Hasan al Basri

Article by Arafat K. El-Ashi on www.islamicawakening.com

Al-Hasan al-Basree, the leader of the disciples of the Companions of the Prophet was, in fact, the son of Yasar the slave of Zayd Ibn Thabet Al Ansari. His mother Ummul Hasan was a slave woman of Ummu Salamah, the wife of the Prophet peace be upon him. So he was born in the house of the Prophet, and his father’s master was one of the famous scribes who recorded Divine revelation for the unlettered Prophet.Yasar, father of al-Hasan was a slave captured in Meesan between Basra and Waset in Iraq. He lived in Madinah where he was liberated from slavery. Then he got maried two years before the end of Uthmân’s caliphate. al-Hasan was brought up in Wadi Al Qura. Another report says that Ummul Hasan was captured and taken prisoner of war when she was pregnant. She gave birth to al-Hasan in Madinah. What is sure, however, is that al-Hasan was the son of two ex-slaves. Muhammad Ibn Sallam says that Ummu Salama used to send Ummul Hasan to do anything for her. al-Hasan used to cry in his mother’s absence; so Ummu Salama would breast-feed him for some time. She would also bring him out to the Companions of the Prophet while he was still young. They would pray for him. Once Umar Ibn Al Khattab said: O God! Make him well-versed in religion and make people love him. al-Hasan al-Basree was as his name implies, the greatest scholar of Basra city. He met Uthmân, Talha and a number of other senior Companions of the Prophet peace be upon him. Abu Hilal says: I heard al-Hasan say: Moses the Prophet of God, used to cover his private parts whenever he took a bath. Ibn Burayda asked al-Hasan: Whom have you heard this from? From Abu Huraira, he said. al-Hasan says: I used to enter the rooms of the Messenger of God during the caliphate of Uthmân; I would touch their ceilings for I was a grown up boy then. I was 14 years old when Uthmân was killed, al-Hasan says. A beautiful tradition reported by al-Hasan al-Basree on the authority of Anas Ibn Malek is the following. He said: The Messenger of God peace be upon him used to give the Friday sermon while standing near a piece of wood against which he would lean his back. When the number of people increased in the mosque he said: Make a pulpit of two steps for me, which they did. When the Prophet stood up to give the sermon on Friday the said piece of wood moaned as if it expressed its feeling of missing the Messenger of God peace be upon him. Anas comments: I was in the mosque and heard the piece moan. It continued to moan until the Prophet descended to it and embraced it. Then it was silent. As a matter of fact, whenever al-Hasan narrated this tradition he would cry and say: O slaves of God! A piece of wood misses the Messenger of God! It is you who should do so. It may sound strange how can a piece of wood moan and feel sorry and miss the absence of the Prophet. First of all there are other authentic traditions that confirm this incident. As Muslims we believe that everything in this world glorifies the praises of God. Trees and stones used to greet the Messenger of God, which is one of his minor miracles. Rabeeah Ibn Kulthoom quotes al-Hasan al-Basree as saying: We learnt from Abu Huraira the following: The Prophet ordered me to do three things: To take a shower every Friday, to finish my prayers nightly with one final prostration and to fast three days of every month. Muhammad Ibn Saad says in his famous encyclopedia called Al Tabaqat that al-Hasan al-Basree was all embracing in his knowledge, a real scholar of a high standard, one who excels in jurisprudence, reliable as a source, trustworthy, a sincere worshipper, overflowing with learning, outspoken, beautiful and handsome. He was also one of the bravest men. No one looks like him except a prophet. That is why Ibn Burda says: No one is similar to the Companions of the Prophet as he was. Thus Abu Qatada says: Keep close to this old man, for I have seen no one whose opinion is like that of Umer as al-Hasan is. So Anas Ibn Malek says: Ask al-Hasan for he still remembers while we forgot. Muath Ibn Muath says: I said to Al Ashaath: You have met Atta and you had questions to ask why didn’t you ask him? He said: I have never met anyone after al-Hasan al-Basree but was small in my eyes. Hammam says: It is said that the earth will never be lacking in seven men; through them people will get rain, and with their blessing they will be defended and I hope that al-Hasan is one of them. A man asked Atta about reciting the Quran on the funeral. He said: We never learnt or heard that it is recited upon. The man siad: al-Hasan says that we have to recite. Atta then said: Follow this, because al-Hasan is a great scholar. Abu Jaafar Al Razi says: I remained a student of al-Hasan for ten years during which I always heard something new. Once al-Hasan described the effect of the Quran on the believer. He said: Son of Adam! By God if you recite the Quran then believe in it then your sadness will be long in this life, so will be your fear and your weeping. That is why one contemporary of al-Hasan says: I never saw anyone who had such a long time of sadness as al-Hasan al-Basree. Everytime I met him I thought he had a new misfortune. Imam Al Qasseer says: Once I asked al-Hasan about something. Then I said: Scholars of jurisprudence say so and so. He said: Have you ever seen a real scholar of this category. Such a scholar is he who is not interested in this life, who knows his sins and who continuously worships his Lord. Khaled Ibn Safwan was a close neighbour of al-Hasan al-Basree. Describing him once he said: I never saw a man like him. His outward appearance is identical to his inner reality, his words are identical to his deeds; if he enjoins what is right he is the first to do it, and when he forbids what is wrong he is the farthest one from it. I found him never in need of other people, but people were in need of him. al-Hasan al-Basree once swore by God that he will be humiliated by God who honours money. That is why he said: Two bad comrades are the dinar and the dirham. They are useful to you only when they leave you.Hajjaj Al Aswad says: A man once expressed the following wish. He said: I wish I were a hermit like al-Hasan, as pious as Ibn Seereen, as a good worshipper as Ubadah Ibn Abd Qays and as understanding jurisprudence as Saeed Ibn Al Musayyib. Those who heard these wishes said: All these are found in al-Hasan al-Basree. Iyas Ibn Abi Tameema says: I saw al-Hasan in the funeral of Abu Raja. He was riding a mule and Al Farazdaq, the famous poet, was along his side on a camel. The latter said to al-Hasan: You and I are higher than all those attending the funeral. They will say: Look! The best and the worst are together alone. al-Hasan very humbly said: O Abu Firas. It may be that a bad looking person is much better than me; and you are better than many old men who are polytheists. What have you prepared for death? Al Farazdaq said: The testimony that there is no diety except God. al-Hasan said: It has its own conditions. Don’t attack chaste women in your poetry. Al Farazdaq asked: Is there any chance for repentence? al-Hasan said: Of course there is.Sahl Ibn Hussayn Al Bahilee said: Once I sent to Abdullah son of al-Hasan al-Basree and asked him to send me all the books of his father. He wrote to Sahl saying: When my father became seriously ill he asked me to collect them which I did. Then al-Hasan ordered his servant to burn them all except one paper which he sent to his son. When the latter came to his father al-Hasan he asked him to read the contents of the paper which he did and al-Hasan approved it. Here are a few wise sayings of al-Hasan.· Saleh Al Murri says, al-Hasan said: Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has gone.· Mubarak Ibn Faddalah says: I heard al-Hasan say the following: Death has shown the reality of this worldly life. It did not leave any happiness for those who are wise.· Thabet quotes al-Hasan as saying: The laughter of a believer is a sign of the inadvertence of his heart.· Talha Ibn Sabeeh says: al-Hasan said: A believer believes in what God has said. He is the best of men in his deeds, but he fears God most, so that if he spends the size of a mountain of money, he would not be sure of his reward until he sees this with his own eyes. The more righteous and charitable the believer is, the more afraid of God he becomes. While the hypocirte says: Men are too many, I shall be forgiven. There is no harm on me. Thus he acts badly, but wishes many things from God. This wise saying of al-Hasan al-Basree reminds me of another saying which describes real faith according to Islam. Faith is not mere wishes but what you have in your heart which is confirmed by your deeds. This means that deeds are the real test of faith. Younus says: When death approached al-Hasan he began to say: We are for God and to Him we will return. When he repeated this his son said: My father you make us sad for your sake. Have you seen anything around you which you don’t like? al-Hasan said: It is only myself nothing is more heavy for me than it is. Hassan Ibn Hisham says: We were with Muhammad Ibn Seereen on Thursday evening when a man told him about the death of al-Hasan al-Basree. He was so sad that he kept silent and the colour of his face was changed. He lived after al-Hasan for one hundred days only. May God be pleased with both.

Salman al Farsi

From: “Companions of The Prophet”, Vol.1

This is a story of a seeker of Truth, the story of Salman the Persian, gleaned, to begin with, from his own words: I grew up in the town of Isfahan in Persia in the village of Jayyan. My father was the Dihqan or chief of the village. He was the richest person there and had the biggest house. Since I was a child my father loved me, more than he loved any other. As time went by his love for me became so strong and overpowering that he feared to lose me or have anything happen to me. So he kept me at home, a veritable prisoner, in the same way that young girls were kept. I became devoted to the Magian religion so much so that I attained the position of custodian of the fire which we worshipped. My duty was to see that the flames of the fire remained burning and that it did not go out for a single hour, day or night. My father had a vast estate which yielded an abundant supply of crops. He himself looked after the estate and the harvest. One day he was very busy with his duties as dihqan in the village and he said to me: “My son, as you see, I am too busy to go out to the estate now. Go and look after matters there for me today.” On my way to the estate, I passed a Christian church and the voices at prayer attracted my attention. I did not know anything about Christianity or about the followers of any other religion throughout the time my father kept me in the house away from people. When I heard the voices of the Christians I entered the church to see what they were doing. I was impressed by their manner of praying and felt drawn to their religion. “By God,” I said, “this is better than ours. I shall not leave them until the sun sets.” I asked and was told that the Christian religion originated in AshSham (Greater Syria). I did not go to my father’s estate that day and at night, I returned home. My father met me and asked what I had done. I told him about my meeting with the Christians and how I was impressed by their religion. He was dismayed and said: “My son, there is nothing good in that religion. Your religion and the religion of your forefathers is better.” “No, their religion is better than ours,” I insisted. My father became upset and afraid that I would leave our religion. So he kept me locked up in the house and put a chain on my feet. I managed however to send a message to the Christians asking them to inform me of any caravan going to Syria. Before long they got in touch with me and told me that a caravan was headed for Syria. I managed to unfetter myself and in disguise accompanied the caravan to Syria. There, I asked who was the leading person in the Christian religion and was directed to the bishop of the church. I went up to him and said: “I want to become a Christian and would like to attach myself to your service, learn from you and pray with you.” The bishop agreed and I entered the church in his service. I soon found out, however, that the man was corrupt. He would order his followers to give money in charity while holding out the promise of blessings to them. When they gave anything to spend in the way oRGod however, he would hoard it for himself and not give anything to the poor or needy. In this way he amassed a vast quantity of gold. When the bishop died and the Christians gathered to bury him, I told them of his corrupt practices and, at their request, showed them where he kept their donations. When they saw the large jars filled with gold and silver they said. “By God, we shall not bury him.” They nailed him on a cross and threw stones at him. I continued in the service of the person who replaced him. The new bishop was an ascetic who longed for the Hereafter and engaged in worship day and night. I was greatly devoted to him and spent a long time in his company. (After his death, Salman attached himself to various Christian religious figures, in Mosul, Nisibis and elsewhere. The last one had told him about the appearance of a Prophet in the land of the Arabs who would have a reputation for strict honesty, one who would accept a gift but would never consume charity (sadaqah) for himself. Salman continues his story.) A group of Arab leaders from the Kalb tribe passed through Ammuriyah and I asked them to take me with them to the land of the Arabs in return for whatever money I had. They agreed and I paid them. When we reached Wadi al-Qura (a place between Madinah and Syria), they broke their agreement and sold me to a Jew. I worked as a servant for him but eventually he sold me to a nephew of his belonging to the tribe of Banu Qurayzah. This nephew took me with him to Yathrib, the city of palm groves, which is how th e Christian at Ammuriyah had described it. At that time the Prophet was inviting his people in Makkah to Islam but I did not hear anything about him then because of the harsh duties which slavery imposed upon me. When the Prophet reached Yathrib after his hijrah from Makkah, I was in fact at the top of a palm tree belonging to my master doing some work. My master was sitting under the tree. A nephew of his came up and said: “May God declare war on the Aws and the Khazraj (the two main Arab tribes of Yathrib). By God, they are now gathering at Quba to meet a man who has today come from Makkah and who claims he is a Prophet.” I felt hot flushes as soon as I heard these words and I began to shiver so violently that I was afraid that I might fall on my master. I quickly got down from the tree and spoke to my master’s nephew. “What did you say? Repeat the news for me.” My master was very angry and gave me a terrible blow. “What does this matter to you? Go back to what you were doing,” he shouted. That evening, I took some dates that I had gathered and went to the place where the Prophet had alighted. I went up to him and said: “I have heard that you are a righteous man and that you have companions with you who are strangers and are in need. Here is something from me as sadaqah. I see that you are more deserving of it than others.” The Prophet ordered his companions to eat but he himself did not eat of it. I gathered some more dates and when the Prophet left Quba for Madinah I went to him and said: “I noticed that you did not eat of the sadaqah I gave. This however is a gift for you.” Of this gift of dates, both he and his companions ate. The strict honesty of the Prophet was one of the characteristics that led Salman to believe in him and accept Islam. Salman was released from slavery by the Prophet who paid his Jewish slave-owner a stipulated price and who himself planted an agreed number of date palms to secure his manumission. After accepting Islam, Salman would say when asked whose son he was: “I am Salman, the son of Islam from the children of Adam.” Salman was to play an important role in the struggles of the growing Muslim state. At the battle of Khandaq, he proved to be an innovator in military strategy. He suggested digging a ditch or khandaq around Madinah to keep the Quraysh army at bay. When Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Makkans, saw the ditch, he said, “This strategem has not been employed by the Arabs before.” Salman became known as “Salman the Good”. He was a scholar who lived a rough and ascetic life. He had one cloak which he wore and on which he slept. He would not seek the shelter of a roof but stayed under a tree or against a wall. A man once said to him: “Shall I not build you a house in which to live?” “I have no need of a house,” he replied. The man persisted and said, “I know the type of house that would suit you.” “Describe it to me,” said Salman. “I shall build you a house which if you stand up in it, its roof will hurt your head and if you stretch your legs the wall will hurt them.” Later, as a govenor of al-Mada’in (Ctesiphon) near Baghdad, Salman received a stipend of five thousand dirhams. This he would distribute as sadaqah. He lived from the work of his own hands. When some people came to Mada’in and saw him working in the palm groves, they said, “You are the amir here and your sustenance is guaranteed and you do this work!” “I like to eat from the work of my own hands,” he replied. Salman however was not extreme in his asceticism. It is related that he once visited Abu ad-Dardaa with whom the Prophet had joined him in brotherhood. He found Abu adDardaa’s wife in a miserable state and he asked, “What is the matter with you.” “Your brother has no need of anything in this world*” she replied. When Abu ad-Dardaa came, he welcomed Salman and gave him food. Salman told him to eat but Abu adDardaa said, “I am fasting.” “I swear to you that I shall not eat until you eat also.” Salman spent the night there as well. During the night, Abu ad-Dardaa got up but Salman got hold of him and said: “O Abu ad-Dardaa, your Lord has a right over you. Your family have a right over you and your body has a right over you. Give to each its due.” In the morning, they prayed together and then went out to meet the Prophet, peace be upon him. The Prophet supported Salman in what he had said. As a scholar, Salman was noted for his vast knowledge and wisdom. Ali said of him that he was like Luqman the Wise. And Ka’b al-Ahbar said: “Salman is stuffed with knowledge and wisdomرan ocean that does not dry up.” Salman had a knowledge of both the Christian scriptures and the Qur’an in addition to his earlier knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion. Salman in fact translated parts of the Qur’an into Persian during the life-time of the Prophet. He was thus the first person to translate the Qur’an into a foreign language. Salman, because of the influential household in which he grew up, might easily have been a major figure in the sprawling Persian Empire of his time. His search for truth however led him, even before the Prophet had appeared, to renounce a comfortable and affluent life and even to suffer the indignities of slavery. According to the most reliable account, he died in the year thirty five after the hijrah, during the caliphate of Uthman, at Ctesiphon.

What a Muslim husband should be like

No one ever thinks about the characteristics of a Muslim husband. It is always what a wife should do…the list never ends, cooking, cleaning washing…you name it she’s doing it. So what about the brothers? Our beloved Prophet (SAW) was not lazy so why are the men of this Ummah?

What a Muslim husband should be like

1. Dress up for your wife, look clean and smell good. When was the last time you went shopping for designer pyjamas? Just like the husband wants his wife to look nice for him, she also wants her husband to dress up for her too. Remember that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would always start with Miswak when returning home and always loved the sweetest smells.

2. Use the best names for your wife. Call your wife by the most beloved names to her, and avoid using names that hurt their feelings.

3. Don’t treat her like a fly. We never think about a fly in our daily lives until it ‘bugs’ us. Similarly, a wife will do well all day -which brings no attention from the husband – until she does something to ‘bug’ him. Don’t treat her like this; recognize all the good that she does and focus on that.

4. If you see wrong from your wife, try being silent and do not comment! This is one of the ways the Prophet (PBUH) used when he would see something inappropriate from his wives (R.A). It’s a technique that few Muslim men have mastered.

5. Smile at your wife whenever you see her and embrace her often. Smiling is Sadaqah and your wife is not exempt from the Muslim Ummah. Imagine life with her constantly seeing you smiling. Remember also those Ahadith when the Prophet (PBUH) would kiss his wife before leaving for Salaah, even when he was fasting.

6. Thank her for all that she does for you. Then thank her again! Take for example a dinner at your house. She makes the food, cleans the home, and a dozen other tasks to prepare. And sometimes the only acknowledgement she receives is that there needed to be more salt in the soup. Don’t let that be; thank her!

7. Ask her to write down the last ten things you did for her that made her happy. Then go and do them again. It may be hard to recognize what gives your wife pleasure. You don’t have to play a guessing game, ask her and work on repeating those times in your life.

8. Don’t belittle her desires. Comfort her. Sometimes the men may look down upon the requests of their wives. The Prophet (PBUH) set the example for us in an incident when Safiyyah (RA) was crying because, as she said, he had put her on a slow camel. He wiped her tears, comforted her, and brought her the camel.

9. Be humorous and play games with your wife. Look at how the Prophet (PBUH) would race with his wife Aisha (R.A) in the desert. When was the last time we did something like that? 10. Always remember the words of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH): ‘The best of you are those who treat their families the best. And I am the best amongst you to my family.” Try to be the best!

In conclusion: Never forget to make Dua to Allah Ta’ala to make your marriage successful. And Allah Ta’ala knows best!

10th Muharram

Fasting on Muharram 10, known as the Day of `Ashura’, expiates for the sins of the past year. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah, he found that the Jews there fasted on Muharram 10 and asked them the reason for their fasting on this day. They said, “This is a blessed day. On this day Allah saved

Fasting on Muharram 10, known as the Day of `Ashura’, expiates for the sins of the past year. 

When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah, he found that the Jews there fasted on Muharram 10 and asked them the reason for their fasting on this day. They said, “This is a blessed day. On this day Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy (in Egypt) and so Prophet  Musa [Moses] fasted on this day giving thanks to Allah.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “We are closer to Musa than you are.” He fasted on that day and commanded Muslims to fast on this day. (Al-Bukhari)

The following year, Allah commanded the Muslims to fast the month of Ramadan, and the fasting of `Ashura’ became optional.

It is also reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to fast on the ninth and tenth. Ibn `Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah fasted on the day of `Ashura’ and ordered the people to fast on it. The people said, “O Messenger of Allah, it is a day that the Jews and Christians honor.” The Prophet said, “When the following year comes, Allah willing, we shall fast on the ninth.” The death of the Prophet came before the following year. (Muslim and Abu Dawud) 

Thus, according to scholars, you may choose to fast `Ashura’ on three days (ninth, tenth, and eleventh); two days (ninth and tenth); or one day only (the tenth).

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Fasting the day of `Ashura’ (is of great merits), I hope that Allah will accept it as an expiation for (the sins committed in) the previous year.” (Muslim)

But this expiation of minor sins comes only if you avoid major sins. It is a big mistake to rely on fasting a single day to “wipe your slate clean.” If you neglect your daily Prayers or the fast of Ramadan, or if you backbite, lie, commit adultery or other major sins, fasting on `Ashura’ alone will not atone for your sins. The great scholar Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyya wrote: 

This misguided person does not know that fasting in Ramadan and praying five times a day are much more important than fasting on the Day of Arafah and the Day of `Ashura’, and that they expiate for the sins between one Ramadan and the next, or between one Friday and the next, so long as one avoids major sins. But they cannot expiate for minor sins unless one also avoids major sins; when the two things are put together, they have the strength to expiate for minor sins. Among those deceived people may be one who thinks that his good deeds are more than his sins, because he does not pay attention to his bad deeds or check on his sins, but if he does a good deed he remembers it and relies on it. This is like the one who seeks Allah’s forgiveness with his tongue (that is, by words only), and glorifies Allah by saying “subhan Allah” one hundred times a day, then he backbites about the Muslims and slanders their honor, and speaks all day long about things that are not pleasing to Allah. This person is always thinking about the virtues of his saying “subhan Allah” and saying “la ilaha illa Allah” but he pays no attention to what has been reported concerning those who backbite, tell lies, and slander others, or commit other sins of the tongue. They are completely deceived.

(Al-Mawsu`ah Al-Fiqhiyyah, part 31, Ghuroor)

You may hear of some customs associated with `Ashura’ such as cooking and eating certain foods on that day, wearing kohl or henna, or even merrymaking. Others consider this a day of mourning and wailing in honor of the Prophet’s grandson Al-Husayn, who was killed in battle on that day. The scholar Ibn Taymiyah stated that all of these are bid`ahs (reprehensible innovations) that should be avoided.

Take advantage of this opportunity to bring yourself closer to Allah on `Ashura’ by fasting and praying for forgiveness.

The Virtue of Observing More Voluntary Fasting during Muharram:Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The best of fasting after Ramadan is fasting Allah’ month of Muharram.” (Reported by Muslim).The phrase “Allah’s month”, connecting the name of the month to the name of Allah in a genitive grammatical structure, signifies the importance of the month. Al-Qari said:

The apparent meaning of the above Hadith is to fast all of the month of Muharram. But it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never fasted any whole month apart from Ramadan, so this Hadith is probably meant to encourage increasing one’s fasting during Muharram, without meaning that one should fast for the entire month.

It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast more in Sha`ban because he may have not learnt of the virtue of Muharram until the end of his life, before he was able to fast during this month, or because certain circumstances may happened during this month hindering him from fasting such as sickness, travel, etc. (Sharh al-Nawawi `ala Saheeh Muslim).”

Qurbani

As Eid ul Adha is approaching, I thought this article by Shaykh Saleem Dhorat would be useful. 

Qurbani is a practice commanded by Allah (SWT):

“So turn in prayer towards your Lord and sacrifice (animals).”

There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbani than the sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of Judgement with it’s horns, hair and hooves (to be weighed). The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground. Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart. [Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah]

Zaid ibn Arqam (RA) relates that the Companions asked, “O Rasoolullah (SAWS) ! What is Qurbani?” He replied, “It is the Sunnah of your father Ibraheem (AS).” They asked again, “What benefit do we get from it?” He answered, “A reward for every hair (of the sacrificed animal). ” And (what reward is there for animals with) wool, O Rasoolullah (SAWS)?” they asked. “A reward”, he said, “for every fibre of the wool.” [Kanzul'Ummal]

On whom is Qurbani waajib?

Qurbani is waajib on every Muslim who is of sound mind, mature (who has reached the puberty), muqeem (i.e. he is not a Shar’ee traveller) and possesses the amount of 52 and a half tolas of silver (612-636 grams) or wealth equivalent to that value which is in excess of one’s aslee (basic) needs. It is not necessary that this amount be in one’s possession for one complete lunar year. It’s possession during the three days of Qurbani will make it obligatory. Qurbani is not incumbent on a child or an insane person whether they own wealth or equivalent to the amount above or not, nor is it waajib on their guardians to perform it own their behalf. Similarly, it is not waajib on a Shar’ee traveller.

NOTE: A Shar’ee traveller is he who goes on a journey with an intention of travelling 48 miles (or more). He will be treated as a traveller as soon as he leaves his town.

It is highly virtuos for one on whom Qurbani is not waajib to offer sacrifice for the Pleasure of Allah. He will be eligible for all the reward mentioned in the Ahadith.

During the days of Qurbani, sadqah and charity cannot compensate for Qurbani nor fulfill the waajib. Qurbani is an unique ibaadah. Just as Zakah cannot compensate for Hajj, or Sawm (Fasting) cannot compensate for Salaah, similarly charity cannot compensate for Qurbani.  However, if the days of Qurbani had passed, and the Qurbani was not offered due to not knowing, negligence or for some other valid reason, then it becomes waajib to give in sadaqah the price of Qurbani animal or the animal itself to the poor.

If a traveller returned home or a person acquired the required wealth on the 12th of Zul Hijjah before sunset,  it will be waajib upon him to perform Qurbani.

A traveller who makes intention of staying at a certain place for 15 days or more, no longer remains a traveller. He must offer Qurbani if he possesses the prescribed amount.

Days of Qurbani

 The days of Qurbani are the 10th, 11th and 12th of Zul Hijjah. The first day is better than the second and the second better than the last.

Time for Qurbani

In towns and cities where Jumu’ah and Eid are performed , Qurbani is not permissable before the Eid salaah. If the Qurbani has been performed before the Eid salaah, it will have to be repeated. Therefore, the time for Qurbani commences after Eid salaah on 10th Zul Hijjah until before sunset on 12th Zul Hijjah.

The Qurbani Animal

It is permissable to offer in sacrifice a goat or she-goat, sheep of all kinds, cow, bull, buffalo or camel.

It is necessary that the goat is 1 (full) year old, whether male or female. A cow, bull or buffalo will have to be 2 years old, and a camel 5 years. Animals that are younger are not suitable for Qurbani.

 A sheep (of any kind) not less than 6 months old, so strong and fat that it appears to be 1 year old will suffice for Qurbani. Otherise, it will have to be 1 (full) year old.

A cow, bull, buffalo or camel will suffice for 7 persons provided no one’s share is less than one seventh and the niyyah (intention) of all partners is to attain thawaab (for Qurbani), and not merely to obtain meat.

The Qurbani of only 1 person can be performed from a goat, sheep or ram.

If an animal seller says that the animal has reached the required age, and outwardly there is no sign to disprove it, then it is permissable to rely on this statement.

Animals that are castrated can be used for Qurbani. In fact, this type of animal is preferable.

The following cannot be used for Qurbani

Animals that are blind, one-eyed or has lost one third or more of its eyesight.

Animals that have lost one third of the ear or tail. Similarly, an animal that had no ear from its very birth.

Animal whose horn has been broken off from the root.

Animal which has one leg lame to the extent that it walks on three legs and is unable to use the fourth leg.

Animal so lean and thin that its bones have no marrow.

Animal so weak that it cannot walk to the place of slaughter on its own.

Animal completely toothless or one that has lost most of its teeth.

It is virtuous to purchase the animal for Qurbani a few days prior to slaughtering and care must be taken in feeding and nursing it.

Masnoon method of sacrifice

It is more virtuous to slaughter the animal with one’s own hands. If one does not know how to slaughter, it is preferred that he remain present while someone else is scarificing the animal. It is not necessary to make the niyyah (intention) of Qurbani with the tongue, however, it is necessary to say Bismillahi Allahu Akbar when slaughtering. 

Use a sharp knife and slaughter the animal quickly so that it does not suffer.

Do not sharpen the knife in front of the animal.

After slaughtering, do not skin the animal before it becomes completely cold.

Do not slaughter one animal in the presence of another.

It is mustahab (desirable) for one who intends to perform Qurbani to refrain from cutting hair or clipping nails from 1st Zul Hijjah to 10th Zul Hijjah (i.e. until after Qurbani).

The Qurbani meat and skin

It is permissable to eat the Qurbani meat.

It can also be distributed to relatives and friends whether wealthy or poor, Muslims or non-Muslims.

It is better to divide it into 3 parts; one for the family, one for friends and relatives and one for the poor and needy.

The skin of of the Qurbani animal can be kept for personal use, e.g. using it as a prayer mat, water bag, etc.

If the skin of the animal is sold, then it is waajib to give that amount in sadaqah to the poor (i.e. to those who are eligible for Zakah).

It is not permissable to give meat, fat etc. of the sacrificed animal to the butcher as his wages.

The meat of the animal slaughtered by partners should be shared by weight and not by estimation.

The rope, cover etc. of the animal should be given away as sadaqah.

Qurbani on behalf of the deceased

If one has been favoured by Allah with wealth, then he should also perform Qurbani on behalf of Rasoolullah (SAWS), his Sahaabah and his Ummah, the Prophets, and for his own relatives (alive or deceased), friends and teachers who have conveyed Deeni knowledge.

One should always remember and never overlook our beloved Rasoolullah (SAWS) and perform Qurbani on his behalf. Abu Talhah (RA)has related that the Prophet (SAWS) sacrificed one ram and whilesacrificing the other, he said: “This is on behalf of every one of my Ummah who belived in me and testified (to my Prphethood).” [Tabarani]

It is a matter of deep thought and consideration that the Prophet (SAWS) kept the Ummah in his mind while offering the sacrifice and it is deplorable for the Ummah not to remember him at the time of Qurbani. 

More targeted insults towards Islam; a toilet with Verses from the Holy Qur’an

Italian Muslims have swiftly acted to stop the sale in local stores of toilet seat covers that feature verses of the Noble Qur’an in an unprecedented blasphemous act, reporting the matter to appropriate authorities and politicians, who proved forthcoming.

The Lazio-based Orizzonte Company unveiled this month a new collection of bathroom products including the offensive toilet cover seats. They feature verses from the Noble Qur’an printed on the double face of the cover seats and intersected by colourful flowers and Latin words.

The offensive toilet cover seats feature verses from the Noble Qur’an

Following Muslim complaints, police raided the four braches of the company in the town of Latina, 60km south of Rome, and seized 2,000 such pieces on sale.

Interior minister Giuliano Amato met Friday with Italian Muslim leaders at the main Rome Mosque to reassure them that Italy would not tolerate such outrageous acts.

“This is an insult to the Muslim faith,” The imam of the Lazio town of Latina’s mosque, Sheikh Yusuf, told Amato.

Italy has a Muslim population of some 1.2 million, including 20,000 reverts, according to unofficial estimates.

Samir Al-Khalidi, the head of the Islamic Centre (Al-Huda) in Rome said he smelled a rat in the Italian company’s act.

“Inscribing the toilet seat covers with Ayat Al-Kursi (The Verse of the Throne) and putting the noble verse in the nastiest place was not unintentional,” he said.

Al-Khalidi said he does not buy the company’s excuses that it did not know what the Arabic words written on the cover seats really meant.

“This is not about art and beauty as the company claims; this is a crime,” he said.

‘Deeds are by intentions’

Everyone has heard the hadith (or part of it) that mention ‘deeds are by intentions’. It is the first hadith mentioned in most ahadith books including the saheeh sittha (the six most authentic hadith collections). But what is the origin of this hadith and what does it truly mean? Here, Shaykh Riyadul Haq explains. The hadith in full is as follows: 

Umar ibn Khattab (RA) said: I heard Allah’s Messenger saying, “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrates for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration will be for what he emigrated for.” 

The Prophet (SAWS) said this on the occasion of someone’s emigration from Makkah to Madinah which was not for the sake of the Islamic cause but to marry a woman who had stipulated that he should emigrate if he wanted to marry her. 

Imam Bukhari starts with his hadith because he wants to draw people’s attention to the fact that everyone should check and review their intention before seeking ilm or doing any aspect of ibaadah. We do not know the end result or the rewards or punishment of our deeds, whether good or bad, without taking recourse to the Quran and Ahadith. These good deeds can only be performed and be accepted by Allah by having a sincere intention and a pure motive. 

This particular hadith appears seven times in the collection of Bukhari. This hadith is in itself abridged on this occasion. In the other six times that this hadith appears, it is in its original version and not abridged. The full, unabridged, version is: 

“The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever’s emigration is to Allah and His Messenger (SAWS) then indeed his emigration is to Allah and His Messenger (SAWS). And whoever emigrates for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration will be for what he emigrated for.” 

Imam Bukhari has left out the sentence, “… So whoever’s emigration is to Allah and His Messenger (SAWS) then indeed his emigration is to Allah and His Messenger (SAWS)…”The question arises as to why Imam Bukhari omitted this part of the hadith on this narration but then included the full version in the six other narrations. 

The hadith can be split into two parts. The first part is about sincerity of intention so doing deeds with the right intention i.e. ultimately seeking the pleasure of Allah. The second part is about insincerity – doing what seems to be good deeds externally but the inner motive and intentions are insincere i.e. doing it to show off in front of others or to gain fame, fortune or veneration etc.  

Imam Bukhari, even after being who he was, considers himself to be from this second category. Imam Bukhari fears his whole endeavour of collecting ahadith may be insincere. He feels he has no right in mentioning the first part of the hadith in case he or others consider him to be sincere and then be adorned with reward. For this reason, he has abridged this hadith in this instance but then included the full hadith in the other narrations. This abridgement is only done by Imam Bukhari himself. Even his teacher did not abridge it. 

Imam Shafi’i has commented that this hadith forms one third of ilm. Abu Dawud has narrated that he has collected 500,000 ahadith. From this he selected 4,800 ahadith for his book, ‘The Sunan of Abu Dawud’. Abu Dawud has stated that of these 4,800 ahadith there are only 4 ahadith that are sufficient for a man’s religion:

1. This hadith.

2. The hadith where Rasoolullah (SAWS) said; Part of the beauty of a man’s religion is that he abandons and leaves aside that which does not concern him”

3. The hadith narrated by Nu’ man bin Nashir – “Halal is clear. Haram is clear. And in between them there are ambiguous matters.” 

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal has further narrated that the foundation of Islam rests on three ahadith: 

1. This hadith.

2. The hadith narrated by Aisha (RA) recorded in Muslim – “Whoever introduces into this affair of ours (Islam) that which is not of it then it is rejected.”

3. The hadith narrated by Nu’ man bin Nashir – “Halal is clear. Haram is clear. And in between them there are ambiguous matters.” 

All acts of religion can be related to any of these three ahadith, whether its prohibitions, deeds or sins etc. For example, in abstaining from that which is haram and staying within that which is halal (hadith no. 3), we should do it according to the Sunnah and not innovate (hadith no. 2). And even when we do all that, Allah will only accept the deed if it’s done with a sincere intention and motive (hadith no. 1). 

The lesson to be learned is that everyone should check and review their intentions before doing any deed or act of worship. We must ensure deeds are only done for the sake of Allah. Allah will only accept those deeds that are done for Him and Him alone. A person may strive and suffer in doing something but if it’s not done with sincere intention it will be rejected. Whoever ascribes a partner to Allah in any act of worship then Allah is independent and the least interested of all that and He will abandon that person as well as his shirk. Rasoolullah (SAWS) has also stated that the majority of the martyrs in this Ummah will die on their bed. As for the ones who die in Jihad, only Allah knows their true intention. 

In a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA) recorded in Muslim is the story of the Mujaahid, the Aalim and the one who gave abundantly in charity. Allah will ask the Mujaahid what he did. The Mujaahid will say that he strived to make Allah’s Word supreme and ultimately gave his life for the sake of Allah. Allah will say to him, ‘You lie. You only did that so people could say how brave and courageous you are. People have said that in the Dunya; there is no share for you in the Hereafter.’ Allah will then instruct the angels to fling him into the Hell Fire. Allah will then ask the Aalim what he did. The Aalim will say he learned the Quran and taught others for the sake of Allah. Allah will say to the Aalim, ‘You lie. You only did that so people could say how knowledgeable you were. People have said that in the Dunya; there is no share for you in the Hereafter.’ Allah will instruct the angels to fling him into the Hell Fire as well. Finally, will ask the person who gave abundantly in charity about what he did. This person will say he gave charity for the sake of Allah. Allah will say to him, ‘You lie. You only did that so people could say how generous you were. People have said that in the Dunya; there is no share for you in the Hereafter.’ Allah will again instruct the angels to fling this person into the Hell Fire as well. So even after doing all this apparent good deeds, the Mujaahid, the Aalim and the one who gave in charity were flung into Jahannam because of the insincerity of their intentions.  

It goes to show that a person may strive and struggle to do good deeds; a person may go through hardships and difficulties and through fitnah. A person may, ultimately, give his life. But if the intention is not for the sake of Allah then all that effort, all that sacrifice and struggle, all that strife will be of no use. Rather, in spite of all this, the person will be flung into the Hell Fire because of the insincerity that is concealed in the heart. 

May Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala give us all the tawfeeq to ensure that all our deeds and actions are sincere and solely for His Pleasure.

The Four Poisons of the Heart (Part 4 of 4)

Keeping Bad Company

Unnecessary companionship is a chronic disease that causes much harm. How often have the wrong kind of companionship and intermixing deprived people of Allah’s generosity, planting discord in their hearts which even the passage of time-even if it were long enough for mountains to be worn away-has been unable to dispel. In keeping such company one can find the roots of loss, both in this life and in the next life.

A servant should benefit from companionship. In order to do so he should divide people into four categories, and be careful not to get them mixed up, for once one of them is mixed with another, then evil can find its way through to him:

The first category are those people whose company is like food: it is indispensable, night or day. Once a servant has taken his need from it, he leaves it be until he requires it again, and so on. These are the people with knowledge of Allah – of His commands, of the scheming of His enemies, and of the diseases of the heart and their remedies – who wish well for Allah, His Prophet and His servants. Associating with this type of person is an achievement in itself.

The second category are those people whose company is like a medicine. They are only required when a disease sets in. When you are healthy, you have no need of them. However, mixing with them is sometimes necessary for your livelihood, businesses, consultation and the like. Once what you need from them has been fulfilled, mixing with them should be avoided.

The third category are those people whose company is harmful. Mixing with this type of person is like a disease, in all its variety and degrees and strengths and weaknesses. Associating with one or some of them is like an incurable chronic disease. You will never profit either in this life or in the next life if you have them for company, and you will surely lose either one or both of your deen and your livelihood because of them. If their companionship has taken hold of you and is established, then it becomes a fatal, terrifying sickness.

Amongst such people are those who neither speak any good that might benefit you, nor listen closely to you so that they might benefit from you. They do not know their souls and consequently put their selves in their rightful place. If they speak, their words fall on their listeners’ hearts like the lashes of a cane, while all the while they are full of admiration for and delight in their own words.

They cause distress to those in their company, while believing that they are the sweet scent of the gathering. If they are silent, they are heavier than a massive millstone-too heavy to carry or even drag across the floor.

All in all, mixing with anyone who is bad for the soul will not last, even if it is unavoidable. It can be one of the most distressing aspects of a servant’s life that he is plagued by such person, with whom it may be necessary to associate. In such a relationship, a servant should cling to good behaviour, only presenting him with his outward appearance, while disguising his inner soul, until Allah offers him a way out of his affliction and the means of escape from this situation.

The fourth category are those people whose company is doom itself. It is like taking poison: its victim either finds an antidote or perishes. Many people belong to this category. They are the people of religious innovation and misguidance, those who abandon the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and advocate other beliefs. They call what is the sunnah a bid’a and vice-versa. A man with any intellect should not sit in their assemblies nor mix with them. The result of doing so will either be the death of his heart or, at the very best, its falling seriously ill.   

What Gives the Heart it’s Life and Sustenance

You should know that acts of obedience are essential to the well being of the servant’s heart, just in the same way that food and drink are to that of the body. All wrong actions are the same as poisonous foods, and they inevitably harm the heart.

The servant feels the need to worship his Lord, Mighty and Glorious is He, for he is naturally in constant need of His help and assistance.

In order to maintain the well being of his body, the servant carefully follows a strict diet. He habitually and constantly eats good food at regular intervals, and is quick to free his stomach of harmful elements if he happens to eat bad food by mistake.

The well being of the servant’s heart, however, is far more important than that of his body, for while the well being of his body enables him to lead a life that is free from illnesses in this world, that of the heart ensures him both a fortunate life in this world and eternal bliss in the next.

In the same way, while the death of the body cuts the servant off from this world, the death of the heart results in everlasting anguish. A righteous man once said, “How odd, that some people mourn for the one whose body has died, but never mourn for the one whose heart has died and yet the death of the heart is far more serious!”

Thus acts of obedience are indispensable to the well being of the heart. It is worthwhile mentioning the following acts of obedience here, since they are very necessary and essential for the servant’s heart: Dhikr of Allah ta’Ala, recitation of the Noble Qur’an, seeking Allah’s forgiveness, making du’as, invoking Allah’s blessings and peace on the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and praying at night.

The Four Poisons of the Heart (Part 3 of 4)

Too Much Food

The consumption of small amounts of food guarantees tenderness of the heart, strength of the intellect, humility of the self, weakness of desires, and gentleness of temperament. Immoderate eating brings about the opposite of these praiseworthy qualities.

Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’d Yakrib said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “The son of Adam fills no vessel more displeasing to Allah than his stomach. A few morsels should be enough for him to preserve his strength. If he must fill it, then he should allow a third for his food, a third for his drink and leave a third empty for easy breathing.“

Excessive eating induces many kinds of harm. It makes the body incline towards disobedience to Allah and makes worship and obedience seem laborious – such evils are bad enough in themselves. A full stomach and excessive eating have caused many a wrong action and inhibited much worship. Whoever safeguards against the evils of overfilling his stomach has prevented great evil. It is easier for shaytan to control a person who has filled his stomach with food and drink, which is why it has often been said: “Restrict the pathways of shaytan by fasting.”

It has been reported that when a group of young men from the Tribe of Israel were worshipping, and it was time for them to break their fast, a man stood up and said: “Do not eat too much, otherwise you will drink too much, and then you will end up sleeping too much, and then you will lose too much.”

The Prophet and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, used to go hungry quite frequently. Although this was often due to a shortage of food, Allah decreed the best and most favourable conditions for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This is why Ibn Umar and his father before him – in spite of the abundance of food available to them – modelled their eating habits on those of the Prophet . It has been reported that Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “From the time of their arrival in Madina up until his death , the family of Muhammad never ate their fill of bread made from wheat three nights in a row.“

Ibrahim ibn Adham said: “Any one who controls his stomach is in control of his deen, and anyone who controls his hunger is in control of good behaviour. Disobedience towards Allah is nearest to a person who is satiated with a full stomach, and furthest away from a person who is hungry.”

The Four Poisons of the Heart (Part 2 of 4)

Unrestrained Glances

The unrestrained glance results in the one who looks becoming attracted to what he sees, and in the imprinting of an image of what he sees in his heart. This can result in several kinds of corruption in the heart of the servant. The following are a number of them:

It has been related that the Prophet once said words to the effect: “The glance is a poisoned arrow of shaytan. Whoever lowers his gaze for Allah, He will bestow upon him a refreshing sweetness which he will find in his heart on the day that he meets Him.”

Shaytan enters with the glance, for he travels with it, faster than the wind blowing through an empty place. He makes what is seen appear more beautiful than it really is, and transforms it into an idol for the heart to worship. Then he promises it false rewards, lights the fire of desires within it, and fuels it with the wood of forbidden actions, which the servant would not have committed had it not been for this distorted image.

This distracts the heart and makes it forget its more important concerns. It stands between it and them; and so the heart loses its straight path and falls into the pit of desire and ignorance. Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, says:

“And do not obey anyone whose heart We have made forgetful in remembering Us – who follows his own desires, and whose affair has exceeded all bounds.” (18:28)

The unrestrained gaze causes all three afflictions.

It has been said that between the eye and the heart is an immediate connection; if the eyes are corrupted, then the heart follows. It becomes like a rubbish heap where all the dirt and filth and rottenness collect, and so there is no room for love for Allah, relating all matters to Him, awareness of being in His presence, and feeling joy at His proximity – only the opposite of these things can inhabit such a heart. Staring and gazing without restraint is disobedience to Allah:

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that is more purifying for them. Surely Allah is aware of what they do.” (24:30)

Only the one who obeys Allah’s commands is content in this world, and only the servant who obeys Allah will survive in the next world.

Furthermore, letting the gaze roam free cloaks the heart with darkness, just as lowering the gaze for Allah clothes it in light. After the above ayah, Allah, the Glorious and Mighty, says in the same surah of the Qur’an:

“Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth: the likeness of His light is as if there were a niche, and in the niche is a lamp, and in the lamp is a glass, and the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it. Light upon light. Allah guides whomever He wants to His Light. Allah strikes metaphors for man; and Allah knows all things.” (24:35)

When the heart is a light, countless good comes to it from all directions. If it is dark, then clouds of evil and afflictions come from all directions to cover it up.

Letting the gaze run loose also makes the heart blind to distinguishing between truth and falsehood, between the sunnah and innovation; while lowering it for Allah, the Might and Exalted, gives it a penetrating, true and distinguishing insight.

A righteous man once said: “Whoever enriches his outward behaviour by following the sunnah, and makes his inward soul wealthy through contemplation, and averts his gaze away from looking at what is forbidden, and avoids anything of a doubtful nature, and feeds solely on what is halal – his inner sight will never falter.”

Rewards for actions come in kind. Whoever lowers his gaze from what Allah has forbidden, Allah will give his inner sight abundant light.