Modesty is a Part of Faith

It was related on the authority of Abu Mas'ood Al-Badri, may Allah be pleased with him, that: "The Messenger of Allah   said: "One of the admonitions of the previous prophets which has been conveyed to people is that if you have no shame, you can do whatever you wish." [Al-Bukhari] 

Explanation of the Hadeeth:

The saying of the Messenger : "…If you feel no shame, you can do whatever you wish" is in the command form, and can be looked at from two angles, each conveying a distinct meaning:

(1) The first is that it is a form of threat and a challenge thrown down against those who engage in inappropriate behaviour. Such people have no shame in front of Allah and therefore, no matter what course they take, it would not make any real difference. In this case, it would be as if the Hadeeth is stating: "If you do not feel any shame from doing these prohibited acts, then do whatever you wish…" Modesty is the quality that prevents one from immodest behaviour, and the lack of it will only cause one to increase in distancing himself from Allah and make him indifferent to creed or deed. 

(2) The second meaning pertains to doing that which is lawful. That is, if the action that one is about to do is not within the category of the unlawful, and we are not ashamed of doing the act in front of Allah or the people, then we are free to do it. However, if we are ashamed to do it, then we should not. The Hadeeth gives a measuring stick by which we can evaluate actions, both privately and publicly. 

Thus, the first explanation relates to a lack of consciousness regarding Allah and the second is regarding the opposite, which is to be conscious of Allah and of His watching over a person and his actions.

The former explanation relates to an unbridled Nafs (base desires and lower self), whereas the latter implies observance of due constraint over it, so that it does not embark on the road to destruction.  

Modesty is of two types: 

Modesty is either natural or acquired. Natural modesty means that the individual has this quality by nature and does not need to exert any effort to acquire it. Acquired modesty, on the other hand, is attained by those who possess knowledge concerning Allah, being cognisant concerning His Greatness, Proximity and His Inspection of all that they do.
 

Points Related to Modesty:

1. Modesty is one of the most honourable attributes and is a consistent virtue found in all the various laws sent down to each prophet and messenger.

2. It is one of the most perfect and desirable characteristics to possess and an excellent state to be in.

3. Modesty only brings good to individuals and is an indication of faith.

4. Bashfulness and shame is in direct opposition to indecency and shamelessness.

5. Modesty is an element of faith, and indecency has no relation to it.

6. Modesty adorns one's nature and personality and is indicative of his being Islamically cultured and refined.

7. Indecency, on the other hand, shows that one lacks virtues and is uncouth, dishonourable and uncultured.

8. We are obligated to guard ourselves against indecency and from acting indecently or uncultured, as qualified by Islam.

9. We must never misconstrue bashfulness or shyness with cowardice - Islamically they are far from synonymous.

10. Modesty, as mentioned, is a root virtue. One of the fruits of modesty is chastity.

11. There is no modesty when it comes to teaching the laws of Islam or searching for the truth.  -islamweb.net

The intention is the foundation of every action

The Messenger of Allah said: "Verily actions are by intentions, and for every person is what he intended. So the one whose ‘hijrah’ (migration) was to Allah and His Messenger, then his ‘hijrah’ was to Allah and His Messenger. And the one whose ‘hijrah’ was for the world to gain from it, or a woman to marry her, then his ‘hijrah’ was for what he made ‘hijrah’ for."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Many scholars began books with this Hadeeth. Imaam Al-Bukhari commences his book of Hadeeth (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) with this Hadeeth and explains that every action that is done without seeking Allah’s pleasure is invalid and devoid of reward.

 

It can be said that the entire religion revolves around this Hadeeth. Imaam Ash-Shaafi'i  said, "this Hadeeth constitutes a third of all knowledge."

 

Muslim scholars differ in opinion as to the limits of the Prophet’s saying: ‘actions are by intentions’. Many of the later scholars are of the opinion that the limit is that the action is made correct or acceptable with the intention. What is meant by this is that a legislated action needs an intention. As for habitual actions such as eating, drinking, dressing, etc., they are not in need of an intention.

Some say 'actions' here is to be understood in its generality; therefore, nothing is exempt from it. Others relate this as the saying of the majority, meaning the majority of the early scholars. This occurs in the words of Ibn Jareer At-Tabari, Abu Taalib Al-Makki, and others from the early scholars . Imaam Ahmad  said: “I like that for every action, from prayer, fasting or charity or any action of righteousness that there be an intention preceding the action. The Prophet  said: ‘actions are by intentions’, and this is taken for every matter.”

Fadl Ibn Ziyaad  said: “I asked Abu Abdullaah (i.e. Imaam Ahmad ) about the intention in action, how should it be? He  said: ‘One should concentrate on himself when he intends to do an action, not doing it for the sake of people (i.e. showing off).’"

 

It is possible that the limits of the saying, 'actions are by intention', are that the action is good, corrupt, acceptable, rejected, rewarded, or not rewarded according to the intention. Therefore, this statement informs us of the Islamic ruling concerning this: the correctness or incorrectness of the action is in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the intention.

The saying of the Prophet  after this: 'and for everyone is what he intended' informs that one can not gain anything from his action except what he intended. So if he intended good, he gets good. If he intended evil then he gets evil. This second statement (of the Hadeeth) is not merely reiterating the first, because the first statement points to the fact that the goodness or corruptness of the action is according to the intention necessary for that action to exist. The second statement points to the fact that the reward of a person for his action is according to his good intention, and that the punishment for his action is according to his evil intention.

Scholarly definition of the word ‘Intention’:

1. To distinguish different types of worship, one from the other. Like distinguishing Noon (Thuhr) Prayer from Afternoon (‘Asr) Prayer, or distinguishing the fast of Ramadan from other fasts, or distinguishing actions of worship from actions of habit: like distinguishing bathing from impurity from bathing for the purpose of cleanliness.

2. To distinguish for who or what the action is done: is it for Allah only, for other than Allah, or for Allah and others than Him?

The meaning of ‘intention’ in the speech of the Prophet  and the Salaf (righteous predecessors) was used generally to carry the meaning of ‘desire’. In the Quran, the word ‘desire’ is often used to describe an intention, as in Allah’s saying (which means): "…Among you are some who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the Hereafter…"[Quran 3: 152]

Also (what means): "Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments…" [Quran 11: 15] And (what means): "And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life..." [Quran 18: 28]

Sometimes intention is described with the word ‘seeking’ as in Allah’s saying (which means): "But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High."[Quran 92: 20] And (which means): "…and you do not spend except seeking the countenance of Allah…" [Quran 2: 272]

Regarding the second meaning of intention, there are numerous examples from the ‘Sunnah’ and the statements of the ‘Salaf’. To mention a few:

The Messenger  said: "People will be gathered upon their intentions."[Ibn Maajah] He  also said: "Mankind will be resurrected upon their intentions." [Muslim] Another Hadeeth says: "Verily those slain on the battlefield will be resurrected upon their intentions." [Ibn Abi Ad-Dunyaa]

The Prophet  also said: "For the ones whose concern is this world, Allah will scatter his affair, and place poverty between his two eyes. He will not get from the world except what is written for him. For the one whose intention is the Hereafter, Allah will gather for him his affair and place contentment in his heart, and the world will come to him willingly."[Ibn Maajah]

Zayd Ash-Shaami  said: "Verily I like to make an intention for everything I do even if it is eating and drinking."

 

Sufyaan Ath-Thawri  said: "I have not treated anything more difficult than my intention, because it keeps changing."

 

Ibn Al-Mubaarak  said: "Maybe a small action is made great by its intention, and maybe a great action is made small by its intention."

The three above-mentioned sayings were reported by Ibn Abi Ad-Dunyaa in his book ‘The Sincerity and the Intention’.

 

Imaam Ahmad  said that the foundation of the religion is upon three Hadeeths:

1. "Verily actions are by intention." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

2. "Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not part of it then it is rejected." [Muslim]

3. "The Halaal (lawful) is clear and the Haraam (prohibited) is clear." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Islam teaches us to perform good actions, stay away from the forbidden actions and stop at the doubtful matters. All of this is perfected upon two matters:

Actions must be done correctly, according to the teachings of Islam, and seeking the Pleasure of Allah, Almighty.

 

Fudayl Ibn `Iyaadh  said about the saying of Allah (which means): "He who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed.”[Quran 67: 2]

 

Who is sincere and correct in it? If the action is sincere and incorrect, then it is not accepted. Likewise if it is correct and not sincere then it is not accepted. It is only accepted when it is both sincere and correct. It is sincere when it is for the sake of Allah, and correct when it is done according to the teachings of Islam. -islamweb.net

Writing biography and autobiography

 Question

Can a Muslim write a biography and publish it? I am asking this as the Hadiths is a biography of our beloved prophet(sallallah alaihi wa sallam), and similarly any other Muslim can write his life details? Although there is one issue here, since anything done when you are alone is known only to the Almighty Allah and HE alone can condone or condemn it unless one has also informed others about it. I think such issues need not be included in the biography of a Muslim?

 Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  is His Slave and Messenger.

It is permissible for the Muslim to write the biography of someone and publish it in a book. However, if this person is still alive, he should ask his permission because this matter is related to him and is his own right. Moreover, one should make sure about the information he is going to write. Also, he should avoid writing things which might be disliked by the owner of the biography, since mentioning something which he dislikes is considered backbiting, even if it exists in him, as stated in the Hadeeth of the Prophet .

Moreover, there is no harm if the Muslim writes something about his personal life, for some of the righteous predecessors did so. For instance, Imaam Ash-Shaafi’i  talked about his journey, which was later reported by his student Ar-Rabee’ (Ibn Sulayman) . Also, As-Suyooti  wrote his autobiography in his book “Al-Muhadharah” and so did some of the contemporary scholars.

However, it is not permissible for the Muslim to mention the sins he committed, since the Muslim is religiously required to cover up his sins. This is an obligation. It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah  that the Prophet  said: "All members of my Ummah will be forgiven except those who expose their wrongdoings. An example of this is that of a man who commits a sin at night and Allah Conceals it; however, in the morning, he would say (to people), ‘O so-and-so, I did such-and-such yesterday.' Thus, at night Allah Conceals his sin but in the morning he exposes himself.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Allah Knows best.

-islamweb.net

There is no specific supplication for every round of Tawaaf

Question

 

At every TAWAF we have to say diffrent doas

Answer

 

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  is His slave and Messenger.

Supplicating is desirable during Tawaf but it is not an obligation. Also, it is desirable for a person performing Tawaf to supplicate with any legislated supplication and there is no difference in this regard between one round and another.

So, it is not an obligation to say a given supplication in every round of the rounds of Tawaaf. Ibn ‘Uthaymeen  said: “It is not reported from the Prophet  during Tawaf that he used to say a specific supplication in every round (of the rounds of Tawaf).”

Furthermore, Ibn Taymiyyah  said: “There is no specific mention of Allah in Tawaf that was reported from the Prophet; he did not order this, say this or teach this; rather, he used to say any of the legislated supplications in Tawaf.”

 

Allah Knows best.

-islamweb.net

Offering Udh-hiyah and Fasting the First Nine Days of Thul-Hijjah

Question:

A woman wants to offer a sacrificial animal as Udh-hiyah but she cannot fast the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah fully. However, she can fast the last three days. Will her sacrifice be acceptable without fasting all the ten days?

Fatwa:

 

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  is His Slave and Messenger.

 

It is recommended to fast the first nine days of the month of Thul-Hijjah (not ten since the 10th is ‘Eed) based on the general evidences that recommend doing righteous deeds during the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah. However, fasting the first nine days is not a precondition for offering the Udh-hiyah, with no controversy amongst the scholars on this issue. Therefore, it is permissible to offer the Udh-hiyah without fasting any of those days. This is so because there is no relation between offering Udh-hiyah and fasting the first nine days of the month of Thul-Hijjah.

 

Allah Knows best.

-islamweb.net

Fasting in Muharram

Question:

The Prophet  said: "Whoever fasts one day in the sacred month Allah will grant him the reward of thirty days for every day."  Is this Hadeeth authentic? And how many days do we fast in Muharram?  

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

At-Tabarani  reported that Ibn 'Abbas  narrated that the Prophet  said: "Whoever fasts one day during the month of Muharram will get a reward of fasting 30 days." This is a fabricated narration as Shaykh Al-Albani  classified it.

However, what is confirmed regarding the excellence of fasting during the month of Muharram is what is reported by Imam Muslim  that the Prophet  said: "The best fasting after the month of Ramadan is during the month of Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the optional night prayer."

There are other narrations that encourage fasting during all the sacred months (i.e. Rajab, Thul-Qi'dah, Thul-Hijjah, Muharram).

As regards how many days we fast in Muharram, it is recommendable to fast the whole of Allah's month Muharram for the aforementioned Hadeeth narrated by Muslim .

However, if it is difficult to fast the full month, the person can fast the tenth day of Muharram (the day of ‘Aashooraa').

There are three ways of fasting it:

1) This one is more perfect: fasting the tenth of Muharram, the day before it and the day after it.

2) Fasting the tenth of Muharram and the day before it (or the day after it).

3) Fasting the tenth of Muharram only.

Allah Knows best.

-islamweb.net

CHAPTER 82, AL-INFITAR (THE SPLITTING)

Introduction

This short chapter of nineteen verses was revealed in Mecca and it is named from the word in the first verse, infitarat, which means to split or cleave asunder.  Chapter 81 was revealed around the same time and both chapters are closely associated.  Their subject matter is similar and together they give a very clear vision of the Last Day.  Meccan chapters tend to focus on the basics of Islam predominantly the Oneness of God and the inevitability of the Day of Judgment.  Accordingly, this chapter deals with humankind’s ingratitude, and failure to acknowledge the Day of Judgment. 

Verses 1 – 3 A Powerful Event

On the Day of Judgment, the skies will be spilt apart, the stars will be flung across the universe, and the seas and oceans will burst forth as if the wall of a dam has broken.  A violent change will devastate the universe, and the perfect system that God had set in place will no longer be operational.  How exactly this fierce upheaval will take place is known only to God but we can use our knowledge of the universe to imagine scenarios, each one more terrifying than the other.  If the oceans explode it might mean that they are reduced to their component parts oxygen and hydrogen.  In gas form, this would be a fearful explosion more destructive than the nuclear devices we so fear today.  The oceans would be set ablaze as described in the previous chapter.  What we thought to be permanent will no longer exist in any form that we know or imagine.

Verses 4 – 5 The Resurrection

The graves will be turned inside out, the contents exposed and scattered about.  This might be as a result of the turmoil mentioned in the first three verses or it might be a separate event.  The people are hurled out of their graves, resurrected to stand up and face the promised reckoning.  Every soul there will be faced with what it has done and what it has left undone.  This upheaval is not the end of the matter for some will face consequences even more terrifying than the events that have just taken place.

Verses 6 – 8 A Wonderful Creation

God remonstrates with humankind asking what it is that lures them away from Him.  God reminds them that it was He who created them, shaped them and proportioned them.  What is it God is asking that prevents you from fulfilling your obligations to Him.  He has been gracious and generous towards you, raising you above all of creation.   God has assembled humankind and carefully balanced the physical, mental and spiritual aspects.  People should ponder their amazing bodies and minds and this alone should prompt them to show gratitude and respect to God.

Verses 9 – 12 Recording Angels

Instead of pondering the generosity God has shown to you by creating you, you spend your time denying the Resurrection.  If you thought about what God has already created, you would not doubt that He could easily destroy His work and resurrect it again.   You deny the Day of Judgement but you will certainly face it.  There are guardians watching over you and everything you do in this life will be counted and recorded.  Nothing will be left out by the noble angels accompanying you by day and by night.

Verses 13 – 16 Righteous or Wicked?

The righteous will live in gardens of bliss while the wicked will burn in the fire.  The end is certain.  The righteous person, he or she who consistently does good deeds of all kinds, will have a good end, blissful happiness.  By contrast, the ones who are impudent and insolent will find themselves in Hell.  That is the recompense for wickedness.  Everyone will enter their abode on the Day of Judgment.  The destiny of every person has been determined based on the recordings of the noble angels.  No one is able to escape from their determined destiny nor can they leave it for even a little while.

Verses 17 -19 Consequences

God asks the rhetorical question; just what is it that will make you understand what the Day of Judgment is? And for emphasis He repeats the question a second time.  This rhetorical style is used often in the Quran.  It suggests that the matter under discussion is very difficult to understand for those who do not think, ponder and look for meaning in God’s signs.  God is asking how He can make you understand, what more can He say to convince you that this world is not for play and pleasant pastimes.  Everything you do has consequences in this life and the next. 

As if to give every person one final chance, God tells us that the Day of Judgment is a day in which no person can help another person.  You cannot look to your family for help; you can rely only on the recordings of the noble angels.  The Day of Judgment is something you cannot ignore; it is only the ignorant and conceited who try to do that.  Here God is giving everyone a vivid description of what will happen.  Change your ways before it is too late because on that Day everybody stands alone and it is God who reigns supreme, all the power is with Him.  The chapter closes and leaves the reader with a feeling of fear and expectation. -islamreligion.com