Friendship of the Student of Knowledge

   Each of you has certain rights upon his brother.You should fulfill his needs, and this is of levels. The least is that you gladly fulfill his needs when you are able and he asks you. Better than this is that you fulfill them before he even asks you, and better than all of this is that you put his needs before your own.

You should remain silent regarding him at times, and speak at times. As for your silence, you should be quiet about his faults, both in his presence and absence. You should not argue or dispute with him, and shouldn’t ask him about personal things that he wouldn’t want to reveal. If you happen to see him somewhere, don’t ask where he is going, as it might be that he doesn’t want anyone to know. Don’t reveal his secrets, even if you fall into a feud afterwards. Also, don’t insult his friends and family, and don’t inform him if others happen to insult him.

Don’t say anything that could annoy him except if this involves something that must be said, such as commanding the good or forbidding the evil, as this would actually be a way of being good to him.

And know that you will never find a friend who is completely free of faults. Instead, look for someone whose good qualities outweigh his bad. Once you are stricter in judging people than you are in judging yourself, you fall into Allah’s Saying:

{“Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, demand full measure, and when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than their due.”}1

And know that one of the greatest means by which hatred and envy come between two brothers is useless argumentation. This leads to nothing but each side trying to show itself as being better and smarter than the other, belittling the other, etc. And he who picks arguments with his brother has essentially made him out to be stupid, low, heedless, and incompetent, and all of this is considered belittlement. This inflames the heart and makes one person hate the other, and this is all contradictory to what brotherhood is all about.

The rights of brotherhood also entail that you say certain things. Just as you have to remain silent from saying what you shouldn’t say, you should also say what should be said. In fact, this is from the most particular rights of brotherhood, because the one who wants to befriend the mute can go to the graveyard. The point of brotherhood is that you benefit from your brother, not that you are relieved of him. So, you should strengthen your ties of brotherhood with words by asking about him, asking how things are going, let him know that you are concerned about him, and be happy with what makes him happy.

You should refer to him in the best light and praise him to others for the good that you know of him. You should also speak well of his family, children, actions – even his character, intellect, appearance, personality – and everything that can make him happy without going into extremes or saying what is untrue. Likewise, you should inform him if someone says something good about him while showing him that you are happy about this, as to hide such joy is tantamount to envy.

You should thank him for anything he does for you, and defend him in his absence if he is mentioned in a bad light, as the right between brothers is that they rush to defend and assist one another.

You should teach and advise him, as your brother’s need for knowledge is not any less than his need for money. So, if you have been blessed with a wealth of knowledge, distribute it and guide him.

And you should advise him in secret, and the difference between advising and condemning is whether you do it in public or private. Likewise, the difference between ignoring the fault of your brother and compromising with him is all in the purpose of doing so. So, if you ignore his fault for the sake of a religious benefit, or you see that this will lead to his long-term benefit, you are not compromising. If you put aside his fault for your own personal benefit, you are compromising.

You should supplicate for your brother during his life and after his death for everything you want for yourself. Abu ad-Darda’ (may Allah be Pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The supplication of a Muslim man for his brother in his absence is accepted, and there is an Angel appointed for each supplication of a man for his brother with good who says: ‘Allah, accept it, and give him the same that he asks for his friend,’”2 and Abu ad-Darda’ used to supplicate for many of his brothers, mentioning them by name in his supplications. Likewise, Ahmad bin Hambal used to supplicate at dawn for six specific individuals.

You should make a pact to love your brother until death, and to love his family and friends after his death. You should also not stop being humble with him even if you end up exceeding him in wealth and status. From the implications of this pact is also that you do not listen to criticism of your friend from others, and that you do not befriend his enemies.

You should also not task him with what he cannot bear. Rather, you should try to relieve him of his own concerns and pressures, and should not use his friendship to get to his wealth or resources, and should not pressure him to go out of his way to help you. Rather, your love of him should only be for Allah’s Pleasure and to deal with him in an easygoing and reserved manner, so that he would not hesitate to ask of you what you would ask of him.

Ja’far bin Muhammad said: “The most difficult friends are those who are a burden on me and I try to avoid, and the easiest of friends are those whose presence is just as burdensome as their absence (i.e. they are not at all burdensome).”3

So, the student of knowledge should be sure to avoid those who should not be befriended in order to preserve his time and protect his heart. He should choose the friend who will help him in the matters of his religion and the Hereafter, and al-Khawarizmi (may Allah have Mercy on him) said:

Do not befriend one who is lazy * How many righteous people have been corrupted by the corrupt?

The steadfast are quickly infected by the lazy * And burning coals simmer down when thrown into ashes.

 

Footnotes:

1 al-Mutaffifin; 2-3

2 ‘Sahih al-Adab al-Mufrad’ (487) and ‘Sahih Ibn Majah’ (2358)

3 ‘Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin’ (p. 126-132)

Source: The Manners of the Knowledge Seeker – Abu Abdillaah Muhammad Sa’eed Raslaan

What can he see, before he marries me?

  Shaykh Abdul-Azeez ibn Baaz
Reference: Fatawah Noor `ala ad Darb
Category: Women's Matters

Ibn Qudaamah said:
"Whoever desires to marry a woman then it is permissible for him to look at her without being alone with her. We don't know any differing amongst the people of knowledge regarding the permissibility of looking at the woman intended for marriage based upon the Hadeeth of Jaabir Ibn `Abdullaah that the Messenger, May the Salat and Salaam of Allaah be upon him, said:
"If one of you proposes to a woman and he has the ability to look at her, then he should do so"
For the Prophet ordered us to look and it was left general.

Imaam Ahmad said:
"He is to look at her face and this is not to be done lustfully or out of pleasure. He has the right to look more than once and to observe her beauty because the goal cannot be achieved except through this."

So there is no difference of opinion amongst the `Ulamaa in reference to the permissibility of looking at the face of the woman, and that is because the face is not `Awrah, rather is the place where her beauty is gathered and it is not permissible for him to look at what normally shows of the woman. There is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars regarding other than the face like the hands and the feet and other than this which the woman would display normally.

The first: It is not permissible to look at because it is considered her to be her `Awrah just like the other parts of the body due to the Hadeeth of `Abdullaaah Ibn Mas'ood where the prophet said:"All of the woman is `Awrah."

This Hadeeth is Hassan. For the necessity of looking at anything else is removed by looking at the face and everything else remains in its legislative
origin of impressibility.

The Second: It is permissible to look at other than the face just as Imaam Ahmad said: "There is nothing wrong with looking at her face and at what
will encourage him to marry her whether it is the hand or what normally shows and the likes of this."

Imaam Shafi'ee said:
"He is to look at her face and hands." Then he mentioned the story of `Umar Ibn Al Khataab when he proposed to the daughter of `Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Umm Kulthum). `Ali sent her to `Umar for him to look at her and `Umar was pleased with what he saw and as she was walking away `Umar looked at her shin and she said to him: "If it wasn't for the fact that you were the Leader of the Believers I would hit you in both of your eyes!"
Al Mughni Vol.7 P.453

Imaam An Nawwawi said after mentioning the Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah where he said:

"I was with the Messenger of Allaah when a man came to him and said: "I married a woman from the Ansaar" so the Prophet said to him: "Did you look at her? For indeed there is something in the eyes of the women of the Ansar."
"In this Hadeeth is a recommendation to look at the face of the woman that is intended for marriage. This is our Mathhab (as Imaam An Nawwawi followed the Mathhab of Imaam Ash Shafi'ee) and it is the Mathhab of Imaam Malik, Abu Haneefah and the rest of the scholars from Kufah (Iraq), Imaam Ahmad and the great majority of the `Ulamaa, that it is permissible to look at the face and hands only because they are not her `Awrah and because the face points to her beauty and it's opposite and the hands point to the richness of her shin or otherwise. This is the Mathhab of the great majority of scholars.

Imaam Al Awzaa'ee said:
"It is permissible for him to look at her without her (over) garment."

Dawud (Adh Dhahiri) said:
"He can look at all of her body."

This is a clear misconception and it is in opposition to the foundations of the Sunnah and the Consensus (of the `Ulamaa) and in opposition to our Mathhab and that of Maalik, Ahmad and the Jamhoor (great majority of the scholars)" Sarh Sahih Muslim Vol.9 P.214

Ibn Rushd said:
"As for looking at the woman at the time of proposal of marriage then Imaam Malik says it is permissible to look at the face and the two hands only, and Abu Haneefah said the feet the face and the hands as Allaah says:

"And not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (i.e. eyes and hands)" (24: 31)
Bidayah tul Mujtahid Vol. 2 P.114

Shaykh Saaleh Al Fawzaan said:

"It is permissible for the man who desires to propose to a woman to look at her with three conditions:

The First: He is almost positive that he is going to marry her;

The Second: He is to look at what is not considered to be her `Awrah, that which is normally apparent;

The Third: This all being done without being in seclusion or alone with her. Based upon the statement of the
Messenger: "If one of you proposes to a woman and he has the ability to see what will encourage him to marry her then he should do so" Sharh Zaad ul Mustaqni' Vol.3 P.4383

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saaleh Al `Uthaymeen was asked:
I am not married but if a pilgrim arrives at Saudi Arabia and he performs the Hajj, is it permissible afterwards for him to look at the woman he has proposed to and wants to settle a contract of marriage with? Is it permissible if I give her half of the dowry but we have not concluded the contract? We desire some clarity from you may Allaah give you success.

The Shaykh replied: Looking at the woman intended for marriage is permissible with the conditions that:

Firstly: You don't seclude yourself with her, meaning you are not to be alone with her in a place where there is no one other than the two of you;

Secondly: That there is no Fitnah involved;

Thirdly: You looking at her is not to be lustfully nor out of desire;

Fourthly: You are almost positive that she is going to marry you because sitting with her and talking frivolously to her is not permissible, for in that case there is nothing necessitating him to look at her. For there is reason behind looking which is to cause harmony and accord between the two and for him to ultimately marry her based upon sound desire. But just sitting with her and talking to her or to be alone with her then this is not permissible.

Translator: Shadeed Muhammad, Abu Az-Zubayr

واسع المغفره [ vasт fоrgiνεиεss ]

The empty sighs of the downcast servant

drift among the waves

sunset taking with it any remnants

of possible reprieve

Turbulent thoughts rent asunder

amidst the shambles of mental ruin

faint elucidations fail to simplify

the tears begotten by a complex cry

Grotesque possibilities endless

happy dreams limited in quantity

few and far in between

treasured when finally seen

Golden words etched lovingly to memory

greatly valued and held on to dearly

whispered hopefully in the darkness of life's treachery

"Indeed your Lord is of vast forgiveness"

profoundness to which we are witness

belittled deeds the source of tiny hope

A foothold, for in the darkness we will always grope

Alone in a crowded room, company forever evades

sweet solitude granting a chance at reflection

small talk a thing of the distant past

dialogue, a blotted imperfection

Oh tongue of mine, when will you behave?

I know not what to do with you

and the major sins are grave

Remember your Lord, so that we may be successful

perhaps He'll show us mercy, if we but try

To say that we are at all deserving

Would be an obscene lie

Countless are the sins we’ve sinned

Many are the mountains we’ve created

Vast as the foam of the sea

Yet our regret, always belated

 .



We are the norm.

She walks strange streets, her garments dragging behind her

Her eyes lowered to the ground

Furtive glances cast her way, comments made

She speaks not a sound.

Infuriated by the mystery they can’t answer

They seek to degrade what she stands for

They cannot comprehend how she walks their land

Standing strong for all they’ve come to abhor.

Unnerved, they attempt to rationalize

How dare she keep her body to herself?

They seethe inwardly.

Does she not realize how everyone else is dressed?

It would seem by default, she is deemed public property.

They say they are free, from exactly what, we are uncertain

From the reality of their own shadows they flee to this freedom

Unable to handle logic, they create their own parameters

Painting a colourful prison and calling it a kingdom

With the shackles of this world snugly in place

Laughing maniacally, dying to live happiness in some form

Hearts hardened to stone, but still dressed to impress

Cold to the touch, anything but warm

Fake smiles granted, disdain firmly planted

We don’t mind that they hate it

Hotly debated.

Don’t look at us as strange, for we are the norm.

Du'a for studying... Du'a for laziness

Finals are fast approaching (may Allah protect us all, sigh). Thought this would be beneficial for all the students and lazy people out there (as well as a combination of being a student and being lazy i.e. myself.). I am now on the hunt for a du'aa for procrastination.

Dua for when studying something difficult

اللهم لا سهل إلا ما جعلته سهلا أنت تجعل الحزن إذا ما شئت سهلا

Allahumma la sahla illaa ma ja-’altahu sahla wa anta taj ‘alu al hazana ithaa shi’ta sahla


O Allah ! Nothing is easy except what You have made easy. If You wish, You can make the difficult easy.


Dua for laziness among other things


اَللّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعِجْزِ ، وَالْكَسْلِ، وَالْجُبْنِ ، وَالْهَرَمِ ، وَالْبُخْلِ ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ   
                                         عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ.


Allâhumma innî acûdhu bika minal-ajzi wal-kasli wal-jubni wal-harami wal-bukhli, wa a'udhbika min adhabil qabri, wa a'udhubika fitnatil mahya walmamat.

O Allah, I seek refuge in You from weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, anxiety and sorrow, and I seek refuge in You from the torments of grave, and I seek refuge in You from the trials and tribulations of life and death.



The five categories of people who pray



The first: The category of the oppressor to himself, the negligent one, one who is deficient in performing ablution for it, negligent with its appointed time periods, its boundaries and its pillars.

The second: One who preserves it appointed time periods, its boundaries, its outward pillars and ablution for it. However, he forsakes striving against his own self from whisperings and thinking to himself, and so is preoccupied with whisperings and thoughts.

The third: One who preserves its appointed time periods, its pillars as well as strives against himself in repelling whisperings and distracting thoughts that overcome him, he is busy in striving against his enemy in order to prevent him from stealing his prayer, he is in prayer as well as Jihaad.

The fourth: One whom when he stands for prayer perfects its rights, its pillars and its boundaries. His heart is occupied with preserving its boundaries and preventing anything of it being lost, rather all his attention is directed to performing it as it should be, in its most complete and perfect form, his heart is occupied with the prayer and worshiping his Lord the Elevated with it.


The fifth: One who performs the prayer like the previous person, but in addition to this, he has taken his heart and presented it to his Lord. He looks at his Lord with his heart, fully concerned with Him, in utmost obedience out of love and reverence for Him, it is as if he sees and witnesses his Lord. All distracting thoughts and whisperings fade away and the veil between him and his Lord is removed. The difference between this person in his prayer and others, is greater and better than all that is between the heavens and earth, he is fully occupied and overjoyed with his Lord in his prayer.


The first category is punished, the second is held accountable, the third is pardoned, the fourth is rewarded and the fifth is brought close to his Lord, because he gains a portion of what made the prayer a delight to him. For whoever is delighted with his prayer in the life of this world, will be delighted by being close to his Lord in the afterlife as well as being delighted with his Lord in this life, and whoever is delighted with Allaah, everything would be delighted with him, and whoever is not delighted with Allaah the Elevated, his soul will be torn apart for the life of this world in loss.

It is narrated that when a servant stands for prayer, Allaah the Glorified says; “Remove the veil.”, and if the servant turns away He says: “Replace it.”

This ‘turning away’ has been explained as the turning of the heart away from Allaah the Mighty to other than Him. So if he turns away, the veil is replaced between him and his Lord and Shaytaan enters and presents worldly affairs to him, he shows them to him in the image of a woman. But if he turns with his heart to Allaah and does not turn away, Shaytaan would not be able to come between Allaah and that heart, he only enters if the veil is replaced. If he returns to Allaah the Elevated with his heart, the Shaytaan would escape, and if he turns away, the Shaytaan would return, such is his state with his enemy in prayer.


Ibn Qayyim
Al Waabil as Sayyib : Vol. 1 P. 138

Why we can't attach our feet in Salaah

Why we can't Attach Our Feet in Salaah  

Reference: Audio tape Author: Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdul Wahhaab al 'Aqeel






...and from it is the saying of Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, in a Sunnah from the Sunan of Salaat; and it is the spacing in the Salaat; that a Muslim stands beside his Muslim brother and attaches is feet, knees and shoulders to his brother without being excessive or negligent, as was legislated by the Messenger – صلى الله عليه وسلم – who said:
“You will straighten your lines or Allaah will separate between your hearts or faces.”

This is why when the hearts have become separated during this time, so did the feet. Why is it that we can’t attach our feet to each other’s feet? It is because our hearts are detached from one another, if our hearts were attached to one another, our feet would also be attached. This is why if a person who loves you and whom you love were to put his foot over yours, you would not get upset, you would not say; ‘why is he bothering me’, this is because your heart loves him. But because there is a detachment between you and him, you cannot stand that he attaches his foot to yours let alone that he puts his foot over yours.
This is why Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, when he describes his state at the time of the Messenger of Allaah – صلى الله عليه وسلم – and his state after that, he says; “At the time of the Messenger – صلى الله عليه وسلم – we would attach our feet to our brother’s feet, and our knees to our brother’s knees, and our shoulders to our brother’s shoulders, in obedience to the Messenger’s orders – صلى الله عليه وسلم - , but if we were to do so today, he would escape like an obstinate mule.”


By Allaah I saw with my own eyes here in Madeenah, a man wanted to attach his foot to his brother’s foot, by Allaah his brother cut his Salaat, he cut his Salaat and left the whole first line and went to the second line. He left the first line to escape this Sunnah, and the cause of this is ignorance, may Allaah preserve you. This is why we must teach the people the Sunnah of the Prophet – صلى الله عليه وسلم – because people are enemies to what they are ignorant of.

The 7 Levels of Hadeeth

There are seven levels of Hadeeth - Sheykh Ibn Uthaymeen-

1. A Hadeeth that was collected by both al Bukhaaree and Muslim.

2. A Hadeeth that was collected by al Bukhaaree but not by Muslim.

3. A Hadeeth that was collected by Muslim but not by al Bukhaaree.

4. A Hadeeth that is authentic according to the conditions of both al Bukhaaree and Muslim but was not collected by either of them.

5. A Hadeeth that is authentic according to the conditions of al Bukhaaree but was not collected by him.

6. A Hadeeth that is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim but was not collected by him.

7. A Hadeeth that is authentic according to the conditions of other scholars of Hadeeth who collected only authentic Ahaadeeth [such as Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibbaan in their Saheehs].

Publication:Endowing mankind with issues that Ibn-ul Qayyim heard from Shaykh ul-Islaam

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Who is Abu ‘Abdur Rahman Muhammad ‘Ajial?

ash Shaykh al ‘Allaamah Saaleh ibn Sa’d as Suhaymee.

All praise is due to Allaah and may the Salaat and Salaam be upon the Messenger of Allaah.
To proceed:

Indeed the brother, the Shaykh, Muhammad ‘Alee ‘Ajaal, who graduated from the faculty of Hadeeth in the Islaamic University of Madeenah, is one of the students of knowledge who are known to me for steadfastness, good mannerisms, sound methodology and keen upon seeking knowledge. He has exerted good efforts in calling to Allaah the Elevated, upon the methodology of the Salaf as Saaleh.
One should be keen upon sitting and benefiting from the likes of him by the permission of Allah.

Likewise I believe him to be so, and Allah is the One Who holds him to account, and I do not praise anyone over Allaah.
May Allaah grant all success to what He loves and is pleased with, and may the Salaat and Salaam be upon the Messenger of Allaah, his family and companions.

Dr. Saaleh ibn Sa’d as Suhaymee.
Lecturer at the Islaamic University of Madeenah.
Teacher at the Prophetic Masjid of Madeenah.
Dateless.


                    

Haste is From Shaytan Except in Five

                                                                               


Haatim al-Assam stated:

Haste is from the Shaytaan except in five cases:

1. Feeding the guest when he arrives.

2.Preparing the deceased when he dies.

3.Marrying off the virgin when she reaches the appropriate age.

4.Paying off the debt when its due.

5.Repenting from a sin when a sin is commited.

reference: Hilyat Al Awliyaa :8/78

source: http://www.subulassalaam.com/

“So and so is not from the Salafees”

Answered by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan



Question: May Allaah be good to you O esteemed Shaykh. This questioner states: “in recent times the following statement has become widely used, ‘so and so is not a Salafee’ or ‘he is not from The Salafees.’ Are these types of statements considered as tabdee’ (considering a person to be an innovator) and therefore it is a must that the evidence is established upon him?”



Response: By Allaah, I warn from using these types of nick names. All praise is due to Allaah, It is more befitting for the Muslim and more befitting for the students of knowledge…that they are all upon goodness, they are upon the belief of the Salaf. Some of them may have some deficiencies or some ignorance; however they are not to be exited from Salafiyyah.
This type of speech is not permissible. This type of speech is not permissible between brothers, between students of knowledge, between the children of the Muslims and in the countries of the Muslims - this is not permissible.

If you know of some point of contention with your brother, then you should advise him. As for saying, he is not from ‘The Salafees’ or ‘is not upon salafiyyah’…maybe you yourself do not yet know what salafiyyah is!
Some of them claim salafiyyah and yet they don’t know what it is...If you were to ask him what is salafiyyah and what does it mean, then he will not know. Yes.


source: madeenah.com