Shaykh Salih bin `Abdul-`Aziz bin Muhammad Aal ash-Shaikh

'All praise is due to Allaah, as He deserves, and I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, may His honor be exalted, and I bear witness that Muhammed is His slave and messenger, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him and upon his family and companions and whosoever follows in his footsteps till the last day.

I ask Allah Al-Kareem by His most beautiful names and most lofty attributes to make me and all of you of those who are motivated for Allah, and do actions for Allaah, and seek knowledge for Allah's sake, and speaks for Allah's sake and does deeds fo Allah's sake , Jalla jalalahu, for indeed ACTIONS ARE BY INTENTIONS AND EVERY MAN SHALL HAVE BUT THAT WHICH HE INTENDED.

There is no doubt that seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim, as has been authentically reported from Al-Mustafa. Seeking knowledge has its principles and its stages; so whoever fails to acquire or seek knowledge based on these principles and on this gradation of talab al-'ilm (seeking knowledge) such will fail to acquire it. And this is an issue we repeatedly emphasize hoping to drive this into the hearts of the students of knowledge and those who ove knowledge, and that is to acquire knowledge piecemeal, bit by bit , over the passage of time. As was said by the famous scholar Ibn Shihab Az-Zuhri, "Whoever aims to acquire knowledge all at once, it will leave him all at once. Rather knowledge should be acquired over the passage of days and nights"

Just as when a child is taught the basics of writing and the basics of speaking and anunciating, he has to be taught this gradually, bit by bit, so if he continues to do this, he improves till he is eventually able to write and speak well. Knowledge, likewise has its young and its old, depending on the amount of understanding and their actions; and considering that knowledge is from Allah and His rasool (salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) , there isn't anything in this 'ilm that is simple.

Malik, rahimahullah, when it was said to him that this is from the simple part of knowledge replied: There is nothing easy in the knowledge of the Quraan and the Sunnah. Rather it is as Allaah has said: "Verily we shall send down to you a weighty word."

So one who considers knowledge to be weighty and difficult will obtain it. But as for one who takes issues up saying: this is clear, and this is straightforward..., such a person will just pass over it rapidly and in doing so will lose out on a lot. Therefore, it is imperative to take things step by step in the acquisition of knowledge with the idea that nothing in it is simple - rather that all of it is weighty, with regards to its understanding, with regards to consolidating what is known, and wth regards to persevering in acquiring knowledge; for it is weighty and it requires continuance and following up - for knowledge is forgotten if it is left, but if a taalib ul-ilm perseveres in it and continues, it will remain. So this emphasizes persistence on the part of the student of knowledge, so as not to be neglectful in the talab ul-ilm.

So let not one say, for example,"this book is simple, why is this text being explained since it is so simple and clear- they are known ahadeeth....". Such a person has come from this angle to wrongly simplify the complexities and principles of knowledge. A group from among the people of knowledge have said:"'Ilm comprises intricate knots ('Uqad) and Mulahh- so whoever is able to dea with the knots, 'Ilm becomes easy for him,and whoever fails to undo the knots, fails to acquire knowledge." And this will only occur by the perfection of the foundations - the usool - of the sciences. So if a seeker of knowledge perfects the known texts in hadeeth and the different fields of knowledge, he will then be prepared to proceed to a higher level, after having consolidated and understood what has preceded.

For this reason I strongly urge all the brothers and all the students of knowledge who hear what I say to approach knowledge and to take it with resolve and firmness, and to not take every issue and say this is simple, that is clear....Rather he should repeat that which is clear to make it clearer; repeat the knowledge he has so he can increase in his knowledge of what he knows, and so on.

And I ask Allah to make this explanation that is is before us a complete and comprehensive one, and mayit benefit the presenter and the listeners, and make us of those who have insight in it, of those who speak from knowledge, not out of opinions and whims.'

Source: www.kalamullah.com

By Sheikh Ahmad Kutty 
  
‘A’ishah, the mother of the faithful, exemplifies the character of a Muslim nurtured from an early age in a pristine Islamic environment. Having been educated by the best of all teachers, the messenger of Allah, she serves as a role model for the perfection that Muslims can aspire for and attain. 

It is actually a multifaceted role that the life of ‘A’ishah provides us with. They range from the private to the public and from the domestic to the scholarly. Among these roles was the ever important one of being a mother of the faithful and as such, she manifested the best of Islamic ideals as outlined in the Qur’an. Generosity, selflessness, honesty and the pursuit of justice and truth were among the ideals more prominent in ‘A’ishah’s character. 

As a student, she rose from an intelligent youth, with a critical and probing mind to a highly effective and successful teacher, scholar and jurist, who held firm and bold views in all of the vital areas of Islamic knowledge such as tafsir, hadith, fiqh, Islamic history, nuances of Arabic language, etc. One of her hallmarks was being courageous and forthright in expressing these views.  ‘A’ishah’s assertiveness, confidence and outspokenness for standing up for what she believed to be true and right explodes the stereotype prevailing even among Muslims today of the “rightful” role for Muslim women – that of  being a silent witness prevented by her femininity from participating in the real live of the community.

Her unparalleled insight into the daily life of the messenger of Allah as well as the independence of her thought and character brought her life into sharp focus from other personalities of the time.

‘A’ishah’s Background

While ‘A’ishah’s full name was ‘A’ishah bint Abi Bakr al-siddiq, she was more commonly known as ‘A’ishah bint al-Siddiq as well as al-Ssiddiqhah bint al-Siddiq (the truthful daughter of the truthful). The Prophet, peace be upon him, nicknamed her Umm Abd Allah because of her special care for her nephew Abd Alalh b. al-Zubayr.

She grew up in a pure Islamic environment as both her parents had embraced Islam early in the Prophet’s mission. As she states, “since my age of discernment, I was conditioned on seeing my parents practising only Islam”. The experiences of the early years of Islam left vivid impressions on her extremely sensitive consciousness and helped shape her character and personality.   From a very young age she acquired a firm faith in Islam and a keen spirit of sacrifice for truth, as well as a deep revulsion for infidelity and pagan ways.

As a Mother of the Faithful

‘A’ishah was the only virgin that the Prophet, peace be upon him, ever married. Her marriage to him was inspired by Allah, and took place at a very early age - not out of the ordinary according to the customs of the Arabs, Hebrews and other nations of that time. While there is a tendency to dwell on this fact, it would be amiss to judge the Prophet’s marriage to ‘A’ishah by our current cultural standards. The Prophet’s marriages cannot be detached from his mission; they had the dual function of uniting the Arabs into a single nation, as well as transmitting legacy of his knowledge and wisdom to the posterity as stated in the Qur’an. ‘A’ishah by both her nature and her nurture was the most qualified to fulfill this role of being an authentic transmitter of the Prophet’s legacy—a fact confirmed by the statements of scholars, past and the present. And she did this by living her formative years at the Prophet’s side. 

‘A’ishah’s deep love for the Prophet, peace be upon him, caused her to be jealous of his other wives as her heart was singularly attached to him. The Prophet also reciprocated this love by showing towards her such intense feelings of love that it became legendary among the companions. Anas remarked that “the first expression of love in Islam was the love of the Prophet towards his wife ‘A’ishah!” 

The Prophet’s love for her was not purely based on his physical attractions to her which we have no reason to doubt, but even more so it was due to the role destined to her as an unbroken link in the chain of transmission of the Prophetic legacy. The unique signs of this role were expressed in the fact that while he received revelations from Allah while he was with ‘A’ishah, this was not the case while he was with any of his other wives and, no other wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw the Angel Jibreel as ‘A’ishah did. This was stated by the Prophet peace be upon him, as a sign of the divine honour bestowed on ‘A’ishah.

‘A’ishah was singularly known to have been a conduit of divine mercy as her trials and tribulations and her attitude of self-surrender merited the revelation of several verses.  These verses are enshrined in the Quran to serve as inspiration for all generations to come. The sahabah often recognized the divine grace manifested through her as some of them testified explaining the verse concerning tayammum which had been revealed in connection with an ordeal faced by ‘‘A’ishah. It is significant that Allah extols her purity, modesty and piety for all to recite (see the verses in surat al-Noor especially: 24: 23; 26).

‘A’ishah typified the best ideals expressed in the following verse: “Muslim men and women, believing men and women, obedient men and women, truthful men and women, patient men and women, humble men and women, charity-giving men and women, and those men and women who remember Allah abundantly, for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and an immense reward.” (Qur’an: 33: 35).

Her Piety and Asceticism

While she was born into a highly respectable family with wealth, fame and status (as Abu Bakr was a man of abundant means) and in spite of being brought up with comfortable living conditions, ‘A’ishah bore patiently the hardships, simplicity and ascetic life-style of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Allah had given the Prophet’s wives the choice to bear patiently the harsh life-style they were accustomed to with the Prophet, peace be upon him, in preference for Allah and His Messenger and the Hereafter, or choose a life of this world and part their ways honourably with sufficient alimony. Each wife selected the former. 

With her choice to live a life of utter simplicity and asceticism, ‘A’ishah ate little and drank little, and preferred to wear tattered clothes her whole life, giving away in charity virtually everything that came to her in terms of money and wealth. The charitable nature of ‘A’ishah exemplified the Prophet’s dictum, “spending in such a way that the left hand does not know what right hand had given.”  Her legendary generosity and trait of selfless giving – forgetting her own urgent needs – also brought to life the Qur’anic ideal, “they prefer others over their own selves even though they themselves are faced with dire need.” Urwah, who was one of the great scholars taught by ‘A’ishah, said of her, “I saw ‘A’ishah giving away seventy thousand dirhams in charity while she was wearing a garment which had so many patches sewn into it!”

It was due to her loyalty to Allah and her devotion to the Prophet and his cause that ‘A’ishah gave up the comforts of the lifestyle of her own household and chose the simple life-style of the Prophet, peace be upon him – bearing all the harshness of it in spite of her young age. After the death of the Prophet, peace be upon him, ‘A’ishah continued to live an ascetic existence dedicated to fasting, prayers, charities, and to the care of orphans and the destitute. 

Her Intellect and Scholarship

‘A’ishah was endowed with an extraordinary intelligence that very few had been endowed with. She was not merely a passive student in understanding and learning religion even from the best and noblest of teachers, the Prophet, peace be upon him. Her trademark was her critical, ever-inquisitive and probing mind. There are numerous examples of her further questioning the Prophet’s answers. Once when he found out she had followed him in disguise on his trip to the graveyard to pray for the departed companions in the middle of night, the Prophet asked her, “Why did you do this? Did your Devil visit you?”  ‘A’ishah asked back, “ Does every person have a devil following him or her around?” When he replied to the affirmative, she asked, “Are you included in this?”  He answered, “Yes. I am included in this; but my Lord has helped me against him. Thanks to this he has become a Muslim (i..e he has surrendered and thus does not command anything but good!)”

Another example of her questioning the Prophet minutely was when the Prophet said that following resurrection people will rise up from their graves as Allah had created them and ‘A’ishah asked, “Then they will all be naked and they will see one another?”  He replied, “The issues confronting them will be far too grave for them to be looking at each other.”

It was thanks to her intelligence that she never had the patience for an understanding of religion that was irrational and inconsistent with the correct understanding of the Qur’an. She had a principle firmly entrenched in her mind that the teachings of Islam cannot be irrational and incoherent – how can it be otherwise when Allah says of the Qur’an, “you will never find any incoherence in it!”  Accordingly she rejected Ibn Umar’s narration from the Prophet, peace be upon him, “A person will be punished for his or her family’s crying (lamenting) over his or her death!”  ‘A’ishah rejected it outright saying, “How would the Prophet say something like this when Allah says, ‘No soul shall bear the burden of another!’” Then she went on to clarify what she thought was the context of the Prophet’s statement.

Another example of the same critical understanding is her response to the so called report that “Three things that invalidate one’s prayer are a dog, a donkey and a woman.” When ‘A’ishah heard this narration, she asked, “how dare you compare us women with dogs and donkeys when I myself did lie down to sleep and the Prophet having woken up from sleep would pray in front of me, and when it was time for him to prostrate he would push my legs gently to the side!” She also dismissed Ibn Umar’s order to the women of his household mandating them to undo their hair while making ghusl saying, “Why can’t he then order them to shave their heads? I used to bathe with the Prophet from a single container and yet I did not do more than pouring water on my head three times!”

Her Assertiveness

‘A’ishah’s character is no where best expressed than in her firm and resolute attitude in facing one of the greatest of all trials she ever faced in her life: the false accusation of adultery. When confronted with the situation she became extremely saddened and depressed and yet she never cowered or stooped low. Instead, she firmly stood her ground trusting in Allah alone until she was vindicated. While she had full confidence that Allah would reveal her innocence, she never considered herself so great as to be worthy of being vindicated by a direct revelation. When finally an entire surah was revealed, numerous verses of which were directly related to her story and extolled her purity, modesty and piety, she refused to rise up and thank Allah’s Messenger and instead simply said, “I thank only Allah!”  By this she did not mean to be rude to the Prophet, rather she meant never to attribute the source of her relief to any other than the Source itself, which is Allah and Allah alone! This should serve as a perfect example for all Muslims, men and women, that they should not fear anyone but Allah and if they do this  they will be not cower themselves before anyone but Allah, no matter how great that worldly power facing them may be! In fact this is the ultimate freedom that many of the early Muslims enjoyed within themselves. 

Thanks to her assertiveness, ‘A’ishah always stood up to what she thought was unjust, unethical and false. When she heard that some individuals were finding faults with Abu Bakr after his death, she gathered them all and spoke to them about his achievements as everyone would readily recognize and then asked them plainly which one of his actions they were critical of. None of his detractors had anything to say.

She also stood up to Caliphs such as Mu’awiyah and vocally criticized their policies which she though was unjust and therefore un-Islamic.

Another example of her forthrightness is her answer to those who forbade women from visiting cemeteries.  On her visit to Makkah, when she stopped by the grave of her brother, someone objected to her and asked how come she was visiting his grave when the Prophet had forbidden women to do so, she replied, “The Prophet had forbidden both men and women from visiting graves in the early years of Islam, and then he lifted that prohibition later.” In other words, in her sound understanding the lifting of the ban was applicable to both men and women, for there is no evidence to suggest that it was only applicable to men.

It was because of her strength of character that she made the Caliph implement the will of Safiyyah, the mother of the faithful, who had stipulated one third of her estate to her Jewish brother.  When the Caliph thought it was against the dictum of the Prophet, peace be upon him, ‘A’ishah rejected that and obliged him to fulfil the wishes of Safiyyah.

Her confidence in the inherent justice of Islam enabled her to exercise many other interjections into commonly held assumptions about women’s roles in the Muslim community. One such interjection was her wish not to be left out of performing Janazah prayers (often reserved for men only in the minds of many Muslims - even today).  She often sent orders to bring the Janazah and place it inside the Mosque itself so that the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, could also offer the prayers, at a time when ordinarily Janazah was performed outside the precincts of the mosque itself.

An Active Participant in All Aspects of Islamic Life

‘A’ishah serves as the best role model for women’s activism in Islam for she never was held back from full participation in any aspect of Islamic life even after the death of the Prophet, peace be upon him. During his life she accompanied the Prophet even to the battle fields to perform essential duties.  

She led the war against Ali because of her mistaken judgement; although at the time she thought she was going out to exact justice for the caliph Uthman who had been martyred unjustly and she thought that Ali was harbouring his murderers. Later on, she regretted her choice to have waged the war but the point is that according to her, the role of women in Islam was not confined to the home and instead, that they play an active role in Islamic life.  Due to her own sound faith and Islamic character, she recanted not her activism but her stand against Ali and it was because of this that she thought she had become less worthy of being buried beside the Prophet, peace be upon him, and preferred to join her own sisters (i.e. other wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him) in Jannat al-baqi.

Her Legacy of Scholarship

‘A’ishah’s sound scholarship in Islamic disciplines such as tafsir, hadith, fiqh, history of Arabs and Islam, Arabic language and medicine was proverbial among companions and successors as numerous testimonials bear witness.  We know that even the great companions of the Prophet such as Abu Bakr and Umar as well as other wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, would refer to her as the final resource person in all such matters. 

Abu Salamah b Abd al-Rahman, one of the seven famous jurists of Madinah, said, “I never knew of anyone-- who had such thorough knowledge of the traditions of the Prophet, peace be upon, nor sound understanding of fiqh in any issue that Muslims would need to know nor of any verse and when and where it was revealed or of rules of inheritance --who can surpass ‘A’ishah.”

‘A’ishah served as a teacher of teachers after the Prophet, peace be upon him.  She would correct those who were teaching in the Prophet’s mosque and answer the many who came to her seeking rulings, advice and opinions based on her expert knowledge. Furthermore, among the numerous men and women who graduated under her tutorship were Abd Allah, Qasim, Urwah, and Umrah bint Abd al-Rahman al-Ansariyyah.

Her thorough mastery of fiqh enabled her to exercise independent ijtihad in matters of fiqh and she used to offer rulings based on her  ijtihad as testified by al-Qasim during the time of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman as well as after them until she died.

As indicated earlier, ‘A’ishah’s ijtihad was governed strictly by her deep knowledge of the Qur’an.  One of the many examples of this was when someone asked her about celibacy and she answered, “Do not resort to it for did you not hear Allah say in the Qur’an, ‘We have sent before you messengers and appointed for them spouses and children’ (Surah al-R’ad: 38) thus do not resort to celibacy.”

The independence of her ijtihad meant that she sometimes confidently held views contradicting the views of other companions and scholars. When someone asked her if it was always necessary for a woman to have a mahram to travel, ‘A’ishah asked rhetorically, “Can everyone find a mahram?”

Conclusion

‘A’ishah’s life is especially remarkable when examined with the lenses of contemporary times. Surrounded by current examples of Muslim women around the world not permitted to fully actualize their God-given potentials, ‘A’ishah’s life in the 6th and 7th century is a beacon to the inherent justice in Islam. She was reared with authentic Islam from her earliest memories and yet she grew up to be a woman who was confident, assertive and an active participant and leader of her society.  

Simply put, ‘A’ishah lived a life outstanding in its dedication to the cause of Allah and His Messenger. We can end with her own advice, “Whoever seeks to please people by displeasing Allah, Allah will abandon him/her to people and whoever seeks to please Allah, Allah will be sufficient for him/her.” 

Source: www.islaam.ca

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Aishah's (RA) Knowledge:

Aishah (RA) was a scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence, with a broad knowledge of Hadeeth; she benefited greatly from her nearness to the Messenger of Allah (SAW), in addition to her great intelligence, her zeal for acquiring knowledge and her ability to derive Islamic rulings. She was a source of reference for them in Hadeeth, the Sunnah and Islamic Jurisprudence; even the most eminent Companions of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to come to her and ask her about the obligatory acts of worship.

Urwah bin Az-Zubair (RA) said: "I have not seen anyone with a greater knowledge of the Qur'an, or its obligations, or the lawful and the unlawful, or of poetry or the sayings of the Arabs, or of genealogy than Aishah."

Abu Burdah bin Abu Musa Al-Ashree (RA) reported from his father that he said: "There was never a problem which we-The Companions of Muhammed (SAW) were unable to solve and referred to Aishah (RA) except that we found knowledge of it from her."

Abu Umar bin Abdul Barr said: "Aishah was unique in her time, being knowledgeable in three sciences: The science of Islamic Jurisprudence, the science of medicine and the science of poetry."

Az-Zuhri said: " If the knowledge of Aishah was compared with the knowledge of all of the other wives of the Prophet and with all women, the knowledge of Aishah would be greater."

Ata' bin Rabad said: "Aishah was the best of people in Islamic jurisprudence, the most knowledgeable of people and the best of them in giving opinions in general."

Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad said: "I did not know anyone among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) who had more knowledge of poetry or religious obligations than Aishah."

Adh-Dhahabi siad: "Aishah was the most knowledgeable woman in Islamic Jurisprudence in the whole Muslim nation."

Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan (RA) said: "O Ziyad! Who is the most knowledgeable person?" Ziyad replied: "You, O Commander of Faithful!" He said: "I insist that you answer me truthfully and do not flatter me.: He replied: "If you press me, I would say it is Aishah."

So great was her knowledge than Umar bin Al-Khattab and Ali bin Abu Talib (RA) used to consult her in many matters of Islamic Jurisprudence.

Aishah (RA) narrated 2210 Alhadeeth, 297 of which were reported in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Al Muslim, no one narrated more Alhadeeth except Abu Huraira (RA) and she is one of those who narrated more than a thousand Ahadeeth.

Nine Blessings of Aishah (RA)

• Angel Jibril had presented her portrait wrapped in green silk to Muhammad (SAW) and told him that this was the picture of the lady chosen by Allah to be his bride in this world and in the next.
• She was the only virgin to have become the wife of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
• When the Prophet (SAW) passed away, he was resting on her lap and was buried in her apartment.
• Many times angels encircled her apartment with love and respect.
• Very often divine revelation would come to Muhammad (SAW) when they were lying together resting in peace and tranquility.
• She was the daughter of the loyal and true friend of the Prophet (SAW), Abu Bakr Siddique (RA).
• Ayat acquitting her of any wrongdoing had descended from the heavens from Allah, proving her innocence.
• She was born a Muslim and had been brought up in a pure environment and spent her former years with the purest and best of creatures, Prophet (SAW).
• Allah, promised her divine forgiveness and abundant bounties.

Aishah's (RA) Death

Aishah (RA) passed away in the year 58 Hijrah on the 17th of Ramadan at the age of 66. She was buried in the graveyard at Al-Madinah, Jannatul Baqi.

 The End!

The Story of Umm Habeebah bint Abu Sufyan (RA) shall be posted soon, insha Allah...

By Sadaf Farooqi

"Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken such-and-such as a friend!"[Quran, Surah Al-Furqaan: 28]

The one who is always there to console you when you want to talk about a problem, the one who sticks by you through thick and thin, the one whom you can count on to be there for you - this is the person who leaves no doubts in your mind that he or she is your "best friend". You like each other's company and love to spend time together. If something important happens in your life, they're the first to know. You trust them and depend upon them in times of need. They may be a classmate, a colleague, a neighbor, a sister, a mother; or even your spouse! It could be anyone who fits this description.

But are they really your "true" friend? How can you find out? Ask yourself: are they taking you towards the most certain and perpetual success and benefit: that of the Hereafter, or are they going to be the cause of regret for you on the Day of Judgment? See for yourself. Here is a checklist.

When in each other's company, you both:

* Comfortably backbite and make fun of people.
* Laugh at others together, be it a passerby or someone you are discussing.
* Pass comments about others.
* Call each other demeaning names in fun.
* Laugh at each other's cruel jokes about someone else.
* Start a conversation with "Hi!" and plunge into an exchange of the latest gossip.
* Hardly ever mention or discuss Allah, the Quran or Hadith in the time spent together.
* End up spending money on things you don't need.
* Feel hesitant to discuss religion, unless it is a criticism of any aspect of Islam.
* Confirm each other's doubts about the Hereafter.
* Never point out each other's faults politely; if one does, the other quickly changes the subject or gets defensive.
* Get involved in activities that delay/do away with salaah (Islamic Prayer), the major obligation from Allah.
* Have never prayed any salaah together.
* Support each other in fulfilling every desire - a dress that caught your fancy, or the in-fashion shoes, even if they are not needed.
* Discuss unimportant things and events in meticulous detail, such as a film, the latest clothes you got tailored, or a wedding party you attended.

Besides the above points, you both are fully aware of each other's family's and in-laws' faults and short-comings. When one of you feels guilty about having committed a sin, the other quickly offers reassurance that "It's no big deal, everyone does it", and comes up with convincing excuses for the other not to feel guilty about it. When one of you starts doing something that is impermissible in Islam, the other offers support and help; for example, when one starts to backbite, the other becomes attentive and listens closely. When one discovers a shortcoming of the other, they leave no chance to make fun of it. If they take something that belongs to you, you know that you will not get it back unless you ask for it

About a 'friendship' that has most of the above characteristics, Allah says in the Quran:

"Friends on that day will be foes to one and another - except the Righteous Ones."[Quran, Surah Al-Zukhruf 43:67]

All such "friends" will, on the Day of Judgment, become each other's enemies, each lamenting and blaming the other before Allah, for having supported and encouraged them towards the ultimate and eternal destruction. Allah makes an exception to this situation in the Quranic verse above: "except those who are al-muttaqeen: the righteous ones". So who are these 'righteous ones', who will be happily together in the Hereafter just as they were together in the world? How can you tell whether your friend is really and truly your sincere "friend"? Here is another checklist of characteristics that depict a friendship that will lead to success in the Hereafter.

When together, you both:

* Remind each other of Allah when you set eyes on each other.
* Leave each other's company with a higher level of imaan (faith in Allah).
* Inevitably start the conversation with the Islamic greeting 'as-salaamu-alaykum', and receive the masnoon reply for it.
* Do the masnoon mu'aanaqah (hug) and musafahah (handshake) on a regular basis.
* Almost always mention Allah, the Quran, or Hadith in some context or the other, in your conversations.
* Strengthen each other's belief on the Hereafter.
* Always end up exchanging useful and mature ideas and thoughts.
* Love each other above and beyond worldly benefits.
* Give each other more duaa's (well wishes) than material gifts.
* Enquire regularly about the health of the other's family.
* Attend religious study-circles/ halaqah's together.
* Have prayed salaah together many times.
 * Have watched each other cry, out of fear of Allah or out of regret for committing a transgression.
* Listen attentively if the other is saying something that pleases Allah.
* Politely point out and reform each other's mistakes or bad habits in the best way possible.
* Return an amanah (item placed in other's trust/safekeeping) belonging to the other in its original state.
* Laugh a lot together, but with decent, non-malicious humor.
* Become uninterested and change the subject if the other starts to say something that is impermissible.
* Always discourage the other if they plan to do something wrong.
* Always encourage the other if they intend to do a good deed that they're hesitant to do.
* Consult each other in important matters.
* Give each other advice seriously and sincerely.
* Never waste each other's time in useless activities.
* Never invite the other to a place or gathering of sin.
* Have full trust that they will never reveal secrets or personal problems to others, nor will they gossip about you behind your back.
* Address each other in a respectful and loving manner.
* Forgive each other's faults and shortcomings, and hide them from others.

Those whose friendships possess most of the above characteristics are among the fortunate people who can experience a glimpse of the assembly of Paradise in the life of this world itself, where they have such sincere and true friends - friends who love them for the sake of Allah. It is they who shall be saved from all kinds of discomfort and pain on the Day of Judgment when their Lord will provide them with a special place under His Throne, according to His promise: Narrated by Abu Hurairah [may Allah be pleased with him]: Allah's Messenger [Allah's peace and blessings be upon him] said: "Verily, Allah will say on the Day of Standing: 'Where are those who had mutual love for the sake of My Glory? Today I shall shelter them in My shadow when there is no other shadow but the shadow of Mine.'" [Sahih Muslim Number 6225] --

And say "Do deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers. And you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Then He will inform you of what you used to do." (9:105)

Source: Received as an Email

WHO amongst us dislikes being praised? Well, we might not do a certain act to be praised but yes we do feel happy when our work is appreciated. How we go ‘over the moon’ when our bosses appreciate our work.

Should I not remind you of a small deed by which Allah will remember you and praise you! That’s Dhikr, remembering Allah.

"Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying,). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me." (Qur’an, 2:152)

You may remember Allah on this earth in a small gathering, but Allah, Who is high above the heavens, will remember you in a better gathering, amongst the angels.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Allah says: “I am as my slave expects me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me inwardly, I will remember him inwardly, and if he remembers Me in an assembly, I will remember him in a better assembly (i.e., in the assembly of angels).’’ (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

So when we attend Islamic lectures and classes of Qur’an and Hadith in which Allah is remembered, His Religion is taught, Insha, Allah, our Creator will mention us in gatherings better than ours. When we do Dhikr, like Tasbeeh (Subhan Allah), Tamheed (Alhamdulillah) , Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) and Tahleel (Laa ilaha illAllah) to ourselves, Allah will also Insha, Allah remember and mention us. What a great honor!

Why should we do Dhikr?

• Command of Allah

“And remember the Name of your Lord every morning and afternoon.” (Qur’an, 76:25)

• Path to success

“...and remember Allah much, that you may be successful.’’ (Qur’an, 62:10)

• Best of deeds

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions which are the purest to your Lord, which exalt you to the high ranks, which are more efficacious than spending gold and silver (in charity), and better for you than you should encounter your enemies whom you will smite their necks and they will smite your necks?’’ They said, “Certainly.’’ He (peace be upon him) said, “Remembrance of Allah the Exalted.’’ (Al-Tirmidhi)

• Easy way to earn reward

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Wudu’ is half of Salat, and the expression: Subhan Allah (Allah is free from imperfection)’ fills the Balance, and the expression: `Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah)’ fills the space between the heavens and the earth.’’ (Sahih Muslim)

There are many more benefits of Dhikr, mentioning of which is not possible in a short article. Dhikr is a deed that doesn’t take more than half a second of our time and has enormous benefits. Dear brothers and sisters, let’s keep our tongues moist with Dhikr. Besides it’s a very easy Ibadah. It doesn’t require us to be in ablution or facing the Qiblah; it is also not restricted to specific timings – we can do it while driving, doing our household work, buying groceries, etc.

Source: Received as an email.

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by Imâm an-Nawawî (d. 676 AH / 1299 CE)

All Praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, the [One Who] Sustains the Heavens and Earths, Director of all that is created, who sent the Messengers (may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon all of them) to rational beings, to guide them and explain the religious laws to them with clear proofs and undeniable arguments. I praise Him for all of His bounties. I ask Him to increase His grace and generosity. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah alone, who has no partner, the One, Who Subdues, the Generous, the Forgiving. I bear witness that our leader Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, His beloved and dear one, the best of all creation. He was honoured with the Glorious Qur'aan that has been an enduring miracle throughout the years. He was also sent with his guiding Sunnah that shows the way for those who seek guidance. Our leader Muhammad has been particularized with the characteristic of eloquent and pithy speech, and simplicity and ease in the religion. May the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, the other Prophets and Messengers, all of their families and the rest of the righteous.

To proceed :

We have narrated, through many chains (isnaad, pl. asaaneed) and various narrations, from Ali ibn Abee Taalib, Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood, Mu'aadh ibn Jabal, Abu ad-Dardaa, [Abdullaah] ibn 'Umar, [Abdullaah] ibn 'Abbaas, Anas ibn Maalik, Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree - May Allaah be pleased with all of them - that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "Whoever preserves for my Ummah forty hadeeth related to the religion, Allaah will then resurrect him in the company of the pious and the scholars."

Another narration states : "Allaah will raise him as an erudite and learned scholar".

In the narration from Abu ad-Dardaa, it is stated :"On the Day of Resurrection, I will be an intercessor and witness for him".

In the narration from Ibn Mas'ood it is stated that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :"It will be said to him 'Enter Paradise through any door you wish'".

In the narration from ibn 'Umar, one finds the words :"He will be recorded among the company of the scholars and will be resurrected in the company of the martyrs".

[However] The scholars of hadeeth agree that, although this hadeeth has numerous chains, it is weak [ie. da'eef, and hence cannot be used as a sharee'ah proof].

The scholars (may Allaah be pleased with them) have compiled innumerable works of this nature [ie. collections of forty hadeeth]. The first one that I know of who compiled such a work was Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak [a taabi'ee, rahimahu Allaah]. After him came ibn Aslam at-Toosee, a pious scholar. Then came al-Hasan ibn Sufyaan an-Nasaa'ee, Abu Bakr al-Aajurree, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Asfahaanee, ad-Daaraqutnee, al-Haakim, Abu Nu'aim, Abu Abd-ir-Rahmaan as-Sulamee, Abu Sa'eed al-Maleenee, Abu 'Uthmaan as-Saaboonee, Abdullaah ibn Muhammad al-Ansaaree, Abu Bakr al-Baihaqee and countless others both from the earlier and later times.

I have turned to Allaah for guidance and prayed to Him while compiling these forty hadeeth, following the example of those Imaams and guardians of Islaam. The scholars have agreed that it is permissible to act in accordance with weak hadeeth that deal with the virtues of good deeds [ie not weak hadeeth that deal with rulings - ahkaam - or acts of worship]. Nonetheless, given that fact, I have not simply relied upon that [weak] hadeeth [mentioned above], in compiling this work. Instead, I am following the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) found in an authentic hadeeth :"Let him who was present among you inform those who are absent". The Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) also said :"May Allaah make radiant the man who has heard what I said, preserved it in his memory and conveyed it in the way that he heard it".

[Note : What an-Nawawi is saying here is that many of the scholars before him have made collections of forty hadeeth, and hence he is following their good example and not simply following the weak hadeeth quoted above, thus showing that he considers it improper to base ones actions upon weak hadeeth alone.]

Scholars have compiled forty hadeeth on faith and belief (usool), on practical matters (furoo'), on jihaad, on austerity (zuhd), on etiquette (adaab), and even on sermons (khutbahs). All of these [collections] were concerning righteous aims. May Allaah be pleased with those who sought them. However I have found it best to collect together forty hadeeth which are more important than all of those. These forty hadeeth incorporate all of those separate topics. In fact, each hadeeth is by itself a great general precept from the foundations of the Religion. Some scholars state that all of Islaam revolves around these hadeeth. Some have said, about a particular hadeeth, that they are one-half of Islaam, one-third of Islaam and so forth.

I have committed myself to including only authentic hadeeth (saheeh or hasan) in these forty hadeeth. The majority of them are from Saheeh al-Bukhaaree or Saheeh Muslim. I have mentioned them without their chain of narrators in order for it to be easier to memorize them and thus more [people] will be able to benefit from them, Allaah willing. After the hadeeth, I included a section on the meanings of the obscure expressions found in the hadeeth.

Everyone who desires and looks forward to the Hereafter must be familiar with these hadeeth because they cover the most important aspects of the religion and offer direction to all forms of obedience of Allaah. This is clear to anyone who ponders these hadeeth.

I rely only upon Allaah and I entrust my affair only to Him. To Him is all Praise and Grace, from Him is Guidance and protection from error.

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Imaam an-Nawawi (rahimahu Allaahu ta'aalaa - died 676 Hijree) was without doubt one of the greatest scholars this Ummah has been blessed with. His works have had a tremendous benefit and influence for the Muslims throughout history, and from amongst his works is his collection of 42 ahaadeeth of the Prophet sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam which together form a comprehensive explanation of this Great Deen of Islaam. This work is commonly referred to as "an-Nawawi's Forty Hadeeth" and without doubt it contains immense benefit and guidance.

The complete name of Imaam an-Nawawi is Abu Zakaria Mohiuddin Yahya, son of Sharaf An-Nawawi. Nawawi refers to Nawaa, a place near Damascus, in the suburb of the city of Howran. Imaam an-Nawawi was born at Nawa in the year 631 A.H.(about 1255 CE) His father, a virtuous and pious man, resolved to arrange for proper and befitting education as he had discovered the symptoms of heavenly intelligence and wisdom in his promising child at an early stage.

The Imaam's Simplicity and Good Manners:

The learned persons, elite of the society and the public greatly respected the Imaam on account of his piety, learning and excellent character. He used simple dress and ate simple food. Devout scholars do not care about worldly chattels, they give preference to religious and academic pursuits, and the propagation of Faith. They experience more heavenly delight and joy in such activities than those who seek satisfaction in luxurious foods, precious clothes and other worldly things. Imaam an-Nawawi had a prominent place among the erudite notables of his age. He was a God-fearing person having illustrious and glorious aims regarding the propagation of Faith.

The celebrated Shaykh Mohiuddin expresses his impression about Imaam an-Nawawi thus:

"Imaam an-Nawawi had three distinctive commendable qualities in his person. If anybody has only one out of these three, people turn to him in abundance for guidance. First, having knowledge and its dissemination. Second, to evade completely from the worldly inclinations, and the third, inviting to all that is good (Islam) enjoining Al-Ma'ruf [i.e., Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do] and forbidding Al-Munkar [polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden]. Imaam an-Nawawi had all three in him."

His works and his death: The learned Imaam had a very short life but even during this short period, he had written a large number of books on different subjects. Every work of the Imaam is a masterpiece and a treasure of knowledge. Hundreds and thousands of people benefit from these works.

Some of his works :

1. Al-Minhaj fi Sharh Sahih Muslim - A Commentary on Sahih Muslim
2. al-Arba'een (ie The Forty Hadeeth)
3. Riyaad-us-Saliheen
4. Kitaab-ur-Raudah
5. Tahdheeb-ul-Asmaa was-Sifaat
6. Kitaab-ul-Adhkaar
7. At-Taqreeb fee Ilmil-Hadeeth wal-Irshad feehi
8. Sharh Sunan Abee Dawood (Incomplete)
9. Tabaqaat Ash-Shaafi'iyyah
10. Muhimmatul-Ahkaam
11. Bustaan-ul-'Aarifeen
12. Al-Khulaasatu fil-Hadeeth

At about the age of 45, Imaam an-Nawawi returned to his hometown. Soon after his arrival at Nawaa, he fell ill and died. However, Imaam an-Nawawi is still living in the hearts of Muslims. His works are of everlasting value. May Allah have Mercy upon him.

Source: http://islaam.net

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Written by Shaikh Ahmad Kutty

It all depends what we mean by preaching. If by preaching we mean transmitting the message of Islam through words and actions, then most of the prominent women of the sahabah as well as the wives of the Prophet  were transmitters of knowledge to individuals and groups who sought out for them. This is why the works of hadith are full of narrations from them. However, the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, played a far greater role as they served as retainers and transmitters of Prophetic wisdom. Aishah and Umm Salamah stood out as the most prominent among them. As for Aishah, her home was almost like a university, for hundreds of men and women transmitted traditions and insights in fiqh and tafsir from her; among them were the seven foremost jurists of Madinah in the next generation.

Thanks to her contributions, when the Umayyad Caliph Umar b. Abd al-Aziz commissioned scholars to compile traditions, he specifically requested them to compile all of the traditions transmitted by Aishah through her students.

Aishah was also recognized for her oratorical skills as well besides her deep grasp of hadith, fiqh, tafsir and Arabic language. Mu’awiyah, the Umayyad caliph, and the companion of the Prophet said, “I never heard a more eloquent speaker after the Prophet, peace be upon him, comparable to Aishah.” It is well known that Aishah used to address people whenever there was a need to do so in order to clarify an issue or pass on a valuable piece of information. Thus when she heard that, following Abu Bakr’s death, some people were criticizing him for some of his policies, she gathered them and addressed them covering all of the points they had raised. She then asked them, whether they still had any question, to which all of them remained quiet, for they could not but be convinced of her presentation.

Thanks to the legacy of Aishah, Umm Salamah and others, Islam produced hundreds of women scholars, who were known for their expertise in various fields such as hadith and fiqh. Even some of the greatest imams such as Imam Shafi, Ibn Taymiyya, Dhahabi, and Ibn Hajar had women scholars as teachers. Dr. Akram Nadvi has brought out a multi-volume work on women scholars in Islam.

In conclusion: It is perfectly fine for women to speak to men or address them or teach them

Source: http://islahicentre.org/