The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The likeness of a house in which Allaah is remembered and the house in which Allah is not remembered is that of the living and the dead, respectively.”
We must make our homes places where Allaah is remembered in all kinds of ways, whether in our hearts, verbally, during prayer, by reading Qur’aan, by discussing Islamic issues, or by reading different kinds of Islamic books.
How many Muslim homes nowadays are dead because there is no remembrance of Allah, as mentioned in the hadeeth. What must they be like when all that is heard therein is the music of Shaytaan with instruments and singing, and backbiting, slander and gossip?
What must they be like when they are filled with evil and sin, such as the haraam mixing of the sexes and wanton display between relatives who are not mahram or with neighbours who enter the home?
How can the angels enter a home like this? Revive your homes with all kinds of dhikr, may Allah have mercy on you!
SOURCE:
Islamqa:
The Muslim Home – 40 recommendations by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to write Qur’aanic verses?
Answer:
Firstly,
It is permissible for a menstruating woman, and also a woman who is bleeding following childbirth (nifaas) to recite Qur’aan without touching it.
Secondly,
It is permissible for a menstruating woman, and also a woman who is bleeding following childbirth (nifaas) to write Qur’aanic verses, on the condition that she does not touch the letters, because the prohibition only has to do with touching the Mushaf, and writing is not touching.
It says in al-Jawharah al-Nayyirah, which is a Hanafi book (1/31):
It is makrooh for a person who is junub or a menstruating woman to write down Qur’aan if he or she touches the slate or chalk. But if he or she places it on the ground and writes without putting his or her hand on the written letters, it was nothing wrong with that. End quote.
It is permissible for one who is in a state of impurity, or even a dhimmi, to write it without touching it because the prohibition, as stated above, applies to touching it, and this is not touching.
End quote from Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘, 1/135
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
We are female students in the girls’ college and we have to memorise some Qur’aan. Sometimes the tests come during one’s menstrual period. Is it acceptable to write the soorah on a piece of paper and memorise it or not?
He replied:
It is permissible for the woman who is menstruating or bleeding following childbirth to recite Qur’aan according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions… The same applies to the piece of paper on which Qur’aan is written if necessary.
End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 10/209
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible to write some verses on the chalkboard without having wudoo’? What is the ruling on touching the chalkboard on which those verses are written?
He replied:
It is permissible to write Qur’aan without wudoo’ so long as one does not touch it. As for touching the chalkboard on which those verses are written, the Hanbali fuqaha’ say it is permissible for a boy to touch the slate on which verses have been written in the places that are free of writing, i.e., so long as his hand does not touch the letters – does the chalkboard come under this heading or not? In my view this is a matter for which there is no definite answer.
End quote from Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 11/214
And Allah knows best.
SOURCE:
Islam Q&A
Fatwa no. 161455
Firstly,
It is permissible for a menstruating woman, and also a woman who is bleeding following childbirth (nifaas) to recite Qur’aan without touching it.
Secondly,
It is permissible for a menstruating woman, and also a woman who is bleeding following childbirth (nifaas) to write Qur’aanic verses, on the condition that she does not touch the letters, because the prohibition only has to do with touching the Mushaf, and writing is not touching.
It says in al-Jawharah al-Nayyirah, which is a Hanafi book (1/31):
It is makrooh for a person who is junub or a menstruating woman to write down Qur’aan if he or she touches the slate or chalk. But if he or she places it on the ground and writes without putting his or her hand on the written letters, it was nothing wrong with that. End quote.
It is permissible for one who is in a state of impurity, or even a dhimmi, to write it without touching it because the prohibition, as stated above, applies to touching it, and this is not touching.
End quote from Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘, 1/135
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
We are female students in the girls’ college and we have to memorise some Qur’aan. Sometimes the tests come during one’s menstrual period. Is it acceptable to write the soorah on a piece of paper and memorise it or not?
He replied:
It is permissible for the woman who is menstruating or bleeding following childbirth to recite Qur’aan according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions… The same applies to the piece of paper on which Qur’aan is written if necessary.
End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 10/209
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible to write some verses on the chalkboard without having wudoo’? What is the ruling on touching the chalkboard on which those verses are written?
He replied:
It is permissible to write Qur’aan without wudoo’ so long as one does not touch it. As for touching the chalkboard on which those verses are written, the Hanbali fuqaha’ say it is permissible for a boy to touch the slate on which verses have been written in the places that are free of writing, i.e., so long as his hand does not touch the letters – does the chalkboard come under this heading or not? In my view this is a matter for which there is no definite answer.
End quote from Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 11/214
And Allah knows best.
SOURCE:
Islam Q&A
Fatwa no. 161455
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Quran for Busy People!
The most effective strategies I’ve ever come across for doing your hifz of the Quran and building a very close relationship with Allah (swt) in the process…
+++++++++++++++++++++
If you want TONNES of more effective
Strategies to achieve each of your personal
Quran goals, check out…
www.quranforbusypeople.com/timeforquran
+++++++++++++++++++++
So, this technique was taught by the Algerian
Shaykh Zakariya al-Siddiqi who teaches at the Institute of Human Sciences in France is one of the foremost scholars of Quran.
He memorised it by the age of 9 and dedicated his life to studying and teaching it, and he once told us the story of one of his friends. His friend was an engineering student, who was a 'Fresher' about to embark on a 5 year degree. Let's call him Ahmed...
Ahmed was an intelligent student who
Followed one of the oft-forgotten Sunnah's of Success...
He woke up earlier than most people.
In fact, he woke up on time to get to the Mosque to pray Fajr every day.
When he got home from the mosque, instead of busying himself with the internet or watching television, he spent the first few minutes of each day memorising the Quran.
Ahmed made a firm commitment to memorise the Quran, but instead of rushing in and trying to memorise one or two pages each day (like his friends who gave up before long), he confined himself to learning 5 lines per day.
This worked out to be about 20-30 minutes per day for him. In order to overcome the initial unfamiliarity
with the new verses, he spent the first few minutes each day actually writing out the 5 lines of that day onto a small sheet of paper.
He spent the next few minutes reciting them over and over, and then attempted to memorise them.
As Ahmed went about his day, he often found that he had a few chunks of time – several minutes each. During these times, such as waiting for the bus, or waiting for a teacher to turn up to a class, Ahmed would try to remember the 5 lines from that morning.
To aid his memory, he kept the sheet that he wrote out that morning folded in his pocket, and would pull it out if he was struggling.
To further support his memory, every prayer he prayed that day, he would recite the same 5 verses of Quran that he learned that morning. In each raka', he would alternate between the 5 lines from that day, and the 5 lines he learned the day before. And remember...
With the Uthmani script of the Quran, there are exactly 15 lines per page. So, by the end of the week, Ahmed had not only memorised 2 whole pages of the Quran, but he had written them out in full, too... a very blessed act if ever there was one.
On the weekend, Ahmed would visit a local scholar of Quran recitation, and would revise with him the 2 pages he had just memorised, and have a go at the 2 pages he would be working on the following week. This way, he was certain to learn the Quran with accurate tajweed and beautiful recitation.
There was one other secret to Ahmed's success.
Once a week, on a weekend evening (usually on a Friday night), Ahmed would wake up in the middle of the night, and pray Tahajjud. During his special Tahajjud prayer, Ahmed would recite the whole two pages he had learned that week, and consolidate them.
At this point, the Shaykh mentioned that perhaps one of the reasons so few people manage to wake up and
do this special prayer, which is highly recommended by the Quran and by our beloved Prophet (saw), is that we don't have anything to recite.
We have so little Quran memorised that there's no fun or enjoyment in the challenge of waking up for Tahajjud.
You can imagine Ahmed's excitement and feeling of achievement and success 3 months after he started, when he had memorised the entire 1st Juz!
It's not just the feeling of success and empowerment that Quran gave him, but also the deep connection with Allah (SWT) he felt every single day.
You can only imagine how proud he must have felt of himself, when upon graduation Ahmed not only received a 1st class degree in engineering (he was 3rd in his class), but he had also officially memorised the entire Quran.
Shaykh Zakariya pointed out a final lesson from this blessed brother.
The biggest achievement he made was not to memorise the Quran. The biggest achievement he made was to be deeply connected with the Quran every single day for 5 years.
That connection with Allah (SWT) is what made Ahmed so special. That deep link with the Creator is what
keeps life in perspective and is what helped Ahmed to keep on track with the little weekly targets he set for himself.
One can only imagine what happened to Ahmed's levels of personal fulfillment, iman and taqwa, as he went back every single day to develop this ritual of ihsan (spiritual excellence). Each day he woke up for Fajr and wrote out another 5 lines of Quran, his self-esteem and self-confidence soared...
+++++++++++++++++++
Top 5 Quran Hifdh Tips
+++++++++++++++++++
Before you rush in to try and start
Learning 5 lines of Quran per day,
Here are some tips…
+++++++
1. Learn Quranic Arabic – it makes Memorization about 300x easier!
+++++++
Many people would love to do their Hifz, but in reality, they can’t understand Basic Quranic Arabic.
Even though they could still do hifz (South Asian madrassa style), I’d recommend spending your first
couple of months of study learning Quranic Arabic - Go through the course described In this video first:
www.quranforbusypeople.com
++++++++++
2. You can achieve all of your Quran goals, But NOT all at the same time
++++++++++
Make an effective long-term plan
For your Quran studies. I call this The “Strategic Quran Plan”, and Show you exactly how to create it,
In Module 2, here:
www.quranforbusypeople.com/timeforquran
+++++++++++
3. Follow Your Heart.
+++++++++++
If you love the sound of a certain Surah, or are intrigued by the tafsir of a certain section of the Quran, but You’re not sure if you’re ready to go all Out and do a systematic ‘hifz’ yet…
Use the strategy above to learn the section
Of the Quran that you’re most "into" right Now.
This way, you’ll learn some Quran each year, and get used to memorization before You start your ‘official’ hifz program.
+++++++++++
4. Keep Track
+++++++++++
Masha’Allah, there are some brilliant Hifz online tracking programs that are Now available, and there’s the old - Fashioned ‘Quran Journal’.
If you keep track of what you’re learning, Once in a while you can review what you know, and use what you know regularly in your Salah.
I’d recommend at least one of the 5 Daily prayers should be a little longer than the others, where you put some of the Quran you’ve learnt to use.
+++++++++++
5. Start With Revision
+++++++++++
A lot of people neglect revision, because it doesn’t feel like you’re ‘Memorizing’.
The truth is, being structured around revision is MORE important than Learning new lines.
If you don’t revise what you know now, you won’t revise what you’re about to learn.
For loads more Quran Strategies, and a structured way to keep yourself motivated all year round, check out our video training program:
www.quranforbusypeople.com/timeforquran
If you found any benefit in this article, forward it on to your friends, family & other Quran fans!
Did someone send this to you?
If you want the full scoop on getting great Quran tips, techniques and study methods, (as well as the quickest, easiest way to understand the entire Quran in Arabic!), visit...
www.quranforbusypeople.com
SOURCE:
Islamic_Group
+++++++++++++++++++++
If you want TONNES of more effective
Strategies to achieve each of your personal
Quran goals, check out…
www.quranforbusypeople.com/timeforquran
+++++++++++++++++++++
So, this technique was taught by the Algerian
Shaykh Zakariya al-Siddiqi who teaches at the Institute of Human Sciences in France is one of the foremost scholars of Quran.
He memorised it by the age of 9 and dedicated his life to studying and teaching it, and he once told us the story of one of his friends. His friend was an engineering student, who was a 'Fresher' about to embark on a 5 year degree. Let's call him Ahmed...
Ahmed was an intelligent student who
Followed one of the oft-forgotten Sunnah's of Success...
He woke up earlier than most people.
In fact, he woke up on time to get to the Mosque to pray Fajr every day.
When he got home from the mosque, instead of busying himself with the internet or watching television, he spent the first few minutes of each day memorising the Quran.
Ahmed made a firm commitment to memorise the Quran, but instead of rushing in and trying to memorise one or two pages each day (like his friends who gave up before long), he confined himself to learning 5 lines per day.
This worked out to be about 20-30 minutes per day for him. In order to overcome the initial unfamiliarity
with the new verses, he spent the first few minutes each day actually writing out the 5 lines of that day onto a small sheet of paper.
He spent the next few minutes reciting them over and over, and then attempted to memorise them.
As Ahmed went about his day, he often found that he had a few chunks of time – several minutes each. During these times, such as waiting for the bus, or waiting for a teacher to turn up to a class, Ahmed would try to remember the 5 lines from that morning.
To aid his memory, he kept the sheet that he wrote out that morning folded in his pocket, and would pull it out if he was struggling.
To further support his memory, every prayer he prayed that day, he would recite the same 5 verses of Quran that he learned that morning. In each raka', he would alternate between the 5 lines from that day, and the 5 lines he learned the day before. And remember...
With the Uthmani script of the Quran, there are exactly 15 lines per page. So, by the end of the week, Ahmed had not only memorised 2 whole pages of the Quran, but he had written them out in full, too... a very blessed act if ever there was one.
On the weekend, Ahmed would visit a local scholar of Quran recitation, and would revise with him the 2 pages he had just memorised, and have a go at the 2 pages he would be working on the following week. This way, he was certain to learn the Quran with accurate tajweed and beautiful recitation.
There was one other secret to Ahmed's success.
Once a week, on a weekend evening (usually on a Friday night), Ahmed would wake up in the middle of the night, and pray Tahajjud. During his special Tahajjud prayer, Ahmed would recite the whole two pages he had learned that week, and consolidate them.
At this point, the Shaykh mentioned that perhaps one of the reasons so few people manage to wake up and
do this special prayer, which is highly recommended by the Quran and by our beloved Prophet (saw), is that we don't have anything to recite.
We have so little Quran memorised that there's no fun or enjoyment in the challenge of waking up for Tahajjud.
You can imagine Ahmed's excitement and feeling of achievement and success 3 months after he started, when he had memorised the entire 1st Juz!
It's not just the feeling of success and empowerment that Quran gave him, but also the deep connection with Allah (SWT) he felt every single day.
You can only imagine how proud he must have felt of himself, when upon graduation Ahmed not only received a 1st class degree in engineering (he was 3rd in his class), but he had also officially memorised the entire Quran.
Shaykh Zakariya pointed out a final lesson from this blessed brother.
The biggest achievement he made was not to memorise the Quran. The biggest achievement he made was to be deeply connected with the Quran every single day for 5 years.
That connection with Allah (SWT) is what made Ahmed so special. That deep link with the Creator is what
keeps life in perspective and is what helped Ahmed to keep on track with the little weekly targets he set for himself.
One can only imagine what happened to Ahmed's levels of personal fulfillment, iman and taqwa, as he went back every single day to develop this ritual of ihsan (spiritual excellence). Each day he woke up for Fajr and wrote out another 5 lines of Quran, his self-esteem and self-confidence soared...
+++++++++++++++++++
Top 5 Quran Hifdh Tips
+++++++++++++++++++
Before you rush in to try and start
Learning 5 lines of Quran per day,
Here are some tips…
+++++++
1. Learn Quranic Arabic – it makes Memorization about 300x easier!
+++++++
Many people would love to do their Hifz, but in reality, they can’t understand Basic Quranic Arabic.
Even though they could still do hifz (South Asian madrassa style), I’d recommend spending your first
couple of months of study learning Quranic Arabic - Go through the course described In this video first:
www.quranforbusypeople.com
++++++++++
2. You can achieve all of your Quran goals, But NOT all at the same time
++++++++++
Make an effective long-term plan
For your Quran studies. I call this The “Strategic Quran Plan”, and Show you exactly how to create it,
In Module 2, here:
www.quranforbusypeople.com/timeforquran
+++++++++++
3. Follow Your Heart.
+++++++++++
If you love the sound of a certain Surah, or are intrigued by the tafsir of a certain section of the Quran, but You’re not sure if you’re ready to go all Out and do a systematic ‘hifz’ yet…
Use the strategy above to learn the section
Of the Quran that you’re most "into" right Now.
This way, you’ll learn some Quran each year, and get used to memorization before You start your ‘official’ hifz program.
+++++++++++
4. Keep Track
+++++++++++
Masha’Allah, there are some brilliant Hifz online tracking programs that are Now available, and there’s the old - Fashioned ‘Quran Journal’.
If you keep track of what you’re learning, Once in a while you can review what you know, and use what you know regularly in your Salah.
I’d recommend at least one of the 5 Daily prayers should be a little longer than the others, where you put some of the Quran you’ve learnt to use.
+++++++++++
5. Start With Revision
+++++++++++
A lot of people neglect revision, because it doesn’t feel like you’re ‘Memorizing’.
The truth is, being structured around revision is MORE important than Learning new lines.
If you don’t revise what you know now, you won’t revise what you’re about to learn.
For loads more Quran Strategies, and a structured way to keep yourself motivated all year round, check out our video training program:
www.quranforbusypeople.com/timeforquran
If you found any benefit in this article, forward it on to your friends, family & other Quran fans!
Did someone send this to you?
If you want the full scoop on getting great Quran tips, techniques and study methods, (as well as the quickest, easiest way to understand the entire Quran in Arabic!), visit...
www.quranforbusypeople.com
SOURCE:
Islamic_Group
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Friendship in Islam
Written By:
Ibn Yasin
There are two basic questions that need to be addressed when looking at friendship, they are: who is a good friend and am I a good friend? Both of these questions are answered sufficiently by the hadith of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) where he said, "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself."[1]
Applying this rule to friendship means that in order to have good friends one has to be a good friend as well. So what constitutes a good friend in Islam?
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, "The best servants of Allah are those who, when they are seen, cause Allah to be remembered. The worst servants of Allah are those who go about slandering, who separate friends, and seek to distress the upright."[2]
This hadith should prompt us to ask ourselves, do our friends cause us to remember Allah and do I cause my friends to remember Allah? If the answer to these questions are in the negative than perhaps you need to seek out better friends or become a friend that makes one’s friends remember Allah.
Having good friends is so important that in the hadith of the man who killed a hundred people and wanted to repent, a scholar he approached for advice instructed him to leave his current place of residence and travel to a place where he would be among those who are fearful of Allah and thus change for the better.[3] Allah forgave him for he was in search of better company wanting to get closer to Allah.
We must also ask ourselves as to why the friends we have are our friends and why they are friends with us? While having friends because of business dealings and other worldly benefits is not sinful, having friends just for the sake of earning the pleasure of Allah is much better. [4]
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is also reported to have said that those who love each other for the cause and pleasure of Allah will be the envy of the prophets and martyrs on the Day of Judgement and will be on pulpits of light. [5] In this regard the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) told the following story, “A person visited his brother in another town and Allah sent an angel to wait for him on his way and when he came to him he said: “Where do you intend to go?” He said: “I intend to go to my brother in this town.” He (the angel) said: “Have you done any favour to him (the repayment of which you intend to get)?” He said: “No, except that I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.” Thereupon he (the angel) said: “I am a Messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake).”[6]
Thus, when we love someone seeking Allah’s pleasure the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) advised us that we should let them know that we love them.[7]
Another quality of a good friend is that they enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil[8] and they are protecting friends of each other from sin and evil deeds. [9] A Muslim also does not deliberately hurt his friends with his hands and his tongue.[10] Friends are also gentle and kind towards each other. [11]
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) also defined for us who is a good friend, when he said,
"The most enviable of my friends in my estimation is a believer with little property who finds pleasure in prayer, who performs the worship of his Lord well, who obeys Him in secret, who is obscure among men, who is not pointed out by people, and whose provision is a bare sufficiency with which he is content." He then snapped his fingers and said, "His death will come speedily, the women who weep for him will be few, and what he leaves will be little."[12]
The best example we have of a good friendship is that of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu). [13] The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said of Abu Bakr, "The person who has favored me most of all both with his friendship and wealth, is Abu Bakr.”[14]
This is because their friendship was based on faith and belief in Allah and not on any material or worldly thing.[15] Friends have to help us in fulfilling our purpose in life which is to worship Allah, if they do not than we must consider looking for better friends who will help us to do this.[16]
On the Day of Judgement Allah says that, “Friends on that Day will be enemies of one to another except the Righteous.”[17]
This means that the righteous friends that a person has will be of benefit on the Day of Judgement while unrighteous friends will be a burden and a cause of anguish and regret.[18]
Covering the faults of one’s friends is also what good friends do, provided they advise them to correct their sinful behaviour as well.[19]
In regard to having an argument with one’s friend, one can only refrain from speaking to one’s friends for three days after which is it unlawful not to say salaam if you meet them. [20] Under normal circumstances, friends should greet one another with the salaam[21], smile[22] and shake hands[23] as this part of the good manners which Islam teaches.
In conclusion Ali (radi Allahu anhu) said, “Befriend righteous people, for they are an asset in this life and the hereafter.”[24]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Bukhari, vol.1, no.12
[2] Ahmad, Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-Iman, and Tirmidhi, no.1261
[3] Bukhari, vol.4, no.676
[4] Muslim, no.1169; Tirmidhi, no.139; Abu Dawood, no.1563; Bukhari, vol.1, no.15
[5] Ahmad and Abu Ya'la with a hassan chain. Al-Hakim says its chain is sahih, as reported in Fiqh-us-Sunnah, vol.1, no.116
[6] Muslim, no.1170
[7] Abu Dawood, no.2431; Tirmidhi, no.1298 and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-Iman
[8] Abu Dawood, no.2037
[9] Surah Tauba 9:71 & Surah Al’i Imran 3:114
[10] Bukhari, vol.1, nos.9 & 10
[11] Tirmidhi, no.1316
[12] Ahmad, Tirmidhi, no.1352; and Ibn Majah
[13] Bukhari, vol.5, no.244
[14] Bukhari, vol.5, no.6
[15] Bukhari, vol.6, no.164
[16] Surah Az Zariyat 51:56
[17] Surah Az Zurukh 43:67
[18] Surah Ash Shu’araa 26:99-102
[19] Muslim, no.1245
[20] Bukhari, vol.8, no.254
[21] Muslim, no.19; Riyad-us-Saliheen, vol.2, no.848
[22] Tirmidhi, nos.593 & 594; Fiqh-us-Sunnah, vol.3, no.98
[23] Abu Dawood, nos.2478 & 2479; Bukhari, vol.8, no.279; Muwatta, Ch.47, no.16; Tirmidhi, nos.279, 1217 & 1218; Ahmad; Ibn Majah; Riyad-us-Saliheen, vol.2, no.888
[24] The Road to Good Friendship, by Abdul Malik Al-Qasim, Translated by Jalal Abualrub, p.28
SOURCE:
Islamic_Group
Ibn Yasin
There are two basic questions that need to be addressed when looking at friendship, they are: who is a good friend and am I a good friend? Both of these questions are answered sufficiently by the hadith of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) where he said, "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself."[1]
Applying this rule to friendship means that in order to have good friends one has to be a good friend as well. So what constitutes a good friend in Islam?
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, "The best servants of Allah are those who, when they are seen, cause Allah to be remembered. The worst servants of Allah are those who go about slandering, who separate friends, and seek to distress the upright."[2]
This hadith should prompt us to ask ourselves, do our friends cause us to remember Allah and do I cause my friends to remember Allah? If the answer to these questions are in the negative than perhaps you need to seek out better friends or become a friend that makes one’s friends remember Allah.
Having good friends is so important that in the hadith of the man who killed a hundred people and wanted to repent, a scholar he approached for advice instructed him to leave his current place of residence and travel to a place where he would be among those who are fearful of Allah and thus change for the better.[3] Allah forgave him for he was in search of better company wanting to get closer to Allah.
We must also ask ourselves as to why the friends we have are our friends and why they are friends with us? While having friends because of business dealings and other worldly benefits is not sinful, having friends just for the sake of earning the pleasure of Allah is much better. [4]
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is also reported to have said that those who love each other for the cause and pleasure of Allah will be the envy of the prophets and martyrs on the Day of Judgement and will be on pulpits of light. [5] In this regard the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) told the following story, “A person visited his brother in another town and Allah sent an angel to wait for him on his way and when he came to him he said: “Where do you intend to go?” He said: “I intend to go to my brother in this town.” He (the angel) said: “Have you done any favour to him (the repayment of which you intend to get)?” He said: “No, except that I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.” Thereupon he (the angel) said: “I am a Messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake).”[6]
Thus, when we love someone seeking Allah’s pleasure the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) advised us that we should let them know that we love them.[7]
Another quality of a good friend is that they enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil[8] and they are protecting friends of each other from sin and evil deeds. [9] A Muslim also does not deliberately hurt his friends with his hands and his tongue.[10] Friends are also gentle and kind towards each other. [11]
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) also defined for us who is a good friend, when he said,
"The most enviable of my friends in my estimation is a believer with little property who finds pleasure in prayer, who performs the worship of his Lord well, who obeys Him in secret, who is obscure among men, who is not pointed out by people, and whose provision is a bare sufficiency with which he is content." He then snapped his fingers and said, "His death will come speedily, the women who weep for him will be few, and what he leaves will be little."[12]
The best example we have of a good friendship is that of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu). [13] The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said of Abu Bakr, "The person who has favored me most of all both with his friendship and wealth, is Abu Bakr.”[14]
This is because their friendship was based on faith and belief in Allah and not on any material or worldly thing.[15] Friends have to help us in fulfilling our purpose in life which is to worship Allah, if they do not than we must consider looking for better friends who will help us to do this.[16]
On the Day of Judgement Allah says that, “Friends on that Day will be enemies of one to another except the Righteous.”[17]
This means that the righteous friends that a person has will be of benefit on the Day of Judgement while unrighteous friends will be a burden and a cause of anguish and regret.[18]
Covering the faults of one’s friends is also what good friends do, provided they advise them to correct their sinful behaviour as well.[19]
In regard to having an argument with one’s friend, one can only refrain from speaking to one’s friends for three days after which is it unlawful not to say salaam if you meet them. [20] Under normal circumstances, friends should greet one another with the salaam[21], smile[22] and shake hands[23] as this part of the good manners which Islam teaches.
In conclusion Ali (radi Allahu anhu) said, “Befriend righteous people, for they are an asset in this life and the hereafter.”[24]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Bukhari, vol.1, no.12
[2] Ahmad, Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-Iman, and Tirmidhi, no.1261
[3] Bukhari, vol.4, no.676
[4] Muslim, no.1169; Tirmidhi, no.139; Abu Dawood, no.1563; Bukhari, vol.1, no.15
[5] Ahmad and Abu Ya'la with a hassan chain. Al-Hakim says its chain is sahih, as reported in Fiqh-us-Sunnah, vol.1, no.116
[6] Muslim, no.1170
[7] Abu Dawood, no.2431; Tirmidhi, no.1298 and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-Iman
[8] Abu Dawood, no.2037
[9] Surah Tauba 9:71 & Surah Al’i Imran 3:114
[10] Bukhari, vol.1, nos.9 & 10
[11] Tirmidhi, no.1316
[12] Ahmad, Tirmidhi, no.1352; and Ibn Majah
[13] Bukhari, vol.5, no.244
[14] Bukhari, vol.5, no.6
[15] Bukhari, vol.6, no.164
[16] Surah Az Zariyat 51:56
[17] Surah Az Zurukh 43:67
[18] Surah Ash Shu’araa 26:99-102
[19] Muslim, no.1245
[20] Bukhari, vol.8, no.254
[21] Muslim, no.19; Riyad-us-Saliheen, vol.2, no.848
[22] Tirmidhi, nos.593 & 594; Fiqh-us-Sunnah, vol.3, no.98
[23] Abu Dawood, nos.2478 & 2479; Bukhari, vol.8, no.279; Muwatta, Ch.47, no.16; Tirmidhi, nos.279, 1217 & 1218; Ahmad; Ibn Majah; Riyad-us-Saliheen, vol.2, no.888
[24] The Road to Good Friendship, by Abdul Malik Al-Qasim, Translated by Jalal Abualrub, p.28
SOURCE:
Islamic_Group
Thursday, June 2, 2011
His mother died owing the fasts of two Ramadans
Question:
My mother has died, and she told me when she was still alive that she owed the fasts of two months, Ramadan in two years, when the month of fasting came when she gave birth. When she died, she had not made up these fasts. Should I fast on her behalf or feed the poor? How is feeding the poor to be done? Should I slaughter some goats and share it out among sixty households, or should I give the value of the food in money?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The best thing to do is to fast on behalf of your mother, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies owing any fasts, his next of kin should fast on his behalf.” Saheeh -- agreed upon. The next of kin is the relative. But if you or any other relatives cannot fast, then feed the poor from her estate or from your wealth, one poor person for each day. The amount to be given is half a saa‘ of the local staple food. If you do it all in one go and give it to one poor person, that is also acceptable.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End quote.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, vol 2, 9/260
SOURCE:
Islamqa, Fatwa no. 130647
My mother has died, and she told me when she was still alive that she owed the fasts of two months, Ramadan in two years, when the month of fasting came when she gave birth. When she died, she had not made up these fasts. Should I fast on her behalf or feed the poor? How is feeding the poor to be done? Should I slaughter some goats and share it out among sixty households, or should I give the value of the food in money?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The best thing to do is to fast on behalf of your mother, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies owing any fasts, his next of kin should fast on his behalf.” Saheeh -- agreed upon. The next of kin is the relative. But if you or any other relatives cannot fast, then feed the poor from her estate or from your wealth, one poor person for each day. The amount to be given is half a saa‘ of the local staple food. If you do it all in one go and give it to one poor person, that is also acceptable.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End quote.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, vol 2, 9/260
SOURCE:
Islamqa, Fatwa no. 130647
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