Fasting in The Month of Muharram

The Excellence of Observing Saum (Fasting) in the months of Muharram and Sha'ban and the Sacred Months

1246.Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "The best month for observing Saum (fasting) next after Ramadan is the month of Allah, the Muharram; and the best Salat (prayer) next after the prescribed Salat is Salat at night (Tahajjud prayers).''
[Muslim].

The Hadith points out that fasting in the month of Muharram are better than any other month of the year after Ramadan.

The Excellence of Observing Saum on the Day of 'Arafah, 'Ashura' and Tasu'a (i.e., 9th of Muharram)

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].

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.

1251.Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) observed Saum (fasting) on the day of `Ashura' and commanded us to fast on this day.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary:`Ashura' 10th of Muharram. In another Hadith, it is stated that when the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) emigrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah, he saw that the Jews were fasting on this day. He asked them why they did this on that day and they told him that they did it for the reason that Allah granted Prophet Musa emancipation from Pharaoh on this day, and so they observed Saum in token of their joy. On this, he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said that in this happiness of Prophet Musa, Muslims have a greater right to observe Saum than the Jews. Consequently, he also observed Saum on 10th of Muharram. Then, he said that if he lived the following year, he would observe Saum on 9th of Muharram also so that they would make themselves different from the Jews. According to another Hadith, he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) ordained the Muslims to observe Saum on `Ashura' and in addition one more Saum on 9th or 11th of Muharram in opposition to the Jews. (Musnad Ahmad, Vol.4, P-21, edited by Ahmad Shakir; and Mujamma` Az-Zawaid, Vol.3, P-188). Thus observance of two Saum on this occasion is a Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam).

1252.Abu Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) was asked about observing As-Saum (the fast) on the tenth day of Muharram, and he replied, "It is an expiation for the sins of the preceding year.''
[Muslim].

1253.Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "If I remain alive till the next year, I shall also observe fast on the ninth of Muharram.''
[Muslim].

Commentary:Some people think these words stand to mean that `he will observe Saum on the 9th of Muharram only. But this interpretation does not agree with other Ahadith. In order to oppose the Jews, he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) resolved to observe one more Saum with that of 10th of Muharram and ordained it for the Muslims. In this connection, we have quoted above the authority from Musnad Ahmad. Hence, the meanings we have given in the translation of the text are correct. 

Do Not Flaunt Others Fault

Don’t Flaunt Faults of Others

Once when Al-Kisai and Al-Yazidi were gathered before the ruler, Ar-Rashid, the time for Maghrib prayer set in, and they had to choose someone among them to lead the prayer. It wasn't a difficult choice, for Al Kisai was a well-known reciter of the Qur'an: until this very day, he is known as one of the Seven Famous Reciters. After the prayer commenced and after he finished reading the "Opening Chapter" of the Qur'an, Al-Kisai then proceeded to recite "The Disbelievers Chapter":

"Say:  (0 Muhammad to these disbelievers):  "0 Al- - - - .”- Kafirun '(disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, and in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day Of Resurrection, and in Al-Qadar, etc.)!" (Qur'an 109: 1)

Although this is one of the shortest chapters of the Qur'an and one that is memorized by most young children, Al Kisai made a mistake in his recitation of it. When the prayer was over, Al-Yazidi exclaimed, exhibiting a great deal of surprise, "The Reciter and Imam of Kufa being confused about, making a mistake in, and forgetting the

'Chapter of the Disbelievers!":

When it came time to perform the 'lsha prayer later in the night, Al-Yazidi did not wait but instead put himself forward to lead the people in prayer. As soon as the prayer commenced, his voice ' began to tremble, and he forgot that Chapter of the Qur'an which is easiest to remember of all, "The Opening Chapter":

"All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord (If all that exists" (Qur'an 1: 1).

When the prayer was over, Al-Kisai turned to Al-Yazidi and said, "Hold back your tongue and do not speak, or else you will be put to trial. Indeed, it is guaranteed for one to be put to trial when he opens his mouth [to flaunt the faults of others]."

Contribution of Muslims to Chemistry

Chemistry

- Definition of Organic & Inorganic Chemistry

- Sulfur Mercury Theory of Metals

- Calcination

- Reduction

- Discoveries of various Acids Sulfuric & Nitric acids

- Preparation of Drugs

- Applied Chemistry

- Paper

Chemistry deals with the composition and properties of substances and the changes of composition they undergo. It has been divided into Inorganic and Organic. The conception of this division in modem Chemistry came from al-Razi 's classification of chemical substances into mineral, vegetable and animal. Inorganic chemistry, which deals with the preparation and properties of the elements and their compounds, originally arose from the study of minerals and metals. Organic chemistry, which deals with carbon compounds, developed through the investigation of animal and plant products.

Jabir ibn Hayyan, a great Muslim chemist of the 8th century CE, modified the Aristotelian doctrine of the four elements, and presented the so called sulfur mercury theory of metals. According to this theory, metals duller essentially because of different proportions of sulfur and mercury in them. He recognized and stated the importance of experimentation in chemistry; He combined the theoretical knowledge of the Greeks and the practical knowledge of craftsmen, and made noteworthy advances both in the theory and practice of chemistry. Jabir's contribution to chemistry is very great. He gave a scientific description of two principle operations of chemistry. One of them is calcination which is employed in the extraction of metals from their ores. The other is reduction which is employed in numerous chemical treatments. He improved upon the methods of evaporation, melting, distillation, sublimation and crystallization. These are the fundamental methods employed in the purification of chemical substances, enabling the chemist to study their properties and uses, and to prepare them. The process of distillation is particularly used for taking extracts of plant material. The most important discovery made by Jabir was the preparation of sulfuric acid. The importance of this discovery can be realized by the fact that in this modem age the extent of the industrial progress of a country is mostly judged by the amount of sulfuric acid used in that country.

Another important acid prepared by him was nitric acid which he obtained by distilling a mixture of alum and copper sulfate. Then by dissolving ammonium chloride into this acid, he prepared aqua-regia which unlike acids could dissolve gold in it.

Jabir classified chemical substances, on the basis of some distinctive features, into bodies (gold, silver, etc.) and souls (mercury, sulfur, etc.) to make the study of their properties easier. In the same century Jabir's work was further advanced by al-Razi who wrote many chemical treatises, and described a number of chemical instruments. He applied his chemical knowledge for medical purposes, thus laying the foundation of applied chemistry.

Abu Mansur distinguished between sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. He had some knowledge of arsenious oxide, cupric oxide, antimony and other substances. He knew the toxicological effects of copper and lead compounds, the depilatory virtue of quicklime, the composition of plaster of Paris and its surgical use.

The great Muslim surgeon, Khalaf ibn' Abbas al-Zahrawi wrote a great medical encyclopedia, Al-Tasrif, which contains interesting methods of preparing drugs by sublimation and distillation, but it's most important part is the surgical one. Ibn Sina wrote a treatise on minerals that provided one of the main sources of geological knowledge, and chemistry in Western Europe until the Renaissance. The Muslim chemists applied their chemical knowledge to a large number of industrial arts.

Paper is also featured in the pioneering works of the Muslims. Paper was invented by the Chinese who prepared it from the cocoon of the silk worm. Some specimens of Chinese paper dates back to the second century C.E. The first manufacture of the paper outside China occurred in Samarkand  in 757 C.E., when Samarkand was captured by the Muslims, the manufacture of paper spread all over the Muslims World. By the end of the 12th century CE, there were four hundred paper mills in Fas alone. In Spain the main center of manufacturing of paper was Shatiba which remained a Muslim city until 1239 C.E., Cordoba was the center of the paper business in Spain.

The Muslims developed this art. They prepared paper not only from silk, but also from cotton, rags and wood. In the middle of the 10th century CE the paper industry was introduced into Spain. In Khurasan" paper was made from linen. Joseph Karabacek, in one of his works, explains the process of making paper in minute detail, describing how the pulp is prepared to make sheets, washed and cleaned them, colored, polished and pasted. No text comparable to this in any other language exists from that time. The preparation of pulp involves a large number of complicated chemical processes, which indicates the level of achievement in chemistry reached by Muslims.

The manufacture of writing paper in Spain is one of the most beneficial contributions of Muslim to Europe. Without paper the scale on which popular education in Europe developed would not have been possible. The Muslims method of producing paper from cotton could only be useful for the Europeans. After Spain the art of paper making was established in Italy in1268 CE France owed its first paper mills to Muslim Spain. From these countries the industry spread throughout Europe.

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.