Hadith of Jibril: Pillars of Islam

Among the hadith that should be learned by every Muslim is the hadith of Jibril that is known by the scholars of Islam as the mother of the Sunnah because of its importance as it explains the entire religion as it was told by the Prophet (Peace be upon him)  “That was Jibril, who came to teach you your religion.” This hadeeth explains Islam, Iman, Ihsan, Hour and its signs. This incident took place close to prophet's death and Jibril (Alayhi salam) came to summarize to the companions of prophet (Pbuh) the mission and message of Islam.

Hadeeth of Jibril was narrated by Omar Ibn Khattab (RA) who said: “One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him), there came before us a man with extremely white clothing and extremely black hair. There were no signs of travel on him and none of us knew him”. In this part of Hadeeth, Sheikh Al-Uthaymeen, said that we should learn from this hadith the good character of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) being in the company of His companions (RA) . It is appropriate for a Muslim to mix with people and not to be separated from the group.  Another point from the Hadith is the appearance of Jibril in form of man with good looking which show that it is important for the person who is seeking the knowledge of religion to be clean and have good appearance. 

The narrator went on to say “He approached and sat down by the Prophet resting his knees to his and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs.” We learn from this part of HAdith that the seeker of knowledge should act with the teacher to be humble and close enough to listen and understand from the teacher. 

Then Jibril starts asking the Prophet (Pbuh) “O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." The Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) replied: "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger (ﷺ), that you should perform prayer, pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka`bah at Makkah).” 

The response of the Prophet (Pbuh) clarifies that Islam is built upon five pillars:

  1-Shahada: To testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

     ⁂The declaration that Allah alone deserves to be worshiped and affirmed that He has no partner, no rival, no son; He is the creator of everything. Shahada is key to paradise as the prophet (Pbuh) said: "Whoever dies knowing that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah shallenter Paradise". But, there are conditions that must be met in order for a Muslim to be in paradise:

                    

     * Knowledge of Allah: Allah says: "So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah...." (Mohammed:19).                

    *Certainty: one should have no doubt about the shahada. Allah says: "The believers are only the ones who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah. It is those who are the truthful." (Al-Hujurat:15).             

    *Submission: one should submit to the will and command of Allah. Allah says: "And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped."(Az-Zumar:54).

     The second part of Shahada is to bear witness that the Muhammad (Peace be upon him)

    is the messenger of Allah.One must believe that is obligatory to follow His commands and prohibitions. Allah says: “And whatever the Messenger has given you – take it and what he has forbidden you - refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.” (Al-Hashr: 7).

     

 2-Establishing prayer by performing it on its time and with perfection as it was taught by the Prophet (Peace be upon him), He said to his companion: "pray as you see me praying". The Salah is very important because the prophet (Pbuh) said: "The first matter that the slave of Allah will be called to account about on the Day of Judgement is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad.” The main purpose of Salah is to remember Allah. Allah says:"... and establish prayer for My remembrance." (Taha:14). it also keeps one away from evil deeds as Allah says: "...Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing,..." (Al-Ankabut: 45). Prayer must be done with khushu'a (Humbleness). Allah Almighty says: "Certainly will the believers have succeeded, they who are during their prayer humbly submissive" (Al-Mu'minun:1-2).

     

3   3-Giving zakat is obligatory upon the one who has wealth that reaches the nissab.  Allah says: “Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase…”(At-Tawba:103). Zakah is as important as salah. In Quran, Allah enjoined zakah and prayer in many verses: "The believers, men and women, are helpers and supporters of one another, they enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil, they offer their prayers perfectly, they give the zakat and they obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will bestow His mercy on them. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (Al-Taubah:71). Zakat has an important role in the Muslim community because it helps those who are in need and strengthens the ties of brotherhood and sisterhood. It also removes stinginess and it shows that the believers know that all that they have come from Allah Almighty and they will not suffer if they give wealth for His sake but they will be rewarded as Allah says: "The likeness of those who spend in the way of Allah is like a seed of grain, which grows seven spikes, in each spike is a hundred grains, and Allah multiples His reward for whom He wills. And Allah is All Encompassing, All Knowing.” (Al-Baqarah: 261).

   4 -Fasting the month of Ramadan is obligatory and it is refraining from food, drink and desires. Allah says: “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.”(Al-Baqara: 183). 

     The fasting is very important as it will come on day of judgement as an intercessor. The prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "The fast and the Qur’an shall come as intercessors on the Day of Resurrection. The fast shall say, ’O Lord, I prevented him from his food and drink during the day, so let me intercede for him’. The Qur’an will say, ‘I kept him from sleep during the night, so let me intercede for him.’ Then they will be allowed to intercede.”

The one who fasts the month of Ramadan with sincerity, having faith in Allah and seeking the reward, Allah will forgive his previous sins. the The prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan with faith and hoping for its reward shall have all of his previous sins forgiven for him.” 

5- Performing Hajj is duty that should be made by every Muslim who has ability to do so. Allah says: “And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find there to a way.” (Al-Imran: 97). The hajj has great reward as the prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "“And the Hajj that is accepted by Allah and performed properly has no reward other than Paradise.” 

The one who performs hajj sincerely to Allah abandons all worldly material and submit himself only to Allah to please Him and seeks His forgiveness and the great reward. Hajj is time of unity between Muslim and it is way to develop patient.

Attributes of Ibadu Rahman: Slaves of the Most Merciful-Part II

We will continue the description of the servant of Allah mentionned in surah al-Furqan. Allah says:

وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَـهَا ءَاخَرَ وَلاَ يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِى حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ يَزْنُونَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَاماً - يُضَـعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيـمَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَاناً 

"And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated" (25:68-69).   

*The true slaves of Allah do not worship other than Allah. It is the greatest sin that is not forgiven Allah. Allah says: “Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray.” (An-Nissa:116).

*One of the major sins that one commit is to kill others. Allah forbade such act. He Almighty says: “But whoever kills a believer intentionally - his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.” (An-Nissaa:93).

*being servant of Allah, one should not come near act of zina (Adultery). Allah says: “And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.” (Al-Israa:32).

Allah promised for those who commit such act that they will have great punishment in the hereafter. But for those who repent, Allah say:  “Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” (25:70).

وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّواْ بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّواْ كِراماً

"And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity.” (25:72)

 One of the characteristique of the slave of Allah that they do not bear witness to falsehood, including lies, immorality, disbelief, foul speech and false word.

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا صُمًّا وَعُمْيَانًا 

“And those who, when reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind.” (25:73)

The characteristic of true believer is that he reflects on verses revealed and act upon them. Allah says describing the true believers as “Those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Ayat are recited unto them, they increase their faith; and they put their trust in their Lord.” (8:2) 

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

“And those who say, "Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous." (25:74)

Allah Almighty taught us beautiful supplication to say. Every Muslim who wants to be among the servant of the most Merciful should learn this du’aa.

The reward of Ibadu-Rahman (the Servant of the Most Merciful) is great. Allah says:

أُولَـٰئِكَ يُجْزَوْنَ الْغُرْفَةَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَسَلَامًا

 حَسُنَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا

“Those will be awarded the Chamber for what they patiently endured, and they will be received therein with greetings and [words of] peace. Abiding eternally therein. Good is the settlement and residence.” (25:75-76).

Attributes of Ibadu Rahman: Slaves of the Most Merciful-Part I

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “I have left you with two matters which will never lead you astray, as long as you hold to them: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Prophet.” The Hadith teaches us that we should seek guidance through the Quran and the Sunnah. Allah Almighty said: “Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward.” (17:9).

There is a chapter in the Quran that teach us how to be true worshipper of Allah.  Allah Almighty describes in detail the characteristics and attributes of good worshipper. The chapter is “Al-Furqan”, verses 63-76.  These are the most beautiful verses that every Muslim should read and reflect in its meaning. Allah is describing those who are most beloved to him and those will inherit the paradise as slaves of the Most Merciful. Being slave of Allah is an honor and elevates the person in status with Allah. Allah begins these verses by saying:

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا

“And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace” (25:63).

The fist attribute of the slaves of Allah are those who walk with humility and they do not show pride or arrogance. The prophet (Pbuh) was very humble that He used to tell his companion “Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a Slave. So, call me the Slave of Allah and His Apostle.”

Being arrogant and feeling superior over others bring only the anger of Allah. Allah said “And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.” (31:18).  And the prophet (Pbuh) said: “He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise.”

The verse also describes that the humble and worshipper of Allah, If the ignorant people insult them with bad words, they do not respond in kind, but they forgive and overlook, and say nothing but good words.

وَالَّذِينَ يِبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّداً وَقِيَـماً 

“And those who spend the night in worship of their Lord, prostrate and standing” (25:64).

The best act of worship that Allah loves is night prayer after obligatory prayer. Allah praised those who used to spend night worshipping him in many verses in Quran. Allah says: “They used to sleep but little by night. And in the hours before dawn, they were asking for forgiveness.” (51:17-18).

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَاماً

And those who say: "Our Lord! Avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily, its torment is ever an inseparable punishment.'' (25:65).

The true believer is the one that he has fear of Allah’s punishment and he always seeks Allah’s protection from hell fire. The prophet (Pbuh) said: “Whoever seeks protection from Hellfire three times, Hellfire will say: O Allah, save him from the Hellfire”. This is best du’aa from Quran that we can memorize and say all the time. The prophet (Pbuh) used to say: “O Allaah, I ask of Your pleasure and for Paradise,and I seek refuge from Your displeasure and from the Hellfire.”

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَنفَقُواْ لَمْ يُسْرِفُواْ وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُواْ وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَاماً

 “And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate.”

The slaves of the Most Merciful are described as those who are not extravagant in spending nor are they miser. But they follow the fairest way. Allah says in Surah Israa: “And let not your hand be tied to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach.” And He Almighty said: “And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully. Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.” (15:26-27)

May Allah make us of His slave and guide us to understand and follow the Quran and make the Quran the delight of our heart. Aameen

To be continued….

Mawlid An-Nabi: Origin of Celebration

The Muslim across the globe celebrate the birthday of the prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) every year on Rabi’a I. The people celebrate this occasion of the Mawlid in different forms. While some of Muslim simply make it an occasion to gather and read the Seerah, then they present speeches and Qaseedahs (odes) for this occasion either at home or at the Masjid. Others, they make food and sweets etc., and offer them to the people present. Some people do not limit themselves to the actions mentioned above; they include in these gatherings Haram and reprehensible things, such as free mixing between men and women, dancing and singing, or committing actions of Shirk such as seeking the help of the Prophet calling upon him, seeking his support against their enemies and so on.

The question is: how this celebration started? Did the Prophet or his followers celebrate this occasion after his death?

When studying the hadeeth or the Seerah, There is no narration in the famous ‘Six Books’ of ḥadīth that specifies when the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) was born. Rather, the only narration that exists specifies the day he was born, and not the date. It was narrated that a Bedouin came to the Prophet and asked him about fasting on Monday, to which the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) replied, “That is the day I was born on, and the day that the revelation began”. The prophet made the day of his birth day of fasting but, he never commended his followers to celebrate it.

The practice of celebration of Mawlid was not known for the first centuries of Islam. The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) never celebrated this occasion after his death, though they were the people who loved the prophet most. The Prophet (Peace be upon Him) said: however among you lives (for a long time) will see many differences. I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs who come after me. Hold on to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented matters, for every innovation is a going astray.” 

The historians reported that the first time the Mawlid celebrated was in sixth century by the Shi’it Fatimids (descendants of Ali radiya Allah A’nh through his wife Fatima) who ruled Egypt. Later on, the festival spread to other Muslim land Mosul and Irbil (Iraq) that was ruled by king Abu Sa’eed Kazkaboori. The person who initiated it, Umar al-Mulla, was a venerated Sufi ascetic, and not a scholar of the religion.  The practice of celebrating the mawlid spread to other Muslim lands, and as the decades turned to centuries, more and more layers of celebrations were added.

It is reported that before the Mawlid day, it was preceded by an entire month of celebration.  Musicians, jugglers, and assorted entertainers attracted people from as far away as Baghdad and Niṣībīn (modern Nusaybin, Turkey). Muslim scholars, jurists, mystics, and poets began arriving as much as two months in advance. Two days before the formal mawlid, a large number of camels, sheep, and oxen were sacrificed. On the eve of mawlid, a torchlight procession passed through the town. On the morning of the mawlid, the faithful and the soldiery assembled in front of a specially erected pulpit to hear the sermon. The religious dignitaries were then honored with special robes, and all those attending were invited to feast at the prince’s expense.

In North Africa, the Muslim  “Al-Azafi”  who legitimize the celebration of the mawlid  so that the Muslims desist in the evil and reprehensible act of celebrating Christmas, Nawruz and other holy days of the Christians and pagans that some Muslims of Andalus had begun to adopt. He wrotes, “I have searched intensively and racked my brain to find something that would distract the attention of the people away from these bidʻahs to something that is permissible, which does not cause the one observing it to sin…Therefore, I drew their attention to the birth of the Prophet Muḥammad…” in his work, he refutes those who have criticized this act as being a reprehensible innovation by claiming that the mawlid is a praiseworthy innovation, not a reprehensible one. This in itself shows that there were scholars in Andalus who were opposed to this practice and dissaproved of it, hence al-Azafi was forced to defend the practice.

The scholar Ibn Taymiyya (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his work Iqtiḍā Sirāt al-mustaqīm: that the general ruling is that such a celebration is not a part of the religion, but was added by later generations, and hence should be avoided; but it is possible that some groups of people who practice it out of ignorance will be rewarded due to their good intentions. The mawlid of the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) should be celebrated every day, by following his Sunnah and doing in our daily lives what He wanted us to do.

 Allah Almighty told us in the Quran that the love of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is demonstrated by following the guidance he brought. Allah says: “Say (O Muhammad): ‘If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (3:31) and Allah say: “And [moreover], this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way." (6:153).

Finding Inner Peace in Salah

Salah is derived from the word Silah which mean connection.  Then Salah (Prayer) is the connection of the servant to his creator. It is an obligation that has to be performed by every adult muslim male and female at prescribed time. Allah says:

إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا

“Indeed prayers were prescribed for believers at set time” (4:103). The prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) when he was asked about the best deed to perform he said: “Performing prayer in its due time”.

Allah Almighty mentioned the purpose of Salah in two verses. Allah says, “Establish Salah to remember me,” (20:14) and “And Establish the Salah! Definitely, Salah prevents immorality and sin, and the remembrance of Allah is greatest,” (29:45)

The both verses remind us that the most purpose of Salah is to remember Allah throughout  the day and this is why we were created is to worship Allah, as Allah says:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

"I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.” (51:56).

In prayer we find our inner peace because we show our submission to the almighty and it is the time that we ask Allah His Grace, mercy, abundance and forgiveness.

Safeguarding  Salah at its prescribed time protect us from sins and immorality. It reported that the Prophet said: "The five daily (obligatory) prayers, and Friday (prayer) to the next Friday (prayer), and the fasting of Ramadan to the next Ramadan, are expiation of the sins

committed in the interval between them, so long as major sins are avoided." [Muslim].

Prayer brings peace and tranquility to the heart, as Allah says “Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts find rest (13:28). To attain this tranquility, one must have love, concentration, understanding and reflection.

To find comfort and joy during salah, one must develops khushu’a by emptying the heart from all the distraction and have strong desire to do the obligatory act of prayer and strives hard to focus on what one is saying and doing. Allah Almighty says:

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

“Certainly will the believers have succeeded, They who are during their prayer humbly submissive” (23:1-2).

Khushu’a bring us closer to Allah during prayer and through which we experience inner peace.

Islam and Halloween: Tips for Parents

As Muslim parents, we are responsible for our children. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for those under your care. A man is a shepherd, and he is responsible for those under his care. The woman is a shepherd in her husband’s household and she is responsible for those under her care.” It is the duty of parents to get the knowledge one must have firm knowledge of the teachings and rulings of ones own religion and belief system. so they can teach their children about right and wrong. 

In this blog , we will get to know the origin of Halloween and tips that help parents to  discuss with their children about it.

1-know about the subject:Halloween today is defined by children going house to house on the night of October 31st, dressed up in a variety of costumes collecting treats. Although Halloween may seem like a time for children to have fun carving pumpkins and collecting candy, not many know the origins of this ‘festival’ and its traditions that date back centuries.

Halloween was originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people wore costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III changed "All Saints Day" from May 13th to November 1st and incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain into the traditional Catholic holiday, hoping to replace popular pagan traditions with church-sanctioned behavior. Over time other traditions and holidays were absorbed into the mix, diluting the original purposes of each but culminating in the unique and convoluted day of celebration. Even the term "All Hallows' Eve," which referred to the night before the Catholic "All Saints Day," gave rise through linguistic shifts to the modern word 'Halloween.

Dressing up in costumes: This was done so that the ‘spirits of the dead’ would not recognize people. It was also done by people imitating supernatural beings that were believed to roam the earth at that time.

Trick-or-treating: The Priests/Druids would go from house to house on October 31st and demand specific types of food to offer to the spirits in order to calm them. If their demands were not met, it was believed the people and their homes would be cursed with trouble, sickness, and death. Prosperity was promised to those who generously donated (hence the phrase, ‘trick or treat’, implying a demand for treats or else a certain consequence would have to be given).

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween

2-make children understand that:

*Halloween has pagan roots

*It is associated with celebrating superstition, black magic, and devil worship

*Costumes are often inappropriate and immodest

*Trick or treating can be seen as either blackmail or begging and Muslims are not supposed to beg or extort people.

* Halloween is a celebration that rejoices in all things magical and evil.

3- Teach them to be proud of whom they are

4- Consider their school: Write a letter or meet with the  teachers  explaining your stance on Halloween. You may also want to consider picking them up early or even not taking them to school on the day there is a Halloween party.

5- Islam forbids the Muslims to imitate the kuffaar (disbelievers) . The prophet (peace be upon him) said: “You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you hand span by hand span, cubit by cubit, to the extent that if they entered the hole of a lizard, you will enter it too.” We said: “O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?” He said: “Who else?”

and He (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” 

Islam came to cleanse the pagan practice and as Muslim we should stay away from such practice.