Sister Yvonne Ridley gave clear warning to attendees of the protest, via her Facebook profile:
TO EVERYONE going to Harrow Mosque on Friday - be very careful you are not wound up and lured into a trap. There were all sorts of shenanighans [sic] going on during the Bradford riots, but who was arrested? The BNP, the anti Nazi protestors [sic]? Nope, young Muslim men who ended up being sent down for four years.
There's a lot of hype and spin being created by muck stirrers who couldn't g[i]ve a stuff about silencing the BNP but would like to see lots of young Muslims being arrested. Please do not allow yourselves to be led blindly into a situation where you will be set up and compromised. There's going to be a lot of nasty people turning out at Harrow with a whole mixed bag of agendas.
The bad people will not only be the gorillas with knuckles trailing on the ground and wearing England T shirts. Watch out for the 'voices' right at the back goading and inciting those who are pushed to the front. They might seem to be on your side, but when the going gets tough they will scarper out of every copper's reach.
The Bradford youth were hauled before a nasty piece of work called Judge Gillick who thought he was running an Apartheid court in Jo'berg. Collective responsibility was the order of the day and long prison sentences were handed out to those who just turned up to protest.
Please pass on.
http://muslimmatters.org/2009/09/10/harrow-mosque-911-counter-protest-urgent-advice-for-attendees/
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Thursday, 20 August 2009
The Glorious Qur'an
The Quran is the divine book of Allah which every believer should hold fast to in their day to day lives. Below are some Ahadith on the virtues and benefits attaching oneself to the Glorious Qur'an.
The best of you is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it. (Bukhari)
There is no envy (acceptable) except in two cases: a person whom Allah has given then Qur'an and recites it throughout the night and throughout the day. And a person whom Allah has given wealth, that he gives out throughout the night and throughout the day. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Whoever reads a letter from the book of Allah, will receive a hasanah (good deed) from it (i.e his recitation), and the hasanah is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Meem is considered as a letter, rather Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Meem is a letter. (Tirmidhi, Darimi)
Read the Qur'an. For verily it will come forth on the day of resurrection as an intercessor for its readers. (Muslim)
The Qur'an is an intercessor (which by Allah's permission) intercedes, and an opponent (which is) truthful. He who appoints it as his leader, (then it) will lead him to Paradise. And he who puts it behind him, (then it) will lead him to the fire. ( Bayhaqi, Tabarani)
Fasting and the Qur'an will intercede for the slave on the day of resurrection. Fasting will say, ' Oh my Lord! i prevented him from food and desires, so accept my intercession for him. ' The Qur'an will say, ' I prevented him from sleep during the night, so accept my intercession for him. ' The Prophet peace be upon him said, ' And they will (be allowed) to intercede. (Ahmad, Tabarani)
The likeness of the believer who reads the Qur'an is like that of citron; its taste is delicious and its scent pleasant. And the likeness of the believer who does not read the Qur'an is like that of a date; its taste is delicious, yet it has no scent. And the likeness of a hypocrite who reads the Qur'an is like that of basil; its scent is pleasant, yet its taste is bitter. And the likeness of a hypocrite that does not read the Qur'an is like that of a colocynth; its taste is bitter and it has no scent. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Read the Qur'an, put it into practice, do not abandon it, do not put grudges (upon others) through it, and do not eat and gain wealth through it. ( Ahmad, Tabarani)
The best of you is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it. (Bukhari)
There is no envy (acceptable) except in two cases: a person whom Allah has given then Qur'an and recites it throughout the night and throughout the day. And a person whom Allah has given wealth, that he gives out throughout the night and throughout the day. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Whoever reads a letter from the book of Allah, will receive a hasanah (good deed) from it (i.e his recitation), and the hasanah is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Meem is considered as a letter, rather Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Meem is a letter. (Tirmidhi, Darimi)
Read the Qur'an. For verily it will come forth on the day of resurrection as an intercessor for its readers. (Muslim)
The Qur'an is an intercessor (which by Allah's permission) intercedes, and an opponent (which is) truthful. He who appoints it as his leader, (then it) will lead him to Paradise. And he who puts it behind him, (then it) will lead him to the fire. ( Bayhaqi, Tabarani)
Fasting and the Qur'an will intercede for the slave on the day of resurrection. Fasting will say, ' Oh my Lord! i prevented him from food and desires, so accept my intercession for him. ' The Qur'an will say, ' I prevented him from sleep during the night, so accept my intercession for him. ' The Prophet peace be upon him said, ' And they will (be allowed) to intercede. (Ahmad, Tabarani)
The likeness of the believer who reads the Qur'an is like that of citron; its taste is delicious and its scent pleasant. And the likeness of the believer who does not read the Qur'an is like that of a date; its taste is delicious, yet it has no scent. And the likeness of a hypocrite who reads the Qur'an is like that of basil; its scent is pleasant, yet its taste is bitter. And the likeness of a hypocrite that does not read the Qur'an is like that of a colocynth; its taste is bitter and it has no scent. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Read the Qur'an, put it into practice, do not abandon it, do not put grudges (upon others) through it, and do not eat and gain wealth through it. ( Ahmad, Tabarani)
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Poem On Tabligh
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah
I haven't written anything for this blog in a while; so i thought might as well make a quick post inshaAllah.
We are in the blessed month of Shabaan (And whilst on this subject, i would like to post this very informative link regarding what people call 'shab e barat' http://islamibayanaat.com/EnglishLiterature/ShabeBaraat.pdf May Allah save us from innovation, ameen), and soon to enter the blessed month of Ramadhan. May Allah give us the ability to make good intention of spending this month wisely, and may He give us the ability to follow our intentions through.
I would like to share a poem, i am unaware as to who the author is unfortunately; but it is a beautiful poem mashaAllah:
The tableeghis, easy target for criticism,
Attacks against them launched with cynicism
Politically unaware , Intellectually Docile,
Painted as some as simplistically puerile
But I must hasten to disagree,
And quote to you some history
To prove the nature of my claims
And perhaps to defend their noble aims
When Hinduism was spreading in Mewat,
And muslims were losing iman from the heart,
A spiritual man arose who stood apart,
And founded what we now know as tableeghi jamaat
Who knew this spark of love would spread like fire,
For the situation seemed quite dire,
It transformed darkness to illumination,
And rescued the sunnah from devastation
Empty masjids cried floods of tears,
As no worshippers made sujood for many years,
And then crowds came back and thronged their floors,
You can see angels smile, and the heavens echo with
applause.
The dhikr of Allah is being revived by their crowds
Throughout the lands jam'aahs travel like rain-bearing
clouds
Bringing much sought for water to thirsty lands,
And turning to luscious green arid desert lands.
Some people may be unaware of this information,
That mawlana Ilyaas was an initiated Sufi master
But he saw the mutasawifs and ulema remaining aloof
from their congregation,
Whilst Indians muslims plunged into great disaster
So he took the da'wah out to the masses,
Like Bees flying on journeys making honey in stashes,
Unknown inhabitations became Honeycombs sweet,
Where millions of muslims gather and meet
They left their families and their abodes,
And embarked on difficult dusty roads,
Travelling for the pleasure of the divine,
To replace the darkness of post modernity with the
sunnah's shine.
Embryonic change happens in Forty Days,
Strange Indeed are Allah's ways,
Don’t call this number a reprehensible innovation,
Perchance it be a sign of your lack of academic
discrimination.
In the way of Allah each step they tread,
But only for jihaad this should be said?
Open the hadeeth work of bukhari- the chapter on
JUMUAH, ya akhee f'illah,
In that very chapter not about jihad, it quotes the
hadeeth of the feet being covered with dust Fee sabeel
illah
How many a former drug addict I have encountered in
these lands,
Whose previously injecting hands are enshrouded with
ancient sins
And now he sits in the house of God with a tasbeeh in
his hands
Those same hands make dhikr on those beads of strings.
How many a robber who used to steal,
How many a zaani who shamed the earth's surrounds
How many a musician singing profane sounds
Now recounts God's Jalal-it makes him yell out squeals
And now the earth begins to smile,as he prostrates and
as he kneels..
How many a face- black white and yellow from every
schism
Sit on a mat and eat together their repast
Whilst politicians talk of the problems of racism
Oh This is not out problem- a thing of the past.
He makes nadaama and in tawbah turns
His heart with Love of Allah yearns
God Bless you Oh dearest mawlaana ilyaas
How beautifully you turned Yaas Into Aas
From the orient to the occident
And from the south right to the north
Crowds emerge with intentions heavenly bent
And taking Allah's name alone, they come forth
Pakistanis, Caucasians, Mayalsians, Africans, And Turks
Chinese, Eskimo, and Russian faces
Ethnicities unheard of fill Masjids where traces,
Of their forefathers are written in historical works.
Whilst nations sit before cathode rays,
That titillate their eyes with their enticing ways,
These men rebel against satan's invitation
And turn to the work of the prophets-driving iblees to
frustration
They sit of the floor as it indents their knees,
They know not of Nietzsche,Hume,Kant or Socrates,
They couldn’t perhaps recount ghazzali or avicenna's
complex kalaam,
But the dhikr of Allah makes their souls calm
This is not to deny the place of the mutaklimeen,
Without whom we would be in disarray,
But for the awaam such complex arguments can lead
astray
So let dhawq and wijdaan provide them with yaqeen.
They are not by tales of Machiavelli's prince infected
The sahabas stories motivate their lives
Such dark political ideologies before such heros stand
rejected
Upholders of truth and self sacrifice
They hold no huge political rallies protesting to
creation
In the nights they stand in prayer before the answer
of every supplication
And with tears flood the floors begging for mercy and
rejuvenation
Once more gifting glory to the Ummah of the best of
creation
Don't approach the worldly kings -they cannot protect,
A Pretzel falls into their tracheas, almost suffocating
Such a small little thing He cannot eject?
How will he give Honour to those who stand outside the
white house waiting?
They couldn’t tell you about quantum mechanics or
Hawkings
They couldn’t refute Darwinian thought or the
reductionism of dawkins
They don’t know that much of Heisenbergs principle of
uncertainty
For to them the kalimah is a deeply rooted certainty
They might not know Chomskys views on Linguistic
Bayaan,
Or how Steven Pinker's instincts about
neurolinguistics fit,
But they have of a surety read soorah rahman
And know that language is from Allah a merciful Gift.
And not the product of random forces without end,
Or indeed a blind watchmaker -No my friend
The blindness is in your hearts-not the maker of
harmony
So with Ahsan-ul-qawl..They call To the Absolute with
humility
On the Day of Reckoning when the Prophets say nafsee
nafsee....
Perhaps Dawkins will smile ,albeit,temporarily
Thinking "Ah My Selfish Gene Thesis was true"
Even these prophets are exhibiting ultimately a
selfish hue
But Then Mustafa shall come and say Ummati Ummati..
Such selflessness which will cause his theory to
terminate suddenly,
This is the beloved of Allah, and this maqam you
cannot explain scientifically,
So Discard Dawkins Memes for Muhammad(saw)'s MEEM
They fall not prey to materialism or such bakwaas,
They see the divine hand behind each moving leaf,
In fact they are aboard a noah's ark constructed by
mawlana ilyaas,
They hold on to the sunnah with their teeth
Of Freud's oedipus complex they remain unaware
Or indeed of changing uncertain paradigms
Imaan, Salaah, the 6 points are in the air
The kaafirs who promote intellectual kufr will pay for
their crimes
Qiyamah is before their eyes
Not mere logical premises philosophers surmise
But deep rooted convictions that change their lives
You don't have to read volumes to be called wise
Those of us who study in intellectual arrogance
Forget rumi's tales of the lover's simple acceptance
The intellect is still looking for its transportation
Love has circled the ka'ba 7 times in dedication
--
حسبي الله لا إله إلا هو عليه توكلت وهو رب العرش العظيم
I haven't written anything for this blog in a while; so i thought might as well make a quick post inshaAllah.
We are in the blessed month of Shabaan (And whilst on this subject, i would like to post this very informative link regarding what people call 'shab e barat' http://islamibayanaat.com/EnglishLiterature/ShabeBaraat.pdf May Allah save us from innovation, ameen), and soon to enter the blessed month of Ramadhan. May Allah give us the ability to make good intention of spending this month wisely, and may He give us the ability to follow our intentions through.
I would like to share a poem, i am unaware as to who the author is unfortunately; but it is a beautiful poem mashaAllah:
The tableeghis, easy target for criticism,
Attacks against them launched with cynicism
Politically unaware , Intellectually Docile,
Painted as some as simplistically puerile
But I must hasten to disagree,
And quote to you some history
To prove the nature of my claims
And perhaps to defend their noble aims
When Hinduism was spreading in Mewat,
And muslims were losing iman from the heart,
A spiritual man arose who stood apart,
And founded what we now know as tableeghi jamaat
Who knew this spark of love would spread like fire,
For the situation seemed quite dire,
It transformed darkness to illumination,
And rescued the sunnah from devastation
Empty masjids cried floods of tears,
As no worshippers made sujood for many years,
And then crowds came back and thronged their floors,
You can see angels smile, and the heavens echo with
applause.
The dhikr of Allah is being revived by their crowds
Throughout the lands jam'aahs travel like rain-bearing
clouds
Bringing much sought for water to thirsty lands,
And turning to luscious green arid desert lands.
Some people may be unaware of this information,
That mawlana Ilyaas was an initiated Sufi master
But he saw the mutasawifs and ulema remaining aloof
from their congregation,
Whilst Indians muslims plunged into great disaster
So he took the da'wah out to the masses,
Like Bees flying on journeys making honey in stashes,
Unknown inhabitations became Honeycombs sweet,
Where millions of muslims gather and meet
They left their families and their abodes,
And embarked on difficult dusty roads,
Travelling for the pleasure of the divine,
To replace the darkness of post modernity with the
sunnah's shine.
Embryonic change happens in Forty Days,
Strange Indeed are Allah's ways,
Don’t call this number a reprehensible innovation,
Perchance it be a sign of your lack of academic
discrimination.
In the way of Allah each step they tread,
But only for jihaad this should be said?
Open the hadeeth work of bukhari- the chapter on
JUMUAH, ya akhee f'illah,
In that very chapter not about jihad, it quotes the
hadeeth of the feet being covered with dust Fee sabeel
illah
How many a former drug addict I have encountered in
these lands,
Whose previously injecting hands are enshrouded with
ancient sins
And now he sits in the house of God with a tasbeeh in
his hands
Those same hands make dhikr on those beads of strings.
How many a robber who used to steal,
How many a zaani who shamed the earth's surrounds
How many a musician singing profane sounds
Now recounts God's Jalal-it makes him yell out squeals
And now the earth begins to smile,as he prostrates and
as he kneels..
How many a face- black white and yellow from every
schism
Sit on a mat and eat together their repast
Whilst politicians talk of the problems of racism
Oh This is not out problem- a thing of the past.
He makes nadaama and in tawbah turns
His heart with Love of Allah yearns
God Bless you Oh dearest mawlaana ilyaas
How beautifully you turned Yaas Into Aas
From the orient to the occident
And from the south right to the north
Crowds emerge with intentions heavenly bent
And taking Allah's name alone, they come forth
Pakistanis, Caucasians, Mayalsians, Africans, And Turks
Chinese, Eskimo, and Russian faces
Ethnicities unheard of fill Masjids where traces,
Of their forefathers are written in historical works.
Whilst nations sit before cathode rays,
That titillate their eyes with their enticing ways,
These men rebel against satan's invitation
And turn to the work of the prophets-driving iblees to
frustration
They sit of the floor as it indents their knees,
They know not of Nietzsche,Hume,Kant or Socrates,
They couldn’t perhaps recount ghazzali or avicenna's
complex kalaam,
But the dhikr of Allah makes their souls calm
This is not to deny the place of the mutaklimeen,
Without whom we would be in disarray,
But for the awaam such complex arguments can lead
astray
So let dhawq and wijdaan provide them with yaqeen.
They are not by tales of Machiavelli's prince infected
The sahabas stories motivate their lives
Such dark political ideologies before such heros stand
rejected
Upholders of truth and self sacrifice
They hold no huge political rallies protesting to
creation
In the nights they stand in prayer before the answer
of every supplication
And with tears flood the floors begging for mercy and
rejuvenation
Once more gifting glory to the Ummah of the best of
creation
Don't approach the worldly kings -they cannot protect,
A Pretzel falls into their tracheas, almost suffocating
Such a small little thing He cannot eject?
How will he give Honour to those who stand outside the
white house waiting?
They couldn’t tell you about quantum mechanics or
Hawkings
They couldn’t refute Darwinian thought or the
reductionism of dawkins
They don’t know that much of Heisenbergs principle of
uncertainty
For to them the kalimah is a deeply rooted certainty
They might not know Chomskys views on Linguistic
Bayaan,
Or how Steven Pinker's instincts about
neurolinguistics fit,
But they have of a surety read soorah rahman
And know that language is from Allah a merciful Gift.
And not the product of random forces without end,
Or indeed a blind watchmaker -No my friend
The blindness is in your hearts-not the maker of
harmony
So with Ahsan-ul-qawl..They call To the Absolute with
humility
On the Day of Reckoning when the Prophets say nafsee
nafsee....
Perhaps Dawkins will smile ,albeit,temporarily
Thinking "Ah My Selfish Gene Thesis was true"
Even these prophets are exhibiting ultimately a
selfish hue
But Then Mustafa shall come and say Ummati Ummati..
Such selflessness which will cause his theory to
terminate suddenly,
This is the beloved of Allah, and this maqam you
cannot explain scientifically,
So Discard Dawkins Memes for Muhammad(saw)'s MEEM
They fall not prey to materialism or such bakwaas,
They see the divine hand behind each moving leaf,
In fact they are aboard a noah's ark constructed by
mawlana ilyaas,
They hold on to the sunnah with their teeth
Of Freud's oedipus complex they remain unaware
Or indeed of changing uncertain paradigms
Imaan, Salaah, the 6 points are in the air
The kaafirs who promote intellectual kufr will pay for
their crimes
Qiyamah is before their eyes
Not mere logical premises philosophers surmise
But deep rooted convictions that change their lives
You don't have to read volumes to be called wise
Those of us who study in intellectual arrogance
Forget rumi's tales of the lover's simple acceptance
The intellect is still looking for its transportation
Love has circled the ka'ba 7 times in dedication
--
حسبي الله لا إله إلا هو عليه توكلت وهو رب العرش العظيم
Friday, 5 June 2009
A very special Dream
A very special dream
History books contain the mention of an amazing incident that took place in the year 557. At the time, the ' Abbasid dyna sty was experiencing a sharp decline. As the lands of the muslims became plagued by weakness and even chaos, some Christians got together and plotted the prophet's body from his grave and to transport it back to their own lands, in what would obviously be a serious blow to the morale of the muslims. For this diabolical plot, they sent two men to Medinah, both of whom disguised themselves in Moroccan garments and claimed to be travelers who came to visit the holy city.
The two men stayed in a well known house that was adjacent to the prophets masjid. In order to blend in with their milieu, they performed acts of worship in a conspicuous manner, always hoping to be seen by others in order to gain their trust. But on the inside, they were plotting to achieve the task for which they had been sent.
Having come up with a plan that, at least in their minds,was sure to work, they began to execute it.The secretly began to dig a tunnel from inside the house, and by continuing to dig, they hoped to eventually reach the prophet's grave. Every day, they would dig a little bit, placing the extra dirt in bags. They of course did not want to be seen by anyone when they would dispose of the extra dirt, and so would get rid of it while they would take their daily walk in Al-Baqi, the famous graveyard of Medinah. As they would walk through the graveyard,they would slowly pour out the dirt from underneath their cloaks.And all the while, they would be giving others the impression that they were visiting the graveyard in order to remember d eath and the hereafter.At times, they would also spill excess dirt into a well that was near their home. After many days of secret toil, the two men were finally near the grave of the prophet peace be upon him.Feeling sure now that they would succeed in their mission, they began to concentrate their thoughts on concocting a plan to actually transport the prophet's body to their homeland.But they could plot and plan as much as they wanted, for Allah had other plans for them, and what he wills, he does.
Far away from Medinah, the ruler during that era, Nuruddin Muhammad Bin Zangi, saw a troubling dream. In that dream, he saw the prophet (peace be upon him) pointing to two men of red complexion, and instructing Nuruddin Muhammad to protect him from them. Nuruddin Muhammad was frightened and agitated at witnessing this dream. In order to calm his nerves, he stood up to pray, after which he went back to sleep. But during that night, he saw the same dream three times. When he woke up the third time, he summoned one of his ministers to come to him. That minister was Jamaluddin Al-musili, a wise minister who was a practising, righteous muslim. When the ruler finished telling him about his dream, Jamaluddin said, ' This is concerning something that is happening in Medinah.go now to the prophets city and keep secret what you have seen.'
For the remainder of that night, Nuruddin Muhammad made preparations to leave. 20 men, one of them being Jamaluddin, made preparations to go with their leader. They made the journey from Ash-Shaam to Medinah in 16 days. When they reached their destination, the leader went to the the Ar-Raudha ( a special place in the prophet's masjid) and prayed, but as of yet, he had no idea what he should do about his dream.
His minister Jamaluddin, asked him if he remembered what the two people in his dream looked like. Nuruddin Muhammad said that he remembered them clearly, and that if he saw them, he would certainly recognise them. Jamamluddin had a plan to apprehend the two men, and he immediately put it into action.When the inhabitants of Medinah were gathered in the prophet's masjid, Jamaluddin made the following announcement, ' Indeed the ruler has bought with him a great deal of wealth that has been ear marked for charity. Have the poor ones amongst you register their names, and then bring them, so that each can take his fair share. '
While each person came to take a share of the handout, Nuruddin Muhammad was standing right there, looking at each person, in the hope of seeing one or both of the mn he saw in his dream. He saw no man that resembled any of the two he had seen in his dream.
He then asked, ' Is there anyone left who has still not taken his share? ' Someone said, ' There remain two men from Morocco; they refuse to take their share, and indeed, they are both very righteous. '
'Bring them to me. ' said Nuruddin Muhammad immediately. When the two men were bought before him, Nuruddin Muhammad immediately recognised them; they were the two men that the prophet pointed to in his dream. The leader asked them, ' Where are you from?' They said, ' We are from the West, and we have come here in order to perform Hajj. After we arrived, we decided to stay here this year. '
Perhaps their plot was not exactly clear to Nuruddin at that moment, but he knew they were guilty of something, and so he continued to interrogate them, hoping that they would confess their crime, whatever it was. But they kept to their story, and with no proof against them, Nuruddin couldn't justly take steps against them. The leader them ordered for their home to be searched. After a thorough search, they found nothing peculiar save a large amount of money that the two men had stored in their home. Through the will of Allah, as they began to leave the house, Nuruddin stopped to look at the wooden floor. One of its boards was loose, and Nuruddin stooped to take a closer look.He realised that the board was not solidly attached to the floor, and so he picked it up. The people of Medinah were shocked to see the entrance of a tunnel and even more shocked to see where it led to, for they had been certain that the two men were righteous muslims.
After\being arrested by the irate ruler, the two men confessed that they weren't really from the west, but were instead christians who had been sent by their leaders with a great deal of wealth that was paid to them upfront for the job of removing the prophet from his grave, and transporting the body back to their lands. Nuruddin ordered for the two men to be executed and for the tunnel to be blocked and filled up again. When these two orders were completed, he returned to Ash-Shaam.
And Allah knows best.
( Lu'Lu'Il Manthoor)
History books contain the mention of an amazing incident that took place in the year 557. At the time, the ' Abbasid dyna sty was experiencing a sharp decline. As the lands of the muslims became plagued by weakness and even chaos, some Christians got together and plotted the prophet's body from his grave and to transport it back to their own lands, in what would obviously be a serious blow to the morale of the muslims. For this diabolical plot, they sent two men to Medinah, both of whom disguised themselves in Moroccan garments and claimed to be travelers who came to visit the holy city.
The two men stayed in a well known house that was adjacent to the prophets masjid. In order to blend in with their milieu, they performed acts of worship in a conspicuous manner, always hoping to be seen by others in order to gain their trust. But on the inside, they were plotting to achieve the task for which they had been sent.
Having come up with a plan that, at least in their minds,was sure to work, they began to execute it.The secretly began to dig a tunnel from inside the house, and by continuing to dig, they hoped to eventually reach the prophet's grave. Every day, they would dig a little bit, placing the extra dirt in bags. They of course did not want to be seen by anyone when they would dispose of the extra dirt, and so would get rid of it while they would take their daily walk in Al-Baqi, the famous graveyard of Medinah. As they would walk through the graveyard,they would slowly pour out the dirt from underneath their cloaks.And all the while, they would be giving others the impression that they were visiting the graveyard in order to remember d eath and the hereafter.At times, they would also spill excess dirt into a well that was near their home. After many days of secret toil, the two men were finally near the grave of the prophet peace be upon him.Feeling sure now that they would succeed in their mission, they began to concentrate their thoughts on concocting a plan to actually transport the prophet's body to their homeland.But they could plot and plan as much as they wanted, for Allah had other plans for them, and what he wills, he does.
Far away from Medinah, the ruler during that era, Nuruddin Muhammad Bin Zangi, saw a troubling dream. In that dream, he saw the prophet (peace be upon him) pointing to two men of red complexion, and instructing Nuruddin Muhammad to protect him from them. Nuruddin Muhammad was frightened and agitated at witnessing this dream. In order to calm his nerves, he stood up to pray, after which he went back to sleep. But during that night, he saw the same dream three times. When he woke up the third time, he summoned one of his ministers to come to him. That minister was Jamaluddin Al-musili, a wise minister who was a practising, righteous muslim. When the ruler finished telling him about his dream, Jamaluddin said, ' This is concerning something that is happening in Medinah.go now to the prophets city and keep secret what you have seen.'
For the remainder of that night, Nuruddin Muhammad made preparations to leave. 20 men, one of them being Jamaluddin, made preparations to go with their leader. They made the journey from Ash-Shaam to Medinah in 16 days. When they reached their destination, the leader went to the the Ar-Raudha ( a special place in the prophet's masjid) and prayed, but as of yet, he had no idea what he should do about his dream.
His minister Jamaluddin, asked him if he remembered what the two people in his dream looked like. Nuruddin Muhammad said that he remembered them clearly, and that if he saw them, he would certainly recognise them. Jamamluddin had a plan to apprehend the two men, and he immediately put it into action.When the inhabitants of Medinah were gathered in the prophet's masjid, Jamaluddin made the following announcement, ' Indeed the ruler has bought with him a great deal of wealth that has been ear marked for charity. Have the poor ones amongst you register their names, and then bring them, so that each can take his fair share. '
While each person came to take a share of the handout, Nuruddin Muhammad was standing right there, looking at each person, in the hope of seeing one or both of the mn he saw in his dream. He saw no man that resembled any of the two he had seen in his dream.
He then asked, ' Is there anyone left who has still not taken his share? ' Someone said, ' There remain two men from Morocco; they refuse to take their share, and indeed, they are both very righteous. '
'Bring them to me. ' said Nuruddin Muhammad immediately. When the two men were bought before him, Nuruddin Muhammad immediately recognised them; they were the two men that the prophet pointed to in his dream. The leader asked them, ' Where are you from?' They said, ' We are from the West, and we have come here in order to perform Hajj. After we arrived, we decided to stay here this year. '
Perhaps their plot was not exactly clear to Nuruddin at that moment, but he knew they were guilty of something, and so he continued to interrogate them, hoping that they would confess their crime, whatever it was. But they kept to their story, and with no proof against them, Nuruddin couldn't justly take steps against them. The leader them ordered for their home to be searched. After a thorough search, they found nothing peculiar save a large amount of money that the two men had stored in their home. Through the will of Allah, as they began to leave the house, Nuruddin stopped to look at the wooden floor. One of its boards was loose, and Nuruddin stooped to take a closer look.He realised that the board was not solidly attached to the floor, and so he picked it up. The people of Medinah were shocked to see the entrance of a tunnel and even more shocked to see where it led to, for they had been certain that the two men were righteous muslims.
After\being arrested by the irate ruler, the two men confessed that they weren't really from the west, but were instead christians who had been sent by their leaders with a great deal of wealth that was paid to them upfront for the job of removing the prophet from his grave, and transporting the body back to their lands. Nuruddin ordered for the two men to be executed and for the tunnel to be blocked and filled up again. When these two orders were completed, he returned to Ash-Shaam.
And Allah knows best.
( Lu'Lu'Il Manthoor)
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Judgement
Assalamu Alaikum
These are the days of judgement; but not our judgement with Allah, but judgement with fellow human beings.
These are the day's when people are judged through who one's parents are, and if one is not to the level of being as deeni as one's parents, well not only is one judged, but the parents fall into the cross fire too. ' He/she must not have bought up their kids properly...' is the most popular one. Never mind that the offspring cover up, keep out of the eye of the public and generally be as normal as everyone else....judgement after judgement.
These are the days when one is judged through 'education', whether one has a piece of paper confirming some kind of degree, or the title of an aalim or aalima, or just someone who's name people have branded and made 'big.'
These are the days when a simple person with a simple income and a simple house and a good character; to look aside and forget when someone commits a wrong against them, is ignored in favour of a another person just as pious, but with more material wealth.
These are the days when Money and looks are the most important things to people, and these are the days when those who strive for the deen and keep a low profile and yet are simple are brushed aside for a striver of the deen with deeper pockets.
These are the days when people enjoy not worshipping Allah and being a good fellow Muslim to fellow brothers & sisters, but enjoy backbiting, slandering and judging.
These are the days in which i wish i was born in another era, where people loved each other and looked out for one another.
None of us are perfect. We all have faults. We all have traits, and after a certain age these are faults and traits that do not reflect on one's parents, but on oneself. Yet, as long as we have an intention to change those faults of ours, no one but Allah has the right to judge us.
Before judging others, lets judge ourselves. At the day of judgement, YOU won't be asked about ME, and I won't be asked about YOU, but we will be asked about OURSELVES.
Wa'alaikum as salam Wa Rahmatullah
These are the days of judgement; but not our judgement with Allah, but judgement with fellow human beings.
These are the day's when people are judged through who one's parents are, and if one is not to the level of being as deeni as one's parents, well not only is one judged, but the parents fall into the cross fire too. ' He/she must not have bought up their kids properly...' is the most popular one. Never mind that the offspring cover up, keep out of the eye of the public and generally be as normal as everyone else....judgement after judgement.
These are the days when one is judged through 'education', whether one has a piece of paper confirming some kind of degree, or the title of an aalim or aalima, or just someone who's name people have branded and made 'big.'
These are the days when a simple person with a simple income and a simple house and a good character; to look aside and forget when someone commits a wrong against them, is ignored in favour of a another person just as pious, but with more material wealth.
These are the days when Money and looks are the most important things to people, and these are the days when those who strive for the deen and keep a low profile and yet are simple are brushed aside for a striver of the deen with deeper pockets.
These are the days when people enjoy not worshipping Allah and being a good fellow Muslim to fellow brothers & sisters, but enjoy backbiting, slandering and judging.
These are the days in which i wish i was born in another era, where people loved each other and looked out for one another.
None of us are perfect. We all have faults. We all have traits, and after a certain age these are faults and traits that do not reflect on one's parents, but on oneself. Yet, as long as we have an intention to change those faults of ours, no one but Allah has the right to judge us.
Before judging others, lets judge ourselves. At the day of judgement, YOU won't be asked about ME, and I won't be asked about YOU, but we will be asked about OURSELVES.
Wa'alaikum as salam Wa Rahmatullah
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Assalamu Alaikum
Summer is creeping up on us slowly, gifting us with the occasional beautiful bright day, and of course, with rainy, gloomy days punctuating the sunshine! British weather, love it, or hate it. Funnily enough, after more than two weeks in a hot country, i begin to miss British weather.
I'm sure everyone keeps up to date with the news. We should keep in touch with the happenings around the world, we aren't the only ones in the world and getting comfortable and content in our boxes -or lives- won't help either us, or the people out there who aren't as comfortable as us.
The recent earthquake in Italy http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/04/2009462312804620.html , over 90 people dead and so many injured, left homeless. Instead of just viewing these things as natural disasters, we should view them as an eye-opener and lesson for us all. The future is hazy, TOMORROW is hazy.
We don't know if we will be sitting comfortably engrossed with our life tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year. For all we know, today could be our last day alive.
What should we be doing? Preparing for that time when we die ourselves. It takes a lifetime of preparation for that last journey every human goes through. None of us are ready, we are far, far from ready, we are pathetically inadequately loaded with good deeds.
Supposing a natural disaster hit us today, what we would we feel like when in front of the almighty? oh that i had had another week in the dunya, that i could have obtained some more marks for doing good deeds. But by then, it will be too late. Its not morbid to think about; after all, this world is transitory, its so.....opaque, any moment it can be torn through, broken, dead. So isn't it better we prepare as much as we can for that last most important journey?
I don't know about you, but i feel extremely frightened when i think about it, because i know i am nothing, have prepared nothing for that last day.
May All give us all the ability to read our five daily prayers without missing any, to follow the commandments of Allah swt and to follow the beautiful Sunnah of his Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
W.S
Summer is creeping up on us slowly, gifting us with the occasional beautiful bright day, and of course, with rainy, gloomy days punctuating the sunshine! British weather, love it, or hate it. Funnily enough, after more than two weeks in a hot country, i begin to miss British weather.
I'm sure everyone keeps up to date with the news. We should keep in touch with the happenings around the world, we aren't the only ones in the world and getting comfortable and content in our boxes -or lives- won't help either us, or the people out there who aren't as comfortable as us.
The recent earthquake in Italy http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/04/2009462312804620.html , over 90 people dead and so many injured, left homeless. Instead of just viewing these things as natural disasters, we should view them as an eye-opener and lesson for us all. The future is hazy, TOMORROW is hazy.
We don't know if we will be sitting comfortably engrossed with our life tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year. For all we know, today could be our last day alive.
What should we be doing? Preparing for that time when we die ourselves. It takes a lifetime of preparation for that last journey every human goes through. None of us are ready, we are far, far from ready, we are pathetically inadequately loaded with good deeds.
Supposing a natural disaster hit us today, what we would we feel like when in front of the almighty? oh that i had had another week in the dunya, that i could have obtained some more marks for doing good deeds. But by then, it will be too late. Its not morbid to think about; after all, this world is transitory, its so.....opaque, any moment it can be torn through, broken, dead. So isn't it better we prepare as much as we can for that last most important journey?
I don't know about you, but i feel extremely frightened when i think about it, because i know i am nothing, have prepared nothing for that last day.
May All give us all the ability to read our five daily prayers without missing any, to follow the commandments of Allah swt and to follow the beautiful Sunnah of his Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
W.S
Monday, 9 March 2009
A day celebrating Mawlid or a lifetime of following the Sunnah...?
Assalamu Alaikum WaRahmatullah
It's the Islamic month of Rabi'ul Awwal, the month in which the Best of mankind Muhammad peace be upon him was born.
Some people believe this is a day of celebration and go to great lengths making this day into a celebration..
However, does it really make sense if you religiously attend a 'mawlid gathering' yet regularly miss jummah salah with congregation, hesistate in keeping a beard or donning the hijab,hesitating on following the sunnah in daily life? Does it make sense to march out, to sway to songs deemed Islamic, to express fervour and love for the Prophet Muhammad when in daily life there is no willingness to follow even the sunnah of washing one's hands before sitting down to eat?
Quoting from Mufti Ebrahim Desai 1. The life of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم is an integral path of our Deen. Love for Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم is a means of the perfection of our Deen. Therefore to discuss the life of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم and educate ourselves on that can never be bidah.
Furthermore,
Q.) I was brought up in a Barelwi tradition. Since I have begun seeking knowledge from the wider Muslim (i.e. not just Barelwis, but excluding Shia’s and similar groups, though including Wahhabis and Salafis) community, I can say that I have gained much. I now understand more and more of what the common ground is between groups and focus less on the disagreements. I think this kind of tolerance comes with knowledge. Just as your article, "Humility in Knowledge and Arrogance in Ignorance" would say.
I can say that I have changed certain beliefs that I had before my "quest for knowledge." I have benefited enormously from Deoband educated imams here - as a very famous Middle Eastern Sheikh said "Deobandis know their fiqh."
There is one issue though that remains an anomaly and that really leaves me wondering. That is concerning the Maulid (or as they would say in the Indian subcontinent, Milad). Granted, there are some things that Barelwis may do which are curious, but from all that I have seen around the world the Maulid seems to be an accepted practice among Sunni Muslims. Scholars like Jalaluddin Suyuti, Ibn Hajar Asqalani and even Ibn Taimiya described it as a praiseworthy innovation.
From the Ottoman Turks, to the pre-Salafi Arabs, the Malay Archipelago, the Persian and Indo-Pak region, the Maulid was not controversial or questionable in any way. The Sudanese uprising against the colonial forces was fueled by the emotion of the Maulid (verhandelingen). This is why the colonial forces tried to quell the celebration of Maulid in order to subdue the masses.
Today the Turks (Hanafi) still celebrate it with fervor, the Malay (Shafi’i), the Bosnians (Hanafi), some (non-Salafi) Arabs, the Barelwis, the Sudanese. In fact, the only people who don’t celebrate it seem to be the Salafis, Deobandis and the Tabligh Jamaat (the Shariah base of which is of course the books and texts of the Deobandi school).
This is curious. If imams like as-Suyuti have permitted it (if it is free of blameworthiness), was he in error? Was Asqalani in error? The establishment of a day to celebrate the Maulid is completely regarded as bid'ah by Mufti Usmani, praiseworthy or blameworthy acts aside.
A.) As I explained in my article on celebration of Eid-e-Milaad-un-Nabi, holding a meeting to discuss different aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam is a very meritorious act for which the Muslims should strive to the best of their ability. But confining this discussion to the events of the birth of the Holy Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam and restricting it to a particular date and holding attendance at such meetings as necessary or obligatory for every Muslim renders this practice as bid'ah or innovation. Mostly the meetings of Maulid today are of this type. Therefore, contemporary Ulema of Deoband have declared it a bid'ah.
If the life of the Holy Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam is made subject of a meeting, and the meeting is free of the above mentioned defects, nobody can call it a bid'ah. It is in this context that some scholars of the past have allowed the practice.
Answer by: Justice Mufti Taqi Usmani
A Discussion of Milad and Bid'ah
[Note: Although the question does not address the issue of Milad from a fiqh point of view, but only from a historical point of view, yet it is also important to examine the issue in that context. For the most important question for a Muslim has to be whether or not a particular act is permissible according to the Shariah, which is derived from Qur'an, Sunnah, and the practice of the Sahabah, as they understood the Sunnah. The following provides that perspective.]
The establishment of ceremonial gatherings under the banner of "Eid-Milad-un-Nabee" and attaching religious significance to them is purely bid'ah and an innovation in Deen, because neither did Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam himself indulge in it, nor did the illustrious Khulafaa-e-Raashideen, Radi-Allahu anhum, organize such functions. Similarly, neither did any of the other Sahaaba-e-Kiraam, Radi-Allahu anhum, participate in such gatherings, nor is there any incident on record during the blessed era of the taabi’een or tab’e taabi’een (Rahmat-u-Allahi alayhim) that can, in any way, substantiate this innovation. These people were best acquainted with the Sunnah of Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam and had total love for him. They were staunch followers of the Shariah.
Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam has in no unclear terms, said: "Whoever introduces anything that is not part of Deen, into this Deen of ours, it shall be rejected." (Bukhari/Muslim)
In another Hadith he says: "Hold fast onto my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Khulafa, after me. Hold fast onto it firmly, and beware of newly-introduced practices, for every new practice is an innovation and every innovation leads one astray." (Abu Dawood/Tirmizi)
Severe warnings have been sounded in the above-mentioned Ahadith with regard to introducing and implementing innovations in Deen. The holy Qur’an enjoins: "And whatsoever the messenger giveth you, take it. And whatsoever he forbiddeth, abstain (from it). And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is stern in reprisal." [Al-Hashr 59:7]
"Verily in the messenger of Allah, ye have a good example for him who looks unto Allah and the last day, and remembers Allah much." [Al-Ahzab 33:21]
"This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed my favor unto you, and have chosen for you a religion, al-Islam." [Al-Maidah 5:3]
There are numerous other Ayat and Ahadith that can be quoted. But from no Ayat or Ahadith can the current form of "Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" be proved.
Will such innovations grant proximity to Allah Taala? On the contrary, these innovations should be a cause of great concern and alarm for the Ummat-e-Muslimah!
It is a known fact that Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam is the most superior of all the Ambiyaa alaihimus-salaam and also that he is the seal of all the prophets alayhimus-salaam. He left no stone unturned in conveying Deen to us and rendering precious advice to us. If the "Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" was a divinely inspired act, then surely Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam would have commanded the Muslims to it, or at least, either he or his beloved Sahabah, Radi-Allahu anhum, would have practiced it.
That is why, in the light of these unambiguous proofs, the Ulama-e-Haqq have always refuted and rejected the customary form of "Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" and Mahfeel-e-Milad and have also always discouraged people from participating in such gatherings.
Some Wrongs of the Contemporary Milad Gatherings
The contemporary form of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam apart from being a manifestation of Bid’ah, also encompasses other evils such as the intermingling of sexes, usage of musical instruments and many other such evils. The most abhorring and shocking evils in these functions are the acts of shirk that take place. With hollow claims of "Hubbe-Rasul Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" (love for Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) entreaties and supplications are made to beings other than Allah, namely to Ambiyaa alaihimus-salaam and Auliaa-e-Kiraam Rahmat-u-Allahi-alaaihim.
The Belief that the Prophet Comes to the Milad Meeting
Some people also believe that Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam comes to this function and due to this belief, they stand up in respect and veneration. This is absolutely untrue. Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam does not arrive at any "Eid-e-Milad-un Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" function. He is in his Rawdha-e-Mubarak (grave) at Madinah Munawwarah and will emerge from it at the onset of Yawmul-Qiyaamah, or the Day of Judgement.
The following Ayat and Hadith testify to this fact: The Qur’an, addressing Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam announces explicitly: - "Lo! Thou wilt die, and Lo! They will die. Then Lo! On the day of resurrection, before your sustainer, you will dispute." [Az-Zumar 39:30-31]
At another place, Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam is addressed together with the rest of mankind: - "Then Lo! After that you surely die, then Lo! On the day of resurrection you are raised (again)" [Al-Muminun 23:16]
Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam himself has said in a Hadith: - "My grave will be the first to be opened on the day of Qiyamah and I shall be the first person to intercede and the first person whose intercession shall be accepted."
These Ayat and Hadith as well (and there are others) prove that all of mankind will be raised from their graves on the day of Qiyamah, with Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam being no exception. On this, there is consensus of the entire Ummah.
The Importance of Durood and Salaam
Instead of squandering our money and time on futile acts of Bid'ah let us rather utilize our precious time, as much as possible in the recitation of Durood and salaam upon our beloved Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam which is indeed, a highly meritorious and virtuous act. The Qur’an enjoins: - "Lo! Allah and his Angels shower blessings on the Nabee 'O' ye who believe ask for the descent of blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation." [Al-Ahzab 33:56]
Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam has said: "Whosoever sends one Durood upon me, Allah Taala will shower ten mercies upon him." (Muslim). Particularly on Jumuah, one should increase the recitation of Durood and salaam.
[Mufti Ebrahim Desai FATWA DEPT. Jamiat Ulema Islam. South Africa]
'celebrating' the Prophet's (peace be upon him) is a clear bid'ah. (AskImam.com)
May Allah save us from committing Bid'ah Ameen.
Wa'alaikum salam WaRahmatullah
It's the Islamic month of Rabi'ul Awwal, the month in which the Best of mankind Muhammad peace be upon him was born.
Some people believe this is a day of celebration and go to great lengths making this day into a celebration..
However, does it really make sense if you religiously attend a 'mawlid gathering' yet regularly miss jummah salah with congregation, hesistate in keeping a beard or donning the hijab,hesitating on following the sunnah in daily life? Does it make sense to march out, to sway to songs deemed Islamic, to express fervour and love for the Prophet Muhammad when in daily life there is no willingness to follow even the sunnah of washing one's hands before sitting down to eat?
Quoting from Mufti Ebrahim Desai 1. The life of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم is an integral path of our Deen. Love for Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم is a means of the perfection of our Deen. Therefore to discuss the life of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم and educate ourselves on that can never be bidah.
However, if one regards celebrating the birth of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم or regard discussing the different aspects of the life of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم on particular days of a year to be compulsory, that is indeed bidah.
Furthermore,
Q.) I was brought up in a Barelwi tradition. Since I have begun seeking knowledge from the wider Muslim (i.e. not just Barelwis, but excluding Shia’s and similar groups, though including Wahhabis and Salafis) community, I can say that I have gained much. I now understand more and more of what the common ground is between groups and focus less on the disagreements. I think this kind of tolerance comes with knowledge. Just as your article, "Humility in Knowledge and Arrogance in Ignorance" would say.
I can say that I have changed certain beliefs that I had before my "quest for knowledge." I have benefited enormously from Deoband educated imams here - as a very famous Middle Eastern Sheikh said "Deobandis know their fiqh."
There is one issue though that remains an anomaly and that really leaves me wondering. That is concerning the Maulid (or as they would say in the Indian subcontinent, Milad). Granted, there are some things that Barelwis may do which are curious, but from all that I have seen around the world the Maulid seems to be an accepted practice among Sunni Muslims. Scholars like Jalaluddin Suyuti, Ibn Hajar Asqalani and even Ibn Taimiya described it as a praiseworthy innovation.
From the Ottoman Turks, to the pre-Salafi Arabs, the Malay Archipelago, the Persian and Indo-Pak region, the Maulid was not controversial or questionable in any way. The Sudanese uprising against the colonial forces was fueled by the emotion of the Maulid (verhandelingen). This is why the colonial forces tried to quell the celebration of Maulid in order to subdue the masses.
Today the Turks (Hanafi) still celebrate it with fervor, the Malay (Shafi’i), the Bosnians (Hanafi), some (non-Salafi) Arabs, the Barelwis, the Sudanese. In fact, the only people who don’t celebrate it seem to be the Salafis, Deobandis and the Tabligh Jamaat (the Shariah base of which is of course the books and texts of the Deobandi school).
This is curious. If imams like as-Suyuti have permitted it (if it is free of blameworthiness), was he in error? Was Asqalani in error? The establishment of a day to celebrate the Maulid is completely regarded as bid'ah by Mufti Usmani, praiseworthy or blameworthy acts aside.
A.) As I explained in my article on celebration of Eid-e-Milaad-un-Nabi, holding a meeting to discuss different aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam is a very meritorious act for which the Muslims should strive to the best of their ability. But confining this discussion to the events of the birth of the Holy Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam and restricting it to a particular date and holding attendance at such meetings as necessary or obligatory for every Muslim renders this practice as bid'ah or innovation. Mostly the meetings of Maulid today are of this type. Therefore, contemporary Ulema of Deoband have declared it a bid'ah.
If the life of the Holy Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam is made subject of a meeting, and the meeting is free of the above mentioned defects, nobody can call it a bid'ah. It is in this context that some scholars of the past have allowed the practice.
Answer by: Justice Mufti Taqi Usmani
A Discussion of Milad and Bid'ah
[Note: Although the question does not address the issue of Milad from a fiqh point of view, but only from a historical point of view, yet it is also important to examine the issue in that context. For the most important question for a Muslim has to be whether or not a particular act is permissible according to the Shariah, which is derived from Qur'an, Sunnah, and the practice of the Sahabah, as they understood the Sunnah. The following provides that perspective.]
The establishment of ceremonial gatherings under the banner of "Eid-Milad-un-Nabee" and attaching religious significance to them is purely bid'ah and an innovation in Deen, because neither did Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam himself indulge in it, nor did the illustrious Khulafaa-e-Raashideen, Radi-Allahu anhum, organize such functions. Similarly, neither did any of the other Sahaaba-e-Kiraam, Radi-Allahu anhum, participate in such gatherings, nor is there any incident on record during the blessed era of the taabi’een or tab’e taabi’een (Rahmat-u-Allahi alayhim) that can, in any way, substantiate this innovation. These people were best acquainted with the Sunnah of Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam and had total love for him. They were staunch followers of the Shariah.
Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam has in no unclear terms, said: "Whoever introduces anything that is not part of Deen, into this Deen of ours, it shall be rejected." (Bukhari/Muslim)
In another Hadith he says: "Hold fast onto my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Khulafa, after me. Hold fast onto it firmly, and beware of newly-introduced practices, for every new practice is an innovation and every innovation leads one astray." (Abu Dawood/Tirmizi)
Severe warnings have been sounded in the above-mentioned Ahadith with regard to introducing and implementing innovations in Deen. The holy Qur’an enjoins: "And whatsoever the messenger giveth you, take it. And whatsoever he forbiddeth, abstain (from it). And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is stern in reprisal." [Al-Hashr 59:7]
"Verily in the messenger of Allah, ye have a good example for him who looks unto Allah and the last day, and remembers Allah much." [Al-Ahzab 33:21]
"This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed my favor unto you, and have chosen for you a religion, al-Islam." [Al-Maidah 5:3]
There are numerous other Ayat and Ahadith that can be quoted. But from no Ayat or Ahadith can the current form of "Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" be proved.
Will such innovations grant proximity to Allah Taala? On the contrary, these innovations should be a cause of great concern and alarm for the Ummat-e-Muslimah!
It is a known fact that Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam is the most superior of all the Ambiyaa alaihimus-salaam and also that he is the seal of all the prophets alayhimus-salaam. He left no stone unturned in conveying Deen to us and rendering precious advice to us. If the "Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" was a divinely inspired act, then surely Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam would have commanded the Muslims to it, or at least, either he or his beloved Sahabah, Radi-Allahu anhum, would have practiced it.
That is why, in the light of these unambiguous proofs, the Ulama-e-Haqq have always refuted and rejected the customary form of "Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" and Mahfeel-e-Milad and have also always discouraged people from participating in such gatherings.
Some Wrongs of the Contemporary Milad Gatherings
The contemporary form of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam apart from being a manifestation of Bid’ah, also encompasses other evils such as the intermingling of sexes, usage of musical instruments and many other such evils. The most abhorring and shocking evils in these functions are the acts of shirk that take place. With hollow claims of "Hubbe-Rasul Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" (love for Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) entreaties and supplications are made to beings other than Allah, namely to Ambiyaa alaihimus-salaam and Auliaa-e-Kiraam Rahmat-u-Allahi-alaaihim.
The Belief that the Prophet Comes to the Milad Meeting
Some people also believe that Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam comes to this function and due to this belief, they stand up in respect and veneration. This is absolutely untrue. Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam does not arrive at any "Eid-e-Milad-un Nabee Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam" function. He is in his Rawdha-e-Mubarak (grave) at Madinah Munawwarah and will emerge from it at the onset of Yawmul-Qiyaamah, or the Day of Judgement.
The following Ayat and Hadith testify to this fact: The Qur’an, addressing Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam announces explicitly: - "Lo! Thou wilt die, and Lo! They will die. Then Lo! On the day of resurrection, before your sustainer, you will dispute." [Az-Zumar 39:30-31]
At another place, Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam is addressed together with the rest of mankind: - "Then Lo! After that you surely die, then Lo! On the day of resurrection you are raised (again)" [Al-Muminun 23:16]
Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam himself has said in a Hadith: - "My grave will be the first to be opened on the day of Qiyamah and I shall be the first person to intercede and the first person whose intercession shall be accepted."
These Ayat and Hadith as well (and there are others) prove that all of mankind will be raised from their graves on the day of Qiyamah, with Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam being no exception. On this, there is consensus of the entire Ummah.
The Importance of Durood and Salaam
Instead of squandering our money and time on futile acts of Bid'ah let us rather utilize our precious time, as much as possible in the recitation of Durood and salaam upon our beloved Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam which is indeed, a highly meritorious and virtuous act. The Qur’an enjoins: - "Lo! Allah and his Angels shower blessings on the Nabee 'O' ye who believe ask for the descent of blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation." [Al-Ahzab 33:56]
Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam has said: "Whosoever sends one Durood upon me, Allah Taala will shower ten mercies upon him." (Muslim). Particularly on Jumuah, one should increase the recitation of Durood and salaam.
[Mufti Ebrahim Desai FATWA DEPT. Jamiat Ulema Islam. South Africa]
'celebrating' the Prophet's (peace be upon him) is a clear bid'ah. (AskImam.com)
May Allah save us from committing Bid'ah Ameen.
Wa'alaikum salam WaRahmatullah
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