|
The Dynamic Nature of Ramadaan
By Abu Muhammed Have you ever noticed that in Ramadaan how it is that everyone’s days (and nights) seem to rotate around their salaah(prayer) times and how easy it is to fast for long periods, perform Salaah, recite the Quraan, spend more time in the Masjid and to do good ? Business appointments are deliberately avoided close to salaah times and trips to shopping malls are strictly to get what’s required, recreation curtailed and ‘entertainment’, almost nonexistent. Journeys, if necessary, are planned in such a manner that destinations are reached before the time of futoor (opening of the fast). In summation we can safely say that life is taken very seriously and time scrupulously spent. A famous contemporary scholar was often heard saying, ‘If our lives are spent as we spend Ramadaan then death (our meeting with Allah Jalla Wa A’ala) will be enjoyable to us as the joy we feel at the sighting of the crescent of Eidul Fitr’ One of the most salient aspects of the Shariah (The Body of Islamic Law) is that almost all the formal acts of Ibaadah (Worship) have been fixed. It can be safely said that the temperament of Ibaadah in Islam is very ‘time and place’ specific. · Haj in the month of Zhul Hijjah (8th to the 12th) in the city of Makkah and its surrounds of Mina, Arafah and Muzdalifa · Zakaat once a year (Lunar) fixed · Salaah fixed five times a day at specific times, and · Fasting in Ramadaan The maximum benefit of these acts of Ibaadah will be reaped when they are done at their specific times and places. An example to emphasise the point is that most Muslims are aware of the great virtue of the day of Arafah (9th Zil Hijjah) during Hajj (pilgrimage). It is a day wherein Allah frees the most souls from Jahannum (Hell) and displays His Mercy and Forgiveness in waves and torrents like no other time. Arafah is essentially a desert plain with little or no vegetation. If a person were to be on the plains of Arafah on every other day of the year other than the 9th of Zhul Hijjah he will not benefit from the great rewards of Arafah. An example pertaining to Ramadaan is that if a person, with a valid reason, misses the fast of Ramadaan he cannot acquire the spiritual benefit of that one fast were he to fast for the entire year out of Ramadaan. The Qadha fast (late fulfillment) will fulfill his obligation but detract from the benefit of that fast in its original place and time. While there will be those who argue that the Shariah is not so stringent and allows for leeway there is great wisdom in fixing the formal acts of Ibaadah (Worship). Breaking away from a high profile meeting or stopping in the middle of an important task at work and heading off for Salaah to the local Masjid for the congregational prayer may not seem very different to fulfilling the obligation of Salaah after the meeting or completing one’s task but upon closer scrutiny under a ‘spiritual’ microscope one will find an important difference. In the first instance a person has put the command of the Creator – Allah Jalla Wa A’ala – before everything else while in the second instance, while not making a verbal statement, a person has given priority to his meeting or task over the fulfilling of the command of Allah Jalla Wa A’ala. The former is precisely the aim and objective of Shariah. After all we are the ‘Ibaad – Slaves’ of Allah Jalla Wa A’ala and as Hasan Basri (May Allah have mercy on him) says ‘a slave can have no other wish than to fulfill the wish (command) of his/her Master’. Fulfilling the command of Allah Jalla Wa A’ala is another name for ‘Worship’ which is the objective of the short and transitory life of a Human Being (Qur’an Surah 51, Verse 56) on this earth and determines the extent of his/her success or failure in the Akhira (the Hereafter) From this perspective then, Ramadaan is a practical exercise and lesson in learning Uboodiya (Slavery) to one’s Creator where one’s 24 hour day becomes consciously focused at fulfilling the Command of one’s Creator over and above all the ‘commands’ of a personal or vocational nature. Ramadaan is also proof to us that we do have the ability and capacity to dedicate ourselves towards a life of conscious worship of Allah Jalla Wa A’ala and not just one month of the year. One drawback is that we limit our niyyah (intention) only for Ramadaan. As mentioned at the beginning, we find that in Ramadaan it becomes easy to good deeds. This is the coming in to play of the powerful force that is collectivity in thought and action as well as the effect of an environment. Islam recognises the powerful force of social pressure towards conformance and adherence. This is borne out by the famous saying of the Noble Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) narrated by Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) about a man from the previous nations who killed ninety nine people and then desired forgiveness. It is a lengthy narration but the crux of the matter was that he was forgiven, because the advice given to him by a scholar to maintain his state of Taubah (repentance) was, ‘Go to such and such land; there (you will find) people devoted to prayer and worship of Allah, join them in worship, and do not come back to your land because it is an evil place’ (Hadith-Bukhari & Muslim) This movement towards the environment of righteousness was the deciding factor that secured his forgiveness. This highlights the great effect that company and/or environment can have on influencing the actions of individuals and in turn communities and societies. This is also corroborated by another saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) narrated by Abu Musa Al Ash’ari (May Allah be pleased with him) wherein the similitude of good and bad company (environments) is likened to a person spending time in the company of a perfume seller and a blacksmith. The least one will benefit from the former is a pleasant scent (without buying) while the latter will cause one to obtain an unpleasant and foul smell and may even burn one’s clothing. (Hadith-Bukhari & Muslim) The concept of ‘every man for himself and God for all’ is alien to Islam. Islam promotes the idea that ‘the strength of the community lies in the strength of the individual and in turn the strength of the individual lies in the strength of the community’. That is why the encouragement towards good and the forbidding of evil has been made an individual and collective obligation. Upon closer perusal we will find that the formal acts of worship in Islam while, being ‘time and place’ specific, are also very social and communal with an emphasis on collectivity and public benefit. This can be seen in the institution of Salaah, Haj, Zakaat as well as in Ramadaan. Therefore in Ramadaan we find it easy to do more good because everyone is in the same frame of mind, understanding the magnitude that is the month of Ramadaan, as well as consciously making an effort practically to maximise this great opportunity to earn good. This in turn creates an environment that generates energy and buzz that is an impetus for all acts of Ibaadah (Worship) even for those of us who normally feel lazy and disinclined. Ramadaan presents an excellent opportunity for positive individual and collective change. The first step towards achieving this would be, not to limit our niyyah only to Ramadaan but to make the niyyah that Ramadaan be the beginning of change for us. Once we do so the next step would be to attach ourselves after Ramadaan to such people and environments where such A’amaal (practices) are in vogue that would enhance and maintain all that we had reaped in Ramadaan. If we spend one Ramadaan to the next Ramadaan for the balance of our lives in this manner then have no doubt that the time of meeting with Allah Jalla Wa A’ala (death) will be enjoyable to us as the joy we feel at the sighting of the crescent of Eidul Fitr...if not more!!! And the one who achieves this has fulfilled the purpose of creation and passed the test that is called ‘LIFE’ and is entitled to an eternal and everlasting life of bliss and happiness. ****** Source: http://eislaminfo.blogspot.in/ 8 Easy Steps to Recite the Entire Qur’an this Ramadan
By Haafidha Rayhaanah Omar (Fee Qalbee blog) It has been said that everything has a beloved & that the month of Ramadan has a beloved, too: The Glorious Qur’an. For the duration of this month, Muslims worldwide honour Ramadan’s beloved and aspire to complete the recitation of the Qur’an. In this article you’ll learn how you too can work towards achieving this noble goal, insha’Allah. STEP 1: ESTABLISHING AN INTENTION Our beloved Messenger of Allah(peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) taught us – through his words & actions – the importance of one’s intent or purpose. Establishing one’s intention is an effective catalyst for implementation. Once your intention has been established, remember to renew it often. Whilst reciting and even upon completion of the Qur’an, recall your intention and renew it, thus ensuring that it is constantly purified & you are seeking His Divine Acceptance, inshaAllah. STEP 2: DON’T BE OVERWHELMED For some, as much as they aspire to complete the recitation of the Qur’an during Ramadan, they are overwhelmed by the number of pages or the length of some Surahs. Remove ‘I can’t’ from your vocabulary and eliminate negative thinking, for the believer puts their trust in Allah, matched by striving with their actions. Remind yourself that you are (if Allah wills) fully capable of achieving your Qur’anic aspirations, whether it be completing Qur’an 1 or 5 times. This second point is key. Put your heart into this accomplishment & reap the rewards throughout, inshaAllah. STEP 3: PLAN AHEAD Prior to commencing with your recitation it’s important to plan around your routine and block out time for your Qur’an goal e.g. your work hours, rest hours & any other commitments which you may have. Structure a realistic plan of how to complete the recitation of Qur’an within the month by dividing each Juz per day. Draw up this personal plan, review it constantly, and put it into action! As you put your plan to paper, consider past Ramadan’s and ask yourself if there have been instances where you were unable to complete Qur’anic recitation. Reflect over why and how this occurred. Is there a different mechanism that you could put into place? How could you enhance your daily Qur’an routine if these distractions were dealt with? Take the first opportunity that comes, to begin your Qur’anic quest. So when the moon is sighted & the announcement has been made for the 1st Salaatul-Taraweeh, begin in earnest, with Surah Al-Fatiha, Surah Al-Baqarah etc. STEP 4: UNDERSTAND THE QUR’AN Read the translation of the Juz you will be reciting daily. Having a basic knowledge of the theme, topic, message & meaning of what you are reciting makes the recitation of the Qur’an an incredibly uplifting experience that you do not want to miss out on! STEP 5: FIND QUR’AN BUDDIES AND COMPETE IN GOOD Develop close bonds with brothers/sisters who are known for their attachment to the Qur’an. They’ll be your spiritual friends. Engage a Qur’an Buddy in your noble Qur’an productivity goals. Request that they remind you to fulfil your goals and spiritual aspirations so they can help you in times of slacking. In life, we compete with many materialistic goals and race one another, but what about following the footsteps of the best of generations that had come before us in a competition this Ramadan? In striving and competing with our friends and colleagues towards our noble goals, in a good-natured way, we can motivate ourselves to finish our Qur’an goal. One of the common aspects which deter a Muslim from completing this task is excessive communication. Often, many of us spend too much unnecessary time surfing the net, chatting, texting, etc… . Reduce this even by a third and you will see, feel and witness the blessings in your time, inshaAllah. STEP 6: SEIZE THE MOMENT A deeply inspiring story in ‘lessons from the waiting room’ – where a mother; who has taken her unwell child to the hospital; waits for the doctor to see to her child. She notices a young Muslim who uses his time in the waiting room, in a most effective & spiritually rewarding way, reciting from a pocket-sized Quran. Lesson to be taken here: Invest in a pocket-sized Qur’an and make it your best friend this Ramadan. Seize every opportunity and moment to be with Allah (glorified and exalted be He) through your recitation. One of the best times at which to recite Qur’an, is after Suhoor(pre- dawn meal). Having partaken from the Sunnah meal, and within an hour or two still to go before work or school, this is the ideal jump start to your day. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) asked Allah (glorified and exalted be He) to bless our Ummah in the early hours, and you will also be more likely to memorise ayahs at this time. Research shows that morning study creates better performance in students so don’t miss the morning recitation! Time Tip: Salah Followed by Qur’an. Consider the following option that has worked well for numerous people in past Ramadan’s. Try reciting 6 – 8 pages of Qur’an (depending on the Mus-haf(copy of the Qur’an) that you are using) after each of your 5 daily salah. Add Qiyaamul-Layl (late night salah) as a 6th addition, and you will reach the end of Ramadan, having completed your Qur’an recitation with ease & perhaps, even before the last 5 days of Ramadan so long as you remain committed. Time Tip: Recite before going to sleep. Allah (glorified and exalted be He) says: “Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence and more suitable for words” (Qur’an73:6). Reciting during the day is also beneficial, however the night time recitation is easier as well during Ramadan as there are less distractions and noise. STEP 7: REMAIN STEADFAST AND CONSISTENT The key to any success is consistency. Once you’ve mapped your plan, stick to it. Remind yourself of the greatness of this month, of the opportunities that it provides for your spiritual growth and your relationship with the Qur’an. Don’t be willing to compromise it in this month. STEP 8: MAKE DUA’A TO ALLAH (GLORIFIED AND EXALTED BE HE) Nothing can be achieved without the aid and guidance of Allah (glorified and exalted be He). When making your intention to complete your recitation or memorisation of Qur’an, supplicate to Allah (glorified and exalted be He) to ease this noble pathway and to crown your efforts with success, inshaAllah. These are the 8 ways I wanted to share with you on starting and completing your journey through recitation of the Qur’an this Ramadan. Indeed, Allah (glorified and exalted be He) says in Surah Al-Baqarah: “This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.’’ In the hours of the days and nights of this sacred month, may the Qur’an be your companion of light and guidance, resonating through your words, actions and life mission. May your relationship with the Qur’an be strengthened, enriched & enlivened with the profound wisdom and divine message from Allah (glorified and exalted be He). Source: http://eislaminfo.blogspot.in THE IMPORTANCE OF SADAQATUL-FITR
Sadaqatul fitr is compulsory charity which becomes payable on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. The Noble Messenger of Allah ( Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam) said: "The fast remains suspended between Heaven and Earth until the fitrah is paid." Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam made charity of Fitr compulsory as a purification of fasts from useless talks and vile discourses and also as food to the poor (Hadith-Abû Dawûd). Fitr means to break fast or to refrain from fasting. Hence the Eid after the fasts of Ramadhân is called Eid-ul-Fitr, as it is the day of rejoicing after the completion of fasting. On this occasion of happiness, as a sign of gratitude one has to give a specific amount in aims, which is called Sad'qatui-Fitr. To purify and obtain complete blessings for the fasts of Ramadhân Mubârak one has to give Sadaqatul-Fitr. Thus it is wâjib to give Sadaqatul-Fitr to purify one's fast. The true object in giving Sadqatul-fitr on this happy, occasion is also to assist the poor and needy, so that, they may rejoice with the more fortunate. Sadaqatul Fitr (or fitrah) is wâjib upon all Muslims -male, female and children fitrah should preferably be paid before the Eid Salâh. It is not permissible to delay the payment of fitrah later than the Day of Eid. What amount Should be paid The amount of Sadqatul Fitr is 1.633kg of wheat or 3.266kg of barley or the equivalent in cash. Please consult your local Islamic Scholars for exact amount. It is highly recommended that this amount is paid in advance so that the contributions could be used for the benefit of the poor on Eid day. For a detailed article and rules on Sadaqatul Fitr please visit: http://eislaminfo.blogspot.com/2011/08/sadqatul-fitr.html Laylatul Qadr: The Night of Power!
Allah, Most Wise, says: "The Night of Power is better than a thousand months." (97:3 Quran) The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “Whosoever stands in "Ibaadah" on this night, with sincere faith and with genuine hopes of gaining reward, his previous sins will be forgiven." (Hadith-Bukhari and Muslim) "Seek it (laylatul qadr) in Ramadan in the last ten nights. For verily, it is during the odd nights, 21st 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th or the last night of Ramadhan." (Sahih Hadith Ahmad 5:318) From traditions we learn that among the signs of this night is that it is a serene, quiet, shining night, neither hot, nor cold but temperate as if a moon is shining clear, and no meteors are shot at the "Shayateen" on that night; it lasts until the break of the dawn. Another sign is that at morn, the Sun rises without any radiant beams of light, appearing rather like the moon in it's fullness. On that day, Allah prohibits the "Shayateen" from rising up with the Sun. What to do on this night? Worship during this night can take on many forms. Here are a few suggestions to help you through Laylatul Qadr:
For a detailed article on Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power) in the light of Qur’an and Hadith please visit: http://eislaminfo.blogspot.com/2011/08/lailatul-qadr-night-of-power.html I'TIKAF: The Spiritual Retreat
By E Islam Team The Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) is reported to have said: "The persons who secludes himself (for I'tikaf) in true faith and hope (of reward from Allah), all of his previous sins shall be forgiven." (Kanzul Ummal, Hadith 24007) The meaning of Itikaf is to seclude oneself in the Masjid with the express niyyah (intention) of Itikaf. Allah has indeed in his perfect wisdom created humanity in a unique way. He has made it such that from time to time His creation needs a rest. We rest at night to give our bodies time to recover. Birds retire to their nests, horses to their stables, bees to their hives etc. However there comes a time when more intensive rest or retreat is required. Sometimes due to a person's physical condition he is admitted into the hospital’s intensive care unit allowing his or her body time to recover. Likewise the soul also needs to recover from the hustle and bustle of the world, the spiritual pollution caused by evil elements of society, the rat race of wanting, desiring and acquiring more of this world and the distractions that has diverted our mind, heart and soul from the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala and His Beloved Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Intensive Care Unit(ICU) for the soul is the Musjid and Itikaf is the facitilty within this ICU to allow the soul to not only recover but be spiritually rejuvenated! Itikah is indeed a Spiritual Retreat! Inside each and every human being, a constant battle rages. It is like a battle between two wolves. One of the wolves is evil. It is full of hate, lust, and greed. His fangs drip with bitterness and strife. The other wolf is a good one. He is full of love, compassion, and honesty. He never betrays his brother. These two wolves are constantly at war. Which wolf is going to win the battle? The answer is quite obvious…. Whichever one you feed. Our soul is being bombarded by forces of good and evil. We need to feed it good so that it overpowers the evil….and Itikaf is indeed an excellent opportunity to achieve this. Since the life of the transient world keeps us busy for the whole year in studies, work, social functions, business, travelling and other such things that causes us to be negligent of our souls and the next life, we may sometimes think that these things are the sole purpose in life and thus, we end up forgetting our true goal – Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him). Thus, it is for this reason that I'tikaf is referred to as "The spring of life in a world struck with the drought of negligence of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him)." It is the negligence of ourselves and our Creator which is given a fresh breath of life during Itikaf. In addition, we can once again find ourselves and our Lord and spiritually return back to Him before we are forced to return back to him by the separation of the soul from the body in a state of complete negligence of Him. The period of I'tikaf is the best time to force one's self to sit and think and reflect on the self and the world around; the period of the I'tikaf is the best time to forget the worries of the transient world and to return to nurturing the soul and linking oneself with the Creator of the soul; the period of the I'tikaf is the best time to return back to Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) in true repentance for our sins committed through the year and to give our souls the spiritual strength desperately needed to live a spiritual and pure life in this challenging world. Rasulullâh Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam always observed, I'tikâf and the Muslims have on the whole adhered to it. It has become a regular feature of the month of Ramadhân and a confirmed practice with the devout and the faithful. Hazrat Ayesha Radiallâhu anha relates that "Rasulullâh. Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam regularly observed I'tikâf during the last ten days of Ramadhân till the end of his life. After him, his wives maintained the tradition." (Hadith-Bukhari) It is related by Hazrat Abû Huraira Radiallâhu anhu that "Rasulullâh Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam observed I'tikâf for ten days every year in the month of Ramadhân. In the year he passed away he observed it for twenty days." (Hadith-Bukhari) 3 TYPES OF ITIKAF WAAJIB ITIKAF This Itikaf becomes compulsory when a person makes it obligatory upon himself. An example of this is, when a person makes a vow to Allah that if Allah fulfills a certain wish of his, he will under take to perform so many days Itikaf. In this case the moment his wish is fulfilled, Itikaf becomes compulsory. A person may just make unconditional vow whereby he makes Itikaf Waajib upon himself for certain number of days. This becomes a Waajib duty on him from that moment onward. SUNNAH ITIKAF This was the general practice of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and it means to seclude oneself inside the Masjid for the last ten days of Ramadhan. NAFIL ITIKAF There is no special time or specific number of days for Nafil Itikaf. A person may make niyyah for any number of days at any time, even for his whole life For a detailed article on Itikaf and its rules please visit : http://eislaminfo.blogspot.com/2010/08/itikaf.html Benefits of Ramadan
1. Fasting in Ramadan helps in achieving Taqwaa. Allaah says: “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous (achieve Taqwaa)” (Al-Baqarah, 2:183) When we change our attitude while fasting and have a good mental state, we can achieve Taqwaa. Jabir ibn Abullah said, “When you fast, your hearing, your vision, and your tongue should also fast by avoiding lies and sins. You should not abuse your servant. You should maintain your composure and dignity on the day you fast. Do not make your fasting day the same as your normal day.” (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah) 2. Double reward of fasting: “Whoever feeds a fasting person will have a reward like that of the fasting person, without any reduction in his reward.” (Al Tirmidhee) Ibn Taymiyah said: What is meant by giving him iftaar is giving him enough to satisfy him. (Al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 194) 3. Reading Qur’an in Ramadan assists in attaining “Taqwaa” Reading Qur’an in this month assists in attaining “Taqwaa” since it is one of the main objectives of the revelation of the Qur’an. Allaah says: “(It is) an Arabic Qur'an, without any deviance that they might become righteous.” (Az-Zumar, 39:28) 4. A means of gaining forgiveness of sins: The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) said: a. “Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (al-Bukharee, 2014; Muslim, 760) b. “…from one Ramadan to the next are expiation for sins committed in between, so long as you avoid major sins.” (Saheeh Muslim (233)) 5. Steadfastness and Patience: Fasting helps in developing a strong will power. Fasting is patience in obeying Allaah, patience in keeping away from the things forbidden by Allaah, and patience in bearing the decree of Allaah, hunger, thirst, physical and mental weakness. So it combines all three types of patience, thus the fasting person deserves to be counted as one of the patient, and Allaah says: “Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." (Az-Zumar, 39:10) 6. Seeking Laylatul Qadr: Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) said: “There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month which Allaah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.” ( An-Nasa’ee, 2106; Ahmad, 8769.) 7. Fasting precludes ar-riya and assists in ikhlaas: “Allaah said: ‘Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward for it…’” ( Al-Bukharee (1761) and Muslim (1946)) Allaah didn’t say “prayer is Mine”, or “Hajj is Mine”, or “charity is Mine”. Why did He single out fasting? Al-Qurtubi said: Because showing off may enter into all good deeds, but no one can see when a person is fasting except Allaah, so Allaah connected it to Himself. 8. Ramadan trains us to have good character and be truthful: The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) said: “Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it and ignorant behaviour, Allaah has no need of his giving up his food and drink”. (Sahih Al-Bukharee,1903) So if a person refrains from disobeying Allaah or gives up sinfulness, then this is true fasting. Meaning, your body needs to fast with you too along with hunger and thirst. 9. A sense of Unity: All the Muslims participate in this act of worship. All of us are fasting and breaking the fast at the same time. We as a single ummah gather upon a single act of worship directing towards a single purpose. 10. Ramadan is an opportunity to learn discipline in food and drink: One of the benefits of fasting is good health. This is something we should seek because with good health, we can worship Allaah better and do extra good deeds which we might not be able to do if we did not have it. The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) said: “A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allaah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone…” (Sahih Muslim 2664) 11. Two moments of Joy: The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) said: “The fasting person will have two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast, and the other when he meets his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting.” (al-Bukharee, 1771) Source : Idealmuslimah (Edited) Importance of Zakah
Zakah (alms) is one of the five pillars of Islam. Its importance can be realised from the fact that in 82 verses of the Qur'an Zakah is associated with prayer (Salah), such as: Establish regular prayer and give Zakah; and obey Allah and His messenger. Quran (33:33) If social justice and compassion to fellow humans who are disadvantaged is one of the central themes in the message of Allah to humanity, then it is no wonder that Zakah, like prayer and fasting, was also enjoined upon the people of the past messengers: And We made them (descendants of Abraham) leaders, guiding by Our command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular Prayers and to practise Zakah; and they constantly served Us. Quran (21:73) The Benefits of giving Zakah 1.It purifies your wealth as Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur'an: Take alms from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it and pray for them. Quran (9:103) 2. It keeps one away from sin and saves the giver from the moral ill arising from the love and greed of wealth. 3. Through Zakah, the poor are cared for, these include widows, orphans, the disabled, the needy and the destitute. Zakah is the right of the poor. Zakah is not considered a favour that is given to the poor by the rich. It is the right of the poor on the wealth of the rich. Allah says: ..(In their) wealth there is a known share for the beggars and the destitute. Quran (70:24-25) Zakah, therefore, is unlike charity that is given to the needy voluntarily. Withholding Zakah is considered depriving the poor of their due share. Thus one who pays Zakah actually "purifies" his wealth by separating from it the portion that belongs to the poor. What our beloved Messenger of Allah said on Zakah: 1. "Zakaat is a (great and strong) bridge of Islam". 2."If a man pays the Zakaat due on his property, it causes its evil influence to vanish". 3. "Protect your possessions by payment of Zakaat, treat your patients by giving Sadaqah and face the waves of affliction with supplications and crying unto Allah in humility". Alqamah Radhiallaho anho says that when our group of people visited Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam he said to them, "Verily you can make your Islam perfect by your payment of the Zakaat due on your property". Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam said, "he who observes three things will taste the sweetness of Imaan (faith): One who worships Allah alone and believes (from his heart) that there is no one to be worshipped but Allah and one who pays the Zakaat on his property, willingly, every year. In Zakaat on the animals, one should not give an aged animal or one suffering from itch or any other ailment, or an inferior one, but should give animals of average quality. Allah Ta'ala does not demand from you the best of your animals, nor does He command you to give animals of the worst quality". Do I have to give Zakat? Zakah is obligatory on one who has wealth that reaches or exceeds a certain level called the nisab. Unlike tax, however, Zakah is an act of worship for which one receives reward from Allah. Ignoring to pay Zakah, on the other hand, is a major sin. According to the scholars, anyone who does not pay Zakah by denying its obligation is considered a disbeliever. How much do I have to give? Zakah is paid anually. If you are in possession of money, gold, silver, stocks or shares that amount to more than the value of 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of Silver called nisab (at current market rates) then you are obliged to pay Zakah. What amounts are owed by you should be deducted from the capital amount before Zakah is calculated. The rate of Zakah is 2.5% per annum For details and rules pertaining to Zakah please contact your local Ulama (Islamic Scholars) ******** Source: www.eislam.co.za  by Muhammad Zubair Mughal
zubair.mughal@halalrc.org The relation between soap and human is as old as the history of culture. Soap has always been the part of civilized society in different shapes either in the shape of Soil collection or mixture of tree leaves and vegetables or mixture of ash and oils while, presently, it comes up with the unique blend of various chemical components, as it is known as liquid soap, beauty soap, toilet soaps and antibacterial soaps etc which is the dire need of each house. As per a careful estimate, about 6 billion people of the world use soap daily and this number is prominently increasing day by day. But current chemical components and scientific developments have raised differnt questions about the Halal authenticity of soap and have evidently proved the involvement of non Halal ingredients i.e. Tallow extracted from the fat of swine, chemical from the haram animals’ flow “Satiric Acid” which is obtained from Lards and all this mixture and blending have distinguished between the division of Halal and haram. While in Islam the matter of Halal and Haram is not only confined to foods rather it is also applied on services (Islamic Banking, Islamic mode of businesses and Islamic Finance etc), clothes and tangible items such as Cosmetics, Soap and Paint etc. When man enters in the category of impurity by touching some haram animals and it becomes mandatory to have shower (Ghusal), then now would it be justified to take bath while using the soaps which is produced with chemicals from the ingredients obtained from same animals? Will his worship be accepted after using that soap? Hence, it is needed that we should discriminate Halal and Haram in tangible (consumable) items along with food and services. We buy and adopt with joy the leather made imported items such as shoes and hand bags imported from Italy and other countries but do we ever think of the ingredients used in those products and the skin of the animal which was used in those products? Whether the Halal animals are utilized in those countries? If “No” then which animal’s skin was used as leather? Which chemicals are used in dying processing of towel that we use to clean the face. Is it obtained from swine’s Fat? Which chemicals are used in our paint industry etc? These are the matters of deep concentration that I leave on the readers who need to make the efforts to avoid haram a part of our life. The prime objective of this piece of writing is not to put the Muslims into the fear rather to highlight the issues caused by latest chemical evolutions. If we analyze the current volume of cosmetics industry globally which is about US $ 335 billion but share of Halal cosmetics is US $ 13 billion while our, Muslim, population is about 1.6 billion which is the 26% of whole world population, so, as per these figures, non-Halal cosmetics have more consumption in Muslim countries and the main reason behind it is the lack of awareness and no discrimination between Halal and haram in material items. May Allah (Subhana wa’a Taala’a) forgive us for the sins caused by lack of awareness and give us enough strength to avoid them in future (Aameen). Halal Research Council (HRC), keeping in view the social, religious and professional responsibilities, inaugurated a specialized department for state of the art research in Soaps, Cosmetics, Dyeing and Paint Chemical to resolve the problems in these industries through in depth research to give a clean and purified society to the Muslim world. __________________________________ (Muhammad Zubair Mughal is the Chief Executive Officer of Halal Research Council (HRC) and he can be reached at zubair.mughal@halalrc.org)  Written By Mohammad Najeeb Qasmi, Riyadh
Translated by Nehal Anwar Qasmi, Najran Brief Sketch of Imam Abu Hanifa's Life: Nu'man bin Thabit bin Nu'man bin Marzuban, better known by his nickname Abu Hanifa, was born in Kufa in 80 A.H. He was of Persian origin. His grandfather Nu'man bin Marzuban was regarded even by the elite class of Kabul as wise and astute man. Marzuban, his great-grandfather, had been ruler of a part of Persia. It is recorded in Imam Abu Hanifa's biography that his father Thabit was once brought to Hazrat Ali, the companion of the Prophet (PBUH), who prayed for him and for his descendents. At that time, Thabit was too young and the prayer that Hazrat Ali made for his lineage resulted in birth of the highly esteemed scholar Imam Abu Hanifa in the family. Imam Abu Hanifa at his early age acquired a basic education and chose a trade as his career, but he was intelligent and had gifted in-born talent. That is why Shaikh Amir Shabi (17A.H.-104A.H.), a noted Muhaddith of Kufa who had the privilege of meeting over 5000 companions of the Prophet (PBUH), suggested that he should continue to learn more about Ilm ul Kalam, Hadith & Fiqh. Thus he left the trade and studied those subjects so dedicatedly from the various scholars of Kufa, Basra and Baghdad that he mastered all those subjects and was widely acclaimed as the greatest Imam in the academic world. Abu Jafar Mansoor an Abbasid Caliph who was well aware of Imam Abu Hanifa's popularity tried to force him to become Chief Judge of the State, but Imam Abu Hanifa declined and swore not to accept the post. This invoked the anger of the caliph and finally Imam Abu Hanifa was detained in jail in 146A.H. Even there, the indomitable jurist continued to teach those who were permitted to come to him. Imam Muhammad the great Muhaddith and Faqih is one of Imam Abu Hanifa's pupils who learnt from him in jail. The caliph of that period was so scared of his increasing popularity that he poisoned him. When Imam Abu Hanifa felt the effect of poison and became sure that the death was imminent, he went into Sajdah and died. He was buried in Khaizran graveyard in Baghdad and almost 50,000 people participated in the funeral. The man who had the honour of transmitting Hadiths from Prophet's companions and great Taabi'een said goodbye to the world in 150 A.H. A brief sketch of his life reveals that he willingly sacrificed his life so that the caliph wouldn't be able to impose his own decisions upon him. The Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) Prophecy About Imam Abu Hanifa: The famous commentator of the Qur'an, Shaikh Jalaluddin Siuti Sha'fei Misri (849A.H – 911 A.H) quoted in his book (تبييض الصحيفة في مناقب الامام أبي حنيفة) a number of Hadiths that clearly prophesize about Imam Abu Hanifa and have been mentioned in different words in Bukhari, Muslim etc.: “If knowledge were found near the star Pleiades, some people of Persia would acquire it even". (Narrated by Bukhari). Similar Hadiths with slightly different words have been recorded by Muslim and other books Hadith. After quoting all these Hadiths, the commentator Shaikh Siuti adds that in his view the Hadiths are obvious prophecies about Imam Abu Hanifa and they are so clear that we need not to look for other evidence. Shaikh Ibn Al Hajar Al Haitamy Almakki Al Sha'fei (909 A.H - 937 A.H) writes in his book (الخيرات الحسان في مناقب امام أبي حنيفة) "Some pupils of Shaikh Jalaluddin Siuti believe the Hadiths mentioned above indicate towards Abu Hanifa, because there was no other man of his caliber in Persia who could reach the level of his greatness. Explanation: We may differ on who or what has been meant by those Hadiths, but various scholars of different schools of thought including the two quoted above concede the point that it was Imam Abu Hanifa who was prophesied by the Prophet ( PBUH). Imam Abu Hanifa's Status as a Tabi‘ee: When asked about Imam Abu Hanifa's status as Tabi'ee, the renowned scholar of Hadith Hafiz ibn Al Hajar Asqalani commented that Imam Abu Hanifa was born in Kufa in 80 A.H, the period when a group of Prophets' companions were alive. Hazrat Abdullah bin Aufa lived in Kufa and Hazrat Anas bin Malik in Basra, thus it is probable that Imam Abu Hanifa got a chance to see them. Ibn-e-Saad also reports from his Sanad that beside Hazrat Anas bin Malik there were many other companions who were alive, so it is likely that Imam Abu Hanifa is a Tabi'ee and happened to see a few of them. Most of the Muhaditheen including Khatib Baghdadi, Allama Ibn Hajr, Allama Nawawi, Allama Zahabi, Allama Zain ul Abidin Sakhawi, Hafiz Abu Na'im Asbahani, Imam Dar-Qutni, Hafiz ibn Abdul Bar, Allama ibnul Jauzi etc. are of the opinion that Imam Abu Hanifa got the chance to see Hazrat Anas bin Malik. As per the Muhadditheen’s given definition of a Tabi'ee, it is not compulsory for a Tabi'ee to report Hadith from Sahaba. The mere sight of him is enough to be called Tabi'ee. Imam Abu Hanifa not only saw the companions of the prophet but also reported Hadiths from a few of them, especially Hazrat Anas bin Malik. The above mentioned opinions of the scholars of Fiqh and Hadith, suggest that Imam Abu Hanifa was born at a time when many companions were alive, and got to see some of them. Moreover, the Prophet (PBUH) himself prophesied about Imam Abu Hanifa, as described earlier, which is an obvious testimony of his greatness. Hadiths which Imam Abu Hanifa reported directly From Companions: Shaikh Abu Ma'shar Abdul Karim bin Abdussamad Al Tabri Al Maqri Al Shafi'ei wrote a booklet in which he listed all the Hadiths that Imam Abu Hanifa reported directly from Sahabas like: 1. Hazrat Anas bin Malik 2. Hazrat Abdullah bin Jaza Al Zubaidi 3. Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah 4. Hazrat Ma'qal bin Yasar 5. Hazrat Waathila bin Al As'qa 6. Hazrat A'isha bint Ajr (May Allah be pleased with them). Explanation: Although, Muhadditheen differ on the exact number of companions from whom Imam Abu Hanifa directly transmitted Hadiths, they all agree on the point that he was a Tabi'ee. Kufa - The Center of Scholars of Fiqh and Hadith: During the caliphate of Hazrat Umar Al Farooq, Iraq was conquered. Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqqas a close companion of the Prophet (PBUH) got permission from Hazrat Umar Al Farooq and established a new city of Kufa where he employed the most eloquent and linguist people from different Arab tribes. Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood also was made a part of the plan. He was knowledgeable and well versed with Sunnah and Islamic jurisprudence. Even other companions time and again referred to him in day to day Masa'il. The Prophet (PBUH) said "If a person wants to recite the Qur'an, the way it was revealed, he should follow the method of Ibn-e-Umm-e-Abd" (Abdullah bin Mas'ood). Once the city was fully established, Hazrat Umar sent Abdullah bin Masood to teach Qur'an and Sunnah. He remained there throughout the period of Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Uthman caliphate teaching Qur'an and Sunnah to the inhabitants of the city. When Hazrat Ali was chosen as caliph he shifted Darul Khilafah to Kufa and it became a huge hub of education, where a large number of Sahabah and Taabi'een, especially Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood, and his students were always available to teach Qur'an and Sunnah. Imam Abu Hanifa inherited the legacy of Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood through three of his teachers: Shaikh Hammad, Shaikh Ibrahim Nakha'i, and Shaikh Al'qama. He accompanied Shaikh Hammad for 18 years and replaced him in Kufa when he died. Since Imam Abu Hanifa inherited Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood’s legacy, we see his opinions in Masa'il of Fiqh are generally based on Hadiths narrated by him. For instance, Rafa Yadain before & after Roku is one of a few issues in which Hadiths are contradictory, but Imam Abu Hanifa acts upon the Hadith of Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood, and says it is not Sunnah. Composition of Hadiths in Caliphate of Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz and Imam Abu Hanifa: Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz during his caliphate appointed two prominent scholars of Hadith Shaikh Abu Bakr bin Al Hazam and Shaikh Muhammad bin Shihab Zuhri to collect all Hadiths in books. Till then, generally the Hadiths were not preserved in books, instead they were learnt by heart. These two were the first who compiled them in books. The Prophet (PBUH) prohibited his companions from writing Hadiths, so that they would not get messed up with the Qur'an. A few Faqih Sahaba, could distinguish Hadiths from the Qur'an, and they were allowed to write them. But in the subsequent period, the rightly guided caliphs collected the Qur'anic verses and shaped them into a book. Now there was no fear of the Qur'an and Hadiths being mixed up together. So Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz commanded Muhadditheen to compile Hadiths in books from Hadiths that were preserved in the hearts of various people. This first collection consisted mostly the Hadiths that were attributed to the Prophet (PBUH) by two narrators in the middle; the Tabi'ee and the Sahabi. Some were attributed even by one narrator. Since the period was nearer the period of the Prophet (PBUH) and the narrators were either Sahabi or Tabi'ee there was no possibility of the Hadith, being weak or false. At that time this collection was available for Imam Abu Hanifa. So he derived all his Shar'i Masa'il from it. In general, he got the Hadiths which reached the Prophet (PBUH) by two narrators in the middle, he also narrated Hadith with one narrator but they are few. The Hadiths with two narrators in the middle are called Thuna'i. These types of Hadiths are considered of highest quality but they are not available in any of Bukhari Muslim etc. Bukhari records 22 Hadiths with three narrators (Thulasiyat). Out of them 20 are reported by the pupils of Imam Abu Hanifa. Islamic Regime From 80 A.H To 150 A.H & Imam Abu Hanifa: Imam Abu Hanifa, as mentioned in the first chapter, was born in 80 A.H. during the regime of the Umayyad caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Abdul Malik died in 86 A.H. six years after Imam Abu Hanifa's birth. Then, his son Walid bin Abdul Malik took over the regime. He reigned for 10 years and died in 96 A.H., vacating the place of governance to his brother Sulaiman bin Abdul Malik. The new caliph Sulaiman would only rule for 3 years and died in 99A.H., but prior to his death he chose another member of the family, Hazrat Umar bin Abul Aziz, who was not his son nor his brother, for the caliphate. This was a strange decision and thus people were surprised by it. However, they were happy. Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz ruled for a short span of 2 years & 6 months (99A.H-101A.H), but his regime was so just and fair that it reminded people of the caliphate of rightly guided caliphs and earned him the title of the fifth rightly guided caliph. The authors of history attribute many valuable achievements to Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz, but the most significant of all was his collection of Hadiths which has already been mentioned. Imam Abu Hanifa was now 19-21 years old and witnessed the period when Hadiths were being collected in books. He continued to live in Kufa through most of the remaining period of the Umayyad caliphate, but in the last days of the caliphate he migrated to Makkah due to some differences between him and the government. He lived for 7 years in Makkah. Then, he again came back to Kufa when the Umayyad caliphate was finished and the new governance of the Abbasid caliphate was established. Abu Jafar Al Mansoor the Abbasid caliph offered Imam Abu Hanifa the post of Chief Judge of the state, but he refused because he knew well that Al Mansoor was not sincere and his only intention was to enhance his regime. Incensed by his refusal, the ruler had Imam Abū Ḥanīfah arrested, locked in prison and tortured. He was never fed nor cared for. Even there, the indomitable jurist continued to teach those who were permitted to come to him until he died in the prison in 150 A.H. Imam Ahmad bin Hambal very often wept when he recalled the torture Imam Abu Hanifa went through at Al Mansoor's hand and prayed for him. (Al Khairatul Hisaan: Vol 1, Page 59). Imam Abu Hanifa and Science of Hadith: The Hadiths transmitted through Imam Abu Hanifa are rare in the famous books of Hadith and that is why some bigoted groups of people are apt to believe that he knew little about Hadiths. In fact this opinion is based on hatred and prejudice that the enemies of Imam Abu Hanifa have deep in their hearts. The man who learnt Science of Hadith when he was only 20 year old, lived in the golden period of the companions, Taabi'een and Tab-e- Taabi'een, and got the Hadiths of the Prophet through only one or two narrators in the middle. He spent eighteen years of his life with pupils of the great Faqih Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood, and lived in the period of Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz when Hadiths were being collected. Abu Hanifa learnt the Science of Hadith from various Scholars of Kufa, Basrah, Baghdad, Makkah and Madina who were the great Muhadith of all time. He derived thousands of Masa'il from the Qur'an and Hadith, played a vital role in composition of Fiqh, and produced a large number of scholars who enlightened the world with their Islamic knowledge. How it is possible that such man was ignorant or knew little about Hadith. It is as if we say that Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Uthman didn't know much of Hadith, and that is why their narrations are rare in the books. While it is obvious to everybody that all three of them were closer to the Prophet (PBUH), they had their own reasons for not narrating all what they heard from him. Similarly, Imam Abu Hanifa was as great a Muhaddith as he was a Faqih. The Famous Books of Hadiths and Imam Abu Hanifa: The famous books of Hadiths like Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmizi, Abu Da'ood, Nasa'i, Ibn-e-Majah etc. were written almost 100 years after the demise of Imam Abu Hanifa. Even their authors, the majority of whom were pupils of Imam Abu Hanifa's pupils, were not born at his time. But Imam Abu Yousuf and Imam Muhammad the two acclaimed pupils of Imam Abu Hanifa collected his Hadiths as well as lessons of Fiqh and shaped them into books. Most of them are still available. If we compare these books with others, we will find them more authentic and reliable as they consist of Hadiths which reach the Prophet (PBUH) through only two narrators in the middle. Teachers Of Imam Abu Hanifa: The biography authors count almost 4000 senior scholars from whom Imam Abu Hanifa learnt. He himself says: "There is not a single Muhaddith in Kufa and Basra that he hasn't got benefit from". For more detail, read Biography of Imam Abu Hanifa. Here is a short list of his teachers: Shaikh Hammad bin Abi Sulaiman, Shaikh Ata bin abi Rabah, Shaikh Ikrama Barbari, Shaikh Imam Auza'I, Shaikh Imam Makhool and two of the seven famous Faqih of Al Madina Al Munawwarh. Students of Imam Abu Hanifa: Allama Shibli Numani mentions in 'Siratun Numan' that the circle of Imam Abu Hanifa's class was even wider than border of the contemporary caliph's governance. Imam Shafi'ie says "Those who aspire to be perfect in Fiqh, should read Imam Abu Hanifa's Fiqh". He also says: "If he had not been the student of Imam Muhammad (Pupil of Imam Abu Hanifa) he would not have had the high status in Fiqh". The list of his pupils is so large that this small piece is not adequate, that is why, it is better to name only a few, who were closer to him and continued to teach as per his Maslak. 1. Imam Abu Yousuf 2. Imam Muhammad bin Hassan Al Shaibani 3. Imam Zufar bin Huzail 4. Imam Yahya bin Sa'id Al Qattan 5. Imam Yahya bin Zakariya 6. Muhaddith Abdullah bin Mubarak 7. Imam Wakee bin Al Jarrah Imam Da'ood Al Ta'i etc. The Collection of Fiqh: Scholars have defined the Science of Fiqh in different words, but the common point of all the definitions is to understand Islamic law in the light of Qur'an and Hadith. Before we understand the Fiqh-e-Hanafi, we need to know an important principle that Imam Abu Hanifa set for himself. He said, “If I want to know a ruling of Shari'ah about an issue, I first see Qur'an and Hadith. If that issue has not been mentioned in both of them, I search the sayings or actions of the companions. If it is also not there, I go through the Fatawa of others, and think of my own Qiyas or Ijtihad.” He further says, “if I get a Hadith (though weak in Sanad) on a particular issue I always prefer Hadith over my own Ijtihad.” Imam Abu Hanifa did not make this principle on his own account, but he derived it from the famous Hadith in which the Prophet (PBUH) told to Hazrat Mu'aaz bin Jabal to do so. Imam Abu Hanifa learnt from three very intimate pupils of Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood. That is why, the Fiqh-e-Hanafi as a whole is based on his Hadiths. He was a Faqih and people, even when the Prophet (PBUH) was alive, turn to him in Masa'il of Shari'ah. He taught Qur'an and Hadith in Kufa. Shaikh Alqama bin Qais and Shaikh Aswad bin Yazid were his two closest students. Once he said that whatever he learnt from the Quran and Hadith, he taught to Alaqam and now his knowledge was no more than Alqama's. When both Shaikh Alqama and Shaikh Aswad died, Shaikh Ibrahim Nakha'i was chosen to become their successor in Kufa. He made so many valuable contributions to the Fiqh that people started calling him the Faqih of Iraq. The most significant achievement of Shaikh Ibrahim Nakha'i, as Fuqaha write, was a collection of Fiqh that was later shaped into books by Abu Hanifa's pupils, especially by Imam Muhammad, Imam Yousuf and Imam Zufar. These books are still available. Explanation: Today, some people read a few pages of Hadith and feel themselves inclined to denial of Fiqh. But the fact is, to understand the Qur'an and Hadith, and derive Masa'il of Shari'ah from them is called Fiqh. Moreover, the pupils of Imam Abu Hanifa had composed the Fiqh-e-Hanafi even before books like Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmizi, Abu Da'ood, Nasa'i, Ibn-e-Majah, Tabrani, Baihaqi, etc. came into existence. So, if the Fiqh was of no importance, the authors of those books of Hadiths would definitely have rejected it. Point: If we go through the history, we will find that all the previous governments, in particular Abbasid and Umayyad, followed the Fiqh-e-Hanafi in 75 percent of their judicial and civil laws. Even today, the judicial laws of majority of Muslim countries are based on Fiqh-e-Hanafi. The Opinions of Ulama-e-Ummat About Imam Abu Hanifa: The previous chapters have clarified Imam Abu Hanifa's status as Muhaddith and the contributions he made towards Fiqh. Now, this chapter describes the opinions, Ulama-e-Ummat hold about him. · Imam Mis'ar bin Kidam (153 A.H ) often told the people that he had not envied any of the men of Kufa except two persons: Imam Abu Hanifa & his Fiqh, and Shaikh Hassan bin Salih & his piousness. (Taarikh-e-Baghdad Vol: 14, Page: 328) · Imam Auza'i the Faqih and Muhadith of Syria (157 A.H ) used to say: "Imam Abu Hanifa knows the complicated issues better than any other man of knowledge". (Manaqib-e-Kurdi, Page: 90) · Imam Da'ood Al Ta'i ( 160 A.H ) said: Imam Abu Hanifa has got knowledge that touches the heart of believers. (Al Khairat Al Hisaan, Page: 32) · Once Imam Sufyan Thori (167 A.H ) told a man who had just visited Imam Abu Hanifa that he had been fortunate to meet the greatest Faqih on the surface of earth. (Al Khairat Al Hisan, Page: 32). · Imam Malik bin Anas (179 A.H) often confessed that he had not seen a man like Imam Abu Hanifa. (Al Khairat Al Hisan, Page: 28) · Imam Waki bin Al Jarrah (195 A.H ) said that he had not met a Faqih greater than Imam Abu Hanifa. · Imam Yahya bin Mueen (233 A.H ) generally delivered Fatwa in accordance with what Imam Abu Hanifa had said and memorized his Hadiths. (He heard a number of Imam Abu Hanifa's Hadith). (Jami Bayanul Ilm by: Allama Ibnul Bar Vol: 2 Page: 149). · Imam Shafi'i (204 A.H) says we all need Imam Abu Hanifa in Fiqh. If a man wants to become perfect Faqih, he is required to study his Fiqh. (Taarikh-e-Baghdad Vol: 23 Page: 161). · Imam Muwaffaq bin Ahmad Makki referred to Imam Bakr bin Muhammad Zaranjri (152 A.H) had told him that Imam Abu Hanifa's book 'Kitabul Aathar' is a selection, out of 40000 Hadiths. (Manaaqib Imam Abu Hanifa). The topic in question is indeed very vast. It requires volumes to cover all aspect of Imam Abu Hanifa's life and his contributions towards Hadith and fiqh. Here, in this article I have attempted to collect the summarized data related to Imam Abu Hanifa and remove wrong perception of few people regarding his knowledge about Hadith. Allama Jalaluddin Siuti wrote a comprehensive biography of Imam Abu Hanifa titled 'تبيض الصحيفة في مناقب الإمام أبي حنيفة '. For detailed information on the subject, I advise readers to read this book. Mohammad Najeeb Qasmi, Riyadh najeebqasmi@yahoo.com mnajeebqasmi@gmail.com  Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi
The issue of women's right has been the most complicated one in the human history. All the Civilizations of the world have adopted the two extreme positions on this matter. Rome, Greece and Europe had tested the two extremes throughout their history. Some civilized nations like Greece once and presently the so-called civilized Western nations have equated them with men in every sphere of life. They drew them out of their homes for total emancipation. While other Country like ancient Persia went to other extreme, describing women as a blunder of Nature and a creature, which ought to be ignored. (1) The Greece, Rome and Christian Europe regarded women as the root cause of evil, gateway to Satan and an unavoidable creature. The women had no value and no status in the society. (2) Hinduism regarded women as a salable commodity. The women were deprived of basic human rights. Even a widow had to burn herself with the dead body of her husband. (3) The Islamic viewpoint regarding women is quite moderate. Unlike the other religions and civilizations of the world, it offers a divine solution to this matter. It directly addresses the nature and appeals to the heart of human beings. It adopts middle path and takes into consideration the physical formation of the women to give them their due status in human society. Women in Islam According to Islam women are equal partners to men in building a human society. They have their own rights, privileges and status. They play important and equally significant role in the development of human civilization. They must be given education and training so that they can efficiently perform their duties. They have right to chose their spouse and enjoy their life. They inherit property from their father and husband. When she is a child her father has responsibility to bring her up and to provide educational facilities. When she is a wife it is her husband's duty to respect her sentiments and give her due rights. When she is a mother her son is asked to behave gently and provide extraordinary love and care and remain obedient to her. The women have been assigned the duty to look after homely affairs. They have to arrange home well and take care of the family members. They have been given instructions by Islam to put veil on their bodies and not to display their feminist charm to outsiders. Why women have been ordered to manage home? Here is a common question asked by Non-Muslims 'why only women are forced to cover and veil. Before we go to answer we must understand some natural facts so that we can realize the situation in a broader perspective. It is a universal fact that every creature doesn't hold same status. As human beings are supreme to all, so only a senseless person is going to equate them with animals. In the same fashion all the creatures have been categorized by nature itself. Even the duties and mental approach of them differ from sex to sex. This is an absolute truth, none can deny. The women have been given a different type of physical and psychological system from men. The biological and scientific researches reveal the fact that the women have entirely different structure ranging from body formation to the cells and particles of body. Having being grown up she undergoes menstruation every month and pregnancy now and then. It is medically proved that a woman is nearer to illness in menstruating and pregnancy days. She loses her temper and suffers from many abnormal changes. A mother has to suckle her baby and nourish. It requires full time attention.(4) Because of these natural and physical reasons a woman is not able to discharge her duties like earning livelihood, sponsoring family, working hard, govern a country, fighting in the battle field and deal with the challenges of the world. It is unjust on her part to put these duties on her weak shoulder. Biologically women are to bear a child and nurse. Their advancement is to make their biological nature grow not to suppress it and turn to an opposite direction. Therefore, Islam has drawn a different framework for both man and woman. The women have full freedom to excel in their field. The duty of nursing a child and management of the house is of greater value than to earn money. If a woman earns bread she serves an ordinary purpose and leaves the important one incomplete. If she nourishes a child with full attention she will cooperate with the society to produce a good and noble member for it. This job is much more important for her than the first one. Even Antom Nimlov, a renowned communist scientist of Soviet Union admits this fact and writes in his book "The Biological Tragedy of Women”: "Biologically men and women are not equal and they were not put equal burdens."(5) Apart from biological aspect, the women were equal to men historically. There passed many civilizations on this earth which gave them chances to go ahead shoulder to shoulder with men but they failed. Nowhere in the world women could prevail over the men. There were only men who ruled the world, in general, and dominated the history. Purdah for Women Purdah (veil, Hijab) code in Islam is well connected with that of marriage and Islamic family system. The West considers the society a group of individuals free to indulge in any activity that involves them personally. On the contrary, Islam considers all society a unit. It does not allow an individual to carry out such an action that damages the social structure though it is confined apparently to his/her personality. Islam believes that a human civilization can survive only when the society is clean, pious, systematic, and responsible. The success of the society lies in its spiritual development. Free sexual relation, uncontrolled carnal desires, shamelessness and nudity is disastrous for society. It will lead it to a horrible end. Even some western writers have admitted that the family system is a must for any flourishing society. The last president of Soviet Union Michael Gorbachov says in his book "Prostraika" chapter "status of women": "Our family system has been destroyed. It will put an end to our nation. The disadvantages of women emancipation are more than its advantages"(6) So Islam has put certain restrictions and regulations in order to protect. It has forbidden marriage between close relatives (Gair Mahram) to purify the family atmosphere and lessen the chances of sexual relations to the least degree. It commands Muslims to marry as soon as it is possible. Islam asks men to cover always their body from umbilicus centre to kneel while the women were commanded to cover their body except the face, hand and feet all the time. It is unlawful for both men and women to open these parts before any person other than their spouses. Women have been prohibited to go out and walk about without any obvious reason. They should lower their voice and not to talk to outsiders with softness in their speech. If they go outside they have to fulfill the condition of Purdah. The Holy Qura'an says: "Stay at home and do not show off in the manner of the women of the days of ignorance."(7) "O' prophet! direct the wives and daughters and the women of the believers that they should put down their outer cloaks from their head over their faces. This will make it possible for them to be distinguished so that they will not be molested"(8) (3)" Direct the believing women to restrain their looks and guard their senses and not disclose any part their beauty or adornments, save that which is apparent thereof……"(9) According to these verses she has to cover her face too when outside. Nearly all the Islamic scholars have stated that women should cover their faces. They can open the eyes if needed. It is better for them to open only one eye. In Islam a woman should stay in house even it is better for her to offer prayers in a corner of her home. It is of greater virtue than to attend congregation in the mosque. When a woman goes out she attracts the undue attention of people. This attention promotes sexual lust and urges a man to commit adultery. So in the sight of Islam a bad glimpse is the first step towards adultery that causes a good deal of harm and ruination to the society. That is why the Prophet (pbuh) said: "the eyes commit adultery and it is their looking (at forbidden things), the hands commit adultery and it is their catching (the forbidden), the legs commit adultery and it is their walking (towards forbidden) and the adultery of tongue is talking (to prohibited persons), and the heart wishes then (finally) the private parts confirm it (by doing) or belie it (by avoiding)."(10) Looking deeply into the social teachings of Islam and the capital punishments set for adulterers and adulteress, it appears that Islam has eased the conditions of marriage and made adultery difficult enough. Isalm not only ordered women to veil their body but it has commanded men also to shun to cast a brazen and bad look at women. They were instructed to lower their gaze and guard their modesty. The Quraan says: “Direct the believing men to restrain their looks and to guard their senses. That is purer for them.”(11) Here a question may be raised that according to Islam when women are not permitted to come out of home then how they will satisfy their need. It is noteworthy that Islam has solved their financial problem. Being a daughter she will be fed and brought up by her father. Being a wife she will be paid and given all facilitates by her husband. If she is a sister or mother her brother or son will provide money, food and all necessities of life. If there happens no male to care for her then the Muslims of the locality or an Islamic state is responsible respectively. It is obligatory on men to give the women their due rights. All the details are mentioned in Fiqh books. Employment & Business for Woman Apart from this she can do business and make money. She is allowed to join an institution or office to strengthen her economic status. But there is a condition she must fulfill it. She will never be allowed to show her body and be a plaything in the hands of males. She cannot work at a place where she is not safe from male intervention. (12) Some people object that Islam has deprived women of opportunities to advance and suppressed their inner abilities. Only those who have no knowledge of Islamic history and women’s natural abilities raise this question. Muslim women have their own remarkable history. There were women teachers who used to teach men. The women used to be scholars, writers and pious (waliah). There were mothers who follow Hijab code brought up countless giant, genius and towering personalities of the world. Instead of being hurdle, Hijab helped them to reach the heights of fame and utilize the inner capabilities given to them. Hijab helps men and women both to utilize their time and opportunities in a constructive direction. When a man and woman are attracted towards each other they waste their time, money and abilities in frivolities. It is only Hijab that prevents them to kill their energies in petty rather destructive matters. Equality in Islam Today the West shouts slogans of women emancipation and equality. As per the West a woman is free to live as she likes. None can object on her action, relation and speech. She can run in the work field parallel with men. Islam also gives her equality and liberty, but they differ from those of the West. Islam gives a woman equal justice, equal protection, equal honour and equal rights to live. But it does not believe in the equality of work field because the field of their work is different from men. If the women are driven out of their field and taken to that of men the whole system will be reduced to chaos. It will harm the society more, for they will not be able to produce a good person for the future of the society. It will be just “killing the goose that lays the golden eggs”. Islam provides her full freedom in term of speech, movement and relationship. Interestingly, the advancements that the West has given to women is not appreciable because it has not given them these advancements as a woman. They have brought them to this height turning them into men. Their slogans of equality and freedom are empty and hollowed. There is no ground reality that is seen. Not only this but they have added burdens to the women’s homely work cleverly in the name of emancipation and equality. Now women are supposed to look after the child, cook the food, arrange the home and go to office to earn money. Men share their responsibilities with women but none comes the women’s burden and work. This is not only a mere exploitation but also rather a criminal act. The women in West could not come yet up to the grade of men. Men have been occupying all the important posts and status. Women are only exploited employees and workers. Equality and liberty is just a lip service and paper writing. On the contrary they have used women as an instrument of entertainment and enjoyment. They have pulled them out of their houses to the streets, offices, dancing clubs and beer bars just to serve their own end. The concept of women emancipation is nothing but an illusion. Antom Nimlov, a communist author is bound to say in his book "The Biological Tragedy of Women: "If any one talk of giving less right to women a few people will support it. We ourselves will oppose. But we should not deceive ourselves that a practical equality between men and women is as easy as we think. Soviet Union has given them more rights than any country of the world, but the fact is that women could not find their positions."(13) “If a man treats women equally the women themselves consider it a weakness of the man. There is neither a scientist, an author, a businessman, a communist nor a student who considers women equal to him."(14) Finally, the sisters are requested to deliberate the matter thoroughly. It is better for them not to fall prey of “women emancipation & equality” because they biologically, naturally and historically are not to chase the men. Producing a noble, intelligent and talented child is, in no way, of less important. Actually it is women to whom goes the credit of men’s greatness. The West has deprived them of their freedom and mental peace. It has made them a puppet in the hands of tyrant men. They use women on every step of life and put extra burdens on them. Conclusion Ø No religion or civilization of the world has given women their due rights except Islam Ø Islam has a moderate and divine view-point regarding women Ø Women are as important as men Ø Women are the supervisors of internal affairs while men have to deal with the outside world. Ø Women have rights as men Ø The slogan of women emancipation in West is an illusion Ø The West exploits women. The women have to do their work and support the men too. Ø Women are naturally, biologically and historically not able to discharge hard duties. Ø The prosperity of a society lies in an tight family system Ø The western civilization who ignored family system is on the edge of destruction Ø Hijab protects a family-bound society from perishing Ø Hijab is a beauty and a symbol of dignity for women Ø Hijab does not bar women to achieve high goals. References
 By: Khursheed Alam Dawood Qasmi
Email: qasmikhursheed@yahoo.co.in When the entire world is crying to protect and respect the "Human Rights" and the "Freedom of Religion" on the globe level, at the same time, it's irony to hear that the Angolan Ministry of Justice and Human Rights couldn't favour the Muslims legalizing Islam as a mere religion in the country. The government of Republic of Angola announced to ban Islam and Islamic activities in the country only few days ago on 19th November, 2013. Republic of Angola, a Christian dominated country, is situated in the Southern-Central Africa, with a population of 17 million peoples, bordering Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north and with the west coast along the Atlantic Ocean. Luanda is the capital city. Kikongo is one among six recognised national languages; whereas Portuguese is the official language which is commonly written, spoken and understood in the whole country. From 16th century till October 1975, it was a Portuguese Territory known as the Overseas Province of Angola. With sacrifices and efforts made by the Angolan people, it achieved its independence on 11th November, 1975. After the independence, the civil war broke out and Angola remained the scene of an intense civil war around 26-year, until it came to an end on 4th April, 2002, following a peace and reconciliation agreement between civilians and the government. While on the one hand the news about banning Islam in Angola has spread like jungle fire within few days in the entire world, the information about being the said news false has been circulated on social networking sites on the other. Now the common Muslims are confused in this regard. It's shameful that a Muslim leader of an African or Arab country doesn't want to break his silence on such serious issue; while the common Muslims want to hear him. A verification is being circulated on social networking site, Facebook, without any reliable source, is as follows: "Upon verification from Angloan scholars it was found that the story of Islam being banned in Angola is completely fabricated. Sadly, the demolition of all structures that were built without proper documentation, planning, procedure etc. was carried out. This happened to include some religious structures too, amongst them a Masjid. Interestingly the picture doing its rounds is not even from Angola but the Middle East. This happened quite some time back but is being carried mischievously by some media houses. It is important that Muslims only build Masaajid after proper approvals to avoid this. It has happened in other countries before. Please clarify the truth with those who have become emotional about the so-called banning of Islam in Angola. May Allah Almighty grant us a lesson and safeguard the Deen. Aameen!" Speaking about the banning Islam, the Angolan President, Jose Edurado dos Santos was quoted by several news agencies and Angolan Newspapers as saying: "This is the final end of Islamic influence in our country." The Angolan Minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva said, "The process of legalisation of Islam has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, their mosques would be closed until further notice," Silva's statement was made during her appearance at the 6th Commission of the National Assembly. Silva further said, "All sects on the list published by the ministry of Justice and Human Rights in the Angolan newspaper, "Journal De Angola" are prohibited to conduct worship. So, they should keep their doors closed," as she was quoted by Cameroon Voice. It is reported that as part of the ban, the Angolan government has ordered the demolition of the mosques, Qur'anic Schools and Islamic Centers. In early October 2013, the minarete of a mosque, in the municipality of Viana Zango of the capital city Luanda, was dismantled into pieces on the ground without any prior information in agreement with the decision of the Angola authorities. It took place after the announcement made by the governor on 3rd October, 2013 in the morning in a radio spot that radical Muslims are not welcome in Angola and the Angola government is not ready for legalisation of mosques in Angola. On 28th November, 2013, The Guardian has quoted David Ja, president of Islamic Community of Angola as saying: "We can say that Islam has been banned in Angola. You need 100,000 to be recognised as a religion or officially you can't pray." "The mosques in Luanda were supposed to be closed yesterday but because of an international furore about reports that Angola has banned Islam, the government decided not to do. So, at the moment, mosques in Luanda are open and people are going for prayer," Mr. Ja added. As to me the report published in the Guardian is more authentic and reliable, because under Angolan law, a religious group needs more than 100,000 members and to be present in 12 of the 18 provinces to gain legal status, giving them the right to construct schools and places of worship. There are only about 90-80 thousand Muslims among Angola's population. So, it is impossible for Islam to be recongnised in Angola. In another word, Islam is banned in Angola under the present law and the freedom of religion is being snatched from the people, as I think. We observe that when some unwanted actions occur at any place, the leaders of the so-called civilised countries start condemning with the strongest meaning of the word within a moment; but when those are against Islam and Muslims, they keep mum as they are dumb, deaf and blind. To my utter surprise, the heads of the Muslim countries show their courage and cruelly power against their own people, even if they want to protest for a right purpose, and when something goes wrong against Islam and Muslims, they never dare to speak against anti-Islamic elements for the sake of Islam and Muslims; rather they become a coward and chicken. Now banning Islam in Angola is a global issue and the Muslims are disturbed and pained; but not yet even a single responsible Muslim leader has addressed this issue. According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2008 (published on www.memeorandum.com), "Islam is a minority religion in Angola with 80,000-90,000 adherents, composed largely of migrants from West Africa and the families of Lebanese origin. The Muslims comprised between 2.5 to 3 percent of Angola's overall population of 17 million people, most of them Christians." During the last few years, the Muslim community in Angola has grown appreciably and Islamic activities have become more common in major cities. Mosques have sprung up in a number of places and the Qur'anic Schools have been built to provide Islamic instructions and teach Arabic language to the followers of Islam. In brief, it is rightly said that the Republic of Angola has become the first country in the world to ban a peaceful religion: Islam, as I think. Now about 80,000-90,000 Muslims of Angola are criminal by law, whereas the constitution guarantees the Freedom of Religion, but only for 45% pagans and 53% Christians, not for a small minority Muslims. Is it democracy or what? At least I failed to understand the democracy of this so-called civilised world. May Allah protect Islam and Muslims all over the world! Aameen! (The author of the article, Khursheed Alam Dawood Qasmi, is a graduate of Darul Uloom, Deoband and at present teacher of Moon Rays Trust School, Zambia, Southern Africa. He can be reached at qasmikhursheed@yahoo.co.in) ------------------------------------------------------------------ BBC Urdu http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/world/2013/12/131211_angola_accused_islam_banning_zz.shtml  By: Hifzur Rahman Qasmi
Markazul Ma'arif, Delhi hifzurrahman297@gmail.com Allah alone is the Supreme Owner and Creator of everything, living and non living, on this vast earth and He reserves all the right to disposal in them. Thus, He granted special position to some people over others; made some places nobler than others and declared some times more blessed as compared to others. Therefore many little good deeds done at such occasion, sometimes, carry much more reward and value than great deeds done at normal times. One of such occasions is the first Ashara, ten days Dhil Hijjah, the last month of the lunar calendar. Allah Almighty has granted the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah special status and honor. Many verses of the Glorious Qur’an and Ahadith of the Prophet (saws) have appeared speaking of their glory; while the actions of the Companions also establish their nobility. Thus, the reward of the good deeds performed on this occasion surpasses the reward of the acts done in normal days. In the following paragraphs, let’s analyze the evidences from the Glorious Qur’an which speak of superiority of these days. FIRST: Allah Almighty says in the Glorious Qur’an والفجر وليال عشر (By the dawn, and by ten nights) which nights are referred here? Imam Baghawi writes that Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) narrates that the phrase “Ten Nights” refers to the beginning ten nights of Dhil Hijjah. He same has been opined by other exegesis scholars like Qatada, Mujahid, Zahhak, Suddi and Kalbi (ra). After quoting the opinions of different scholars on the intended meaning of the “Ten Nights”, the author of “Tafseer Ibn Kathir” writes “The true is that the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah is intended here.” He also quotes a narration from Musnad Ahmad to support his opinion which reads: “The Prophet (saws) said, “The ten refers to ten days of Dhil Hijjah.” Coming across to the opinions of these scholars, it gets established that the “Ten Nights” in the above mentions verse of the Glorious Qur’an refers to the whole ten days of the month of Dhil Hijjah. Now the notable point here is that Allah Almighty Himself is taking oath by the “Dawn” and the “Ten Nights”; while the fact is that the oath is taken only by the things which reserves utmost love and importance. Thus, the importance of these nights gets crystal clear, as Allah Himself took oath by them. This perfectly establishes the idea that these days hold paramount importance in the eyes of Allah. SECOND: At another place, Allah says: الحج أشهر معلومات (The Hajj is (in) the well-known months) Hafiz Ibn Rajab Hambali (ra) writes: “One of the causes of the blissfulness of the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah is that these are the last portion of the “well-known” months; and these are the months of Hajj about which Allah said “الحج أشهر معلومات” These months are Shawwal, Dhil Qa’da and the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah. The author of Tafseer Ibn Kathir says that the “well-known” months, according to Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Shafee and Imam Ahmad Ibn Hambal (ra), refer to Shawwal, Dhil Qa’da and Dhil Hijjah. Moreover, the author himself seems to be inclined to this very opinion. In addition to that, Imam Bukhari (ra) has reported a hadith in his Sahih from Ibn Umar (ra) which clearly reads: “The months of Hajj are Shawwal, Dhil Qa’da and (first) ten days of Dhil Hijjah.” Performing Hajj is such a sacred act that it holds the place of first religious and spiritual wish for every sensitive Muslim. Thus, the days which have been declared as the “Months of Hajj” by the Glorious Qur’an itself will surely hold significance and sacredness. While the above mentioned face have fully proved that the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah is also among the months of Hajj. They, therefore, undoubtedly make a sacred and blissful occasion for Muslims to act and get rewarded. THIRD: Allah says: ويذكرسم الله في أيام معلومات (And recite the Name of Allah in specified days.) In this verse, Allah Almighty has explicitly enticed His slaves to recite His Names in specified days. This undoubtedly establishes the blissfulness of these days. Now the question is that what are these specified days? Again the answer is “First ten days of Dhil Hijjah”. Imam Bukhari (ra) reports a hadith from Ibn Abbas (ra) which reads, “These specified days refer to the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah.” Moreover, the same opinion has been expressed by other exegesis scholars, such as Hasan, Ata, Ikramah, Mujahid, Qatadah and Shafi (ra). Human beings owe a great deal of favor from Allah Almighty. It, therefore, gets compulsory for human to recite the Name of his Beneficent Lord each and every time. Yet the Benevolent Creator has specified a span of time for the recital of His Name, which definitely lays foundation for these days to be sacred. After pondering over these verses of the Qur’an, the sacredness of the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah is proved and provides sufficient ground for those who want to achieve nearness of Allah. Yet we have some ahadith of the Prophet (saws) as well, which clearly speak of the sacredness of these days. Some of them are mentioned here. The Prophet (saws) says: “No day is better than these ten days in which the good deeds are more beloved to Allah. The Companions asked if the Jihad in way of Allah also is not (so beloved). The Prophet (saws) replied, “Not even the Jihad in the way of Allah, but the Jihad of the one who gets out in the way of Allah with his life and wealth but returns with nothing.” Explaining this hadith, Hafiz Ibn Rajab Hambali (ra) writes: “When the good deeds done on this occasion is more beloved to Allah as compared to the deeds done in normal days of the year, the little acts of these days will bring much more reward than the high acts done in other days. This was the reason why the Companions asked if the Jihad performed in other days of the year is also not so beloved. The Prophet (saws) replied, “Not”. Another hadith which has been recorded by Ahmad and Darmi reads: “There is no act more purified to Allah and more reward-fetching than the acts done during the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah. He was asked, “even the jihad in the way fo Allah?” he replied, “Even the jihad in the way of Allah, but the jihad of the person who goes out with his life and wealth and does not return with anything.” Causes of Fazeelat: Allah alone is the creator and owner of everything. He sometimes takes the things of least importance to the high in the sky, while at the other time He brings the things of high respect and honor down to earth. Whenever He wants, He grants superiority to something over the things of similar kind. Thus, this no surprising matter, if he granted superiority to the ten days of Dhil Hijjah over normal days of the year. But the things of this world have been constituted under the system of cause and effect. Therefore, the man is always in search of the reasons and causes to every happening. About the sacredness of the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah, the scholars have given some reasons. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (ra) says, “The reason of the ten days of Dhil Hijjah being so sacred and distinct seems that all the basic worships like Namaz, fast, Sadaqa and Hajj gather in these days; and they do not gather in other days.” One the reasons of the Fazeelat of these ten days is that the days Arafah occur during them on which Allah Almighty completed the Faith and and His bounties upon Muslims. Naturaly the days on which somebody get a memorable bounty gets memorable for him. Imam Bukhari (ra) has recorded a hadith from Umar (ra). A Jew said to Umar (ra) that your book consists of the verse which you read. If this verse would have been revealed to us, we would celebrate of the day of its revelation. Hazrat Umar (ra) asked, “Which verse?” He replied: اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم... Umar (ra) says, “We know the day and the place on which this verse was revealed. The Prophet (saws) was staying at Arafa and it was Friday. One reason to it is that the last day of them is the day sacrifice about which the Prophet (saws) said that the most beloved day to Allah is the day of sacrifice and stay. This hadith clearly establishes the Fazeelat of the day of sacrifice which is the last day of the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah. Thus, the sacrifice day makes the whole ten days special. Conclusion: The above mentioned verses and ahaidth make the Fazeelat of the ten days of Dhil Hijjah crystal clear. This is the reason why the blessed companions, mystic men and sincere Ulama would take great care of worship during these days. To these blessed persons, the sole purpose of life was to achieve the pleasure of Allah. Therefore, they always were in quest of the places and times in which the rewards of things get increased to many fold, so that they could prepared the provisions for their afterlife journey by doing special deeds and worships. In sharp contrast to them, common Muslims show drastic carelessness towards such auspicious occasions, which leads them to irreparable loss. Therefore, they should also try to avail these occasions and achieve the nearness of Allah. In following line, the good deeds which have been prescribed to perform are being mentioned. Dhikr of Allah’s Name: During these days, it is msnoon to excessively recite takbeer, tahmeed and tahleel. According to a hadith, the Prophet (saws) said, “To perform the righteous deeds in these days is such a great and beloved act to Allah that no any other days. You should, therefore, recite excessively لا إله إلا الله، الحمد للہ and اللہ اکبر. The wordings of the takbeer for these days are: (1) اللہ اکبر اللہ اکبر کبیرا (2) اللہ اکبر اللہ اکبر لا الہ الا اللہ واللہ اکبر اللہ اکبر وللہ الحمد۔ Takbeer is permissible in two ways: (1) Takbeer Mutlaq (Abdolute Takbeer) which to means to recite the takbeer evertime at every place where and when it is allowed to recite the name of Allah. Its time begins from sighting the moon of Dhil Hijjah. (2) Takbeer Muqayyad (Defined Takbeer). Its time begins from the Fajr of ninth Dhil Hijjah and lasts till the Asr of 12th Dhil Hijjah. It should be recited specially after every Namaaz. Men should recite it in high tone, while the women are suggested to recite in low tone. In today’s world, the Sunnah of reciting takbeer has vanished. Very few people are seen taking care of the takbeer. We should, therefore, take care the takbeer to revive a sunnah of the Prophet (saws). The Prophet (saws) is reported to have said, “The one who revived a sunnah of mine which had been left, he will get reward equal to those who actually performed it without any cut up from the reward of the practitioner.” Therefore, we should excessively recite the names of Allah during these days. Keeping Fast: During these days, any good deed fetches much more reward than normal acts. As far as the fast is concerned, it is so great an act that Allah says, “I Myself am the reward for fast.” Keeping fast, therefore, becomes a great source of reward during these days. Moreover, the Prophet (saws) himself is reported to keep fast in the first nine days of Dhil Hijjah. The blessed mothers of the believers narrate, “The Prophet (saws) used to keep fast in the first nine days of Dhil Hijjah, on the days of Aashura and three days every month.” Hafsa (ra) says, “Four things, the Prophet (saws) would not skip: the fasts of Aashura, first nine days of Dhil Hijjah, three days every month and two rak’ats before Fajr.” In short, keeping fast in the nine days of Dhil Hijjah is masnoon and a blessed act. But Muslims have brushed it asid which is indeed deprivation of the great bounty. Apart from that, the fast of the ninth Dhil Hijjah is specially sunnah. The ahaidth clearly speaks of its blissfulness. Hazrat Qatada (ra) reprts that the Prophet (saws) said, “keep fast on the day of Arafa. I hope Allah makes it Kaffarah for sin of one previous and one later years.” Supplication on the Day of Arafa: It is such a blissful act to supplicate on the day of Arafa. The Prophet (saws) is reported to have said, “The best of all supplications is that which is done on the day of Arafa and the most blessed supplication which I and the Prophet before me have done is لا الہ الا اللہ وحدہ لا شریک لہ ولہ الحمد و ھو علی کل شیئ قدیر. Ibn Abdul Bar (ra) says that this hadith also points out to the fact that the prayers of the day of Arafa are mostly answered. Therefore, even those who did not go for hajj should make special supplications on this day. True Repentance: It is obligatory on every Muslim to repent to Allah every time. But its importance is increased even more on auspicious occasions. We should, therefore, take this Ashara as a golden opportunity to repent and we must not delay in it. The reason is that we never know when to leave this earthly world for the eternal one. If a Muslim is enabled to repent to Allah with sincerity, he indeed is a blessed person.  Allamah Shah Muhammad Isma’il Shahid Translated by Shaykh Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi
Fourth Issue
The explanation of this synopsis is that there are two types of means and paths to religious matters:
A similar example is that Zayd and ‘Amr both recite the Glorious Qur’an while looking in the mushaf, but ‘Amr used glasses due to weak eyesight, so it will be outright stupidity to mention his glasses while praising his recitation, e.g. somebody says thusly: “Glory by to Allah! How respectfully ‘Amr recites the Mighty Qur’an that he performs fresh wudu and sitting with complete humility and concentration in the mosque, opening the Glorious Qur’an and wearing his glasses, he recites…” or he explains thusly: “Although Zayd and ‘Amr are equal in the excellence of the recitation of the Qur’an, pronouncing the letters with tajwid, in humility and concentration, and also in penetration and pondering and the sweetness of voice, but ‘Amr is better than Zayd in recitation since he recites after wearing glasses” or he says thusly: “‘Amr recites from the Glorious Qur’an with vowels [and is thus superior].” Once this introduction has finished, it should be known that the abovementioned acts, i.e. ‘ulum aliyyah (auxiliary sciences), the Sufi practices and litanies and modern invented weapons are all related to the second type because the need for the utilization of these means arises because the people of our time are unable to achieve the real goal without these means. These matters are not related to the first type that they perfect the Qur’anic sciences or by means of them the stages of ihsan are accomplished or that these are the desirable acts of jihad. If anyone counts the abovementioned acts from amongst the first type and mentions them while describing the merits and virtues of the pious ‘ulama and mujahidin and based on these matters he gives preference to one person over another and to prove greater right of imamate he cites those matters and sciences, then all these matters will turn into real bid‘ah with respect to him. It should also be known that getting training of weapons and arms used in wars is more important than all the above mentioned means, and it is more appropriate relative to the other abovementioned means to spread and promote, because they are from the means and paths of jihad, and the basis of jihad is spreading and promoting [these weapons]. Next [in importance] are ‘ulum aliyyah (auxiliary sciences). The Sufi practices remain. It is appropriate to keep them hidden since there are [Sufi] sayings [that impress on this] which state: “The hand is [engaged] in work and the heart in the remembrance of the Beloved,” and: “Seclusion [with the Divine] while in a gathering.” Therefore, making khanqahs for them [i.e. the Sufi practices] and gathering people for them and inviting them is not good and a work worthy of praise. These are low in the levels of preserving religious matters. Rather, what should be done is during the instruction and teaching of the Book and Sunnah, those principles of the objectives of ihsan are poured into the hearts, and they should be taught to the students without considering the specific practices of the Sufis of a tariqah, and without observing a particular formality, and without distinguishing any one tariqah from the other tariqahs, and without calling to this specific tariqah, so that along with occupation in one’s worldly and otherworldly works, those [practices] are also exercised. Thus, if someone does not observe and preserve the abovementioned levels [of the different means], these abovementioned means will be descriptive bid‘ah (bid‘ah wasfiyyah) with respect to him [and not “real bid‘ah”]. It also ought to be known that there should be a certain belief that such-and-such a thing is from the foundational objectives and another is from those acts which complete them and another is from their necessary means. Although this is a hidden matter [since belief is in the heart], and the basis of anything being Sunnah and bid‘ah revolves around this, yet some outward matters also come within the [parameters of] “belief” in this issue. For example, counting the auxiliary sciences amongst the sciences of Shari‘ah, and based on the auxiliary sciences issuing praise, and being happy at the one skilled in these sciences that he will be included in the group of those scholars whose praise is due to [knowledge of] the Book and Sunnah, or to give good news to another about him being included in the group of those scholars, and to give him that respect and honor which is given to scholars of religion, and to lower and criticize those who are not talented in these [auxiliary sciences] even though by listening to the scholars of religion or by reading the translation of Qur’an and hadith he has acquired knowledge of religious rulings[1]. For example, a person called Zayd has complete skill in the auxiliary sciences [like Sarf, Nahw, etc.] but has no knowledge of the rulings of religion. On the other hand, a second person called ‘Amr, in the abovementioned way [i.e. by listening to scholars and reading translations], has good knowledge of religious laws but is unaware of the auxiliary sciences. Thus, counting Zayd amongst the scholars and ‘Amr amongst the ignorant, meaning in the occasions of respect and honor, or the credibility of the speech [of either of them] on the occasion of commanding good or issuing fatwa, or on the occasion of choosing an imam for Salah, or if Zayd opens his mouth in a debate on religious laws or has a discussion on them it will be considered respectful and courteous and if it was the other way round and ‘Amr discussed religious laws he will be counted amongst the irreverent and disrespectful; these examples regarding the aforementioned matters will be counted amongst effectual bid‘ah (bid‘ah hukmiyyah) The practices of the Sufis should be analogized to this. Idah al-Haq al-Sarih[2], p.137-146 [1] A hadith states: “Knowledge [‘ilm] is [restricted] to three, and all that is besides them is excess: a decisive verse [i.e. Qur’an], an established Sunnah [i.e. Hadith] and a fair obligation [i.e. Fiqh].” (Abu Dawud) [2] Imam Anwar Shah Kashmiri, praised the work Idah al-Haqq al-Sarih for its academic worth in refuting innovations in his well-known Fayd al-Bari. He wrote, “Bid‘ah is what its founder invents with a good intention and it becomes mixed up with the Shari‘ah. Refer for this Idah al-Haq al-Sarih by Shah Isma‘il and Kitab al-I‘tisam by Al-Shatibi.”(Fayd al-Bari, 5:540) ‘Allamah Sayyid Yusuf Banuri mentions in the preface of Urdu translation that some parts of this book are superior to Al-I’tisam of Imam Shatibi http://barelwism.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/ashgal-of-sufiya-and-bidah/  By E ISLAM (www.eislam.co.za)
The meaning of Itikaf is to seclude oneself in the Masjid with the express niyyah (intention) of Itikaf. Allah Ta’ala has indeed in His perfect wisdom created humanity in a unique way. He has made it such that from time to time His creation needs a rest. We rest at night to give our bodies time to recover. Birds retire to their nests, horses to their stables, bees to their hives etc. However there comes a time when more intensive rest or a retreat is required. Sometimes due to a person’s physical condition he is admitted into the intensive care unit allowing his body time to recover. Likewise the soul also needs to recover from the hustle and bustle of the world, the spiritual pollution caused by evil elements of society, the rat race of wanting, desiring and acquiring more of this world and the distractions that has diverted our mind, heart and soul from the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala and His Beloved Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Intensive Care Unit(ICU) for the soul is the Masjid and Itikaf is the feature within this ICU to allow the soul to not only recover but be spiritually rejuvenated! Itikaf is indeed a Spiritual Retreat! Inside each and every human being, a constant battle rages. It is like a battle between two tigers. One tiger is a manifestation of evil. It is full of hate, lust, and greed. It’s fangs drip with bitterness and strife. The other tiger is an embodiment of good. It is full of love, compassion, and honesty. He never betrays his brother. These two tigers are constantly at war. Which tiger is going to win the battle? The answer is quite obvious…. Whichever one you feed. Our soul is being bombarded by forces of good and evil. We need to feed it good so that it overpowers the evil….and Itikaf is indeed an excellent opportunity to achieve this by feeding and nourishing the soul with good deeds. Since the life of the transient world keeps us busy for the whole year in studies, work, social functions, business, traveling and other such things that often causes us to be negligent of our souls and the next life, we may sometimes think that these things are the sole purpose in life and thus, we end up forgetting our true goal – Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him). Thus, it is for this reason that I’tikaf is referred to as “The spring of life in a world struck with the drought of negligence of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him).” I’tikaf indeed rejuvenates the soul and gives a fresh breath to life. In addition, we can once again find ourselves and our Lord Allah Ta’ala and spiritually return back to Him before we are forced to return back to Him when our soul separates from our body (death). The period of I’tikaf is the best time to force one’s self to sit and think and reflect on the self and the world around; the period of the I’tikaf is the best time to forget the worries of the transient world and to return to nurturing the soul and linking oneself with the Creator of the soul; the period of the I’tikaf is the best time to return back to Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) in true repentance for our sins committed through the year and to give our souls the spiritual strength desperately needed to live a spiritual and pure life in this challenging world. The Messenger of Allah ( Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam) observed, I'tikâf and the Muslims have on the whole adhered to it. It has become a regular feature of the month of Ramadhân and a confirmed practice with the devout and the faithful. Hazrat Ayesha (Radiallâhu anha) relates that "Rasulullâh. Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam regularly observed I'tikâf during the last ten days of Ramadhân till the end of his life. After him, his wives maintained the tradition." (Hadith-Bukhari) It is related by Hazrat Abû Huraira (Radiallâhu anhu) that "Rasulullâh Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam observed I'tikâf for ten days every year in the month of Ramadhân. In the year he passed away he observed it for twenty days." (Hadith-Bukhari) The Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him s family) is reported to have said: "The persons who secludes himself (in the Masjid in I'tikaf) in true faith and hope (for the reward of Allah), all of his previous sins shall be forgiven." (Kanzul Ummal, Hadith 24007) 3 TYPES OF ITIKAF WAAJIB (Compulsory) Itikaf. This Itikaf becomes compulsory when a person makes it obligatory upon himself. An example of this is, when a person makes a vow to Allah that if Allah fulfills a certain wish of his, he will undertake to perform so many days Itikaf. In this case the moment his wish is fulfilled, Itikaf becomes compulsory. A person may just make unconditional vow whereby he makes Itikaf Waajib upon himself for certain number of days. This becomes a Waajib duty on from that moment onward. SUNNAH Itikaf. This was the general practice of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and it means to seclude oneself inside the Masjid for the last ten days of Ramadhan. NAFIL Itikaf. There is no special time or specific number of days for Nafil Itikaf. A person may make niyyah for any number of days at any time, even for his whole life Before engaging into Itikaf it is highly recommended to learn the rules relating to this important act of ibadah (worship). Please to do consult your local Ulama (Islamic Scholars) for more guidance. For a detailed article on Itikaf and its rules please visit : http://eislaminfo.blogspot.com/2010/08/itikaf.html  by Mohammedullah Qasmi
The phenomenon of ‘Interfaith Dialogue’ has gained importance in the world for decades due to many reasons; therefore it is an urgent need of the time to scrutinize it under the lens of Islamic Shariah. Before venturing into the topic, it would be better to first see how the concept of ‘Interfaith Dialogue’ is defined by the scholars. The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different faiths at both the individual and institutional levels.[1] It refers to a meeting of qualified members of different faiths in a formal setting to discuss religious opinions and practices they have in common, usually with the intention of expanding their common ground.[2] Similarly, there is another term ‘Interreligious dialogue’ which is seen as a challenging process by which adherents of differing religious traditions encounter each other in order to break down the walls of division between themselves.[3] In this way ‘interfaith dialogue’ is distinct from syncretism or alternative religion. But, this term is actually used by different people in different contexts as per their motives and vested interests. This is the reason that ‘Interfaith dialogue’ is criticized by some religious leaders as a conspiracy designed to merge all religions into one. Certain individuals and communities fear the loss or weakening of their religious identities as a result of engaging in dialogue and interacting with followers of other faiths.[4] Background of Interfaith Dialogue Understanding the people of other faith around you has been a natural process of human life as no human society can live in peace until it behaves tolerantly with his neighbours. However, at some juncture of history, there have been organized efforts to bring different religions closer to each other or even to intermix them. The Emperor Akbar (1542-1605), for example, established Deen-e-Ilahi in Mughal India, a diverse nation with people of various faith backgrounds, including Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity.[5] Muslims, throughout their history, have been living with peace, tolerance and coexistence along with people of other faiths. The Muslim societies have always observed religious pluralism and the people of other faiths have always lived under their rule very peacefully and amicably. Right from the era of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) up to the Ottoman Caliphate and Mughal Empire in India Muslims provide historical example of generally peaceful coexistence with peoples of different faiths. The Jews, Christians and other non-Muslim communities enjoyed full rights and lived shoulder to shoulder with Muslims.[6] The wave of religious hatred and intolerance erupted after the western powers started occupying and colonizing the Muslim lands. In order to establish their sovereignty they sowed the seeds of differences among the communities of different faiths and beliefs.[7] It was the time when the need for interfaith dialogue was felt as the world was made so chaotic by struggle of powers, domination of materialism and lack of spirituality. Later after the colonial powers shrank to their holes and much later when the cold war between US and USSR calmed down, Islam again emerged as the first enemy of the West. The situation reached its height at 9/11 when US was attacked by so called Muslim terrorists. This state of affairs led many to think that Muslim and Western civilizations are going to clash. At this juncture of time, the need for interfaith dialogue resurfaced with even greater gravity as this was the only way to avoid civilization clashes and prevent the world from destruction. Concerns about the Motive of Interfaith Dialogue Dialogue between individuals and communities of different faith is a natural phenomenon which takes place at stages of multi-faith communities. The process of dialogue forces people to examine and reconfirm their own religious identity and to strengthen their own beliefs while respecting those of others with patience and dignity. Globalization and the invention of modern communication facilities have reduced the world to a village and the fastest transportation means provided an opportunity to people to interact with each other as never before. In this scenario, interfaith dialogue can provide a platform to understand and cooperate with each other and move forward peacefully. The prevalent idea of interfaith dialogue is based upon the following principles: followers of all religions are free to lead lives in accordance with their own beliefs; and the moral values inherent in all religions — especially patience, tolerance and coexistence – are respected. And in order to cooperate with the idea, in July 2008, a historic interfaith dialogue conference was inaugurated by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Madrid, the capital of Spain, with the objective of solving world problems through concord instead of conflict. The .conference was attended by religious leaders of different faiths such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism.[8] However, there are serious concerns about the motives and hidden agenda under the banner of ‘interfaith dialogue’. According to some, this might be a conspiracy of the enemies of Islam to weaken the attachment of Muslims with their religion as they see it the biggest hurdle in the way of their imperialism expansions. Usually such dialogues are arranged with so-called Muslim intellectuals who are not firm in their religious knowledge and belief and thus fall prey to the hidden agenda.[9] These concerns are intensified by the dual policies of the Western powers and contradictions between their words and deeds. On one side they supervise interfaith dialogue and on the other hand they attack Islam and Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad and the Quran are blasphemed in their lands and they are not ready to punish the culprits. This has created doubts in Muslim minds that these ‘staged’ interfaith dialogues are not but political strategies to serve their own ends. Islam and Interfaith Dialogue Nevertheless, the phenomenon of interfaith dialogue, whatever motive behind may be, cannot be ignored by Muslims. If such dialogues will not be attended by proficient Muslim scholars it might be hijacked by incompetent persons who will consequently cause harm to Islam and Muslims. Therefore, it is the need of the hour for competent Ulama to take the lead and represent the true face of Islam. It is not only requirement of the time which cannot be overlooked; rather it poses great challenge which they have to face boldly. In order to understand the view of Islamic Shariah about ‘interfaith dialogue’, it is imperative to learn the basic principles in this regard: (1) Islam is the only Religion Acceptable to Allah: Though all religions of the world claim to be true, but it is only Islam which stands as final and perfect religion established on strong evidences and solid foundations. As Muslims, we must have firm belief that Islam is the only religion acceptable to Allah and it is the only way of life which can guarantee success of human being in this world and their salvation in the hereafter. As the Quran said: {إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلامُ} “Truly, the (recognized) religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.” [3:19] {وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلامِ دِيناً فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ} “Whoever seeks a faith other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” [3:85] (2) Syncretism or unification of religions is absolutely unacceptable in Islam: The ridiculous theory of Syncretism or unification of religions unacceptable in Islam for reasons. The foremost among them is that this is unnatural and in no time in the history of mankind have they been adhering one set of beliefs. It is so destined by Allah that people will never be converted into a single community, as He says: {ولو شاء ربك لجعل الناس أمة واحدة ولا يزالون مختلفين} “Had your Lord willed, He would have made all the people a single community. But, they will continue in their differences.” [11:119] (3) Coexistence but not Compromise: The interfaith dialogue should be free from any kind of compromise on the part of religious rulings even to the minor issues. A tolerance which prevents from speaking the truth or favour un-Islamic thoughts cannot be allowed. The Quran describes that the disbelievers wish Muslims to be flexible, but it is unacceptable: {ودوا لوتدھن فیدھنون} They wish that you become flexible (in your faith), so that they should become flexible. [68:9] {ولا تركنوا إلى الذين ظلموا فتمسكم النار} “And do not incline towards the wrongdoers, lest the Fire should catch you.” [11:113] The chapter al-Kafiroon (109) from the Quran was revealed in response to proposal of the disbelievers to strike a compromise deal seeking Muslims to worship their Gods and binding them to worship Allah in return, but the Quran very emphatically rejected it and said: “Say, O disbelievers, I do not worship that which you worship, nor do you worship the One whom I worship. And neither I am going to worship that which you have worshipped, nor will you worship the One whom I worship. For you is your faith, and for me, my faith.” [109:2-6][10] Common Grounds for Interfaith Dialogue Dialogue, or peaceful negotiation, is the path prescribed by Islam. The Holy Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) set standards for dialogue with people of other faith. The Quran encouraged Muslims to talk to the Jews and Christian on matters which are common: {قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ وَلا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شيئاً وَلا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضاً أَرْبَاباً مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ} [آل عمران: 64] “Say, O people of the Book, come to a word common between us and between you, that we worship none but Allah, that we associate nothing with Him and that some of us do not take others as Lords instead of Allah. Then, should they turn back, say, .Bear witness that we are Muslims.” [3:65] The Prophet Muhammad advocated reconciliation with other religions. In Makkah in 615 CE, he sent Muslim fleeing persecution from the Meccans to find refuge with the Christian king of Abyssinia, current-day Ethiopia, as a signal of mutual trust with Christianity. Later when he migrated to Madinah, he signed peace treaty with the Jewish tribes and later with the tribes of Makkah in 6th year of Hijra. He also had religious discussions with the Christians of Najran in his holy mosque. He also wrote letters to the rulers in and around Arabia in order to convey the message of Islam. So, following the footsteps shown by the Quran and Hadith, Muslims can engage themselves in dialogue with the people of other faith on the issues which form a common ground for them and which may help in promoting peace and enable Muslims to represent Islam to others. (a) There is no Compulsion in Religion First of all, Islam rejected forced conversion and gave people full right to freely choose what they adhere. Islam regarded freedom of expression a birth right of human being and termed force and oppression as unfair and forbidden. The Quran very clearly declared: "There is no compulsion in Faith. The correct way has become distinct from the erroneous. Now, whoever rejects the Taghut (the Rebel, the Satan) and believes in Allah has a firm grasp on the strongest ring that never breaks. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [2:257] (b) Tolerance Towards other Religions People have differences in belief, religion, culture etc, but while following their religion, they have to have mutual respect for others and discover a common bond between them, which shows them all to be human beings. Islam did not create any ill-will and hatred in its followers about other religions and their leaders; rather it pushed forth their love and strengthened their relation with other religions by various means. Sometime, it admitted the greatness of the leaders and prophets of other communities saying: "We did raise a messenger among every people, with the message." [16:36] It also forbade Muslims to blaspheme the sacred personalities of other religions saying: “Do not revile those whom they invoke other than Allah, lest they should revile Allah in transgression in ignorance.” [6:109] The Quran presented a model of high grade tolerance that it regarded all the prophets and messengers of the Jews and the Christians as true prophets sent down by Allah. The Quran says: "Surely, We have revealed to you as We have revealed to Noah and to the prophets after him." [4:163] And, it regarded the original books believed by the Jews and the Christians as divine revelation from Allah: "Surely we have sent down the Torah, in which there was guidance and light." (5:44) "We gave him the Injil (Gospel) having guidance and light therein, and confirming the Torah that was (revealed) before it; guidance and a lesson for the God-fearing." (5:46) Thus it extended the hand of friendship towards the Judaism and Christianity which were the well-known and prominent religions of the age. As far as other religions and nations are concerned, it declared that there were prophets from Allah to other nations and communities: "And there was no community without a Warner having passed among them." (35:24) Concisely, it secured the honour of the sacred figures of other religions in the eyes of Muslims forever and stopped Muslims absolutely to abuse any religious leader. Thus, it established the foundation of universal brotherhood, sympathy and tolerance which was extinct before the advent of Islam. (c) Moral and Ethical Values The moral and ethical values like justice and fairness, tolerance and patience, good conduct have been much emphasized by Islam. These values can form a common ground for interfaith dialogue. Here are some references from the Quran: Justice and transparency: "But if you judge, judge between them with justice. Surely, Allah loves those who do justice." (5:42) At another place it says: "Allah does not forbid you as regards those who did not fight you on account of faith, and did not expel you from your homes, that you do good to them, and deal justly with them. Surely Allah loves those who maintain justice." (60:8) Fulfilling Promises: "And fulfil the covenant, surely the covenants shall be asked about (on the Day of Reckoning)." (17:34) It asserted: "So, fulfil the treaty with them up to their term, surely Allah loves the God-Fearing." (9:4) Good conduct: "Good and evil are not equal. Repel (evil) with what is best, and you will see that the one you had mutual enmity with him will turn as if he were a close friend." (41:34) "Allah does not forbid you as regards those who did not fight you on account of faith, and did not expel you from your homes, that you do good to them, and deal justly with them. Surely Allah loves those who maintain justice." (60:8) "The recompense of evil is evil like it. Then the one who forgives and opts for compromise has his reward undertaken by Allah. Surely, He does not like the unjust." (42:40) (d) Dialogue as means of Dawah Dialogue can be utilized as one of the best means to convey the message of Islam to people of other faith. As nowadays, the non-Muslims have much misconceptions about Islam and Muslims which are caused by their insufficient knowledge of Islam. So this opportunity can be utilized to remove the misconceptions and to transmit the true spirit of Islam to the world. Islam is based on the principle of dawah which is another name for peaceful negotiation. The Quran itself describes how to make this dialogue fruitful: “Invite (people) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good counsel, and argue with them in the best of manners. Surely, your Lord knows best the one who deviates from His way, and He knows best the ones who are on the right path.” [16:125] Islam asserts that our conversation with others should be carried wisely and in most gracious way. Listening to their objections, the point should be made in such a way that appeals to their minds. Conclusion & Summary To sum up, these are the main points which should be kept in mind in order to understand the concept of Islam about interfaith dialogue: · Islam favours divine revolution by striving for a society in which spiritual, ethical, and human values are cherished. Islam advocates an atmosphere where peace, tolerance and respect prevail. It wishes to create an atmosphere where disputes are resolved without the use of violence. This is the desired world of Islam and such a world can be established only through peaceful dialogue. · The phenomenon of interfaith dialogue cannot be ignored and left for incompetent individuals and institutions to misrepresent Islam and Muslims; rather it should be headed by proficient Muslim scholars. · Interfaith dialogue should be fitted in the framework of Islamic Shariah and no compromise should be made on the part of religious fundamentals and its teachings. · Through interfaith dialogue, the common grounds of ethical and social values can be explored which help in promoting peace, harmony and tolerance. · Interfaith dialogue forums should be used by competent Muslim scholars to represent the true face of Islam and to remove the misconceptions spread against Islam. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interfaith_dialog [2] What is Interfaith Dialogue? http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110315104231AAnMRJV [3] Sandi Fults, What is Interreligious Dialogue? http://globalfaithinaction.org/what-is-interreligious-dialogue [4] Qazi Abdul Qadeer Khamosh, Conspiracy or cure? An Islamic perspective on interfaith dialogue, 27 April 2010 http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=27696 [5] Shaikh Muhammad Ikram, Rood-e-Kausar, p 85-131, New Delhi 2003 [6] For details see Civilization of the Arabs by Gustav Le Bon [7] Maulana Hussain Ahamd Madani, Naqsh-e-Hayat, Deoband [8] Saudi Gazette, 17 July 2008, http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2008071712004 [9] Mufti Rasheed Ahmad Balakoti, Monthly Bayyinat, Sep 2008, Jamia Banuria Karachi [10] Muhammad bin Jareer Tabri, Jami’ al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran, 22/662 Note: The translations of the Quranic verses were quoted from the Translations of the Quran by Mufti Taqi Usmani Presented in a seminar on “Shariah Methods of Interfaith Dialogue” dated April 22-24, 2013 at Seminar Hall, Dept of Arabic, University of Delhi, Delhi. The Seminar was Organized by: ISESCO, Rabat, Morocco In Collaboration & Coordination of: Islamic Fiqh Academy (INDIA), New Delhi Dept of Arabic, University of Delhi, Delhi  By: Salahuddin Qasmi*
There has been long debate between Muslims and Christians and even it still continues over Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him, (PBUH), his mission, his birth, his teachings and his so-called crucifixion. If the Bible itself be studied minutely, the fact will be known that the beliefs, teachings, rituals and tenets which Christians spread all over the world, contradict fully what Jesus Christ (PBUH) taught the people in the New Testament .Interestingly, Christians claim about themselves to be the followers of Jesus Christ and blame Muslims for not believing in him while in reality the Christians are far away from the real instructions and dogmas preached by Jesus Christ. In this article, we shall discuss who the real followers of Jesus are, Christians or Muslims. All Muslims have the faith that Jesus was a Prophet and a Messenger of Allah Almighty. In this world, the purpose of his advent was to guide the strayed mankind toward the right path. He kept preaching the people and telling them for worshipping only One God, acting upon His commandments and being kind to one and all. On the other hand, Christians have put this belief aside and considered him as Son of God or God which is totally untrue. It is the faith of Muslims that Jesus Christ was not sent by Allah Almighty to establish a new religion but to renew the religion brought by the prophet Moses (PBUH). He preached the mosaic teachings, acted upon them and ordered the people to do the same. Jesus Christ himself unveils this reality in a clear cut way. "Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tilt will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled”. (Mathew, 5: 17-18) See, how clearly Jesus Christ denies having come with a new religion but with the law introduced before and that is Mosaic Law. This statement of Jesus plainly makes the base of Christians null and void who have established a new religion after Jesus Christ. They, instead of founding the new religion, making up fabricated beliefs, and spreading the unsaid things of Jesus, should have stuck to the true teachings brought by Jesus. When Jesus saw that no one even the Jew clerics seemed to carry out the Mosaic Laws, he apprising his disciples of the Jews' lack of interest and indolence in the Law, exhorted thus: “The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but don’t do according to their works’ for they say and don’t do.” (Mathew 23,) In those days, Scribes and Pharisees were two Jewish groups who used to explain the Law and were responsible for religious matters. This statement also reiterated that Jesus did try to carry out the Law, commanded his disciples for this too. In this view point, Christians are wrong to make separate religion from Judaism. Surely, they have derailed from the right track shown by Jesus Christ and that was to observe and follow the Law. Muslims believe that there is only One God and Jesus Christ preached the same belief as well. There is plenty of places wherein Jesus Christ conveyed the message of Unity of God such as: It is in Luke: “Why do you call me good? No one is Good but One, that is God.” (18: 19) It is in Mark: “Hear, O; Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” (12:29) It is in Mathew: “Why do you call me good? No is good but one that is God” (19:17) It is in John “And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (17-03) The Gospel is full of incidents which illustrate that Jesus was not a God but a God's slave who was unable to know happening occurring around him. Once, a woman touched Jesus' garments in a crowded place and he could not know who it was. So he said furiously who touched my clothes (Mark 05, 27 to 30). On a day, Jesus was feeling hungry like other human beings, he wanted to have something, he saw a fig tree in a far off place. On the expectation to eat fruits but unfortunately the tree had no fruit, he walke and cursed it. (Mark 11,12,13). Once upon a time, the mother of Zebedees children with her sons with her sons and requested him to grant her sons sit, one on his right hand and the other one on the left, in your kingdom but he voices obviously his helplessness and says: “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to those for whom it is prepared by my Father” (Mathew, 20:20 to 23). These quotations from the Gospel evidently nullify the doctrine of Christians that Jesus was a God. They have distorted the Gospel revealed to Jesus from Allah Almighty, altered the cherished message of Jesus Christ and misrepresented the Bible. Pitifully, they, in place of believing in Unity of God sermonized by Jesus and worshipping Him lone, regarded Jesus himself a God, adopted new ideology and groundless dogma befooling the people. Christian history itself tells that it was done with great conspiracy. Muslims believe that Jesus Christ was not the son of God. he was a human being, a noble man, a rightful person, the son of Mary, and a salve of Allah Almighty. This very tenet is widely found in the Bible. The Holy Quran and the Bible state broadly the miracle birth of Jesus born to Mary. There are more than 55 places wherein Jesus has said about himself of being the son of Man rather than being a God. See in the Bible: 1. "For, the son of Man did not come to destroy men‘s lives but to save them." (Luke, 09, 56) 2. "Jesus as the son of Man did not come to be served but to serve" (Mathew, 20,28) 3. "Whoever confesses me before men, him the son of Man also will confess before the angels of God."(Luke, 12,08) 4. He (Jesus) asked his disciples saying, "Who do men say that I am the son of God?" (Mathew, 16,13) On the contrary to this open fact, Christians proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God. It is exceedingly an unwise and irrational speech to declare that Jesus Christ is or was Son of God. It is nothing but a big trick which Christians play with their own Sacred Book i.e. the Bible. Any one studying the Gospel with calmness of mind will certainly come to know that Christians have nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus Christ. They do on their choice whatever they want. Their dogmas absolutely go against the teachings of Jesus. No where in the Gospel any saying of Jesus is found in support of the prevailing canons of Christians as namely some of their cannons or dogmas were annulled in light of the Gospel itself. Justly, it is Muslims who follow Jesus Christ, believe him to be Prophet, a slave of Allah Almighty, the son of Mary, having being risen up to the Sky. He will come down again on the earth before the Day of Judgment and will kill Anis-Christ (Dajjal) as a leader of Muslims. So the true followers of Jesus are Muslims not Christians. Salahuddin Qasmi, a Research Fellow and Translator at Dept of Study of Christianity, now in Internet Dept of Darul Uloom Deoband. He can be accessed at: salahuddinq@yahoo.com / +919759420836
 Masood Azizi Nadvi Translation: Hifzur Rahman Qasmi {hifzurrahman297@gmail.com} The facts which are discovered by the modern science in today's developed world have been already well-documented in the Holy Qur'an more than 1400 years ago. Thus the scientists are compelled to think that there must be some heavenly connection that the prophet Mohammad (saws) put forth these facts in detail. There are many hierophants who acquire the mystic knowledge God inspired by the ayeths of the Qur'an. This very knowledge of God picks man out of the twilight of doubts and misgivings and acquaints him with the test of faith and belief. For such people a satisfactory answer to every question lies in the wise and true words of Allah. In the early centuries of Islam, Muslims dived in the depths of the Holy Qur'an and took out precious and golden pearls of knowledge and wisdom; rather most of founders of the science were Muslims who pondered over the Qur'an and laid the foundations of modern science. They put forth such basic scientific rules that led the subsequent generations to unveil the mysteries from the countless facts of the universe. Among those Muslim scientists are Bu Ali Sina, Abu Nasr Farabi, Abbas bin Farnas Idrisi, and Abu Raihan Al-Bairuni (ra). They invented many things and their inventions, discoveries and research received admiration from the whole world. The world accepted them as the founders of science. They accomplished all these things for the betterment of human kind. On the other hand, the elder ulema of the Muslim Ummah pondered over the Qur'an from the religious angle and accomplished the splendid task of fiqh deduction and research. They deduced such rulings and injunctions from the Holy Qur'an that made it quite easy for the ummah to solve knotty problems. The Imams of Hadith, Fiqh and the commentators of the Qur'an acquired expertise in the Qur'an and derived from it many nuggets of wisdom. They offered to the subsequent generations an all-embracing code of life, so much so that it extends to people from all walks of life in every aspect of their existence. In short, whoever has taken a dip in the ocean of the Qur'an from any angle, whatsoever and understood its underlying meaning, he has progressed and a spring of knowledge and wisdom has streamed from him. But of late, not to speak of consideration upon the Qur'an, Muslims have even left the efforts to understand its translation and meaning. Today the Qur'an is of course recited, which is also one of purposes of the advent of the prophet (saws). But efforts to understand the Qur'an are next to nothing. Qur'an itself invites man to consider it carefully. It also urges man to consider and look into the universe and what it contains including his own self. But alas! The Qur'an has been left only for blessing, conveying reward for recitation to the dead and taraweeh in the month of Ramadhan. There is no mosque in the world that does not have the Qur'an. But there is the dearth of reciters. There is the Qur'an in every house wrapped in the cover, but it cries for reciters. There are many memorisers who open the Qur'an only in the month of Ramadhan to lead taraweeh. There are many ulema who are not able to translate even some verses. The number of those who ponder over the Qur'an is unfortunately very less. This is common situation of the Ummah. But the number of such people does not reach to the extent as to bring honor and homage. They got honor in the world due to the Qur'an. And we face humiliation as we are brushing it aside. The Qur'an is such a book which has a great impact on those who understand it, gives them guidance and makes a considerable change in their attitude and thought. It strengthens the faith. Some scientists have commented on the amazing scientific discoveries contained in the Holy Qur'an. Dr. V. N.Prasad, a professor of science in Canada University, said when he was asked about scientific miracles of the Qur'an on which he had earlier researched, “The back- ground of the manifestations of the Qur'anic miracles to me is that the prophet Mohammad (saws) was a layman. He could neither read nor could he write. In fact he was not a learned man. We are talking about 1400 centuries ago. Now if a man makes big claims and explains great facts before you, it cannot be mere accident. Especially, when it is true according to scientific point of view. The words of the Prophet (saws) have been proved. Thus like Dr. Mor I too, do not nurse any suspicion about the Qur'an being the revelation of the God which showed him the way to explain these facts.” Dr. Marshal Johnson, a professor in an American university, writes in his thesis: “The Holy Qur'an not only explains the external shape of human evolution, but also the internal stages of his creation and evolution. eg it explains the stages of embryo and confirms the big changes which take place in it. And it is accepted by the modern science.” He further says: “I do not find any proof to refute the creed that Mohammad (saws) received these information from another source rather than heavenly one which was the guidance from God.” Dr. William is a renowned oceanographist and a professor in an American university. While talking about the recently discovered facts of the ocean which also find mention in the Holy Qur'an, he said, “I liked it very much that the information of this kind are found in an old revealed book. I do not know the source from where these informaton sprang. But it is very interesting that such information are found in the book and research on some verses is still on.” When asked, “what is the fountain head of the teaching of the Qur'an?” he said, “Yes! I think that its source must be the Almighty God.” Professor Tijatat Tijason is the chairman of the faculty of Anatomy in a university of Thailand. In the eighth medical conference in Riyadh, he said, “I have been developing an interest with the Qur'an for the last three years. What I could grasp from my personal study and this conference, makes it quite clear that what has been said in the Holy Qur'an more than 1400 years ago is true and can be proved by modern science. Since the prophet (saws) was an unlettered man, therefore he was surely a messenger of Allah, who passed on these facts to the subsequent generations. This truth was revealed to him as the light of guidance by the Entity Who as the Creator is able to guide. This Entity is the One Almighty Creator. Therefore, I am of the mind that the time has come when every human being must utter “ There is no God but Allah and Mohammad (saws) is the messenger of Allah.” (Khabar Namah Katauli Laknow, January, Fabruary, 2009) There are two sources to unlock the cornucopia of wisdom that is in the Quran. One is to act on Islam with piety and sincerity and then read and read again the verses of the Glorious Quran and call upon Allah to reveal the hidden treasures to you. Simply pondering deeply on the Quran without right action and belief is not enough, When both go together, then hidden facets of the Quran will open up new vistas of knowledge before you. As the prophet Muhammad (saws) said that whoever prays sincerely for forty days, Allah will enables springs of wisdom to flow from his heart. The remarks of the above mentioned non-Muslim scientists make it quite clear as to how a non-Muslim get impressed with the Holy Qur'an, when he comes to know the wonderful discoveries of the Holy Qur'an after pondering over it. If Muslims too, start pondering over it, strengthen their relation with it, spend their mind on its meaning and niceties, recite it as a code of life and an everlasting miracle, then will surely find numerous pearls. He will understand the universality of the Qur'an. And the resonantal verses of the Quran will acquire a local habitation and a name.There will open many doors of guidance. This is the reason why a famous lover of the book of Allah, Philosophy Dr. Allamah Iqbal says: O Muslims, take a dive into the Qur'an May Allah grant you freshness of conduct!  Hifzur Rahman Qasmi
{hifzurrahman297@gmail.com} The relationship of an individual with society is as deep as that of wave with a river and of link with a chain. Social life is embedded in human nature; while individual is an integral part of the society. Even the true individual position of a man cannot emerge distinguished, unless he lives in a deeply inter-connected and well-organized society; and without society, he remains unspoken, unheard. According to general perception, man gets affected by his surroundings and the society he lives in, but the reverse is also equally true; every act of man casts an impact, negative or positive, on the society. Thus, formation of a healthy and pious society and its survival owe to personal acts of individuals. Before undertaking any act, every individual must consider its negative and positive aspects which it may deliver to the society. None is entitled to brush aside the society and his attachment to it and commit any act which may change the whole structure and bring about difficulties for other individuals associated with it. That is because, detached about it, the individual is not supposed any considerable absolute entity and denial of this fact accounts as denying the nature itself. The man is, no doubt, always surrounded by the complexities of humanly needs. Every time, he is faced with any problem, and therefore, the anxiety to find out the solution. But it is also a fact that God has created enough recourses of every kind to cater to human needs. All this treasure is, however, but a trust with us. We are supposed to utilize it as per the need; we do not possess right to commit extravagance, nor are we supposed to undertake unnecessary frugality. For a pleasant human life, it is necessary to make full utilization of them when need calls for it. If a man does not utilize them or commit frugality even in the case of dire need, this is an ‘extreme’ which is referred to as stinginess. In sharp contrast to it, we have another ‘extreme’ which is called extravagance. Let’s analyze how the extravagance committed by an individual affects the whole society. The detriments of extravagance are evident to all and its absurdity is admitted by every man with the least degree of intellect. The extravagance does not only cause the wrath of Allah, but also it results in deprivation of recourses one day or the other. Eventually, he fails to save his social status which he had gained due to excessive wealth. The holy Qur’an guides the man strayed in the maze of the extremes: “Eat and drink and do not be extravagant. Surely, He does not like the extravagant. (Al-A’raaf: 32) Everything of the world is meant to serve man. No sooner does a baby open his eyes in the world, than he finds a vast and strong life support system. Before the creation of human, the Creator Almighty has already put the needed treasury of livelihood in this world for everyone who searches for. As far as the necessities of man are concerned, they can sufficiently be tackled through the available resources. But as for the desires, they can never be fulfilled in this world. But, when some people who live in the society, ignore this fact and begin to wrongly utilize the resources to fulfill their desire, its consequences does not remain confined to themselves only but surpasses to others and put the entire society in the situation of crisis. As a result, there emerges the shortage of resources in the society leading to countless troubles. This way whole society faces the consequence of the sin committed by individuals. In the daily life, we can find many examples which reveal how the extravagant mode of life of an individual creates crisis in the society. We can analyze the issue of transportation. In today’s world, the stupendous discoveries of modern science and technology have turned this vast world into a village. The newly invented transport systems have shortened the distances into nearness. In the past, it would take months for man to travel from one place to others or send messages. But today, such distances are travelled in hours, rather in minutes. In spite of all this, the other side of the picture is very alarming. In the metro cities, a distance of some walks can be travelled in hours and no time can be determined for reaching the destination. The jumble of the small and big vehicles parked on the road makes the traffic system collapse. As the result, the normal life gets affected on one hand. On the other, the patients in crucial condition do not find first medical aid and depart from this world of crowd to the abode of peace and calmness. In the big cities, if you go anywhere through cycles, whether it is narrow drains or residential area, and you want to park it for a while, you will have to ponder over finding the right place. You cannot easily find any place to park. When you succeed to find it, it will be even more difficult to take it out after completion of your work, because in this while, there would have surely been parked many cycles, motor and carriages. What is the real cause of this problem in the advanced age? The rich people, who generally travel by luxurious cars, declare its main cause the poor who support their family by pulling rickshaws. Some people consider the government and administration it’s responsible. Apart from all these causes, there is of course one more thing which creates such problems; and it is the big and luxurious cars of the rich people whose faster pace and swift movement provide a means of satisfaction for desires of their owners. The rich people take it necessary for their lives to have a four wheeler, even though their need can be fulfilled only by a two wheeler, because it showcases their desires and wealth. Some wealthy people own the vehicles in numbers which surpasses even the numbers of the family members. Such people justify their act of extravagance by the false excuse of needs, and sometimes by saying that “The life is too short, let’s have fun, after all, we do not have to take this wealth to the grave.” But they never bother to ponder that on which road these vehicles will run and where will they park them? To fulfill their desires, they just spend off their wealth, but no one knows the sigh and groaning of how many people their laughter suppresses. In this regard, if people pay attention only to their needs and use their private cars only on the time of necessity, the issue of traffic will somehow, get solved. The second issue is that of electronic energy. In the journey of life, the man is in dire need of light and many things else of course. To tackle the darkness of night, he has been inventing many ways of lightening. In the ancient ages, people began with creating fire with flint and then kept on taking initiatives gradually in this regard. At last, they found the secret of lightening with electronic energy. In today’s world, the electronic power has become parts and parcels f human life. It is however unfortunate that people are too careless and extravagant in using the electronic energy. In consequence, there are some places where there is lavish lightening with attractive bulbs, while the lamps of the poor are empty from fuel. The extravagant and unnecessary usage of electricity in the governmental and non-government offices is well known to those how occasionally visit these places. The officials do not even think about the electricity bills, because they do not have to pay that. The condition of the well off people is also not different from it. They, however, do not forget to switch off all the bulbs and fans while outing. But even they cannot escape the least degree of extravagance by using many bulbs where only one can suffice. This way, they can satisfy their desires for a while, but it results into shortage of the energy and leaves many parts of the country dark. The people of these areas spend their nights in darkness. No one is there to take care of them. If the extravagant rich people bother to ponder over this point for a while, they would not only save their hard-earned money, but also they can save many people from facing the difficulties of darkness. One of the biggest problems posed by extravagance can be observed on marriage occasions by hurting the neighbors. In today’s world, people spend lavishly on music, dance and other entertainments. If this money is spent on the poor children of the nation, they can find their field where they can realize their dreams by utilizing the innate capability they have. There are many innocent children who, despite of having natural abilities, fail to achieve the high goal which they actually deserve, only due to lack of resources. This extravagance also discharges its negative impact by snatching the sleep from the eyes of the laborers who want sleep after working hard the whole day long. There are many students who need loneliness and peaceful environment for their study in night, but they do not find it due to loud voices. There are many patients who need peace, but cannot find due to noise. These well off people do not have anything to do with it. They only think about fulfilling their desires, no matter what the society has to pay for it. These were some negative impacts which the extravagance of individuals casts on the society. If we think deeply, we find that wherever extravagance is committed, it surely casts some bad impact or the other on the society. In short, the extravagance of individual directly affects the society. This is the reason why the Holy Qur’an says: “Give the relative his rights and the needy and the wayfarer. And do not squander recklessly. Surely, squanderers are brothers of satans and the satan is very ungrateful to his Lord. (Bani Isreal: 27, 28” 
 Written by Mohammad Najeeb Qasmi
Translated into English by Nehal Anwar Qasmi Maulana Muhammad Zakaria (R.A.), known as Sheikul Hadeeth (great scholar of Hadith) was born in a highly educated family, in Kandhla, Muzaffar Nagar, UP (India) on 10th Ramadan 1315A.H (12th February 1898 A.D). His father’s name was Muhammad Yahya, who was one of the prominent teachers of Hadeeth in Mazahirul Uloom, Saharanpur (India) a well known and prominent Islamic seminary. His uncle Sheik Muhammad Ilyas was a graduate of Darul Uloom Deoband, who laid the foundation of Tablighi Jama’ah, a missionary movement that came in to existence with the purpose of religious reforms in Islamic Ummah, extending across the globe within a short span of time due to sincerity, righteousness and complete dedication of its founder. Maulana’s cousin Sheik Muhammad Yousuf, son of Sheik Muhammad Ilyas, is the author of the book "Hayatus Sahabah" that has been translated into various languages and published in several countries. In short, the family of Maulana Mohammad Zkaria is deemed to be highly educated family and has the honor of contributing over hundred books in both Arabic and Urdu. But the obvious evidence of their sincerity is that all those books do not have copy right reserved for the family. Thus we see many publishers of the world, in particular publishers from Lebanon, are freely publishing their Arabic books. Now these books are so popular that one can easily purchase most of these books from almost every big book store of Saudi Arabia. Sheik Zkaria got admitted to Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur which was established 6 months after the establishment of Darul Uloom Deoband and now secures the important position in the top Islamic Madarsas' list in the Indian subcontinent.When he was 12 years old, he received his early education from his father and uncle and later studied Hadeeth under Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri. When Sheik reached 20 years of age, his father died and Mazahirul Uloom management appointed him as a teacher. In 1341A.H, 6 years later, Sheik Khalil Ahmad, who was his Hadeeth mentor persuaded him to become the teacher of Hadeeth and start teaching Bukhari Sharif, which is the most authentic book of Hadeeth. Only men with extensive knowledge of Hadeeth are permitted to teach. In 1345A.H he moved to the city of the Prophet (PBUH) Al-Medina Al-Munawwarah and was appointed as a teacher of Hadeeth in Madarsa Al Uloomush Shariah where he taught Abu Da’ood for 1 year. This Madarsa still exists and is run by the son of Saiyed Habib Madani. During his stay in Medina he started writing the famous book Aujazul Masaalik while he was 29 years old. One year later in 1346 he came back to Mazahirul Uloom and continued teaching Saheeh Al-Bukhari and Sunan Abu Da’ood for 42 years. However, Sheikh Zkaria (R.H) spent over 50 years teaching and writing books of Ahadeeth that helped thousands of students across the world to quench their thirst for the knowledge of Hadeeth. The Sheik made several visits to Makkah and Medina to perform Hajj. In 1345A.H when he was in Medina accompanied by his teacher Sheik Khalil Ahmad, his teacher died and was buried in Jannatul Baqee' besides the graves of the Prophet’s family (Ahl-e-Bait) where the burial is prohibited now. Maulana Zkaria too aspired to have the privilege of dying in the city of Medina and it was fulfilled. He too died in Medina on 1stShaban 1402A.H (24th May 1982A.D) and was buried in the same graveyard besides his teacher on the recommendation of the then assistant governor of al-Medinaal-Munawwarah Saiyed HabeebMadani’s nephew. A large number of people including all Imams of Masjid-e-Nabawi attended the funeral. It is reported by Abdullah bin Umar (RA) that the Prophet (PBUH) said “The one who has the means, must migrate to Medina and die here because I am supposed to intercede those who die here”. (Tirmizi) Sheik Zkaria was awarded Saudi nationality in the last stage of his life and travelled to South Africa and India with his Saudi passport. His disciple Sheik Abdul Hafeez Abdul Haque Makki has also got the Saudi nationality who migrated to Makkah in 1952 along with his family. Now he owns the Imdadiyah book store which focuses mainly on publishing Arabic books of Indian and Pakistani authors. Sheik has written over 100 books in Urdu and Arabic. Below is the brief introduction of his few books; Aujazul Masalik(أوجز المسالك إلى مؤطا مالك): A book in Arabic comprising 18 volumes. It is a commentary of Mu’atta Imam Malik. It took him almost 29 years to complete this voluminous book which he had started during his stay in Medina when he was 29 years old. This book achieved so much popularity that various publishing houses of Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have sold out thousands of copies so far. Scholars of almost all the sects in particular Malikis hold it in high regard and study it to acquire knowledge of complicated and minor issues. Al Abwab Wattarajim Lil Bukhari (الأبواب والتراجم للبخاري): This book deals with the chapters of Jami' Al-Bukhari. The chapters of Jami' Al Bukhari is one of the complicated riddles that requires extensive knowledge for the scholars of Hadeeth to solve. In this book he gathered all the explanations to the chapters given by Shah Waliullah Dehlawi and Ibn e Hajr Asqalani along with his own scholarly opinions and views. Lami' Uddarari(لامع الدراري): Basically this book is the modified Arabic collection of Bukhari’s lessons given by Sheik Rashid Ahmad Gangohi which his father Sheik Muhammad Yahya has scribbled down in Urdu. It is the result of 10 years long relentless efforts that the Sheik was able to author this book. Bazlul Majhood Fi Halle Abu Da’ood (بذل المجهود في حل أبي داود): This book actually was written by Sheik Khalil Ahmad. But for some reasons he could not complete. So Sheik Zkaria undertook the responsibility of completing the rest. It is believed that he spent more time than his teacher to complete this book. Al Kaukabuddurri Ala Jami'At tirmizi(الكوكب الدري على جامع الترمذي): This book is also a collection of Jami Tirmizi’s lessons given by Sheik Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. Maulana Zkaria translated those lessons into Arabic, adding his own remarks to the book. Juz’o Hajjatil Wida Wa Umratin Nabi (جزء حجة الوداع وعمرات النبي): This book offers elaborate account of Prophet’s Hajj and Umrah. It also mentions the various issues related to Hajj and Umrah and present names of the places where the Prophet (PBUH) stayed or passed by during Hajj and Umrah. Khasa’il Nabawi Sharah Shama’il Tirmizi(الخصائل النبوي شرح شمائل الترمذي): In fact this book is the detailed review of the book Ashshama’il Al Muhammadiyah written by Imam Tirmizi which has been translated into English also. As mentioned above, Sheik Zkaria wrote over hundred books both in Arabic and Urdu. This short article doesn’t have enough space to list them all. That is why I will prefer to name a few of them. Sheik’s some other Arabic Books: وجوب إعفاء اللحية، أصول الحديث علی مذهب الحنفية، أوليات القيامة، تبويب أحكام القرآن للجصاص، تبويب تأويل مختلف الأحاديث لابن قتيبة، تبويب مشکل الآثار للطحاوی، تقرير المشکاۃ مع تعليقاته، تقرير النسائی، تلخيص البذل، جامع الروايات والأجزاء، جزء اختلاف الصلاة، جزء الأعمال بالنيات، جزء أفضل الأعمال، جزء أمراء المدينة، جزء أنكحته صلى الله عليه وسلم، جزء تخريج حديث عائشة فی قصة بريرة، جزء الجهاد جزء رفع الیدین، جزء طرق المدینة، جزء المبهمات فی الأسانيد والروایات، جزء ما قال المحدثون فی الإمام الأعظم، جزء مکفرات الذنوب، جزء ملتقط المرقاة، جزء ملتقط الرواة عن المرقات، حواشي على الهداية، شرح سلم العلوم ، الوقائع والدهور. Sheik’s some Urdu Books: الاعتدال فی مراتب الرجال، آپ بیتی (۷ جلدیں)، اسباب اختلاف الائمہ، التاریخ الکبیر، سیرت صدیق ؓ ، نظام مظاہر العلوم (دستور)، تاریخ مظاہر العلوم، شرح الالفےۃ (تین جلدیں) ، اکابر کا تقویٰ، اکابر کا رمضان، اکابر علماء دیوبند، شریعت وطریقت کا تلازم (اس کا عربی زبان میں ترجمہ مصر سے شائع ہوچکا ہے) ، موت کی یاد، فضائل زبان عربی، فضائل تجارت، اور فضائل پر مشتمل ۹ کتابوں کامجموعہ فضائل اعمال ۔ Note: This article is a brief introduction of Sheik Muhammad Zkaria and the contributions made by him in the field of Hadeeth. For further details I recommend the readers to study Maulana Sayed Abul Hasan Nadawi’s book Tazkirah Sheikul Hadeeth Maulana Muhammad Zkaria. Hifzur Rahman Qasmi  By: Masood Azizi Nadvi
Translation: Hifzur Rahman Qasmi, Delhi "Palestine", the Western south part of Syria is located on the shore of the middle white sea in the Western part of Asian continent joining it with the continent of Africa. The earth of Palestinian is one of the oldest civilized areas. According to new discoveries, residents of this very area reached the destination of agricultural strength nine thousand years B. C. which was first ever achievement of the human history. "Ariha" the oldest city of the world was habilitated eight thousand years B. C. on this very soil. Of late, Palestine is the abode of multiple cultures and civilizations. But nowadays, its real citizens are facing much trouble by the hands of the Jews and Israelites. They are really surrounded by difficulties and tests. Palestine is a holy place. It is the first Qiblah (direction in which Muslims turn for prayers) and third of the holy mosques. The holy Qur'an mentions the sentence "Barakna" (We blessed it) for the holy city of Quds. The event of Isra is also related to this very place. The soil of this earth has been the abode of prophets and religious personalities. The earth of Palestine got more colored by the blood of martyrs than any other Muslim dominant area. On one hand all these facts are accepted, while on the other, it is a tragedy that now this holy place is surrounded by enemies. The present scenario of Palestine makes it amply clear that the defensive power of Muslims is very less than that of enemies both spiritually and materially. Therefore, Muslims all over the world, in general and those of Palestine in particular, can not overcome the dangers which they face, unless they get united among themselves. Thus it is necessary for them to stand in front of enemies like one being. United we can be like the shining sun. Otherwise the scattered stars are good for nothing. In 636 CE, Muslims came over the city of Quds and since then they had been saving its holiness. But in 1099 CE, the Christians encroached upon the city devastating all its sanctity. However, after a long wilderness and horror, it came again to its real protector by a man of Kurd family, Salahuddin Ayyubi in 1187 CE. It continued as such. The enemies of Islam kept on conspiring. Tudar Herzel put forth the plan of Jew abode for the first time in 1897 CE. At last on 15th May, 1948, Israel was established. Thus after 750 years, the united conspiracy of Jews and Christians and the weakness of Muslims resulted into the loss Palestine from our hands. Then in June, 1967, they encroached upon the Mosque of Aqsa. This is a grim story. It is 42 years since the Masjid-e-Aqsa was trespassed. Despite of all weakness and negligence, Muslims are trying to free it. Of late, it is necessary to create awareness among Muslims in general and among students of religious education to know about the history of this event and the cause of fall and rise, so that, they can try to find out a solution to the problem of Palestine. For this reason, programmes are held in the world and articles and magazines are published so as to tell Muslims about the 42 years of encroaching and their responsibilities to regain it. Actually, Palestine is not only a problem of Palestinian Muslims; rather it is the problem of all Muslims living in any corner of the world. And Muslims bear a religious relationship to it. So it is not suitable at all for a Muslim to be unaware and negligent of its problems. It is one of the most sensitive cases of the time. The responsibility to solve it goes to all Muslim countries and all Muslim individuals. Presently Muslims are sunken in the negligence. When they will awake and a Salahuddin Ayyubi will come into being, the victory will kiss their feet. The enemies of Islam who have trespassed this soil with bad intention will suffer defeat. "Palestine is in fact the abode of Jews", is their argument to establish the Israeli state in Palestine. There lies a story in the background of this argumentation: After the death of the Prophet Moses (pbuh), the sons of Israel went to Palestine and in a state of unsurety they established a state there by the name of "Israel". Then vicissitude of fortune resulted them into a perpetual exile from their own established abode. This argument, however, is totally illogical, because most of the Christians and Arab historians have already accepted the fact that the Arabs had resided there even before the Jews. Apart from that, if the stability of all Muslims, Jews and the Christians in Palestine through out the ages is reviewed, it becomes quite clear that the Muslims and particular Arab Muslims have more right over the reign. Turning eyes from these facts, let's accept the existence of Jews in Palestine and establishment of a state by the name of Israel before 6th century BC, and it the Promised Land. Thus the Jews have right to cast the Palestinian Muslims and reside themselves. If this logic is accepted, Britain, the creator of Israel must vacate the England for its real residents the Sail. And also Americans will have to vacate America for its old residents, the Red Indians- because they have snatched the nation after killing eight crore Red Indians. This is not enough, but the Japanese too will have to vacate Japan for its real inhabitants. Thus the whole map of the new world will have to change. Span also must be emptied for the Arabs. If this cannot be done, then the only solution to the problems of the Middle East is that Israel should be dissolved and Palestine should be returned to its real residents the Arabs. History has proved that the base of the tragedy of Palestine was the Arab rebellion against Turks brought out by the greatest creator of Israel. The Balfour Manifesto proposed in 1917 was first step towards Israel and it is the base of the crisis of the Middle East. But now we will analyze that when this manifesto was proposed, what was the position of Ottoman caliphate? What role was played by the Arabs in it? It is said very sorrowfully that the real creator of this crisis was none but the Arab leadership. The Christian power had been conspiring to finish the Ottoman caliphate since centuries. Long before the 1st world war, the Europe had announced the war against the Turks, which was led by the Britain. A rebellion was created against Turks in the united Balkan, Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece. From 1904 to 1940, most parts of the Europe had got out of the hands of the Turks. In these circumstances, the hue-man's services of Turks, the hegemony of Islam by the virtue of Ottomans, the pride of Turkish Caliphs for dedicating themselves to the Haramain and their determination to confront the European countries with so bravery required that the whole Arabian country must have stood unitedly in favor of the Turks. But woe to communal prejudice and greed for kingdom which compelled the Arabian leader Shareef of Makka not only to avoid the favour of Turks but also to create a rebellion against them. He conspired to finish the Ottoman Caliphate and invited the Britain allies to finish Turks. His all three sons had been working as ambassadors between him and the Britain from 1915 till 1917. Lawrence of Arabia, a British army employee was a detective of Britain and exposed himself as a friend of the Arabs. Not only he would detect the activities of Arabia but also he would convince the Arabian leadership to take decision according to the will of Britain. Shareef of Makka was convinced that after the fall of the Turks, he would be provided a liberal state of Arabia. Thus the Arabian leadership came against the Turks openly. At last the Britain occupied Palestine some days before the Balfour Manifesto and the Turks were compelled to get out of it on December 8, 1917. Thus if the Balfour Manifesto is the base of Israeli state, then the wrong Arab leadership must be the real cause of Balfour Manifesto. The sorrowful aspect of this Arab-European relationship is that the dream of a liberate state which had been showed to Shareef of Makkah could never come true. This is such a historical fault of the Arabian leadership which the history will never forgive. The Palestine issue will remain unsolvable as long as the leadership of Arabia will be a toy in hands of people like Shareef of Makkah. The reviews and analysis show that the state of Israel is getting hollow from inside. And it is not improbable. Its cruelty and aggression is crossing the limits. Therefore, Allah Almighty, according to His rule, is bringing it to fall slowly but surely. It is not hidden from the eyes of intellectuals that only the Holy War, sincere resistance and brave struggle can make our dream to set Palestine free, re-attain the Masjidul Aqsa and the city of Quds and rehabilitate the Palestinians peacefully in the their real abode. Except it, every way goes to the deep valley from where there is no way out. This is such a fact that is explicitly proved not only by historical experiences of Muslims, Jews and Christians, but also by the review of the Palestine issue from the beginning to the end. Therefore, the solution to the problems of Palestine lies only in the above mentioned agenda and the true Islamic code of life, because Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur'an "Only you will be exalted, if you have faith." Then what may be the reason of this failure after so long struggle? The reason is quite clear that Muslims are quite empty handed from the Faith which is required for success. As for the Muslim rulers, they too, do not have the required weapon of faith. Does Muslims and the Muslim governments lack in material things and weapons? Or do they not have intellectual minds? Of course not! What we really lack is strong faith and trust in Allah. We came to believe in America, its material power and our own so called prudence. It is a historical fact that Allah Almighty made the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) who were far fewer in number overcome the unbelievers who greatly exceeded them in number and material resources. Where has the sense of honour of so many Muslims been lost now? To solve the problem, political power, continuous struggle, unity and sacrifice, every thing is necessary. But the key factor is the power of faith and conviction. This is the age of test for Muslims in which they are failing. If they pass this exam, then no power of the world can point fingers to them, and not only Palestine but every problem of Muslims will get solved. |
Categories
All
Archives
April 2023
|
||||
Photo used under Creative Commons from RabunWarna
