Monday, November 9, 2009

Essence of ‘Ibadah (worship) for which Allah created Jinn and Mankind

Essence of ‘Ibadah (worship) for which Allah created Jinn and Mankind


This is a message from Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Ibn Baz to every Muslim who may receive it. May Allah show us the way of His faithful servants and keep us away from the way of those on whom the Wrath of Allah is upon and those who are astray, Amen. As-salamu ‘alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah’s Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!) The most important obligation of the Mukallaf (person meeting the conditions to be held legally accountable for their actions) is to worship Allah (may He be Praised), the Lord of the heaven and earth and the Lord of the Great Throne. Allah (may He be praised) says in His Glorious Book,


Allah informs us in His book that He created jinn and mankind in order to worship Him. Allah (may He be Glorified) says, And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). This ‘Ibadah (worship) for which Allah has created Jinn and Humanity means to believe in the Oneness of Allah and devote all forms of worship to Him Alone. These forms of ‘Ibadah include, Salah (Prayer), Sawm (Fasting), Zakah (obligatory charity), Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), Sujud (prostration), Tawaf (circumambulation around the Ka‘bah), slaughtering sacrifices, making vows, fearing, hoping, seeking help and protection and all kinds of Du‘a’ (supplication) as well as the adherence to what is stated in His Glorious book and the Sunnah of His honest Messenger (peace be upon him) concerning the commandments and prohibitions of the Shari‘ah (Islamic law). Allah sent all Messengers and revealed the Books in order to call and show people how to worship Him in detail and

( Part No : 1,Page No:68)


command them to devote all their acts of ‘Ibadah sincerely to Him. He (may He be Exalted) says,
 O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious). And He (may He be Glorified) says,And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. The word "decreed" here means that He commanded and enjoined. Moreover, Allah says, And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât) and give Zakât, and that is the right religion. There are many Ayahs (Qur’anic verses) in this regard. Moreover, Allah says, And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it). And fear Allâh; verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment. And He (may He be Praised) says, O you who believe! Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. And if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger (peace be upon him) if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination. 

And He (may He be Exalted) says, He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him), has indeed obeyed Allâh And He (may He be Exalted) says, And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût (all false deities i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh).” And He (may He be Glorified) says, And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad peace be upon him) but We revealed to him (saying): Lâ ilâha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allâh)], so worship Me (Alone and none else).” Allah says, Alif-Lâm-Râ. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’ân and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. (This is) a Book, the Verses whereof are perfected (in every sphere of knowledge), and then explained in detail from One (Allâh), Who is All-Wise, Well-Acquainted (with all things).  (Saying) worship none but Allâh. Verily, I (Muhammad peace be upon him) am to you from Him a warner and a bringer of glad tidings. 

These clear and decisive Ayahs and other similar Ayahs of the Book of Allah indicate the necessity of dedicating ‘Ibadah (worship) solely to Allah and that this is the origin of Islam and the basis of its creed.

( Part No : 1,Page No:69)


These Ayahs also illustrate why Allah created jinn and mankind, sent the Messengers and revealed the Glorious books. Thus, all the Mukallafs should take care of this matter and understand it well and be aware of the errors that many of those who ascribe themselves to Islam fall in such as excessive reverence for prophets and pious people, building Masjids (mosques) and domes over their graves and taking them as places of worship, seeking help from them, asking them to fulfill their needs, dispelling their distresses, curing the ill people among them or giving them victory over the enemies and other matters that are regarded as among the types of major Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship).

There are authentically reported Hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that correspond in meaning to the Ayahs of the Qur’an.It is reported in the Two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (i.e. Al-Bukhari and Muslim)on the authority of Mu‘adh (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, “O Mu‘adh! Do you know what is the Right of Allah over His servants and what is the right of the servants over Allah?” Mu‘adh said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, the Right of Allah over His servants is that they should worship Him, associating nothing with Him. And the right of the servants over Allah is not to punish those who associate nothing with Him.” 

It is reported in Sahih of Al-Bukhary on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever dies while invoking anything other than Allah as a partner (to Allah), will enter Hell.” Also, Muslim narrated in his Sahihon the authority of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever meets Allah while associating nothing with Him, will enter Paradise; and whoever meets Him while associating anything with Him, will enter Hell.” 

There are many other Hadiths in this regard. In fact, the issue of belief in the Oneness of Allah (may He be exalted) and avoiding associates with Allah in His Divinity or worship is the most important issue. Allah (may He be exalted) sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) to call people to Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah) and avoid Shirk. The Prophet (peace be upon him) spared no effort in the proclamation of the Message which Allah revealed to him. He (peace be upon him) carried it out at best and suffered severe harm for the Sake of Allah. The Prophet and his Sahabah (companions) (may Allah be pleased with them) showed patience in the proclamation of Da‘wah (call to Allah). The result was that Allah removed from the Arabian Peninsula every symbol of Shirk. Thus, people entered into the Religion of Allah in multitudes. Moreover, the idols that surrounded the Ka‘bah and were inside it were destroyed. The idols of Al-Lat, Al-‘Uzza and Manat (names of the prominent idols that were worshipped by Arabs before Islam), and all other idols of the Arab tribes were devastated. Finally, the Word of Allah became superior to anything else and Islam spread in the Arabian Peninsula.

Then Muslims undertook the duty of calling people to the Way of Allah and defended the Cause of Allah outside Al-Jazirah (Arabian Peninsula). Thus, Allah guided - through them - those predestined to eternal happiness.

( Part No : 1,Page No:70)


They spread truth and justice throughout the globe. Those earlier Muslims became the Imams of guidance, leaders of truth, and callers of reform. Then, there came after them people who were Imams of guidance and callers of truth when they adopted the same righteous way of their precedents spreading the Religion of Allah, calling people to Allah, and striving with their souls and possessions in the Cause of Allah. They never feared the blame of the blamers while proclaiming the Truth. Therefore, Allah supported them, granted them victory over their enemies, and fulfilled to them the Promise that He gave to believers in His Saying, O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allâh, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.  and His Saying, Verily, Allâh will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allâh is All-Strong, All-Mighty.  Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) enjoin Iqamat-as-Salât. [i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational Salât (prayers)], pay the Zakât and they enjoin Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do), and forbid Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism and all that Islâm has forbidden) [i.e. they make the Qur’ân as the law of their country in all the spheres of life]. And with Allâh rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures). 

After that, people drifted away from the way of these successful generations. They differed and neglected Jihad, preferred the easy life, followed their desires, and committed wrongdoings except those whom Allah protected. In consequence, Allah changed their prosperous condition and gave their enemies power over them due to the sins they committed. Indeed, Allah is never unjust to His servants. He (may He be Exalted) says, Verily, Allâh will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allâh). 

In light of this, Muslims, being governments or common public, should return to Allah and be sincere in their worship. Everyone is required to offer Tawbah (repentance) to Allah of their faults and sins and to abide by the duties and obligations that Allah has ordained. The true Muslim is the one who keeps away from every forbidden act and advises other Muslims to obey Allah (may He be exalted) and cooperates with them in fulfilling their duties towards Allah.

The most important matter in this regard is to execute the Shar‘y (Islamic) Hudud (ordained punishments for violating Allah’s Law), resort to the judgment of Shari‘ah (Islamic law) in everything, refuse the man-made laws that go against the Laws of Allah and oblige all people to adhere to the judgment of Shari‘ah.

( Part No : 1,Page No:71)


Muslim scholars should teach people the religion of Islam and spread Islamic awareness among Muslims and the moral of exhorting one another to truth and patience in this. They should also enjoin good and forbid evil. They should encourage Muslim rulers to adhere to these desirable principles. Moreover, scholars should occupy themselves with fighting the evil-oriented destructive principles such as communism, fanaticism, nationalism, and all doctrines which contradict the Shari‘ah.

Thus, Allah will rectify the status of Muslims and bring back their preceding lost glory. If they really reform themselves, Allah will make them victorious over their enemy and establish them in the land as He, the Most Truthful One, says, ...it was incumbent upon Us to help the Believers. He (may He be Glorified) says, Allâh has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islâm). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this, they are the Fâsiqûn (rebellious, disobedient to Allâh). He (may He be Glorified) also says, Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh — Islâmic Monotheism) in this world’s life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth, (i.e. Day of Resurrection)—  The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrong-doers and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh). Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hell-fire). 

We ask Allah to guide the Muslim rulers and people, grant them the comprehension of the religion, unite them by piety and guide them all to His Right Path. We hope that Allah will make them a means to the victory of truth and the defeat of falsehood. We invoke Him to help them cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety. May Allah’s Peace and blessings be upon His servant, Messenger, and the chosen one amongst all people, our Prophet and leader Muhammad ibn Abdullah. May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon the Household of the Prophet, his Companions, and those who followed the guidance with which he was sent.

An answer to a question about songs


- An answer to a question about songs:


Q: Once I asked Your Eminence about the ruling on listening to songs and you answered that it is impermissible to listen to indecent songs. Thus, what is the ruling on listening to religious, national, and children songs as well as those of birthdays when there is music, whether on the radio or TV?



A: Playing on musical instruments is prohibited. Likewise, every song with music is forbidden. As for the anniversaries of birthdays, they are Bid`ah (innovation in religion). Therefore, it is not permissible to attend or participate in these celebrations, for Allah (may He be Praised) says, And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing, etc.) to mislead (men) from the Path of Allâh without knowledge... According to the majority of Mufassirs (scholars of the exegesis of the Qur'an), the 'idle talks' refers to singing and tones of musical instruments. `Abdullah Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Singing brings hypocrisy forth in the heart as water germinates plants." It is also reported inSahih (compilation of authentic Hadiths) of Al-Bukhari that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,“Indeed, there will be people among my Ummah (nation) who will deem the unlawful matters of Al-Herr (i.e. adultery), (wearing) silk (for men), intoxicant beverages, and musical instruments, as lawful.” The musical instruments in the Hadith refer to singing and all kinds of musical instruments.It is related in the Two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (i.e. Al-Bukhari and Muslim)on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon) said, Whoever introduces anything extraneous to our matter, i.e. the religion of Islam, will have it rejected. 

However, celebrating birthdays is included among the innovated matters. Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) did not do so nor did he (peace be upon him) command his followers to do it, taking into consideration that he (peace be upon him) is the best one who exhorts Islamic nation and the most knowledgeable one with the Islamic rulings. The Sahabah (the Prophet's companions) (may Allah be pleased with them all) did not
( Part No : 1,Page No:439)
do it, neither, although they were the people who loved the Prophet (peace be upon him) most and the most adherers to the Sunnah. If celebrating birthdays had been a good act, they would have done it. Many proofs may be cited in this regard to confirm the impermissibility of celebrating birthdays. Allah is the One Whose help is sought. There is no might nor strength save in Allah. Peace be upon our Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family and Companions.




You will be Accountable O Parents and Teachers


By Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Jameel Zaynoo

An exhortation for Muslim parents

So you must first of all reform yourselves, since good results from the good that you do, and bad results from the bad that you do. So good conduct from teachers and parents in front of the children is the best form of education and upbringing for them.

Image

O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from the Hellfire.” [Sooratut-Tahreem 66:6]

Mothers, fathers, teachers, and the society as a whole, will all be accountable in front of Allaah about thetarbiyyah (education and upbringing) of this generation. If its tarbiyah is good, then there will be happiness - both in this world and the Hereafter. If it is not, then there will be misery, and it will be a rope around your necks - since there occurs in the hadeeth: “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you will be questioned about those who you are responsible for.” [1]

But - O teachers - rejoice in the saying of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), who said: “By Allaah! That Allaah guides through you even a single person, is better for you than the most precious of camels.” [2] And - O parents - rejoice in the authentic hadeeth: “When a person dies, his actions ore terminated except for three; a recurring charity, or knowledge that he leaves which is benefited from, or a pious offspring who supplicates for him.” [3]


So you must first of all reform yourselves, since good results from the good that you do, and bad results from the bad that you do. So good conduct from teachers and parents in front of the children is the best form of education and upbringing for them.” [4]


Footnotes:  

[1] Related by al-Bukhaaree (13/111) and Muslim (no. 1829)
[2] Related by al-Bukhaaree (7/57) and Muslim (no. 2406)
[3] Related by Muslim (no. 1631)
[4] Kayfa Nurabbee Awlaadunaa (p. 2) of Shaykh Jameel Zaynoo 

Greeting Children is a Sunnah


Greeting Children is a Sunnah

Anas (radiallaahu 'anhu) reported that he passed by some children and greeted them. Then he said: "[The] Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to do the same." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Commentary from Riyad-u-Saliheen:
quote:
By greeting children, we please their hearts and also vent our modesty. Besides, the importance of the Salam is unconsciously felt by them. Above all, it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and so we are supposed to put it into practice.
  

Narrated by Anas bin Malik (radiallaahu 'anhu): that he passed by a group of boys, and greeted them, and said, "The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to do so." [Bukhari, in the Book of Asking Permission]  

From Anas bin Malik (radiallaahu 'anhu) who said that an old man came to the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), so the people were hesitant in giving him a place. So the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "He who is not merciful to the young and not respectful to the elders is not from us." (as-Saheehah no. 2196)

Narrated by 'Aisha (radiallaahu 'anha): The boys used to be brought to the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and he used to invoke for Allaah's blessing upon them. Once an infant was brought to him and it urinated on his clothes. He asked for water and poured it over the place of the urine, and did not wash his clothes. [Bukhari, in The Book of Invocations]  

Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu 'anhu): Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) kissed Al-Hasan bin 'Ali while Al-Aqra' bin Habis At-Tamim was sitting beside him. Al-Aqra said, "I have ten children and I have never kissed anyone of them." Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) cast a look at him and said, "Whoever is not merciful to others will not be treated mercifully."

Narrated by 'Aishah (radiallaahu 'anha): A bedouin came to the Prophet and said, "You (people) kiss the boys! We don't kiss them." The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "I cannot put mercy in your heart after Allaah has taken it away from it." [Bukhari, in The Book of Good Manners]

Narrated by Abu Qatada: The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) came out towards us, while carrying Umamah, the daughter of Abi Al-'As (his grand-daughter) over his shoulder. He prayed, and when he wanted to bow, he put her down, and when he stood up, he lifted her up.

Narrated by Sahl bin Sa'd, who said: "The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said,
quote:
I and the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him will be in Paradise like this,
putting his index and middle fingers together." [Bukhari, in The Book of Good Manners]




Imam ash-Shaafi’ee: ‘There is nobody except that he has someone who loves him and someone who hates him.. So if that’s the case, let a person be with the people who are obedient to Allah `azza wa jall!’ ( - as they love and hate for the Sake of Allah and they are not unjust)