Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
A Voice of the MusliM uMMAh
'READ'
24 Shawwal 1427 November 17, 2006
Vol. 18 No. 11
Islam In Theory and PracTIcemaryam Jameelah
Asmâ-ul-Husnâ : Allâh’s beautiful names and attributes ar-rahmaan The all-comPassIonaTe
continued on page �
The essenTIals oF an IslamIc commUnITy
We must make every effort to combat the evil of nationalism and strengthen the bonds of the Ummah from one end of the Muslim world to the other. If the different Muslim countries are unable to unite politically at once, they can pave the way by eliminating visa requirements, passports, tariffs and cus-tom duties in order to promote unrestricted freedom of commerce and travel. Minority groups living under Muslim rule must be allowed religious and cultural autonomy in self-contained communities of their own and their rights scrupulously protected according to the laws of the Shariah. We will never gain vigour and vitality until we recognize the catastrophic conse-quences of imitating a foreign culture and do everything possible to put an end to this. Let
anyone who doubts the crucial importance of avoiding the adoption of Western dress and living habits, listen to what the historian, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) had to say on this subject:
The vanquished always seek to imi-tate their victors in their dress, insignia and other customs and usages. This is because men are always inclined to at-tribute perfection to those who have de-feated and subjugated them. Men do this either because the reverence they feel towards their conquerors makes them see perfection in them or because they refuse to admit that their defeat could have been brought about by ordinary causes and hence they suppose that it is due to the perfection of the conquerors. Should this belief persist long, it will change into a profound conviction and will lead to the adoption of all the te-nets of the victors and the imitation of all their characteristics. This imitation may come about either unconsciously or because of a mistaken belief that the victory of the conquerors was due not to their superior solidarity and physi-
In This Issue... Moonsighting and Eid-ul-Adha .......... 2 Eid-ul-Adha ..........................................5 Hajj: A Pillar of Islam ..........................6 Hajj: Things to Know ..........................6 Umm Habibah (Children’s story) ....... 10 Shamaa-il: Fasting ........................... 12
- 2 -
Editorial
continued on page �
moonsIGhTInG and EID-UL-ADHA
Alhumdu lilllah by and large a consen-sus is developing that all Muslims should begin Ramadhan and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr after observing the hilal, instead of follow-ing the calculated dates by any overseas governments or local groups. This is a big success although there are some who still insist on observing the beginning of a lunar month without sighting the hilal. There is also, however, a lingering desire that we should coordinate Eid-ul-Adha with Ara-fat, even though it is clear that the dates for Arafat are not determined strictly based on hilal sighting. Yet Allâh has decreed that for Muslims the hilal is the criterion for determining time and also the commence-ment of Hajj. They ask you about the crescents. Tell (them) they are for fixing time for men and the Hajj. (2:198). Allâh has also decreed, when we should cooperate with each and other and when we should not. The verse (5:2), while talking about the Hajj, begins “O ye who believe! violate not the sanctity of the Symbols of Allah nor of the Sacred Month” and ends thus: “And cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety but cooperate ye not with one another in sin and rancor: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment.” (5:2) We would like to review the history of Eid-ul-Adha and Hajj and their relation-ship as was understood and practiced by the Messenger of Allâh and his rightly guided companions and the generations of Muslims that came afterwards. When the Apostle of Allâh came to Madinah, the people had two days on which they engaged in games. He asked: “What are these two days (what is the sig-
nificance)?” They said, “We used to engage ourselves in them in the pre-Islamic pe-riod.” The Apostle of Allâh said, “Allah has substituted for them something better than them, the day of Adha and the day of the Fitr.” (Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 1130, narrated by Anas ibn Malik) Thus for ten years Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated by the Messenger of Allâh in Madinah, always on the tenth of Zil-Hajj, according to the hilal sighted at Madinah. He made no attempt to determine what day it was in Makkah, even after Makkah had been liberated. If anyone slaughtered his animal before the prayer, he was ordered to do it again (Sahih Al-Bukhari: 2.93, 2.99, 7.453, 7.463; Sahih Muslim: 4837). Later the rightly guided Khulafa became aware that the hilal can be sighted at two different days between Makkah and Ma-dinah. Thus Umar was aware of such happening. ……..And when Abu Ayyub al-Ansari and Habbar ibn al-Aswad came to the day of the sacrifice and had missed the Hajj, Umar ibn al-Khattab told them to come out of ihram by doing umra……(Al-Muwatta Hadith, 20.104). He (Umar ) and all subsequent gen-erations of Muslims made no attempt to coordinate their Eid-ul-Adha day with the Hajj in Makkah. It could have been done very easily. It took less than three days to travel from Makkah to Madinah. The hilal of Zil-Hajj at Makkah could have been eas-ily announced to all the tribes and city up to Madinah and beyond by the tenth of Zil Hajj, the day of Eid. No such attempt was ever made. Very often it is argued that Eid-ul-Adha should be celebrated according to the Yaum-ul-Arafah in Makkah, to show unity with them. Allah in his infinite wisdom made a distinction between 9th of Zil Hajj (i.e. the day of Arafah) in Makkah and and 9th of Zil Hajj everywhere else. Not only were Eid-ul-Adha and Hajj decreed at two
- 3 -
is published monthly by con-necticut council of masajid, Islamic center of hamden, Islamic center of connecticut, Islamic center of new haven, Faran club, United muslim masjid, Islamic society of Western connecticut, and Islamic center of new london.
maIlInG address:connecticut council of masajid
P.o. Box 4456, hamden, cT 06517Tel: (203) 562-2757
edITorIal commITTeeSister Aisha Sayed Alam (Cheshire)
Dr. Abdul Hamid (Hamden)Sister Bonnie Lynn Hamid (Hamden)
Dr. Shujaat Ali Khan (New York)
Layout/Mailing ............ Brother Nadeem Abdul Hamid
continued from page �
continued on page 1�
diffrent times (Eid-ul-Adha soon after ari-val in Madinah and Hajj in the 9th year of Hijra), but also at Arafat during the Hajj it is prohibited to fast on the 9th. Every where else it is a sunnah to fast on 9th of Zil-Hajj. Ikrimah said: We were with Abu Hurayrah in his house when he narrated to us: The Apostle of Allâh prohibited fasting on the day of Arafah at Arafat. (Su-nan of Abu-Dawood, 2434, narrated by Abu Hurayrah ). Hunaidah b. Khalid narrated from his wife on the authority of one of the wives of the Prophet who said, “The Messen-ger of Allâh used to fast on the 9th of Zil-Hajj and the Ashura and three days in every month, first Monday and Thursday.” (Sunan of Abu-Dawood, 2431). These two hadith clearly distinguish yaum-ul-arafah in Makkah from yaum-ul-arafah elsewhere, although both are observed on 9th of Zil-Hajj. The Prophet never followed the Arafah of the mushri-keen before the liberation of Makkah and even after the liberation he continued to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha based on the sight-ing of hilal at Madinah. Muslims have fol-lowed this sunnah for the last 1400 years. It is only recently, with the advancement of communications, that a new Bid’ah is becoming established i.e. to ignore the be-ginning of the month based on the sighting of the hilal in favor of what is happening in Makkah. Unity of the Ummah: Some argue that for the sake of ‘unity’, all Muslims should follow the dates announced by the Saudi government, even though most Muslims who have started to look for the hilal have come to realize that Saudi dates are based on calculations rather than actual sighting. During the past thirteen years (1993-2006) even theoretically (i.e. by calculations), sometimes it was impossible to see the hi-lal and sometimes it was most unlikely to
see the hilal in Makkah on the dates de-termined by the Saudi government. The “unity of the Ummah” cannot be achieved and is not worth achieving, by making days sacred that Allah has not made sacred. This is simply what intentionally following the wrong dates means. The unity will come about, and is worth trying for, only if all, especially the govern-ment of Saudi Arabia, agree to follow the injunctions of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. We have no qualms in following the Saudi government, if they follow the Prophet , otherwise we should not follow them, un-less we have no other choice. Those who call for unity based on fixed dates also fail to realize that the Islamic calendar is based on lunar dates and not on solar dates. When we try to follow the fixed dates, all Muslims may end up celebrating Eid on the same solar date but on two dif-ferent lunar dates. This is not Islamic unity. A lunar day/date like a solar date is 24 hours long. Unlike the solar month, however, the lunar month begins from a different place
- 4 -
continued from page 1
continued on page �
cal strength but to the inferiority of the customs and beliefs of the conquered. Hence arises the delusion that such an imitation will remove the causes of defeat. In fact, every country which has powerful conquering neighbours tends to imitate those neighbours as we see among the Spanish Muslims who imitate their Christian neighbours in their dress and ornaments even to the extent of having statues and pictures on the walls of their homes and shops. And in this the careful observer will mark a sign of inferiority. [The Muqaddimah; vol. I, p. 266]
Here in this single paragraph, Ibn Khal-dun has described with superb insight exactly what is wrong with us. The remedy is obvious. If our pride in our faith and its heritage is genuine, it must be expressed by our physical appearance. If we do not want to be like our enemies, we should not want to look like them either. Certainly we have no right to call ourselves Muslims if we are ashamed to be identified as such.
Only a very poor psychologist will say that these things are merely outward and therefore unimportant. Next to a man’s body, his clothes and his home are the nearest things to his soul and have an incalculable influence upon it. It was easy for his soul to conform to Islam in the surroundings which Islamic civiliza-tion provided for it, but now, for no good reason, that God-given civilization has been pushed aside; therefore we find in most so-called Islamic countries, men have shaved off their beards, forsaken their turbans and taken to wearing a dress which puts many obstacles in the way of ablution and which makes the movements of the prayer look ugly and even ridiculous and as for their homes, there is nothing in them to make one remember God and much to make one forget Him. One of the outward tokens
of that inward dignity of the Muslim is the turban. The Holy Prophet praised the turban in many of his sayings just as he also enjoined upon men to grow their beards. It can also be said that the loose, flowing garments such as worn by him and his companions are the only true Islamic dress for this is the only kind of dress which conforms to the move-ments of the prayer. The Holy Prophet’s house in Madinah was an extension of his mosque and for more than twelve hundred years, every Muslim house was as an extension of the nearest mosque. Men took off their shoes to enter their homes; the floors were strewn with ritu-ally purified mats or carpets; they sat at home as they would sit in the mosque and the ornaments on their walls were all reminders of God-Divine Names, verses from the Quran, sayings of the Prophet. This is the essence of Islamic civilization and there is absolutely no reason why any of the things I have mentioned here should have been changed or why the Muslim home today should not still be as an extension of the mosque. Only in such surroundings as these can Islam truly flourish. [Al Haj Abu Bakr Siraj-ud-Din (formerly Dr. Martin Lings), quoted from Muslim News International, London, January 1963, p. 19]
What will the world be like under Islamic rule? When men recognize the sovereignty of God and the supremacy of His Law, all false values will be automatically swept away. It will be a world where men are slaves of God and not to each other. It would mean freedom from all forms of tyranny. It will be a world where a man is judged by his character and not by his worldly success. There will be no place for racial discrimination or class hatred. Congregational prayer, Hajj, fasting and Zakat will create strong bonds of affection, trust and responsibility between man and
- 5 -
continued on page 11
This article is part of a book by Maryam Jameelah, formerly Margaret Marcus. She wrote these essays for the educated non-Muslim and Muslim who is interested in discovering what Islam really means to the true believer. Taj Co. 1983
To Be continued
his fellow man. The prosperous will enjoy their wealth as a bounty from God in which the poor have rightful share assured by law. It will be a world without artificiality or de-ception. Women will not try to be like men nor will the old feel ashamed of their age. Since this world will be recognized as only a temporary abode, people will be preoccupied with eternal salvation and shun as evil all that diverts them from the remembrance of God and the Hereafter. Night clubs, dance halls, theatres, bars, saloons, gambling casinos and brothels would soon go bankrupt and forced to close down for lack of business. An Islamic society would not be utopia, for perfection does not belong to this world. Some of us will be tempted to break the Law but crime will be limited to isolated individuals instead of a raging epidemic. There will be no confusion in any mind as to what is right and what is wrong. Yes, even in an Islamic society human beings will suffer, for sorrow is as an inseparable part of this life as are its joys. There will be pain, hunger, sickness and death. But despair and boredom will be absent. Suicides will be unknown. Nobody will doubt the meaning or the purpose of life.
continued from page �
EID-UL-ADHANarrated al-Bara that he heard the Prophet delivering a khutbah saying: “The first thing to be done on this day (first day of Eid-ul-Adha) is to pray; and after returning from the prayer we slaughter our sacrifices (in the name of Allah), and who-ever does so, he has acted according to our sunnah. (Kitaabul-‘Eidayn, Bukhari) Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated on the 10th through 12th day of Dhil Hijjah, the 12th month of the lunar calendar. Many of the rituals related to the Eid directly commem-morate the sacrifices of Hadrat Ibrâhîm and his family for the sake of Allâh. On the way to the Eid prayer, while waiting for it and on the way back from the prayer one should recite the following takbeer as much as possible:
Allaahu akbar - Allaahu akbar – Laa ilaaha illallaahu – wal-laahu akbar Allaahu akbar wa lil-laahil-hamd(Allah is the Greatest; Allah is the Greatest; There is no god except Allah; And Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and for Allah is all praise.) It is the tradition of the Prophet to go to the prayer by one way and return by an-other. The takbeer-e-tashreeq above is also to be recited after every fard prayer begin-ning from the Fajr prayer of the 9th to the ‘Asr prayer of the 13th of Dhil Hijjah (23 times in all). The following actions are also sunnah on the day of Eid: To clean the teeth with miswaak; To take a bath; To adorn oneself and dress in the best clothes that are available and are permitted in Shari’ah; To use perfume; To rise early and go to the prayer grounds early; To walk to the prayer grounds if possible and to recite the takbeer above; Nothing is to be eaten before the prayer of Eid-ul-Adha, unlike Eid-ul-Fitr; No (nafl) prayers should be prayed at the Eid prayer ground, neither before or after
the Eid prayer.Procedure of the eid Prayer Eid-ul-Adha prayer consists of two raka’ah in congregation. The procedure of the prayer is as follows: First, make the niyyah for the Eid sa-laah:
Nawaytu an usallee rak’atayil-waajibi salaata ‘eidil-adhaa ma’a takbeeraatin waajibatin(I intend to pray 2 raka’ah of waajib prayer of Eid-ul-Adha with the (extra) waajib tak-
- 6 - continued on page �
To Be continued
hajj: Fifth Pillar of IslâmSyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi
Translated by Mohammad Asif Kidwai[Da’wah Academy, Int’l Islamic University, Islam-
abad Pakistan] Imam Ghazali writes, “If there is an ear-nest desire for nearness to Allâh, a Muslim will be compelled to strive for it. A lover is passionately attached to everything that bears an association with the beloved. The House of Ka’bah is associated with Allâh and a Muslim should, therefore, instinctively feel drawn to it, to speak nothing of the at-traction of the Recompense promised on it.” [Ihya-ul-Uloom, vol I, p 24] Writing in the same vein, Hazrat Shah Waliullah remarks, “Sometimes when a man is overcome with the desire for his Lord and love surges powerfully in his breast and he looks around for the satisfaction of his inner urge it appears to him that the Hajj alone is the means to it.” [Hujjatillah-il-Baligha, vol I, p 59] The salât a man offers up several times a day could be regarded as sufficient to fulfil the need of soothing and gratifying his emotions. It could have provided him with an opportunity to give a vent to his feelings and to alleviate the agony of separation by shedding a few tears during it. But these tears could not quench his thirst. They could only suppress it for the time being for they did not possess the power to put down the all-consuming fire of love which, sometimes, turned the heart into a blazing furnace.Golden cage of materialism Likewise, fasting could be helpful in slaking the thirst of the soul and curbing the intensity of animal appetites, for hunger and abstinence do possess a purificatory quality. But the hours of fasting are limited and they are also often surrounded by things that do not go well with it. An atmosphere of slothfulness and gormandising gets created around the person who fasts and the society in which he lives has itself become so permissive of sensuality and godlessness that he feels isolated like an island in a sea.
A Muslim, therefore, had to be furnished with an opportunity to take a bold and adventurous plunge which could break his chains and release him from the old and dingy prison-house of everyday existence. It was to be in the nature of a leap which could, in one stride, carry him from this rotten, hide-bound, calculating and artificial life to a new, fascinating and boundless world where love reigned supreme and the heart held sway over everything, where he was delivered from every kind of servitude and deification, and the man-made limitations of race, geography and politics died away and melted into nothingness, and where the creed of pure and unalloyed Monotheism - of the unity of God-head, Providence, human-ity, faith and purpose - became the bedrock of his way of living and he, along with his brethren, sang enthusiastically the praises of the Lord and raised the heartwarming cry of:
O Allâh, here I am! Here I am in Thy Presence! Thou art without a partner! Here I am! All praise is for Thee and from Thee are all Blessings! To Thee alone belongs Power and Rule! Thou art without a Partner!
Even after the prayer-service a Muslim cel-ebrates regularly every day, the fasting he observes yearly in the month of Ramadhan and the poor-due he pays, provided that he possesses the taxable minimum of wealth, at the end of each year there was the need for him of a special period of time, of a season of enchantment and adoration, eccentricity and infatuation.
Things you should Know Before Going For Hajj
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is to be done once in a lifetime. And even though it seems logical to assume that any Mus-lim will be careful and take enough time to learn and prepare himself for this great wor-ship, it is surprising that most Muslims do not. When I traveled for Hajj a few years
- 7 -
continued from page �back, I was shocked to find out that most of the 100 plus of us in the plane did not know even the basic rites of Hajj, and many did not know how to perform Umrah which is the first thing they had to do upon arrival in Makkah. Early preparations are important also be-cause the Hajj experience is going to be dif-ferent from any other. A Muslim has to be ready mentally, spiritually, physically and financially. So, it is really important that one talks with Muslims who have made Hajj and plans his trip so that he goes in a group of Muslims. And even after one adequately educates himself, Hajj may not be easy to put in practice and carry out for everyone. The following is a list of things that one should keep in mind when preparing to go to Hajj. By no means is this list comprehen-sive and one is advised to consult the local masjid and Hajj providers who can answer his questions and insure that he does things correctly: 1. Make sure you have enough money. 2. Valid Passport and Visa. The Saudi Government requires that visas be obtained from countries of origin. If you are born in the US or other non-Muslim country, you should have a certificate showing that you are a Muslim, especially if the passport does not show a Muslim name. 3. Buy your Ihram and learn how to put it on and be comfortable doing it so as to avoid any embarrassment. 4. Make sure you have vaccinations in time and that your air ticket is a round trip one. 5. Muslim females must have a Mahram to travel with. A Mahram is a male mem-ber of your immediate family: a father, a husband, a son or a brother and because he will have to go to Makkah and Madinah, he should also be a Muslim. 6. Do not plan to go alone. Find a local or national group. It is better if such a group included a learned person and people who have made Hajj before. 7. Learn how to make Hajj. Read and edu-
cate yourself. Try to attend a workshop by a local community center to understand the rules and regulations about the day-to-day activities of Hajj. Talk to people who have experienced Hajj. Buy Hajj guide books and take them with you. Make sure you get an-swers to anything you don’t understand. 8. Get some safety pockets and a safety belt to keep your money and documents with you. It is good to always keep them with you. 9. Do not worry about finding food or having to cook. In Makkah you can find all types of food. So, do not take any with you. 10. If you are sick or need certain medica-tion, take it with you. Medicine, however, is plenty over there. You can find it in hospitals and you can buy it from pharmacies. Most medicine can be obtained without physician prescriptions. 11. Remember that your goal is to have your Hajj accepted and to be forgiven for all of your sins. To do that, you have to busy yourself in Ibadah. Don’t worry about what you see wrong from other Muslims. Worry about what you do and whether Allah will accept your Hajj performance or not. 12. Be patient as much as you can. Makkah and Madinah are going to be over crowded. More so, in Ka’bah during Tawaf, and in Sa’i. Remember that more than a million Muslim are going to be there at the same place doing the same rites. So, when-ever you have see someone who is ignorant or does not respect others, take it easy and move to a different spot. 13. Avoid heavy crowds as much as you can. Serious accidents can happen. You may get hurt. And to keep your Hajj in good standing you should not be in a position in which you cause harm to others. 14. In Mina and Arafat, you will be liv-ing in tents. Try to identify the number and the direction of tents so that you can make it back without a lot of trouble. This is very important to do because tents and streets look identical and people can easily get con-fused and be lost.
madrasah In’aamiyyah, s. africa
- 8 -
DAY FAJR SHURUQ ZUHR ASR———— MAGRIB ISHA DWN SUNRISE Shafi’i Hanafi SNSET NGHT
Your (real) friend can be only Allâh;
and His mes-senger and those who
believe-- who establish
prayer and pay the poor due and bow
down (in worship).
And whoso turns (for
friendship) to Allâh and His messen-
ger and those who believe: lo! the party of Allâh, they are the victo-
rious.(5:55-56)
LUNAR DATES
I f you need prayer t im-ings for your town, p lease send us a self-addressed stamped #10 envelope.
Prayer times are for the new haven area and are based on 18° for Fajr and Isha. check local newspapers for your local time difference.
november17 5:06 6:42 11:37 2:10 2:49 4:31 6:0718 5:07 6:43 11:37 2:09 2:49 4:30 6:0619 5:08 6:45 11:37 2:09 2:48 4:29 6:0620 5:09 6:46 11:37 2:08 2:47 4:28 6:0521 5:10 6:47 11:38 2:08 2:47 4:28 6:0522 5:11 6:48 11:38 2:07 2:46 4:27 6:0423 5:12 6:49 11:38 2:07 2:45 4:27 6:0424 5:13 6:50 11:38 2:06 2:45 4:26 6:0325 5:14 6:51 11:39 2:06 2:44 4:25 6:0326 5:15 6:53 11:39 2:06 2:44 4:25 6:0327 5:16 6:54 11:39 2:05 2:44 4:25 6:0228 5:17 6:55 11:40 2:05 2:43 4:24 6:0229 5:18 6:56 11:40 2:05 2:43 4:24 6:0230 5:19 6:57 11:40 2:05 2:42 4:23 6:02
december1 5:20 6:58 11:41 2:04 2:42 4:23 6:012 5:21 6:59 11:41 2:04 2:42 4:23 6:013 5:21 7:00 11:41 2:04 2:42 4:23 6:014 5:22 7:01 11:42 2:04 2:41 4:22 6:015 5:23 7:02 11:42 2:04 2:41 4:22 6:016 5:24 7:03 11:43 2:04 2:41 4:22 6:017 5:25 7:04 11:43 2:04 2:41 4:22 6:018 5:26 7:05 11:44 2:04 2:41 4:22 6:019 5:26 7:06 11:44 2:04 2:41 4:22 6:0110 5:27 7:07 11:44 2:04 2:41 4:22 6:0211 5:28 7:07 11:45 2:04 2:41 4:22 6:0212 5:29 7:08 11:45 2:05 2:41 4:22 6:0213 5:29 7:09 11:46 2:05 2:42 4:23 6:0214 5:30 7:10 11:46 2:05 2:42 4:23 6:0315 5:31 7:10 11:47 2:05 2:42 4:23 6:0316 5:31 7:11 11:47 2:06 2:42 4:23 6:0317 5:32 7:12 11:48 2:06 2:43 4:24 6:0418 5:33 7:12 11:48 2:06 2:43 4:24 6:0419 5:33 7:13 11:49 2:07 2:44 4:24 6:0420 5:34 7:14 11:49 2:07 2:44 4:25 6:0521 5:34 7:14 11:50 2:08 2:44 4:25 6:0522 5:35 7:15 11:50 2:08 2:45 4:26 6:0623 5:35 7:15 11:51 2:09 2:45 4:26 6:0624 5:36 7:16 11:51 2:09 2:46 4:27 6:0725 5:36 7:16 11:52 2:10 2:47 4:28 6:0726 5:36 7:16 11:52 2:11 2:47 4:28 6:0827 5:37 7:17 11:53 2:11 2:48 4:29 6:0928 5:37 7:17 11:53 2:12 2:49 4:30 6:0929 5:37 7:17 11:54 2:13 2:49 4:30 6:1030 5:38 7:17 11:54 2:13 2:50 4:31 6:1131 5:38 7:18 11:55 2:14 2:51 4:32 6:12
24252627282912345678
9101112131415161718192021222324252627282930123456789
noV-dec Prayer TImes, neW haVen
shaWWÂl
dhUl-Qa’dah
dhUl-hIJJah
- 9 -
reGUlar masJId acTIVITIes and JUm’a Prayer TImes
BerlIn masJId1781 Berlin Hwy., Berlin, CT 06037, (860) 829-6411Juma’ prayer time 1:15 Pmcontact: Dr. Ali Antar (860) 582-1002
masJId an-noor1300 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, CT (203)579-2211
Juma’ prayer time 1:30 Pmcontact: Br. M. Faisal Shamshad (203) 372-2928
UnIVersITy oF BrIdGePorTChristan Hall, Park Ave. Bridgeport, CT.
Juma’ prayer time 1:00 Pm
masJId daar-Ul-ehsaan 739 Terryville Av., Bristol, CT 06010. (860) 585-9742Juma’ prayer time 1:30 Pmcontact: Br. Muhammed Akhtar Ali (860)589-4512.
IslamIc socIeTy oF WesTernconnecTIcUT, danBUry
388 Main St, Danbury, CT 06810. (203) 744-1328Juma’ prayer time 1:00 Pmcontact: Br. Asif Akhtar (203)746-7530
QadarIya commUnITy ser. cTr.(JamIa masJId mUsTaFa ) e.
hTFd.20 Church St, East Hartford, CT 06108 (860)282-0786Juma’ prayer time 1:30 Pmcontact: Br. Sajid Bhura (860)830-4453
IslamIc cenTer oF hamden60 Connolly Parkway, Wilbur Cross Commons, Unit
17-212, Hamden, CT 06514 (203) 562-2757Juma’ prayer time 12:30 PmFriday dars 8:00 - 11:00 Pmmadrasah: every sunday 9:55am - 1:30 Pm mon-Thurs afternoons, 5:00 - 7:00 Pmcommunity dinner 1st sunday of each month. contact: Dr. Abdul Hamid (203) 562-2757
IcFc masJId (JamIa Karam)57 Pepper St, Monroe. CT06468 (203)261-6222Juma’ prayer time 1:15 Pmcontact: Br. Ahmed Reza (203) 746-0683
masJId al-Islam624 George St. New Haven, CT (203)777-4008Juma’ prayer time 1:15 Pmcontact: Br. Jimmy Jones (203) 865-5805IslamIc cenTer oF neW london16 Fort St, Groton, CT 06340, (860) 405-8006Juma’ prayer time 1:00 Pmcontact: Br. Imran Ahmed (860) 691-8015
al-madany IslamIc cenTer oF norWalK
4 Elton Court, Norwalk, CT 06851 (203)852-0847Juma’ prayer time 1:00 Pmcontact: Syed Hussain Qadri. (203) 852-0847.
sTamFord IslamIc cenTer10 Outlook St. stamford, CT 06902 (203)975-2642
Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmcontact: Hafiz Haqqani Mian Qadri (203) 975-2642
IslamIc socIeTy oF sTamFord82 Harbor Dr, Stamford, CT 06902
Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmcontact: Hafiz AbdulSalam Sumra (203) 255-4327
UnITed mUslIm masJId (masJId rahman)
132 Prospect Ct. Waterbury, CT. 06704 (203)756-6365 Juma’ prayer time 1:00 PmContact Br. Majeed Sharif. (203) 879-7230.
WesT haVen masJId2 Pruden St., West haven, CT 06516, (203) 933-5799Juma’ prayer time 1:00 Pmcontact: Br. Mohammad Taroua (203) 287-7561.
madIna masJId1 Madina Drive, Windsor, CT 06095, (860) 249-0112Juma’ prayer time 1:30 Pmcontact: Muhamed M. Haidara 860-655-9042Madina Academy:Full time School (860)524-9700IslamIc socIeTy oF WesTern
massachUseTTs337 Amostown Rd. W. Springfield, MA01105
(413)788-7546 Juma’ prayer time 1:15 Pmcontact: Dr. Mohammad Ali Hazratji(860)749-8859.
Visit the NEW Connecticut Council of Masajid website:
http://ccm-inc.org
Surah Maryam 19:43-44
“O my father! to me hath come knowledge which hath not reached thee: so follow me: I will guide thee to a way that is even and straight.
“O my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against ((Allah)) Most Gracious.
- 10 -
THE CHILDREN’S CORNERUmm haBIBah
Umm Habibah was the daugh-ter of Abu Sufyan, a very powerful Quraishi chief and a staunch enemy of Islam. She was married to Ubaidullah ibn Jahsh , a cousin of the Prophet
and a brother of Zainab bint Jahsh She thus became the sister-in-law
of Zainab who, many years later, would become a wife of the Prophet . However, at the time this story begins, the Prophet’s mission was just be-ginning in Makkah, and many Quraishi families were becoming split, as some members embraced Islam and others did not. Abu Sufyan’s family was one of those affected, as his daughter and son-in-law accepted Islam. Abu Sufy-an and his family did not make things pleasant for the young couple. Umm Habibah and Ubaidullah were in the first groups of Muslims who em-igrated to Abyssinia, under the leader-ship of Ja’far , to escape persecution from their families. The king of Abyssinia, the Negus, placed the members of the Muslim community under his protection. How-ever, Ubaidullah, who had been a Christian before entering Islam, revert-ed to Christianity in Abyssinia. This greatly upset Umm Habibah , who remained a Muslim. Shortly before the treaty of Hudaibi-yah, years later, when the Muslims and the Makkans reached an agree-ment about performing Hajj the fol-lowing year, the Prophet received the news that Ubaidullah had died of illness. When four months had passed after her husband’s death, the Prophet
continued on page 11
sent a message to the Negus, asking him to marry Umm Habibah to the Prophet by proxy, that is, with-out the Prophet being physically present. He sent no direct message to Umm Habibah , but when she re-ceived the news from a messenger of the Negus, she consented. She chose her kinsman, Khalid ibn Sa’id , to give her in marriage, and the contract was finalized between him and the Negus, in the presence of Ja’far and some other Muslims. The Negus then invited the entire Muslim community to a wedding feast at his palace. The Prophet also sent word to Ja’far that the Muslim community should leave Abyssinia and join the Muslims in Madinah. The Negus gave the community two boats for transpor-tation. Umm Habibah was among the Muslims who would return. Work on an apartment for her was begun in Madinah. Shortly after the victory of Khaibar, the Muslims from Abyssinia returned to their homeland. They had been away for thirteen years. Umm Habibah was now about thirty-five years old. A second wedding feast was held in Madinah. Umm Habibah settled easily in among the other wives. Most of the wives, except Aishah had known her from Makkah, while Sawdah and Umm Salamah had been with her during the early years in Abyssinia. In addition, she was the sister-in-law of Zainab . Through his marriage to Umm Habibah , the Prophet became the son-in-law of the leader of the Quraish, Abu Sufyan. Umm Habibah
- 11 -
Paradise lies beneath
the mothers’ feet. continued on page 1�
continued from page 10 continued from page �beeraat) Then the Imam says Allahu akbar (and the followers do so after him). Then the hands are folded as in other prayers and the thana’ is recited:
Subhaanakal-laahum-ma wa bi hamdika wa tabaara-kas-muka wa ta’aalaa jad-duka wa laa ilaaha ghairuk(O Allah! Glory and Praise are for You, and blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your majesty; and there is no god except You.) Then Allahu akbar is said 3 times, ev-ery time raising the hands to the ears and dropping them except the last time when they are folded. Then the Imam recites the Ta’awwudh and Bismillah quietly and then recites Surah Fatihah and another Surah. Then ruku’ and sujood are performed as in other prayers. In the second raka’ah, the Imam recites Bismillah quietly and then Surah Fatihah and another Surah loudly and then says Allahu akbar 3 times, each time raising the hands to the ears and drop-ping them. Then Allahu akbar is said a fourth time and the congregation goes into ruku’ and finishes the prayer as any other. After the Eid prayer is completed, the Imam stands up and gives two khutbah in Arabic, sitting between them, as was the practice of the Prophet . An alternate method of performing twelve extra takbeeraat during the prayer, instead of the six extra that are described above, is also permissible: 7 and then 5 extra takbeeraat are performed during the first and second raka’ah respectively (Um-datus-Saalik, Shafi’ madhhab).selected Traditions from sahih-al-Bukhari: The chapter of the Two eids. • Narrated Aisha that Allah’s Mes-senger said: “There is an Eid for every nation and this is our Eid.”
suffered from no doubts about where her loyalties should lie. She and her father met for the first time, after fifteen years, when the Makkans had broken the terms of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah and Abu Sufyan had been sent to try to pacify the Prophet . The Prophet’s reception of Abu Sufyan was frosty, to say the least, so Abu Suf-yan visited his daughter, in the hopes that she could intervene on his behalf. However, the interview did not go well for Abu Sufyan. When he entered her apartment and was about to sit on the best seat, which was the Prophet’s rug, she hastily grabbed the rug from beneath him. She would not allow an idolator, a man unpurified, to sit on her husband’s rug. She also asked him how it could be possible that a man who was the leader of his people would worship powerless stones, rather than embrac-ing the power of Islam. His rather lame excuse was that his fathers had done so before him. In any case, Abu Sufyan left his daughter’s apartment with no support from her. Her rejoicing must have been great when her father, after a long internal struggle, finally embraced Islam. Umm Habibah died at the age of seventy-three in the forty-fourth year of Hijrah during the reign of her brother, Mu’awiyah .
Bonnie l. hamid
- 12 -
Shamaa-il TirmidhiImam Muhammad bin ‘Eesaa at-TirmidhiCommentary, Khasaa-il-e-Nabawi, by Shaykhul-Ha-
dith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya KandhelviTranslation by Muhammad bin Abdurrahmaan Ebrahim
chapter on The Fasting of sayyidina rasulullah
(293) hadith number 13: ‘Alqamah relates: “I asked Aayes-hah : ‘Did Rasulullah fix a day for ‘Ibaadah? She replied: ‘The practices of Rasulullah was of a continuous nature. Who among you have the strength, which Rasulullah had?”commentary: That meant to set aside a day for some special devotion. For example, to specify Monday for fasting. Fast is observed on every Monday and nothing is ever eaten on this day. Or besides Monday, fast are not observed on other days. Both these were not found, but it was certainly the practice of Sayidina Rasulullah that, whatever deed he began observing, he punctually continued its practice. You do not possess the strength and cannot fulfil these with such punctuality as that of Rasulullah . He punctually completed his prescribed practices. If for any reason it could not be fulfilled, he completed it at a later time, as has been mentioned in the fasts of Sha’baan. The gist of this is, that it was not given such importance that, the deed was observed only on a particular day, and no other deed was observed on that day. He certainly fulfilled his prescribed prac-tices with care among which are included the fasting on special days. No doubt re-mains on this commentary, that Sayyidi-tina ‘Aayeshah , has mentioned in hadith number eight, that special attention was given to the fasting on Mondays and
Thursdays. The findings of Haafizul Ha-dith (one who has memorised a minimum of 100 000 ahaadith with its chain of nar-rators), Ibn Hajar is that this question and answer is regarding these three fasts, it was the practice of Sayyidina Rasulullah to observe these fasts every month. This has already been mentioned in hadith number seven. According to this explanation there is no confusion.(294) hadith number 14: ‘Aayeshah says: “Rasulullah once came home, a woman was present at that time. Rasulullah inquired. ‘Who is this woman?’ I replied: ‘This is a cer-tain woman who does not sleep at night’. Rasulullah said: ‘One should observe only that amount of nawaafil which one can bear. I swear an oath that Allah Ta’aala does not fear the granting of rewards, till you begin to fear the observance of deeds’. ‘Aayeshah says: ‘The most beloved deed of Rasulullah were those that were practised continuously.commentary: This Sahaabiyyah was Sayyiditina Kho-laa bint Tuwayt bin Habib . She had the fervour and intense desire to perform ‘ibaadah. Many incidents of this type are mentioned in the ahaadith, Where the zeal of the Sahaabah was so intense, it com-pelled them to perform ‘ibaadah more than normal. Sayyidina Rasulullah advised them to observe moderation. Sayyidina ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr ibnul ‘Aas , a fa-mous Sahaabi says: “I once made up my mind, that I would strive to intensify my devotions. I would always fast during the day. I would complete the recitation of the whole Quran (khatm) every night. My fa-ther got me married to a honourable wom-an. Once my father inquired from my wife about my state of affairs. She replied: ‘He is very pious man, he does not come to bed the whole night. He does not have anything to do with anyone’. My father became very angry with me, that I had got you married
continued on page 1�
- 13 -
continued from page 1�
continued on page 1�
to an honourable woman, and you have left her hanging. Due to my intense desire for devotions this did not effect me. My father complained to Rasulullah about my state of affairs. Rasulullah asked me: ‘I have heard you always fast during the day, and stand in prayer the whole night?’ I replied: ‘yes’. Rasulullah said: ‘Do not do so, but fast sometimes, and abstain sometimes. In the same manner do perform salaah at night, and sleep too. Your body also has a right on you. Your eyes also have a right on you, it will become weak due to stay-ing awake the whole night. Your wife also has a right on you. Your children also have a right on you. Those who meet you also have a right on you”.(295) hadith number 15: Abu Salih reports “I enquired from Aayeshah and Ummi Salamah that which act was the most beloved by Rasu-lullah ?” Both gave the reply “That deed which was practised continuously, even if it was a little”. commentary: The object of all these ahadeeth are that saum, and likewise all other nafl deeds, even if it be a little, or whatever could be done should be practised continuously and with care. One should not forsake these with the thought that it cannot be practised constantly because the nawafil are the only acts that compensate the short comings of the faraa’id (compulsory act). Therefore one should endeavour to observe and prac-tise as much as one possible can.(296) hadith number 16: Awf bin Malik says: “I spent a night with Rasulullah . Rasulullah used the miswaak (cleaned the teeth), then per-formed the wudhu, then stood up in salaah. I stood with him (joined him). He began reciting the Surah Baqarah. Whenever he came across an aayah of mercy, he paused and beseeched Allah of His Mercy. In the same manner when he came across an aayah of adhaab (punishment), he paused
and beseeched Allah for His forgiveness from adhaab. He then performed ruku’, and remained in the ruku for as long as he had spent in the standing posture. He re-cited in the ruku’: Subhaana dhil jabaruti wal-malakuti wal-kibri-yaa-i wal-’a-za-mati Translation: Glory be to the Lord of the Might, the Dominion, the Majesty, and the Magnificence. Thereafter he performed the sajdah, which was as long as the ruku and recit-ed the same du’aa in the sajdah. He then recited the Surah Aali Imraan (in the sec-ond rakah), thereafter one surah (in each rak’ah) and did the same”.commentary: How lengthy these rak’ahs must have been, is evident from the saying (of the above narration). The Surah Baqarah cov-ers about two and half Juz, and then Sayy-idina Rasulullah recited with care, ev-ery word was recited clearly and distinctly. A pause was with made at every aayah where mercy and punishment are men-tioned du’aa was made. Thereafter a long ruku’, the same length as that of the stand-ing was performed and likewise was the sajdah. This is one rakah. In this manner it will be difficult to complete four rak’ahs in the whole night. But due to the intense desire and zeal, especially for such a noble personality, whose coolness of the eye was in salaah, such a deed was not difficult. Apparently the last few ahaadith have no relation with the subject on the fasting of Sayyidina Rasulullah . In (some) edi-tions of the Shamaa-il these are included not only in the chapter on salaatud duha, saum etc., but in every chapter on the de-votions of Sayyidina Rasulullah . There is no perplexity in this, but in those edi-tions where these different chapters exist, a minute point is derived, that generally those who have a strong zeal for fasting, it is observed that, they begin to exert them-selves so much that they tend to become
- 14 -
continued from page 11
The Weightier matters: a Potpourri of Political and religious Poems
by Zaki ahmad sabihA very interesting and informative book. There is a lot of history in it. Many of Mr. Sabih’s poems were
printed in Iqra before. His choice of simple words and easy style can be en-joyed by the reader.
Available now from Author House www.authorhouse.com
Order at your local bookseller or preferred on-line retailer.
Volvo Shanawar ButtVWAudiBMWMercedes-Benz
Domestic&Foreign
1510 Dixwell AvenueHamden, CT 06514 �0�-�9�-8��1
s & s auto
continued on page 1�
Editorial, continued from page �every month. The lunar day does not begin at the International Date Line and it does not begin at 12 o’clock midnight. The hilal does not always become visible in Jerusa-lem or in Makkah first. No matter where the hilal becomes visible first, though, within 24 hours it becomes visible at most places. Thus if we follow the hadith mentioned previously (IQRA 9:11:page 2) strictly and without our own rationalizations, all Mus-lims will start the first day of each month on the same lunar date, the day decided by Allah as the first day of each month. This lunar day will span parts of two solar dates. The two solar dates cannot be avoided, with the sighting of the hilal or with fixed dates, unless instead of following the instructions in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, we follow the international dateline and 12 o’clock midnight beginning of the day. If we fol-low the Messenger of Allâh , the issues of Ikhtillaf/Ittihaad-e-Matala (difference or unity of horizon), Hukm-e-Hakim (order of the ruler), telephone, radio, and televi-sion news will all disappear. Our life at the beginning of Ramadhan, and Eidain will become easy. This is what is meant by, “Religion is very easy and whoever over-burdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to per-fection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the nights.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, 1.38, narrated
continued on page 1�
• Narrated Abdullah bin Umar that Allah’s Messenger used to offer the prayer of Eid-ul-Adha and Eid-ul-Fitr and then deliver the khutbah after the prayer. • Narrated Ibn Abbaas that the Proph-et said: “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first 10 days of Dhil Hijjah).” Then some companions of the Prophet said, “Not even jihaad?” He replied, “Not even ji-haad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah’s sake) and does not return with any of those things.” • Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah : On the day of ‘Eid, the Prophet used to re-turn (from the prayer) through a way dif-ferent from that by which he went. • Narrated ‘Urwa on the authority of ‘Ai-sha that on the days of Minaa (11th, 12th and 13th of Dhil Hijjah) Abu Bakr came to her while two girls were beating the tambourine and the Prophet was ly-ing covered with his clothes. Abu Bakr scolded them and the Prophet uncov-ered his face and said to Abu Bakr, “Leave them, for these days are the days of Eid and the days of Minaa.”Procedure of the Sacrifice The offering of sacrifice (‘udhiyyah or qurbaani) is of very great virtue. The Prophet is reported to have said that during the days of Dhil Hijjah no other thing is dearer to Allah than the qurbaani (sacrifice) and during these days this good
- 15 -
continued from page 1�act is better than all others. Every drop of blood that falls is accepted by Allah be-fore it reaches the ground and for every hair of the sacrificial animal, one virtue is recorded for one who offers the sacrifice! Therefore, qurbaani should be done with pleasure and a joyous heart. If anyone has the means, then it is desireable for him to offer sacrifice for the Prophet , his wives and other pious Muslims, and also one’s deceased parents and relatives so that their souls may also benefit by this reward. If a person is able but does not offer qurbaani at least for himself, then it will be not only a misfortune but a sin. The method of performing the qurbaani is to lay the animal down on the ground with the head towards the Ka’bah and re-cite the following du’a:
Innee waj-jahtu wajhiya lilladhee fataras-samaawaa-ti wal-arda haneefan wa maa ana minal-mushrikeenInna salaatee wa nusukee wa mahyaaya wa mamaa-tee lillaahi rabbil-‘aalameen • Laa shareeka lahu wa bi dhalika umirtu wa ana aw-walul-muslimeen.Allaahumma minka wa laka... Bismillaahi Allaahu akbar (Verily I divert my attention to the Lord Who has created the heavens and the earth: (I do so) as one by nature upright, and I am not of the idolaters. Truly my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah the Lord of the Worlds – He has no partner and thus am I commanded and I am the first of those who surrender to Him. Oh Allah! (This sacrifice is) from You and for You; In the name of Allah. Allah is the Greatest!…) Then, while reciting Bismillahi Allahu akbar, cut the throat of the animal and then recite the following prayer:
Allaahumma taqabbalhu minnee kamaa taqabbalta min habeebika Muhammadin wa khaleelika Ibraa-hima ‘alayhimas-salaatu was-salaam(O Allah! Accept this from me as You ac-cepted it from Your beloved Muhammad and Your befriended Ibrahim, peace and blessings be upon them both.) • It is most undesireable to slaughter an animal with a blunt knife because it is ex-tremely painful for the animal. It is also execrable to remove its skin or to break its bones before the animal is cold. • The period of sacrifice is on any of the 3 days of Eid-ul-Adha but the best time of sacrifice is the first day and then the sec-ond. • Offering of the sacrifice should be done after the prayer, not before. • The sacrifice is to be performed by any-one who fulfils the requirements of giving Sadaqatul-Fitr. • The sacrifice of goat, sheep, bull, buf-falo or camel – whether male or female – is permissible. • One-third of the sacrificed meat should be given in charity to the poor and the rest is to be consumed by oneself and given as a gift to relatives and friends. However, if less than one-third is given in charity, it will not be a sin. Note:This is only a very brief account of the do’s and don’ts of qurbaani and Eid-ul-Adha. Please consult your local Imam and/or an authentic book on this subject. A recommended book is Bahishti Zewar (Heavenly Ornaments) by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi.
lax in the rights of others. For this reason, Imaam Tirmidhi has in the beginning men-tioned the ahaadith on moderation, and in the end has indicated that when in zeal one sometimes exceeds one’s normal practice, there is no harm. It must not be of such a nature that an indifference and weariness for ‘Ibaadah (devotions) is created as a re-sult of this.
Fasting, continued from page 1�
- 16 -
IF YOU MOVE PLEASE SEND US YOUR NEW ADDRESS
Dr.
Abd
ul H
amid
, Edi
tor,
, C
onne
ctic
ut C
ounc
il of
Mas
ajid
P. O
. Box
445
6,H
amde
n, C
T 06
514
RET
UR
N S
ERVI
CE
REQ
UES
TED
Please pass onto others after you have f in ished reading i t .
no
nPr
oFI
To
rG
an
IZaT
Ion
Us
PosT
aG
e P
aId
ne
W h
aVe
n, c
TPe
rm
IT n
o. 9
99
Important Islamic daysashUra’ (Fast on 9th and 10th, or 10th and 11th of Muharram.)maUlUd-Un-naBI Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Rabiul Awwal) - death of the Prophet (12 Rabiul Awwal).Isra and mIraJ (The anniversary of the Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad to Jerusalem & his Ascension then to Heaven)(27 Rajab).nesFU shaBaan (Shub-e-Barat)(middle of the month of Shabaan)(night between 14 &15).BeGInnInG oF The monTh oF ramadân.laIla TUl Qader (NIGHT OF VALUE) A night during the last 10 days of Ramadân. eId Ul-FITr (1st. Shawwal) WaQFaTU-araFaT (Pilgrims assemble on Arafat Plain, Makkah)(9 Zul-Hijj).eId Ul-adha (Feast of sacrifice)(10 Zul-Hijj).
is issued on the 3rd Friday of each month. Issn # 1062-2756
Allâhu Akbar!
Allâh is the Greatest!
continued from page 1�by Abu Hurayrah ). Hilal is a sign of Allah. It is also a symbol for Muslims. Any attempt to make Muslims disassociate them-selves from the hilal, and instead depend on calculated moon date, be it the dark moon of the Jews or the moonset 1-5 minutes after sunset is not helping any Muslim cause. We pray to Allah that the ummah will realize the ‘Hikma of Ahilla. Ameen. Whenever we are tempted to ratio-nalize, we need to remind ourselves what Allah’s Messenger said, “Never did a people make an inno-vation but there was withdrawn from them the equal measure of Sunnah. Adhering to Sunnah is better than making innovations (Transmitted by Ahmad. Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 187, narrated by Ghudayf ibn al-Harith ath-Thumali ). All sunni imaams are united on this issue, “see the hilal and be-gin and see the hilal and stop.” So shouldn’t we be united on the prin-ciple that we shall all follow the Sunnah without any adulteration or rationalization and leave the rest to Allah?
