jump to navigation

Hadiths Of The Fly (Bacteriophages)* November 12, 2008

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
1 comment so far
 Bacteriophages & Hadith about Fly & Cure.
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 4.537 Narrated byAbu Huraira
The Prophet said “If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease.”
Hadiths Of The Fly (Bacteriophages)*
By G. F. Haddad

Only in modern times was it discovered that the common fly carried parasitic pathogens for many diseases including malaria, typhoid fever, cholera, and others. It was also discovered that the fly carried parasitic bacteriophagic fungi capable of fighting the germs of all these diseases.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) alluded to both facts 1,400 years ago when he said, as narrated from Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri by Al-Bukhari and in the Sunan.

If a fly falls into one of your containers [of food or drink], immerse it completely before removing it, for under one of its wings there is venom and under another there is (its) antidote.

In a version from Abu Hurairah in Abu Dawud, Ahmad adds:

And it protects itself with the wing that carries the disease, so immerse it completely.

Ahmad and At-Tahawi add “Then remove it.”
A version with a sound chain in Ahmad states:
Sa`id ibn Khalid said: I went in to see Abu Salamah. He brought us some butter and date pastry. A fly fell into the dish. Abu Salamah began to submerge it with his finger. I said, “Uncle! What are you doing?” He said, “Truly, Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri told me that the Messenger of Allah said,‘In one of the fly’s two wings there is poison and in another, its antidote. If it falls into food, submerge it in it; for it sends the poison first and keeps the cure last.’”
Al-Bazzar in his Musnad and Ad-Diya’ Al-Maqdisi in Al-Ahadith Al-Mukhtarah (5:206) narrate from Thumamah ibn `Abdullah ibn Anas through trustworthy narrators according to Ibn Hajar in Fath Al-Bari(10:250) and Al-Qastallani in Irshad As-Sari (5:304):
Thumamah said: We were with Anas and a fly fell into a vessel. Anas motioned with his hand and immersed it three times then said “Bismillah” (in the name of Allah) and he said that truly, thus did the Messenger of Allah order them to do.
Shah Wali Allah Ad-Dahlawi mentioned in Hujjat Allah Al-Balighah that this hadith shows God-given knowledge of the many diseases a fly potentially carries as well as illustrates the Creator’s wisdom in giving every venomous species some immunity or antidotal protection to its own poison to ensure its survival.
Ibn Hajar wrote in his commentary on this hadith:
I found nothing to pinpoint the wing that carries the antidote but one of the scholars said he observed that the fly protects itself with its left wing so it can be deduced that the right one is the one with the antidote.
Ibn Hajar also cited Al-Jawzi’s remark that flies pounded with antimony (stibnite) benefit eyesight, but Al-`Ayni in `Umdat Al-Qari (7:304) cites Ibn Al-Baytar Al-Maliqi’s recipe as flies pounded with egg yolk.
Dr. Ghyath Hasan Al-Ahmad in his book At-Tibb An-Nabawi fi Daw’ Al-`Ilm Al-Hadith (Prophetic Medicine in the Light of Modern Science) (1995, 2:188-189) mentions that Dr. Nabih Da`ish ran an experiment at King `Abdul`Aziz University in Riyadh in which he created ten bacterial cultures from samples of sterilized fluid into which a fly fell without being immersed; ten more bacterial cultures from samples into which a fly fell and was immersed once; ten more from samples into which the fly was immersed twice; and ten more from samples into which the fly was immersed three times. The results showed that bacterial colonies thrived in the first set but were stunted and depleted in the second, more so in the third, and most in the fourth set.
It is established that house flies are carriers of dangerous pathogens of animals and humans. Even the critics of this hadith are forced to admit that no one at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew that flies carry such harmful organisms. Whence did he draw the observation that “under one of its wings there is venom”?
Further, there has long been evidence of bacterial pathogen-suppressing micro-organisms living in houseflies. An article in Vol. 43 of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Journal of Experimental Medicine(1927) p. 1037 stated:
The flies were given some of the cultured microbes for certain diseases. After some time the germs died and no trace was left of them while a germ-devouring substance formed in the flies bacteriophages. If a saline solution were to be obtained from these flies it would contain bacteriophages able to suppress four kinds of disease-inducing germs and to benefit immunity against four other kinds.
Cited in `Abd Allah Al-Qusami, Mushkilat Al-Ahadith Al-Nabawiyya wa-Bayanuha (p. 42).

More recently, a Colorado State University Web site on entomology states, “Gnotobiotic [=germ-free] insects (Greenberg et al, 1970) were used to provide evidence of the bacterial pathogen-suppressing ability of the microbiota of Musca domestica [houseflies]” and “most relationships between insects and their microbiota remain undefined. Studies with gnotobiotic locusts suggest that the microbiota confers previously unexpected benefits for the insect host.”

So then, flies are not only pathogenic carriers but also carry microbiota that can be beneficent. These fly microbiota are bacteriophagic or germ-eating. Bacteriophages attack viruses and bacteria. They can be selected and bred to kill specific organisms. The viruses infect a bacterium, replicate and fill the bacterial cell with new copies of the virus, and then break through the bacterium’s cell wall, causing it to burst. The existence of similar bacteria-killing mechanisms in two bacteriophages suggests that antibiotics for human infections might be designed on the basis of these cell wall-destroying proteins (Science 292, June 2001, p. 2326-2329).
Bacteriophagic medicine was available in the West before the 1940s but was discontinued when penicillin and other “miracle antibiotics” came out. Bacteriophages continued to flourish in Eastern Europe as an over-the-counter medicine. The “O1-phage” has been used for diagnosis of all Salmonella types while the prophylaxis of Shigella dysentery was conducted with the help of phages (Annales Immunologiae Hungaricae, No. 9, 1966, in German).

Phage Therapy Making a Comeback

First named in 1917 by researcher Felix d’Herelle at France’s Pasteur Institute, bacteriophages (or just phages for short) are viruses that prey upon bacteria. They have a simple structure: a DNA-filled head attached by a shaft to spidery “legs” that are used to grip onto the surface of a bacterium. Once a phage latches onto a bacterium, it injects its payload of genetic material into the bacterium’s innards. The bacterium then begins to rapidly produce “daughter” copies of the phage—until the bacterium becomes too full and ruptures, sending hundreds of new phage particles into the open world.
Doctors used phages as medical treatment for illnesses ranging from cholera to typhoid fevers. In some cases, a liquid containing the phage was poured into an open wound. In others, they were given orally, via aerosol, or injected. In some cases the treatments worked well; in others they did not. When antibiotics came into the mainstream, phage therapy largely faded in the West.

However, researchers in eastern Europe, including the former Soviet Union, continued their studies of the potential healing properties of phages. And now that strains of bacteria resistant to standard antibiotics are on the rise, the idea of phage therapy has been getting more attention in the worldwide medical community. Several biotechnology companies have been formed in the United States to develop bacteriophage-based treatments, many of them drawing on the expertise of researchers from eastern Europe (sciencefriday.com, July 21, 2000).

Research on the medical application of bacteriophages is now considered to be in its most promising stage. A University of Pittsburgh researcher said in June 2001, “Given the sheer number and variety of bacteriophages lurking on the planet, the viruses may represent a sizable untapped reservoir of new therapeutics” (Science292, June 2001, p. 2326-2329).

Possibilities for use of bacteriophages in disease control are discussed in the article “Smaller Fleas… Ad infinitum: Therapeutic Bacteriophage Redux” in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America [PNAS] Vol. 93 No. 8 (April 16, 1996), 3167-8.

In the two world wars, the wounds of soldiers exposed to flies were observed to heal and scar faster than the wounds of unexposed soldiers. Even today, fly larvae, or maggots, are used medicinally to clean up festering wounds. They only eat dead tissue and leave healthy tissue alone.
Finally, despite the abundance of supporting evidence for the authenticity of these medicinal narrations on the one hand and for their scientific viability on the other, certain voices continue to reject them on both counts. Principle skepticism of authentically transmitted narrations that pertain to facts demonstrated by ancient and modern science, or whose scientific worth is just now coming into view, is the wont of stagnant minds and diseased hearts for which there is no cure save the mercy of Allah.

U.S. Designs on Pakistan November 8, 2008

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
add a comment

U.S. Designs on Pakistan

By AYESHA IJAZ KHAN

A pattern is beginning to emerge.  Every time the Pakistani military and local tribal forces in Pakistan’s north form a successful alliance in the fight against terrorism, US forces launch offensives striking civilians in the area, thereby undermining the Pakistan military’s credibility vis a vis its own population and sabotaging the effectiveness of the joint strategy to combat terrorism in the region.

As a result, anti-Americanism in Pakistan has reached record highs and even those Pakistanis who are left-leaning and actively lobbying for an end to the brutality of terrorism are concluding that America’s primary interest lies in destabilizing Pakistan and not in putting an end to terrorism.  This should be worrying for a nation that has few friends left in the Muslim world and needs Pakistan’s cooperation desperately if it is to maintain its supply routes in Afghanistan.

Following the recent attacks in North Waziristan, Pakistan’s Ary TV aired a short documentary characterizing the United States as an aggressor nation that has not hesitated to maim and kill civilians in various parts of the world, whether it was in Southeast Asia, Latin America, or more recently, the Middle East and South Asia.  Let’s just say that it has become almost impossible for the United States to win the battle for hearts and minds as a result of its recent actions.

The United States has struck civilians on the pretext that tribes from Pakistan’s side of the border have made incursions into Afghanistan and targeted NATO/ISAF forces.  The reality is that both American forces and strategy have failed miserably in Afghanistan and the Karzai government struggles, even after six years, to establish credibility with the Afghans or extend its writ beyond Kabul.  The feeling in Pakistan is that the US government needs a scapegoat to dump its incompetence on and Pakistan is just that.  The fact that this is election year in the US manifests the sheer desperation of the American forces in launching ground offensives based, at best, on bad intelligence, and at worst, on bad intentions, within Pakistan’s territory, threatening the nuclear-armed state’s sovereignty and killing several women and children. 

The surprise attack which prompted a stern statement from General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, condemning US actions as beyond the scope of the clearly defined terms of engagement and warning that further attacks of this sort will not be tolerated was the first of its kind and came on the heels of a successful mobilization of awakening forces in Bajaur, a previous hotbed, where the government had partnered with the Salarzai tribe against Taliban operatives and managed to achieve peace so that displaced persons from the area were able to return to their homes.  The US attacks changed all that.  The tribes have greater reason to sympathize with the Taliban as siding with the government does not appear to ensure tranquillity.

While a couple of months ago, several stories in the Pakistani press talked about formulating a “made in Pakistan terrorism policy” and fed up with suicide attacks and violence, Pakistanis were refusing to empathize with the cause of the Taliban, today there is near consensus on the idea that American presence is dangerously destabilizing for the region and must be expelled at all cost.  It is once again being viewed as “America’s war”; not “our war”.

Adding injury to insult, it is not just the case that America is focused on eliminating Al-Qaeeda supporters from the region, it is also a complicated mess that it has entangled itself in trying to ensure that it does that.  In doing so, America has abandoned all democratic norms and values that it claims to want to export.  In fact, it has gone further than that.  It has actively worked to create obstacles in the way of civilian secular Pakistani movements who had exhibited great courage and valour in supporting the Chief Justice and other members of the superior judiciary ousted by General Musharraf last Novemeber.  While the lawyers’ movement in Pakistan has, at great peril, fought for the introduction of checks and balances, constitutional supremacy and rule of law so that Pakistan can call itself a well-functioning democracy, America’s policy has been one of trying to make friends with a select few, whether dictators like Musharraf or corrupt politicians like Asif Zardari, so that it can have blind continuity of a policy that is clearly not working on the Pak-Afghan border.  Pakistanis are therefore not wrong in concluding that America does not have the people’s interests at heart.

Last month, I was in New York and when I saw McCain and Obama questioned by Pastor Rick Warren, I was heartened at least by Obama’s response to:  Does evil exist and what should we do about it?  Obama was reasonable enough to comment that in confronting evil America must be mindful that it does not employ evil ways because then it will lose the moral high ground.  This is already a fait accompli in the case of American policy in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  It will take a long time to repair it.

Yet it is lamentable that even left-wing groups in America are talking about taking the war to Afghanistan.  Guess what?  The war is already in Afghanistan and its not working!  It was only when I switched the television on at 12:30 am on a weeknight (I was probably the only one watching) that I heard Bill Maher say, “All wars are bad.  Why do we think Afghanistan would be a good war?”  Such discussions cannot only be held at odd hours of the night or on the fringes of society.  Mainstream media has a responsibility to cover such stories front and centre.

America has some desperate soul-searching to do.  There is a pretty good reason why anti-Americanism has grown in leaps and bounds in the Bush years.  It will take a lot to undo it.  The American media is not doing its people any favours by not showing the effects of American raids on civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Having lived in America for a few years myself, I do believe that if Americans were better informed, they would not let their government make the mistakes it makes and trample on the lives of people abroad in the manner that it does.  America must ask itself:  is it possible after all to mess up so much, destroy so many lives, and not expect pay back?     

Ayesha Ijaz Khan is a London-based lawyer turned political commentator.  She can be contacted via her websitewww.ayeshaijazkhan.com

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

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
add a comment

 

‘The Best Day On Which The Sun Has Risen’

 Jumuah (Friday Prayer)

 By Sister Manahil

with inputs by Imran Ayub.

  

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

 

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

 A. Virtues Of Friday

           1. A Special Day Chosen By Allaah

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

                    2. The Best Day Is Friday

 

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

               3. It Is Greater Than The Days Of ‘Eid

 

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

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

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

 B. Some Things To Do On Friday

          1. Pray Fajr In Congregation

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

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

           2.   Praying Salaat Al-Jumu’ah:

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

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

         3. Making A Lot Of Du’aa’.  

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

 

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

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

4.1 Soorah al-Kahf (Chapter 18)

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

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

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

 

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

 

 

           4.2 Soorah Aal-‘Imraan (Chapter 3)

 

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

 

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

 

                 4.3 Fasting on Friday

 

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

 

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

            4.4 Salaat al-Raghaa’ib

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

6. Making Ghusl and wearing perfume

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

3. The Virtue Of Walking To The Friday Prayer 

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

D. Some Important Points When At The Prayer

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

2. Face The Imaam

 

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

 

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

 

 

3. Sunna Before and After Jumma

 

 

3.1 Before

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

3.1 After

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

4. Changing the place to Pray the Sunnah

 

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

 

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

 

 

E. Ruling On Not Going To Jumuah


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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

References

 

·      www.islam-qa.com

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

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

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

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

·      www.thenoblequran.com

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

 

 The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah Al-Jumu’ah 62:9

 Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 2, Book 13, Number 1; Also Refer to

 Saheeh Muslim, Book 004, Number 1857

 Sunan  Ibn Maajah, Number 1084; Classed as Hasan by Sheikh al-Albaanee, Saheeh al-Jaami’, Number 2279; as quoted in

 Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Number 1074; Classed as Saheeh by Sheikh al-Albaanee in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, p. 49, 50; as quotedhttp://www.islam-qa.com/special/index.php?ref=9211&ln=eng&subsite=14

 al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Eemaan; classed as Saheeh by Sheikh al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1119; as quoted inhttp://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=9211&ln=eng

 Saheeh Bukhaari, 

 The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah Al-Jumu’ah 62:9

 Saheeh Muslim, Book 002, Number 0448

 (Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 2, Book 13, Number 57;Saheeh Muslim, 

 Sunan at-Tirmidhi; Classed as Saheeh by Sheikh al-Albaanee inSaheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, Number 700; as quoted inhttp://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=12309&ln=eng

 ‘When is the time for reciting Soorat al-Kahf on Friday?‘http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=10700&ln=eng

 al-Haakim, 2/399; al-Bayhaqi, 3/249.  Classed as Saheeh by Sheikh al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Jaami’, Number 6470; Ibid.,

 al-Daarimi, Number 3407; Classed as Saheeh by Sheikh  al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Jaami’, Number 6471; Ibid.,

 ‘Awn al-Ma’bood; as quoted in http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13815&ln=eng

 Ibid.,

 al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Awsat, 6/191; and al-Kabeer, 11/48; Classed as mawdoo’ (fabricated) by Sheikh al-Albaanee inDa’eef al-Jaami’, Number 5759; Ibid.,

 Muhammad ibn Ismaa‘eel as-San‘aanee said, “The general meaning of this text indicates that Salaatul-Raghaa’ib done on the first Friday night of Rajab is contrary to the Sharee‘ah. If the hadeeth concerning it were authentic, it would have exempted it from the general prohibition. But, the scholars have spoken against its hadeeth and declared it fabricated.” [Subulus-Salaam (commentary on Buloogh al-Maraam written by Haafiz Ibn Hajar al- ‘Asqalaanee), Kitaab as-Siyaam , Number 39; as quoted in ‘Fiqh Of Fasting’, Module 6, p. 7]

 Saheeh Muslim, Book 006, Number 2546

 Subulus-Salaam (commentary on Buloogh al-Maraam written by Haafiz Ibn Hajar al- ‘Asqalaanee), Kitaab as-Siyaam , Number 39; as quoted in ‘Fiqh Of Fasting’, Module 6, p. 7

 al-Majmoo’ (3/548); as quoted in http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=60180&ln=eng

 Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 2/239; Ibid.,

 Sunan Aboo Daawood, Book 3, Number 1042; Classed as Saheehby Sheikh al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, Number 695: as quoted in http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=12309&ln=eng

 Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 2, Book 13, Number 4

 The Islamic Bath (Ghusl) is as follows: i. Wash hands, ii. Wash genitals with left hand, iii. Wash hands (with soap), iv. Make wudoo’, v. Wash head (right side first, vi. Wash whole body, vii, Wash feet. For more information please refer to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Islam_True/message/198

 Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 2, Book 13, Number 8

 Saheeh Muslim, Book 004, Number 1867

 Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When it is a Friday, the angels stand at the gate of the mosque and keep on writing the names of the persons coming to the mosque in succession according to their arrivals. The example of the one who enters the mosque in the earliest hour is that of one offering a camel (in sacrifice). The one coming next is like one offering a cow and then a ram and then a chicken and then an egg respectively. When the Imam comes out (for Jumu’ah prayer) they (i.e. angels) fold their papers and listen to the Khuthbah.” [(Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 13, Number 51; Saheeh Muslim, ]

 (Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 2, Book 13, Number 6;Saheeh Muslim, 

 Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Number 496; Classed as Saheeh by Sheikh al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Number 410; as quoted inhttp://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13692&ln=eng

 Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/285; Ibid.,

 Saheeh Muslim, Book 004, Number 1846

November 8, 2008

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
add a comment

Faatimah bint Qays Radhi Allahu Anha narrates: Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam completed the Salaah and sat on the mimbar.
He was smiling and he said: “Let each person remain where he had performed Salaah.” Then he said: “Do you know why I called you together?” 
The Sahabah replied: “Allah and His messenger know best.”

Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: “By Allah, I did not call you together for any recommendation or for a warning. I have called you together because Tameem al-Daari was a Christian and he came, swore allegiance and became Muslim, and told me something which conforms with what I had told you about the Dajjaal.

He told me that he sailed in a ship with thirty men of Lakhm and Judhaam and they were tossed by the waves of the sea for a month. Then they arrived at an island just as the sun was setting. They boarded a small rowing-boat and reached the island. They were met by a beast whose body was covered by so much of hair that they could not distinguish his front from his back.
They said: ‘Woe to you, what are you?’
It said: ‘I am al-Jassaasah.’
They asked: ‘What is al-Jassaasah?’
It said: ‘O people, go to this man in the monastery for he is keen to know about you.’

The narrator says: ‘When it took the name of a man before us we were afraid that it might be a Shaitaan (devil) so we quickly left until we entered the monastery, where we found the biggest man we had ever seen. He was bound strongly in chains. His hands were tied to his neck and his legs bound from the knees to the ankles with iron chains.

We said: ‘Woe to you, who are you?’
He said: ‘You will soon find out about me. Tell me who you are.’
They replied: ‘We are Arabs who had set sail on a ship, but the sea became wild and the waves tossed us about for one month. Then they brought us to this island of yours. We used rowing-boats and landed on this island. We were met by a beast with a great deal of hair. He was so hairy that his front could not be made out from his back. We said: ‘Woe to you, what are you?’ It said: ‘I am al-Jassaasah.’ We said: ‘What is al-Jassaasah?’ It said: ‘Go to this man in the monastery for he is keen to know about you.’ So we came rushing to you and we fled from it because we could not be sure that it was not a devil.’
He (the chained person) asked: ‘Tell me about the date-palms of Baysaan.’
We said: ‘What would you like to know about them?’
He said: ‘I am asking you whether these trees bear fruit.’
We said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘Soon they will not bear fruit.’
He then said: ‘Tell me about the lake of Tabariyyah’
We said: ‘What would you like to know about it?’
He said: ‘Is there water in it?’
They said: ‘There is a great deal of water in it.’
He said: ‘Soon it will dry up.’
Then he said: ‘Tell me about the spring of Zughar (which is in the south of Syria).’
They said: ‘What would you like to know about it?’
He said: ‘Is there water in the spring and do the people grow crops with the water of the spring?’
We said to him: ‘Yes, there is plenty of water in it and the people grow crops with its water.’
He said: ‘Tell me about the Prophet from the unlettered. What has he done?’
We said: ‘He has left Makkah and has settled in Yathrib (Madinah).’
He said: ‘Do the Arabs fight against him?’
We said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘How did he deal with them?’

We told him that he had prevailed over the Arabs in his vicinity and they had become obedient to him.
He said to us: ‘Has that really happened to them?’
We said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘If this is so then it is better for them that they show obedience to him. Now I will tell you about myself. I am the Dajjaal and soon I will be given permission to emerge. I will come out and travel in the land, and will I not leave any town without staying for forty nights, except Makkah and Taybah (Madinah). These are both forbidden to me. Each time I will try to enter one of them, I will be confronted by an angel with a sword in his hand, who will stop me from entering. On every route towards each of these two cities there will be angels guarding it.’
 

Faatimah Bint Qais says: Then the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam struck the minbar with his staff and said: “This is Taybah, this is Taybah, this is Taybah,” meaning Madinah. “Did I not tell you this before?”
The Sahabah answered: ‘Yes.’
The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: “I liked the story of Tameem because it conforms with what I had told you about him and about Makkah and Madinah. Beware, he is in the Syrian Sea  or the Yemeni Sea. No, rather he is in the east, he in the east, he is in the east,” and he pointed towards the east with his hand. (Sahih Muslim)
 

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

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
add a comment

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

 

Were it not that this is following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), kissing the Black Stone would be bidah too.

 

Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say: “I know that you are only a stone and can neither cause harm nor bring benefit. Were it not for the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kissed you, I would not have kissed you.”

 

Hence it is not permissible to kiss the covers of the Kabah or its stones, or the Yemeni Corner, or the Mus-haf, or to touch them with the intent of seeking blessing from them . 

 
 
  

 

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

The Passing of a Chechen November 8, 2008

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
add a comment
Written by Yvonne Ridley   
Monday, 10 July 2006

News has just arrived on my desk that Abdallah Shamil Abu Idris, the Military Amir of the Mujahideen of Caucasus, has become a Shaheed. He’s probably better known to most readers of this column as the fearless Chechen commander Shamil Basaev, loved and adored by many although the likes of Vladamir Putin have always regarded him as an enemy of Russia.

Precise details of his death are still sketchy although the report before me comes from the Military Council of the State Defense Council Majlisul Shura of CRI Abu Umar and it states very tersley that he died as a result of an “accidental spontaneous explosion of a cargo vehicle with explosives on July 10, 2006, in Ekazhevo village, Ingushetia”.

Three other fighters also died by the side of the famous Chechen rebel leader. May Allah (swt) grant all of them what they deserve. Admittedly, it is probably not the way any of them expected to go – most jihadists probably have a far more romantic notion of how they will spring off this mortal coil and let’s face it a touch of ‘friendly fire’ would not be the choice of any fighter.

However, for me personally, the arrival of this sad news provided one of those awful coincidences which make you shudder and reminds you of your own mortality … you see moments earlier I had been leafing through a manuscript of his unpublished work called a Book of a Mujahiddeen.The paragraph I was reading said: “A Mujahid is looking closely into a child’s eyes, for they are the ones that get to see the world without sorrows. When a Mujahid wants to know wether someone beside him is trustworthy, he tries to see it with the eyes of a child.”

Basaev led an admirable fight to bring independence to Chechnya and resorted to targetting Russian civilians in the latter years of his struggle to try and bring the plight of the Chechen people to the wider world. He will probably be best remembered for masterminding the siege of the Moscow Theater and then the taking hostage of the children at a school in Beslan which sent shudders of revulsion around the world when both plans went tragically wrong.

On both occasions there were scores and scores of civilians deaths and injuries, but the overwhelming numbers of civilian killed actually died because of the actions of Russian troops who bungled rescue raids on both operations. No one could share the pain and loss of the Beslan parents more than Chechen mothers … let’s not forget that 42,000 Chechen children have been slaughtered in the last decade by Russian bombs and shells.

As yet, I’ve no further details about his death but the report says any boasts from the Kremlin that he died as a result of a Special Forces operations are simply not true. “There was not any special operation that took place. Shamil and other our brothers became Shaheeds (insha Allah) of Allah’s own will (swt). The Supreme one has his own plan and decision. And about the special operation, Mujahideen will show how it should be carried out … “, – the representative of Military Council of of State Defense Council Majlisul Shura of CRI stated.

As you can imagine Putin’s military spin doctors are claiming to have wiped out a dozen fighters, including Basaev, in a special operation while one of the Ingush puppet militia blamed his death on the careless use of explosives. Friendly fire? An own goal or a Russian military initiative? The lines are becoming blurred already and I guess by this time next week their will be scores of different stories going around about how the Chechen leader expired … or has he? Yes the conspiracy theories have just begun.

What I do know for a fact is that Putin will have cracked a smile and supporters of the mujahiddeen will believe he has become a martyr. I also know that this grotesque war on the noble Chechens will continue and the blatant misuse of the War on Terror will continue unabated as a Kremlin device to terrorise the people of Chechnya.

His death will not stop the flow of innocent blood, and if anything times are going to get much, much worse for Chechens both home and abroad. In particular, I fear for the safety of my friend Ahmed Zakayev who was given political asylum in Britain despite the best efforts of Putin to label him as Russian’s own Usama bin Ladin.

The lies which poured forth from the Kremlin fooled no one and so the British courts ruled in his favour allowing him to remain in the UK as a Chechen leader in exile for the time being. But just how safe he will be is anyone’s guess. He is busy trying to highlight the plight of his people at seminars, rallies and meetings. Zakayev is admired across Europe and is very much seen as a moderate which actually makes him more of a target since Putin wants to demonize every single Chechen and their leaders. You see Putin has stepped up his war on the Chechen people … wherever they may be. Legislators in Russia have just unanimously endorsed a Kremlin request that President Vladimir Putin be allowed to send special forces to hunt down terrorists anywhere in the world. Well George W Bush has given the CIA similar freedoms in secret nods and winks, so why shouldn’t the Russian leader get in on the act?

Putin is quite open in his objectives though. He has been biding his time for some months now and the murder, last month, of five Russian diplomats in Iraq provided the right opportunity. He has now ordered that those responsible be hunted down and “eliminated”, and the Russian security services have offered $10 million for information leading to their capture. Watch out for a Russian version of Guantanamo Bay opening up soon in the frozen wastes of Siberia.
Senators in the Federation Council upper house of the Russian parliament rapidly approved the bill on July 7 and all Putin has to do is now sign it into law.
Looking increasingly like the Witch Finder General, Putin blamed international terrorists for the killing and said the permission would remain in force until “the elimination of the threat of terrorist acts being carried out abroad against the Russian Federation or Russian citizens.”

The Mujahedin Shura Council, an al-Qaida linked group, claimed responsibility for their abduction 3 June and subsequent execution of the diplomats. The group had demanded that the Kremlin pull its troops out of Chechnya in exchange for freeing the diplomats. Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov says that special forces are on standby to catch the “scum” that killed the diplomats, and officials say the step is entirely in line with international practice. “This is not the use of the death penalty – it is a reaction to aggression using the means the country thinks it should use to protect its own interests and the interests of its citizens,” Putin said.
International response has been quite muted so far, but this is a new depth which has been plumbed in the never-ending War on Terror.

Just how does Putin define a “terrorist”? The madman has just given his forces permission to go across the globe taking out, eliminating, assassinating and vapourising anyone who the Russian leader does not like. Extrajudicial executions of suspected terrorists and radicals abroad could become commonplace. There should be international outrage instead of mild disinterest. It is well known that Putin despises Ahmed Zakayev. So can we expect a Kremlin-backed hit squad to come to London and start shooting … hmm, I thought that was the job of the trigger happy cops from the capital’s Metropolitan Police Force! They’ve already managed to kill a Brazilian man after mistaking him for a Muslim terrorist, and one young Muslim man was gunned down in his own home during a bungled raid by the plods from the Met.

You see this is what happens when you crush and ignore peoples’ human rights. I am afraid the behavior of the Bush Administration has opened stable doors across some of the most brutal and despotic regimes in the world … and the horses are bolting. The extra judicial killing actually began in 2004, when two Russian agents were jailed in Qatar for wiping out Chechen leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev with a car bomb on Kremlin orders. For some bizarre reason the weak-kneed, lily-livered Qataris sent the two agents back to Russia and I can assure you the two assassins are not locked up in any sort of gulag where they should be left to rot for what they did.

Why, oh why, do most Gulfies have the backbones of amoeba? I mean what can Russia do to the Qataris? I know that the need for visas were set aside when I lived in the tiny state which sticks out of the gut of Saudi Arabia. As a result we had every sort of mafia, pimp, drug-dealer and prostitute plying their trade across Doha within weeks. The Qataris should have stood firm and refused to hand over the convicted killers. I mean they have given up a huge slice of Qatar to the US Southern Command, so the Russians are hardly likely to launch an attack.

Now we have international gun law with Putin ordering his agents to seek and destroy the killers of the Russian diplomats in Iraq. Putin made the statements during a meeting in Moscow with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. Russia would be grateful to all its friends for any information on the criminals who killed our citizens in Iraq, Putin told the Saudi prince. “Sod off!” should have been the reply from the prince, but no, not a peep. What is it with the folk who live on the Arabian Peninsula? Has everyone gone completely insane, barking mad or what?

Dubya has managed to turn the globe into some sort of stage set where gun law rules. The trouble is it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the heroes from the villains. The same Russian hit squad which took out Aslan Maskhadov, Abdul-Khalim Sadulaev and the Saudi Samir Saleh Abdullah Al-Suwailem aka
Khattab, is now probably on some hunt and kill mission as I write.

And exactly who will be helping the hit squads? Because trying to find members of and supporters and backers of the Mujahedin Shura Council will be like hunting for a needle in a haystack? Ivan Safranchuk, head of the Moscow office of the Russian-based Center for Defense Information, admits Russian agents will have to rely on the assistance of US-led coalition forces, the Iraqi government, and Saudi secret services. Hmm, and I bet those craven little butt kissers from Jordan and Egypt’s intelligence services aren’t too far behind in volunteering.

Yes, I can see a Coalition for the Killing pulling together, and with all the flawed intelligence going around the world today, they could very well be coming down your way soon. Watch out!

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

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
add a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

———-

 

*Citation Needed

November 8, 2008

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
add a comment

Transcript of a Speech Given by Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (R.A)
(Delivered in England several years ago, but applicable to all Muslims living in Muslim minority countries)

All praise is due to Almighty God, Allah, and may He, the Exalted, bestow His peace and blessings upon Prophet Muhammad, upon his good and pure family, as well as upon all of the noble companions, and upon those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgement.

Dear Brothers in Islam,

Muslims shoulder a momentous responsibility in a country where Islam is not the dominant religion, where Western values and an un-Islamic way of life hold the upper hand and in which personal and partisan interests are top of the agenda and self-gratification is the goal of life. In such cases, Muslims, particularly when they are in the minority, face a difficult situation.

What is imperative is that they should have unshakeable faith, a conduct marked by boldness and thoughtfulness, and absolute conviction in the message with which Allah has endowed them. They should live by a high standard and not suffer from any inferiority complex. If they do not do so, they will simply be seen as imitators of Western civilization and will not gain any respect. And in this eventuality, they will not be able to play an effective and significant role, which may draw others’ attention and bring about any change.

A Muslim in the Persian Court

Let me relate an incident, which illustrates this point well. It demonstrates a devoted Muslim’s conduct, a man who had full confidence in his message. For him, all the outward forms of glory and luxury had no significance whatsoever. Rather he felt pity for those given to a life of indulgence and luxury. This incident dates back to the early days of Islamic history. What prompts me to relate it to you is that this incident contains abundant lessons and is full of insight and advice.

The commander-in-chief of the Persian army, Rustum, who was next only to the Persian Emperor in his glory and power, asked the commander of the Muslim army, S’ad bin Abi Waqqas, Radi-Allahu anhu, to send to him someone who could explain to them why the Arabian nomads and bedouins had come to Persian centers of civilization and great military power. For they bore no correspondence to Arabia.

One can well visualize what opinion Rustum had of the Arab bedouins whose lifestyle was certainly inferior to Rustum’s. For the Arabs lived in tents, and their staple diet was dates and camel’s meat. Rustum had utter contempt for the Arabs. He, however, summoned someone who may be able to explain to him the Arab’s purpose and motives in engaging in a battle with the Persians.

An Ordinary Muslim, An Extraordinary Human Being

It is one of the miracles of Islam that it elevated all Arabs to a lofty and high standard in that they took pride in their faith, in Allah, and in Islam, and lived by the message of Islam. Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas selected Rab’i bin ‘Amir, Radi-Allahu anhu, for this purpose. Rab’i bin ‘Amir is a somewhat obscure figure in Islamic history. He did not have much to his credit. I am not relating this incident for its own sake or for its sheer interest or because it affords some gratification to our nationalistic pride; the reason why I narrate it to you is to give you some idea of Rab’i’s tremendous faith and confidence, which he displayed before the commander-in-chief of the Persian Empire. This enabled him to speak freely and boldly before Rustum. This may help you compare and contrast his response with your own conduct, conviction, power of faith and your attitude towards Western culture, civilization and its hegemony. This may also serve as a vantage point for observing how we have been discharging our responsibilities and how we respond to the prevailing Western civilization, which holds general currency in the contemporary world and a position of leadership and superiority.

Rab’i bin ‘Amir appeared in Rustum’s court. His dress was marred with patches and darning marks. He was carrying an ordinary sword and shield. He entered the Persian camp riding an ordinary horse. Dressed in his unimpressive outfit he entered the court, crushing it’s plush carpets. He tied his horse and approached Rustum. As he was armed with his shield and sword, guards at the entrance objected and asked him to lay down his weapons. Rab’i bin ‘Amir refused, saying that he had not approached Rustum on his own, rather Rustum had invited him. If the guards did not let him enter in his armed state, he would return to his camp. Rustum allowed him to retain his arms.

From Narrowness to Spaciousness

Underwhelmed by the sumptuous setting of the court, Rab’i approached Rustum with great confidence. Rustum asked him what had brought the Arabs to Persia? With his indomitable courage and conviction, which owed it’s origin to the divine Scripture and the Prophet’s message he elegantly said: 

“Allah (the Almighty) has sent us so that we may liberate fellow human beings from subservience to other fellow human beings and bring them to obedience to the One True God. We are here to take them from the narrowness of the world to it’s spaciousness. Our aim is to free them of the persecution perpetrated against them by other religions. We want to bless them with the justice and equity of Islam.”

Dear Friends and Brothers!

What Rab’i said about Islam’s message and its primary goal with full conviction and what he said about releasing men from the yoke of other religions’ injustices and to bring them under Islam’s justice and equity is not all surprising. For this was his very faith. However, part of his utterance, that in which he says they had been sent to free the Persians from the narrowness of the world to its spaciousness, amazes me. Had he referred to the narrowness of this world and spaciousness of the Hereafter, it would not have perplexed me in the least. For every Muslim believes in this truism and Rab’i belonged to the early days of Islamic history when Muslims were full of conviction. 

However, as I pointed out, I am amazed by his utterance that the Muslims were to liberate fellow human beings from the narrowness of this world and to take them to its spaciousness. In other words, Rab’i told Rustum that the Muslims had not come out of Arabia attracted by booty or any material considerations, which would accrue to them. Rather, they felt pity for their fellow human beings. They intended to free them from their narrow and dark cells. For the Persians and non-Muslims appeared to them as caged animals leading only an animal-like existence. For the Persians were slaves to their own desires and fashions of the day. They were so much bound by their own traditions and customs that they could not do anything on their own. They needed help and support at every step. 

The Lifestyles of Rich, Famous, and Ignorant

It is borne out by history that when the Persian emperor Yazdgar escaped from his palace, he felt thirsty on his way. He entered a house and was offered water in an ordinary glass. He refused to drink it in such an ordinary glass, for he was used to taking water in gold and silver vessels. If a Persian wore a crown worth less than one hundred thousand dirham or if he did not have a palace with fountains and an orchard, he did not enjoy any respect in that society. 

In other words, Rab’i pointed out to him that they were the slaves of their slaves; for they depended totally on others. The Muslims, however, wanted to liberate them and take them to freedom. The Muslims had not come to Persia for their own interests. Rather they had taken this long, arduous journey for the sake of the Persians themselves. They did not lack anything in their own homeland. For the Arabian peninsula is vast enough. However, they felt concerned about the unnatural way of life to which the Persians were addicted. The Muslims were not slaves to their own desires. Nor were they addicted to good dress and food and to a train of slaves. They led a life of absolute freedom in the desert and thanked Allah for whatever they received. 

Allah had sent them to liberate those whom He wills from subservience to fellow human beings and to bring them to the obedience to Allah, to free them from the narrowness of this world, to bring them to it’s spaciousness and to enable them to benefit from Islam’s justice and equity by freeing them of the oppression of other religions. For the Persians had been a target of other religions’ persecution, and had led a contemptible life. They did not enjoy any real peace or happiness. 

Bring Them What They Are Missing

Let me once again emphasize that you should play an independent, effective and fundamental role in society. Your life should be an ideal one which may draw the attention of others. It should excite the minds of the local people who may be compelled to contrast their own life with yours. Your life should make them curious for gaining sound information about Islam. However, if you slavishly imitate the Western lifestyle and degrade yourselves, there will not be and cannot be any distinction between you and the local people. In this case, they will not feel any attraction towards you. Nor will it make them reflect on you or hold you in esteem. They will not consider you a model to emulate. 

However, when you present before them a unique way of life, it will make them curious. They will be forced to approach you, seeking the source of your worldview. They will naturally ask you how you learnt these high values and noble ideals. They will be keen to have literature about Islam and the biography of the Prophet Muhammad .

You should, thus, explain to them what made you different and what helped you attain your noble character. This will make them respectful towards you – Insha Allah.

My Dear Muslim Brothers!
You must present a model and an ideal way of life, which may make them interested in studying Islam and eager to know the source of your guidance, which enabled you to follow a particular way of life and worldview.

No Inferiority Complex, No Imitation

This is the only way in which you can play an effective role in non-Islamic societies. However, if you assimilate yourself fully into their society and take to their way of life, as a result of either some inferiority complex or out of sheer imitation whether in the U.K., or in India or in Africa or in any part of the world, you can never influence them nor can you ever bring about any change in them, even if you live in their midst for centuries.

Finally, I must thank you for listening to me with such attention. I apologize for any lapse that I may have committed.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe.

Riba or Usury, a detailed post November 8, 2008

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
add a comment

Defining the Problem 

Riba (Usury) is of two major kinds: 

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

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

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

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

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

Interest in Pre-Islamic Times 

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

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

Textual Evidence 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Noble Qur’an – Al-Imran 3:130 

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

Hadith – Mishkat-ul-Masabih 

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

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

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

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


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

Conclusion 

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

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

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

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

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

KSA to build world’s largest women-only university November 1, 2008

Posted by aymenmd in Blogroll.
add a comment

Saudi to build world’s largest women-only varsity
Dubai, Oct 29 (IANS) The world’s largest university exclusively for women is to come up in Saudi Arabia, with Saudi King Abdullah scheduled to lay the foundation stone.

The Riyadh Women’s University will be the world’s largest institute for higher studies when the project is completed in 2010.

The university will have 13 colleges and will cover an area of eight million square metres north of the Saudi capital.

‘After we received instructions from higher authorities to establish a full-fledged university, we have consulted international engineering houses for the purpose of designing a world-class campus that can accommodate 40,000 students,’ Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf told the Arab News newspaper.

‘It will be the largest specialised campus for women in the world,’ he said, adding that the buildings of the campus will be completed within the next two years.

The university’s colleges will include those for medicine, dentistry, nursing, naturopathy and pharmacology.

University president Princess Al-Jowhara Bint Fahd, while lauding King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan for the project, said that the university will usher in a new era for women’s education in that Gulf nation.

‘We want to make it a leading international institution,’ she said.

The university will have tie-ups with major universities inside and outside the country to promote research programmes, she said.

‘We have devised its educational programmes after consulting different ministries, including the ministries of labour, commerce and industry, and economy and planning,’ Princes Al-Jowhara said.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20081029/896/twl-saudi-arabia-to-set-up-world-s-large_1.html