April Fool March 31, 2007
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April Fool !!
A dishonest Tradition
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by Shawana A Aziz
As-Sunnah Islamic Newsletter
1st April – a day when people lie, play jokes and mock in the name of entertainment. This ugly practice of lying, which is considered to be merely a humor, is known to have caused great harm to many. Even trauma and deaths. Still this dishonest tradition is not only practiced among the common masses, but also newspapers and magazines participate in it by publishing false news and untrue stories on the first day of April!
Much is said about the origin of this practice, however what concerns the most to the Muslims is that it is a tradition which directly contradicts the teachings and morals of Islam.
Lying is a characteristic of hypocrisy and Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) strictly forbade lying at all times. He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “Let he who truly believes in Allah and the Last Day speak good or be silent.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee] Moreover, he (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) has specifically cursed the person who lies to make people laugh, he said: “Woe be on one who speaks and lies in order to make people laugh, woe be on him.” [Abu Dawood]
The above Ahaadeeth show the gravity of participating in the false tradition of April Fool, which the Western tradition appreciates and encourages claiming that it brings joy and amusement, whereas the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) forbade lying and deceiving even if the intention of the person is to amuse people.
Abd al-Rahman Ibn Abi Laylaa said: “The companions of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) told us that they were traveling with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam). A man among them fell asleep and some of them went and took his arrows. When the man woke up, he got alarmed (because his arrows were missing) and the people laughed. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “What are you laughing at?” They said, “Nothing, except that we took the arrows and he got alarmed.” The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim.” [Abu Dawood (5004) and Musnad Ahmad. Authenticated by Shaikh al-Albanee in Saheeh al-Jamee (7658)]
He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) described the severe punishments for the liars and said: “I saw (in a dream), two men came to me. They said, ‘The person, the one whose cheek you saw being torn away (from the mouth to the ear) was a liar and used to tell lies and the people would report those lies on his authority till they spread all over the world. So he will be punished like that till the Day of Resurrection. ‘” [Saheeh al-Bukharee (vol. 8, no: 118)]
May Allah protect us from indulging ourselves in such dishonest activities and may He give us the strength to withstand such practices when they tend to infect our Muslim Society. Ameen!
More About Mawlid March 30, 2007
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Ruling on celebrating the birthday of the Prophet
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Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions. The commands mentioned in the Qur’aan and Sunnah to follow the laws of Allaah and His Messenger, and the prohibitions on introducing innovations into the religion are quite clear. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’aan and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31] “Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur’aan and Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah), and follow not any Awliyaa’ (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship with Allaah), besides Him (Allaah). Little do you remember!” [al-A’raaf 7:3] “And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path” [al-A’naam 6:153] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The most truthful of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; Muslim, no. 1718). According to a version narrated by Muslim, “Whoever doe anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.” Among the reprehensible innovations that people have invented is the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the month of Rabee’ al-Awwal. They celebrate this occasion in various ways: Some of them simply make it an occasion to gather and read the story of the Mawlid, then they present speeches and qaseedahs (odes) for this occasion. Some of them make food and sweets etc., and offer them to the people present. Some of them hold these celebrations in the mosques, and some of them hold them in their houses. Some people do not limit themselves to the actions mentioned above; they include in these gatherings haraam and reprehensible things, such as free mixing of men and women, dancing and singing, or committing actions of shirk such as seeking the help of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), calling upon him, seeking his support against their enemies and so on. Whatever form it takes and whatever the intentions of those who do this are, there is no doubt whatsoever that it is an invented, haraam innovation which was introduced by the Shi’a Faatimids after the three best centuries, in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. The first person to do this after them was the king al-Muzaffar Abu Sa’eed Kawkaboori, the king of Irbil, at the end of the sixth century or the beginning of the seventh century AH, as was mentioned by the historians such as Ibn Khalkaan and others. Abu Shaamah said: the first person to do that in Mosul was Shaykh ‘Umar ibn Muhammad al-Malaa, one of the well-known righteous people. Then the ruler of Irbil and others followed his example. Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah (13/137), in his biography of Abu Sa’eed Kazkaboori: “He used to observe the Mawlid in Rabee’ al-Awwal and hold a huge celebration on that occasion… some of those who were present at the feast of al-Muzaffar on some occasions of the Mawlid said that he used to offer in the feast five thousand grilled heads of sheep, ten thousand chickens and one hundred thousand large dishes, and thirty trays of sweets… he would let the Sufis sing from Zuhr until Fajr, and he himself would dance with them.” Ibn Khalkaan said in Wafiyaat al-A’yaan (3/274): “When it is the first of Safar they decorate those domes with various kinds of fancy adornments, and in every dome there sits a group of singers and a group of puppeteers and players of musical instruments, and they do not leave any one of those domes without setting up a group (of performers) there. The people give up work during this period, and they do no work except going around and watching the entertainment. When there are two days to go until the Mawlid, they bring out a large number of camels, cows and sheep, more than can be described, and they accompany them with all the drums, songs and musical instruments that they have, until they bring them to the square… On the night of the Mawlid there are performances of nasheed after Maghrib in the citadel.” This is the origin of this celebration on the occasion of the Prophet’s birthday. More recently idle entertainment, extravagance, and wasting of money and time have become associated with an innovation for which Allaah has not sent down any authority. What Muslims should do is to revive the Sunnah and put an end to bid’ah (innovation); they should not do any action until they know the ruling of Allaah concerning it. Ruling on celebrating the Prophet’s birthday Celebrating the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is forbidden and is to be rejected for a number of reasons: 1 – it is not part of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or of the khaleefahs who succeeded him. Since this is the case, then it is a forbidden innovation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs after me; adhere to it and cling to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-invented thing is an innovation (bid’ah) and every innovation is a going-astray.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi no. 2676). Celebrating the Mawlid is an innovation introduced by the Shi’a Faatimids after the three best centuries in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. If a person does anything in order to draw closer to Allaah which was not done by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or enjoined by him, and was not done by the khaleefahs who succeeded him, this action implies that he is accusing the Messenger of not explaining the religion to the people, and that he disbelieves in the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “This day, I have perfected your religion for you” [al-Maa'idah 5:3] because he is adding something extra and claiming that it is a part of the religion, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not bring this. 2 – Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is an imitation of the Christians, because they celebrate the birth of the Messiah (peace be upon him). Imitating them is extremely haraam. The hadeeth tells us that it is forbidden to imitate the kuffaar, and we are commanded to differ from them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them” (narrated by Ahmad, 2/50; Abu Dawood, 4/314). And he said, “Be different from the mushrikeen” (narrated by Muslim, 1/222, no. 259) – especially with regard to things that are the symbols or rituals of their religion. 3 – Besides being bid’ah and an imitation of the Christians, both of which are haraam, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is also a means that leads to exaggeration and excess in venerating him, which even goes as far as calling upon him (making du’aa’ to him) and seeking his help, instead of calling upon Allaah, as happens now among many of those who observe the bid’ah of the Mawlid, when they call upon the Messenger instead of Allaah, and ask him for support, and sing qaseedahs (odes) of shirk praising him, like Qaseedat al-Burdah etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade going to extremes in praising him, as he said: “Do not extol as the Christians extolled the son of Maryam. For I am just His slave, so say, the slave of Allaah and His Messenger” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/142, no. 3445; al-Fath, 6/551), i.e., do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the Messiah and venerated him until they worshipped him instead of Allaah. Allaah forbade them to do that when he said (interpretation of the meaning): “O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allaah aught but the truth. The Messiah ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allaah and His Word, (“Be!” — and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rooh) created by Him” [al-Nisaa’ 4:171] Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to exaggerate concerning him lest the same thing happen to us as happened to them, so he said: “Beware of exaggeration, for those who came before you were destroyed because of exaggeration” (narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 5/268; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa’i, no. 2863). 4 – Observing the innovation of the Prophet’s birthday opens the door to other kinds of bid’ah and being distracted by them from the Sunnah. Hence you find that the innovators are very active when it comes to bid’ah and very lazy when it comes to the Sunnah; they hate it and regard those who follow it as enemies, until their entire religion is innovated anniversaries and Mawlids. They have split into various groups, each of which commemorates the anniversary of its imaam’s birth, such as the births of al-Badawi, Ibn ‘Arabi, al-Dasooqi and al-Shaadhili. No sooner do they end the celebration of one birthday but they start the celebration of another. This results in exaggeration concerning these dead people and others, and in calling upon them instead of Allaah, believing that they can bring benefit and cause harm, until they deviate from the religion of Allaah and go back to the religion of the people of the Jaahiliyyah of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And they worship besides Allaah things that harm them not, nor profit them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allaah’” [Yoonus 10:18] “And those who take Awliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): ‘We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allaah’” [al-Zumar 39:3] Discussing the specious arguments of those who celebrate the Mawlid Those who think that this bid’ah should be continued produce specious arguments which are flimsier than a spider’s web. These specious arguments may be dealt with as follows: 1 – Their claim that this is veneration of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): The response to that is that the way to venerate him is to obey him, do as he commanded and avoid that which he forbade, and to love him; he is not to be venerated through innovations, myths and sins. Celebrating his birthday is of this blameworthy type because it is a sin. The people who venerated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the most were the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), as ‘Urwah ibn Mas’ood said to Quraysh: “O people, by Allaah I have visited kings. I went to Caesar, Chosroes and the Negus, but by Allaah I never saw a king whose companions venerated him as much as the companions of Muhammad venerated Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). By Allaah, whenever he spat it never fell on the ground, it fell into into the hand of one his companions, then they wiped their faces and skins with it. If he instructed them to do something, they would hasten to do as he commanded. When he did wudoo’, they would almost fight over his water. When he spoke they would lower their voices in his presence; and they did not stare at him out of respect for him.” (al-Bukhaari, 3/178, no. 2731, 2732; al-Fath, 5/388). Yet despite this level of veneration, they never took the day of his birth as an ‘Eid (festival). If that had been prescribed in Islam they would not have neglected to do that. 2 – Using as evidence the fact that many people in many countries do this. The response to that is that evidence consists of that which is proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and what is proven from the Prophet is that innovations are forbidden in general, and this is an innovation. What people do, if it goes against the evidence (daleel), does not prove anything, even if many of them do it. “And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allaah’s path” [al-An’aam 6:116 – interpretation of the meaning] Nevertheless, in every age, praise be to Allaah, there have always been those who denounce this bid’ah and state clearly that it is false. Those who persist in following it after the truth had been explained to them have no proof. Among those who denounced the celebration of this occasion was Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, in Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem; Imaam al-Shaatibi in al-‘I’tisaam; Ibn al-Haaj in al-Madkhil; Shaykh Taaj al-Deen ‘Ali ibn ‘Umar al-Lakhami who wrote an entire book denouncing it; Shaykh Muhammad Basheer al-Sahsawaani al-Hindi in his book Siyaanah al-Insaan; al-Sayyid Muhammad Rasheed Ridaa wrote a separate essay on this topic; Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal al-Shaykh wrote a separate essay on it; Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz; and others who are still writing and denouncing this bid’ah every year in the pages of newspapers and magazines, at the time when this bid’ah is being done. 3 – They say that by celebrating the Mawlid they are keeping the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) alive. The answer to that is that the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is constantly kept alive by the Muslim, such as when his name (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is mentioned in the adhaan and iqaamah and in khutbahs, and every time the Muslim recites the Shahaadatayn after doing wudoo’ and in the prayers, and every time he sends blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his prayers and when he is mentioned, and every time the Muslim does a waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (recommended) action that was prescribed by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). In all of these ways (the Muslim) remembers him and the reward equivalent to the reward of the one who does that action goes back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Thus the Muslim constantly keeps the memory of the Messenger alive and has a connection with him night and day throughout his life through that which Allaah has prescribed, not only on the day of the Mawlid and things which are bid’ah and go against the Sunnah, for that puts one at a distance from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Messenger will disown him because of that. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has no need of this innovated celebration, because Allaah has already bestowed veneration and respect upon him, as He says: “and raised high your fame” [al-Sharh 94:4] For Allaah is not mentioned in the adhaan, iqaamah or khutbah, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is mentioned after Him; this is sufficient veneration, love and renewal of his memory, ad sufficient encouragement to follow him. Allaah did not refer to the birth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the Qur’aan, rather He referred to his Mission, and says (interpretation of the meaning): “Indeed, Allaah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:124] “He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves” [al-Jumu’ah 64:2] 4 – They may say that the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday was introduced by a knowledgeable and just king who intended thereby to draw closer to Allaah. Our response to that is that bid’ah is not acceptable, no matter who does it. A good intention does not justify a bad deed and even if a person died as a knowledgeable and righteous person, this does not mean that he was infallible. 5 – They say that celebrating the mawlid comes under the heading of bid’ah hasanah (“good innovation”) because it is based on giving thanks to Allaah for the Prophet! Our response to that is that there is nothing good in innovation. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355). And he said, “Every innovation is a going astray” (narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi, no. 2676). The ruling on innovations is that they are all misguidance, but this specious argument suggests that not every bid’ah is a going astray, rather there are good innovations. Al-Haafiz ibn Rajab said in Sharh al-Arba’een: “The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘every innovation is a going astray’ is a concise but comprehensive comment which includes everything; it is one of the most important principles of religion. It is like his words ‘Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.’ (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3/167, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355). Whoever innovates anything and attributes it to Islam when it has no basis in the religion, this is a going astray and is nothing to do with Islam, whether that has to do with matters of belief (‘aqeedah) or outward and inward words and deeds.” (Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hakam, p. 233) These people have no proof that there is any such thing as a “good innovation” apart from the words of ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) concerning Taraaweeh prayers, “What a good innovation this is.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 2/252, no. 2010 mu’allaqan; al-Fath 4/294). They also said that things were innovated which were not denounced by the salaf, such as compiling the Qur’aan into one volume and writing and compiling the hadeeth. The response to that is that these matters had a basis in Islam, so they were not newly-invented. ‘Umar said: “What a good bid’ah” meaning innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar’i sense. Whatever has a basis in Islam, if it is described as an innovation, is an innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar’i sense, because innovation in the shar’i sense means that which has no basis in Islam. Compiling the Qur’aan into one book has a basis in Islam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had commanded that the Qur’aan be written down, but it was scattered, so the Sahaabah compiled it in one volume so as so protect and preserve it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led his companions in praying Taraaweeh for a while, then he stopped doing that, lest that become obligatory on them. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) continued to pray it separately during the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and after his death, until ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with them) gathered them behind one imaam as they used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This was not an innovation introduced into the religion. Writing down the hadeeth also has a basis in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that some ahaadeeth should be written down for some of his companions when they asked him for that. In general terms writing it down during his lifetime was not allowed, for fear that the Qur’aan might be mixed with things that were not part of it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died, this fear was no longer a factor, because the Qur’aan had been completed and arranged in order before he died. The Muslims compiled the Sunnah after that in order to preserve it and keep it from being lost. May Allaah reward them with good on behalf of Islam and the Muslims, because they preserved the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from being lost or being tampered with. We may also say to them: why was this act of thanksgiving, as they call it, not done by the best generations, the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and followers of the Taabi’een, who loved the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) most and who were most keen to do good and give thanks? Are those who introduced the innovation of the Mawlid more rightly-guided than them? Do they give more thanks to Allaah? Definitely not! 6 – They may say that celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is indicative of their love for him; this is one way of showing that, and showing love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is prescribed in Islam! The answer to that is that undoubtedly loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is obligatory for every Muslim; he should love him more than he loves himself, his child, his father and all the people – may my father and mother be sacrificed for him – but that does not mean that we should introduce innovations for doing so that have not been prescribed for us. Loving him dictates that we should obey him and follow him, for that is one of the greatest manifestations of love, as it is said: “If your love is sincere then obey him; for the lover obeys the one whom he loves.” Loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) implies keeping his Sunnah alive, adhering firmly to it, and avoiding words and deeds that go against it. Undoubtedly everything that goes against his Sunnah is a reprehensible innovation (bid’ah) and a manifest act of disobedience. That includes celebrating his birthday and other kinds of bid’ah. A good intention does not mean that it is permissible to introduce innovations into the religion. Islam is based on two things, purity of intention and following [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)]. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Yes, but whoever submits his face (himself) to Allaah (i.e. follows Allaah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin (a doer of good) then his reward is with his Lord (Allaah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve” [al-Baqarah 2:112] Submitting one’s face to Allaah means being sincere towards Allaah, and doing good means following the Messenger and implementing the Sunnah. 7 – Another of their specious arguments is when they say that by celebrating the Mawlid and reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on this occasion, they are encouraging people to follow his example! We say to them that reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and following his example are required of the Muslim all the time, all year long and throughout his life. Singling out a specific day for that with no evidence for doing so is an innovation, and every innovation is a going astray.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/164; al-Tirmidhi, 2676). Bid’ah does not bear any fruit but evil and it leads to a person distancing himself from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). In conclusion, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whatever form it takes, is a reprehensible innovation. The Muslims should put a stop to this and other kinds of bid’ah, and occupy themselves with reviving and adhering to the Sunnah. They should not be deceived by those who promote and defend this bid’ah, for these types of people are more interested in keeping innovations alive than in reviving the Sunnah; they may not even care about the Sunnah at all. Whoever is like this, it is not permissible to imitate him or follow his example, even if the majority of people are like this. Rather we should follow the example of those who follow the path of the Sunnah, among the righteous salaf and their followers, even if they are few. Truth is not measured by the men who speak it, rather men are measured by the truth. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you lives (for a long time) will see many differences. I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs who come after me. Hold on to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented matters, for every innovation is a going astray.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi no. 2676). So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained to us in this hadeeth what we should do when there are differences of opinion, just as he explained that everything that goes against his Sunnah, be it words or deeds, is a bid’ah, and every bid’ah is a going astray. If we see that there is no basis for celebrating the birthday of the Prophet, whether in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or in the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs, then it is one of the newly-invented matters, one of the bid’ahs which lead people astray. This principle is what is implied by this hadeeth and is what is indicated by the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination” [al-Nisaa’ 4:59] Referring to Allaah means referring to His Book, and referring to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) means referring to his Sunnah after he has passed away. The Qur’aan and Sunnah are the reference point in cases of dispute. Where in the Qur’aan or Sunnah does it indicate that it is prescribed in Islam to celebrate the Prophet’s birthday? Whoever does that or thinks that it is good must repent to Allaah from this and from other kinds of bid’ah. This is the attitude of the Muslim who is seeking the truth. But whoever is too stubborn and arrogant after proof has been established, then his reckoning will be with his Lord. We ask Allaah to help us adhere to His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger until the Day when we will meet Him. May Allaah grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. Huqooq al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) bayna al-Ijlaal wa’l-Ikhlaal, p. 139
Shaykh Dr. Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan
Member of the Committee of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia.
Source-www.islamqa.com
Live as though today is all that you have March 29, 2007
Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.1 comment so far
When you wake up in the morning, do not expect to see the evening
– live as though today is all that you have. Yesterday has
passed with its good and evil, while tomorrow has not yet
arrived. Your life span is but one day, as if you were born in it
and will die at the end of it. With this attitude, you will not
be caught between an obsession over the past, with all its
anxieties, and the hopes of the future, with all its uncertainty.
Live for today: During this day you should pray with a wakeful
heart, recite the Qur’an with understanding, and remember
Allah with sincerity. In this day you should be balanced in your
affairs, satisfied with your allotted portion, concerned with
your appearance and health.
Organize the hours of this day, so that you make years out of
minutes and months out of seconds. Seek forgiveness from your
Lord, remember Him, prepare for the final parting from this
world, and live today happily and at peace. Be content with your
sustenance, your wife, your children, your work, your house and
your station in life.
So hold that which I have given you and be of the grateful
(Qur’an 7:144)
Live today free from sorrow, bother, anger, jealousy, and malice.
You must engrave onto your heart one phrase: Today is my only day. If you have eaten warm, fresh bread today, then what do
yesterday’s dry, rotten bread and tomorrow’s anticipated
bread matter?
If you are truthful with yourself and have a firm, solid resolve,
you will undoubtedly convince yourself of the following: Today is
my last day to live. When you achieve this attitude, you will
profit from every moment of your day, by developing your
personality, expanding your abilities, and purifying your deeds.
Then you say to yourself:
Today I shall be refined in my speech and will utter neither evil
speech nor obscenity. Also, I shall not backbite.
Today I shall organize my house and office….
Today I will strive to be obedient to my Lord, pray in the best
manner possible, do more voluntary acts of righteousness, recite
the Qur’an, and read beneficial books. I will plant goodness
into my heart and extract from it the roots of evil – such as
pride, jealousy, and hypocrisy.
Today I will help others – to visit the sick, to attend a
funeral, to guide the one who is lost, and to feed the hungry. I
will stand side by side with the oppressed and the weak. I will
pay respect to the scholar, be merciful to the young, and
reverent to the old.
O’ past that has departed and is gone, I will not cry over
you. You will not see me remembering you, not even for a moment,
because you have traveled away from me never to return.
O’ future, you are in the realm of the unseen, so I will not
be obsessed by your dreams. I will not be preoccupied about what
is to come because tomorrow is nothing and has not yet been
created.
‘Today is my only day’ is one of the most important
statements in the dictionary of happiness, for those who desire
to live life in its fullest splendor and brilliance.
Taken from the book, ‘Don’t be Sad’ by Aaidh ibn
Abdullah al-Qarni, International Islamic Publishing House pg
31-33.
Milad Un Nabee March 14, 2007
Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.3 comments
The so called milab un nabi is ’round the corner,people celebrate this with pomp and many other things,while doing this,what they forget is it is a simple innovation of which there is no authentic proof.The following articles are a compilation regarding Milad Un Nabi.
Is Milad Right? by Mufti Ebrahim Desai
The Prophets Method’s Of Correcting People’s Mistakes March 14, 2007
Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.add a comment
It’s Unfortunate to know that young muslims(the practicing ones) knowing everything have forgotten to find out how to correct people’s mistakes the prophet’s way.I’ve always denounced shirk and every other innovating activity but when the people who know what’s right,themselves don’t know how to correct people it is a shame.These young guns claim to follow the Quar’an and Hadees and nothing else,then whats wrong with the way they correct people?The following article is an excerpt from a book.
Al-Asaaleeb al-Nabawiyyah
The Prophet’s Methods for Correcting People’s Mistakes
Book by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Contents
Points to be noted when dealing with mistakes
The Prophet’s methods of dealing with people’s mistakes
- The more serious a mistake is, the more effort should be made to correct it.
Efforts to correct mistakes that have to do with ‘aqeedah should be greater than those to correct mistakes that have to do with etiquette, for example. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was intensely concerned about dealing with and correcting mistakes that had to do with shirk in all its forms, because this was the most important matter. Examples of this follow:
Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah said: “There was an eclipse of the sun on the day that [the Prophet’s infant son] Ibraaheem died, and the people said, ‘This eclipse is because of the death of Ibraaheem.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allaah, they do not become eclipsed for the death or life of anyone. If you see them (eclipsed) then call on Allaah and pray to Him until the eclipse is over.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, 1061).
Abu Waaqid al-Laythi reported that when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out to Hunayn, he passed by a tree belonging to the mushrikeen that was called Dhaat Anwaat, on which they used to hang their weapons. They said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, make for us a Dhaat Anwaat like they have.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Subhaan-Allaah! This is like what the people of Moosa said, “Make for us a god as they have gods.” By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you will follow the ways of the people who came before you.’” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2180. He said, This is a saheeh hasan hadeeth).
According to another report narrated by Abu Waaqid, they went out from Makkah with the Messenger of Allaah to Hunayn. He said: “The kuffaar had a lotus-tree to which they were devoted and on which they used to hang their weapons; it was called Dhaat Anwaat. We passed by a big, green lotus-tree, and we said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, make this a Dhaat Anwat for us.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you have said what the people of Moosa said to him, “Make for us a god as they have gods,” and he said, “Verily, you are a people who know not.” It is the same thing, and you will follow the ways of the people who came before you, step by step.’” (Reported by Ahmad, al-Sunan, 5/218).
Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led us in Subh (Fajr) prayer at al-Hudaybiyah just after it had rained in the night. When he finished, he turned to the people and said, ‘Do you know what your Lord says?” They said, ‘Allaah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘This morning one of My slaves became a believer in Me, and one a disbeliever. As for the one who said, we have been given rain by the Grace and Mercy of Allaah, he is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars; and as for him who said, we have been given rain by such-and-such a star, he is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 846).
Ibn ‘Abbaas reported that a man said, “O Messenger of Allaah, whatever Allaah and you will.” He said, “Are you making me equal to Allaah? [Say instead:] What Allaah alone wills.” (Reported by Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/283).
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) reported that he caught up with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab who was with a group of people and was swearing by his father. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called them and told them that Allaah had forbidden them to swear by their forefathers; the one who wanted to swear an oath should swear by Allaah or else keep quiet. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, 6108)
Note: Imaam Ahmad reported in his Musnad: Wakee’ told us that al-A’mash told us from Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaydah who said: “I was with Ibn ‘Umar in a circle and he heard a man in another circle saying, ‘No, by my father.’ So Ibn ‘Umar threw pebbles at him and said, ‘This is how ‘Umar used to swear, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade him to do this and said that it was shirk.’” (al-Fath al-Rabbaani, 14/164).
Abu Shurayh Haani’ ibn Yazeed said: “A delegation of people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he heard them calling one of them Abd al-Hajar (“slave of the stone”). He asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘ ‘Abd al-Hajar.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘No, you are ‘Abd-Allaah (slave of Allaah).’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, no. 813. Al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Adab al-Mufrad that it is saheeh, no. 623).
- Taking into account the position of the person who is striving to correct the mistake
Some people’s advice may be more readily accepted than others’ because they have a status that others do not, or because, unlike others, they have authority over the person who has made the mistake, for example, a father with his child or a teacher with his student or a government official with the one whom he is inspecting. One who is older is not like one who is younger, a relative is not like a stranger, a person with authority is not like one with no authority. Understanding these differences will make the reformer put things into perspective and evaluate them properly, so that his rebuke or correction will not lead to a greater evil. The position of the one who is rebuking and the esteem in which he is held by the one who has made the mistake are very important in judging how strong the rebuke should be and deciding how harsh or gentle the tone should be. From this we learn two things:
Firstly, that the person to whom Allaah has given status or authority should use that to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and to teach people. He should understand that he has a great responsibility because people will accept more from him than from other people – usually – so he can do more than others can.
Secondly, the person who seeks to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil should not misjudge the situation and put himself in a higher position than is in fact the case and behave as if he has qualities that he does not have, because this will only put people off.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made the most of the position of respect that Allaah had given him when he was rebuking and teaching people. He did things that would not have been appropriate if they were done by anyone else, examples of which follow:
Ya’eesh ibn Tihfah al-Ghiffaari reported that his father said: “I was a guest of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), one of the poor to whom he played host. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out to check on his guests during the night, and saw me lying on my stomach. He kicked me and said, ‘Don’t lie like this; this is the kind of lying that Allaah hates.’” According to another report: “He kicked him and woke him up, and said, ‘This is how the people of Hell lie.’” (Reported by Ahmad, al-Fath al-Rabbaani, 14/244-245. Also reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2798, Shaakir edn.; by Abu Dawood in Kitaab al-Adab in his Sunan, no. 5040, al-Da’’aas edn. The hadeeth is also in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2270-2271).
This method of rebuking was appropriate for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) because of his position and status, but it is not appropriate for ordinary people. It is not alright for any person who wants to rebuke another for sleeping on his stomach to kick him whilst he is asleep and wake him up, and then expect him to accept this advice and thank him for it. The same applies to hitting a person who is making a mistake or throwing something like pebbles or whatever at him. Although some of the salaf did that, it was because of their particular status. Some stories of this nature follow:
Al-Daarimi (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported from Sulaymaan ibn Yassaar that a man called Sabeegh came to Madeenah and started to ask about the ambiguous texts of the Qur’aan. ‘Umar sent for him, and he had prepared some date palm branches for him (to hit him with). [‘Umar] asked him, “Who are you?’ He said, “I am the slave of Allaah, Sabeegh.” ‘Umar took hold of one of the palm branches and hit him, saying, “I am the slave of Allaah, ‘Umar.” He kept hitting him until his head began to bleed, and he said, “O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, enough! [The ideas that] were in my head have gone!” (Sunan al-Daarimi, ed. by ‘Abd-Allaah Haashim Yamaani, 1/51, no. 146).
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported that Ibn Abi Layla said: “Hudhayfah was in al-Madaa’in and asked for a drink, and a grandee gave him a vessel of silver. He threw it at him and said, ‘I would not have thrown it, but I told him not to do it and he didn’t stop. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us from wearing silk and brocade, and from drinking from vessels of gold and silver. He said, ‘These are for them in this world and for you in the Hereafter.’” (al-Fath, no. 5632).
According to a report narrated by Ahmad, describing the same incident, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abi Laylaa said: “I went out with Hudhayfah to one of these areas, and he asked for something to drink. A grandee brought him a vessel of silver and he (Hudhayfah) threw it in his face. We said, ‘Be quiet, be quiet, if we ask why he did it, he might not tell us.’ So we were quiet, and a little while later he said, ‘Do you know why I threw it in his face?’ We said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘I had told him not to do it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Do not drink from vessels of gold,” and Mu’aadh said, “Do not drink from vessels of gold or silver, and do not wear silk or brocade; these are for them in this world and for you in the Hereafter.”’” (al-Musnad, 5/396)
Al-Bukhaari narrated that Seereen asked Anas to write him a contract of manumission, as he had plenty of money, but Anas refused. Seereen went to ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), who told Anas to write the document, and Anas still refused, so ‘Umar hit him with a whip whilst reciting the words (interpretation of the meaning): “… give them [slaves seeking emancipation] such writing [of a document of manumission] , if you know that they are good and trustworthy…” [al-Noor 24:33], so he wrote the document for him. (Al-Fath, 5/184).
Al-Nisaa’i reported from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri that he was praying when a son of Marwaan came in front of him, so he checked him, and when he did not go back, he hit him. The boy went out crying, and went to Marwaan and told him what had happened. Marwaan asked Abu Sa’eed, “Why did you hit the son of your brother?” He said, “I did not hit him, I hit the Shaytaan. I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘If any one of you is praying and someone wants to pass in front of him, let him stop him as much as he can, and if he refuses then fight him, for he is a devil.’” (al-Mujtaba min Sunan al-Nisaa’i, 8/61; Saheeh Sunan al-Nisaa’i, no. 4518)
Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported from Abu’l-Nadr that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri was suffering from a sore leg, and his brother came in and saw him lying with one leg crossed over the other, so he hit him on the sore leg, making it hurt even more. He said, “You hurt my leg! Didn’t you know it is sore?” He said, “Of course I knew.” He said, “What made you do that?” He said, “Did you not hear that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to sit like this?” (al-Musnad, 3/42)
Maalik reported from Abu’l-Zubayr al-Makki that a man proposed marriage to another man’s sister, and he [the brother] told him that she had committed zinaa. News of this reached ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, so he hit him or nearly hit him, and said, “Why did you tell him?” (Muwatta’ Maalik, no. 1553, report of Abu Mus’ab al-Zuhri, ed. by Bashshaar Ma’roof and Mahmood Khaleel. Mu’sasat al-Risaalah) .
Muslim reported in his Saheeh from Abu Ishaaq who said: “I was with al-Aswad ibn Yazeed in the Great Mosque, and al-Sha’bi was with us. Al-Sha’bi told us about what Faatimah bint Qays had said about the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) not providing housing or an income for her. Al-Aswad took a handful of pebbles and threw them at him, saying, ‘Woe to you! You talk about something like this? ‘Umar said that we should not leave the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for the words of a woman who we cannot be sure has remembered things properly or not. Women have the right to accommodation and an income. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… and turn them not out of their homes, not shall they (themselves) leave, except in case they are guilty of some open illegal sexual intercourse…” [al-Talaaq 65:1].’” (Saheeh Muslim, no. 1480).
Abu Dawood reported, with an isnaad in which two men are maqbool, that two men entered from the doors of Kindah, when Abu Mas’ood al-Ansaari was sitting in a circle. The two men said, “Is there any man who will judge between us?” A man in the circle said, “I will.” Abu Mas’ood took a handful of pebbles and threw them at him, saying, “Shut up! It is disliked to hasten to judgement.” (Reported by Abu Dawood, Kitaab al-Aqdiyah, Bab fi talab al-qada’ wa al-tasarru’ ilayhi)
We should also note that the Prophet’s rebuking of some of his closest Companions was, on occasions, harsher than his rebuking of a bedouin, for example, or a stranger. All of this has to do with wisdom and proper evaluation in rebuking.
- Making a distinction between one who errs out of ignorance and one who errs despite his knowledge
One of the stories that illustrate this clearly is what happened to Mu’aawiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Salami when he came to Madeenah from the desert, and he did not know that it is forbidden to speak during the salaah. He said: “Whilst I was praying behind the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), a man sneezed, so I said ‘Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you).’ The people glared at me, so I said, ‘May my mother lose me! What is wrong with you that you are looking at me?’ They began to slap their thighs with their hands, and when I saw that they were indicating that I should be quiet, I stopped talking (i.e., I nearly wanted to answer them back, but I controlled myself and kept quiet). When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished praying – may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, I have never seen a better teacher than him before or since – he did not rebuke me or hit me or put me to shame. He just said, ‘This prayer should contain nothing of the speech of men; it is only tasbeeh and takbeer and recitation of the Qur’aan.’” (Saheeh Muslim, ‘Abd al-Baaqi edn., no. 537).
The ignorant person needs to be taught; the one who has doubts needs to have things explained to him; the negligent person needs to be reminded; and the one who wilfully persists in error needs to be warned. It is not right to treat one who knows about a ruling and one who is ignorant of it in the same manner when rebuking them. Treating one who does not know too harshly will only put him off and make him refuse to follow your advice, unlike teaching him with wisdom and gentleness, because an ignorant person simply does not realize that he is making a mistake. It is as if he is saying to the one who is rebuking him: “Why don’t you teach me before you launch an attack on me?”
The one who is making a mistake without realizing it may think that he is right, so we should take this into account and deal with him tactfully. Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported in al-Musnad from al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ate some food, then got up to pray. He had already done wudoo’ before that, but I brought some water for him to do wudoo’, He rebuffed me and said, ‘Go away!’ I felt upset, by Allaah. He prayed, and I complained to ‘Umar about what had happened. He said, ‘O Prophet of Allaah, al-Mugheerah feels hurt by your rebuff, and he is worried that you may be angry with him for some reason.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘I see only good in him, but he brought me water to do wudoo’ after I had eaten some food, and if I had done wudoo’ then, the people would have followed suit [i.e., they would have thought that they had to do wudoo’ every time they had eaten something].’” (al-Musnad, 4/253)
We should note here that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pointed out the mistakes of these great Sahaabah, it did not have a negative impact on them or put them off; rather, it had a positive effect on them, and having been corrected in this manner by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), they would remain anxious and worried, watching their behaviour and feeling concerned until they could be sure that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was pleased with them.
We may also note from this story that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pointed out al-Mugheerah’ s mistake, he was not angry with al-Mugheerah himself; he did this out of mercy to the people and to explain things clearly to them, so that they would not impose something on themselves that was not waajib and that would cause them a great deal of hardship.
- Making a distinction between mistakes stemming from an honest effort to find out what is right (ijtihaad), and mistakes done deliberately, out of negligence or because of shortcomings
There is no doubt that in the first case, a person is not to be blamed; indeed he will earn one reward even if he is mistaken, so long as his intention was sincere and he tried to reach the right conclusion, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a ruler judges and strives to make the right decision, and his decision is correct, he will have two rewards, and if his decision is wrong, he will still have one reward.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 1326, Shaakir edn. Abu ‘Eesa al-Tirmidhi said it is a ghareeb hasan hadeeth in this version. )
This is a different case from one who errs deliberately or because of shortcomings. In the first instance, the person should be taught and advised; in the second, he should be warned and rebuked.
The ijtihaad which may be excused should be done on the part of one who is qualified, not one who gives fatwas without knowledge and without taking circumstances into account. This is why the Prophet severely denounced the people who made the mistake in the case of the man with the head wound. Abu Dawood narrated in his Sunan from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “We went out on a journey, and one of the men with us was struck in the head with a stone and started bleeding. Then he slept and when he woke up he needed to do ghusl (he was in state of janaabah or impurity). He asked his companions, ‘Do you think I could get away with doing tayammum?’ They said, ‘We don’t think you have any excuse because water is available.’ So he did ghusl, and he died. When we came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he was told about this, he said, ‘They have killed him, may Allaah kill them! Why did they not ask if they did not know? The cure of the one who does not know is to ask…’” (Sunan Abi Dawood, Kitaab al-Tahaarah, Baab al-majrooh yatayammam; al-Albaani classed it as hasan in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 325, and indicated that the extra material added at the end of the hadeeth is da’eef)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that judges are of three types, one will be in Paradise and the other two in Hell. The type that will be in Paradise is a man who knows the truth and judges accordingly. A man who knows the truth but judges unjustly will be in Hell, and a man who judges between people without proper knowledge will also be in Hell. (Sunan Abi Dawood, no. 3573; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 2164). The third type is not regarded as having any excuse.
Another factor in gauging the degree of rebuking is paying attention to the environment in which the mistake occurred, such as whether it was an environment in which the Sunnah is followed or bid’ah is widespread, or how prevalent evil is, or whether there are ignorant or overly lenient people, whose opinions are widely followed, issuing fatwas to say that it is permissible.
- A good intention on the part of the one who makes the mistake does not mean that he should not be rebuked
‘Amr ibn Yahya said: “I heard my father narrating from his father who said: ‘We were at the door of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood before the early morning prayer. When he came out we walked with him to the mosque. Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari came up to us and said, “Did Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan come out to you yet?” We said, “No.” He sat down with us until [Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan] came out. When he came out, we all stood up to greet him, and Abu Moosa said to him: “O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, earlier I saw in the mosque something that I have never seen before, but it seems good, al-hamdu Lillaah.” He said, “And what was it?” He said, “if you live, you will see it. I saw people in the mosque sitting in circles waiting for the prayer. In every circle there was a man, and they had pebbles in their hands. He would say, ‘Say Allaahu akbar one hundred times,’ and they would say Allaahu akbar one hundred times; then he would say, ‘Say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah one hundred times,’ and they would say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah one hundred times; then he would say, ‘Say Subhaan Allaah one hundred times,’ and they would say Subhaan Allaah one hundred times.’ He asked, ‘What did you say to them?’ He said, ‘I did not say anything to them; I was waiting to see what your opinion would be and what you would tell me to do.’ He said, ‘Why did you not tell them to count their bad deeds and guarantee them that nothing of their good deeds would be wasted?’ Then he left, and we went with him, until he reached one of those circles. He stood over them and said, ‘What is this I see you doing?’ They said, ‘O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, these are pebbles we are using to count our takbeer, tahleel and tasbeeh.’ He said, ‘Count your bad deeds, and I guarantee that nothing of your good deeds will be wasted. Woe to you, O ummah of Muhammad, how quickly you are getting destroyed! The Companions of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are still alive, his garment is not yet worn out and his vessels are not yet broken. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, either you are following a way that is more guided than that of Muhammad or you have opened the door of misguidance!’ They said, ‘By Allaah, O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, we only wanted to do good.’ He said, ‘How many of those who wanted to do good failed to achieve it! The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that people recite Qur’aan and it does not go any further than their throats. By Allaah, I do not know, maybe most of them are people like you.’ Then he turned away from them. ‘Amr ibn Salamah said, ‘I saw most of the members of those circles fighting alongside the Khawaarij on the day of Nahrawaan.’” (Reported by al-Daarimi, al-Sunan, no. 210, ed. by ‘Abd-Allaah Haashim al-Yamaani. Al-Albaani classed its isnaad as saheeh in al-Silsilat al-Saheehah under hadeeth no. 2005. See Majma’ al-Zawaa’id by al-Haythami, 1/181).
- Being fair and not being biased when correcting those who make mistakes
Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
“And whenever you give your word (i.e., judge between men or give evidence), say the truth…” [al-An’aam 6:152]
“… and when you judge between men, you [should] judge with justice…” [al-Nisa’ 4:58]
The Meaning of Nafs March 13, 2007
Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.1 comment so far
by Muhammad ‘Afifi al-’Akiti ©
In the Name of God, Most Compassionate and Merciful
Praise be Allah, Who has adorned the aspect of man by granting him good stature and proportion,
Safeguarding him from increase and decline in his aspect and measurements,
We ask for His forgiveness and guidance,
We seek refuge from the evils, which are in ourselves and the wicked in our actions,
And may the blessings and salutations be invoked upon Muhammad, His Prophet .
To proceed:
“As for whoever exceeded the limits and preferred the life of this world, surely his abode will be the Fire; and as for whoever feared to stand before his Lord and restrained the desires of his self, surely his abode will be the Garden.” (Sura 79:39-40)
Ibn Kathir says:
“The Mu’min are a people who have been prevented through the Qur’an from indulging in the pleasures of this world; it comes between them and what might destroy them. The Mu’min is like a prisoner in this world, who tries to free himself from its shackles and chains, placing his trust in nothing in it, until the day he meets his Creator. He knows full well that he is accountable for everything that he hears, sees and says, and for everything that he does with his body.”
(Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, vol. 9 pg. 276, Cairo 1352)
There are two kinds of people, one are those whose Nafs have overcome them and led them to ruin because they yielded to them and obeyed their impulses. The other kinds are those who have overcome their Nafs and made them obey their commands.
Nafs (pl. Anfus or Nufus) lexically means soul, the psyche, the ego, self, life, person, heart or mind. (Mu’jam, Kassis)
Although some scholars have classified the Nafs up to 7 stages, there is agreement among Ulama’ that in the Qur’an, Allah (s.w.t.) has described at least 3 main types of the Nafs. And these are in rank from the worse to better: Nafs al-Ammara Bissu’ (the Nafs that urges evil), Nafs al-Lawwama (the Nafs that Blames) and Nafs al-Mutma`inna (the Nafs at Peace).
(Chapter 12 v. 53 in the Tafsir of al-Tabari: Jami’ al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, 30 vols., Bulaq 1323 & also in Imam Baghawi’s Tafsir: Lubab al-Ta’wil fi Ma’alam at-Tanzil, 8 vols. Cairo, 1308)
A summary of these states of the Nafs are given by Imam Tabari in his Tafsir of Surah Yusuf verse 53:
1. Nafs al-Ammara Bissu’ (The Soul which Commands):
This is the Nafs that brings punishment itself. By its very nature it directs its owner towards every wrong action. No one can get rid of its evil without the help from Allah. As Allah refers to this Nafs in the story of the wife of al-Aziz (Zulaikha) and Prophet Yusuf (s):
“The (human) soul is certainly prone to evil” (12:53).
Allah also says:
“And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure; but Allah purifies whomever He wishes, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.” (24:21)
This Nafs resides in the world of the senses and is dominated by earthly desires (Shahwat) and passions….
Evil lies hidden in the Nafs and it is this that leads it on to do wrong. If Allah were to leave the servant alone with his self, the servant would be destroyed between its evil and the evil that it craves; but if Allah grants him success and help, then he will survive. We seek refuge in Allah the Almighty, both from the evil in ourselves and from the evil of our actions.
2. Nafs al-Lawwama (the Soul that Blames):
Allah refers to this Nafs,
“And I do call to witness the Nafs that blames” (75:2).
This Nafs is conscious of its own imperfections.
Hasan al-Basri said, “You always see the believer blaming himself and saying things like ‘Did I want this? Why did I do that? Was this better than that?”….
3. Nafs al-Mutma`inna (the Soul at Peace):
Allah refers to this Nafs,
“O Self, in complete rest and satisfaction! “ (89:27).
This Nafs is tranquil as it rests on the certitude of Allah.
Ibn Abbas (r) said, “It is the tranquil and believing soul”.
Al-Qatadah (r) said, “It is the soul of the believer, made calm by what Allah has promised. Its owner is at rest and content with his knowledge of Allah’s Names and Attributes, and with what He has said about Himself and His Messenger , and with what He has said about what awaits the soul after death: about the departure of the soul, the life in the Barzakh, and the events of the Day of Qiyamah which will follow. So much so that a believer such as this can almost see them with his own eyes. So he submits to the will of Allah and surrenders to Him contentedly, never dissatisfied or complaining, and with his faith never wavering. He does not rejoice at his gains, nor do his afflictions make him despair – for he knows that they were decreed long before they happened to him, even before he was created….”….
(Al-Tabari: Jami’ al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, vol. 13, Bulaq 1323)
Imam Baghawi says,
“The Nafs al-Mutma`inna has an angel to help it, who assists and guides it. The angel casts good into the Nafs so that it desires what is good and is aware of the excellence of good actions. The angel also keeps the self away from wrong action and shows it the ugliness of bad deeds. All in all, whatever is for Allah and by him, always comes from the Soul which is at Peace.
The Nafs al-Ammara Bissu’ has Shaytan as its ally. He promises it great rewards and gains, but casts falsehood into it. He invites it and entices the soul to do evil. He leads it on with hope after hope and presents falsehood to the soul in a form that it will accept and admire.”
Ibn al-Qayyim also mentioned the states of Nafs:
“The Nafs is a single entity, although its state may change: from the Nafs al-Ammara, to the Nafs al-Lawwama, to the Nafs al-Mutma`inna, which is the final aim of perfection….
It has been said that the Nafs al-Lawwama is the one, which cannot rest in any one state. It often changes, remembers and forgets, submits and evades, loves and hates, rejoices and become sad, accepts and rejects, obeys and rebels.
Nafs al-Lawwama is also the Nafs of the believer….It has also been mentioned that the Nafs blames itself on the Day of Qiyamah – for every one blames himself for his actions, either his bad deeds, if he was one who had many wrong actions, or for his shortcomings, if he was one who did good deeds. All of this is accurate.
(Madarij as-Salikin fi Manazili Iyyaka Na’budu wa Iyyaka Nasta’in, vol. 1 pg. 308)
Sa’id Hawwa says regarding these Nafs:
“Depending upon its condition, the Nafs exist in multidimensional. When the Nafs is tranquil because of obeying Allah, and the soul opposes its desires, this soul is known as Nafs al-Mutma`inna. Regarding this, Allah has spoken about it in the Qur’an (89:27-28). But if the soul does not attain peace with itself, rather being exposed to desires, then such soul is known as the Nafs al-Lawwama because this soul reproaches its owner due to the owner’s carelessness in fulfilling out Allah’s wishes – Qur’an (75:2). More so, if the soul submits to lusts and allows itself to be seduced by Shaytan, such a soul is known as Nafs al-Ammara Bissu’. Allah tells the story about the wife of al-Aziz (Zulaikha) in Qur’an (12:53).
(Tarbiyatun nar Ruhiyah, pg. 32, Cairo: Dar al- Salam, 1408)
There is a famous Arabic saying:
“O soul..Watch out! Help me with your striving,
in the darkness of the nights;
so that on the Day of Qiyamah,
you will win a good life on those heights.”
May this be of benefit.
And the last of our prayers,
“Glory to your Lord, the Lord of Honour & Power! He is better from what they ascribe to Him! Peace be upon the Messengers! Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (37:180-182)
Muhammad ‘Afifi al-’Akiti
Key points that people who consider intercession shirk bring up March 13, 2007
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1) Verses in the Quran which speak of Allah 
as the only intercessor
Response: There are also a number of verses which indicate Allah grants intercession to others by His Permission.
- 2:255: “Who should intercede with Him, except by His permission?”
- 10:3: “There is no intercessor save after His permission.”
- 19:87: “They will have no power of intercession, save him who has made a covenant with his Lord.”
- 43:86: “And those unto whom they cry instead of Him possess no power of intercession, except him who beareth witness unto the truth knowingly.”
There is also no contradiction in these verses from the ones anti-intercessors quote. Because the meaning behind the verses the opponents quote is that Allah is the primary granter of benefit from all dua’s, whether they are from yourself or from another on your behalf.
2) The people you are asking intercession from are just human beings
Well, actually, we are asking intercession from human beings, but the benefit is coming from Allah . In Sahih Bukahri it is related:
Volume 2, Book 17, Number 123:
Narrated Anas:
Whenever drought threatened them, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, used to ask Al-Abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say, “O Allah ! We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah ! Bless us with rain.”(1) And so it would rain.
Since Allah is the one granting the benefit, there is nothing wrong in seeking a means as Umar (R) did. In fact, it is a commendable way to be like Umar (R), a great sahabi.
This is the scholarly understanding of the verse:
BismillahirRahmanir Raheem (translation) :
“Seek the means to Allah ” (5:35)
3) Everyone sins, so you can’t trust anyone to be worthy of asking anything
Response: We are told to keep the company of the righteous, should we be second guessing that command since everyone is a sinner? No. Asking someone for a dua, even if they are a ‘regular person’, is permitted and a commendable practice.
We are told to value those who have done even more for Islam and have Allah ’s favour for their good deeds, even if they are sinners, because they have reached a higher level than us.
Their sin may be that they did or said something which didn’t bring in a millionth person into Islam through their hands, and our sin is that we couldn’t keep our basic obligations.
Allah said in a Hadith Qudsi:
“When I (Allah ) love him I (Allah ) become the ears by which he hears, the eyes by which he sees, and the hands by which he grasps, and the feet with which he walks. When he asks Me I bestow upon him and when he seeks my protection, I protect him.”‘
Are people who reach this level like ‘everyone else’? Sure in some way they are not free from sin, but they are also quite a few light-years ahead of most of us.
4) It is risky, since that is what the Christians did
Response: It is not risky.
It was not risky for Umar (R) and its not risky for us. We eat meat and other religions eat meat, should we stop eating meat because they have gone astray with their practice of slaughter? No, we have our instructions how to fulfill it properly, and that is all that is necessary.
So, what other communities did is irrelevant, as they didn’t have the boundaries of the Shariat and the Aqida of Tauheed. With those combined there is no way we can go astray.
5) Ok fine, but.. asking the dead for dua is wrong. They are dead and cant hear!
Response:
Quranic Ayat:
And do not speak of those who are slain in Allah ’s way as dead; nay, (they are) alive, but you do not perceive. ” [Al-Quran - 2:154]
It seems that those who die living for Islam and dying for it are far beyond ‘dead’, they are in fact alive, and we just don’t percieve it. Since that is the case, we can continue, at least, using them as a means for tawassul because they are in fact alive while appearing dead.
And secondly, Allah is the granter of benefit, not the person who is supposedly dead, so its irrelevant.
Showing value to holy and righteous ones is something Allah enjoined upon us in a number of ways, since Allah is watching all, and the granter of all benefit and duas, then we should have no problem showing that respect to the supposed ‘dead’ as well.
6) Why not just go direct, its so much simpler and safer?
Response:
Its not safer to go direct, although it is certainly important to do that as well. Why didn’t Umar (R) go direct when asking for rain when they really needed it in extreme drought conditions? When it was a matter of life and death he used intercession.
It is safer to realize your worth and realize the worth of people who are better than us. That is one way we realize the weakness of ourselves and it is also one way how Allah makes us better people.
Going direct is an important way to benefit yourself and build a relationship with your Lord, but it is also egotistical if it means abandoning the understanding of the righteous and saintly people that exist out there. It puts you on the pedastal of those who have done a lot more work for Islam than you. Your ego is telling you are the same as them, don’t be fooled.
That is why both approaches, indirect and direct, have to be taken together to create a balance.
In Islam we know that medicine does not truly cure us, it is simply a means to Allah ’s causing a cure within us. So just as we do not abandon medicine, we cannot abandon this important technique of attaining Allah ’s favor.
Saftey Tips For Muslim Women March 13, 2007
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As Muslims and their institutions become targets of harassment in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack, Muslim women, in the western countries especially those who dress Islamically , have become major targets. Reports of Muslim women being yelled at, threatened, having their Hijabs pulled off and having guns pointed at them have surfaced. It is necessary that the whole community rallies to defend Muslim women. But sisters also have to take personal precautions when they go outside. Like it or not, they must do it for their own safety.
Useful Tips
Here are some safety tips for sisters:
1. Always be aware of your surroundings – This applies whether you are travelling alone or in groups. Don’t just focus inwardly on your thoughts if you are alone, or your friends if you are together. Keep one eye out for your environment, looking out for suspicious characters, possible danger, etc. Also, don’t assume that because your area has been “safe” thus far, that it will continue to be so.
2. Travel in groups – “There is safety in numbers” is not just a cliché. It’s true. Make a point of travelling together with other sisters, whether it’s on public transportation, on campus, in cars, etc.
3. Change the route you normally travel by.
If you’ve taken the same bus, train or highway to get to work or school, change your route. Even if it takes you a little longer, your safety is more important. By changing your route, you can avert possible attacks or harassment from those who know your schedule, method and route of travel well. Please note though that you should avoid short cuts that take you through unfamiliar or unsafe areas.
4. When travelling by public transportation choose the right seat;
If you are travelling by bus or train, do not sit on the window seat as you may be “blocked in” by a potential assailant. Always select the seat next to the aisle so that you can quickly leave if necessary. If you are taking public transportation alone after peak hours, sit as close to the driver as possible and/or choose the section of the bus/train that is most crowded. Try to get a seat near the exit as well.
5. If you are driving alone
Don’t think that if you are in a car, you’re safe. Windows should be up and doors locked even when driving to avoid unwanted passengers at intersections. When you are walking to your car, always have your keys ready, so that you can quickly get into your car. But don’t just get in right away. Always check your car before entering, especially the back, for any intruders.
6. Never leave your car door unlocked Never leave your car door unlocked Even if it means for one minute to drop something off in the mailbox that’s a few feet away. Attackers have been known to lie in wait for such an opportunity.
7. Be careful in parking lots: Always be alert in parking lots, especially when it’s dark. Ask someone to escort you to your car. Between cars and inside cars, it’s easy for someone to hide and wait until someone who’s not alert comes along.
8.check the identification of taxi driver:
If you are travelling by taxi, always check the identification of the driver (usually located near the visor) and ensure that it matches the driver. Once inside, don’t sit behind the driver as it may be easy for the driver to lock the rear passenger door. Always choose the adjacent seat. In addition, avoid flagging taxis. Always order taxis so the driver can be traced if something happens.
9. Note “safe houses” along your route – Mentally note houses at intervals on each route you take that can be used as “safe houses” if you are attacked, such as shops or houses that you know to be occupied by a friend or acquaintance.
10. When you make a call from a phone booth – After dialling the number you wish to call always turn around so that you have your back to the phone and may see who or what is coming your way. You will then be able to tell the person to whom you are speaking that you may be in trouble and you may be able to use the weight of the phone as a weapon. The door of a telephone box could be used to wedge in the limbs of the attacker.
11. Do not open the door of your home without checking: Do not open the door to your home without first checking from a window, peephole or by asking and verifying who it is. Instruct children to do the same.
12. Report any suspicious activity around your home :If you see people loitering on the streets near your house, call the police on a non emergency number and report it.
13. Invest in a cell phone :This is an invaluable safety device. Keep it with you at all times and keep emergency numbers on it. Also, keep it next to your bed before you go to bed at night.
14. Parking tips: Avoid parking in areas that are not well lit. Where possible, park close to a school or work entrance or in a parking garage that has an attendant. If you see a suspicious person approaching or hanging around near your parked car, turn around and go back to an area where there are other people. Try to get an escort to your car through the campus or job security or local police.
15. Tell others about your whereabouts: Parents, spouses and friends should know where you are going and when you will be back, so that your absence will be noticed. Arrange a call in system with a friend if you live alone, whereby you call when you arrive home.
16. Trust your instincts: If you are walking somewhere and feel strange or scared, don’t ignore this feeling. Take extra precautions by walking a little faster to get to a more populated or well-lit area or change the route you’ve been driving on.
17.Change your route: If you think you are being followed, change your route and activity. You can cross the street, change directions, or enter a populated building or store. Do whatever is necessary to avoid being alone with the person who is following you. Inform a police officer or security official about the follower.
18. Attract attention if you are in a dangerous situation: Get others’ to pay attention to what’s happening to you if you are under attack or being harassed. You can alert others by honking a car horn or loudly describing what is happening.
19. NEVER admit that you are alone: If someone calls your home and asks if you are alone, NEVER admit it. Ask who the caller is. If they refuse to identify themselves, calmly hang up. Keep the radio on in the house so that callers will get the impression that others are in the home too. Instruct children to do the same when they pick up the phone.
20. Obscene phone calls: If you receive an obscene call or a crank call, do not talk to the caller. Hang up if the caller doesn’t say anything, or as soon as s/he shouts obscenities. Hang up the phone calmly and do not slam it down. Note down the date and time of the calls. If they are persistent, inform local police.
21. If you are a student: Avoid studying in isolated classrooms in parts of the college campus that are not regularly patrolled by the school’s security officers.
22. In large buildings take the elevator, not the stairwell: Stairwells are usually quiet and dark. Most people take the elevator. But if someone creepy gets on, don’t hesitate to get off at the same time. Or, if someone is already on the elevator who you feel strange about, do not get on and wait for the next elevator.
ALLAH SWT’S PROMISE TO PROTECT US …….
These are some safety tips that Muslim Women especially living in the western countries should adopt. But never ever forget that Allah Almighty Is The Only Protector And Guider If He Is With Us We Have No Fears As He Almighty Says In Al-Quran:
There, the (only) protection comes from Allah, the True One. He is the Best to reward, and the Best to give success. [Holy Quran 18:44]
JAZAK ALLAH KHAIR
Valentines Day March 13, 2007
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Bismillah hir Rehman nir Rahim
Assalamu Alaikum Warehmutallah
Dear Muslim,
Hope this email find you in the best of imaan, health & peace of mind Insha Allaah.
Today I composed this email on “Valentine`s Day”. I selected one article & One Khutbah so it became very long, but it worth reading. Insha Allaah.
I wish & pray reading this email guide young Muslims & save them from all kinds of traps of Shaytaan. Ameen! Ya Rabbil Aalameen.
Fi Amaan Allaah
Muhammad Salman Faheem
This composition includes:
Facts & Figures on Valentines Day
The Mindless Dating Game: Happiness or Heartbreak
Valentine’s Day Its Reality & Ruling by Mustafaa Aitiem
You Should also read the following:
Falling in Love: Allowed in Islam?
Islam’s Stance on Love and Marriage
Ruling on Celebrating Valentine’s Day by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-`Uthaymeen
Celebrating Valentine’s Day by Sheikh Saalih al-Munajjid
Ruling on Imitation of Disbelievers by Saalih bin Fawzaan al-Fawzaan
The Obligation of differing from the Disbelievers by Saalih bin Fawzaan al-Fawzaan
Celebrating or Participating in Holidays of the Disbelievers by Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo
The Islamic Ruling on Participating in non-Muslim Religious Celebrations by Sheikh Saalih al-Munajjid
Facts & Figures on Valentine’s Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saint Valentine’s Day or Valentine’s Day falls on February 14. It is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other; sending Valentine’s cards, candy, or donations to charities, often anonymously.
It is very common to present flowers on Valentine’s Day. The holiday is named after two men, both Christian martyrs named Valentine.
The day became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of “valentines” .
Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.
The association estimates that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
In the United States , the marketing of Valentine’s Day has tagged it as a “Hallmark holiday“.
|
Official name |
St Valentine’s Day |
|
Observed by |
Western and Western-influenced cultures |
|
Type |
cultural, multinational |
|
Significance |
Lovers express their feelings to each other |
|
Date |
|
|
Observances |
Sending greeting cards and gifts, dating. |
|
Related to |
The Night of Sevens, a Chinese holiday that also relates to love. |
Reference: http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Valentines_ Day
The Mindless Dating Game: Happiness or Heartbreak?
Reprinted from As-Sahwah.com
The article below deals with one of the major problems faced by the Muslim Youth today, in particular, those raised in the west. The author gives us an insight into the harsh reality of these “love relationships” that the western culture teaches our youth, coating them with sweet pictures of two hearts loving each other on first sight, and after little ups and downs, finally end up marrying each other and have a happy ending. Where as the reality is indeed far away from it as the sister brilliantly demonstrates.
Many unmarried people these days search for “love” in a series of premarital relationships, which far from yielding happiness, lead to nothing but spiritual degeneration, loss of self-respect, heartache and misery.
When the average girl reaches the age of ten or eleven, she – sometimes with the knowledge of her parents, sometimes without their knowledge – becomes engrossed in and obsessed with the teen romance novel: a blonde, blue-eyed girl, with a perfect size 10 figure, falls in love with the football hero of the school, a few complications on the way (nothing major, of course), but things end happily ever after. In these novels, girl and boy might hold hands, or there might even be a kiss, thrown in somewhere along the line.
By the time the impressionable reader of these novels reaches her teens, she is sick of these story lines… and is searching for more. And is most cases, “more” is usually available right there in her home, tucked away at the bottom of her mother’s cupboard, in the form of adult romance novels.
The holding hands, and the kissing has now made way for much more, as details of pre-marital passion, and the fulfilment thereof are graphically spelt out on these pages. The reader is told what the “perfect body” is supposed to look like, the notion that sexual intercourse before marriage is sweet and romantic seeps through these pages… the feelings of degradation, and the many possible consequences thereof are conveniently left out.
A fairy tale is a fairy tale, we tell ourselves, a book is a book…they have no implications on real life. Surely our daughters understand and accept this…
But we are deluding ourselves. These same “harmless” fairytales and books, have a detrimental effect on the thinking, lifestyles and attitudes of our children. The first “crush”/infatuation our daughters experience in relation to members of the opposite sex, is often linked to false perceptions about “dating,” perceptions to which a wide variety of factors contribute. And one of the main factors painting a sugar and candy image of pre-marital romances, are these shallow bits of reading material that our daughters are exposed to.
It is no strange co-incidence that girls grow up believing that a boyfriend is the key to happiness…after all they have barely started walking, when the stories of the poor ill-treated Cinderella, saved only by a dashing prince, and the beautiful Snow White woken up by a prince, and the doomed Rapunzel, saved from the tower by a dashing hero, are told to them.
When they read romance novels, this theory is further reinforced – for, in the classic teen romance novel, the girl without a boyfriend, or “sweet sixteen and never been kissed” is the poor laughing stock who doesn’t have a date to the prom.
And on the pages of a typical adult romance novel, the heroine is always a successful, beautiful career woman, but, she feels, that “something” is lacking in her life… and that “something” is naturally a man.
It is improbable that the average teenager, would just read these books, and that there would be no impact on her mind. It is usually exactly the opposite: she wishes she was the person on the pages of the book, and transfers her fantasies to her real life. She might see someone at school, who is popular, and good-looking [i.e. the football hero], and so begins her first painful crush, which is accompanied of course, by sending him anonymous ‘Valentine’s Day’ cards, or calling him and playing songs over the phone. Shaitaan has set his trap, and the temptation to sin heightens, and each time the temptation is given in to, the girl becomes more daring. By the time the boy asks her out, her nafs has gotten the better of her, and her head is so filled with the notions of how sweet holding hands before that first kiss must be, she cannot resist.
And so begins a “relationship.” But this has all the ingredients that a classic romance novel does not….for those candy-coated pages do not tell you about the heartbreak, the tears, the mood swings and the countless negative aspects that are the central to these relationships. Nor do not tell you about the degradation and the loss of self-respect with which people, especially women, emerge after these relationships.
For there is no peace, no tranquillity in such relationships. The daily cycle, the moods, everything about the individual is affected. There is a certain sort of darkness, a restlessness which fills the heart, and this restlessness affects the rest of the family too. For it is now that all the arguments with the parents start: “Why can’t I go out tonight? All my friends are going!”
And there are the mood swings and the fluctuating eating habits. If the phone doesn’t ring, then it’s a case of “I don’t feel like eating.” Then there is dishonesty.. . unable to tell her parents where she really wants to go, she makes the excuse of having to go to the library to study for tomorrow’s test.
The ending of each relationship is most often marked by a long periods of torture, in which the girl has to “get over” the boy. Everyday life becomes a misery…her marks drop, daily moods start to depend on the current state of her relationship with the boy and many girls, totally misled by Shaitaan, even make dua for a “reconciliation.” During this period the girl is ravaged by guilt, because deep down in her heart, she is aware that what she has done is haraam, and she also feels guilty about lying to her parents. If there was a physical aspect to her relationship, then these feelings of guilt are deeply accentuated and coupled with a total loss of self-respect.
In the worst possible scenario, which frequently happens, the girl, in an effort to improve her “self image,” may turn to various other habits such as smoking, clubbing, drinking and drugs, or she may embark on a series of flings just to make herself feel “special” again.
In short, the “relationships” so sweetly portrayed in romance novels, which speak only of chocolates, flowers and happiness, end right there: on the pages of the novel. In real life, such relationships lead to nothing but unhappiness and heartache. For how can there be any real happiness in a “love” inspired by Shaitaan? This type of “love,” far from being pure and sacred, falls into the category of fornication.
Regarding fornication, Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Qur’aan:
“The woman and man guilty of adultery of fornication, flog each of them with a hundred stripes: let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: And let a party of the Believers witness their punishment.” [Surah An-Nur: 2]
How can there be any long term happiness in a sin for which the punishment prescribed is so severe?
However, while keeping in mind the above injunction, we should also not despair of the Mercy of Allah Ta’ala… for we cannot even comprehend the vastness of Allah’s Mercy.
We need to realise and to tell ourselves that there is only temporary satisfaction of the nafs in a pre-marital relationship, and we need to terminate any such relationship which we might be involved in, and sincerely make taubah (repentance) to Allah. As difficult as it might be to end such relationships, once we realise and acknowledge to ourselves that the novels to which we are exposed to from such an early age are totally based on a kafir (disbelieving) way of life, which appears to be very appealing from the outside, but which bears no contentment and no real happiness, it will Insha’Allah, be easy to do so.
In addition to painting a rosy picture of dating, these books also create a very wrong concept of what the ideal partner should be like. It is obvious that since they are kafir publications, there is no stress on piety, good akhlaaq, honesty and all the other qualities people should be searching for in a potential marriage partner. Instead these books promote superficial thinking, with all their emphasis on good looks, perfect 10 figures, star football players, flashy cars, etc.
Parents should closely monitor the reading material which their children bring home and should teach their children about the beauty of nikaah (marriage). We should realise, that while it is natural to be embarrassed to discuss such aspects of Islam with them, it is infinitely better for them that we impart the correct knowledge of an Islamic way of life to them, than to allow them to acquire the totally wrong concept of love from books, television, movies, and their friends and environment.
It should be explained to each teenager that the pre-marital relationships, the engagements, etc to which we attach such a great deal of importance in this world have nothing but a negative bearing on our lives in the aakhirah (hereafter). It should be time and time again instilled into their minds that pre-marital relationships are a sin, while nikaah is an ibaadah (worship).
Allah Ta’ala has created men and women with natural desires, and He has created nikaah as an institution in which these desires maybe fulfilled. A nikaah in which both, husband and wife are striving to fulfill their obligations to Allah Ta’ala, such a nikaah will be filled with the mutual respect, love and inevitably, the contentment, which we hopelessly search for in pre-marital relationships. Within the sacred context of a nikaah, in which both parties are obedient to Allah Ta’ala, and adhere to His Commandments, there can be no room for the loss of respect, feelings of degradation, etc. which goes hand-in-hand with “going out” with or “dating” someone.
We should always bear in mind that should we die in the company of a boyfriend or a girlfriend or even a fiancé, we will be leaving this world having spent our last few moments of this life in the company of a non-Mahram, and perhaps in the commission of a sin against Allah and against ourselves.
Source: http://www.zawaj. com/articles/ dating_game. html
Valentine’s Day – Its Reality & Ruling
Khutbah by Mustafaa Aitiem
Summary
1) The perfection and completion of the religion of Islaam.
2) The merits of Islaam.
3) The plots of the Jews and Christians against the ummah.
4) The predicament of contemporary Muslims.
5) The reality of Valentine’s Day and the Islamic ruling regarding it.
6) Being loyal to the disbelievers and celebrating their religious holidays are forbidden in Islaam.
7) The misguided belief of the Christians.
The Islamic definition of love and the encouragement of it.
9) The enemies of Islam’s tactic of beautifying and decorating falsehood.
First Khutbah…..
O believers! Allaah blessed us with this great religion and guided us to the straight path; and it is more than sufficient for our requirements. Through this great religion, we receive contentment and guidance; from it we attain peace and security; and because of it love and harmony are spread. Allaah will grant might and honour to people in proportion to how much they adhere to this religion – and will humiliate people relative to how much of it they abandon and neglect.
The religion of Islaam is complete, so there is absolutely no need for invented opinions, innovated desires or man-made legislation. The blessings and favours that have been given to us by Islaam are all-inclusive and so we do not have any need for seasons and occasions to be invented so that we may celebrate them. Allaah says that which translates as: “This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islaam as a religion” (Al-Maa’idah: 3).
O believers! Our religion is supreme; it is the most perfect one. It combines the good of this life and the Hereafter; it addressed the soul and was not heedless of the body; it gave preference to the Hereafter but did not neglect our needs in this life. Allaah says that which translates as: “But seek, through that which Allaah has given you, the home of the Hereafter” (Al-Qasas: 77).
O believers! Our religion is a moderate religion that is neither negligent of any matter, nor does it exaggerate any issue beyond its rightful status. There is no monasticism in Islaam, nor blind-materialism, Allaah says that which translates as: “Thus We have made you a median (i.e. just) community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you” (Al-Baqarah: 143)
I ask you all, for Allaah’s sake; how is it that the believers can squander this position, which Allaah granted them and become humiliated while they still have the Qur’aan and the Sunnah to refer to?
Why would we be pleased with becoming mere followers after enjoying the position of leadership?
How can we go astray and become blind-imitators after being guides?
What possesses a person to become a slave who carries out orders, after being a master?
The answer to these questions lies in the saying of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam as narrated by Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri, may Allaah be pleased with him: “You will follow in the footsteps of those who came before you hand-span by hand-span and (the length of an) arm by arm, such that even if they enter into the dwelling place of a lizard you would still follow them” his companions asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, do you mean (by ‘those who came before you’) the Jews and the Christians?” he replied: “Who else?” (Bukhaari & Muslim).
O Muslims! It is no secret that the Jews and Christians conspire against the Muslim ummah in order to destroy their morals and principles. They spend their valuable time, sacrifice their wealth, lay out elaborate plans and fully utilise all their resources in order to accomplish this. I swear by Allaah they have hit their target and wounded us deeply. It is from the unwavering characteristics of Allaah that he who works hard gets results and he who sows, shall reap a harvest.
We are observing a new phenomenon recently that we never saw previously; we are seeing the different ways in which women are leaving their homes, uncovered and indecently dressed; we are witnessing people commit sins openly and unashamedly and even boast about them – and this is to say nothing of the trend of people casting doubts about the very fundamentals of Islaam.
If we go back in time to just thirteen years ago or so, we will remember that high values and good morals were prevalent in our communities. Shyness and chastity were the common held values and it was easier for a young man to carry a mountain on his back than to be seen walk along side a girl – and the consequences of being seen were even worse for the girl. If such people were to enter any neighbourhood, the people would remove them by force and if they were to be seen by others, they would be looked at as being beneath contempt. Now, look at the situation through which we presently live and the diabolical low that we have sunk to and learn a lesson from that.
So, once again, we have the army of disbelief attacking us, propagating the celebration of a holiday – and what a deceitful and treacherous holiday it is! A holiday which they have given a name other than its actual one in order to mislead people, they gave it a noble name to deceive the pure and the chaste.
They called it the ‘day of love’, while it is actually the day of immorality, prostitution and drinking. They spread immorality dressed in the garment of virtue and this is the age-old method that Satan uses. Allaah exposed this tactic in His Book when He says regarding the deception of Satan of our father Aadam and our mother Hawwaa’ that which translates to: “And he swore (by Allaah) to them both: ‘Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors” (Al-A’raaf: 21).
O Muslims! Beware of the deceiver who approaches you with an advising tongue, for he knows that if he were to openly state his intention, he would never attain his objectives. Allaah says that which translates to: “But they plan, and Allaah plans. And Allaah is the best of planners” (Al-Anfaal: 30).
The history behind this innovated, immoral and infidel holiday is not known by many, here is a brief overview:
It is claimed that pagan Greece used to celebrate on the fifteenth day of February every year which coincided with a spring holiday. At that time Christianity was new to the area. The emperor Claudius II forbade marriage for his soldiers.
Valentine, a Christian priest challenged this command and used to conduct secret marriage sermons. He was soon discovered and was sentenced to death. While in prison he fell in love with the daughter of a prison guard, but this was a secret since Christianity forbade priests to marry or have romantic relations with women, but since he remained steadfast on Christianity, the people overlooked his crime of falling in love.
The emperor offered to forgive him and make him one of his close companions and marry one of his daughters to him, on the condition that he gave up Christianity, but Valentine favoured Christianity and was executed on the fourteenth of February, 270 CE – the night before the celebration of the Greek spring holiday of the fifteenth of February.
Ever since then, it was called ‘Priest Valentine’s holiday’. After the spread of Christianity throughout Europe , February the fourteenth was re-named ‘Valentine’s Day’ in his memory because (they claim) he sacrificed himself for Christianity and fostered those in love.
That was the story behind this holiday. Unfortunately many young men and women were deceived by this, due to the weakness of their faith, ignorance of Islaam, heedlessness and the lack of guidance by the Muslim scholars and leaders. The ignorant youth were hoodwinked into celebrating this holiday.
Among the manifestations of this holiday are the giving of red roses, the wearing of red dresses, and exchanging special greetings, cards and gifts. This is a day where one is ‘supposed’ to remember their wives or lovers. This holiday is so ingrained in western culture that remembering this day and celebrating it has become a sign of ‘true and sincere love’ and it is not uncommon for one who forgets about this day to be thought of as ‘insincere’ and ‘untrue’ in his or her love!
Every Muslim must know that this holiday was invented by the disbelievers and it is therefore unlawful to celebrate it according to the religion of Islaam. There is no difference of opinion among the Muslim scholars regarding this. In fact, even if this holiday was invented by the Muslims it would still be unlawful to celebrate it.
‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “He who innovates something in our matter (i.e. the religion of Islaam), will have it rejected” (Bukhaari & Muslim)
Anas bin Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that when the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam came to Madeenah, he found people celebrating a two-day memorial which dated back to the time of Jaahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic era) he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Allaah Has replaced these for you with two better days; the day of ‘Eedul-Adh-haa (sacrifice) and the day of ‘Eedul-Fitr (following Ramadaan) (Ahmad, Nasaa’i & Abu Daawood).
Imaam Ibn Hajar said: “It was extracted from this Hadeeth that it is not permissible to even be happy on any day which is celebrated by the disbelievers, and it is not permissible to resemble them. Shaykh Abu Hafs An-Nisfi Sr. went as far as to say: ‘He who offers an egg as a gift to a disbeliever in glorification of their day of celebration becomes a disbeliever’”.
Slaves of Allaah! I say again that if this holiday was invented by the Muslims it would still be unlawful to celebrate it. How terrible and how much worse is it then, when the innovators of such celebrations are the misguided disbelievers? It is enough of a burden on our Muslim scholars that they have to exert their maximum efforts in fighting the innovations that the Muslims have perpetrated, without having to come up against those which the disbelievers are concocting. Fear Allaah, seek His pleasure and stay away from that which earns His wrath.
Second Khutbah…….
Allaah warned us from following the disbelievers or supporting them and commanded us to differ from them. He said that which translates to: “O you who have believed! Take not those who have taken your religion in ridicule and amusement among the ones who were given the Scripture before you nor the disbelievers as allies. And fear Allaah if you should (truly) be believers” (Al-Maa’idah: 57).
The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “He who resembles a group of people will be with them (in the Hereafter)” (Ahmad and others).
O Muslims! Know that holidays are from the rituals of religions and that he who believes in a religion will celebrate its holidays and not the holidays of other religions. Moreover, misguidance has many ways that lead to it, but the shortest of all of them is loyalty and love for the disbelievers. If there was anything that indicated loyalty and love for someone, it would be imitating them; and the surest sign of imitation of a people is to celebrate their holidays.
How can it be that a Muslim accepts for himself and his family the celebration of an immoral holiday innovated by disbelievers; Valentine’s Day, the claimed celebration of love?
How can he allow his family to celebrate the holiday of a Christian priest, Valentine, who was cursing Allaah day and night by saying: “He is one of three, He had a wife, He had begotten a son etc.”? Allaah is exalted far above what they attribute to Him.
Allaah says that which translates to: “And they say: ‘The Most Merciful (Allaah) has taken (for Himself) a son. You have done an atrocious thing. The heavens almost rupture therefrom and the earth splits open and the mountains collapse in devastation. That they attribute to the Most Merciful a son. And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a son. There is no one in the heavens and earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant. He has enumerated them and counted them a (full) counting. And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of resurrection alone.” (Mariam: 88-95).
Slaves of Allaah! Beware of being less concerned about Allaah than the heavens, the earth and the mountains are. Beware that inanimate objects become better than you are, which will be the case if you are not concerned about this atrocious fabrication that has been made by the liars and continue to celebrate this and others of their holidays.
Also, I ask you: what kind love is celebrated by these people who are the enemies of humanity and even the enemies of themselves?
How many villages have they demolished?
How many nations have they oppressed?
How much wealth of innocent people did they seize and looted?
How much destruction did have they caused?
They oppress people in the name of ‘human rights’ and kill people under the banner of ‘protection’.
How can one who manufactures weapons of mass destruction, then tries them out on the weakest people in the poorest countries, lecture anybody on love?
How is it that one who sheds innocent people’s blood and increased the numbers of orphans and widows be an authority on love?
As for the one who punishes the innocent simply because of others around them, due to a mere suspicion of their guilt, which is not even founded on any credible evidence, this person does not even know justice, let alone love!
How can anyone believe that those who disregard covenants, breach agreements, break promises and transgress all boundaries know anything about love?
Slaves of Allaah!
When did you know a wild beast to be tame?
Do snakes deliver anything but snakes?
O Muslims! No mater how much the misguided talk about love, their crimes expose the reality of their intentions. No mater how much they glorify love, we as Muslims have a worthier to claim it. In fact our religion is based on it; it is a pillar of belief, whereby no one is a believer unless he loves Allaah, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, Islaam and all its rulings. No one is a true believer unless he loves his family, wife, and friends. Nobody can claim to be a believer until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.
A Muslim loves all that is good and the people of good, he wishes good for everybody.
A Muslim loves his parents and does not disobey them, he shelters them and never shuns or abandons them, he cares for them and never deserts them or puts them in nursing homes as people do in the west, the home of immorality and disbelief.
A Muslim loves his children and provides for them; he treats them fairly and equally and is a source of guidance for them.
A Muslim loves his wife and respects her; he does not humiliate or embarrass her, he fulfils all her rights that she has upon him and he will never abuse her.
A Muslim loves his brothers and sincerely advises them; he does not expose and advertise their mistakes, he keeps ties with them, protects their honour and dignity and never backbites or slanders them.
A Muslim loves his sisters in faith and protects them; he respects them by lowering his gaze in front of them and would never be alone with one of them in a room.
If you were to ask western women about their lifestyles, you would hear stories of misery and humiliation, abuse and exploitation. No one has mercy on them, neither their husbands, nor their friends – not even their brothers or sons. If the western woman were not able to feed herself of secure her means of provisions, she would find herself to be viewed as completely useless and an unnecessary burden; her rights are rejected by oppressive and unjust rules. This is the situation of anyone who does not live by the Book of Allaah.
Beloved brothers! To us Muslims, love has a great meaning as Ibn Al-Qayyim said: ‘For love and with love the heavens and the earth where created, galaxies formed and every aim reached its objective. Love is in the nature of people; it helped people overcome their shortcomings; it brought people close to Allaah; through it people lived a joyful life, tasted the sweetness of belief and accepted Allaah as their Lord, Muhammad as His Messenger and Islaam as the only religion.
Our Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam set the very best example for love. ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, told of his lasting loyalty to Khadeejah, may Allaah be pleased with her, she said: “I was never jealous of any other wife of the Prophet as I was of Khadeejah, she died three years before the Prophet married me, but he would still mention her abundantly” and in another narration, “he used to slaughter animals and send the meat as gifts to some of her friends (after her death)” (Bukhaari & Muslim).
This is well-founded love that is reflected by actions.
Out of concern for the ummah, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam guided to that which establishes love between them and explained that it is the means by which they will attain Jannah, he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said as narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him: “You will not enter Jannah until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I guide to that which would make you love one another? Spread greetings (salaam) abundantly amongst yourselves” (Muslim).
The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam guided us to another way to establish love amongst ourselves, as Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated: “Exchange gifts, you would thereby attain love for one another” (Al-Bayhaqi and others) and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said, as narrated by Anas bin Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, and others that: “If a man feels love for his brother, then let him inform him of this” (Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi and others) there are many other Ahaadeeth which reflects his eagerness to spread love amongst the community as well as all the things that would lead to it. He would also warn against things that might weaken or obstruct it.
Some of the liars, the weak-hearted, the hypocrites and their arrogant and deceived followers evilly misuse this word (love) and attribute it to premarital love relationships, which are mostly experiences that are illusion-like and evaporate fast.
We are living in an era where values are upside down, facts are hidden and things are given other than their actual name.
Immorality, sinning and adultery are called love;
Decency, chastity and respect are called sicknesses;
Living a respectable married life is thought of as burdens and restrictions;
Killing innocent people and muggings are called Jihaad;
Real Jihaad for the sake of Allaah to propagate Islaam and support the Muslims is labelled as terrorism;
Enjoining good and forbidding evil has become known as aggression and intrusion into private affairs;
Traditions and worn out customs have become ‘culture’ and added to the religion of Islaam;
Those who adhere to Islaam and practice the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam are labelled as backward and old-fashioned;
Imitating disbelievers and resembling sinners is called known as progression and development;
Dancing, singing and impudence has become known as ‘art’.
All these are signs of the impending Hour.
Slaves of Allaah! Allaah says that which translates as: “Be not deceived by the (uninhibited) movement of the disbelievers throughout the land, (It is but) a small enjoyment; then their (final) refuge is Hell, and wretched is the resting place!” (Aal-‘Imraan: 196-197)
Do not be deceived by them and what they doing because this life is a temporary one and it is vanishing fast. Allaah says that which translates to: “But the Hereafter is better and more lasting” (Al-A’laa: 17) and also: “It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained (in the world) except for an afternoon or a morning thereof” (An-Naazi’aat: 46).
Beware of these holidays which have been invented by the disbelievers and warn people against them; Be proud of your religion; Be distinct from the misguided; Do not follow in their footsteps or be affected by their ideas; Ask Allaah to guide you and keep you steadfast.
O sisters in Islaam! Do not allow the uncertain to fool you; don’t allow the disbelievers to misguide you; be proud of your religion and your celebrations; preserve your identity; and do not resemble or imitate the disbelievers because it leads to destruction and Hell.
Concept Of Friendship In Islam March 13, 2007
Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.6 comments
Humans are social creatures by nature; they’re always in need of friends and companions. Most of our lives depend on interaction with others. Strong individuals are the core of a strong community, something that Muslims should always strive for.
We al know that Allah the Most High has brought us to life in order to test us. Thus we are here for a relatively short period of time and that we shall meet Allah one Day, so we need to use our present life for what is best for us in the hereafter. Once we know our purpose and our goal in life, we should seek ways to achieve them so as to benefit our own selves.
In an authentic Hadith, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:
“A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend.”
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) who has the most noble character and dealings with fellow humans gave us a very clear and simple message and advice in regard to friendship.
How should we choose our friends?
We should choose the friend that believes and abide by our religion (Islam) and gives great respect to what Allah and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has ordered us. And we should stay away from that who is not well mannered and gives no attention to what Islam is about or what pleases or displeases Allah, for he’ll surely affect us negatively. There is no good in the companion drowns us in sins and displeasing Allah.
The bases for the actions of those who follow the evil ways are corrupt; their actions are built upon misguidance and deviation. Their deeds are worthless to them as Allah said:
“And We will proceed to what they have done of deeds, so We shall render them to scattered floating dust.” Qur’an (25:23)
Their actions, even if we see them as righteous and noble are of no value to them, so how can they be useful to us?
Good friends are those who share their companions both happiness and sadness. If we share our feelings with the wrong-doers whose actions are worthless and based on corruption, then we are following the same ways and standards as they are, and we’ll end up being as corrupted as they are, and then we’re in a big trouble, how can we face Allah’s dissatisfaction and displeasure? !
Instead of making friends with the misguided ones we should befriend the righteous, yet treat the rest in a gracious and just manner. Staying at sufficient distance is necessary; yet treating everybody in a noble and kind manner is required.
In another Hadith, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:
“The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk, and the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows. So as for the seller of musk then either he will grant you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him.”
When choosing our friends we should ask ourselves first: Are they going to help us achieve the purpose for which we were brought to life? or will they take us away from it? Will they desire for us Allah’s pleasure or is that completely irrelevant to them and not their concern at all? Are they leading us to Paradise or to the Hell?
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“O you who believe! Take care of your own selves. If you follow the right guidance and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong no hurt can come to you from those who are in error. The return of you all is to Allah, then He will inform you about (all) that which you used to do.” Qur’an (5:105)
