PROPHET NABI MUHAMMAD RASULULLAH S.A.W. LAST SERMON

AMONG THE IMPORTANT CONTENTS FROM - THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD RASULULLAH S.A.W.'s LAST SERMON

(Among the contents extracted from the last Sermon delivered by Rasulullah SAW on the Ninth Day of Zulhijjah 10 AH at the Uranah Valley of Mount Arafah)

In the Name of Allah Most Beneficient and Most Merciful

O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take this words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be repealed.

Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, as much as you have your rights over your women, they too have their rights over you. If they have fulfilled your rights then they too deserve the rights to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and comitted helpers. And your rights over them are to disallow anyone you dislike into your houses and you are forbidden to commit adultery.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, perform the five daily prayers (Solah), fast during the month of Ramadhan, perform Zakat from your wealth, perform Hajj if you can afford to. Know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. (All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white) You are all equal. Nobody is more superior than the other except in piety and good action.

Remember, that one day you will appear before Allah and be accountable for every deed you have committed. So beware, do not ever be lead astrayed from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, No Prophet or Apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Therefore, O People, reason well, understand my words which I have conveyed to you. I leave behind two things; which if you hold to both strongly, forever, you will never be lead astrayed. That is - the QUR'AN and my SUNNAH (examples)

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me direcly. I bear witness O Allah that I have conveyed Your Message to Your people.
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Hadits Qudsi

SOURCE

Hadits Qudsi: Muhammad is the One Who will Guide Us

On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:

The believers will gather together on the Day of Resurrection and will say: Should we not ask [someone] to intercede for us with our Lord?

So they will come to Adam and will say: You are the Father of mankind; Allah created you with His hand He made His angels bow down to you and He taught you the names of everything, so intercede for us with you Lord so that He may give us relief form this place where we are.

And he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his wrongdoing and will feel ashamed and will say: Go to Noah, for he is the first messenger that Allah sent to the inhabitants of the earth.

So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his having requested something of his Lord about which he had no [proper] knowledge (Quran Chapter 11 Verses 45-46),

and he will feel ashamed and will say: Go to the Friend of the Merciful (Abraham). So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Moses, a servant to whom Allah talked and to whom He gave the Torah.

So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention the talking of a life other that for a life (Quran Chapter 28 Verses 15-16),

and he will fell ashamed in the sight of his Lord and will say: Go to Jesus, Allah's servant and messenger, Allah's word and spirit.

So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a servant to whom Allah has forgiven all his wrongdoing, past and future.

So they will come to me and I shall set forth to ask permission to come to my Lord, and permission will be given, and when I shall see my Lord I shall prostrate myself.

He will leave me thus for such time as it pleases Him, and then it will be said [to me]: Raise your head. Ask and it will be granted. Speak and it will be heard. Intercede and your intercession will be accepted. So I shall raise my head and praise Him with a form of praise that He will teach me. Then I shall intercede and HE will set me a limit [as to the number of people], so I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return to Him, and when I shall see my Lord [I shall bow down] as before. Then I shall intercede and He will set me a limit [as to the number of people]. So I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return for a third time, then a fourth, and I shall say: There remains in Hell-fire only those whom the Quran has confined and who must be there for eternity.

There shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a barley-corn; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a grain of wheat; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing an atom.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah).
---------------------------------

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:

Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in which Allah's name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, fillin that which is between them and between the lowest heaven. When [the people in the gathering] depart, [the angels] ascend and rise up to heaven. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h.) said: Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - [though] He is most knowing about them: From where have you come? And they say: We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (Subhana llah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favours] of You. He says: And what do they ask of Me? They say: They ask of You Your Paradise. He says: And have they seen My Paradise? They say: No, O Lord. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise! They say: And they ask protection of You. He says: From what do they ask protection of Me? They say: From Your Hell-fire, O Lord. He says: And have they seen My Hell-fire? They say: NO. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire: They say: And they ask for Your forgiveness. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: Then He says: I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for,and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: They say: O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: And He says: And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i).
---------------------------------
Hadits Qudsi : Reciting the Essence of the Quran in Shalat

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:

A prayer performed by someone who has not recited the Essence of the Quran (1) during it is deficient (and he repeated the word three times), incomplete. Someone said to Abu Hurayrah: [Even though] we are behind the imam? (2) He said: Recite it to yourself, for I have heard the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be up on him) say: Allah (mighty and sublime be He), had said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says: Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-alamin (3), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has praised Me. And when he says: Ar-rahmani r-rahim (4), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has extolled Me, and when he says: Maliki yawmi d-din (5), Allah says: My servant has glorified Me - and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power. And when he says: Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka nasta in (6), He says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. And when he says: Ihdina s-sirata l- mustaqim, siratal ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa la d-dallin (7), He says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.

Surat al-Fatihah, the first surah (chapter) of the Qur'an.
i.e. standing behind the imam (leader) listening to him reciting al-Fatihah.
"Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds."
"The Merciful, the Compassionate".
"Master of the Day of Judgement".
"It is You we worship and it is You we ask for help".
"Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favors, not of those against whom You are angry, nor of those who are astray".
It was related by Muslim (also by Malik, at-Tirmidhi, Abu-Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

Ilmu-ilmu hadis Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fathani

UTUSAN MALAYSIA - BICARA AGAMA - ARKIB : 18/08/2008
Koleksi tulisan Allahyarham WAN MOHD. SHAGHIR ABDULLAH (Al-Fatihah)

SEBAGAIMANA al-Quran dengan kepelbagaian ilmunya, demikian juga halnya dengan hadis yang sangat banyak ilmu yang tertakluk dengannya. Di antara ilmu-ilmu itu ialah Ilmu Mushtalahul Hadis, Ilmu Dirayah Hadis dan Ilmu Rijal Hadis. Selain penghafal hadis dengan jumlah yang banyak, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani juga telah khatam pengajian ilmu-ilmu hadis terutama kitab-kitab dalam lingkungan Ahlus Sunni. Beliau belajar semua disiplin ilmu yang ada dalam persekitaran hadis.

Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani telah memperoleh sanad musalsal yang dianggap penting dalam ilmu hadis. Dalam umur masih muda, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani telah menguasai ilmu-ilmu hadis. Ini terbukti apabila beliau telah diberikan ijazah oleh dua orang gurunya di Madinah pada tahun 1319 H/1901 M.

Ijazah hadis yang pertama diberikan oleh Saiyid Muhammad Ali bin Saiyid Zhahir al-Watri al-Hanafi pada tarikh 26 Rejab 1319 H/1901 M dan ijazah hadis yang kedua diberikan oleh Saiyid Abdul Qadir as-Syibli at-Tharablusi as-Syami al-Hanafi. Kedua-dua ulama itu adalah ulama besar ahli hadis pada zaman itu yang mengajar di Masjid Nabawi, Madinah.

Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani juga menyusun kitab mengenai hadis dalam bahasa Arab dan bahasa Melayu. Yang bahasa Arab masih dalam bentuk manuskrip, manakala dalam bahasa Melayu yang pernah diterbitkan di antaranya ialah Bisyarah al-‘Amilin wa Nazarah al-Ghafilin. Dalam karya beliau Hadiqatul Azhar war Rayahin juga banyak terdapat hadis dan terjemahannya.

Selain itu, sekurang-kurangnya ada tiga kitab yang membicarakan hadis dalam bahasa Melayu telah ditashhih oleh Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani. Pada ketiga-tiga karya tersebut, terdapat puisi beliau yang ditulis dalam bahasa Arab dan bahasa Melayu. Kitab-kitab yang dimaksudkan ialah Kasyful Ghummah karya Sheikh Daud bin Abdullah al-Fathani, Al-Jauharul Mauhub karya Sheikh Wan Ali bin Abdur Rahman Kutan, al-Kalantani dan Al-Kaukabud Durriy karya Sheikh Muhammad bin Ismail al-Fathani.

Sebelum membicarakan puisi-puisi Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani pada kitab-kitab yang tersebut, penulis senaraikan sanad lengkap beliau dalam bidang ilmu hadis yang khusus mengenai kitab-kitab hadis shahih. Sanad yang dimaksudkan adalah:

*Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani, belajar kepada:

*Saiyid Ahmad bin Zaini Dahlan, belajar kepada:

*Maulana Sheikh Utsman bin Hasan ad-Dimyathi al Azhari, belajar kepada:

*Ramai ulama, yang paling terkenal dan banyak disebut ada tiga orang, iaitu: Sheikh Abdullah bin Hijazi asy-Syarqawi, Sheikh Muhammad al-Amir al-Kabir, dan Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali asy-Syanwani. Khusus sanad daripada Allamah Sheikh Abdullah bin Hijazi asy-Syarqawi, belajar kepada:

*Allamah asy-Syamsu Muhammad Salim al-Hifni, belajar kepada:

*Allamah Abdul Aziz az-Ziyadi, belajar kepada:

*Asy-Syamsu Muhammad bin al-Alauddin al-Babli, belajar kepada:

* Sheikh Salim bin Muhammad as-Sanhuri, belajar kepada:

*An-Najmu Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Ghaithi, belajar kepada:

*Sheikh al-Islam Zakaria bin Muhammad al-Anshari, belajar kepada:

*Al-Hafiz asy-sheikh Ahmad bin Ali bin Hajar al-Asqallani, belajar kepada:

*Abi Ishaq Ibrahim bin Ahmad at-Tanukhi, belajar kepada:

*Abi al-Abbas Ahmad bin Abi Thalib al-Hajjar, belajar kepada:

*Al-Husein bin al-Mubarak az-Zabidi al-Hanbali, belajar kepada:

*Abi al-Waqti Abdul Awwal ibnu Isa as-Sijzi, belajar kepada:

*Abi al-Hasan Abdur Rahman bin Muzhaffar bin Daud ad-Dawudi, belajar kepada:

*Abi Muhammad Abdullah bin Ahmad as-Sarakhsi, belajar kepada:

*Abi Abdullah Muhammad bin Yusuf bin Mathar al-Farabri, belajar kepada:

*Muallif Sahih Bukhari, al-Imam al-Hafizh al-Hujjah Abi Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail bin Ibrahim al-Bukhari.

Berikut pula disertakan puisi-puisi Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani dalam ketiga-tiga kitab yang disebutkan.

Adapun puisi-puisi tersebut tidak disertakan bersama syarahnya, seperti mana yang terkandung dalam kitab. Mengenai syarah-syarahnya dapat dirujuk melalui kitab-kitab tersebut atau buku penulis berjudul Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani: Pemikir Agung Melayu dan Islam, Jilid 2, yang dimulai halaman 231.

Puisi pada kitab Kasyful Ghummah karya Sheikh Daud Abdullah al-Fathani

Puisi Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani yang menerangkan mengenai kitab Kasyful Ghummah terdapat pada cetakan pertama kitab tersebut oleh Mathba’ah al-Miriyah al-Kainah, Mekah pada tahun 1303 H. Transliterasinya adalah sebagai yang berikut:

“Puji bagi Tuhan,

yang menjadikan mawa’izh itu tazkirah lil ummah

Dan dibukakan dengan dia daripada mereka itu

yang menerimanya akan ghummah

Dan shalawat dan salam atas Nabi

al-Hadi ila Rasyad

Dan atas keluarganya dan tolannya

syufa’ana yaumal ma’ad

Wa ba’du,

Maka telah sempurnalah ini kitab yang mustathab

Yang padanya

Hudanl lil muttaqin wa zikra li ulil al-bab

Sungguhnya telah disebutkan padanya

Akhbarut tifaf as-saq bis-saq

Dan ahwal pada hari yang padanya

ila rabbikal masaq

Dan dicetera padanya akan segala

yang menakuti daripada ahwal al-jahim

Dan dinazham pada suluk asrarnya akan segala

lu’lu’ akhbar jannatin na’im

Dan lain daripada ahwal yang barzakhiyah

Dan segala pekerjaan yang ukhrawiyah

Barang yang sayogianya mengambil ibarat

dengan dia oleh ‘aqilun

Dan hendaklah beramal bagi seumpama tsawab

yang tersebut padanya oleh ’amilun

Dan adalah hamba muqabalahkan pada tashhihnya

dengan Mukhtashar asy-Sya’rani

bagi asalnya yang Arabi

Iaitu at-Tazkirat al-Qurthubiyah

Dan hamba tashlihkan setengah daripada

barang yang zhahir padanya tahrif,

maka jadilah ia bersih seolah-olah

Ia-ali manzumah

atawa sabaik zahabiyah

Dan adalah capnya pada al-Mathba’ah al-Miriyah,

yang pada Makkah al-Mahmiyah

Dan selesainya pada pertengahan Syawal,

sanah 1303 Hijrah an-Nabi Shallallahu alaihi

wa sallam,

wa ‘ala alihi wa shahbihi wa syarafi wa karam


Puisi pada kitab Al-Jauharul Mauhub karya Sheikh Wan Ali Kutan al-Kalantani

Pada kitab Al-Jauharul Mauhub wa Munabbihatul Qulub karya Sheikh Wan Ali bin Abdur Rahman bin Abdul Ghafur Kutan al-Kalantani, terdapat puisi Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani yang digubah dalam bentuk sastera Arab yang terdiri daripada 27 bait. Tiap-tiap satu bait dua baris, dua baris. Selain itu, terdapat juga puisi beliau yang digubah dalam bahasa Melayu. Puisi yang digubah dalam bahasa Melayu transliterasinya adalah sebagai yang berikut:

“Puji itu bagi Allah,

yang dengan kurnia-Nya

sempurna segala yang dituntuti

Dan rahmat dan sejahtera

atas afdal segala Nabi yang diikuti

Dan atas kelurganya dan taulannya

yang semulia-mulia mereka itu,

yang dengan kepujiannya disebuti

Kemudian daripada itu,

Maka dengan pertolongan

Tuhan al-Malikul Wahhab

Dan dengan kemegahan

Penghulu kita an-nathiqu bish-shawab

Telah sempurnalah ini kitab yang mustathab

Yang ialah bagi segala hati yang lalai itu,

sebesar-besar cerca dan 'itab

Yang menyaksi akan dia

oleh al-Muqarrabun

khitamuhu miskun dan pada

falyatanafasil mutanafisun

Yang dinamakan dia

dengan al-Jauharul Mauhub

Iaitu kitab yang terpenuh

dengan guna-gunaan yang mathlub

Dan indah-indahan yang padanya marghub

Daripada ahadits Nabawiyah

Dan atsar Salafiyah

Dan fawaid yang ’ajibah

Dan faraid yang gharibah

Dan asrar yang lami’ah

Dan akhbar yang jami’ah

Dan nashaih dan mawa’izh yang mufidah

Dan ma’arif dan ‘ulum ‘adidah

Maka ialah,

Langit segala bintang yang ’alaih

Dan laut segala mutiara yang ghaliyah

Dan kebun segala bunga-bungaan yang bahiyah

Dan pokok segala buah-buahan yang syahiyah

Ta’lif guru yang a’zham

bagi segala guru yang masyhur

Maka dialah matahari ilmu

dan mereka itu budur

Al-‘Allamah al-‘Amil

wa al-Fadhil al-Kamil

Tuan Sheikh Wan Ali Kutan al-Kalantan

Ibnu al-Marhum Wan Abdur Rahman

Ibnu Abdul Ghafur afadhallahu Taala alaihi

sawabighul judi wal ihsan”


Puisi pada kitab Al-Kaukab Ad-Durriy karya Sheikh Muhammad Bin Ismail Daud Al-Fathani

Kitab yang akan dibicarakan

ini bukanlah kitab khusus membicarakan hadis seperti dua

kitab yang telah dibicarakan. Namun disebabkan cerita-cerita di dalamnya lebih banyak bersumber daripada hadis, maka dikategorikan

di bawah judul Puisi Sheikh

Ahmad Al-Fathani Pada Kitab-Kitab Hadis.

Kitab ini dengan judul lengkapnya Al-Kaukabud Durriy fin Nuril Muhammadiyi, adalah merupakan karya ulama dunia Melayu yang terkenal, iaitu Sheikh Muhammad bin Ismail Daudy al-Fathani, atau digelar juga dengan Sheikh Nik Mat Kecik al-Fathani.

Kitab yang bercorak

sastera

Islam Melayu klasik ini telah ditashhih oleh Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani, dan padanya terdapat puisi beliau yang ditulis dalam bahasa Arab dan bahasa Melayu. Puisi yang digubah dalam bahasa Melayu transliterasinya adalah sebagai yang berikut:

Wa ba’du,

Maka telah selesailah thaba’ ini kitab

yang mengandung akan beberapa banyak ajaib

Yang menyatakan daripada

ahwal bahamut,

dan malakut,

dan ‘azhamut,

akan badai’ dan gharaib

Maka seyogialah,

bagi segala mata,

bahawa berkuhul ia,

dengan itsmid muthala’ahkan ibaratnya

Dan bagi segala telinga,

bahawa berlazat-lazat ia,

dengan halawah mendengarkan hikayatnya.

Yang diisnadkan sekaliannya,

kepada tsiqat al-ulama zawit tahqiq

Maka lazimlah atas segala hati,

bahawa ada ia baginya Aba Bakar as-Shiddiq

Dan sesungguhnya,

jikalau dituliskan risalah ini,

atas shafaih al-fiddah dengan ma’ az-zahab

niscaya berpatutanlah demikian itu,

dengan mahasinnya yang indah lagi ‘ajab

'Every human being is created upon 360…(joints?)'

SOURCE

Prepared by the Research Committee of IslamToday.net under the supervision of Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayri

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Every human being from Adam's descendants was created upon 360 mafsil. So whoever magnifies Allah, praises Him, declares Allah's oneness, glorifies Him, seeks His forgiveness, (and likewise whoever) removes a stone, thorns, or a bone from a footpath, or calls to what is right, or forbids what is wrong, will have it counted for him to the number of those 360 digitals. Indeed, he walks that day and removes himself away from Hell." [Sahîh Muslim (1675)]

This hadîth has been causing a lot of unnecessary confusion and debate in recent years. This has been the case ever since the Arabic word mafsil was defined in Arabic medical books as corresponding precisely with the English word "joint" as it is defined in the field of anatomy.

As a consequence, people began to seek anatomical lessons from the hadîth. Some people argued that we need to believe the human being has 360 joints – as defined by modern medical terminology – regardless of what empirical observations might tell us. Other people sought to find a "scientific miracle" in the hadîth by "proving" that the human body does indeed contain 360 joints as defined by the field of anatomy or some tailor-made definition.

Even the enemies of Islam have gotten into the act. They set about trying to cast doubt on Islam through demonstrating that the body does not have 360 joints – again according to some particular, contemporary definition of the word "joint".

What we all must realize is that when an anatomist determines that a human being has a certain number of "joints" in her body, she is using a term that has a particular definition in her field of expertise. This definition may not necessarily coincide with the meaning intended by the Arabic word mafsil in a hadîth text of 1400 years ago.

This is further complicated by the fact that the same concept is referred to later in the hadîth as "those 360 digitals". The Arabic word here is sulâmâ, which usually refers to the digital bones of the hand and foot. This implies the number of bones more that it does the number of joints. What it tells us for certain is that the intended meaning of mafsil in the hadîth is clearly different from how the English word "joint" is defined in contemporary anatomy.

There is absolutely no reason to assume that the intended meaning of the word mafsil in the hadîth would just happen to coincide with the definition of "joint" in a modern medical textbook. It is wrong to impose this or any other particular, terminological meaning upon the Arabic word in the hadîth. There are many ways that the word mafsil can be understood in the hadîth while still taking the hadîth on its literal, apparent meaning.

This kind of textual uncertainty is one of the major reasons why the popular tendency today of interpreting the Qur'ân and Sunnah in so-called "scientific" terms is ill-advised.

The English word "joint", as an anatomical term, is the location at which two or more bones come together.

Joints, furthermore, are classified anatomically into simple and compound, depending on the number of bones involved, and into complex and combination joints:
1. Simple joint: 2 articulation surfaces (shoulder joint, hip joint…)

2. Compound joint: 3 or more articulation surfaces (radiocarpal joint…)

3. Complex joint: 2 or more articulation surfaces and an articular disc or meniscus (knee joint…)
From this brief exposition, it should be clear that the number of joints in a skeleton does not correlate with the number of articulation surfaces. The number of articulation surfaces would usually be much higher, and this would differ depending on the animal in question.

This shows us one possible ambiguity into the meaning of the hadîth. The Arabic word mafsil can be used linguistically to mean "articulation" in a very loose sense, even though today its usage has been normalized in the field of anatomy to specifically mean "the location at which two or more bones come together ". It was not restricted to that narrow meaning 1400 years ago.

There are other possibilities for the meaning of mafsil in the hadîth. For instance, it might refer to the number of ranges of motion the human body is capable of. This dynamic understanding of the word is a perfectly sensible one in the context of the hadîth, since the topic of the hadîth is our actions and how Allah rewards us for our good deeds. The hadîth is not discussing a topic of anatomy, but rather one of worship.

This leads to a totally different calculation, since some joints are immovable, others are slightly movable, whole still others are freely movable. Understandably, calculating the number of possible motions would be highly subjective, depending on the criteria used to define a motion.

What matters, with respect to our understanding of the hadîth, is that Allah rewards us for our deeds many times over, and this correlates in some way to an aspect of how He created our functioning bodies. The hadîth is telling us about a matter of the Unseen – Allah's great generosity, mercy, and reward – and not a matter of anatomy.

And Allah knows best.

----------------------------
“Religion is Sincerity”
Islamtoday.Com

Abû Ruqayyah Tamîm b. `Aws al-Dârî relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Religion is Sincerity.”

We asked: “To whom, O Messenger of Allah?”

He said: “To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and the leaders of the Muslims and to the common Muslim.” [Sahîh Muslim]

The meaning of ‘Religion is sincerity’:

The terms in both the subject and the predicate of this sentence are categorical. This conveys in Arabic an all-inclusive meaning. It is as if the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said: “Religion is naught but sincerity.”

This is a very weighty statement showing the importance of sincerity in Islam. It brings us immediately to ask the question that the Companions asked: Sincerity to whom? The Prophet (peace be upon him) responded by mentioning five things to which Muslims must be sincere. We shall briefly touch upon each of these.

Sincerity to Allah:

Being sincere to Allah is of paramount importance in Islam. There are two aspects to this sincerity. The first of these is sincerity in worship. We must worship Allah alone, offering all of our devotions to him and to no other. The second is sincerity in our belief. We must have absolute faith that Allah alone is our Creator, our Sustainer, and our Lord.

Allah says: “They were not commanded but that they should worship Allah sincerely and worship none but Him, and that they should perform prayer and pay Zakâh. That is the right religion.” [Sûrah Al-Bayyinah: 5]

Sincerity to His Book:

Sincerity to Allah’s Book comprises a number of ideas. We must believe in what the Qur’ân tells us and doubt nothing that it says. We must know that the Qur’ân is Allah’s word that was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Likewise, we must submit to Allah’s commands found within it and guide our lives by its teachings. We must believe that the laws enumerated in the Qur’ân are the best of laws that can never be rivaled by man-made laws.

Another aspect of this sincerity is to come to the defense of the Qur’ân from those who would aspire to corrupt, abuse, and misinterpret it with their tongues. Allah has taken the preservation of the Qur’ân upon Himself. However, this does not mean that people will not try to misrepresent it and corrupt how people approach it and understand it.

Sincerity to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him):

We must have unwavering faith that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is indeed the Messenger of Allah and that everything that he tells us is true. We must obey him in all of his commands and prohibitions. We must know that everything that comes to us by way of the Prophet (peace be upon him) comes from Allah, for Allah informs us: “He does not speak of his own accord. It is but revelation that is revealed to him.” [Sûrah al-Najm: 3-4]

Allah equates obeying the Messenger (peace be upon him) to belief when He says: “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey His Messenger” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 59]

Obedience to the Messenger (peace be upon him) is obedience to Allah. Allah says: “Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 80]

He also says: “Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it.” [Sûrah al-Hashr: 7]

Sincerity to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) also includes coming to his defense. During his lifetime, this meant literally defending him and physically standing by his side. Today, it means to defend his honor from those who malign it and his Sunnah from those who would disparage it or corrupt it.

Sincerity to the leaders of the Muslims:

There are two classes of people being referred to here. The first are the scholars whose duty is to know the religion, put it into practice, and teach it to the people. The second are the Muslim rulers whose duty is to carry out the Law of Islam.

Sincerity to the scholars entails loving them, respecting them, and helping them to propagate the faith. It also includes learning from them and benefiting from their knowledge. Sincerity to the scholars, however, does not mean to follow them blindly. If we find that we disagree with a scholar on a matter, we should seek out the evidence for what he says. Then, if we find that he is correct, we should follow him and if we find that he is mistaken, we should inform him respectfully of his error without disparaging him or belittling his knowledge.

Sincerity to the scholars also includes being careful of the statements and opinions that we attribute to them so that we do not falsely attribute to them anything that they did not say.

Sincerity to the Muslim rulers entails loving the righteous and just people among them. It also means to recognize the leadership of those in authority and to love that there is solidarity to among Muslims in their support and to hate disunity and dissention. It means to obey them in everything that entails no disobedience to Allah and to hate those who rise up against them.

Allah says: “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey His Messenger and those in authority among you.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 59]

We must obey the Muslim rulers in everything that does not entail disobedience to Allah, and we must refrain from rising up against them even if they fall short of what is expected from them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There will be rulers over you. You will agree with some of what they come with and reject some of it. Whoever rejects what must be rejected will maintain his innocence and whoever hates it will maintain his innocence. However, those who accept (what should be denied) and follow the ruler will be sinners.”

The Companions said: “O Messenger of Allah, shall we fight these rulers?”

He said: “No, as long as they pray.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The best among your Imams (rulers) are those whom you love and they love you, pray (make supplication) for you and

Shahadah: the statement of faith

ADAPTED FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Shahadah: the statement of faith

"There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (pbuh) is The Messenger of Allah"

This is the basic statement of the Islamic faith: anyone who cannot recite this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim.

When a Muslim recites this they proclaim:

1) That Allah is the only God, and that Muhammad is his prophet
2) That they personally accept this as true
3) That they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life
4) Reciting this statement three times in front of witnesses is all that anyone need do to become a Muslim.

A Muslim is expected to recite this statement out loud, with total sincerity, fully understanding what it means.

The Arabic can be transliterated into the Roman alphabet like this:

Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah
Transliteration of the shahadah from the Arabic

I bear witness that There is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is The Messenger of Allah"
-----------------------------------

ORIGINAL SOURCE



On the authority of Abu 'Abd al-Rahman 'Abdullah bin 'Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu 'anhuma, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:

"Islam has been built upon five things - on testifying that there is no god save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; on performing salah; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House; and on fasting during Ramadhan."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Background

This hadith is part of the previous Hadith (2). Most Scholars say that the reason why al-Imam al-Nawawi included this hadith in his collection, even though it seems that it repeats some portions of Hadith 2, is because of the importance of the 5 pillars of Islam.

This Hadith stresses the fundamental aspects of the outward submission to Allah. This submission is based on some pillars, similar to a structure. If a person fulfills these aspects, he has laid a solid foundation for his deen as a 'home'.

The other acts of Islam, which are not mentioned in this hadith, can be taken as fine touches to complete this structure.

If a person fails to fulfill these obligations (building the pillars), then the entire structure of his deen/iman may be threatened. This depends on how much is being violated - e.g. violation of the shahadah is the most dangerous.

lessons

The use of metaphors and similes

This hadith uses a metaphor (i.e. the image of the structure of a building) to affirm certain important meanings. This use of metaphors and similes can be found in many Surahs in the Quran and in many other hadiths. For example:

In Surah At-Taubah (9): ayat 109, a similar metaphor is used - the structure of the Mua'min's deen/iman is based on a sound foundation, whereas the structure of the deen of the Munafiq is based on weak ground which may lead to the collapse of the structure, resulting in the Munafik entering the Hellfire.

Surah An-Nur (24): ayat 35, uses the metaphor of light as the light of guidance in the heart of the Mua'min.

A metaphor used to condemn those who fail to fulfill the amanah (i.e. religious obligations) can be found in Surah Al-Jumu'ah (62): ayat 5. The Bani Israel, having failed to obey Allah's commandments in the Taurah, are described as a donkey which is burdened with heavy books on its back but doesn't understand anything from them. Scholars have said that this metaphor also applies to other nations, which fail to fulfill their amanah.

In one hadith the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, divided the status of his ummah into three categories: those who benefit from the Message, those who benefit partially and those who fail to benefit at all. He, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, used the metaphor of rain (as the Message) falling down on different types of land, producing different results.

Using metaphors to convey the Message is a very important 'tool' and it is the methodology used in the Quran and by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. There are many modes of expression used in the Quran and Hadith and they are used for different purposes. E.g. Dealing with the misconceptions and false assumptions of the disbelievers, the Quran and Hadith use rational thinking. When describing Jannah and the Hellfire, the style used by the Quran and Hadith is the visual mode of expression - they are described in such detail that it is like we can actually visualize Jannah or the Hellfire in front of us.

One of the Sahabahs said that he had already seen Jannah and the Hellfire. The other Sahabahs were puzzled and asked him how this could be so as nobody is able to see them until the Hereafter. He replied, "I saw them through the eyes of the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. If I were to be given the chance to see Jannah and the Hellfire with my own eyes, I would not trust my sight. I trust the eyes of the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, more than I trust my own eyes." Here we can conclude that if we read and understand the Quran and the Hadiths we too can visualize the paradise and the Hellfire.

These modes of expression (thinking styles) used by the Quran and Hadith should be well understood and used by Muslims today to convey the Message of Islam when doing da'wah as it is the most effective way. Different styles should be used to reach/convince different people - some people are more emotional, some are more rational, etc.

First Pillar : The Shahadah

The first part of the Shahadah is testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. There are seven conditions of the Shahadah:

1) Knowledge - to understand what it means
2) Certainty - to have no doubt about anything confirmed in the Quran or Sunnah
3) Acceptance - by the tongue and the heart of whatever the Shahadah implies
4) Submission/compliance - the actual physical enactment by deeds
5) Truthfulness - to say the Shahadah sincerely, with honesty, to actually mean it
6) Sincerity - to do it solely for the sake of Allah
7) Love - to love the Shahadah and to love its implications and requirements and what it stands for

The Shahadah is not simply saying it with our tongue. We need to adhere to these conditions. If we say the Shahadah sincerely and with honesty, we will not do anything which contradicts with or violates the Shahadah.

The second part of the Shahadah carries the following conditions:

1) To believe in the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, and in whatever he told us and conveyed to us
2) To obey him in whatever he commanded us to do
3) To stay away from or avoid whatever he commanded us not to do
4) To follow or emulate him in our ibadah, akhlaq and way of life
5) To love him more than we love ourselves, our family and anything else in this world
6) To understand, practice and promote his Sunnah in the best way possible, without creating any chaos, enmity or harm

SILAT MELAYU BLOG - WALLPAPER

FROM SILAT MELAYU BLOG - MOHD NADZRIN



27 June 2008

Silat Melayu Wallpaper

The above wallpaper was designed by a regular reader of Silat Melayu: The Blog, Mohd Fairuzuddin Faizan b. Mohd Yusoff the President of the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak chapter of Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia.

The wallpaper depicts a Silat Seni Gayong grappling technique and includes a pantun from Poknik, also a regular visitor here. His pantun has appeared in this blog here. We thank Fairuzuddin for sharing this cool piece of work with us and hope to hear more from him. Thanks!

(click on the picture above to download the full-sized wallpaper).

Posted by Mohd Nadzrin Wahab at 3:19 PM

FAQ - ISLAM

SOURCE : http://www.islamicvoice.com/march.2003/dialogue.htm

Our Dialogue
By Adil Salahi

1. Arrangement of the Quran

Q.1. Could you explain the basis of the arrangement of the Qur'anic Surahs. We know that the Surah entitled Al-Alaq was the first to be revealed, but it is placed as Surah No. 96 in the final arrangement. May I ask on what basis was the Qur'an arranged and by whom.

Q.2. It is said that Sarah, the wife of Prophet Abraham, was unhappy when his other wife had given birth to his first son, Ishmael. She asked him to banish her and that was the cause for Abraham taking both wife and child to the barren valley of Makkah where he left them. Was Sarah actually so jealous?

Q.3. Since the Shias praise Ali all the time, rather than God and His messenger, and since they do not say the azan as we do, can we consider them Muslims?

Answer 1

The Prophet received revelation of the Qur’anic Surahs as and when God chose to bestow on him new revelation. At times several Surahs, particularly the longer ones, were being revealed to him concurrently. The Prophet was instructed by Angel Gabriel who brought him the revelation where to place every new passage.Similarly the arrangement of the Surahs in a specific order was given by the Prophet, who indicated it mostly by reading the Surahs, particularly in prayer, in a specific order. There are some reports about the arrangement of the Surah being done without any specific authority given by the Prophet, but there is no basis for this assumption. The fact is that when Caliph Abu Bakr instructed Zaid ibn Thabit to collect the original writings of the Qur’anic revelations, Zaid produced a whole copy of the Qur’an. It was arranged in the order we have today. This was done in the first two years after the Prophet’s death, since Abu Bakr ruled for less than two years.

Later at Caliph Uthman’s time, copies were produced and sent to various centers of the Muslim state to be the reference copy in each center. These, also produced by Zaid ibn Thabit, were based on the first collection. There was no disagreement among the Prophet’s companions with regard to the ordering of the Surahs. This shows that an arrangement was made by the Prophet himself as he taught the Qur’an to his companions.

The question remains why the arrangement did not follow the chronological order of revelation. The answer is that the Qur’an was revealed over a period of 23 years, with passages and Surahs revealed in connection with certain events. This was highly beneficial as the Qur’an addressed cases when they actually took place. But when its revelation was over, its arrangement should take into consideration the needs of later generations of Muslims. The arrangement reflects what God wishes His book to be like. Hence, He gave His instructions to His messenger to indicate its arrangement, with both Surahs and verses placed at their appropriate positions.

Answer 2

The report about Sarah, Abraham’s wife, is correct to the best of our knowledge. Sarah was susceptible to all the feelings and emotions of ordinary women. Hence, it is not surprising that she should feel jealous when her husband was given a child by his second wife, while she, an old woman, had no children. As Abraham showed great care and tenderness toward both mother and baby, Sarah must have felt that she was reduced to a secondary position. Hence her demand that both be taken away. It was God who commanded Abraham to take his wife and child to the valley of Makkah and leave them there. That was for a definite purpose of His, and He does what He wishes.

Answer 3 :

It is true that the Shias accord great respect to Ali, placing him above other companions of the Prophet in their esteem. But neither this, nor the additions they have in the azan or call to prayer, is reason to consider them non-believers. How can anyone say so when they declare that they believe in the oneness of God and the message of His messenger, Muhammad (peace be on him).

2. God's Name and Tawaf

Considering that the Prophet's father's name was Abdullah, may I ask if God's name, Allah, was known before Islam?

3. Why is the tawaf movement anti-clock wise?

Ans 1. Yes, God’s name, Allah, was known for a long time in Arabia. We find it in Arabic poetry dating back many centuries prior to the advent of Islam. It is perhaps the name used by Prophets Abraham and Ishmael. To the Arabs who lived shortly before Islam, it signified the overall God who controlled the universe. However, they thought their idols to be His partners who would listen to their appeals and bring them closer to God.

Ans 2. In matters of worship, we accept what Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has taught us without question. There need not be an apparent reason for the form of any particular worship. Otherwise we would be questioning every thing and suggesting alternatives. People would ask: why do we do one rukoo’ and two prostrations, or sujood in prayer? Why do some prayers include two rakaahs while others have four? We should remember that whatever God does or orders must have a purpose. We accept that God’s purpose is always wise and beneficial. Hence, we do our worship as the Prophet has taught us. When he started his pilgrimage, he announced to the large number of his companions travelling with him: “Learn from me your rituals.” It is a clear order that the pilgrimage and the Umrah should be done exactly in the manner he did or approved. When he did his tawaf he walked round the Kaaba in an anti-clock wise movement. This is why we do the same.

4. Ablution for Tawaf

Q. You have stated that ablution is obligatory for doing the tawaf around the Kaaba. I have recently come across a ruling issued by the Deobandi school in India, stating that ablution is highly recommended for tawaf, but not obligatory. Please clarify.

Ans. The overwhelming majority of scholars consider ablution, or wudhu, an essential condition for tawaf, not merely obligatory. When we speak of a condition we mean that the action itself will not be valid if the condition is not met. There are several Hadiths supporting this. In one of them, Ibn Abbas quotes the Prophet as saying: “Tawaf is a prayer. However, God has allowed speaking during tawaf. Whoever speaks while doing it should only say something good.” (Related by Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Hakim, Ibn Khuzaimah, Al-Daraqutni and others). Another highly authentic Hadith quotes Aishah as saying: “The first thing the Prophet did on arriving in Makkah was to do the ablution and perform tawaf.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

If a person doing the tawaf experiences doubt as to whether he has performed the ablution before he started, his tawaf is not valid. He must leave and perform the ablution and come back for his tawaf. If he has done the tawaf of the Umrah and then realized, after completing it, that he had not done the ablution first, he remains in ihraam until he has done a new tawaf after doing the ablution.

However, the Hanafi school of Fiqh does not consider the ablution a condition for the validity of tawaf, but makes it a duty. This means that if a person doing the Umrah or the pilgrimage performs the tawaf without having done the ablution, his tawaf is valid but he must compensate for omitting the duty of purification by slaughtering a sheep and giving the sacrifice to the poor in the Haram area. If a pilgrim does the tawaf when he is in the state of ceremonial impurity, i.e. janabah, or when a woman is in her period, the tawaf is valid but the compensation is a sacrifice of a cow or a camel, and they must repeat the tawaf while they are in Makkah.

As you see, the matter is serious indeed. I cannot find a basis for the ruling by the Deobandi school, which I certainly respect.

5. Tasbeeh and Dhuha Prayers

Q. Could you please explain the importance and details of Tasbeeh and Dhuha prayers.

A. Dhuha prayer is a voluntary prayer which may be offered at any time starting about half an hour after sunrise until shortly before noon. It is 2-8 rakaahs which are normally short. It may be offered any day, on regular or sporadic basis. Recitation in this prayer is normally private. It is certainly encouraged for anyone who can offer it, because it comes at a time when people are normally busy with their business. If one can take a short break to offer a couple of rakaahs, it does him well. If circumstances do not allow, then one may do it on weekends. Tassabeeh prayer is a night prayer, offered sometime before dawn. It is 2 rakaahs with long glorification of God in certain parts of each rakaah. There is only one Hadith which mentions this type of prayer, and it is not really authentic. In fact, Imam Ahmad, the founder of the Hanbali school of thought, who was one of the top scholars of Hadith and Fiqh, finds no basis for this prayer and does not encourage it. Still, if one wants to offer it, no blame attaches to him.

6. The Legal Profession

Q. I want to be a lawyer, but I have been told that there is much lying in this profession which makes it unlawful for a Muslim to take up. Please comment.

A. This is a very naïve view. It is true that some lawyers may resort to devious methods in order to get their clients out of some messy situations, but this is the choice of those lawyers. It is not something imposed on them by their profession. A lawyer may decide not to take up a case if he is convinced that the client is guilty. Or he may take it up, using his professional skill and expertise to get the court to understand the true case, with all its extenuating circumstances, so that he gets a fair trial and a favorable sentence for his client.

There is certainly nothing wrong with being a lawyer, provided that you do not compromise on your Islamic values and principles.

There are some prominent lawyers who are very good Muslims. It is the approach of the person to his profession and his religion that determines whether he abides by Islamic teachings or not.

This applies to all professions, not merely the legal profession.

7. A Second Pilgrimage

Q. My husband and I went on pilgrimage 10 years ago, taking with us our very young daughter. At the time, I knew very little about religion, and I had to take care of the child while performing the duties of pilgrimage. I feel I want to do the pilgrimage again, particularly since I have learned much about Islam. My husband, however, refused to let me go with my sister and her husband, saying that the pilgrimage is a duty once in a lifetime. Yet we are spending much on holidays, food, clothes, etc. We have had several difficulties lately: could this be a punishment from God for my husband's refusal to let me do the pilgrimage? My husband gives me an allowance for my own expenses. If I save some of this and use it for pilgrimage, is that acceptable?

A. The first point to clarify is that your difficulties are not a punishment from God for your husband’s attitude. God may punish people in this life for their sins, and your husband’s refusal to go on pilgrimage or to support your pilgrimage is no sin, because it is a voluntary pilgrimage, or Sunnah. The duty of pilgrimage is once in a lifetime, and both of you have done that. So, where is the sin in not going again? Everyone may have difficulties, because our life on earth is a test which we have to pass. This test may involve difficulties and hardship or affluence and blessings.

What you need to do is to make your husband understand that pilgrimage could be offered as voluntary, or Sunnah, in the same way as the Sunnah prayers which we may offer every day. It is a method to get our past sins wiped out. Everyone needs that, regardless of how good they are. Your husband appears through your letter to be a good person, devoted to his family and kind to his relatives. He may earn great reward from God for that, but doing the pilgrimage every few years is also a great act of submission to God, for which you stand to earn great reward.

If you save from your allowance and pay for the expenses of your and his pilgrimage, this will be a great act for which he may be indebted to you.

8. Government Restrictions on Business

Q. If a government restricts the licensing of certain types of business, does violating the restrictions constitute an illegal action from the Islamic point of view? For example, if a government says that only certain organizations can establish telecommunications business, and then a person establishes his own, paying the fine imposed by the government, does he commit something forbidden in Islam? Can we see here a parallel in a government outlawing marriage with more than one wife? If one lives in a country where polygamy is outlawed, and he nevertheless marries a second wife, his marriage is valid from the Islamic point of view, even though the government of his country may consider it illegal. Please comment.

A. It is open to a Muslim ruler to restrict some permissible actions, provided that such restriction is lawful under Islamic law and undertaken in the interests of the community. To give a simple example, a government may impose speed limits that vary on the basis of the nature of the road. To start with, driving at any speed is permissible. When the government imposes speed limits and punishes those who violate such restrictions, for the sake of public safety, its action is perfectly lawful from the Islamic point of view and it must be obeyed. Hence, when a driver exceeds such speed limits, he does not only violate the law of the land, but also commits something forbidden in Islam.

This means that the nature and purpose of the restriction are vital in determining whether it must not be violated from the Islamic point of view. If a government restricts telecommunications to a public authority because it knows that such business generates good income which is then used to provide services to the public, then such restriction is perfectly legitimate and it must be obeyed. On the other hand, if the restriction is such as to give certain people monopoly because they are related to the president or to some minister, then the restriction violates Islamic law. Those who impose this monopoly, depriving people of the chance of earning their livelihood will have to account to God for their injustice.

What should be our attitude in such a situation? The general rule is that stated by the Prophet: “A Muslim must obey and comply, in matters he likes or dislikes, unless he is commanded to do what constitutes disobedience to God.” This applies when one lives under a Muslim government, or indeed under any government, because a Muslim does not unnecessarily defy orders. But when a government order requires him to disobey God, he does not comply.

This must not be confused with cases like the reader has cited, i.e. outlawing something lawful, or legalizing something forbidden. When a government does that, it exercises an authority which belongs to God alone, namely the authority to prohibit anything. When God has made marriage with up to four wives permissible, it is not for any ruler or government to say that it is not.

9. Zakah for Non-Muslims

Q1. By the grace of God, my parents converted to Islam and I was born in a Muslim family in a country where the majority are non-Muslims. Many of our relatives are non-Muslims, but they maintain good relations with us. Is it permissible to give them a portion of our zakah after distributing the larger share to poor Muslims?

Q2. We have a relative who is looking after her own children. Although she has a small house and jewellery, she has no regular income, and she is poor. Can she be helped with zakah money?

A1. The general rule is that when there are needy Muslims who qualify as beneficiaries of zakah, it may not be paid to non-Muslims. But that does not mean that a Muslim state should not look after the poor among its non-Muslim citizens. They should be helped, but from sources other than zakah. Zakah is a religious duty, and an act of worship. Hence, it should be used for the benefit of the Muslim community. When we reach a stage where the Muslim community is well looked after that there remain no one in need of zakah money, zakah may be paid to the poor who follow other religions.

Having said that, I would like to encourage you and your family to maintain good relations with your relatives who are not Muslims. You may help the poor among them and show them every kindness. But such help should not come from zakah if there are other Muslims who need it.

A2. If this woman looks after her children, she is not required to sell her jewellery. She may be helped with zakah if she is poor. You say that she does not have a regular income. It may be that her income, though irregular, is sufficient for her needs. In this case, she does not need help. If she is really poor, but sometimes she receives good income which may provide for her needs for a few months, then she is back to poverty, she may be helped during her periods of need. In fact, she must be helped, if not from zakah then from other charity, or sadaqah.

10. Reading the Qur'an

Q. If one reads a Qur'anic translation, does he receive reward for such reading?

A. Reading a translation of the Qur’an does not earn the same reward as reading the Qur’an itself, for the simple reason that the Qur’an is the word of God, while a translation is the translator’s rendering of its meaning in his or her own language. However, reading a translation of the Qur’an in order to understand its meaning and comply with its orders is highly commendable and will, God willing, earn reward from God.

ADHAN (AZAN) - CALL FOR PRAYER

Extracted from : http://www.geocities.com/rameezabid/azan.htm

Narrated By Abu Huraira : Allah's Apostle said, "If the people knew the reward for pronouncing the Adhan and for standing in the first row (in congregational prayers) and found no other way to get that except by drawing lots they would draw lots, and if they knew the reward of the zuhr prayer (in the early moments of its stated time) they would race for it (go early) and if they knew the reward of isha and fajr (morning) prayers in congregation, they would come to offer them even if they had to crawl." (Bukhari).

The Adhan is the Muslim technique to inform the people that the time for prayer has started. This call to prayer is said before every prayer five times a day, hence, it is done out loud through a speaker in Muslim countries. The Adhan is always done in Arabic no matter whether the people of that country speak Arabic or not. Allah Says in the Qur'an: O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salât (prayer) on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allâh [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salât (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing). That is better for you if you did but know! (Qur'an 62:9). The scholars have said that the words "...the CALL is proclaimed for the Salat (prayer)..." in this verse is in reference to the Adhan, hence, even though the Adhan is not mentioned word for word and its respective rulings in the Qur'an, they are, however, mentioned in the Alhadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad . Therefore, it proves that the Adhan "...obtained the status of Revelation..." (Bulugh Al-Maram P. 68 Footnote #3).

Below is a list of conditions and rules that apply to Adhan:

The Adhan

AllaHuAkbar
Allah is Most Great

AllaHuAkbar
Allah is Most Great

AllaHuAkbar
Allah is Most Great

AllaHuAkbar
Allah is Most Great

Ash-Hadu-an-Laa-i-laa-Ha-illAllaah
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah

Ash-Hadu-an-Laa-i-laa-Ha-illAllaah
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah

Ash-Hadu-annaMuhammadaRasuululLaah
I bear witness that Muhammad () is the Messenger of Allah

Ash-Hadu-annaMuhammadaRasuululLaah
I bear witness that Muhammad () is the Messenger of Allah

Haiyya Alasholaah
Come to prayer

Haiyya Alasholaah
Come to Prayer

Haiyya Alalfalaah
Come to success

Haiyya Alalfalaah
Come to success

AllaHuAkbar
Allah is Most Great

AllaHuAkbar
Allah is Most Great

Laa-i-laa-Ha-illaLlaah.
There is none worthy of worship except Allah

The difference in Fajr

The only difference in the Fajr prayer is that two extra lines (shown below) are added after the second (line 12 above), but the rest of the Adhan will be said in exactly the same manner. So the Adhan for Fajr will sound like this:

First, the Adhan will be said in the exact same manner for the first 12 lines, then the following two lines will be added:

Asholaa-tu-khoirun-minanna'uum
PRAYER IS BETTER THAN SLEEP

Asholaa-tu-khoirun-minanna'uum
PRAYER IS BETTER THAN SLEEP

Finally, the remaining of the Adhan will sound exactly the same, like so:

AllaHuAkbar
Allah is Most Great

AllaHuAkbar
Allah is Most Great

Laa-i-laa-Ha-illaLlaah.
There is none worthy of worship except Allah

NOTE: This procedure is ONLY done in the Fajr prayer.

YOU WANT US TO PRAY?

Assalaamu'alaikum wbr.

Dear readers

Some of my closest Muslim and very religious friends (wish to remain anonymous) would like to offer FREE prayers/solah and dua (doa) services for all Muslims. (every Friday Night)

This thread is now opened to request your wish to be prayed by them.

In return, the group do not wish anything material or monetary but :

Wishers are to dedicate 'Surah Al-Fatihah' to this group - before and until after the wish been answered/granted by Allah SWT.

Optionally you can also add 'Surah Al-Waqiah' dedicated to this group. The recitals of both Surahs are for spiritual purposes only.

Please submit your wish to be prayed to Allah SWT but be reminded that all postings shall be moderated to filter out contradictory wishes.

Include also optional details:

a) your full name, (if possible both father's and mother's names as well)
b) location, (not full address - just district, province/state and country only)
c) Your wish to be prayed

If you wish to provide your e-mail addresses, please send them to pgssajkm@gmail.com (Please note that I'm only acting on behalf of this group)

To avoid spamming, you are discouraged to write your e-mail addresses here in this tread.

Should you wish to :

a) donate to the group voluntarily or
b) fulfil the vow (nazar) for Allah SWT granting your wish,

you may also send details to the same e-mail address abovementioned.

However, this latter part is optional.

Insya Allah

ULAMA

Sumber : Utusan Malaysia - http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=0622&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Bicara_Agama&pg=ba_02.htm

Ulama lembut atau keras?

SOALAN: Pada masa mutakhir ini, ramai cerdik pandai agama kita keluaran dalam negara mahu pun luar negara. Ada antara mereka dari Mesir, Madinah mahu pun Jordan. Begitu juga keluaran Universiti Malaya (UM) dan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Kadangkala pendapat mereka berbeza. Sukar saya memilih mana satu pendapat yang betul. Apa nasihat tuan?

– Umat Keliru, Mentakab.

JAWAPAN: Nasihat saya mudah sahaja, cari yang betul-betul mantap ilmu mereka. Lihat juga akhlak mereka. Justeru ramai lepasan agama (tidak semuanya ulama) yang ilmu mereka masih mendatar (cetek), ada juga yang akhlaknya boleh dipersoalkan, belum memiliki akhlak ulama sebenar. Ada antara mereka yang terlalu penakut dan ada juga yang terlalu berani. Saya berpendapat yang seimbang dan sederhana daripada segi ilmu dan akhlak itu yang lebih baik.

Berilmu tetapi jumud, berani tetapi kurang ilmu, emosi tak bertempat dan pelbagai lagi sifat negatif golongan agama ini...kesemuanya harus diambil pertimbangan.

Kepada penanya, ingin saya perbetulkan, bukan semua lulusan ugama (sekadar ada B.A. atau M.A. hatta P.hD) boleh digolongkan sebagai ulama. Paling merisaukan, mereka yang hanya ada ilmu separuh. Kadangkala kokok mereka lebih.

Syaikh Muhammad al-Ghazali pernah menegur mereka yang belajar ilmu hari Sabtu, pada hari Ahad sudah mengajar, hari Isnin sudah ditabal mahaguru atau syeikh atau ulama besar, (apabila sudah berserban dan berjubah atau memakai title ustaz), hari Selasa dengan berani menegur orang itu dan sianu, kononnya mereka tokoh, aku pun tokoh. Berani tanpa segan menegur semua perkara yang dia pun jahil mengenainya.

Ulama separuh jalan seperti inilah kadangkala –kata Muhammad al-Ghazali- menjadi tumpuan ramai, kerana gambaran zahir, berjubah singkat dan berjanggut lebat contohnya, berani mempertikaikan segala perkara. Pertikaian remeh temeh ini subur, pada masa Islam disingkirkan dalam perkara dasar. Lalu ulama berbicara tentang hukum membatal wuduk, atau bolehkah Allah dilihat dengan mata di akhirat kelak. Mereka banyak berhujah tentang darah haid dan hukum menyimpan misai.

Mereka yang tidak ingin Islam menjadi dasar kehidupan akan menjadi lebih seronok dalam keadaan begini berlaku, jika orang ramai tenggelam dalam perbincangan yang mandul begini. Kumpulan anti Islam, mereka tidak selesa apabila ada ulama yang mula bercakap tentang perkhidmatan negara untuk umum atau untuk individu? Kenapa kekayaan negara hanya berligar di sekitar beberapa kerat kumpulan? Apakah manusia perlu hidup bebas atau takut-takut?

Adalah ulama palsu namanya, jika asyik berbincang tentang hukum menyentuh perempuan batal wuduk atau tidak, daripada membincangkan wajib atau harus mengambil bahagian dalam pilihan raya. Apa sumbangan orang Islam atau agenda ‘menghadhari’ tamadun dunia, tak kira apa nama, Islam hadhari atau hadharah Islamiah.

disogok

Masyarakat kita banyak disogok oleh ulama separuh masak ini dengan isu-isu kecil, pendapat lemah dan mazhab menyusahkan, malah tidak dapat memahami isu-isu semasa. Mereka memberi fatwa dalam realiti yang sudah berbeza. Dalam bahasa yang mudah, mereka jahil dengan “fiqh al-waqi”, kefahaman tentang realiti terkini.

Satu lagi ‘kejahilan’ mereka yang menolak pandangan imam-imam mazhab, kononnya mahu mencedok sendiri daripada al-Quran dan hadis. Memang Islam tidak menyuruh kita fanatik kepada mana-mana mazhab, tetapi lebih teruk lagi mereka yang berijtihad tanpa kelayakan. Bagaimana boleh berijtihad, jika nak memahami dalil pun belum tahu.

Kita bosan dengan tohmahan kononnya Imam Malik tidak tahu hadis istiftah, atau Abu Hanifah tidak menyuruh pengikutnya baca basmalah ketika menjadi makmum, atau bersembahyang selepas menyentuh kulit perempuan. Berani mereka mengatakan Imam Malik dan Abu Hanifah Jahil hadis, atau Imam Shafi‘i jahil. Siapa mereka ini?

Ulama al-Azhar yang dulu-dulu (termasuk di Malaysia), mampu menyelesaikan fitnah seperti ini, setelah mereka belajar Islam; memahami pendapat salaf dan khalaf, belajar berbagai-bagai kitab tafsir dan kitab hadis. Tetapi mereka yang baru pandai ini terutama mutakhir ini, hanya masih bertateh bahasa Arabnya, hanya baru belajar satu dua buah kitab hadis atau tafsir, sudah berani menyerang ulama itu dan ini, satu perbuatan yang kurang berakhlak dan tidak beradab.

Beberapa orang yang sekadar tahu membaca beberapa buah hadis sudah berani mengakui tahu akan Islam semua sekali, satu keangkuhan namanya.

Justeru itu, kita harus bersangka baik kepada semua ulama kita yang benar; ada di kalangan mereka yang bersifat lembut, ada juga yang agak bersikap keras. Tetapi tujuan mereka semua memberi panduan kepada orang ramai. Mereka ulama pembimbing (mursyid).

Jangan kita asyik bersangka buruk kepada orang lain. Kadangkala mereka itu jauh lebih baik daripada diri kita yang kita sangka serba tahu ini. Ada mereka yang suka memberi nasihat secara lembut kerana ia mungkin lebih berkesan dan ada juga mereka yang suka bercakap secara kasar dan keras kerana boleh memberi kesan.

Tetapi saya berpendapat, fitrah manusia tidak suka mereka diserang dengan keras. Saya masih ingat cerita buku sekolah rendah tahun 60-an (maaf contoh kurang elok) cerita dua jenis angin, angin ribut dan angin sepoi-sepoi bahasa yang menunjukkan kekuatan masing-masing. Angin ribut dengan kuat meniupkan si beruk yang sedang berpaut di sebatang pohon kayu. Makin kencang tiupan angin itu, makin kuat si beruk berpegang kerana takut jatuh.

Apabila tiba giliran angin sepoi bahasa dengan lembutnya menghembus bayu sejuk kepada si beruk itu, sehingga dia rasa mengantuk, lalu jatuh. Moral cerita ini, tidak semua yang keras itu berhasil dan tidak semua yang lembut itu tidak menjadi.

Kelibat tokoh hebat pun ada berbagai-bagai ragam, dari Ibn Taymiyyah yang keras sampai kepada al-Ghazali yang lebih lembut, para fuqaha yang garang, ahli sufi yang lembut, hingga Imam Ahmad dan membawa kepada al-Syafi‘i. Mereka berbeza cara dan gaya.

Usahlah kita membelah bagikan ulama kita kepada banyak kumpulan, kerajaan atau pembangkang. Mereka yang berpegang kepada kebenaran, itulah ulama sebenar. Jangan dilihat mereka salaf atau khalaf, ahli fikah atau ahli tafsir, yang ikhlas jua diterima amalan mereka.

Saya harap anda sudah ada kayu ukur menilai ulama terhadap keilmuan dan kesalehan mereka, bukan apa parti mereka, apa mazhab mereka, apa bangsa mereka atau kumpulan mana mereka ini. Jika inilah kayu ukurnya, orang itu masih tergolong puak fanatik yang dilarang agama. Wallahualam.