Thursday 25 August 2011

What is the point of mentioning the dog in the story of the people of the Cave?

 

What is the point of mentioning the dog in the story of the people of the Cave?

Praise
be to Allaah.  

Shaykh al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

Note that Allaah mentions this dog in His Book, and says that he was
stretching forth his two forelegs at the entrance to the Cave [al-Kahf
18:18], in the context of referring to their high status. This indicates
the great benefit to be gained by keeping company with righteous people.
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on
this aayah: 

“Their dog was included in their blessing, so he slept
as they slept in that situation. This is the benefit of keeping company
with righteous people, so this dog was mentioned and was given status
too.” 

This meaning is also indicated by the hadeeth of the
Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah, in which he said to the one who said
that he loved Allaah and His Messenger, “You will be with those whom
you love.” (Agreed upon, from the hadeeth of Anas). 

From this it may be understood that keeping company with
bad people causes a great deal of harm, as Allaah explained in Soorat
al-Saaffaat, where He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“A speaker of them will say: Verily, I had a companion
(in the world),

Who used to say: Are you among those who believe (in
resurrection after death).

(That)
when we die and become dust and bones, shall we indeed (be raised up)
to receive reward or punishment (according to our deeds)?

(The speaker) said: Will you look down?

So he looked down and saw him in the midst of the
Fire.

He said: By Allaah! You have nearly ruined me.

Had it not been for the Grace of my Lord, I would
certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell)”

[al-Saaffaat 37:51-57] 

Meanings of the word ummah in the Qur’aan

 

Whilst reading the Qur’aan I have come across the word “ummah” several times and I have the feeling that it has numerous meanings, not just one meaning. Is this correct? How should we understand this word?

Praise
be to Allaah.  

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: 

The word ummah is used in four senses in the Qur’aan: 

1 – The word ummah is used to mean a period of
time, as in the aayahs (interpretation of the meanings): 

“And if We delay the torment for them till a determined
term [ila ummatin ma’doodah]”[Hood 11:8] 

“Then the man who was released (one of the two who
were in prison), now at length [ba’da ummatin] remembered”[Yoosuf 12:45] 

2 – It is used to mean a group of people, which is the
usual usage, as in the aayahs (interpretation of the meaning): 

“he found there a group of men [ummatan min al-naas]
watering (their flocks)”[al-Qasas 28:23] 

“And for every Ummah (community or nation) there is
a Messenger”[Yoonus 10:47] 

“Mankind were one community [ummah]”[al-Baqarah 2:213] 

and there are other similar aayahs. 

3 – The word ummah is used to refer to a man who
is taken as a leader, as in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, Ibraaheem (Abraham) was an Ummah (a leader
having all the good righteous qualities)”[al-Nahl 16:120] 

4 – The word ummah is used to mean a way or religion,
as in the aayahs (interpretation of the meanings): 

“They say: “We found our fathers following a certain
way and religion [ummah]”[al-Zukhruf 43:23] 

“Truly, this, your Ummah [Sharee‘ah or religion (Islamic
Monotheism)] is one religion”[al-Anbiyaa’ 21:92] 

and there are other similar aayahs. 

The meaning of al-huroof al-muqatta’ah in the Qur’aan

 

what is meant by the ayah Alim Lam Meem, and other similar ayahs in the quran? What have the scholars said regarding them?

Praise
be to Allaah.  

A group of scholars, such as the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs (may Allaah
be pleased with them), and others among the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and
their followers, refrained from interpreting this aayah and others which
contain al-huroof al-muqatta’ah [letters which appear at the beginning
of some soorahs]. It was not narrated that the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) interpreted them, so it
is preferable for us to say Allaah knows best what they mean. But it
was narrated that some of the mufassireen among the Sahaabah, Taabi’een
and their followers did interpret them, and they differed as to their
interpretation. 

Al-Saheeh al-Masboor min al-Tafseer bi’l-Ma’thoor
by Dr Hikmat Basheer, vol 1, p. 94 

Some of the scholars tried to discover the wisdom behind
these letters and said: These letters are mentioned – and Allaah knows
best – at the beginning of soorahs which point to the miraculous nature
of the Qur’aan, which implies that all mankind is unable to match it,
even though it is composed of the letters that they use in their daily
speech. This was the view supported by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
(may Allaah have mercy on him) and was approved of by Abu’l-Hajjaaj
al-Mazzi (may Allaah have mercy on him). And Allaah is the Source of
strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions,
and grant them peace. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, vol. 4, p. 144.

 

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

 

What is the Covenant in the aayah “Those who break Allaah’s Covenant after ratifying it…”?

 

What is the Covenant in the aayah “Those who break Allaah’s Covenant after ratifying it…” [al-Baqarah 2:27 – interpretation of the meaning]?

Praise
be to Allaah.

 

Abu Bakr ibn
al-‘Arabi said:

 
Covenants are
of two types: one for which expiation may be offered and another for
which there is no expiation. That for which expiation may be offered
is that which is intended as a vow to refrain from doing something or
to do something.

 
The second type
is a covenant in which the two parties are bound in a manner that is
permissible according to sharee’ah, and is binding, either exclusively
between them or amongst many people. It is not permissible to nullify
or abolish such a covenant, and it is not subject to kafaarah (expiation).
This is the covenant for which the one who breaks it will be gathered
(on the Day of Resurrection) as a betrayer, and a banner will be set
up for him commensurate with the degree of his betrayal, and it will
be said, “This is the betrayer of So and so.” Maalik says, a covenant
sworn by oath is not permitted to be nullified, and this is what is
meant by the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

 
“and break
not the oaths after you have confirmed them — and indeed you have appointed
Allaah your surety”
[al-Nahl 16:91]

 
And this is a
matter concerning which there is no scholarly dispute.
 

 

What is the meaning of the aayah “It is prescribed for you, when death approaches any of you…”

 

What is the meaning of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning) “It is prescribed for you, when death approaches any of you…” [al-Baqarah 2:180]?

Praise
be to Allaah.  

 

Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi said: 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning) “It is prescribed
for you, when death approaches any of you…” [al-Baqarah 2:180]. 

Our scholars said: This does not mean the approach of
death in the literal sense, because that is the time when repentance
will no longer be accepted and he no longer has any involement in this
world; we cannot make sense of anything that he says, not even a word,
so if the aayah were referring to that, that would be something impossible
and unimaginable, but it may be interpreted in two ways: 

1 – If the time of death is drawing nigh, the signs of
which are: old age or travelling, for there is risk involved in travelling,
or one expects something to happen that could lead to death, or one
realizes that death is inevitable [because death could come suddenly
at any time]. 

2 – It may mean when one falls sick, because sickness
is a cause of death, and when the cause of something happens, the Arabs
mention the result when referring to the cause. For example, the poet
said (speaking of sickness): 

“Tell them to hasten to apologize and to think about
something to say that will free you from any blame, for I am death.” 

Monday 15 August 2011

Did a light shine when the Prophet peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him was born?

 

Is there any reality in that before getting birth rasool as pak sallah alai salam was there in the sky as a light or (star), if it is there then can you explain me this in the light of quran and ahadis.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

One of the signs of the coming of our Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is that when his mother became pregnant with him, she saw in a dream that a light came out of her
that reached Syria. 

It was narrated from Khaalid ibn Ma’daan that the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O Messenger of Allaah, tell us about yourself.” He said: “I am the answer to the prayer of the
father of Ibraaheem, and the glad tidings of ‘Eesa, and when my mother became pregnant with me, she saw something as if a light came out of her
and illuminated the palaces of Busra in the land of Syria.” 

Narrated by Ibn Ishaaq with his isnaad;
Seerat Ibn Hishaam, 1/166. Narrated with a different isnaad by al-Tabari in his Tafseer, 1/566, and by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak,
2/600. He said: its isnaad is saheeh although they [al-Bukhaari and Muslim] did not narrated, and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. See al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah, 1545 

Al-Tabaraani narrated that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “My mother saw in a dream that there came from between her legs a lamp that illuminated the
palaces of Syria.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 224. 

Ahmad (16700) narrated from al-‘Irbaad ibn Saariyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said… and he mentioned the hadeeth according to which the mother of the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw, when she gave birth to him, a light which illuminated the palaces of
Syria. 

Al-Haythami said in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id:
its isnaad is hasan. 

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in al-Fath: 

When she gave birth there came forth from her
a light which illuminated the house. This is supported by the hadeeth of al-‘Irbaad ibn Saariyah who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “I was the slave of Allaah and the Seal of the Prophets, when Adam was still in the form of mud
on the ground, and I will tell you about that. I am the answer to the prayer of the father of Ibraaheem, the glad tidings of Eesa concerning me,
and the dream that my mother saw and that the mothers of the Prophets saw. The mother of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) saw, when she gave birth to him, a light which illuminated the palaces of Syria. Narrated by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by
Ibn Hibbaan and al-Haakim. A similar hadeeth was narrated from Abu Umaamah by Ahmad. 

We should note that the evidence of the
Prophethood of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not limited to this sign. Whether this is proven or not,
his Prophethood is proven by definitive evidence which no fair-minded person can deny, rather those who deny it do so out of ignorance or
arrogance. 

We ask Allaah to cause His religion to
prevail and His word to be supreme. 

And Allaah knows best.

Ruling on reciting al-Faatihah in the funeral prayer

 

What is the status/class of Hadith: Nafi' reported that Abdullah Ibn Umar did not use to recite (Fateha) over the dead person. (Muwatta Imam Malik).

Praise be to Allaah.

This report is of the highest degree of soundness. Imam
Maalik narrated it in al-Muwatta’ (535) from Naafi’ from ‘Ibn ‘Umar,
and this is what some of the scholars called al-silsilah al-dhahabiyyah (the
golden chain), which is the soundest, or one of the soundest, of isnaads. 

The wording is: It was narrated from Naafi’ that ‘Abd-Allaah
ibn ‘Umar did not recite in the funeral prayer. 

The meaning of the phrase “did not recite” is that he did not
recite the Opening of the Book (al-Faatihah) or anything else. This is one
of the well-known topics of dispute among the scholars. Some of them are of
the view that it is a pillar or essential part of the funeral prayer, and
others are of the view that it is not a pillar or even mustahabb. Others
adopt a middle view and say that it is mustahabb but not obligatory. This is
the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on
him) who said: 

The scholars differed concerning recitation
of Qur’aan in the funeral prayer. There are three views. It was said that it
is not mustahabb under any circumstances, as is the view of Abu Haneefah and
Maalik. And it was that it is obligatory to recite al-Faatihah, as is the
view of some of the companions of al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad. And it was said
that reciting al-Faatihah in the funeral prayer is Sunnah, but not reciting
it and saying du’aa’ without reciting is permissible. This is the correct
view. End quote. 

Al-Fataawa al-Kubra’, 2/121 

It seems – and true knowledge belongs to Allaah – that
reciting al-Faatihah is a pillar or essential part of the funeral prayer.
This comes under the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “There is no prayer for the one who
does not recite the Opening of the Book.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 714;
Muslim, 595. Perhaps because Ibn ‘Umar held this view, Ibn ‘Abbaas used to
recite it out loud sometimes, although the Sunnah is to recite it quietly,
in order to demonstrate that it should be recited in the funeral prayer. He
was asked about that and he said: “So that you will know that it is Sunnah.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1249. 

His saying that it is Sunnah does not mean that it is
mustahabb, rather what he means is that it was the way of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), i.e., the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite it. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

Al-Faatihah is a pillar or essential part of the funeral
prayer, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the
Book,” and the funeral prayer is a prayer, because Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “And never (O Muhammad) pray (funeral
prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies” [al-Tawbah 9:84].  So
Allaah calls it a prayer (salaah). And Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased
with him) recited al-Faatihah in the funeral prayer, and said: “So that you
will know that it is Sunnah.” 

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 5/401 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
was asked: 

What is the ruling on reciting al-Faatihah in the funeral
prayer?  

He replied: 

It is obligatory, as the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Pray as you have seen me
praying.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 
“There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the
Book.” Saheeh – agreed upon. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz,
13/143 

And Allaah knows best.

 

What is the difference between a Prophet and a Messenger?

 

I wonder what is the difference between
Nabi (prophet) and Rasul (messenger)?

Praise be to Allaah.

There are a number of views on this issue, one of which
is that of Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him):

“A Prophet (Nabi) is one to whom Allaah reveals (yanbi’uhu)
something, and he passes on what Allaah has reveals to him. If he is sent with that to
those who go against the commandments of Allaah, to convey a message from Allaah to them,
then he is a Messenger. But if he follows a sharee’ah that came before him, and is
not himself sent to anyone to convey the message from Allaah to them, then he is a Prophet
and not a Messenger…” (al-Nubuwwaat, p. 255). Other
scholars add different details, but these are the most important of them. And Allaah knows
best.

 

Was the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) noor (light) or bashar (a human being)?

 

Was Prophet Muhammad a "Noor" or "Bashar", and is it true that he had no shade even in light?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Our Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the leader of
all the sons of Adam, and he is a human being, one of the sons of Adam. He
was born from two parents, he ate food and married woman, he got hungry and
fell sick, and he felt joy and sorrow. One of the clearest signs of his
humanity is that Allaah caused him to die as He causes all souls to die, but
what distinguishes the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) from others is Prophethood and Revelation. 

Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say (O
Muhammad): I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your
Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God ___
i.e. Allaah)”

[al-Kahf
18:110] 

The state of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his humanity
is the same as that of all the Prophets and Messengers. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“And We
did not create them (the Messengers, with) bodies that ate not food, nor
were they immortals”

[al-Anbiya’ 21:8] 

Allaah
condemned those who wondered at the humanity of the Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):

 “And
they say: Why does this Messenger (Muhammad) eat food, and walk about in the
markets (as we)…?”

[al-Furqaan 25:8] 

It is not
permissible to overstep the mark with regard to what the Qur’aan states
about the message and humanity of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). For example, it is not permissible to describe him
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as being noor (light) or as
casting no shadow, or to say that he was created from light. Rather this is
a kind of exaggeration which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) forbade when he said: “Do not exaggerate about me as was
exaggerated about ‘Eesa ibn Maryam. Say: the slave of Allaah and His
Messenger.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6830. 

Moreover it
is proven that the angels are the ones who were created from light, not any
of the sons of Adam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “The angels were created from light, and Iblees was created from
smokeless fire, and Adam (peace be upon him) was created from what has been
described to you.” Narrated by Muslim, 2996. 

Shaykh
al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah
(458): 

This
indicates that the well known hadeeth that is in circulation among people –
“The first thing that Allaah created was the light of your Prophet, O
Jaabir” – is false, and so are other similar ahaadeeth which say that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was created from
light. This hadeeth clearly indicates that the angels are the only ones who
are created from light, not Adam and his sons, so pay heed and do not be
negligent. End quote. 

The Standing
Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked the following question: 

Here in
Pakistan the scholars of the Bareilawi sect believe that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cast no shadow, which indicates
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not
human. Is this hadeeth saheeh which says that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) had no shadow? 

They
replied: 

This view is
false and goes against the texts of the Qur’aan and the saheeh Sunnah which
indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
was human and did not differ in his human make-up from other people. He had
a shadow like any other human. The Prophethood with which Allaah honoured
him did not alter the fact that he was human as Allaah created him, with a
father and mother. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say (O
Muhammad): I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your
Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God ___i.e. Allaah)”

[al-Kahf
18:110] 

“Their
Messengers said to them: We are no more than human beings like you”

[Ibraaheem 14:11] 

With regard
to the report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was created from the light of Allaah, this is a fabricated hadeeth. End
quote. 

Fataawa
al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1/464 

See also
question no. 4509 and 6084.

The Messiah and Yahya (peace be upon them) were maternal cousins

 

Was Maryam (peace be upon her) the only child of her family? If that is true, then how could the Messiah (peace be upon him) and Yahya (peace be upon him) be maternal cousins?.

Praise be to Allaah.

What the historians and
biographers say is that ‘Imraan, the father of Maryam, was married to a
woman who was called Hannah, and Zakariyah (peace be upon him) was married
to a woman called Eeshaa’. ‘Imraan and Hannah produced Maryam (peace be upon
him) and Zakariyah and Eeshaa’ produced Yahya (peace be upon him).  

Then they differed as to
who Eeshaa’ the mother of Yahya (peace be upon him) was. There are two
views. 

 1 –That she was the sister
of Maryam (peace be upon her). This is the view of the majority, as was
stated by Ibn Katheer in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah (1/438) 

Based on that, ‘Eesa and
Yahya (peace be upon them) are maternal cousins in the real sense, because
they are the sons of two sisters (Maryam and Eeshaa’). 

They quoted as evidence the
apparent meaning of the hadeeth of the Mi’raaj (Prophet’s ascent into
heaven) which was narrated from Maalik ibn Sa’sa’ah (may Allaah be pleased
with him), that the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) told them about the night on which he was taken on the night
journey. Among the things he said was: “Then he went up until he came to the
second heaven, and he asked for it to be opened. It was said: ‘Who is this?’
It was said: ‘Jibreel.’ It was said: ‘Who is with you?’ He said: ‘Muhammad.’
It was said: ‘Has (Revelation) been sent to him?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ It was
said: ‘Welcome to him, what a good person has come.’ And it was opened. When
I entered, I saw Yahya and ‘Eesa – who are maternal cousins. He said: This
is Yahya and ‘Eesa, and he greeted them with salaam and I greeted them too,
and they returned the greeting. Then they said: Welcome to the righteous
brother and the righteous Prophet.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3207) and this
version is his; also narrated by Muslim (164). 

2 – That Eeshaa’ was the
sister of Maryam’s mother Hannah, so Eeshaa’ was the maternal aunt of Maryam
(peace be upon her). This is what was mentioned by Ibn Ishaaq and Ibn
Jareer. Jaami’ al-Bayaan (3/234). This was the only view mentioned by
al-Haafiz ibn Harar in Fath al-Baari (6/68). 

Based on this view, how
could ‘Eesa and Yahya (peace be upon them) be maternal cousins? 

They said:  Because the
mother’s maternal aunt is like a real maternal aunt, so the mother of Yahya
was the maternal aunt of Maryam and she was also the maternal aunt of
Maryam’s son ‘Eesa (peace be upon them all). Just as Maryam was the maternal
cousin of Yahya, so her son ‘Eesa was also his maternal cousin. 

Imam Abu’l-Sa’ood said in
his Tafseer (2/27): 

As for the words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about Yahya and
‘Eesa (peace and blessing be upon them), “maternal cousins”, it was said
that the meaning of this is that the word sister was often used to refer to
the daughter of the sister, thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) regarded them as maternal cousins. End quote. 

Their evidence for that is
that it is well known that the wife of ‘Imraan, Hannah, had not become
pregnant and had not given birth. When she became pregnant with Maryam by
Allaah’s Leave, she vowed to dedicate the child to Allaah and to service in
the sacred House (Bayt al-Maqdis, i.e., the Temple in Jerusalem). This is
what is supported by the Qur’aanic passage. 

Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): 

“(Remember) when the
wife of ‘Imraan said: ‘O my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that)
is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work;
to serve Your place of worship), so accept this from me. Verily, You are the
All-Hearer, the All-Knowing’”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:35] 

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said in Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem (1/478): 

Muhammad ibn Ishaaq said:
She (i.e., the wife of ‘Imraan) was a woman who did not get pregnant, but
one day she saw a bird feeding its chicks and she longed for a child, so she
prayed to Allaah to bless her with a child, and Allaah answered her prayer.
Her husband had intercourse with her and she became pregnant. When she
realized that she was pregnant, she vowed that the child would be dedicated
to worship and service of the sacred House, and she said: “O my Lord! I
have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for
Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your place of worship),
so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing”
i.e., the One Who hears my du’aa’ and knows my intention. End quote. 

And Allaah knows best.

 

Thursday 11 August 2011

How many years were there between Adam and Muhammad (peace be upon them both)?

 

How long was the period of time between the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) and the creation of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

There is nothing in Islam that defines the period between
Adam and Muhammad (peace be upon them both); indeed the length of time that
Adam (peace be upon him) lived is not known. 

But there are some ahaadeeth and reports which, if we put
them together, we can arriver at an approximate length of time, but that not
cover the complete period. Some of these ahaadeeth and reports are saheeh
(sound) and others are subject to differences of scholarly opinion, and some
periods of time are not defined precisely in any reports. Among the saheeh
reports concerning that are the following: 

1 – Allaah says concerning the length of time that Nooh
(peace be upon him) remained calling his people: 

“and he stayed among them a thousand years less fifty
years”

[al-‘Ankaboot 29:14] 

2 – The period between ‘Eesa and our Prophet (peace be upon
them both): al-Bukhaari narrated that Salmaan al-Faarisi said: “The period
between ‘Eesa and our Prophet (peace be upon them both) was six hundred
years.” There are also other reports whose soundness is debatable, which
mention the following:  

3 – The period between Adam and Nooh (peace be upon them
both): it was narrated from Abu Umaamah that a man said: “O Messenger of
Allaah, was Adam a Prophet?” He said, “Yes, and Allaah spoke to him.” The
man asked, “How much (time) was there between him and Nooh?” He said, “Ten
centuries.” Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, 14/69; and by
al-Haakim, 2/262. He said it is saheeh according to the conditions of
Muslim, and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidaayah
wa’l-Nihaayah (1/94): this is (saheeh) according to the conditions of
Muslim, even though he did not narrate it. 

4 – The period between Nooh and Ibraaheem (peace be upon them
both): our evidence is in the continuation of the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) quoted above: … He said, “And how long was
there between Nooh and Ibraaheem?” He said, “Ten centuries.” (Narrated by
al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, 2/288. He said: this hadeeth is saheeh
according to the conditions of Muslim, although he did not narrate it. And
it was narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer, 8/118. 

It was reported that some of the narrators of this hadeeth
were da’eef (weak), but al-Albaani classed it as saheeh on the
basis of corroborating reports. 

Some of the reports that were narrated include the
following: 

5. The period between Moosa and ‘Eesa (peace be upon them
both). Al-Qurtubi said: there was some difference of opinion as to the
length of this period. Muhammad ibn Sa’d mentioned in his book
al-Tabaqaat that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “between Moosa ibn ‘Imraan and ‘Eesa
ibn Maryam (peace be upon them both) there were one thousand and seven
hundred years, and there was no fatrah (interval when no Prophet was sent)
between them, for one thousand Prophets of the Children of Israel were sent
between them, apart from other Prophets who were also sent (to other
nations). And between the birth of ‘Eesa and the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) there were five hundred and ninety-nine
years.” (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 6/121). Ibn Hajar said: “The narrators
are agreed that the period of the Jews until the coming of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was more than two thousand
years, and the period of the Christians until the coming of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was six hundred years.” (Fath
al-Baari, 4/449) 

By looking at the verse, ahaadeeth, reports and opinions
quoted above, if they are correct then we may use them to work out the
period in question. 

But as for being certain of the length of time between Adam
and Muhammad (peace be upon them both), then in addition to the above there
are many other considerations to be addressed before we can work it out,
including the following: 

·       
Differences of scholarly
opinion concerning the definition of the word qarn (translated above
as “century”) – does it mean one hundred years, or does it mean one
generation? What we know is that the lifespan of the people at that time was
a fraction of the time that Nooh spent in calling his people, and we do not
know how long the people of those generations lived.

·       
There is no report which
defines the number of years between Ibraaheem and Moosa (peace be upon them
both).

 It remains to be said that being certain about such matters
or researching them are not things on which we base our acts of worship or
our actions, and the words of Allaah are sufficient for
us:                                                                                  

“And (also) ‘Aad and Thamood, and the Dwellers of Ar-Rass,
and many generations in between”

[al-Furqaan 25:38 – interpretation of the meaning]

 We must strive to follow the example of these Prophets and
walk in their footsteps, because this is the purpose behind mentioning them
and their lives:

 “They are those whom Allaah had
guided. So follow their guidance”

[al-An’aam 6:90]

 And Allaah knows best.

Man was created tall then he kept getting shorter until now

 

Was man short at the time of Adam (peace be upon him) then he gradually grew taller, or was it the other way round? May Allaah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Allaah created Adam (peace be upon him) sixty cubits tall,
then mankind gradually grew shorter until they stopped and remained as they
are now. The evidence for that in the Sunnah is the hadeeth of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Allaah created Adam sixty
cubits tall, then mankind kept getting shorter until now.” (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 3326; Muslim, 2841). Ibn Abi Haatim narrated with a hasan
isnaad from Ubayy ibn Ka’b that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah created Adam a tall man with a lot of hair
on his head, as if he were a tall palm tree.”

 Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
Fath al-Baari:

 “ ‘Mankind kept getting shorter until now’ means that each
generation grew shorter than the generation before, and that decrease in
height ended with this ummah, and that is how they stayed.”

 And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace
upon our Prophet Muhammad.

 

The reason why mankind was created

 

Why was mankind created?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

One of the greatest
attributes of Allaah is wisdom, and one of His greatest names is al-Hakeem
(the most Wise). It should be noted that He has not created anything in
vain; exalted be Allaah far above such a thing. Rather He creates things for
great and wise reasons, and for sublime purposes. Those who know them know
them and those who do not know them do not know them. Allaah has stated that
in His Holy Book, where He says that He has not created mankind in vain, and
He has not created the heavens and the earth in vain. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Did you think that We had created you in play (without
any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?”

116. So Exalted be
Allaah, the True King: Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be
worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!”

[al-Mu’minoon 23:115, 116] 

“We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is
between them for a (mere) play”

[al-Anbiya’ 21:16] 

“And We created not the heavens and the earth, and all
that is between them, for mere play.

39. We created them not except with truth (i.e. to examine
and test those who are obedient and those who are disobedient and then
reward the obedient ones and punish the disobedient ones), but most of them
know not”

[al-Dukhaan 44:38] 

“Haa‑Meem.

[These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’aan, and
none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.]

2. The revelation of the Book (this Qur’aan) is from
Allaah, the All‑Mighty, the All‑Wise.

3. We created not the heavens and the earth and all that
is between them except with truth, and for an appointed term. But those who
disbelieve, turn away from that whereof they are warned”

[al-Ahqaaf 46:1-3] 

Just as it is proven that there is wisdom behind the creation
of man from the standpoint of sharee’ah, it is also proven from the
standpoint of reason. The wise man cannot but accept that things have been
created for a reason, and the wise man regards himself as being above doing
things in his own life for no reason, so how about Allaah, the Wisest of the
wise? 

Hence the wise believers affirm that there is wisdom in
Allaah’s creation, and the kuffaar deny that. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): 

“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and
in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of
understanding.

191. Those who remember Allaah (always, and in prayers)
standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the
creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): Our Lord! You have not
created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted are You above all
that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the
torment of the Fire”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:190, 191] 

And Allaah says, describing the attitude of the kuffaar
towards the wisdom of His creation (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that
is between them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who
disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve (in Islamic Monotheism) from
the Fire!”

[Saad 38:27] 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: 

Allaah tells us of His perfect wisdom in creating the heavens
and the earth, and that He has not created them in vain, i.e., in play with
no beneficial purpose. 

“That is the consideration of those who disbelieve” in
their Lord, because they think that which does not befit His Majesty. 

“Then woe to those who disbelieve (in Islamic Monotheism)
from the Fire!” Allaah created the heavens and earth in truth for truth.
He created them so that His slaves might understand the completeness of His
knowledge and power and the extent of His might, and that He alone is the
One to be worshipped, and not those who have not created even an atom in the
heavens or on earth. And that they might know that the Resurrection is true
and that Allaah will judge between the people of good and evil. The one who
is ignorant of the wisdom of Allaah should not think that Allaah will treat
them equally when judging them. Hence Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“Shall We treat those who believe (in the Oneness of
Allaah
Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds as Mufsidoon (those who
associate partners in worship with Allaah and commit crimes) on earth? Or
shall We treat the Muttaqoon (the pious) as the Fujjaar (criminals,
disbelievers, the wicked)?”

[Saad 38:28] 

This does not befit Our wisdom and Our judgement. End quote. 

Tafseer al-Sa’di, p. 712 

Secondly: 

Allaah has not created
man to eat, drink and multiply, in which case he would be like the animals.
Allaah has honoured man and favoured him far above many of those whom He has
created, but many people insist on kufr, so they are ignorant of or deny the
true wisdom behind their creation, and all they care about is enjoying the
pleasures of this world. The life of such people is like that of animals,
and indeed they are even more astray. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“while those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as
cattle eat; and the Fire will be their abode”

[Muhammad 47:12]

 “Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied
with (false) hope. They will come to know!”

[al-Hijr 15:3] 

“And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind
for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes
wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the
truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the
heedless ones”

[al-A’raaf 7:179] 

It is well known to wise people that the one who does a thing
knows more about the wisdom behind it than anyone else and for Allaah is the
highest description (cf. al-Nahl 16:60); He is the One Who has created
mankind and He knows best the wisdom behind the creation of mankind. No one
would dispute this with regard to worldly matters. All people are certain
that their physical faculties have been created for a reason. The eye is for
seeing, the ear is for hearing, and so on. Does it make sense for his
physical faculties to have been created for a reason but for himself to have
been created in vain? Or does he not agree to respond to the One Who created
him when He tells him of the reason behind his creation? 

Allaah has told us that the creation of the heavens and the
earth, and of life and death, is for the purpose of testing, so as to test
man. Whoever obeys Him, He will reward him, and whoever disobeys Him, He
will punish him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And He it is Who has
created the heavens and the earth in six Days and His Throne was on the
water, that He might try you, which of you is the best in deeds. But if you
were to say to them: “You shall indeed be raised up after death,” those who
disbelieve would be sure to say, “This is nothing but obvious magic”

[Hood 11:7] 

“Who has created death and life that He may test you which
of you is best in deed. And He is the All‑Mighty, the Oft‑Forgiving”

[al-Mulk 67:2] 

From this test results a manifestation of the names and
attributes of Allaah, such as Allaah’s names al-Rahmaan (the Most Gracious),
al-Ghafoor (the Oft Forgiving), al-Hakeem (the Most Wise), al-Tawwaab (the
Accepter of Repentance), al-Raheem (the Most Merciful), and other names of
Allaah. 

One of the greatest reasons for which Allaah has created
mankind – which is one of the greatest tests – is the command to affirm His
Oneness (Tawheed) and to worship Him alone with no partner or associate.
Allaah has stated this reason for the creation of mankind, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“And I (Allaah) created
not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56] 

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

i.e., I have created them so that I may command them to
worship Me, not because I have any need of them. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah said,
narrating from Ibn ‘Abbaas: “except that they should worship Me (alone)”
willingly or unwillingly. This is the view favoured by Ibn Jareer. Ibn
Jurayj said: i.e., except that they should know Me. Al-Rabee’ ibn Anas said:
“Except that they should worship Me”, i.e., for the purpose of
worship. End quote. 

Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/239 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: 

Allaah, may He be
exalted, created mankind to worship Him and to know Him by His names and
attributes, and to enjoin that upon them. Whoever submits to Him and does
what is enjoined upon him will be one of those who are successful, but
whoever turns away from that, they are the losers. He will inevitably gather
them together in the Hereafter where He will reward or punish them for what
He commanded and forbade them to do. Hence Allaah mentions how the
mushrikeen denied the reward or punishment, as He says (interpretation of
the meaning): 

“But if you were to say to them: ‘You shall indeed be
raised up after death,’ those who disbelieve would be sure to say, ‘This is
nothing but obvious magic’”

[Hood 11:7] 

i.e., if you were to
speak to these people and tell them about the Resurrection after death, they
would not believe you, rather they would reject your words vehemently and
deny the message you brought, and they would say, ‘This is nothing but
obvious magic,’ but in fact it is obvious truth. End quote. 

Tafseer al-Sa’di, p. 333 

And Allaah knows best.

 

The pigeons of Makkah and Madeenah

 

Is there anything special about the pigeons of Makkah and Madeenah?


 

Praise
be to Allaah.

There is nothing special
about the pigeons of Makkah or the pigeons of Madeenah, apart from the fact
that they may not be hunted or disturbed so long as they are within the
boundaries of the sanctuary, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth:
“Allaah had made Makkah sacred, and (fighting therein) was not permitted to
anyone before me and will not be permitted to anyone after me. It was only
permitted to me for a brief time on one day. Its shrubs are not to be
uprooted, its trees are not to be cut down, and its game is not to be
disturbed.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1349). And he SAWS (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Ibraaheem made Makkah a sanctuary,
and I have made Madeenah a sanctuary, whatever is between its two lava
fields [?]; its trees are not to be cut down and its game is not to be
hunted.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1360).

Are the monkeys and pigs that exist nowadays humans who have been transformed?

 

Could you please tell me about monkeys. Are they humans who were turned into monkeys for disobeying Allahs commandments? if so which people were they and what did they do?


Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Maskh (transformation) refers to the changing of a person’s
exterior appearance. Allaah has told us in more than one place in the
Qur’aan that He transformed some of the Children of Israel into monkeys as a
punishment for their disobedience towards Allaah. Allaah says, addressing
the Children of Israel (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And indeed you knew those amongst you who transgressed in
the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday). We said to them: ‘Be you monkeys,
despised and rejected.’

So We made this punishment an example to their own and to
succeeding generations and a lesson to those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the
pious)”

[al-Baqarah 2:65-66] 

And Allaah tells us their story in more detail in Soorat al-A’raaf,
where He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And ask them (O
Muhammad) about the town that was by the sea; when they transgressed in the
matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly
on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath.
Thus We made a trial of them, for they used to rebel against Allaah’s
Command (disobey Allaah)

 And when a community among them said: ‘Why do you preach
to a people whom Allaah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe
torment?’ (The preachers) said: ‘In order to be free from guilt before your
Lord (Allaah), and perhaps they may fear Allaah.’

So when they forgot the reminders that had been given to
them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but with a severe torment We seized
those who did wrong because they used to rebel against Allaah’s Command
(disobey Allaah).

So when they exceeded the limits of what they were
prohibited, We said to them: ‘Be you monkeys, despised and rejected’”

[al-A’raaf 7:163-166] 

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say: ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do
you criticize us for no other reason than that we believe in Allaah, and in
(the Revelation) which has been sent down to us and in that which has been
sent down before (us), and that most of you are Faasiqoon [rebellious and
disobedient (to Allaah)]?’

Say (O Muhammad to the people of the Scripture): ‘Shall I
inform you of something worse than that, regarding the recompense from
Allaah: those (Jews) who incurred the Curse of Allaah and His Wrath, and
those of whom (some) He transformed into monkeys and swines, and those who
worshipped Taaghoot (false deities); such are worse in rank (on the Day of
Resurrection in the Hell-fire), and far more astray from the Right Path (in
the life of this world)’”

[al-Maa’idah 5:59-60] 

This transformation was a punishment from Allaah to them for
their doing that which Allaah had forbidden to them. This punishment was not
exclusively for the Children of Israel, rather the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that the Hour will not begin until
such transformation happens among this ummah too. He issued this warning to
those who disbelieve in the divine decree (al-qadr), and those who drink
alcohol and listen to singing – we seek refuge with Allaah from that. 

Ibn Maajah (4059) narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Shortly
before the Hour begins, people will be transformed into monkeys and pigs,
swallowed up in the earth, and pelted with stones.” (Saheeh Ibn Maajah,
3280). 

Being swallowed up in the earth means that the earth will
split open and swallow up a person, house or city, just as Allaah caused the
earth to swallow Qaaroon and his household. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning); 

“So We caused the earth to swallow him”

[al-Qasas 28:81] 

Pelting with stones is
the same as Allaah did to the people of Loot. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): 

“and rained down on them stones of baked clay”

[al-Hijr 15:74] 

Al-Tirmidhi (2152) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “I heard the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say,
‘Among this ummah those who disbelieve in the divine decree (al-qadr)
will be wallowed up by the earth, transformed into monkeys and pigs or
pelted with stones.” (Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1748). 

And al-Tirmidhi (2212) narrated from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Among this ummah, people will be transformed into monkeys and pigs,
swallowed up in the earth, and pelted with stones.” A man among the Muslims
said, “O Messenger of Allaah, when will that be?” He said, “When
singing-girls and musical instruments become widespread and wine is drunk.”
(Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1802). 

These ahaadeeth indicate
that such transformations will happen in this ummah as a punishment for some
sins. So let the Muslim beware of doing anything that Allaah has forbidden.
Woe be to the one who provokes the anger, wrath and vengeance of Allaah. May
Allaah keep us all safe from the things that incur His punishment. 

But these monkeys and pigs that exist nowadays are not the
people from the earlier nations who were transformed, because Allaah does
not enable those who have been transformed to have offspring, rather He
causes them to die after being transformed, so they have no offspring. 

Muslim (2663) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “A
man said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, are the monkeys and pigs those who have
been transformed?’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: ‘Allaah does not enable those who have been transformed to have
offspring or children. The monkeys and pigs existed before that.’” al-Nawawi
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The Prophet’s words ‘The monkeys and
pigs existed before that’ means that they existed before the Children of
Israel were transformed, which indicates that they are not from among those
who were transformed.” 

And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad
and grant him peace.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

How should a person fill his spare time?

 

I am suffering from the problem of too much spare time, because of which I have begun to feel very strange. My worship has become noticeably less, not because of anything that is distracting me but because I have become depressed. I am learning to memorize Qur’aan with a teacher but I am still in Juz’ ‘Amma (the 30th juz’). I memorize what is required of me, but I still have too much spare time. In an attempt to rid myself of depression I turn on the TV, but I hate it and I do not really want to watch it, but I sit in front of it for ten hours. Can you believe it – ten hours? And I used to watch it only a little. I don’t know. Please advise me as to how I may kill this spare time.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

The blessing of time is one of the greatest blessings that
Allaah can bestow upon His slaves. Allaah even swears by time in some cases,
as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“By Al‑‘Asr (the time)”

[al-‘Asr 103:1] 

- because of the importance and blessing of time.  

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Make the most of five things before five others: life before
death, health before sickness, free time before becoming busy, youth before
old age, and wealth before poverty.” See Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 1077. 

But most people are unaware of the importance of this
blessing and are neglectful of their duties towards it, namely to fill it
with acts of gratitude and obedience towards Allaah. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are two blessings which
many people do not make the most of and thus lose out: good health and free
time.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6412. 

Al-Teebi said: The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) likened the Muslim
(who is accountable for his deeds) to a merchant who has capital and seeks
to make a profit whilst also preserving his capital. The way to do that is
to look for the right people to deal with and he himself will be honest and
will try to be smart lest he be cheated. Good health and free time are our
capital, and we should deal with Allaah with faith, striving against the
evil inclinations of our nafs and the enemy of religion i.e., the Shaytaan,
so that we may attain the best in this world and in the Hereafter. This is
similar to what is mentioned in the passage where Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Shall I guide you to
a trade that will save you from a painful torment?”

[al-Saff 61:10] 

We should avoid following the dictates of the nafs and keep
away from the Shaytaan lest we lose both our capital and our profit. 

Fath al-Baari by Ibn Hajar. 

If time is so important,
then the Muslim should not have any free time, for he should be going from
one act of worship and obedience to another. If he cannot spend all his time
going from one act of obedience and worship to another then, he may spend
some of his time in permissible pursuits, in which he should ensure that his
intention is correct, so that he may earn reward thereby, as Mu’aadh (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: “I get up and I sleep, and I hope for the
same when I sleep as I hope for when I get up.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
6923; Muslim, 1854. 

The problem that the sister is suffering from is caused by
several things: 

Firstly: she does not understand the value of time. This is
true of many people, as stated above. Even worse than that, by neglecting
this great blessing, her spare time has become something destructive, and
she regards it as an enemy that she wants to kill, but she does not realize
that she is killing herself.  

Secondly: she feels depressed. There is no doubt that wasting
one's time and one's life causes deep depression in man, because he feels
that he is like an animal that eats so it can sleep, and sleeps so it can
eat. Hence we see many disbelievers ended their life by suicide, after being
afflicted by depression and other incurable diseases – may Allaah keep us
safe and sound from that with which He has tested them. One of the primary
causes of depression is disobedience towards Allaah. Undoubtedly wasting
time watching TV leads a person to commit sin, such as watching and
listening to haraam things, wasting time, and other things caused by this
evil machine. The benefits that the sister gains by joining a halaqah for
memorizing Qur’aan are largely cancelled out, if not erased entirely, by
sitting in front of the TV. Just as good deeds erase bad deeds, bad deeds
cause good deeds to be lost. 

[You can refer to the
Books section of this website; in

Dealing with Worries and Stress you will find more details about the
causes of worry and how to overcome them. In
Dangers Facing the Home
you will find mention of some of the harmful effects of TV.] 

Thirdly:  

She has given up with
regard to time, and she has no determination to fill her time with
beneficial things. 

In order to solve this problem, the sister must strive to
achieve the following: 

1-    
Doing acts of worship such as
reciting dhikr and wird, praying, reading Qur’aan, fasting and thinking
about the signs and blessings of Allaah.

2-    
She should pay special
attention to the Qur’aan, since she says that she memorizes what is required
of her, then she has spare time that she kills by watching TV. Why doesn’t
she use that time to remember Allaah and read Qur’aan, and memorize more so
that she can memorize the whole Qur’aan, before she becomes burdened with
the responsibilities of life. For (reading) each letter is a hasanah, and
each hasanah brings a tenfold reward. And each verse raises one in status
and increases one’s reward, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Read and rise (in status), for as you used to
recite in this world, your position (in the Hereafter) will be determined by
the last verse you read.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1464; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in al-Saheehah, 2240.

3-    
Adopt a cause affecting Muslim
women in the country where you live, such as helping to teach Muslim girls,
undertaking charitable projects, and so on.

4-    
Find good and righteous friends
with whom you can meet and get together.

5-    
Read Islamic books in
particular and useful stories in general.

6-    
Get involved in da’wah, women’s
activities and children’s sports in Islamic centres.

7-    
Listen to tapes and lectures,
and write summaries which you can distribute to those who will benefit from
them.

8-    
Learn some useful areas of
worldly knowledge such as cooking, sewing, etc.

9-    
Learn about computers and
useful programs, for this is a vast area which will take up a lot of time
and can be used to do a lot of good and useful things. This will take you
away from sitting in front of the TV which does not help you in any way, and
does more harm than good.

10-You should read some
books which speak of the importance of time and how to manage it; listen to
some useful lectures on this topic too. 

May Allaah help you and us to do all that is good. 

He does not allow his wife to appear in front of his brothers

 

My brother got married approximately two years ago, and during this time he has forbidden his wife to appear in front of his brothers, even in hijab, or to speak to them when they visit him. Until now we have no idea what she looks like and we have not spoken a single word to her. Is this permissible according to sharee’ah or is it extreme?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

A woman has to cover her entire body, including the face,
from men who are strangers to her (i.e., non-mahrams). She should observe
hijab even more strictly in front of her husband’s male relatives who are
not mahrams for her than in front of strangers. This is the opposite of what
most careless people do nowadays. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, when one of his companions wanted an exception to
allow the husband’s relatives to enter upon his wife: “The in-law is death.”
So we must be more cautious with regard to the husband’s relatives –
including his brothers – because of the carelessness that exists with regard
to this matter.

 Your brother has done well by not allowing his wife to
appear in front of you, and she has done well by obeying the command of
Allaah and of her husband. This is not extremism at all; rather it is
obedience to the command of Allaah. There is no need for the husband’s
brothers to see his wife, let alone sit with her and talk to her. 

Those scholars who said it is permissible for a woman to sit
with her husband’s relatives only allowed it on condition that there is no
suspicion attached to that and that she does not sit alone with one of them,
or there is no listening to songs or watching haraam things on the part of
either of them. Unfortunately such things happen in most people’s
gatherings. If the gathering is free of the above-mentioned evils and haraam
things and the woman observes full hijab, then it is permissible for her to
sit with them and speak to them, so long as she is not soft in speech. But
it is still better and more on the safe side for her not to do that, and
this is what your brother has done, so that hearts may remain pure and free
of the traps by which the Shaytaan ensnares people. 

What your brother has done should not have any effect on your
relationship with him or on the relationship of your wives with his wife.
They are doing something good and acting in accordance with Islam. You
should try to get close to them and learn from them in the way they deal
with people. You should note that your brothers’ criticizing their brother
for concealing his wife from them and not letting her sit with them makes
one have suspicions about them. In sha Allaah they are not that type of
people, but the Shaytaan may make something appear attractive to a man so
that what is good becomes bad to him, and what is bad becomes good, so he
regards covering and modesty as extremism and laxity as trust and progress.

We ask Allaah to purify our hearts and bodies, and to bring
you together in a good way, and to reconcile between you, and to make you a
good example to other people. 

See also the answers to questions no.
21363 and
13261 

And Allaah knows best.

Ruling on cosmetic surgery

 

I want to ask about cosmetic surgery on the nose – is it haraam, especially since it causes me psychological distress and affects my life, and the doctors have also said that I need surgery?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Cosmetic surgery may be divided into two categories: 

1 – Essential surgery: 

These are operations that are done to remove faults, such as
those that result from sickness, traffic accidents, burns, etc. or to remove
congenital defects with which a person was born, such as to remove an extra
digit or separate fused digits, etc. 

This kind of operation is permissible. There is evidence in
the Sunnah to indicate that they are permissible and that the one who does
them does not intend to change the creation of Allaah. 

(i)               
It was narrated from ‘Arfajah
ibn As’ad that he lost his nose in the battle of al-Kulaab during the
Jaahiliyyah, so he wore a nose made of silver but it became putrid, so the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him to wear a
nose made of gold. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1770; Abu Dawood, 4232;
al-Nasaa’i, 5161. This hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in
Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 824.

(ii)             
It was narrated that
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursing those women who pluck their
eyebrows and file their teeth for the purpose of beautification and change
the creation of Allaah. Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. 

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

With regard to the phrase “those who file their teeth”, this
refers to those who did that for the purpose of beautification and looking
younger. This indicates that what is haraam is that which is done for the
purpose of beautification; but if it is needed for medical treatment or to
correct a fault in the teeth and so on, there is nothing wrong with it. And
Allaah knows best. 

2 – The second type of cosmetic surgery is that which is done
for the purpose of beautification. 

These are operations that are done to improve the appearance
in the eye of the beholder, such as making the nose look more beautiful by
making it smaller, or making the breasts look more beautiful by making them
smaller or larger, or facelifts, and so on. 

This kind of surgery is not for any necessary reason, rather
the purpose is to change the creation of Allaah and tinker with it according
to people’s whims and desires. So this is haraam and it is not permissible
to do it, because it is changing the creation of Allaah. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“They (all those who worship others than Allaah) invoke
nothing but female deities besides Him (Allaah), and they invoke nothing but
Shaytaan (Satan), a persistent rebel!

118. Allaah cursed him. And he [Shaytaan (Satan)] said: ‘I
will take an appointed portion of your slaves.

119. ‘Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will
arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the
ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by
Allaah’”

[al-Nisa’ 4:117-119] 

The Shaytaan is the one who tells people to change the
creation of Allaah. 

See: Ahkaam al-Jaraahah al-Tibbiyyah by Shaykh
Muhammad al-Mukhtaar al-Shanqeeti. 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have
mercy on him) was asked: 

What is the ruling on cosmetic surgery? What is the ruling on
learning the science of beautification? 

He replied: 

Cosmetic procedures are of two types: 

1 – Those which are done to remove a fault resulting from an
accident etc. There is nothing wrong with that because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave permission to a man whose
nose had been cut off in battle to wear a nose made of gold. 

2 – Those which are unnecessary and are not done to remove a
fault but rather to increase beauty. This is haraam and is not permissible,
because the Messenger of Allaah (S) cursed women who pluck eyebrows, those
who have their eyebrows plucked, those who fix hair extensions, those who
have hair extensions done, those who do tattoos and those  who have tattoos
done, because that is done as an enhancement and is not done to remove
faults. 

With regard to the
medical student who learns about cosmetic surgery during the course of his
studies, there is nothing wrong with him learning that, but he should not do
that in haraam cases, rather he should advise those who ask for that to
avoid it because it is haraam. Perhaps if this advice comes from the lips of
a doctor it will have more effect on a person. 

Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/412. 

See also the answer to question no.
1006. 

In conclusion: 

If there is some defect in the nose and the purpose of the
cosmetic surgery is to remove that defect, then there is nothing wrong with
that. 

But if the purpose is simply to make it more beautiful then
it is not permissible to do this surgery. 

And Allaah knows best.

causes of apathy and the remedy for that

 

What is the best solution for apathy in faith after a person used to fear Allaah, then he became apathetic and can no longer read Qur’aan?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

There are several causes
of apathy and before dealing with the problem we have to pause and find out
the cause. There are several ways of finding out the cause and dealing with
apathy. 

Some of these causes are: a weak relationship with Allaah,
laziness in worship, keeping company with careless people, being distracted
by this world and its delights, and not thinking about the end of this world
and the consequences of being ill-prepared to meet Allaah. 

As for how to treat the Muslim who has been afflicted by
apathy in worship, there are several ways of doing so including the
following: 

1 – Strengthening his relationship with his Lord, by reading
the Qur’aan and pondering its meanings, realizing the greatness of Allaah by
seeing the greatness of His Book, thinking about the greatness of His names
and attributes and actions. 

2 – Regularly offering naafil prayers and persisting in doing
so, even if they are few, because one of the greatest causes of the Muslim
becoming apathetic is when he starts to do acts of worship and does a great
deal in the beginning. This is not the way of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and is not what he advised his ummah to do.
‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) described his actions as ongoing,
i.e., not interrupted or infrequent. And the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that, “The most beloved of actions
to Allaah are those which are done persistently, even if they are little.”
If a Muslim wants not to be afflicted by apathy, then let him strive to do a
small action persistently, because this is better than doing a lot
infrequently. 

3 – Striving to keep company with righteous and active
people. A man who is energetic (in worship and Islamic activities) will make
you more active and lazy people do not like active companions. So look for
active friends who strive to memorize Qur’aan, seek knowledge and call
people to Allaah. Friends like that will encourage you to worship and will
show you the way to good things. 

4 – Read books that tell the stories of active people so that
you will have good examples in your journey towards Allaah. For example,
‘Uluw al-Himmah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Muqaddim; Salaah
al-Ummah fi ‘Uluw al-Himmah by Shaykh Sayyid ‘Afaani. 

5 – We advise you to
make du’aa’, especially in the latter part of the night. The one who turns
to his Lord and seeks His help to remain steadfast in worshipping Him and to
worship Him well will never be let down.

We ask Allaah to help
you to do that which pleases Him and to guide you to the best attitudes,
words and deeds. 

And Allaah knows best.

He married her on the basis that he would come back to his country after a certain amount of time, then he decided not to go back

 

A man came to propose marriage to me, and he was working in another country. He agreed with my father that I would travel with him after marriage and stay there with him for no more than three years, and we would come back together after that time was up. I actually did marry him and I traveled with him, and I have two children. Three years went by, and when I asked him to go back, based on the agreement, he went mad and told me that he will never go back; he has migrated and I have to accept this situation. In addition to that, he is a man who does not help me to obey Allaah. He brought a satellite dish into our home and he leaves me alone all day feeling lonely in this foreign land, and I cannot resist watching it. Also, he does not allocate any time to spend with me and relieve my loneliness. All his time is spent at his work or with his friends. When I realized that I could not stand to put up with this situation for the rest of my life, I decided to go back to Egypt and never come back and delegate my affairs to Allaah with regard to this bad marriage. But the problem is that he is accusing me of being a wife who does not obey him and of being disobedient, and he tells me that Allaah will punish me on the Day of Resurrection because I went against my husband’s commands.


 Am I really a disobedient wife, or does the fact that he did not adhere to the agreement on the basis of which I married him exonerate me from any blame?.


Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Firstly: 

The Muslim is obliged to adhere to the conditions that he set
and to fulfil his promises. Among the conditions that are most deserving of
fulfillment are those by means of which it becomes permissible for a man to
enjoy intimacy with his wife, namely the conditions of marriage. 

Al-Bukhaari (2821) and
Muslim (1418) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The conditions that most deserve to
be fulfilled are those by means of which it becomes permissible for you to
enjoy intimacy.” 

Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (7/448): 

The conditions of marriage fall into three categories: 

1 – Those which must be fulfilled, which are those which
benefit the wife, such as the condition that he will not make her leave her
house or city, or make her travel with him (i.e., take her to another
country). 

These must be fulfilled. If the husband does not do that then
the wife has the right to annul the marriage, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The conditions that most
deserve to be fulfilled are those by means of which it becomes permissible
for you to enjoy intimacy.” End quote. 

It is essential to differentiate between that which the
husband stated as a condition in the marriage, and a promise that he made
after the marriage contract was done. If it was a condition of marriage
(i.e., the marriage contract was done on the basis of this condition), then
the wife has the choice of waiving that condition or of annulling the
marriage, if her husband does not fulfil this condition. In this case she
should be given her rights in full. 

If it was a promise that he made after marriage, then he has
to fulfil his promise if he does not have an excuse. But the wife does not
have the right to annul the marriage if he does not fulfil it. This is the
ruling on this situation. 

We advise the husband to fulfil the condition and to keep his
promise, or to ask for his wife’s consent to waive the condition or to delay
fulfillment of the promise until a later, stated time. He has to fear Allaah
with regard to his wife and not bring haraam things and haraam entertainment
into the house. 

The sister who asked this question should be more patient and
put up with it. She should also try to get wise people from her family and
from his to intervene, in order to resolve the differences between them. 

Secondly:  

The husband has made a serious mistake by bringing the
satellite dish into the home and enabling his wife to see all the sinful
content that the dish brings. The one whom Allaah has put in charge of
others should be sincere towards them and not be negligent or heedless in
his duties towards them. 

Thirdly: 

The sister made a mistake, because she is not forced to look
at the evil scenes brought by the dish, and her being alone is no excuse.
She can occupy herself by worshipping Allaah, keeping company with righteous
women, doing permissible things, and reading and listening to things that
will benefit her in both her religious and worldly affairs.