A man once asked Imam Ahmad, ‘I sometimes find myself in a gathering where the Sunnah is mentioned, but no-one apart from me has more knowledge of it. Shall I speak up and say something?’

Imam Ahmad then said, ‘State what the Sunnah is, but do not argue over it.’

The man then repeated his statement and so Imam Ahmad said, ‘I only see you to be an argumentative man!’

And this is what Malik (rahimahullah) meant in his saying (after informing people of the Sunnah), ‘And if they don’t accept it from you, then be silent.’

Mu’tamir ibn Sulayman: ‘I heard my father say, ‘You can never get a man to listen to you when you have just angered him.’

- Al-Adab al-Shar'iyyah, by Ibn Muflih al-Maqdisi [pg. 307]

Point of benefit: Advise people of correct actions, the Sunnah, and the proper manner of conduct etc, but don’t push them to the point of anger and arguments because getting advice through to a person in that state is like trying to force back water flowing from a tap… Instead, let the heat die down, let the issue close for a while and then try again when things are calm.

source: http://fajr.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/speak-up-but-dont-argue/

Our Parents: Our Masters
source

These are collected from as-Samarqandi’s ‘Tambih al-Ghafilin’ (p. 84-91):

From the chapter on the rights of the parents:

1 – Ibn ‘Abbas said:

“There is not a single believer who has two parents and wakes up while he is good to them except that Allah opens up for him two gates to Paradise, and if he makes one of them angry, Allah will not be Pleased with him until that parent becomes pleased with him again.” It was asked: “Even if that parent was oppressive and in the wrong?” It was replied: “Yes, even so. And he never wakes up while he is bad to them except that Allah opens up for him two gates to Hell.”

2 – as-Samarqandi said:

“If Allah – the Exalted – had not mentioned the position and sacredness of the parents in His Book, and did not admonish regarding it, then it would have been realized by simple logic. So, it is obligatory upon the one with logic and intelligence to realize their sacredness and to fulfill their rights. How is it, then, when Allah – the Exalted – has mentioned this in all of His Books: the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms and the Qur’an, has commanded this in all of His Books, and revealed this to all of His Prophets and advised them regarding the honorable position of the parents and their rights, and has made His Pleasure dependent on their pleasure, and His Anger dependent on their anger?”

3 – Farqad as-Sabakhi said:

“I have read in many books that it is not for the son (or daughter) to speak in the presence of the parents except with their permission, or to walk in front of them, or to their right or left, unless they call him to walk next to them. Rather, he should walk behind them as a slave walks behind his master.”

4 – It was said by a group of the Tabi’in:

“Whoever supplicates for his parents five times in a day has fulfilled their rights, since Allah has Said: {“…to thank Me and your parents. To Me is the final return.”} [Luqman; 14], and you thank Allah – the Exalted – by praying five times in a day. Likewise, you would thank your parents by praying for them five times in a day.”

5 – It was said by a group of the Companions:

“To leave off praying for one’s parents results in a tight and constricted life for the son.”

And let’s not forget about the rights upon the parents:

6 – as-Samarqandi related that Abu Hafs al-Iskandrani – one of the scholars of Uzbekistan – said that a man came to him and said:

“My son hit me and hurt me!” The scholar said: “Glory be to Allah! A son hitting his father? Have you taught him manners and knowledge?” The man said: “No.” “Have you taught him the Qur’an?” The man replied: “No.” “So, what does he know how to do?” The man replied: “Farming.” “Do you know why he hit you?” The man replied: “No.” The scholar then said: “It might have been that when he woke up in the morning, he went to the fields, was riding on a donkey, had a stick between his hands, had a dog behind him, and did not have any knowledge of the Qur’an (because you failed to teach him any of it). So, he started singing, you came out to him at that moment, he thought you were a cow, and hit you with the stick. So, thank Allah that your skull was not fractured.”

7 – It was narrated by one of the early righteous people:

…that he would not order his son with something, and if he needed something, he would ask someone else for it. When he was asked about this, he said: “I fear that if I were to command my son with something that he wouldn’t be able to bear, he would not carry it out and would therefore be disobedient to me and would deserve Hell as a result, and I do not want to be the cause of my son burning in Hell.”

This little contribution comes from Hafiz Raakin Hossain.

Backbiting
By Hafiz Raakin Hossain

Islam emphasizes on the rights of creation. There are two types of rights: One of the Creator and another of the Creation. The rights of Allah are forgiven if one repents, but the rights of the creation require asking forgiveness from the person who he has wronged. Backbiting is one of the many actions that go against the rights of the creation. It is when one person speaks ill of another, even if it is true.

“Backbiting is worse than unlawful intercourse.” (Bayhaqi) This Hadith has a series of meanings. One is that when backbiting, you do not realize the consequences as much as you do when you commit unlawful intercourse. Thus, there are more chances that you turn back to Allah and repent for your previous misdeeds, as opposed to for backbiting. When backbiting, your sub-conscious mind comes up with as many ill thoughts of a specific person and whether it is truth or lie, it comes out of your lips. Silence can take you a long way, as said in the Hadith: “Saying what is good is better than silence, and silence is better than saying what is bad.” (Bayhaqi) One’s tongue alone can lead a person to the flames of Jahannam, and it is essential and important for every believer to become aware of the consequences of evil and useless speech.

Backbiting is such a great of a sin, that it is said that we should not even hear it, let alone speak it. A virtue of silence is that the one who conceals a fault of another, Allah will conceal his faults on the Day of Judgment.

Useless talk is not a sin, but rather, it is a waste of precious time. However, even if it is not a sin, it can lead to one. We should be aware of what we speak. There was a Shaykh who used to stop after every sentence he spoke, especially in lectures. One of his students was asked, “Why does your teacher seem to hesitate when he speaks?” The student replied, “My teacher prefers to think before he speaks, so he does not regret what he says.” How rare this quality is in this time and age. Whatever comes to our mind, immediately goes to our tongue.

When saying salaams, one says “May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.” This is two things: a promise and a dua. It is first a dua for the well being of the other person, and also a promise that one will never think or speak bad about that person. Whenever we greet each other, we should acknowledge this fact, and therefore, you will find it easy to keep away from ill thoughts that may very likely lead to backbiting.
Another form, a more severe one, is gossip. Gossip is worse than backbiting, as it is may continue for hours, no end. Gossip is when one person hears a secret from another, and then spreads it around town. It is very much like a match set on a forest. One match, coming from the trunks of the trees, can create such a disaster that it destroys the whole forest. Our Prophet, Hadhrat Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam, said, “Gatherings are to be kept in confidence.” When a person hears or sees something which he knows or even has the slightest doubt that the other might have offense to, it is best to forget about it, pretending nothing had happened. There are exceptions to cases such as murder and robbery where one is allowed to divulge such secrets.

May Allah protect us from the evils of backbiting and gossip and make us one of those who Allah will conceal his faults on the day of judgment. Aameen.

In most if not all cultures its said that your behaviour and character will take to the company of people you hang out with. With this in mind, we should surround ourselves with positive, pious & well grounded individuals. This piece from An Noor

A short while with the friends of Allah

Hazrat Maulana Abrar ul Haq Sahib (RA)

Hazrat said:

“Continue benefiting from the company of the pious; friends of Allah; the Ahlullah and Saleheen. Nowadays there is a widespread misunderstanding in regards to the company of pious people. We have the notion that short visitations and just meeting them is not so beneficial. People think that gaining spiritual benefits from the Ahlullah are restricted to attending their long lectures and formal gatherings. Whereas the reality of the matter is that even simply meeting them is spiritually beneficial and uplifting. The reflection of the light in the hearts of the Ahlullah manifests itself upon those who are present around them.

Those people who have spiritual perception can sense this benefit, not only in meeting the people of Allah, but they experience benefit even in a single glance of the Ahlullah. Take a physical example to understand this point. If a person does not feel the heat or cold of another’s hand at the time of shaking hands, then we say that this person’s hand has become paralyzed. We benefit from electricity through the light that emanates from a light bulb and the cool air given off by the fan even though they utter no words. We benefit from the beautiful fragrance of the flower even though it does not speak. Likewise, the company of the righteous servants of Allah is beneficial even if they may not speak and give long lectures and advices.

One person who had a temper problem came to Hazrat Thanwi (RA) and complained of his condition. Hazrat Thanwi (RA) replied to him that he should daily sit for a while in the company of Mawlana Muhammad Hasan Sahib. So this person did as prescribed and would sit in Mawlana Muhammad Hasan’s shop for a short while every day. After some time he wrote back to Hazrat Thanwi that his temper problem had dramatically decreased from what it used to be.

So what was the mystery behind this? It was the fact that Mawlana Muhammad Hasan Sahib was an incredibly patient and forbearing person in disposition and the reflection of this inner quality manifested itself upon that man. Slowly, slowly the condition of his heart began to change due to this accompaniment. Mawlana Sahib did not give any lengthy talks regarding patience and forbearance. From this we clearly see that accompaniment of the righteous servants of Allah is beneficial even without the lectures and talks. For this reason there should definitely be visitations and meetings with the Ahlullah even if it might for a short while.

(Majalis-e-Abrar; 433)

Zaheer from PureIslam emailed me this article on giving Naseehah (advice) to muslim brothers and sisters.

Assalaamu alaikum warahmatullah muslims

Based on the hadeeth: Tamim ad-Dari, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “The religion is naseehah.” The people asked, “To whom?” The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) replied, “To Allaah and to His Book and to His Messenger and to the leaders of the Muslims and the common folk.” [Collected by Bukhari, Muslim]

Allaah, through His eternal mercy, has given the believers the most powerful weapon available to assure victory in this constant struggle between good and evil – each other.

How many of us have looked to our brothers and sisters in Islam and have seen them straying from the path of Allaah, and have turned our faces away? How many of us have seen our brothers erring and said to ourselves, it is none of my business? Well, it is our business for the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) has made it our business. In the hadeeth related by Tamim ad-Dari, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “The religion is naseehah.” The people asked, “To whom?” The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) replied, “To Allaah and to His Book and to His Messenger and to the leaders of the Muslims and the common folk.” [Collected by Bukhari, Muslim]

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) has equated the entire religion to giving naseehah, but what exactly is naseehah? Naseehah is an Arabic word that is usually translated to mean “sincerity” or “sincere advice”, but actually embodies every type of virtue. As believers, this statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) must be taken to heart. By learning what naseehah is, we can then act on it and bring about positive changes in ourselves and each other. Naseehah is a wonderful weapon, but like most weapons, if the user does not know how to use it properly, it can cause more harm than good.

**Naseehah to the common Muslims

The following includes giving naseehah to ALL Muslims, be they black, white, Arab or Pakistani; be they sinful, ignorant or heedless. It also includes giving naseehah to Muslims, no matter which organisation or group they belong to or if one likes them or dislikes them.

**How is Naseehah given to the Common Muslims?

By guiding them to what will bring them benefit in this life and in the Hereafter.
By removing harm from them and bringing them benefit.
By teaching them what one loves for oneself and hating for them what one hates for oneself.
By teaching them what will benefit them.
By commanding them what is right and forbidding them what is wrong with gentleness and sincerity.
By being soft with them, honouring the elderly, loving and being merciful towards the youths.
By not being deceptive and jealous toward them.
Protecting their honour and wealth.

**Manners Of Giving Naseehah

Seeking the Pleasure of Allaah by giving Naseehah It is necessary that a person has the intention of seeking the pleasure of Allaah when giving naseehah. Only such an intention deserves reward from Allaah and acceptance from His slaves.
If the intention is other than that, then that person deserves the anger and wrath of Allaah as well as the hatred and rejection of the people – including the one being advised.

**Not Slandering the One Being Advised

This is an affliction that has befallen many Muslims. Many times, after taking a closer look, we find that the person giving naseehah actually wants to slander the person he is advising because of personal hatred. This does not befit the one being advised and may lead to a worse situation with no benefit resulting from the naseehah.

**Naseehah is to be Given in Secret

Naseehah is most likely to bear its fruit when given to a person when he is by himself, for in such a situation the person is less likely to be affected by the thoughts of others. The sincere advisor should not aid the Devil over his brother by publicly rebuking him and letting Shaitaan beguile his brother into not taking the naseehah. This closes the doors of goodness and acceptance, and reduces the chances of the naseehah from being accepted. This is why our pious predecessors used to give naseehah in secret. Hafidh Ibn Rajab writes, “When the righteous predecessors intended to give naseehah to someone, they admonished him privately, to the point that some of them said, “The one who exhorts his brother between him and himself , then it is naseehah. The one who exhorts him in front of people, then it is merely scolding!”

Fudail Ibn Ayyadh, one of the pious scholars from our predecessors, said, “A believer covers up and gives naseehah, whereas an evildoer exposes and humiliates.” Ibn Rajab commented on Fudail’s saying, “It is naseehah if it is with a cover, while humiliating is with broadcasting”.

**Naseehah is to be Given with Kindness, Gentleness and Softness

A sincere advisor must be kind, soft and well-mannered in giving naseehah to others, as this might get the desired response from the one he is advising. One must understand that accepting naseehah is like opening a door, and that the door will not open without the proper key. The one who is given naseehah has a heart that has a lock in some matter – for he has abandoned something that Allaah has demanded from him, or has committed something that Allaah had forbidden him from. There is no better key to unlock the heart than kindness in giving advice, gentleness in exhortation and softness in speech as the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) has said, “Kindness is not to be found in anything but that it adds to its beauty, and it is not withdrawn from anything but it makes it defective.” [Muslim]

**Choosing the Proper Time to Give Naseehah

The one giving naseehah must choose the right time to give his advice, since a person is not always ready to receive naseehah. A person may be angry about something, upset about not getting what he wanted, grieved for something he may have lost, or there may be some other reason that might prevent him from responding to the naseehah.
Abdul Hamid Bilali writes,” Choosing proper time and place is one of the greatest causes for the acceptance of naseehah and eradicating evil”, and as Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud said, “Hearts (sometimes) yearn and are attentive, but (sometimes) they go through lapses and feed repulsion. So take from them when they are (in a state of) yearning and are attentive, and leave them alone when they go through lapses and are feeling repulsion”.

**Benefits of Naseehah

It purifies the one being advised from some weakness. When one sees a fellow Muslim negligent in performing a good deed, or committing some wrong, he should take it upon himself to mend the shortcoming. The shortcoming may pertain to the rights of Allaah or to the rights of His slaves. When a believer gives naseehah to his brother in Islaam, he helps him in a matter in which his brother has erred because the believer loves for his brother what he loves for himself. When a believer gives naseehah to his brother, he is disposing of the right that his brother has upon him. Just as you would not like to see a fault in yourself, and would work to remove it, likewise, you should not like to see that fault in your brother. You must hate to see in him what you hate to see in yourself, hence, you should give him naseehah to remove that fault as you would have liked to receive naseehah to have that fault removed from you. Give your brother naseehah and guide him toward goodness, and take him away from harm.

Giving naseehah is a sign of true brotherhood, a way of bringing the hearts closer, and of closing the doors of hatred and suspicion. This is why Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz said, “The one who grants naseehah to his brother in matters of this his religion and concerns himself with mending affairs of this life; then, he has granted an excellent gift and fulfilled a wajib that was due on him ..” If someone were to ask, “How is naseehah a right of brotherhood, when one’s faults are mentioned?” the answer is not to feel apprehension when your brother informs you of your faults. He may know something that perhaps you are unaware of, and is compelled to tell you about it out of sheer compassion. It is a way of winning over the hearts of those who are endowed with insight.

Shaitaan has declared war on all of humanity, and Allaah has given the believers the tools necessary to win this war. Informing each other of ugly deeds we perform, or about loathsome characteristics that we may have is like pointing out where the land mines are on a battlefield. By pointing out these hidden dangers, we help to keep each other from destruction. In this war of conquering the self, the help, aid and guidance of our brothers and sisters is needed to assure that ultimate victory, insha’Allaah, of true success in this life and in the Hereafter

Ayoob was the kind of person who would always amaze you. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!”

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Ayoob was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day Ayoob was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Ayoob and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?”

Ayoob replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ‘ Ayoob, Allah has given you two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”

“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested.

“Yes, it is,” Ayoob said. “Life is all about choices Allah has given us. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: Allah has given you an option how you live your life!”

I reflected on what Ayoob said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life before reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Ayoob did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Alhamdulillah [all praise is to Allah], Ayoob was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local hospital’s trauma centre.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Ayoob was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Ayoob about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, “Alhamdulillah , Allah is so Great and so Merciful” and then he added “If I were any better, I’d be twins. Wanna see my scars?”
I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Ayoob replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that Allah had given me two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live. By the Will and Acceptence of Allah I choose to live and Allah accepted my dua[prayer]“

“Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked.

Ayoob continued, “The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, ‘He’s a dead man.’
“I knew I needed to take action.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said Ayoob. “She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes,’ I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Bullets!’ Over their laughter, I told them. ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”

Ayoob lived thanks to Allah who made available skilled doctors at this critical moment and also because of his amazing attitude that Allah had given him. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is so important!

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaho anho) narrated that the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said:
“Almighty Allah says, ‘I treat my slave (man) according to his expectations from Me, and I am with him when he remembers me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart; if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better and nobler gathering (i.e. of angels) if he comes closer to Me by one span, I go towards him a cubit’s length, if he comes toward Me by a cubit’s length, I go towards him an arm’s length, and if he walks towards Me, I run unto him.” [Hadith]

Advices to Trustees of Masjids

It is not permissible to assume the post of mutawalli for the sake of honour and self-esteem. If one takes up this responsibility with this intention, then he would have indulged himself in such a calamity, from which it would be impossible to attain salvation in the hereafter. To assume the responsibility of mutawali it is imperative for one to possess the required qualities and capabilities. If one lacks these, it is advised that he relinquish this sacred duty and entrust it to those more able and deserving.

A mutawalli must comply with the following conditions:

1. He must have the right of trusteeship. This right, in sequence of priority, goes first to the person who made the endowment (waqf). Second is the person appointed by the endower himself. Next is the Muslim ruler or the appointed Muslim governor of the district. Thereafter this right rests with the Muslim Judge (Qaadhi), then finally with the person whom the inhabitants of the locality choose. (Shaami, Book of Waqf – Page 384 / Vol. 5)

2. He must be a sane Muslim.

3. He must be well acquainted with the regulations pertaining to endowment and trust (waqf).

4. He must have a practical and theoretical knowledge concerning the affairs of managing the endowment (waqf). (Durrul Mukhtaar & Shaami) This means that he should not be so ignorant as to be unable to differentiate between a capable and non-capable candidate for appointment as lmaam or Muazzin. It should not be that he fails to consult learned people and disassociate himself from senior Ulama in related matters. He must also not be so busy that he is unavailable to attend to the affairs of the trust.

5. He must be a trustworthy person, taking care not to misappropriate a single cent.

6. He must not involve himself in such futile engagements wherein people destroy their wealth, like gambling and bribery.

7. He must be an “Allah-fearing” and pious person – not a faasiq, i.e. an open sinner who indulges in major sins such as drinking, adultery, dealing in interest, shaving the beard, neglecting salaah, discarding the fardh salaah with jamaat (congregation), acquiring livelihood by unlawfw means, etc. Thus, if any trustee is found to be involved in such actions it will be incumbent (waajib) to dismiss him from office, even though he may the endower himself. (Durrul Mukhtaar with Shaami , Vol 5 – Pg. 385)

8. He should not be one who requested for the position as a trustee.

If any close relative of the endower complies with the above conditions he should be appointed as a trustee. However, if all these qualities are not found in any individual then such a person cannot be a mutawalli nor can he be appointed as one, since this will constitute an act of sin.

THE MUTAWALLI’S OBLIGATION TOWARDS THE MASJID

1. He should safeguard the income and property of the Masjid, meeting the necessary expenses and avoiding unnecessary expenditure. These days funds are generally squandered on expenses which have no importance in the shariah, but are merely spent because unenlightened trustees deem them to be imperative. These people should fear Allah, for on the day of Qiyaamah they will be accountable for every cent. The mutawallis of the masjid must take the onus upon themselves to consult the Ulama, at the first opportunity, regarding the detailed rulings pertaining to these expenses and the running of the masiid in general.

2. He must keep a proper record of all the income and expenditure of the masjid.

3. According to the best of means, a proper Imaam must be appointed. If however, instead of a competent person, an unfit and inefficient person is appointed to serve the community and deen at large then the warning sounded in the following Hadith should be heeded to : It is narrated that whosoever appoints someone to a post whereas within his sphere of influence there are more deserving persons, he has betrayed Allah, His Nabi (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) and the Muslims in general. (Fathul Qadeer)

4. He must appoint such a Muazzin who is well acquainted with the times of Salaah (and the correct pronunciation of the azaan).

5. He should give due priority to the maintenance of the masjid building as well as it’s other associated facilities. Security should also be given due consideration.

6. Cleanliness, lighting and water facilities must also be adequately arranged.

7. It is of paramount importance for the Mutawalli to ensure the performance of the five daily salaah in congregation and always strive towards increasing the number of musallis (in the masjid). Each mutawalli must look sincerely into these duties and exert his utmost efforts towards achieving these ends.

It is noticed that the mutawallis of the various masaajid usually do not fully discharge their responsibilities, hence becoming sinners. Special care must be exercised in the appointment of an Imaam, because due to any. shortcomings in this regard, thousands more will mushroom which can lead the Muslims to deviation.

If someone is an Imaam it does not entitle his son to the same. Since Imaamat is not a legacy, the most competent and deserving person should be appointed.

(The following are the cardinal requirements for an Imaam)

1. He should be well versed in relevant masaa’il Pertaining to Imaamat and salaah).

2. He must have mastered tajweed rules (to facilitate correct recitation of qiraat in salaah).

3. He should adhere to the faraaidh, waajibaat, sunnah and mustahabaat.

4. He must refrain from haraam and makroohaat.

If the correct choice of an Imaam cannot be made, a reliable Aalim should be asked to interview a potential candidate. To use only a beautiful voice as a yard-stick in choosing an Imaam is pure ignorance. However, if together with the above cardinal requirements, the Imaam also possesses a beautiful voice then this will be an added asset.

Once the right Imaam has been appointed, due respect must be shown to him. He must not be considered as a personal subordinate of the mutawalli. He is the leader and should be followed. This should always be kept in mind. Such a salary should be stipulated for him that will enable him to lead a decent and peaceful life. Stinginess should never be shown with regard to this issue. If there is a need, other expenses should be curtailed but a low and unreasonable salary should never be given to the Imaam or Muazzin. If negligence prevails, it should be borne in mind that man is often forced to fulfil his basic needs by other means. The Muslim jurists (rahimahumullah) have stated that if somebody commits himself to the service of a community, it is waajib upon them that they meet his expenses.

When the Imaam stands up to reform the masses, it is incumbent upon the mutawallis to jointly shoulder the cart and assist him to achieve his religious goal. In the event of the ignorant public raising objections and undue criticism against the Imaam. It is the duty of the mutawallis to stop them. If people disapprove of his propagation of the truth and the musallis decrease, they should first be made to understand. If they persist (in their disapproval) then they should be ignored, because it is better to have a few abiding to the sunnah and shariah rather than a deviated crowd.

If any Imaam does anything contrary to the shariah or introduces innovations, then he should be dismissed. The Imaam ‘must have freedom of expression, he should never be hindered by the mutawallis. Some mutawallis dislike and are offended by the Imaam’s mentioning of any vices or faults in which they are involved, thus they prevent the Imaam from such lectures. Such an attitude leads to severe sins. They will also be considered amongst those subjected to the severe warnings given in the following aayaat: “They prevent others_from the path of Allah.’

‘Who can be more unjust than he who prevents the name of Allah been taken in the house of Allah.’

The mutawalli should never interfere in the Imaam’s ibaadat, lectures and religious services. According to the shariah the mutawalli has no right of intervention. His responsibility is to see to the proper maintenance and functioning of the masjid, as mentioned above.

If the mutawalli adopts and adheres to the above mentioned advices, with a true spirit, then it is highly believed that he will be amongst the good-named mutawallis in the hereafter and be absolved of the great responsibilities which he shouldered. He will be justly rewarded, Inshaa-Allah.

( The above has been extracted from the book – Khutbaat-e-Mouizat)

Prepared under the auspices of: Sheikhul Hadeeth Hadbrat Moulaana Fazlur Rahman Saheb

Courtesy: ww.everymuslim.net

Credit to Mohammed Hassim who emailed me this piece:

Narrated by Abu Huraira (ra): The Prophet[pbuh] said, “Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya[modesty] is a part of faith.” (Bukhari)

Walk into the toy store, and you’ll find “baby” dolls dressed in clothing reminiscent of prostitutes’ outfits. Walk into the clothing store, and prepubescent girls are already being introduced to tank tops, mini skirts, and items of clothing that were once reserved for mature women.
But hey, this is nothing new. It’s been around for a while. and I think that many of us have become somewhat desensitized to this. There are times that we’ll remember how bad it is, but what usually happens is that we cluck over it for a bit and then get distracted by the many other problems we’re facing.

Now, however, I’d like to take the time to address this issue from a couple different angles – both a psychosocial and religious point of view.
In Wendy Shalit’s book “Girls Gone Mild,” she discusses the culture of hypersexualization: how it’s being promoted, through both media and consumerism, how it’s permeated society, and how it has so dangerously affected our lives and mentalities- the psychosocial ramifications of hypersexualized culture are already evident and recognized even by non-Muslims.
Awareness of sexuality is occurring at a much earlier age today, and almost always with a confused or warped understanding of it. Girls and boys are both growing up insensitively exposed to sights and concepts about the human body that were once discovered at a much slower rate that accommodated their level of mental and emotional maturity.

It doesn’t exist only amongst non-Muslims. Even Muslims are infected with the disease of hypersexualization, and its effects are far-reaching. Girls who wear hijaab still obsess over their weight and their image and try to look older than they are-without the maturity or understanding of what ‘older’ really means.
In addition to general psychological and social effects of hypersexualization, as Muslims there is another dimension that makes the issue even more important for us to be aware of.

The concept of hayaa’ – of modesty and shyness – is one that we Muslims should all be aware of, and prize highly, and do our best to cultivate within ourselves. There are many different kinds of hayaa’, but in this context we’ll deal specifically with modesty relating to our bodies.
In Islam, we have something which we call the ‘awra: the part of our bodies that we try to keep covered as much as possible. In general, although of course it differs with women in respect to the hijaab and so on, the ‘awra can be described as what is between the navel and the knees.

Sheikh Hisham al-Awadhi mentions in his series about Children Around the Messenger that sex education and awareness is supposed to begin at an early age for Muslim children – starting with the understanding that there are certain times and places that they cannot enter without permission. Hopefully this is something that Muslim parents are implementing with their children. but then there’s another kind of sex education that must be addressed. That is, teaching our children how to have respect and modesty regarding their own body, and others.’
It’s not enough to just give kids “the birds and the bees” talk and to make girls start wearing hijaab – indeed, I find that there are far too many girls out there who wear hijaab without even fully understanding the many wisdoms behind it, including that of respect, modesty, and self-esteem. Rather, we have to cultivate within them an understanding that whatever they see outside, whatever they hear from others about their bodies and self-image, there is something far more important to keep in mind: to have taqwa not just in matters of “dos” and “don’ts” but also about our attitude towards our bodies.

Respect your body and have self-confidence. Know that first of all, we don’t cover our bodies because we’re ashamed of it – rather, we’re proud of it and respect it. Allah created us in the best of ways, with body parts that both look good (well. mostly!) and perform neccessary functions. However, just ‘cuz we look good doesn’t mean that we should be showing it off to the whole world! (BTW, this goes for men also – please, no Speedos! Those don’t even look good.)

I think it’s of especial importance to get this message across to young girls: hijaabi or not, most girls have issues with their self-esteem and self-image, especially in this society where so much emphasis is placed on making oneself physically attractive. In addition to making them realize that it’s what’s on the inside that counts, we can’t forget that it’s human nature to want to be beautiful – Therefore parents are reminded to make their daughters feel good by complimenting her on her beauty inside the house. Notice when she’s wearing a new outfit, tell her how the colour looks great with her eyes, how lovely she is, etc. In this way, by knowing that others – who are allowed to see her beauty(i.e. her mahaarim) – think she’s beautiful, there’ll be less of a need for her to desire others’ approval of her attractiveness.

Respect others’ bodies. Whether it’s a kaafir or a Muslim, a man or a woman, covered or naked. have respect and shyness for their bodies. Don’t look at what’s not permissable to look at; don’t behave in a manner that’s contrary to the entire concept of hayaa’. Lower your gaze and have good manners. Far too often have I seen hijaabi girls giggling over a model, actor, or even a brother at a community function; similarly, stories about men ogling hijaabis or drooling over non-Muslim women is disgusting because that’s NOT how a Muslim is supposed to act at any time, towards anyone.

Just as girls need a bit of help with the first point, I think parents need to spend more time teaching boys about the second. Part of good manners is to have respect for women and treat them decently no matter how they’re dressed – to truly lower the gaze and behave as the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) did towards women. It needs to start when they’re young, and reinforced as preteens and young teens, so that it will stick with them as adult men who have to deal with women in many different kinds of situations. Recently I saw witnessed two youngsters – although they’re only 12 and 13, they felt shy when they passed by a woman who was indecently dressed. They made a point of averting their gaze, but still treated whoever it was with respect by speaking politely. Sadly, there aren’t many examples of such kids these days.
Another problem that I know many parents struggle with is trying to teach their kids that the pictures of half-naked men and women on advertisements, billboards, TV, etc. are not acceptable Islamically. I believe that this issue is related to the point above: having respect for other people’s bodies. A somewhat uncomfortable question that younger kids might bring up (usually at most inopportune moments!) is something along the lines of, “Mama, why is that lady not wearing any clothes?” or “Dad, why is that man in his underwear?”
This is when, instead of cringing or hissing at them to be quiet or ignoring them, you explain to them about how there are many people who don’t protect their bodies the way we do. Insha’Allah, if you handle it the right way – open, matter-of-factly, but pressing the concept of hayaa’ – your children will grow up knowing that while the human body isn’t something to be ashamed of, it IS something to be cared for, protected, and respected.

Innocence is an endangered species. Instead of ignoring the repercussions of the situation, complaining about it, and not doing anything about it, we have to be proactive in dealing with it. Recognize how it affects our children, and take the necessary measures to address it in an Islamic and psychologically healthy manner.
Also by far, our own example will be most beneficial. If we as parents lower our gazes when in front of the opposite sex this will be educative. Lets also take out SPECIAL DEDICATED time to interact and educate our kids.

Here are a few hadith that we can use to educate our kids:
The Prophet said, “Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads.” They (the people) said, “O Allah’s Apostle! We can’t help sitting (on the roads) as these are (our places) where we have talks.” The Prophet said, “If you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its right.” They said, “What is the right of the road, O Allah’s Apostle?” He said, “Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning greeting, and enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil.” [Bukhari]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: A man should not look at the private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts of another woman[Abu Dawood]

“Ibn Abbas narrated: ‘The Prophet (S) cursed the men who appear like women and the women who appear like men.’” (Bukhari)
“Ayesha (R) reported that Asmaa the daughter of Abu Bakr (R) came to the Messenger of Allah (S) while wearing thin clothing. He approached her and said: ‘O Asmaa! When a girl reaches the menstrual age, it is not proper that anything should remain exposed except this and this. He pointed to the face and hands.” (Abu Dawood)

From the Quran: ” And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display theri beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof, that they should draw theri veils over their bosoms adn not display their beauty except to their husbands, tathers, husbands’ fathers, sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women or the slaves whom their right hand possess or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sence of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah(S.W.T) that ye may attain Bliss (Surah 24:31)

A beautiful Story!
“There was a muslim brother in Glasgow who became ill and was hospitalized. He was admitted for three days and on the fourth day the attendant nurse said, “Marry me”.He [the brother in Glasgow] asked, “Why? I am a Muslim, you and I cannot become companions.”She said, “I will become Muslim”.”What’s the reason?” it was asked.She said, “In all my time that I have served in hospitals, except you, I have never seen a man lower his gaze in front of a woman. In my life you are the first person who lowers his gaze when seeing a woman. I come, and you close your eyes. Such great modesty can be taught by none other than a true religion.”The protection of one’s gaze entered Islam in her. She testified to the Oneness of Allah and became a Muslim. They both got married. By now, the same woman was and is the means of bringing so many other girls and women into Islam.

In a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported as having said: “And the eyes commit zina (adultery). Their zina is gazing.” The Prophet Muhammad (saw) commanded Ali (RA) and said to him: “Ali! Do not look once after another, for the first look is for you (since it happens accidentally) while the second is against you.”
May Allah protect us all from the fitnah, fasaad, and faahishah that is all around us, ameen!

The Value of Words

By Khalid Baig

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say something good or keep quiet.” [Bukhari]

Famous companion, Sayyidna Muaz ibn Jabal, Radi-Allahu anhu, once asked the Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, “Tell me about an act that will cause me to enter Paradise and be protected from the Fire.” “You have indeed asked something profound,” responded the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, “But it will be easy on whom Allah makes it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate any partners with Him. Establish regular Salat, pay Zakat, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj.” Then he asked “Shall I not tell you about the doors of good: fast is a shield (against sins and against Hell-fire), charity extinguishes sins like water extinguishes fire; and the midnight Salat (the voluntary Tahajjud Salat).” Then he recited this verse: “Their limbs do forsake their beds of sleep, while they call on their Lord, in Fear and Hope: and they spend (in charity) out of the sustenance which We have bestowed on them.” [As-Sajda 32:16]

Then he continued: “Shall I tell you about the beginning, the mainstay and the high point of this? The beginning is (acceptance of) Islam; It’s mainstay is Salat; it’s highest point is Jihad.”

Then the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, asked: “Shall I tell you about the thing on which all this depends?” He, then held his tongue and said “Guard this.” Sayyidna Muaz ibn Jabal, Radi-Allahu anhu, asked: “Shall we be questioned about our utterances?” On this the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said, “Most people will be thrown into Hell—face down—because of the transgressions of their tongues.”

The ability to speak and express themselves separates human beings from animals. The proper use of this great gift—or its absence—separates the good and successful people from the bad and unsuccessful ones.

Sayyidna Mu’adh’s question was about eternal success. In response, the hadith mentions both mandatory and voluntary good deeds that cover a person’s entire life. But then we are reminded that the outcome of all these depends upon guarding our tongue. In other words carelessness with the tongue can poke holes in all of our good deeds.

Another hadith highlights the same issue in a different way: “Every morning all the limbs of a person plead with his tongue: ‘Fear Allah for our sake, for our fate is tied to yours. If you follow the straight path so shall we. And if you go astray so shall we.’”

Yet another hadith reminds us about the far reaching consequences of the words we utter. “Sometimes a person says something good but he does not realize how far will his words go. Yet it earns him the pleasure of Allah till the day he will meet Him. On the other hand sometimes a person says something bad, although he does not realize how far his words will go. Yet it earns him the wrath of Allah till the day he will meet Him.” [Tirmizi, Ibn Maja, Muwwata Imam Malik].

The pre-Islamic Arab society was a very vocal society. While reading and writing were not that common, people did pride themselves in their facility with words—both prose and poetry. A person commanded respect based on his command over words. Using power of words only, they could sink reputations, start wars, and impact life in a similar fashion as modern media has come to demonstrate on a much larger scale. Then, as now, it was raw power like the power of the beasts of the Jungle.

Islam tamed this beast. It reminded us that each and every word we utter is being recorded by the angels and one day we will have to stand accountable for all this record. It reminded that a person’s greatness lies not in how powerful he is with words but in how careful is he with them. It reminded that it is better to keep silent than to say something bad. And it is better to say something good than to keep quiet.

The social revolution it engendered was unprecedented. It produced a people who truly understood the value of words and who were as pious with them as they had been powerful. Their silence was the silence of quiet reflection. And they spoke only when they could improve the silence. Is it any wonder that even their extempore statements were pearls of wisdom.

Today, everywhere there are schools that can teach one how to read, write, and speak a language. But their students would never learn how to civilize this raw power; to use it only in promoting truth and spreading virtue; to never use it for promoting falsehood or spreading evil.

There is a lot of unlearning we have to do if we want to get out of this. It is a costly mistake for a believer to think that talk is cheap; that you can say whatever is expedient without any concern for any consequences beyond the immediate ones.

Such attitudes, prevalent today, lead to all kinds of sins: vain pursuits, gossip, dishonesty, insincerity, arrogance, belittling others, backbiting, spreading scandals and corruption, telling lies. Each of these has been clearly defined as a deadly sin by the Qur’an and Hadith. The treatment for each of these sins begins with learning the Islamically responsible use of the tongue. Then there are secondary problems caused in turn by these. In fact most of the problems in the family, in the society, and even between countries are either created or augmented by the irresponsible use of the tongue.

Modern communication technologies have made it possible for messages to be transmitted instantaneously all over the globe. But as the world marvels at these achievements, it continues to confuse the speed of a message with its quality and value. We pride ourselves on the ability to spread trash around the world at the speed of light. Witness the rubbish that continues to dominate the Internet alone. We are amazed by the sophisticated techniques of telling lies in a convincing manner. Witness the modern mainstream media machine and its hold on our thoughts and actions.

The “information age” is begging for the moral guidance of Islam.

thanks to Mohammed Hassim who emailed me this article.

Physically Challenged Deserve Dignified Treatment!
By A Husein

Historically, people with physical disabilities have been referred to as “handicapped,” as “disabled,” and as “crippled,” but more recently, there has been a shift to use more dignified terminology and so more and more we hear talk of the “physically challenged.”
According to Islamic teachings, we say that Almighty Allah has tested such and such person with blindness or hearing loss or any number of other physical challenges. Saying someone has been tested by Almighty Allah is very different than treating them differently because of whatever physical challenge with which Almighty Allah has tested them. Islamic teachings enjoin us to treat with dignity and respect those in our family and community who are physically challenged.

Twice Tested: First By Allah, Then By Family and Friends
Most often, people who are physically challenged are already very self-conscious with the level of their consciousness being directly related to the type and nature of their particular challenge. They accept that they have been tested by Almighty Allah, and that according to Islamic teachings, they are not to engage in the type of self-victimizing thinking which leads to thoughts and statements. such as “why me,” or “why is Almighty Allah punishing me,” or even worse, “I wish I was dead and did not have to live like this.”

The real problem is that in addition to being tested by Almighty Allah, such people are often further tested by family and friends. Much in contradiction with the sublime teachings of the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), we end up testing people who are physically challenged further by treating them as if they are somehow less human; less complete than the rest of us.
Depending on the particular familial or cultural approach, this contradiction manifests itself in a number of ways ranging from the physically challenged person being relegated to some corner of the house with little or no social contact, to being constantly reminded of how embarrassed the family is because of their condition or how difficult it is on the family to have to bear the burden of having to care for or provide for them.
If the physically challenged person is young, the consequences are sometimes worse because other young people might not only treat them differently, they might actually ridicule them, abuse them verbally and physically, and alienate them entirely. All such behavior is contradictory to our Islamic teachings. Disrespecting the physically challenged tests them beyond that with which Almighty Allah has already tested them. It is time that we restore to them the dignity and respect which Almighty Allah has granted them.

Valuing the Physically Challenged For Who They Are
As a young Muslim, especially if Almighty Allah has blessed you with good health, you have to appreciate that your quality of life is much different than a young or old person who is physically challenged. Therefore, you have a tremendously significant role in changing the manner in which your own family and community treat such people.

We must begin to value the physically challenged for who they are. Ask yourself what possible gain is there in ridiculing a person who is unable to walk? A person who is unable to talk? A person who is unable to hear? What possible gain is there in ridiculing a person who is blind? What can they do if they have been tested by Almighty Allah with the loss of sight?
Spending time with a blind person might help us to realize that although they cannot physically see the world, there is much about the world, which they can perceive, and about which they have ideas, opinions, and feelings.
There are, for example, increasing efforts around the world to refine the production of Qur’ans in Braille text so that blind people can have access to the beautiful message contained in it. There are also various efforts being made to help blind children to memorize the Qur’an.

Valuing the physically challenged in general, and especially the blind, for their tremendous inherent potential is a lesson which Almighty Allah saw fit to include in the Qur’an. During the height of his efforts to convey the teachings of Islam to the powerful and influential men of Makkah, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was approached one day by a blind man who sought to understand the message of Islam. In a very human moment, which has been recorded in the Qur’an for eternity, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) frowned and turned his attention away from the blind man. A chapter of the Qur’an is entitled “He Frowned” (Sura Abasa) and it documents the Prophet’s actions and the reminder from Almighty Allah that while on the surface the man seeking knowledge was blind, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and all of us should keep in mind that perhaps he and others like him, would benefit from being valued and accepted for who they are.

In another example, Ibn Um Maktum, (may Allah be pleased with him) was in the company of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), as he dictated to Zaid bin Thabit the Prophet’s scribe, the verse: “Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah.”
We learn from the narration of Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) that “Ibn Um Maktum came while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was dictating to me, and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! By Allah, if I had the power to fight (in Allah’s Cause), I would,” and he was a blind man. Therefore, Almighty Allah revealed to His Apostle “Except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame etc).” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 60, Hadith 116).

So valued are the physically challenged in the sight of Almighty Allah that their physical challenge was not held against them; rather, they were given an exemption from the requirement of those who are physically able, to strive in the path of Almighty Allah.

Final Thoughts
Islamic teachings enjoin upon us the treatment of physically challenged people with respect and dignity. Despite all of the advances in medicine and biomedical engineering, there are still among us people who live daily with the physical challenges with which Almighty Allah has tested them. To the extent they are capable of doing so, they should be given the opportunity to enjoy all aspects of life. Our goal should be that we will not test such people further.

We should do our best to ensure that we do not treat the physically challenged differently. We should value them for who they are; beautiful and unique human beings who have been created by Almighty Allah.

“Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should say what is good or keep quiet.” Sahih Al-Bukhari,