The Status Of Repelling The Enemy

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“As for the occupying enemy who is spoiling the religion and the world, there is nothing more compulsory after faith (Iman) than repelling him.”

[Fataawaa Al-Kubraa, 4/520]

One Adhān For Jumu’ah Prayer

1) During the time of the Prophet (saw), Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, there was only one Adhān for the Jumu’ah prayer. [Refer to Sahīh Al-Bukhārī 2/393 and Al-Umm of Imām Ash-Shāfi’ī 1/224]

2) During the time of ‘Uthmān, he ordered a prior Adhān to be said in the middle of the market, not inside the masjid. Hence the Sunnah of ‘Uthmān was to call it in the market so that it could serve a benefit. [As stated by Ash-Shātibī and others. Refer to Al-I’tisām 2/146 and Al-Ajwiban Nāfi’ah p.14]

3) He done this due to the increase in the number of Muslims and the expansion of the city dwellers to the furthest point of the city. [Narrated by Abd Ibn Humayd, Ibn Al-Munthir, and Ibn Marduyūh. Refer to Umdat Al-Qārī 3/233, Tabarānī, Tafsīr Al-Qurtubī 18/100, Fath Al-Bāri 2/395 and Tahmīd of Ibn ‘Abdil Barr 10/247]

4) The reasons which prompted ‘Uthmān to do this are no longer present as loud speakers cause people to easily hear the Adhān and there is not one mosque which all the people from the outskirts of the city attend.

5) Accordingly, the prior Adhān has no practical benefit now so one should return to the original state of affairs which the Prophet (saw) and the first two Caliphs were upon.

6) Due to the non-practical benefit of this method, ‘Ali Ibn Abī Tālib went back to the original state and cancelled out this prior Adhān during his Caliphate. [Tafsīr Al-Qurtubī 18/100]

In conclusion, those who still claim to follow ‘Uthmān should follow him as he done the deed and do the prior Adhān in the middle of the market so it can be of benefit. As the reasons no longer hold weight, one should return to the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) as ‘Alī Ibn Abī Tālib done.

The Obligation Of Attending The Congregational Prayer In The Mosque

Ibn Al-Qayyim said:

“Reflecting on the Sunnah deeply, one could realise that it is an obligation on a Muslim man to perform the congregational Salāh in the mosque unless there is an incidental cause that deters one from doing so. Both abandoning the mosque and the congregational Salāh – with no Islāmic reason – have the same ruling and hence the meanings in the ahādīth could be easily joined.

When the Prophet (saw) died and the bad news reached the people of Makkah, Suhayl Ibn ‘Amr delivered a speech and gave safety to Attāb Ibn Usayd, who was the Prophet’s deputy in Makkah and who concealed himself from the people of Makkah out of fear.

The people of Makkah remained on their Islām. Then Attāb delivered his speech saying, “O people of Makkah, by Allāh whoever abandons attending the mosque and doing Salāh with the congregation, I will cut off his head.”
The Prophet’s companions admired Attāb’s words which raised his rank in their eyes.”

[As-Salāh Wa Hukmu Tārīkhuhā, p.137]

Using One’s Left Hand For Siwāk

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“One should use his left hand when using the siwāk. This is Imām Ahmad’s view as reported by Mansūr Al-Kawsaj in his Masā’il. None of the Imāms held an opposite opinion – as far as I know – for using the siwāk is a way of cleaning oneself just like blowing the nose, cleaning oneself from najāsah and the like; all such acts must be done using one’s left hand.”

[Majmū’ Al-Fatāwā, 21/108]

Behind Every Successful Man Is A Mother

Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ‘Azzaam said:

“Mothers play a great role in building a generation. The better a mother is at raising her children, the more successfully the Ummah is built and the more successful it is at producing heroes. You hardly ever see a great man except that a great woman is behind him who left some of her traits in his personality by way of the milk from which he was fed and the warm embrace in which he sought refuge.

Most men find it hard to remove these shining images from their minds that they retain of their mothers. These outstanding images that ran through his veins from a young age remain engraved in his mind, and he cannot help but to remember them with veneration and pride. He recalls the simple, clear words that his mother left his spirit with, and these words grow to become milestones in his path and guiding lights on his quest.

He cannot help but to place himself under the vast shade that his mother provided for him throughout the long course of his life, nurtured by the pleasant emotions and mixed with the eternal days of his life. These realities grow in his spirit and become an inseparable part of his personality that he cannot let go of without letting go of his humanity.”

[Majallat Al-Jihaad #36]

Walking With A Limp

One day ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (ra) saw a man walking along a pathway with a stiff gait. He was clearly strutting in a haughty manner. ‘Umar said to him: “Do not walk this way.”

The man said: “I am unable to stop.”

‘Umar then whipped the man, after which he walked with a strutting gait again. ‘Umar then whipped him again, but this time around, the man actually stopped walking with a strut.

‘Umar said: “If I am not going to inflict punishment of whipping for this (kind of behaviour), then for what behaviour should I whip someone?”

Afterwards, the same man returned and said to ‘Umar: “May Allaah reward you well! That was nothing short of the Devil (that made me walk like that), and through you, Allaah has driven him away.”

[Akhbaar ‘Umar, by ‘Alee At-Tantawi, p. 175]

Remember Often The Destroyer Of Pleasures

One of the scholars from the past gave a lesson on death saying:

“O you who are deceived by this world, think of death and its agonies, how difficult and bitter a cup it is. What a true promise death is! How fair a judge it is! Death is enough to fill the heart with fear and the eyes with tears, to separate people, destroy pleasure and put an end to all worldly hopes.

Have you given any thought, o son of Adam, to the day when you will die and will be taken out of your place? When you will move from the spaciousness (of this world) to the confines (of the grave), when friends and loved ones will let you down, and brothers and friends will desert you? When you will be taken from your bed and placed in a hole in the ground, and instead of a soft blanket you will be covered with dust and earth? O gatherer of wealth, O industrious builder, by Allaah you will have nothing left of your possessions except shrouds, and even they will be destroyed and will vanish as your body disintegrates and turns to dust.

Where is the wealth that you amassed? Will it save you from these terrors? No indeed, you have left it behind for those who will not praise you, and you have come with your burdens (of sin) to One Who will not excuse you.”

[Quoted in Tadhkirat Al-Qurtubi, p.9]

Relaxation Through Worship

Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ‘Azzaam said:

“Why does a person become relaxed? A person becomes relaxed as the result of worship, because this fills the empty space inside. That empty space that is reserved specifically for worship becomes filled with it. So a person becomes relaxed when he fills himself with worship, just like when a motor is filled with oil.”

[At-Tarbiyyah Al-Jihaadiyyah Wal-Bina, 5/27]

Unity Is Only Achieved Through Tawheed, By Ibn Taymiyyah

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“The Polytheists have many dissensions and sects in their faith. As a matter of fact Polytheism and innovation always cause division and dissension.

Each polytheistic tribe of Arabia had its own god which was loathed by other tribes. Some of these followed different laws. For example, the Madinan’s polytheists invoked Manaat and disliked to perform tawaaf between Safa and Marwah. The Quraan later commanded them to do so.

Those falling prey to polytheism cannot have unity. This is evident from the conduct of those who take the graves and places associated with the Messengers and the pious as mosques. Each group of theirs visits a place which is not sacred for the other group.”

[Mukhtasar Iqtidhaa’ Al-Siraat Al-Mustaqeem, p. 182]

What Is Jihaad? And Why Do The Believers Fight?

Disclaimer: This blog is for information purposes only. The views expressed in these articles may not necessarily be those shared by the blog owner.

Ash-Shaheed Sayyid Qutb said about jihaad:

“It is a battle for Allaah, to establish His authority on earth and to overthrow all tyrants who try to usurp this authority. In short, it is a fight to make Allaah’s word supreme. It has no motive of imposing the authority of any person, group or nation, or making any personal or national gain.”

He then went on to say, explaining why believers go out to fight:

“(1) Believers go out to fight for Allaah’s cause, to establish His authority and Lordship over human life, and to ensure people’s submission to Him alone.

(2) They seek to destroy the tyrants who usurp Allaah’s authority and claim sovereignty for themselves, having no basis for their claim in the form of a permission granted by Allaah or His law.

(3) They fight to declare the liberation of mankind throughout the world from any bondage to any authority, since such bondage represents a humiliation of man.

(4) Believers fight in order to protect people’s rights, freedom and integrity, not to humiliate other races and peoples through the abuse of power Allaah has granted them.

(5) They go out to fight seeking no personal gain whatsoever. Victory brings them nothing other than having obeyed Allaah’s command to go on jihaad, to establish the code of living He has revealed, to make Allaah’s word supreme and to seek His grace and pleasure.”

Further on he says:

“Right at the outset, Islaam rules out any war undertaken for the glory of individuals and states. It rejects all campaigns that seek to exploit resources and open markets, or to subjugate and humiliate other communities.

Islaam has nothing to do with any war that tries to establish the superiority of one class, race, nation, or state over another. The only type of campaign which Islaam approves of is one undertaken for God’s cause.”

[Fee Zhilaal Al-Quraan [English trans.], 7/158-159 & 187]

The State Of A Believer And A Hypocrite

[The Believer]

“And the believer – subhaanAllaah, glory be to You, O Lord – is liked by everyone no matter what. Why?

The believer isn’t fake. There is nothing you can hold against him. What he does in secret is what he does openly. There aren’t secret acts and public acts. He doesn’t have a personality in secret and a different one in public. They are both the same. So, if you were to peek into his life when he’s alone, you would find him even better than he is in public. If you were to see him at home at night, you would find him either praying, sleeping, eating suhoor, or reciting the Quraan. There is nothing you can hold against him. There is no girl he has snuck in to commit indecent acts with, nor does he have stolen money that he is counting.

His outer condition is like his inner condition. In fact, his inner condition is even better than his outer, and the early Muslims would say, “O Allaah, make our inner condition better than our outer condition, and make our outer condition good.” There is nothing you can hold against him. He has inner confidence, is sure of himself, and is relaxed.

[The Hypocrite]

As for the hypocrite, he fears that everyone will discover his faults and that they are privy to his sins. This is why it’s as if the suspicious person wants to tell people, “Take me away. Take me away.” Why? He is filled with faults, and he suspects that this person knows of them, that person found out, etc. So his whole life is full of anxiety and constriction.”

[Fee Dhilaal Soorah At-Tawbah, by Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ‘Azzaam, p.489]