S.E.A. Niqabi's Info Vault

Monday, November 17, 2008

Each of us has a Bank called "T I M E" - Abdur Rahman Meda

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala says in:
(the interpretation of the meaning)

Surah Al 'Asr
(Time Through The Ages)
103:1-3

By (the Token of)
Time (through the Ages),

Verily Man
Is in loss,

Except such as have Faith
And do righteous deeds,
In the mutual teaching
Of Truth, and of
Patience and Constancy.

~ ~ ~

There is a Bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. E very evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.

What would you do?
Draw out ALL of it, of course!!!!

Each of us has such a Bank.
Its name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance.
It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you.
Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.

There is no going back.
There is no drawing against the "tomorrow."
You must live in the present on today's deposits.
Invest it carefully with wisdom and knowledge.

Use your Time to pray sincerely and do good and charity;
To faithfully practice the Five Pillars and perfect your Deen.
To remember to thank Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala for everything;
To adhere to the commandments of the Holy Qur'aan and the teachings of the Sunnah of the Prophet Sall Allaahu alayhi wa sallam.
In order that you may benefit the utmost in blessings and guidance in your life living with strength of eemaan and taqwaa ~
Seeking only the Pleasure of Allaah Ta'aala for the sake of your Hereafter.

The clock is running.
Make the most of each day.

Start working on your 'Time'

We should not neglect our Time or use it haphazardly; on the contrary we should bring ourselves to account, structure our litanies and other practices during each day and night, and assign to each period a fixed and specific function for self-development in our Deen and maximise its potential. The better route towards self-development is, of course, to integrate all our efforts into a structured daily life.

Acquisitiveness, that is, the passion for seeking an increase in wealth, position, the number of adherents or followers or supporters, mass production and mass organisation, may affect an ndividual as such, or it may affect whole societies or nations. Other people's example or rivalry in such things may aggravate the situation. Up to a certain point it may be good and necessary. But when it becomes inordinate and monopolises attention, it leaves no Time for higher things in life, and a clear warning is here sounded from a spiritual point of view. Man may be engrossed and wastes Time in these things till death approaches, and he looks back on a wasted life, as far as the higher things are concerned.

In other words, if life be considered under the metaphor of a business bargain, man, by merely attending to his material gains, will lose. When he makes up his day's account in the afternoon, it will show a loss. It will only show a profit if he has Faith, leads a good life, and contributes to social welfare by directing and encouraging other people on the Path of Truth and Constancy. Faith is his armour, which wards off the wounds of the material world; and his righteous life is
his positive contribution to spiritual ascent. Also, if man lived only for himself, he would not fulfill his whole duty. Whatever good he has, especially in moral and spiritual life, he must spread among his brethen, so that they may see the Truth and stand by in patient hope and unshaken constancy amidst all the storm and stress of outer life. For he and they will then have attained Peace within.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Girlie Wisdom! (something to make you giggle :D)

One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.

Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my knicker's.

Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!

Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' .....Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat.

The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.

I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day!

LIVE SIMPLY....LAUGH OFTEN....LOVE DEEPLY

The Muslim Woman and Her Friends and Sisters in Islam

Good Company

Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“The example of a good companion and a bad one is the bearer of musk and the worker on the bellows. A bearer of musk would give you some, you might buy some from him, or you might enjoy the fragrance of his musk. The worker on the bellows, on the other hand, might spoil your clothes with sparks from his bellows, or you get a bad smell from him.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, this version being Muslim’s)

Man cannot do without friends. He always seeks meeting with companions and enjoys their company. But it is crucial that one should be very selective in choosing a companion, as his influence on one’s behavior, good or bad, is immense.

In the above tradition, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) uses an effective example to bring to the hearer’s conception the impact of good company and bad company.

A good companion is compared to a musk seller or a perfume seller. A perfume seller might give you some of his fragrance, and a good companion might give you some good advice or a useful tip. A perfume seller can be useful by selling you some of his musk, and a good friend can be useful by responding readily to your demand for help in any matter, mundane or religious.

At the very least, a musk seller is nice to have around, even without being beneficial in any practical way, as the pleasant smell emanating from his direction is a pleasure in itself. Similarly, a good companion is at least useful to you for your good name and the pleasure of good company. Just to feel his presence improves your spirits.

In contrast, a bad companion is comparable to a worker on the bellows. If you come close to the bellows, sparks might hit your clothing and make holes in them. Even at some distance, you will feel the stench of burning. Your only hope is in keeping away from the horrid smell. And it is the same way with a bad companion; if you are close to him and identify with him, you will take over some of his perversity, and your character will be harmed, just as your clothes will be spoiled if you come too close to a worker on the bellows. Even if you remain safe from the influence of a bad companion, you cannot escape people talking about you for consorting with bad company. You cannot even be sure that such a person will not adversely affect you in the end: To remain within reach of a wild beast, means it will surely spring on you one day.

The following verses from the Qur’an may drive the idea home:

[And incline not to those who do wrong, or the fire will seize you.] (Hud 11:113)

[Therefore, shun those who turn away from Our remembrance and desire nothing but the life of this world.] (An-Najm 53:30)

In another place, the Qur’an directs a believer to seek the company of the well guided.

[Restrain thyself along with those who call on their Lord morning and evening seeking His face.] (Al-Kahf 18:28)

The following tradition, on the authority of Abu Hurairah, also corroborates the same concept: “Man models himself after his companion; so let each one of you see who he chooses for companion” (At-Tirmidhi).

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Neatness, Organization and Order

By Sa`eed Muhammad al-Deeb [Rules for the Muslim Home]

The Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said:

"You are going to meet some brothers of yours, so reform your saddles, and be well dressed until you become a shining star in the sight of the other people because Allah dislikes vice and using viciousness." (Abu Dawud)

Notice when the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said:

"You are going to meet some brothers of yours, so reform your saddles, and be well dressed until you become a shining star in the sight of the other people."

Reforming the saddle in those days corresponds to car today, as it is the outdoor home of the Muslim. Moreover, making the clothes tidy is included amongst those things which make the Muslim appear nice in the eyes of other people. This is the duty that a Muslim should perform towards his brothers and kinship, inside and outside his house. Consequently, whoever enters his house should see a pleasing house. This will never happen unless he shows great care to the neatness of the house and himself. So the housewife should be a leading example to her husband and children. In fact, all the members of the household should be adapted to that; except for some casual occasions where one may look shabby.

We used to see some of our teachers looking smart and very neat whether we visited them in the day or night. Not only that, but we used to see everything in their houses very well organized. So they were like the soldier who has to be alert in doing his job and performing his duty.

Unfortunately, many people live in extreme chaos and neglect their houses, and whenever you visit them you find disorganized tables and shelves, and scattered clothes everywhere. So wherever you look, you see chaos and disorganization. Furthermore, the housewife sometimes stays wearing her nightgown after she wakes up and you see her children dirty and neglected. Certainly, all of these things are against the morals of the Muslims and against the Shari`ah.

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, cleaned Osama (bin Zaid) once when he was a child because he saw him dirty, `Aa’ishah advised a woman to make herself look attractive for her husband, and Ibn `Abbas ordered a man to look handsome in the eyes of his wife the way she does for him.

To sum up, the Muslims should be clean and neat whether inside or outside his house and this should be a habit.

To maintain good order of the house and make it clean and organized, the following should be noticed by the members of the household.

First: Everything at home should be organized, and if it is used, it should be returned to its place after use.

Second: Members of the house should adapt themselves not to spread their things, but rather they should be put in their usual places.

Third: Every room, the guestroom, the bedroom, the library room, or the kitchen should be cleaned so that it would not be untidy after being used.

Fourth: All books and papers that are put on the table should be returned to their place.

Fifth: After they have woken up, members of the household should put on their usual clothes. Moreover, children have to be cared for and taught how to be clean and neat throughout the day.

Notice that the scholars of Islam gave organizing its importance through all their instructions.

Furthermore, it is important to know that organizing the sleeping schedule is necessary, especially for children. It should be in accordance with the religious and non-religious duties such as the requirement to separate the children in bed, i.e. boys from girls.

'Shouldn't I point out to you a woman of Paradise?'

By Dr. Munâ al-Qâsim

Ibn `Abbâs said to `Atâ b. Rabâh: "Shouldn't I point out to you a woman of Paradise?"

He replied: "Indeed. Do so."

Ibn `Abbâs said: "Do you see that black lady? She approached the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: 'I suffer from epilepsy and during a fit, my body becomes exposed. So please supplicate Allah on my behalf.'

"Then the Prophet said to her: 'If you choose, you might rather bear it patiently and you will attain Paradise on account of it. Or if you like, I will beseech Allah to cure you.'

"She said: 'I will bear it patiently. But my body gets exposed, so please beseech Allah that my body will no longer be exposed.'

"The Prophet (peace be upon him) beseeched Allah for this." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (5652) and Sahîh Muslim (2576)]

=================

The woman's name was Su`ayrah – though some say her name was Shuqayrah – al-Habashiyyah al-Asadiyyah. She was known as Umm Zufar. She was a tall, black lady, and one of the Companions remembered for her patience. She had been Khadijah's lady in waiting. After Khadîjah's demise, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to show her extra deference and respect.

When she grew older, she became afflicted with epilepsy, and her body would become exposed due to the severity of her seizures. The Prophet (peace be upon him) beseeched Allah on her behalf to preserve her modesty. He also gave her glad tidings of Paradise.

There are many things we can learn from her example:

1. Her story teaches us that we need to turn to Allah with our needs. We need to fear Him and worship Him alone and seek refuge with Him. It is Allah alone who can cure our ills and alleviate our suffering. Our sincerity and faith when we turn to Allah can benefit us in amazing ways. Medical doctors admit that faith has a great affect on healing, often more pronounced than medications, though medications certainly can benefit us.

2. We also learn how virtuous the quality of patience is. This hadith shows us that when we bear illness in patience and fortitude, it is a means by which our sins are forgiven and by which we attain Allah's blessings and entrance into Paradise.

Al-`Aynî says in his commentary on this hadîth: "The exercise of patience in affliction bequeaths to us Paradise. Bearing one's tribulation with fortitude is better for the one who knows he is capable of handling it without becoming weak in his resolve." [`Umdah al-Qârî (21/215)]

We can also see how the Prophet's glad tidings were a help and a comfort to her. It gave her hope. The role of a positive attitude in coping with illness and in aiding the recovery process is well-known.

3. We can see the respect that the Prophet (peace be upon him) showed this woman by his giving her the choice. He respected her right to make the decision for herself in a matter that affected her life. He let her know her options, while showing that he was well aware of the extent of her suffering. He knew it was best for her to be patient if she had the fortitude to bear her illness. However, he trusted her to make the decision for herself.

4. We can learn from this woman the value of modesty. We can see her concern for keeping her body from being exposed when she had a seizure, in her asking the Prophet (peace be upon him) to beseech Allah to protect her modesty when she was not able to control her movements and was free from all blame. We can also see how the Prophet (peace be upon him) readily complied with her request. We must know that the Prophet's supplication has a special value, and his supplication was certainly answered.

And Allah knows best.

Make Grocery Shopping an Organized Adventure

Here are a few suggestions to try and make shopping an, organized (and as fast as the line will move) fun adventure!

1. Get it on paper. As you use up the last of any item, write it down on a designated list under the name of the store where you would purchase the item. This will help you find what you need right away. Have this list handy so your family can add to it as the need presents itself.

2. Avoid making two trips. If at all possible, try and do most of your errands the same day you do your grocery shopping. Make sure you take that list along with you, so you can go on the errand run without forgetting anything.

3. Be prepared. When it is time to shop for your groceries, try and limit it to one day a week. Gather up the lists and any coupons you can use. Have a designated plastic folder or envelope to hold them all, and have it with you at all times. If you should unexpectedly stop at that particular store, you can use the coupon for the items you need.

4. Plan your route. Knowing where you're going, especially when you plan to make several stops, can save you both time and money with the high cost of fuel.

5. Map it out. Make up a list of the aisles in the store, and the grocery items in each. You'll be able to easily pick up the items on your shopping list aisle by aisle, instead of in a random, disorganized fashion. This will help you get in and out of the store in no time.

6. Get help from the teens. When you are shopping with older children, divide up the list and have them pick up items from the other aisles. If at all possible, leave the little ones at home. They almost always add to impulse shopping. Plus your focus then needs to be divided between the grocery shopping and making sure the kids aren't pulling things off the shelves, or putting items you don't wish to purchase in your cart.

7. Keep 'em cool. Keep a bag or cooler in the trunk that can hold your perishable items. This will ensure no melted and leaky ice cream packages. Generally shop for groceries last when doing the errands--this way the frozen things won't have a chance to melt.

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8. Instruct the Baggers. Request that the Bagger pack all perishables together in the bags so you can grab them first when you return home. This also gives you the option of leaving the non-perishables to unpack at your leisure.

9. Think about your calendar. Look over your schedule for the upcoming week to see if there is something unusual you will be using in a recipe, or an event that may be coming up for which you need to purchase a card or gift. Put that on your list also.

10. Carry the recipes with you. Carry your family's favorite recipes with you on little index cards that have the ingredients listed. You can see what is needed on the recipe card and get the items you don't already have. Saves unnecessary stops at the grocery store during the week for that one forgotten item!

11. Do a bit of prep work. When you get home and unpack your groceries, do some preliminary meal preparation. Cook meat and then package it into meal sized dinners. Wash all your fruit and veggies. Cut the veggies so you can just put them into the dishes you plan on making. This can be a real time saver for your meal preparation.

12. Double up. Plan on cooking a double recipe for some meals. Eat one and freeze the other for a busy weeknight dinner.

13. Create a meal plan. By having a meal plan for the week, along with the items needed list, you should have a quick and easy shopping adventure each and every week.

14. Think outside the box. There is also another solution for grocery shopping. There are various agencies and many supermarkets that can do it for you. If there is just not enough time in your busy schedule, using that service once in awhile, or all the time if you budget permits, might help you get caught up with your To Do list.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Is Allah Pleased with Me? by Sheikh Sâlih al-Zahrânî

It should be known that obedience to Allah is one of the chief reasons for attaining Allah’s pleasure, while disobedience to Him is a reason for being subject to His wrath. This point is emphasized repeatedly in the Qur’ân and Sunnah.

Allah says: “And He is pleased with Islam for you as a religion.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 3]

He says: “And He is not pleased with ingratitude in His servants; and if you are grateful, He is pleased with this in you.” [Sûrah al-Zumar: 7]

Allah is pleased with those who are truthful. Allah says: “Allah will say: This is the day when their truth shall benefit the truthful ones; they shall have gardens beneath which rivers flow to abide therein for ever: Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Allah; this is the mighty achievement.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 119]

He is pleased with the believers. Allah says: “Their reward with their Lord is gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein for ever; Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him; that is for those who fear their Lord.” [Sûrah al-Bayyinah: 8].

Allah is pleased with the soul that is firm on faith. Such a soul will be addressed in the Hereafter by the words: “Return to your Lord, well-pleased (with him), well-pleasing (to Him)” [Sûrah al-Fajr: 28]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah’s being pleased is in the parent’s pleasure, and His displeasure is in the parent’s displeasure.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (1899)]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said about the person being pleased with Allah’s decree: “Whoever is pleased, He will be pleased with him; and whoever is displeased, His displeasure will be upon him.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (2396)]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “The mostly hated among men to Allah is the one who is severe, facing others with enmity.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (2457) and Sahîh Muslim (2668)]

Allah is pleased with belief, with Islam, and with our acts of obedience. He likes the believers who obey Him and is pleased with them.

Allah hates and condemns unbelief, hypocrisy and all other forms of disobedience. He is displeased with the unbelievers and hypocrites in all of their guises.

This is the overarching principle with respect to Allah being pleased or displeased with us. However, we should not think it is easy to use this principle to make assessments about actual people.

We cannot describe an individual by saying that Allah is pleased with him or displeased with him on the basis of our assessment of that person’s obedience or disobedience. Such a statement cannot be made about someone without direct evidence from the Islamic sources. By making such an audacious statement about someone without direct evidence from the Qur’ân and Sunnah, we are making a claim about the Unseen and giving a ruling from ourselves that is only for Allah to give.

A person may do what appears to the people to be good, but he may face an evil end. In this case Allah is not pleased with him. Another person may do what appears to the people to be evil, but he may face a good end. Then Allah will be pleased with him.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “By Him besides whom there is no god, one of you will act like the people of Paradise until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when what is written overtakes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell. And another amongst will act in the way of the denizens of Hell, until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit, then what is written overtakes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (3208) and Sahîh Muslim (2643)]

We cannot make any declaration about the fate of someone in particular. However, we hope for the person whom we see performing good deeds and obeying Allah that Allah is pleased with him. Likewise, we fear for the person whom we see committing evil deeds and acts of disobedience that he is earning Allah’s displeasure.

It is worth saying that works alone are not sufficient to earn Allah’s pleasure. Works need to be accompanied by true belief and faith in Allah.

Allah says about the deeds of the unbelievers: “And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did (in the worldly life), and We shall make such deeds as floating dust scattered about.” [Sûrah al-Furqân: 23]

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about one of the polytheists who died on unbelief, whether or not his good deeds and the help he gave to poor and needy will be of any benefit to him before Allah, he replied: “No. He had never said ‘Allah is my Lord’.”

A person should never be proud of his acts and think that Allah is pleased with him and has accepted his good deeds. Our deeds are assessed in the final outcome.

The Pious Predecessors used to fear that Allah would be displeased with them and would not accept their good works. One of them said: “If Allah accepts my work, I would like to die, because Allah says: ‘Allah only accepts from those who guard (against evil)’.” (The verse he quoted was to Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 27.)

Likewise, we should not give a decision on behalf of Allah and decide for ourselves that Allah is displeased with a particular person or that He will not forgive that person.

The exception to this is where we have direct textual evidence attesting to Allah’s pleasure or displeasure at a certain individual.

For instance, we have clear evidence that Allah is pleased with the Companions. Allah says: “And (as for) the foremost, the first of the Muhâjirîn and the Ansâr, and those who followed them in goodness, Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them for ever; that is the mighty achievement.” [Sûrah al-Tawbah: 100]

The same applies particularly to the Companions who participated in the oath of Ridwân under the tree at Hudaybiyah. Allah says: “Certainly Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquility on them and rewarded them with a near victory.” [Sûrah al-Fath: 18]

Allah declares that he is pleased with His Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him). Allah says: “And he enjoined on his family prayer and almsgiving, and was one in whom his Lord was well pleased” [Sûrah Maryam: 55]

And some of those whom Allah is displeased with and whom He has openly cursed are: Satan, Pharaoh, Hâmân, Qârûn and Abû Lahab.

We ask refuge with Allah from displeasing Him and beseech Him to guide us aright and bless us to attain his pleasure.

Monday, October 27, 2008

The Muslim Woman: Her Status in Islam

By the noble Sheikh Abdul-Azeez bin Baaz (rahimahullah)

The status of the Muslim woman in Islam is very noble and lofty one, and her effect is very great in the life of every Muslim. Indeed, the Muslim woman is the initial teacher in the building of a righteous society, providing she follows the guidance from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet .

Since adherence to the Quran and the Sunnah distances every Muslim - male or female - from being misguided in any matter. The misguidance that the various nations suffer from, and their being deviant, does not come about except by being far away from the path of Allah - the Most High, the Most Perfect - and from what His Prophets and Messengers, may Allah's peace be upon them all, came with. The Prophet said: "I am leaving behind me two matters, you will not go astray as long as you cling to them both, the Book of Allah and my Sunnah." [1]

The great importance of Muslim woman's role - whether as wife, sister or daughter, and the rights that are due to her and the obligations due from her - have been explained in the purified Sunnah.

The secret of her importance lies in the tremendous burden and responsibility that is placed on her, and the difficulties that she has to shoulder - responsibilities and difficulties some, which not even a man bears. This is why from the most important obligation upon a person is to show gratitude to the mother, and kindness and good companionship with her. And in this matter, she is to be given precedence over and above the father. Allah - the most High - says:

"And We have enjoined upon man to be dutiful and good to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness upon weakness and hardship upon hardship, and his weaning is in two years. Show gratitude and thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination." [Surah Luqmaan 31:14]

Allah - the Most High - said: "And We have enjoined upon man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship, and she brings him forth with hardship. And the bearing and the weaning of him is thirty months." [Surah al-Ahqaaf 41:15]

A man came to Allah's Messenger and said: O Messenger of Allah! Who from amongst mankind warrants the best companionship from me? He replied: "Your mother." The man asked: Then who? So he replied: "Your mother". The man then asked: Then who? So the Prophet replied again: "Your mother." The man then asked: then who? So he replied: "Then your father." So this necessitates that the mother is given three times the likes of kindness and good treatment then the father. [2]

As regards to the wife, then her status and her effect in making the soul tranquil and serene, has been clearly shown in the noble ayah (verse), in His - the Most High's saying:

"And from amongst His Signs is this: That He created from you wives from amongst yourselves, so that you may find serenity and tranquility in them. And He has put between you love and compassion. Indeed, in this are signs for those who reflect." [Surah Ar-Rum 30:21]

Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer (d.774H) - rahimahullaah - said, whilst explaining the term mawaddah means love and affection, and ar-rahmah means compassion and piety - "since a man takes the hand of a women either due to love for her, or because of compassion and piety for her, by giving to her a child from himself…" [3]

And the unique stance that the prophet 's wife Khadeejah took, had a huge effect in calming and reassuring Allah's Messenger , when the angel Jibreel - alayhis-salam - first came to him in the cave of Hiraa. So the Prophet returned to his wife Khadeejah with the first Revelation and with this his heart trembling and beating severely, and so he said to her: "Cover me! Cover me!" So they covered him until his fear was over, after which he told Khadeejah - everything that had happened, and said: 'I fear that something may happen to me." So she said to him: "Never! By Allah! Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good ties with relations, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously and assist those who have been afflicted with calamities." [4]

And do not forget about Aaishah and her great effect. Since even the great Sahaabah (Companions) use to take knowledge of Hadiths from her, and many of the Sahaabiyaat (female companions) learn the various rulings pertaining to women's issues from her…

And I have no doubt that my mother - may Allah shower His mercy upon her - had a tremendous effect upon me, and has a great excellence over me, in encouraging me to study; and she assists me in it. May Allah greatly increase her reward and reward her with the best of rewards for what she did for me.

And there is no doubt also, the house in which there is kindness, gentleness, love and care, along with the correct Islamic tarbiyah (Education and cultivation) will greatly affect the man. So he will become - if Allah wills - successful in his affairs and in any matter - whether it be seeking knowledge, trading, earning a living, or other than this. So it is Allah Alone that I ask to grant success and to guide us all to that which he loves and is pleased with. And may the prayers of peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad , and upon his Family, his companions and his followers.

FOOTNOTES:

Hasan: Related by Maalik in al-Muwattaa (2/899) and al-Haakim (1/93), from Ibn 'Abbass radiaalahu'anhu. It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no.1871).

Related by al-Bukhari (no.59710 and Muslim (7/2), from Abu Hurayrah radialliaahu'anhu

Tafseer Qur'aanul-Adheem (3/4439) of Ibn Katheer.

Related by al-Bukhari (1/22) and Muslim (1/139), from the lengthy narration of Aaishah radiallahu'anhaa

Saturday, October 25, 2008

On the Way to Attend Study-Sessions - Imaam Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi

If you attend a study-session, behave only like someone who wishes to increase his knowledge and to win greater recompense from God. Do not behave like someone who is content with what he has, who is looking for some fault to criticise or a curious detail to hawk around. This would be the behaviour of vile men who never succeed in their studies.

If you come to it with good intentions, you will always obtain the best results. Otherwise, to stay at home would be less tiring for your body, more worthy of your moral conduct and more salutary for your religious life.

If you do attend under the conditions that we have indicated, take care to adopt one of these three attitudes and there cannot be a fourth: [First,] you may keep quiet in the silence of ignorance. Thus you will obtain the reward of your intention in attending the study-session, praise for your reserve, dignity in your behaviour and the friendship of those you mix with.

Secondly, if you do not behave like this, ask the questions which someone would ask who wished to learn. Then you will obtain, in addition to the four advantages just mentioned, a fifth, which is to increase your knowledge. What characterizes the questions asked by someone who wishes to learn is that he only asks about the points he does not know, not those he does know. To ask about what one already knows is a proof of ineptitude and a weak spirit, it is only palaver and a useless waste of time for oneself and for others. By doing this you will only provoke dislike and it will only be pure verbiage. So do not play games, it is a bad fault.

If the person you are asking replies satisfactorily, stop questioning. If his reply is not satisfactory, or if you do not understand it, say to him, ''I do not understand", and ask him to elaborate. If he does not explain himself more clearly, if he keeps silent or if he repeats what he said before without adding anything, keep silent, otherwise you will only bring upon yourself trouble and dislike, without obtaining the desired enlightenment.

Thirdly, you can riposte as a scholar would, that is to say that you can reply to the arguments advanced in a way that refutes them clearly. If you are not capable of replying in this way, if you are able only to repeat yourself or to reply using arguments which your adversary will not find convincing, do not insist for you will not gain by your repetitions any extra result or any information. You will only succeed in annoying yourself and starting a hostility between the two of you which could have serious consequences.

Guard against the questions that a prejudiced man would ask or the ripostes of a show-off who is bent on being right without knowing anything about the matter. These two attitudes are bad: they witness to absence of piety, a great tendency to verbiage, a weakness of spirit and considerable vanity. Let us commend the matter to God who is our best support.

If certain statements are put to you verbally, or if you come across a written text, guard against reacting violently, which will bring about excesses in language, before you have assured yourself by irrefutable proof that the ideas expressed are erroneous.

Neither should you accept them with the enthusiasm of someone who is credulous and convinced until you have assured yourself of their veracity by an irrefutable proof. In the two cases, you would be shutting your eyes and turning away from knowing the truth. On the contrary, consider what is being put to you as one would who is neither against it nor for it, one who wants to understand, to the best of his ability, what he has heard and read in order to increase his knowledge, to adopt the new ideas if they are good or reject them if they are erroneous. It is certain that if you behave like this you will be generally rewarded, greatly praised and your merit will be recognized.

A man who is content with the small fortune that he has and does not envy your opulence is as rich as you, even if you are a Croesus. If this man resists the bait of gain to which you have succumbed, he will be much richer than you.

Anyone who rises above the things of this world to which you kneel is mightier than you.

It is a pious duty for Muslims to teach the good and to practice it. Anyone who does both these things at once is doing two virtuous deeds to perfection. But a person who contents himself with teaching the good without practicing it is acting well by teaching and acting badly by failing to put his teaching into practice, so mingling a good with a bad deed. This case is preferable to that of the person who would not teach the good any more than he would practice it. Such a man, although not virtuous, is more worthy of imitation, he is less blameworthy than someone who forbids the teaching of good and opposing anyone who practices it.

If it was only a man completely without sin who had the right to forbid evil, if it was only the man of perfect virtue who could teach the good, nobody yet would have forbidden evil or ordained the good since [the death of] the Prophet peace be upon him. This should be enough to make clear to you the corruption, wickedness and opprobrium of anyone who might think this.

Abu Muhammad - may God be satisfied with him said, "Here someone contradicted, protesting, 'When alHasan [al-Basri] - may God be satisfied with him - forbade something [bad), he never did it himself, and when he ordained something [good], he himself put his orders firmly into practice. Wisdom requires that we do the same, for it has been said that: nothing is more odious than to preach something and not practise it, or to preach against an action and then to do it."'

Abu Muhammad replied, "The person who said that was lying. There is something more ugly, that is, not to preach good and not to preach against evil and also to allow oneself to act badly and not to do good."

Abu Muhammad added: Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali said this: Do not forbid a vice that you are given to yourself, for great shame will fall on you. Start with yourself and forbid yourself your own misdeeds. If you stop devoting yourself to them you will become a wise man. Then your sermons will be accepted, people will take their example from your knowledge and your teaching will be profitable.

Abu Muhammad continued: Abu al-Aswad wished to condemn only someone who has done a deed after forbidding it to others: such a deed would be doubly bad for having been committed by the very person who forbade it. The poet was quite right for this is what the Almighty said, "Will you command people to do good and forget to do it yourself?" [Qur'an 2:44]. It cannot be believed that Abu al-Aswad wanted to express any other idea. As for thinking that he did not want to be condemned for a bad deed, God protect him from that! That would have been to act like a wicked man.

Here is a true story about al-Hasan: When he heard someone say that only a person who did no evil had the right to forbid evil, he replied, `'Satan would like us to believe that, and then nobody could forbid evil or ordain good."

Abu Muhammad confined: "Al-Hasan was right, and that is what we said before."

May God grant that we may count among the number of those whom He permits to do good and to practice it, and among the number of those who see the straight road, for no one is without faults; someone who perceived his own weaknesses will forget those of others.

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