Gentleness only beautifies

Gentleness only beautifies

We often comment in amazement at a person, "He is calm, he is un-flustered, and he is composed." When we would like to criticize a person, we would say, "He is hasty ... he is weak..."

Messenger of Allah Peace be Upon Him Said “Gentleness beautifies everything. Harshness disfigures." (Muslim)

It has come in a Hadith, "If Allah decides well for a family, he blesses them with gentleness. If Allah decides evil for a family, he deprives them of gentleness:'

Another Hadith states, "Allah is gentle and loves gentleness, and gives due to gentleness what He does not give to harshness or anything else:' (Muslim)

A gentle person who is easy-going and soft is beloved to all people. People feel comfortable with such a person and trust him, especially if gentleness is accompanied by beautiful speech and the skill of dealing with people correctly.

AI-Imam Abu Yusuf, the judge, was from the most famous Hanafi scholars. He was the most prominent student of Abu Hanifah. Abu Yusuf was very poor during his childhood and his father would forbid him from attending Abu Hanifah's lessons and instead order him to go to the marketplace to earn a living. Abu Hanifah was very keen for him and would reprimand him if he missed his lessons.

One day, Abu Yusuf complained to Abu Hanifah about his father. Abu Hanifah called his father and asked him, "How much does your son earn in one day?"

He replied, "Two dirhams:' Abu Hanifah said, "I will give you two dirhams if you allow him to study:'

Thus, Abu Yusuf studied with his teacher for years. When Abu Yusuf grew into a young man and became distinguished amongst his colleagues, he became afflicted with an illness that left him bedridden. When Abu Hanifah visited him he noticed that his illness was very severe, he became sad and feared that he may die. He left Abu Yusuf saying to himself, "Alas, Abu Yusuf! How I wished that you would serve the people after me!" Abu Hanifah went along dragging his feet to his study circle where his students were waiting. After a couple of days, Abu Yusuf recovered. He took a bath, wore his clothes and went off to attend his teacher's lessons. Those around him asked, "Where are you going?"

"To the Shaykh's lesson", he replied.

They said, "Even now you are studying? You don't need to. Haven't you heard what the Shaykh has said about you?"

"What did he say?" he enquired.

They said, "He has said: 'I wished that you would serve the people after me', meaning, you have acquired all the knowledge of Abu Hanifah, and if the teacher were to die today, you would have sat in his place."

Abu Yusuf felt amazed at him, and went to the Masjid where he saw Abu Hanifah's study circle in a corner, so he went to another corner and began to teach and pass verdicts!

Abu Hanifah noticed the new study circle and asked, "Whose study circle is this?

They said, "Abu Yusuf's."

"Has he recovered?" he asked.

"Yes", they said.

Abu Hanifah then asked, "Why didn't he come to our lessons.”

They replied, "He was informed of what you had said, so he began to teach the people since he isn't in need of you anymore."

Abu Hanifah then thought about how to deal with this case in a gentle manner and came up with an idea to teach Abu Yusuf a lesson. He turned to one of his students and said,"0 so-and-so, go to the Shaykh sitting over there  Abu Yusuf - and say to him, '0 Shaykh! I have a question.' He would be very happy with you upon you asking him questions, for he has only sat there to be asked questions!

Say to him, 'A man gives his garment to a tailor to get it shortened. When he returns to him after a few days to collect it, the tailor denies that he ever had his garment. The man goes to the police to complain, and the police enter the shop and recover his garment for him.

The question is: Does the tailor deserve the payment for shortening the garment or not?'

If he says to you, 'Yes, he deserves it', tell him he is wrong.

And if he says to you, 'No, he does not deserve if, tell him he is wrong,'

The student was pleased to learn this complex question and went off to Abu Yusuf and said,"0 Shaykh! I have a question."

Abu Yusuf said, "What is your question?"

He said, "A man gives his garment to the tailor... ", and before he could finish, Abu Yusuf replied, "Yes, he deserves payment, as long as he has finished his work."

The questioner said, "You are wrong."

Abu Yusuf became surprised and thought about the issue deeply and said, "Actually, he does not deserve payment."

The questioner said, "You are wrong, again."

Abu Yusuf looked at him and said, "By Allah, who sent you here?"

The man pointed towards Abu Hanifah and said, "The Shaykh sent me."

Abu Yusuf stood from his gathering and went to Abu Hanifah's circle and said,"0 Shaykh! I have a question."

Abu Hanifah ignored him. Abu Yusuf then came and sat on his knees in front of the Shaykh, and said with all due respect, "0 Shaykh, I have a question."

He said, "What is your question?"

Abu Yusuf said, "You know what the question is."

"The question about the tailor and the garment?" asked Abu Hanifah.

"Yes", replied Abu Yusuf.

Abu Hanifah said, "You answer the question. Aren't you a Shaykh?"

He replied, "Rather, you are the Shaykh,"

Abu Hanifah then said in response to the question, "We check how much he shortened the garment by. If the garment was shortened to match the man's height, then it means he did the work completely. But then it occurred to him that he should deny having his garment. In this case, he shortened the garment for this man, and therefore he deserves to be paid. But if he had shortened the garment to suit his own height then that means he shortened the garment for himself and therefore does not deserve any payment."

Upon hearing that, Abu Yusuf kissed Abu Hanifah's forehead and remained his student until Abu Hanifah passed away. Only then did Abu Yusuf sit in his place to teach the people. How beautiful is gentleness and how wonderful it is to deal with such issues with tenderness!

The Prophet's anger - if he ever became angry - was always in religious matters. The Prophet Peace Be upon Him never became angry for his own sake. He would only become angry if one of Allah's sanctities was being violated.

Once 'Umar bin al-Khattab may Allah be pleased with him- met a Jewish person. The Jewish person showed him a passage from the Torah, which amazed 'Umar, so he took a copy for himself. He then came to the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him with this passage from the Torah and read it out to him. The Prophet Peace Be Upon Him  realized that 'Umar was taken by the passage and that if the door  was opened up for deriving rulings from previous religions, then their books would become mixed with the Qur'an, thereby leaving the people perplexed. How could 'Umar have gone ahead and made a copy of the passage and written it with his own hands without asking the Prophet Peace Be upon Him?

The Prophet Peace Be upon Him became angry and said, "Are you confused over this, 0 Ibn al-Khattab" meaning, are you doubting my Shari'ah?

He then said, "I swear by the One who has my soul in His Hand, I have come to you with something crystal clear. Do not ask them about anything, lest they inform you of the truth and you reject it, or they inform you of falsehood and you believe in it. I swear by the One who has my soul in His hand, if Musa was alive today, he would have no choice but to follow me."

During the early stages of the Prophet's prophet hood, he used to come to the Ka'bah, whilst the Quraysh would be sitting In their gatherings. He would pray and not pay any attention to them. They would hurt him in many ways, whilst he would bear it all with patience.

One day, the noble ones from Quraysh gathered together and mentioned the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him and said, "We have never come across anything more severe than what we have had to bear from this man. He has declared our views stupid. He has insulted our forefathers. He has condemned our religion. He has disunited our ranks, and insulted our gods. We are truly exasperated with him."

Whilst they were discussing amongst each other, there came the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him and walked to the corner of the Ka'bah in order to touch it for the purpose of tawaf. When he began to make tawaf around the Ka'bah they started to mock him.

The Prophet's complexion changed but his attitude remained calm with them and bore it with silence and continued. When he passed by them the second time, they mocked him again. His complexion changed, but he remained silent and continued with the tawaf. When he passed by them the third time, they mocked him again. He realized that gentleness was not working with such people. He went to them and said, "Pay attention, 0 Quraysh! I swear by the One who has my soul in His hand, I have come to you with slaughter!" The brave Messenger said these words and remained standing, facing them. When the men heard the threat of being slaughtered from the 'most truthful and the most trustworthy one', they jumped up, until every single one sat upright and still, as if a bird was resting on his head, so much so that the harshest of them towards the Prophet ~ began to show him gentleness. They said, "Make your way, 0 Abul-Qasim as a noble man. You were never foolish:' thus, the Prophet Peace Be upon Him made his way. Yes, if it is said to you," be gentle ... ", then say, "gentleness has its place,": For one to be gentle at an inappropriate occasion is considered foolishness, although when one closely studies the life of the Prophet  Peace be upon Him he realizes that he was gentle on most occasions. But be careful!

 We are not calling for weakness and cowardice. We are only calling for gentleness.

Gentleness beautifies everything, harshness disfigures 

We can disagree and Still be Friends

We can disagree and still be friend

It is mentioned that ash-Shafi'i - may Allah have mercy on him - debated a scholar over a complex legal issue. They differed and argued for a long time, during which they raised their voices and failed to convince each other. The other scholar's complexion changed and he became angry and felt hurt. When the meeting ended and they decided to leave, al-Shafi'i turned to the scholar, took hold of his hand and said, "Why can't we differ and still be brothers?"

Some scholars of Hadith once sat in the presence of a Caliph. One of the scholars in the gathering narrated a Hadith, and thereupon, another scholar became very surprised and said, "This is not a Hadith! From where did you get it? Are you lying upon the Messenger of Allah Peace be Upon Him ?"

The scholar replied, "To the contrary, this is a well-established Hadith!"

The other scholar said, "No! We have never heard this Hadith nor memorized it!"

In the gathering there was an intelligent vizier. He turned to the scholar and said very gently,"0 Shaykh, have you memorized all of the Hadith of the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him ?"

"No", the scholar replied.

The vizier asked, "So did you memories half of them?"

"Perhaps", the scholar replied.

The vizier replied, "Then consider this Hadith to be from the half you have not memorized!" and that was the end of the problem.

Al-Fudhayl bin 'Ayadh and 'Abdullah bin al-Mubarak were two close friends who would never leave each other. They were both modest scholars 'Abdullah bin al-Mubarak decided to go for Jihad and join the garrison troops for guard duty at the frontiers, while al-Fudhayl bin 'Ayadh decided to stay in the Haram to pray and worship Allah.

One day, his heart melted and he began to weep Al -Fudhayl was sitting in the Haram and worshipping Allah. He longed for his friend, Ibn al-Mubarak, and recalled their gatherings in which they would remember Allah. Thus, al-Fudhayl wrote to Ibn al-Mubarak asking him to come to the Haram for worship, remembrance of Allah and recitation of the Qur'an.

When Ibn al-Mubarak read al-Fudhayl's letter, he took a piece of paper and wrote to al-Fudhayl:

"0 you who worships in the vicinity of the Two Holy Mosques! If you but see us, you will realize that you are only jesting in worship. He who brings wetness to his cheek with his tears should know. Our necks become wet with our blood, he who tires his horses without purpose, now that our horses are getting tired in battle.

The scent of perfume is yours, while ours is the glimmer of spears and the stench of dust [in battle]. We were narrated about in the speech of our Prophet, An authentic statement that never lies that the dust that erupts by Allah's horses and which fills the nostrils of a man shall never be combined with the smoke of a raging Fire. This, the Book of Allah speaks to us. Is that the martyr is not dead, and this cannot be denied.

He then said, "From Allah's slaves are those whom Allah has blessed with fasting. They fast like no other people. From them are those blessed with recitation of the Qur'an. From them are those blessed with seeking knowledge. From them are those blessed with Jihad, and from them are those blessed with praying at night. What you are engrossed in is not better than what I am engrossed in. Both of us are involved in something good. This is how gently the dispute ended between the two of them, by simply saying, "Both of us are doing good," and as Allah says, "Your Lord creates what He wills and chooses:'

This was the way of the Companions.

A group of disbelievers got together and rallied to fight the Muslims in Madinah. They came with an army the like of which was never witnessed amongst the Arabs, in terms of numbers and weapons.

In response, the Muslims dug up trenches which were" not able to be crossed in order to enter Madinah. Hence, the disbelieving army was kept behind the trenches. In Madinah, there was a tribe called Banu Quraydhah. They were Jews, lying in wait for the believers. They turned to the disbelievers to help them and began to cause mischief and disorder in Madinah, whilst the Muslims were busy guarding the city at the trenches.

The days passed with great difficulty until Allah sent wind and His hidden army against the disbelievers that tore their army apart. They turned back in failure, dragging their belongings back with them in the darkness of the night.

When the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him woke up the next morning, he departed from the trenches for Madinah. The Muslims put their weapons down and returned home. The Messenger of Alllah Peace Be Upon Him entered his home, put his weapons down and took a bath.

When the time for Dhuhr prayer entered, Jibril came and called the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him from outside his house. The Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him instantly stood up in fear. Jibril  said to him,

"Have you put down your weapons, 0 Messenger of Allah?"

"Yes", the Prophet replied. Jibril said, "The angels have not yet put down their weapons. I have just come back, having chased them away. We chased them until we reached Hamra al-Asad", meaning, they chased the Quraysh away when they left Madinah for Makkah. The angels were following them and chasing them away from Madinah. Jibreel then said, "Allah has ordered you to head for Banu Quraydhah, for I am heading towards them to shake the earth beneath them:'

The Messenger of Allah Peace Be Upon Him then ordered a man to make an announcement, "Whosoever hears and obeys, let him not pray the 'Asr prayer except in Banu Quraydhah." The men dashed to grab their weapons, they heard and obeyed and went to the dwellings of Banu Quraydhah, but as they were on their way, the time for 'Asr prayer entered upon them. Some of them said, "We will not pray 'Asr except in Banu Quraydhah's dwellings." Others argued, "Rather, we will pray now, for this wasn't what the Prophet meant. He only wanted us to hurry."

They prayed Asr and continued with their journey, while others delayed the prayer until they reached Banu Quraydhah. When this was mentioned to the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him, he did not chastise any of the two groups. The Prophet Peace Be Upon Him then besieged Banu Quraydhah until Allah gave him victory over them. Consider how they used to differ amongst each other as brothers, such that their differences would not lead to discord, argumentation and people turning against each other.

Believe me, if you deal with the people with ease and gentleness, and with an open mind, they will love you and you would thereby enter into their hearts. And before all of this, Allah would love you, for discord is something always negative.

Generous Ruler Umar Bin Abdul Aziz

Umar bin Abdul Aziz – Generous Rules

During the caliphate of 'Umar bin 'Abdul-'Aziz, a woman traveled from Iraq to come and meet him. "When she arrived at his abode, she asked whether there was a guard to prevent people from going inside to meet him. They told her, "No, enter if you wish." The woman entered and saw Fatimah, the wife of 'Umar. She was sitting down at the time, spinning some cotton. The woman extended greetings of peace; Fatimah returned the greetings and told her to come inside.

As soon as the woman sat down, she began to look around, and was surprised to find that there was nothing of value or of importance in the house. Without realizing that she was speaking out loud, she said, "I carne to build and furnish my house from this house, which I have found to be empty and barren." Fatimah said, "The emptiness and barrenness of this house allows for the construction and adornment of houses such as  yours."

'Umar entered the house, gave greetings of peace, and then asked his wife about the woman. He took out a bunch of grapes, chose the best ones, and gave them to his . wife, so that she could then offer them to the visitor. He then approached her and asked, "What is your need?"

She said, "I am a woman from the inhabitants of Iraq, and I have five daughters who cannot work and who have with them no material possessions. I came to you hoping that you might be willing to help them." Be began to cry, took out his inkstand and papers, and wrote a letter to the governor of Iraq. He asked the woman the name of her eldest daughter, and when she told him, he wrote down an amount that was to be given to her. Upon realizing that, the woman praised Allah (the Exalted), he then asked her the names of her second, third, and fourth daughters. The woman informed him and praised Allah. "When she realized that he had bestowed money upon all of them, she became so happy that she supplicated for him.

She left his house with the paper that she was to give to the governor of Iraq, and after a long travel, when she reached her home; she went to the governor to give him the piece of paper. "When she gave it to him, he began to cry for a long time, and then he said, "May Allah have mercy on the writer of this letter." She said, "Has news come to you of his death?" He said' "Yes.” She screamed but he told her not to worry, and that he going to give the allotted portion to her in any case.

Fasting on Arafah Day

1250. Abu Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) was asked about the observance of Saum (fasting) on the day of `Arafah. He said, "It is an expiation for the sins of the preceding year and the current year.''[Muslim].[Muslim].Commentary: The ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah is called Yaum-`Arafah . On this day, pilgrims stop and stand in prayers at `Arafat which is the most important ritual of Hajj, so much so that Hajj is deemed incomplete without it. On that day, the pilgrims are engaged in the remembrance of Allah and prayers as that is their most important worship on that day. For this reason, Saum is not desirable for them, but for other people, Saum has a special merit. The importance and merit of this Saum can be judged from the fact that it expiates sins for two consecutive years: the previous year and the current year. But these sins relate only to the minor sins, not the major ones, or become a means of elevation of one's status.

The Plots Can Not Succeed, Armies Cannot Win

The Plots Can Not Succeed, Armies Cannot Win

There are plots, there are conspiracies, and history of more than 1400 years has proved beyond any doubt they will not succeed. They will never succeed in their plots. Allah the Most Exalted will always help the Momin to destroy such plots. In this story how Allah SubhaWaTala guided the ruler Nooruddin Zangi about the plot and he destroyed it.

We have Faith, and InshaAllah We will fight for the Honor of Our Believed Prophet, We love Him and Allah SubhanWaTala more than our lives, more than anything else and we will die for His Honor. This is true and this is absolute words of truth. We will keep our promise we have blood flowing in our body and history has proved it again and again.

My dear friend this is the time to keep our promise, to Protect the Honor of Our Prophet Peace Be Upon Him. This can be done with just words, no, commit yourself fully to Allah and His Messenger.  

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿6:162﴾

لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿6:163﴾

(6:162) Say: 'Surely my Prayer, all my acts of worship, *143and my living and my dying are for Allah alone, the Lord of the whole universe.

(6:163) He has no associate. Thus have I been bidden, and I am the foremost of those who submit themselves (to Allah).`

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿68:4﴾

(68:4) and you are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence.

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآَخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا ﴿33:21﴾

(33:21) Surely there was a good example for you in the Messenger of Allah, for all those who look forward to Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much.  

That is, "The Prophet's life is model for the person who him who remembers Allah much and consistently and not only occasionally just by chance. It is most surely a model for the person who is hopeful of Allah's grace and His favors, and who is also mindful that the Day of Judgment will come when his well-being will wholly depend on how closely his conduct resembled the conduct and character of the Messenger of Allah in this world. "

Allah (S.W.T.) endowed him with exalted standard of character for us to follow. Every aspect of his life has been fully dealt with, providing complete guidance to the whole mankind. For our guidance, Allah (S.W.T.) commands us to believe and obey His Messenger (p.b.u.h.):

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿3:31﴾

(3:31) (O Messenger!) Tell people: 'If you indeed love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you and will forgive you your sins. Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.'

How will we protect the Honor, there may many answers to the question. Many of them are true. Let us promise ourselves we will protect His Honor, by following the Path Messenger of Allah shown to us. Prophet is best example for us if we want to succeed Here and Hereafter, the only way is adopt it in our Life. Adopt the role model, which we clay we love, my dear friends the only way to prove, “We Love” our Prophet Peace Be Upon Him is adopting it in our life.

Changes, Change starts from self, and call the people to this Great Change, when we start this journey of change from self, and start calling everyone to this change. Prophet is Mercy to Mankind, He is Prophet for All.  Change yourself to Islam, in Day and In Night, call everyone to this. This is way to Protect The Honor of Our Prophet Peace be Upon Him, whom we love most.

History books contain the mention of an amazing incident that took place in the year 557. At the time, the 'Abbasid dynasty was experiencing a sharp decline. As the lands of the Muslims became plagued by weakness and even chaos, some Christians got together and plotted to remove the Prophet's body from his grave and to transport it back to their own lands, in what would obviously be a serious blow to the morale of the Muslims.

For this diabolical plot, they sent two men to Madinah, both of whom disguised themselves in Moroccan garments and claimed to be travelers who came to visit the holy city.

The two men stayed in a well-known house that was adjacent to the Prophet's Masjid. In order to blend in with their milieu, they performed acts of worship in a conspicuous manner, always hoping to be seen by others in order to gain their trust. But on the inside, they were plotting to achieve the task for which they had been sent.

Having come up with a plan that, at least in their minds, was sure to work, they began to execute it. They secretly began to dig a tunnel from inside their house, and by continuing to dig, they hoped to eventually reach the

Prophet's grave. Every day, they would dig a little bit, placing the extra dirt in bags. They of course did not want to be seen by anyone when they would dispose of the extra dirt, and so they would get rid of it while they would take their daily walk in Al-Baqi', the famous graveyard of Madinah. As they would walk through the graveyard, they would slowly pour out the dirt from underneath their cloaks. And all the while they would be giving others the impression that they were visiting the graveyard in order to remember death and the hereafter.

At times, they would also spill the excess dirt into a well that was near their home. After many days of secret toil, the two men were finally near the grave of the Prophet

Feeling sure now that they would succeed in their mission, they began to concentrate their thoughts on concocting a plan to actually transport the Prophet's body to their homeland. But they could plot and plan as much as they wanted, for Allah had other plans for them, and what He wills, He does. Far away from Madinah, the ruler during that era, Nuruddin Muhammad bin Zangi, saw a troubling dream. In that dream, he saw the Prophet ~ pointing to two men of red complexion, and instructing Nuruddin Muhammad to protect him from them. Nuruddin

Muhammad then woke up, both frightened and agitated. In order to calm his nerves, he stood up to pray, .after which he went back to sleep. But during that night, he saw the same dream three times. When he woke up the third time, he summoned one of his ministers to come to him. That minister was Jamaluddin Al-Musili, a wise minister who was a practicing, righteous Muslim. When the ruler finished telling him about his dream, Jamaluddin said, "This is concerning something that is happening in Madinah. Go now to the Prophet's city and keep secret what you have seen."

For the remainder of that night, Nuruddin Muhammad made preparations to leave. 20 mounts were loaded, and 20 men, one of them being Jamaluddin, made preparations to go with their leader. They made the journey from Ash-Sham (Syria and surrounding regions) ' to Madinah in 16 days. When, they reached ·their destination, Nuruddin Muhamma went to -Ar-Rauda (a special place in the Prophet's Masjid) and prayed, but as of yet, he had no idea what he should do about his dream.

His minister, Jamaluddin, asked him if he remembered what the two people he saw in his dream looked like. Nuruddin Muhammad said that he remembered them clearly, and that if he were to see them now, he would certainly recognize them. Jamaluddin had a plan to apprehend the two men, and he immediately put it into action. When the inhabitants of Madinah were gathered in the Masjid, Iamaluddin made the following announcement: "Indeed, the ruler has brought with him a great deal of wealth that has been earmarked for charity. Have the poor ones among you register their names, and then bring them, so that each can take his fair share."

While each person came to take a share of the handout, Nuruddin Muhammad was standing right there, looking at each person, in the hope of seeing one or both of the men he saw in his dream. Many people came and went, but Nuruddin Muhammad saw no one who resembled either of the two men.

He then asked, "Is there anyone left who still has not taken his share?" Someone said, "There remain two men from Morocco; they refuse to take their share, and indeed, they are both very righteous." "Bring them to me," were the immediate words that came out of Nuruddin Muhammad's mouth. When the two men were brought before him, Nuruddin Muhammad immediately recognized them: they were the two men that the Prophet PBUH pointed to in his dream. Nuruddin asked them, "Where are you from?" They said, "We are from the West, and we have come here in order to perform Hajj. After we arrived, we decided to stay here this year." Perhaps their plot was not exactly clear to Nuruddin at that moment, but he knew they were guilty of something, and so he continued to interrogate them, hoping that they would confess their crime, whatever it was. But they kept to their story, and with no proof against them, Nuruddin couldn't justly take any steps against them. Nuruddin then ordered for their home to be searched. After a thorough search, they found nothing peculiar save a large amount of money that the two men had stored in their home. As everyone began to file out of the two men's home, Allah guided Nuruddin to look at the wooden floor. One of its boards was loose, and Nuruddin stooped down to have a closer look. He realized that the board was not attached solidly to the floor, and so he picked it up. The people of Madinah were shocked to see the entrance of a tunnel and even more shocked to see where it led to, for they had been certain that the two men were righteous Muslims.

After being beaten by the irate ruler, the two men confessed that they weren't really from the West, but were instead two Christians who had been sent by their leaders with a great deal of wealth that was paid to them upfront for the job of removing the Prophet PBUH from his grave and transporting the body back to their lands. Nuruddin ordered for the two men to be executed and for the tunnel to be blocked up and filled with dirt. When these two orders were executed, he returned to Ash-Sham. And Allah knows best. .

Armies Can Not Win

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ ﴿105:1﴾

(105:1) Have you not seen * how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephants?

أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ ﴿105:2﴾

(105:2) Did He not bring their plan to naught?

وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ ﴿105:3﴾

(105:3) And He sent against them swarms of birds

تَرْمِيهِمْ بِحِجَارَةٍ مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ ﴿105:4﴾

(105:4) which smote them with stones of baked clay,

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَأْكُولٍ ﴿105:5﴾

(105:5) and made them like straw eaten up (by cattle).

Path to Knowledge

Journey to Knowledge in Words of Imam Bukhari

AI-Qaadee Al-Waleed ibn Ibraaheem AI-Bukhaaree was one of the students of Imam Bukhaaree, and when he grew up, he became the chief judge of the district of Ar-Rayy. He related that, when he was just entering into the early years of adulthood, he developed a yearning to seek out the knowledge of Hadeeth. And he of course went to one of the most eminent Hadeeth scholars of his time and told him about his desire to become a student of knowledge. That scholar was Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him), and if the beginning part of his response seems enigmatic at first blush, it becomes clearer towards the end of the narration. He said to Al-WaIeed,

"0 my son, do not embark upon an endeavor until you know its limits (i.e., what you will be required to learn in order to master the endeavor or course of studies you are embarking upon) and until you know the talents that will be required of you in order for you to succeed at it. And know that a man does not truly and completely become a scholar of Hadeeth until he writes down four things with four things and the example of four things; until he writes during four stages; until he writes in four conditions; until he writes in four places; until he writes down on four things; and until he writes down from four kinds of people. When he does all of that, four things will become easy for him [to lose (i.e., those four things will not preoccupy his time and his thoughts)]; also, he will be tested in four things. And if he remains patient throughout those tests, Allah will honor him withfour things in this world, and will reward him with four things in the Hereafter."

Al-Qaadee AI-Waleed asked, "May Allah have mercy on you. Interpret for me all of the groups of four things you mentioned."

Imam Bukhaaree said, "Yes, the four things one needs to write about are legislations of the Messenger Peace be Upon Him  and all information that one can gather about him; the Companions RadiAllahunho  and their talents (and doings and achievements); the Taabi'oon (the generation that came after the generation of the Companions ) and the doings; and the rest of the scholars (of Islam) – their biographies, their names, their Kunyahs, the places they went to, and the eras during which they lived.

The examples of narrations one should know about are a narration that has a complete and connected chain of narrators; one that has a chain that is only missing the name of the Companion who related It; one that is Mawqoof (i.e., it stops short at someone before the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him; therefore, it can be ascribed to a Companion, but not to the Prophet  Peace Be Upon Him) ; and one that is disconnected."

Imam Bukhaaree went on to explain, "One must write down narrations (and knowledge in general) when one is young, when one reaches an age of understanding, during the years of one’s young adulthood, and during one's middle years.

One must write down (narrations and preoccupy oneself with knowledge under four conditions: when one is busy, when one is free, when one is poor, and when one is rich.

And one must write down (narrations and knowledge in four places :) on the tops of mountains, while traveling by sea, in cities, and in the desert.

And one must write down (narrations and knowledge on four things): on stones, on shells, on leather, and on shoulder bones (of animals) until the time comes when one is able to transcribe that written information onto actual paper.

And one must write down from (four kinds of people:) from those who are above him, those who are below him, those who are at his level, as well as from the book of his father - but he has to be sure that he is transcribing from the actual handwriting of his father and not from the handwriting of Someone else.

Furthermore, one must strive to do four things: to seek out knowledge, seeking only the Countenance of Allah and His Good Pleasure; to act in accordance with the Book of Allah; to spread knowledge among students; and to author works, so as to keep one's remembrance alive even after one's death."

Imam Bukhaaree went on to say, "And one will not accomplish these things without four things that he, as the slave of Allah, must acquire himself: knowledge of the Book (of Allah), of language, of As-Sarf  (a branch of knowledge in Arabic which deals with the study of words before they make their way into a sentence), and of An-Nahwu (the study of words after they enter into a sentence, or in other words, the changes words undergo once they are written in sentences).

And then one will need four things that are from the gifts of Allah  (which He ( Allah Subhawatala) gives to whomsoever among His slaves He Wishes): health, ability (and talent), a strong drive (to learn), and a retentive memory. If one is blessed with all of these things, four things will become easy for him (i.e. ., they will become insignificant in his eyes when compared to his greater purpose in life): family, children, wealth, and homeland.

And one will be tested in four things: Enemies who find satisfaction in his failures and mistakes; friends who find fault with him; ignorant people who level accusations against him; and (contemporary) scholars who become jealous of him (and of his achievements). If he remains patient through all of these tests, Allah  will honor him with four things in this world: With the honor of becoming content with one's lot in life; with the aura of awe one inspires in others through one's profoundly deep faith (in Allah); with the sweet satisfaction of having (and of studying) knowledge; and with an eternal life (Le., even after such a scholar dies, he will live on through the good works and knowledge he will have left behind). And Allah will reward him with four things in the Hereafter: with the option of interceding for whomsoever he wants from his (Muslim) brothers; with being blessed with the shade of the Throne (on a Day during which there will be no shade save that shade); with being able to drink from the Basin of Muhammad ~Peace Be Upon Him (when there will be no water save for the water in that Basin); and with being in the company of the Prophets in the highest levels of Paradise: "Then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets... (Qur'an 4: 69).

Having explained what it entails to be a life-long student of knowledge, Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) said to Al-Qaadee Al-Waleed: "0 my son, in general terms I have informed you of the various things I have heard from my teachers on this topic. So either come now to fulfill the purpose for which you have come to me (to seek out knowledge), or abandon this endeavor (if you feel that you will not be able to live up to the terms I explained to yoU).[l]

The reader will have noticed that, although - as I have mentioned above - much of this advice applies to scholars in general, it applies more specifically to the scholar of Hadeeth. But then the discussion between Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) and AI-Qaadee Al-Waleed quickly turned to the study of Fiqh, In the above-mentioned account, Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) pointed out all the hardships and obstacles that stood in the way of achieving excellence in the sciences of Hadeeth.

The Excellence of As-Saum (The Fast) during the first ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

The Excellence of As-Saum (The Fast) during the first ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

1249. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There are no days during which the righteous action is so pleasing to Allah than these days (i.e., the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah).'' He was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah, except in case one goes forth with his life and his property and does not return with either of it.''
[Al-Bukhari].

Commentary:  This Hadith brings out the following two points:

1. Righteous deeds during the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah are far better and more rewarding than righteous deeds done on other days of the year, because they are Hajj days in the sacred season of pilgrimage. Because of their excellence and importance, Allah (SWT) swore by them, thus: "By the Dawn; by the ten Nights...'' (89:1,2)

2. Jihad has great eminence in Islam.

Good Manner and Muslim

The life of a Muslim must stand on seven foundations:

·         Adherence to Allah's Book,

·         Following the way of Allah's Messenger Peace Be Upon Him,

·         Eating that which is lawful,

·         Refraining from harming others,

·         Staying away from sins,

·         Repenting frequently,

·         Fulfilling the rights of others.

In the past and present, the great Islamic jurists of this nation have confirmed that the Muslim's life must be based on the aforesaid foundations. Brother Muslim, you must remain firm upon those seven comprehensive foundations - by the Will of Allah - until the day you die.

A Believer worships Allah by being well mannered and dealing pleasantly with all, so that Allah may love him and make him beloved to his creation. Whoever considers exercising good manners as worship will deal courteously with everyone, the rich or poor, a manager or a tea boy.

If one day a poor cleaner on the street stretches out his hand for you to shake it, and another day a director of some company stretches his hand out in the same way, will you treat them equally?

Will you welcome them both and smile at them equally?

The Prophet (PBUH) will certainly treat them both equally in terms of welcoming them and showing them sincere conduct and compassion.

Who knows, perhaps the one you may belittle and look down upon might actually be better in Allah’s sight than he who you look up and show honor and respect.

Quran (68:4) “and you (Prophet- PBUH) are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence.”

Here, this sentence gives two meanings: (1) "That you stand exalted to a high and noble character; that is why you are enduring all these hardships in your mission of guiding the people to the Right Way, otherwise a man of weak character could not have done so;" and (2) "that besides the Qur'an, your high and noble character also is a clear proof that the accusation of madness that the disbelievers bring against you is absolutely false, for high morals and madness cannot co-exist in one and the same person. " A madman is he whose balance of mind is upset, who has lost his temperamental equilibrium. Contrary to this, the high morals of a person testify that he is a right-minded and sound-natured person, who possesses perfect temperamental equilibrium. The people of Makkah were not unaware of the morals and character possessed by the Holy Messenger of AIIah. Therefore, it was enough just to make a reference to them so that every reasonable man of Makkah was made to think how shameless were those people who were calling a man of such sublime morals and character a madman. Their absurd conduct was not at all harmful for the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) but for themselves, for maddened in their craze for opposition they were saying such a thing about him which could not be regarded as credible by any man of understanding. The same also is the case with those men of knowledge and scholarship, who in the modern time are accusing the Holy prophet (upon whom be peace) of having fits of madness and epilepsy. The Qur'an is available everywhere in the world and the Holy Prophet's life also exists in the written form in entire detail. Every person can see it for himself what a foolish and meaningless thing is being uttered in their blind enmity by those who regard the man who brought this unique and matchless Book and who possessed such sublime morals and character as a mentally deranged person. The best description of the Holy Prophet's character has been given by Hadrat 'A'ishah in her statement: Kana khuluqu-hul-Qur an: the Qur'an was his character." Imam Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Da'ud. Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Darimi and Ibn Jarir have cited, with a little variation in wording, this saying with several chains of transmitters. This means that the Holy Prophet had not merely presented the teaching of the Qur'an before the world but also given its practical demonstration by his personal example. Whatever was enjoined in the Qur'an was acted upon practically by himself in the first instance; whatever was forbidden in it was shunned and avoided by himself most of all. His own self was characterized most of all by the moral qualities which were declared as sublime by it, and his own self was most free from those qualities which were declared as abhorrent and reprehensible by it. In another tradition Hadrat 'A'ishah has stated: "The Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) never hit a servant, never raised his hand on a woman never used his hand to kill a person outside the battlefield, never avenged himself on anyone for an injury caused unless someone violated a sanctity enjoined by AIlah and he avenged it for the sake of Allah. His practice was that whenever he had to choose between two things, he would choose the easier one unless it was a sin; and if it was a sin he would keep away from it most of all" (Musnad Ahmad). Hadrat Anas says: "I served the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) for ten years. He never did so much as express even a slight disgust over what I did or said: he never asked why I had done what I had done, and never inquired why I had not done what I had not done." (Bukhari, Muslim).

Quran (3:159) It was thanks to Allah's mercy that you were gentle to them. Had you been rough, hard-hearted, they would surely have scattered away from you. So pardon them, and pray for their forgiveness, and take counsel from them in matters of importance. And when you are resolved on a course of action places your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).

(21:107) (O Muhammad!) We have sent you to be a real blessing for the people of the world. 

This verse (107) can also be translated as: "We have sent you only as a blessing for the people of the world". In both cases it will mean that the appointment of the Holy Prophet is indeed a blessing and mercy of Allah to the whole world. This is because he aroused the neglectful world froth its heedlessness and gave it the knowledge of the criterion between truth and falsehood, and warned it very clearly of both the ways of salvation and. ruin. This fact has been stated here 'to tell the disbelievers of Makkah that they were quite wrong in their estimate of the Holy Prophet that he was an affliction and distress for them because they said, "This man has sown seeds of discard among our clans and separated near relatives from each other." They have been told here, "O foolish people, you are wrong to presume that he is an affliction for you; but he is in reality a blessing and mercy of Allah for you."

"Shall I not tell you who among you is the most beloved to me and will be closest to me on the Day of Resurrection?" He repeated it two or three times, and they said, 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.).’  He said: "Those of you who are the best in attitude and character." (Reported by Ahmad and its Isnad is Jayyid) Some reports add: "Those who are down to earth and humble, who get along with others and with whom others feel comfortable."

One of the attributes of the believer is that he gets along with others and others feel comfortable with him. He likes people and they like him. If he is not like this, then he will not be able to convey the message or achieve anything of significance. Whoever is like that has no goodness in him, as in the Hadith:
"The believer gets along with people and they feel comfortable with him. There is no goodness in the one who does not get along with people and with whom they do not feel comfortable.” (Reported by Ahmad and al-Bazar; the men of Ahmad's Isnad are Rijal as-Sahih)

The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) set the highest example of good behaviour towards people. He was skilful in softening their hearts and called them to follow him in word and deed. He demonstrated how to reach people's hearts and win their love and admiration.

He was always cheerful and easy-going, never harsh. When he came to any gathering, he would sit wherever there was a free space, and he told others to do likewise. He treated everyone equally, so that no one who was present in a gathering would feel that anyone else was receiving preferential treatment. If anyone came to him and asked for something, he would give it to them, or at least respond with kind words. His good attitude extended to everyone and he was like a father to them. The people gathered around him were truly equal, distinguished only by their level of taqwa. They were humble, respecting their elders, showing compassion to young ones, giving priority to those in need and taking care of strangers.

Hadith - Bukhari's Book of Manners #271, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and Ibn Hibban.

...Abu Darda' reported that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said, "Nothing is weightier on the Scale of Deeds than one's good manners."

Hadith - Bukhari's Book of Manners #286 and Ahmad

Abu Huraira, r.a., said, "I heard Abu al Qasim (the Prophet saaws), say, 'The best among you in Islam are those with the best manners, so long as they develop a sense of understanding.' "

Hadith - At-Tabaraanee collected it, and Albani authenticated it in Silsilatul-AHaadeethis-Saheehah (#432).

The Prophet (saaws) said: "The most beloved of Allah's servants to Allah are those with the best manners."

Hadith - Bukhari's Book of Manners # 285, Hakim, and Abu Dawud

... Abu Huraira, r.a., said that the Prophet of Allah, saaws, said, "If one has good manners, one may attain the same level of merit as those who spend their nights in prayer."

Hadith - Bukhari's Book of Manners # 290, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad

... Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet of Allah (saaws) said, "And what is most likely to send people to Paradise? Being conscious of Allah and good manners." 

Backbiting - The Different Ways

Backbiting   --------

Backbiting - The Evil in The Society

Shaikhul-Islam, Ibn Taimiyyah , said that there are those from the people that backbite or listen to backbiting, and they do so to please the company they keep, with the awareness that the victim is likely to be innocent of some of the things that are uttered about him.

Often such offenders feel that if they were to attempt to end such conversation in a gathering, their presence might become unwelcome or burdensome. There are many methods and guises that are employed when one mentions another in a negative way. Under the pretense of being informative, one could say that it is not one's habit to mention others, except for the sake of relating another's condition to someone. Or one could state that by Allah, indeed so and so is one to be pitied, thereby showing superiority over one who is to be rejected. Another method might be to say that so-and-so is a good person; however, he has such and such qualities. Again, one is justified in revealing another's faults. One could also simply state that we should forget so-and-so, and make supplication for their forgiveness as well as our own, intending only to belittle the one that was mentioned. In reality, all these tactics are designed to try to deceive Allah (the Exalted) and to please the creation; and in reality, the many that follow these methods only serve to deceive themselves.

Then there are those that backbite to raise their own status. When they hear of someone's error, they employ words like, I had I prayed for so-and-so last night in my prayed, the news of their sin would not have reached my ears." Again, when a person states of another that he lacks understanding in a matter, the implication is personal superiority for the one that mentions the other's shortcoming.

There are also those that couple jealousy with backbiting  the act of being critical or belittling to those that are praised in the company of others. Some people also backbite for the sake of humor, playfulness and lightheartedness. A person finds a certain amount of satisfaction from being appreciated for his story-telling abilities; speaking ill of someone in a humorous fashion adds flavor to a tale. Others engage in backbiting by showing surprise 'and amazement at another's actions.

How is it that someone could do such a thing? Yet others mention people and their actions with the pretense of sympathy for their actions or misfortunes. In reality, the one who backbites actually finds contentment and satisfaction at the mention of others and their misdeeds.

Another form of backbiting is relating some ones misfortune to their enemies, so that they, too, may find pleasure in putting them down. From these examples, one can surmise that backbiting pertains to a disease of the heart... May Allah save us from this most evil of actions and protect us from its temptations.