Categories
Dhulm/Oppression

The Concept of Borrowing Money In Islam (احكام قرض)

Loan Payment Agreement Document-1Download

،الحمد الله حمد الشاآرين، والصلاة والسّلام على المبعوث رحمة للعالمين،

وهادياً للناس أجمعين. صلاةً وسلاماً دائمين إلى يوم الدين،

 وآله وصحبه ومن تبعهم بإحسان، وسلم تسليماً آثيراً،

 أما بعد:

نفسالمؤمنمعلقةبدينهحتىيقضىعنه، رواه مسند احمد جلد3 ص442 المعنىأنروحالمؤمنمحبوسةعندخولالجنةمدةدوامالدينعليهحتىيقضىعنه(الفتح الربانى جلد15 ص91

(The Concept of Borrowing Money In Islam (احكامقرض)

Allah has stated in the Holy Qur’an: ‘O You Who Believe! When you contract a debt for a fixed period, write it down…’ (s2, v282)

It is the order of the Holy Qur’an, when the matters of borrowing money arise, whether it be for small or large amounts, it should be written down in a contract. Also, if possible this transaction should take place in front of two witnesses, so that there is no dispute at a later stage. Some Scholars state it is preferable and some state it compulsory to write down a loan transaction. If for any reason, in the future there is a dispute, this written document can be produced as proof.

In the Shari’ah, it is not a sin to take a loan (non-interest) in the state of necessity. However, to not return the borrowed money is oppression and a sin. The Prophet stated ﷺ: ‘A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. He should not oppress his brother or hand him over to the enemy. The individual who fulfils the need of his Muslim brother, Allah will fulfil his need. That individual who removes a difficulty from his Muslim brother, Allah will remove his difficulty on the Day of Judgement.’ (Sunan Abu Dawood vol 2, p314)

 The taking of a loan is not something that a respectable individual would do without necessity, to create a burden upon themselves. When it is a necessity, then people should seek to assist their relatives and Muslim brothers, according to one’s capability.

The Virtue of Lending Money: Sayyidina Anas bin Malik RA related that the Prophet ﷺ stated: ‘During the journey of Me’raj, I saw written on the door of Jannah: ‘The one who gives charity is rewarded tenfold. The one who gives a loan is rewarded 18 fold.’ I asked Jibreel : ‘Why does the one who gives a loan get rewarded more?’ Jibreel replied ‘The one who gets charity (they usually posses a small amount already) and the one who seeks a loan only does so when he is in dire necessity.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah, P175)

Hakim Ul Ummah Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanwi RH stated: ‘In the Ahadith, the virtue of giving a loan is for those who are truly needy. If an individual seeks a loan for wasteful spending and utilising it in sinful acts, then a loan should not be given to them.’ (Kamalate Ashrafiya, p102)

The One Who Seeks a Loan Should Keep His Intention Pure: At the time of taking a loan, the borrower should be truly concerned to repay the loan within the stipulated contracted time. If the borrower cannot repay the loan in a lump sum, he should make it clear beforehand, how he wishes to repay the loan. In this way there will be no difficulty placed upon the lender. The individual who takes his loan with these points in mind, his loan will be repaid within the stipulated time and he will be freed of this burden In sha Allah.

Those who take a loan with a bad intention, Allah will cause him humiliation in this world and the hereafter. Sayyidina Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet ﷺ stated: ‘The person who takes wealth from people with the intention of repaying it, Allah will assist him in the repayment of that loan. The person who takes wealth from people with the intention of squandering it, Allah will cause him destruction.’ (Sahih Bukhari, Musnad Ahmed, vol 3, p285)

Allamah Abdul Aziz Khawli االله رحمه writes: ‘Beware! do not take a loan without necessity. If you ever have to take a loan, then keep the firm intention and make effort to repay it. Do not dare to take a loan from people with 2 the intention of squandering their wealth and usurping it. This will only lead to your destruction and humiliation in this world and the next.’ (Al Adab un Nabawi, p49) It is not correct for the debtor to perform Nafil Sadaqah or free slaves. However, it is more important for him to strive to settle his debt as quickly as possible. (Fathul Bari Sharah Bukhari, vol 10, p128)

There are such severe warnings in the Ahadith with regards to those who misuse the wealth of others. This is for those businessmen who run a business, take a bank loan to fill their pockets with insurmountable wealth and then declare bankruptcy, writing off all the money they have borrowed and stored away. The Concern of the Companions to Repay Loans: The Companions of the Prophet were aware of the warnings issued by the Prophet ﷺ for not being careful in the matter of repayment of loans. Therefore, they were very concerned of repaying loans as soon as possible. If for some reason, they were unable to pay back a loan in their lifetime, they would bequest to their relatives to repay any specific loan immediately after their passing. Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Umar related, The Prophet ﷺ stated: ‘All the wrongs of a martyr are forgiven, except his debts.’ (Sahih Muslim/ Mishkaat p254)

2. When Sayyidina Zubayr , took part in the battle of the camel, he called his son Abdullah bin Zubayr and told him: ‘My greatest concern is for the settlement of my debts. If I am to be made a martyr, sell our land and repay my debts. If you are in need, seek the help of Allah . Sayyidina Abdullah bin Zubayr carried out this order to the fullest of his capability, to the extent that he announced for 4 consecutive years at the time of Hajj: ‘Whosoever has anything owing from my father, come and seek its repayment.’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol 1, p442)

1. In the last moments of the life of Sayyidina Umar , after being stabbed in the Masjid of the Prophet ﷺ, he (Sayyidina Umar ) called his son, Abdullah ibn Umar and said to him: ‘The first thing you must be attentive to is the repayment of my loans. They are to be settled by my family. If they are unable to settle them, seek assistance from Adi bin Ka’b . If he cannot assist, seek help from the Quraysh.’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol 1, p524)

Imam Muhammad االله رحمه stated: ‘We accept the saying of Sayyidina Ibn Umar RA, there is no Harm in doing this, when there is no condition stipulated from the beginning. Therefore in an agreement whereby a surplus amount is agreed by the creditor or by the debtor (in the form of goodwill) from the beginning, the transaction would be deemed Haram (prohibited) and the extra payment termed ‘interest’. (Muwatta Imam Muhammad, p358)

3. When Sayyidina Abdullah bin Amr bin Haram , went out for the battle of Uhud, he called his son Jabir and told him: ‘I am going to be martyred in this battle, whatever debts I have remaining, settle them.’ Sayyidina Jabir carried out this request of his father, he (Jabir ) would state: ‘I am pleased if I do not return to my family with even a date, after having settled my father’s debt in full.’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol 2, p580)

The Creditor Should be Lenient to The Debtor: Allah has stated in the Qur’an: ‘And if the debtor is in a difficult situation, then grant him time until it is easy for him to repay, but it you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know.’ (s2, v280)

It is clear from the above verse of the Qur’an that if the debtor is unable to repay a loan easily, to forgive him of repayment is a great form of Charity. Hakim Ul Ummah Shaykh Thanwi RH stated: ‘If your debtor is a poor person, do not worry him. Rather, give him time or forgive a part or the entire debt. Allah will as a result of this, protect you from the severity of the Day of Judgement.’ (Ta’leem Ud Deen, p37)

Sayyidina Hasan binAli forgave the entire loan of an individual that was due to him.(Sahih Bukhari, vol 1, p354)

The Prophet ﷺ encouraged Sayyidina Ka’b bin Malik RA to show leniency to a debtor. Due to this, Ka’b bin Malik reduced the debtors’ loan by half. (Sahih Muslim, vol 2, p17) If the debtor can not repay the settled amount on time then he should not try to distance himself from the creditor. Otherwise, the trust of repayment will diminish, which may be detrimental. Sayyidina Abu Qatada RA related, the Prophet ﷺ stated: ‘That person who desires that Allah relieves him of difficulty and worry on the Day of Judgement, let him grant respite or forgive a debtor.’ (Sahih Muslim, vol 2, p18) Sayyidina BuraidaRA related the Prophet ﷺ stated: ‘The individual who grants respite to a debtor in difficulty, he will have the reward of giving Sadaqah written for him for every day he grants respite.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah, p174/ Musnad Ahmed, vol 3, p281) 3 The debtor committing Major sin by withholding repayment when sufficient funds are available: Allah has stated in the Holy Qur’an: ‘The Curse of Allah is on the Zalimun (Polytheist and wrong-doers)’ (s7, v44) Those people who, after having the means to repay a loan in full, do not do so, they are sinful of a Major sin. The money obtained from this unclean saving will be accursed and as such will be a means of destruction in the debtor’s temporary life in this world as well as the Hereafter. The Prophet ﷺ stated: ‘The individual who has the means to repay a loan but does not do so, this is oppression.’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol 1, p323)

Sayyidina Anas related, the Prophet stated: ‘Jibrail informed me to not pray the funeral prayer of that person who has outstanding debts.’ The Prophet then stated: ‘The debtor remains imprisoned in his grave until his debts are settled.’(Musnad Abi Yu’la, vol 3, p399) The inheritors of the estate should in the first instance after paying for funeral expenses try to fulfil the debt owed by the relative who has passed away. Sayyidina Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet stated: ‘The believer’s soul is withheld until the repayment of his debt’. (Musnad Ahmed, vol 3, p442)

Shaykh Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al banaa االله رحمه has explained in regards to the above ‘This implicates that the soul does not reach Heaven until the appointed debt is repaid.’ (Al Fathul Rabbani, vol 15, p91)

The Prophet ﷺ stated: ‘The creditor has the right of being firm in a speech to get back their wealth.’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol 1, p321) It is not right for the debtor to fight with the one who has done them a favour. What is most appropriate is when the time is right, seek respite from the creditor, explaining his (the debtors) situation.

Repay The Loan in a Beautiful Manner: Sayyidina Abu Rafi RA related, the Prophet ﷺ took a camel from an individual by way of a loan. The Prophet ﷺ gave this individual back a camel better than that which he had taken from him. The Prophet ﷺ stated: ‘The best person is he who repays his loan in a beautiful manner.’ (Sunan Abu Dawood, vol 2, p119)

Care, therefore, needs to be taken as in our time, there are many liars who given the status of Ulema (rather Ulema soo) mislead masses by providing false conjecture and misinterpretation on this order. Even today, if the creditor and debtor in accordance with Qur’an & Sunnah fix their ways and are clean as well as honest in their dealing than surely they will be saved from the curse of interest. O Allah! Save us from Haram and make what is Halal sufficient for us and through your Mercy and Blessings do not make us needy of others. Amin! (Jami Tirmidhi, vol 2, p195) (واالله يوفقنا لما يحب وترضى)

Sayyidina Ibn Umar RA took a loan of a few Dirhams from an individual by way of a loan. When he repaid this loan, he returned a greater amount to him. He (the creditor) stated: ‘You are giving me back more than I gave you.’ Sayyidina Ibn Umar said RA: ‘I am aware of that, but I have given it to you out of happiness. You did not request it from me.’ (Muwatta Imam Muhammad, p355)

In Islam interest is considered absolutely Haram. There is no refutation of this order as a detailed account regarding this matter is set forth in the Holy Qur’an (from Surah Al-Baqarah s2, v275-v280).

  (محمد يوسف ڈنكا (عفا االله عنه)

Mufti Muhammad Yusuf bin Yaqoob Danka

 01/ / 1431 Hijrah- 16. 04. 2010.

Categories
Current Affairs articles

An Eye-Watering Story

I am Gujarati: Hands Off My Mosque

ومن أظلم ممن منع مساجد الله أن يذكر فيها اسمه

“And who is more oppressive than he who prevents the mosques of Allah from mentioning His name.”

I write this with a heavy heart and a tear in my eye, never before have I written on behalf of someone who is deceased. That’s right, this message is on behalf of a girl who passed away aged 7.
Before she passed away she desired to visit a Masjid, the house of Allah, but she was refused from several Gujarati Masjids in Blackburn. Why?

One Masjid said her wheelchair will make our carpets dirty?!


Another Masjid said, if we have a fire she will cause a hazard! (She wanted a tour, not admission).


The Masjid that finally gave permission said, just look from the shoe racks??? Which she did and tearfully said, “Mum, is it because I am disabled I didn’t get a proper tour?” Heartbreaking!


In the end, the Abu Hanifah Foundation gave her a proper tour, their students sang Nasheeds for her and gave her a crystal frame…

THIS IS ISLAM! Respect to AHF, I salute you. 


And shame on the others, you disgust me. I must mention that the girl was a Pakistani and Pakistani is not a code word for Patels. Maybe if she was a Patel, she would have been allowed? 


Dear Gujarati Masters,
I’ll call you by the title you love, let me massage that ego for you. I’m happy to be your slave and servant. Your Masjids are no longer the houses of Allah, they are clubs, where the Gujarati Master throws his weight around and stamps his authority down. Perhaps it doesn’t work at home on the wife and kids?


If your heart doesn’t irk with this story you need to do an “Iman test” toooo many people testing for Corona and not checking that their Iman is positive. Just because these Imams don’t have disabled children, that doesn’t mean you don’t care about disabled children. This family is not related to me, nor do we have disabled children in the family, Alhumdu lillah… but the story still bothered me for nights. 


Before you blame committees of the Masajid… stop right there! The family approached the Imams who are very outspoken on the Mimbar but fragile on the inside I guess, it’s easy to talk the talk I guess. Gujaratis are good for establishing institutions, but not for establishing JUSTICE!

Ulama are incompetent when it comes to these diversity issues. Islam is not just about Salah and Sawm. Islam is a diverse religion, let Ulama open their minds, open their hearts and open their Masajid.

Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

24 Muharram 1442

Categories
Miscellaneous

9 Tips to Improve Your English

1) Know your audience and choose your style accordingly.

2) Read and practise! Read newspapers especially broadsheets, highlight words and remember them. 

3) Listen and practise! Listen out for beautifully spoken English, find scholars online who speak well and use good terminology, write down the words they use and implement them into your own terminology.3) Use Apps such as Grammarly

4) Find your best ‘English’ person and ask them nicely to proofread and/or give feedback. Remember, this takes time so try not to become too reliant and learn from them so you can become confident yourself.

5) Use a dictionary NOT necessarily a thesaurus. It’s always cringingly obvious when someone has tried too hard; use sophisticated language but let it flow naturally. Like Orwell said, why use a long word when a short word will do.

6) Commas and apostrophes are cool. Teach yourself the rules regarding these.

7)  Vary your sentence lengths so your writing sounds interesting/exciting/dramatic. Use conjunctions to create longer sentences but use short sentences too. A short sentence immediately after a long sentence always adds drama. 

8) Keep it clean and simple. Don’t over complicate your writing in the attempt to impress. This will only discompose your reader and the main purpose of your writing will be lost.

9. Finally, start a blog. Writing will help you tremendously.

Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

10th Muharram 1441

Categories
Dhulm/Oppression

Time and Money

There’s been something I’ve wanted to talk about for a long time and I’ve stopped myself previously (believe it or not!) because it can be awkward and somewhat embarrassing for all parties involved. But, I think it’s getting too much now. 


We live in an era where we have various modes of communication and socialising – WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook to name a few. Whilst communication mediums have increased, the actual communication has decreased. 
I’m talking about BASIC communication levels. Let’s cut to the chase. We’re talking small businesses, one-man teams, juggling everything yourself. Now, when people make enquiries regarding certain items, whether that be via phone call or a message – please speak properly, speak clearly. When you have then received the information you queried for, whether you book them or not, place an order or not, a simple thank you does not go amiss because the person has taken the TIME out to reply to your message, has taken the TIME out to draw up a quote, has taken the TIME out to make calculations, has taken the TIME out to get their diary out and look for you. I repeat this is basic etiquette. 


Secondly, a lot of small businesses do not take upfront deposits when making bookings/scheduling sessions (especially the ones who are in the ‘deeni’ field). Why? Because 100% people will say ‘Mawlana Saheb’s greedy’, ‘Mawlana saheb loves the money’ etc (Mawlanas can’t make money, remember? ?) So, with that in mind, please DO NOT take the mick by cancelling haphazardly last minute.

Let me break down the repercussions of these types of cancellations. Person A cancels on the day. In order to fit Person A in, an out of town trip was postponed, an essential shopping trip was pushed back, random house jobs were left unfinished but now Person A has cancelled, everything’s messed up. TIME has been messed up.


We might be small businesses but we have lives too and cancellations make a BIG difference to our life.


Don’t get me wrong, cancellations can sometimes be inevitable, we understand that, but ask yourself twice, thrice before texting/calling to cancel (especially on the day!) because the chances of that one cancellation messing our whole day’s routine, plan and structure (not to mention MOOD!) is very likely.
Which goes back to the deposit-taking. One can’t help but think that had we asked for a deposit, would they have valued my TIME more? Would they have been less selfish and thought about the gaping hole that their cancellation has left slap bang in the middle of the day which means we now can’t do this nor that. 


Time is money. We’re not greedy for the money but yes, I will shamelessly say, we are greedy for our time. Please don’t waste our time because it’s in your hands. 

Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire needs of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

1 Muharram 1442

Categories
Current Affairs articles

Contemplations on Covid-19

Lessons and reflections during the lockdown:

  1. Learn to appreciate your family. We might argue with siblings and get annoyed, we might dislike the decisions made by our parents, but there are so many people out there that have lost their parents or they’re distant for whatever reason. During the lockdown, these people realised what a close-knit family means.
  2. We must appreciate our deen – Islam. Many of us received Islam on a plate, we were born in Muslim families, hence we take it for granted. Covid-19 has brought many people closer to Islam, through sickness and health. We all remembered Allah SWT more, whether it was out of fear or thankfulness.
  3. Which brings me on to valuing your health. When we are young we think we will live forever and nothing can harm us. As we get older and our immune system gets weaker, we understand we must appreciate our good health. Especially our mental health is very important. Going for walks regularly and exercising.
  4. Life is the most unpredictable thing, but it is certain. Nobody debates death. In the UK almost 50,000 lives have been lost due to this pandemic. Make the most of your life, live for today, don’t delay good work.
  5. Before the lockdown, we did what we wanted to, when we wanted to, value your freedom. Many countries have a lockdown all-year-round under the dictatorship rule. Value your house and safety and security.
  6. The importance of unity – the virus is not a one-man battle, we are ALL in the same boat and we ALL need to work together to overcome it. Let’s stop discriminating some communities and blaming them for the spread of the virus.
  7. Charities have been great during the lockdown, hats off to all the churches and mosques who opened their doors to help the vulnerable. Many who lost their jobs were in need of basic food parcels, we must learn to appreciate the little things in life.
  8. Everyone had more time, kids were at home with online school and Madrasah. Parents were WFH and Masjids were closed so we were praying at home. This all meant we had more free time: to waste or to value? Your time is your life, value every minute, rather every second.
  9. If you still have a job, be thankful. Most of us get bored or fed up of the 9-5 system and feel it’s’ a burden. Thousands of people have lost their jobs and are struggling financially. Be grateful and say, Alhumdu Lillah for your income; little or large! You have a roof over your head… Ma Sha Allah!
  10. Be a ray of sunshine – it doesn’t take much to brighten someone’s day.

Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

10th Dhul Hijjah 1441

Categories
Poems

Violence and Silence

You can’t fight violence with silence,

With silence there will always be a consequence.

Right is always right, wrong is always wrong,

This isn’t a fancy poem, this isn’t a musical song.

———————————————————————————

Whether you are Black, Brown, Yellow or White,

Whether your skin is dark or your skin is bright,

I don’t know why y’all get into a fuss and a fight,

We were all created different, but equal and right.

——————————————————————————–

Some of you look at Black people and say it’s so tight,

I think that in itself is racist – that is the height.

There are other words too but I wouldn’t ever write,

You might wana stop your tongue, you might wana give it a bite.

———————————————————————————

When you look at it in hindsight,

Whether you are brighter than the sun or darker than the night,

There’s no need to hurl abuse heavy as a meteorite,

Cos that will cause the fire to spread and you will ignite.

Just because you’re White doesn’t mean you’re right.

————————————————————————-

You can come from Africa, Ghana, Somalia or Nigeria,

Doesn’t mean you are low or should be treated as inferior.

You can be brown and come from China, Japan, Pakistan or India,

Doesn’t give you the liberty to be proud or think you are superior.

——————————————————————————-

Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria,

Tunisia, Palestine, Bolivia and Algeria …

We all have something in common, something familiar

It may sound strange, sound weird and peculiar.

But that’s what God taught us, what is in the Shareeah,

He SWT never judges you by your face, always by your interior.

—————————————————————————-

We’re all a bit racist, we’re all a bit stereotypical,

I don’t expect worldwide change from my words – but I hope they’re powerful and not just lyrical.

I’m not a politician, I’ve never been political,

I just speak my mind, speak my heart, which is just typical.

——————————————————————————–

I practise what I preach, I don’t wana sound hypocritical,

But racism is growing, it’s reaching its pinnacle,

This isn’t a myth or made up – it’s actually statistical.

——————————————————————-

Black, White, Woman or Man,

The message is simple, one you can understand.

It ain’t just and it ain’t fair,

To judge someone by the texture of their hair or their colour of skin,

To judge someone by the country they’re from or the village they live in,

Racism comes from within and needs to be thrown in the bin.

—————————————————————————

Murder is wrong, murder is pain, and murder is sinister,

Remember that’s somebody’s brother somebody’s sister.

I blame the people in power, the president and prime minister,

They don’t control their words and justify saying it was a tiny tongue twister.

——————————————————————————-

It was those people who created the Us and Them,

We’ve seen kids dying cos of this as young as ten,

Stuff that makes your heart and mind shake and shiver,

You don’t want to watch these things, I still feel the quiver.

They don’t care about our women, they don’t care about our youth,

They feed them lies and keep them away from the truth.

————————————————————————–

Pain is still pain, blood is still blood,

We’re are all from Adam (peace be upon him), from the same mud.

********************************************************

This poem was written to highlight the ongoing racism and prejudice in America, after the killing of George Floyd. We are all brothers and sisters in humanity, we should all feel the pain of Black people in America and across the globe. The Holy Qur’an teaches us:

“…if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”
[Al-Qur’an 5:32]

Such is the value of a single human life, that the Qur’an equates the taking of even one human life unjustly, with killing all of humanity. Thus, the Qur’an prohibits homicide in clear terms.

Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

9 Shawwal 1441

Categories
Current Affairs articles

Forty Hadith on Plagues and Epidemics

Forty-Hadith-on-Plagues-and-EpedemicsDownload

To proceed,

The tradition in Muslim religious literature of gathering collections of forty Hadiths dates as far back as the first century after the Hijrah. Abdullah ibn Mubarak al-Marwazi (Allah have mercy on him) is thought to be the first to have gathered forty Hadith in a collection. Perhaps the most well-known collection is that of Imam an-Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him), which has been translated into English, and on which there are several commentaries.

The practice of gathering forty Hadiths springs from a Hadith, narrated through several Companions, which puts the spiritual rank of religious scholarship within easy reach of the ordinary believer: “Whoever memorises forty narrations for my nation in matters of this religion, Allah will raise him up a scholar and I shall be an intercessor and witness for him on the Day of Rising.”

Allah make us from them.

Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

15 Shaban 1441

Categories
Current Affairs articles

A Point of View

There are a lot of people saying mosques should be closed completely; no Jumuah Salah and no daily congregation in place and we must seize all activity. As precautionary and sensible as this sounds, we need to be mindful of many factors before such extreme measures are taken.

What role does the Masjid play in the Muslim community?

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ سَبْعَةٌ يُظِلُّهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظِلِّهِ يَوْمَ لاَ ظِلَّ إِلاَّ ظِلُّهُ الإِمَامُ الْعَادِلُ، وَشَابٌّ نَشَأَ فِي عِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ قَلْبُهُ مُعَلَّقٌ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ، وَرَجُلاَنِ تَحَابَّا فِي اللَّهِ اجْتَمَعَا عَلَيْهِ وَتَفَرَّقَا عَلَيْهِ، وَرَجُلٌ طَلَبَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ ذَاتُ مَنْصِبٍ وَجَمَالٍ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ‏.‏ وَرَجُلٌ تَصَدَّقَ أَخْفَى حَتَّى لاَ تَعْلَمَ شِمَالُهُ مَا تُنْفِقُ يَمِينُهُ، وَرَجُلٌ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ خَالِيًا فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ ‏”‏‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah will give shade, to seven, on the Day when there will be no shade but His. (These seven persons are) a just ruler, a youth who has been brought up in the worship of Allah (i.e. worships Allah sincerely from childhood), a man whose heart is attached to the mosques (i.e. to pray the compulsory prayers in the mosque in congregation), two persons who love each other only for Allah’s sake and they meet and part in Allah’s cause only, a man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for illicit intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah, a man who gives charitable gifts so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity), and a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears.”

For many of us, the Masjid is our fortress, our sanctuary, a safe haven for others, I would call it the Muslim man’s castle.

We all know what the doctors and medical professionals are advising, we are all well versed with the statistics of the media, but in all of this, doesn’t Allah matter? Doesn’t the Prophet ﷺ matter? Doesn’t the Quran mean anything? Doesn’t the Hadith mean anything? We need to strike a balance.

Like most things in the Muslim community, we have two extremes; the doctors and medics are saying, “Close all the masajid!” And certain Imams and Muftis are insisting to keep open, with restrictions.  Please refer to the Hadith above where it clearly shows attachment to the Masjid is a sign of Iman. Either way, we should be upset at the Masajid closing, not apathetic or hasty.

Where is the balance?

We need to have restrictions and be firm with the people and if that means sending certain people home, do it for everyone’s benefit. Some Masajid are being too lenient, they have rules, but don’t implement them. If the elderly are told not to come, stay vigilant in this even if it means sending them back home. Same applies to those with symptoms, they should be sent home with a firm warning.

It’s not an easy decision closing Masajid and this is why people are getting emotional. Remember the Hadith when the Prophet SAW was forced to leave Makkah?

Ibn ‘Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “The Prophet (Allah be pleased with him) said, addressing Makkah: “How good you are as a land and how dear you are to my heart! Had your people not forced me out of you, I would have never come out and left you and would have never resided in any other city but you.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Personally, the decision should come from those who actually attend the Masjid regularly, whether they are a doctor, an Imam or a Mufti. It seems insensitive to have these decisions regulated by someone who doesn’t come to the Masjid frequently or simply attends for Jumuah Salah. This may sound unreasonable to some people, but some of us rely solely on the Masjid and its activities for our Iman, be it Salah, Adhkar, Dua and Bayans. Safeguarding Iman is also important, just like preserving our health, we don’t hear this [balance] from people who are saying close the Masajid. If a brother or sister doesn’t feel safe coming to the Masjid, because they are more prone to illnesses or vulnerable or have weaker faith, then they are advised to stay at home, but let others continue to come with restrictions in place.

Did the Prophet ﷺ pray at home in Rain?

Once, on a cold night, Ibn `Umar (Allah be pleased with him) pronounced the Adhan for the prayer at Dajnan (the name of a mountain) and then said, “Pray at your homes”, and informed us that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to tell the Mu’adh-dhin to pronounce Adhan and say, “Pray at your homes” at the end of the Adhan on a rainy or a very cold night during the journey.” (Bukhari)

This Hadeeth is authentic, but what needs to be remembered here is that this was for one night or two. This wasn’t the ruling for several weeks or months. 50,000 Sahabah (Allah be pleased with them) died from the Plague of Amwaas. How many Masajid were closed? When Uthman (Allah be pleased with them) was made Shaheed, was the Masjid shut? Despite people rebelling and threatening lives. Let’s be fair, instead of cherry-picking Hadeeth and shopping for Fatwas.

Contagious Diseases in Islam

Bukhari (5776) and Muslim (2224) narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no ‘adwa (transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allah) and no tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens), but I like good omens.” They said: What is a good omen?” He said: “A good word.” 

The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) “There is no ‘adwa” are general in meaning, thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) states that there is no contagion (without the permission of Allah). 

‘Adwa (contagion) refers to the spread of a disease from a sick person to a healthy one. What happens in the case of physical diseases may also happen in the case of psychological diseases. Hence, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that a bad companion is the like one who operates the bellows: Either he will burn your clothes, or you will notice a bad smell from him. 

The words “there is no ‘adwa” include both physical and psychological diseases, even though it is more apparent with regard to physical disease. 

This does not mean that these things do not happen, because they do happen. Rather it is a statement that they do not have any effect. The One Who causes things to happen is Allah. If any of these things has a known effect then that is valid and real; if any of them is imagined to have an effect, then that is invalid and false. Thus, the hadeeth demonstrates that if there is a valid effect, it cannot be attributed to that thing itself (rather the One Who causes it to happen is Allah). If the effect is merely imagined, then this hadeeth is stating that it has no effect in the first place. 

With regard to the words “no contagion (‘adwa)”: contagion is something that happens, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Do not put a sick one with a healthy one” i.e. the owner of a sick camel should not bring it to the owner of a healthy camel, lest the contagion be transmitted. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: “Flee from the leper as you would flee from a lion.”, Leprosy is a serious disease that is transmitted quickly and kills the one who catches it. It was even said to be a plague. Hence, the command to flee from the leper so that the disease will not be transmitted from him to you. This is an affirmation of the effect of contagion, but its effect is not inevitable in such a way that it affects people by itself. The command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to flee and not to bring sick camels to where healthy camels are, comes under the heading of avoiding the means (that lead to sickness), not attributing the effect to the means themselves. The means do not affect anything themselves, but we should avoid the things that may be a cause of the the calamity, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And do not throw yourselves into destruction” [al-Baqarah 2:195]

We cannot say that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was denying the effect of contagion, because contagion is something that is proven to exist in real life and is mentioned in other ahadeeth. 

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said “there is no ‘adwa”, a man said: “O Messenger of Allah, the camels may be healthy like deer, then a mangy camel comes and mixes with them and they all get the mange.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “And who infected the first one?” meaning that the disease came to the first one with no contagion, rather it came from Allah. By the same token, if it was transmitted by contagion, then it was transmitted by the command of Allah. A thing may have a known cause or it may not have a known cause. The mange of the first one does not have a known cause, apart from the fact that it happened by the will and decree of Allah, and the mange that came after it does have a known cause. But if Allah wills the camel will not become mangy.  Hence, sometimes a camel may get the mange but then it recovers and does not die. The same happens with the plague and cholera; they may enter a house and some may get sick and die, while others are not affected at all.

We HAVE to put our trust in Allah and depend on Him. It was narrated that a leper came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he took him by the hand and said, “Eat,” i.e., eat of the food that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was eating– because of the strength of his trust in Allah. This trust counteracts the causes of contagion. 

What we have referred to above is the best way of reconciling between the ahadeeth. 

Based on this, what is meant by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) “no ‘adwa (contagion)” is that disease is not transmitted from a sick person to a healthy one by itself, rather it is transmitted by the will and decree of Allah. If a sick person mixes with healthy ones this is one of the causes of the transmission of disease. But this does not mean that it will inevitably happen, rather it only happens if Allah wills it. Hence we often see a sick mother give birth to a healthy child, but the disease is not transmitted to the infant. 

Conclusion

Before closing the Masajid, the above points must be taken into consideration, exactly what Islam says about contagious diseases and the role the Masjid plays. When calamities arose the Prophet actually turned to the Masjid and turned to Allah, here we are, doing the opposite and saying Ulama and Muftis are narrow-minded and have the backward mentality. It’s because many people saying these things are not regular goers to the Masjid, they are armchair critics. I reiterate the people attending the Masjid MUST make the decision for Masjid closure, be it, Imam or health professionals. And please take it in steps, rather than complete lockdown. Cut down Salah in the Masjid, from 5 to 4 to 3, etc. Rather than 5 to 0. Allah grant us all ease, hope and mercy in these testing times, Allah grant us his light and generosity in these dark times.

Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).

25 Rajab 1441

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Miscellaneous

Masa’il of Sitting on a Chair to Pray Salah

  1. If a person is ill or excused (mazoor) to the extent that he is unable to pray his full salah standing up with complete ruku and sujood, then he should stand up for the duration or for the number of rakats he has the power and strength to do so. Thereafter, when is unable to stand up, he should complete his salah sitting down with ruku and sujood
  2. If an ill person or excused person is such that he doesn’t have the strength to pray salah standing up, however, he is able to pray salah sitting down with complete ruku and sujood, then it is necessary for him to pray his salah sitting down on the ground with complete ruku and sujood. If such person prayed his salah on a chair, then his salah will be invalid because he is able to perform sujood completely, but on the chair, he will be missing it out and sajdah is a fardh act; salah is invalid by missing out a fardh act.
  3. If an ill or excused person is such who is unable to perform sujood on the ground, however, he is able to pray his salah sitting down on the ground, the ruling for such person is that he will pray salah sitting down on the ground and perform sajdah by gestures. Such a person has an option of praying salah on the chair. But it is more preferable for him to pray salah sitting down on the ground as this is much closer to show servitude and that is more rewarding.
  4. The ill and excused person is such that he cannot pray his salah sitting down on the ground, so then it is permissible for him to pray the full salah on a chair.

Approved by Mufti Ikramul Haq Saheb, Teacher at Jamiatul Ilm Walhuda, Blackburn

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Miscellaneous

Obituary: Common Sense (rest in peace)

Today, we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense.

�Common Sense lived a long life but died from heart failure at the brink of the Millennium. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools; hospitals, homes, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness.

�For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in from the rain, the early bird gets the worm and life isn’t always fair.

�Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it’s okay to come in second.

�A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including feminism, body piercing, whole language and new math.

�But his health declined when he became infected with the “if-it-only-helps-one-person-it’s-worth-it” virus. In recent decades, his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing federal legislation.

He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers and enlightened auditors. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero-tolerance policies; when reports were heard of six-year-old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; when a teen was suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch; when a teacher was fired for reprimanding an unruly student. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student, but couldn’t inform the parent when a female student is pregnant or wants an abortion.

�Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports.

�As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments, regarding questionable regulations for asbestos, low-flow toilets, smart guns, the nurturing of Prohibition Laws and mandatory airbags.

�Finally, when told that the homeowners association restricted exterior furniture only to that which enhanced property values, he breathed his last.

�Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son Reason. His three stepbrothers survive him: Rights, Tolerance and Whiner.

�Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Author Unknown