Tag: shaykh

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Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

Guidelines and Advices Relating to Janāzah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم


14th Jumādal-Ākhirah 1441 AH ~ Saturday 8th February 2020

By Shaykhul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh 

Recently two close members of my family departed to meet the Creator (this article was written in April 2018): my aunt being my father’s first cousin; and my nephew, who unexpectedly departed at the age of 44. May Allāh ta‘ālā forgive them and grant them entry into Jannatul-Firdaws, Āmīn.

During moments of both joy and grief, we have been provided with guidelines by our beloved Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam which we need to follow, in order to be rewarded by Allāh ta‘ālā. On the occasion of a bereavement, we need to pay attention to certain points related to bathing, shrouding and burying the deceased:

•  The injunction of hijāb should be observed by every Muslim male and female. It should be observed in one’s lifetime and also when someone passes away, from the moment of death, during the bathing and shrouding and until after the burial. Non-mahrams of the deceased should not view the deceased.

•  It is more virtuous and better to give ghusl to the deceased as soon as possible.  It is common practice to first fix the time of the burial and thereafter give ghusl as per our convenience. The practice which needs to be adopted is that the custodians of the deceased should focus on bathing and shrouding the deceased as soon as the person passes away, whilst simultaneously making arrangements for the burial.

•  Before giving ghusl, those giving ghusl should go through the procedure of giving ghusl to the deceased and not rely on their own knowledge. It is not every day that we give ghusl to the deceased, so many a time even those who regularly give ghusl also become habituated to adopting an incorrect method which afterwards becomes their norm, assuming that it is correct. Similarly, the ‘Ulamā only get the opportunity to give ghusl once in a while as well and so can also be prone to mistakes. Therefore, everybody should refer to simple books of fiqh and go through the method of giving ghusl; thereafter, give ghusl according to the correct method trying utmost to carry out as many sunnah and mustahabb as possible. (Inshā’allāh the IDA will soon publish a leaflet, detailing the method of how to bathe the deceased.)

•  When giving ghusl to the deceased, the cloth used to cover the body of the deceased should be dark in colour like black, brown or blue, so the body of the deceased does not become visible even after the cloth becomes wet.

•  It is sunnah to apply perfume to the deceased. The method for this is to apply camphor upon those limbs and parts of the body which touch the ground during Salāh in prostration. ‘Itr (perfume) will be applied to the beard and the hair of the head for males and only to the hair of the head for females.

•  When lifting the deceased people normally recite Shahādah loudly and some people encourage others to do so as well. This is makrūh. One should remain engaged in silent dhikr of their preference and ponder over the situation which the deceased is to face soon and make du‘ā accordingly. 

•  In the presence of the deceased, the Glorious Qur’ān can be recited silently or audibly if the ghusl has taken place. However, if the ghusl is yet to take place, it will be permissible to recite the Qur’ān audibly near the deceased if the body is totally covered from head to toe, or if one recites at a distance from the deceased. If the body is not fully covered, the Qur’ān may be recited silently near the deceased. However, the Qur’ān should not be recited if any impurities are upon or around the deceased. Similarly, Qur’ān should not be recited whilst in the bathing area whilst the ghusl is taking place.

•  The viewing of the face of the deceased before the Janāzah Salāh is contrary to Islamic teachings if it leads to a delay in the performance of Janāzah Salāh, resulting in a delay in the burial. From this it is concluded that it is also contrary to Islamic teachings to view the face of the deceased after the Janāzah Salāh, as this will definitely lead to a delay in the burial. Some ‘Ulamā are of the opinion that this practice should be discarded completely as it can lead to other wrongs, such as people taking photos of the deceased.

•  Sometimes close relatives, such as a son, hold on to the Janāzah throughout. This is against the Sunnah method. Similarly, it is preferred to walk behind the Janāzah; it is ok for a few people to be slightly ahead of the Janāzah. Moreover, for the majority to proceed ahead of the Janāzah is makrūh.

•  Those who are going to participate in the Janāzah Salāh, should go through the method of performing Janāzah Salāh and in particular understand the necessary requisites of Janāzah Salāh. (Inshā’allāh a leaflet will soon be available from the IDA.)

•  The followers should say the takbīrāt during the Janāzah Salāh softly.

•  Those who participate in Janāzah Salāh should go with sincerity, only for the Pleasure of Allāh ta‘ālā and with the aim to acquire the reward that He has promised. Participating in Janāzah Salāh and burial only to show one’s presence is contrary to the teachings of Islām.

•  Dignity should be maintained before and after the Janāzah Salāh, whilst the burial is taking place and after the burial. People should not make noise and talk about worldly matters; they should avoid meeting and greeting each other; complete focus should be on the success of the deceased in the grave. Everyone should continue to busy themselves in dhikrullāh and recitation of the Glorious Qur’ān, passing its reward to the deceased and continually asking Allāh ta‘ālā to forgive the deceased.

•  It is preferable to bury the deceased without a coffin; not to benefit from this facility where it is available and to bury the deceased in a coffin is lamentable. However, in conditions where there is excessive moisture in the soil, a coffin may be used.

•  The whole body of the deceased should be turned towards the Qiblah, not only the face. The body should be turned to its right, and if possible, supported against the wall of the grave towards the Qiblah side. If required, soil can be placed to support the back of the deceased.

•  Many a time, the filling of the grave is done by using a digger. Those present should wholeheartedly participate and fill the grave with their hands or by using spades.

•  After the burial it is mustahabb to recite the beginning verses of Sūrah Al-Baqarah at the head and the final verses of Sūrah Al-Baqarah at the feet of the grave, as was the practice of Sayyidunā Ibn ‘Umar radhiyallāhu ‘anhu. However, this practice should be left out now and then, so that people do not deem it to be necessary. The Glorious Qur’ān is recited to attract the Mercy of Allāh ta‘ālā through which it is hoped that the deceased will be saved from punishment of the grave. Similarly, the recitation of the Qur’ān is a means of solace and comfort for the deceased, along with its reward being a blessing for him. For these reasons, the gathering can recite any portion of the Qur’ān. Furthermore, after the burial all forms of adhkār and du‘ā are permissible; to deem a certain form of dhikr or portion of the Qur’ān to be necessary is incorrect.

•  As mentioned above, the recitation of Sūrah Al-Baqarah, or any other portion of the Glorious Qur’ān, is for the benefit of the deceased and not for the gathering. Therefore, it is not necessary for the recitation to be so loud that it reaches the whole gathering.  Some ‘Ulamā are of the opinion that these verses should be recited silently.  From this it can be understood that microphones are not required for this purpose; rather it is better to discard the use of microphones.

•  Congregational du‘ā after the burial is permissible, but not necessary. This practice should also be left out at times. Similarly, there is no need for du‘ā after the burial of a child, as it is sinless.

•  After the burial, people pay a lot of attention to bettering the grave and others busy themselves comforting the near and dear ones; as a result they become negligent of the deceased. It is desirable after the burial, for the near and dear ones to stand around the grave for a while and recite the Qur’ān or engage in adhkār and du‘ā for the deceased. Mullā ‘Alī Al-Qārī rahimahullāh has stated that each person should try to recite Sūrah Yāsīn after the burial.

•  Sprinkling water over the grave after the burial to settle the soil is mustahabb. To deem it necessary is incorrect.

•  The cost of the burial is the responsibility of the deceased, and so will be taken from his estate, except in case of a wife, for whom the burial costs are borne by the husband. However, the relatives and well-wishers who come for the funeral are not the guests of the deceased and are not his responsibility. The cost of the food for the guests can only be paid from the estate of the deceased, if all the inheritors are bāligh (mature) and they wholeheartedly give permission.

•  Those attending the burial should try to make their own arrangements for food, as on such occasions we should not become a burden on those who are grieving.

•  It is mustahabb for the relatives and the near and dear ones to feed the family of the deceased for one day, and according to some ‘Ulamā, a maximum of three days. However, it is a matter of concern that this beautiful sunnah of assisting and helping those in grief sometimes takes the form of a feast, where 50 to 100 people are invited and many times it goes beyond Shar‘ī limits too.

•  The leaflet, “Ta‘ziyah: The Sunnah Method of Consoling the Bereaved”, and the booklet, “Inheritance in Islām”, both published by the Islāmic Da‘wah Academy (www.idauk.org), should be read by every individual.

May Allah ta‘ālā grant us all the ability to practice. Āmīn.

© Riyādul Jannah (Vol. 27 No. 3)

We are witnessing an era where Islām, in spite of its vastness and applicability in every sphere of the human life, has been confined to mere beliefs and a handful of rituals. As with some other important obligations of Islām, the obligation of ensuring the correct procedures in the field of inheritance has also been subjected to gross disregard and outright neglect. In fact, this section of Dīn can be said to be the most neglected one among all. Seeing such state of affairs, the respected Shaykh hafizahullāh embarked on the task of acquainting the Muslims on the importance of this vital duty. The lectures delivered proved to be highly informative and beneficial, but only to a limited audience. In order to extend the benefits to a larger part of the Ummah, it was decided that two of these lectures be selected and published in booklet form. (34 pages p/b + Islamic will template) £1.00A few topics mentioned in the booklet are as follows:• Equality in inheritance
• What can be drawn from the estate
• The importance of drawing up a will
• Causes of incorrect wills
• Criteria for wasiyyah (bequest)
• What to do following a death
• Common errors and customs
To order the above book or for details of our other publications, please email  info@idauk.org or call 0116 262 5440.

• Please forward this message on to all your contacts •

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Ramadhan

9 Things to Consider Before You Give Charity

  1. The first and most important point is to make sure the charity is Shariah Compliant. Let us not be naïve and think everything that has the words “Islam” or “Islamic” before it, is according to Qur’an and Hadith. A lot of charities do activities which are violating the laws of Allah SWT, you do not need to be a Mufti to know this. For example, mixed events, music in their videos, qawwali is becoming common, fashion shows and makeup tutorials… the list goes on. Every sane Muslim knows these things are totally wrong in the name of Islam.
  2. Make sure the charity is under the supervision of at least one Alim or a group of qualified scholars. We see charities opening on every street corner, many of these brothers and sisters do not have knowledge of the basics of Islam. They are collecting our Zakah and Sadaqah, how can we guarantee it will be distributed correctly and accurately?
  3. Give to needy charities and not the GREEDY ones! You should be giving your money to the neediest places and the neediest charities. Some charities accumulate 40-50 million pounds a year, others are very close. Check their annual reports or search on the Charity Commission Website. Do not follow each other like sheep, we must be wise and sharp, give to the right place.
  4. Ask your charity if they take admin costs for Zakah and Sadaqah, some charities take astronomical amounts! Although it is permissible to take from Sadaqah, one must ask a local Mufti if it is permissible to take admin costs from Zakah: https://islamqa.org/hanafi/qibla-hanafi/37024
  5. Ask your charity how quickly they distribute Zakah. As mentioned in point 3, some charities get millions every year. A lot of this money is hoarded in their bank accounts as they are unable to spend this money instantly. Which could mean your charity still has last year’s Zakah gathered up! Do you really want to give them this year’s Zakah? Some charities have a 30-day policy i.e. they distribute your Zakah within 30 days, I personally think this is an excellent idea.
  6. Don’t be ashamed to ask how much they pay their employees, their PR managers and the CEO. We hear about charities taking ridiculous wages due to help from Gift Aid etc. Unfortunately, the concept of kindness and consideration is disappearing from some charitable people. Sadly, charities, like most Islamic organisations are becoming a huge business.
  7. “You donate for the sake of Allah!” I am sure you have all heard this one before? Some defensive charity workers reply with the above statement when questioned about their practises and money management. The statement is incompetent and uneducated. Just because we donate for Allah does NOT mean in any way, shape or form we cannot question people. It is our God-given right, we are living in 21st Century Britain.
  8. Now we come on to charities collecting door-to-door. Most of us, unfortunately, donate blindly, we do not ask for a receipt, nor a charity reg number. Some of these people are not even Muslim, they just grow a beard and wear a hat or hijab for women. We must follow protocol, and ask for a certificate where it applies. We need to get rid of our ignorance and stop saying, “We donate for Allah and it is all in his hands” Definitely, you donate for Allah, but does that mean you donate to thieves and crooks because of your sheer naivety? Learn to ask a few questions, ask for their website (give it a quick google search on the doorstep), their head office location, which countries they work in etc.
  9. The intention is important for Zakah. For Sadaqah/Lillah most of us give Ma Sha Allah, very generously. But we do not make an intention, for esale thawab, for Shifa, safety from calamities, multiple intentions can be made In Sha Allah. Allah accept from one and all. Ameen.

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

10 Ramadhan 1440

Categories
Poems

Some People…

superthumb
Some people are genuine, some people are fakes,
They slither and slide like poisonous snakes. ?
Someone is bitter and can give you a shake,
Someone is sweet, as sweet as a cupcake.
Some people are sensitive and can easily break,
Some people melt just like a snowflake ❄️
Some people are harsh and can give you heartache,
Some have hard hearts, they can even make the ground shake.
Some people are sincere, they do it for His sake,
Throughout the night they will stay awake,
They pass every trial and great patience they will undertake,
They attain a great status and palaces in Jannah they will make.
So dear brother, don’t you ever make this mistake,
Don’t ever hurt a soul nor let it ache.
That person may be a sinner or maybe a Shaykh,
But even Allah may not want that heart to break. ?
slap
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).
15 Shaban 1440
Categories
Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

Understanding Tazkiyah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

The Four Parts of Dīn

The sole objective of our lives is to acquire the Pleasure of Allāh ta‘ālā, which can only be achieved by following the whole Dīn. The whole Dīn can be categorised into four parts:

1.   External actions, which comprise of:

a.  Performing good actions e.g. Salāh;

b.  Refraining from sinful actions e.g. backbiting.

2.   Internal qualities, which comprise of:

a.  Purifying the heart from debasing qualities e.g. pride;

b.  Adorning the heart with praiseworthy traits e.g. humbleness.

Allāh ta‘ālā has laid down commands relating to both the external and the internal aspects of Dīn. In both, there are Do’s and Don’ts. For example, performing Salāh, giving Zakāh, fasting and performing Hajj are external actions which must be carried out; whilst causing physical harm, stealing and consuming harām are external actions which must be avoided. Similarly, jealousy, malice and pride are debasing qualities of the heart which are prohibited; whilst Shukr (being grateful to Allāh ta‘ālā) and Sabr (patience) and humbleness are praiseworthy qualities with which every Muslim should strive to adorn his heart.

We can therefore conclude that our duties as Muslims are: to carry out good actions; to refrain from sinful actions; to purify the heart from debasing qualities; and to adorn the heart with praiseworthy qualities. All four are termed as Al-A‘māl As-Sālihah (good deeds) and our success lies in carrying them out. Allāh ta‘ālā states:

Verily those who believe and do good deeds, for them shall be gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great success. (85:11)

Tazkiyah and its Importance

The process of removing the debasing qualities from the heart and adorning it with the praiseworthy qualities is known as Tazkiyah (soul purification). Through Tazkiyah a person first begins to recognise the shortcomings in his inner traits, such as the existence of pride and miserliness. As a result, he is able to exert effort and replace them with praiseworthy qualities such as humbleness and generosity. Allāh ta‘ālā has emphasised the importance of Tazkiyah in the Glorious Qur’ān by taking oath of seven different things before stating:

Undoubtedly, the one who purified it (the soul) has succeeded and the one who soiled it (through kufr, shirk, sin) has certainly failed. (91:9-10)

‘Ilm and Tazkiy

In order to understand the Commands of Allāh ta‘ālā and to carry them out, it is necessary to acquire ‘ilm. Through ‘ilm, we will be able to understand what we are required to do in every situation. Regarding the external actions for example, ‘ilm is required to understand the pre-requisites of Salāh as well as all the necessary aspects within Salāh. Similar is the case for the inner qualities; a person will require ‘ilm to understand which qualities are prohibited and the consequences of having such qualities. For example, our beloved Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has informed us that a person with pride equivalent to a mustard seed in his heart will not enter Jannah (without first going in Jahannam). (Abū Dāwūd, At-Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah).

However, without Tazkiyah ‘ilm is not beneficial, as we find that a person has ‘ilm but is unable to practice according to it despite having the desire to do so. For example, a person is aware that offering Fajr Salāh is compulsory, but is unable to leave his bed and go to the masjid.  Similarly, despite being aware that sinful glances are not permissible, he is unable to control the gaze from lustful glances. The reason for this is a lack of spiritual stamina to carry out the Commands of Allāh ta‘ālā. Through the process of Tazkiyah, a person purifies his heart from debasing qualities and as a result gains the spiritual stamina required to fulfil all the external actions Commands of Allāh ta‘ālā.

External Actions Hold No Value without Tazkiyah

Another important point to understand is that without purifying the heart, despite carrying out the external actions of Dīn, they may not be accepted in the Court of Allāh ta‘ālā. This is because a corrupt heart could lead to a person performing deeds with the wrong intention. For example, if a person performs a good action with the intention of acquiring fame, he will gain no reward whatsoever, rather he will be answerable in the Court of Allāh ta‘ālā. Even though outwardly his action may appear perfect and in accordance with the Commands of Allāh ta‘ālā and the Sunnah of Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam, due to his insincerity his action will yield no benefit.

The importance of a purified heart has been explained by Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam in a hadīth:

Indeed there is a piece of flesh in the body; if it is sound, then the whole body will be sound and if it is corrupt then the whole body will be corrupt. Indeed it is the heart. (Al-Bukhārī)

Tazkiyah: The Key to Practising the Whole Dīn

From the above, it is clear that Tazkiyah is the path that leads to the reformation of the heart, providing the spiritual stamina required for external actions; and making them perfect and worthy of acceptance.  Having understood the importance of Tazkiyah, the question arises as to how it can be achieved. For this, read and study ‘The Path to Purification’, published by At-Tazkiyah. 

Let us recognise the importance of Tazkiyah and exert effort towards its acquisition, so that we may practice the whole Dīn and acquire the eternal bliss of the Hereafter.

© Riyādul Jannah (Vol. 26 No. 11/12, Nov/Dec 2017)

We are witnessing an era where Islām, in spite of its vastness and applicability in every sphere of the human life, has been confined to mere beliefs and a handful of rituals. As with some other important obligations of Islām, the obligation of ensuring the correct procedures in the field of inheritance has also been subjected to gross disregard and outright neglect. In fact, this section of Dīn can be said to be the most neglected one among all. Seeing such state of affairs, the respected Shaykh hafizahullāh embarked on the task of acquainting the Muslims on the importance of this vital duty. The lectures delivered proved to be highly informative and beneficial, but only to a limited audience. In order to extend the benefits to a larger part of the Ummah, it was decided that two of these lectures be selected and published in booklet form.

A few topics mentioned in the booklet are as follows:

• Equality in inheritance
• What can be drawn from the estate
• The importance of drawing up a will
• Causes of incorrect wills
• Criteria for wasiyyah (bequest)
• What to do following a death
• Common errors and customs

To order the above book or for details of our other publications, please email info@idauk.org or call 0116 262 5440.

• Please forward this message on to all your contacts •

Categories
Marriage

Love Notes – Part 2

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Opinions on Marriage

  1. Marriage will make me a better Muslim. FALSE.
  2. Marriage will protect me from falling into fitnah and haram. FALSE.
  3. Marriage will make me live happily ever after. FALSE.
  4. In marriage, you cannot hate the person you love FALSE.
    One of the strangest things about love: the person you love the most…it’s a fine line between despicable hate and love.
    Genuine love can transform into hate bc you’re investing so much love in that person.
    Healthiest marriages: achieve equilibrium between love and hate knowing it’s okay to hate things the person does.
  5. Marriage will heal all my past wounds. FALSE.
  6. Marriage is a piece of cake if you marry the right person. FALSE
  7. Marriage benefits men more than women FALSE
  8. Love is enough to sustain a marriage. FALSE.
    The economy is rough LOL – when the economy is rough, divorce skyrockets
    Prophet (SAW) – One of the things we look for in marriage is “Maaliha”, her wealth.
  9. Religious practising Muslims have a perfect marriage. FALSE.
  10. Marriage is a natural process that you can figure out on your own. FALSE.

○ requires thought, DETERMINATION
○ Prophet (SAW) to Jabir (RA), a man who told him got engaged: “did you look into her eyes” – meaning did you find love in her eyes? Did you spend enough time looking into her eyes to know she’s the one? Marriage isn’t something you just come by!

Most of the marriages that occurred in the time of the Sahabah RA were not familial, rather they were cross-cultural.
Bilal RA did not marry someone from Habshah.
The Prophet Muhammad SAW married Mariyah RA she was from Egyptian background. He SAW married Safiyyah RA and she was from a Jewish background.
They did not always marry their cousins or within the family and the same caste.

When you are looking for marriage – you need to make sure your soul is accessible to pious souls – don’t always put it on the other person

1. Optional love:

You lead yourself to love and you fall deeper in love. It can grow if you allow it to grow; you need to take concrete steps, not just sit back and wait.
■ eg: your love for your spouse gets deeper as the relationship progresses
■ there are things you didn’t know that you love today, and things you loved then that you love in a different way now
■ We live today in an era with a lot of “popcorn love” → it’s not how I met your mother; it’s how many people met your mother
● The types of love that we are fed is a vain type of imagery and people make millions off of it – it’s AN INDUSTRY
● eg: Adele’s Someone Like You – national anthem of a home wrecker. This is the kind of woman you want to keep away from your husband. — THAT’S WHAT’S PUT OUT THERE AS A LOVE SONG… but it’s actually the love of desire
● We raise a generation of people that think that a booty call is acceptable, that someone can ring her up at 9pm.

Surah Al’Imran:14
“Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire- of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.”
■ “Beautified for people is the love they desire…”
● what they love is what they want to do with the person for a certain amount of time
● the guy/girl that compromises your relationship FSA, they don’t love you – they love, the desire (difference b/w love and love of desire): عشق andحب

Imam Ibnul Qayyim RH differentiates between ■ a was عشق whilst love noble and pure was حب says

He  has forbidden, beyond the limits type of love. قشع is when someone goes to haram measures to be with the one they love outward same, set Allah boundaries the cross you – عشق ● characteristics as love
○ Anything you do in the name of love through sin/ compromising Allah’s boundaries is NOT love. Anything you do would you where love flaming that is عشق ○ for that person, that anything is what puts you in trouble
عشق as someone to love your explaining avoid to Try ○
○ If someone is willing to compromise their relationship with Allah SWT, then nothing is stopping them from compromising you to have you why is that→ حب from your prevents عشق heal and purify your soul from the love of desire
● The difference is simple, Allah loves when you love, بح , Allah loves that, but when you are upsetting Allah, that is قشع
● love is conciliatory, it’s being able to talk about the difficult things – “I didn’t like the way you said that”
○ you’re a tree that’s planted deep, not just fluff- you know the person is there to stay
○ 2. Non-Optional love
■ we’re asked to guard our gaze against the Haraam because we can fall for the unattainable
■ That love is not Haram, but acting upon it in Haram means is! The Sight/Eyes
● Hijab is not about the beauty of the women
○ if it WAS that, prophet Yusuf would need a hijab Lol (women cut their hands upon seeing him)
○ Yusuf AS when they saw him they would say, Allahu Akbar, and they would cut their hands → if it was about beauty, then Allah would have put a niqab on him.
○ that wasn’t the logical step
○ Cultural construct: Khateeb says something like “summer’s here bros, be careful” → cage them before they POUNCE 😛 → THIS IS A PERVERSION
■ sexuality and nudity was much more rampant at the time of Prophet (SAW)
■ At that time, if a woman was owned, a woman would be forbidden from covering above the navel… that is how pervasive nudity was
■ Paternity was so loose, that when someone was married they were married to the tribe, anyone from the tribe would lay claim to her
○ That is why we are told to guard our eyes → it is your duty as a man to run away from the Haram, it is inexcusable to say “I couldn’t help it”; it was much worse in other places
○ It is a sexist thing we have in our community is that we lower the standard of men; that is not Islamic
● One of the issues in marriage is a man who cannot guard his eyes – it is not embarrassing just for the women, it is embarrassing for him in front of Allah SWT.
● the sight is the quickest access to the soul/heart
○ Prophet (SAW) – that’s why you close the eyes of the deceased
○ Prophet (SAW) – The sinful glance is a sinful arrow of Iblis that strikes the heart
○ The eye is the easiest gate to the heart
○ There is no sinfulness in a man looking at a woman for identifying them, or doing something professional; the only problem is the fitnah in the heart
■ If you appreciate a person as a sexual being, then that is when you turn away
○ Prophet (ﷺ) telling Ali (RA) – the first look is for you. But if you return your gaze for a sinful reason (ie to “check them out”) then it’s sinful.

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Abbas RA: Al-Fadl RA (his brother) was riding behind Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and a woman from the tribe of Khath’am came and Al-Fadl RA started looking at her and she started looking at him. The Prophet (ﷺ) turned Al-Fadl’s RA face to the other side. The woman said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! The obligation of Hajj enjoined by Allah on His devotees has become due on my father and he is old and weak, and he cannot sit firm on the Mount; may I perform Hajj on his behalf?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “Yes, you may.” That happened during the Hajj-al-Wida (of the Prophet (ﷺ).
Sitting behind the Prophet (ﷺ)
○ Ibn Abbas RA said, “a woman of spectacular beauty came up to Prophet (SAW)”
○ Ibn Abbas RA noticed the beauty and restrained himself so Prophet (SAW) didn’t turn his face
○ However Al Fadl RA was, so he turned his face for him
● During the time of the Prophet SAW, segregation was not a rule,
○ Prophet (SAW) stood on a pulpit at a woman’s request – so she could see him during khutbas
○ the same pulpit is going to be beside Al-Kauthar on the Day of Judgement

**SIDE NOTE** We will all pass through the sirat through Jahanam, each at different paces (based on your answer regarding your relationship with Allah)
● When we walk through we will say “Praise be to Allah who saved me from your torture”
● Then you will walk through the qantara ( a bridge), and that is when you will have to make the recompense for the wrong you have done to others
● Those that will have most against us are those that we have spent most time with..it’s there you’ll find your wife, kids…
● not an easy journey to set balance straight with others Pornography
● one of the most proliferated vices
● technology is driven by this proliferation
● around the time of VHS, Sony tried to patent “Beta”
○ Sony was owned and operated out of Japan
○ Japan = very ethical
○ Pornography industry wanted to use Sony for filming…
○ execs said no thanks
○ VHS said “okay let’s do it!”
○ Sony developed Blu-Ray gave access to porn industry to
○ → the web applications you and I use are primarily driven by companies that want you to watch their porn
● sociologists say it’s impossible to escape your teen years without exposure to some kind of pornography
● Addicting – Mind has these synapses, you watch something and you want it more
● BUT luckily your brain has this “use it or lose it” function – if you stop watching this kind of stuff

Story of Mughith RA and Bareerah RA

Bareerah RA was a female slave and A’ishah RA was interested in buying her. She was married to Mughith, and Ai’shah freed her (they were married in slavery); a free woman cannot marry a slave man, so after she became free, she had the choice to keep this marriage or to ask for the dissolution of the marriage. She said, “Alhamdulillah, I’m tired of this marriage, I’m going to get out.” Mugheeth loved her so much, sincerely and
honestly. After she left him, he couldn’t take it, so he went into public weeping, chasing
her, asking her “Ya Bareerah just look at me or talk to me.” He went to sahabah and said,
“Please talk to her for me (to Abu Bakr and Umar and at the end, even to the Prophet (ﷺ) to ask him to intercede. So Prophet (ﷺ), (as the mercy for mankind) felt sorry for him, and he said he’d do it. When he went to Bareerah, she asked, “Are you commanding me or are you just interceding?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I’m interceding.” She replied, “If this is the case, then I don’t want him”, and since all else failed, he spent his life chasing after her and crying for her. “The husband of Bareerah was a slave called Mughith. It is as if I can see him now, walking behind her and weeping, with tears running down his cheeks. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to ‘Abbas RA: ‘O Abbas RA, are you not amazed by the love of Mugheeth for Bareerah, and the hatred of Bareerah for Mughith?’

And the Prophet (ﷺ) said to her: Why don’t you take him back, for he is the father of your child?’ She said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, are you commanding me (to do so)?’ He said: ‘No, rather I am interceding.’ She said: ‘I have no need of him.’ ”

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
Two Major Theories on Love (according to marriage therapists)

  1. Bank Account Theory
    ● When a relationship develops, it is like you opened a bank account with them
    ● You deposit feelings and actions and emotions and you expect a reciprocation or “debit”
    ● It makes people feel like the person is drawing more than they are credited.
    ● ihdina siraat al mustaqeem
    ○ istiqamah – balance. So that if it shakes, you don’t fall over.
    ○ You don’t take out more than what’s in the bank 2. Gas Tank Theory
    ● most brothers don’t mind coasting with the yellow light on
    ○ in counselling: I didn’t know anything was wrong
    ● sisters – don’t wait till the breaking point
    ○ in counselling: I was giving him so many yellow lights
    ● we think about the same problems in different ways

A Husband’s Guide to Ruining a Good Marriage

  1. Show thankfulness to everyone for kindness to show you except your wife. Let your wife see you CAPABLE of saying thanks to others, but INCAPABLE of showing gratitude to the person who shares your life.
  2. Mention your wife’s faults. Keep them on file. Use the mistakes she’s made to cover your own stupidity.
  3. Randomly/unnecessarily spend time out of the house, for no reason…and when she calls you, don’t answer.
  4. Be connected to all your social media/devices simultaneously and ask her to make you a sandwich. Do all of that while the kids are up and she gets aggravated.
  5. Monitor her level of attire and conduct…all while watching mature content on TV (not just porn…just TV shows of people dressed inappropriately).
  6. Say things like “kids…what kids? Am I responsible for them?” Be that absent father
  7. Argue and fight in front of your kids because your kids need memories, those loving moments of tenderness.
  8. Say things like, “I forbid you” and “you’re not allowed” and “I command you” (because she’s 2 years old and you can’t have a conversation while sharing each other’s view).
  9. Strike, push, shove your wife – and then feel bad and say, “I’m sorry, but you’re the one who ____” as if it’s her fault as if there was anything that warranted your hostility.
  10. Spend a lot of your disposable income on luxury items…but refuse to pay AlMaghrib course costs because Islam should be for free.
  11. Put down your wife’s cooking, attire, shape, clothes…in front of your family and say “I’m just joking!”
  12. When you walk beside her in public, don’t lower your gaze. Instead, sleazily check out other women. Because that’s classy.
  13. Be insensitive, quiet, withdrawn, sarcastic all day…and at night expect intimacy
  14. Motivate her by comparing her to your own sisters, friend’s wives, etc …And keep her at the bottom of the list
  15. Never reconsider a decision you made after she advises you she’s wrong because she will never respect you thereafter so she should never win those arguments.
  16. Show how close you’ve come together by sharing your vulgar sounds and smells at random moments of the day and night.

A Wife’s Guide to Ruining a Good Marriage

  1. Forget that hijab begins within as an attitude and not just fabric. Act/talk in weird ways. Forget that hijab is not in the clothes that you wear but the attitude that you have.
  2. Tell your friends near and far about your family problems in detail and tell them “shh don’t tell anyone” because of course, they’ll keep it.
  3. Nagging is an art. You must perfect it. The more you repeat yourself, the better he will understand you
  4. When your husband is tense, stressed and had a bad day…push his button. You know the button.
  5. Your Motto: Treat them mean, so they’ll be keen. If you soften and they see it as a weakness, they’ll walk all over you
  6. When you’re upset with each other privately, make sure you let the kids know how horrible he is.
  7. RUIN – Intimacy is a weapon. Randomly/ for no apparent reason, restrict it, just to teach him a lesson.
  8. When your friends get a new TV, you get a Smart TV. When they get bling, you get bling bling. Keep up with the Patels.
  9. If your husband is having troubles with his parents/siblings, stick your nose in it. Everyone will love you later. a. if he asks for your advice…say you love them at least neutral/distant
  10. Get your father and mother to talk to him about problems you have with him that you never shared with him…surprise!
  11. The silent treatment IS communication. There’s nothing wrong with keeping him guessing.
  12. If your husband succeeds in something, don’t encourage him…you don’t want him to think he’s special but if he makes a mistake, bury him.
  13. Argue in front of your children. In fact, use vulgarity in front of your kids in front of each other.
  14. Say things like, “I don’t trust you”, “why are you late”, “where are you going” – without cause for suspicion…because no man can be trusted.
  15. TV-ing is a verb. Always have the TV on. It’s a good babysitter and it passes the time. Always let it be part of your home life.
  16. When you feel that spark of love is missing, by recalling past loves and make him feel that your thoughts are still with them

Love in the Sunnah pg 81
→ He didn’t just marry to help people, or just for sexual appetite.
→ Sometimes people asked him to marry them and he wasn’t interested, some of the prophet’s wives weren’t “sexually available” so that’s not why he married them

  1. When you eat, eat with her
    ○ it’s kind of a vulgar translation to say, “when you eat, feed with her”
    ○ Prophet (SAW) never ate from a plate alone
    ○ That’s why you can give even half a date
    ○ Way to a man’s heart is through his stomach
    ○ There’s comfort/barakah in food
    ○ Prophet (SAW) – make sure the people who have open access to your food (because of frankness) are people of piety
  1. When you buy yourself something, buy her something as well
    ○ it’s not about what you buy her – it’s about when you think about yourself, you think about your spouse
    ○ People wouldn’t gift the prophet without gifting Aisha (RA) a gift – other wives were jealous sometimes
  1. Seek her counsel
    ○ When Prophet (ﷺ) said “she obeyed her husband” – it’s qualitative. There’s no obedience to anyone unless there’s obedience to Allah
    ○ Day of Hudaibiyya – rumour spreads that Uthman has been killed. so they make a treaty under a tree to avenge his death…but it was a false alarm
    ○ …Prophet (SAW) took counsel with Umm Salamah
  1. Seat her where you sit=
    ○ sit together
    ○ Prophet (ﷺ) would have a cushion and when his wife/daughter would come in, he’d give it to her
  1. What you ask of her, be willing to give her
    ○ Surat Al Baqarah
    ○ Abdullah Ibn Abbas, one of the greatest mufassiroon, would get ready (clothes, smelling, looking nice) to go into his home – his students would be like why are you getting ready to go into your house instead of getting ready upon leaving
    ■ lahunna….(for her what u expect of her?)
  1. Say “I love you” often and show it through your consistent behaviour – Who do you love the most?
    ○ “don’t tell me you love me…why…because my parents”
    ○ ‘Aisha (May Allah Be Pleased With Her) would often seek reassurance from The Prophet (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him) that he loved her. “How is your love for me?” she once asked. “Like the rope’s knot,” The more you pull at it and stress it, the stronger it gets. Many times after that she would ask, “How is the knot?” and he would reply:” “The same as the first day it was tied!”
    ○ Prophet (SAW) had sweat on his brow and…Aisha related it to the poetry about the blessed nature of his sweat… being like the pearls in the ocean. Prophet (SAW) came over, kissed her forehead and said “you’re more beloved to me than all of them” ♥
    ○ Ali RA came home and saw Fatimah brushing her teeth with miswak and he started spouting poetry to the toothbrush “no one got to that place before me like you, if you were a man I would have killed you, etc.”
    ○ Three qualities of being a MAN in Arabic folklore
    ■ courageous in battle
    ■ eloquent in words
    ■ passionate about family
  2. Be generous with your money on her and your children
    ○ spend on your family
    ○ Prophet (ﷺ) – charity with the greatest barakah is the money spent on the family
    ■ lan tanalul birr
    ■ Abu Talha upon the revelation of the verse said “I have these two gardens”…Prophet (SAW) said no, distribute it among your fam 8. Travel together
    ○ Prophet (SAW) always took along a wife on his travels.
    ○ There were 2 instances when Aisha (RA) lost her necklace.
    ○ Tayammum was a result of Aisha (RA) losing her necklace in a place with no water, and they spent so much time looking for it that they had to stay till morning, and everyone was upset because they couldn’t do wudhu, so Allah SWT sent the ayat regarding tayammum○ Everyone has heard of the hadith regarding Aisha and Prophet SAW racing, but it wasn’t an olympic style race…Shaykh Yahya would say that “they romantically frolicked through the sand dunes of Arabia”
  3. Let her feel your concern for her well-being
    ○ Safiyyah comes to masjid where Prophet (SAW) is doing i’tikaf to talk to Prophet (SAW)…and he left the i’tikaf to walk her home
  4. Show chivalry (mar’oo-a)
    ○ one of the things we don’t demonstrate enough – you do the best of what is right) – sense of honour that you’re the server (open door, serve food
    ○ Prophet (SAW) the server should always be the last to eat
    ○ Safiyyah RA – wanted to get on top of a camel but she was too short…so the Prophet (SAW) got the camel to come down but she still couldn’t reach. So he gets down on a knee and she steps on top of it to get on the camel
  1. Be flexible & Humorous
    ○ Aisha (RA) was younger – not much experience in housework, cooking.
    ○ Aisha (RA) once cooked something and presented it to Prophet (SAW)
    ○ When Prophet (SAW) didn’t like a dish, he never said no to it but suggested an alternative.
    ○ Prophet (SAW) suggested going over to Sawdah’s house
    ■ When Sawdah came out with the meal, Aisha (RA) was jealous so she smacked down the plate, it fell and broke.
    ■ Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Why don’t you try it, maybe you’ll like it?” – diffuses the situation, doesn’t call her out on her jealousy
    ○ Then when he got home, he said: “You liked her food, so why don’t you send her a plate of your food?” – This way, he subtly got Aisha to replace the dish she broke.
  2. Kissable & Hygienic
    ○ Prophet (ﷺ) was very affectionate
    ○ Prophet (ﷺ) would kiss his wives before leading prayer – but he had the strength of a 1000 men – it was to make them feel loved, out of intimacy, not sexually
  3. Nicknames
    ○ Prophet (ﷺ) had nicknames for his wives, he would call Aisha “Ya Eish” – that it is through her that he gets “Eish” (life)
  4. Closer than your garment
    ○ hadith about bathing from a bowl with dough residue in it
    ○ allowance to bathe with the spouse
    ○ Ibn Hajar RH derives a lot of fiqh from it
  5. Intimacy not just sexually
    ○ Aisha (RA) – Prophet (SAW) knew that I liked to touch his skin so he’d remove his shirt so my skin could be on his
  6. Allah is first
    ○ “When it was time for prayer, it was like he didn’t know us”
  7. Time away – 1 month can be 29 days.
Categories
Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

The Best Garment

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

Blessing of Clothing

The great Muhaddith, ‘Allāmah An-Nawawī rahimahullāh, in his masterpiece Riyād-us-Sālihīn, begins the discussion on clothing with the following verses of the Glorious Qur’ān:

O children of Ādam! We have sent down to you the dress that covers your shame and provides adornment. As for the dress of taqwā [piety] that is the best. (7:26)

… And made for you garments that protect you from heat, and garments that protect you in your battles. (16:81)

We learn two very important lessons about clothing from these verses of the Qur’ān. The first lesson is that clothes are a blessing from Allāh ta‘ālā. Commenting on the phrase, “We have sent down to you”, the commentators of the Qur’ān have stated that clothes are a blessing from Allāh ta‘ālā as the sources from which clothing is produced, e.g. cotton, are created by Allāh ta‘ālā and man has no role to play in the creation of the source. Likewise, clothes are a blessing from Allāh ta‘ālā because it is Allāh ta‘ālā alone who inspires us with the ability and imagination to utilise these resources to manufacture and produce clothing. 

Purpose of Clothing

The second lesson is that clothing serves three main purposes. The first purpose is to cover and conceal the ‘awrah. The ‘awrah is that portion of the body which should not be revealed without a Shar‘ī necessity. Thus, we can imagine what a great bounty clothes are; for without clothes how would we be able to cover our ‘awrah and thus maintain our dignity and honour?

The second purpose is to protect the body from heat, cold and other physical harms. Hence, we have different types of clothes to match different climates and also for different activities. For example, we have specially designed wear such as armour and camouflage clothing that is used in unique circumstances such as wars, to protect the wearer.

To reflect our nature, Allāh ta‘ālā mentions a third purpose of clothing, that is to adorn and beautify. We can further understand these three purposes through an everyday example. A man can wear a sheet that will cover his ‘awrah which is sufficient to fulfil the minimum Shar‘ī requirement. However, rather than limit himself to this, he will also wear a jubbah (thobe) and a shawl, to not only safeguard his body but also make himself look more presentable. The masnūn du‘ā as related by Sayyidunā ‘Umar radhiyallāhu ‘anhu upon wearing new clothes highlights some of the above purposes:

All praise is for Allāh who has dressed me in such clothing that covers my ‘awrah and which also aids me in my beautification. (At-Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah)

Beautification is a Worthy Trait

Jamāl (beautification) is an action approved and indeed recommended by our Sharī‘ah. The Sīrah of Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam also teaches us to keep in mind beauty when clothing ourselves. In a hadīth we find the following narration:

Indeed, Allāh is beautiful and loves beauty. (Muslim)

Therefore, when dressing and adorning ourselves we should make the following intentions:

1) to acquire the Pleasure of Allāh ta‘ālā.

2) to follow the sunnah of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.

3) to please my near and dear ones, e.g. my spouse, my parents, my children. This is also a deed in itself liked by Allāh ta‘ālā, thereby increasing His Pleasure.

Due to his exalted taqwā and spiritual status, Hakīm-ul-Ummah Hadrat Mawlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī rahimahullāh was not inclined towards adornment. However, the renowned Shaykh would, keeping the third intention in mind, adorn himself in moderation and refrain from total abstinence.

Two Major Pitfalls

Whilst beautification is recommended by the Sharī‘ah, there are two major pitfalls that must be avoided. The first is an incorrect intention. To adorn oneself for show, pride, or to display exclusivity, are all intentions that must be avoided. Dressing with this in mind that ‘no one has the clothes I have’, or ‘no one looks or should look like me’, or ‘my clothes show that I am better than everyone else’, are all thoughts which reflect an incorrect intention and are not permitted. Hence, it is essential to constantly review and rectify our intentions in this regard.

The second pitfall is of extravagance. Extravagance is usually the consequence of a person’s incorrect intention to show off, to feel better than others and to display their greatness. There is a fine line between beautification and extravagance. Designer wear is a good example when trying to make this distinction. If we buy an item of clothing worth £25 for £100, only because it has a specific label, we should question ourselves ‘What is driving me to do this? If I can purchase the same product, of the same quality, for a much cheaper price, what am I paying the extra for?’ When we question ourselves in this way, it will expose the incorrect intention that we are spending to help satisfy our inner pride and desire to maintain our ‘status’ and ‘exclusivity’, leading to extravagance in spending.

Therefore, as Muslims we must ensure whilst adopting adornment and beautification that one remains within the limits of the Sharī‘ah, by reviewing the intention and abstaining from extravagance.

The Best Clothing

O children of Ādam! We have sent down to you the dress that covers your shame and provides adornment. As for the dress of taqwā [piety] that is the best. (7:26)

The verses of the Glorious Qur’ān also direct our attention to another form of dress, a type of garment which conceals, protects and beautifies the inner self. This garment, is the garment of taqwā and is essential for every person, for it is this garment that covers and subdues the radhā’il, i.e. those negative traits of the heart, such as pride and jealousy, which a person would be ashamed of and would not want others to see. Also, it is the garment of taqwā that helps a person adorn his inner self with the fadā’il, i.e. the praiseworthy traits of the heart, such a humility and generosity, which beautify a person’s character. It is the garment of taqwā which also provides a person protection from all the trials of this world and the Hereafter.

Therefore, it is the ‘Libās-ut-Taqwā’ (the dress of taqwā) which is the greatest garment a person can adorn. The Glorious Qur’ān reminds us of this by using the phrase ‘that is the best.’  The outer appearance may temporarily deceive the onlooker, however ultimately the great beauty or ugly nature that lies within will be revealed. We experience this in our day to day lives. A person may be wearing the most striking of clothes but if the inner self is not adorned then, despite the initial positive impression, upon interaction we find the person unappealing.

True concealment, true protection, and true beauty in this world and more importantly in the Hereafter is only achieved when the inner self is ‘dressed’ with the clothing of taqwā. Therefore, whilst continuing to use the blessing of clothes to beautify our appearance, we should give more attention to the beautification of the inner self. 

May Allāh ta‘ālā grant us the tawfīq to use the blessing of clothes in a manner which acquires His Pleasure and to adorn ourselves with the best of clothes, taqwā. Āmīn. 

© Riyādul Jannah (Vol. 29 No. 10, Oct 2017)

Categories
Ruqya

EVIL EYE AND ENVY(AYN & HASAD)

PHOTO-2018-11-05-10-15-26.jpg
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

⚫ THE CONCEPT OF THE EVIL EYE (AYN)

A person who afflicts others by the evil eye is known as ❝Al-Aa’in❞ and a person affected by the evil eye is called ❝Al-Ma’yoon.❞

Imam ibn Al Qayyim (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) said in his book Zaad al Ma’ad:

❝It is the arrow that is taken out from the soul of the envious individual, the one who causes the affliction of the evil eye, and then it is fired upon the subject of the evil eye. This individual can be affected sometimes and manage to escape it at other times.

If one encounters this and is exposed to it then there will be no protection from its effect, however, it then becomes imperative if one encounters this to take care and prepare themselves with the best defence and not allow it to be implanted upon them.

It is in this manner that a person can protect themselves from the envious individual and not be affected by them. Sometimes these arrows return to the one to whom they belong and this archery makes the envious individual feel the same negativity in his life as the negativity he tried to push on the subject.❞

Allah (ﷻ) says:

❝And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message and they say; ‘Indeed, he is mad.’❞ 

[Al-Qalam: 51]

Imam ibn Katheer (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) uses this verse as evidence to show that the evil eye is real and that it has the ability to affect people since Allah (ﷻ) mentions ‘those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message.‘

An incident which is narrated from the time of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) saw the Quraish ask some people who were known to give the evil eye to another person which could cause illness, death or some other effect to put it on the Prophet (ﷺ).

However, Allah (ﷻ) protected the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) from those who were intent on destroying him with Ayn.

Imam ibnul Qayyim (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) mentioned in his book Zaad al Ma’ad that some people have denied the effects of Ayn; he describes these people as arrogant with no knowledge.

According to some scholars, the concept of affecting a person with the evil eye (Ayn) can be likened to the effect when a person walks into a room and they feel embarrassment or shyness due to people looking at them, perhaps causing the face to change colour.

Another example could be when someone sees someone they fear and they become pale in the face.

Imam ibnul Qayyim (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) describes it as a physical or spiritual effect that leaves the eye and affects the human being.

⚫ THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVIL EYE (AYN)

There are different types of Evil Eye which a person can become afflicted with. They are:

‎(العين) Ayn – The eye from someone who may love or know you and not have evil intentions towards you.

‎(الحســـد) Hasad – The envious eye from someone who hates or dislikes you or something you have but wants it removed from you.

‎(النفس) Nafs – The admiring eye which a person can put on themselves.

‎(النظرة) Nathara – The evil eye which comes from the Jinn.

Evidence for the different types of Evil Eye (Ayn)

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

❝The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake Qadr (divine decree), it would have been the evil eye.❞ 

This alludes to the speed of the evil eye and expresses that if anything was to overtake the decree of Allah (ﷻ) it would have been the evil eye, i.e. in its speed.

▪Hasad

Iblees envied Adam (عليه السلام) as he disliked his creation and the fact he was ordered to prostrate to him. He thought he was better because he was made from fire and Adam (عليه السلام) was created from clay.

Therefore it was only envy which pushed iblees to transgress and disobey the order of Allah (ﷻ).

▪Nafs

The Prophet (ﷺ) said; ❝Whoever among you sees something in himself or in his possessions or in his brother that he likes, let him pray for blessings for it because the evil eye is real.❞

[Narrated by Ibn al-Sunni, ]

▪Nathara

This originates from the evil eye of a Jinn.

The evidence for this is the narration of Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها) who said the Prophet (ﷺ) saw in her house a slave girl with discolouration on her face so he (ﷺ) said: ❝Perform Ruqyah for her, for she has been afflicted by the eye of a Jinn.❞

From the above, we see that the Evil eye can be given by a human or by a Jinn. It is also known that animals can give the evil eye too when they look at something.

There are many stories and encounters concerning this and Allah (ﷻ) knows best.

⚫ EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF ENVY (HASAD)

Allah (ﷻ) says:

❝Many of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed out of envy from their own selves, even after the truth has become manifest unto them (i.e that Muhammad (ﷺ) is Allah’s Messenger).❞

[Al-Baqarah: 109]

Allah (ﷻ) also says: ❝Or do they envy people (i.e. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his followers) for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But we had already given the family of Ibraheem the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom.❞ [An-Nisa: 54]

Allah (ﷻ) also says:

❝And from the evil of the envier when he envies.❞ (Al-Falaq: 5)

⚫ THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE EVIL EYE AND ENVY.

The Evil eye (in Arabic: Ayn, in Urdu: Nathara) is an illness which some people (not everyone) carry.

It entails looking at a blessing that someone has within themselves or from that which they possess from worldly possessions with amazement or liking it. This then leads to dwelling on the matter, continually looking at the person who has the thing which he feels jealous towards and subsequently leading to an attack described as rays emitting from a person’s eyes (and their soul) and subsequently affecting him physically/mentally causing him to become ill. One doesn’t need to physically look at someone to give them the evil eye, even a blind person can give the evil eye. One can even give the evil eye merely by listening to the description of a person’s blessings.

[Zaad Al Ma’ad: volume 4 page 149]

The evil eye is like an arrow which comes from the soul of the one who envies the one who is envied and on whom the evil eye is put; sometimes it hits him and sometimes it misses.

If the target is exposed and unprotected it will affect him but if the target is cautious and armed the arrow will have no effect and may even come back on the one who launched it.

[Extracted from Zaad Al Ma’ad]

According to Shaykh Khalid Al-Hibshi (حفظه الله) it is something evil that comes out of the soul and then attacks the person.

Allah (ﷻ) himself commanded the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to seek refuge with Him from the envier.

He (ﷻ) said (interpretation of the meaning):

❝And from the evil of the envier when he envies.❞

(Al-Falaq: 5)

Allah (ﷻ) says in another verse (interpretation of the meaning):

❝And verily those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes (through hatred).❞

(Al-Qalam: 51)

In a Hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه), it says;

❝A’odhu bi kalimaat-Illaah it-taamah min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli a’ynin laammah (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah, from every devil and vermin and from every envious eye).❞

[Bukhari – 3191]

The meaning of ❝vermin❞ (haammah) is lethally poisonous animals and insects.

The meaning of ❝envious❞ (laammah) is that which causes harm because of jealousy (i.e hasad).

The word ❝Haasid❞ (envier) is more general in meaning than the word Ayn (one who puts the evil eye on another).

The scholars disagreed over whether or not the evil eye is restricted only to jealousy, whilst agreeing that not every jealous person gives the evil eye.

The difference of opinion follows:

1• One group said; ❝Everyone who gives the evil eye is jealous but not every jealous person gives the evil eye.❞ This is the Fatwa of the Permanent Committee for Research and Ifta’ in Saudi Arabia.

2• Another group said: ❝Not everyone who gives the evil eye is jealous and not every jealous person gives the evil eye.❞

This is the opinion of a group of scholars.

The evidence for this is that Ayn can even be given to yourself, your own children and even when joking.

The evidence for this comes from the following Hadith:

❝Whoever among you sees something in himself or in his possessions or in his brother that he likes, let him pray for blessings for it because the evil eye is real.❞

[Ibn al-Sunni in A’mal al-Yawm wal-Laylah, page 168; Al-Haakim]

This Hadith explains that a person may harm himself, his wealth, his children, his wife etc by the evil eye.

⚫ EVIDENCE IN THE QUR’AN.

Allah (ﷻ) says:

❝Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves even after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allah delivers His command. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.❞

[Al-Baqarah: 109]

❝Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But we had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom.❞

[An-Nisa: 54]

❝And from the evil of the envier when he envies.❞

[Al-Falaq: 5)

Various steps leading to envy:

1• Enmity

2• Supremacy

3• Pride

4• Wonder

5• Fear

6• Love of authority

⚫ ENVY IS OF VARYING DEGREES.

1 – A person wants the blessing to be taken away from his Muslim brother/sister even if it does not come to him; rather he does not like Allah (ﷻ) to bless anyone else as that upsets him/her.

This person may actively work to remove the bounty from another person without necessarily destroying the bounty itself.

He may do this with his speech or actions and may do whatever it takes to bring an end to the blessing from the envied person.

2 – Where a person wants a blessing to be taken away from someone else because he hopes that it will come to him. This person does not just seek to remove that bounty from another person but also works to get the bounty for himself.

3 – Where he wishes for himself a blessing like that which someone else has without wanting it to be taken away from the other person.

This is permissible and is not called hasad rather it is called ❝Ghibtah❞ (envy that is free from malice).

The worst are those who simply wish to destroy the bounty regardless of whether they themselves get it or if it is simply destroyed. They only want to destroy that blessing because it was not given to them in the first place. Then there are those who cannot remove the feeling of envy from their souls. They cannot control it but they do not like it and they wish they could remove it from themselves. Those people, Allah willing, are not sinful for their state that they cannot control. People who have Hasad sometimes don’t know that they have hate towards others. They are in denial to themselves but their actions and speech are obvious to others.

Hasad (Envy) needs to be rectified by a person looking into their soul.

Umar (رضي الله عنه) said;

❝Bring yourselves to account before you are brought to account. Don’t become superstitious or paranoid but get in touch with your soul and purify it as the soul is the doorway to your heart. The soul and heart are interconnected with each other, therefore if one is corrupted the other will be corrupted. The soul is like a child that wants to indulge in pleasure all the time. Your brain tells the soul what’s right and wrong. The heart feeds off whatever the soul indulges in and gets affected by whatever the brain tells it to do. Once a person taps into this then he becomes someone who is in control. Hasad (destructive jealousy) causes a great deal of harm in this world and in the Hereafter.❞

Narrated from Az-Zubayr ibn al-A’waam (رضي الله عنه),

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

❝There has come to you a disease of the nations before you, jealousy and hatred. This is the ‘shaver’ (destroyer); I do not say that it shaves hair but that it shaves (i.e destroys) faith. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you that which will strengthen the love between you? Spread the greetings of peace amongst yourselves.❞

[Tirmidhi, 2434]

Concerning the meaning of the phrase ❝it shaves (destroys) faith❞,

At-Tayyibi (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) said:

❝Hatred takes away faith like a razor takes away hair.❞

[Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi bi Sharh Jaami’ al-Tirmidhi]

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) said in his book Amraad al-Quloob: (diseases of the Heart)

❝Whoever finds in himself any hasad towards another has to try to neutralise it by means of attaining taqwa (piety, the consciousness of Allah ﷻ) and Sabr (patience).

He should hate that the feeling of hasad is in himself. But the one who does wrong to his brother by word or deed will be punished for that.

However, the one who fears Allah (ﷻ) and is patient is not included among the wrongdoers and Allah (ﷻ) will benefit him through his taqwa.

Nobody is free from hasad, but the noble person hides it whilst the base person shows it.❞

A person will not be brought to account for whatever crosses his mind but he will be brought to account for what he says and does.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

❝Allah will forgive my nation for their mistakes, what they forget and what they are forced to do (through coercion).❞

[Bukhari – 2033]

The envious that doesn’t try to remove the envy from his own heart, there is a difference of opinion on whether this type of person is sinful or not.

According to Ibn Rajab (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) those that remove hasad from their hearts, pray for the person whom they have hasad towards and tell others of their goodness, they remove the hasad so much so they begin to love the person and love that Allah (ﷻ) has bestowed them with this bounty.

These people are amongst the highest level of faith as they love for their brother what they love for themselves and this is what everyone should strive for.

⚫ HADITH RELATED TO THE EVIL EYE.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

❝The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake Qadr (divine decree), it would have been the evil eye.❞

This alludes to the speed of the evil eye and expresses that if anything was to overtake the decree of Allah (ﷻ) it would have been the evil eye, i.e. in its speed.

Narrated from Abdullah Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه), he said;

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

❝The evil eye is real and can bring down a person from a high mountain.❞ 

[Sahih al Jami’ 4146]

What is meant here is that the evil eye follows a person by Allah (ﷻ)’s will until it causes him to fall from a mountain.

Another understanding is that Ayn is so powerful it could bring down the highest mountain. We must therefore really consider the effects it can have on the human body.

Narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (ﷺ) came out and travelled with him towards Makkah until they were in the mountain pass of Al-Kharar in Al-Jahfah.

There Sahl ibn Haneef did ghusl (bathed), and he was a handsome white-skinned man with beautiful skin.

Amir ibn Rabee’ah, one of Banu Adiyy ibn K’ab looked at him whilst he was doing ghusl and said;

❝I have never seen such skin as beautiful as this, not even the skin of a virgin,❞ upon those words Sahl fell to the ground.

They went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said;

❝O Messenger of Allah, can you do anything for Sahl because by Allah he cannot raise his head.❞ He said, ❝Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?❞ They said; ❝Amir ibn Rabee’ah looked at him.❞ So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called Amir and rebuked him strongly.

He said; ❝Why would one of you kill his brother? If you see something that you like, then pray for blessings for him.❞ Then he said to him; ❝Wash yourself for him.❞ So he washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his feet, and inside his izaar (lower garment) in the vessel.

Then that water was poured over him (i.e. Sahl) and a man poured it over his head and back from behind. He did that to him then Sahl got up and joined the people and there was nothing wrong with him.

[Ahmad, Malik, An-Nasai’ and Ibn Hibban. Classed as saheeh (authentic) by al-Albani in Al-Mishkat]

In another narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) came out and travelled towards Makkah, until they were in the mountain pass of Al-Kharaar in al-Jahfah.

There Sahl ibn Haneef did ghusl, and he was a handsome white-skinned man with beautiful skin. Aamir ibn Rabee’ah, one of Banu Adiyy ibn Ka’b looked at him whilst he was doing ghusl and said:

❝I have never seen such beautiful skin as this, not even the skin of a virgin,❞ thereupon Sahl fell to the ground.

They went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said;

❝O Messenger of Allah, can you do anything for Sahl because by Allah he cannot raise his head.❞

He said, ❝Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?❞ They said, ❝Aamir ibn Rabee’ah looked at him.❞

So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called Aamir and rebuked him strongly.

He said, ❝Why would one of you kill his brother? If you see something that you like, then pray for blessings for him (saying TabarakAllah)❞ Then he said to him, ❝Wash yourself for him.❞

So he (Aamir) washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his feet and inside his izaar (lower garment) in the vessel.

Then that water was poured over him (Sahl, and a man poured it over his head and back from behind.

He did that to him then Sahl got up and joined the people, after which there was nothing wrong with him.

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه), Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said:

❝The influence of the evil eye is a fact. If anything were to precede the divine decree it would have been the influence of an evil eye. Therefore when you are asked to take a bath (as a cure) from the influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath.❞

[Sahih Muslim Hadith 5427]

Therefore the person who has been afflicted by Ayn should try to get the water of the person who has afflicted him and bathe with it.

Narrated by Umm Salaamah (رضي الله عنها)

The Prophet (ﷺ) once saw a young girl who had a certain expression on her face, so He said;

❝Seek an Islamic formula for her because she is touched by the evil eye.❞ 

[Bukhari]

⚫ THE EFFECTS OF THE EVIL EYE.

Shaikh Khalid Al-Hibshi (حفظه الله) says that Ayn has a tremendous amount of power. It has an influence in all areas of a person’s life, whether religious affairs, worldly affairs, as well as moral characteristics etc.

Some of the effects are summarised below:

• Effect on the minds: IQ, wit, memory, ability to focus, understanding and assimilation.

• Effect on the livelihood: Wealth, income, provisions etc.

• Effect on beauty: hair, face, skin colour, the body etc.

• Effect on religion: worship, humility, character, integrity etc.

• Effect on a person’s morality: modesty, truthfulness, courage, good characteristics etc.

• Effect on marital and family life: happiness, pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriages, raising and loving children, discord etc.

• Effect on ages: longevity, age relative to appearance, death, etc.

• Effect on the body: power, speed and activity, health and wellness, skills etc.

• Effect on livestock: camels, bringing down birds from the sky etc.

• Effects on nature: plants, trees and fruits, damage, burns, ripeness, shrivel and die etc.

• Effect on inanimate objects: cars, all kinds of devices, gold, women’s cosmetic application or products.

⚫ EVIDENCE FROM THE SUNNAH.

Narrated by the freed slave of Az-Zubayr (رضي الله عنه) he said the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

❝The disease of the nations who came before you has started to spread amongst you; jealousy and hatred. This is the ‘shaver’ (destroyer). I do not say that it shaves hair but rather that it shaves (destroys) faith. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of that which will strengthen love between you? Spread the greetings of peace amongst yourselves.❞ 

[Tirmidhi]

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

❝My nation will be stricken with the disease of the other nations.❞ 

They said: ❝What is the disease of the other nations?❞ 

He (ﷺ) said:

❝Insolence, arrogance, accumulation of wealth, competition in worldly gains, mutual hatred and envy until there will be wrongdoing and then killing.❞ 

⚫ SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS – EVIL EYE AND ENVY.

• Constant yawning without wanting sleep.

• Constant burping without eating.

• Symptoms increase when reading or listening to the Qur’an.

• Itching when the person afflicted carries out an act for which the evil eye has been given, For example, if the evil eye has been given because of a person’s wealth, they will start itching when they come into contact with money.

• The appearance of spots and boils on the body/face.

• Hot and cold flushes for no reason.

• Tight chested.

• Tiredness/Laziness.

• Insomnia.

• Waswasah. (constant whispering)

• Putting on weight without necessarily eating more.

• Cases of Cancer.

• Some cases of Psychological conditions such as delusion and fear.

• Forgetfulness and sleepiness while doing studying, reading Quran or going to school etc.

• Headaches.

• Allergies, rhinitis and sinusitis.

• Sneezing a lot for no reason.

• Cold/ flu.

• Hair Loss.

• Darkening under the eyes.

• Becoming pale.

• Permanent headaches.

• Spots under the skin.

• Pains at the mouth of the stomach which doctors cannot explain.

• The desire to get out of the house or hatred in staying indoors.

• The feeling of death and despair.

• Seeing dead people in your sleep, lizards or cats.

• To see people who have given you the evil eye looking at you in a strange and scary way.

• Physical ailments which doctors cannot explain and going from one problem to another.

• Seeing ants in the house.

• Children crying constantly for no reason.

And Ultimately Allah (ﷻ) knows best!

⚫  Explanation in detail about Evil Eye and Envy By Shaikh Khalid Al-Hibshi;

Part 1;

https://youtu.be/drAVQPaHE7k

Part 2;

https://youtu.be/FvUMk3hafEk

Categories
Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

Valuing the Last Ten Days of Ramadān

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

The month of Ramadān is full of blessings. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said:

And it is a month the first part [first ten days] of which is mercy, the middle part [middle ten days] is forgiveness and the last part [last ten days] is emancipation from the Fire (of Jahannam). (Ibn Khuzaymah)

Having passed through the first ten days of ‘mercy’, we find ourselves in the second ten days of ‘forgiveness’ and approaching the last ten days, wherein Allāh ta‘ālā emancipates His servants from the Fire of Jahannam. Now, we will find people with different mind-sets; some will count down the days in eager anticipation of ‘Īd after which they will not have to stay hungry and thirsty for long hours anymore; some will have spent the major part of Ramadān exerting much effort in devotion to Allāh ta‘ālā and thus feel that they can now relax in the last ten days as they have, in their opinion, carried out much ‘ibādah already; and some will not have done anything of note until now and feel that there is no point of doing anything in these remaining days.

All these mind-sets are incorrect, as the last ten days of Ramadān hold great significance and virtue over the first twenty days of Ramadān. One only needs to examine the conduct of Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam during the last ten days to understand their virtue.

The Conduct of Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam during the Last Ten Days

Sayyidah ‘Ā’ishah radhiyallāhu ‘anhā reports that when the last ten days of Ramadān would enter, Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam would tighten his waist belt, stay awake at night and awaken his family. (Al-Bukhārī)

In this hadīth, Sayyidah ‘Ā’ishah radhiyallāhu ‘anhā has mentioned three things:

1.  Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam would tighten his waist belt, which refers to preparation for exerting himself in ‘ibādah.

2.  Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam would stay awake throughout the nights of the last ten days of Ramadān and worship Allāh ta‘ālā.

3.  Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam would awaken his family also for ‘ibādah and tahajjud so that they too can acquire the blessings of the blessed nights.

The fact that Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam would especially exert much effort in devotion during the last ten days of Ramadān, shows the virtue and significance of these last ten days. And why would Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam not exert effort during these last ten days, when they have been specified for the Night of Qadr. Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said,

Seek Laylat-ul-Qadr during the last ten days of Ramadān. (At-Tirmidhī)

The Virtues of Laylat-ul-Qadr

Laylat-ul-Qadr is a night full of blessings and goodness. ‘Ibādah carried out on Laylat-ul-Qadr is better than ‘ibadah carried out continuously for a thousand months (83 years and four months). Allāh ta‘ālā says:

Verily! We revealed it (the Qur’ān) during the Night of Qadr (from Al-Lawh Al-Mahfūz to the first heaven). Do you know what is the Night of Qadr? The Night of Qadr is much better than a thousand months. The angels and the Rūh (Sayyidunā Jibra’īl ‘alayhis salām) descend in it by the Command of their Rabb with every decision. It (this night) is full of peace. And (all of this) remains (from sunset) until the break of dawn. (97:1-5)

Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said:

During the Night of Qadr, Jibra’īl ‘alayhis salām descends with a group of angels and they make du‘ā of mercy for every servant who stands or sits remembering Allāh ta‘ālā (engaged in worship). (Al-Bayhaqī)

Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam also said:

Whoever stands in worship during the Night of Qadr with Īmān and hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven. (Al-Bukhārī)

If we understood the virtues and the blessings of this great night, we too would exert great effort towards acquiring these blessings just as our pious predecessors did. It is reported regarding Qatādah rahimahullāh that he would complete the entire Qur’ān every three nights during the first twenty days of Ramadān and every night during the last ten days. In order to become deserving of the virtues of Laylat-ul-Qadr, one must exert every effort and do everything he can. One easy way of becoming deserving of the blessings of the Night of Qadr is to observe the i‘tikāf of the last ten days of Ramadān. Sayyidunā Abu Sa‘īd Al-Khudrī radhiyallāhu ‘anhu narrates that Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said,

Verily, in search of Laylat-ul-Qadr I performed i‘tikāf of the first ten days and then extended it to the next ten days for the same purpose; then I was told that this night is in the last ten days; so those who are performing i‘tikāf with me should perform the i‘tikāf of the last ten days. (Al-Bukhārī, Muslim)

The Importance and Virtue of I‘tikāf

We learn from the Sīrah of our beloved Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam that the i‘tikāf of the last ten days of Ramadān was a practice that he sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam would not miss. Sayyidah ‘Ā’ishah radhiyallāhu ‘anhā said that Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam would observe i‘tikāf in the last ten days of Ramadān until he passed away. (Al-Bukhārī, Muslim)

Sayyidunā Anas radhiyallāhu ‘anhu said that Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam observed i‘tikāf during the last ten days of Ramadān. One year he could not observe the i‘tikāf, so the following year he observed i‘tikāf for twenty days. (At-Tirmidhī)

Mentioning the virtues of i‘tikāf, Sayyidunā Ibn ‘Abbās radhiyallāhu ‘anhu says that Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said,

He (the one observing i‘tikāf) refrains from sins (as he confines himself to the boundary of the masjid) and is rewarded for all good deeds (that he cannot do due to being in i‘tikāf e.g. visiting the sick or participating in janāzah salāh) like that person who carries out good deeds. (Ibn Mājah)

The one performing i‘tikāf, through the blessing of staying within the confines of the masjid, is able to refrain from sins which he may have committed outside of the masjid. Along with this, he is able to engage in so many worships e.g. salāh, dhikr, tilāwat, du‘ā. Moreover, every moment of his is a means of reward as i‘tikāf in itself is also a worship; hence the one performing i‘tikāf gains the reward of i‘tikāf even whilst eating and sleeping.

I‘tikāf: A Fortune

The one observing i‘tikāf is extremely fortunate for he disassociates himself from everything and throws himself into the Court of His Lord and Creator. He remembers Him, praises Him, glorifies Him and sincerely seeks His Forgiveness; he cries over his past mistakes and beseeches His Creator for His Mercy and seeks nothing but His Pleasure. His days and nights are spent only in this pursuit. The author of Marāqī-Al-Falāh states that if i‘tikāf is observed with sincerity, then it is amongst the most virtuous deeds.

Our Task in Hand

So if one is able to perform i‘tikāf during the last ten days, he should most definitely do so. The ladies should also perform i‘tikāf at home. If one is not able to perform i‘tikāf for all of the last ten days, he should perform i‘tikāf for however many days he is able to. And if one is so busy that he cannot spend even one day in i‘tikāf then the least he should do is value each and every moment of the last ten days, especially the nights. He should refrain from every minor and major disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā carry out actions which please Him to acquire Divine Pleasure.

May Allāh ta‘ālā grant us the tawfīq to value the remaining days of Ramadān, especially the last ten days. May He bless us with the virtue of Laylat-ul-Qadr. May He accept those who have intended to carry out the Sunnah i‘tikāf and may Allāh ta‘ālā make this Ramadān a turning point in our lives and enable us to live a life of obedience until we depart from this world. Āmīn.

© Riyādul Jannah (Vol. 27 No. 5/6, May/June 2018)

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Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

The Final Moments

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

A person’s final moments are dependent on how he spent his life, what he lived for and what his heart remained engrossed in. Accordingly, if a person lives a life of disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā and is preoccupied in worldly pursuits, his last moments will be whilst engaged in such activities. Similarly, a person living a life of obedience to Allāh ta‘ālā, in His remembrance and in striving for His Pleasure, will find his final moments in acts beloved to Allāh ta‘ālā. Many incidents are recorded in history which bear testimony to this fact, prompting us to reflect on our current state and creating a concern regarding our own preparations for departure from this world.

Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Zakariyyā rahimahullāh has quoted a number of incidents:

• Rabī‘ ibn Bazzah rahimahullāh has narrated that a person was in his last moments and the people present encouraged him to recite the kalimah lā ilāha illallāh, but he kept repeating (indicating to a glass of wine), “You drink and also give me one.”

• Another person was in his final moments and the people around him were repeating the kalimah lā ilāha illallāh to prompt him, but he kept saying, “Ten ten rupees, eleven eleven rupees, twelve twelve rupees.”

Hadrat Muftī Muhammad Shafī‘ rahimahullāh has narrated:

• A salesman used to be always occupied in his business ventures, so much so that performing salāh and other acts of worship would never come to mind. During his final moments, people encouraged him to recite the kalimah lā ilāha illallāh, but his end came with him continuously mentioning and calculating his business transactions.

• An incident of another person who remained busy in his worldly pursuits, led to him in his final moments continually saying, “Have you fed my donkey.”

In contrast, we find amazing incidents of pious people who lived a life of piety, engaged in the obedience to Allāh ta‘ālā and toiling for His Pleasure, leaving the world in a manner which leaves us in amazement and wonder.

‘Umar ibn ‘Abd-ul-‘Azīz rahimahullāh is well known for his piety and steadfastness on Dīn. He established justice to such a degree, that the Ummah recognise him as the fifth rightly guided caliph. Many people were gathered around him when his final moments drew near. As he began to cry, someone consoled him and asked, “Why are you crying? Allāh ta‘ālā has revived the Sunnah and established justice through you.”

Hearing this he began to cry more and said, “Will I not be questioned regarding the rights of the people?” He then went on to say, “O Allāh! You commanded me with certain things regarding which I remained imperfect, and you prohibited certain things from which I couldn’t restrain myself, but O Allāh, I bear witness that You are One, Who has no partner and there is none worthy of worship except You.” He then requested all to leave him except his attendant saying there are such creations before him who were neither jinn nor human. After everyone had left, he left this mortal world after reciting the following verse of the Glorious Qur’ān:

This is the home of the Ākhirah, which We shall assign to those who do not desire pomp on earth nor corruption. The (best) outcome shall be for those with Taqwā. (28:83)

The great muhaddith Abū Zur‘ah rahimahullāh was an imām in the field of hadīth. Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal rahimahullāh states regarding him that he knew 600,000 ahādīth. When his final moments came, the ‘ulamā present began discussing how they should encourage him to recite the kalimah, as they felt it was disrespectful to address him directly. They decided to narrate a hadīth in his presence. One person initiated the hadīth with, “Dahhāk ibn Makhlad narrated to us from ‘Abd-ul-Hamīd ibn Ja‘far who narrated from Sālih”. He then stopped at this point. Hearing this, the great muhaddith began narrating the hadīth saying, “Bundār narrated to us that Abū ‘Āsim narrated to him that ‘Abd-ul-Hamīd ibn Ja‘far narrated to him that Sālih ibn Abī ‘Arīb narrated to him that Kathīr ibn Murrah Al-Hadramī narrated to him that Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal radhiyallāhu ‘anhu narrated that Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam stated, ‘Whoever’s last words are lā ilāha illallāh….’.” He then passed away. The full hadīth is, ‘Whoever’s last words are lā ilāha illallāh will enter Jannah’. By departing in this manner, he practically demonstrated the glad tiding mentioned in this hadīth. What an amazing death Allāh ta‘ālā granted him!

These few incidents are a mere drop in the ocean from the many great and amazing final moments Allāh ta‘ālā has granted His special servants, who made acquiring His Pleasure the objective of their lives. The thought should not cross our minds that these were great people of the past who achieved such heights. Even in this age, Allāh ta‘ālā does not deprive His servants who lead a life of servitude to Him and remain steadfast in their duties and obligations to Him.

Just this month, my very dear and close friend in Barbados, Dr. Muhammad Shafee Nagdi, left this mortal world. May Allāh ta‘ālā grant him forgiveness for any shortcomings and elevate his status in the hereafter and resurrect him with the Ambiyā, the Siddiqīn, the Shuhadā and the Sālihīn. Āmīn.

Dr. Muhammad Shafee Nagdi was my host whenever I visited Barbados and was very affectionate towards me and showed me much love and affection. He was very respectful towards the ‘Ulamā and Mashāyikh and would endeavour to serve and bring comfort to them. Almost all the prominent Mashāyikh who visited Barbados during his lifetime have been his guests and his manner and behaviour towards them was such that he would win their hearts. I was very saddened and experienced much grief upon the news. However, when his sons narrated to me the details of his final moments, I was wonderstruck and experienced immense happiness for the way Allāh ta‘ālā called him to his final abode.

Dr. Muhammad Shafee Nagdi was very steadfast and punctual with his a‘māl and ma‘mūlāt (prescribed practices). He would for the last forty years wake up for tahajjud and complete his ma‘mūlāt. In the last few years he was not very mobile, yet he remained punctual regarding his daily practices. Even in a poor state of health, he would normally wake up around 1am and engage in tahajjud salāh, dhikr and du‘ā until the beginning time of Fajr and then perform his Fajr. Thereafter, he would recite Sūrah Yāsīn and one juz from the Qur’ān. He would then awaken his wife and son for Fajr salāh.

His son, Rafeeq, narrated to me that during his father’s last night in this world, as per his usual practice he attended to his father at 1am to assist him to perform wudū and seat him in his chair for tahajjud, thereafter returning to sleep. Later in the morning, he was not awakened by the call of his father, but his mother. Worried, he got up and went to see his father to find that he had, at some point during the night, departed for the hereafter. This in itself was a great honour, that he had left this world whilst engaged in worship. However, the detail mentioned by his son is more amazing. He said that he found his father in the condition that the Qur’ān was still open and in his father’s hands. This means, according to his regular practice, Dr. Shafee must have performed his tahajjud salāh, completed all his ma‘mūlāt, performed his Fajr salāh, recited Sūrah Yāsīn and also the Qur’ān. Furthermore, when his son looked at the Qur’ān, it became apparent that he was on the last page, which indicated that he had just completed the Qur’ān. Subhānallāh! What a praiseworthy final moment Allāh ta‘ālā granted my beloved friend!

It is evident that, when a person makes Allāh ta‘ālā his objective and lives a life striving to acquire His Pleasure, then his final moments will be in the same state. We should take lesson from such incidents and reflect on how we are leading our lives, so that we can mend our ways by sincerely repenting from a life of negligence and adopting a life of piety and devotion.

May Allāh ta‘ālā grant us all the tawfīq to live such a life that we breathe our last when we are engaged in acts that are most beloved to Him, so that we depart with His Forgiveness, Mercy and eternal Pleasure. Āmīn.

© Riyādul Jannah (Vol. 26 No. 8, August 2017)

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Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

Advice for Teachers – 08/04/2018

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Notes from Khatme Bukhari Jalsah of Shaykhul Hadith Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat Saheb (Hafidhahullah)IMG-20170609-WA0080.jpg

Sacrifice

 

Asad ibn Furat RH was a student of Imam Muhammad RH. He says that Imam Muhammad RH would teach some students extra lessons at night time. So I also requested to be taught at night, he granted me permission. One night, I knocked on the door of my teacher’s house. Imam Muhammad RH opened the door with a book in one hand and a jug of water in the other. As the lesson started, I felt sleepy, when Imam Muhammad caught sight of this he would sprinkle the water from the jug on my face. I would awaken immediately. Once again, if I fell sleepy he would repeat the same action.

Shaykh mentioned this story and stated, “Brothers! This deen did not come to us with ease, there was great sacrifice behind this.”

Imam Shafiee RH

Imam Shafiee RH states, “A teacher should pick out the brighter students and make extra effort on them, so they can advance and excel.” Which does not mean we leave out the weaker students, also focus on them to improve.

Patience and Mercy

Rabee ibn Sulayman RH narrates, “Once Imam Shafiee RH explained a mas’alah in class, I did not understand so he repeated the mas’alah. Imam Shafiee kept asking me if I understood, until he repeated it FORTY times. After which he asked me if I understood. Out of sheer embarrassment I walked out of class, because I didn’t want my fellow colleagues to lose out on the lesson. After class my ustadh called me and kept explaining and explaining until I understood! By Allah! He would not leave his place until I did. He would say the following to me: If I could empty my chest and make you drink this knowledge I would (literally) make you drink it.”

Shaykh mentioned that we should think of these children as a plantation for our hereafter. Have Marcy upon them if they lack understanding.

Another similar incident is mentioned regarding Hasan ibn Ziyad RH, he mentions, “I used to attend the classes of Imam Zufar RH, occasionally I would question Imam Zufar on issues I didn’t understand. He would answer the first time, politely. If I asked the same question again, he would answer with a slight harsh and annoyed tone. The third time he would get very angry at me for repeating the same question. Then I referred to Imam Abu Yusuf RH. I would ask him the same question, once, twice, thrice… He would answer each time with the same forbearance and tolerance, saying…’لو استطيعُ انْ ٓاطٓعمكٓ الْعلم لاطعمتُهُ'”

Fearing Criticism

We must continue to do the work of Deen and not fear what people will say. The critics of Imam Shafi’ee RH said about him, “He is worse than Iblees!” The enemies of Imam Abu Hanifah RH said, “Killing Imam Abu Hanifah is better than doing Jihad 70 times.

Keep focused on your purpose, do not look around at what people are doing.

Importance of Qiyamul Layl

A man came to study by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal RH, after a few days Imam Ahmad RH noticed that he does not wake up for Tahajjud. Imam Ahmad RH commented, “This man is seeking knowledge, but does not awaken at night for prayer?”

We should be punctual in Tahajjud and pray for our students as well.

Continue Seeking Knowledge

After graduation, continue to seek knowledge. Our knowledge should keep increasing and increasing. Also, remember to act upon the knowledge we learn. As well as all this, you should endeavour to spread this knowledge to the four corners of the world. We should have worry and concern that how we can reach this knowledge to every person of the Ummah. To acquire this, we need to ask Allah for help, make constant Dua and meet and greet people with good manners and etiquette. Deal with them in a soft and gentle manner.

Forgiveness

Forgive your students, ask forgiveness from them as well. Students should also ask forgiveness regularly from their teachers.

Wealth and Money

Do not run after the world/dunya. What is written for you in Taqdeer will alway come to you. Do not make this your purpose. We want you students to make Ilm/knowledge your life, your eating, breathing, sleeping etc. We want you to die seeking this Ilm.

The Ummah is thirsty, they are on the brink of Apostasy. My dear children, it is your duty to save them with the knowledge Allah has blessed you with. Allah will fulfil your financial, spiritual and physical needs in sha Allah. Allah make you a great Sadaqah Jariyah for your parents.