Are there any hadiths on the index finger during the tashahud?

Firstly:

It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to point with his index finger and move it during the tashahhud when praying.

The scholars differed concerning that and there are several points of view.

1 – The Hanafis say that the finger should be raised when saying “Laa (no)” in the phrase “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah)” and it should be lowered when saying, “ill-Allaah (except Allaah).”

2 – The Shaafa’is say that it should be raised when saying “ill-Allaah.”

3 – The Maalikis say that it should be moved right and left until one finishes the prayer.

4 – The Hanbalis say that one should point with the finger when saying the name of Allaah, without moving it.

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: There is no basis for any of these definitions and manners in the Sunnah. The closest of them to the correct view is the Hanbali view, were it not that they limited raising the finger to when saying the name of Allaah.

Tamaam al-Minnah, p. 223.

Secondly:

With regard to the evidence concerning this issue:

(a) It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Zubayr said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat during the prayer, he would place his left foot between his thigh and calf, and tuck his right foot underneath him, and place his left hand on his left knee, and place his right hand on his right thigh, and point with his finger.

Narrated by Muslim, 579.

In al-Nasaa’i (1270) and Abu Dawood (989) it says: “He used to point with his finger when making du’aa’ but he did not move it.”

This addition – “but he did not move it” – was classed as da’eef by Ibn al-Qayyim in Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/238. It was also classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Tamaam al-Minnah, p. 218.

(b) It was narrated that Waa’il ibn Hajar said: I said: I will certainly watch how the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prays. So I watched him and he stood up and said takbeer (“Allaahu akbar”), and raised his hands until they were level with his ears. Then he placed his right hand on his left hand, wrist and lower forearm. When he wanted to bow, he raised his hands likewise, and put his hands on his knees, and when he raised his head he raised his hands likewise. Then he prostrated and put his hands level with his ears, then he sat with his left foot tucked underneath him and put his left hand on his left thigh and knee, and he put the edge of his right elbow on his right thigh. Then he held two of his fingers and made a circle, then he raised his forefinger and moved it, making du’aa’ with it.

Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 889; classed as saheeh by Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/354; Ibn Maajah, 5/170; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 367.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen quoted this hadeeth – “moving it, making du’aa’ with it” – as evidence that moving the forefinger during the tashahhud should be done with every phrase of the du’aa’. He said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’:

The Sunnah indicates that he should point with it when making du’aa’, because the wording of the hadeeth is “moving it, making du’aa’ with it”. So every time you make du’aa’, move your finger thus indicating the exalted nature of the One to Whom you are addressing your du’aa’s. So we say:

“Al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu (peace be upon you, O Prophet)” – you should point your finger because this salaam is a kind of du’aa’. “Al-salaamu ‘alayna (peace be upon us)” – you should point your finger. “Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad (O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad)” – you should point your finger. “Allaahumma baarik ‘ala Muhammad) O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad)” – you should point your finger. ‘A’oodhu Billaahi min ‘adhaab jahannam (I seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of Hell)” – you should point your finger. “Wa min ‘adhaab al-qabr (and from the torment of the grave)” – you should point your finger. “Wa min fitnat il-mahya wa’l-mamaat (and from the trials of life and death)” – you should point your finger. “Wa min fitnat il-maseeh il-dajjaal (and from the tribulation of the Dajjaal) – you should point your finger. Every time you make du’aa’ you should point your finger, indicating the greatness of the One to Whom you are making du’aa’. This is closer to the Sunnah. End quote.

Thirdly:

It is Sunnah when pointing to look at your finger.

Al-Nawawi said:

The Sunnah is not to let your gaze go beyond the pointing finger. There is a saheeh hadeeth concerning this in Sunan Abi Dawood. You should point in the direction of the qiblah and intend when pointing to affirm the Oneness of Allaah and exclusive devotion to Him.

Sharh Muslim, 5/81.

The hadeeth to which al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) referred is the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Zubayr quoted above. The version narrated by Abu Dawood is (989): “And he should not let his gaze go beyond his pointing finger.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Fourthly:

It is Sunnah to point with it towards the qiblah.

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar that he saw a man moving pebbles with his hand whilst he was praying. When he finished, ‘Abd-Allaah said to him: “Do not move pebbles whilst you are praying, for that comes from the Shaytaan. Rather do what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. He put his right hand on his thigh and pointed with the finger that is next to the thumb towards the qiblah, and he fixed his gaze on it.” Then he said: “This is what I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) doing.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 1160; Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/355; Ibn Hibbaan, 5/273. classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i.

Fifthly:

Bending the finger slightly when pointing was mentioned in the hadeeth of Numayr al-Khuzaa’i, narrated by A u Dawood, 991, and al-Nasaa’i, 1275.

But this is a da’eef (weak) hadeeth.


And Allaah knows best.



Source:
Islamqa
Fatwa 7570

Courtersy of Yahoo Answers
Answered by Iqra Newsletter

Why do you say Islam is Peace?

A non-Muslim asked this question:

Well I have read the Quran and I found God doesn't like the non-believers and God is against the beliefs of Christians and Jews..but Muslims say Islam is Peace...well if the word Islam means Peace, why does Islam have bad connotations in the world? Where some people take the Quran and justified the Holy War.. like the Surah 9 .. Why is there a Holy war against the West besides the wars in middle east? I found all the conflicts even they are politics.. Islam is always part of it, like the conflicts among Christians and Muslims in Palestine, Lebanon and other Islamic countries.


Answer:

1. What is Islam?
Islam is a way of life which means to surrender, submit and obey God in sincerity and in peace.Thus, an individual who accepts Islam as his way of life must submit himself to the commands of God Almighty. A broader meaning of Islam is “attainment of peace by submitting one’s will to the will of God.”

2. Non-believers (Christians and Jews)
With regards to the verses concerning them, this were the non-believers who were either plotting to kill Muhammad peace be upon or wanting war. That is why those verses were revealed. It is not talking about non-believers in general.
Unlike the Bible which is straight forward, in order to read the Quran you must have knowledge of Islamic history, Hadith and being able to speak with knowledgeable Muslims regarding any questions to understand it.

3. Holy War
There are Muslim who preach violence and unjust aggression. This has nothing to do with Islam, and therefore, a separation should be made between what Muslims do and what Islam as a religion dictates. The same separation should have been done between blaming Christianity instead of Christians who used to carry crosses and rape the women in Bosnia. Be careful from un-objective media that portrays Muslims as violent fanatics.

4. Islam always part of conflicts
It is true that the number of reports against Muslims and Muslim countries are numerous. However, the media is doing no justification in reporting as it only brings those cases that appear to be problematic. When a few of these cases are publicized, some people think that these acts are normal and everyday acts within Muslim countries.

It is true that there are “black sheep” in every community but the way Islam is depicted in the media makes it seem that every Muslim is a “black sheep.” When a Muslim commits a wrong, his religion is quickly accused and Islam creates headlines but when others commit similar acts, there is often no reports or the religion does not get mentioned. Milosevic and Hitler were guilty of mass murder and ethnic cleansing but their religions were never blamed.

According to Islam, every human being is innocent until proven guilty. Thus, blame cannot be placed on entire nations and communities because of one or a few individuals’ conducts. Similarly, just like Christianity cannot be judged by the actions of Adolf Hitler or Slobodan Milosevic, Islam cannot be judged by the actions of any Muslim or group of Muslims who have committed a crime or many criminal acts. If anyone wishes to judge Islam or to understand it better, they have to study its authentic sources– i.e. the Qur’aan and the practical exemplary way of the life of the Prophet.

Media companies are not driven by a mission to educate but to gain profits. Hence profits decide the headlines at the end of the day. Islam urges everyone who wants to know more about Islam to study its sources rather than concentrate on media reports.

Thank you for your questions.

Source(s):
discoverislamaustralia,
islamicity

Courtesy of Yahoo Answers
Question answered by Iqra Newsletter

15 Tips to Raising Great Children

Children are easily influenced by their surroundings. These days, it is extremely difficult to expose our children to an ideal Islamic environment given the influences from media, friends and even other members of the family.

With television, radio, Internet and forms of media mostly touting un-Islamic values, it is up to parents and adults close to the children to set the correct example.

It is impossible to shield our children from all the negative forces that can shape their minds and, ultimately, their behavior.

However, by our own example and showing them better options, we can set them on the true path, which is to obey the commandments of Allah (swt) and our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).


Here are some tips you may want to follow in helping your children grow up with Islamic values.

1) Start by teaching them the importance of Worshipping only Allah: The best thing any Muslim parent could ever teach their children is to emphasize, from the day they can comprehend, that Allah (swt) is One and no one is worthy of worship except Allah (swt). This is the fundamental message of our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and it is our key to Paradise.

2) Treat them kindly: Kindness begets kindness. If we were kind to our children, they in turn would show kindness to others. Our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was the best example in being kind to children.

3) Teach them examples of Muslim heroes: Instead of Batman or Superman, tell them about real heroes such as Abu Bakr, Umar ibn Khattab, Othman bin Affan, Ali bin Abi Talib and others. Tell them how Muslim leaders brought a real peaceful change in the world and won the hearts of Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

4) Let children sit with adults: It is preferable for children to be among adults, especially when listening to Islamic lectures. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would often put children in the front row when he spoke to the people.

5) Make them feel important: Consult them in family matters. Let them feel they are important members of the family and have a part to play in the growth and well being of the family.

6) Go out as a family: Take family trips rather than allowing your children to always go out only with their friends. Let your children be around family and friends from whom you want them to pick up their values. Always remember that your children will become who they are around with most of the time. So, watch their company and above all give them YOUR company.

7) Praise them: Praise is a powerful tool with children, especially in front of others. Children feel a sense of pride when their parents’ praise them and will be keen to perform other good deeds. However, praise must be limited to Islamic deeds and deeds of moral value.

8) Avoid humiliation: Similarly, do not humiliate them in front of others. Children make mistakes. Sometimes, these mistakes occur in their efforts to please the parents. If you are unhappy with your children, tell them in private.

9) Sports: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged sports such as swimming, running and horse riding. Other sports that build character and physical strength are also recommended, as long as the children maintain their Islamic identity, wear appropriate clothes and do not engage in unnecessary mixing.

10) Responsibility: Have faith in their abilities to perform tasks. Give them chores to do in line with their age. Convince them that they are performing an important function and you will find them eager to help you out again.

11) Don’t spoil them: Children are easily spoiled. If they receive everything they ask for, they will expect you to oblige on every occasion. Be wise in what you buy for them. Avoid extravagance and unnecessary luxuries. Take them to an orphanage or poor area of your city once in a while so they can see how privileged they are.

12) Don’t be friends: It is common in the West for parents to consider their children as friends. In Islam, it doesn’t work that way. If you have ever heard how friends talk to each other, then you will know that this is not how a parent-child relationship should be. You are the parents, and they should respect you, and this is what you should be teaching them. The friendship part should be limited to you and them keeping an open dialog so they can share their concerns with you and ask you questions when they have any.

13) Pray with them: Involve them in acts of worship. When they are young, let them see you in act of salaah (salat). Soon, they would be trying to imitate you. Wake them up for Fajr and pray as a family. Talk to them about the rewards of salaah so that it doesn’t feel like a burden to them.

14) Emphasize halaal: It is not always good to say “this is haraam, that is haraam”. While you must educate them on haraam things, Islam is full of halaal and tell your children to thank Allah (swt) for the bounties He has bestowed on them- not just for food and clothes. Tell them to be thankful for having eyes that see, ears that hear, arms and legs and, the ultimate blessing, Islam in their hearts.

15) Set an example: As parents, you are the best example the children can have. If you talk to your parents rudely, expect your children to do the same to you. If you are disrespectful to others, your children will follow too. Islam is filled with Divine advice on the best ways to bring up your children. That makes it an obligation upon parents to be good Muslims so their children will try to emulate them. If you don’t take Islam seriously, neither will your children. It goes back to our third point, which is to give them Islamic heroes. As a parent, you should be their number one hero.


SOURCE:

http://www.hilalplaza.com/raising_children_in_islam.html

Dua one should say for a sick adult or child

1. Reciting al-Faatihah
   The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) described Soorat al-Faatihah as a ruqyah, and he approved of the Sahaabi who recited it as a ruqyah for the one who had been stung by a scorpion. Ibn al-Qayyim said: There was a time when I fell sick in Makkah, and I could not find a doctor or any medicine, so I treated myself by reciting it. I would take some Zamzam water and recite it over it several times, then drink it. I recovered fully by these means, then I began to do that whenever I felt a lot of pain, and I benefited greatly from it.





2. It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that when any of us fell sick, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would wipe him with his right hand then say:
“Adhhib il-ba’s, Rabbi l-naas washfi anta al-Shaafi laa shifaa’a illa shifaa’uka shifaa’an laa yughaadir saqaman (Remove the harm, O Lord of mankind and heal him, for You are the Healer and there is no healing except Your healing, with a healing which does not leave any disease behind).”




3. It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: If one of his family fell sick, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would blow over him and recite al-Mu’awwidhaat. When he fell sick with his final illness, I started to blow over him and wipe him with his own hand, because it was more blessed than my hand.





4. It was narrated from ‘Uthmaan ibn Abi’l-‘Aas al-Thaqafi that he complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about some pain that he had felt in his body since he became Muslim. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Put your hand on the part of your body that hurts and say: ‘Bismillaah (in the name of Allah)’ three times, and then say seven times: ‘A'oothu billaahi wa qudratihi min sharri maa 'ajidu wa 'uhaathiru’ (I seek refuge in Allah and His Power from the evil of what I find and I fear).”





5. It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: O Muhammad, are you sick? He said: “Yes.” He said: In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allah heal you; in the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you.





6. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you suffers some sickness, or his brother suffers some sickness, let him say: ‘Our Lord Allah Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, You will is done in heaven and on earth; as Your mercy is in heaven, bestow it upon the earth. Forgive us our sins. You are the Lord of the good. Send down some Your mercy and healing upon this pain,’ and he will be healed.”





7. It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who visits a sick person who is not dying, and says seven times in his presence, 'As'alullaahal-'Adheema Rabbal-'Arshil-'Adheemi 'an yashfiyaka (I ask Allah the Almighty, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, to heal you), Allah will heal him from that sickness.”
Whilst reciting these ruqyahs over yourself you should wipe your hand over your face, chest and stomach, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do, and you should sit near your child’s head so that you will be breathing over him as you recite the ruqyah. There is nothing wrong with blowing lightly onto his face with a little saliva whilst doing that. The ruqyah comes from the heart and mouth of the one who is reciting ruqyah, so if it is accompanied with some of his saliva and breath, that will have a stronger effect.

But over and above all that there must be sincerity towards Allah in the dua’, and sincere turning to Him and humility before Him, and one should seek out the times when prayers are answered, for when a person raises his hand to Allah in dua’, He is reluctant that the person should remain empty-handed. Do not be hasty in seeking a response, for Allah may delay the answer for a reason that is known to Him, so you should be patient and have certain faith.

Source: Islam Q&A Fatwa no. 75399










The reward for visiting the sick







When a man goes to visit his sick Muslim brother, he walks along a path of Paradise until he sits, and when he sits he is cloaked in mercy. If he comes in the morning, seventy thousand angels pray for him until evening, and if he comes in the evening, seventy thousand angels pray for him until morning.







At-Tirmithi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad. See, Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Majah 1/244, and Sahih At-Tirmithi 1/286. It was also graded authentic by Ahmad Shakir.












Source:







Fortress of the Muslim: Invocations from the Quran and the Sunnah, Darussalam Publications

Al-Aleem (The Truthful)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the most just, the most decent, the most truthful at speech, and the most honest of all. Those who have exchanged words with him, and even his enemies, acknowledge his noble qualities. Even before the Prophethood he was nicknamed Al-Ameen (i.e., the truthful, the trustworthy). Even then – in Al-Jahiliyah – they used to turn to him for judgment and group discussions.

Speaking Lies

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he is entrusted with something he breaks that trust.” [al-Bukhaari & Muslim]

Lying is haraam in all cases, expect those which are exempted by the Lawgiver.

Allah says: “O you who believe! Fear Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)” [al-Tawbah 9:119]


The Prophet peace be upon him said,

“Whoever does not give up lying speech (false statements) and acting on those lies and evil actions, etc, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink [ie. Allah will not accept his Saum (fasting)].
[Bukhaari]

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

“I urge you to be truthful, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will continue to be truthful and seek to speak the truth until he is recorded with Allah as speaker of truth (siddeeq). And beware of lying, for lying leads to evildoing and evildoing leads to Hell; a man will continue to tell lies until he is recorded with Allaah as a liar.” [al-Bukhaari]

Jokes should also be Truthful

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“Woe to the one who tells lies to make people laugh, woe to him.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, warning against this kind of behaviour which some jokers are accustomed to:

“A man may say something to make his companions laugh, and he will fall into Hell as far as the Pleiades's because of it.”
(Narrated by Ahmad)


The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“I guarantee a house in Jannah (Paradise) for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a house in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even when joking/for the sake of fun; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners."
[Reported by Abu Dawud]

Therefore, a Muslim who has true Islamic sensitivities avoids lying no matter what benefits or profits such activities might bring him, because Islam considers those guilty of such deeds to be hypocrites.

Lying is not right except in 3 cases:

1- When a person steps-in in order to bring about agreement between two persons or families that are having problems with each other.

2- When a man speaks to his wife, or a wife to her husband, concerning matters that will increase the love between them.

3- War.


The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“He is not a liar who brings about reconciliation among people, conveys good words and says good things.” “Lies are not appropriate except in three cases: when a man speaks to his wife to please her, telling lies at times of war, and lying in order to bring about reconciliation between people.”
[al-Bukhaari & Muslim]



SOURCE:
Islam Q&A
Fatwa no. 47564, 105477, 22170
Islamic_Group