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Women Who Taught Their Husbands August 26, 2009

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Women who taught their husbands

(Book Review)

There are not many contemporary books that can be read without reservations, and which give one good value for the time invested in reading them.

However, this is one book with equal enthusiasm to Muslim and non-Muslim readers – and most of all to Islamophobes who perpetuate the myth of how ‘Islam subjugates Muslim women’ and keeps them ‘oppressed and ignorant.’ This brief history of six Muslim women scholars from the ‘Dark Ages’ – the period of history notorious for the ignorance, superstition and intellectual debilitation that permeated most of the ‘civilized world’ – is a definitive negation of the aggressive propaganda.

The author, who goes by the pen-name ‘Bint-us-Sabeel’ says in the introduction: ‘’I can almost feel the shock when your eyes fell upon the title: ‘Muslim Women Who Taught Their Husbands’!? This shock most probably stems from the sad state of affairs many Muslims find themselves in today.

Muslim women today may not teach their husbands because:

§ They don’t have that sort of knowledge to teach their husbands, full stop.

§ The husband does not want to learn from his wife (“how embarrassing my wife teaching me!”)

§ One or both parties are just too busy to take time out to sit together and learn the Deen of Allah.

§ One or both parties have no or little interest in studying Islam.

“Yet the Muslims of yesterday were very different from the Muslims of today. […] the scholars of the past were such that they would travel for months in pursuit of just one Hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). For such men, having a scholar as a wife was one of the greatest blessings in this world and a source of respect and honor.”

The very first scholar mentioned in the book, Fatimah Bint Al-Mundhir Bin Al-Zubayr Bin Al-‘Awwam, granddaughter of Asma Bint Abi Bakr, illustrates this point.

A prominent Ta’biyah (from the generation succeeding the Prophet’s Companions) and jurist, she was married to her cousin, Hisham Bin ‘Urwah Bin Al-Zubayr. Interestingly, Fatimah learnt more from Asma Bint Abi Bakr than her cousin, and so, he would memorize narrations from his wife, before passing them on to his students who included scholars like Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Shu’bah and Sufyan Ath-Thawri. Thus, there is a whole line of scholars who learnt Ahadith which are included in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on her authority, led by her own husband.

The author writes at the end of Fatimah’s story: “For some of the leading scholars of Islam to record these Ahadith where women have narrated the Hadith and a man has narrated from his wife, holds great lessons for those who claim that the scholars of Islam were misogynists and androcentric.”

Among other delightful vignettes, the book mentions how the Mahr for one of the women scholars was a book of commentary!

The story goes that the scholar Muhammad Bin Ahmad Bin Abu Ahmad ‘Ala-Al-Din Al-Samarqandi, author of ‘Tuhfat Al-Fuqaha’ , had a daughter named Fatimah, who was so knowledgeable that she would issue fatwas (religious edicts and verdicts) along with her father. One of her father’s students, ‘Alaa Al-Din Abu Bakr bin Mas’ud Al-Kasaani wrote a commentary on ‘Tuhfat Al-Fuqaha’ called ‘Bada’i` Al-Sana’i`’, which made such an impression on the Sheikh that he accepted the book as dowry for his daughter – when he had earlier refused a proposal for her from the kings of Byzantium!

One noteworthy feature of the lives of these women scholars is the lack of domestic strife and “ego problems” between them and their spouses – although some of them were more knowledgeable than their husbands and even corrected them on occasion.

Maryam Bint Jahsh, a scholar of classical Arabic helped her husband, the Yemeni scholar Jamal Al-Deen ‘Ali Bin Abee’l-Fawaris Al-Hamdani resolve a debate with members of the Murji’ sect; while Al-Mutahhar Bin Muhammad who was married to the famous Mujtahidah Fatimah Bint Yahya used to consult her on juristic matters while she sat behind a curtain, such that when he came up with the answer, his students would say: ‘This is not from you. This is from behind the curtain!’

The book concludes with an account of Amat Al-Ghafoor Bint Ishaaq Al-Dihlawi, a Muhaddithah from Delhi, India, who helped her husband so that ‘’whenever he faced any difficulty in Hadith or Fiqh, he benefited from her.’’

The husband of Sa’eed Bint Al-Musayyib’s daughter, who brought ‘the knowledge of Sa’eed’ to her husband and taught him right from the first day of her marriage, famously praised his wife: “She was among the most beautiful people, and most expert of those who know the Book of Allah by heart, and most knowledgeable of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and most aware of the right of the husband.”

What is it that stops us from raising women like these, who will be assets to their families and communities and continue to benefit the cause of Islam for centuries?

The book can be downloaded in pdf format at http://www.idealmuslimah.com

Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, to post on Internet sites and to publish in full text and subject title in not-for-profit publications.

Obama and his speech June 5, 2009

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Obama In Cairo: A New Face For Imperialism

By Patrick Martin

The speech delivered by US President Barack Obama in Cairo yesterday was riddled with contradictions. He declared his opposition to the “killing of innocent men, women, and children,” but defended the ongoing US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the US proxy war in Pakistan, while remaining silent on the most recent Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. These wars have killed at least one million Iraqis and tens of thousands in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Palestinian territories.

Obama declared his support for democracy, human rights and women’s rights, after two days of meetings with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, two of the most notorious tyrants in the Middle East. He said nothing in his speech about the complete absence of democratic rights in Saudi Arabia, or about the ongoing repression under Mubarak’s military dictatorship. In the days before the US president’s arrival at Al-Azhar University, the campus was raided by Egyptian secret police who detained more than 200 foreign students. Before leaving on his Mideast trip, Obama praised Mubarak as a “steadfast ally.”

While posturing as the advocate of universal peace and understanding, Obama diplomatically omitted any reference to his order to escalate the war in Afghanistan with the dispatch of an additional 17,000 US troops. And he tacitly embraced the policy of his predecessor in Iraq, declaring, “I believe the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein.” He even seemed to hedge on the withdrawal deadline of December 2011 negotiated by the Bush administration, which he described as a pledge “to remove all our troops from Iraq by 2012.”

Obama rejected the charge that America is “a self-interested empire”—a perfectly apt characterization—and denied that the United States was seeking bases, territory or access to natural resources in the Muslim world. He claimed that the war in Afghanistan was a “war of necessity” provoked by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This is the same argument made by the Bush-Cheney administration at the time, which deliberately conceals the real material interests at stake. The war in Afghanistan is part of the drive by US imperialism to dominate the world’s two most important sources of oil and gas, the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Basin.

There was of course a distinct shift in the rhetorical tone from the bullying “you’re either with or against us” of George W. Bush to the reassuring “we’re all in this together” of Obama. But as several commentators noted (the New Republic compared the speech line-for-line to that given by Bush to the United Nations on September 16, 2006), if you turned off the picture and the sound and simply read the prepared text, the words are very similar to speeches delivered by Bush, Condoleezza Rice and other officials of the previous administration.

The vague and flowery rhetoric, the verbal tributes to Islamic culture and the equal rights of nations, constitute an adjustment of the language being used to cloak the policy of US imperialism, not a change in substance. Obama made not a single concrete proposal to redress the grievances of the oppressed peoples of the Middle East. That is because the fundamental source of this oppression is the profit system and the domination of the world by imperialism, of which American imperialism is the most ruthless.

Obama made one passing reference to colonialism, and to the US role in the overthrow of the democratically elected Mossadegh government in Iran in 1953. But in his litany of “sources of tension” in the region, he offered the same checklist as his predecessor, with the first place given to “violent extremism”, Obama’s rhetorical substitute for Bush’s “terrorism.”

The reaction to the Obama speech in the American media was across-the-board enthusiasm. Liberal David Corn of Mother Jones magazine said Obama’s great advantages were “his personal history, his non-Bushness, his recognition of US errors, his willingness to at least talk as if he wants to be an honest broker in the Mideast.”

Michael Crowley wrote in the pro-war liberal magazine New Republic, “to see him unfold his biography, to cut such an unfamiliar profile to the world, is to appreciate how much America will benefit from presenting this new face to the world.”

Perhaps most revealing was the comment by Max Boot, a neoconservative arch-defender of the war in Iraq, who wrote: “I thought he did a more effective job of making America’s case to the Muslim world. No question: He is a more effective salesman than his predecessor was.”

In his speech in Cairo, Obama was playing the role for which he was drafted and promoted by a decisive section of the US financial elite and the military and foreign policy apparatus. This role is to provide a new face for US imperialism as part of a shift in the tactics, but not the strategy, of Washington’s drive for world domination.

Nearly two years ago, former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski gave his public backing to the presidential candidacy of a still-obscure senator from Illinois, holding out the prospect that as an African-American with family ties to the Muslim world, Obama would improve the worldwide image of the United States.

Brzezinski was the leading hawk in the administration of Democrat Jimmy Carter and helped instigate the political upheavals in Afghanistan in the hopes of inciting a Soviet invasion that would trap the Moscow bureaucracy in a Vietnam-style quagmire. He has remained steadily focused on what he calls the “great chessboard” of Eurasia, and particularly on oil-rich Central Asia, where a struggle for influence now rages between the United States, Russia, China and Iran.

According to Brzezinski in August 2007, Obama “recognizes that the challenge is a new face, a new sense of direction, a new definition of America’s role in the world… Obama is clearly more effective and has the upper hand. He has a sense of what is historically relevant and what is needed from the United States in relationship to the world.”

Brzezinski, a ruthless defender of the interests of US imperialism, has issuing warnings to the American ruling elite of the danger of what he calls the “global political awakening.”

In one particularly pointed comment, he told the German magazine Der Spiegel, only months before he endorsed Obama, that the vast majority of humanity “will no longer tolerate the enormous disparities in the human condition. That could well be the collective danger we will have to face in the next decades.”

To call it by its right name, what the more perceptive elements in the US ruling class fear is world revolution. The effort to prevent such a social upheaval is what impelled them to install Obama in the White House and what set him on his pilgrimage to Cairo.

http://www.countercurrents.org/martin050609.htm

‘The Best Day On Which The Sun Has Risen’:Jum’ah November 8, 2008

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‘The Best Day On Which The Sun Has Risen’

 Jumuah (Friday Prayer)

 By Sister Manahil

with inputs by Imran Ayub.

  

Alhamdulilah. Indeed, all praise is due to Allaah. We praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from our souls’ evil and our wrong doings. He whom Allaah guides, no one can misguide; and he whom He misguides, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no (true) God except Allah – alone without a partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His ‘Abd (servant) and messenger.

 

Allah, the Most High, says, “O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salât (prayer) on the day of Friday (Jumu’ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allâh [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salât (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing), that is better for you if you did but know!”

 A. Virtues Of Friday

           1. A Special Day Chosen By Allaah

 Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) saying, “We (Muslims) are the last (to come) but (will be) the foremost on the Day of Resurrection though the former nations were given the Holy Scriptures before us. And this was their day (Friday) the celebration of which was made compulsory for them but they differed about it. So Allah gave us the guidance for it (Friday) and all the other people are behind us in this respect: the Jews’ (holy day is) tomorrow (i.e. Saturday) and the Christians’ (is) the day after tomorrow (i.e. Sunday).”

                    2. The Best Day Is Friday

 

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: “The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was made to enter Paradise , on it he was expelled from it. And the last hour will take place on no day other than Friday.”

               3. It Is Greater Than The Days Of ‘Eid

 

It was narrated that Abu Lubaabah ibn ‘Abd al-Mundhir said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Friday is the master of days, and the greatest of them before Allaah. It is greater before Allaah than the day of al-Adha and the day of al-Fitr. It has five characteristics: on this day Allaah created Adam, on it He sent Adam down to the earth, on it Allaah caused Adam to die, on it there is a time when a person does not ask Allaah for anything but He gives it to him, so long as he does not ask for anything haraam, and on it the Hour will begin. There is no angel who is close to Allaah, no heaven, no earth, no wind, no mountain and no sea that does not fear Friday.”

         4. Whoever Dies On Friday Is Protected From The Trial Of The Grave

 Narrated ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who dies during the day of Friday or the night of Friday but Allaah will protect him from the trial of the grave.”

 B. Some Things To Do On Friday

          1. Pray Fajr In Congregation

 It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him): “The best prayer before Allaah is Fajr prayer on Friday in congregation.” 

 Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite the following in the Fajr prayer of Friday, “[32] Surah As-Sajdah (The Prostration) and [76] Surah Al-Insan (Man).”

           2.   Praying Salaat Al-Jumu’ah:

 Allah, the Most High, says, “O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salât (prayer) on the day of Friday (Jumu’ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allâh [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salât (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing), that is better for you if you did but know!”

 Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him):“Five prayers and from one Friday prayer to (the next) Friday prayer is an expiation (of the sins committed in between their intervals) if major sins are not committed.”

         3. Making A Lot Of Du’aa’.  

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) talked about Friday and said, “There is an hour (opportune time) on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while praying and asks something from Allah, then Allah will definitely meet his demand.” And he (the Prophet) pointed out the shortness of that time with his hands.”

 

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Seek the hour in which there is hope that prayers will be answered, on Friday after ‘Asr (mid-afternoon) prayer, until the sun goes down.”

       4.  Reading Soorah al-Kahf, Soorah Aal – ‘Imraan, Fasting on Friday, and Salaat al-         Raghaa’ib 

4.1 Soorah al-Kahf (Chapter 18)

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid said, “There are saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning the virtues of reciting Soorah al-Kahf during the day or night of Jumu’ah (Friday). … The soorah may be read during the night or the day of Jumu’ah. The night of Jumu’ah starts from sunset on Thursday, and the day of Jumu’ah ends at sunset. Therefore the time for reading this soorah extends from sunset on Thursday to sunset on Friday.”

 Narrated Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,“Whoever recites Surah al-Kahf on Jumu’ah will have illumination from the light from one Jumu’ah to the next.”

 Narrated Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:“Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the night of Jumu’ah, will have a light that will stretch between him and the Ancient House (the Ka’bah).”

 

Ibn al-Qayyim said, “Friday is singled out because it is the best of days and the chosen day. So there is an advantage to sending blessings upon him on that day that is not present on any other day.”

 

 

           4.2 Soorah Aal-‘Imraan (Chapter 3)

 

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid said, “There are no saheeh ahaadeeth concerning reading Soorat Aal ‘Imraan on Friday. All the reports that have been narrated concerning that are either da’eef jiddan (very weak) or mawdoo’ (fabricated).” 

 

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever recites the Soorah in which the family of ‘Imraan (Aal ‘Imraan) are mentioned on Fridays, Allaah and His angels will send blessings upon him until the sun sets.”

 

                 4.3 Fasting on Friday

 

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him):“Do not single out the night (preceding) Friday among the nights for prayer and do not single out Friday among days for fasting but only when anyone among you is accustomed to fast (on dates) which coincide with this day (Friday).”

 

Muhammad ibn Ismaa‘eel as-San‘aanee said, “The hadeeth is evidence for the prohibition of specifying Friday night for worshiping with formal prayer and recitation and other similar acts, not usually done, except what is mentioned in a legal text regarding that. For example, the recitation of Soorah al-Kahf, as there is narrated the specification of Friday night for its recitation and for other chapters there are narrated specifications but scholars have spoken negatively about them.”

            4.4 Salaat al-Raghaa’ib

 

Imam an – Nawawee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “The prayer which is known as salaat al-raghaa’ib, which is twelve rak’ahs that are offered between Maghrib and ‘Isha’ on the night of the first Friday in Rajab, and praying one hundred rak’ahs on the night of Nusf Sha’baan (halfway through Sha’baan) are both reprehensible innovations. No one should be deceived by the fact that they are mentioned in Qoot al-Quloob and Ihya’ ‘Uloom al-Deen, or by the hadeeth which is quoted in these two books, because all of that is false. No one should be deceived by some of those imams who were confused about the ruling on these prayers and wrote essays stating that they are mustahabb, for they are mistaken in that. Imam Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Isma’eel al-Maqdisi wrote a valuable book showing that they are false, and he did well in that, may Allaah have mercy on him.”

 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “As for innovating a prayer which is done regularly with a certain number of rak’ahs, with a certain recitation and at a certain time in congregation, like these prayers that are being asked about here – such as salaat al-raghaa’ib on the first Friday of Rajab, and halfway through Sha’baan, and the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab, and so on – these are not prescribed in Islam, according to the consensus of the imams of Islam, as was stated by the reliable scholars. No one established such a thing but those who are ignorant and innovators. Things like this open the door to changing the laws  and rituals of Islam and becoming like those who instituted things which Allaah has not ordained.”

 

 

 

5.  Sending a lot of blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him). 

 

Narrated Aws ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Among the most excellent of your days is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he died, on it the last trumpet will be blown, and on it the shout will be made, so invoke more blessings on me that day, for your blessings will be submitted to me.” The people asked: “Apostle of Allah, how can it be that our blessings will be submitted to you while your body is decayed?” He replied: “Allah, the Exalted, has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets.”

 

 

6. Making Ghusl and wearing perfume

 

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, “The taking of a bath on Friday is compulsory for every male (Muslim) who has attained the age of puberty.”

 

Narrated Salman-Al-Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever takes a bath on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can, then uses his (hair) oil or perfumes himself with the scent of his house, then proceeds (for the Jumu’ah prayer) and does not separate two persons sitting together (in the mosque), then prays as much as (Allah has) written for him and then remains silent while the Imam is delivering the Khuthbah, his sins in-between the present and the last Friday would be forgiven.”

 

 

 

C. The Virtues Of Jumu’ah (Friday) Prayer

 

 

 

 

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “He who took a bath and then came for Jumu’ah prayer and then prayed what was fixed for him, then kept silence till the Imam finished the sermon, and then prayed along with him, his sins between that time and the next Friday would be forgiven, and even of three days more.”

 

 

2. Coming Early To Jumu’ah Brings Great Reward. 

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Any person who takes a bath on Friday like the bath of Janaabah and then goes for the prayer (in the first hour i.e. early), it is as if he had sacrificed a camel (in Allah’s cause); and whoever goes in the second hour it is as if he had sacrificed a cow; and whoever goes in the third hour, then it is as if he had sacrificed a horned ram; and if one goes in the fourth hour, then it is as if he had sacrificed a hen; and whoever goes in the fifth hour then it is as if he had offered an egg. When the Imam comes out (i.e. starts delivering the Khuthbah), the angels present themselves to listen to the Khuthbah.”

 

 

3. The Virtue Of Walking To The Friday Prayer 

 

Narrated Aws ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever does ghusl on Friday and causes (his wife) to do ghusl, and sets out early, and comes close to the imam and listens and keeps quiet, for every step he takes he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year.”

 

Ibn al-Qayyim said, “Causes (his wife) to do ghusl”means has intercourse with his wife. This is how it was interpreted by Wakee’.”

 

 

 

D. Some Important Points When At The Prayer

 

 

1. The Importance Of Listening Attentively To The Jumu’ah Khuthbah

 

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If you (even) ask your companion to be quiet on Friday while the Imam is delivering the sermon, you have in fact talked irrelevance [ie. engaged in idle talk].”

 

Narrated Abu’l-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat on the minbar and addressed the people, and he recited a verse. Ubayy ibn Ka’b was next to me, so I said to him: “O Ubayy, when was this verse revealed?” But he refused to speak to me, so I asked him again and he refused to speak to me, until the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came down (from the minbar). Then Ubayy said to me:“You have gained nothing from your Jumu’ah except idle talk.” When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished (the prayer), I went to him and told him (what had happened). He said: “Ubayy was right. When you hear your imam speaking, then keep quiet and listen attentively until he has finished.”

 

Sheikh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen said: “It is Haraam to give salaams during the Friday Khuthbah, so it is not permissible for one who enters the mosque whilst the imam is delivering the Khuthbah to give salaams, and it is also Haraam to return the greeting.” 

 

Sheikh Naasir-ud-Deen al-Albaanee said: “If someone says “Be quiet!”, this is not regarded as idle talk (laghw) from a linguistic point of view, because it comes under the heading of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. However the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called it Laghw that is not permissible. This comes under the heading of giving precedence to what is more important (namely being silent and listening to the preaching of the khateeb) over what is important (namely enjoining what is good during the Khuthbah). As this is the case, everything that comes under the heading of enjoining what is good comes under the same ruling as enjoining what is good – so how about if it of less importance than that? Undoubtedly in that case it is more appropriate that it not be allowed and it comes under the heading of laghw (idle talk).” 

 

 

2. Face The Imaam

 

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) sat on the minbar and we sat around him.”

 

Sheikh Naasir-ud-Deen al-Albaanee said: “One of the reasons for their turning their faces towards the imaam is to facilitate their listening to his words, and to observe good manners when listening to him. If a person turn his face towards him with the proper physical posture and a focused mind, that will better enable them to understand his preaching and is in accordance with the reason why the khateeb is commanded to stand.”

 

 

3. Sunna Before and After Jumma

 

 

3.1 Before

 

There are no prescribed Sunnah prayers before Jumu’ah and some people like to pray the Sunnah of Dhuhr at this time and this is incorrect and an innovation

 

Sheikh Naasir-ud-Deen al-Albaanee said, “Those who pray this Sunnah are not following the Messenger or imitating any of the imaams; on the contrary, they are imitating the later scholars who are like them in that they are also imitators [of earlier scholars] rather than mujtahideen [scholars who investigate and form their own rulings]. I am amazed to see an imitator imitating another imitator.”

 

However, one should still pray two rakaats when they enter the Masjid (before sitting down). This applies even when you come and the Khuthbah has already begun.

 

Narrated Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him):  A man entered the Mosque while the Prophet (peace be upon him) was delivering the Khutba. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, “Have you prayed?” The man replied in the negative. The Prophet said, “Pray two Rakat.”

 

In another narration, it is stated: Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) delivered the sermon and said: “When any one of you comes for the Friday (prayer) and the Imam comes out (from his apartment), (even then) should observe two rak’ahs (of prayer).”

 

 

3.1 After

 

Nafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar observed the Friday prayer and came back he observed two rak’ahs in his house, and then said: “The Messenger of Allah ( peace be upon him) used to do this.”

 

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When any one of you observes the Jumu’ah prayer (two obligatory rak’ahs in congregation), he should observe four (rak’ahs) afterwards.”

 

Ibn al-Qayyim said, “When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had prayed Jumu’ah, he would enter his house and pray two Rak’ahs of Sunnah, and he commanded those who had prayed it to pray four rak’ahs afterwards. Our shaykh, Abu’l-‘Abbaas Ibn Taymiyah said: if he prayed in the mosque, he would pray four, and if he prayed at home, he would pray two. I say: this is what is indicated by many ahaadeeth. Abu Dawood from Ibn ‘Umar that when he prayed in the mosque, he prayed four and when he prayed at home, he prayed two.”

 

 

4. Changing the place to Pray the Sunnah

 

‘Umar ibn  ‘Ata’ ibn Abu Khuwar said that Nafii ibn Jubair sent him to al- Sa’ib the son of Namir’s sister with a view to asking him about what he had seen in the prayer of Mu’awiyah. He said: “Yes, I observed the Jumu’a prayer along with him in Maqsura and when the Imam pronounced salutation I stood up at my place and observed (Sunan rak’ahs). As he entered (the apartment) he sent for me and said: Do not repeat what you have done. Whenever you have observed the Jumu’a prayer, do not observe (Sunan prayer) till you, have talked or got out For the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had ordered us to do this and not to combine two (types of) prayers without talking of going out.”

 

This hadith tells us that in case someone performs a certain prayer at a certain place; he should not perform another Salah at the same place and at the same time. There must be a distance in between the two prayers either by a way of change in the place or by way of Dhikr (mentioning Allah’s Names or the utterance of different prescribed supplications).

 

 

E. Ruling On Not Going To Jumuah

Narrated Abdullah ibn ‘Umar and Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them): They heard Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) say on the planks of his pulpit: “People must cease to neglect the Friday prayer or Allah will seal their hearts and then they will be among the negligent.”

 

Narrated Al-Ja’d ad-Damari (may Allaah be pleased with them): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “He who leaves the Friday prayer (continuously) for three Friday on account of slackness, Allah will print a stamp on his heart.”

 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said,“Friday prayer is one of the most important obligations in Islam, and one of the greatest gatherings of the Muslims. Gathering on Friday is more important and more obligatory than any other gathering apart from ‘Arafah. Whoever neglects it, Allaah will place a seal on his heart.”

 

 

 

F. Jumu’ah Prayer Is Not Obligatory For Women, Slaves, The Sick And Travellers

 

Narrated Tariq ibn Shihab (may Allaah be pleased with them): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The Friday prayer in congregation is a necessary duty for every Muslim, with four exceptions; a slave, a woman, a boy, and a sick person.”

 

Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allaah have mercy on him) said,“They are unanimously agreed that Jumu’ah is not obligatory for women.”

 

Sheikh Sayyid Saabiq said, “For the traveller, even if he is staying at a certain place during the time of the beginning of salatul Jumu’ah, it is not obligatory. This is based on the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) travelled and did not perform the salatul Jumu’ah but only prayed the zuhr and ‘asr together during the time of the zuhr prayers. The caliphs after him and others also acted in a similar manner.”

 

Any woman (and man) who wishes to come to the mosque must be in the correct Islamic dress.

 

And It is Only Allah Who grants success. May Allah Exalt the mention of His slave and Messenger Muhammad, and render him, his household and companion safe from Evil.

 

 

 

References

 

·      www.islam-qa.com

·      ‘Prayer According to the Sunnah’, by Prof. Muhammad Zulfiqar, Darussalam publishers

·      Saheeh Bukhaari, Saheeh Muslim and Sunan Aboo Daawood translations taken from fromhttp://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/

·      Fiqh Us Sunnah, by Sayyid Sabbiq,http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/law/fiqhussunnah

·      ‘Fiqh of Fasting’, Module 6, Dr. Bilal Philips,www.Islamiconlineuniversity.com/moodle

·      www.thenoblequran.com

·      Fiqh-us-Sunnah, http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/law/fiqhussunnah/fus2_38.html

Ruling on kissing the cover of the Kabah, the Mus-haf and the Black Stone November 8, 2008

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Kissing any place on earth is bidah (an innovation), apart from the Black Stone.

The Passing of a Chechen November 8, 2008

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Written by Yvonne Ridley

Monday, 10 July 2006

News has just arrived on my desk that Abdallah Shamil Abu Idris, the Military Amir of the Mujahideen of Caucasus, has become a Shaheed. He’s probably better known to most readers of this column as the fearless Chechen commander Shamil Basaev, loved and adored by many although the likes of Vladamir Putin have always regarded him as an enemy of Russia. Precise details of his death are still sketchy although the report before me comes from the Military Council of the State Defense Council Majlisul Shura of CRI Abu Umar and it states very tersley that he died as a result of an “accidental spontaneous explosion of a cargo vehicle with explosives on July 10, 2006, in Ekazhevo village, Ingushetia”. Three other fighters also died by the side of the famous Chechen rebel leader. May Allah (swt) grant all of them what they deserve. Admittedly, it is probably not the way any of them expected to go – most jihadists probably have a far more romantic notion of how they will spring off this mortal coil and let’s face it a touch of ‘friendly fire’ would not be the choice of any fighter. However, for me personally, the arrival of this sad news provided one of those awful coincidences which make you shudder and reminds you of your own mortality … you see moments earlier I had been leafing through a manuscript of his unpublished work called a Book of a Mujahiddeen.The paragraph I was reading said: “A Mujahid is looking closely into a child’s eyes, for they are the ones that get to see the world without sorrows. When a Mujahid wants to know wether someone beside him is trustworthy, he tries to see it with the eyes of a child.” Basaev led an admirable fight to bring independence to Chechnya and resorted to targetting Russian civilians in the latter years of his struggle to try and bring the plight of the Chechen people to the wider world. He will probably be best remembered for masterminding the siege of the Moscow Theater and then the taking hostage of the children at a school in Beslan which sent shudders of revulsion around the world when both plans went tragically wrong. On both occasions there were scores and scores of civilians deaths and injuries, but the overwhelming numbers of civilian killed actually died because of the actions of Russian troops who bungled rescue raids on both operations. No one could share the pain and loss of the Beslan parents more than Chechen mothers … let’s not forget that 42,000 Chechen children have been slaughtered in the last decade by Russian bombs and shells. As yet, I’ve no further details about his death but the report says any boasts from the Kremlin that he died as a result of a Special Forces operations are simply not true. “There was not any special operation that took place. Shamil and other our brothers became Shaheeds (insha Allah) of Allah’s own will (swt). The Supreme one has his own plan and decision. And about the special operation, Mujahideen will show how it should be carried out … “, – the representative of Military Council of of State Defense Council Majlisul Shura of CRI stated. As you can imagine Putin’s military spin doctors are claiming to have wiped out a dozen fighters, including Basaev, in a special operation while one of the Ingush puppet militia blamed his death on the careless use of explosives. Friendly fire? An own goal or a Russian military initiative? The lines are becoming blurred already and I guess by this time next week their will be scores of different stories going around about how the Chechen leader expired … or has he? Yes the conspiracy theories have just begun. What I do know for a fact is that Putin will have cracked a smile and supporters of the mujahiddeen will believe he has become a martyr. I also know that this grotesque war on the noble Chechens will continue and the blatant misuse of the War on Terror will continue unabated as a Kremlin device to terrorise the people of Chechnya. His death will not stop the flow of innocent blood, and if anything times are going to get much, much worse for Chechens both home and abroad. In particular, I fear for the safety of my friend Ahmed Zakayev who was given political asylum in Britain despite the best efforts of Putin to label him as Russian’s own Usama bin Ladin. The lies which poured forth from the Kremlin fooled no one and so the British courts ruled in his favour allowing him to remain in the UK as a Chechen leader in exile for the time being. But just how safe he will be is anyone’s guess. He is busy trying to highlight the plight of his people at seminars, rallies and meetings. Zakayev is admired across Europe and is very much seen as a moderate which actually makes him more of a target since Putin wants to demonize every single Chechen and their leaders. You see Putin has stepped up his war on the Chechen people … wherever they may be. Legislators in Russia have just unanimously endorsed a Kremlin request that President Vladimir Putin be allowed to send special forces to hunt down terrorists anywhere in the world. Well George W Bush has given the CIA similar freedoms in secret nods and winks, so why shouldn’t the Russian leader get in on the act? Putin is quite open in his objectives though. He has been biding his time for some months now and the murder, last month, of five Russian diplomats in Iraq provided the right opportunity. He has now ordered that those responsible be hunted down and “eliminated”, and the Russian security services have offered $10 million for information leading to their capture. Watch out for a Russian version of Guantanamo Bay opening up soon in the frozen wastes of Siberia. Senators in the Federation Council upper house of the Russian parliament rapidly approved the bill on July 7 and all Putin has to do is now sign it into law. Looking increasingly like the Witch Finder General, Putin blamed international terrorists for the killing and said the permission would remain in force until “the elimination of the threat of terrorist acts being carried out abroad against the Russian Federation or Russian citizens.” The Mujahedin Shura Council, an al-Qaida linked group, claimed responsibility for their abduction 3 June and subsequent execution of the diplomats. The group had demanded that the Kremlin pull its troops out of Chechnya in exchange for freeing the diplomats. Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov says that special forces are on standby to catch the “scum” that killed the diplomats, and officials say the step is entirely in line with international practice. “This is not the use of the death penalty – it is a reaction to aggression using the means the country thinks it should use to protect its own interests and the interests of its citizens,” Putin said. International response has been quite muted so far, but this is a new depth which has been plumbed in the never-ending War on Terror. Just how does Putin define a “terrorist”? The madman has just given his forces permission to go across the globe taking out, eliminating, assassinating and vapourising anyone who the Russian leader does not like. Extrajudicial executions of suspected terrorists and radicals abroad could become commonplace. There should be international outrage instead of mild disinterest. It is well known that Putin despises Ahmed Zakayev. So can we expect a Kremlin-backed hit squad to come to London and start shooting … hmm, I thought that was the job of the trigger happy cops from the capital’s Metropolitan Police Force! They’ve already managed to kill a Brazilian man after mistaking him for a Muslim terrorist, and one young Muslim man was gunned down in his own home during a bungled raid by the plods from the Met. You see this is what happens when you crush and ignore peoples’ human rights. I am afraid the behavior of the Bush Administration has opened stable doors across some of the most brutal and despotic regimes in the world … and the horses are bolting. The extra judicial killing actually began in 2004, when two Russian agents were jailed in Qatar for wiping out Chechen leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev with a car bomb on Kremlin orders. For some bizarre reason the weak-kneed, lily-livered Qataris sent the two agents back to Russia and I can assure you the two assassins are not locked up in any sort of gulag where they should be left to rot for what they did. Why, oh why, do most Gulfies have the backbones of amoeba? I mean what can Russia do to the Qataris? I know that the need for visas were set aside when I lived in the tiny state which sticks out of the gut of Saudi Arabia. As a result we had every sort of mafia, pimp, drug-dealer and prostitute plying their trade across Doha within weeks. The Qataris should have stood firm and refused to hand over the convicted killers. I mean they have given up a huge slice of Qatar to the US Southern Command, so the Russians are hardly likely to launch an attack. Now we have international gun law with Putin ordering his agents to seek and destroy the killers of the Russian diplomats in Iraq. Putin made the statements during a meeting in Moscow with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. Russia would be grateful to all its friends for any information on the criminals who killed our citizens in Iraq, Putin told the Saudi prince. “Sod off!” should have been the reply from the prince, but no, not a peep. What is it with the folk who live on the Arabian Peninsula? Has everyone gone completely insane, barking mad or what? Dubya has managed to turn the globe into some sort of stage set where gun law rules. The trouble is it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the heroes from the villains. The same Russian hit squad which took out Aslan Maskhadov, Abdul-Khalim Sadulaev and the Saudi Samir Saleh Abdullah Al-Suwailem aka Khattab, is now probably on some hunt and kill mission as I write. And exactly who will be helping the hit squads? Because trying to find members of and supporters and backers of the Mujahedin Shura Council will be like hunting for a needle in a haystack? Ivan Safranchuk, head of the Moscow office of the Russian-based Center for Defense Information, admits Russian agents will have to rely on the assistance of US-led coalition forces, the Iraqi government, and Saudi secret services. Hmm, and I bet those craven little butt kissers from Jordan and Egypt’s intelligence services aren’t too far behind in volunteering. Yes, I can see a Coalition for the Killing pulling together, and with all the flawed intelligence going around the world today, they could very well be coming down your way soon. Watch out!

How I came to the Veil:Yvonne Ridley November 8, 2008

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POLITICIANS AND JOURNALISTS just love to write about the oppression of women in Islam … without even talking to the females beneath the veil.

They simply have no idea how Muslim women are protected and respected within the Islamic framework which was built more than 1400 years ago.

Yet, by writing about cultural issues like child brides, female circumcision, honor killings and forced marriages they wrongly believe they are coming from a point of knowledge.

And I am sick of Saudi Arabia being cited as an example of how women are subjigated in a country where they are banned from driving.

The issues above have simply nothing to do with Islam yet they still write and talk about them with an arrogant air of authority while wrongly blaming Islam. Please do not confuse cultural behavior with Islam.

I was asked to write about how Islam allows men to beat their wives. Sorry, not true. Yes, I’m sure critics of Islam will quote random Qur’anic verses or ahadith but all are usually taken out of context. If a man does raise a finger to his wife, he is not allowed to leave a mark on her body … this is another way of the Qur’an saying; “Don’t beat your wife, stupid”.
Now let’s take a glance at some really interesting statistics, hmm. I can almost hear the words pot, kettle, black. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, four million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period. 
On the average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands and boyfriends every day . . . that is nearly 5,500 women battered to death since 9/11.

Some might say that is a shocking indictment on such a civilized society, but before I sound too smug, I would say that violence against women is a global issue. Violent men do not come in any particular religious or cultural category. The reality is that one out of three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Violence against women transcends religion, wealth, class, skin color and culture.

However, until Islam came on the scene women were treated as inferior beings. In fact we women still have a problem in the West where men think they are superior. This is reflected in our promotion and wages structure right across the spectrum from cleaners to career women who make it into the boardroom.

Western women are still treated as commodities, where sexual slavery is on the rise, disguised under marketing euphemisms, where womens’ bodies are traded throughout the advertising world. As mentioned before, this is a society where rape, sexual assault, and violence on women is commonplace, a society where the equality between men and women is an illusion, a society where a womens’ power or influence is usually only related to the size of her breasts.

I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures and now I look at them as multi-skilled, multi-talented, resilient women whose brand of sisterhood makes Western feminism pale into insignificance. My views changed after the truly terrifying experience of being arrested by the Taleban for sneaking into Afghanistan in September 2001 wearing the bhurka.

During my 10-day captivity I struck a deal that if they let me go I would read the Quran and study Islam. Against all the odds, it worked and I was released. In return I kept my word but as a journalist covering the Middle East I realized I needed to expand my knowledge of a religion which was clearly a way of life.

And no. I’m not a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. To be a victim you have to bond with your captors. During my imprisonment I spat, swore, cursed and abused my jailers as well as refusing their food and going on hunger strike. I don’t know who was happier when I was released – them or me!

Reading the Quran was, I thought, going to be a very simple academic exercise. I was stunned to discover that it clearly stated women are equal in spirituality, education and worth. A woman’s gift for child birth and child-rearing is very much recognised as a quality and attribute. Muslim women say with pride they are homemakers and housewives.

Furthermore The Prophet (pbuh) said that the most important person in the home was The Mother, The Mother, The Mother. In fact he also said that heaven lies at the feet of the mother. How many women make it into the top 100 power lists for simply being a “great mother”?

With Islam choosing to remain at home and raise children takes on a new dignity and respect in my eyes, similar to those sisters among us who choose to go out to work and have careers and professions.

I then began looking at inheritance, tax, property and divorce laws. This is where Hollywood divorce lawyers probably get their inspiration from. For instance the woman gets to keep what she earns and owns while the man has to stump up half his worth.

Isn’t it funny the way the tabloid media gets very excited over the prospect of some pop or film stars pre-nuptial wedding agreement? Muslim women have had wedding contracts from day one. They can choose if they want to work or not[*] and anything they earn is theirs to spend while the husband has to pay for all the household bills and the upkeep of his family.

Just about everything that feminists strived for in the 70s was already available to Muslim women 1400 years ago.

As I said, Islam dignifies and brings respect to motherhood and being a wife. If you want to stay at home, stay at home. It is a great honor to be a home maker and the first educater of your children.

But equally, the Quran states if you want to work, then work. Be a career woman, learn a profession become a politician.[**] Be what you want to be and excel in what you do as a Muslim because everything you do is in praise of Allah (swt).

There is an excessive, almost irritating concentration or focus on the issue of Muslim womens’ dress particularly by men (both Muslim and non-Muslim).

Yes, it is an obligation for Muslim women to dress modestly but, in addition, there are many other important issues which concern Muslim women today.

And yet everyone obsesses over the hijab. Look, it is part of my business suit. This tells you I am a Muslim and therefore I expect to be treated with respect.

Can you imagine if someone told a Wall Street executive or Washington banker to put on a t-shirt and jeans? He would tell you his business suit defines him during work hours, marks him out to be treated seriously.

And yet in Britain we have had the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw describing the nikab – the face veil revealing only the eyes – as an unwelcome barrier. When, oh when, will men learn to keep their mouths shut over a woman’s wardrobe?

We also had Government Ministers Gordon Brown and John Reid express disparaging remarks about the nikab – both these men come from over the Scottish Borders where men wear skirts!!

Then we had a series of other parliamentarians enter the fray describing the nikab as a barrier for communication. What a load of nonsense. If this was the case can anyone explain to me why cell phones, landlines, emails, text messaging and fax machines are in daily use? Who listens to the radio? No one switches off the wireless because they can not see the face of the presenter.

The majority of sisters I know who choose to wear the nikab are actually white, Western reverts who no longer want the unwelcome attention of those few leering men who will try and confront females and launch into inappropriate behavior. Mind you, there are a couple of London sisters I know who say they wear the nikab at anti-war marches because they can’t stand the smell of spliffs.

I am afraid Islamophobia has become the last refuge of the racist scoundrel. But the cowardly, chauvinistic attacks launched – largely by men – is unacceptable to Muslimahs as well as their secular, female sisters from the left.

I was a feminist for many years and now, as an Islamic feminist, I still promote womens’ rights. The only difference is Muslim feminists are more radical than their secular counterparts. We all hate those ghastly beauty pageants, and tried to stop laughing when the emergence of Miss Afghanistan in bikini was hailed as a giant leap for women’s liberation in Afghanistan.

I’ve been back to Afghanistan many times and I can tell you there are no career women emerging from the rubble in Kabul. My Afghan sisters say they wish the West would drop its obsession with the bhurka. “Don’t try turning me into a career woman, get my husband a job first. Show me how I can send my children to school without fear of them being kidnapped. Give me security and bread on the table,” one sister told me.

Young feminist Muslimahs see the hijab and the nikab as political symbols as well as a religious requirement. Some say it is their way of showing the world they reject the excesses of Western lifestyles such as binge drinking, casual sex, drug-taking etc.

Superiority in Islam is accomplished through piety, not beauty, wealth, power, position or sex.

Now you tell me what is more liberating. Being judged on the length of your skirt and the size of your cosmetically enhanced breasts, or being judged on your character, mind and intelligence?

Glossy magazines tell us as women that unless we are tall, slim and beautiful we will be unloved and unwanted. The pressure on teenage magazine readers to have a boyfriend is almost obscene.

Islam tells me that I have a right to an education and it is my duty to go out and seek knowledge whether I am single or married.

No where in the framework of Islam are we told as women that we must do washing, cleaning or cooking for men – but it is not just Muslim men who need to re-evaluate women in their home. Check out this 1992 exert from a Pat Robertson speech revealing his views on empowered women. And then you tell me who is civilized and who is not.

He said: “FEMINISM ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO LEAVE THEIR HUSBANDS, KILL THEIR CHILDREN, PRACTICE WITCHCRAFT, DESTROY CAPITALISM AND BECOME LESBIANS”.

Here is an American man living in a pre-Islamic age who needs to modernize and civilize. People like him are wearing a veil and we need to tear that veil of bigotry away so people can see Islam for what it is.

———-

 

*Citation Needed

Riba or Usury, a detailed post November 8, 2008

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Defining the Problem 

Riba (Usury) is of two major kinds: 

1. Riba An-Nasia - Interest on lent money 
2. Riba Al-Fadl - Taking a superior thing of the same kind of goods by giving more of the same kind of goods of inferior quality, e.g, dates of superior quality for dates of inferior quality in great amounts.

The definition of Interest, the literal meaning of interest or Al-Riba as it is used in the arabic language means to excess or increase. 
In the Islamic terminology interest means effortless profit or that profit which comes free from compensation or that extra earning obtained that is free of exchange. 
Riba has been described as a loan with the condition that the borrower will return to the lender more than and better than the quantity borrowed. 

As muslims, our main concern when it comes to financial transactions is to avoid Riba in any of its forms, despite the fact that the basic foundation of the world economics and finance today is that of riba and dealing in usury.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has foretold us of a time when the spread of riba would be so overwhelming that it would be extremely difficult for the muslim to avoid it. This situation calls for muslims to be extra cautious before deciding on what money payment of financial methods to use in any personal or business transaction. 

To make sure that we are safe from Riba, we have to learn which transactions lead to it. 

Interest in Pre-Islamic Times 

HafizIbn hajr writes in his commentary of Sahih Bukhari (Fathul Bari), Vol. IV p.264: 

Imam Malik reports on the authority of Zaid Ibn Aslam that in the period of ignorance (pre-Islamic times) interest was charged according to the following scheme. One person had a right to the property of another person. It may have been a general right because of the amount lent or the price of something purchased or in any other form. A time was set when the claim would be settled. When the appointed time arrived the creditor would ask the debtor if he wanted to settle the claim or pay interest with an extension of time. If the claim was settled then there was no increase in the payment. Otherwise the debtor would increase the amount payable and the creditor would extend the period further. 

Textual Evidence 

Hadith – Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, No. 299; Narrated `Aun bin Abu Juhaifah, r.a. 
My father bought a slave who practised the profession of cupping, (My father broke the servants instruments of cupping). I asked my father why he had done so. He replied, “The Prophet forbade the acceptance of the price of a dog or blood, and also forbade the profession of tatooing, or getting tatooed and receiving or giving Riba (Usury), and cursed the picture makers.” 

Hadith – Sahih Bukhari, 2.468, Narrated Samura bin Jundab, r.a. 

He speaks of in a dream related to the Prophet (SAW) that there is a river of blood and a man was in it, and another man was standing at its bank with stones in front of him, facing the man standing in the river. Whenever the man in the river wanted to come out , the other one threw a stone in his mouth and caused him to retreat back into his original position. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was told that these people in this river of blood were people who dealt in Riba (usury). 

The Noble Qur’an – Al-Baqarah 275-281 

275. Those who eat Ribâ (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitân (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: “Trading is only like Ribâ (usury),” whereas Allâh has permitted trading and forbidden Ribâ (usury). So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Ribâ (usury) shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allâh (to judge); but whoever returns [to Ribâ (usury)], such are the dwellers of the Fire – they will abide therein. 

276. Allâh will destroy Ribâ (usury) and will give increase for Sadaqât (deeds of charity, alms, etc.) And Allâh likes not the disbelievers, sinners. 

277. Truly those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât, they will have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. 

278. O you who believe! Be afraid of Allâh and give up what remains (due to you) from Ribâ (usury) (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. 

279. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allâh and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums). 

280. And if the debtor is in a hard time (has no money), then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay, but if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know. 

281. And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allâh. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly. 

The Noble Qur’an – Al-Imran 3:130 

O you who believe! Eat not Ribâ (usury) doubled and multiplied, but fear Allâh that you may be successful. 

Hadith – Mishkat-ul-Masabih 

The following three ahaadeeth have been taken from Mishkat-ul-Masabih under the section of interest and the English translation has been taken from its English version written by Al Hajj Moulana Fazl Karim (218-227 vol.11) 

• Hazrat Jabir r.a. has reported that the Messenger of Allah cursed the devourer of usury, its payer, its scribe and its two witnesses. He also said that they were equal (in sin). 

• Hazrat Abu Hurairah r.a. reported that the Prophet said : A time will certainly come over the people when none will remain who will not devour usury. If he does not devour it, its vapour will overtake him. 
  [Ahmed,Abu Dawood,Nisai,Ibn Majah] 

• Hazrat Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu reported that the Messenger of Allah said: I came across some people in the night in which I was taken to the heavens. Their stomachs were like houses wherein there were serpents, which could be seen from the front of the stomachs. I asked :O Gabriel! Who are these people? He replied these are those who devoured usury. [Ahmed,Ibn Majah]

Hadith – ?? 
Hazrat Al-Khudri radiyallahu anhu reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Gold in exchange for gold, silver in exchange for silver, wheat in exchange for wheat, barley in exchange for barley, dates in exchange for dates, salt in exchange for salt is in the same category and (should be exchanged) hand to hand, so whoever adds or demands increase he has practiced usury. The giver and taker are the same. 

Conclusion 

Islam has encouraged men to earn their own provision and provide for their families. The condition is that the earning has to be according to the Shari’ah. These rules can be found under the heading of trade in the books of jurisprudence. Interest is amongst those conditions which all dealings must be free from. 

Imam Abu Hanifah has ruled that if the measurement system (volumetric or in compounds) is the same and the two items are in the same category, then they should be sold in the same amount and direct not in credit otherwise interest will be found. 

Imam Shaf’ee says that if the items are valuable and could be considered food then there is the chance of interest. 

Imam Malik says that if the items are valuable and are edible then interest is a subject. 

• Giving and taking interest is Islamically unlawful. 
• A person who takes interest does not gain anything in reality but through the explanation of the Qur’ân verse. In reality the money through Ribâ just goes to waste and the person does not even realize it, and a person who gives money in the path of Allah, in whatever form it may be, actually gains although in reality it may seem as though he is losing out. 
• Every person should take all necessary precautions in their financial and social dealings. If a person neglects in keeping a watchful eye on financial dealings, this negligence will slowly spread to other aspects of religion, having a very detrimental effect. 
• Interest is hazardous and should be abstained from in all manners. If anybody has a case they wish to solve then they should contact a knowledgeable person in this deen of Islam and present their problem as well as in all cases every individual should continue to seek Allah’s forgiveness and guidance. 
• In order to own a credit card and avoid paying Ribâ, you must make payment on purchases before the statement comes in, i.e. send the credit card company the check for payment as soon as you make the purchase. If you are too tempted and unable to purchase things without immediately paying for them (and thereby will be charged interest), don’t use them or don’t even have them. Fear your Lord! 
• As a reminder to us all, Allah (SWT) has told us in the Qur’ân [2:279] if we don’t give up interest ,we must take notice of a war from Allah!