When An Order Admits Two Interpretations
Abdullah Ibn Umar reports: “When we returned home after the siege by the confederate tribes was ended, the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered us: ‘No one should offer the Asr prayer except at the Qurayzah quarters. Some of us were still on the way when Asr was due. Some said that they would not pray until they arrived at Qurayzah, while others said that they would pray on the way because the Prophet did not wish anyone to delay prayers until its time was over. The Prophet was told of this, and he did not reproach either group.” (Related by Al-Bukhari)
The siege referred to in this hadith was when the combined forces of major Arabian tribes, together with their Jewish allies, besieged Madinah, with the declared aim of exterminating Islam and all Muslims. The Prophet and his companions dug a moat along the area where these forces could enter Madinah, which was wide and deep enough to prevent any breach of their lines.
The Muslims were able to hold on indefinitely because their enemy could not force entry, no matter how much they tried. Only after the Jewish tribe of Qurayzah, bound by a treaty of friendship and alliance with the Muslims, decided to switch sides and attack the Muslims from behind, the Muslims were in real danger. Still, the Muslims were determined to continue with their resistance. Ultimately, the Muslims were able to create doubts among the various parties of their enemies, which led to the withdrawal of the Arabian tribes, humiliated and defeated without even putting up a fight. The Muslims were then able to go to their homes to rest.
However, on orders from God, the Prophet sent out callers requiring all Muslims to move against the traitors of Qurayzah. The order was in the terms set out in the quoted hadith: ‘No one should offer the Asr prayer except at the Qurayzah quarters.’ The Prophet’s companions immediately complied with the Prophet’s order, as they always did. They set out in small groups, heading to Qurayzah’s forts where they would join the Prophet.
As they marched on, quite a long distance that took more than a couple of hours, it was time for Asr’s prayer. They feared that by the time they would reach their destination they would have missed their prayer, as the sun would have set. Some of them argued that the Prophet did not wish them to miss their prayer; rather, he only indicated the urgency of setting out. Therefore, they stopped to pray on the way, before they resumed their march. Others took the order quite literally. They argued that the occasion was special and, therefore, the Prophet wanted them to get to the Qurayzah quarter so that they would pray there. Hence, they did not stop. Although they arrived after sunset, which meant that the time range for Asr had passed, they prayed it on arrival.
The reporter of the hadith makes clear that the Prophet did not take issue with either group. He accepted both as correct. This is an indication that some situations admit more than one acceptable alternative. If one exercises one’s discretion to arrive at the right choice, God will accept that and reward him for it, even if he is wrong. The Prophet says that a scholar who exercises scholarly discretion to arrive at a ruling will be given a double reward if he is right and a single reward if he is wrong.
– by Adil Salahi
Sahaba Karam RA Ki Ibadat Ka Hall
The Quran Is Full Of Wisdom
[1:1] In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
[36:2] And the Quran that is full of wisdom.
The Quran is full of wisdom, and Muhammad taught his followers the same.
[10:1] A.L.R. These (letters) are the proofs of this book of wisdom.
[31:1] A. L. M.
[31:2] These (letters) constitute proofs of this book of wisdom.
[31:3] A beacon and a mercy for the righteous.
[36:1] Y. S. (Yaa Seen)
[36:2] And the Quran that is full of wisdom.
[43:1] H. M.
[43:2] And the enlightening scripture.
[43:3] We have rendered it an Arabic Quran, that you may understand.
[43:4] It is preserved with us in the original master, honorable and full of wisdom.
[44:4] In it (the scripture), every matter of wisdom is clarified.
[3:164] GOD has blessed the believers by raising in their midst a messenger from among them, to recite for them His revelations, and to purify them, and teach them the scripture and wisdom. Before this, they had gone totally astray.
[17:31] You shall not kill your children due to fear of poverty. We provide for them, as well as for you. Killing them is a gross offense.
[17:32] You shall not commit adultery; it is a gross sin and evil behavior.
[17:33] You shall not kill any person – for GOD has made life sacred – except in the course of justice. If one is killed unjustly, then we give his heir authority to enforce justice. Thus, he shall not exceed the limits in avenging the murder; he will be helped.
[17:34] You shall not touch the orphans’ money except for their own good until they reach maturity. You shall fulfill your covenants, for a covenant is a great responsibility.
[17:35] You shall give full measure when you trade, and weigh equitably. This is better and more righteous.
[17:36] You shall not accept any information unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.
[17:37] You shall not walk proudly on earth – you cannot bore through the earth, nor can you be as tall as the mountains.
[17:38] All bad behavior is condemned by your Lord.
[17:39] This is some of the wisdom inspired to you by your Lord. You shall not set up another god beside GOD, lest you end up in Gehenna, blamed and defeated.
[33:32] O wives of the prophet, you are not the same as any other women, if you observe righteousness. (You have a greater responsibility.) Therefore, you shall not speak too softly, lest those with the disease in their hearts may get the wrong ideas; you shall speak only righteousness.
[33:33] You shall settle down in your homes, and do not mingle with the people excessively like you used to do in the old days of ignorance. You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and obey GOD and His messenger. GOD wishes to remove all unholiness from you, O you who live around the Sacred Shrine, and to purify you completely.
[33:34] Remember what is being recited in your homes of GOD’s revelations and the wisdom inherent therein. GOD is Sublime, Cognizant.
[62:2] He is the One who sent to the gentiles a messenger from among them, to recite to them His revelations, purify them, and teach them the scripture and wisdom. Before this, they had gone far astray.
[2:127] As Abraham raised the foundations of the shrine, together with Ismail (they prayed): “Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the Hearer, the Omniscient.
[2:128] “Our Lord, make us submitters to You, and from our descendants let there be a community of submitters to You. Teach us the rites of our religion, and redeem us. You are the Redeemer, Most Merciful.
[2:129] “Our Lord, and raise among them a messenger to recite to them Your revelations, teach them the scripture and wisdom, and purify them. You are the Almighty, Most Wise.”
[2:130] Who would forsake the religion of Abraham, except one who fools his own soul? We have chosen him in this world, and in the Hereafter, he will be with the righteous.
[2:150] Wherever you go, you shall turn your face (during Salat) towards the Sacred Masjid; wherever you might be, you shall turn your faces (during Salat) towards it. Thus, the people will have no argument against you, except the transgressors among them. Do not fear them, and fear Me instead. I will then perfect My blessings upon you, that you may be guided.
[2:151] (Blessings) such as the sending of a messenger from among you to recite our revelations to you, purify you, teach you the scripture and wisdom, and teach you what you never knew.
[2:152] You shall remember Me, that I may remember you, and be thankful to Me; do not be unappreciative.
[2:231] If you divorce the women, once they fulfill their interim (three menstruations), you shall allow them to live in the same home amicably, or let them leave amicably. Do not force them to stay against their will, as revenge. Anyone who does this wrongs his own soul. Do not take GOD’s revelations in vain. Remember GOD’s blessings upon you, and that He sent down to you the scripture and wisdom to enlighten you. You shall observe GOD, and know that GOD is aware of all things.
[3:54] They plotted and schemed, but so did GOD, and GOD is the best schemer.
[3:55] Thus, GOD said, “O Jesus, I am terminating your life, raising you to Me, and ridding you of the disbelievers. I will exalt those who follow you above those who disbelieve, till the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is the ultimate destiny of all of you, then I will judge among you regarding your disputes.
[3:56] “As for those who disbelieve, I will commit them to painful retribution in this world, and in the Hereafter. They will have no helpers.”
[3:57] As for those who believe and lead a righteous life, He will fully recompense them. GOD does not love the unjust.
[3:58] These are the revelations that we recite to you, providing a message full of wisdom.
[4:113] If it were not for GOD’s grace towards you, and His mercy, some of them would have misled you. They only mislead themselves, and they can never harm you in the least. GOD has sent down to you the scripture and wisdom, and He has taught you what you never knew. Indeed, GOD’s blessings upon you have been great.
For example, the Quran teaches us the following wisdom if our religion, our scripture, and our messenger are being mocked, ridiculed, or criticized:
[44:4] In it (the scripture), every matter of wisdom is clarified.
[4:140] He has instructed you in the scripture that: if you hear GOD’s revelations being mocked and ridiculed, you shall not sit with them unless they delve into another subject. Otherwise, you will be as guilty as they are. GOD will gather the hypocrites and the disbelievers together in Hell.
[5:57] O you who believe, do not befriend those among the recipients of previous scripture who mock and ridicule your religion, nor shall you befriend the disbelievers. You shall reverence GOD if you are really believers.
[6:68] If you see those who mock our revelations, you shall avoid them until they delve into another subject. If the devil causes you to forget, then, as soon as you remember, do not sit with such evil people.
[18:106] Their just requital is Hell, in return for their disbelief, and for mocking My revelations and My messengers.
[39:48] The sinful works they had earned will be shown to them, and the very things they used to mock will come back to haunt them.
[45:33] The evils of their works will become evident to them, and the very things they mocked will come back and haunt them.
Indeed, Muhammad brought the best hadith which teaches us all kinds of wisdom.
[44:4] In it (the scripture), every matter of wisdom is clarified.
[7:185] Have they not looked at the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all the things GOD has created? Does it ever occur to them that the end of their life may be near? Which Hadith, besides this, do they believe in?
[12:111] In their history, there is a lesson for those who possess intelligence. This is not fabricated Hadith; this (Quran) confirms all previous scriptures, provides the details of everything and is a beacon and mercy for those who believe.
[31:6] Among the people, there are those who uphold baseless Hadith, and thus divert others from the path of GOD without knowledge, and take it in vain. These have incurred a shameful retribution.
[39:23] GOD has revealed herein the best Hadith; a book that is consistent, and points out both ways (to Heaven and Hell). The skins of those who reverence their Lord cringe therefrom, then their skins and their hearts soften up for GOD’s message. Such is GOD’s guidance; He bestows it upon whoever wills (to be guided). As for those sent astray by GOD, nothing can guide them.
[39:29] GOD cites the example of a man who deals with disputing partners (Hadith), compared to a man who deals with only one consistent source (Quran). Are they the same? Praise be to GOD; most of them do not know.
[45:6] These are GOD’s revelations that we recite to you truthfully. In which Hadith other than GOD and His revelations do they believe?
[52:34] Let them produce a Hadith like this if they are truthful.
[68:44] Therefore, let Me deal with those who reject this Hadith; we will lead them on whence they never perceive.
[77:50] Which Hadith, other than this, do they uphold?
Namaz Mein Muqtadi Kahan Khara Ho?
What It Means To Respect The Prophet
You who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), and fear Allah. Verily! Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Qur’an, 49:1)
SURAH Hujurat opens with Allah’s command to the Believers not to interrupt the Prophet’s conversations or obstinately contradict him (peace be upon him). Instead, they are advised to fear Allah by being patient and to obey the Prophet (peace be upon him) by following him in all their affairs.
Respect for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and what he had to say is portrayed as an expression of the fear of Allah because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not speak of his own accord. He was guided by Allah; therefore, his statements and actions should be looked at as divine guidance from Allah.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the means by which Allah chose to convey His last message to mankind. This vital point was emphasized and immortalized by Allah in the following verse:
“And, he (the Prophet) does not speak from his desires; verily, what he says is revelation from (God).” (Qur’an, 53:3)
We are required to revere the Qur’an and quietly listen to its message based on Allah’s statement, “When the Qur’an is being recited, listen to it attentively and be quiet.” (Qur’an, 7:204) We are also required to revere the Prophet (peace be upon him) and listen attentively to his pronouncements. Ibn Abbas, the greatest Qur’anic commentator among the Sahabah, added another dimension to the meaning of this verse and similar verses by interpreting it to mean that the Believers should not say anything which goes against the Qur’an and Sunnah. (Quoted by lbn Katheer in his Tafsir, vol. 4, p. 315)
Figuratively speaking, one is in Allah’s presence when he or she reads the Qur’an, and likewise when the Ahadith which describes the Prophet’s Sunnah is studied, one also enters into the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Hence, “Allah and His Prophet’s presence” can be said to refer today to the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Forwardness and haste in Allah’s and His Prophet’s presence could then be interpreted to mean the making of snap judgments based on superficial reading or making unauthorized and unfounded interpretations of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Giving one’s personal opinions or cultural habits precedence over the divine commands of the Qur’an and Sunnah also represents another aspect of forwardness in Allah’s and His Prophet’s presence. Great care has to be taken when explaining the principles of Islam in order that no statements contrary to those of Allah and His Messenger are inadvertently made which may consequently lead people astray.
If at any time ideas in opposition to the Qur’an and the Sunnah are held and clear proofs of their inaccuracy are later presented, a true Believer is required to immediately give up his or her mistaken concepts and submit to the authentic commands of Allah and His Messenger. If one does otherwise, claiming his ideas and practices were that of his forefathers, he would be, in fact, no better than the pagans of Makkah who replied to the Prophet’s call to One God by saying, “Verily, we found our forefathers on this path and we Intend to follow their steps.” (Qur’an, 13:22)
He would also be guilty of the crime of “believing in a part of the Book and disbelieving in a part” (Qur’an, 2:85); a crime for which Allah cursed the Jews. Instead, one should, “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger” (Qur’an, 3:32) without the least hesitation otherwise one’s Islam, which itself means submission to Allah and His Apostle, would be in question.
Allah then closes the verse with a reminder to fear Him at all times, for it is only the consciousness of Allah, longing for His pleasure and a fear of His displeasure, which can create a real and lasting improvement of human habits. The verse is then sealed with two of Allah’s qualities both of which produce a state of real God consciousness in all who comprehend their implications.
Allah is the Hearer of all statements, plans, or plots and He is the Knower of the secret intentions behind all deeds. His knowledge knows no bounds of time and space. Hence, any disrespect shown to Allah and his Prophet (peace be upon him), His Qur’an, and the Sunnah is known to Allah; and those who dare to commit such acts will be held to account for them.
– Excerpt from the writer’s book ‘Tafseer Soorah Al-Hujuraat’
– Bilal Philips
Firqa Wariat Say Nijaat Magar Kaise?
A Child In Difficult Circumstances
Special circumstances surrounded the childhood of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and these undoubtedly had a bearing on his character. His parents’ marriage lasted only a brief period. His father, Abdullah, was the youngest of Abd Al-Muttalib’s 10 sons. He was to be sacrificed in fulfillment of a pledge Abd Al-Muttalib had made long before his birth. However, he was ransomed for an offering of 100 camels. When this was done, he got married, but stayed only a brief period with his wife, Aminah, before joining a trade trip to Syria. On the way back he died.
Aminah herself died when Muhammad (peace be upon him) was six years of age, and Abd Al-Muttalib followed her two years later. Thus, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was deprived of both parents and grandfather by the time he was eight years old. Thus he experienced being an orphan, cared for by relatives who were kind, particularly his uncle Abu Talib who treated him as his own son.
What all this meant was that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a young boy of noble descent in a society that attached much importance to family, tribal lineage, and loyalty. However, he was of limited means. As we see later in his life, this was the spur for him to endeavor to be independent at an early age. He was nevertheless brought up by kind people: his wet nurse, mother, grandfather, as well as his uncle Abu Talib and his wife Fatimah. He also experienced life in the desert when he was with his wet nurse. Most hard was the loss of his mother when he was traveling with her in the desert. Then as a teenager, he worked as a shepherd, tending sheep.
Then as a young man, he traveled with a trade caravan to Syria, working as an agent for his future wife, Khadijah. We learn that he was exemplary in his attending to his work, faithful to his trust, with a keen eye to ensure that his mission was profitable for his employer, and useful to him. Thus he combined noble descent with a good upbringing, a serious approach to life with honesty and faithfulness to trust, and varied life experience with high moral values. We also learn that he never engaged in loose pleasures, as young men often do in all types of society.
We have various reports speaking of events that accompanied his birth, which people read as indicating his future role as God’s messenger. These reports cannot be confirmed. We do not, however, attach much importance to them because they were not clear enough to those who might have witnessed them so as to understand their significance. It is true that Muhammad’s birth signaled the end of confused ideas about God and the establishment of the true faith that would remain available to mankind for the rest of human life. Yet this was not indicated by some miraculous events accompanying his birth. It was made clear in the divine revelations he was to receive forty years later when the angel Gabriel told him that it was God’s choice to be His last messenger to mankind.
When we look at the situation of mankind at the time, we recognize that the world was in great need of a message from God to set its life on the right course. And when we look at Muhammad’s early years, we realize that his difficult childhood was part of his preparation for his future role. He was the one most suited to deliver God’s message, and his preparation for that task was a continuous process that was soon to yield its fruits.
Sulah-e-Hudaibiya Ka Mukhtasar Waqia
Love And Hate Only For The Sake Of Allah
The following is Imaam Sufyaan’s (R) letter…(Excellent)
My brother, use the time you have between dawn and sunrise to contemplate the previous day!
Remain steadfast on the good deeds you performed the previous day, and abandon anything you did out of disobedience to Allah! (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala). Do not repeat the same mistakes, for you do not know whether or not you will live for the rest of your day! As long as you are alive, the option of repentance is available to you…! but refraining from sinning is easier for you than trying to perform sincere repentance. Sincere repentance involves regret and a firm resolve never to repeat the same sin again…
Wherever you are, fear Allah… ! If you perpetrated a sin in secret… then repent to Allah in secret. And if you perpetrated a sin out in the open, then repent to Allah out in the open. Do not let one sin lead to another(so that they pile up onto one another). Cry frequently and as much as you are able to, and do not laugh (frequently), for you were not created without purpose.
Join ties with and be kind to your family, your relatives, your neighbors, and your brothers. When you intend to show mercy, show mercy to the poor, orphans, and to the weak… If you intend to give charity… or to perform a good deed, then do it right away…! before the shaytan (devil) positions himself between you and the execution of what you intended to do.
Act always with a good intention…! Eat with a good intention and Drink with a good intention. Do not be miserly, for miserliness corrupts a person’s religion. Do not promise someone something and refrain from fulfilling your promise, for, in that case, the love you will have gained through your promise will be replaced by hate. Do not feel rancor in your heart towards your Muslim brother… ! for Allah does not accept repentance from a person if there is rancor and malice between him and his Muslim brother. Do not be angry, for anger is like a shaver… just as a shaver shaves off hair, anger shaves off good deeds (unless one becomes angry for the sake of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala).
Make it a practice to extend greetings of peace to every Muslim, for if you do so, hatred, deception, and rancor will all be purged from your heart. Shake hands with your Muslim brothers and you will, as a result, become loved by the people…!
Remain in a constant state of purity (by performing ablution whenever you pass wind or empty your bowels) and, as a result, you will be loved by the Al-Hafazah (the angels who record your deeds).
Love only for the sake of Allah, and Hate only for the sake of Allah: If you do not possess these two qualities, it means that you have on you the mark of a hypocrite {!}
Abridged from:-The Biography of Sufyaan ath-Thauree (Rahimahullaah), p#175-176