Archive for October 2012

Nisaab [Minimum Threshold] (Hadith No. 1186)

bukhari
Published on October 31, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated Abu Said:
Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) said, "No Zakat is due on property mounting to less than five Uqiyas (of silver), and no Zakat is due on less than five camels, and there is no Zakat on less than five Wasqs." (1 Wasq = 60 Sa's) & (1 Sa' = 3 kg app.)
In Sharia (Islamic Law) niṣāb (نِصاب) is the amount one's net worth must exceed for the Muslim owner to be obligated to give zakat. Several hadith have formulas for calculating niṣāb, the most prominent of which declaring that No Zakāt is due on wealth until one year passes. Zakat is then determined based on the amount of wealth acquired; the greater the assets, the greater the tax. It is not subject to special exemptions. [Wikipedia]
Nisaab for naqd = gold: 7.5 tolas (85 grams), silver: 595 grams
Nisaab for paper money = whatever amount reaches the nisaab for naqd
Nisaab for livestock = camel: 5, cattle: 30, sheep: 40
Nisaab for agricultural produce: 5 wasqs (60 Sa`s) of dates, grapes, and grains such as corn, barley, rice etc.
Bear in mind that these quantities only determine eligibility/obligation of payment of Zakah. Rate of Zakah is not under discussion, yet.

Punishment for not Paying Zakah (Ahadith 1184 - 1185)

bukhari
Published on October 30, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "(On the Day of Resurrection) camels will come to their owner in the best state of health they have ever had (in the world), and if he had not paid their Zakat (in the world) then they would tread him with their feet; and similarly, sheep will come to their owner in the best state of health they have ever had in the world, and if he had not paid their Zakat, then they would tread him with their hooves and would butt him with their horns." The Prophet added, "One of their rights is that they should be milked while water is kept in front of them." The Prophet added, "I do not want anyone of you to come to me on the Day of Resurrection, carrying over his neck a sheep that will be bleating. Such a person will (then) say, 'O Muhammad! (please intercede for me,) I will say to him. 'I can't help you, for I conveyed Allah's Message to you.' Similarly, I do not want anyone of you to come to me carrying over his neck a camel that will be grunting. Such a person (then) will say "O Muhammad! (please intercede for me)." I will say to him, "I can't help you for I conveyed Allah's message to you."
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, 'I am your wealth, I am your treasure.' " Then the Prophet recited the holy verses:-- 'Let not those who withhold . . .' (to the end of the verse). (3.180).
In the tafsir of the mentioned ayah (3: 180), Ibn Kathir says:
Allah said,

﴿وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَآ ءَاتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْراً لَّهُمْ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ﴾

( And let not those who are stingy with that which Allah has bestowed on them of His bounty (wealth) think that it is good for them. Nay, it will be worse for them.) ﴿3:180﴾
Therefore, the Ayah says that the miser should not think that collecting money will benefit him. Rather, it will harm him in his religion and worldly affairs. Allah mentions the money that the miser collected on the Day of Resurrection,

﴿سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُواْ بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ﴾

(the things that they stingy with shall be tied to their necks like a collar on the Day of Resurrection.)
Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«مَنْ آتَاهُ اللهُ مَالًا فَلَمْ يُؤَدِّ زَكَاتَهُ، مُثِّلَ لَهُ شُجَاعًا أَقْرَعَ، لَهُ زَبِيبَتَانِ، يُطَوَّقُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، يَأْخُذُ بِلِهْزِمَتَيْهِ يَعْنِي بِشِدْقَيْهِ يَقُولُ: أَنَا مَالُكَ، أَنَا كَنْزُك»

(Whoever Allah makes wealthy and he does not pay the Zakah due on his wealth, then (on the Day of Resurrection) his wealth will be made in the likeness of a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and proclaim, `I am your wealth, I am your treasure.')
The Prophet then recited the Ayah,

﴿وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَآ ءَاتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْراً لَّهُمْ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ﴾

( And let not those who are stingy with that which Allah has bestowed on them of His bounty think that it is good for them. Nay, it will be worse for them), until the end. Al-Bukhari, but not Muslim, collected this Hadith using this chain of narration, Ibn Hibban also collected it in his Sahih.
Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah said that the Prophet said,

«مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍلَا يُؤَدِّي زَكَاةَ مَالِهِ إِلَّا جُعِلَ لَهُ شُجَاعٌ أَقْرَعُ يَتْبَعُهُ، يَفِرُّ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ يَتْبَعُهُ، فَيَقُولُ: أَنَا كَنْزُك»

(Every person who does not pay the Zakah due on his wealth, will have his money made into the shape of a bald-headed, poisonous male snake who will follow him. The person will run away from the snake, who will follow him and proclaim, `I am your treasure.')
`Abdullah then recited the Ayah in Allah's Book that testifies to this fact,

﴿سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُواْ بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ﴾

(the things that they were stingy with shall be tied to their necks like a collar on the Day of Resurrection.)
This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih.''
Allah's statement,

﴿وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ﴾

(And to Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the Earth), means,

﴿وَأَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا جَعَلَكُم مُّسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ﴾

(and spend of that whereof He has made you trustees) ﴿57: 7﴾. Therefore, since all affairs are under Allah's control, then spend from your money so it will benefit you on the Day of Return,

﴿وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ﴾

(and Allah is Well-Acquainted with all that you do.) with your intentions and what your hearts conceal.
It's pretty clear that not paying zakah is no joke. Severe punishments are prescribed for the one who does not pay zakah, in the grave as well as on the Day of Judgement [some will graze on al-daree’ and al-zaqqoom (horrid types of food in Hell) because they withheld the zakaah of their wealth]. Then what is to be said about him in this world?
Zakaah is one of the pillars of Islam. If a person does not do it because he does not believe that it is obligatory, the ruling should be explained to him and if he persists, then he is a kaafir, and the funeral prayer cannot be offered for him and he cannot be buried in the Muslim graveyard. But if he does not pay zakaah because he is stingy, but he believes that it is obligatory, then he is a sinner who is guilty of a major sin and he is a wrong doer, but he is not a kaafir. Therefore he should be washed (ghusl) and the funeral prayer should be offered for him if he dies in this state, and his case will be decided on the Day of Resurrection.
(Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 9/184)
Further reading: ruling on the one who does not pay zakah
Read more on this major sin: non-payment of zakah.

The Obligation of Zakah (Hadith No. 1183)

bukhari
Published on October 27, 2012 By

Bismillah.

Kitaab-uz-Zakah [Book of the Obligatory Charity Tax] starts today..

Volume 2, Book 24, Number 484:
Narrated Jarir bin 'Abdullah ,
I gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet for offering prayer perfectly giving Zakat and giving good advice to every Muslim.
What is Zakah?
Zakah is one of the five pillars of Islam and is a duty performed on a regular basis. Zakah is not an option it is a compulsory act for all Muslims. It is a contribution paid once a year on savings of two and a half percent. This giving is to “cleanse” your money and possessions from excessive desire for them or greed. The idea is, that by giving this money you learn not to place too much importance on material wealth (cash and possessions).

Zakah is a compulsory payment and is neither charity nor a tax. It is expected from every Muslim individual. It is paid on the net balance after a Muslim has spent on basic necessities, family expenses, due credits, donations and taxes.

Zakah provides us with the opportunity of sharing our excess wealth with those less fortunate than ourselves. In fact we and our wealth belong to Allah. He is the real owner and we are merely the trustees of His wealth. We do our duty as trustees if we pay Zakah as an obligatory part of Ibadah.

Islam is a complete code of life which includes among other things, the economic side of life. Islam has its own economic principles. Zakah is one of the basic principles of the Islamic economy, based on social welfare and fair distribution of wealth. In addition to the compulsory payment of Zakah, Muslims are encouraged in the Qur'an to make voluntary contributions to help the poor and needy, and for other social welfare purposes. This voluntary contribution is called Sadaqah (Charity).

Through the payment of Zakah, the rich share their wealth with the poor and thus the process of concentration of wealth is checked and fair distribution ensured.
[uwt.org]
Does a kaafir [non-believer] have to pay Zakah? Answer here.

The Bare Minimum (Ahadith 1177 - 1182)

bukhari
Published on October 26, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
Thy Prophet sent Muadh to Yemen and said, "Invite the people to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I am Allah's Apostle, and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in every day and night (in twenty-four hours), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakat from their property and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor."
Narrated Abu Aiyub:
A man said to the Prophet "Tell me of such a deed as will make me enter Paradise." The people said, "What is the matter with him? What is the matter with him?" The Prophet said, "He has something to ask. (What he needs greatly) The Prophet said: (In order to enter Paradise) you should worship Allah and do not ascribe any partners to Him, offer prayer perfectly, pay the Zakat and keep good relations with your Kith and kin." (See Hadith No. 12, Vol 8).
Narrated Abu Huraira:
A Bedouin came to the Prophet and said, "Tell me of such a deed as will make me enter Paradise, if I do it." The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "Worship Allah, and worship none along with Him, offer the (five) prescribed compulsory prayers perfectly, pay the compulsory Zakat, and fast the month of Ramadan." The Bedouin said, "By Him, in Whose Hands my life is, I will not do more than this." When he (the Bedouin) left, the Prophet said, "Whoever likes to see a man of Paradise, then he may look at this man."
Narrated Abu Zur'a:
from the Prophet the same as above.
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
A delegation of the tribe of 'Abdul Qais came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! We are from the tribe of Rabi'a, and the infidels of the tribe of Mudar stands between us and you; so we cannot come to you except during the Sacred Months. Please order us to do something (religious deeds) which we may carry out and also invite to it our people whom we have left behind." The Prophet said, "I order you to do four things and forbid you four others: (I order you) to have faith in Allah, and confess that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, (and the Prophet gestured with his hand like this (i.e. one knot) and to offer prayers perfectly and to pay the Zakat, and to pay one-fifth of the booty in Allah's Cause. And I forbid you to use Dubba', Hantam, Naqir and Muzaffat (all these are the names of utensils used for preparing alcoholic drinks)."
Already discussed here.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
When Allah's Apostle died and Abu Bakr became the caliph some Arabs renegade (reverted to disbelief) (Abu Bakr decided to declare war against them), 'Umar, said to Abu Bakr, "How can you fight with these people although Allah's Apostle said, 'I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight the people till they say: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and whoever said it then he will save his life and property from me except on trespassing the law (rights and conditions for which he will be punished justly), and his accounts will be with Allah.' " Abu Bakr said, "By Allah! I will fight those who differentiate between the prayer and the Zakat as Zakat is the compulsory right to be taken from the property (according to Allah's orders) By Allah! If they refuse to pay me even a she-kid which they used to pay at the time of Allah's Apostle . I would fight with them for withholding it" Then 'Umar said, "By Allah, it was nothing, but Allah opened Abu Bakr's chest towards the decision (to fight) and I came to know that his decision was right."
Here's what I think.. The five pillars of Islam [testimony of faith, prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage] are the most essential parts of the Deen. YET, a person fulfilling all these duties is doing only the bare minimum, only that which will be sufficient to help him enter Paradise (if Allah wills). So there's a lot more to our Deen. Keep exploring it!
Kitaab-ul-Janaa'iz [Book of Funerals] ends here. Alhamdulillah.

Abu Lahab (Hadith No. 1176)

abu lahab
Published on October 25, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated Ibn Abbas.:
Abu Lahab, may Allah curse him, once said to the Prophet (p.b.u.h), "Perish you all the day."
Then the Divine Inspiration came: "Perish the hands of Abi Lahab! And perish he!" (111.1).
Ibn Kathir says in his Tafsir about the reason for revelation of this Surah [al-Lahab]:
Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn `Abbas that the Prophet went out to the valley of Al-Batha and he ascended the mountain. Then he cried out,
«يَا صَبَاحَاه»
(O people, come at once!) So the Quraysh gathered around him. Then he said,
«أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ حَدَّثْتُكُمْ أَنَّ الْعَدُوَّ مُصَبِّحُكُمْ، أَوْ مُمَسِّيكُمْ أَكُنْتُمْ تُصَدِّقُونِّي»
؟ (If I told you all that the enemy was going to attack you in the morning, or in the evening, would you all believe me) They replied, "Yes.'' Then he said,
«فَإِنِّي نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيد»
(Verily, I am a warner (sent) to you all before the coming of a severe torment.) Then Abu Lahab said, "Have you gathered us for this May you perish!'' Thus, Allah revealed,
﴿تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ ﴾
(Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he!) to the end of the Surah. In another narration it states that he stood up dusting of his hands and said, "Perish you for the rest of this day! Have you gathered us for this'' Then Allah revealed,
﴿تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ ﴾
(Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he!) The first part is a supplication against him and the second is information about him. This man Abu Lahab was one of the uncles of the Messenger of Allah.His name was `Abdul-`Uzza bin Abdul-Muttalib. His surname was Abu `Utaybah and he was only called Abu Lahab because of the brightness of his face. He used to often cause harm to the Messenger of Allah . He hated and scorned him and his religion. Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Az-Zinad that a man called Rabi`ah bin `Abbad from the tribe of Bani Ad-Dil, who was a man of pre-Islamic ignorance who accepted Islam, said to him, "I saw the Prophet in the time of pre-Islamic ignorance in the market of Dhul-Majaz and he was saying,
«يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، قُولُوا: لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ تُفْلِحُوا»
(O people! Say there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and you will be successful.) The people were gathered around him and behind him there was a man with a bright face, squint (or cross) eyes and two braids in his hair. He was saying, "Verily, he is an apostate (from our religion) and a liar!'' This man was following him (the Prophet ) around wherever he went. So, I asked who was he and they (the people) said, "This is his uncle, Abu Lahab.'' Ahmad also recorded this narration from Surayj, who reported it from Ibn Abu Az-Zinad, who reported it from his father (Abu Zinad) who mentioned this same narration. However in this report, Abu Zinad said, "I said to Rabi`ah, `Were you a child at that time' He replied, `No. By Allah, that day I was most intelligent, and I was the strongest blower of the flute (for music).''' Ahmad was alone in recording this Hadith. Concerning Allah's statement,
﴿مَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ ﴾
(His wealth and his children (Kasab) will not benefit him!) Ibn `Abbas and others have said,
﴿وَمَا كَسَبَ﴾
(and his children (Kasab) will not benefit him!) "Kasab means his children.'' A similar statement has been reported from `A'ishah, Mujahid, `Ata', Al-Hasan and Ibn Sirin. It has been mentioned from Ibn Mas`ud that when the Messenger of Allah called his people to faith, Abu Lahab said, "Even if what my nephew says is true, I will ransom myself (i.e., save myself) from the painful torment on the Day of Judgement with my wealth and my children.'' Thus, Allah revealed,
﴿مَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ ﴾
(His wealth and his children will not benefit him!) Then Allah says,
﴿سَيَصْلَى نَاراً ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ ﴾
(He will enter a Fire full of flames!) meaning, it has flames, evil and severe burning.
I wonder if Abu Lahab ever felt that he could be wrong; if he ever wondered what he'd do to save himself from Allah's wrath. He 'knew' Prophet (SAW) to be a truthful and honest person, still he denied the message he (SAW) brought. Knowing and not believing.. hmm.. arrogance?


Don't Abuse the Dead (Hadith No. 1175)

abuse
Published on October 24, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated 'Aisha :
The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "Don't abuse the dead, because they have reached the result of what they forwarded."
Abusing here refers to verbal abuse, using harsh words against a person.
Most scholars say that this is for the believers, i.e. don't abuse the dead believers. But anyhow, taking the hukm (commandment) of the Prophet (SAW), one must be careful as to not talk bad about any dead person, especially the believers.
This also implies not judging them, i.e. not deciding where they ended up. Because. We. Don't. Know.
No matter how pious you knew the person to be, you are not allowed to say (even about a martyr) that he/she definitely went to Jannah, or in the case of a wicked one, that he/she definitely went to Hell.
Prophet (SAW) said:

والله ما أدرى وأنا رسول الله ما يفعل بى

[roughly translated:] By Allah, I do not know what will be done with me, even though I'm the Messenger of Allah.
If Prophet (SAW) wasn't so sure, how can we claim to know about a person's fate? Do we have angels coming to us as reporters? :)
Side question: is it okay to organize a gathering to remember the deceased? Find the answer here.

`Umar [RA]'s Last Wish (Hadith No. 1174)

bukhari
Published on October 23, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated 'Amr bin Maimun Al-Audi:
I saw 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (when he was stabbed) saying, "O 'Abdullah bin 'Umar! Go to the mother of the believers Aisha and say, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab sends his greetings to you,' and request her to allow me to be buried with my companions." (So, Ibn 'Umar conveyed the message to 'Aisha.) She said, "I had the idea of having this place for myself but today I prefer him ('Umar) to myself (and allow him to be buried there)." When 'Abdullah bin 'Umar returned, 'Umar asked him, "What (news) do you have?" He replied, "O chief of the believers! She has allowed you (to be buried there)." On that 'Umar said, "Nothing was more important to me than to be buried in that (sacred) place. So, when I expire, carry me there and pay my greetings to her ('Aisha ) and say, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab asks permission; and if she gives permission, then bury me (there) and if she does not, then take me to the grave-yard of the Muslims. I do not think any person has more right for the caliphate than those with whom Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) was always pleased till his death. And whoever is chosen by the people after me will be the caliph, and you people must listen to him and obey him," and then he mentioned the name of 'Uthman, 'Ali, Talha, Az-Zubair, 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf and Sad bin Abi Waqqas.
By this time a young man from Ansar came and said, "O chief of the believers! Be happy with Allah's glad tidings. The grade which you have in Islam is known to you, then you became the caliph and you ruled with justice and then you have been awarded martyrdom after all this." 'Umar replied, "O son of my brother! Would that all that privileges will counterbalance (my short comings), so that I neither lose nor gain anything. I recommend my successor to be good to the early emigrants and realize their rights and to protect their honor and sacred things. And I also recommend him to be good to the Ansar, who before them had homes (in Medina) and had adopted the Faith. He should accept the good of the righteous among them and should excuse their wrongdoers. I recommend him to abide by the rules and regulations concerning the Dhimmis (protectees) of Allah and His Apostle, to fulfill their contracts completely and fight for them and not to tax (overburden) them beyond their capabilities."
Notice:
  • what was on `Umar (RA)'s mind when he was bleeding on his death-bed - that he gets a place near Prophet (SAW) to be buried.
  • how that place was so beloved to `Aishah (RA) and she had planned to be buried there, but she gave it up for `Umar (RA), preferring him over herself.
  • the things `Umar (RA) said as wasiyyat (will) to his successor as leader of the believers.
  • how `Umar (RA) had been martyred but he was still scared for his hisaab. His words in reply to the man from Ansaar: "O son of my brother! Would that all that privileges will counterbalance (my short comings), so that I neither lose nor gain anything."
SubhanAllah, reading about the Companions make them seem like stars in the sky. Fascinating.
May we be together with them in Jannah. Firdaws preferably. <3

Searching for a Title (Hadith No. 1173)

bukhari
Published on October 22, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated 'Urwa:
When the wall fell on them (i.e. graves) during the caliphate of Al-Walid bin 'Abdul Malik, the people started repairing it, and a foot appeared to them. The people got scared and thought that it was the foot of the Prophet. No-one could be found who could tell them about it till I ('Urwa) said to them, "By Allah, this is not the foot of the Prophet but it is the foot of Umar."
Aisha narrated that she made a will to 'Abdullah bin Zubair, "Do not bury me with them (the Prophet and his two companions) but bury me with my companions (wives of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) ) in Al-Baqi as I would not like to be looked upon as better than I really am (by being buried near the Prophet)."
About the first part of this Hadith.. I'm still trying to get the background information on the incident. So no comment yet. Will update the post as soon as I have something solid inshaAllah.
Anyway, this incident is taken as proof that bodies of martyrs don't get degenerated by the soil. Allahu A`lam [Allah knows best].
As for the second part, Aishah (RA) gave up her position (near the Prophet [SAW]) where she wanted to be buried, because Umar (RA) had asked her if he could be buried there. She preferred him over herself saying that "I would not like to be looked upon as better than I really am". SubhanAllah. [More on this tomorrow inshaAllah.]
Wassalam.

Prophet [SAW]'s Grave (Hadith No. 1172)

bukhari
Published on October 21, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Hadith no. 1171 (below) is a repeat. Read it here.
Narrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle in his fatal illness said, "Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians, for they built the places of worship at the graves of their prophets." And if that had not been the case, then the Prophet's grave would have been made prominent before the people. So (the Prophet ) was afraid, or the people were afraid that his grave might be taken as a place for worship.

Grave of the Prophet (SAW):

Narrated Abu Bakr bin 'Aiyash :
Sufyan At-Tammar told me that he had seen the grave of the Prophet elevated and convex.
Two types of graves: shaqq & lahd.
The shaqq means that a trench is dug in the middle of the grave to suit the size of the deceased, and its sides are built with bricks so that it will not collapse on the deceased, and the deceased is placed in it on his right side facing the qiblah, then this trench is covered with stones or the like and the ceiling is raised a little so that it will not touch the deceased, then the soil is filled in. 
The lahd (niche) means that a place is dug at the bottom of the grave on the side that is closest to the qiblah, in which the deceased is placed on his right side facing the qiblah, then this hole is filled in with bricks behind the deceased, then the dirt is filled in.
Lahd, for example.
Both the lahd and the shaqq are permissible according to scholarly consensus, but the lahd is preferable, because this is what was done with the grave of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Muslim (966) narrated that Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, during the illness of which he died: Make a lahd (niche) for me, and set up bricks over me, as was done for the Messenger of Allaah (S).
Detail here.
Side question: was a window opened above the Prophet (SAW)'s grave for rain? Answer here.
Wassalam.

Lurvvvv! (Hadith No. 1170)

aishah
Published on October 19, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated 'Aisha:
During his sickness, Allah's Apostle was asking repeatedly, "Where am I today? Where will I be tomorrow?" And I was waiting for the day of my turn (impatiently). Then, when my turn came, Allah took his soul away (in my lap) between my chest and arms and he was buried in my house.
Prophet (SAW) would take regular turns to be with his wives. Although he loved `A'ishah (RA) more than the others, he never treated the others unjustly. During the days of his fatal illness, he became really impatient to be with `A'ishah, so he would ask again and again: 'where am I today? Where will I be tomorrow?', indicating that he wanted to visit `A'ishah real soon.
And same was the case with `A'ishah (RA); she kept getting impatient as well. So in order to fulfill Prophet (SAW)'s wish, the wives mutually decided to let `A'ishah have their share of the days. When finally he came to be with `A'ishah (RA), it was there in her lap that his soul was taken away. And it was there in her house that his body was buried. Sallallahu `alaiyhi wasallam.
When you love someone, it's natural that you desire to see them and be with them as much as possible. And with a love so pure as this one (among spouses), it's just plain cute. <3
The last person Prophet (SAW) saw before his death was `A'ishah (RA). Aww! :)
One of the greatest aims of marriage according to the laws of Allaah is so that affection and compassion may prevail between the spouses. This is the foundation on which married life should be built. Allaah, may He be exalted, says:
 
“And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy” [al-Room 30:21] 
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Affection means love, and compassion means kindness. A man keeps a woman either because he loves her or her because he feels compassion towards her because he has children from her.
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) also said: 
There is no love between any two souls greater than that that exists between the spouses.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/525
Difference between love and 'madness' here.
Wassalam.

Benefiting the Deceased (Hadith No. 1169)

benefit
Published on October 18, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated Aisha:
A man said to the Prophet (p.b.u.h), "My mother died suddenly and I thought that if she had lived she would have given alms. So, if I give alms now on her behalf, will she get the reward?" The Prophet replied in the affirmative.
Benefits of du`a, charity and Hajj reach the deceased, according to the consensus of scholars.

Du`a

With regard to du’aa’ and praying for forgiveness, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who came after them say: ‘Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith"
[al-Hashr 59:10] 
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Pray for forgiveness for your brother and ask that he be made steadfast, for now he is being questioned.” 
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“When you offer the (funeral) prayer for the deceased, then make du’aa’ sincerely for him.”

Charity

With regard to charity, it was narrated in al-Saheehayn from ‘Aa’ishah that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “My mother died suddenly and she did not leave a will, but I think that if she could have spoken she would have given in charity. Will she have a reward if I give in charity on her behalf?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Yes.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 1388; Muslim, no. 1004.  
And it was narrated by al-Bukhaari from Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah that his mother died when he was absent, and he said: “O Messenger of Allaah, my mother has died when I was absent. Will it benefit her if I give in charity on her behalf?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “I ask you to bear witness that my garden that bears fruit is given in charity on her behalf.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2756.

Hajj

With regard to Hajj, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to one who asked him about Hajj: “Don’t you think that if your mother had a debt, you would pay it off for her?” She said: “Yes.” He said: “A debt owed to Allaah is more deserving of being paid off.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6699; Muslim, 1148.
More on this subject here.
Wassalam.

Abu Bakr [RA]'s Last Wish (Hadith No. 1168)

abu bakr
Published on October 17, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Narrated Hisham's father:
Aisha said, "I went to Abu Bakr (during his fatal illness) and he asked me, 'In how many garments was the Prophet shrouded?' She replied, 'In three Sahuliya pieces of white cloth of cotton, and there was neither a shirt nor a turban among them.' Abu Bakr further asked her, 'On which day did the Prophet die?' She replied, 'He died on Monday.' He asked, 'What is today?' She replied, 'Today is Monday.' He added, 'I hope I shall die sometime between this morning and tonight.' Then he looked at a garment that he was wearing during his illness and it had some stains of saffron. Then he said, 'Wash this garment of mine and add two more garments and shroud me in them.' I said, 'This is worn out.' He said, 'A living person has more right to wear new clothes than a dead one; the shroud is only for the body's pus.' He did not die till it was the night of Tuesday and was buried before the morning."
This Hadith really stirred my heart [or did something weird to it]. I'm touched, to say the least.
This man whom we know as the best friend of the Prophet (SAW), needs no introduction. What he did for Allah and His Messenger (SAW) is in front of us. And his reward lies with Allah alone. No one can even be compared to him.
What I can't seem to put a finger on, is how can someone love another so much? How can someone be 'there' for another all the time? How can someone wish to lead their life exactly like another, mold each and every aspect of his existence according to another? How can someone wish to die like another, on the same day, in the same condition? That's like friendship on another level. Even love seems to be a littler concept than this. This is vast, huge, infinity raised to the power of infinity times love. This is love for Allah. This is real love.
What Abu Bakr (RA) and Muhammad (SAW) shared was more than just a Prophet-Companion bond. They were childhood friends. They were relatives. They made Hijrah together. Not to mention the incident of spider bite in the cave of Thawr. They were together in peace and in war. And what they shared was awesome. What they shared was beyond words.
Most readers might pray after reading this post that they get a friend like Abu Bakr (RA). But the real du`a to be made here is that Allah makes me (you as well) a friend like Abu Bakr. Radi Allahu `anhu: Allah was pleased with him. :)
Wassalam.

Prophet [SAW]'s Dream (Hadith No. 1167)

Published on October 16, 2012 By

Bismillah.
It's a long Hadith. Keep calm and start reading.
Narrated Samura bin Jundab:
Whenever the Prophet finished the (morning) prayer, he would face us and ask, "Who amongst you had a dream last night?" So if anyone had seen a dream he would narrate it. The Prophet would say: "Ma sha'a-llah" (An Arabic maxim meaning literally, 'What Allah wished,' and it indicates a good omen.) One day, he asked us whether anyone of us had seen a dream. We replied in the negative. The Prophet said, "But I had seen (a dream) last night that two men came to me, caught hold of my hands, and took me to the Sacred Land (Jerusalem). There, I saw a person sitting and another standing with an iron hook in his hand pushing it inside the mouth of the former till it reached the jaw-bone, and then tore off one side of his cheek, and then did the same with the other side; in the mean-time the first side of his cheek became normal again and then he repeated the same operation again. I said, 'What is this?' They told me to proceed on and we went on till we came to a man Lying flat on his back, and another man standing at his head carrying a stone or a piece of rock, and crushing the head of the Lying man, with that stone. Whenever he struck him, the stone rolled away.
The man went to pick it up and by the time he returned to him, the crushed head had returned to its normal state and the man came back and struck him again (and so on). I said, 'Who is this?' They told me to proceed on; so we proceeded on and passed by a hole like an oven; with a narrow top and wide bottom, and the fire was kindling underneath that hole. Whenever the fire-flame went up, the people were lifted up to such an extent that they about to get out of it, and whenever the fire got quieter, the people went down into it, and there were naked men and women in it. I said, 'Who is this?' They told me to proceed on. So we proceeded on till we reached a river of blood and a man was in it, and another man was standing at its bank with stones in front of him, facing the man standing in the river. Whenever the man in the river wanted to come out, the other one threw a stone in his mouth and caused him to retreat to his original position; and so whenever he wanted to come out the other would throw a stone in his mouth, and he would retreat to his original position. I asked, 'What is this?' They told me to proceed on and we did so till we reached a well-flourished green garden having a huge tree and near its root was sitting an old man with some children. (I saw) Another man near the tree with fire in front of him and he was kindling it up. Then they (i.e. my two companions) made me climb up the tree and made me enter a house, better than which I have ever seen. In it were some old men and young men, women and children.
Then they took me out of this house and made me climb up the tree and made me enter another house that was better and superior (to the first) containing old and young people. I said to them (i.e. my two companions), 'You have made me ramble all the night. Tell me all about that I have seen.' They said, 'Yes. As for the one whose cheek you saw being torn away, he was a liar and he used to tell lies, and the people would report those lies on his authority till they spread all over the world. So, he will be punished like that till the Day of Resurrection.
The one whose head you saw being crushed is the one whom Allah had given the knowledge of Quran (i.e. knowing it by heart) but he used to sleep at night (i.e. he did not recite it then) and did not use to act upon it (i.e. upon its orders etc.) by day; and so this punishment will go on till the Day of Resurrection. And those you saw in the hole (like oven) were adulterers (those men and women who commit illegal sexual intercourse). And those you saw in the river of blood were those dealing in Riba (usury). And the old man who was sitting at the base of the tree was Abraham and the little children around him were the offspring of the people. And the one who was kindling the fire was Malik, the gate-keeper of the Hell-fire. And the first house in which you have gone was the house of the common believers, and the second house was of the martyrs. I am Gabriel and this is Michael. Raise your head.' I raised my head and saw a thing like a cloud over me. They said, 'That is your place.' I said, 'Let me enter my place.' They said, 'You still have some life which you have not yet completed, and when you complete (that remaining portion of your life) you will then enter your place.' "
First thing to notice is that Prophet (SAW) used to chit-chat with his companions after Fajr prayer, asking them about the dreams they saw and if they visited any sick person or not [from another narration].. What do we do after Fajr? Try not to sleep again? O_o
Coming to the Prophet (SAW)'s dream..
  1. Dreams of Prophets are true. They're not 'just dreams'.
    You might ask how he went to the Sacred Land in an instant if it was real? Well, if the Prophet (SAW) said it, that's how it is. We believe.
  2. Prophet (SAW) was shown people being punished for certain deeds. There's always a relation/similarity between the crime and the punishment, if you notice.
    The liar gets his mouth torn off. He used to lie with it.
    The one who forgot the Quran (literally and figuratively) gets his head crushed. He used to give preference to his brain, his logic, his reason above the Quran. He thought he didn't need it in his life.
    The adulterers are thrown into the fire naked. They crossed limits that were set by Allah in this dunya regarding modesty and chastity.
    The one who used to deal with riba (interest) is lying in a river of blood and gets hit by stones if he tries to come out of it. He used to enjoy hoarding other people's money unjustly. People would sweat blood while earning that money, while all he used to do was play in it.
    [Note: I've linked up the relations between the mentioned crimes and punishments using my own reasoning. Took help from others as well.. But these could be wrong. If I come across better reasoning, I'll update the post inshaAllah.]
  3. Maalik (an angel) is the gate-keeper of Hell. FYI.
  4. Martyrs get better places in Jannah than the common believers. May Allah make us among the martyrs. <3
  5. Prophet (SAW) wasn't shown his place in Jannah. Surprise surprise! :D
Wassalam.

A Child's Religion [contd. II] (Ahadith 1163 - 1166)

bukhari
Published on October 15, 2012 By

Bismillah.
Hadith no 1162 (below) is a repeat. Read it here.
Narrated Anas bin Malik
Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) said, "Any Muslim whose three children died before the age of puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah because of His mercy to them."
Narrated Al-Bara':
When Ibrahim (the son of Prophet) expired, Allah's Apostle said, "There is a wet-nurse for him in Paradise."
Meaning, the kid directly went to Paradise. How fortunate! <3
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) was asked about the children of (Mushrikeen) pagans. The Prophet replied, "Since Allah created them, He knows what sort of deeds they would have done."
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet was asked about the offspring of pagans (Mushrikeen); so he said, "Allah knows what sort of deeds they would have done."
Thus Allah will decide where they end up.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?"
Such is the nature of a human being. If he's left on a stranded island without any external influnce, he'll grow up to believe in a 'Higher Power'. He might not know His name, but he'll believe in Him. That's fitrah. And scientists found the 'God spot' int he human brain a couple of years back, which now turned out to be 'multiple areas in the brain responsible for spirituality'.
Guess what? Prophet (SAW) told us about 'fitrah' more than 1400 years back. :)
There have been two posts on this subject already. Please go through them. First here, and the second one here.
Wassalam.

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