Month of Rajab - Clearing Mis-conceptions There are some months as well as some places that have more worth in Almighty Allah’s sight than others. But the merit of a certain place or time in Islam is established only through authentic proofs.

Hence, on quoting a certain hadith, one is to make sure of its authenticity so that no false hadiths are reported to have been said by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Many of the hadiths reported about the worth and merit of Rajab are either weak or fabricated. However, we should remember that there are many important events in Islamic history that took place in the month of Rajab, such as the Night Journey and Ascension (Israa’ and Mi`raj), the Battle of Tabuk, and the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque from the crusaders at the hands of Salah Ad-Din Al-Ayyubi. Muslims should recall these great victories and derive lessons from them.

Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, states:

Al-Hafidh Ibn `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Hajar Al-`Asqalani, an eminent scholar, wrote a detailed study entitled “Tabyeen Al-`Ajab bima Warada fi Fadl Rajab.” Ibn Hajar included in this study almost all the hadiths reported about the merit of Rajab and the rewards entailed by observing fasting and optional Prayer during it, classifying these hadiths into either weak or fabricated ones.

He also mentioned that Rajab has eighteen names, the most famous of which are these: Al-Asamm (“the Deaf Month”). It was called so because no rattle of weapons was heard during it, it being one of the sacred months in which fighting is prohibited. It was called also Al-Asabb (“the Poured-in Month”), because [it was believed that] mercy is poured on people during it. It was called also “the Iron Remover.” In this regard it was reported that Abu Raja’ Al-`Utaridi said, “We used to worship stones [before Islam]. But when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter. If we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (soil), then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and perform Tawaf around it. When the month of Rajab came, we used (to stop the military actions), calling this month the Iron Remover, for we used to remove and throw away the iron parts of every spear and arrow during it” (Al-Bukhari).

The merit of Rajab is like the merit of the rest of the other sacred months. Allah Almighty says: (Lo! the number of the months with Allah is twelve months by Allah’s ordinance in the day that He created the heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred: that is the right religion. So wrong not yourselves in them) (At-Tawbah 9: 36).

The names of these sacred months are mentioned in an authentic hadith said by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Farewell Pilgrimage. According to this hadith, the sacred months are four, three in succession—that is, Dhul-Qi`dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram—and the fourth is Rajab, which comes between Jumada Thani and Sha`ban.

According to the above verse, Allah Almighty has ordered the Muslims not to wrong themselves (or others), especially in these sacred months. So no fighting between tribes was to be waged during these months, so that people would guarantee that the way to the Sacred House be safe. This is indicated by Almighty Allah’s saying in another verse: (Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them) (At-Tawbah 9: 5).

Another manifestation of not wronging oneself in the sacred months is to avoid committing sins or wronging others. Some scholars derived from Almighty Allah’s ordering Muslims not to wrong themselves especially in the sacred months that the blood money paid in the case of killing a person by mistake is to be increased by one third if this act is committed during the sacred months. But it is to be noted that the fatwas of those scholars are not based on direct evidence from the Qur’an or Sunnah.

Observing voluntary fasting in the sacred months, including Rajab, is recommended. In this regard, Abu Dawud reported on the authority of Mujibah Al-Bahilyyah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her father or uncle, “Observe fasting for some days in the sacred months and leave fasting for other days.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said this three times, folding three fingers of him and then unfolding them each time. The Prophet’s using three fingers here is meant to assert his recommendation of fasting during these months, and not to indicate the number of the days to observe fasting therein.

Hence, doing good deeds, including fasting, in Rajab is generally praiseworthy like doing so in the rest of the sacred months. According to Ibn Hajar, there is no hadith, whether authentic or good, reported to the effect that observing fasting in Rajab entails a special reward.

Among the weak hadiths circulated about the special rewards entailed by fasting in Rajab is this: “There is a river in Paradise called Rajab; its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. He who observes fasting of a day from the month of Rajab is like him who observes fasting for a whole month; he who observes fasting of seven days from it will be given refuge against the seven gates of the Fire; he who observes fasting of eight days from it, the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him; and he who observes fasting of ten days from it, his bad deeds will be turned into good ones.”

There is another long hadith reported in this regard, in the context of which it is reported “Rajab is Almighty Allah’s month, Sha`ban is my month, and Ramadan is my Ummah’s month.” This hadith was said to be fabricated. It was also mentioned in Al-Jami` Al-Kabir by As-Syuti that this hadith was reported by Abu Al-Fat-h ibn Abu Al-Fawaris in his book Amali as a mursal hadith (a hadith which a Successor has directly attributed to the Prophet without mentioning a Companion).

Of the fabricated hadiths reported about the praiseworthiness of offering special Prayers during Rajab is this: “He who performs the Maghrib Prayer in the first night of Rajab, and then offers twenty rak`ahs, two by two, reciting in each rak`ah surat Al-Fatihah and surat “Qul huwa Allahu Ahad,” Allah Almighty will guard him, his family, his wealth, his children; he will also be given refuge against the punishment of the grave and will pass over the bridge above Hell like lightening without being brought to account or exposed to punishment (in the Hereafter).”

Ibn Hajar dedicated in the study referred to above, a whole chapter for the hadiths reported about prohibiting fasting the whole month of Rajab. He then said, “This prohibition applies to the person who observes fasting during it out of following the pre-Islamic tradition of sanctifying this month. But if he observes fasting in this month for Allah’s sake without obligating himself to fast certain days from it, or to offer night vigil Prayer in certain nights of it, there is nothing wrong in this. The prohibition meant here is analogous to the prohibition referred to in the Prophet’s hadith ‘Do not single out the night (preceding) Friday among the nights for Prayer and do not single out Friday among days for fasting.’ ”

As for him who observes fasting in Rajab, believing that fasting during it is more praiseworthy than fasting in the other months, this is controversial among scholars, but Ibn Hajar was of the opinion that this is not permissible.

Ibn Hajar also quoted Abu Bakr At-Tartushi as saying in Al-Bida` wa Al-Hawadith, “It is not recommended to observe fasting in Rajab if this is done out of one of three intentions, one of which is to do so out of believing that its fasting is obligatory like the fasting of Ramadan, or it is a regular act of Sunnah, or that its fasting is more rewarded and praiseworthy than fasting in the other months. If anything of the kind had been true, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it. According to Ibn Dihyah, fasting in general is a good act, but it should not be observed in Rajab out of believing that it entails special rewards then. `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would not recommend fasting in Rajab out of this belief.”

Concerning visiting graves in Rajab, many people, especially women, are used to visiting graves on the first Friday of Rajab. There is no thing in Shari`ah that recommends such an act, and doing so does not entail a reward better than that entailed by visiting graves on any other ordinary day.

Muslims should, rather, remember the important events that took place in the history of Islam during this month, such as the Night Journey and Ascension, the Battle of Tabuk, and the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque from the crusaders at the hands of Salah Ad-Din Al-Ayubi (AH 538). Muslims should derive lessons from this glorious history, so that they may reunite and seek to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque anew from its recent brutal occupiers.

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Isra and Meraj - in detail Rajab is the 7th month of the Islamic Lunar calendar. This month was regarded as one of the sacred months in which battles were prohibited in the days of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
It is also deemed as a prelude to the month of Ramadhan, because Ramadhan follows it after the intervening month of Shabaan. Therefore, when the Holy Prophet(peace and blessings be upon him) sighted the moon of Rajab, he used to pray to Allah in the following words :

“Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha’baana wa bal-lig-naa shah-ra ramadhaana.”

“O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadhan.” (i.e. prolong our life upto Ramadhan, so that we may benefit from its merits and blessings).

It would be meritorious to recite these duaas often in the months of Rajab and Sha’ban, as they are a prelude to the auspicious month of Ramadaan.

Mer’aaj and Isra: The Muarrikheen(historians) have differed greatly with regard to the date of Me’raj(Ascension). Hafiz ibn Hajar(Rahmatullahi alaiyh) has quoted more than ten different dates which the Ulema and historians have regarded as the possible date of Me’raj.(refer Fathul-Baree Vol.6 Page 203). As for its exact date, it is still controversial and no common consent has been reached. However, the majority of jurists are in favour of a date between 16-12 months prior to the migration to Madinah.

ISRAA (NIGHT JOURNEY): refers to the journey of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) from the Sacred Mosque(Masjidul Haram) in Makkah to the Distant Mosque(Masjidul Aqsa) in Jerusalem on Al-Buraq in the company of Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam).

MI’ RAJ (ASCENSION): Refers to what happened to the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) when he ascended from al-Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem up to beyond the Seventh Heaven, where Salaat(prayer) was prescribed, and then returning back in the same fashion in the same night.

Summary of Events

(The Miraculous Night Journey from Makkah to the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem, and the Ascent through the Spheres of Heavens)

The story of ‘the Night Journey’ as we see in the Noble Qur’ân is epitomised in the first verse of the Sûrah Isra’(Chapter 17 — The Journey by Night)

“Glorified be Allah Who enabled His slave, (Muhammad), for a journey by night from Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah) to Masjid al-Aqsa(in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We blessed, in order that We might show him(Muhammad) of our Ayat(proofs, evidences,signs etc.). Verily, He is the All-Hearer ,the All-Seer.” This journey is also confirmed in the sahih(authentic) hadith. As such, there is scholarly consensus (ijma) that Prophet Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) journeyed in body and soul on the night of al-Isra’ from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem and to the heavens beyond.

As for its exact date, it is still controversial and no common consent has been reached. However, the majority of jurists is in favour of a date between 16-12 months prior to migration to Madinah. The following is a epitome of the details of that miraculous event narrated on the authority of Ibn Al-Qayyim.

The Messenger of Allâh (Peace and blessings be upon him) was carried in body from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah to the Distant Mosque in Jerusalem on a horse called Al-Buraq in the company of Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam), the archangel. There he alighted, tethered the horse to a ring in the gate of the Mosque and led the Prophets in prayer. After that Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) took him to the heavens on the same horse. When they reached the first heaven Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) asked the guardian angel to open the door of heaven. It was opened and he saw Adam(Peace be upon him), the progenitor of mankind. The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) saluted him and he welcomed him and expressed his faith in Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him)’s Prophethood. He saw the souls of martyrs on his right and those of the wretched on his left.

Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) then ascended with the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) to the second heaven, asked for opening the gate and there he saw and saluted John, son of Zachariya (Yahya bin Zakariya(Peace be upon him)) and Jesus-Isa(Peace be upon him), son of Mary. They returned the salutation, welcomed him and expressed their faith in his Prophethood.

Then they reached the third heaven where they saw Joseph (Yusuf(Peace be upon him)) and saluted him. The latter welcomed the Prophet(Peace be upon him) and expressed faith in his Prophethood. The Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him), in the company of Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam), then reached the fourth heaven where he met the Prophet (Idris(Peace be upon him)) and saluted him. Prophet Enoch(Peace be upon him) returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood.

Then he was carried to the fifth heaven where he met the Prophet Aaron (Harun(Peace be upon him)) and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. In the sixth heaven he met Moses (Musa(Peace be upon him)) and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) on leaving, saw that Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him) began to weep. He asked about the reason. Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him) answered that he was weeping because he witnessed a man sent after him as a Messenger (Muhammad) who was able to lead more of his people to the Paradise than he himself did.

Then Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) reached the seventh heaven and met Abraham (Ibrahim) (Peace be upon him) and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. Then he was carried to Sidrat-al-Muntaha (the remotest lote tree) and was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma‘mûr [(the much frequented house) which is like the Ka‘bah (Sacred House) encompassed daily by seventy thousand angels, so that the angels who once encompassed it would not have their turn again till the Resurrection]. He was then presented to the Divine Presence and experienced the thrill of witnessing the Divine Glory and Manifestation at the closest possible propinquity.

There the Lord revealed unto His servant that which He revealed, and ordained fifty daily prayers for him. On his return, he spoke to Moses(Peace be upon him) that his followers had been enjoined to pray fifty times a day. Moses(Peace be upon him) addressing the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Your followers cannot perform so many prayers. Go back to your Lord and ask for a remission in number.” The Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) turned to Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) as if holding counsel with him. Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) nodded, “Yes, if you desire,” and ascended with him to the Presence of Allâh. The All-Mighty Allâh, Glory is to Him, made a reduction of ten prayers. He then descended and reported that to Moses(Peace be upon him), who again urged him to request for a further reduction. Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) once more begged his Lord to reduce the number still further. He went again and again in the Presence of Allâh at the suggestion of Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him) for reduction in the number of prayers till these were reduced to five only. Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him) again asked him to implore for more reduction, but he said: “I feel ashamed now of repeatedly asking my Lord for reduction. I accept and resign to His Will.” When Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) went farther, a Caller was heard saying: “I have imposed My Ordinance and alleviated the burden of My servants.”

Some significant suggestive incidents featured in the ‘Night Journey’ of the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him), of which could be mentioned :

1. The Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him)’s breast was cleft by Gabriel-Jibraeel(Peace be upon him), his heart extracted and washed with the water of Zamzam —a sacred spring in Makkah.
2. In the same context, there were brought to him two gold vessels. There was milk in one, while the other was full of wine. He was asked to choose either of them, so he selected the vessel containing milk and drank it. He (the angel) said: “You have been guided on Al-Fitrah or you have attained Al-Fitrah. Had you selected wine, your nation would have been misled.” [It is a symbolic way of saying that good and evil in the form of milk and wine were brought before the Prophet and he instinctively made a choice for the good. It is very difficult to render the Arabic term ‘Fitrah’ into English. It denotes the original constitution or disposition, with which a child comes into this world, as contrasted with qualities or inclinations acquired during life; besides it refers to the spiritual inclination inherent in man in his unspoilt state].

3. He had the opportunity to see Malik, the guardian of Hell, with a cheerless frowning face. Therein, he saw the Hell dwellers, of whom were those who unjustly eat up the property of the orphans. They have flews similar to those of camels, swallowing red-hot stones and then issuing out of their backs. There were also the people who take usury with bellies too big to be able to move around; they are trodden by the people of Pharaoh when these are admitted into Hell. In the same abode, he saw the adulterers offered tasty fatty meat and rotten smelly one but they make option for the latter. The licentious women were also there hanging from their chests.
4. In Paradise, the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) saw some of the bounties Allah prepared for the inhabitants of Paradise. He saw the Hur ul Ayn(Damsels of Paradise). They are in Paradise and will be married to those men Allah willed them to marry.

5. In short the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) was shown the different punishments meted out to the inmates of Jahannam(hell) and he was priveledged to be shown the luxuries and pleasures of Jannah(heaven).

6. The ‘Night Journey’ raised a good deal of stir among the people and the sceptical audience plied Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) with all sorts of questions. He told them that he saw the camels of Makkan merchants to and fro. He also guided them to some of their animals that went astray. He informed them that he had drunk some of their water while they were fast asleep and left the container covered.

The Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) Returns to Makkah

After all these matters took place with the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him), he returned to the city of Makkah. Some scholars said the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him)’s journey took about one-third of the night, i.e., his journey from Makkah to Jerusalem, then to the heavens and what is above them, and then back to Makkah. The next day the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) told the people what happened to him the previous night. The blasphemers belied the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) and mocked him, saying, “We need a month to get there and back, and you are claiming to have done all this in one night?” They said to Abu Bakr, “Look at what your companion is saying. He says he went to Jerusalem and came back in one night.” Abu Bakr(R.A.) told them, “If he said that, then he is truthful. I believe him concerning the news of the heavens–that an angel descends to him from the heavens. How could I not believe he went to Jerusalem and came back in a short period of time–when these are on earth?” At that, the Companion, Abu Bakr(R.A.), was called “as-Siddiq”–because of how strongly he believed all what the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) said.

The blasphemous people questioned the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him): “If you are truthful, then describe to us Masjid Al-Aqsa and its surroundings.” They asked this because they knew Prophet Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) had never been there before the previous night. Allah enabled the Messenger to see Masjid al-Aqsa, and he described the masjid and its surroundings in exact detail. Moreover, the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) said, “On my way back, I saw some of your shepherds grazing their animals in a particular location. They were searching for a camel they had lost.” The Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) continued by giving the description of the camel. When these shepherds came back, they told their people what happened to them–precisely as the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) had already told them.

The disbelievers, however, found it a suitable opportunity to jeer at the Muslims and their creed. They pestered the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) with questions as to the description of the Mosque at Jerusalem, where he had never gone before and, to the astonishment of many, the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him)’s replies furnished the most accurate information about that city. He supplied them with all the news about their caravans and the routes of their camels. However, all this increased in them nothing but flight from the Truth, and they accepted nothing but disbelief.

For the true devout Muslims, there is no difficulty in believing the miraculous Night Journey. The All-Mighty Allâh, Who is Powerful enough to have created the heavens and the earth by an act of His Will, is surely Powerful enough to take His Messenger(Peace and blessings be upon him) beyond the heavens and show him those signs of His at firsthand which are inaccessible to man otherwise. The disbelievers on their part went to see Abu Bakr(R.A.) on account of this event, and he readily said: “Yes, I do verify it.” It was on this occasion that he earned the title of As-Siddiq (the verifier of the truth).

The most eloquent and most concise justification of this ‘Journey’ is expressed in Allâh’s Words: “… in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, signs, etc.)” [17:1].

The Divine rules as regards the Prophets goes as follows: “Thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty.” [6:75]

To Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him), his Lord said: “That We may show you (some) of Our Greater Signs.” [20:23]

In order that: “He be of those who have Faith with certainty.”

There are the simple facts that emanate from this blessed Journey, and flow along into the flowery garden of the Prophetic biography of the Prophet Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) that leave lessons manifest for mankind.

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Johannesburg motorists that have racked up traffic fines can breathe a sigh of relief as drivers won’t be prosecuted for any offence from December 22, and every fine issued since then can be squashed up and chucked into the bin.

The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) told The Star that it had suspended the posting of all courtesy letters asking for payment. Gary Ronald, Head of Public Affairs at the Automobile Association (AA) said, “In accordance with section 30 (1) of the AARTO Amendment Act 22 of 1999, the act says that any document required to be served on the infringer in terms of this act, must be served on the infringer personally or sent by registered mail to his or her last known address.”

The documents must also serve as reminders that the fine has not been paid and informing motorists that they have lost their 50 percent discount, and have another 32 days to pay.

If for some reason the fine is still not paid, the RTIA must send out a notice of enforcement order – also by registered mail – informing the motorist that this failure to pay will be registered on the eNatis system against the driver’s identity number, and he or she will not be able to do any transactions with any vehicle until the infringement notice is paid.

This should also be the start of the process of issuing a warrant of execution against the motorist’s movable property to recover the money once the National Contravention Register has been fully developed.

But the RTIA has not sent a single courtesy letter since January, meaning that no further action can be taken against motorists. By the agency admitting it is not sending out these courtesy letters means that not only are some 4 500 traffic officers wasting their time every day speed-checking and stopping motorists for other offences, but the City of Joburg is wasting R7.5 million a month in sending fines by registered mail which are seldom collected.

Don’t ignore fines

“The sad thing is that most people have continued to blindly pay their fines that actually have no legal standing. We are not encouraging people to ignore their fines, as you did break the law and should take responsibility for it, but just bear in mind that this form of fine delivery is illegal and can be used as a leverage point”, said Ronald.

Meanwhile another issue plaguing the RTIA is that eNatis is unable to issue warrants of arrest if motorists fail to appear in court, as the software is not yet functional. It does not have the software development to upload the outcome of the case onto the National Contravention Register.

Other problems also indicate the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) system is imploding: in cases where motorists have to appear in court for major offences, such as speed in excess of 40km/h of the speed limit, eNatis can only issue the initials and not the full names of offenders and courts will not accept this, thus striking hundreds of cases off the eNatis court roll daily. – inl

They will try in every possible way to justify the wrong. If we adopt this manner we may please our ego, but we will not improve ourselves in anyway, and will only affect our marriage and relationship negatively. On the contrary, if we calmly consider what the person has said instead of going on the attack, this will save us from many futile arguments and fights. Over time we will become better people and as a couple in marriage, greater understanding and love will be created.

May Allah Ta‘ala help us to accept our wrong rather than trying to justify it.

uswatulmuslimah

(Query published as received)

A. You have stated that your husband had previously issued you one divorce and thereafter, after reconciling, he had issued you two divorces. Based on the information you have provided, all three divorces are valid and effective and the marriage had irretrievably terminated upon the third divorce being issued. Consequently, both of you are Haraam (unlawful) for each other and it is not permissible to reconcile even by renewing the marriage.

The Iddah* commenced after the divorce was issued.

*The Iddah for a menstruating woman is three menstrual cycles.
The Iddah for a woman in menopause/woman who does not menstruate is three months.
The Iddah for a pregnant woman is till childbirth.

NB. The above ruling pertaining to the divorce is applicable considering that the first divorce that your husband issued to you was a revocable divorce and you had reconciled within the Iddah period. Or if the Iddah period had expired, you’ll had reconciled by renewing the Nikah. The ruling may be different if the situation was different.

And Allah Knows Best

Mufti Suhail Tarmahomed

Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
Council of Muslim Theologians

• Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib radhiyallahu anhu said, “Part of the full greeting is to shake your brother’s hand.”

• Ibrahim ibn Marzuq ath-Thaqafi radhiyallahu anhu related that his father told him, “Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr radhiyallahu anhu sent me to his mother, Asma’ bint Abi Bakr radhiyallahu anha and he told her how al-Hajjaj was treating them. She made supplication for me and stroked my head. I was a young boy at that time.”

• ‘A’isha radhiyallahu anha said, “I did not see anyone who more resembled Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam in manner of speaking than Fatima radhiyallahu anha. When she came to him, he stood up for her, made her welcome, kissed her and had her sit in his place. When Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam came to her, she stood up for him, took his hand, made him welcome, kissed him, and made him sit in her place. She came to him during his final illness and he greeted her and kissed her.”

• ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Razin radhiyallahu anhu said, “We passed by az-Zubda and were told, “There is Salama ibn al-Akwa radhiyallahu anhu.” I went to him and he greeted us. Then he brought out his hands and stated, “With these two hands I offered allegiance to Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam.” He held out his palm which was as huge as a camel’s foot and we got up and kissed it.”

• Abu Mijaz radhiyallahu anhu said, “Mu‘awiyah radhiyallahu anhu came while ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amir radhiyallahu anhu and ‘Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr radhiyallahu anhu were seated. Ibn ‘Amir radhiyallahu anhu got up while Ibn az-Zubayr radhiyallahu anhu remained seated, and he was weightier of the two. Mu’awiya radhiyallahu anhu said, “Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Whoever likes to have the slaves of Allah stand up out of respect for him should take his place in the Fire.”

• Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu reported that Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Allah created Adam ‘alayhis salaam and his height was 60 hand spans. Allah said, “Go and greet those (a group of angels who were sitting down) and listen to how they answer you. It is your greeting and the greeting of your descendants.” Adam ‘alayhis salaam said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaykum – Peace be upon you,” and they replied, “Assalaamu ‘Alaykum wa rahmatullah – Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.” They added, “and the mercy of Allah.” All who enter Jannah will have his form, but creation has continued to decline (in size) until now.”

• Al-Bara’ radhiyallahu anhu reported that Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Make the greeting common practice among you and you will be safe.”

• Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu reported that Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “You will not enter Jannah until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something the doing of which will give you love of one another?” “Yes, Messenger of Allah,” they replied. Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Make the greeting common practice among you.”

• ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr radhiyallahu anhu reported that Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Worship the All-Merciful (Allah) and feed people. Make the greeting common practice among you and you will enter Jannah.”

• Jabir radhiyallahu anhu said, “Someone riding should greet someone walking, and someone walking should greet someone sitting down. When there are two people walking, the better of them is the one who gives the greeting first.”

• Ibn ‘Umar radhiyallahu anhu said that al-Agharr radhiyallahu anhu (who was a man from Muzayna tribe and had been a Companion of Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) was owed some measures of dates by a man from the tribe of Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf who came to him many times. He said, “I went to Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam and he sent Abu Bakr radhiyallahu anhu with me.” He continues, “Everyone we met greeted us. Abu Bakr radhiyallahu anhu said, “Don’t you know that when people give the greeting before us, they have the reward? Give the greeting before them and you will have the reward.”

• Abu Ayyub radhiyallahu anhu reported that Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “It is not lawful for a Muslim man to separate himself from his brother for more than three days. When they meet, and one turns away and the other turns away, the better of them is the one who gives the greeting first.”

• Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu reported that a man passed by Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam while he was in an assembly and said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaykum – Peace be upon you.” “Ten good deeds,” Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said. Another man passed by and said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaykum wa rahmatullah – Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.” Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Twenty good deeds.” Then yet another man passed by and said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu – Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessing,” and Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Thirty good deeds.” Then a man in the gathering got up and did not give the greeting. Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “How quickly your companion forgets! When one of you comes to an assembly, he should give the greeting. If he thinks he should sit down, he sits down. When he stands up, he gives the greeting. Neither is a greater duty than the other.”

• ‘Umar radhiyallahu anhu said, “I was riding behind Abu Bakr radhiyallahu anhu and he passed by some people. He said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaykum – Peace be upon you.” They said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaykum wa rahmatullah – Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.” He said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaykum wa rahmatullah – Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.” They said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu – Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.” Abu Bakr radhiyallahu anhu said, “Today the people have been very much better than us.”

• Anas radhiyallahu anhu reported that Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “As-Salam is one of the names of Allah Almighty which Allah has placed in the earth. Therefore give the greeting among yourselves.”

• Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu said, “I heard Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam say, ” “The rights a Muslim has over another Muslim are five.Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam was asked, “What are they?” He replied, “When he meets him, he should greet him. When he gives him an invitation, he should accept. When he asks him for advice, he should give him good counsel. When he sneezes and says “Alhamdulillah – praise to Allah,” he should wish him mercy (i.e. say Yarhamukallah). When he is ill, he should visit him. When he dies, he should accompany him.”

• ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Shibl radhiyallahu anhu said that he heard Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “The person riding should greet the person on foot. The person on foot should greet the person who is seated. The smaller group should greet the larger group. Whoever answers the greeting that is for him (in reward). Whoever does not answer it has nothing (in reward).”

• Jabir radhiyallahu anhu said, “When two people walking meet, then the one who gives the greeting first is the better of them.”

(The above mentioned narrations are quoted from Adabul Mufrad – Bukhari)

I am as My servant thinks I am*. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah)

*Another possible rendering of the Arabic is: “I am as My servant expects Me to be”. The meaning is that forgiveness and acceptance of repentance by the Almighty is subject to His servant truly believing that He is forgiving and merciful. However, not to accompany such belief with right action would be to mock the Almighty.

Quote of the Week
“For instance, if a man ceases to take any concern in worldly matters, conceives a distaste for common pleaures, and appears sunk in depression, the doctor will say, “This is a case of melancholy, and requires such and such prescription. The physicist will say, “This is a dryness of the brain caused by hot weather and cannot be relieved till the air becomes moist.” The astrologer will attribute it to some particular conjunction or opposition of plantes. “Thus far their wisdom reaches,” says the Koran. It does not occur to them that what has really happened is this: that the Almighty has a concern for the welfare of that man, and has therefore commanded His servants, the planets or the elements, to produce such a condition in him that he may turn away from the world to his Maker.The knowledge of this fact is a lustrous pearl from the ocean of inspirational knowledge, to which all other forms of knowledge are as islands in the sea.”
(The Alchemy of Happiness, Imam Al-Ghazali)

Saying of the Week
If your servants are afraid of you, they do not win victories for you.
(Ghanaian Proverb)

Jamiat SA

Has the smart phone made us smarter? Do we control the smart phone or does the smart phone control us?

Social Impact: People are hooked to their technological devices while at work, while walking, driving, running, eating, and even whilst relaxing. People very often are physically present with others in a gathering yet socially absent because they are ‘connected’ elsewhere. This ability to be elsewhere at any point in time allows people to simply sidestep what is difficult and hard in a personal relationship and escape to a ‘place of safety.’ People addicted to their phones tend to be anti- social as they give precedence to people who not present over people we are with them. How many people do you see, head down plugged to some sort of mobile device? How often do you see people completely detached from their immediate environment, searching, tweeting, scrolling and typing away feverishly totally out of tune from everything else around them?

Twitter Revolution: Information supplied by social networking websites has played an important role during modern-day activism, specifically in the Arab Spring. Social networking played a crucial role, as a key tool in highlighting oppression and driving people to agitate against tyrannical and unjust regimes. It helped create an alternate network that united people, gave vital information to them and led to the overthrow of decade old regimes.

Educational Impact: Schools are starting to capitalize on the technology students love to use, including smartphones, tablets, and other personal devices. The acquisition of knowledge is fast moving away from person to person transmission to transmission via the digital world. This has led to access to instant information…information that may be credible or unreliable. It has decreased the influence of teachers and scholars and diminished the use of libraries. It has also negatively impacted on our ability to spell correctly and think effectively, because we are becoming too reliant on artificial intelligence. We are giving up more and more opportunities to use our own brains and intelligence to carry us through the day.

Muslim Consumption: A survey by Ipsos, a market-research firm, found that rich Muslim-majority countries boast some of world’s highest rates of smartphone penetration, with the United Arab Emirates ahead at 61%. But even in poorer Muslim lands adoption is respectable: 26% in Egypt, not much below Germany’s 29%. More than a third of people in the Middle East now use the internet, slightly above the world average. Muslims use their gadgets in much the same way as everyone else: they text, they use social networks, they buy online. Many smartphone apps cater to religious needs. Some show salaah times, location of masaajid, provide text and audio versions of the Quran and Hadith.

Islam not averse to Technology: Technology should be for doing good things in better ways. Muslim history abounds with examples of scientific and cultural ingenuity. Muslim scholarship made a vital contribution to the enrichment and advancement of human civilization. While Europe was still in the dark ages, religious Muslims were making great advances in the fields of medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, literature, and history documentation to mention but a few. Sophisticated instruments, as well as good navigational maps, were first developed by Muslims.

Digital Manners:
• Give priority to those who are with you:
Listen intently when you are with friends, family members and co -workers. When you constantly check messages, you send the message that other people and things are more important to you

• Digital rudeness:
Smart phones should not absolve us of good manners. Manners are not out of fashion as yet

• Treadmill:
A smart phone is not a license to spread rumour or to slander. Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you

• Vanity machine:
Nor is it a device meant to mirror our ego via vain personal profiles. The only nice thing about our ego is that it does not allow us to talk about other people.

“Do not be like those who forgot Allah, so Allah made them forget themselves.” (59:19)

How do you forget yourself?
You forget yourself by being unable to stay away from that which is harmful nor are you able to embrace that which is beneficial. We forget ourselves when we feed our desires and not our souls…when you are pre occupied with our physical selves instead of our spirit. When we find hours of joy in ‘play’ and not in ‘pray’…when we feel a greater sense of fulfilment connected to our gadget compared to being connected with our Creator.

Allah is undoubtedly the best companion for us.

Jamiat SA

I am currently studying and working full time, while my husband is also working but we have no children yet. Unfortunately, we have an immigration situation where my husband will be subject to return to his home country for at least 10 years.

In Islamic law, is it permissible for me to live alone where I live currently for 10 years or are we required to live together? I am not able to move abroad due to work commitments etc. but I also do not want to live apart from my husband.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

As married couples, it is the demand of marriage that the couples live together and enjoy quality time with one another. The happy and sad moments of life are shared with one another. In the time of need, the wife is there to support her husband and encourage him for what is right. When the wife is in need, the husband is present to comfort her and provide her with peace. When one of the spouses is experiencing happy moments of life, the other one joins to celebrate the happiness. When the spouse is experiencing sadness or depressing moments of life, the other spouse gives in his/her full support to comfort the other and remove the afflicted difficulty. When the husband returns home in the evening from a hard day’s work, merely seeing the smile on his wife’s face is more than enough to become the coolness of his eyes and relieves his tiredness. The wife too, is eagerly waiting for the arrival of her husband. This creates a bond of love between the spouses. This, is the true spirit of marriage.

However, all of this is defeated when the spouses do not live together. The question is not whether it is permissible or not for your husband to live away from you in another country. If your husband goes abroad and lives in another country while you stay back in the U.S., you will eventually start to lose communication with your husband. When there is no communication between the spouses, the love in marriage eventually starts to fade away. Both of your lives will be physically disconnected from one another for the next ten years. The worst part of all is that Shaitan will get the better of both of you. While both of you are away from one another and cannot enjoy the true spirit of marriage, naturally you will try to look for it elsewhere. This may lead a person to commit a shameful act. May Allah protect us all. Ameen.

Nevertheless, there is no restriction in Shariah with regards to your husband living abroad.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.