The Islamic New Year and the Significance of Muharram

 From Daily Muslims



Use of the Lunar Calendar
The Islamic Calendar is based on the Lunar Calendar consisting of 354-355 days annually and is 10-11 days shorter than the western Solar Calendar. The Lunar month is based on the time it takes the moon to complete a single orbit around the earth and it is just over 29? days. There are many advantages to the Lunar calendar. For example, the various dates in the Islamic Calendar such as Ramadan and Hajj rotate every year and are not fixed like the Solar Year. People, therefore, will perform acts of worship in various climatic conditions and in different length of hours in submission to the will of Allah where human imagination plays no part. The new moon marks the beginning of each new lunar month and it is easy for people to see the new moon and know that a new month has begun. This probably explains why most ancient civilizations such as the Babylonians, the Jews, the Greeks and the Egyptians in the Middle East , the Aztecs and the Incas of the West, and the Hindus and the Chinese of the East used this system. Interestingly, the English word ‘month’ is derived from the word ‘moon’.




Origin and Significance of the Hijri Calendar
The Islamic Calendar was started by the second Caliph Umar in 16 AH/ 637 CE [Al-Tabari: Tarikh Al- Rusul 5/22 & Ibn Sa‘d: Tabaqat Al- Kubra 3/281]. The event of the Hijrah, the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE, was chosen to begin the Islamic Calendar because it was the first major sacrifice made by the whole Ummah for the preservation of Islam in its formative period. Ibn Hajar, in his Fath Al-Bari, records that the Caliph Umar is reported to have remarked: “The Hijrah has separated truth from falsehood, therefore, let it become the Epoch of the Era”. The Hijrah year reminds Muslims every year of the sacrifices made by the first Muslims and should prepare them to do the same. The constant use of the Hijri Calendar for acts of worship and as a frame of reference to major historical events will help Muslims keep links with their roots and further enhance their knowledge of their religion and history.

Months of the Islamic Calendar
There are twelve months in the Islamic Calendar as the Qur’an says: “Surely the number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve, in accordance with His decree from the day He created the heavens and the earth, out of which four are sacred” (9:36). These twelve months are Muharram, Safar, Rabi‘ al-Awwal, Rabi‘ al-Thani, Jumada al-Ula, Jumada al-Ukhra, Rajab, Sha‘ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul Qa‘dah and Dhul Hijjah. The four Sacred Months (al-Ashhur al-Hurum) are Rajab, Dhul Qa‘dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram [Bukhari]. The sanctity of these months was also accepted in the Pre-Islamic era when fighting was forbidden.

Determining Islamic Dates
Islamic dates are determined by the actual visibility of the moon as the Prophet (SAW) said: “Fast by seeing it (the moon) and end the fast by seeing it” [Bukhari & Muslim]. Muslim scholars have interpreted this Prophetic saying in two different ways. Some scholars, such as Al- Shafi’i, have held the view that each location has its own sighting of the moon (Ikhtilaf al-Mutali‘) [Sayyid Sabiq: Fiqhus Sunnah 3/112]. But most scholars from the other Schools of Law have taken the words “fast by seeing it” (sumu li ru’yatihi) as a general command to all Muslims and not individual sectors of the community. Hence they regard the sighting of the moon in one region as valid for people of another region, provided the news of sighting the moon reaches them through authentic means [Ibn Taymiyyah: Majmu‘ah Fatawa 5/111].

Muharram
This is the first month of the Islamic Calendar and one of the four Sacred Months (al-Ashhur al- Hurum). It is recommended to fast during this month as there is a Hadith which says: “The best fast, after Ramadan, is in the month of Muharram” [Muslim]. This may be an indirect reference to ‘Ashura and not to Muharram in general because, according to Sayyidah Aishah, the Prophet (SAW) fasted most in Sha‘ban after Ramadan [Bukhari & Muslim].

Yawm Al-‘Ashura
The 10th day of Muharram, known as Yawm Al-‘Ashura, is the most significant day of this month. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Fasting on the Day of ‘Ashura is an expiation of sins for the previous year”. Many events are attributed to this date such as that the Prophet Adam was born and his repentance was accepted on this day, the Prophet Abraham was saved from the fire, the Prophet Ishmael was delivered from the sacrifice, the Prophet Joseph was reunited with his father, the Prophet Job was cured of his illness and the Prophet Solomon was ordained as king. However, such assertions are not always backed by accurate historical evidences [Abdulhaqq Dehlawi: Ma Thabata bis Sunnah p.254].
Ibn Abbas relates that when Prophet Muhammad (SAW) migrated to Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on the Day of ‘Ashura. When asked for the reason of their fasting, they replied that it was the day when Allah Ta‘ala saved the Prophet Moses and the Children of Israel from their enemies.
Moses fasted to thank Allah and they fasted in emulation of him. So the Prophet (SAW) said “We have more of a right to Moses than you” and so he ordered the Muslims to fast on that day [Bukhari & Muslim]. Ibn Al-Qayyim, in his Zad Al-Ma‘ad, explains that the underlying wisdom behind the fast of ‘Ashura is to stress the affinity between the prophets who all came from Allah. This is also one instance where the Shari ‘ah given to Muhammad (SAW) preserved an earlier practice, though abrogating its obligation. However, in order not to follow the Jews, the Prophet encouraged Muslims by saying: “Observe the fast of ‘Ashura and differ from the Jews by fasting a day before it or after it” [Bayhaqi: Sunan Al-Kubra 4/287].
The Prophet’s younger grandson Imam Husayn was tragically martyred on 10th Muharram 61 AH/ 680 CE on the ‘Ashura day. The heroic martyrdom of Imam Husayn demonstrates to Muslims the need to uphold truth and justice and to fight against tyranny and evil and they should be prepared to give their lives in a similar cause if the need arises. Such situations are all too common in our own times when Muslims are being persecuted for their faith in many parts of the world.

Significance of the Hijrah for Muslims
Muharram heralds the beginning of the Islamic Calendar. The Hijrah of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his Companions (Sahabah) from Makkah to Madinah was much more than a simple migration. It was a turning point in the history of Islam. It was a revolution and complete transformation of society. The Muhajirun (emigrants) of Makkah gave up their family, property and homeland for the sake of religion and the Ansar (helpers) of Madinah welcomed them with great hospitality. Thus a unique brotherhood (mu’akhah) was created between them, hitherto unknown in human history.
By highlighting the Hijrah, Muslims will re-affirm their need to be in a state where they can practice their religion and make the necessary sacrifices to achieve that aim, including emigration. Hijrah also has a deep spiritual significance where Muslims commit themselves to leave the state of disbelief (kufr) and sin to enter that of Islam and piety. That is why the Prophet (SAW) said: “The best emigrant (Muhajir) is the one who leaves what Allah has forbidden” [Bukhari]
Although the practical usage of the Islamic Calendar is increasingly diminishing, nevertheless the foundation of many acts of worship such as Zakah, Sawm and Hajj revolve around this calendar and it is one of the hallmarks (shi‘ar) of Islam that differentiates Muslims from other communities. Undoubtedly, there is a great need for Muslims to reaffirm their cultural heritage by using the Islamic Calendar on a regular basis and not just during Ramadan and Eid.

(Hafiz Abdullah Muhammad is the author of ‘The Best of Times in Islam: Virtues & Significance of Important Days, Nights, Months and Festivals in Islam’ which is available. The author can be contacted at abdullah19171@ hotmail.com )

Animal Sacrifice in Islam - An Historical Perspective

From Islamic Voice

The history of offering blood or animal sacrifice is as old as religion or human history itself. In different ages, man has been expressing his faith and love, spirit of sacrifice and humility, selfless devotion and worship in different ways and for different reasons but the Shari’ah of Allah has reformed this human sentiment spiritually and morally, and directed it to Him alone. Man even presented human sacrifice at the altar of his deities, or the sacrifice of his own self, but Divine Laws forbade all such sacrifices and guided man to offer his sacrifices to no other than Allah Subhanhu Wa Ta’ala.

The first sacrifice of human history was offered by the two sons of Adam: Qabil (Cane) and Habil (Abel). Habil had offered the sacrifice of the best ram of his flock for the sake of Allah, whereas, Qabil offered a portion of useless corn unwillingly. The sacrifice of Habil was burnt up by a fire from Heaven, which was a sign of Allah’s acceptance, but Qabil’s offering was left alone which meant it was rejected.

The offering of animal sacrifice has been an essential part of the system of obedience of all Divine laws though the way and procedures might have been different for different ages and country. The Qur’an says, “We have appointed for every community a way of offering the sacrifice so that the people may mention the name of Allah over the cattle He has given them.” (22:34)

Animal sacrifice is a unique tradition offered by Muslims the world over every year in commemoration of the supreme act and spirit of sacrifice by Prophet Ibrahim of his son Ismail. The expression of such a pledge is the very demand of the believer’s faith, the profession of Islam as a creed, and righteousness. The Qur’an described the essence as such: “When (Ismail) came of age to work for his father, he (Prophet Ibrahim) said to his son one day, “My son, I saw in a dream that I am sacrificing you, what do you say in this regard”? Ismail replied, “Father, carry out what you have been commanded. If Allah wills, you will find me patient and stead-fast.”

When both had submitted to Allah’s will and Ismael was cast down upon his face, a voice from Heaven called out, “O Ibrahim, you have indeed fulfilled your dream, thus do We reward the righteous. This was indeed a manifest trial. And we ransomed the boy by means of a great sacrifice, and left a tradition of Ibrahim for ever for the coming generations. Peace be upon Ibrahim for he was one of our believing servants.” (37-102)

The real place of offering the sacrifice is near Makkah at Mina where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims offer their sacrifice as an important rite of Hajj every year. But the Merciful Allah has not deprived the other Muslims living away from Makkah of this unique privilege of Hajj. The command of offering the sacrifice is general and is meant for all the well-to-do people as is confirmed by many traditions of the Holy Prophet (May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Calip Umar reported “The person who does not offer the sacrifice even though he possesses the necessary means to do so, should not approach our Eid grounds.”

The Qur’an has referred to three objectives which must be borne in mind while offering a sacrifice.

(1) Sacrificial animals as symbols of Allah’s’s worship, as is written in Al-Qur’an, as is written in Al-Qur’an, “And we have included the camel among the signs of Allah for you.” (22:36)

(2) Offering the sacrifice is a practical expression of showing one’s gratitude to Allah for His many blessings. On this Allah say’s in Qur’an:

“Thus we subjected these animals to you so that you may express you gratitude.” (22:3) And

(3) Offering the sacrifice is declaration of Allah’s greatness and glory. The Qur’an says:

“Thus has Allah subjected the cattle to you so that you may extol His Greatness and Glory in accordance with His Guidance.” (22:37)

The sacrificial animals are the tangible signs and symbols which express the feelings of the one offering them in the way of Allah, thereby signifying that he intends to shed their blood in lieu of his own blood. Animals are a great blessing of Allah to man on account of their numerous benefits. We drink their milk, eat their flesh, put their skins, wool and bones to different uses and purposes. In referring to these benefits, the Qur’an reminds us that animals should be sacrificed in Allah’s name only for He alone has given them to man as a blessing.

Before the advent of Islam, people used to take the flesh of slaughtered animals to the Ka’abah and smear its walls with their blood. The Qur’an categorically stated that Allah does not stand in need of the flesh or blood, but he sees the spirit, feelings and intent of the person making the sacrifice. Any other intention contrary to this is void and therefore does not fulfil the tradition of Prophet Ibrahim and Ismael (May Allah be pleased with them). Allah Says in the Qur’an, “Their flesh and the blood do not reach Allah, what reaches Him is your piety.”




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Ummi - My Mother

This talk was given by Imam AbdulGhani Bashir this past year at Masjid Abu Hurairah in Toronto, Ontario. He studied in Sudan and later moved to Nairobi, Kenya where he runs an Islamic school. Fluent in English, Somali and Arabic, he speaks clearly and eloquently and has a calm and unassuming manner of speaking. He lives in Nairobi, Kenya with his family. He has spoken at major Islamic conferences and masajid around the world.

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A short excerpt

This talk is entitled UMMI – which means My Mother

 The Mother and what will make you know what is the Mother.

 It is the first word that we pronounced.

She is the example of mercy that moves in our midst.

But unfortunately no one looks at her with deep respect and esteem except the one that Allah  has shown his mercy.

The Mother is a cluster of patience.

She is a live example of forgiveness and forbearance.

 Here a brother is narrating his story of how he came to realise how important a Mother is.

 Listen to it  here

Reading Surah al-Kahfi.

It was narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever reads Surat al-Kahfi on Friday, he will be illuminated with light between the two Fridays.”

[Narrated by al-Hakim; classified as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Targhib, 836]

Surah 18 - Al Kahf THE CAVE  
018.001 Praise be to God, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness: 

018.002 (He hath made it) Straight (and Clear) in order that He may warn (the godless) of a terrible Punishment from Him, and that He may give Glad Tidings to the Believers who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a goodly Reward, 

018.003 Wherein they shall remain for ever: 

018.004 Further, that He may warn those (also) who say, "God hath begotten a son": 

018.005 No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a grievous thing that issues from their mouths as a saying what they say is nothing but falsehood! 

018.006 Thou wouldst only, perchance, fret thyself to death, following after them, in grief, if they believe not in this Message. 

018.007 That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct. 

018.008 Verily what is on earth we shall make but as dust and dry soil (without growth or herbage). 

018.009 Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our Sign? 

018.010 Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, "Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!" 

018.011 Then We drew (a veil) over their ears, for a number of years, in the Cave, (so that they heard not): 

018.012 Then We roused them, in order to test which of the two parties was best at calculating the term of years they had tarried! 

018.013 We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance: 

018.014 We gave strength to their hearts: Behold, they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth: never shall we call upon any god other than Him: if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity! 

018.015 "These our people have taken for worship gods other than Him: why do they not bring forward an authority clear (and convincing) for what they do? Who doth more wrong than such as invent a falsehood against God? 

018.016 "When ye turn away from them and the things they worship other than God, betake yourselves to the Cave: Your Lord will shower His mercies on you and dispose of your affair towards comfort and ease." 

018.017 Thou wouldst have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the open space in the midst of the Cave. Such are among the Signs of God: He whom God, guides is rightly guided; but he whom God leaves to stray,- for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way. 

018.018 Thou wouldst have deemed them awake, whilst they were asleep, and We turned them on their right and on their left sides: their dog stretching forth his two fore-legs on the threshold: if thou hadst come up on to them, thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them in flight, and wouldst certainly have been filled with terror of them. 

018.019 Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "God (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any one about you. 

018.020 "For if they should come upon you, they would stone you or force you to return to their cult, and in that case ye would never attain prosperity." 

018.021 Thus did We make their case known to the people, that they might know that the promise of God is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour of Judgment. Behold, they dispute among themselves as to their affair. (Some) said, "Construct a building over them": Their Lord knows best about them: those who prevailed over their affair said, "Let us surely build a place of worship over them." 

018.022 (Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth,- doubtfully guessing at the unknown; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say thou: "My Lord knoweth best their number; It is but few that know their (real case)." Enter not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a matter that is clear, nor consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers. 

018.023 Nor say of anything, "I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow"- 

018.024 Without adding, "So please God!" and call thy Lord to mind when thou forgettest, and say, "I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the right road." 

018.025 So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more) 

018.026 Say: "God knows best how long they stayed: with Him is (the knowledge of) the secrets of the heavens and the earth: how clearly He sees, how finely He hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him; nor does He share His Command with any person whatsoever. 

018.027 And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him. 

018.028 And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; nor obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds. 

018.029 Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrong-doers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces, how dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on! 

018.030 As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a (single) righteous deed. 

018.031 For them will be Gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade: They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How beautiful a couch to recline on! 

018.032 Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date palms; in between the two We placed corn-fields. 

018.033 Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow. 

018.034 (Abundant) was the produce this man had : he said to his companion, in the course of a mutual argument: "more wealth have I than you, and more honour and power in (my following of) men." 

018.035 He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, "I deem not that this will ever perish, 

018.036 "Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) come: Even if I am brought back to my Lord, I shall surely find (there) something better in exchange." 

018.037 His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: "Dost thou deny Him Who created thee out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned thee into a man? 

018.038 "But (I think) for my part that He is God, My Lord, and none shall I associate with my Lord. 

018.039 "Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy garden, say: 'God's will (be done)! There is no power but with God!' If thou dost see me less than thee in wealth and sons, 

018.040 "It may be that my Lord will give me something better than thy garden, and that He will send on thy garden thunderbolts (by way of reckoning) from heaven, making it (but) slippery sand!- 


018.041 "Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that thou wilt never be able to find it." 

018.042 So his fruits (and enjoyment) were encompassed (with ruin), and he remained twisting and turning his hands over what he had spent on his property, which had (now) tumbled to pieces to its very foundations, and he could only say, "Woe is me! Would I had never ascribed partners to my Lord and Cherisher!" 

018.043 Nor had he numbers to help him against God, nor was he able to deliver himself. 

018.044 There, the (only) protection comes from God, the True One. He is the Best to reward, and the Best to give success. 

018.045 Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) God who prevails over all things. 

018.046 Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: But the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes. 


018.047 One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them. 

018.048 And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the announcement), "Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!": 

018.049 And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, "Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice. 

018.050 Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam": They bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrong-doers! 

018.051 I called them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor (even) their own creation: nor is it for Me to take as helpers such as lead (men) astray! 

018.052 One Day He will say, "Call on those whom ye thought to be My partners," and they will call on them, but they will not listen to them; and We shall make for them a place of common perdition.


018.053 And the Sinful shall see the fire and apprehend that they have to fall therein: no means will they find to turn away therefrom. 

018.054 We have explained in detail in this Qur'an, for the benefit of mankind, every kind of similitude: but man is, in most things, contentious. 

018.055 And what is there to keep back men from believing, now that Guidance has come to them, nor from praying for forgiveness from their Lord, but that (they ask that) the ways of the ancients be repeated with them, or the Wrath be brought to them face to face?


018.056 We only send the apostles to give Glad Tidings and to give warnings: But the unbelievers dispute with vain argument, in order therewith to weaken the truth, and they treat My Signs as a jest, as also the fact that they are warned! 

018.057 And who doth more wrong than one who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord, but turns away from them, forgetting the (deeds) which his hands have sent forth? Verily We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this, and over their ears, deafness, if thou callest them to guidance, even then will they never accept guidance. 

018.058 But your Lord is Most forgiving, full of Mercy. If He were to call them (at once) to account for what they have earned, then surely He would have earned, then surely He would have hastened their punishment: but they have their appointed time, beyond which they will find no refuge.


018.059 Such were the populations we destroyed when they committed iniquities; but we fixed an appointed time for their destruction. 

018.060 Behold, Moses said to his attendant, "I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travel." 

018.061 But when they reached the Junction, they forgot (about) their Fish, which took its course through the sea (straight) as in a tunnel. 

018.062 When they had passed on (some distance), Moses said to his attendant: "Bring us our early meal; truly we have suffered much fatigue at this (stage of) our journey." 

018.063 He replied: "Sawest thou (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the Fish: none but Satan made me forget to tell (you) about it: it took its course through the sea in a marvellous way!" 

018.064 Moses said: "That was what we were seeking after:" So they went back on their footsteps, following (the path they had come). 

018.065 So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence. 

018.066 Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the footing that thou teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been taught?"


018.067 (The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me!" 

018.068 "And how canst thou have patience about things about which thy understanding is not complete?"


018.069 Moses said: "Thou wilt find me, if God so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught." 

018.070 The other said: "If then thou wouldst follow me, ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to thee concerning it."


018.071 So they both proceeded: until, when they were in the boat, he scuttled it. Said Moses: "Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing hast thou done!" 


018.072 He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?" 

018.073 Moses said: "Rebuke me not for forgetting, nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case."


018.074 Then they proceeded: until, when they met a young man, he slew him. Moses said: "Hast thou slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul (unheard of) thing hast thou done!"


018.075 He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?" 

018.076 (Moses) said: "If ever I ask thee about anything after this, keep me not in thy company: then wouldst thou have received (full) excuse from my side." 

018.077 Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If thou hadst wished, surely thou couldst have exacted some recompense for it!" 

018.078 He answered: "This is the parting between me and thee: now will I tell thee the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience.


018.079 "As for the boat, it belonged to certain men in dire want: they plied on the water: I but wished to render it unserviceable, for there was after them a certain king who seized on every boat by force.


018.080 "As for the youth, his parents were people of Faith, and we feared that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude (to God and man). 

018.081 "So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange (a son) better in purity (of conduct) and closer in affection. 

018.082 "As for the wall, it belonged to two youths, orphans, in the Town; there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled: their father had been a righteous man: So thy Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure - a mercy (and favour) from thy Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience.


018.083 They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will rehearse to you something of his story." 

018.084 Verily We established his power on earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends. 

018.085 One (such) way he followed, 


018.086 Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness." 

018.087 He said: "Whoever doth wrong, him shall we punish; then shall he be sent back to his Lord; and He will punish him with a punishment unheard-of (before). 

018.088 "But whoever believes, and works righteousness,- he shall have a goodly reward, and easy will be his task as We order it by our Command." 

018.089 Then followed he (another) way, 

018.090 Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection against the sun. 

018.091 (He left them) as they were: We completely understood what was before him. 

018.092 Then followed he (another) way, 

 018.093 Until, when he reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word. 

018.094 They said: "O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog (People) do great mischief on earth: shall we then render thee tribute in order that thou mightest erect a barrier between us and them?


018.095 He said: "(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them: 

018.096 "Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead." 

018.097 Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it. 

018.098 He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust; and the promise of my Lord is true." 

018.099 On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another: the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together. 

018.100 And We shall present Hell that day for Unbelievers to see, all spread out,-


018.101 (Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from remembrance of Me, and who had been unable even to hear. 

018.102 Do the Unbelievers think that they can take My servants as protectors besides Me? Verily We have prepared Hell for the Unbelievers for (their) entertainment. 


018.103 Say: "Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds?- 

018.104 "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?" 

018.105 They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight. 

018.106 That is their reward, Hell, because they rejected Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers by way of jest. 

018.107 As to those who believe and work righteous deeds, they have, for their entertainment, the Gardens of Paradise, 

018.108 Wherein they shall dwell (for aye): no change will they wish for from them. 


018.109 Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid." 

018.110 Say: "I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your God is one God: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.

The Rights the Spouses have over Each Other

 From iknowledge





Allah said:

وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِى عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ

﴾(And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable,)

This Ayah indicates that the wife has certain rights on her husband, just as he has certain rights on her, and each is obliged to give the other spouse his due rights.

Muslim reported that Jabir said that Allah's Messenger said:

«فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ فِي النِّسَاءِ، فَإِنَّكُمْ أَخَذْتُمُوهُنَّ بِأَمَانَةِ اللهِ، وَاسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ فُرُوجَهُنَّ بِكَلِمَةِ اللهِ، وَلَكُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَنْ لَا يُوطِئْنَ فُرُشَكُمْ أَحَدًا تَكْرَهُونَهُ، فَإِنْ فَعَلْنَ ذَلِكَ فَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ ضَرْبًا غَيْرَ مُبَرِّحٍ، وَلَهُنَّ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوف»

(Fear Allah regarding your women, for you have taken them by Allah's covenant and were allowed to enjoy with them sexually by Allah's Words. You have the right on them that they do not allow anyone you dislike to sit on your mat. If they do that, then discipline them leniently. They have the right to be spent on and to be bought clothes in what is reasonable.)

Bahz bin Hakim said that Mu`awiyah bin Haydah Al-Qushayri related that his grandfather said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is the right the wife of one of us has''

The Prophet said:

«أَنْ تُطْعِمَهَا إِذَا طَعِمْتَ، وتَكْسُوَهَا إِذَا اكْتَسَيْتَ، وَلَا تَضْرِبِ الْوَجْهَ، وَلَا تُقَبِّحْ، وَلَا تَهْجُرْ إِلَّا فِي الْبَيْت»

(To feed her when you eat, buy her clothes when you buy for yourself and to refrain from striking her on the face, cursing her or staying away from her except in the house.)

Waki` related that Ibn `Abbas said, "I like to take care of my appearance for my wife just as I like for her to take care of her appearance for me. This is because Allah says:

وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِى عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ

(And they (women) have rights similar (to those of their husbands) over them to what is reasonable.)'' This statement is reported by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abu Hatim.

Developing Khushoo' in Prayer (Part 3)

Developing Khushoo in Prayer (Part 2)

Developing Khushoo in Prayer

A Conversation with a Jinn: The Exorcism Experience

Taken from Muslim Matters


*Umm Reem describes her attempt at exorcism and the conversations that occurred during this experience. Please note that this questions of fiqhi nature may not be addressed, as this was not intended to be a course on the methodology of exorcism. Finally, please do not try this at home!*

We read and we believe in every word of Noble Qu’ran and the ahadeeth of the Prophet, sallallahu alihi wasalam. We believe, without ever doubting, in all that Qur’an and ahadeeth talks about although we may never witness it. However, sometimes by Allah’s Mercy, we get to experience something further which affirms our faith and satisfies our hearts, and we thank Allah azzawjal for allowing us such an opportunity. It is for this reason that I want to share an incident, hoping that may this be a beneficial and Iman-boosting read for everyone.

During my visit to Pakistan last month, I had the opportunity to read over a ‘possessed’ girl. I will not discuss the details, but my conversation with the jinn, a creation of Allah that we have heard of but never seen, is definitely worth sharing. The conversation was a mixture of Urdu and Punjabi and I tried to be as precise as I can with the translation. This is not the complete conversation but bits and pieces.

I started of with the adhaan and some recitation from Qur’an until it, or she to be precise, agreed to talk to me. She was a female Jinnee named Seeta who had possessed a Muslim girl for almost 6-7 years. It wasn’t a voluntary possession rather a case of black magic. As advised, I tried to invite her to Islam first. Apparently it was the first time anyone had ever invited her to Islam so she was a little shocked:

Seeta: How can I become a Muslim?

Me: Why not, anyone can become a Muslim.

Seeta: But I am evil and I have done many evil actions.

Me: It’s okay you will be forgiven if you truly repent. My Rabb is the Most forgiving!

Seeta: But I’ve been a Hindu for centuries, I cannot change now.

Me: Sure you can if you truly believe that Islam is the true religion. Why don’t you go around and see. You can travel very fast. Go around and you will find Muslim Jinns of your kind. Talk to them and ask them, they will teach you about this religion.

Seeta: Yes, I know. Their caravans pass by us and we make fun of them.

SubhanAllah, I was truly amazed when she said this. It reminded me of the first ayah of Surah Jinn: “Say (O Muhammad): "It has been revealed to me that a group of jinns listened (to this Qur'an). They said: 'Verily! We have heard a wonderful Recital (this Qur'an)!” And I pictured a “group” of Jinn and how they still travel in caravans!

Me: Haven’t you seen the angels when you go up on the heavens and tried to listen to their conversations?

Seeta: Yes. They throw stones at us. I’ve been hit by them many times. My right arm was broken because of that!!

My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t help but pause and just stare at the sky for few seconds. Up above those heavens, stern guards of Allah, the angels, are protecting the skies with meteor (‘stones’ as Seeta said), exactly how it is described in the Qur’an:

“And we have sought to reach the heaven; but found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires. And verily, we used to sit there in stations, to (steal) a hearing, but any who listens now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.” (Jinn: 8-9)

“Verily! We have adorned the near heaven with the stars (for beauty).And to guard against every rebellious devil. They cannot listen to the higher group (angels) for they are pelted from every side. Outcast, and theirs is a constant (or painful) torment. Except such as snatch away something by stealing and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness.” (Saffat: 6-10)

I swear by Allah, I don’t see a reason why anyone’s eyes will not over flow with tears at this—tears of joy, a feeling of contentment, and a blissful satisfaction. SubhanAllah, a matter of ‘unseen’ was being described by someone who had seen it yet not believed in it, and was describing without realizing the effects it was having on the listener, not only just me but the others around and the ones who will hear it for as long as I shall live.

During our conversation, I learned that she was a Sikh but got married to a Hindu jinn (who died) and she adopted her husband’s religion and she insisted that husband’s religion is wife’s religion (wow talk about obedience to husbands!). But, she tried to cause confusion by insisting that she was an evil dead-soul (‘bad ruh’ the concept of which still confuses many Pakistanis). Previously she had everyone believed that she was an evil dead-soul, but when I rebuked her a few times for lying and told her that she wasn’t dead yet, then finally she confessed.

In any case, she asked me to give her time to think. But when I reminded her of death and the Day of Judgment, she asked the same ‘legendary’ question that why will she get hurt in Hellfire when she is made of fire! At times she also said that she doesn’t want to change her religion. And finally she said what manifested her ‘nature’ and confirmed her reality:

“I know Allah is the Creator but I cannot bow down to him!”

La howla wala quwatta illa billah. Same arrogance, same pride. Didn’t Iblees refuse to make sajdah even though he was certain of Allah being the Creator:

“…Aba wastakbarah…”[And they prostrated except Iblîs (Satan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers. 2:34]

I told her that she was doing exactly what her ‘master’ Iblees had done, and she replied:

“We are all of the same nature!” iyyadhobillah.

I sat there staring at her thinking to myself that this creation is low in intellect and high in arrogance and so even after seeing the clear Miracles of Allah azzawjal refuses to believe. On the other hand, humans cannot see what these jinns can see, but are blessed with a higher intellect. And perhaps that’s why humanity has more ‘logical’ and ‘reasonable’ proofs with the addition of the living miracle of Qur’an to see the truthfulness of Islam, yet if humans refuse then what good is that intellect which still leads to arrogance and ignorance!

We seek Allah’s refuge from the evil characteristics of arrogance, a trait of shaytaan.

Of the things that she said about Ibless was that he has a throne above the water!

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alihi wasalm, said:

“Iblees placed his throne on water then he sends out his emissaries…” (Muslim, 5023)

She also said that he has told them that he will wear a crown on the Day of Judgment.

He has also promised them of unlimited ‘rewards’. She said,

“Your Rabb has promised you rewards and our Iblees has promised us rewards.”

Surely his promises are nothing but lies, as mentioned in Qur’an:

“And Shaitân (Satan) will say when the matter has been decided: "Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, so you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a partner with Allah (by obeying me in the life of the world). Verily, there is a painful torment for the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.).” (14:22)

And surely he will turn his backs on all those who obeyed him:

“Their allies deceived them) like Shaitân (Satan), when he says to man: "Disbelieve in Allah." But when (man) disbelieves in Allah, Shaitân (Satan) says: "I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!” (59:16)

She had a particular obsession with Iblees’s beauty and kept repeating how handsome he is, a’oodhobillahi minhu. She also uttered a lot of evil which can only be uttered by someone wicked, and I will not mention it here.

Let me mention that the spell was cast upon the girl out of sheer jealousy and sadly by a very close relative. That day, as I read Surah Falaq upon her and got to the last verse, wAllahi I felt like I was reading it for the first time. It was as if I could ‘understand’ the meanings of it: “And from the evil of the envier when he envies.”

I was able to see what jealousy can cause; I could see the dangers of the one who becomes jealous, iyyadhobillah. That day, I truly appreciated the du’as of protecting oneself from evil eye and jealousy, and the adhkar of day and night.

Let me also state a few things that I had previously learned about jinns, mainly from Bilal Philip’s book and from Sh. Yasir’s Aqeedah class, and were confirmed by talking to Seeta:

She mentioned that if she leaves that girl, then she would want to possess someone else, I asked her the reason and she said:

“Because it is fun and I enjoy bothering people!” a’oodhobiAllah!

She liked attention and perhaps that’s why she was so talkative. However, she was a liar who tried to cause as many confusion as she possibly could.

She had a strong hold on the girl while in the bathroom. To be honest, some of the incidents were quite scary and I won’t even mention them. My sincere advice is to never forget the du’a before entering the bathroom!

To conclude, I have some advice for myself and for everyone else. To have a strong faith in Allah azzawjal and placing one’s tawakkul in Allah alone is a strong weapon against shayateen. If I ever get the permission from this sister, I would like to write about how she was before when the Jinn possessed her and how improving her faith kept weakening the jinn in her.

The beautiful adhkaar and the du’as are indeed a fortress of a believer. To be quite honest, that is the only defense we have against them but it is the fortification if we read with certainty and belief.

Be punctual with the prayers and read Qur’an. Make sure you recite Qur’an, and if you cannot (for some reasonable reason) then have it recited in your house everyday. Read your dua’s before leaving and upon entering the house (so shayateen don’t enter with you), before eating, before entering the bathroom and especially before falling asleep. May Allah azzawjal protect us from the fitna and sharr of all the shayateen among men and jinn, protect our spouses, children, families and all the Muslims around the world.

Lastly and most importantly, may Allah azzawjal reward Sh. Yasir Qadhi for his valuable advice and for taking time out to assist me throughout the exorcism.

Twenty Ways to Show Off (Continuation 16 - 20)

This is the final part of an extract of an article by Sheikh Salman b. Fahd al-Oadah General Supervisor of the IslamToday Website

16. Conspicuously neglecting one’s outward appearance:

This is one of the most subtle ways of falling into the sin of showing off. Satan might inspire an individual to go about with disheveled hair and humble attire and make an ostentatious display of asceticism and humility. The Sunnah, on the other hand, encourages a person to care about his appearance. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to take good care of his hair. He would comb it and apply scent to it. It is , however,related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to forbid people from oiling their hair excessively. It is also related that he said: “Whoever has hair should honor it.” It is befitting for an Islamic worker to dress nicely, be tidy, take care of his hair, stay presentable, and smell nice. He should keep his hair combed and nicely arranged. He should take care of his appearance without going overboard and wasting his time on it.

17. Making a display of lowering one’s gaze:
A person can make turning away from something into a conspicuous act. When a man sees a pretty woman or some other sight that a Muslim should divert his eyes from, he not only diverts his eyes but lowers his head or turns away. Now, this is not necessary. All that is required from him is to divert his gaze. He does not have to make a big show of it. Such behavior is pretentious. It may be that Satan causes this same individual to continue to sneak discreet glances. Allah says: “Allah knows the treachery of the eyes and all that the hearts conceal.” [Sûrah Ghâfir : 19]

18. Abandoning one’s worship from fear of falling into hypocrisy:
Among the most serious of problems is when Satan fools somebody into abandoning his worship of Allah to avoid being a hypocrite or being called one. Take, for example, a reciter of the Qur’ân, a teacher, or an Islamic worker who falls into some unseen sinful acts on some occasions, like looking at someone unlawfully. Such a person should repent to Allah and try to avoid falling into the sin again. Satan, though, does not give up that easy. He suggests to that person that he is a hypocrite, since he presents an image of piety to the people but commits sins in secret.Now, Satan is not going to suggest as a solution that the person should strive to overcome his sins and rectify himself. Instead, Satan encourages him to give up the good works that he is doing and to forsake the company of righteous people. He encourages him to give up teaching others and leading prayers. His argument is that it is not fitting for that individual to do such outwardly good deeds while sinning inwardly. Satan may say to  him something like : “If the people know what you do when you are alone, they would spit in your face and avoid you like the plague.” Satan keeps at him like this until he gives up doing any good deeds. Allah says: “And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night. Indeed, good works remove evil deeds. This is a reminder for those who are mindful.” [Sûrah Hûd: 114]

19. Withdrawing from the company of others and going into seclusion:
A person may turn away from the company of his fellow men and eschew their company because he thinks he is better than they are. If he had, on the other hand, decided to avoid others so they could be safe from his harm and abuse, he may have had a point. This is what Imam Ahmad did when he limited his interactions with others at the end of his life. People said to him: “O Imam! It is being said that you are renouncing the company of others.” Imam Ahmad replied: “Who am I to renounce other people? Quite the contrary, it is the people who are renouncing my company.” It is wrong to renounce the company of people out of a sense of superiority to them. This is nothing but pride and arrogance. It is a way of praising oneself. In a hadîth it is related: “Whoever says: ‘The people are in ruination!’ is the most ruined of the lot."

20. Being deceived by some fleeting act of devotion:
Satan can trick a person into thinking that some singular act of devotion, like shedding pious tears, is good enough to suffice him. Some people bring themselves to weep during prayer in the nights of Ramadân – and maybe only one night out of the year – or maybe they will attend the Tarâwîh prayer, then Satan convinces them that this made up for everything wrong that they have so far committed. In this way, he encourages them to keep up their sinful ways.
We ask Allah to protect us all from the wiles of Satan and from this special type of polytheism that he likes to cultivate in our hearts. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and our deeds.


CONCLUSION
We hope that we have made plain some of the ways the sin of showing off can sneak up on a person and make his deeds bereft of blessings. We hope from Allah that he blesses us with true sincerity and protects us from polytheism and from showing off, whether we do it consciously or unconsciously. Allah is the only one who can help us.
We conclude by saying: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. And may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and Companions and upon those who follow their good way until the Day of Judgment.

Twenty Ways to Show Off (Continuation 11 - 15)

This is an extract of an article by Sheikh Salman b. Fahd al-Oadah General Supervisor of the IslamToday Website


11. Refuting the people of knowledge:
A person may be incited by Satan to speak badly about the people of knowledge or to try to refute and contradict them. His purpose in doing so is to make himself visible by standing upon their shoulders. He wants people to say that he refuted or dumbfounded a certain scholar. He wants news to spread that he got into a debate with a certain prominent sheikh and overwhelmed him with his arguments.

He might succeed in bringing scholars down only to make himself more famous. While doing so, he might even offer a prayer for them to make a show of his affection and concern. He could say: “So-and-so – may Allah have mercy on him – said this and that.” He may even make a pretense of pity and compassion, saying: “Poor so-and-so, he has been afflicted with holding such an opinion.”

Another approach he may use is to feign a desire not to talk about him. If someone mentions to him the name of a certain scholar, he might say: “I do not wish to get involved with discussing that person” or “Leave him alone. May Allah conceal both his faults and ours.” or “Let us not talk about him. May Allah protect us from speaking badly about someone.” This is a very subtle way of putting that scholar down. Only the astute actually realize what is going on.


12. Seeking knowledge to acquire fame:
A person may be incited by Satan to seek religious knowledge and to study it extensively with the sole purpose of becoming a muftî who people will come to with their questions, or a scholar whose name will go down in history, or maybe an Islamic activist who people will rally around.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned that three people would be the first on the Day of Resurrection to be scorched by the Hellfire. One of these three was: “…a man who acquired knowledge and taught it to others, who recited the Qur’ân. He will be summoned and asked what he did during his lifetime. He will say: ‘I acquired knowledge and taught it to others and I recited the Qur’ân for your sake. Allah will tell him: ‘You lie! You only acquired knowledge so people would call you a scholar and read the Qur’ân so you would be acclaimed as a Qur’ân reciter. These things were indeed said about you.’ At this point an order will be given and this man will be dragged on his face and cast into Hell.” The others mentioned in this hadîth were a man who fought in Allah’s cause and a man who gave in charity, both with the intention of showing off.25
A person like this, once he acquires the fame and status that he desires, will be approached with the people’s questions. There will be times where he will not know the answer. At these times where he should admit he does not know, he will instead fear the people and worry about their opinion of him. He will not want them to say: “How come you don’t know the answer and you are supposed to be such a learned person?” For this reason, he will make something up an answer in ignorance. He will in this way misguide himself and others.
Once a man of knowledge ascended the pulpit and was asked a questioned. He answered: “I don’t know.”
One of the people in attendance spoke up and said: “The pulpit is not a place for ‘I don’t know’!”
To this the man of knowledge said: “I have ascended to this position where I am with the knowledge that I possess. If I were to ascend on par with ignorance, I would reach the sky.”
Imam Mâlik once said: “Whenever a scholar abandons saying ‘I don’t know’, then he has met with destruction.”


13. Feigning humility:
Satan may incite a person to make a pretentious show of modesty and humbleness. He will clasp his hands together, raise his shoulders, and lower his head in an insincere and inordinate display of submissiveness. Often the behaviors exhibited in these displays go against the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him).
`Abd Allah al-Qurashî relates that `Umar b. al-Khattâb once saw a young man lowering his head in prayer. `Umar said to him: “Raise your head. Humbleness does not increase on what is actually in the heart. Whenever people make their humbleness visible, they are just making a visible display of hypocrisy. 26
The Sunnah of how the worshipper should carry himself in prayer is well known. The correct thing for the worshipper to do is to focus his eyes on the place where his forehead will go in prostration. His hands should be folded over his chest or his diaphragm with the right hand covering the left. This is the position of the majority of scholars and is related in the hadîth related by Wâ’il b. Hajar, which is the most authentic hadîth in this regard.27 The worshipper should be balanced and moderate in standing, sitting, bowing, and prostrating, as this is the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Satan might sometime comes to a reciter of the Qur’ân and encourage him to cry during his recitation with the notion of making the listeners feel humbled before his recitation and to inspire them to weep as well. Yet, the larger the congregation, the more he cries, until he comes to a point where he can hardly recite.
Then we have the supplication known as the qunût made by the imam in Ramadân at the end of the prayer. We can see and hear amazing things happening during this supplication. Tears are summoned up and wept out in torrents by a person who may have just finished reading the most powerful, fearsome, and awe inspiring verses of the Qur’ân without being moved in the least. Then when he comes to the supplication of the qunût, we begin to hear loud cries and sobs.
Ibn Jawzî devotes a chapter to this type of showing off in his superb book entitled Talbîs Iblîs (The Devil’s Deception). He writes:
Chapter: The Devil’s deception through false humility, lowering of the head, and establishing law
If fear embeds itself in the heart, the body will show it. Such a person will not even be able to conceal his feelings. What is reprehensible is for a person to make an effort to show humility, induce crying, and visibly hang his head in order to appear like an ascetic and have people come up to him to take his hand or kiss it or beseech him to pray for them. He prepares himself for supplicatio n as if he can bring down an answer from heaven.
We have mentioned how Ibrâhîm al-Nakha`î, the prominent student of the Companions, used to detest it when people asked him to make a prayer for them. Some people display so much fear that it makes them very shy and submissive, unable to raise their faces to the sky. This is not a virtue, because there is no humility greater than that shown by Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him). In Sahîh Muslim, there is the hadîth of Abû Mûsâ al-Ash`arî where he says that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) used to often raise his head to the sky. 28 This hadîth shows that turning one’s face to the sky is a recommended practice for the sake of drawing lessons from the signs in its creation. Allah says: “Do they not look at the sky above them, how We made it and adorned it and there are no flaws in it?” [Sûrah Qâf : 6] He also says: “Say: Look at what is in the heavens and on Earth. ” [Sûrah Yûnus:10 101]. This shows the falsehood of those Sufis who go years without ever looking at the sky out of what they claim to be a show of humility.
Abû Salamah b. `Abd al-Rahmân said: “The Companions of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) were neither deviant nor were they like dead people. They used to recite poetry in their gatherings and talk about the times of ignorance. However, if you were to attack any one of them in matters of religion, his eyes would become like those of a madman.”
Kahmas b. al-Husayn relates that a man in the company of `Umar breathed sighing breaths as if he was trying to show grief, so `Umar struck him. `آsim b. Kulayb al-Jarmî relates: “My father met with `Abd al-Rahmân b. al-Aswad who had a habit of walking along the side of the wall out of false humility. My father said to him: ‘What is it with you that you walk against the wall like that? I swear by Allah, when `Umar walked, he planted his feet firmly on the ground. He made his voice heard when he spoke.”
Abû Khaythamah relates that al-Shifâ bint `Abd Allah saw some young people walking meekly and speaking slowly. She asked them: “What is this?” They replied: “We are ascetics.”
To this she said: “I swear by Allah, when `Umar spoke he made himself heard, and when he walked he walked briskly, and when he hit someone, he inflicted pain. And he was an ascetic for real.”29


14. Overemphasizing certain conspicuous works, even to the point of going against the Sunnah:
Some people become fixated on a certain type of work to the point where Satan can incite them on account of it to go against the Sunnah or to violate Islamic law. Take jihad for instance, since some of our young people today have become very interested in it. No doubt it is a great act of devotion. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There are one hundred levels in Paradise that Allah has prepared for those who engage in jihad for the cause of Allah. The distance between any two levels is like the distance between the sky and the Earth.”30 He also said that the pinnacle of Islam is jihad in the way of Allah. 31
Allah makes jihad the greatest of works when he says: “Do you consider the giving of drink to the pilgrims or the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque equal to the service of those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and strive[A] with might and main in the cause of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah; and Allah guides not those who do wrong. Those who believe and emigrate and strive with might and main in Allah’s cause with their wealth and their lives have the highest rank in the sight of Allah. They are the people who shall achieve success. Their Lord gives them glad tidings of mercy from Himself, of His good pleasure, and of Gardens for them wherein are delights that endure. They will dwell therein forever. Verily with Allah is a great reward.” [Sûrah al-Tawbah:19-22]
The gate of jihad is one of the great gates of Paradise, but jihad has its causes, its rules, and its conditions. A person who wishes to participate in jihad should learn the laws regarding it. He should learn how, where, and when to engage in jihad. He should know under whose banner he should fight. Moreover, such a person must first engage in a personal jihad to purify his intention. How many people are killed in the ranks of the believers and Allah alone knows their intentions. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever fight so that the word of Allah is the highest word, he is the one who has fought in the cause of Allah.”32

A man had fought along with the Prophet (peace be upon him) until he was slain. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I saw him in the Hellfire.”33 Later, he then mentioned that he saw the man being punished in a cloak that he had stolen.

Then there is the case of another man who fought alongside the Prophet (peace be upon him). He was severely wounded and in agony, so he placed the base of his sword on the ground and its point against his chest. Then he killed himself by falling upon it until it came out through his back. The Prophet (peace be upon him) informed his Companions that that man was in the Hellfire.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we purify our intentions and acquire the requisite knowledge before engaging in such work.
We have seen the children of the Islamic Awakening going fourth in ranks into the fiercest of fighting. They have demonstrated the utmost heroism, bravery, and mastery over the world. We saw the young men who had lived lives of recreation and comfort, pull themselves away from it suddenly, departing their lives of leisure and luxury and the places of fun and games, looking for death in the cause of Allah in the mountains and ravines of places like Afghanistan, Palestine, Chechnya, and Bosnia. We have books and cassettes filled with their many heroic stories.
This shows the truth of what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said when he informed us that jihad would be going on until the Final Hour, despite all the changing circumstances and despite how much the Muslims might lag behind in the world. He said: “There is no emigration after the conquest of Mecca but there is jihad and intention. If you are called upon to fight, the go forth.”34
At the same time, it should be known that jihad requires the express permission of one’s parents. Some of our young men, unfortunately, leave for jihad without first receiving their permission[B]. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked which deed was most beloved to Allah, he said: “Prayer on its time.” Then when asked what came next, he said: “Honoring one’s parents.” Then when asked what came next, he said: “Jihad in Allah’s cause.”35
The Prophet (peace be upon him) placed honoring one’s parents before jihad. Once a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and sought his permission to participate in jihad. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him if his parents were living. When the man replied in the affirmative, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him: “Your jihad is in serving them.”36
On another occasion a man approached the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah! I have come because I want to go in jihad along with you and seek the countenance of Allah and the abode of the Hereafter. I have come and left my parents weeping.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Go back to them and make them laugh just as you have made them weep.”37
Satan entices people to go against Allah’s Law in this way. For instance, he tricks some people by beautifying a given Islamic duty, though other Islamic duties may be more serious, goading him on with it until he abandons those more important duties. He might deceive a person into thinking that some work is an individual duty on every Muslim, when in fact the decision to engage in such duties is one of those difficult matters that requires the discretion of qualified people of knowledge. This person may even be deceived into condemning those who do not participate in the same works.
It is possible for one of these people to start talking to others about his experience while engaged in jihad, mentioning things that he saw and did and talking about miracles that he had experienced, though such events may never have actually taken place. I saw someone who had his hand bound up and who claimed that he had been shot in the hand during a battle. When his matter was investigated more closely, it turned out that it was all a charade.

The scholars of the early generations – the Salaf – were the strictest people in guarding against the tendency to show off, especially when it came to jihad.
`Abdah b. Sulayman al-Marwazî relates: “We went on an expedition against the Romans. One Roman came forth who was very strong and severe. No Muslim could draw near him without being struck down by his sword. The Muslims became very afraid of him. Then a shrouded man went to attack that Roman, striking him with his sword until he cut through him. He then hurried back to the military camp. I followed him and opened his shroud to find that it was none other than the great philanthropist and eminent scholar of Hadîth and Law, `Abd Allah b. al-Mubârak! He became very angry about what I did and said:
‘Even you defame us!’” (`Abd Allah b. al-Mubarak meant by this that the man made his dentity and his deeds known to the public) Look at how he tried to conceal his good deeds. See as well how `Abd Allah b. al-Mubârak was able to join together many types of good works, like acquiring knowledge, fighting in jihad, and spending in charity.


15. Making a show of religious zeal:
A pious person begins to talk about sinners. He speaks at length, describing, nit picking, and bewailing. He might even go so far as to curse people and threaten them. He exaggerates matters to the extreme as if he is trying to say: “I am very zealous about the sanctity of the religion, righteously indignant when it comes to my Lord, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the believers” . What he does not realize is that the way he is showing off is a far graver sin than many of those that he is discussing and condemning so viciously.

Twenty Ways to Show Off (Continuation 6 - 10)

This is an extract of an article by Sheikh Salman b. Fahd al-Oadah General Supervisor of the IslamToday Website



6. Conspicuous humility:
A person might make a show of deprecating himself, stating all the time how deficient he is. He says how he does no good works and how his deeds are not enough. All he means by all this is to make a display of his humility.
Whether or not he actually believes himself deficient, he goes on in this way until Satan makes him believe that he is free from showing off, when actually Satan has been accompanying him in his absurd display all along. What is needed for a person to be balanced, neither deprecating himself for public viewing, nor praising himself.



7. Bringing attention to the faults of others:
Satan can approach a person by way of the faults of others. By criticizing someone else’s mistake, a person implies that he is free from the same.
A man might say: “You know – God forbid! – so-and-so never gets up at night to offer prayers!” Translation: “I pray at night.”
“I never saw such-and-such fast a day in his life.” Translation: “I fast a lot.”
“Whats-his-name never gives in charity, though he has much more money than I have.” Translation: “I am not like him. I give in charity.”
If this person had any sense, he would say as a poet once said:
Because of myself I weep, not because of others,
For myself, from myself. Bother the people!
Or maybe he should say as al-Shâfi`î said:
Let not your tongue mention the shame of another,
For you yourself are covered in shame and all men have tongues.
If your eye falls upon the sins of your brother,
Shield them and say: O my eye! All men have eyes!”
Those who busy themselves with the shame of others have many specialized ways of backbiting at their disposal to help elevate them above those they criticize. Ibn Taymiyah,in his Fatâwâ24, mentions a number of these:
One strategy is to frame one’s slander in the form of concern for the religion and for reform. Statements of the following sort ensue:
“Now, it is not my general practice to say anything but good about other people. I hate backbiting and lying. I only wish to inform you about this person.”
“I swear by Allah, he is a good man, but he does such-and-such.”
“We must pray for him. O Allah! Forgive us and forgive him.”
With these statements, a person can ridicule another while at the same time seeking to deceive Allah about what he is doing, as if that was possible.
Then there are those who belittle others just to make themselves look good. A person like this might say: “If only I prayed for him yesterday, I would not have heard this horrible thing about him today.” To make himself appear clever, someone might say: “So-and-so, you must understand, has a weak intellect.”
Another person makes his slander of others appear in the form of jest, as if his only intention is to make others laugh. However, what he does to make his companions laugh is ridicule another person, belittle him, and mock him.
Another uses amazement and astonishment an excuse to say something bad about someone else. He might say: “I am startled that so-and –so does not do that!” or: “How it is that he can do such a thing!” In this way, the slanderer maligns the name of another with the excuse that he was overcome with amazement.
Someone else feigns concern or pity in order to get in his nasty remarks. He might say: “Poor so-and-so, I am so sorry about what happened to him. It is a pity what he got himself involved with.” Someone who hears this might think the speaker is genuinelydistraught about what happened to that person. In reality, though, he would probably increase that person’s miseries if he was able to do so. He might even say these words in front of that person’s enemies in order to give them the chance to take their revenge on him. This is a very serious sickness of the heart and a horrible form of deception. Then there is the person who makes a show of anger nd righteous indignation in order to backbite another. He may use the most eloquent words possible with the seeming intent of condemning an act of wrongdoing, but his true intentions are vile indeed.



8. Safeguarding one’s status and reputation:
When a person becomes known for righteousness and piety, he tends to love building his reputation further in the same manner. He begins to fear losing the esteem of others that he presently enjoys. He guards himself from any apparent laxity in his conduct. He makes sure to keep pace with others or to outdo them in the good works that he performs, or at least in what he shows to them. He does not do this out of any religious devotion, but merely in order to maintain their respect. He may speak to them, preach to them, and exhort them to do what is right, not because he feels that they need it but because he feels that they expect it from him. The meaning of what he says is not his concern. It is only his reputation and status that matter.
This trap is a subtle one and an easy one to plunge into. Actions are but by intentions. A person is either doing these things for Allah’s sake – for which he will be rewarded – or merely to save his reputation.



9. Speaking about matters in a way that alludes to the idea that one is engaged in them:
A person might say the following: “If a worshipper recites the Qur’ân a lot, it becomes easy on his tongue, and he reads with more fluidity, especially when he prays late at night.” Translation: “I did this act and had this experience.”
Likewise, a person might say: “Some people think fasting is tiring and difficult.” Translation: “I am in the habit of fasting.”
A person’s secret devotions can become public in this manner. A man says: “You know, so-and-so made the call for the Morning Prayer a half hour before its time.” In this way, he reveals to everyone that he is in the habit of getting up before this time.
Let us look at how the scholars of old handled a similar situation. Sa`îd b. Jubayr asked his fellows: “Which of you saw the shooting star that went across the sky last night?” Husayn b. `Abd al-Rahmân added: “I did.” Then he quickly added: “I had not been praying; I had been stung by a scorpion.”
The reason he mentioned that he had been stung by a scorpion was to dispel the obvious conclusion that his companions would come to: that he had been praying throughout the night. The early Muslims were very careful to avoid praising themselves and did not like mentioning their own virtues.
Those who mention such things in order to show off may earn the people’s praise, but their deeds lose all blessings. If, however, somebody makes such statements without the intention of showing off, then their secret devotions still become public. He will be rewarded for them, but the blessings of those devotions will be less.



10. Putting oneself on a pedestal:
A person embarks upon learning about a certain religious topic. He delves into it deeply, investigating every minor issue and every subtle detail. He commits whole texts to memory and learns the opinions of many authorities. Then, when he sits among a large number of people, he begins to speak. Of course, he speaks on that very topic that he investigated so thoroughly, rattling off the names of different scholars and what they had to say, giving every citation from memory, down to the page number. He pours out to them everything he has memorized. What is the reason for all of this? It is so people will point to him and call him a scholar.
He may have the pretension to use turns of phrase reserved for true people of knowledge.
He might say things like:
“I see the matter to be such-and such…”
“What is quite evident to me is that it is…”
“The stance that we take on this issue is…”
He has the audacity to speak in the manner of an authority in the field, while he is a mere beginner. A poet writes:
They say: “This is, in our opinion, impermissible”
Who are you, though, to have an opinion?