When two scholars differ in an opinion, which one should one follow ?

What should one do when two scholars who both graduated from the same Darul Uloom have a significant difference of opinion ? There is, for example, one scholar who delivered a detailed lecture backed up with much evidence, more or less stating that getting involved in anything to do with Christmas was opening the doors of Shirk. However another scholar who graduated from the same Darul Uloom feels that it is permissible to say Merry Christmas and even publicly said Merry Christmas to non-Muslims himself. These two scholars are both senior ulema in my city... So what should one do in this aqeedah issue ? Should one follow the scholar who one feels more comfortable in following ? Or should one follow what his heart says is correct ? In the name of Allaah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, One of the great qualities of our pious predecessors was that they used to exercise precaution as much as possible. Furthermore, It is always best to leave what leads to doubt in its permissibility for what creates no doubt for you at all. And Allaah knows best... <3

Drop of blood fall into my clothes during period

Question: I want to know during periods drops of blood fall on clothes. I thereafter washed my clothes and made them paak. After washing and drying my clothes, I found little marks visible on the clothes. Are my clothes paak? And can I offer salah in them clothes or do I need to wash them again?

 Answer: In principle, when one’s clothes are soiled with impurities such as blood or urine, it is necessary to remove the impurity. There are a number of ways in which these impurities can be removed: To wash and subsequently squeeze the cloth three times. To wash the cloth until the impurity is removed (be this by washing it once, twice or three times.) If one is using a tap, then passing that amount of water continuously which is used in washing the cloth three times will suffice. (Squeezing is not necessary.)[1] If you washed and squeezed the clothes appropriately and some effects of the blood such as the colour still remain, you will not have to wash the clothes again.The clothes will be pure (paak). Salah in such clothes will be valid.[2]
Reference:
[1] احسن الفتاوى، ج٢، ص٩7، ايج ايم سعيد أقول لكن قد علمت أن المعتبر في تطهير النجاسة المرئية زوال عينها ولو بغسلة واحدة ولو في إجانة كما مر فلا يشترط فيها تثليث غسل ولا عصر وأن المعتبر غلبة الظن في تطهير غير المرئية بلا عدد على المفتى به أو مع شرط التثليث على ما مر ولا شك أن الغسل بالماء الجاري وما في حكمه من الغدير أو الصب الكثير الذي يذهب بالنجاسة أصلا (رد المحتار، ج١، ص٣33، ايج ايم سعيد) [2] و لا يضر بقاء اثر كلون و ريح لازم فلا يكلف في ازالته الى ماء حار او صابون و نحوه. (رد المحتار، ج١، ص٣٠٨، ايج ايم سعيد) احسن الفتاوى، ج٢، ص٩٤، ايج ايم سعيد

Can a husband issue a divorce to his wife if they are not getting along together ?‏

Question:  My question is I have been married for 7 years but for the last 3 years I had a misunderstanding with my wife and I have taken three months without seeing,talking to her. The problem is she chased me from the house and told me she don’t want to see me again. Now can I send talak (divorce)?

Answer:   In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, I would like to commend you for asking such a question which shows your concern to abide by the Shariah. May Allah, the Almighty help us all live a good and righteous life based on the pristine teachings and laws of Islam. If one reads the verses specifically relating to divorce in the Holy Quran then it can clearly be understood that the issuing of divorce is at first prevented and not issuing divorce is encouraged. Such prevention and encouragement is to preserve the union and bond between both spouses. They are instructed to work out their differences. Such is the encouragement of not issuing divorce in the verses of the Holy Quran that if both spouses cannot come to an understanding then arbitration should be carried out by an arbitrator from both sides.[1] If all the above phases comes to no avail and there is no possibility of reconciliation and there seems to be an absolute necessity then only one divorce can be issued in such a pure period (i.e. when the wife is not in a state of menstruation) where no cohabitation took place between both spouses.[2] In light of the above, I urge you to act upon the advice of the Quran and that both you and your wife come to some understanding. If you cannot come to an understanding then seek help by arbitration. If nothing comes to avail then only as a last resort you may issue one divorce like mentioned above, bearing in mind the following prophetic narration: “The most hated of permissible things to Allah is divorce”۔ (Abu Dawood)[3] I pray Allah, the Almighty make everything easy for you and guides you to what is in your best interest. (Ameen) It will not be devoid of benefit to mention that unfortunately many of us get married but are oblivious of the obligations upon us when getting married; for example, the rights a husband owes to his wife, the rights a wife owes to her husband etc. A humble request from myself generally to all brothers and sisters, we need to read, learn and understand all the Shariah requirements relating to marriage, first and foremost being the fulfilment of rights. In this way, Insha’Allah, we will have healthy and successful relationships with our spouses. And Allaah knows best..

 Reference :
 [1] {وَاللَّاتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا} [النساء : 34] {وَإِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنْ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزًا أَوْ إِعْرَاضًا فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا أَنْ يُصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحًا وَالصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ} [النساء : 128] {وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ شِقَاقَ بَيْنِهِمَا فَابْعَثُوا حَكَمًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَحَكَمًا مِنْ أَهْلِهَا إِنْ يُرِيدَا إِصْلَاحًا يُوَفِّقِ اللَّهُ بَيْنَهُمَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا خَبِيرًا} [النساء : 35] [2] سنن ابن ماجه – (1 / 651،كتاب الطلاق، باب طلاق السنة،رقم الحديث:2020،دار الفكر – بيروت): عن عبد الله قال : – طلاق السنة أن يطلقها طاهرا من غير جماع سنن الدارقطني – (4 / 5،كتاب الطلاق والخلع والايلاء وغيره[ 16]،رقم الحديث:3،دار المعرفة – بيروت): عن بن عباس يقول : الطلاق على أربعة وجوه وجهان حلال ووجهان حرام فأما الحلال فأن يطلقها طاهرا عن غير جماع وأن يطلقها حاملا مستبينا وأما الحرام فأن يطلقها وهي حائض أو يطلقها حين يجامعها لا تدري أشتمل الرحم على ولد أم لا [3] سنن أبى داود – (2 / 220،كتاب الطلاق، باب فى كراهية الطلاق،رقم الحديث:2179،دار الكتاب العربي ـ بيروت): عن محارب قال قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « ما أحل الله شيئا أبغض إليه من الطلاق » سنن أبى داود – (2 / 220،كتاب الطلاق، باب فى كراهية الطلاق،رقم الحديث:2180، دار الكتاب العربي ـ بيروت): عن ابن عمر عن النبى -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال « أبغض الحلال إلى الله تعالى الطلاق ». السنن الكبرى للبيهقي – (7 / 322،كتاب الخلع والطلاق ،باب ما جاء فى كراهية الطلاق، رقم الحديث:15292، مجلس دائرة المعارف النظامية الكائنة في الهند ببلدة حيدر آباد): عن ابن عمر رضى الله عنهما أن النبى -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال :« أبغض الحلال إلى الله الطلاق ». التيسير بشرح الجامع الصغير ـ للمناوى – (1 / 30،حرف الهمزة،دار النشر / مكتبة الإمام الشافعي – الرياض): ( أبغض الحلال ) أي الشيء الجائز الفعل ( إلى الله الطلاق ) من حيث كونه يؤدّى إلى قطع العصمة المؤدّى إلى التناسل الذي به تكثر هذه الأمّة المحمدية شرح النووي على مسلم – (10 / 61،كتاب الطلاق،باب تحريم طلاق الحائض بغير رضاها، دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت): وفي قوله صلى الله عليه و سلم ان شاء أمسك وإن شاء طلق دليل على أنه لا اثم في الطلاق بغير سبب لكن يكره للحديث المشهور في سنن أبي داود وغيره أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قال أبغض الحلال إلى الله الطلاق فيكون حديث بن عمر لبيان أنه ليس بحرام وهذا الحديث لبيان كراهة التنزيه

Hajj

 The significance of hajj
• It’s the 5th pillar of Islam. It’s a command, for those who can afford the expenses.
• It’s the sunnah-prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) performed it.
• The places of hajj are connected to great prophets: Ibrahim, Ismail, Adam (a.s), Muhammad (s.a.w).
• It makes Muslims realise that Islam isn’t a new religion.
• All the sins that Muslims confess at Arafat will be forgiven; therefore Muslims can start a new life.
• It brings a Muslim closer to Allah.
• It makes the pilgrims aware of the power & unity of Islam. Day 1: 8th Zul Hijjah (Yawm ut-tarwiyyah) On this day the pilgrims go to Mina after sunrise. They’ll stay there in their tents & perform their Salaah including the Fajr of next day. Day 2: Zul Hijjah (Yawm ul-arafah) After sunrise, the pilgrims proceed to Arafat & perform the wuquf (stand). The wuquf starts from Zawwal (noon) up to Maghrib. They’ll read Zuhr & Asr & after sunset, will make their way to Muzdalifah. There, they’ll read Maghrib & ‘isha & spend the night there (in the open). Day 3: 10th Zul Hijjah (Yawm un-nahr) After performing Fajr in Muzdalifah, the pilgrims make their way back to Mina; 4 important acts are done on this day: 1. Pelting the big Jamarat only(3rd & largest pillar known as Jamarat ul-uqba) 2. Sacrifice of an animal. 3. Shaving of the head. 4. Tawaaf-uz-ziyaarah Day 4: 11th Zul Hijjah All 3 pillars are pelted. Day 5: 12th Zul Hijjah All 3 pillars are pelted & return back to makkah. What happens at Makkah & its relationship to the prophets
• The pilgrims go round the Kabah 7 times. Each time, they try to touch the kabah or kiss the black stone as a sign of devotion to Allah.
• The Kabah was built by Adam (a.s) & re-built after the flood, by Ibrahim & Ismail (a.s), so they remember these prophets as they perform this ritual which is called tawaf.
• The pilgrims run between the hills of Safa & Marwa copying what Hajar (wife of prophet Ibrahim) did as she searched for water to survive in the desert.
• The pilgrims collect water from the Zamzam well. This is regarded as the holiest water in the world & bottles are taken home. What happens at Arafat & its relationship to the prophets
 • The stand at Arafat is the main part of hajj.
 • The pilgrims listen to a sermon given by the imam.
 • They stand up for several hours & confess their sins to Allah.
• Arafat is where Adam & Hawwa (a.s) met at the mountain of mercy & were reunited after being told to leave the garden in paradise & the place where they confessed their mistake. It was this place where they were forgiven, & Adam (a.s) was also made a prophet in this place.
• Standing at Arafat reminds them of the day of Qiyaamah (judgement).
• It’s an opportunity for Muslims to attain closeness to Allah & seek his forgiveness & start fresh. What happens at mina & its relationship to the prophets
 • On the way from Arafat to Mina, the pilgrims gather 49 stones, which they throw at the pillars of stoning in Mina. They do this to remember how Ibrahim (a.s) stoned Shaytan at Mina when Shaytan tempted him to disobey Allah & not sacrifice his son.
• As they do this, they also promise to get rid of all the evil in their own hearts. Celebration of eid-ul-adha
• The festival of eid-ul-adha is a time when Muslims all over the world remember the sacrifice that the prophet Ibrahim was willing to make to please Allah.
• At mosques all over the world, there’s a congregational prayer as on eid-ul-fitr.
• The families gather together to make their sacrifice & eat it as a celebratory meal. In the UK, Muslims who wish to make a sacrifice themselves will pay a halal butcher to make the sacrifice for them. They will share this meat with family, friends & the poor.
• It reminds Muslims about the greatness of Allah & to share the spirit of hajj with those who were able to go to makkah, & reinforces the feeling of the ummah.
• The sacrifice of the animal reminds them that they should be prepared to sacrifice everything for Allah.

What is Classified as Pure Water & Impure Water ?

 Staying clean is extremely important in Islam, if one is not in the state of purity they cannot fulfill any rituals such as Salaah and Reciting Quran, hence Islam gives great emphasis on one being clean and pure. The way we purify our exterior is with the use of pure clean water. It is important to understand what is classified as pure water and how to distinguish when water becomes unusable for one to purify themselves. First of all there are 7 types of pure water Rain Water Sea Water River Water Well Water Water melted from snow (ice) Water melted from Hale Spring Water The above seven water are classified as pure water in its original form. Then water is categorized into 5 different types. 1. Pure Water & Purifier – water which is not disliked This is completely pure water in its original form, without any modifications made to it. Such types of water can be used to purify and cleanse oneself for ritual activities. For instance all of the 7 types of water mentioned above are pure water and are purifiers. One can use such water to remove literal impurity, and purify oneself for worship. 2. Pure Water & Purifier – Water which is disliked This is that water which is pure and again one can use such water to cleanse and purify one self, but it is disliked (Makruh Tanzihi), to use this water for a couple of reasons. An example of such water is when a domestic cat (or similar to such domestic animals) drinks this water when the quantity of this water is small. In such instance avoiding using this water for purification would be recommended and one will be rewarded for doing so. On the other hand if one does use such water to cleanse and purify oneself they will not be sinful, and purification will be achieved. What quantity of water would be classified as small in such instance? Water in the dimension of 4.6 x4.6 in diameter will be classified as small quantity. 3. Pure Water & Not a Purifier Water A water which in its form is pure but one cannot use such water to purify one self. For instance such water which one has used already to purify oneself in the form of Wudhu, now that water does not become impure after being used, but the water cannot be reused by someone else or even the same individual to cleanse and to remove ritual impurity again. The water is classified as used soon as it separates from the body. Once the water has left the limb that you were washing, that same water cannot be used to purify another limb. For example, if one is washing the arms for wudhu, and the water drips from the arm onto the feet, the feet would still need to be washed with pure water, as the water that left the arm and fell on the feet is not a purifier. Water that comes out of Trees and Fruits are classified as pure water, but are not purifiers one cannot use such water to acquire ritual impurity, even though if the water comes out from the tree and fruits themselves without anyone extracting such water. Any water which has been removed from its nature (its ability to flow and it’s thickness) due to cooking or anything overcoming the natural ability of making the water flow or it becomes thick, such water will be classified not fit to be used for achieving purity (ablution), but the water is still classified as pure. It just cannot be used to purify anything. Another example is of liquids that we use daily such as Drinks, these are all pure liquids, as we can touch them and use them, and if such liquid was to fall onto our clothes it does not make our clothes impure. But you cannot use such liquids and fluids to achieve purification. If natural water still has its ability to flow naturally and it has not lost its density (thinness) the water will still be classified as pure water, which can be used to remove ritual impurity. Issues of when water becomes dominant Dominance with solids When pure water is mixed with any solids that removes the below two qualities of the water, the water is classified as being dominant. Density: it loses its thinness Fluidity: the water does not flow naturally When the above two are lost the water is not suitable for ablution and purification. On the other hand if a solid item falls into the water but does not remove the above two qualities, that water is still classified as pure, for example if tree leaves or fruits or any such item which falls into the water, but you can notice it has not affected the water, one can continue to use such water to achieve purity, even though the water has lost its below qualities: Smell Color Taste Such water is still classified as pure and fit for ablution. Dominance with liquids If the liquid has two qualities, and it loses one of its quality or if the liquid has all three qualities and looses two of the qualities, it is classified as it has been dominated. For example milk has two qualities (Taste & Color) if one of these qualities were to be lost, you would classify milk being dominated and not usable. If the liquid has no qualities (taste, smell and color) than the dominance would be determined by measurement (one cannot actually measure physical, but can determine and estimate approximately how much liquid has been mixed). So any water which has been dominated may still be pure, but it will not be classified as a purifier, with which one can achieve ritual impurity. 4. Impure water Water in which impurity has fallen into. If the impurity has fallen into water which is less than arms lengths wide and its depth is so that when you scoop up water you can see the bottom surface, even though you may not be able to see the signs of impurity, such water will be classified as impure. If the water is flowing and impurity falls into it, it will not be classified as impure water, unless you actually see the impurity in the water. For example the water is flowing in a stream, and some impurity falls into the water, naturally the stream would flow that impurity away, and along as you can see that there is no impurity and filth in the water in front of you, you can perform ablution. On the other hand if you notice that there is still impurity in the water (color changes, smells, or doesn’t taste right), than that water is not pure until the signs have gone. 5. Doubtful Water – Doubtful in the ability to purify Such water from which a donkey or a mule has drank from. If any of these animals drink from such water, it is best to avoid using that water for purification. If one has no option besides to use this water, it is best that they perform Ablution (wudhu) first with intention and then also perform tayammum with intention. Hence it is extremely important that we ensure that when we use water for purification it is clean and suitable for achieving purification. In most modern countries we are privileged in having taps with access to clean water in the comfort of our homes, mosques and public areas, hence we do not think into the logistic of where the water is coming from. But when we are traveling abroad and have fewer resources it is important to understand the basic Fiqh of clean water. Reference: نور الىضاح – كتاب الطهارة أقسام المياه مسألة غلبة الماء

Am I allowed to get a custom made prayer mat with my name on it?

Question: Am i allowed to get a custom made prayer mat with my name on it. Which i can use for my daily prayers?
Answer: There is nothing explicitly mentioned in Quran and Sunnah against getting a custom made prayer mat with your name on it. However, there are some questions which arise when getting such a mat made. Will the name be written in such a place where you will stand on? Will the name be written in Arabic/Urdu or English? If yes, then this could be considered against etiquette. It should be borne in mind that etiquette is based on norm/customary practice. In our norm/customary practice it is seen as against etiquette to stand on anything with Arabic writing. With regards to standing on English letters, even though in our norm/customary practice it is not seen as against etiquette, however, the letters are spelling your name which is of Arabic origin. Furthermore, the English letters are also associated with knowledge; therefore we can say that it is against etiquette but of a lesser degree compared to the Arabic. And if your name is written on the mat in such a way that will not entail you to stand on the name, for example, it is written in the area where the head is placed whilst prostrating then it will not be classified as against etiquette. However, in this scenario the name could be a cause of distraction in Salaah, where sincerity and devotion in Salaah is of paramount importance. Allah, the almighty mentions in the Quran: “Woe unto worshippers who are heedless of their Salaah..” One of the interpretations the Mufasireen of the Quran have given to those “who are heedless” is “those who are absentminded/inattentive (in Salaah). Furthermore, in this scenario there is a slight notion or suspicion of polytheism (even though this may be far-fetched). And if you are getting your name written on the mat just for recognition that it is your property, for instance it is printed on one of the sides of the mat or on the back of the mat then it will not be classified as against etiquette judging on our norm/customary practice. However, in this case it would be better to get your name written in English. In conclusion, if you are really adamant to get a custom made mat with your name on it then it would be advisable to get your name written on one of the sides of the mat in English for recognition purposes only. In addition to the detail above,the ruling for getting a name printed like mentioned in the question, is based on intention. If the intention is vanity and stating of some aloof status for oneself, then this is not permitted. And Allah, the Almighty knows best.

Etiquettes of Istinja

Below are a list of etiquettes of doing instina, what is permissible and what is not. Revealing the Awrah When doing istinja it is important that we do not fully take off all our clothes. We should always attain modesty, for men and women we should be careful we do not reveal our body to others. In western countries this is not big problem, as the toilets and bathrooms are concealed, even though this does not allow us to fully strip. Keeping this in mind we should be mindful that we do not get any impurity onto our clothes. If we feel that we have a tendency of getting impurity onto our clothes, we should change our clothes, and not use clothes that we would not pray with before going to the toilet. What is Awrah? (Private Parts) Male: The part of the body from below the navel up to the knees (including the knees). Female: The whole body, except: Face, Hands, and Feet. What we should use It is Makruh (Disliked) to do istinjah with Bones Any food for human or animals Baked Bricks Pottery Glass Plaster Plaster Anything that is respected by others Paper with writing on it. In our current times it is best to use Tissue and Water. Tissue is easily accessible even in public toilets, so we would not need to resort to anything else. It is also Makruh (Disliked) to use our right hand to perform istinja, unless we have a valid reason, such as an injury. We should always use our left hand to do istinja. Entering the toilet When entering the toilet / bathroom, we should enter with our left foot first, and prior to entering seek refuge from Allah The all Mighty by reciting the following dua. اللُّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْخُبْثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ “O Allah. I seek refuge in You from the male female evil and Jinns“ There are two shaytans Kubas and Khabis at the door of the toilets, and by reading this dua, and seeking refuge for Allah, one protects himself from the shayateens seeing his or hers private areas, and also injecting bad thoughts in to one’s mind. It only takes couple of seconds to read this dua, we should make this part of our routine. Sitting on the toilet When sitting, it’s best to sit leaning towards the left hand side, as this eases the urinating and excreting. Whilst on the toilet we should not speak to each other unless it is extremely important. At times individuals have full conversations while on the toilet, and at times people go on their phones. This is extremely disliked and forbidden. Narrated Abu Sa’id al-Khudri: I heard the Prophet of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him) say: “When two persons go together for relieving themselves uncovering their private parts and talking together, Allah, the Great and Majestic, becomes wrathful at this (action). “Abu Dawood” It is Makruh Tahrimi to face the Qibla and to have ones back against the Qibla whist on the toilet even if the construction of the toilet is of such. Similarly it is also disliked to face the sun and the moon, as these are great signs of Allah`s. It is also disliked to face a blowing wind, as the impurity can easily blow back onto the clothes and body. One should also not defecate and urinate in Water: Even if the water is flowing, Shade: a place where people generally rest. Under Fruitful Trees: Because it may damage the fruits and cause it to be impure when they fall. Pathway or streets: The Prophet (Peace & Blessings Be upon Him) said: “Fear the two that are cursed.” They inquired, “Who are those that are cursed O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him) said: “The one that relieves himself in the road or walkway of people or in their shade.” – Muslim Hole in the ground: incase there is a rat, ants or anything that may harm you We should not When urinating or defecating we should NOT Urinate standing up, unless we have a valid reason Take items that have the name of Allah & His Messengers (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him) such as rings, necklace …etc Do Zikar (mentioning the name of Allah) Say Alhamdulillah after sneezing or responding to a sneeze by saying Yarhamukallah. Return the greeting of Assalamu Alaikum Reply to the Azan Look at our gentiles Look at what comes out e.g. our urine Spit Fiddle with our body Stare at the sky Extend the sitting unnecessarily Exiting the toilet When leaving the toilet we should step out with our right foot first, and then recite the below dua. اَلْحَمْدُ لِللَّهِ الَّذِيْ أَذْهَبَ عَنِّيْ الأَذّىَ وَ عَافَانِيْ O Allah. I seek your forgiveness. All praises are due to Allah who has taken away from me the discomfort and granted me comfort Reference: نور الإيضاح ونجاة الأرواح – فصل فى الاستنجاء

A brief guide to Menstruation (Haidh)

Islam is a complete way of life, it provides guidance to every aspect of ones life, even something as simple as puberty and details pertaining to it has been taught to us. A period, or menstruation (Haidh) is a type of blood that is discharged from the womb of a woman every month, this is also known as menses. Females have regular periods during their reproductive age. menstruation is neither “the curse” on females nor a result of the so‑called original sin of Eve. Rather it is a very normal biological process that ensures the perpetuation of the human race. Periods will start when all the parts that make up a girl’s reproductive system are mature and working together. A girl’s periods can begin from 8 to 16 years of age, but Generally they start when a girl is about 12. A girl is considered baaligha (mature) if any of the following occurs: 1) A wet dream 2) Pregnancy without Haidh occurring 3) Monthly period after the age of 9 When an individual reaches the age of puberty Salah, Fasting and other aspects of Islam become compulsory. For this reason it is vital to learn the masaail (rules) so one can discharge his duties in a correct manner. If one neglects a compulsory act after puberty, they become sinful. Haidh is is mentioned in the Quraan, when Allah states: “They ask you about menstruation. (O Muhammad), tell them that menstruation is a discomfort for the women,” (it is a period when they pass through physical and emotional tension.) (2:222) A women can have discharge of blood for four reasons: 1) Menstruation 2)loss of virginity 3)post natal bleeding 4) Internal injury Islamicly a woman`s Haidh does not start before the age of nine, so if someone sees blood prior to this age it will be considered as Istihadha (Flowing of blood out of the normal time scales). The minimum period of Haidh is three days and three nights and the maximum period is ten days and ten nights.[2] Blood that flows for less than three days or more than ten days is called Istihadha[2] (Flowing of blood out of the normal time scales). The minimum period of purity between two periods is fifteen days. There is no maximum period. Menstruation is the flow of blood; and blood, according to the shari’ah, is a najis (unclean) substance and so menstruation is also considered najis. But the impurity of menstruation in no way prevents a woman from living a normal life with her family and friends. In the state of menses it is not permissible for a woman to: 1)Touch or recite the Qurān.[1] 2)To fast[2] 3)Enter in the Masjid.[2] 4)Perform Tawaaf around the Kabah.[2] 5)Offer Salah.[2] 6)Sexual relations When Haidh is finished one will not have to make up for the missed Salaah, but will have to make up for the missed fasts.[2] If one begins to bleed while offering salaah, then that salaah will also be excused, she must discontinue that salaah immediately. If during the month of Ramadhaan ones Haidh stops during the day, then it will not be proper for her to eat and drink until sunset. It will be Wajib (necessary) on her to behave like a fasting person. However this day will not be counted as a fast, she will still need to make Qadha of it. When a woman becomes pure from menstruation, it is Wajib (necessary) for her to perform Ghusl. Apart from sexual intercourse, all the acts forbidden to her will remain so until she performs Ghusl (bath).[2] 1-الفتاوى الهندية 1/38 دار الفكر 2-مراقي الفلاح باب الحيض والنفاس و الاستحاضة

A brief introduction: Interest, Economics, and Islam

We all know that Islam forbids interest but for most of us that is about as far as our knowledge goes. But do we know what the logic behind the banning of interest is, and what distinguishes it from trade? Have we ever wondered how a conception of an Islamic economy would look? And what about an answer to that ever-popular question on ‘Islamic mortgages’ that is the staple of every Asian dawat (dinner party)? It is to answer these and other questions that I have written this article. Like it or not, we are economic beings living in a conventional financial system and we need to know at least the basics of what our religion says about our economic lives. Let’s start right at the start. In his famous discussion on Maqasid Al-Shariah, Al-Ghazali outlined five objectives that underpin all Islamic legal theory, and it is from one of these objectives – hifdh al-maal (protection of property) – that the field of Islamic finance and economics stems. At the heart of the Shariah’s teachings on commerce is the desire to protect people’s wealth – be they rich or poor – and a desire to establish a just society (2:188). وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا فَرِيقًا مِّنْ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالْإِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful]. This is an oft-missed point when we get into heated discussions on Islamic economics, interest and HSBC Amanah; but if we grasp this point we can understand the core intuition behind Islamic commercial law and many things become clearer. Now let’s talk about the things Islam forbids. Yes, Islam forbids riba (interest) but it is often missed that Islam equally forbids gharar (uncertainty) and maysir (gambling). This unholy trinity is identified in the divine law as harmful for society and strictly forbidden according to both the Qur’an and Sunnah (2:275, 5:90). الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا ۗ وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا ۚ فَمَن جَاءَهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَانتَهَىٰ فَلَهُ مَا سَلَفَ وَأَمْرُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say, “Trade is [just] like interest.” But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past, and his affair rests with Allah . But whoever returns to [dealing in interest or usury] – those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah ], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. This is an important point to note because while most of us know that interest is haram and stay away from it, we don’t realise that gharar is also haram and we often enter into transaction over which there is uncertainty due to our ignorance. For example it is impermissible to agree to sell something in the future if one does not yet own that item (with some exceptions). The logic behind the banning of gharar is that it removes the possibility of dispute later on between the parties and an Islamic contract stipulates and describes things in as much detail as possible. Secondly, the macroeconomic benefit of the gharar ban is that an Islamic economy will not tolerate highly uncertain, fluctuating and complex financial instruments such as derivatives. This is relevant to our times as derivatives were held largely to be a key cause behind the Global Financial Crisis. Neither the buyers nor the sellers of these derivatives fully understood the products they were selling and the repercussions they could have – to devastating effect. An Islamic economy would either not allow such instruments or highly regulate their trading in order to minimise the excessive uncertainty and opacity which creeps into the market due to these instruments. Having said all that; let me clarify. Every business has an element of uncertainty about it. Islam isn’t against that. What Islam is against is speculative risk-taking where one bets on horses for example. Here one has a chance of winning or losing and one has gone out of one’s way to expose oneself to this risk by making the bet. There is no tangible thing being actually bought or sold here and one has gone out of one’s way to expose oneself to this risk. However risks like those taken in starting a business are incidental and one does not necessarily aim at taking those risks. These risks have no upside to them. For example we all face the risk of being hit by a car every time we step onto a road. However that is not our intention when we step out onto a road – and we certainly don’t benefit from exposure to this risk! These risks are natural and unavoidable and can be insured against. Yes, Islam has a concept of insurance too, where every individual in a pool promises to insure the rest of the participants in that pool. Let’s now turn to interest. I often get asked what the difference between interest-based financing and Islamic financing is. The easiest way to explain this is to think of the following example: imagine you need £10 to buy a pen. However you do not have this £10 and so ask for an interest-bearing loan. You receive your £10 and buy your pen. A month later you pay back the bank £11 (with £1 interest) and sell the pen for £20 and make £9 profit. Now let’s consider Bob. Bob needs £10 to buy this pen but approaches an Islamic bank. The Islamic bank can use a number of transactions to help this individual but let’s say they choose the mudarabah model. With this model, the bank provides the capital while Bob does the labour. So Bob buys the £10 pen again, and sells it for £20 after a month. At this point the bank receives back its share of the profit and gets back £11, while Bob takes £9 once more. In terms of pure numbers there is no difference. The bank has still made £1 and Bob £9. It would seem that the two transactions are identical. However there is an important distinction between the two cases. In the first case the bank does not take on the risk of buying and holding an item and taking part in a business venture. It simply gets its fixed interest profit. In the second case however the Islamic bank exposes itself to a potential loss by entering this business venture. It may or may not get that £1. In a nutshell that’s the difference. Islamic economic morality teaches that profit should only go hand in hand with risk-taking and entrepreneurship. Profiting from interest is forbidden because a) it is not productive (you’re not creating anything, you’re simply making money from money); and b) it has the potential to exploit those who are poorest. One may argue “the commercial bank needs to be compensated for losing the use of its £10 for the duration of that month. It could have used it in other ventures instead.” This argument seems appealing at first reading but the problem with it is that even if the bank was to use that £10 in an alternative business venture instead of lending to you, in that alternative use, the return would not be guaranteed. For example the bank decides to set up a toy business with that £10 for that month instead of lending to you. The success or failure of that venture is unclear. So it seems odd that we should compensate the bank for the loss of ability to use the £10 in another hypothetical venture – the profit or loss of which is unclear. In effect we would be compensating the bank with a risk-less fixed income return due to the lost hypothetical opportunity to take a risk and return either a profit or loss. To put it more intuitively “if the bank is so confident it was going to make a killing by not lending to me; then why didn’t it just do so?” The answer of course is because it’s far riskier to be an entrepreneur than it is to be a lender. A second benefit to a risk-sharing approach to banking is that banks pay much closer attention to which businesses they invest in; because unlike commercial banks their money is inextricably linked up with the success of the ventures they invest in. A conventional bank on the other hand will get its return no matter if the business makes a profit or not. This means that an economy with only Islamic banks will allocate resources to the best businesses as there will be much closer due diligence prior to any money being given to this new business. This means fewer businesses fail overall and a more productive and efficient economy results. Finally, an aspect of Islamic economic discussions which is often overlooked is the role the infaq (charity) sector has to play in the economy. Muslims are the most philanthropic religious group, ahead of Christians, Jews and atheists. This is because of the Muslim community’s long history, culture and dependence on charity. Throughout the medieval Islamic period, the waqf (endowment) funds ran substantial parts of the economy with up to 25% of arable land and income-generating properties being waqf holdings. These waqf would provide free health and education and national poverty alleviation. In fact it was the waqf system which inspired the modern day University of Oxford college endowment structure. Sadly however, due to colonisation and seizure of waqf properties by the state, this Islamic institution is now a shadow of its former glory. But the important point to remember is that in an Islamic economy the not-for-profit sector is a major infrastructure provider and significantly changes the responsibilities of government. To conclude this was a whistle-stop tour on Islamic economics and finance, let me reiterate that one must not miss the other areas of the rich and vast field of Islamic economics and finance and simply focus on the debate over interest and mortgages. In fact; because there is so much interconnection between issues in Islamic economics and finance; by limiting ourselves to discussions of Islamic mortgages and interest in isolation we in fact limit our understanding of even these topics.

Overview of Zakat

Zakat is a monetary worship that is incumbent on those possessing a certain amount of wealth. Giving Zakat is considered as a great act of worship in Islam. The meaning of zakat is “to cleanse” or “purify”. When a Muslim gives Zakat to the poor he is essentially purifying his wealth and his soul. Zakat is an act that is loved by Allah as through the payment of zakat, the rich share their wealth with those who are less fortunate. Islam is a complete code of life which includes amongst other things, the economic aspect of life. Islam has its own economic principles. Zakat is one of the basic principles of the Islamic economy, based on social welfare and fair distribution of wealth. Allah says in the Quran: وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ And establish prayer and give zakat (Surah Baqarah: 43) Paying Zakat gives the individual the opportunity of sharing his wealth with those that are less fortunate. Wealth belongs to Allah, He is the real owner and we are merely the trustees of His wealth. We do our duty as trustees if we pay Zakat as an obligatory part of worship. Zakat is Farz (compulsory) in Islam, anyone that denies it being a Farz will come out of the fold of Islam. There are two major benefits of paying Zakat: 1. It keeps one away from sin and saves the giver from moral ill arising from the love and greed for wealth; 2. Through Zakat the poorer class, (those themselves) are being cared for, such as widows, orphans, the disabled, the poor and the destitute. Who needs to pay Zakat? Zakat is Farz upon a person if: 1.He is a Muslim 2. He is an adult 3. He is a sane person 4. He is a free person – not a slave 5. He owns wealth to the value of Nisaab (the minimum amount of wealth that one must have before zakat is payable). Unfortunately many people do not consider Zakat as an important act of worship, and neglect it due to greed and worldly love. Allah says in Surah Taubah: “And there are those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah, announce to them a most grievous penalty (when) on the Day of Qiyaamah heat will be produced out of that wealth in the fire of Jahannam, then with it they will be branded on their foreheads and their flanks and backs. (It will be said to them) This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves, taste then the treasure that you had been hoarding.”

The laws of Halal and Haram Animals

Allah has granted us human beings with innumerable blessings and bounties. He has made us the best of creation and made other creations subservient to us. Consider the following verses: “Allah is the one who created the skies and the earth and sent down rain from the skies produced thereby some fruits as provision for you.” (14:32) “And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth – all from Him.” (45:13) “And indeed, for you in livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from that which is in their bellies, and for you in them are numerous benefits, and from them you eat.” (23:21) “Do they not see that We have created for them from what We have made, grazing livestock, and [then] they are their owners? And We have tamed them for them, so some of them they ride, and some of them they eat.” (36:71-72) However, this does not mean that we can consume anything we wish. Allah Ta’ala has set boundaries for us to adhere to. There are some things that He has declared impermissible in the Holy Quran such as swine (pig) and intoxicants. We may not be able to understand the reasoning behind certain laws and ordainments of Allah Ta’ala, but He alone is the All-Knowing, All-Merciful; the best to decide what is beneficial and harmful for us. This paper hopes to expound on which animals and creatures are permissible and impermissible for us Muslims to consume in the Hanafi school of thought based on the Quran, Ahadith and texts of the illustrious Fuqahaa. A list of permissible and impermissible animals will be provided at the end of the paper. Sea Animals All animals and species that are born and live in the sea/ ocean/ water are impermissible to consume with the exception of all fish. This means that animals such as octopus, dolphins, oysters, clams and crabs are impermissible to consume even though they live in the water whereas animals such as sharks, eels, cod, salmon etc. are permissible to consume regardless of their diet because they are classified as fish. Miscellaneous rulings regarding fish: The only time when fish will be impermissible to consume is when it is taafi (floating) i.e. dies a natural death and floats on the water. If it dies due to any external factor such as heat, cold, an attack from a sea bird (stork etc.), being thrown to the shore, being trapped in a fishing net, colliding with rocks, etc. it will be permissible to consume. If a fish is found in the stomach of a dead fish, it will be permissible to consume. The water a fish lives in will not affect the permissibility of the consumption of the fish, even if the water is impure. There is a difference of opinion amongst the Hanafi scholars in the matter of prawns. Some are of the opinion that they were previously termed as fish (samak) amongst the Arabs therefore they are permissible. Others are of the opinion that they are not fish; rather they are crustaceans therefore impermissible. Due to this difference of opinion, while there a leeway to consume prawns, it is advisable and taqwa to abstain. Note: Sea animals other than fish are makruh tahrimi not haram. (This is mostly a semantic difference, they are still impermissible to consume.) Note: Fish do not need to be slaughtered before they can be consumed. Land Animals The Fuqahaa state that land animals can be classified into three groups: 1. Animals that have no blood, (no red ‘blood’) creatures such as hornets, wasps, spiders, beetles, and scorpions. All animals that fit into this category are impermissible to consume with the exception of locusts because of the numerous Ahadith that have been narrated regarding its permissibility. 2. Animals that don’t have ‘flowing blood’, (dame saail); (blood that gushes out when they are slaughtered) rodents, amphibians and reptiles. All animals that fit into this group are impermissible to consume such as snakes, geckos, tortoise, alligators, lizards, mice, hedgehogs, frogs, insects, creepy crawlies, rodents and reptiles. One of the reasons of the impermissibility of these animals is that for an animal to be Halal in Shariah, dhakat (slaughter) has to take place, and for dhakat (slaughter) to be valid, there must be inhaar ud dam (gushing blood after the slaughter). This is not possible in these animals. Another reason is that these animals are considered to be khabeeth (naturally disliked) as they generally tend to eat dirt, filth and najaasaat (impurities) and Allah Ta’ala has prohibited khabaaith. Consider the following verse. وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ (7:157) Translation: “And making Halal (lawful and permissible) for them wholesome things and prohibiting for them impure things (khabaa’ith)”. There is no difference of opinion amongst the Four Imams (Imam Abu Hanifa, Shafi, Ahmad and Malik radhiallahu anhum) in regards to the abovementioned animals with the exception of lizards which is Halal according to Imam Shafi radhiallahu anhu. Note: The ruling for amphibians is that the laws of land/sea animals will be applied to it respectively depending on where it is born. So if the amphibian is born in sea and lives on the land, it will fall under the category of sea animals, and if it is born on the land and lives in the sea, it will fall under the category of land animals and the appropriate rulings will apply. 3. Animals that have flowing blood: Hereunder are the relevant principles: All species of cows (bulls, bison, mountain cows and buffalos), camels and sheep are permissible to consume. All animals that have sharp teeth, fangs, tusks and canine teeth that they attack with and use as ‘weapons’ are impermissible to consume. If the animals in this category are predators, they will be Haram to consume such as lions, tigers, hyenas, jackals, weasels and otters. If the animals just attack with their teeth/fangs/tusks but are not predators, they will be makruh tahrimi (prohibitively disliked) to consume them such as elephants and hippos. Animals that don’t fall in the aforementioned impermissible categories such as giraffes, deer, addax and moose will be permissible to consume. Animals that burrow and/or live underground such as badgers, armadillos and moles are impermissible to consume. Rabbits, hares and other small animals that are not carnivorous and do not eat insects and/or filth and are not rodents are permissible to consume. Insectivores (animals that eat insects) are impermissible to consume such as anteaters, shrews and tenrec. Monkeys, gorillas, chimps, orang-utans and primates are impermissible to consume. If an animal is a hybrid (as a result of cross breeding etc.) the ruling of the mother will apply e.g. If a donkey and a zebra copulate, the ruling of the mother will apply to it; if the mother was the donkey, it will be impermissible to consume, and if the mother was a zebra, then it will be permissible to consume. Domesticated donkeys are impermissible to consume due to the Ahadith that have been narrated stating their impermissibility. Zebras and wild ass are permissible to consume. There is a difference of opinion amongst the Ahnaf about the ruling of eating horse meat. Imam Muhammad and Abu Yusuf rahmatullahi alaihima are of the opinion that it is permissible to consume horse meat whereas Imam Abu Hanifa rahmatullahi alaihi is of the opinion that it is makruh tahrimi (prohibitively disliked). It has been narrated that Imam Abu Hanifa rahmatullahi alaihi withdrew from his opinion and retracted to the view of Imam Abu Yusuf and Muhammad rahmatullahi alaihima three days before his demise. Keeping all this in mind, we conclude that slaughtering a horse is makruh tahrimi. However, if a horse has already been slaughtered or if the meat is already available to consume, its consumption will be permissible. For example, a person travels to a foreign country or goes to a restaurant where horse meat is readily available, it will be permissible to consume. Note: All the aforementioned animals stated to be permissible to consume will only be so if they are slaughtered in accordance to the laws of Shariah (Islamic dhabah, tasmiyah etc must take place). Note: The following parts of a Halal animal are impermissible to consume: flowing blood, penis, testicles, vulva, glands, urinary bladder and gall bladder. Birds The principle in determining which birds are permissible and which are impermissible to consume is as follows: Birds that hunt with their talons/claws/hooks are impermissible to consume such as eagles, falcons, kites and gledes. Birds that use their beaks/bills/mouths to catch prey (fish etc.) such as storks and pelican are permissible to consume. Birds whose diets consist solely of carrion or filth such as vultures and certain crows are impermissible to consume. Birds whose diets consist of both carrion/filth AND seeds/bird feed will be permissible to consume such as certain chickens and crows. However, if the foul diet causes the meat to smell bad and repugnant, it will be makruh to consume. Birds whose diets solely consist of seeds/grains and bird feed etc. (no carrion or filth) will be permissible to consume such as certain chickens and crows. The above mentioned masaail have been extracted from the following references: مختصرالقدوري، ص٩٦-٩٧، موسسة الريان الجامع الصغير، ص٤٧٥، أدارة القرآن النتف في الفتاوى، ص١٤٩-١٥١، دار الكتب العلمية الدر المختار، ص٦٤٢، دار الكتب العلمية كنز الدقائق، ص٦٠١، دار البشاءر الاسلامية فتاوى قاضيخان، ج٣، ص٢٤٥-٢٤٧، دار الكتب العلمية الفتاوى السراجية، ص٣٧٥-٣٧٧، زمزم الهدايه، ج٤، ص١٠١-١٠٤، دار الفرفور المبسوط للسرخسي، ج١١، ص٢٢٠، دار المعرفة المحيط البرهاني، ج٨، ص٤١٥-٤١٦، ادارة القرآن الفتاوى التاترخانية، ج١٨، ص٤٤٤-٤٥٢، مكتبة زكريا بدائع الصنائع، ج٦، ص١٧٣-١٩٦، دار الكتب العلمية البناية، ج١٤، ص٢٩٩-٣٣٧، المكتبة الحقانية الفتاوى الهندية، ج٥، ص٢٨٩-٢٩٠، مكتبة رشيدية رد المحتار، ج٩، ص٥٠٧-٥١٣، دار المعرفة فقه السنة، ج٣، ص٢٨٦، دار الكتب العربي زبد الأحكام في أكل لحم الحيوان، دار البيروتي شرح مختصر الطحاوي، ج٧، ص٢٧٣-٣٠٤، دار البشاءر الاسلامية حاشية الطحطاوي على الدر المختار، ج٤، ص١٥٤- ١٥٩، غير المطبوع منية الصيادين في تعلم الاصطياد وأحكامه، دار البشاءر الاسلامية حكم الاسلام في أكل لحوم الخيل، دار ابن حزم وغير ذلك من كتب الفقه والحديث And Allaah Knows Best

Faraidh, Sunan and Wajibaat of Ablution (Wudhu)

Faraidh – obligatory Wajibaat – necessary Sunnan – An act done or liked by the prophet We perform wudhu to carry out tasks which are not permissible in the state of minor impurity and to gain the reward in the hereafter, such as when we are about to pray salah, touch the Quraan, do tawaaf…etc When performing wudhu it is imperative that we ensure that we complete it correctly as this is the first step of our worship, if it is done incorrectly it nullifies other worships we offer, once we have completed wudhu only then can we perform salah, and carry out the worships of Allah All Mighty. As Allah states in the Quran: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُواْ بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ Oh you who believe, when you rise to pray, wash your face, your hands and forearms up to and including the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to and including the ankles. Below we will go over the Faraidh, the Sunan and when it is recommended to do ablution. The Faraidh of Wudu There are four obligatory acts in wudhu, which one needs to be completed; missing one of these points will nullify the ablution. First: To wash the entire Face – From the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin and from one earlobe to the other. Second. To wash the hands including the elbows once. Third: To wipe a quarter of the head. Fourth: To wash the feet including the ankles The difference between washing and wiping is, in washing, the water should drip from your skin, whereas wiping is just passing wet hands over the area. One should ensure that when washing each limb it is washed correctly, and the water reaches the full limb, without anything preventing the water such as wax, super glue, nail polish…etc Sunnah acts of wudu Below are some of the recommended sunnah acts of wudu, Making intention to perform wudhu – You can do this in your heart or by uttering on the tongue Washing the hands up to the wrist Reciting Tasmiyah in the beginning: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم To do miswaak in the beginning – if you do not have a miswaak you can use your finger to imitate the action of miswaak. To gargle thrice – If you are not fasting you should emphasise in the intake of the water when gargling your mouth. To rinse your nose thrice – If you are not fasting you should emphasise in the sniffing of the water. To pass your wet fingers through a thick beard from beneath it. (Takhleel) To cross the wet fingers when washing your hands, – ensuring water goes in between the fingers.(this is known as Khilaal) To wash each limb thrice To wipe the head once To wipe the ears To rub the limbs when washing To do wudhu with continuity – without stopping To do wudhu in the order Allah has commanded us in the Quran as mentioned in the above ayah of the Quraan. To begin from the right To wipe the nape (not the throat) Disliked acts of Wudhu (Makrohhat) Below are some of the disliked acts when performing wudhu Wasting water – using more water than necessary Being stingy in the water – Not using enough of water when you have access to it. Splash your face with water, when washing your face. To discuss worldly affairs with others. To seek help in performing wudhu without a valid reason To do Masah thrice. When should one do wudhu? It is compulsory (fardh) for anyone in the state of minor ritual impurity to perform wudhu prior to: Performing any salah Quran recital prostration (Sajdah Tilawah) Touching the Quraan It is Necessary (Wajib) to perform wudhu when: Circumambulation around the Kabah (Tawaaf) It is recommended to perform wudhu when: Going to sleep After backbiting After lying After slandering After every minor sin After laughing aloud Washing the deceased When getting angry When reciting Quraan & Hadeeth When calling the Azaan When visiting the Beloved Messenger Peace Be Upon Him When standing in Arafah When doing Sa’ee between Safa and Marwah It is recommended that one should be in the state of wudhu throughout the day if possible, as our beloved Messenger Peace Be Upon Him has stated “Purity is half of belief[i].” hence if possible in our daily activities if we can be in the state of wudhu it would be beneficial and bring barakah. Alongside benefits for the hereafter wudhu also has many benefits proven scientifically and medically such as: Helps with high blood pressure Blood Circulatory System Helps with Immune System (Lymphatic Circulation) Rinsing the mouth & nose: the scientists have stated frequently rinsing the mouth prevents infection and inflammation in the mouth. Perfuming wudhu before going to sleep: It is encouraged by our beloved Master Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), to perform wudhu before going to sleep. The same acts are also encouraged by Yoga experts stating that washing limbs helps relax the body and prepares it for sleep. Helps Prevent Skin Cancer: The areas washed in Wudhu are the most prone to pollution, perfuming wudhu keeps the skin healthy and clean. Chinese medicine singles out more than 700 biologically active spots on the human body. For their quick effect reflex therapy named thesixty-six drastic spots aggression spots, antique spots or prime-elements spots. Sixty-one of the drastic spots are located in the zones required for ablution. Other five are located between ankle and knee. Washing Hands – “Hand washing is the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection” US Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)The below poster was put together by World Health Organization after conducting years of research, look at the similarities in wudu. Cleaning the ear: “When cotton tipped applicators are used to clean out ear wax, there is a risk of breaking the ear drum (perforation). Although we realize that this is commonly done, we recommend against using cotton tipped applicators, hair pins, and similar devices to clean the ear. Simple wet fingers are the best mean to clean the ear.” – American Hearing Research Foundation ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “He who performs the Wudhu’ perfectly (i.e. according to Sunnah), his sins will depart from his body, even from under his nails.” [Muslim].

The Purification Bath – Ghusl

Compulsory Bath (Fard Ghusl) Ghusl becomes compulsory when one of the following occur Emission of sperm Sexual Intercourse (even without ejaculation of sperm) Ending of menstruation or postnasal bleed Recommended Bath – (Nafl Ghusl) Ghusl is recommended in the below scenarios: On Friday (Before Jumu’ah prayer) The Two Eid’s Before entering into the state ihram The day ‘Arafah Entering into Makkah Entering into Madinah Visiting the Prophet Grave Compulsory (fard) Acts of Ghusl The following are the compulsory (fard) actions of ghusl Rinsing the mouth at least once Rinsing the nose up to the bone once Washing the entire body once Sunnah Acts of Ghusl The following are the sunnah acts of ghusl Intention (niyah) Washing the hands up to the wrist Washing the private parts Washing of any filth off the body Perfuming wudu Pouring water over the entire body starting with the head, right shoulder and then the left

Importance of Eating Halal

All praises are due to Allah the almighty, who chose Islam to be our religion and who created us from nothing and granted us existence and blessed us with the light of Imaan. May peace and salutations be upon the seal of all prophets and the leader of all Muhammad ibn Abdullah (SAW); who openly showed us and guided us towards what is Halal and permissible and instructed us to abstain from that which is Haraam and forbidden. Also may there be mercy upon his companions; who were the guiding stars for this Ummah and they were those that preserved the teachings of Rasulullah (SAW). May Allah ta’aala protect us and save us from those acts which he has forbidden and take us towards those which he is pleased with. My respected brothers, sisters and all those reading this article – one thing we really need to understand and engrave into our hearts is that us coming into existence and being sent to this temporary world is not through our own wish. It is all through Allah, the most high. For every action Allah does he has a purpose although we may or may not understand the wisdom behind it but surely there’s always a hidden benefit and a strong reason. Similarly is the case of our existence and our stay in this world. Allah mentions the reason in the Qur’an – that he created mankind so that they may worship him (Allah the almighty). With regards to worship and obedience – all those things that Allah wants us to abstain from and all the good he wants us to do are included in worship and obedience. So it is compulsory upon us that we follow Allah’s commands and we live our lives in accordance to Shari’ah. Islam does not stop us from enjoying ourselves in this world as long as it’s within the limits of the Shari’ah, because all the blessings and bounties that we enjoy in our lives are all from Allah SWT and Allah has clearly stated in the Qur’an in Surah Takathur “Surely you will all be asked of the blessings”. Basically Allah will ask us how we used those blessings that he gave us and did we fulfil the rights of them. Now for everything there are due rights, and from all the blessings of Allah, the most kind and the most merciful, I want to briefly touch upon one. One which has a very deep and strong connection with our body, I am referring to food and consuming food. These are two great bounties of Allah and in these two Allah has put many other amazing things and blessings which we don’t even ponder over or pay attention towards. Nevertheless, as humans naturally we have an inclination towards food and also Allah has made it such that without it we would die. So more than being an inclination it’s actually a necessity for each and every person. Now the important factor is that each and every person has to eat and through his food his body will be nourished and be able to function and he/she will be able to carry out day-to-day activities. As Muslims we strongly believe that food has a strong effect on our physical, mental and spiritual state. If one eats pure (Halal) and earns it in a Halal manner then the strength he or she will gain from it will be much more than one who consumes Haraam and also earns from Haraam means. We understand this from the following Hadith of Allah’s beloved messenger (SAW), “Whoever eats pure (Halal) and carries out good actions (i.e. Good deeds), and his neighbours are safe from him (i.e. he refrains from troubling his neighbours) then such a person will enter Jannah”. Subhanallah, in this Hadith Rasulullah (SAW) has clearly given glad tidings for a person who acts upon this advice. Furthermore, in this Hadith we see Rasulullah (SAW) first of all mentioned eating Halal – the reason is because once Halal food has entered the body then the functioning of the body will be much stronger due to the spiritual effect and then it will make it easier for one to do good and perform good actions. We now understand how important and effective eating pure and Halal food is. Also from various verses we learn that one is not permitted to eat Haraam and Allah has mentioned to us which animals we may consume and those that we cannot. Likewise Allah has made it clear that one is not permitted to eat Haram unless one is starving to death and in a place where there’s no Halal item at all and one knows that if he or she doesn’t eat then he or she will die; only then a small amount of Haraam food will be allowed for consumption just so that one can survive. Allah has also mentioned that it’s not about eating the right and suitable animal but also the method of slaughter is very important. It is not permissible to eat or slaughter the animal by any method, one must recite Bismillahi Allahu Akbar and cut the three vessels of the animal from the neck and the neck shouldn’t be completely severed from the head of the animal. Nowadays we don’t usually slaughter the animals ourselves but we still need to worry about the method of slaughter and we should have a full guarantee that the meat/chicken we are consuming is fully Halal and it has been slaughtered in a manner that adheres to the standards of the Islamic rulings. Eating Halal is not only associated with meat and chicken. Some only try their utmost in buying Halal meat and chicken and then leave or forget to check the ingredients for their normal day to day food items. Wherever we shop we must pay attention and be careful as to what items we buy and we should carefully read the ingredients because there are many items these days that contain pork gelatine etc. Similarly, when we buy sweets nowadays people think if it says halal gelatine then it’s permissible to eat, because with sweets it’s the same case as with actual meat because gelatine comes from the animal. So gelatine from a Halal (permissible) animal which was slaughtered using the Halal method would be Halal. So we must be vigilant when we buy items and look at what we are consuming. If we are negligent then it shall affect our physical and spiritual health. May Allaah guide us to the right path and keep us steadfast on it until we depart from this world. Aameen...

How to perform Salah for beginners ?

1) Face the Qiblah (direction of the ka’bah in Makkah) 2) Make intention from the heart. 3) Begin the prayer by lifting the hands to earlobes and then fold them placing the right over the left. 4) Then recite Surah Fatihah (which is the opening of the Quran) and any portion which is easy to read from the Quran. A small chapter is given below along with surah Fatihah. أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم A’uzu billahi minash shaitaanir rajeem I seek Allah’s refuge from the accursed shaitaan Surah Fatihah: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ Bismillaahir rahma nir Raheem In the name of Allah The most merciful the beneficent الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ Alhamdu lillahi rabbil a’alameen All praise is for Allah the lord of worlds الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ Ar rahmaa nir Raheem The most merciful the beneficent مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ Maaliki yawmid deen The owner of the day of reckoning إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ Iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka nasta’een Only you do we worship and from only you do we seek help اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ Ihdinas siraatal mustaqeem Guide us to the straight path صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ Siraatal lazeena an’amta alaihim The path of those whom you have favoured غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ Gairil magdhoobi ‘alaihim wa ladh dhaaleen Not of those who have earned your anger nor of those who went astray Surah Ikhlaas قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ Qul huwal laahu ahad Say: he is Allah The one اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ Allahus samad Allah the independent لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ Lam yalid wa lam yoolad He doesn’t beget nor was he begotten ِوَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad And there is no one equal to him 5) Then he performs the ruku’ (which is the bowing position) by saying Allahu akbar (Allah is the greatest). In which he recites three times: سبحان ربي العظيم Subhaana rabbiyal azeem Glory to my lord the exalted 6) Then he will come back to the standing position saying: سمع الله لمن حمده Sami’allahu liman hamidah Allah hears whoever praises him ربنا ولك الحمد Rabbana wa lakal hamd Our lord, praise is yours 6) He then goes into prostration. The prostration must be performed on 7 limbs; the forehead and nose, both hands, both knees and both feet, whilst separating the thighs without letting the stomach rest on any part of it (i.e. the thighs) and joining the fingers and directing them towards the Qiblah whilst saying thrice: سبحان ربي الأعلى Subhana rabbiyal a’laa Glory is to my lord, the most high 7) Thereafter, he goes into the sitting position, which is in between the two prostrations. Thereafter, the second prostration is the same as the first and the second unit of prayer is the same as the first. The only difference is that the opening supplication is not mentioned in the second unit and the recitation in the second unit is half (in length) in comparison to the first unit. 8) He then sits after the second unit for what is the first tashahud in the (obligatory) prayers besides fajr and he should sit after the second unit. Tashahhud is one of the obligations of the prayer, so, the prayer is broken if the tashahhud is left out intentionally. If it is missed forgetfully then a sajdah sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) should be performed. If someone out of forgetfulness stands up for the third unit of prayer without performing the first tashahhud and has already stood up straight, then they should not return to that tashahhud (after remembering that they missed the first tashahhud and should continue with the third unit of the prayer.) He should then recite the following: التحيات لله والصلوات والطيبات، السلام عليك أيها النبي ورحمة الله وبركاته السلام علينا وعلى عباد الله الصالحين، أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله At tahiyyaatu lillahi was salawaatu wat tayyibaat, as salamu alaika ayyuhan nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh As salamu alainaa wa ‘laa I’baadillahis saaliheen, ash hadu al laa ilaha illallah wa ash hadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh All greetings of humility are for Allah, and all prayers and goodness. Peace be upon you, o prophet, and the mercy of Allah and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is his slave and his messenger. To send peace and salutations upon the messenger of Allah (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is a sunnah in the last tashahhud (before the tasleem- giving salaam to both sides) and can be said as follows: اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إنك حميد مجيد Allahumma salli a’laa Muhammad wa ‘la aali Muhammad kama sallayta ‘la Ibrahim wa ‘la aali Ibrahim, innaka hameedum majeed O Allah, bestow your favour on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad as you have bestowed your favour on Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, you are praiseworthy, most glorious. Then a person could supplicate with a supplication which he has in memory followed by the tasleem (giving salam to both sides), in which he says: السلام عليكم ورحمة الله Asalamu alaikum wa rahma tulluh May peace and Allah’s mercy be upon you It is sunnah to turn facing the right until the people behind him can see his right cheek and (then) left so that those behind can see his left cheek. End of prayer Now below are those things that invalidate the salah: Talking. Laughing out loudly that you can hear your own voice. Crying loudly due to worldly affairs or due to pain or grief. Coughing without a good excuse. Standing ahead of the imam. Walking forward by the length of a salah row without a good excuse. -Combing your hair or beard. Embracing your child. Eating or drinking something. Swallowing a food particle the size of a chickpea stuck in the teeth. Turning your chest from the qibla direction without a good excuse. To recite the Qur’an wrongly to the extent that the meaning is changed.

Prayer Times

The times of the prescribed prayers are 5: The time of fajr (subh) is from the entrance of true dawn until right before sunrise. The time of zuhr is from immediately after midday (zawal) until the time when the shadow of any object is twice its own length, or according to another opinion equivalent to its own length excluding the amount of shadow at midday. Imam Tahawi preferred the second opinion, which is the opinion of the two companions (Abu Yusuf and Muhammad) The time of asr is from the point on which there is a disagreement until right before sunset. The time of maghrib is from that point (sunset) until the disappearance of the red twilight according to the position given for the legal verdict (fatwa). The time of isha and witr is from that point until right before fajr. One may not pray witr before isha due to the condition of praying them in the correct order. The following times are recommended (mustahabb): For fajr, when light begins to appear (isfar); For zuhr in the summer, when the weather becomes cooler; For asr, to delay it until before the sun changes; For zuhr in the winter and for magrib [always], to pray as soon as the time enters; In cloudy weather, to pray asr and isha as soon as the time enters; while for other prayers, to delay them somewhat. There are three times of the day in which any prayer that was obligatory before these times is rendered invalid if performed in these times: At sunrise, At midday, At sunset, except for asr of that day. It is disliked to pray voluntary prayers in the following times: The three times mentioned above; During a religious sermon (khutba); Before the obligatory prayer of fajr, except for the two rakahs of sunna; After the obligatory prayer of fajr is performed, without exception [until after the disliked time of sunset]; After the asr prayer is performed, until sunset. It is not valid to combine any two obligatory prayers in one prayer time, except at Arafat and Muzdalifah; that is, the pilgrim on hajj may combine zuhr and asr [in the time of zuhr on the Day of Arafa], and delay magrib until the time of isha at Muzdalifah. [1] ‘True dawn’ refers to the horizontal white line that spreads across the horizon, as opposed to ‘false dawn’, which is the vertical light that appears earlier and is followed by the darkness (hence its name). The difference between the two, as well as the difference between the disappearance of the red and white twilight after sunset, is said to be 3 degrees (normally 12 minutes). However, other factors could affect the time difference, such as location and latitude. Also, with respect to modern tables of prayer timings, the 18 degrees for fajr is more precautionary and should therefore be used, especially for fasting. [2] That is, at the start of sunrise, when the top of the disc first emerges above the horizon, the time of fajr is expired. [3] The most accurate method of determining midday is to dig a straight stick into even ground (i.e., at a 90 degrees angle) and note its shadow. If it continues to shorten, it is not yet midday. Once it ceases to shorten, it is midday and, hence, it is disliked to perform prayer at this time. After that, once the shadow begins to lengthen, the time of zuhr has entered. [4] That is, the length of the still shadow at midday, that has ceased to shorten and not yet begun to lengthen, is excluded when determining the end of zuhr and beginning of asr. [5] That is, when the disc of the sun is completely is below the horizon, the time of asr has expired and the time of maghrib begins. [6] This is the opinion of the two companions (Abu Yusuf and Muhammad), as stated in many classical Hanafi works and the position of legal verdict (fatwa) for the Hanafi school. The opinion of Imam Abu Hanifah, however, is that the end of maghrib (and hence the beginning of isha) occurs later, namely with the disappearance of the white twilight after sunset. This opinion is also a reliable position in the school, as it is given precedence in the Ikhtiyar, Ibn Abidin seems to support this opinion in terms of its legal strength. At the end of his discussion, however, he affirms the opinion of the two companions, citing numerous works that explicitly state it as the position of legal verdict. His main reasoning is that the practice of most Muslim lands in his time corresponded with it. [7] If, however, one does so out of forgetfulness, or prays them in order yet later realises that isha was later invalid, then he does not need to repeat the witr prayer since such excuses are deemed acceptable. [8] That is, it is recommended for men to pray at these times, unless doing so would entail missing the congregation, as that takes precedent. For women, it is recommended to pray fajr while it is still dark, and the remaining prayers after the men’s congregation has finished. Some hanafi scholars, however, have maintained that for women, it is recommended to pray all five prayers at beginning of their times since they do not pray in congregation. [9] That is, it is recommended for the men to delay fajr until a time before sunrise such that, if one realised that his prayer was invalid, he would have enough time to perform ghusl (if needed) and repeat the prayer at the same pace which he performed it the first time, and still finish before sunrise. The recommended delay is to both start and end the prayer once light has appeared. [10] That is, such that one can look at its disc without harm. To delay the prayer to this point is deemed prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman), even for a sick person or a traveller. The recommended delay is to before this time, as it allows one to pray extra voluntary prayers beforehand, since it is disliked to do so after having prayed asr. [11] Namely, to somewhat delay fajr, zuhr, and maghrib, so as to ensure that the time has truly entered. [12] That is, one cannot perform make-up prayers during these three times, nor a prostration of recital for a worse recited before these times, all of which would be invalid and sinful. If, however, something becomes obligatory (or mandatory) within one of these three times, its performance within that time would be valid. For example, if a funeral procession arrived for its prayer (janaza) within such a time, the prayer is performed therein, and that would not be disliked at all. If a worse of prostration were recited in such a time, the prostration could be performed therein, as it would be valid yet mildly disliked (makruh tanzihan). It would be better to delay the prostration until after that time. If a person on hajj or umrah initiated a tawaaf within such a time, then the mandatory (waajib) two rakaats to be performed upon the completion would be valid therein, yet prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) and hence sinful. Therefore, one must wait until the time ends before performing that prayer. Finally, it would be prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) to perform any voluntary prayer in one of these three times, even one with a specific cause such as the two rakaats of greeting the mosque. [13] That is, until the sun is approximately one or two spears length (a spear is about 12 hand-spans, or 3m) above the horizon. This is roughly 15-20 minutes after sunrise. [14] That is, when the shadow stops shortening, yet before it starts lengthening. Hence, if one performs an obligatory or mandatory prayer during this time, such that any part of the prayer (before completion of the last integral) falls in this short span of time, the prayer itself is rendered invalid. This is roughly, 7-10 minutes before zuhr. [15] That is, at the dimming of the sun during the last portion of the day before sunset, such that one can look at it without any harm to the eyes. An exception is asr of that day, which remains valid even during that time and hence obligatory to pray, despite the sin entailed in delaying it to this time. This is roughly 15-20 minutes before sunset, although it depends on certain factors such as latitude and time of the year. [16] That is, specifically once the imam appears or stands up for it, until after the prayer itself is completed. Another time in which it is disliked to perform voluntary prayers is after sunset, before the performance of the obligatory (fard) prayer of maghrib so as not to delay the prayer much, as that is deemed mildly disliked (makruh tanzihan). Also, it is also prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) to delay the maghrib prayer until the time when “the stars are numerous in appearance” (perhaps 40 minutes or so after sunset, although this depends on certain factors such as latitude and time of the year), as it is to delay the isha prayer until half of the night has passed. ”Night” refers to the period from sunset until true dawn. [17] That is, after the time of fajr enters (true dawn), yet before the actual performance of the obligatory fajr prayer. [18] For the time periods of (a) between true dawn and sunrise, and (b) between the performance of asr and the dimming of the sun before sunset, make-up prayers can be performed therein but not voluntary prayers, nor the mandatory (wajib) two rakats to be performed on completion of tawaf. It would be prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) to do them in these times. Rather, one must wait until (a) after the post-sunrise time period in which prayers are also disliked, and (b) after sunset (maghrib).

Chapter of what is disliked of going into depth and debating in Knowledge and going to extremes in religion and innovation

Hadith no: 7305 Some points need to be understood in order to understand this Hadeeth: Amr bin Haarith says: “The messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, did not leave except his weapons, his mule, and land which he placed as charity.” (1)It is this land which the sahaba disputed about. These words of the messenger, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, can be interpreted in two ways: ا نُوْرَثُ مَا تَرَكْنَا صَدَقَةٌ 1. We do not inherit, what we leave is charity. 2. We do not inherit, we have not left charity. This difference in interpretation led to a misunderstanding between the sahaba. Ibn Shihaab says: Maalik bin Aws An Nasri informed me of an incident, and Muhamed bin Jubair bin Mutim would mention some of it to me, so I came to Malik and I asked him regarding the incident,so he said: I went and entered in the presence of Umar, his doorman Yarfa came to him and said: “Do you allow Uthmaan, Abdur Rahmaan, Zubair, and Saeed. They seek permission?” He said: “yes.” So they entered, said Salaam and sat down. Then he (the doorman Yarfa) said: “Do you allow Ali, and Abaas. They seek permission?” So he granted them permission. Abaas said: “Leader of the believers! Judge between me and the transgressor (Ali).” They disputed. So the group, Uthmaan and his company, said: Leader of the believers! Judge between them and put them at ease with each other. So he said: “slow down! I plead with you, by Allah with whose permission the heavens and earth run, do you know that the messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, said: ا نُوْرَثُ مَا تَرَكْنَا صَدَقَةٌ 1. We do not inherit, what we leave is charity. 2. We do not inherit, we have not left charity. The messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, meant himself. The group said: “He indeed said that”. Then Umar turned to Ali and Abbas and said: “I plead with you by Allah, do you know that the messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, said that?” They said: “yes”. Umar said: I will surely relate to you regarding this matter. Indeed Allah had made his messenger, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, exclusive in this wealth by such a thing which he did not bestow upon anyone other than him. For verily Allah says: “And what Allah gave as booty to his messenger from them, for this you did not spur any cavalry or camel, but Allah gives power to his Messengers over whomsoever he wills. And Allah is able to do all things.” (Al Hashr: 6). So this was only for the messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace. Then, by Allah, he did not keep it from you, nor did he claim it exclusively for himself, excluding you. And he gave it to you and distributed it amongst you until this wealth was left from it. And the prophet, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, would spend on his family their year’s expenditure from this wealth. Then he would take what remained and place it in the collection of the wealth of Allah. So the prophet, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, did that during his life. I implore you, by Allah, do you know that? So they said: “Yes.” Then he said to Ali and Abaas: I implore you, by Allah, do you know that? They said: “Yes.” Then Allah took his messenger, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace. So Abu Bakr said: “I am the deputy of the messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace.” So Abu Bakr took it and spent it in what the messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, spent it in and you were at that time – and he turned to Ali and Abaas – thinking that Abu Bakr is like this regarding it. And Allah knows that he was truthful, upright, guided and one to follow the right way regarding it. Then Allah took Abu Bakr, so I said: “I am the deputy of the messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, and Abu Bakr.” So I took it for two years dealing with it the way the messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, and Abu Bakr dealt with it. Then you two came to me and your words were upon one word, and your matters were together. You came to me asking me for your share from your nephew. And this one came to me asking me for his wife’s share from her father. So I said: “If you wish I will hand it over to you on the condition that the promise and covenant of Allah will be your responsibility. You will deal with it as the messenger of Allah, may Allah send upon him blessings and peace, dealt with it, and as Abu Bakr dealt with it, and as I dealt with it since I was entrusted it. Otherwise do not talk to me about it.” So you two said: “Hand it to us upon that.” So I handed it over to you upon that. I implore you, by Allah, Did I hand it over to them upon that? The group said: “Yes.” Then he turned to Ali and Abaas and said: I implore you, by Allah, Did I hand it over to you upon that? They said: “Yes.” He said: Do you seek a judgement from me other than that? For by the one with whose permission the heaven and the earth run, I will not pass a judgement regarding it other than that until the hour occurs. If you are incapable of handling it then hand it over to me, I will suffice you in dealing with it.

The concept of the body & the soul

When the human body is being formed inside the womb of the mother, the soul is blown in after a duration of 4 months. This soul or spirit as one may call it, is the reason why the body is able to function, once the soul is removed, the body remains merely a corpse. This soul in other words is the cause of life and death. The way our bodies need nutrition and sustenance to stay healthy, active and on going, the soul is in need of exactly the same things. As for the nutritions of the body, after thorough research and investigation, some items have been outlined and classified as healthy and others have not. When it comes to the nutritions of the soul, then it is beyond mans capability to understand this because the soul is divine, and only the creator who has blown the soul in the body is able to guide us towards the well being of the soul and how to keep it healthy. The soul has come from another dimension, the world of the unseen- unseen to us anyways- and it needs constant connection which could only take place through guidelines from the unseen world. These were the guidelines Allah sent upon his messengers (peace be upon them), and through these guidelines the prophets would once again reconcile the connection between the soul and the world above the heavens. If this soul is left unattended and unsupervised then it starts becoming attached to this worldly life and to the inhabitants of the earth. For this reason at the time of death, Quran describes two sets of people: والنازعات غرقا والناشطات نشطا Those whose souls are extracted ever so gently, and those whose souls are pulled out with force. But in reality, the souls that are extracted with softness and ease are of those who had kept their relationship steady with the unseen and were always ever eager to return to their homeland. On the other hand, those souls that became engrossed in only worldly pursuits and were heedless in regards to their original destination, the souls find it difficult to leave and has to be pulled out with extreme force. Recitation of the Quran, remembering Allah, Salaah, fasting, performing the pilgrimage, speaking the truth, honesty, good treatment to others and likewise all those things which have been emphasised on in the Quran and the Hadith, these are all provisions for the soul and will keep its relationship steady right till the end, to such a extent that as each year goes pass, the soul will be more inclined towards returning to where it has come from. When constant effort is made on keeping up the relationship of the soul then all the actions done by a person will be in complete accordance to the teachings of Islam. The ultimate goal for each human being is to have a content heart from all worries and sorrows and lastly to rest assured that the Lord of the worlds is not displeased.