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Be Humble: It’s A Sunnah

The Prophet knew that Allah created us with weakness and that driving those who sin out of Islam would leave the Ummah empty. The essence of being Muslim is being humble.

The word “Muslim” itself means to submit oneself in ultimate humbleness to Allah.

But it is a great irony of the human soul that when we become more humble and submissive to Allah, we fall into a grave trap. We tend to grow in arrogance because we feel our level of submission is better than that of others.

It was this same trap that Satan fell into. Once upon a time, Iblis (Satan) was so pious that he was allowed to worship with the angels. In one twist of events, Iblis was cast out and became accursed.

He refused to bow to Allah’s creation of man because he thought himself to be better than man.

{(Remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Truly I am going to create man from clay. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate to him…

(Allah) said: ‘O Iblis! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with my own hands? Are you too proud (to fall prostrate to Adam) or are you one of the high exalted?’

(Iblis) said “I am better than he. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.} (Quran 38: 71-76)

It is true that we, mankind, and Iblis and his kind, were created differently. And it was this difference that caused Iblis to be proud, to hate mankind, and become cursed by Allah. We can see this same arrogance and haughtiness playing out every day in the hearts of mankind.

Whether we perceive ourselves to be more pious, more intelligent, better at making money, or just from a better race of people, we too often get caught in the trap of thinking we are better. And we end up hating those who are different from us out of arrogance.

Allah says: {And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, God likes not each arrogant boaster.} (Quran31:18)

Allah has created all of us differently with an array of strengths and weaknesses.

So, how can we avoid becoming arrogant toward others as Satan is toward us?

How can we truly be humble?

The best example is that of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). After all he was indeed the best of creation and the most humble.

Prophet Muhammad knew that no one is more important than another…  “A woman who was afflicted with partial derangement in her mind said: “O Messenger of Allah, I want something from you. He said: ‘see on which side of the road you would like (to stand and talk) so that I may help you.’ He then stood aside with her on the roadside until she got what she needed.” (Muslim, 2326)

In this short hadith, we will find many examples of the humility of the Prophet. If he wanted to, the Prophet could have stood in the road and spoken to the woman. And he would have been praised for it. But he did not think himself so important to block the road even while doing a good deed.

In addition, Prophet Muhammad does not admonish this woman for approaching him in such a coarse way. Nor does he turn his nose up at her because she is disturbed. He instead treats her with kindness and provides her with what she needs.

Prophet Muhammad knew that no one was more important than another. He also knew that if Allah had willed him, he would be in the same mental state as the woman.

The Prophet’s Humility at Home
When Aishah was asked about what the Prophet would do in his house, she said: “He would serve his family and when the time for prayer came he would go out and pray.” (Al-Bukhari, 676)

As a husband and father, Prophet Muhammad was kind, helpful, and humble. The Prophet didn’t expect to be waited on. He did not shout orders at those in his care. Never did he say that his work was outside the home. Wherever there was work, he would pitch in.

Prophet Muhammad understood that the higher your rank the more of a servant you become. And if Allah had willed, Allah would have made him a slave to man.

The Prophet’s Humility with the Poor
in this hadith, we see the stellar manners and humility of the Prophet shine. “Once, I was walking with the Messenger of God while he was wearing a Yemeni cloak with a collar with rough edges. A Bedouin grabbed him strongly… I looked at the side of his neck and saw that the edge of the cloak left a mark on his neck. The Bedouin said: “O Muhammad! Give me [some] of the wealth of God that you have.” The Messenger of God turned to the Bedouin, smiled, and ordered that he be given [some money].” (Al-Bukhari, 6088)

Again in this hadith, we see the stellar manners and humility of the Prophet shine.

In the face of rudeness, we find that the Prophet doesn’t allow his ego to be wounded. He does not feel the need to exert dominance or even return to the harsh treatment. He is not insulted in the least. He laughs at the situation, relieving the tension.

Then even after being treated rudely, The Prophet doesn’t send the Bedouin away or abuse him because of his lower economic status. The Prophet treats the poor Bedouin with mercy and sees that the man gets what he needs.

The Prophet Muhammad knew that whatever wealth we have comes from Allah. If Allah had willed, he would have been in the Bedouin’s situation.

The Prophet’s Humility with the Less Pious
The Prophet was not too proud to associate with this man who committed a major sin.  A companion of the Prophet named Nu’ayman was addicted to alcohol and continued to drink it despite knowing the ruling against intoxicants. Nu’ayman struggled with his addiction and was flogged twice for being drunk.

Upon the second flogging, Umar who was angered by Nu’ayman’s behavior quipped: “May God’s curse be on him.”

The Prophet, upon hearing this, was quick to intervene: “No, no, don’t do (such a thing). Indeed he loves God and His Apostle. The major sin (as this) does not put one outside the community and the mercy of God is close to the believers.” (Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet was not too proud to associate with this man who committed a major sin. He did not isolate this man because of his faults. Nor was he too proud to defend Nu’ayman from Umar’s insult.

The Prophet knew that Allah created us with weakness and that driving those who sin out of Islam would leave the Ummah empty.

We need to protect ourselves from thinking we are better than others, as Iblis believed he was better than us. We must understand that the foundation of humility is knowing that if we are elevated in status it is only because of Allah. We can be brought to the level of those we look down on if Allah wills.

Prophet Muhammad asked Allah for humility by saying: “O Allah, make me live humbly and make me die humbly, and gather me among the humble on the day of resurrection.” (At-Tirmidi, 2352)

It is this tradition that we need to cling to so that we can also be gathered on the day of resurrection with the humble, with the Prophet, peace be upon him.

By Theresa Corbin

Fasting In Month Of Shaban

Shaban is the name of the (eighth) month, and it is so called because in this month the Arabs used to disperse (tasha”aba) in search of water, or it was said that they dispersed to carry out raids and forays. Or it was said that it is so-called because it sha’aba (branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadan. The plural forms of the word Shaban areShabanaat and Sha’aabeen.

Fasting in Shaban
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her)said: “The Messenger(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Shaban.”(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 1833; Muslim, no. 1956).

According to a report narrated by Muslim(no. 1957), “He used to fast all of Shaban, he used to fast all but a little of Shaban.” A group of scholars, including Ibn al-Mubaarak and others, thought that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fast all of Shaban, but he fasted most of it. This is supported by a report in Saheeh Muslim (no. 1954) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her), who said: “I never knew of him – meaning the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) – fasting for any entire month apart from Ramadan.”

According to another report also narrated by Muslim (no. 1955), ‘Aa’ishah said: “I never saw him fast for an entire month from the time he came to Madeenah, apart from Ramadan.” It was reported in al-Saheehayn that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fast any entire month apart from Ramadan.”(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 1971, and Muslim, no. 1157).

Ibn Abbas regarded it as makrooh to fast any entire month apart from Ramadan. Ibn Hajar(may Allah be pleased with him) said: “He observed more voluntary fasts in Shaban than in any other month, and he used to fast most of Shaban.” Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting in any other month as you fast in Shaban.’ He said,’ That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.'”(Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, see Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, page 425).

According to a report narrated by Abu Dawood(no. 2076), she said: “The most beloved of months for the Messenger of Allah(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to fast in was Shaban, and his fasting in Shaban was continuous with his fasting in Ramadan.”(Classed as Saheeh by al-Albaani, see Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 2/461).

Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Fasting in Shaban is better than fasting in the Sacred Months, and the best of voluntary fasts are those that are (observed in the months) closest to Ramadan, before or after. The status of these fasts is like that of al-Sunan al-Rawaatib which are done before and after fard (prayers) and which make up for any shortfall in the number of obligatory prayers. The same applies to fasts observed before and after Ramadan. Just asal-Sunan al-Rawaatib are better than other kinds of voluntary prayers, fasts observed (in the months) before and after Ramadan are better than fasts at other times.

The phrase “Shaban is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan” indicates that because it comes between two important months, the Sacred Month of Rajab and the month of fasting, people are preoccupied with those two months and they do not pay attention to Shaban. Many people think that fasting in Rajab is better than fasting in Shaban because Rajab is one of the Sacred Months, but this is not the case… In the hadeeth quoted above there is an indication that even though certain times, places, and people may be commonly thought to possess a particular virtue, there may be others that are better than them. It also indicates that it is mustahabb to make good use of the times when people tend to be negligent, by doing acts of worship.

A group of the Salaf used to fill the time between Maghrib and ‘Isha’ with prayer, saying that it was a time when many people were negligent. Another example is the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) in the marketplace because this means one is remembering Him in a place where people tend to be negligent and among people who are negligent. There are a number of benefits that come from making good use of times when people are often negligent, and using these times for worship, including the following: It is more concealing of one’s good works, and hiding and concealing naafil actions is better, especially fasting, because it is a secret between a slave and his Lord. Hence it was said that there is no element of showing off in fasting. One of the Salaf used to fast for years without anybody knowing about it; he would go from his home to the marketplace carrying two loaves of bread, which he would give away in charity, and he would fast. His family thought that he ate the bread, whilst the people in the marketplace thought that he had eaten at home. The Salaf thought it was mustahabb for a person who was fasting to do things that would conceal the fact that he was fasting.

It was reported that Ibn Mas’ood said: “When you get up in the morning and you are fasting, then apply perfume.” Qutaadah said: “It is mustahabb for the [man] who is fasting to apply perfume so that there will be no sign that he is fasting.” By the same token, doing righteous deeds at times when people are distracted and negligent is more difficult. One of the indications of how virtuous a deed is is how difficult it is: if everyone is doing a certain action, it is easy, but if most people are negligent, this makes it more difficult for those who do remember Allah.

Muslim(no. 2984) narrated from the hadeeth of Ma’qil ibn Yassaar:”[The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:] ‘Worship at times of tribulation (fitnah) is like Hijrah to me.'”(The phrase “worship at times of tribulation” refers to times of upheavals and trials, when people follow their own desires, and those who adhere to Islam are doing something difficult.) The scholars differed as to the reasons why the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fasted so much in Shaban. Their various opinions were as follows:
1. That he had been unable to fast three days out of every month because he was traveling or for some other reason, so he made them all up together in Shaban. When the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) began to do some nafil action, he would persist in it, and if he missed it, he would make it up later.
2. It was said that his wives used to make up the days that they missed of Ramadan in Shaban, so he used to fast because of that. This is the opposite of what was reported from ‘Aa’ishah, that she used to delay making up days that she had missed in Ramadan until Shaban because she was too busy with the Messenger of Allah(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to fast.
3. It was said that it was because this is a month that people do not pay attention to. This is the most correct view, because of the hadeeth of Usaamah quoted above, in which it says: “That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan.”(Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, see Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb , p. 425)

When Shaban began, if the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) still had some voluntary fasts outstanding that he had not fasted, he would make them up during Shaban so that his naafil fasts would be complete before Ramadan came. Similarly, if he had missed some Sunnah prayers or he had missed Qiyaam al-Layl, he would make it up. ‘Aa’ishah used to make the most of this opportunity to make up any obligatory Ramadan fasts that she had missed because of menstruation; during other months she was too busy with the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to fast.

We should also note here that anyone who has any missed fasts to make up has to make them up before the next Ramadan comes. It is not permissible to delay it until after the following Ramadan except in cases of necessity (such as a valid excuse that continues between the two Ramadans). Whoever is able to make them up before the (second) Ramadan and does not do so, has to make them up after the (second) Ramadan and in addition to that, he has to repent and feed one poor person for each day that he missed. This is the view of Maalik, al-Shaafa’i, and Ahmad.

Another benefit of fasting in Shaban is that it is a kind of training for the Ramadan fast, in case a person finds it difficult to fast when Ramadan starts; if he fasts in Shaban he will have gotten used to fasting and he will feel strong and energetic when Ramadan comes. Shaban is like an introduction to Ramadan and it has some things in common with Ramadan, such as fasting, reciting Qur’an, and giving in charity.

Salamah ibn Suhayl used to say: “The month of Shaban is the month of reciters (of the Qur’an).” Habeeb ibn Abi Thaabit used to say, when Shaban came, “This is the month of reciters (of the Qur’an).” When Shaban came, ‘Amr ibn Qays al-Malaa’i used to close his store and devote his time to reading the Qur’an. Fasting at the end of Shaban It was reported in al-Saheehayn from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn(may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to a man, “Have you fasted anything of the sirar of this month?” He said, “No.” He said: “If you have not fasted, then fast for two days.” According to a report narrated by al-Bukhaari: I think he meant Ramadan.

According to a report narrated by Muslim, (the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him))said: “Have you fasted anything of the sirar of Shaban?” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/2000; Muslim, no. 1161). There was some dispute as to the meaning of the wordsiraar. The most well-known view is that it refers to the end of the month. The end of the month is calledsiraar because the moon is hidden (istisraar) at that time. Someone may raise the point that it was reported inal-Saheehayn from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not pre-empt Ramadan by one or two days, except for those who have the habit of fasting regularly, in which case they may fast.”(Reported by al-Bukhaari, no 1983; Muslim, no. 1082).

How can we reconcile the hadeeth which encourages fasting at this time with the hadeeth which says not to fast at this time? The answer is: many of the scholars and most of those who commented on this hadeeth said: this man to whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) addressed this question was known to have the habit of fasting regularly, or else he had made a vow, so the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded him to make up his fast. There are also other points of view on this issue. In brief, we may say that there are three scenarios for fasting at the end of Shaban. The first scenario is when a person fasts at the end of Shaban with the intention of being on the safe side and not missing the first day of Ramadan. This is forbidden. The second scenario is when a person fasts with the intention of fulfilling a vow or of making up a day of Ramadan that he missed or as an act of expiation (kafaarah), etc. This is permissible according to the majority. The third scenario is when this is purely a voluntary fast. This is regarded as makrooh by those who said that we should differentiate between Shaban and Ramadan by not fasting for a while. Among those who said this was al-Hasan. If it happens to coincide with a day when a person habitually fasts, Maalik and those who agreed with him permitted this, but al-Shaafa’i, al-‘Oozaa’i, Ahmad, and others made a distinction between cases where it is fast which a person habitually observes or otherwise.

In conclusion, the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah quoted above is what we should follow according to the majority of scholars. It is makrooh to observe a voluntary fast one or two days before Ramadan for those who do not habitually fast on those days and who have not previously fasted until the end of Shaban. It may be asked: why is it makrooh to fast just before Ramadan (for those who do not have a prior habit of fasting)? The answer is that there are a number of reasons why this is so, such as:

Firstly: lest extra days be added to the fast of Ramadan that is not part of it. Fasting on the day of Eid is prohibited for the same reason, lest we fall into the same trap as the People of the Book with regard to fasting, as they added to their fasts because of their own whims and desires. For the same reason, it is also forbidden to fast on the “day of doubt”. ‘Ammaar said: whoever fasts on this day has disobeyed Abu’l-Qaasim(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The “day of doubt” is a day when people are not sure whether it is Ramadan or not when news of the sighting of the crescent moon comes from one whose word cannot be accepted. As for a cloudy day, some of the ‘ulamaa’ said that this was also a ‘day of doubt’ and said that fasting was not allowed on this day. This is the view of the majority.

Secondly: make a distinction between fard (obligatory) fasts and naafil (supererogatory) fasts, because making a clear distinction between fard actions and naafil actions is prescribed in Islam. Hence it is haram to fast on the day of Eid, and the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade following an obligatory prayer immediately with another prayer unless they are separated by saying salam or speaking, especially in the case of the Sunnah prayer performed just before Fajr. It is prescribed to make a clear separation between this prayer and the obligatory prayer. Hence it is prescribed to pray it at home and to lie down afterward.

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw a man praying at the time when the iqaamah had been given for Fajr, he said to him: “Al-Subh is four rak’ahs.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 663). Some ignorant people may think that the reason why we do not fast just before Ramadan is so that we can make the most of eating and have the fill of our desires before we have to deny ourselves by fasting. This is an ignorant mistake on the part of those who think this. And Allah knows best. And Allah is the Source of strength

References: Lataa’if al-Ma’aarif fimaa li Mawaasim al-‘Aam min al-Wazaa’if, by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali Al-Ilmaan bi shay’in min Ahkaam al-Siyaam, by ‘Abd al-‘Azeez al-Raajihi

 

Beauty Of Qur’an In Selecting Precise Words For Parents

A beautiful function of the Arabic language is Uslub Al-Taghlib i.e. when two different things are mentioned together frequently and associated with one another, one of the two mentioned entities takes on its dual form to represent both entities.

One of the words literally takes over the other. A linguistic reason is usually the determining factor in deciding which word will dominate. Some popular examples of this occurrence are:

Qamraan: literally means two moons, but is representative of both the sun and moon.

Umraan: literally means two Umars, but is representative of Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them)

Hasnaan: literally means two Hasans, but represents both Hasan and Hussain (may Allah be pleased with them)

Now we come to the two instances of this in the Qur’an, Waalidaan, and Abwaan. Both these words mean parents, however, they’re different in their origins. The word Waalidaan comes from the root word Wulida, which means ‘to give birth’. So this is actually representative of the mother. The father is called Waalid figuratively.

Abwaan is a dual form of the word Abb, which means father. So by extension, both mother and father are referred to as Abwaan.

Both of these words have been used in the Qur’an for parents. The real lesson is where and how?

All the verses that speak about good treatment, kindness, and making dua for the parents mention the word Waalidaan, showing a preference for the mother.

As narrated in the famous Hadith, a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked, “Who is most deserving of my good companionship?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Your mother.”

The man then asked, “Who is next?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Your mother.”

The man further inquired, “Who is next?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) once again said, “Your mother.”

The man asked for the fourth time, “Who is next?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Your father.”

So, when mentioning the good treatment of the parents, the Qur’an uses the word for ‘parents’ which is indicative of the mother over the father.

When mentioning the distribution of inheritance, the word Abwaan, which is indicative of the father, is used, due to the father’s share being greater than the mother’s.

This is a small example of the beauty and precision of the Qur’an. May Allah grant us the ability to study and benefit from the Qur’an. It is also a strong reminder of the rights that our mothers have on us.

Our mothers care so much for us, but we tend to forget everything they have – and continue to – done for us. May Allah bless all mothers and guide us to treat them with the kindness, and respect they deserve.

Verily The Religion With Allah Is Islam

The Religion of Islam is the religion which Allah sent Prophet Muhammad[Sallallaahu `Alayhi wa Sallam] with.

Allah the Exalted said: ‘Muhammad is not a father of any of your men, rather he is the Messenger of Allah, and the last of the Prophets.’
[Qur`an Suratul Ahzaab 33: A #40]

Allah the Exalted said: ‘Today I have perfected for you your Religion, and completed for you My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as a religion.’
[Qur`an’ ~ Suratul Maa’idah 3: A#5]

Allah the Exalted said: ‘Verily the religion with Allah is Isam’.
[‘Qur`an’ ~ Surat Aali ‘Imraan 3: A #19]

‘And whoever takes other than Islam as a religion, it will never be accepted from him, and he will be in the Hereafter from the losers.’
[‘Qur`an’~Surat Aali ‘Imraan 3: A #85]

‘Whoever reads Surat `Al-Kahf ‘ on the day of ‘Jumu`ah’… will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday to the next.’
[Narrated by al-Haakim, 2/399; al-Bayhaqi, 3/249. It was classed as Saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ ~ # 6470)]

A Collection Of Quotes On The Rights Of The Parents

Ibn Abbas said: “There is not a single believer who has two parents and wakes up while he is good to them except that Allah opens up for him two gates to Paradise, and if he makes one of them angry, Allah will not be Pleased with him until that parent becomes pleased with him again.” It was asked: “Even if that parent was oppressive and in the wrong?” It was replied: “Yes, even that be so. And he never wakes up while he is bad to them except that Allah opens up for him two gates to Hell.”

As-Samarqandi said: “If Allah – the Exalted – had not mentioned the position and loftiness of the parents in His Book, and did not admonish regarding it, then it would have been realized by simple logic. So, it is obligatory for the one with logic and intelligence to realize their high status and to fulfill their rights. How is it, then, when Allah has mentioned this in all of His Books: the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms, and the Qur’an, has commanded this in all of His Books, and revealed this to all of His Prophets and advised them regarding the honorable position of the parents and their rights, and has made His Pleasure dependent on their pleasure, and His Anger dependent on their anger?”

Farqad as-Sabakhi said: “I have read in many books that it is not for the son (or daughter) to speak in the presence of the parents except with their permission or to walk in front of them, or to their right or left unless they call him to walk next to them. Rather, he should walk behind them as a slave walks behind his master.”

A group of the Companions said: “To leave off praying for one’s parents results in a tight and constricted life for the son.”

With regard to the duties of parents, Abu Hafs Al-Iskandrani – one of the scholars of Uzbekistan – said that a man came to him and said: “My son hit me and hurt me!” The scholar said: “Glory be to Allah! A son hitting his father? Have you taught him manners and knowledge?” The man said: “No.” “Have you taught him the Qur’an?” The man replied: “No.” “So, what does he know how to do?” The man replied: “Farming.” “Do you know why he hit you?” The man replied: “No.” The scholar then said: “It might have been that when he woke up in the morning, he went to the fields, was riding on a donkey, had a stick between his hands, had a dog behind him, and did not have any knowledge of the Qur’an (because you failed to teach him any of it). So, he started singing, and you came out to him at that moment, and he thought you were a cow and hit you with the stick. So, thank Allah that your skull was not fractured.”

One of the early righteous people would not order his son. If he needed something, he would ask someone else for it. When he was asked about this, he said: “I fear that if I were to command my son with something that he wouldn’t be able to bear, he would not carry it out and would therefore be disobedient to me and would deserve Hell as a result, and I do not want to be the cause of my son burning in Hell.”

– As-Samarqandi, ‘Tambih Al-Ghafilin’, (p. 84-91)