Praise belongs to God Who has made truth clearly distinct from error, who puts down innovation and innovators and raises high the Sunna of the Prophet, Peace be upon him, and the people who follow it. Praise belongs to God Who in every century inspires a group of scholarly people to defend the Way of the Prophet, Peace be upon him, from the distortions of the ignorant -- those who call the majority of Muslims mushrik (idolaters) and mubtadi` (innovators) and kafir (disbelievers), falsely claiming that they alone are saved. Salutations and greetings upon the Prophet, his Family, and his Companions who are the exemplars and guardians of the Sunna.
The reason for this book
This brief but excellent book by the Iraqi scholar al-Zahawi (1863-1936) is published in English for the first time, by Allah's grace, to give our Muslim brother in the West the necessary historical background on important questions of belief and methodology which are currently under attack from certain quarters of our Community. It is a companion volume to our two books entitled Islamic Doctrine and Beliefs According to Ahl al-Sunna 1.
Islam, in our understanding and that of the majority of Muslims, both scholars and non-scholars, is the Islam of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama`a -- The People of the Way of the Prophet and the Community of Muslims. Chief and foremost among them are the true Salaf of Islam: the Companions, the Successors, and their Successors according to the Prophet's sound hadith in Muslim: "The best century is my century, then the one following it, then the one following that." All the scholars understood by that hadith that the true Salaf were the models of human behavior and correct belief for us Muslims and for all mankind, that to follow them was to follow the Prophet, and that to follow the Prophet was to achieve salvation according to God's order: "Whoever obeys the Prophet obeys God" (4:80).
The Rulings of Ramadhan According to the Best of Mankind
Written by Abu Ammar
The Rulings of Ramadhan According to the Best of Mankind
by Abu Ammar
Content
1. Translator's Introduction
2. The Blessed Month of Ramadan
3. Fasting During Ramadan
4. Types of Fast
5. The Sighting of the New Moon (Hilal)
6. Things Disliked and Those Not Disliked Whilst Fasting
7. Things Which Invalidate The Fast But Do Not Require Atonement (Kaffarah)
8. Things Which Invalidate The Fast and Require Kaffarah
9. Those Not Obliged to Fast
10) The Recitation of the Quran and its Etiquettes (Adab)
11. Tarawih
12. The Number of Rak'ahs for Tarawih
13. Spiritual Retreat (I'tikaf)
14. Types of I'tikaf
15. The Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr)
16. The Descending of the Angels
17. Knowledge of Laylat al-Qadr
18. Witnessing Laylat al-Qadr
19. The Zakat of 'Eid al-Fitr
20. The Day of 'Eid al-Fitr
21. Description of The Prayer on 'Eid al-Fitr
22. The Mysteries of Fasting
23. Epilogue
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
All praise is due unto Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and Sustainer of each and every atom in existence. Exalted is He, above all that is associated with Him. There is none like unto Him, and He is the All Hearing, All Seeing. He is the Knower of the Innermost Secrets, and the most hidden thoughts of men. He is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth. And I bear witness that our master, the Beloved of Allah – Muhammad , is His servant and messenger. He was sent with the Religion of Truth to make it manifest over all other religions. He was sent as a witness, a bringer of glad tidings, a warner, a caller to Allah by His leave and as a luminous lamp. May the peace and blessings of Allah Most High be showered upon him, and upon his family, and upon his wives, and his companions one and all. And may the mercy of Allah be upon those who followed him of the Tabi'in and their students, and those who follow in their footsteps, biting onto their way with their molars.
To continue, this is a brief outline of the matters pertaining to the blessed month of Ramadan, its virtues and the rulings which Allah Most High has commanded us with. The rulings of Islamic Sacred Law (Fiqh) in this work are taken from the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence (Madhhab). This work has been compiled from Bada'i' al-Sana'i' by Imam al-Kasani and al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah – two major works of Hanafi fiqh. The Hanafi school, established by Imam Nu'man bin Thabit, more commonly known as Abu Hanifah (May Allah be well pleased with him) (d. A.H. 150), is one of the four schools of Islamic Orthodoxy (Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah) the other schools being the schools of Imam al-Shafi'i (d. A.H. 204), Imam Malik (d. A.H. 179) and Imam Ahmad (d. A.H. 241).
The rulings of a particular madhhab are changed and altered over time, as new evidence and understandings emerge, each time referring to the original principles (usul) by which the madhhab was laid down. Allah Most High commands us in the Quran:
Ask those who recall if you know not.
(Surat al-Nahl, Ayah 43)
It is this Divine Command that we follow when learning the shari'ah and passing its knowledge on to others, meaning that we return to what the classical scholars have adhered to, ultimately returning to the primary sources of shari'ah – the Quran and sunnah. May Allah reward all those who spent their time and resources on the translating and checking of this work.
May Allah increase them in Love for Allah and His Messenger , and grant them tawfiq seeking Allah alone. We pray that Allah Most High accepts our efforts, and that He grants us tawfiq to worship Him with sincerity and Ikhlas. And Allah Most High alone grants success.
And all praise is due unto Allah. Peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad , and upon his family and companions, one and all.
With Praise to Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala and Salaat-o-Salaam upon the Saviour of sinners, Ahmad-e Mujtaba, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim), the Mercy unto mankind, we are witnessing a milestone in the achievement of a well-researched reply to the opponents of Meelad celebrations.
The latter part of this Century saw the ever escalating opposition to the globally accepted celebration, which was always the opportunity for Muslims to flaunt their Islamic ideology and identify to the other religions on this sacred and respectable occasion.
Furthermore, it caused people from family-level to community level to attend an Islamic gathering in their own locality which fostered love and neighbourly ties. Overall, it was a platform for Muslim unity and an opportunity to entrench teachings from the Holy Quran and the authentic Traditions.
The spiritual perspectives and values are inestimable.
Moulana Abdun Nabi Hamidi has done service to a great cause. Despite his linguistic handicap (the writer is Urdu speaking), this booklet deals with the subject in a clear and systematic way.
May Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala always inspire him and bless him with increased resources and the ability to be of service to Islam.
Aameen. Thumma Aameen.
Moulana Sayed Yusuf Saaberi Chisty Society Lenasia. Johannesburg
THREE NECESSARY CLARIFICATIONS
Before I begin answering those objections which the organisation, Majlisul Ulema, has written against the celebration of Meelad, I feel it necessary to first clarify three important issues. These are:-
1. With reference to the Meelad celebration, only those celebrations or acts are recognied which discusses the Seerat-un-Nabi or noble life of Rasoolullah (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim). In such a celebration a session of Naat (Poems in praise of Rasoolullah - Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) recitals take place, people are fed, and a sincere effort is made to fill the hearts of Muslims with the love of Rasoolullah (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim).
2. For the permissisbility of Meelad celebrations, we have never meant that one should fix a particular day or night for the Meelad and believe that Meelad is not Ja’iz (permissable) on any other date. It is our view that whosoever does such an act does so out of ignorance because the love and the relation to the Holy Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) demands that one should always mention him continuously. Yes, we do say that to mention him in the month of his birth should be increased so that the people could arrange gatherings and congregations to refresh the memories of the Nabawi period.By doing so, the message of the Deen could reach the audience in a strong way through these gatherings.
3. Thus, the gatherings of Meelad-un-Nabi are indeed a great means for calling people towards Almighty Allah. This is a golden opportunity which should not be wasted at any cost. It is, therefore, compulsory on the lecturers that they should teach people about the virtues, excellences, character, Adab, life, dealings and worship of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim). The masses should be invited towards good deeds, success and the fear of Shirk (polytheism), evil, Bid’at and Fitna (mischief) should be instilled in them.
With the blessings of Allah Ta'ala this had always been the tradition or way of our life.We wish to say in no uncertain terms that the purpose of these gatherings are not to merely gather the masses and demonstrate our collectivity. Rather, these functions are the means of achieving great and virtuous objectives.
The Majlisul Ulema have dropped bombs of abuse and unnecessary scandalous accusation in their booklet. Many statements were made which do not make sense to the people of knowledge and wisdom. We will not elaborate much about these in our discussion but we will try to briefly cover them towards the end of our treatise.
We will begin our subject by firstly making the readers aware of the 17 points which the Majlisul Ulema had so erroneously presented in their objections. What are their 17 points?
MAWLID : CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF THE HOLY LAST MESSENGER
Written by Shared Resources
MAWLID : CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF THE HOLY LAST MESSENGER Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim
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Is there evidence for the celebration of Mawlid -- the Prophet's [Sall Allahu 'alaihi awa Aalihi wa sallim] Birthday -- in the Qur'an and the Sunna? What do the Imams and scholars of the Four Schools say, and what about the contemporary "Salafi" scholars who forbade it on the grounds that it is an innovation, such as Albani, Bin Baz, al-Jaza'iri, Mashhur Salman, `Uthaymin? What about those who celebrate Mawlid, but forbid people from standing at the conclusion of Mawlid for sending darud or salawat -- blessings and salutations -- on the Prophet, Peace be upon him? And what about the objections of some to using the phrase: "As-salamu `alayka ya Rasulallah" (Peace upon you, O Messenger of Allah), and their claim that one cannot call the Prophet, peace be upon him, with the term ya, or O?
PRELIMINARY REMARKS
Proofs From the Qur'an and Sunna That Celebrating the Prophet's [Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim] Birthday is Accepted in Shari`a.
The Obligation to Increase the Love and Honor of the Prophet The Prophet [Sall Allahu 'alaihi awa Aalihi wa sallim] Emphasized Monday As the Day He Was Born Allah Said: Rejoice in the Prophet The Prophet [Sall Allahu 'alaihi awa Aalihi wa sallim] Celebrated Great Historical Events Allah Said: Invoke Blessings on the Prophet The Effect of Observing Mawlid on Unbelievers The Obligation to Know Sira and Imitate Its Central Character The Prophet [Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim] Accepted Poetry in His Honor Singing and Recitation of Poetry Singing and Recitation of Qur'an The Prophet [Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim] Allowed Drum-Playing For A Good Intention The Prophet [Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim] Emphasized the Birthday of Prophets Why Bukhari Emphasized Dying On Monday The Prophet [Sall Allahu 'alaihi awa Aalihi wa sallim] Emphasized the Birthplace of Prophets The Ijma` of `Ulama on the Permissibility of Mawlid
History of The Celebration of Mawlid Earliest Mentions of the Public Mawlid Ibn Battuta's Account of the Mawlid Three Tenth-Century Accounts of the Mawlid The Celebration of Mawlid in Islamic Countries Today
CELEBRATION OF MAWLID AS UNDERSTOOD BY THE SCHOLARS
Ibn Taymiyya's Opinion on the Celebration of Mawlid and the Deviation of "Salafis" from his Opinion Ibn Taymiyya's Opinion on the Meetings of Dhikr Ibn Kathir Praises the Night of Mawlid `Asqalani and Suyuti's Fatwas on the Permissibility of Mawlid Other Scholars' Opinions on the Mawlid To Celebrate Mawlid Is Mandub (Recommended)
THE CLAIM OF THE CONTEMPORARY "SALAFI" WRITERS WHO FORBADE MAWLID SENDING DARUD OR SALAWAT USING THE PHRASE: AS-SALAMU `ALAYKA YA RASULALLAH The Wahhabi's tampering of the MUWAJAHA AL-SHARIFA (GATE TO THE PROPHET'S NOBLE GRAVE) CONCLUSION: ONE MAY NOT OBJECT TO MAWLID
PRELIMINARY REMARKS
Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and Peace and Blessings upon His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad, his family and all his companions. In Islam there are two `Ids, `Id al-Adha and `Id al-Fitr. Other celebrations, like Mawlid, are neither obligatory nor forbidden. However, we have come to a time in which we hear too much complaining about the remembrance of the Prophet's birthday, although there are more important matters that concern Muslims nowadays. We are living in a time when the enemies of Islam are destroying the Umma of the Prophet from within and without, without mercy, and there are now very few believers who are able to oppose them. We have reached a time of jahiliyya (ignorance) among the Muslims, so much so that the Truth has become a commodity and Falsehood has become the norm. Allah Almighty is ordering believers, "Hold fast to the Rope of Allah and do not separate" (Ali `Imran 103). Yet in this time, more than any other time, we are finding that the attacks of our enemies are not the only cause of our suffering. Within our own home, the Umma is being attacked and harmed deeply by some people, whom we don't like to name but who are well-known. They are not happy to fight the enemies of Islam but instead find it necessary to fight Muslims and the community of believers throughout the Muslim world. Therefore I felt it was my duty to prepare a defense of the believers from the attacks of these Muslims, who have nothing to do while our enemies are rending the Umma, except to find fault with the beliefs of other Muslims. They take great pains to find anything that their scholars might consider doubtful as an excuse to deride and denigrate the faith of Muslims, calling them names like: mushrik, kafir, mubtadi`. And they have nothing better to do than to change what Muslim scholars have accepted as correct for 1400 years, and to call it bid`a, shirk, and kufr!
To celebrate the Prophet's [Sall Allahu 'alaihi awa Aalihi wa sallim] birthday is to celebrate Islam, because the Prophet is the symbol of Islam. Imam Mutawalli Sha`rawi said in his book, Ma'idat al-Fikr al-Islamiyya (p. 295), "If living beings were happy for his coming (to this world) and every inanimate creation was happy at his birth and all plants were happy at his birth and all animals were happy at his birth and all angels were happy at his birth and all believing jinn were happy at his birth, why are you preventing us from being happy at his birth?"
(a) Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) never prayed more than 8 rak'aats in Taraweeh, so how come nobody disapproves of 20?
(b) Is it true that Umar (Allah be pleased with him) introduced it?
Answer:
(a) As regards the Taraweeh prayer - people agree that the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and the best way is 11 rak'aats. As regards any addition - then this is DISAPPROVED of and DECLARED AS A BID'AH (A bad innovation).
(b) It is not true that Umar (Allah be pleased with him) either prayed or ordered 20 rak'aats. Rather he ordered Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead the people with 11 rak'aats (al-Muwatta 1/137, with a Sahih Isnad).
It should be said that the vast MAJORITY of the scholars of Hadith, Fiqh, and even the four Mujtahid Imams are in agreement that 20 rak'ahs are the most appropriate, followed by 3 rak'ahs of Witr.
First, it should be said that the Hadith reported from Sayyidah Aisha (Radhi Allahu Anhaa) about 11 rak'ahs is not at all to do with Taraweeh, according to the majority of scholars, but in fact concerns the number of rak'ahs of TAHAJJUD prayer! The Hadith in question is as follows:
Narrated Abu Salama ibn Abdur Rahman that he asked Aisha (Allah be pleased with her), "How was the prayer of Allah's Apostle (Peace be upon him) in Ramadan?" She replied, "He did not pray more than eleven raka'at in Ramadan or in any other month. He used to pray four raka'at - let alone their beauty and length - and then he would pray four - let alone their beauty and length - and then he would pray three rak'aat (witr)." She added, "I asked, 'O Allah's Apostle! Do you sleep before praying the Witr?' He replied, 'O Aisha, My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep.'" (Bukhari, 3/230, English edn)
Sayyidinaa Imam ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib Asadullah ul Ghaalib
Written by Mawlana Abd al-Mujtaba Ridawi
Sayyidinaa Imam ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib Asadullah ul Ghaalib
Karam Allahu ta ‘ala wajhahu
Extracted From
Tadhkira Mashaikh-e-Qadiriya Ridawiya by Mawlana Abd al-Mujtaba Ridawi
English Translation: Chain of Lights by Aftab Qasim Ridawi (Durban - South Africa)
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Wa Sall Allahu ta ‘ala ‘alaa Sayyidinaa wa Mawlaana Muhammadin wa ‘alaa Aalihi wa Ashaabihi wa Dhurriyaatihi wa Ummati ajma'een.
BLESSED NAME: His name is Ali and is known as Abu al-Hassan and Abu Turab and his titles are Murtuda, Asadullah and Haidar-e-Karraar.
HIS FATHER: His father was Abu Taalib and Grandfather were Abdul Mutallib. Abu Taalib is the uncle of the Prophet Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim.
HIS MOTHER: His mother's name was Faatima bint Asad, bin Haashim, bin Abd Munaaf. Her Janazah was performed by Rasoolullah Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim, and he gave his blessed Qamees (Kurta) to be used as her kaffan (shroud). He prepared her grave and first he himself laid down in her grave, so that it will be comfortable for her in the grave, and so that she may be adorned in the Garb of Jannat. [Noor al-Absaar]
MIRACULOUS EVENTS IN THE WOMB OF HIS MOTHER: When Sayyidina Ali Radhi Allahu ta ‘ala anhu was in the womb of his mother, then she used to see astonishing dreams. She says, “When I was pregnant with Ali Radhi Allahu ta ‘ala anhu, some bright people came to me and gave me glad tidings, and for as long as he was in womb, I felt very different, and whenever I intended to prostrate before the idols, I would have a severe pain in my stomach. In this way, I could not prostrate to any idol.” [Masaalik as-Saalikeen]
HIS BIRTH: Sayyidina Ali Radhi Allahu ta ‘ala anhu was born on a Friday. Some narrations quote the date as the 13th of Muharram and others state the 13th of Rajab. His birth occurred 30 years after the incident of Feel. He was born inside the Holy Kaa'ba, and none has been blessed with this excellence before him. [Noor al-Absaar]
