Assalamu Alaikum

Insha Allah we are going to be back in business soon…so watch this space. I apologise for the long silence! Here are some Da’wah courses taking place up and down the country…please do register and benefit:

http://www.missiondawah.com/training.html

Radio Phone-in Scenarios

Assalamu Alaikum Sisters. Here are some of the Scenarios we looked at last week in groups. We discussed if in each of these scenarios we could think of ways to remove a misconception or promote something good…sisters discussed and then jotted down points they would make if they took part in the phone-in and we discussed the best ways to respond and present the Islamic solution or viewpoint on each issue.

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 Scenario 1: Marriage and staying chaste

The Presenter is saying: “Is there any point in staying a virgin until you’re married? Most of us lose our virginity before we get married and it’s usually a pretty dire experience – one we’d rather forget. Isn’t marriage only a way of controlling and tying down women? What’s the point in getting married? So many end in divorce anyway!”

 Scenario 2: Muslims, the enemy within

The Presenter is saying: What is it with some of the Muslims in this country that’s radicalising them? I mean some of these people attempting to bomb our airports are educated people! Doctors! How on earth do they get brainwashed like this to try and kill innocent people and take their own lives? What can the government do to root out this sort of brainwashing?

Scenario 3: Ban Muslim schools.

The Presenter is saying: Faith-based schools should be banned. They create division in society and stop us from seeing each other as fellow human-beings. The schools will create brainwashed young people who don’t feel part of our society and lead them to extremism and even terrorism because they teach the superiority of one people over another! Ban Muslim schools and other faith-based schools!

Scenario 4: Face-veils.

The Presenter is saying: “If you cover your face, you’re telling me that you want nothing to do with me. You don’t want anything to do with society. How will you ever integrate if you cover your face all the time? How do we know that the men aren’t forcing these women to live in this way? And what about the fact that anyone can hide dressed like that and be a security risk?

Scenario 5: Shari’ah Law

The presenter is reporting that Muslims seem to be trying to impose Shari’ah Law on our country. Why are there Shari’ah courts running in this country? There should only be one set of courts for all. Do we really want to see the people who think it’s OK to chop limbs off people and stone women for adultery have their laws implemented in this country? Close down the Shari’ah courts!

Scenario 6: Capital punishment

The Presenter is reporting a terrible case of a man who raped and abused a woman and a child before killing them. He is saying,”it’s times like this when you think…maybe we should have capital punishment…but capital punishment doesn’t seem to work anyway. Just look at Americas high crime rate…it hasn’t helped them. Do you believe in a life for a life? What’s the proof that it is a deterrent?

Scenario 7: Youth Crime

The Presenter is saying: What is causing the youth of this country to go mad. Why are so many killing or willing to kill each other? Why are there so many ASBOS, hoodies and yobs? What is the answer…tougher sentencing? Why do youth not seem to be motivated to do anything but be part of gang?

Scenario 8: Irrational Religion

A Jehovah’s Witness has died in hospital after giving birth to twins because she lost a lot of blood and refused to have a blood transfusion. JWs believe that the Bible prohibits eating blood and that this includes the storage and transfusion of blood. Listeners are commenting that Religions are all man-made and irrational, how cruel to deny those children a mother.

Hadeeth (9) Obligations are according to Ability

By Hanan Basher

On the authority of Abu Hurairah ‘Abd-ur-Rahmaan ibn Sakhr (radiAllaahu ‘anhu) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayi wa sallam) say: “What I have forbidden for you, avoid. What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can. For verily, it was only the excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets that destroyed [the nations] who were before you”. [Related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         In this hadith we discussed two issues:

1. Obligations in Islam
2. Questioning

Obligations in Islam:

• Rulings in Islam fall under one of five categories: Fard (obligatoryl), Sunnah (recommended), Mubah (permissible), Makrooh (disliked) & Haram (forbidden).

a)     In general: matters of the dunya (this life) are halal unless there’s evidence to the contrary and matters of the deen (worship of Allah) are haram unless there is evidence to the contrary.

 

• This hadith is a clear order from the Prophet to avoid ALL that he has forbidden.

 

a)     All that has been forbidden by the Shariah is so because of the haram it brings even if there’s a perceived benefit e.g. Alcohol

b)    For a matter to be classified as makrooh (disliked) should be enough for a believer to avoid for the sake of Allah and gain reward in doing so.

c)     Not doing something is easier than actively doing something and this an example when Allah does not burden us beyond our capabilities in ordering us to leave all that has been prohibited. 

 

• However, we have been ordered to fulfil the obligations according to our abilities e.g. the Prayer of one who is unable pray standing then he is allowed to pray sitting. In the case of removing evil, then if one is not able to remove it entirely then they remove what they can.

Questioning

• Imam Nawawi in his explanation classified questions into three categories: 

 

a)     Asking about religious obligations such the prayer, fasting, etc. This is an individual obligatory (fard ayn); how can we worship Allah without this knowledge. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim. Here knowledge refers to Islamic knowledge.

b)    Asking not just to act but also to know of a matters e.g. the scholars and judges. This is a communal obligation (fard kifayah); if some of the community has this knowledge it suffices the rest.

c)     To ask about what Allah has not obligated upon a person or others and that is what the hadith referring to in terms of excessive questioning.

What did you learn?

Share the benefits you gained.

How about listening to this lecture by Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki on Seeking Knowledge

http://www.islamictube.net/watch/e496be8b1b701e540d56/Seeking-knowledge

Women & Da’wah Course Part 1

Assalamu Alaikum Sisters

We have been studying the material for the Women & Da’wah Course (A Da’wah course for Sisters who are new to da’wah). These are the Power Point slides we studied this week (without the notes)…just a memory jogger.

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Radio Phone-in Da’wah

Last Thursday we began looking at the subject of Da’wah and Radio Phone-in shows in particular.
Next week we will insha Allah look as some real-life radio scenarios and how we could contribute to radio discussions in the scenarios we look at.

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Why come to the Halaqah?

Here is an article I found in the new issue of SISTERS Magazine…by Sister Fahmeeda Gill.

See you next Thursday insha Allah

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http://www.sisters-magazine.com/

From forging a sense of community to providing an iman boost, the benefits of attending a weekly halaqah are many. Fahmeeda Gill shares seven good reasons to get you out of your house on the path of knowledge.

When was the last time you attended an Islamic talk or listened to a khutbah? In many areas, mosques are not even accessible to women, while children and childcare may make some courses out of your reach. Learning is still an obligation on every Muslim, and your weekly sisters’ halaqa may be your solution and inspiration.

The Arabic word ‘halaqah’ means a ring and it is used to refer to a circle of Islamic knowledge. Historically, the transmission of knowledge usually took place in the masjids, a practice that can be traced back to the Prophet (S). This tradition was preserved by the Companions (RA) and their successors and scholars throughout the history of Islam up until the present day.

Many ahadith extol the virtues of halaqahs as well as the etiquettes that should be observed. Moreover, this has been one of the main ways in which women learned about Islam from the outset. As a hadith tells us: “A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (S) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, the men have taken all your time; give us a day when we can come to you and you can teach us what Allah has taught you.’ He said, ‘Gather together on such and such a day in such and such a place.’ So they gathered and the Messenger of Allah (S) came to them and taught them what Allah had taught him” (Bukhari and Muslim).

If that is not enough, here are 7 more reasons to inspire you:

1. Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim: How much time do you set aside for learning the deen? For most of us, life is a blur of work and/or studies, family, housework, salah, some Qur’an and the odd talk. There are ample opportunities to learn about Islam via the internet or Islamic books. However, these methods are not an adequate substitute for attending a halaqah. Alone, you are more vulnerable to the ploys of shaytan, not least of which is procrastination in the face of other “more pressing” priorities. In addition, when leaving your home to learn, you are rewarded for every step you take in the pursuit of knowledge.

2. Benefitting from the blessings of the circles of knowledge: “Whenever some people gather in one of Allah’s houses(mosques) to recite the book of Allah and study it among themselves – then calmness (tranquillity) descends upon them, the angels surround them, mercy covers them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with him” (Muslim). Subhanallah, how many of us are striving to benefit from this hadith?

3. Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil: The Prophet (S) said, “By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, you either enjoin good and forbid evil, or Allah will certainly soon send His punishment onto you. Then you will make supplication and it will not be accepted” (At-Tirmidhi). This duty is incumbent upon all of us especially given the trials we are witnessing at present. Most of us may revile what we see in our hearts, but feel ill-equipped to challenge and make a change. Attending a halaqah will give you both the knowledge and confidence to make a difference – and to do so with wisdom.

4. Forging a sense of sisterhood: A hadith tells us that on the day of Judgement, seven groups of people will be under the shade of the throne of Allah. Among them will be “two (people) who love each other for the sake of Allah, meeting and parting for that reason alone…” (Bukhari). Halaqas are a wonderful way to get to know and to love your sisters in Islam.

5. Akhlaq and Self-Discipline: Instead of fitting your life around deen, you will learn to organise your life around your commitment to the deen in general and learning in particular. This can enable you to develop a positive competitive spirit towards learning. Group activities encourage you to learn and observe the etiquettes of gatherings, to interact with different personalities and to encourage only positive speech.

6. Iman Rush: As you establish the commitment to attending and take your learning seriously, taking notes etc. you will immediately feel your iman is boosted. Just being in the company of other righteous sisters can inspire and humble you and make you grateful for the favours of Allah (SWT).
7. Most beloved deeds by Allah: “The Prophet (S) told us that these are the most regular constant deeds even though they are few (Bukhari). It is hard to sustain our efforts to learn consistently and we tend to have periods of activity and long periods of inactivity unless we are incredibly self-disciplined. Even if we multi-task, listen to talks or Qur’an as we cook, we still hit blips or have interruptions. A weekly halaqah offers a regular space for you to learn at a steady pace and this knowledge can be reinforced by immediately sharing what you learn with your family.

What are you waiting for? I am praying to Allah (SWT) that you will now be motivated to get to your local halaqah or, if you are homebound, to find an online halaqah.

Salah and its importance

 

 

Assalamu Alaikum Sisters

Since we covered the Israa and Mi’raj story in which Salah five times a day was made obligatory, the topic this week was: Salah and its importance. Here are some ahadeeth about Salah…the notes are adapted from AlKauthar institute notes from the course ‘Drops of Dew’ (About An-Nawawi’s 40 ahadeeth).

We shared stories and discussed ways of bringing relatives and friends around to establishing prayer and reflected on the importance of the prayer being established if there is to be any true Islamic revival.

We also read some of the ahadeeth regarding the reward for prayer.

 

 

The importance of Salah

Establishing the Prayer

 

 

The meaning of establishing the Prayer

Establishing the prayer entails performance of the prayer to the best of one’s ability by praying it at

the regular times and without shortcomings in its pillars and conditions. It must also be upon the

Sunnah of Rasulullah.

 

Leaving the prayer

• If someone believes that it is not obligatory, then it is complete disbelief by consensus.

• If someone leaves it due to laziness or without a valid reason, then it is disbelief according to the stronger opinion.

(According to Hanbalis it is Kufr and according to the other madhahib it is a major sin)

 

Proofs

 

Aayaat

 

So if they repent and establish the prayer and pay the zakat, then they are your brothers in the religion. [AtTauba: 11]

So if they repent and establish the prayer and pay the zakat, then they are your brothers in the religion. [AtTauba: 11]

 

Ahadeeth

 

Verily, between a man and Shirk and Kufr is the abandonment of the prayer. [Muslim]	Do not leave the prayer intentionally, for he who leaves it intentionally then he has removed from himself the protection of Allah and His Messenger. [Ahmed]
The covenant that is between us and them is the prayer, so whoever leaves it, then he has disbelieved. [Ahmed and Abu Dawud]	Whoever leaves the Asr prayer then his actions have become invalid. [AlBukhari]
There will be leaders. You will know them but despise them. They (the companions) said: So shouldn’t we fight them? He said: Not as long as they pray. [Muslim]	The first matter of the slave to be judged will be the prayer. Allah will look at his prayers. If they are good then the rest of his actions are fine and acceptable. However if they are ruined, then the rest of his actions will also be ruined. [AtTabarani]
From Ubadah bin Saamit radiallahu anhu: The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam called us and so we gave him our covenant. From those things that he took our oath upon – and that we do not struggle to remove a person of authority from his position. He said: Except if we see from him a clear and open kufr, in which is a clear excuse for you with Allah. [Agreed upon]	From Abdullah bin Shaqeeq: The companions of Rasulullah did not used to consider the leaving of any action to be disbelief except for prayer. [AlHakim]
Whoever prays our prayer and faces our Qiblah and eats from our slaughter, then that is a Muslim upon whom is the protection of Allah and His Messenger. [Muslim]	Important note: There is a difference between passing a ruling of kufr on the specific [Fatwa] as against the general [Hukm] . So just because leaving prayer is disbelief, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a particular person who is not praying is a disbeliever.

Hadeeth 8: Sanctity of a Muslim

This is a summary by Sister Hanan for her session last Thursday:

Forty Nawawi Hadiths

8^th Hadith: Sanctity of a Muslim.

Last Thursday we went through the follwoing hadith in great detail.

The Abdullah bin Omar narrated that the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

“I have been ordered to fight against people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and until they perform the prayers and pay the zakat, and if they do so they will have gained protection from me for their lives and property, unless [they do acts that are punishable] in accordance with Islam, and their reckoning will be with Allah the Almighty.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

We had come across the narrator of this hadith before in hadith number 3.  In brief, Abdullah bin Omar is the son of Omar bin Al-khatab, the second khalifat (head of the Islamic state after the death of the Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him). Abdullah accepted Islam with his father at a young age. He participated in many battles except Badr as he was too young at the time. He was known for his knowledge and piety. He lived up to his 80s.

The main points I took were:

1.     The Prophet (peace be upon him) is speaking as the head of the state. No individual has the right to implement any punishments on to others.

2.     Establishing prayer and paying the zakat are vital to the religion of Islam as they have been set by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the criteria to tell the Muslim from the non-Muslim.

3.       We can only judge by the apparent and what in the heart is between the person and Allah. However much one claims to be a believer, their actions have to conform to Islamic practices for them to be a Muslim

There are many lessons to be learned from this hadith. To refresh your memory, do check www.islaam.net which includes explanations of the Nawawi Hadiths. Make sure you share your thoughts, may Allah benefit us and you through them.  

We had touched at the halaqa about the concept of Jihad. Why not read the article on Jihad, under frequently asked questions, at www.whyislam.org?

In-sha’allah, see you at the next session.

Wassalm,

Your sister Hanan

Before the Hijrah: Al Israa and al-Mi’raj

In the last couple of weeks we looked at the following:

• What inspired such patience and perseverance in the early Muslims?

Please read the following extract from the Biography of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtoom (The sealed nectar) by Dr Azizur Rahman Mubarakpuri:

Factors inspiring Patience and Perseverance in the Muslims

We also looked at the story of the Israa and Mi’raj. Here are some of the benefits we discussed:

Some of the benefits we derived in the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) experiencing the Israa and Mi’raj

1.To invigorate the morale of the Prophet after the death of Abu Talib and Khadijah. Lowest point was Ta’if. Allah gives him a miracle that is only specific to him to show him his status.
This gave him peace of mind.

2.Give him an extremely high level of Iman: we discussed ‘Ilmul Yaqeen and ‘Ainul Yaqeen (Certainty reached through knowledge of something and Certainty reached through actually seeing and experiencing something)

3.Shows us the courage of the Prophet – his heart cleansed to fortify it and make it stronger.

4. To show the status of Baitus Maqdis…holiest of places after Makkah and Madinah…going there is a blessing, praying there is a blessing…the land is blessed.

5. To emphasise that every Prophet came with Islam and the Prophet Muhammad’s message (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the final & perfect ‘version’ of the same message from the same source.

6. Symbolism of the Prophet choosing milk over wine – a sign of purity of Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) & his Ummah.

Milk: drawn from Animal and is a type of food: food and liquid together. It is pure.

Wine: has to be fermented (spoiled) and its taste is not naturally pleasing to human beings, people accustom themselves to the taste of wine.

7. The status and importance of the Salah

8. The power of Allah

9.We are given a glimpse of the vastness of His creation: the heavens and all they contain.

10. The status of Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) is established as As-Siddeeq

Insha Allah next week we will look at the importance and status of the Salah.

Mountains of Makkah

Since we have been looking at the Seerah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, I thought the words of this Nasheed were apt.