Demise of Ali ibn Abi Taalib (Karramalllahu Wajhah)

Events of Ramadhaan

On Sunday 20 Ramadhaan in the 40th year after Hijrah to Madinah Munawwarah Sayyiduna Ali Radiyallahu 'Anhu was martyred at the age of 63.

He was the cousin of Rasullullah Sallahu 'Alayhi Wa Sallam, the first among the youth to accept Islam, the fourth Khaleefah of Islam and among the ten companions who were promised paradise. He married Faatimah Radiyallahu 'Anhaa and had five children from her, Hasan, Husayn, Muhsin, Zaynab and Umm Kulthoom.

He was known for his bravery and even went to the extent of lying in the bed of Nabi Sallahu 'Alayhi Wa Sallam when his life was under threat before migration to Madina Munawwarah.

He was so just during his reign of Khilaafah that his companions report having seen him wearing course cloth not worth more than three Dirhams. When his servant once brought forth a utensil filled with some valuables in it, Ali Radiyallahu 'Anhu immediately rebuked him saying, 'Do you desire that a fire burn the home of Ali (in the hereafter)?'. He immediately distributed the valuables that were shown to him. This was his level of abstinence and caution regarding the property of the state.

His reign of Khilaafah lasted five years and was sadly ended when a Kharijite attacked him during the early morning. He later succumbed to the wounds and passed in Kufa, Iraq.

In the year 2119…

In the year 2119, in just 100 years from now, every single reader of this piece will be underground, our bodies having become part of the soil. During that time, our fate with respect to paradise or hell would have been made known to us.

Meanwhile above the soil, our houses that were left behind would have become homes for others, our clothes would have become garments for others, our cars will be driven by others, and as for us, we will be – for the most part – never thought about by anyone again. How often do you think about your great grandfather? How often does your great grandmother cross your mind?

Our presence here on earth today, that presence that we make so much noise about and shed so many tears for, was preceded by countless generations before us and shall be followed by countless generations after us. Every generation that passes through this world barely finds the time to take a glance at Dunyah before needing to bid it farewell and handing over the baton, having not fulfilled even a fraction of ones ambitions. Our lives are, in reality, far shorter than we imagine.

In 2119, every one of us will realize from within the grave just how worthless this world actually was, and how trivial those dreams were that centered on it.


We will be wishing that we had dedicated our lives to the great matters, the matters of Islam, and had devoted ourselves to collecting good deeds, particularly those that continue to benefit us after our death.


Many of us reading this piece will be screaming out, but in vain:

رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ * لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ

“My Lord return me! So that I may do good in that which I have left behind.


The response to this request, however, shall be harsh:

كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

“No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is now a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.”


Many of us will be biting our hands in regret, saying:

يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِي

“I wish that I had prepared for my life.”


The angel of death will not wait until you and I become righteous.


Let us pursue the path of righteous, then welcome Malikal Maut - Angel of Death.


May Allah change lives through us all, Aameen

Obedience To One’s Deceased Parents

Obedience To One’s Deceased Parents

Sayyiduna Abu Usaid Malik bin Rabi'ah As-Sa'idi Radhiyallahu Anhu reports: We were sitting with Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam when a man of Banu Salamah came to him and asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Does there remain any form of obedience which I may show to my parents after their death?" He Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam replied, "Yes, to pray for them, to supplicate for their forgiveness, to fulfill their promises after their death, to maintain the ties of kinship which cannot be maintained except through them, and honour their friends." [Abu Dawud]

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 When a parent passes away remember that you have begun a new phase of birr (dutifulness) to that parent. 

Birr after death is the truest and most sincere forms of birr because birr during their lifetime could be tainted with doing for show, or being polite (as opposed to sincere) and expecting praise from the parents or others. As for after their death, then only Allah hears and sees you. 

A deceased parent is in greater need of his/her children - even more than when the parent was alive. What children do for the parents during the parent's lifetime is for the worldly needs. 

But after death only Allah knows what good and bad is in store for the deceased in the grave.

Dua'a for rahmah (mercy) and asking Allah to shower the deceased with His mercy is invaluable for the deceased.

Through the child's Dua,  Allah - through His grace and mercy - enlightens the grave removing the darkness and expands  the grave thus removing the suffering. And Allah makes the grave a garden from the gardens of Paradise.

Therefore, always remember your deceased parent/s, and always ask Allah to shower them with His mercy, enlighten their grave and expand it.

For example as you are about have a meal, think about the many wonderful meals your mother had prepared for you and how she took care of you all your life. Your heart will surely soften and at that point, let it drive you to offer a similar meal to an orphan, widow, divorced or needy person on behalf of your deceased parent/s and asking of Allah to reward them for it. Give charity on their behalf, recalling the many favours they did for you.

Never forget parents. Irrespective of how harsh they may have been with you, only Allah knows the love they had in their hearts for you. 

Give charity on their behalf privately, wipe away the tears of orphans, widows and divorced (through charity) on behalf of your parents, quench the thirst of the thirsty on their behalf. (for example by having a well dug.) 

Go out of your way to be the best child to your parents for they have sacrificed much to raise you.

This is the Dua'a mentioned in the Quran for one’s parents:

رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا

Rabb-ir-ham-huma kama rabbayaani sagheera

Translation: 

My Lord, Bestow thy mercy on my parent/s as they cherished and raised me in my childhood.

Lastly, let us teach our children this Dua'a for one day we all shall also need it.

A Stark Reality - my wake up call...

They met in Aalamul Arwaah, the realm of souls. Two souls, identical in appearance yet divided by a wide chasm of years and worldly experience. One of them held an unused ticket in his hand; a return ticket to the dunya, the world. The other held an expired ticket; his time in the world having come to an end.

"Where are you off to?" He asked his companion.

"To the dunya. My time there starts in a few days."

"But you do know that you have to return, right?"

"Yes, of course! I know that I have to come back to my Rabb and I will long for the day I return every minute, every day of my life. I know that my journey is temporary and my eternal abode awaits me here. I will try my utmost to fulfill my responsibility in the world so that I can return and enjoy the pleasures contained here once more."

And so, he left. Filled with the promises made to his Rabb, filled with the purpose of his temporary visit into the world, he ventured forth oh-so-confidently.

But alas! He knew not that this world is a place of temptations, of sinful pleasures and a whirlwind of untold delights that would suck him into its vortex, with hardly any way out.

And so he forgot. He forgot the promises made to his Rabb. He forgot the return ticket still tightly clutched in his hand, with its impending date of return getting closer with the slow ticking of the clock.

Or did he forget? I don't think so. I think he merely chose to ignore the glaring fact and bury it deep within the recesses of his mind. Thinking that the saying would prove true in his case; "out of sight, out of mind".

But that's no excuse, is it? For when the final boarding call comes there will be no escaping it. The ticket will have to be presented, the flight will have to be boarded. Are we ready to undertake this journey?

So let us wake up, oh muslimahs. Let us become aware of the existence of our return tickets. We do not know the date imprinted on them but we do know that it could be anytime. So let us prepare for this journey before the clock stops ticking and before our escort arrives to take us to our final destination. Let us pray each salah like it's our last. Let us watch each sunset like it's our last. And let us make the most of this ramadhaan if we reach it because it might be our last....

Fatimah bint Muhammad RA

Forgotten Heroines: The Housewifes Lament

Money is tight. The kids are demanding. Skin is raw from all the cooking, cleaning and chores that have to be done every day. There’s absolutely no time to spare for anything else, whether it’s pursuing further education or volunteering for a special cause.

Does this sound familiar? There are Muslim women all over the world who find themselves at home, living life as domestic stay-at-home mums and housewives. It’s a physically and emotionally demanding job and it’s also a pretty thankless one. How can spending all day serving others, instead of being involved in some kind of noble, public cause, ever be truly fulfilling and worth recognition – not just by people, but by Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'ala) Himself?

Fatimah bint Muhammad is known to be one of the four most perfect women in the entire world.

“Prophet Muhammad (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) drew four lines and said to the Companions, “Do you know what these are?” They said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said, “The best women of the women of Paradise are Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint Imran and Aasiyah bint Muzahim (the wife of the Pharaoh).” (Ahmad)

Yet when we look at the biography of Fatimah bint Muhammad (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam), one could say that in comparison to others amongst the early Muslim women, her life was relatively unremarkable. She grew up during a difficult time for her parents, when her father was being publicly mocked and derided for preaching his message; she lost her mother at a relatively young age and she married her cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib when she was about fifteen years old. Some of the most well-known ahadeeth related by her mention how physically demanding her lifestyle was, such that her hands would crack and bleed from the wheat-grinding that she used to do.

What made Fatimah so special? So special, in fact, that she will forever be known as one of the greatest women of Paradise?

Fatimah bint Muhammad is not known for an act of dramatic courage such as that displayed by Nusaybah bint Ka’b during the battle of Uhud, but she too provides an example for a situation that many Muslim women around the world live and continue to face: the everyday drudgery of life as a wife and mother.

Fatimah may have been the most beloved daughter to the Messenger of Allah, who was also the head of the Islamic State and leader of the Muslim army, but that didn’t mean that her life was one of luxury or ease.

Quite to the contrary, Fatimah was the mother of two young boys and ran her household single-handedly. Life was difficult back then, with none of the technologies that smooth our way through tedious tasks today. She used to grind the wheat for her bread with her own hands, to the point that her hands would crack and bleed. Her husband, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, was an employee of one of the Ansaar, but the income was meagre and they struggled to survive on a daily basis.

One day, weary and despairing of the toll that their lifestyle was taking on her, Fatimah decided that she would approach her father, RasulAllah (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam). At the time, the Muslims had won a battle and, as a result, had captured several prisoners and other spoils of war. With the reasoning that as a member of the Ummah, she was entitled to some relief, Fatimah went to visit one of RasulAllah’s homes. She did not find her father present, but seeing her stepmother A’ishah, Fatimah shared the story of her bleeding hands and her wish for a maidservant to take on a share of the burdens.
 
Fatimah went back to her home, and when RasulAllah returned to his own house, A’ishah told him about his daughter’s visit.

That same night, RasulAllah slipped into his daughter’s home, where she and ‘Ali were already lying in bed.

‘Ali narrates, “I wanted to get up, but the Prophet said, ‘Remain in your place.’ Then he sat down between us until I felt the coolness of his face on my chest. The Prophet said, ‘Shall I teach you a thing which is better than what you have asked me? When you go to bed, say, ‘Allahu akbar’ thirty-four times, and ‘subhanAllah’ thirty-three times, and ‘Alhamdulillah’ thirty-three times for that is better for you both than a servant.’” (Bukhari, Book #57, Hadith #55)

After this, Fatimah never repeated her request for a maid ever again.

It may seem to be a small, insignificant thing, but subhanAllah this was one of the reasons for which Fatimah earned her position as one of the queens of Jannah. Her life was spent quietly serving her Lord, through her sincere intentions behind caring for her husband and children. Around her, there were many sahabiyaat whose lives seemed much more exciting, full of adventure and grandeur. Her stepmother, A’ishah, was a great scholar; her great-aunt Safiyyah bint Abdul-Muttalib was fierce in battle and the women of Madinah were renowned for their boldness in approaching any matter.

 
Nonetheless, for Fatimah bint RasulAllah, the path to Paradise was simple – though never easy. For every stay-at-home-mother and housewife who feels that her life is too consumed by daily drudgery, who worries that her life is too dull to be of consequence, the quiet strength of Fatimah bint RasulAllah is an inspiration and a reminder that no deed, however small or seemingly insignificant, is overlooked by Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Just.

For indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good. (Surah Hud, verse 115)

Jannah is not only for the Prophets, the martyrs, the ascetics, or the scholars; Jannah is attainable by every Muslimah, no matter her occupation or station in life. In the eyes of Allah, every sincere Muslim woman who pledges her life to pleasing her Lord is a heroine of Islam, Aameen

Sayyidina Ali RA and the Giant

 

During the Battle of Khandaq (Trench) two people managed to cross the trench. One was Ikramah with a group of men and the other was Khalid bin Walid. With Ikramah was a man called Amr ibn Abd Wud who was the undisputed champion amongst the Arabs, he had never lost a battle. The narration mentions that he descended from his horse and he cut the legs of the horse meaning that he wasn’t going to go back. He said, “Oh Muhammad [sallallahu alayhi wasallam], is there anybody amongst you who is ready to fight me?”

Nobody moved because this was Amr ibn Abd Wud. When children wouldn’t go to sleep, women would say, ‘Go to sleep Amr ibn Abd Wud is coming.’ He was equivalent to 500 men and he never spared a man who fought him. Nobody moved so Amr ibn Abd Wud began to laugh, and the Mushrikeen began to laugh. Amr said, “Oh Muhammad [sallallahu alayhi wasallam], I heard that you say that your martyrs will go into Jannah and we will go into Jahannum. Is there anybody amongst you who wants to enter into Jannah?” And Ali (radiallahu anhu) jumped up.

Ali (radiallahu anhu) said, “Oh Messenger of Allah, allow me to fight this tyrant.” Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said to him, “Oh sit down Ali! Don’t you know this is Amr ibn Abd Wud?” And Amr ibn Abd Wud began to laugh and again his laughter was followed by the laughter of the Mushrikeen. Amr shouted again, “What about your Nabi Muhammad? What about your Deen?” The sahabah couldn’t take this insult and Ali (radiallahu anhu) said, “Oh Messenger of Allah, allow me to go and fight him.” Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) allowed him, took his turban off his head and placed it on Ali’s (radiallahu anhu) head and he gave him his sword, Zulfiqaar.

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) lifted his hands to the heavens and asked, “Oh Allah! On the day of Uhud you took Hamzah away from me. Today, do not take Ali away from me.” Ali (radiallahu anhu) marched out to fight Amr. It was a mismatch of the nature of David and Goliath but Ali (radiallahu anhu) marched on. When Amr saw Ali (radiallahu anhu) he said, “Couldn’t they find anybody who was bigger than you?” Ali (radiallahu anhu) was amongst the youngest at that time.

Ali (radiallahu anhu) responded, “I am at the lowest amongst the believers, but you deserve nobody besides me.”

Ali (radiallahu anhu) continued, “Before I fight you I’ll give you one of two options, that you recite La ilaha illAllahu Muhammadur Rasulullah.” Amr ibn Abd Wud said, “Even if my head was in the depths of Jahannum, I would not recite these words.” Ali (radiallahu anhu) told him, “Go back. Don’t fight Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and Amr said, “People would say I ran away from a small child like you.”

Amr asked Ali (radiallahu anhu), “Who are you?” He said, “I’m Ali, the son of Abu Talib,” and Amr said, “Your father was my friend. My son, I don’t want to kill you.” Ali (radiallahu anhu) told him, “You may not want to kill me but because you’re the enemy of Allah SWT I want to kill you.”

This enraged Amr ibn Abd Wud and he charged for Ali (radiallahu anhu). Ali (radiallahu anhu) was very nimble and he moved from one side to the other side until Amr was totally exhausted. Allah SWT had given Ali (radiallahu anhu) a strong natural power. Even in the Battle of Khayber, he dislodged a whole door. Ali (radiallahu anhu) jumped towards Amr and he grabbed Amr ibn Abd Wud and dropped him. The saying goes, ‘the bigger they are the harder they fall’ and Amr fell to the ground and Ali (radiallahu anhu) took out his dagger. Amr wanted to go out in style and spat in the face of Ali (radiallahu anhu) but Ali (radiallahu anhu) got up and everybody was amazed and he said, “We are believers. Initially I was going to kill you for the sake of Allah but now it’s become personal so I don’t want to kill you.”

Amr ibn Abd Wud could not live with this disgrace and when Ali (radiallahu anhu) was walking away he attacked him and with the blessed sword of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), Ali (radiallahu anhu) struck him and killed Amr Ibn Abd Wud.

The Last Words of Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam)

Suddenly, there was a person, he said salaam.

'May I come in?' he asked.

But Fatimah (Radiyyallahu Anha) did not allow him enter the room.

'I'm sorry, my father is ill,' said Fatimah (Radiyyallahu Anha) , turned her body back and closed the door.

She went back to her father who had opened his eyes and asked Fatimah (Radiyyallahu Anha) , 'Who was he, my daughter?'

'I don't know, my father. It was the first time for me to see him,' Fatimah (Radiyyallahu Anha) said gently.

Then, Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) looked at his daughter with trembled look, as if he wanted to reminisce about every part of his daughter's face.

'Know one thing! He is who erases the temporary pleasure; he is who separates the companionship in the world. He is the death angel,' said Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam).

Fatimah (Radiyyallahu Anha) bore the bomb of her cry. The death angel came toward him, But Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) asked why Jibril (Alay Salam) did not come along with him..

Then, Jibril (Alay Salam) was called. Jibril (Alay Salam) was ready in the sky to welcome the soul of Habibullah and the leader of the earth.

'O Jibril, explain me about my rights in front of ALLAH?' Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) asked with a weakest voice.

'The doors of sky have opened, the angels are waiting for your soul.'

'All jannats open widely waiting for you,' Jibril (Alay Salam) said..

But, in fact, all this did not make Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) relieved, his eyes were still full of worry..

'You are not happy to hear this news?' asked Jibril (Alay Salam) .

'Tell me about the destiny of my people in future?'

'Don't worry, O Rasul ALLAH (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam).  I heard ALLAH tell me: 'I make jannat haram for every one, except the people of Muhammad (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) who are inside it,' Jibril (Alay Salam) said.

It became closer and closer, the time for Malaekat Izrail (Alay Salam) to do his work.

Slowly, Rasulullah's (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) soul was pulled. It was seemed that the body of Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was full of sweat; the nerves of his neck became tight.

'Jibril (Alay Salam) , how painful this sakaratul maut is!'

Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) uttered a groan slowly. Fatimah (Radiyyallahu Anha) closed her eyes, Ali (Radiyyallahu Anhu) sat beside her bowed deeply and Jibril (Alay Salam) turned his face back.

'Am I repugnant to you that you turn your face back O Jibril?'(Alay Salam)
Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) asked the Deliverer of Wahy.

'Who is the one who could see the Habibullah in his condition of sakaratul maut,' Jibril (Alay Salam) said..

Not for a while, Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) uttered a groan because of unbearable pain.

'O ALLAH, how great is this sakaratul maut. Give me all these pains, don't give it to my people.'

The body of Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) became cold, his feet and chest did not move anymore....

His lips vibrated as if he wanted to say something, Ali (Radiyyallahu Anhu) took his ear close to Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam).

'Uushiikum bis salati, wa maa malakat aimanuku - take care of the saalat and take care the weak people among you.'

Outside the room, there were cries shouted each other, sahabah held each other. Fatimah (Radiyyallahu Anha) closed her face with her hands and, again, Ali (Radiyyallahu Anhu) took his ear close to Rasulullah's (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) mouth which became bluish.

'Ummatii, ummatii, ummatii?' - 'My people, my people, my people.'

And the life of the Prophet (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) ended.

Could we love each other like him? Allahumma salle 'ala Muhammad wa baarik wa salim 'alaihi. How deep is Rasulullah's (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) love to us.

Sayyidina Bilaal RA: Muezzin of the 3 Harams

Sayyidina Bilaal RA: Muezzin of the 3 Harams

In a narration it is mentioned that Bilal (radiallahu anhu) would often give the adhaan and then he would call Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) hadn’t come out so he went to call the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and he saw that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was becoming conscious and unconscious and Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) said “What grief (Wa Huznaa).” He said, “I wish my mother had never given birth to me that I see this day,” or that he had died before seeing this day. Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) went to give the adhaan and he became unconscious.

When Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) passed away the narration mentions that the blessed body of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had still not been buried and Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) gave the adhaan and when he reached the words, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, often when he would reach these words Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would come out of the house adjacent to the Masjid, and he looked and there was no Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). The narration mentions that Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) began to choke and he began to cry and all those around him began to cry and for the next three days that Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) tried to give the adhaan, every time he would reach the words, bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, he would begin to choke.

He went to Sayyidina Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu), he couldn’t bear to remain in Madina without Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and he asked Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) to allow him to leave. He said he had heard Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) mention the virtue of jihad and he wants to go out and do jihad. Sayyidina Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) said, “No Bilal stay with me, I need you.” Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) responded, “Oh Abu Bakr, if you freed me for yourself then keep me but if you freed me for the sake of Allah then let me go.” Sayyidina Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) allowed him to go out on jihad.
One night Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) was sleeping and he had a dream in which he saw Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) saying to him, “Oh Bilal, what is it that you never come to visit us?” Bilal (radiallahu anhu) woke up and travelled to Madinah at a hurried pace and when he reached Madinah he lay on the blessed grave of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) remembering his habib (love). Sayyidina Hassan and Husain (radiallahu anhum) came and they saw him and they asked him to give the adhaan. This was a request from the grandchildren of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) got up and he gave the adhaan and when he recited the Takbeer (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar), the narration mentions that Madina erupted. It erupted because it brought back the memory of the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). The men and women came out of their houses and were emotional.

Bilal (radiallahu anhu) tried to remain in Madinah but he found it difficult because everywhere that he would look reminded him of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and he couldn’t bear to remain in Madinah so he left. Then came the conquest of Masjid al Aqsa and the patriarch said that he would only give the key to Sayyidina Umar ibn al Khattab (radiallahu anhu) and Sayyidina Umar (radiallahu anhu) travelled from Madinah to Masjid al Aqsa and the Sahaabah (radiallahu anhum) who were there went up to Sayyidina Umar (radiallahu anhu) and they asked him to request Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) to give the adhaan and he did.
The narration mentions that when Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) reached the words, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the beards of those Sahaabah who embraced Islam which were black and had now turned grey, became drenched with tears. There was not a Sahaabah whose beard was not drenched. They had to console Sayyidina Umar ibn al Khattab (radiallahu anhu) because it reminded him of being in the company of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). This was the amazing virtue of Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) for he gave the adhaan in the Haram in the Makkatul Mukarramah, in the Masjid of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and also in Masjid al Aqsa. All three of the most blessed places.

On the twentieth year after Hijrah Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) passed away. He was in Damascus at the time and the narration says that as he was passing away his wife said, “What grief (Wa Huznaa),” and Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) said, “No, say Wa Furhaa (what happiness). Tomorrow I will meet Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and the companions.” Can you imagine the level of Imaan that you’re dying, you’re leaving this dunya, and you’re happy to leave this world (dunya) because you want to meet the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that this world (dunya) is a prison for the Believer (Mu’min) and a Jannah for the disbeliever (kaafir). The Ulama say one of the reasons it is a prison for the believer is because it stops the believer from meeting Allah SWT and His Rasool (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and it is a heaven for the disbeliever because this is all that they have.

Can you imagine the state that you are dying but you are happy to die because you want to meet Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Sayyidina Bilal (radiallahu anhu) passed away in 20AH. He is buried in Damascus, Makrab Bab as Sagheer. This was a man who may be buried in Damascus but he is destined for Jannah. Allah SWT and His Rasool (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) gave testimony and there were many other testimonies. In one narration Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is recorded to have said, “Jannah longs for Bilal. We long for Jannah and Jannah longs for Bilal.”

Loving Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and the companions (radiallahu anhum) is part of the belief of a Mu’min. Our capacity to love is endless. We can love many people and even things. Love is something we can give to new people without losing love that we have given to others. But the most important love a Mu’min can have is love for Allah SWT and Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

Lower the Gaze (Strive to keep Sunnah of Nabi Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam alive)

Lower the Gaze (Strive to keep Sunnah of Nabi Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam alive)

Generally women are of the misconception that the command to lower the gaze is restricted to the man only, and they are free to look at men, whereas the command is for women to lower their gazes as well. At times curiosity gets the better of us. Especially on the occasion of a marriage, we are all too eager to get a glance at who the bridegroom really is. What we fail to realise is that in breaking the command of Allah Ta‘ala of lowering the gaze, we deprive ourselves of the sweetness of Imaan. Just one glance and our hearts are captured, our minds are thrown off balance and we lose all concentration in our acts of worship. We need to ask ourselves whether it is worth the glance; that for a moment of false pleasure we lose that clear communication we once enjoyed with our creator Allah Ta‘ala? Really, we do not know that behind the lowering of our gaze on which specific occasion lies our entry into paradise. Let us strive to lower our gaze and raise our stage.

A Motivational Eid Story - The Caliph and the New Clothes

A Motivational  Eid Story - The Caliph and the New Clothes

 The little boy came running to his mother crying with a request.  “Jarir and Mughiz have both got new clothes for Eid. Can I have some new clothes as well?” The mother picked him up and wiped his tears.

Their mother, Fatima bint Abdul Malik(RA), was no ordinary woman. Her father, grandfather and each of her four brothers were at one time or another Caliph and leader of the Muslim Ummah. In fact, her own husband was the present Caliph, Umar ibn Abdul Aziz(RA) – who ruled the world’s largest empire that stretched from the Atlantic to the Indian oceans. She promised him that she would check with his father to see if  he could have new clothes for Eid.

When Umar ibn Abdul Aziz returned home, his wife related her sons request to him. The Caliph had a pained look in his eyes. “Fatima, you know how much I value my children, but all the money I have is in front of you”, he said motioning towards the sparsely furnished hut.

Though a Caliph, Umar took care to live honestly and did much to ensure justice. Fatima agreed with her husband, but she said that maybe it would be possible to buy very cheap clothes for him and he would just be happy with something new to wear.  The tears have left satins on his cheeks. Finally, the Caliph, saddened by the plight, agreed and wrote a letter to his treasurer requesting that his pay be advanced a month early so that he could buy his child something to wear on Eid.

But the honest and pious Caliph had an equally honest treasurer who wrote a letter in reply to the Caliph. The Caliph read the letter with tears flowing  from his eyes: “Amir Ul-Mumineen, I have great respect for you and I trust and obey you completely. However, if you could guarantee to me that you will live through the next month and do your service to the people (which will entitle you to your pay) then the money can be advanced to you. If you cannot give the assurance of your life, then how can the treasury pay you and why are you taking the rights of the poor, orphans and widows onto your shoulders?”

Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz realized his mistake. Fatima bint Abdul Malik, washed the old clothes. The day of Eid arrived and the whole area of Damascus was buzzing with joy and celebration with people clad in their new attires. Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz also set out for the Eid Prayer holding the hand of his son, both father and son wearing their clean old clothing. The young boy’s face shone brightly, as he walked alongside his father, convinced that the eternal pleasure and comforts of Jannah (Paradise) are by far superior to the comforts of this temporary world.

One has to wonder if they were made from the same dust as us. Once we (Muslims) were kings on this Earth, but it wasn’t because we were large in number that we were respected. It wasn’t because we were powerful that we were victorious. It wasn’t because we were successful that we were admired. It wasn’t because our women were beautiful that they were treated with honor and dignity. It wasn’t because we were intelligent that our example was emulated. It was all due to the faith of Islam. Sometimes, it’s worthwhile reflecting on how far we’ve fallen so we know how high we need to climb.

A Very Special Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak to you and your family and May Allah bless and grant you Barakah in this world and the Aakhirah ...May Allah accept your Dua’as. Let us remember the Ummah which is in pain and distress in many parts of the world and if possible let us contribute in whatever way possible whether it be financially or by way of your sincere Dua'as. Make Dua'a for those who have passed on....May ALLAH grant relief to those in need, May Allah ease the plight of so many that are downtrodden,& oppressed ...May Allah grant Shi'fa to those that are ill and may ALLAH grant us a death with Imaan and true success in both this world and the hereafter…Aameen

Was Salaam

Marriage - why cant we be friends...by Tasneem Basha (Featured on the Safeera Kaka-Mahomed Show)

Marriage - why cant we be friends...

He’s confused, she’s confused. He’s non-committal, she’s right. She’s crazy, he’s a low-down-dirty…you get the picture. And... with attitudes like these who can blame us for not finding Mr or Mrs Ever after. Of course I do know that there are those of you out there who never ‘intend’ (like its up to you) on getting married, and to you I say…what the heck are you doing reading this post? For the rest of you, this is how its done.

Respect, ladies. Respect yourself enough to know his world does not revolve around you, invest in yourself (in other words get a life), do things you enjoy and make sure you’re a whole person before you get married. Respect your husband (don’t burn those bra’s just yet); as a fellow Muslim, human being and as the person who’s been tasked with clothing and feeding you. Don’t do things to antagonise him- I trust you’re older than 13 and can understand what I mean. Men generally behave the way you say they do.

Boys, your turn. Respect your wife. Brother, she’s courting stretch marks for you and that’s saying something. Respect her as a fellow Muslim, human being and the person who has been tasked with trying to read your mind. Respect her enough to know she has a mind, opinion and talent of her own, she is not ‘back-office support’ to your Broadway show.

All together now. Remember, the both of ya’s, that you are on the same team moving as a couple towards the same goal, and that is seeing each other grow in richness of personality, knowledge, comfort. Have a genuine intention for this person to have the best that both worlds have to offer. Play nice, say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and ‘would you like/prefer…’ Instead of ‘Whaa tchu wan?!’.
Share tasks, watch and help the other wash out the fridge or change the cars oil. It’ll encourage appreciation at the very least.

Fight people, for goodness sake fight! Its better in all its fiery, acid-spitting glory than ego-breaking silent cold wars. Scream about how unfair it is, rant about how everything SHOULD favour you, but don’t EVER threaten. Especially not with the ‘T’ word.

Please bonk. I know couples who have gone a year without nookie. Couple’S. A YEAR. What the heck is that about? Did the wedding ring clamp your libido spring? Nothing breaks a person in a relationship like being rejected in any way. They WILL make you feel the shards of that brokenness.
Hang out together. It doesn’t have to be formal. Sit in the parking lot at the M1 Oasis, eat allsorts and listen to a new CD. You don’t ‘have’ to talk, honestly the world will not come to an end.
I suppose there’s a lot more I could teach you young ‘uns, but easy does it.

There’s one thing I would really like you to remember from all this and that is courtesy. If you can’t be genuinely polite, well-mannered and respectful to your partner, you’re sinking faster than the Titanic with Gods finger on it.

* blog post that was discussed on CII this morning

Fatimah bint Muhammad radi Allahu ta'ala Anha

Fatimah bint Muhammad radi Allahu ta'ala Anha

Fatimah RA was the fifth child of Muhammad Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam and Khadijah RA. She was born at a time when her noble father had begun to spend long periods in the solitude of mountains around Makkah, meditating and reflecting on the great mysteries of creation. This was the time, before the Bithah, when her eldest sister Zaynab RA was married to her cousin, al-Aas ibn ar Rabiah. Then followed the marriage of her two other sisters, Ruqayyah RA and Umm Kulthum RA, to the sons of Abu Lahab, a paternal uncle of the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam. Both Abu Lahab and his wife Umm Jamil turned out to be flaming enemies of the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam from the very beginning of his public mission. The little Fatimah thus saw her sisters leave home one after the other to live with their husbands. She was too young to understand the meaning of marriage and the reasons why her sisters had to leave home. She loved them dearly and was sad and lonely when they left. It is said that a certain silence and painful sadness came over her then. Of course, even after the marriage of her sisters, she was not alone in the house of her parents. Barakah RA, the maid-servant of Aminah RA, the Prophet's Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam mother, who had been with the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam since his birth, Zayd ibn Harithah RA, and Ali RA, the young son of Abu Talib were all part of Muhammad's Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam household at this time. And of course there was her loving mother, the lady Khadijah RA. In her mother and in Barakah RA, Fatimah RA found a great deal of solace and comfort in Ali RA, who was about two years older than she, she found a "brother" and a friend who somehow took the place of her own brother al-Qasim who had died in his infancy. Her other brother Abdullah, known as the Good and the Pure, who was born after her, also died in his infancy. However in none of the people in her father's household did Fatimah RA find the carefree joy and happiness which she enjoyed with her sisters. She was an unusually sensitive child for her age. When she was five, she heard that her father had become Rasul of Allah, the Messenger of Allah. His first task was to convey the good news of Islam to his family and close relations. They were to worship Allah, Almighty alone. Her mother, who was a tower of strength and support, explained to Fatimah RA what her father had to do. From this time on, she became more closely attached to him and felt a deep and abiding love for him. Often she would be at his side walking through the narrow streets and alleys of Makkah, visiting the Kabah or attending secret gatherings off, the early Muslims who had accepted Islam and pledged allegiance to the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam. read more One day, when she was not yet ten, she accompanied her father to the Masjid al-Haram. He stood in the place known as al-Hijr facing the Kabah and began to pray. Fatimah RA stood at his side. A group of Quraysh, by no means well-disposed to the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam, gathered about him. They included Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, the Prophet's uncle, Uqbah ibn Abi Muayt, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and Shaybah and Utbah, sons of Rabi'ah. Menacingly, the group went up to the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam and Abu Jahl, the ringleader, asked: "Which of you can bring the entrails of a slaughtered animal and throw it on Muhammad?" Uqbah ibn Abi Muayt, one of the vilest of the lot, volunteered and hurried off. He returned with the obnoxious filth and threw it on the shoulders of the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was still prostrating. Abdullah ibn Masud, a companion of the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam, was present but he was powerless to do or say anything. Imagine the feelings of Fatimah RA as she saw her father being treated in this fashion. What could she, a girl not ten years old, do? She went up to her father and removed the offensive matter and then stood firmly and angrily before the group of Quraysh thugs and lashed out against them. Not a single word did they say to her. The noble Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam raised his head on completion of the prostration and went on to complete the Salaah. He then said: "O Lord, may you punish the Quraysh!" and repeated this imprecation three times. Then he continued: "May You punish Utbah, Uqbah, Abu Jahl and Shaybah." (These whom he named were all killed many years later at the Battle of Badr) On another occasion, Fatimah RA was with the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam as he made; Tawaf around the Kabah. A Quraysh mob gathered around him. They seized him and tried to strangle him with his own clothes. Fatimah RA screamed and shouted for help. Abu Bakr RA rushed to the scene and managed to free the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam. While he was doing so, he pleaded: "Would you kill a man who says, 'My Lord is God?'" Far from giving up, the mob turned on Abu Bakr RA and began beating him until blood flowed from his head and face. Such scenes of vicious opposition and harassment against her father and the early Muslims were witnessed by the young Fatimah RA. She did not meekly stand aside but joined in the struggle in defence of her father and his noble mission. She was still a young girl and instead of the cheerful romping, the gaiety and liveliness which children of her age are and should normally be accustomed to, Fatimah RA had to witness and participate in such ordeals. Of course, she was not alone in this. The whole of the Prophet's Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam family suffered from the violent and mindless Quraysh. Her sisters, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum also suffered. They were living at this time in the very nest of hatred and intrigue against the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam. Their husbands were Utbah and Utaybah, sons of Abu Lahab and Umm Jamil. Umm Jamil was known to be a hard and harsh woman who had a sharp and evil tongue. It was mainly because of her that Khadijah was not pleased with the marriages of her daughters to Umm Jamil's sons in the first place. It must have been painful for Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum to be living in the household of such inveterate enemies who not only joined but led the campaign against their father. As a mark of disgrace to Muhammad Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam and his family, Utbah and Utaybah were prevailed upon by their parents to divorce their wives. This was part of the process of ostracizing the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam totally. The Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam in fact welcomed his daughters back to his home with joy, happiness and relief. Fatimah RA, no doubt, must have been happy to be with her sisters once again. They all wished that their eldest sister, Zaynab RA, would also be divorced by her husband. In fact, the Quraysh brought pressure on Abu-l Aas to do so but he refused. When the Quraysh leaders came up to him and promised him the richest and most beautiful woman as a wife should he divorce Zaynab RA, he replied: "I love my wife deeply and passionately and I have a great and high esteem for her father even though I have not entered the religion of Islam." Both Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum were happy to be back with their loving parents and to be rid of the unbearable mental torture to which they had been subjected in the house of Umm Jamil. Shortly afterwards, Ruqayyah married again, to the young and shy Uthman ibn Allan who was among the first to have accepted Islam. They both left for Abyssinia among the first muhajirin who sought refuge in that land and stayed there for several years. Fatimah RA was not to see Ruqayyah again until after their mother had died. The persecution of the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam, his family and his followers continued and even became worse after the migration of the first Muslims to Abyssinia. In about the seventh year of his mission, the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam and his family were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in a rugged little valley enclosed by hills on all sides and defile, which could only be entered from Makkah by a narrow path. To this arid valley, Muhammad Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam and the clans of Banu Hashim and al-Muttalib were forced to retire with limited supplies of food. Fatimah RA was one of the youngest members of the clans - just about twelve years old - and had to undergo months of hardship and suffering. The wailing of hungry children and women in the valley could be heard from Makkah. The Quraysh allowed no food and contact with the Muslims whose hardship was only relieved somewhat during the season of pilgrimage. The boycott lasted for three years. When it was lifted, the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam had to face even more trials and difficulties. Khadijah RA, the faithful and loving, died shortly afterwards. With her death, the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam and his family lost one of the greatest sources of comfort and strength which had sustained them through the difficult period. The year in which the noble Khadijah RA, and later Abu Talib, died is known as the Year of Sadness. Fatimah RA, now a young lady, was greatly distressed by her mother's death. She wept bitterly and for some time was so grief-striken that her health deteriorated. It was even feared she might die of grief. Although her older sister, Umm Kulthum, stayed in the same household, Fatimah RA realized that she now had a greater responsibility with the passing away of her mother. She felt that she had to give even greater support to her father. With loving tenderness, she devoted herself to looking after his needs. So concerned was she for his welfare that she came to be called "Umm Abi-ha the mother of her father". She also provided him with solace and comfort during times of trial, difficulty and crisis. Often the trials were too much for her. Once, about this time, an insolent mob heaped dust and earth upon his gracious head. As he entered his home, Fatimah RA wept profusely as she wiped the dust from her father's head. "Do not cry, my daughter," he said, "for Allah shall protect your father." The Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam had a special love for Fatimah RA. He once said: "Whoever pleased Fatimah RA has indeed pleased Allah and whoever has caused her to be angry has indeed angered Allah. Fatimah RA is a part of me. Whatever pleases her pleases me and whatever angers her angers me." He also said: "The best women in all the world are four: the Mary (Mariam AS), Aasiyaa the wife of Pharoah, Khadijah, the Mother of the Believers, and Fatimah RA, the daughter of Muhammad Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam." Fatimah RA thus acquired a place of love and esteem in the Prophet's Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam heart that was only occupied by his wife Khadijah RA. Fatimah RA, may Allah be pleased with her, was given the title of "az-Zahraa" which means "the Resplendent One". That was because of her beaming face which seemed to radiate light. It is said that when she stood for Prayer, the Mihrab would reflect the light of her countenance. She was also called "al-Batul" because of her asceticism. Instead of spending her time in the company of women, much of her time would be spent in Salaah, in reading the Quran and in other acts of Ibadah. Fatimah RA had a strong resemblance to her father, the Messenger of Allah. Aishah RA, the wife of the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam, said of her: "I have not seen any one of Allah's creation resemble the Messenger of Allah more in speech, conversation and manner of sitting than Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her. When the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam saw her approaching, he would welcome her, stand up and kiss her, take her by the hand and sit her down in the place where he was sitting." She would do the same when the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam came to her. She would stand up and welcome him with joy and kiss him. Fatimah's RA fine manners and gentle speech were part of her lovely and endearing personality. She was especially kind to poor and indigent folk and would often give all the food she had to those in need even if she herself remained hungry. She had no craving for the ornaments of this world nor the luxury and comforts of life. She lived simply, although on occasion as we shall see circumstances seemed to be too much and too difficult for her. She inherited from her father a persuasive eloquence that was rooted in wisdom. When she spoke, people would often be moved to tears. She had the ability and the sincerity to stir the emotions, move people to tears and fill their hearts with praise and gratitude to Allah for His grace and His inestimable bounties. Fatimah RA migrated to Madinah a few weeks after the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam did. She went with Zayd ibn Harithah who was sent by the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam back to Makkah to bring the rest of his family. The party included Fatimah RA and Umm Kulthum RA, Sawda RA, the Prophet's Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam wife, Zayd's wife Barakah and her son Usamah. Travelling with the group also were Abdullah the son of Abu Bakr RA who accompanied his mother and his sisters, Aishah RA and Asma RA. In Madinah, Fatimah RA lived with her father in the simple dwelling he had built adjoining the Masjid. In the second year after the Hijrah, she received proposals of marriage through her father, two of which were turned down. Then Ali RA, the son of Abu Talib, plucked up courage and went to the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam to ask for her hand in marriage. In the presence of the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam, however, Ali RA became over-awed and tongue-tied. He stared at the ground and could not say anything. The Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam then asked: "Why have you come? Do you need something?" Ali RA still could not speak and then the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam suggested: "Perhaps you have come to propose marriage to Fatimah RA." "Yes," replied Ali RA. At this, according to one report, the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam said simply: "Marhaban wa ahlan - Welcome into the family," and this was taken by Ali RA and a group of Ansar who were waiting outside for him as indicating the Prophet's Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam approval. Another report indicated that the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam approved and went on to ask Ali RA if he had anything to give as Mahr (dowry). Ali RA replied that he did not. The Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam reminded him that he had a shield which could be sold. Ali RA sold the shield to Uthman RA for four hundred dirhams and as he was hurrying back to the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam to hand over the sum as Mahr, Uthman RA stopped him and said: "I am returning your shield to you as a present from me on your marriage to Fatimah RA." Fatimah RA and Ali RA were thus married most probably at the beginning of the second year after the Hijrah. She was about nineteen years old at the time and Ali RA was about twenty one. The Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam himself performed the marriage ceremony. At the Walimah, the guests were served with dates, figs and hais (a mixture of dates and butter fat). A leading member of the Ansar donated a ram and others made offerings of grain. All of Madinah rejoiced. On her marriage, the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam is said to have presented Fatimah RA and Ali RA with a wooden bed intertwined with palm leaves, a velvet coverlet, a leather cushion filled with palm fibre, a sheepskin, a pot, a waterskin and a quern for grinding grain. Fatimah RA left the home of her beloved father for the first time to begin life with her husband. The Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam was clearly anxious on her account and sent Barakah with her should she be in need of any help. And no doubt Barakah was a source of comfort and solace to her. The Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam prayed for them: "O Lord, bless them both, bless their house and bless their offspring." In Ali's RA humble dwelling, there was only a sheepskin for a bed. In the morning after the wedding night, the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam went to Ali's RA house and knocked on the door. Barakah came out and the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam said to her: "O Umm Ayman, call my brother for me." "Your brother? That's the one who married your daughter?" asked Barakah somewhat incredulously as if to say: Why should the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam call Ali RA his "brother"? (He referred to Ali as his brother because just as pairs of Muslims were joined in brotherhood after the Hijrah, so the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam and Ali RA were linked as "brothers".) The Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam repeated what he had said in a louder voice. Ali RA came and the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam made a Du'a, invoking the blessings of Allah on him. Then he asked for Fatimah RA. She came almost cringing with a mixture of awe and shyness and the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam said to her: "I have married you to the dearest of my family to me." In this way, he sought to reassure her. She was not starting life with a complete stranger but with one who had grown up in the same household, who was among the first to become a Muslim at a tender age, who was known for his courage, bravery and virtue, and whom the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam described as his "brother in this world and the hereafter". Fatimah's RA life with Ali RA was as simple and frugal as it was in her father's household. In fact, so far as material comforts were concerned, it was a life of hardship and deprivation. Throughout their life together, Ali remained poor because he did not set great store by material wealth. Fatimah RA was the only one of her sisters who was not married to a wealthy man. In fact, it could be said that Fatimah's RA life with Ali RA was even more rigorous than life in her father's home. At least before marriage, there were always a number of ready helping hands in the Prophet's Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam household. But now she had to cope virtually on her own. To relieve their extreme poverty, Ali RA worked as a drawer and carrier of water and she as a grinder of corn. One day she said to Ali RA: "I have ground until my hands are blistered." "I have drawn water until I have pains in my chest," said Ali RA and went on to suggest to Fatimah RA: "God has given your father some captives of war, so go and ask him to give you a servant." Reluctantly, she went to the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam who said: "What has brought you here, my little daughter?" "I came to give you greetings of peace," she said, for in awe of him she could not bring herself to ask what she had intended. "What did you do?" asked Ali RA when she returned alone. "I was ashamed to ask him," she said. So the two of them went together but the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam felt they were less in need than others. "I will not give to you," he said, "and let the Ahl as-Suffah (poor Muslims who stayed in the Masjid) be tormented with hunger. I have not enough for their keep..." Ali RA and Fatimah RA returned home feeling somewhat dejected but that night, after they had gone to bed, they heard the voice of the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam asking permission to enter. Welcoming him, they both rose to their feet, but he told them: "Stay where you are," and sat down beside them. "Shall I not tell you of something better than that which you asked of me?" he asked and when they said yes he said: "Words which Jibril taught me, that you should say "Subhaan Allah- Glory be to Allah" ten times after every Prayer, and ten times "AI hamdu lillah - Praise be to Allah," and ten times "Allahu Akbar - Allah is Great." And that when you go to bed you should say them thirty-three times each." Ali RA used to say in later years: "I have never once failed to say them since the Messenger of Allah taught them to us." There are many reports of the hard and difficult times which Fatimah had to face. Often there was no food in her house. Once the Prophet was hungry. He went to one after another of his wives' apartments but there was no food. He then went to Fatimah's house and she had no food either. When he eventually got some food, he sent two loaves and a piece of meat to Fatimah. At another time, he went to the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari and from the food he was given, he saved some for her. Fatimah also knew that the Prophet was without food for long periods and she in turn would take food to him when she could. Once she took a piece of barley bread and he, said to her: "This is the first food your father has eaten for three days." Through these acts of kindness she showed how much she loved her father; and he loved her, really loved her in return. Once he returned from a journey outside Madinah. He went to the mosque first of all and prayed two rakats as was his custom. Then, as he often did, he went to Fatimah's house before going to his wives. Fatimah welcomed him and kissed his face, his mouth and his eyes and cried. "Why do you cry?" the Prophet asked. "I see you, O Rasul Allah," she said, "Your color is pale and sallow and your clothes have become worn and shabby." "O Fatimah," the Prophet replied tenderly, "don't cry for Allah has sent your father with a mission which He would cause to affect every house on the face of the earth whether it be in towns, villages or tents (in the desert) bringing either glory or humiliation until this mission is fulfilled just as night (inevitably) comes." With such comments Fatimah was often taken from the harsh realities of daily life to get a glimpse of the vast and far-reaching vistas opened up by the mission entrusted to her noble father. Fatimah eventually returned to live in a house close to that of the Prophet. The place was donated by an Ansari who knew that the Prophet would rejoice in having his daughter as his neighbor. Together they shared in the joys and the triumphs, the sorrows and the hardships of the crowded and momentous Madinah days and years. In the middle of the second year after the Hijrah, her sister Ruqayyah fell ill with fever and measles. This was shortly before the great campaign of Badr. Uthman, her husband, stayed by her bedside and missed the campaign. Ruqayyah died just before her father returned. On his return to Madinah, one of the first acts of the Prophet was to visit her grave. Fatimah went with him. This was the first bereavement they had suffered within their closest family since the death of Khadijah. Fatimah was greatly distressed by the loss of her sister. The tears poured from her eyes as she sat beside her father at the edge of the grave, and he comforted her and sought to dry her tears with the corner of his cloak. The Prophet had previously spoken against lamentations for the dead, but this had lead to a misunderstanding, and when they returned from the cemetery the voice of Umar was heard raised in anger against the women who were weeping for the martyrs of Badr and for Ruqayyah. "Umar, let them weep," he said and then added: "What comes from the heart and from the eye, that is from God and His mercy, but what comes from the hand and from the tongue, that is from Satan." By the hand he meant the beating of breasts and the smiting of cheeks, and by the tongue he meant the loud clamor in which women often joined as a mark of public sympathy. Uthman later married the other daughter of the Prophet, Umm Kulthum, and on this account came to be known as Dhu-n Nurayn - Possessor of the Two Lights. The bereavement which the family suffered by the death of Ruqayyah was followed by happiness when to the great joy of all the believers Fatimah gave birth to a boy in Ramadan of the third year after the Hijrah. The Prophet spoke the words of the Adhan into the ear of the new-born babe and called him al-Hasan which means the Beautiful One. One year later, she gave birth to another son who was called al-Husayn, which means "little Hasan" or the little beautiful one. Fatimah would often bring her two sons to see their grandfather who was exceedingly fond of them. Later he would take them to the Mosque and they would climb onto his back when he prostrated. He did the same with his little granddaughter Umamah, the daughter of Zaynab. In the eighth year after the Hijrah, Fatimah gave birth to a third child, a girl whom she named after her eldest sister Zaynab who had died shortly before her birth. This Zaynab was to grow up and become famous as the "Heroine of Karbala". Fatimah's fourth child was born in the year after the Hijrah. The child was also a girl and Fatimah named her Umm Kulthum after her sister who had died the year before after an illness. It was only through Fatimah that the progeny of the Prophet was perpetuated. All the Prophet's male children had died in their infancy and the two children of Zaynab named Ali and Umamah died young. Ruqayyah's child Abdullah also died when he was not yet two years old. This is an added reason for the reverence which is accorded to Fatimah. Although Fatimah was so often busy with pregnancies and giving birth and rearing children, she took as much part as she could in the affairs of the growing Muslim community of Madinah. Before her marriage, she acted as a sort of hostess to the poor and destitute Ahl as-Suffah. As soon as the Battle of Uhud was over, she went with other women to the battlefield and wept over the dead martyrs and took time to dress her father's wounds. At the Battle of the Ditch, she played a major supportive role together with other women in preparing food during the long and difficult siege. In her camp, she led the Muslim women in prayer and on that place there stands a mosque named Masjid Fatimah, one of seven mosques where the Muslims stood guard and performed their devotions. Fatimah also accompanied the Prophet when he made Umrah in the sixth year after the Hijrah after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. In the following year, she and her sister Umm Kulthum, were among the mighty throng of Muslims who took part with the Prophet in the liberation of Makkah. It is said that on this occasion, both Fatimah and Umm Kulthum visited the home of their mother Khadijah and recalled memories of their childhood and memories of jihad, of long struggles in the early years of the Prophet's mission. In Ramadan of the tenth year just before he went on his Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet confided to Fatimah, as a secret not yet to be told to others: "Jibril recited the Quran to me and I to him once every year, but this year he has recited it with me twice. I cannot but think that my time has come." On his return from the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet did become seriously ill. His final days were spent in the apartment of his wife Aishah. When Fatimah came to visit him, Aishah would leave father and daughter together. One day he summoned Fatimah. When she came, he kissed her and whispered some words in her ear. She wept. Then again he whispered in her ear and she smiled. Aishah saw and asked: "You cry and you laugh at the same time, Fatimah? What did the Messenger of God say to you?" Fatimah replied: "He first told me that he would meet his Lord after a short while and so I cried. Then he said to me: 'Don't cry for you will be the first of my household to join me.' So I laughed." Not long afterwards the noble Prophet passed away. Fatimah was grief-striken and she would often be seen weeping profusely. One of the companions noted that he did not see Fatimah, may God be pleased with her, laugh after the death of her father. One morning, early in the month of Ramadan, just less than five month after her noble father had passed away, Fatimah woke up looking unusually happy and full of mirth. In the afternoon of that day, it is said that she called Salma bint Umays who was looking after her. She asked for some water and had a bath. She then put on new clothes and perfumed herself. She then asked Salma to put her bed in the courtyard of the house. With her face looking to the heavens above, she asked for her husband Ali. He was taken aback when he saw her lying in the middle of the courtyard and asked her what was wrong. She smiled and said: "I have an appointment today with the Messenger of God." Ali cried and she tried to console him. She told him to look after their sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn and advised that she should be buried without ceremony. She gazed upwards again, then closed her eyes and surrendered her soul to the Mighty Creator. She, Fatimah the Resplendent One, was just twenty nine years old.

How Scores will be Settled on the Day of Resurrection

How Scores will be Settled on the Day of Resurrection

 

"....The man turned away and started to weep..."

 

When the Day of Resurrection comes, a man's wealth and capital will be his hasanaat (good deeds). If he had done wrong to any people, they will take from his hasanaat to the extent that he mistreated them. If he does not have any hasanaat, or if his hasanaat run out, then some of their sayi`aat (bad deeds) will be taken and added to his burden.

Bukhari narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Whoever wronged his brother with regard to his honour or any other matter, should seek his forgiveness today, before there are no longer any dinars, or dirhams; and if he has any righteous deeds, they will be taken from him, in accordance with the wrong he did; and if he has no hasanaat, some of the sayi`aat of his counterpart will be taken and added to his burden.” [Bukhari: Kitaab al-Mazaalim, Baab man kaanat lahu mazlamah `inda rajul, Fath al-Baari, 5/101]

This person whose hasanaat are taken from him by the people, and then has their sayi`aat placed on his own back, is the one who is bankrupt, as the Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) called him.

Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Do you know who is the one who is bankrupt?" They said, "The bankrupt is the one who has no money and no possessions." He said, "Among my ummah, the one who is bankrupt is the one who will come on the Day of Resurrection with prayer and fasting and zakah (to his credit), but he will come having insulted this one, slandered that one, consumed the wealth of this one and shed the blood of that one, and beaten that one. So they will all be given some of his hasanaat, and when his hasanaat run out, before judgement is passed, some of their sins will be taken and cast onto him, then he will be cast into the Fire." [Muslim: 4/1998, hadith no. 2581.]

If a debtor died when he still owed money to people, they will take from his hasanaat whatever is in accordance with what he owes them. In Sunan ibn Maajah it is narrated with a saheeh isnaad that Ibn 'Umar (radhiallahu `anhu) stated: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Whoever dies owing a dinar or a dirham, it will be paid from his hasanaat, for then there will be no dinars or dirhams.” [Saheeh al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 5/537, hadith no. 6432.]

If people wronged one another, the score will be settled between them. If they mistreated one another equally, then there will be no score to settle. If one of them is still owed something by the other, he will take what he is entitled to.

In Sunan at-Tirmidhi it is narrated that 'Aa'ishah said: "A man came and sat in front of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I have two slaves who tell me lies, betray and disobey me, and I insult them and beat them. What is my position with regard to them?” The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: 'On the Day of Resurrection, their betrayal, disobedience and lying will be measured against your punishment of them. If your punishment is commensurate with their wrongs, then there will be no score to settle. If your punishment of them was less than their sins deserved, then this will count in your favour. If your punishment of them was more than their sins deserved, then the score will be settled against you.' The man turned away and started to weep. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said to him, 'Have you not read the words of Allah?' -

“And We shall set up Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account.” (Qur'an 21: 47).’” [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3/66, hadith no. 5561. It is also narrated in Saheeh al-Jaami`, 6/327, hadith no. 7895, where it attributed to Ahmad and Tirmidhi.]

Because zulm (oppression) is such a serious matter, it is better for those who fear that Day to give up oppression and avoid it. The Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) has told us that oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection.

Bukhari and Muslim narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:"Oppression (zulm) will be darkness (zulumaat) on the Day of Resurrection." [Bukhari: Kitaab al-Mazaalim, Baab az-Zulm Zulumaat Yawm al-Qiyaamah, Fath al-Baari, 51100; Muslim, 4/1969, hadith no. 2579.]

Muslim narrated from Jaabir ibn 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:"Beware of oppression (zulm), for oppression will be darkness (zulumaat) on the Day of Resurrection." [Muslim: 4/1969, hadith no. 2578.]