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Who were the Sahaba?

U l o o m

C A N A D A

Jan/feb ‘26 vol 4 issue 1

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The Neradje Mosque, f rom the Turkish Narenciye Camii, formerly known as Gazi Hüseyin Pasha Mosque is a historical Ottoman-era masjid located in the old town of Rethymno, Crete, Greece. Unfortunately, it now serves as a music school.

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EDITORIAL

he breadth of the sacrifices and struggles of the Sahaba is beyond human comprehension, but if we were to try, we could start with their vision that transcended regions, ethnicities, cultures, and politics and their sustaining the prophetic mission without which the two billions Muslims scattered throughout the world today, and growing, would be of a different cast. Who we would be and what we would have believed is open to a feast of speculation, but the fact is that if there were no Muslims today, no one to remember Allah, none to pray salat, give zakat, the Haram a desert wasteland, and justice and truth subject to the whim of the rich and powerful, the tentacles of kufr and shirk would have wrapped itself around the globe within a century of the prophetic era. And, since the Prophet s was the last in the line of prophets and had promised that the world would cease once the last believing soul was gone, this world we now live in would either be a dystopian nightmare or a time akin to the Mesozoic era before the onset of the human species. Therefore, it is important to know who the Sahaba were, because our planet would be a whole lot darker without them today.

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Patron

Hazrat Dr. Ismail Memon

Fatawa

Mufti Husain Ahmad Badri

Contributors

Mufti Omar Baig

Maulana Dr. Mateen Khan Dr. Kamran Karatela Khadija Karatela

Editor

Asim Ahmad

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51 Prince St. N, Chatham, ON N7M 4J7, Canada The views expressed in the columns of Insight magazine do not necessarily represent those of Darul Uloom Canada. The articles published in this magazine may be reproduced with due acknowledgment.

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A time will come when a son will be cheerful to his friend and rude to his father.”

Schools & the Breakdown of Family Values by Asim Ahmad

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time will come when a son will be cheerful to his friend and rude to his father. When I first read this prophesy, and then later taught it, the first culprit that came to mind in this son vs father epic was our modern school system. No doubt, there are other contributing factors, but school is essential to understanding the fulfillment of this and other prophesies of this kind. First thing to remember is that prophesies do not highlight isolated cases but prevalent patterns. For the Prophet s to cite the disintegration of the son-father dynamic, he is revealing something much bigger: the ‘generation gap’ crisis and a growing disaffection in the younger generation with the older ones. If the son is rebelling against the father, then how much more respect would he or his peers have for the father’s generation and above, the grandfathers? And then, how open is this generation to being inspired by the wisdom and insight of the elders

gleaned from years of experience and observations? I am not here to advocate for the older generation and their rights. As much as they may cheer me on, but in most cases, they willfully sent their children off with lunchbags and a brickload of textbooks to the very mass-schooling institutions that fostered this dangerous phenomenon for what it is today. They know too well as much as the rest of us that schools are not designed to imbue respect for elders. Any father who expects his child to be more respectful after receiving an education from the school system has misunderstood its higher objectives. The intended purpose and the reason we send our children to school is ultimately utilitarian: to grant them the necessary tools and skills to be self-sufficient and render them useful to themselves and to the community around them. Education is only as valuable as it grants us the skills and tools that will raise our prospects for a better life. I don’t think anyone will dis-

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The children I teach are cruel to each other; they lack compassion for misfortune; they laugh at weakness; they have contempt for people whose need for help shows too plainly….” agree that the purpose of modern education, if my loose definition is correct, is basically sound. It is essentially a means to achieve the greater end of economic prosperity and individual independence. The root problem lies in the modality and structure of how this education is dispensed.

Segregation

Segregation sounds like a dirty word for anyone who knows history. We recall the separate areas for blacks and whites in public restrooms, restaurants, and every other public venue in the times before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In schools we are employing segregation again, but this time on the basis of age. Children are segregated from adults for about 12 years for about 6-7 hours daily. These 12 years are the formative years of childhood in which formulas, codes and ideas are programmed into a child’s DNA, via

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mass institutions made up of total strangers with no personal connection or love to your or my child. Lawmakers, superintendents, principals, and experts are placed in charge of forming or ‘deforming’ the child in a period when they are most vulnerable to change. This institutional segregation has created perverse and unnatural outcomes in our society. Firstly, it creates a statehood within a statehood, two states that are built on the order of age. The adult state is outside the school while the child state is within. Students confined in prison-like buildings for extended periods of time form vital bonds and attachments with each other. These bonds and connections incubate over a short time to form their own set of laws and realities minus any experience, wisdom or guidance to help them organize this state in

a meaninful, functional, and productive way. The bonds between members of this state are rooted in the present only and the motivation behind the unsaid laws that control this state are materialistic and centered around the self. They are generally rooted in pleasure-seeking exploits, frivolity, fun, sports, and adventure serving no other purpose outside of their hedonistic value as forms of entertainment and time-killing. Children excel in these pursuits because they are not burdened by duties and responsibilities and are free to exercise their will without adult guidance. The connection between the members of this state is equally utilitarian. They are not genuine or long-lasting, and any sense of compassion, kindness or empathy is generally regarded as a weakness. Relationships are organized around personal expediency where everyone is essentially for himself. Its like a brewery for narcissism. As John Taylor Gatto said, “The children I teach are cruel to each other; they lack compassion for misfortune; they laugh at weakness; they have contempt for people whose need for help shows too plainly….”

Hierarchy of this state

The hierarchy of this inner state is run on the principle of survival of the fittest. The stronger and richer will dictate the trends and submit the more vulnerable. The ones who are prettier and handsomer, brand-na-

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mers, the loudmouths and bullies, the high self-esteemers, and the overconfident and brazen will retain all the power and outstrip everyone in rank in this Human Farm. The teacher is aware of none of this though she floats in and out of the class, does her job, and then gets out of the way because she is a not resident of this state. Maybe you have observed gangs of teens and younger kids hanging out in the malls, on the streets, and other public areas. On rare occasions, the bonds formed in this state can turn dark like the duo Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris who shot up 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in 1999. The micropolitics and identity of this inner state treats adults like foreigners en-

tering a country like refugees or aliens. The state recognizes no authority outside of its own and maintains its own semblance of self-identity. As these bonds in this segregated state cure and become more familial, the biological ties at home are compromised especially when work-

parent violence (CPV) is an increasing issue globally, leading to serious adverse effects on families. This research aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of CPV and identify its associated risk factors, thereby enhancing understanding of this esca-

Child-to-parent violence (CPV) is an increasing issue globally, leading to serious adverse effects on families.

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ing fathers and mothers have little to spare after a working day. The rise in the breakdown of family units has escalated over the years, critically enough to grab the attention of the government which funded an academic review of CPV (Child-to-parent violence). Here is what the National Library of Medicine said, “Child-to-

lating global issue.” The review highlighted something that is key to the above prophesy: “Subgroup analyses indicated that physical violence prevalence was 10.0%, while psychological violence was significantly higher at 82.6%.” Psychological violence includes defiance, violent behaviour, and resistance to authority.

The famous hadith of Bukhari, “When a mother will give birth to her masteress,” can be understood in the context of the communal and family-value breakdown actively facilitated by our school system. Key to understanding how the mother is turned into the slave is the fact that the hadith only mentions her giving birth to the child, and nothing beyond. The next phase of raising the child is taken over by the school, which segregates the child from the adult before integrating it into the inner state that is collectively centered on empowering its individual members into independent entities free of reliance and affection for its biological mentors. Teachers are more than aware of how the segregation along age-biases is transmuting our natural relationships, non-family into family and vice versa. John Taylor Gatto who taught in the New York State public school system for over thirty years and was named New York City Teacher of the Year in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and New York State Teacher of the Year in 1991 said, “The feeding frenzy of of formal schooling has already wounded us seriously in our ability to form families and communities, by bleeding away time we need with our children and our children need with us. That’s why I saw we need less school, not more.”

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In another place, he writes, “Yet, it appears to me as a schoolteacher that schools are already a major cause of weak families and weak communities. They separate parents and children from vital interaction with each other and from true curiosity about each other’s lives. School stifle family originality by appropriating the critical time needed for any sound idea of family to develop—then they blame the family for its failure to be a family.”

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In light of the above, the next prophesy can be easily understood, “You will kill each other until a man will kill his neighbor, his cousin, and his relatives.” Some Sahaba asked, “Rasulullah, will people be in their right minds on that day?” He said, “No, the minds of most will be gone and all that will be left is mindless people like particles (i.e., of no moral value).” In general, the vacuum of empathy, compassion and plain kindness in modern culture is proportionate to

family values. I agree, we don’t need more schools but less. As for education, it can be achieved without the need for mass segregation. n Tirmidhi, 4/274 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12001392/ Gatto, J. T. (2017). Dumbing us down: The hidden curriculum of compulsory schooling. New Society Publishers. Ibn Majah: Tathabut fi al-fitna. h. 3959: 1/832

the individualism and self-identity that is being fostered through the corraling of kids like sheep into schools and separating them from the experience and wisdom of the adults they love, and thus, the corrosion of

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Pearls of wisdom Adab toward books “From the age of seven, I have never touched a book of Deen without being in the state of wudu. I also never made a book follow me, i.e., if I needed to read an inverted commentary, instead of turning the book around, I would get up and come to the other side to read it.” - Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri

A True Alim It is the responsibility of the ‘alim (scholar) to establish a spiritual connection with a righteous spiritual guide because it is next to impossible to reform the self and purify the heart without having someone to mentor you and oversee your spiritual condition. Allama Sha’rani says, “I have come to the clear understanding that irrespective of the amount of knowledge one has achieved, in the path of ‘amal one must hold someone’s hand and be with a shaykh who has reached Allah.” Qazi Thana-ullah Panipati said, “Numerous people, testified in words and writing to the following: Aside from fiqh and creed, we experience a revival in our hearts when we spend time in the company of the shuyukh who are linked through a [direct] chain to the Prophet s. With this revival, our love for Allah and His Auliya is increased, we are more vigorous in doing good deeds and have more taufeeq to do so, and our belief only became stronger and more embedded in our hearts.” Ibn Taymiyah wrote regarding the need of a shaykh for spiritual reformation, “As far as the affinity some

people have with a specific shaykh, there is no doubt that people need someone from whom they can learn iman and Quran the way the Sahaba acquired form the Prophet s and the Tabi’een from the Sahaba. In this way, we are able to follow the pious predecessors in the best way possible. Just like how a person can have someone teach them the Quran, he can have someone teach him the practical as well as the spiritual aspects of the Deen.” Faqeedh Abul Layth Samarqandi said, “One is granted seven things by sitting in the company of a [true, righteous] scholar even if he does not learn a new ruling from him. They are: 1. He will be counted among the students of Deen and will be granted a share in whatever rewards are promised them. 2. As long as he remains in the gathering, he will be protected against the commiting of sins. 3. If he leaves his home with the intention of seeking knowledge, he will receive the same rewards that are promised to the seekers of knowledge. 4,. When the mercy of Allah descends on the gathering in which the sacred knowledge is disseminated, he will also receive a share. 5. As long as he listens to the discourses, he will be considered as if he is in a state of worship. 6. When he listens to discussions on complex masa’il and is unable to understand it, he will feel sad and will thus be counted among the munkasir al-qulub (broken-hearted). It has been narrated that Musa e once prayed to Allah saying, “O

my Rabb, Where should I look for You?” The reply was: Go and find me among the broken-hearted. 7. The honor of ‘ilm and the wretchedness of ignorance will be embedded in his heart toward the ignorant and sinful. No seeker of knowledge should be proud of the ‘ilm he has acquired. Rather, he should consider it a gift from Allah and be thankful so that the ‘ilm increases. Otherwise, Allah is as capable of taking back a gift as He is of giving it. We have seen the greatest scholars losing everything they have ever learned or knew only to become completely illiterate. For instance, our Hazrat (Shaykh) used to tell the story of Maulana Hakeenm Mustafa who had a stroke and forgot everything he knew. Only after a very long time, he was able to recall Sura Fatiha. This is the reality of the sacred knowledge man is so proud of due to which he looks down on others. If one could just look inside him and his bad traits, he wouldn’t have the slightest pride. Seekers of knowledge should read the biographies of the pious predecessors to learn how they acquired the ‘ilm through thick and thin. A seeker should adopt taqwa because only then will Allah grant him more ‘ilm. Allah says, “Fear Allah and Allah will grant you ‘ilm.” Taqwa means to fulfil all the commands of Allah and to abstain from what He has prohibited. As a result, Allah will grant you ‘ilm. -Malfuzat of Maulana Qamar al-Zaman Ilahabadi

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Who were the Sahaba?

by Abu Saalem

here is a lot to be said about the Sahaba that is beyond the scope of any article. They were the first believers of this umma, the pioneers who cleared away the tangle of kufr and prepared a fertile land for the spread of Islam, the protagonists of the Qur’an and Sunna, and the only group to hold the distinction of receiving the glad tidings of paradise after the Prophets. Their fallibility while necessary for the completion of the deen was not a hindrance from their attaining the eternal pleasure of Allah. In the very beginning of the Qur’an, Allah introduces us to the lofty status of the Sahaba as if to remind us that correct belief in the Sahaba is essential for receiving guidance from the Holy Book. In a brief dialogue between Allah and the hypocrites, Allah says to the hypocrites, “Believe as people [i.e., the Sahaba] have believed.” The hypocrites respond, “Shall we believe as the fools have believed,” to which Allah says, “Beware, it is, in fact, they who are the fools, but they do not know” (2:13). In this short exchange, we learn some salient points about the Sa-

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haba: • • • •

The Sahaba had bona fide iman Their iman was worthy of emulation Debasing Sahaba is hypocrisy Allah Himself defends the Sahaba against denigration

This ayah encompasses all the praise and virtue of the Sahaba mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunna and proves most unequivocally that cynics of the Sahaba or those who formulate their creed from apocryphal narrations belong to the party of hypocrites.

Trust upon trust

Our belief in the Qur’an and the Sunna is only as strong as our faith in the Sahaba who were the sole conduit to the Qur’an and Sunna. Everything we know, believe, and feel as Muslims reaches us exclusively through the Sahaba. Thus, any doubt in their integrity amounts to distrust in the Qur’an and Sunna. As Imam Abu Zar‘a al-Razi once said, “If you see anyone defaming anyone of the Sahaba of the Prophet , know that he is a zindiq (unbeliever); and this is because the Prophet is haqq; the Qur’an is haqq; and what the Prophet relayed [to us] is haqq; and [know] that all of that came to us through the transmission of the Sahaba. These zindiq [who defame the Sahaba] wish to ruin our witnesses so

‫ض‬ ‫رب‬

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َ ‫يَن ََء َاَم ُُنوا ااَل ََت ُُكوُنُوا ََكٱ ََّل ِِذ‬ َ ‫ََيٰٓـ�َٓأُّيُ ََها ٱ ََّل ِِذ‬ ‫يَن ََك ََفُرُوا ََو ََق ُاُلوا � ِِإِل ْْخ َٰٰو� ِنِ ِِه ْْم ِإِ ََذا ََض ََر ُُبوا ِِفى‬ ‫�ٱَأْلَ ْْر ِِض‬

O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land (3:156).

‫وَن ََسِب ا‬ ُ َ ‫ٱنُظ ْْر ََك ْْي ََف ََض ََر ُُبوا ََل ََك �ٱَأْلَ ْْم ََث َاَل ََف ََض ُُّلوا ََفاَلا ََي ْْس ََت ِِطي ُُع‬ ‫ياًل‬ ِ

Look how they strike comparisons for you; but they have strayed, so they cannot [find] a way (17:48). Daraba has several meanings two of which appear in the above two ayahs. The default meaning is ‘to hit’, beat, or to strike.’ Most other meanings derive from this root meaning. ‘Traveling’, for example, requires hitting/striking the ground either by traveling on foot or by mount or ride. ‘Striking comparisons’ or ‘relating examples’ hits home the point much harder. Daraba also in the meaning of ‘to stamp.’ Allah says, “They [i.e., Yahud] have been stamped with humiliation wherever they are overtaken” (3:112). Madrub is a coin that has been minted. Idtaraba is to be in a state of commotion, agitation, disturbance, or disorder. Dareeb is a stake or tent-peg that is hammered into the ground. Dara’ib are levying of taxes (which hurts like a slap in the face]. It seems the Arabs understood how much taxes hurt and thus the connection between the root meaning and dara’ib. Midrab is a bat, mallet, racket [tennis etc.] that is used to hit. INSIGHT MAGAZINE

that they can nullify the Qur’an and the Sunna. Therefore, they are more deserving of being ruined.”1

Avoiding divisions

Can you imagine someone believing in Allah while disbelieving the Prophet at the same time, and then proclaiming himself a Muslim? The Yahud committed this cardinal sin as Allah states, “The Yahud wish to make division between Allah and His messengers and say, ‘We believe in some and disbelieve in others’” (4:150). The notion that belief in the Sahaba can be isolated from belief in the Prophet is equally as absurd. The Prophet stated in a prophesy that a group will rise in 1. al-Ashbeli, M. b. (1419 AH). al-Awasim min al-Qawasim. Wazarat al-Shu'un al-Islamiya.

THOSE WHO ARE ON MY WAY AND THE WAY OF THE SAHABA. this umma who will create divisions between the Prophet and his companions. They will disavow any belief in the Sahaba while claiming to be followers of the Prophet . In the famous hadith about the emergence of 73 sects in this Umma, the Prophet said, “They will all be thrown in the Hellfire except for one.” The Sahaba asked, “Who are they? The Prophet said, “Those who are on my way and the way of the Sahaba” (Tirmidhi, 5/26).

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In the last part of this hadith, the conjunction word used to tie the way of the Prophet to the way of his companions is ‘and,’ which is to say that there is no distinction between his way and the way of the Sahaba and that those who make it so are condemned as hypocrites. The Ahl Sunna wa al-Jam‘a which adopts its name from this prophetic phrase has no room for such hypocrisy. Imam Tahawi says in Aqeedah al-Tahawi, his famous treatise on the creed of Ahl Sunna: We love the companions of the Prophet . We are not, however, extreme in our love for any of them. Nor do we disassociate from any of them. We loathe those who loathe them, and we only mention their merits. Loving them is essential to religion, faith, and spiritual excellence,

LEAVE ME MY SAHABA FOR ME. I SWEAR BY THE ONE IN WHOSE HANDS IS MY LIFE, IF YOU SPEND EQUAL TO MOUNT UHUD IN GOLD YOU WILL NOT REACH THEIR DEEDS.

and hating them amounts to infidelity, hypocrisy, and extremism.2 The Prophet further emphasized the inseparability between himself and his companions in numerous hadith. In one hadith, he says, “If they love them [i.e., the Sahaba] it is because of their love for me that they love them; and if they loathe them, it is because of their loathe for me that they loathe them.”3 In another hadith, he begs

the umma to leave the Sahaba for his sake and says, “Leave me my Sahaba for me. I swear by the One in whose hands is my life, if you spend equal to Mount Uhud in gold you will not reach their deeds.”4 Summary of virtues of the Sahaba In his excellent book on the creed of Ahl Sunna wa al-Jama‘a, Aqa‘id al-Islam, Maulana Idrees Kandhelawi summarizes the many virtues of the Sahaba of which I have selected only a few for brevity and have added my own notes as necessary. He says: 1. The Sahaba were the first believers in this umma to witness 4. Kanz al-‘Ummal, 11/530

2. Tahawi, Abu Ja‘far; The Creed of Imam Tahawi, a.118, pg. 76 [translated by Hamza Yusuf ] 3. Musnad Ahmad, 34/169 INSIGHT MAGAZINE

the person of the Prophet and to believe in him. All believers agree that to see the Prophet in a dream is the most excellent and sublime gift, so what can be said about those who observed the Prophet at every stage of their lives with love and complete devotion. 2. Allah hand-picked Sahaba for the service of His beloved Prophet . They were the ‘chosen ones,’ instrumental in lending support and strength to Islam in its nascent stages. Allah says, “But Allah sent down His tranquility upon His messenger and upon the believers and imposed upon them the word of righteousness (taqwa), and they were more deserving of it and worthy of it. And Allah knows everything” [48:26]. Note: Here, the keyword is “chosen ones.” It is a powerful term which in the plainest words means that Allah chose the Sahaba because He wanted to. Period. They did nothing to deserve this honor, nor could anyone else have procured the position through any amount of sacrifice. Being a sahabi was a gift bestowed by Allah and not a right earned through effort. 3. The Qur’an was revealed in the presence of the Sahaba and they were witnesses to its reve-

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But Allah sent down His tranquility upon His messenger and upon the believers and imposed upon them the word of righteousness (taqwa), and they were more deserving of it and worthy of it. And Allah knows everything. lation. Therefore, the Sahaba are the most knowledgeable. Note: Here, knowledgeable does not mean to be informed or educated. It means the knowledge that is reaped from personal experience. This type of knowledge was unique to the Sahaba as protagonists of the Qur’an and Sunna narrative. Their understanding of the Qur’an and the words of the Prophet was, therefore, deeply contextual and intimate. Reading a biography of a famous figure can never provide the same inside scoop as knowing them personally. For all the voluminous works and scholarship of the last 14 centuries, no one could tell the story of the Qur’an and Sunna and their meaning better than the Sahaba. This is why the narrations of the Sahaba are an invaluable

resource for reading into the Qur’an and Sunna and are used as secondary evidence in juridical matters. Wherever there is ambiguity due to conflicting evidences, the authorities in fiqh and hadith turned to this invaluable resource for guidance. Due to this one-on-one connection with Allah, consciousness of Allah was weaved into every fiber of the Sahaba. Revelation guided them in every aspect of their life and as circumstances arose

in their day-to-day affairs. Once, Khaula bint Tha‘laba came to the Prophet complaining about her husband. Ayesha was in the other room and only heard bits and pieces of the conversation, but says, “All praise be to Allah, Who hears all voices. “The woman who disputed’’ came to the Prophet and argued with him while I was in another part of the room, unable to hear what she said.”5 Allah the Exalted and Most Honored revealed this ayat, “Allah has heard the talk of the woman who was debating with you about her husband, and was complaining to Allah. Allah was hearing the conversation of both of you. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing and All-Knowing (58:1).” The next few ayat then go on to redress the cause of her complaint, the issue of zihar (type of divorce), and contained fresh injunctions about the proper method of zihar. It was the loss of this personal connection the Sahaba enjoyed with Allah that grieved them the most after the Prophet passed away. Once, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar came to visit Umm Aymen . When she started to weep, they said, “What makes you weep? Do you not know that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah?” She replied, “I am not weeping because I did not know that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah, but I weep because the revelation from the sky has ceased.” Her words moved them to tears and they began to weep along with her [Muslim]. 4. The Sahaba were the first to be addressed in the Qur’an. Note: Most second and third-person narratives in the Qur’an speak either 5. Ibn Maja, bab al-zihar

Being a sahabi was a gift bestowed by Allah and not a right earned through effort.

directly to or about the Sahaba. “You are the best Umma ever raised for mankind” (3:110), and, “Whoever breaks away with the Messenger after the right path has become clear to him, and follows not what is the way of the believers” (4:115). The “You” pronoun in the first ayah and the “way of the believers’ in the second are speaking to and about the Sahaba respectively. Also, wherever we come across the word ‘mu’min’ in singular, dual or plural form, and variations of the clause, “and those who believe” in the Qur’an, there too Allah is speaking of the Sahaba first. For example, “The Messenger has believed in what has revealed to him from his Lord, and the believers as well” (2:285) … “the closest of people

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to Ibrahim are those who followed him and this prophet, and those who believe”; and “Allah is the Guardian of all the believers” (3:68) …”Those who take the disbelievers for friends rather than the believers” (4:139). 5. Any and all virtuous qualities stated in the Qur’an refer primarily to the Sahaba. They are, for example, the Qaniteen (Obedient ones), Sadiqeen (veracious ones), Muslimeen (Submitters), Muttaqeen (God-fearing ones), Abideen (Worshipers), Saabireen (Patient ones), Shakireen (Grateful ones) etc. In addition to the virtues already listed, there are two outstanding virtues of the Sahaba that embody the aforementioned. First, the Prophet himself is told to devote time to the Sahaba and sit in their company. Imagine their status if the Greatest of All Creation is commanded to sit in the gatherings of the Sahaba. Once, some pagan nobility offered to sit in the Prophet’s company but only on the condition that he expelled the poor Sahaba from the gathering. Allah warned the Prophet against it and said, “Do not expel those who

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O DESTRUCTION TO THOSE WHO HATE AND DEFAME THEM OR SOME OF THEM… WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO DO WITH BELIEF IN THE QUR’AN WHEN THEY DEFAME THOSE WHOM ALLAH IS PLEASED WITH.

WHEN ALLAH SAYS HE IS PLEASED, IT CAN ONLY MEAN THAT HE KNEW THEIR PRESENT AND FUTURE STATE BECAUSE ‘HE ORIGINATED THE CREATION WITH INFINITE KNOWLEDGE.’

call out to their Lord morning and evening seeking His pleasure” (6:52), and in another ayah, “And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening” (18:28). Second, they have achieved the eternal pleasure of Allah, “As for the first and foremost the Muhajir and the Ansar and those who followed them in goodness, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Allah” (9:100)? It should be noted that the pleasure of Allah is unlike the pleasure of His creation. Our parents being pleased with us only reflects our current status and does not determine their happiness with us in the future, which is contingent on future performance. When Allah says He is pleased, it can only mean that He knew their present and future state because ‘He originated the creation with infinite knowledge.’ In other words, He originated the Sahaba as men predestined to receive His pleasure. Imam Dhahabi said, “And pleasure of Allah is an eternal attribute [of Allah]. Therefore, He will not be pleased except with a servant whom He knows would do full justice to the requirements of the Pleasure. So, whomever He is pleased with, He is never displeased with him forever.”6 Ibn Katheer says even more forcefully, “O destruction to those who hate and defame them or some of them…what do they have to do with belief in the Qur’an when they defame those whom Allah is pleased with.”7 n

6 Ibn Taymiyya, T. (1431 AH). al-Sarim al-Maslul 'ala

Shatim al-Rasul. al-Haras al-Watani al-Saudi. 7. Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/178 [9: 9-10]

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Prophesy

The Day of Judgment will not come until the prevalence of female singers and musical instruments. Tirmidhi: 4/275

The Lion King

Fatawa

: My son wants to join a judo martial arts class but at the start of every lesson, the students bow to their instructor. They may even bow to their opponents out of respect during training. Is this permissible? : In principle, it is impermissible to bow to anyone other than Allah. In addition to this, the jurists mention that it is makrooh tahreemi (highly reprehensible) that one bows to any creation even if out of respect. Consider the following hadith: Anas bin Malik g narrates that a man said: “O Messenger of Allah! When a man among us meets his brother or his friend should he bow to him?” He said: “No.” The man continued, “Should he embrace him and kiss him?” He said, “No.” He said, “Should he take his hand and shake it?” He said, “Yes” (al-Tirmidhi). Therefore, one should ask the instructor if they can be exempted due to religious reasons. If not, find a place that will be accommodating.

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:If someone intends to perform the farḍ prayer in congregation at home, but their family members wake up late for Fajr, do they have to wait for them or may they pray alone? If waiting is recommended, how long should they wait before praying individually? Additionally, what is the ruling for the other daily prayers in similar circumstances? : The most complete and virtuous form of worship is to perform the congregational prayers in the masjid. When a valid excuse prevents a person from attending the masjid, the next best option is to establish congregation wherever possible, such as with family at home. In such a case, waiting for family members is not wājib, but it is recommended in order to obtain the virtue of praying in congregation. However, this waiting is only encouraged as long as the prayer can

still be completed within the preferred or safe timeframe of that ṣalāh. According to the Ḥanafī madhhab: • For Fajr, it is preferable to pray closer to the end of its time when there is some natural light, while still ensuring completion at least 10 minutes before sunrise. This precaution accounts for timing differences across different apps and preserves enough time in case a prayer must be repeated. Therefore, one may wait for family members as long as Fajr can still be completed by this recommended buffer. If delaying longer risks entering the doubtful or disliked time, then one should pray individually. • The same principle applies to the other daily prayers: if a person cannot attend the masjid, they may wait for family members to establish a home congregation so long as the prayer is not delayed beyond its recommended time. • An exception is ʿAsr: once the sun becomes orange-red, it is makrūh (disliked) to perform

ṣalāh. This typically occurs in the last 20 minutes before Maghrib. Therefore, one should not delay ‘Asr to this point, even for the sake of waiting for others to

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gain the virtue of praying in congregation.

: I am currently 6-7 weeks pregnant and have started spotting. Would this be considered as a menstruation period? Do I still have to pray or am I exempt? Do I have to take a ghusl? : In principle, any spotting during pregnancy will be categorized as istihada (irregular bleeding), not menstruation. Therefore, ghusl will not be necessary and one will have to make wudhu and will continue praying. Although light spotting can occur as a part of normal physiological processes, individuals should consult their healthcare provider to ensure that the underlying cause is appropriately assessed and that no concerning conditions are present.

: I would like clarification on the proper

timing of qaylūlah (midday nap). Should this rest ideally be taken before or after lunch? Additionally, is it better to observe qaylūlah before performing the Zuhr prayer or after completing it? : The sunnah qaylūlah is generally a rest taken around midday, and its timing is flexible. It may be observed before or after lunch, and likewise before or after the Zuhr prayer. There is no strict requirement in this regard. Some narrations mention that the Sahaba would pray Jumu‘ah and thereafter eat lunch and take their qaylūlah. This suggests that while the general practice is adaptable, their Friday routine included resting after the Jumu‘ah prayer. It is also worth noting that qaylūlah does not necessarily require sleep; a short period of quiet rest or relaxation is sufficient. In summary, the timing of qaylūlah is not rigid. One may rest at any suitable point in the midday period, and even a brief siesta without actually sleeping fulfills the sunnah practice.

A THE MOST BEN-

EFICIAL ACTION A PERSON CAN OFFER WHEN VISITING THE GRAVEYARD IS TO ENGAGE IN VIRTUOUS DEEDS WITH THE INTENTION OF SENDING THE REWARD TO THE DECEASED.

: When I visit my father’s grave, I notice that many surrounding graves have been landscaped, bordered with bricks, or decorated with greenery. These graves appear well-maintained, which sometimes makes me feel as though I may be neglecting my father’s grave. In such situations, what practices should be avoided and what is permissible or recommended? : Islam encourages simplicity in graves, and the Sharīʿah instructs that they should not be adorned or beautified. Adding decoration goes

deceased by Allah’s permisagainst the humility and simsion and provides them with plicity that the Sharīʿah upholds real, lasting benefit. Isāle Thawāb for burial sites. The purpose is such an act of virtue that can of visiting the graveyard is to elevate the deceased’s restremember death, reflect on the ing place and become the Hereafter, and make duʿā’ for means of transforming it the deceased. A simple grave into a garden from the garaligns more closely with this dens of Jannah. purpose and serves as a clearer reminder of the reality of life and death. When we stand : One of my siblings before the graves, works at a company we are reminded where employees are givFROM AN ISLAMIC PERthat what truly en gifts during the ChristSPECTIVE, THE BEST benefits a person mas season. Is it perAND MOST CAUTIOUS after death is their missible from an Islamic OPTION IS TO AVOID faith, deeds, and perspective to accept such ACCEPTING CHRISTthe prayers made gifts? MAS-SEASON GIFTS IF on their behalf, not REASONABLY POSSIBLE, : From an Islamic outward beautificaperspective, the best tion. and most cautious option is to avoid accepting Christmas-sea: When visiting the graveson gifts if reasonably possible, since yard, what are some bensome scholars consider it a form of eficial actions one can perform indirect participation in a religious for the deceased? festival. This aligns with the Prophetic guidance: : The most beneficial action a person can offer when “Leave that which is doubtful for that visiting the graveyard is to which is not doubtful” (Tirmidhī). engage in virtuous deeds with Avoiding such gifts is the path of iḥtithe intention of sending the yāṭ (precaution) and keeps one distant reward to the deceased. Recitfrom anything that could be interpreting Qur’an, giving sadaqah, or ed as religious association. engaging in any good action However, if avoiding the with this intention reaches the gift would lead to significant awkwardness, workplace tension, or someone feeling personally offended, then there is scope for per-

Q A

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missibility. This is based on the understanding that the intent behind these workplace gifts is not religious, but cultural and customary gestures instead of acts of religious participation.

: If a Muslim person has owed me money for a long time and eventually repays me using funds acquired through gambling, and they refuse to take the money back because they claim they have no lawful income to repay the debt, what should I do with that money? Can I use it for my own personal expenses? : It is not permissible to accept the repayment if the funds are known to be from haram sources such as gambling (and the person does not have any halal source of income).

: If I am performing tahajjud and, while I am still in the middle of my salah, the time for Fajr begins, what should I do in this situation? Am I required to stop the prayer

IT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE TO ACCEPT REPAYMENT IF THE FUNDS ARE KNOWN TO BE FROM HARAM SOURCES.

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immediately because a new prayer time has entered, or should I continue and complete the tahajjud prayer that I already started? Also, if I did break the tahajjud prayer, do I make up for it? : In the situation described, a nafl prayer that was started before the beginning of Fajr time should still be completed even after Fajr time begins. Any salah, obligatory or voluntary, must be completed once it has begun; therefore, if a person were to break their tahajjud prayer after starting it, they would be required to make it up.

: If a person is in the state of ihram during hajj or umrah and, out of forgetfulness, they wash their hands using scented soap, what is the ruling? Does this mistake require a damm, or is giving sadaqah sufficient? : In the above scenario, giving sadaqah is required. The amount would be equivalent to sadaqatul fitr. n

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llah the Exalted declares His pleasure with the Emigrants from Makkah (Muhājirūn) and the inhabitants of Madinah (Ansār): “The poor Emigrants, who were driven from their homes and their wealth, seeking Allah’s bounty and His pleasure, and supporting Allah and His Messenger— such are the ones who are truly sincere. As for those who were already settled in their homes and established in faith [the Ansār], they harbor love for those who migrated to them and ask for no share in what has been given to them. They give preference to the Emigrants over themselves, even though they too experience poverty. Whoever is safeguarded from the greed of his own soul—it is they who are the truly successful” (59: 8–9). The Emigrants, including the blessed Prophet s and the Ansār were bound by a loyalty rooted in mutual love. Allah praises the former for sacrificing their homes and wealth, and the latter for opening theirs. One displayed sabr and sacrifice; the other, gratitude and giving. One, having spent prior time with the Prophet s, shared sincere counsel; the other offered worldly care. One followed behind the Prophet s, their obedient feet

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placed in his footsteps, while the other received him with outstretched arms. The Emigrants and the Ansār are brothers in the Hereafter, destined to meet there, with their mutual love of the Prophet s being the tie that brought them together here. In the previous chapter, the Prophet s, along with his closest companion, successfully reached the outskirts of Yathrib. His blessed footsteps first touched the area of Qubā’. The residents rejoiced in his arrival with cheers and song, honored to be the first neighbors to embrace him. He stayed with them for four memorable days and established the first masjid, before giving his camel a divinely guided rein to take him home. This was a wonderful spectacle. Naturally, the Ansār watched the camel’s every step in joyous anticipation, with some of them running to coax it toward their own communities. The Prophet s would gently indicate to leave it alone, for Allah would guide it where it needed to go. Yet, one could hardly blame their eagerness. What greater delight than to be the Prophet’s s neighbor: so that they could serve and be served, see and be seen, love and be loved?! A group among them chanted: Daughters of Banū al-Najjār we are, What fortune! Muhammad is our neighbor! Centuries later, Imam Busīrī would echo this precise sentiment of longing in the opening of his Burda, a line that Muslims repeat to this day: Is it from remembering the neighbors of Dhū Salam That you mix tears with blood as they flow from your eyes? The Prophet’s camel eventually came to kneel, as if to be the first to prostrate there, at the current location of the

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Masjid al-Nabawī. This was adjacent to the house of Sayyiduna Abū Ayyūb, who was elated at this divine selection to serve him. His house was a simple two-storied structure. Although circumstances necessitated the Prophet s live on the ground floor, Abū Ayyūb and his family were distressed at the thought of their feet being physically above the Prophet of Allah. They took great pains to avoid walking directly over where he resided below. At times, they refused to sleep in the center of their room, clinging to the walls to avoid “standing over” him. Alas, such loving decorum is lost today; not only are we often unaware of our elders’ location, but we also fail to ensure our feet do not point in their direction. Perhaps it was for this refined

reverence that Allah chose Abū Ayyūb to be the Prophet’s closest neighbor.

Building an Abode

The Prophet s began construction of his masjid and home. His blessed hands carried the bricks one by one, setting them into place. The Prophet’s s mercy is an inexhaustible wellspring. He carried tremendous difficulties, literally and metaphorically, so his Ummah would have a place to visit him, then and until the end of time. The bystanders gazed in wonder,

their hearts growing increasingly admiring. This was not the leader they had ever seen or heard of in stories of rulers and kings. Rather, this was a Mercy among them. Their appreciation deepened into fervor, and they rushed to assist. Allah the Exalted says, “Hurry towards your Lord’s forgiveness and a Garden as wide as the heavens and earth prepared for the righteous, who give, both in prosperity and adversity, who restrain their anger and pardon people; Allah loves those who do good”(133-134). The Yathrib Muslims eagerly rushed to help him complete the structure. In a shared labor of love, the Prophet s and the Muslims sought Allah’s pleasure in chorus: “O Allah, the only good is that of the Hereafter. Assist the Ansār and the Emigrants!” The masjid was simple, lined by palm tree stumps with stones set at the entrances. His home was a small one-room apartment with a ceiling one could touch. Superficially, it paled in comparison to the castles of Chosroes or the estates of the affluent. In reality, it stood second only to the Kabah in

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its grandiosity and acceptance before Allah. This is because they didn’t set out to build a monument for this world, but an abode for the Hereafter. At ‘Aqaba, the Ansār had dedicated their lives to the Prophet s. Now, they gave not only this land and this masjid, but their entire city. They renamed Yathrib Madinah al-Nabī, literally “The City of the Prophet.” With the city prepared, prophetic wayfarers began to pour into it. They came from far and wide, leaving behind everything and carrying nothing. The Prophet s was their path, love was their provision, and Allah was their purpose. They offered their hearts to him s, and he, in turn, connected them to one another. The Prophet s established a brotherhood pact (muwākhāt) between the Emigrants and the Ansār, elevating faith above ethnicity and group thinking. With a glance, he removed decades of animosity; with a word, he established eternal bonds. When the Ansār reached their capacity, people took residence in the Suffah, a shaded area of the masjid inhabited mostly by poor Emigrants, some Ansār, and visitors. This was the

Prophet’s khānqah, where he personally attended to their financial and spiritual needs.

Even the Madinan Jews benefited from this prophetic mercy. It seems that for generations, they had been locked in cycles of secret betrayal and open conflict with friends and foes. The Prophet s concluded a pact with them, which ended hostilities and paved the way for a potential path of shared prosperity.

Heating the Crucible

However, as we have seen repeatedly, the Sunnah of Allah is to test the mettle of passion. One cannot claim love only to enjoy its pleasures without

bearing its pains. The Emigrants had their possessions and property usurped by the Makkan disbelievers when they immigrated, leaving them destitute. The Ansār, due to their generosity, now suffered raids on the outskirts of Madinah by the same disbelievers. Day after day, the two groups shared losses as the disbelievers chipped away at their safety and property. Within the city, hypocrites, outwardly Muslims but internally disbelievers, sought to undermine their ranks. Even the Madinan kitābīs fell into old habits. Despite receiving prophetic respite, they plotted with enemies within and outside the city walls. The disbelievers, both open and hidden, refused to relent. They plotted to break the Muslims through siege and fear, seemingly unaware that these believers had already traded the world for something far greater. For the true lovers of the Prophet s, the wisdom of Allah is that the crucible of difficulty is where the purest belief is decanted. To be sure, had the material prosperities of later years never came, the presence of the Prophet s would have been

sufficient to carry them joyfully through any fire. His company was their solace; his contentment, their smile. It was a love so profound that it collapsed the distinction between guest and host. Although the Prophet s descended from the lineage of Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm, his heart became so entwined with the people of Madinah that he declared, “Had it not been for the migration (Hijrah), I would have been a man from the Ansār.” What could be dearer to the human heart than a love so sincerely reciprocated? As we zoom out from this illuminated city, surrounded by desolate sands and encroaching enemies, the relationship among the Ansār, the Prophet s, and the Muhājirīn was symbolized in an event: the Prophet s instructed an Emigrant (Sayyiduna Bilāl) to call the first adhān, his voice echoing through the embracing land of the Ansār. n

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