the surface of which ships come and go, will on that Day burst forth. In modem times, we have learned of the great horror which is unleashed by the explosion of atoms which are smaller than water molecules, so how will it be then when the molecules of water in these vast oceans explode, when the seas tum to blazing fire? You can imagine how these huge seas will be when they become inflammable, how they will look with flames reaching up to the sky.

Allah says: “And when the seas are burst forth [got dried up) (TMQ 82: 3)

“And when the seas are become as blazing Fire or shall overflow) (TMQ 81: 6)

The mufassireen of the past thought that this referred to the sea overflowing and breaking its barriers, so that the fresh water would be mixed with the salt water, and it would become one body of water. 8 But what we have mentioned is more obvious and closer to the meaning, because the idea of exploding fits the idea of busting forth. And Allah knows best.

The shaking and splitting of the sky

Our beautiful blue sky, which lifts our spirits when we look at it, will be terribly shaken: “On the Day when the heaven will shake with a dreadful shaking. (TMQ 52: 9)

Then it will be rent asunder, “When the heaven is cleft asunder. (TMQ 82: 1)

“When the heaven is split asunder and listens and obeys its Lord, - and it must do so. (TMQ 84: 1-2)

At that time it will become weak and tom up, like a great palace, solidly built with string pillars, when it is shaken by an earthquake, so you see how, after being strong, it becomes broken, weak and cracked. “And the heaven will be rent asunder, for that Day it [the heaven] will be frail and tom up) (TMQ 69: 16)

The colour of this beautiful blue sky will also change. On that Day the sky will start to take on different colours, like dyes - red and yellow and green, and then blue, as Allah says: “Then when the heaven is rent asunder, and it becomes rosy or red like red oil, or red hide)(TMQ 55: 3 7)

It is narrated from lbn 'Ab baas that on that Day, the sky will be like a bay mare which is yellow in the spring and red in the winter; when it becomes very cold, its colour changes - meaning that it will be of several colours.

The heavens would be moving above your head, and you would see it cracking here and there. Holes will be popping out in the sky; it will crack. Eventually, what will happen is “And the heaven will split asunder, for that Day it (the heaven will be frail (weak), and torn up” (69:16). It will keep on cracking and falling apart until it is frail and weak. Waahiya means frail and weak. And it will start falling apart.

The rolling up of the sun, the eclipse of the moon and the falling of the stars

This sun which we see shining every day, that fills our world with light and gives us light and energy which we cannot do without in order to see and move, and which is needed by every living creature and every plant that grows, will be collected and rolled up, and its light will vanish, as Allah says: “When the sun kuwwirat [wound round and lost its light and is overthrown].) (TMQ 81: 1)

“So, when the sight shall be dazed, And the moon will be eclipsed) (TMQ 75: 7-8)

“When the stars have fallen and been scattered) (TMQ 82: 2)

“And when the stars shall fall” (TMQ 81: 2) - The words translated here as "fallen" and "scattered" come from roots which indicate "being poured out"

Allah will Assemble All

Allah will assemble everyone, whether this human was lost in the depths of the ocean or this human being was in the dungeons of the earth. Allah will bring them all together. Allah says: “[...] Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). Truly, Allah is Able to do all things.” (2:148) Wherever you may be – even in outer space – Allah will bring you together, because all of this universe belongs to Allah.

Allah says, “We bought them together, we did not leave any one of them.” Even the animals will be included. Allah says, “When the wild beasts are herded together.” (81:5)

Abu Hurayrah says, “On the Day of Judgment, Allah will assemble all of the creation: the beasts, the birds, even the insects; everything. And Allah will be Just on that day, because His Name is the Just (al ‘Adl). And of the justice of Allah, Allah will take revenge for the goat that did not have horns from the goat that did have horns.”

After every dispute is settled, then Allah will tell the beasts and animals to be turaab – dirt; and they would turn into dirt. And that is when the non-believer would say, “I wish that I was dirt.” Allah says in the Qur’an, “And the non-believer will say, ‘I wish that I am dirt.’” The non-believer will wish they never lived or existed. This non-believer who was so careful to save money and live in this money and enjoy himself; he will wish he were dirt.

What is the Condition the People will be Resurrected in?

The Prophet* says, “You will be resurrected barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.” Then The Prophet* recited the ayah, where Allah says, “[...]as We began the first creation, We shall repeat it, (it is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it.” (21:104) When ‘Aa`isha heard this, she was concerned that men and women are going to be in the same place, naked. Allah’s Apostle said, “The people will be gathered barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised.” I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Will the men and the women look at each other?” He said, “The situation will be too hard for them to pay attention to that.” [Bukhari]

Who is the first one whose grave will open?

Muhammad*, whose grave is in Medina, will be the first one whose grave will open up. The Prophet* says, “I am the leader of mankind on the day of judgement and I am the first one whose grave will open on the Day of Judgment.”

In another authentic hadith, a Muslim had a dispute with a Jew. The Jew said, “In the name of the One who revealed the tawrah on Musa” so this Muslim hit him and started praising Muhammad*. So the Jew came and complained to The Prophet*. The Prophet* said, “Do not prefer me over Musa, because I will be the first one to come out of his grave, but I will find that Musa is already holding onto the throne of Allah. So I do not know whether he was included in the ones who were dead in the first blow or not.”

What does this hadith mean – ‘do not say that I am better than Musa’? Obviously, The Prophet* did say in many ahaadith that he is the leader of mankind. We believe that The Prophet* is the greatest of all of the Prophets, but The Prophet* does not want us to say that when we are in a conversation with a non-believer because we are just putting down the Prophets just to make the non-believer upset. The Prophets of Allah belong to this Ummah, not to anybody else. Musa belongs to the Ummah of Islam. That’s why when The Prophet* went to Medina and saw the Jews fasting, he asked why they were fasting, and they said, “This is the day in which Allah has saved Musa from Firawn.” The Prophet* said, “Musa belongs to us more than he does to them, so we should fast this day.”

We should not go to the Jew and say, “Muhammad is better than your Prophet!” We should not go the Christian and say, “Muhammad is better than your Prophet!” We are putting the Messengers of Allah down; we need to show the respect we have for all Messengers, even though we believe Muhammad* is the one Allah chose out of all of his creation.

The Clothing Of Mankind On The Day Of Resurrection / Who Will be Dressed First?

We know that people are going to start out naked, but then Allah will dress them. The Prophet* says that the first one to be dressed on the day of judgement is Ibrahim [Abraham], the friend of Allah. The Prophet* said that he will be dressed in a dress from Jannah. Then The Prophet* says, “And then I will be dressed next with a dress from Jannah that no one would have similar to.” The Prophet* will be given the best dress, but the first to be dressed will be Ibrahim. And this is a blessing and uniqueness that Allah has given to Ibrahim.

The righteous will be clothed in noble garments, and the evildoers will be clothed in trousers of tar and a shield of scabs, and other awful garments. The first one among the slaves of Allah to be clothed will be the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), the Close Friend of the Most Merciful (Khaleel ar-Rahman). In Bukhari it is narrated that the Prophet* said: "The first of creation to be clothed on the Day of Resurrection will be Ibrahim al-Khaleel. "  'The first one to be clothed on the Day of Resurrection will be Ibrahim, who will be clothed in a garment from Paradise. A chair will be brought and placed to the right of the Throne, then I will be brought and clothed in a garment from Paradise, the like of which has never been seen."

Adhan in the Wilderness

The Prophet* said to a Bedouin, by the name of Abdur Rahman ibn Sa’Sa’, “I see that you love sheep and goats and the Bedouin life. If you are in the wilderness and it is time for salah, then raise your voice in adhan because whatever hears you – whether jinns or humans or anything – will witness for you on the day of judgment.” The mountains, rocks, animals, human beings and jinns will witness for you on the day of judgment. You are in harmony with creation; everything is Muslim except for the corrupt jinn and the corrupt Muslim.

Jannah Tips #1 - Garauntee Paradise: How to Erase 2500 Sins in 5 minutes per day

Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allah* said: ‘There are two qualities, no Muslim man acquires them but he will enter Paradise, and they are simple and easy:
- He should glorify Allah (say Subhaan Allah) ten times immediately after each prayer, and
- praise Him (say Al-hamdu Lillaah) ten times and 
- magnify Him (say Allaahu Akbar) ten times.’

I saw the Messenger of Allah* counting this on his fingers. He said: ‘That makes one hundred and fifty on the tongue and one thousand five hundred (hasanaat) in the scales.

- Glorifying Allah 100 times when one goes to bed

When you go to bed, glorify Him and praise Him and magnify Him One hundred times: that will be one hundred on the tongue and a thousand in the scales.

Who among you does 2,500 bad deeds in one day?’ They said:‘How could we not count (our sins)?’
He said: ‘The Shaytaan comes to any one of you whilst he is praying and says, Remember this, remember that, until he finishes his prayer and does not do (this dhikr), or he comes to him when he is lying down and makes him sleepy, until he falls asleep (without doing this dhikr).’” (Tirmidhi).

8 June 2014 Musa (2) birth and Fiqh of Ramadhan (1)

8 June 2014

Prophet Musa (2) - his birth and Fiqh of Ramadhan (1)



Thank you all for coming. Please find today’s Study Circle summary.
Lively discussions and participation from all and some great feedback from the kids on:
- Fairy Tales,
- Puzzles about Allah’s existence and
- Hope in Allah.

Please bear in mind this is just a summary with more detail dealt with during the Circle.

InshaAllah, next week’s Study Circle will again be at our house to continue the story of Musa ending up in the Pharaoh’s Palace.

Prophet Musa (2): Birth

Birth: Musa was born in a time when his people (Bani Israel – children of Yaqub) were enslaved by the tyrant Pharaoh. They had arrived during Yusuf’s time but became slaves over the years. Pharaoh thought he was a god (amongst many other Egyptian gods) and that he owned the River Nile. This was a unipolar world.

Pharaoh had a dream that he would lose his kingdom to someone from the children of Israel so he started killing newborn males as he perceived it as an existential threat to his authority. His spies kept an eye on all the people and he ruled by Divide and Conquer.
Musa’s mother received WAHY (inspiration) from Allah: “Suckle him and then when you fear for him cast him into the sea. Do not fear or grieve; We will return him to you and make him one of the Messengers." (Surat al-Qasas: 7) and her test was to throw him into the river to save him – and this was a dangerous and big river!....



Main Topic: Basics about Ramadhan

The Obligation of Fasting: "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you…", (2:183)

The Reward for Fasting: The only one who knows about the reward is Allah (swt). "Every act taken by the son of Adam is done for him except fasting, it is for me and I make the reward", (Bukhari)

Fasting stops the Muslim from Sinning: "Fasting is a shield. Thus while fasting you must not use foul language or act like those of ignorance (screaming, attacking others, etc), or speak loudly". (Bukhari)

The smell of the Fasting persons mouth: "By the one who has my soul in his hands, the smell of the mouth of the fasting person is better for Allah than the smell of musk". [Bukhari]

Special Gate in Al-Jannah for those who Fast: " There is a gate in Al-Jannah called Ar-Rayyan which those who fast enter from on the day of judgment. And no one else enters from it. Once they enter from it, it is closed, and nobody else enters from it." (Bukhari)

Due to Fasting Previous Sins Are Forgiven: "Whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan purely because of his faith and sincerity all of his/her previous sins will be forgiven." "Whosoever does not saying and acting upon falsehood, Allah is in no need for him/her to abandon his/her food " (Bukhari).

The Intention is A Requirement for Fasting: The person who wants to fast must have the pure intention for doing that action only to please Allah (swt). The intention need not be said by the tongue, for the intention is act of the heart. Moreover, the intention must be settled in the heart before Fajr.

There Is Blessing in suhur: "have Suhur, for in suhur there is blessing. " (Muslim)

The Best Things To Keep Us Busy In Ramadan: The fasting Muslim should not curse, use foul language, harm people , talk nonsense, etc. Thus, the best the fasting person should keep him/herself busy with is the remembrance of Allah (Dhikr), attend sessions of knowledge, read Quran, and spend in the path of Allah, etc.

If Someone Eats Or Drinks, Forgetfully, Then he/she Completes The Day Of Fasting: "If he forgets and eats and drinks, then he should complete his fast. It was Allah who fed him and gave him the drink." (Bukhari).

If deliberately broken the fast, Muslim needs to:
- Free a slave
- fast two months consecutively
- feed sixty poor people

Permission To Break Fast In Travelling and Sickness: Allah (swt) permitted us to break fast in travelling and in sickness on the condition that we make it up later on. "And for those who are sick or travelling, then (the prescribed period should be made up) other days."
It is only the sickness, that fasting will delay its recovery or worsen it, that permits the person to break the fast. But, the one that is not affected by the fast is not a legitimate excuse. Travel depends upon the distance travelled – often taken as 48 miles.

The Elderly and the Incurable sick: do not have to make up the days that they have missed, for they are unable to do so but have to feed one poor person as (Bukhari)

The fasting of Children and Teaching Them Manners: Only those who are above the age of puberty and sane are addressed by Shari’ah. "Order your children to pray when they are seven years of age, beat them for it when they are ten years of age, and separate them in their beds".(Abu Daud). Also Bukhari narrates "We used to make our children fast and make their toys out of wool. If any of them cried because of hunger, we would give them toy till the time to breakfast". There is no sin if the children break the fast for them or the parents.

What is recommended for the Saa’im to break his fast with: Recommended to make Iftar with Rutub (fresh, moist, ripe dates), if not then Tamr (dry dates); else to take mouthfuls of water then eat what they wish.

Time to break fast: Is at Maghrib when the adhaan happens and not to wait until after prayer or to delay.

Salatul-Taraweh: Abu Huraira said, "I heard the messenger of Allah (saw) say, "The one who does qiam in Ramadan with faith and sincerity, all his/her sins will be forgiven".

May Allah azza wajaal accept our Siyaam, Salah, Nawafil, Taraweeh, Adhkar, Sadakat, and all efforts by helping others inshaAllah

22 April, 2012

Hudaibiyah Treaty broken, Hadith 42 Allah's Mercy

* SURVEY ~ Future Circles for Harborne Islamic Study Circle *
Topics that the children (and adults) wanted covering in future Study Circles included Fiqh Topics, General Topics and Teenager Issues.
Please vote for which things you would like to discuss during the Circle.
Rank them according to which topic you would like to really do to the one you are least interested in.
Vote for as many or as few as you like....
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Thank You.
Naveed

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

Banu Bakr and Quraish break the Treaty of Hudaibiyah
In the jays of Jahilliyah, some men from the tribe of Khuza’ah killed men from the tribe of Banu Bakr. The latter tribe sought revenge and the tit-for-tat cycle started.  According to the terms of the treaty of Hudaibiyah, the Arab tribes were given the option to join either of the parties, the Muslims or Quraish, with which they desired to enter into treaty alliance. Should any of these tribes suffer aggression, then the party to which it was allied would have the right to retaliate. As a consequence, Banu Bakr joined Quraish, and Khuza’ah joined the Prophet*. Khuza’ah were allies of Abu Talib and were already favouring the Prophet*, although not many of them were Muslims. They thus lived in peace for sometime but ulterior motives stretching back to pre-Islamic period ignited by unabated fire of revenge triggered fresh hostilities. Banu Bakr, without caring a bit for the provisions of the treaty, attacked Banu Khuza’ah in a place called Al-Watir in Sha'ban, 8 A.H. Quraish helped Banu Bakr with men and arms taking advantage of the dark night. Pressed by their enemies, the tribesmen of Khuza’ah sought the Holy Sanctuary, but here too, their lives were not spared, and, contrary to all accepted traditions, Nawfal, the chief of Banu Bakr, chasing them in the sanctified area - where no blood should be shed - massacred his adversaries.

The Bani Ka'b of Khuza’ah immediately sent a deputation to Medina to inform the Prophet* of what had happened and to ask for his help. When the aggrieved party sought justice from their Muslim allies, the Prophet*, as their leader, demanded an immediate redress for not only violating the treaty but also slaying men allied to him in the sanctified area. Three demands were made, the acceptance of any one of them was imperative:
a) to pay blood money for the victims of Khuza’ah,
b) to terminate their alliance with Banu Bakr; or
c) to consider the truce to have been nullified.

The Prophet reassures the Khuza’ah
This behaviour on the part of Quraish was clearly a breach of the treaty of Al-Hudaibiyah and was obviously an act of hostility against the allies of the Muslims, i.e. Banu Khuza’ah.
The Prophet* told them they could rely on him, and sent them back to their territory. He did not refer to and Security Council or Committee but gave an unequivocal response that most modern Muslim leaders wouldn’t even dream of! When they had gone, he went to A'ishah, who could see from his face that he was in great anger. He asked for some water to perform his ablution, and she heard him say as he poured it over himself: "May I not be helped if I help not the sons of Ka'b." On the morning of the third day Amr bin Salim Al-Khuza'i arrived in the company of forty horsemen to brief the Prophet* on the plight of his people and seeking the Muslims' help for retaliation. People of Medina then got to know that Quraish had breached the covenant.

Abu Sufyan humiliates himself in Medina
Quraish immediately realized the grave situation and feared the horrible consequences looming on the horizon. They immediately called for an emergency meeting and decided to delegate their chief Abu Sufyan to Medina for a renewal of the truce. On his way, he met the men of Khuza’ah returning home and he feared he was too late as he knew they had been to Medina by crushing the camel dung to find ground date feed – that only camels in Medina get. His fears were increased by the inscrutable demeanour of the Prophet. "O Muhammad," he said, "I was' absent at the time of the truce of Hudaibiyah, so let us now strengthen the pact and prolong its duration." The Prophet* parried his request with the query: "Has anything happened to break it on your side?" "God forbid!" said Abu Sufyan uneasily. "We likewise," said the Prophet, "are keeping to the truce for the period agreed upon at Hudaibiyah. We will not modify it, neither will we accept another in its place." He was clearly not prepared to say more, so Abu Sufyan went to see his daughter, Umm Habibah, hoping she might agree to intervene on his behalf. They had not met for fifteen years. The best place to sit was the Prophet's rug, but as he was about to take his seat she hastily folded it up from beneath him. "Little daughter," he said, "Do you think this rug too good for me, or am I too good for it?" "It is the Prophet's rug," she said, "and you are an idolater, a man unpurified and unclean." Then she added: "My father, thou art lord of Quraish and their chief. How is it that thou hast failed to enter Islam, and that you worship stones which neither hear nor see?" "Wonder of wonders," he said, "am I to forsake what my fathers worshipped to follow the religion of Muhammad? Evil has befallen you!"
 
Abu Sufyan tries the Companions
And, feeling that no help was to be expected from her, he went to Abu Bakr and others of the Companions to ask them to intercede on his behalf for a renewal of the pact, for he was now sure, although the Prophet* had not said so, that he considered the pact to have been abrogated by the recent fighting. But it would serve the same purpose as a renewal of the pact, that is, it would prevent bloodshed, if some man of influence would grant a general protection between man and man. Abu Sufyan suggested this alternative to Abu Bakr but he merely answered: "I grant protection only within the scope of protection granted by the Messenger of God."
Umer’s reply was that if he only had an army of ants he would wage war on Abu Sufyan! Finally Abu Sufyan went to the house of Ali, making much of their kinship, for they were both great-grandsons of the two brothers Hashim and Abdu Shams. But Ali said: "Alas for thee, Abu Sufyan! The Messenger of God hath resolved not to grant thy request; and none can speak to him in favour of a thing when he is averse to it." For the Companions knew well that the Revelation had said to the Prophet: Consult them about affairs; and when thou art resolved, then trust in God;' and they had come to know by experience that when the Prophet* had reached the degree of resolution he had clearly reached on this occasion it was useless to seek to deter him
 Abu Sufyan now turned to Fatimah, who was present, with Hasan sitting on the floor in front of her. "O daughter of Muhammad," he said, "bid your little son grant protection between man and man, that he may become forever the lord of the Arabs." But Fatimah replied that boys do not grant protection, and Abu Sufyan turned again to Ali in desperation and begged him to suggest some course of action. "I see nothing for it", said Ali, "but that thou thyself shouldst rise and grant protection between man and man. Thou art lord of Kinanah." "Will that help me?" said Abu Sufyan. "By God, I think not so," said Ali, "but I find nothing else for you to do." So Abu Sufyan went to the Mosque and said in a loud voice: "Behold, I grant protection between man and man, and I do not think that Muhammad will fail to uphold me." Then he went to the Prophet* and said: "O Muhammad, I do not think thou wilt disavow my protection." But the Prophet* merely answered: "That is what thou thinkest, O Abu Sufyan;"
Abu Sufyan turned his steps back to Mecca in a state of bitter disappointment and utter horror. There he submitted a report of his meeting with his daughter, Abu Bakr, 'Umer and Ali's reaction and the meaningful silence of the Prophet. The Meccans were dismayed and said that Ali had made a fool of him, but did not expect imminent danger.

Hadith 42 (of Nawawi's Forty Hadith)
Hadith 42: Allah's Mercy

From Anas who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah*, say: "Allah the Almighty has said: 'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me, and hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds in the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I shall forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with an earthful of sins and were you then to face Me, without having associated anything with Me, I shall grant you an earthful of pardon.'" [Al-Tirmidhi] 

There are three means or ways which enable a Muslim to be forgiven by Allah.

1. The first one is al-du'a which means to supplicate Allah.
Allah says in Surah Ghafir Ayah 60: And your Lord said: Call upon me, I will respond to you. The Prophet* said: "Supplication is the essence of worship" [Al-Tirmidhi]. The Prophet* also said: "Supplicate to Allah as if you are certain about His response." Supplication is guaranteed that Allah will attend to or respond to it when certain conditions are fulfilled. At the same time there are other things that a Muslim should avoid doing in order for his supplication to be answered. The conditions of supplication have been discussed in previous hadiths. The most important thing is the full concentration and attention of the heart and to have full hope that Allah will respond to that du'a and not to rush it. Muslims have to practice supplication frequently because it is a continuous process. Among the things that a Muslim asks Allah in his supplication are to forgive his sins, to be saved from the Hell-Fire and to be among those who enter Paradise. Muslims have to make du'a with full hope that there is a response. Allah says in a Hadith Qudsi: "I am as My servant expects of Me." [Muslim]. The Prophet* says in another hadith: "No Muslim who supplicates a supplication, that does not contain any sin or cutting of relations, Allah will grant him one of three things: either Allah will immediately respond to his supplication, or He may keep or store the answer for the Hereafter, or He will turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil or harm." The Companions asked what if they keep requesting Allah. The Prophet* replied: "Then Allah shall give you even both." [Imam Ahmad]. Supplication is the one-on-one quality time people have with their Creator – don’t rush it!

2. The second means that leads us to receive Allah's forgiveness is istighfar (seeking forgiveness) 
Even if someone has committed many sins. What is meant by seeking forgiveness is the istighfar that is linked to repentance which in turn also necessitates that the Muslim gives up committing sins and does not persist on doing them. Istighfar is a form of worship. The Muslim has to do and perform a lot of istighfar every day. Allah commanded us to make istighfar and praised those who perform istighfar. Allah says in Surah al-Zumar Ayah 53: O My servants, who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. There are many forms of istighfar. There is what the Prophet* taught his Companions to say. It is also narrated that the Prophet* used to seek forgiveness from Allah more than seventy times a day, and in some narration more than one hundred times a day. Consequently, Muslims are recommended and required to do istighfar and seek the forgiveness of Allah at least one hundred times a day. The best statement of forgiveness is the statement that is narrated by the Prophet* when he said: "O Allah: You are my Lord. There is no God but You. You created me and I am Your servant. I am following Your covenant and promise to the best of my ability. I seek refuge in You from the evils that I have done. I profess to You Your bounties upon me and I confess my sins. Forgive me for no one forgives sins except You." The Prophet* says: "Whoever says this statement with certainty concerning it in the daytime and dies that day before the evening, he is one of the inhabitants of Paradise; and whoever says this statement with certainty concerning it during the night and dies that night before the morning, he is one of the inhabitants of Paradise." [Al-Bukhari]
As for His statement: "O Son of Aadam, as long as you invoke Me and ask of Me" then this is in agreement with His statement: "I [treat My Slave] in accordance to what he supposes of Me, so let him deem of Me whatever he wishes". And it has been narrated that when a Slave commits a sin and then feels remorse, and says "O My Lord! I have committed a sin, so forgive me, for surely none can forgive sins except you!"; so Allah says "My slave knows that he has a Lord, Who forgives sins and [also] punishes for them. So I testify to you that I have forgiven him". Then [the slave] does the same a second time, and a third, and so Allah replies the same way each time. Then after that He says: "Do as you please, for I have forgiven you!", meaning when he commits a sin and then repents for it.

Know, that for the acceptance of Repentance there are three conditions:
- cessation from the sin,
- remorse for what has preceeded,
- and firm resolve not to return to performing the sin.
And if the sin involved taking the right of another person, then he must hasten to return his right and absolve himself from this transgression. And if the sin was between him and Allah , and a kaffaarah (expiation) is required for this sin, then it is also necessary that he fulfills this kaffaarah, and thus this becomes the fourth condition [for the acceptance of repentance]. And so, even if a person were to commit a sin many times in a single day, and then repent each time with its conditions, Allah would still forgive him. Istighfar is recommended to be practiced by true and close servants of Allah and every Muslim. They are recommended to do so in the morning, preferably after the Fajr prayers, and in the evening until the sunset. This should be part of the supplications that they perform day and night. Allah says in Surah al-Nisa' Ayah 110: And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's Forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

3. The third cause or means of seeking Allah's forgiveness is Tawhid.  
Tawhid means that a Muslim should worship Allah alone. Allah should be worshiped without associating or ascribing any partners with Him. Allah says in Surah al-Nisa' Ayah 116: Verily! Allah forgives not the setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah has indeed strayed far away. Tawhid, as the scholars say, melts away sins. Through fulfilling all the obligations of Tawhid, Muslims are going to be forgiven and rewarded. In a previous hadith in this collection of Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadith, we discussed the importance of the realisation of of the idea of Tawhid where Muslims have to love, fear, and glorify Allah the most. By Tawhid, Muslims seek refuge only in Allah and ask support and help from only Him. All of these great actions of Tawhid, which means that the heart becomes fully devoted to Allah, enable the Muslims to be true believers and Muwahideen. Only then Muslims will become enlightened, inspired, and their iman or faith will be strengthened and their sins will be forgiven. By realising the idea of Tawhid, the Muslim also minimises the chances of committing sins because his heart is fully devoted to Allah. Tawhid is the greatest essence of the Message of every Prophet. All the Prophets, peace be upon them, were sent with the Message of Tawhid - that is Allah is the only One Who deserves to be worshipped and to be totally obeyed. Unfortunately, many Muslims today do not observe the realisation of Tawhid. Many Muslims violate Tawhid, for example, there are some groups of Muslims that supplicate and slaughter for dead Muslims. By doing these acts of shirk (associating someone with Allah), they are violating the most important messages of Islam and that is the realisation of Tawhid. If we want to be good Muslims to Allah, we should follow the way that awliya' Allah (closer servants of Allah) followed. We should follow their ways and practices as mentioned in Hadith 38. They had good morals, they loved Allah, feared Him, had total belief or faith in Allah and his Messengers, and they were obedient to Allah and followed His instructions - this included performing good deeds. This obedience was based on fear of Allah, repenting to Allah and submission to His will. Moreover, they were characterised with devotion, honesty, and sincerity.

The realisation of Tawhid is very important for all Muslims. This is the last portion of the hadith. Moreover, it is the last hadith in Imam Nawawi's collection. This is very significant for us as Muslims since this last portion summarises the most important thing in Islam and that is Tawhid. It is a message from Allah to all Muslims to make sure that their Tawhid is sincere and pure. It is important to realise that they should not ascribe any partners with Allah. By doing so, they are assured that they will receive the forgiveness of Allah even if they have committed other sins. To realise Tawhid Muslims should fulfill all obligations towards Allah by fully submitting to His will, worshiping Him, obeying Him and following His guidance and revelation.

Virtues of Relating 40 (or more) Hadith

Taken From the Introduction to the Collection of Forty Hadith by Imâm an-Nawawî (d. 676 AH / 1299 CE)

All Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, the [One Who] Sustains the Heavens and Earths, Director of all that is created, who sent the Messengers (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon all of them) to rational beings, to guide them and explain the religious laws to them with clear proofs and undeniable arguments. I praise Him for all of His bounties. I ask Him to increase His grace and generosity. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah alone, who has no partner, the One, Who Subdues, the Generous, the Forgiving. I bear witness that our leader Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, His beloved and dear one, the best of all creation. He was honoured with the Glorious Qur'aan that has been an enduring miracle throughout the years. He was also sent with his guiding Sunnah that shows the way for those who seek guidance. Our leader Muhammad has been particularized with the characteristic of eloquent and pithy speech, and simplicity and ease in the religion. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the other Prophets and Messengers, all of their families and the rest of the righteous.

To proceed : We have narrated, through many chains (isnaad, pl. asaaneed) and various narrations, from Ali ibn Abee Taalib, Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood, Mu'aadh ibn Jabal, Abu ad-Dardaa, [Abdullaah] ibn 'Umar, [Abdullaah] ibn 'Abbaas, Anas ibn Maalik, Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree - May Allah be pleased with all of them - that the Messenger of Allah* said : "Whoever preserves for my Ummah forty hadith related to the religion, Allah will then resurrect him in the company of the pious and the scholars." Another narration states : "Allah will raise him as an erudite and learned scholar". In the narration from Abu ad-Dardaa, it is stated : "On the Day of Resurrection, I will be an intercessor and witness for him". In the narration from Ibn Mas'ood it is stated that the Prophet* said : "It will be said to him 'Enter Paradise through any door you wish'".

The scholars (may Allah be pleased with them) have compiled innumerable works of this nature [ie. collections of forty hadith]. The first one that I know of who compiled such a work was Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak [a taabi'ee, rahimahu Allah]. After him came ibn Aslam at-Toosee, a pious scholar. Then came al-Hasan ibn Sufyaan an-Nasaa'ee, Abu Bakr al-Aajurree, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Asfahaanee, ad-Daaraqutnee, al-Haakim, Abu Nu'aim, Abu Abd-ir-Rahmaan as-Sulamee, Abu Sa'eed al-Maleenee, Abu 'Uthmaan as-Saaboonee, Abdullaah ibn Muhammad al-Ansaaree, Abu Bakr al-Baihaqee and countless others both from the earlier and later times. I have turned to Allah for guidance and prayed to Him while compiling these forty hadith, following the example of those Imaams and guardians of Islam. The scholars have agreed that it is permissible to act in accordance with weak hadith that deal with the virtues of good deeds [ie not weak hadith that deal with rulings - ahkaam - or acts of worship]. Nonetheless, given that fact, I have not simply relied upon that [weak] hadith [mentioned above], in compiling this work. Instead, I am following the statement of the Prophet* found in an authentic hadith : "Let him who was present among you inform those who are absent". The Prophet* also said : "May Allah make radiant the man who has heard what I said, preserved it in his memory and conveyed it in the way that he heard it".

Scholars have compiled forty hadith on faith and belief (usool), on practical matters (furoo'), on jihaad, on austerity (zuhd), on etiquette (adaab), and even on sermons (khutbahs). All of these [collections] were concerning righteous aims. May Allah be pleased with those who sought them. However I have found it best to collect together forty hadith which are more important than all of those. These forty hadith incorporate all of those separate topics. In fact, each hadith is by itself a great general precept from the foundations of the Religion. Some scholars state that all of Islam revolves around these hadith. Some have said, about a particular hadith, that they are one-half of Islam, one-third of Islam and so forth.

I have committed myself to including only authentic hadith (saheeh or hasan) in these forty hadith. The majority of them are from Saheeh al-Bukhaaree or Saheeh Muslim. I have mentioned them without their chain of narrators in order for it to be easier to memorize them and thus more [people] will be able to benefit from them, Allah willing. After the hadith, I included a section on the meanings of the obscure expressions found in the hadith. Everyone who desires and looks forward to the Hereafter must be familiar with these hadith because they cover the most important aspects of the religion and offer direction to all forms of obedience of Allah. This is clear to anyone who ponders these hadith. I rely only upon Allah and I entrust my affair only to Him. To Him is all Praise and Grace, from Him is Guidance and protection from error.

Children's feedback:
Hadith 7: the Prophet* said: "Religion is sincerity". We said: "To whom?" He said: "To Allah and His Book, and His messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk"

Hadith 23: The Messenger of Allah*, said: "Purification is half of iman (faith). Saying 'Al-Hamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah) fills the scales. Saying 'Subhanallah wa al-Hamdulillahi' (Exhalted be Allah and Praise be to Allah) fills the space between the heavens and the earth. Salah (prayer) is a light. Sadaqah (charity) is a proof. Sabr (patience) is a shining glory. The Qur'an is an argument either for you or against you. Everybody goes out in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves."

News Topic:

Decline of seagulls around the British Coast

30 January 2011

30 January 2011

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the Peace, Blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him

TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Kaab Bin Al-Ashraf

Kaab bin Al-Ashraf was one of the most resentful Jews in Medina at Islam and the Muslims, and the keenest on inflicting harm on the Messenger of Allah* and the most zealous advocate of waging war against him and the Muslims. He belonged to Tai’ tribe but his mother to Banu Nadir. He was a wealthy man known for his handsomeness, and a poet living in luxury in his fort south east of Medina at the rear of Banu Nadir’s habitations, not far from the outskirts of Medina. Among the Arabs he was a gifted poet was like a multitude of men, for his verses were repeated from mouth to mouth. On hearing the news of Badr, he got terribly exasperated and swore that he would prefer death to life if the news was true. When this was confirmed he wrote poems satirising Muhammad*, eulogizing Quraish and enticing them against the Prophet*. He then rode to Mecca where he started to trigger the fire of war, and kindle rancour against the Muslims in Medina. When Abu Sufyan asked him which religion he was more inclined to, the religion of the Meccans or that of Muhammad* and his companions, he replied that the pagans were better guided. With respect to this situation, Allah revealed His Words: “Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in Jibt and Taghut, and say to the disbelievers that they are better guided as regards the way than the believers (Muslims).” [4:51]

Poetry was the main media of the day (no TV, radio or newspapers!). He then returned to Medina to start a fresh campaign of slanderous propaganda that took the form of obscene songs and verses with a view to defaming the Muslim women – often by name. At this stage, the situation became unbearable and could no longer be put up with. The Prophet prayed: "O Lord, deliver me from the son of al-Ashraf howsoever Thou wilt, for the evil he declares and the poems he declaims." The Prophet* gathered his men and said to those who were present: "Who is for me against the son of al-Ashraf, for he hath done me great injury?" “Who will kill Kaab bin Al-Ashraf? He had maligned Allah, and His Messenger.” The first to volunteer was a man of Aws, Muhammad ibn Maslamah, of the clan of Saad ibn Mu'adh, The Prophet told him to consult Saad, and four more volunteers were found (Abbad bin Bishr, Al-Harith bin Aws, Abu ‘Abs bin Hibr and Salkan bin Salamah, Kaab’s foster brother, volunteered to do the job). But they realised that nothing could be achieved without deception and lies, and they knew that lying was abhorrent to the Prophet; so they went to him and told him what was in their minds. He said that they were free to say whatever would serve their purpose, for deception was legitimate in warfare, being a part of its strategy, and Kaab had declared war on them. Muhammad bin Maslamah said: “O Messenger of Allah, do you wish that I should kill him?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Permit me to talk (to him in the way I deem fit).” He said: “Talk (as you like).”

So, Muhammad bin Maslamah came to Kaab and talked to him, saying: “This man (i.e. the Prophet*) has made up his mind to collect charity (from us) and this has put us to a great hardship.” When he heard this, Kaab said: “By Allah you will be put to more trouble by him.” Muhammad bin Maslamah answered: “No doubt, now we have become his followers and we do not like to forsake him until we see what turn his affairs will take. I want that you should give me a loan.” He said: “What will you mortgage (give in security)?” Muhammad answered: “What do you want?” Kaab demanded women and children as articles of security against the debt. Muhammad said: “Should we pledge our women whereas you are the most handsome of the Arabs; and the son of one of us may be abused by saying that he was pledged for two wasq (measurement unit of weight) of dates but we can pledge you (our) weapons.” Kaab agreed.

Salkan bin Salamah, Abu Na’ilah, at another time, went to see Kaab for the same purpose and there were more or less the same subjects, only that Abu Na’ilah would bring him some companions. The plan was successful and provided for the presence of both men and weapons.

On Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 14th, at night, the year 3 A.H. the people said good bye to the Prophet* and set out in the Name of Allah to implement the carefully drawn plan. The Prophet* stayed back praying for them and supplicating Allah to render them success. The men went and called upon him at night. He came down although his wife warned him not to meet them alleging that: “I hear a voice which sounds like the voice of murder.” He said: “It is only Muhammad bin Maslamah and my foster brother Abu Na’ilah. When a gentleman is called at night even if he be pierced with a spear, he should respond to the call.” Abu Na’ilah said to his companions: “As he comes down, I will extend my hand towards his head to smell and when I hold him fast, you should do your job.” So when he came down, they talked together for about an hour. They then invited him to go out and spend a nice time in the moonlight. On the way out, Abu Na’ilah remarked: “I smell the nicest perfume from you.” Kaab said: “Yes, I have with me a mistress who is the most scented of the women of Arabia.” Abu Na’ilah again said: “Allow me to smell (the scent on your head)”. He said: “Yes, you may smell.” So he caught it and smelt. Then he said: “Allow me to do so (once again).” He then held his head fast and said to his companions: “Do your job.” And they killed him. The group of men came back after fulfilling their mission. One of them Al-Harith bin Aws was wounded by mistake with the swords of his men, and was bleeding badly. When they reached Baqi Al-Gharqad, they shouted, “Allah is Great”. The Prophet* heard them and realized that they had killed the enemy of Allah. As they saw him, he said: “Cheerful faces are yours.” In reply, they said: “And yours, O Messenger of Allah.” They handed the head of the tyrant over to him. He entertained Allah’s praise for their success. He then applied his saliva to Al-Harith’s wound and it healed on the spot.

When the Jews of Medina learned about the death of their tyrant, Kaab bin Al-Ashraf, they were scared and even their stonelike hearts were in the grip of inexpressible panic. They realised that the Messenger of Allah* would thenceforth never hesitate to use force when good words and admonition failed. The Prophet knew well that most of them were as hostile to Islam as Kaab had been, and with great disappointment he had come to accept this. But it was vital to show them that if hostile thoughts were tolerable, hostile action was not. "If he had remained as others of like opinion remain," he said, "he would not have been killed by guile. But he did us injury and wrote poetry against us; and none of you shall do this but he shall be put to the sword."! He then invited them to make a special treaty with him in addition to the covenant, and this they did.
The Prophet* would only ask his companions to undertake these special operations in very specific instances, which included the defamation of the Messenger and Islam (not a constructive dialogue or discussion but outright lies and slander) and if a charismatic leader was preparing an army to fight the The Prophet* and the Muslims, an operation like this would prevent much needless bloodshed.

Hadith:

On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junaada, and Abu Abdur-Rahman Mu'adh bin Jabal that the Messenger of Allah* said: Have Taqwa (Fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people. [at-Tirmidhi]

Taqwa

Taqwa is one of the most important and comprehensive Islamic concepts. The term is derived from its root "waqayya" which means “to protect.” Taqwa therefore means to protect one own self from the severe punishment of Allah by following His guidance. Some translate Taqwa as “to fear Allah” or to have “God Consciousness”. However, fearing Allah is only one aspect of this comprehensive concept. Ali ibn Abi Talib defines it as: “Fearing Allah, adhering to His commandments, being content with what He provides one with, and getting ready for the Day of Judgement.”

Mohammad Asad translates it as “to be conscious of Allah.” The term has been mentioned many times both in Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah the Almighty says: "O believers! Have Taqwa of Allah as is His right to have Taqwa. And die not except while you are Muslims" [3:102]

By realisation of Taqwa a Muslim is granted many bounties and blessings which he/she may gain. Among them are: the Love of Allah, a criterion by which to judge and distinguish between right and wrong, a way out of difficulties, matters will be made easier for him/her, sins will be remitted, guidance, help to acquire beneficial knowledge, prosperity and success.

This hadith contains comprehensive instruction concerning the rights of Allah and rights of people. The first of these is an admonition to fear Allah at every time and place, whether among others or alone; more specifically, to fear the displeasure and anger of Allah and to fear His punishment. The general meanings embodied in the verb "ittaqa" are protection and prevention, caution and avoidance; thus, the believer is advised to prevent and protect himself from the consequence of unlawful deeds by avoiding them altogether. It is accomplished by obeying Allah conscientiously and constantly, remembering that He sees everything one does and is aware of his innermost secrets. Taqwa in itself is commanded repeatedly by Allah in the Qur'an and is therefore a primary obligation upon every Muslim.

The righteous caliph, 'Umar bin 'Abdul-'Azeez, said, "Taqwa is not fasting by day, praying by night and other such things, but taqwa is refraining from what Allah has prohibited and doing what Allah has commanded. And whoever has been provided with good beyond that - it is additional good." And he wrote to someone, saying, "I recommend to you the fear [taqwa] of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, who accepts only that, has mercy upon its people, and rewards for it; for those who advise it are many, and those who practice it are few. May Allah make us and you among those who have taqwa."

Many scholars say that Taqwa is to fulfil obligations and avoid prohibitions and doubtful matters. It is the advice of Allah to all humankind, and it is the advice of all prophets to their people. The Prophet* used to advise and continuously remind his Companions about Taqwa in all his talks and on different occasions. Those who define Taqwa as “fearing Allah” look at the concept as a motive, because according to early scholars the minimum level of fearing Allah is what motivates a Muslim to fulfil obligations and keeps him/her away from prohibitions.

Doing Good

Taqwa does not imply perfection. Those who have Taqwa are subject to commit sins. However, if they do so, they repent right away and follow up the bad deed they have done with a good deed to wipe the bad one out as mentioned in this hadith. This clarifies the debatable issue between some scholars: whether or not avoiding minor sins is considered an aspect of Taqwa. Allah the Almighty and all Merciful has left the door of forgiveness opened to many means by which the punishment for a sin might be removed. Since every servant of Allah is ordered to have taqwa both openly and privately in spite of the fact that he is bound to commit sins, the Prophet* directed the believer how to eliminate his misdeeds by following them with good ones, primarily, repentance as soon as one realises his error and apology to Allah. Hence, taking account of the self continuously is also prescribed so that one may rectify his condition before it is permanently inscribed in his record. To do good deeds right after bad ones to wipe them out is one mean. This is mentioned in Surah Hud, ayat 114: "Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds."
There are other ways and means by which sins are forgiven as stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah such as:

- Istighfar (seeking forgiveness by supplication)

- Tubah (repentance)

- Du'a’ of Muslims for one another

- The intercession by the Prophet

- Performing the daily five prayers regularly and on time

- Afflictions

- The torment in the grave

- The horrible scenes and events of the Last Day

- The mere Mercy and Forgiveness from Allah

It is possible that in this hadith the Prophet* was referring to other good deeds beyond repentance or to the acts of worship, such as performance of ablution and prayer, praising Allah, going for hajj and 'umrah, fasting, etc., which serve as a kaffarah (expiation for sins). He* stipulated in several other narrations, however, that such deeds remove the errors and lesser sins for those who avoid all the major sins. A major sin can be annulled only by immediate, complete and sincere repentance, which is in itself ordained by Allah for every believer. This consists of intense regret and the realisation that one has angered his Lord, immediate cessation of the transgression, and earnestly seeking the forgiveness of Allah through prayer, supplication and the performance of additional good deeds. Allah has confirmed: "Indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then remains rightly guided."[20:82]

If we do a good deed, Allah will reward us by guiding us to do another good deed. Hence, doing a good deed will lead to doing another good deed. Doing a bad deed without regretting it or without istighfar or wiping it out by doing a good deed will most likely lead to doing another bad deed, whether of the same type or of a different type. By doing a bad deed with that attitude makes the person subject to repeat it again and again and doing other bad deeds becomes possible until the heart of that person is “sealed” and the person turns into a transgressor.

Treating others well

It is an obligation that every Muslim should treat others, deal with them, and interact with them in a good manner. Ibn Rajab says in his commentary: “Having good character is a characteristic of Taqwa. Taqwa cannot be complete without it. It was mentioned here by itself due to the need for explicitly explaining that point. Many people think that Taqwa implies fulfilling the rights of Allah without fulfilling the rights of humans. Therefore, the Prophet* explicitly stated that he/she must deal with people in a kind manner.” This ruling is stressed in many other hadith, of which the following are some:

- “Piety and Righteousness is being of good character.” [Muslim]

- “The believer with the most complete Iman (faith) is the one with the best behavior.” [Ahmad and Abu Dawud]

- “There is nothing heavier in the scales than good character.” [Ahmad and Abu Dawud]

- The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, made Iman (faith) and good character as the main basic criterion whether or not to accept a man for marriage.

Behaving well toward people is in reality one aspect of taqwa; indeed, without it taqwa is deficient. Allah has described people with taqwa as: "...Those who spend [on others] during ease and hardship and restrain anger and pardon the people." [3:134]

The Prophet* mentioned good behaviour separately in this hadith because there is a need to emphasize this particular aspect of taqwa, for many people are of the opinion that righteousness means attention to Allah's rights alone. Thus, they devote themselves to worship while often neglecting the rights of their fellow men. Therefore, on numerous occasions the Messenger* stressed the importance of good character, saying, "The best of the believers is the best of them in character," and "Indeed, the believer, through good character, reaches the ranks of one who fasts (by day) and prays (by night).”

News Topic

Demonstrations in Egypt - People's Revolution ?

When a young graduate, trying to sell fruit on the street was pushed around and told he can’t sell here by the police, he lit himself on fire which echoed the sheer frustration of daily life in Tunisia. It was this which broke the final straw in the camel’s back and sparked thousands to get onto the streets. The ruler had no choice but to leave the country in humiliation.
In the Glorious Qur’an Allah (swt) refers to the drowning of Pharaoh and his army as follows: And neither heaven nor earth shed a tear over them. [44:29]  And neither did the Muslims of Tunisia shed any tear on the leaving of this tyrant from their land.
Witnessing this, Muslims in Egypt, Jordan, Syria. Kuwait and Libya rose with this momentum against their regimes which have denied them their rights and distances them from Islam and brought them much harm.

These protests in the Arab World need to have a clear vision for change. It’s not just any change with a new face, but a radical change in system where Islam should be the guiding force for the politics and not Western inspired slogans.

Homework from 30 January 2011:
1. Explore some of the reasons why the Battle of Uhud happened?
2. What do you understand from the next (number 19) of Nawawi's 40 Hadith:
Abu al-Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas reported: One day I was behind the Prophet* and he said to me: "O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]:
- Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you.
- Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you.
- If you (have need to) ask, ask of Allah;
- and if you seek help, seek help from Allah.
- Know that even if the Nation (or the whole community) were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded for you,
- and that if they gather together to harm you with something, they would not be able to harm you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried." [Al-Tirmidhi]
In a version other than that of al-Tirmidhi it reads: "..Be mindful of Allah, you will find Him before you. Get to know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity. Know that what has passed you by was not going to befall you; and that what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship." [at-Tirmidhi]
3. News Topics from this week: Any interesting news articles from the week that relate to Islam or the Muslims? Bring a clipping or print out if you can...