Monday 27 January 2014

On eating raw Garlic and Onion

Garlic and Onion
Salah is offered in congregation in mosque. People stand side by side while praying. If a person has eaten raw garlic, onion or something that has a strong offending smell then he/she should not go to the mosque as the smell coming from the mouth can seriously offend or disgust the worshipers nearby. Muslims are prohibited to go to mosques after eating foods in raw form with unpleasant and disgusting smell. However, it is permissible to eat them after their strong odor vanishes from cooking or boiling. Ahadith relating to this subject are:
 
Jabir (RA) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He who has eaten garlic or onion should keep away from us or our mosques." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Ibn 'Umar (RA) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He who has eaten garlic should not come to our mosque." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

It has been narrated that 'Umar (RA) said in the sermon of Friday prayer: "O you people! You eat garlic and onion. I think the odor of these to be very offensive. I saw that if the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) happened to find a man with such offensive odor in the mosque, he would order him to be taken out of the mosque and sent to Al-Baqi'. He who wants to eat any of these, should cook them till their odor dies out." [Muslim]

Thursday 23 January 2014

Prohibition of Spitting in the Mosque

Anas bin Malik (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Spitting in the mosque is a sin, and its expiation is that the spittle should be buried in earth." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Commentary

Cleanliness is an essential part of Muslim faith. Mosques are holy and meant for worship, remembrance of Allah, recitation of holy Quran and many other acts of piety. So it’s very important to keep it neat and clean. Therefore, it is prohibited by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to spit in the mosque. But to atone for spitting in the mosque, one should bury the spittle in earth, but this applies when the floor of the mosque is covered with earth. As this is not the case today, one should wipe the spittle off or wash it off with clean water.

Wednesday 22 January 2014

Islamic View on Hanging Bells round the Necks of Animals

Abu Hurairah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Angels do not accompany the travellers who have with them a dog or a bell."[Muslim]

Abu Hurairah (RA) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The bell is one of the musical instruments of Satan." [Muslim]

Commentary

Bells are considered as musical instrument. Other musical instruments include lute, the plectrum, drum, violin, guitar, fiddle, flute, lute, mandolin, harmonium, piano, string, etc. All these are used by Satan to lead the people astray. Nowadays these articles have become alarmingly common. Music of any kind is strictly prohibited in Islam. But it is afflicting the life of every individual in the modern era. Today, people take music as food of the soul (Nauzubillah). It can be true only for those whose souls are overpowered by Satan because one who lives in filth is so used to it that one cannot live without it. May Allah protect us from such satanic occupations. Musical instrumentsare so forbidden in Islam that it prevents putting bells around the necks of animals. As the animal moves the bells moves, thus making a musical sound. The hadith above states that angels do not accompany the travelers who have with them a dog or a bell (angels signify angels of mercy; otherwise we are attended all the time by the angels who record our deeds for us).

A Common Animal Bell

Sunday 19 January 2014

Angels Visiting a House


Abu Talhah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a portrait." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Aishah (RA) said: Jibril (Gabriel) (PBUH) made a promise with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) to come at a definite hour; that hour came but he did not visit him. There was a staff in the hand of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). He threw it from his hand and said, "Never does Allah back out of His Promise, nor do His messengers." Then he noticed a puppy under his bed and said, "O 'Aishah, when did this dog enter?" She said: "By Allah, I don't know." He then commanded that it should be turned out. No sooner than had they expelled it, Jibril came and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to him, "You promised to visit me. I waited for you but you did not come." Whereupon he said: "The dog kept me from coming. We do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture." [Muslim]

Commentary

Angels here means angels of mercy whose visit is a blessing for homes.  But as the ahadith point out that if a house contains portraits or a dog then the angels do not enter the house.

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Islam

Astrology – A branch of Magic

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who acquires a branch of the knowledge of astrology, learns a branch of magic (of which he acquires more as long as) he continues to do so."
[Abu Dawud]

Commentary

In this Hadith, astrology has been regarded a part of magic. In Islam the learning of magic has been held equivalent to unfaithfulness. Thus, it is evident that in Islam, astrology and soothsaying (prediction about the future) are highly dangerous, and learning them is a great sin. In astrology future events are predicted with reference to the movements of stars. There is another science called astronomy by means of which timings of sunrise and sunset are calculated. This branch of science, however, is a genuine science because it is based on experiment and observation. A person, who learns the knowledge of astrology, desires to know more and more of it. Therefore being a Muslim we should stay away from it.
Astrology - A Branch of Magic

Prohibition of Leaving the Fire Burning

Ibn 'Umar (RA) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Do not keep the fire burning in your homes when you go to bed." 
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (RA) said: A house in Al-Madinah was burnt with its occupants inside it one night. When this was reported to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) he said, "Fire is your enemy. So, put it out before going to bed." 
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Cover up the (kitchen) containers (i.e., pots, pans, etc.), tie up the mouth of the water-skin, lock up the doors and extinguish the lamps, because Satan can neither untie the water-skin nor open the door nor uncover the containers. If one can cover the cooking pot even by placing a piece of wood across it, and pronounce the Name of Allah on it, let him do it. A mouse can sometimes cause a house to burn along its dwellers."
[Muslim]

Monday 13 January 2014

Eating Manners in Islam

  • Wash Your Hands before heating

  • Say Bismillah before beginning to eat.

  • Use right hand to eat food.

  • Always eat food from a certain side of the plate which is nearest to you and not from the middle of the plate.

  • Don’t criticize the food.
  • Avoid over eating.


  • After eating say “Alhamdulillah”.


Friday 10 January 2014

Hadith on Plucking Grey Hairs

Reported 'Amr bin Shu'aib, on the authority of his father and grandfather that the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Do not pluck out grey hair, for they are the Muslim's light on the Day of Resurrection."

[Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i]

Thursday 9 January 2014

The Objectives of Shaitan (Satan)

Allah, the Exalted, says:

"They (all those who worship others than Allah) invoke nothing but female deities besides Him (Allah), and they invoke nothing but Shaitan (Satan), a persistent rebel! Allah cursed him. And he [Shaitan (Satan)] said:

'I will take an appointed portion of your slaves. Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah'

..." (4:117-119)

"Behold! We said to the angels: “Prostrate unto Adam”: They prostrated except Iblis (Satan): He said, “Shall I prostrate to one whom Thou didst create from clay?” He said: “Seest Thou? This is the one whom Thou hast honored above me! If Thou wilt but respite me to the Day of Judgment, I will surely bring his descendants under my sway – all but a few!” 

(17: 61–62)

How to Perform Wudu (Ablution)?

Step#1
Make Niyyah (Intention)


Make intention or niyyah for ablution. It is necessary to make a niyyah for any act that is performed for the sake of Allah. The niyyah for wudu is done by centering yourself, quieting your thoughts and focusing seriously on what you are doing i.e. purifying and cleansing to present before Allah in salat. Saying “Bismillah” is verbally enough.

Step#2
Wash your hands


Use your left hand to wash the right hand three times and vice versa. Make sure to wash every part of hand that is skin between the fingers and all the way up to wrists.

Step#3
Rinse mouth


Use your right hand to cup water into your mouth three times. Swish it around in your cheeks and the back of your throat. Do this thoroughly to get all the remaining food in your mouth out but do not swallow the water on purpose.

Step#4
Clean your nose


Use your right hand to cup water and inhale into your nose and then exhale it. Do this three times.

Step#5
Wash Face


Wash your face three times by spreading your hands from your right ear to the left, and from the edge of the hair to the chin.

Step#6
Wash your arms


Wash your lower arms from wrists to elbows, leaving no part dry. From your wrist to your elbow, wash your right arm with your left hand three times and then wash your left arm with your right hand three times.

Step#7
Perform Masah



Clean your head. Using your wet hands, gently wipe your forehead from the eyebrow to the hairline. Also wipe down your hair.  Wipe your ears inside and out. With the same water, use your finger to clean all the crevices of your ear. Then using your thumbs clean behind your ears from the bottom upward. Also wipe the back of your neck, and your temples.

Step#8
Wash Feet


Wash each of your feet. Start with the right foot. Clean up to the ankles and be sure water goes between the toes. 

Tuesday 7 January 2014

12 Foods Liked by Prophet Muhammad (saw)

  • Barley
  • Dates


  • Figs

  • Grapes

  • Honey

  • Melon

  • Milk

  • Mushroom

  • Olive Oil


  • Pomegranate


  • Vinegar



  • Water


Twelve foods liked by Prophet Muhammad

Monday 6 January 2014

Eating With Left Hand

  • Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as saying: "Do not eat with your left hand, because Satan eats and drinks with his left hand." [Muslim]
  • Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "No person should eat and drink with his left hand for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand." [Muslim]



Allah is Sufficient

Sunday 5 January 2014

Choosing a Wife

A woman is married for four (things); her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion. Choose (marry) the religious woman so that your home will be in abundance. [Bukhari]

In the hadith the Prophet (SAW) pointed out the decisive factors on which basis man should choose a wife and guide to what the best is in that regard.

Like many affairs of worldly matters, Islam also lends advice on the importance of selection of a good spouse. In order to make a house happy and peaceful dwelling, mutual reliance and confidence between husband and wife is compulsory. Involving the factor of religion for this purpose makes the bond between the partners beautiful and strong. However, relations that are built on factors like richness, beauty, and status are transitory, conceited and a cause of discomfort for a happy marriage. Preferring a pious spouse in matrimony means perpetual happiness and eternal salvation to religion. A spouse should be a good match in terms of piety, high ethics and fearing from Allah.  Islam urges men to prefer religious woman. A man who considers a women’s piety and her religiousness as the only criteria for companionship is regarded to have gained happiness of both the worlds. A woman is regarded to have gained timeless bliss who sees the religiousness of her husband, adheres to religion herself and fears Allah. Hence among the many criteria’s for choosing a wife, Islam chooses religion.

The Prophet (SAW), even commanded saying: “Do not marry women for their good looks, as their beauty might destroy them; and do not marry them for their wealth as their riches might lead them to be overbearing. Marry them for their religion; and a black and unattractive maid who is religious, is better [than them both].”[Ibn Maajah] 

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Prohibition of Meeting a non-Mahram Woman in Privacy

'Uqbah bin 'Amir (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Avoid (entering a place) in which are women (uncovered or simply to mix with them in seclusion)." A man from the Ansar said, "Tell me about the brother of a woman's husband." He replied, "The brother of a woman's husband is death." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The hadith notifies the Muslims about a very important aspect with respect to veil. Many Muslims are unaware and negligent about it. It tells us that Muslim women should observe veil from real brothers, cousins, etc of her husband during their visits to the house in his presence or absence. Greater chances of mischief can occur if the husband is not at home.  For this reason the male relatives are regarded as death i.e. fatal to a woman from religious perspective.  The mischief (Fornication and adultary) that can probably occur between them has a fatal punishment i.e. Rajm (stoning to death). A male believer should be afraid of meeting such women in seclusion with whom any kind of contact is not permissible and is afraid of death. As for woman she should observe veil dutifully and be honest and loyal to her husband. She should also observe veil from husband’s male friends. Slackness in this matter is common nowadays and the evils that occur due to it come to our notice every day. Another hadith that strictly prohibits Muslims from meeting a non-Mahram woman in seclusion without her Mahram, in order to avoid the temptation to commit the sin of adultery is:

Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "No one of you should meet a woman in privacy unless she is accompanied by a Mahram (i.e., a relative within the prohibited degrees)." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Buraidah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The sanctity of the wives of Mujahidun (i.e., those who strive hard and fight in the way of Allah) for those who remain at home (i.e., those who do not go to the battlefield to fight Jihad) is like the sanctity of their own mothers. Anyone who remains behind to look after the family of a Mujahid and betrays his trust, will be made to stand on the Day of Resurrection before the Mujahid who will take away from his meritorious deeds whatever he likes till he is satisfied." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) turned toward us and said, "Now, what do you think (i.e., will he leave anything with him)?" [Muslim]

The fortification and supervision of the families of those Mujahidun who go to Jihad, is an act of high merit, and if someone violates the trust reposed in him, he will be committing a grave sin indeed. The hadith articulates that who will commit such a grave sin will be deprived of their virtuous deeds on the Day of Judgment.