The Virtue of Prophet Muhammad's Companions over the Companions of all Other Prophets

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Allaah تعالى mentions about some of the favors He did for the Children of Israaeel but how they still rebelled against Him تعالى:

{And We shaded you (O Children of Israaeel) with clouds and sent down on you al-Manna and al-Salwaa, (saying): “Eat of the good lawful things We have provided for you,” (but they rebelled). And they did not wrong Us but they wronged themselves.} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 57]

The Aayah on which the blood of `Uthmaan ibn `Affaan’s رضي الله عنه fell when he was murdered:

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

{فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّـهُ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ}

{So Allaah will suffice for you against them; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 137]

Ibn Abu Haatim رحمه الله mentioned in his Tafseer on the authority of Ziyaad bin Yunus that Naafi` bin Abu Nu`aim informed him: “One of the Khaleefah had send me with the Mus-haf (the Qur’aan) of `Uthmaan ibn `Affaan رضي الله عنه for taking care of it.” Ziyaad said: “I said to him: The people say that his Mus-haf was in his room when he was killed and that the blood fell on the aayah {So Allaah will suffice for you against them; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower}.” Naafi` said: “I have seen the blood on this aayah with my own eyes.”

[It is said that this Mus-haf is in Turkey, and Allaah knows best]

Do you know the reason why?

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Do you know the reason why these days a lot of Du`aat (singular: Daa`ee) have NEARLY stopped talking about Tawheed and `Aqeedah and resorted more to storytelling and other secondary issues:

Allaah تعالى says:

{ وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِهِمْ نُفُورًا}

{And when you make mention of your Lord Alone [Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (none has the right to be worshiped but Allaah) Islaamic Monotheism (Tawheed)] in the Qur'aan, they turn on their backs, fleeing in extreme dislikeness.} [Surah al-Israa' (17): 46]

For them, the topics on Tawheed and `Aqeedah do not gather big crowds in comparison to storytelling, so they choose the later – Allaahul-musta`aan!

Some even believe that Tawheed divides the people and that’s why they avoid speaking openly about it – and Allaah’s refuge is sought from this foolishness.

That’s the difference between Scholars and Du`aat. The scholars have always said: “Tawheed First!” and that’s what they concentrate on the most.

Allaah make us to benefit from the scholars and to guide our Du`aat.

Shaikh Ibn Baaz: Beware of hypocrites and hypocrisy

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله said:

* The hypocrites are the enemies of Allaah تعالى and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, for they are more evil than the Kuffaar. Allaah تعالى said:

{إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ}

{Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire} [Surah al-Nisaa’ (4): 145]

The ruling of raising the hands in Du`aa’ during the Khutbah:

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Question: What is the ruling on raising one's hands while the Khatib (preacher) makes Du`a' (supplication) for Muslims in the second Khutbah? Kindly support your answer with evidences. May Allah reward you well. 

Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله answered: 

It is not Mashroo` (Islamically acceptable) to raise one's hands in Du`aa', either in the Friday Khutbah or the `Eid Khutbah, whether on the part of the Imaam (the one who leads congregational Prayer) or Ma’moom (a person being led by an Imaam in Prayer). It is prescribed to listen attentively to the Khateeb (preacher) and say "Aameen" after he makes Du`aa' quietly without raising one's voice. As for raising the hands, this is not Mashroo`.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not raise his hands either in the Friday Khutbah or the `Eid Khutbah. When some of the Sahaabah (Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) saw some rulers raise their hands in the Friday Khutbah, they denounced this, saying that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not raise them. Yet, if he (the Imaam) asks for rain during the Friday Khutbah or the `Eid Khutbah, then he may raise his hands, because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to raise his hands in that situation.

http://www.alifta.com/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?View=Page&PageID=2176&PageNo=1&BookID=14

When is the Hujjah (argument) established?

 بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله said:

When the Messengers are sent to the people (who are mature in age and not insane) and they address them in their language, but they (the people) reject (them), then the Hujjah (argument) has been established against them because of the saying of Allaah تعالى:

Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #68

Al-Sidq (Truthfulness):

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾

{O you who Believe! Fear Allaah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).} [Surah al-Tawbah (9): 119]

He تعالى also said:

The soul's share of the punishment or the pleasure of the grave is more

 بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله said:

The soul’s share from the pleasure and the punishment in the grave is more, whereas the body only shares a part of it. But on the Day of Judgment, both the soul and the body (will have equal the share of the pleasure or the punishment).

A Confession To Make: The Confession Box

 بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

The advent of “Confession” pages on Facebook and on twitter is spreading like wildfire. This matter has even attracted the attention of the local daily to report about the stir that they are causing. These “Confession” pages are either based on people living in the same society or country; or for people who have studied in the same school/colleges etc.

The real problem is that some of the Muslim brothers and sisters are involved in this, who – somehow – fail to realize the graveness of the sins they are committing.

Those who are involved in this in anyway – either by administrating these pages/accounts or by contributing in it or by sharing it – need to understand that they are crossing the limit in the following matters:

Tafseer: {Do not contribute for your own destruction}

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Allaah تعالى says:

{وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ وَأَحْسِنُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ}

{And spend in the Cause of Allaah and make not your own hands contribute to (your own) destruction, and do good! Truly, Allaah loves al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers)} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 195]

The four things which break a person's back

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

There are four actions which breaks the person’s back (i.e. distances him from Allaah تعالى), so seek Allaah’s refuge from it:

First: Kufr and it has two categories:

a. Kufr al-Shak (rejection due to doubt) and it is kufr al-Dhan (rejection due to lacking conviction).

Example of this is the saying of Allaah تعالى:

Giving up one's rights to avoid the discord

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله said:

“A sinner does not go out of Faith (Imaan)^[1] unlike what the Khawaarij and the Mu`tazilah say because of the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا﴾

{And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting…} [Surah al-Hujuraat (49):9] ^[2]

Madhhab of Ahl al-Hadeeth

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Question:

Shaikh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله was asked about the Imaams al-Bukhaaree, Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhee, al-Nasaa’ee, Ibn Maajah, Abu Dawood al-Tayaalisee, al-Daarimee, al-Bazzaar, al-Daaraqutnee, al-Baihaqee, Ibn Khuzaimah, Abu Yu`laa (all these were Muhaddith), were they Mujtahid or Muqallid?

Answer:

He رحمه الله answered: “As for al-Bukhaaree and Abu Dawood, they both were Imaams in Fiqh (Islaamic Jurisprudence) and were from the people of Ijtihaad. But as for Muslim, al-Tirmidhee, al-Nasaa’ee and Ibn Maajah, Ibn Khuzaimah, Abu Yu`laa, al-Bazzaar and their likes were upon the Madhhab of Ahl al-Hadeeth. But they were not Muqallids, singling out anyone of the Imaams nor were they the Imaams in Ijtihaad in absolute terms. Rather, they were inclined to one of the Imaams of Hadeeth like al-Shaafi`ee, Ahmad, Is-haaq, Abu `Ubaid and others like them.”

[Majmoo` al-Fataawaa (20/39-40)]

*******

Benefits from this:

First: Answering back with more (information) than the questioner asked, and this is from good manners in giving Fatwaa. This is in accordance to the Hadeeth which was narrated by Imaam Maalik in his Muwatta, as well as in the Sunan from the Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that a man asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: O Messenger of Allaah, we travel by sea and we take a little water with us, but if we use it for Wudhoo’, we will go thirsty. Can we perform Wudhoo’ with seawater? The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Its water is a means of purification and its dead meat is permissible.” [Sunan Abu Dawood (83), Sunan al-Tirmidhee (69) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (480)]

Second: A scholar can excel in one of the many fields* of knowledge, while following (the opinion of) others in the other fields.

*[A few examples are: al-Lughah (the `Arabic language), Tafseer, Hadeeth, Sharee`ah etc.]

Third: Making Taqleed of the scholars when their opinion is in accordance with the Hadeeth is praiseworthy and not blameworthy.

Fourth: As for the one who has not excelled enough in knowledge and does not meet the conditions of Ijtihaad, then it is not permissible for him to make Ijtihaad even though he might be brilliant in one of the many fields of knowledge.

Fifth: Following the opinion (doing Taqleed) is allowed as long as it has evidences; otherwise (blind) Taqleed is blameworthy when the evidence point to something else.

Sixth: The position of Imaam al-Bukhaaree and Abu Dawood with the Salaf.

Seventh:  The abundant knowledge of Shaikh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله.

Eighth: The justice of Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله on the subject.

Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #67

When Imaan enters the heart:

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

This is how when the Imaan (Faith) enters the heart and when the Yaqeen (Certainty) enters the heart, no Fitnah (trials/temptations) can harm it. The magicians – who were from the army of Fir`aun - at the beginning of the day were Kaafir magicians; and by the end of the day, they were pious believers – challenging Fir`aun when Imaan entered their hearts. This was a devastating defeat for Fir`aun, but even after that he did not stop his tyranny.

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (1/228)]

Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #66

This is how the Yaqeen of the Messengers is:

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

We think that we are so independent that we feel like we’ll manage everything and every situation on our own. But when things get out of hand, and we can’t control the situation; that is when panic sets in. Know, that had we complete trust in Allaah تعالى from the beginning, we would be guided by Allaah عز وجل out of our troubles. This is illustrated in the following story of Moosaa عليه السلام. 

Your actions indicate whom you resemble:

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Imaam Sufyaan Ibn `Uyaynah رحمه الله said:

“They used to say: “If anyone from the scholars becomes corrupt, then he has the resemblance of the Jews. If anyone from worshipers becomes corrupt, then he has resemblance of the Christians.””

[al-Istiqaamah (1/100) of Ibn Taymiyyah]

Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #65

How the magicians fell into prostration:

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (1/337) of Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله]

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَىٰ * قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ * فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ * قُلْنَا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْأَعْلَىٰ * وَأَلْقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوا إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَىٰ * فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَارُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ﴾ 

Serious people do not waste their time

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Hafs bin Humaid al-Akaaf said: “An intelligent person does not waste (free time and good health) nor does a devout person waste (free time and good health).”

Abu Haatim (commenting on the words of Hafs bin Humaid) said: “These are concise words with diverse meaning. As diligence is unbeneficial without success (from Allaah), nor beauty without sweetness, neither delight without security; similarly, intelligence is useless without piety, nor is memorization helpful without implementation. As delight follows security and as kinship follows affection, similarly, (the intelligence of a) man depends upon sound understanding.” [Rawdhatul `Uqalaa’]