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Tawheed Dawah Project

Islam Made

Easy



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Islam Made Easy

First Edition 1434/2013

This book was compiled, edited and checked in Australia.

Our aim in the production of this book is to seek the pleasure

of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), and may He accept this from us

as an act only done for Him, and may this book benefit all

who read it, and allow it to be good on our scales on the Day

of Judgement, please do not forget us in your du’a and may

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) guide us all to what pleases Him.

This product is not for sale unless all proceeds are

given towards Da’wah or a form of Sadaqah (Charity).



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O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and

do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]. And hold

firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not becomedivided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you

were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you

became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a

pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make

clear to you His verses that you may be guided. (‘Ali `Imran:

102-103)



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_________________________________Contents

Preface 5

Pillars of Islam 7

7 Conditions of Ash-Shahadatayn (Declaration of Faith) 8

The Testimony of LailahaillaAllah consists of Two Pillars 15

The First Pillar of Tawheed: Negation (Nafy) 17

The Second Pillar of Tawheed: Affirmation (Ithbaat) 20

Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah 22

Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat 23

Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah 26

Shirk (Associating Partners) 31

Bid’ah (Innovation) 36

Articles of Iman (Faith) 37

Obligation of following the Salaf as-Salih 48

Taharah (Purification) 53Wudoo (Minor Ablution) 54

Purification from Major States of Impurity (Ghusl) 62

Tayammum (Dry Ablution) 68

Prayer (Salaat) 73

Adhan and Iqamah 75

Conditions of the Prayer 78

Description of the Prayer 79Salaat Times 89

Consequences of Not Praying 91

Zakaat 92

Zakaat al-Fitr 97

Fasting 101

Khilafah 106

Marriage 108

Jinn 110



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Du’a 113

Mysteries of the Soul 115

Misconceptions 119

Jihad 119

Woman’s Rights in Islam 119

Success is Only through Islam 123

Glossary 125



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__________________________________Preface

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. All praisesare due to Allah; we praise Him; we seek His help; we seek His

forgiveness; and we seek His guidance. We seek refuge in Allah from

the evil in our souls and the badness of our deeds. For whomever

Allah guides, there is none to lead him astray. And for whomever He

allows to go astray, there is none to guide him. I bear witness that

there is none worthy of worship except Allah, for whom there is no

partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and

Messenger.

Indeed Allah Almighty has protected this religion and raised its status

among the nations, sending to the world the final Messenger,

Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and with him the final

and most complete religion as Allah Almighty says:

This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favourupon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (Al-

Ma’idah: 3)

This book has not come with anything new; rather it is compiled

information that is essential for Muslims and New Muslims in their

day-to-day life. It is also meant to be a reminder for the students of

knowledge and callers to the way of Allah on important issues of the

Shari’ah and important issues that we face in our current reality.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Convey from

me even an Ayah of the Qur’an; (Bukhari)

This Hadith stresses the importance of acquiring knowledge of the

Qur’an and Hadith and imparting it to others. Regardless of whether

one has a little knowledge or a great deal, he or she must

communicate it to others. There is no justification to leave inviting to

the Message of Allah to those who are well-versed in this sphere. It is

a duty upon every Muslim to learn something and pass it on. So muchso that if a person knows even a single ayah/verse of the Qur’an, that

is, a single injunction of Allah, they should communicate it to others.



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The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever Allah

wishes good for, He grants him understanding of the religion”.(Bukhari)

Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The

Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Allah

makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path in search

of knowledge.'' (Muslim).

We pray that Allah accepts this work from us as being solely for His

sake. As with all such work, the responsibility for any mistakes lieswith the author. We ask Allah to forgive us for our shortcomings and

to guide us to the Straight Path.

Peace and blessings be upon our beloved leader Prophet

Muhammad, his household and his companions and those that follow

in his footsteps and the footsteps of his companions.

Tawheed Dawah Project Team



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____________________________Pillars of Islam

Islam is built on five pillars, these pillars are:

1. Ash-Shahadatayn (Declaration of Faith): bearing witness that

there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah and

that Muhammad is His Messenger.

2. Salaah (Establishing prayers): Muslims perform five prayers a

day as a duty towards Allah. Each prayer only takes a few

minutes to perform and is a direct link between the

worshipper and god. There are no intermediaries between

the worshiper and Allah. Prayers strengthen and enliven the

belief in Allah and inspire man to a higher morality. They

purify the heart and prevent temptation towards

wrongdoing and evil.

3. Zakaah (Paying the alms): The literal and simple meaning of Zakaah is purity, wealth is purified by paying Zakaah. As all

things belong to Allah, wealth is therefore held by human

beings in trust. Zakaah means giving a specified percentage

of ones wealth to certain classes of needy people. In addition

the individual may give as much as he/she pleases in

voluntary charity.

4. Sawm (Fasting the month of Ramadan): Muslims during the

month of Ramadan not only abstain from food, drink, andsexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, but also from

immoral behaviour. Fasting teaches love, sincerity and

devotion. It develops a sound social conscience, patience,

unselfishness and will-power.

5. Hajj (Performing pilgrimage): It is to be performed at least

once in a lifetime, by those who are physically and financially

able to do so. The Ka'bah, which is in the city of Mecca, is the

first house of worship appointed for mankind and was built

by Ibrahim and his son Ismael (Peace Be Upon Them).The

importance and description of Hajj & ‘Umrah, are so in-



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depth that it will not be explained in this book, many

scholars have written many books on the topic, Sheikh

Muhammad ibn Saalih al Uthaymeen has written a book“How to Perform the Rituals of Hajj and Umrah”, this is a

recommended text for those who would like to learn about

hajj.

The first of which is a state of faith, the other four are major exercises

of faith of which some are daily, some weekly, some monthly, some

annually and some are required as a minimum once in a lifetime.These exercises of faith are to serve man's purpose in life, to fulfil his

religious obligations towards his Lord and to attain the Paradise in the

Hereafter (by the Will and Mercy of Allah).

7 Conditions of Ash-Shahadatayn (Declaration of

Faith)

Knowing the meaning and the conditions of the declaration of Ash-

Shahadatayn that: "There is no true God except Allah, and that

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"

The phrase that "there is no true God" negates anything or anyone

that is being or to be worshipped other than Allah, and the phrase:

"except Allah" confirms that all forms of worship, submission and

adoration must be for Allah alone, without setting up rivals with Him.

The conditions needed to fulfil the meaning of Ash-Shahadatayn are:

1. Knowledge

2. Certainty

3. Acceptance

4. Submission

5. Truthfulness

6.

Sincerity7. Love



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Knowledge_______________________________

That is, one must have the basic and general knowledge of what is

meant by the shahadah. One must understand what the shahadah is

affirming and what the shahadah is denying.

Allah says in the Qur’an,

“So know that there is no God save Allah, and ask forgiveness for your

sin.” (Surah Muhammad: 19).

Similarly, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“Whoever dies knowing that there is no one worthy of worship except

Allah shall enter Paradise.” (Muslim).

In fact, the shahadah itself is a testimony. When one testifies to

something, one must know what it is that he is testifying concerns.

Obviously, a testimony about something that one does not have any

knowledge about is absolutely unacceptable.

Allah says “Except him who bears witness unto the truth

knowingly.” (Surah Al-Zukhruf: 86).

All of us must do our best to learn at least the basics of Islamic

beliefs, the basics of what shahadah means. In this way, Allah willing,

we will be making the correct shahadah. We will be witnessing to the

truth as we are supposed to be witnesses to it.

Certainty_________________________________

This is the opposite of doubt and uncertainty. In Islam any kind of

doubt in the message of Islam is equivalent to Kufr (disbelief). We

must, in our hearts, be absolutely certain of the truth of the

shahadah. Our hearts must not be wavering in any way when wetestify to the truth of, “There is none worthy of worship except

Allah.” Allah describes the believers in the Qur’an as those who have

belief in Allah and then their hearts waver not. Allah says,



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Acceptance_______________________________

If a person has knowledge of and certainty in the shahadah, this mustbe followed by acceptance, with the tongue and heart, of whatever

that shahadah implies. Whoever refuses to accept the shahadah and

its implications, even if he knows that it is true and certain about its

truth; then he is a disbeliever. This refusal to accept is sometimes due

to pride, envy or other reasons.

In any case, the shahadah is not a true shahadah without its

unconditional acceptance. The scholars all talk about this condition as

a general condition in the way that I have just stated. However, there

is also a more detailed aspect that we must all be aware of. The

believer accepts whatever the implications of the shahadah are. This

also means that he believes in whatever is stated in the Qur’an or

stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), without

any right to choose what he wants to believe and what he wants to

reject in Islam.


“Do you believe in part of the book and reject part of it? And what is

the reward of those who do so, except humiliation in the life of this

world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent to the most

dreadful doom.” (Al-Baqarah: 85).

There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right

course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in

Taghout (false deity) and believes in Allah has grasped the mosttrustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and

Knowing. (Al-Baqarah: 256)

The Shahadah that is forced is not accepted as it was out of

compulsion, and “there shall be no compulsion (acceptance of) the

religion.”



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Submission_______________________________

This implies the actual physical enactment with our deeds of ourshahadah. In fact, this is one of the main meanings of the word Islam

itself, “the submission to the will and commands of Allah.”

This is what Allah commands in the Qur’an,

“Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him” (al-Zumar: 54).

Allah has praised those who submit to His command by their actions.

Allah says, “Who is better in religion than he who surrenders his

purpose to Allah while doing good” (al-Nisa: 125).

Actually, Allah has clearly made it a condition of faith that one

submits to the command of Allah and His messenger. Allah says,

“But nay, by your Lord, they will not truly believe until they make you

[the Messenger of Allah] judge of what is in dispute between them

and find within themselves no dislike of which you decide, and submit

with full submission” (al-Nisa: 65)

Unfortunately, there are many that claim that there is no relationship

between faith and deeds. This incorrect understanding of faith has

spread throughout the Muslim world.

Indeed, our shahadah or testimony of faith must be implemented or

realized in our hearts, tongues and actions. In our hearts, we musthave love for Allah, fear of Allah and hope in Him. With our tongues

we must testify to the shahadah. And with our actions, we must

implement what the testimony of faith requires from us.

Making mistakes and falling short are undoubtedly part of human

nature and no one will be free of shortcomings in his obedience to

Allah, or free of mistakes or forgetfulness or sins. All of us fall short,

commit sins, and make mistakes. Sometimes we turn to Allah and

sometimes we turn away from Him. Sometimes we remember thatAllah is watching and sometimes we become negligent. None of us

are free of sin, and we will inevitably make mistakes.



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We are not infallible. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah

be upon him) said:

“By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if you did not commit sin Allah

would do away with you and bring people who would commit sin then

pray for forgiveness.” (Muslim)

And he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Every son of

Adam sins and the best of those who sin are those who repent.”

(Tirmidhi)

Truthfulness______________________________

This means that when we say the shahadah, we are saying it

honestly, we have full conviction in it and it is the truth that is coming

from us with no doubts. We are not lying when it comes to our

testimony of faith. The Prophet (peace be upon his) said,

“No one bears testimony to there being no one worth of worshipexcept Allah, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah makes the

Hell-fire forbidden for him.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

We are all familiar with those who say the testimony of faith yet they

are not saying it honestly. They do not believe in it but they are

simply saying it in order to protect themselves or to attain some

worldly gain from doing so; these are the hypocrites. Allah has

described them in the opening of the Qur’an with the following

words,

“And of mankind are some who say, ‘We believe in Allah and the Last

Day,’ when they believe not. They think to beguile Allah and those

who believe, and they beguile none save themselves, but they

perceive not. In their hearts is a disease and Allah increases their

disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie” (al-Baqarah: 8-10).

The shahadah of those who become Muslims simply to benefit from

being Muslim and not because they believe in Islam will be rejected

by Allah in the Hereafter, they will face a painful punishment due to

their lying.



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Sincerity_________________________________

When we make the shahadah, we must do so solely for the sake of

Allah. We must not do it for any other reason. And we must not do it

for anyone else’s sake. In this manner, the meaning of sincerity is

opposite of Shirk or ascribing partners with Allah. We become and

remain Muslims solely for Allah’s sake. Allah says in the Qur’an,

“Worship Allah, making religion pure for him” (al-Zumar: 2).

“And they are ordained not else than to serve Allah, keeping religion

pure for Him, as men by nature upright and to establish worship and

to pay the poor-due. That is true religion” (al-Bayinah: 5)

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) added, “Allah has

forbidden for the Hell-fire anyone who says, ‘There is no one worthy

of worship except Allah,’ and say so desiring the face [and pleasure]

of Allah.” (Muslim)

We are Muslims solely and only for Allah’s sake, we should always

purify our intentions to make them only for His sake.

Love____________________________________

That is, the believer loves this shahadah, he loves in accordance with

the shahadah, he loves the implications and requirements of the

shahadah and he loves those who act and strive for the sake of this

shahadah. This is a necessary condition of the shahadah. If a person

makes the shahadah but does not love the shahadah and what it

stands for, then, in fact, his faith is not complete. It is not the faith of

a true believer. And if he loves something more that this shahadah or

if he loves something more than Allah, then he has negated his

shahadah. The true believer, the one meeting the conditions of the

shahadah puts no one whatsoever as an equal to Allah in his love.


“Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves (objects of

worship which they set as) rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like



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(that which is due to) Allah only. However, those who believe are

stauncher in their love of Allah” (al-Baqarah: 165).

“Say: If your fathers, or your sons, or your brethren, or your wives, or

your tribe, or the wealth you have acquired, or merchandise for which

you fear that there will be no sale, or dwellings you desire are dearer

to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His way: then

wait till Allah brings His command to pass. Allah guides not

wrongdoing folk” (al-Tawbah: 24).

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“Whoever has three characteristics has tasted the sweetness of faith.

[The first of these] is that he loves Allah and His Messenger more than

he loves anyone else…” (Bukhari & Muslim)

This shows us that we should only be loving for Allah’s sake, and that

it is kufr (disbelief) to love anyone more than we love Allah.

The Testimony (LailahaIllaAllah) consists of Two

Pillars

The testimony (Shahadah) is classified as an announcement, decree,

notification, or explanation. The term Shahadah was employed for

the testimony that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah

because it is the greatest declaration and testimony in existence, dueto the greatness of the Truth that it testifies to (i.e., that nothing

deserves to be worshiped except Allah). Thus, when the word

Shahadah is mentioned in an unrestricted (absolute) sense, it

automatically implies this particular declaration.

Tawheed is LailahaIllaAllah, Tawheed is monotheism, Tawheed is

Oneness of Allah, “There is no deity or entity worthy of worship

except Allah”.

Literally Tawheed means “unification” (making something one) or

“asserting oneness” and it comes from the Arabic verb “wahhada”,



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which itself means to unite, unify or consolidate. However when

Tawheed is used in reference to Allah (tawheedullah), it means

realizing and affirming Allah’s unity in all of man’s actions whichdirectly or indirectly relate to Him.

It is rejection and negation of everything that is worshipped

besides Allah

(Al Kufr [disbelief/rejection] bit-Taghout [in anything

worshipped besides Allah]);

Belief that Allah’s One, without partner in His dominion (ar-

Ruboobeeyah);

One without similitude in His essence and attributes (al-

Asmaa’ was-Sifaat);

One without rival in His divinity and in worship (al-

Uluhiyyah);

Allah (azza wa jall) bears witness for Himself that none has the rightto be worshiped but Him, and likewise that the angels and the people

of knowledge bear witness to that also, and that He (subhanahu wa

ta’ala) maintains justice and He affirms that with His saying:

"Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshiped but He."

(Al-Imran: 18)

This testimony is the greatest testimony due to the exaltedness of the

One testifying and of that which is being testified to, since the

witness is Allah, and His angels and the people of knowledge, and

that which is witnessed to is the Tawheed (Monotheism) of Allah in

worship.

The omission of any of the above mentioned aspects of Tawheed is

referred to as Shirk (which literally means “sharing”), here it signifies

the association of partners with Allah, this refers to idolatry

(polytheism).The seriousness of Shirk is stated by Allah in Surat Al-Ma’idah,



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They have certainly disbelieved who say, " Allah is the Messiah, the

son of Mary" while the Messiah has said, "O Children of Israel,

worship Allah , my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associatesothers with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is

the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers. (al-

Ma’idah: 72)

You may ask how do we make sure we never fall into shirk? It’s by

studying Tawheed and Shirk so as to never fall into Shirk and to have

correct and sound Belief in Allah.

The testimony (LailahaIllaAllah) comprises two pillars: The first pillar

is the pillar of negation (Nafy); while the second is the pillar ofaffirmation (Ithbaat), these are also known as the Pillars of Tawheed.

The First Pillar of Tawheed: Negation (Nafy)_____

Lailaha 'there is no deity', negates divinity and worship for anything

and everything (except Allah).

The first pillar of the testimony of faith denies the attribute of divinity

to anyone and anything other than Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). All

those other than Allah, such as the angels, the Prophets, and the rest

of mankind, not to mention the idols and the political regimes in the

world, are not gods thus don’t deserve to be worshiped. These are

Taghout (false deities/gods) invented by the creation; therefore,

denial in this respect is not denial of the existence of the alleged

gods, rather the denial of divinity which is attributed to these false

gods.

It is very important to know that one can never be a monotheist until

he completely disbelieves and rejects ‘Taghout’. This can never be

achieved until he knows the general meaning of the word ‘Taghout’.

Literally speaking, the word ‘Taghout’ derives from the verb ‘Tagha’

which means ‘to exceed the proper bounds or limits.’ Allah

(subhanahu wa ta'ala) said: “Verily when the water rose beyond its

limits (Tagha i.e., Nuh’s flood). We carried you (mankind) in the floating (ship).” (al-Haqqa: 11)



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The definition of ‘Taghout’ in Shari'ah is ‘anyone who exceeds the

proper limits by ascribing to himself any of the rights of Allah

(subhanahu wa ta’ala) and makes himself a partner with Allah(subhanahu wa ta'ala)’.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said: “Go to Fir’awn; verily, he has

transgressed all bounds (Tagha i.e., in crimes, sins, polytheism,

disbelief).” (an-Nazi`at: 17)

In other words a Taghout is anyone who ascribes to himself one of

the acts of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala), such as creation, provision orlegislation or ascribes to himself any of the attributes of Allah

(subhanahu wa ta'ala), such as knowledge of the ghayb (unseen). A

person may also become a Taghout if he/she allows certain acts of

worship to be directed to him/herself -acts such as invocation,

offering, sacrifice or legislation. So anyone who ascribes to himself

any of the above acts of worship- he has become a Taghout and a

partner with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)

Imam Malik defined Taghout as: “Anything or anyone worshiped

apart from Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) and this is a general

definition, which includes a lot of things that are worshiped such as

idols, graves, stones, trees and other such inanimate objects. This

definition also includes Satan (the biggest Taghout), witches,

soothsayers (claiming knowledge of the unseen), those who are

pleased with people directing acts of worship to them, and those who

legislate (making things Halaal and Haraam). All these are Tawaghit

(Plural of Taghout) that every Muslim should disassociate himself

from them and from those who worship them.”



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Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdu'l-Wahhab (rahimahullaah) said: “The

Tawaghit are many and their heads are five.

1- Satan who invites people to worship other than Allah (subhanahu

wa ta'ala). Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) said:

“Did I not command you Children of Adam, that you should not

worship Shaytan. Verily he is a clear enemy to you.” (Ya-Sin: 60)

2- The oppressive ruler who changes the laws of Allah (subhanahu wa

ta’ala), Allah (azza wa jall) said:

“Have you seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in that

which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down

before you, and they wish to go for judgment (in their disputes) to the

Taghout (false judges) while they have been ordered to reject them.

But Shaytan wishes to lead them far astray.” (an-Nisa’: 60)

3- The one who does not govern by what Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala)

has revealed. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) said:

“Verily, We did send down the Tawrat, therein was guidance and

light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah’s

Will, judged for the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests, for to them

was entrusted the protection of Allah’s Book. Therefore fear not men

but fear Me and sell not My Verses for a miserable price. And

whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed are the Kafirun

(disbelievers).” (al-Ma'idah: 44)

4- The one who claims knowledge of the unseen. Allah (subhanahu

wa ta'ala) stated:

“[He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His

[knowledge of the] unseen to anyone” (Jinn: 26)

5- The one who is worshiped and pleased with it. Allah (subhanahuwa ta'ala) said:



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“And if any of them should say: Verily I am an Ilah (god) besides Him

such a one We should recompense with Hell. Thus We should

recompense the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers).”(al-‘Anbiya’: 29)

Al-Imam Muhammad ibn Abdu'l-Wahhab also said concerning the last

verse of Surah al-Kahf: “…associate none as a partner in the worship

of his Lord…” (18:110), so know may Allah have mercy on you, that

those who understand this verse perfectly are the ones who totally

distinguish between the unity of Lordship and unity of worship, and

know that most people are either Tawaghit who challenge Allah (azzawa jall) in His Lordship or people who worship them or others who

have doubts about what Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) has revealed to

His Prophet and do not differentiate between the Deen (religion) of

our Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) and the Deen (religion) of the

Christians.”

The Second Pillar of Tawheed: Affirmation

(Ithbaat)

IllaAllah ‘except Allah’, affirms divinity and worship for Allah

Exclusively.

The second pillar of the testimony of faith affirms and restricts

divinity to Allah alone. This means that the slave must believe that

Allah is the only true God, and accordingly he will not dedicate any

act of worship to someone or something other than Allah.

The meaning of lailahaillaAllah is that none has the right to be

worshiped except Allah. The testimony lailahaillaAllah is that a person

affirms with his tongue and his heart that there is nothing that is

worshiped rightly except Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) since 'Ilah'means that which is worshiped (ma’bud). So the sentence

lailahaillaAllah comprises a denial and an affirmation. As for the



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denial, it is lailaha (None has the right to be worshiped), and as for

the affirmation, it is illaAllah (except Allah).

Ibn Qayyim said: "The significance of lailahaillaAllah in affirming

divinity and worship for Allah alone is far greater than just saying that

Allah is an Ilah (god). This is because the saying that Allah is an Ilah

does not negate divinity and worship to other than Allah. This is

different from the saying: lailahaillaAllah, which obligates restricting

divinity and worship to only Allah. Likewise, those who explain al-Ilah

to mean: The one who has the ability to create and originate have for

sure committed a grave error.

Shaykh al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) said:

“For this reason, anyone who does not worship Allah certainly

worships other than Allah. Mankind is of two types:

The Muwahhid (Monotheist) and those who are Mushrik (Polytheist)

or those who mix Tawheed (Monotheism) with Shirk (Polytheism);

Christians, Jews and deviated ones who attribute themselves to Islam

and their likes are Mushrik (Polytheist) who mix Tawheed(Monotheism) and Shirk (Polytheism). “ (Majmu al-Fatawa, 14/282);

“Whoever is arrogant regarding worship to Allah is not Muslim. And

whoever worships any other object while worshiping Allah is also not

Muslim.” (Kitaabu’n-Nubuwwah, 127)

Affirmation of Tawheed has been categorized in three for ease of

explanation:

Belief that Allah’s One, without partner in His dominion (ar-

Ruboobeeyah);

One without similitude in His essence and attributes (al-

Asmaa’ was-Sifaat);

One without rival in His divinity and in worship (al-Uluhiyyah);



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Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah___________________

Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah: means, “Maintaining the Oneness ofLordship,” that is, affirming that Allah is one, without partners in His

Sovereignty.

This category of Tawheed is based on the fundamental concept that

Allah alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing;

Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah is you testifying that the Creator of the

entire universe, including the stars, the planets, the sun, the moon,

the heavens, the earth with all its known and unknown forms of life,

is Allah. He is the Organizer and Planner of all its affairs. It is He Who

gives life and death, and He (i.e. Allah Alone) is the Sustainer, and the

Giver of Security, etc.

In Arabic the word used to describe this Creator-Sustainer quality is

Ruboobeeyah, which is derived from the root word “Rabb” (Lord). It

is He, Allah who gave all things the power to move and to change.

Nothing happens in creation except what He allows to happen. In

recognition of this reality, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and

blessings be upon him) used to often repeat the exclamatory phrase

“La hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah.” (There is no movement nor

power except by Allah’s will).

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:

Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of

affairs. (az-Zumar: 62)

Allah is the one who created you, then provided for you, then will

cause you to die, and then will give you life. Are there any of your

"partners" who does anything of that? Exalted is He and high above

what they associate with Him. (ar-Rum: 40)

No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah . And whoever

believes in Allah - He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all

things. (at-Taghabun: 11)

And Allah created you all and whatever you do. (as-Saffat: 96)



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The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

additionally expounds this concept by saying,

“Be aware that if the whole of mankind gathered together in order to

do something to help you, they would only be able to do something

for you which Allah had already written for you.

Likewise, if the whole of mankind gathered together to harm you,

they would only be able to do something to harm you which Allah had

already written to happen to you.” (Tirmidhi)

We were with the Prophet on a journey, and whenever we ascended a

high place, we used to say, "Allahu Akbar." The Prophet said, "Don't

trouble yourselves too much! You are not calling a deaf or an absent

person, but you are calling One Who Hears, Sees, and is very near."

Then he came to me while I was saying in my heart, "La hawla wala

quwwatta illa billah (There is neither might nor power but with

Allah)." He said, to me, "O 'Abdullah bin Qais! Say, 'La hawla wala

quwwata illa billah (There is neither might nor power but with Allah), for it is one of the treasures of Paradise." Or said, "Shall I tell you of

it?" (Bukhari)

Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat_______________

Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat: means, “Maintaining the unity ofAllah’s Names and Attributes,” that is, affirming that they are

incomparable and unique.

Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat can easily be summed up to be the

affirmation and unification of Allah’s Names and attributes without

any distortion, negation, speculation nor analogy.

The belief of Ahlus Sunnah regarding the Names and Attributes of

Allah is one of belief in all that has been mentioned in the Qur’an andthe authentic Sunnah by way of affirming and negating where

appropriate. As a result, they:



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1. Name Allah with the Names that He has Named Himself

with; they do not add to nor omit from any of these Names.

2. Affirm and describe Allah (azza wa jall) with what He has

described Himself with in His Book or upon the tongue of His

Messenger, without committing any distortion, negation,

speculation or analogy.

3. Negate for Allah that which He Himself has negated from

Himself in His Book or upon the tongue of His Messenger

Muhammad with the belief that Allah is depicted with the

opposite of that negated matter in its perfect sense.

The people of the Sunnah will never turn away from that which the

Messengers have brought. It is the Straight Path, the path of those

upon whom Allah has bestowed His grace among the prophets, the

ever-truthful, ever-faithful disciples, the martyrs, and all other

righteous ones.

Thus, belief in Allah's names and attributes is based upon two

fundamental principles: negation and affirmation. Negation refers to

rejecting with respect to Allah all attributes which contradict His

perfection, including all types of faults, weaknesses or needs. We

reject the idea that Allah could have any partner or peer. Nor can

there be any comparable to Him in any of his attributes or the rights

due to him alone. There are two types of affirmation: affirmation of

general attributes such as Allah's absolute perfection, majesty, etc;

and affirmation of detailed attributes such as His detailed knowledgeof all things, his decree of all events, His mercy, etc.

Negation (of a negative attribute) alone, not accompanied by

affirmation (of its opposite) is not praise and is not befitting Allah.

Thus, every negation which Allah has attributed to himself contains

and implies the affirmation of its opposite. Allah's negation of His

having any partner or sharing any common attributes with any of his

creation or of anything escaping His knowledge or of his acting with

frivolity or of His forgetting, becoming tired or being touched by sleepall imply their opposites among Allah's attributes of perfection.



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Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says in the Qur’an:

There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.(ash-Shuraa: 11)

This ayah (verse) confirms the quality of hearing and the quality of

sight for Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) without resemblance to others,

and likewise Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

[ Allah ] said, "O Iblees, what prevented you from prostrating to that

which I created with My hands?(Sad: 75)

The hand of Allah is over their hands. (al-Fath: 10)

These ayat (verse) confirm that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) has two

Hands, but there is no similarity for them with the creation, Allah

(subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.

(ash-Shuraa: 11)

Similarly Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

The Most Beneficent (Allah) Istawa (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne

(Taha: 5)

He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is in no need of His Throne, but He rose

over the Throne in a manner that suits His Majesty, Allah is over His

Throne, over the seventh heaven, as the slave-girl pointed towards

the heavens, when Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be

upon him) asked her as to where Allah is?

Muawiyah bin Al-Hakam As-Salmi said:

"I had a slave-girl who used to herd sheep for me. One day I

discovered that a wolf had killed one of her sheep, and I'm a man

from the children of Adam, I get upset like they get upset, and I

slapped her in the face. Then I went to the Prophet who impressedupon me the seriousness of my act. I said, 'O Messenger of Allah,

should I not set her free?' He said, 'Bring her to me.' He asked her,

'Where is Allah', She said, 'He is above the heavens.' He said, 'Who am



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I?' She said, 'You are the Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'Free her, for

she is a believer.' (Muslim & Abu Dawud)

Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy upon him), said “Allah is not

described except with what He Himself and His Messenger have

described Him with; we do not exceed the boundaries of the Qur’an

and Sunnah.” (Al-Fatwa al-Hamawiyyah, pg. 61.)

Ibn ‘Abdil-Barr (may Allah have mercy upon him), said: “With respect

to belief, in totality, there do not reside any Names or Attributes

except that they have been specifically mentioned in the Book of

Allah, are authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peaceand blessings be upon him) or have been agreed upon by the

Ummah; and as for the ahad (hadith) reports narrated in this area,

entirely, or in other similar areas, they are accepted and not to be

challenged.” (Jami’ Bayan al-‘Ilm wa Fadlih, pg. 96.)

Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah______________________

Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah: means, “Affirming that Allah is alone in his

right to be worshipped”.

The pinnacle of Tawheed is to direct all worships to Allah alone, this is

what all the Messengers and Prophets came with, with the same

Message, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says,

And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying],

"Worship Allah and avoid Taghout." And among them were those

whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error

was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed through the earth and observe

how was the end of the deniers. (an-Nahl: 36)

And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed

to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me." (al-‘Anbiya:

25)

We had certainly sent Noah to his people, and he said, "O my people,

worship Allah ; you have no deity other than Him. Indeed, I fear for

you the punishment of a tremendous Day. (al-‘Ar’af: 59)



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And to the 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud. He said, "O my people,

worship Allah ; you have no deity other than Him. Then will you not fear Him?" (al-‘Ar’af: 65)

And to the Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih. He said, "O my

people, worship Allah ; you have no deity other than Him. There has

come to you clear evidence from your Lord. (al-‘Ar’af: 73)

And to [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He

said, "O my people, worship Allah ; you have no deity other than Him.

(al-‘Ar’af: 85)

And to 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud. He said, "O my people,

worship Allah ; you have no deity other than Him. You are not but

inventors [of falsehood]. (Hud: 50)

And to Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih. He said, "O my people,

worship Allah ; you have no deity other than Him. He has produced

you from the earth and settled you in it, so ask forgiveness of Him and

then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is near and responsive." (Hud:61)

And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "O my

people, worship Allah ; you have no deity other than Him. (Hud: 84)

To have Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah is not enough, to recognise Allah in

His Lordship is not enough, as this is what the Jews, Christians and

Pagans of Makkah did, they recognised that Allah was a Lord but they

still associated partners beside Him by worshipping other than Allah.

In the Qur’an Allah tells the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon

him) to say to the Pagans:

Say, "Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who

controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead

and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every]

matter?" They will say, " Allah ," so say, "Then will you not fear Him?"(Yunus: 31)



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And if you asked them who created them, they would surely say, "

Allah ." So how are they deluded? (az-Zukhruf: 87)

The pagan Makkans all knew that Allah was their creator, sustainer,

their Lord and Master; yet that knowledge did not make them

Muslims according to Allah, in fact, Allah said:

And most of them believe not in Allah except while they associate

others with Him. (Yusuf: 106)

The most important aspect of Tawheed is that of Tawheed al-

Uluhiyyah, maintaining the unity of Allah’s worship, all forms ofworship must be directed only to Allah because He alone deserve

worship, and it is He alone who can grant benefit to man as a result

of His worship.

Allah has made clear the main purpose of man’s creation and the

message brought by all the Prophets & Messengers, He said:

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (adh-

Dhariyat: 56)

In Surat al-Fatihah, which every Muslim is required to recite in his or

her daily prayers a minimum of 17 times, ayah (verse) five reads, “It is

You we worship and You we ask for help.” (al-Fatihah: 5)

This is a clear statement that all forms of worship should be directed

exclusively to the One who can respond, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala),

with no intercession, The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings

be upon him) said, “If you ask in prayer ask only Allah, and if you seek

help, seek it only from Allah” (Tirmidhi)

There is no need for intercession, and this is not needed, this is

further explained to us by verses indicating Allah’s closeness to man,

Allah says,

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me -

indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant whenhe calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and

believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (al-Baqarah: 186)



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And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers

to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein (Qaf: 16)

The confirmation and affirmation of Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah

necessitates the denial and rejection of all forms of intercessions or

association of partners with Allah in all acts of worship. The Prophet

Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Prayer (du’a) is

worship” (Abu Dawud), therefore none can be invoked or called upon

other than Allah as this is His Right on His slave, to be singled out

exclusively, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says,

He said, "Then do you worship instead of Allah that which does notbenefit you at all or harm you? (al-‘Anbiya: 66)

Indeed, those you [polytheists] call upon besides Allah are servants

like you. So call upon them and let them respond to you, if you should

be truthful. (al-‘A`raf: 194)

The Makkans were questioned about directing their prayers to their

idols, their answer was,

“We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah” (az-

Zumar: 3)

The idols were only used as intermediaries yet Allah called them

pagans for their practice, we Muslims should take a lesson from this

lest we fall into the same error as the pagans.

Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah also includes two important topics Al-

Hakimiyyah and Al Walaa Wal Baraa

Al Walaa Wal Baraa___________________________________

Al Walaa wal Baraa is considered to be the strongest bond of Iman

(faith) is Al Walaa Wal Baraa, the Prophet (peace and blessings beupon him) said: The strongest bond of faith is loyalty for the sake of



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Allah and opposition for His sake; love for the sake of Allah and

disavowal for His sake.

What does this love and disavowal exactly mean? Loving for the sake

of Allah means to love Allah and to show loyalty to Him by following

His religion. It means to love all that is good and permissible in the

Qur’an and Sunnah. This type of love requires one to defend Allah's

religion and to preserve it. It is to love those who are obedient to

Allah and to defend and assist them. These are the party of Allah.

Disavowal for the sake of Allah means to show disapproval towards

the actions of those who oppose Allah, His Messenger (peace andblessings be upon him), His Deen, and the believers and to abstain

from taking part in their actions.

Tawheed al-Hakimiyyah ____________________________

Tawheed al-Hakimiyyah means, unifying Allah, the Most High, alone

in His Judgement (Hukm) and His Legislation (Tashree’). So just as He,the Most High has no partner in His Dominion and in controlling the

affairs of the creation; likewise, He has no partner in the Judgement

(Hukm) and Legislation (Tashree’).

This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allah alone is

the Judge and Legislator; He shares no partners in legislation, as He

says in Surat al-Kahf,

He shares not His legislation with anyone (al-Kahf: 26)

He says also: But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until

they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which

they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no

discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing]

submission. (an-Nisa: 65)

This ayah (verse) tells us specifically, they we will never believe

completely until we make Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessingsbe upon him) as a judge over us, and what did the Prophet come

with? He came with the Qur’an and the Sunnah to judge amongst us,



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so it is incumbent on the Muslim to seek the rule of Allah (subhanahu

wa ta’ala) in his disputes and affairs.

__________________Shirk (Associating Partners)

One of the most important obligations is to know the meaning of

shirk, its seriousness and its different types, so that our Tawheed

(belief in the Oneness of Allaah) and our Islam may be complete, and

our faith may be sound.

The word Shirk in Arabic means taking a partner, i.e. regarding

someone as the partner of another. It is said in Arabic: “ashraka

baynahuma” (he joined them together) when he regarded them as

two of equal status; or “ashraka fi amrihi ghayrahu” (he introduced

another into his affair) when he made two people involved in it.

In Terms of Shari’ah or Islamic terminology, shirk means ascribing a

partner or rival to Allah in Lordship (Ruboobeeyah), Worship(Uluhiyyah), Legislation or Judgement (Hakimiyyah) or in His names

and attributes (al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat).

Shirk can be easily said to be anything that opposes Tawheed, which

we have explained to the reader in the previous pages.

Allah the Almighty says,

And they have attributed to Allah equals to mislead [people] from His

way. Say, "Enjoy yourselves, for indeed, your destination is the Fire."

(‘Ibrahim: 30)

So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is

nothing similar to Him].

(al-Baqarah: 22)

Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives

what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates

others with Allah has certainly gone far astray. (an-Nisa: 116)



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Inclining [only] to Allah , not associating [anything] with Him. And he

who associates with Allah - it is as though he had fallen from the sky

and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into aremote place. (al-Haj: 31)

And when those who associated others with Allah see their

"partners," they will say," Our Lord, these are our partners [to You]

whom we used to invoke besides You." But they will throw at them

the statement, "Indeed, you are liars." (an-Nahl: 86)

And Allah has said, "Do not take for yourselves two deities. He is butone God, so fear only Me."

(an-Nahl: 51)



others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.

(an-Nisa: 48)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever dies

claiming that Allah has a rival, will enter Hell.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Shirk has been divided into two types, Major Shirk and Minor Shirk

Major Shirk_______________________________

This means ascribing to someone other than Allah something that

belongs to Allah alone. This kind of shirk is commonly committed by

those who worship idols, graves and the dead but it is not limited to

them.

Shirk can take the form of belief in another creator, another bringing

of life or death or controller of the affairs of the universe besides

Allah, this is Shirk in His Ruboobeeyah, or there may be an association

with Allah in love, which is only for Allah and Allah (subhanahu wa

ta’ala) gives a strong warning to those who love anything more than

Allah, He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says,



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And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as

equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah . But those

who believe are stronger in love for Allah . And if only they who havewronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they

will be certain] that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe

in punishment. (al-Baqarah: 165)

Shirk may sometimes take the form of actions:

Such as one who sacrifices, prays or prostrates to something other

than Allah, or who creates laws to replace the rulings of Allah andmakes that the law to which people are obliged to refer for

judgement; or the one who gives Allah human or animal qualities, or

the one who gives created beings the qualities and attributes of Allah,

and other acts that go against the basic meaning of faith and may put

the one who does them beyond the pale of Islam.

We ask Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) to keep us steadfast and away

from all forms of shirk.

Minor Shirk______________________________

Minor Shirk are the acts such as Riya’ (doing good deeds for

show) and seeking reputation, as when reciting the Qur’an, offering

Salaat or calling to the Path of Allah and the like for the sake of

showing off. It is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace and

blessings be upon him) said, “The thing that I fear most for you is

minor Shirk.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah! What is minor Shirk?”

He said, “Riya’.

It is minor Shirk to swear by anyone or anything other than Allah such

as swearing by the Ka‘bah, the Parents, the Children, etc.

There is another form of minor Shirk called Shirk Khafi (hidden

Shirk). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)

said, “It is the hidden Shirk; a person stands up in Salaat (Prayer) and

tries to make it perfect when he realizes that others are looking at

him.” (Related by Imam Ahmad)



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With regard to minor Shirk, they may be forgiven for committing it.

However, they may be punished for this by being admitted into the

Fire for some time. Minor Shirk nullifies the acts, performed by aperson. For example, if someone offers Salaat out of Riya’ he or

she will not be rewarded for it; but the person will be punished for

such an act.

What the Muslim must do is to avoid shirk in both its minor and

major forms. The greatest sin is shirk and transgression against theunique rights of Allah, which are to be worshipped and obeyed alone,

with no partner or associate.

Hence Allah has decreed that the mushrikeen will abide forever in

Hell and has told us that He will not forgive them, and He has

forbidden Paradise to them, as He says:

“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in

worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He

wills; and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has

indeed invented a tremendous sin” (an-Nisa: 48)

“Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allah, then Allah

has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for

the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers” (al-

Maa'idah: 72)

Every wise and religiously-committed person should fear shirk for

himself and should turn to his Lord, asking Him to help him avoid

shirk, as Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said:

“and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols” (‘Ibrahim:

35)

One of the salaf said: “Who can claim to be safe from this after

Ibrahim?”



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So the sincere believer’s fear of shirk should increase as should his

desire for his for his Lord to keep him away from it, and he should say

the great du’a which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah beupon him) taught to his companions when he said to them: “Shirk

among you will be more subtle than the footsteps of an ant, but I will

teach you something which, if you do it, both minor and major shirk

will be kept away from you. Say: Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an

ushrika bika wa ana a’lam wa astaghfiruka lima la a’lam (O Allaah, I

seek refuge with You from associating anything with You knowingly,

and I seek Your forgiveness for that of which I am unaware).”

(Bukhari)

Major shirk may put someone beyond the pale of Islam.

Minor shirk does not put a person beyond the pale of Islam, rather it

may be done by a Muslim but he still remains in Islam; but the one

who does that is in great danger because minor shirk is a major sin.

Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “If I were to swearby Allah falsely, that is better for me than if I was to swear by

something other than Him sincerely.” So he regarded swearing by

something other than Allah (which is minor shirk) as being worse

than swearing by Allah falsely, and it is well known that swearing by

Allah falsely is a major sin.

We ask Allah to make our hearts steadfast in adhering to His religion

until we meet Him, and we seek refuge in His Might – may He beglorified – from going astray, for He is the Ever-Living Who never dies,

but the jinn and mankind will die. And Allah knows best and is most

wise, and to Him is the final return of all.



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_________________________Bid’ah (Innovation)

Bidah (Innovation) in Islam is the invention, creation or addition ofany religious matter which was not (originally) found in Islam.

Therefore, Islam warns against it and invalidates any religious deed

which does not originate from the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings be upon him said:

"Every innovation is misguidance and going astray" (Abu Dawud&

Tirmidhi), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "… and

every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the

Hellfire."(an-Nasai), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) also

said: “He who innovates something in this matter of ours (Islam) that

is not of it, will have it rejected.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Allah ta’ala says,

“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My

favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” (al-Ma’idah: 3)

Why would there be any need logically for an innovation in the

religion if you truly believed in Allah’s words, that He (subhanahu

wata’ala) has perfected Islam and has approved it as your Religion.

This ayah embodies a clear statement that the deen has been

completed and thus has no need of addition or deletion. Also theProphet (peace and blessings be upon him) said , "There is nothing

that Allaah ordered you with except that I have ordered you with it,

and there is nothing that Allah forbade you from except that I have

forbidden you from it." (Bayhaqi)

So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fulfilled the trust

placed upon him by Allah completely, explaining the religion to the

people in its outward and inward form, making clear the lawful fromthe prohibited, the encouraged from the discouraged, to the extent

that he taught us the manners of using the toilet.



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Allah says in His Book "And We have revealed to you a Book

explaining everything." (an-Nahl: 89)

"We have neglected nothing in the Book." (al-‘An`am: 37)

The Importance of Adhering to the Sunnah

Allah says, "Indeed you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent

example for the one who hopes in Allah and looks to the Last Day."

(al-‘Ahzab: 21)

He (subhanahu wata’ala) also says, "So if you obey him (peace and

blessings be upon him), then you will be guided." (an-Nur: 54)

Also the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "I have left

behind me two things: as long as you cling to them you will never go

astray. They are the Book of Allaah and my Sunnah (life example)."

(Haakim) And he also said, "...and you will live to see great differing,

so cling to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Khalifas

after me, even if it be with your molar teeth..." (Bukhari)

______________________Articles of Iman (Faith)

The term Iman is basically translated to mean faith; there are six

pillars of Iman in Islam, which consists of the following articles of

faith.

These 6 pillars are based on a few verses in the Qur’an:

Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the

west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the

Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in

spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller,

those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes

prayer and gives zakaah; [those who] fulfil their promise when they

promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and

during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those

who are the righteous. (al-Baqarah: 177)



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No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it

is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allah , iseasy – (al-Hadid: 22)

Belief in Allah Most High____________________

A Muslim believes in the Oneness of Allah (Tawheed), Supreme and

Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, Creator

and Provider. Allah has neither father nor mother, neither son nor

was He fathered. None equal to Him. He is Allah of all mankind, not

of a special tribe or race.

Allah is High and Supreme but He is very near to the pious thoughtful

believers; He answers their prayers and helps them. He loves the

people who love Him and forgives their sins. He gives them peace,

happiness, knowledge and success. Allah is the Loving and the

Provider, the Generous, and the Benevolent, the Rich and theIndependent, the Forgiving and the Clement, the Patient and the

Appreciative, the Unique and the Protector, the Judge and the Peace.

Allah's attributes are mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

The greatest obligation on the Muslim is belief in Tawheed (Oneness

of Allah), Tawheed is the opposite of Shirk (polytheism/associating

partners with Allah), Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:



others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin. (an-Nisa’:

48)

Part of the belief in Allah is the belief in all that with which He has

described Himself in His Book or with which His Prophet (peace and

blessings be upon him) has described Him without any distortion,

negation, speculation (as to the exact nature of these attributes), nor

analogy (comparing between Allah’s attributes and those of His

creation bearing the same names).



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The Angels_______________________________

They are purely spiritual and splendid beings created by Allah. They

require no food or drink or sleep. They have neither physical desires

nor material needs. Angels spend their time in the service of Allah.

Each is charged with a certain duty. Angels cannot be seen by the

naked eyes. Knowledge and the truth are not entirely confined to

sensory knowledge or sensory perception alone.

A Muslim must believe specifically in all the angels named and/ordescribed in the Qur’an and the Sunnah:

Jibreel: In Charge of

delivering revelation

Israfil: The blower of

the horn on Qiyama

(Judgement day)

Mika’il: in charge of

bringing the rain

Malik ul Maut: the

Angel of Death who

takes people’s souls

at death

The Noble Recorders:

Those who record people’s

actions

Ridwan: in charge of

Paradise

The Protectors (Al-

Muaqqibat): who keep

people from death until its

decreed time

Malik: in charge of

Hell

Munkar and Nakir: the

questioners in the grave

The Carriers of the

Throne of Allah

Those who record the

future of the fetus

Those who enter the

Harram (Makkah):

70,000 every day

Those who move about, descending upon gatherings at

which Allah and His Book are mentioned and studied



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Belief in the angels is an integral part of Iman (faith), Allah

(subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:

The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his

Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah

and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make

no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We

hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is

the [final] destination."(al-Baqarah: 285)

And those who disbelieve and reject the angels, is in a state ofdisbelief (kufr), Allah says:

O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the

Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which

He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah , His angels,

His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far

astray. (an-Nisa’: 136)

Messengers and Prophets of Allah____________

A Muslim believes in all the Messengers and Prophets of Allah

without any discrimination. All messengers were mortals, human

beings, endowed with Divine revelations and appointed by Allah to

teach mankind. Allah mentions in the Qur'an the names of 25

messengers and prophets and states that there are others. Theseinclude Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, Jesus and

Muhammad. Their message is the same and it is Islam and it came

from One and the Same Source; Allah, and it is to submit to His will

and to obey His law; i.e., to become a Muslim.

Say, "We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and

what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the

Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of

them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him." (Ali `Imran: 84)



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The call of the Prophets was to Tawheed al Uluhiyyah (Worship of

Allah exclusively), Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:

And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying],

"Worship Allah and avoid Taghout." And among them were those

whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error

was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed through the earth and observe

how was the end of the deniers. (An-Nahl: 36)

The Prophets came as warners to their nations, Allah (subhanahu wa

ta’ala) says:

[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that

mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers.

And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. (An-Nisa’: 165)

There are no Prophets or Messengers after the Prophet Muhammad

(peace and blessings be upon him) as he was the seal of the prophets,


Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the

Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all

things, Knowing.(al-‘Ahzab: 40)



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Belief in the revealed Books__________________

A Muslim believes in all scriptures and revelations of Allah, as they

were complete and in their original versions. Allah, the Creator, has

not left man without guidance for the conduct of his life. Revelations

were given to guide the people to the right path of Allah and sent

down to selected people, the prophets and messengers, to convey it

to their fellow men.

The message of all the prophet and messengers is the same. They allasked the people of their time to obey and worship Allah and none

other. Ibrahim, Musa, Dawud, Isa and Muhammad who were

revealed their own book of Allah, were sent at different times to

bring back straying human beings from deviation to the right course.

Specific books mentioned in the Qur’an:

As-Suhuf of Ibrahim and

Musa

Al-Injeel revealed to Isa

Az-Zaboor given to

Dawud

At-Taurat revealed to

Musa

Al-Qur'an the final

revelation

The Qur'an is the sacred book of the Muslims. It is the last book of

guidance from Allah, sent down to Muhammad (peace and blessings

be upon him) through the angel Jibraeel (Gabriel). Every word of it is

the word of Allah. It was revealed over a period of 23 years in the

Arabic language. It contains 114 Surahs (chapters) and over 6000

verses.

The Qur'an deals with man and his ultimate goal in life. Its teachings

cover all areas of this life and the life after death. It contains

principles, doctrines and directions for every sphere of human life.The theme of the Qur'an broadly consists of three fundamental ideas:

Oneness of Allah, Prophethood and life after death. The success of



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human beings on this earth and in the life hereafter depends on

obedience to the Qur'anic teaching.


And this [Qur'an] is a Book We have revealed [which is] blessed, so

follow it and fear Allah that you may receive mercy. (Al-‘An`am: 155)

And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth,

confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion

over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not

follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth.

To each of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah willed,He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He

intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is]

good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform

you concerning that over which you used to differ. (Al-Ma’idah: 48)

The Qur'an is unrivalled in its recording and preservation. The

astonishing fact about this book of Allah is that it has

remained unchanged even to a dot over the past fourteen hundred

years. No scholar has questioned the fact that the Qur'an today is thesame as it was revealed. Muslims till today memorize the Qur'an

word by word as a whole or in part. Today, the Qur'an is the only

authentic and complete book of Allah. Allah is protecting it from

being lost, corrupted or concealed.


Indeed, those who disbelieve in the message after it has come to

them... And indeed, it is a mighty Book. Falsehood cannot approach it

from before it or from behind it; [it is] a revelation from a [Lord who

is] Wise and Praiseworthy. (Fussilat: 41-42)

And it was not [possible] for this Qur'an to be produced by other than

Allah, but [it is] a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed

explanation of the [former] Scripture, about which there is no doubt,

from the Lord of the worlds. (Yunas: 37)



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The Day of Judgement (Qiyama)______________

A Muslim believes in the Day of the Judgement. This world as we

know it will come to an end, and the dead will rise to stand for their

final and fair trial. On that day, all men and women from Adam to the

last person will be resurrected from the state of death for judgement.

Everything we do, say, make, intend and think are accounted for and

kept in accurate records. They are brought up on the Day of

Judgement.


That Day, the people will depart separated [into categories] to be

shown [the result of] their deeds. So whoever does an atom's weight

of good will see it, And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see

it. (az-Zalzalah :6-8)

One who believes in life after death is not expected to behave against

the Will of Allah. He will always bear in mind that Allah is watching allhis actions and the angels are recording them.

People with good records will be generously rewarded and warmly

welcomed to Allah's Jannah (Paradise). People with bad records will

be fairly punished and cast into Jahanum (Hell-Fire). The real nature

of Jannah (Paradise) and Jahanum (Hell-Fire) are known to Allah only,

but they are described by Allah in man's familiar terms in the Qur'an.

The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were,

toward an erected idol, hastening. (al-Ma`raij: 43)

And they say, "When we are bones and crumbled particles, will we

[truly] be resurrected as a new creation?" (al-‘Isra’: 49)

And he presents for Us an example and forgets his [own] creation. He

says, "Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?" (Ya-

Sin: 78)

That Day, everyone will follow [the call of] the Caller [with] no

deviation therefrom, and [all] voices will be stilled before the Most



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Merciful, so you will not hear except a whisper [of footsteps]. (Taha:

108)

If some good deeds are seen not to get full appreciation and credit in

this life, they will receive full compensation and be widely

acknowledged on the Day of Judgement. Allah says:

Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom's

weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from

Himself a great reward. (an-Nisa’: 40)

If some people who commit sins, neglect Allah and indulge inimmoral activities, seem superficially successful and prosperous in

this life, absolute justice will be done to them on the Day of

Judgement. The time of the Day of Judgement is only known to Allah

and Allah alone.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The sun will

come down toward the people on the day of Qiyama until it is only

about a mile up. The people will be in their own perspiration

according to their acts: some of them will be in it up to their ankles,some up to their groin and others up to their chins, and he pointed to

his mouth." (Muslim)

Qadaa and Qadar__________________________

The last pillar of Iman (Faith) is the belief in pre-ordainment. What

this means is that everything in our lives is already written. It is our

duty to know that whatever Allah wills will occur. Also He is the

Creator of everything including our deeds. Allah knows our past,

present, and future.


Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and earth?

Indeed, that is in a Record. Indeed that, for Allah , is easy. (al-Haj: 70)

A Muslim believes in Allah’s predestination of all things and events(Qadaa), His decree (Qadar), His wisdom in His actions, and His will.

Nothing in the universe can occur, even the voluntary actions of His

slaves, except after Allah’s knowledge, and His decree of that event.



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A Muslim further believes that Allah is Just in His predestination and

His decree, Wise in all of His actions. His wisdom follows His will:Whatever He wills is, and whatever He does not will is not. There is

neither power nor any movement except by Allah.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says in the Qur’an:

Indeed, all things We created with predestination. (al-Qamar: 49)

And there is not a thing but that with Us are its depositories, and We

do not send it down except according to a known measure. (al-Hijr:21)

No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it

is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allah , is

easy (al-Hadid: 22)

No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah . And whoever

believes in Allah - He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of allthings. (at-Taghabun: 11)

And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except

Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls

but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of

the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear

record. (al-‘An’am: 59)

A Muslim believes actions done by a mature person are based on his

free will. He has a will and he has an ability to implement his will. If

human beings had no free will, punishment for disobedience would

be unjust. Similarly, obedience would be meaningless. Thus, humans

have a choice, but their actions are pre-ordained by Allah. However,

He does not compel them to act. If humans were compelled, they

would have no will or ability to act. However, since human will and

ability are a part of the human being and the human being is a

creation of Allah, then human choices cannot escape the perfectionof Allah’s Ruboobeeyah: Nothing occurs in the heavens or on earth

without Allah’s will and permission. There are certain things that

happen without human will or choice, for example, death, illness,



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accidents, and so on, such incidents are not attributed to humans and

are purely attributed to Qadar.

Good and evil choices and deeds have been predestined for all

creation, and the deeds of the creation are created by Allah and

acquired by creation.

Allah created you and what you do (as-Saffat: 96)

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says,

Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. Itwill have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will

bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned.(al-Baqarah: 286)

Allah does not make the creation accountable for other than what

they are capable of, and they are not obligated to do other than what

He has made them accountable for.

Everything proceeds according to Allah’s Will, Knowledge, Action and

Predestination. His Will controls the will of anything else. His Actionoverrules all strategies and plans. He does what He wills, and is never

unjust. He Himself is absolutely clear of any kind of defect or ruin and

is free of any flaw or blemish.

He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.

(al-‘Anbiya’)

Meaning Allah is not questioned about what He does, but the created

beings are.

The true believer is the one who attributes the creation of the action

to Allah and doing the act to His creatures.



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Obligation of following the Salaf as-Salih

Firstly, from the Noble Qur’an___________________________

Allah (ta’ala) says:

And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the

Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah is

pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has

prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they

will abide forever. That is the great attainment. (at-Tawbah: 100)

Through this we extract and understand that Allah (ta’ala) is

unreservedly pleased with the Muhajirun and Ansar and is pleased

with those who follow them in righteousness.

The Companions [Muhajirun and Ansar] have already attained Allah’s

pleasure and it is secure, whereas for those who come after them;this is not guaranteed, as it is dependent upon their adherence to the

way of the Companions in righteousness.

Allah (ta’ala) also says:

And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become

clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will

give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as adestination. (an-Nisa’: 115)

Allah has clearly and openly threatened those who follow a different

path to the Companions with the punishment of Hell, and in the

previous ayah, He promises His pleasure to those who follow them.



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Secondly, from the Sunnah_____________________________

1.

The statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be uponhim): “The best of people are my generation, then those who

succeed them, then those who succeed them” (Bukhari &

Muslim)

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) chose the companions to be the

companions of the greatest man to walk the face of the Earth, the

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Prophet

is telling you who the best generation is, this is an indication of theirpreference, precedence and majestic rank as well as their knowledge

of Allah’s laws and intense adherence to the way of His Messenger

(peace and blessings be upon him).

2. The Messenger’s statement: “The Jews split up into seventy-

one sects, the Christians split up into seventy-two sects and

this Ummah will split up into seventy-three sects; all of them

are in the Fire except one.” Someone asked: “Which is thatone O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “Whoever is upon

that which I am upon today and my Companions.” (Abu

Dawud, Tirmidhi, Imam Ahmad, Ibn Majah)

3. His saying: “…for indeed, those who will still be alive after me

will see many differences; so hold fast to my Sunnah and to

the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khalifahs after me. Adhere

to and cling tightly to it and beware of newly-invented

matters (in religion), for every newly-invented matter is an

innovation and every innovation (in religion) is a deviation.”

(Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Darimi)

This is a warning to you that there will come a time where there will

be appearances of splits and differences; the Prophet is telling his

Ummah to stick to his Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided

Khalifahs after him.



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Thirdly, from the statements of the Salaf as-Salih and their

followers

1. Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, (may Allah be pleased with him), said:

"People will not cease to be in good as long as knowledge

emanating from the Companions of Muhammad and their

elders reach them. If however, knowledge comes to them by

way of their young and their desires diversify, they will be

ruined" (AI-Zuhd of Ibn al-Mubarak, p. 281 narration number

815.)

2. He also said: "Whoever amongst you seeks to adopt a path,

should take to the way of the dead, since the living are not

safe and secure from being put to trial. They, the

Companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon

him), possessed the most pious hearts of this Ummah, were

the most profound in knowledge and the least constraint of

this Ummah. A people whom Allah chose for the

companionship of Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

and the establishment of His religion. So know their rights

and adhere to their guidance, for they indeed were upon the

straightway" (jami Bayan al-' Ilm wa Fadhh, 2/97.)

3. He also said: “We emulate and do not set precents, we follow

and do not innovate and we will not deviate as long as we

hold onto the narrations”. (Sharh Usul Itiqad Ahl al-Sunnahof al-Lalaka’I, narration number 115.)

4. He also said: “Follow and do not innovate, for indeed you

have been sufficed”. (Al Bid wa al Nahy anha of ibn Waddah

pg. 13.)

5. Hudhayfah Ibn al-Yaman, (may Allah be pleased with him),

said: "O assembly of reciters! Remain upright and take to the

way of those before you. For by Allah, if you (choose to)

follow them then know that you have been outstripped by a



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long distance, and if you take to the right or left (of their

path) then you will be upon severe deviation." (Jami’ Bayan

al-‘Ilm, 2/29)

6. Mujahid (The Great Muffasir Tabi’)said: “The scholars are

the Companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings be

upon him).” (Jami’ Bayan al-‘Ilm, 2/29)

7. Al-Awza’I said: “Knowledge is that which emanates from the

Companions of Muhammad as for anything else besides this,

it is not knowledge.” Imam Ahmad also said this. (Jami’

Bayan al-‘Ilm, 2/29)

8. Al-Awza’i also said: “Patiently restrict yourself upon the

Sunnah, stop where the people (the Companions) stopped,

say what they say and refrain from that which they

refrained. Traverse upon the path of your Salaf as-Salih, forindeed what was sufficient for them is sufficient for you.” (Al

Shari’ah of al-Ajurri, pg. 58.)

9. Al-Hasan al-Basri was in a gathering when he mentioned the

Companions of Muhammad. He then remarked: “They

possessed the most pious hearts of this Ummah, were the

most profound in knowledge and the least constraint. A

people, whom Allah chose for the companionship of His

Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so emulate their

character and way, for by the Lord of the Ka’bah, they are

upon the straight path”. (Jami Bayan al-‘Ilm 2/97)

10. Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy upon him), was

questioned: “What is your comment on the speech

innovated by the people regarding al-A’rad and al-Ajsam?”

He replied: “Statements of the philosophers! Take to the

narrations and the way of the Salaf and beware of every

newly-invented matter (in religion) for it is indeed an



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_______________________Taharah (Purification)

Islam is a religion of purification. It purifies the body from filth; it

purifies the mind from misconceptions, confusion and all that is

counter to reason; and it purifies the soul from all evil inclinations.

Besides, Islam is about balance and moderation, and it does not aim

to elevate any one of the elements of which the human was created

at the expense of another of those elements. It seeks to unite one’sexterior and interior in complete harmony and uniformity, without

creating any conflict between the two. It asserts that they are

reflections of each other, and that it is not possible that one will be

corrupt while the other continues to be virtuous and correct.

There are three types of purification:

1.

Purification of the body: cleansing the body from all physicalfilth.

2. Ritual purification: attaining, through certain acts, a special

state of purity that allows one to perform certain acts of

worship.

3. Spiritual purification: cleansing the soul and mind from the

diseases that afflict them, and instilling in them good

qualities. The ultimate objective of this type is sincere

devotion to Allah (subhanahu ta’ala).

Purification is equal to half of the faith, Allah’s Messenger (peace and

blessings be upon him) said in this regard:

“Cleanliness is half of Faith; the utterance of Allah (Al-hamdu lillah –

all praise belongs to Allah) fills the scales of good actions; the

utterance of Allah (Glory be to Allah and all praise belongs to Allah)

fills the space between the heavens and the earth, and Salaat (prayer)is light; and charity is the proof of Faith; and endurance is a light, and

the Qur’an is a plea in your favour or against you. Every person begins



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the morning ready to strike a deal with his soul as a stake; he either

ransoms it or puts it into perdition.” (Muslim)

Purification is one of the ways one can please Allah and earn His love,

Allah says,

Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves

those who purify themselves.

(al-Baqarah: 222)

The following verse was revealed concerning the people of Quba:

Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those

who purify themselves. (at-Tawbah: 108) (Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi)

It is one of the qualities of believers because it is a type of worship

seen only by Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

said:

“Be straightforward, which is hardly possible for you. You should

know that prayer is one of the best of your acts. Only a believer keeps

observing wudoo (ablution)” (Ibn Majah, ad-Darimi, Bayhaqi)

_______________Wudoo (Minor Ablution)

Wudoo is the prescribed washing and wiping of certain parts of the

body to achieve ritual purity. Linguistically, it means radiance andbeauty, for it causes the one who performs it to have spiritual beauty

in this life, and both spiritual and physical beauty in the hereafter.

The reward of wudoo is great, Allah’s Messenger said:

“When a servant makes Wudoo and washes his mouth, the sins

committed by his mouth are washed out. When he cleans his nose,

the sins are cleansed from his nose. When he washed his hands, the

sins of his face are washed off, even from under the eyelids. When he

washes his hands, the sins of his hands are washed off, even from

beneath the nails of his hands. When he wipes his head, the sins from



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his head come off, even from his ears. When he washes his feet, the

sins of his feet are washed off, even from under his toe nails. Then his

walking to the Masjid and prayers are rewarded separately. (Nasaai,Ibn Majah, Haakim, Bukhari, Muslim)

Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said, I saw the Prophet of

Allah make Wudoo the way I made wudoo and then He said,

‘Whoever makes Wudoo like this, his previous sins (minor) will be

forgiven and his Salaat and walking to the Masjid will be rewarded

separately.’ (Muslim & Nasaai)

Wudoo is a condition for the validity of the Prayer, whether it is an

obligatory prayer or optional prayer, importance of correct Wudoo is

stated in the hadith:

“No Prayer is accepted without purification, and no charity is

accepted from earnings made from impermissible sources.” (Muslim)

A Description of a Complete Wudoo___________

Wudoo and other acts of worship are not valid unless one makes the

intention (niyyah). That is because of the statement of the Messenger

of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):

“Verily deeds are judged by the intentions [behind them], and verily

every person will have [the reward of] what he intended.” (Bukhari)

Then he says: Bismillah (in the name of Allah),

And washes his hands three times,

Then he rinses his mouth and nostrils three times, combining both

with one handful of water or three

Then he washes his face three times from the hairline down to the

bottom of the jaws and chin, and from one ear across to the otherear; and he runs his wet fingers through his beard if it is abundant,

but if it is showing the skin underneath, he should wash it.



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Then he washes his forearms to the elbows three times, including the

elbows in the washing.

Then he wipes his head, including the ears starting with his hands at

the forelock and wiping to the nape of the neck and back to the

forelock.

Then he washes his feet to the ankles three times, including the

ankles in washing, and he washes the inner parts of his toes.

Then he looks to the heavens and says: Ash-hadu al-la ilaha illa Allahu

wahdahu la shareeka lahu wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu

wa rasooluh (I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship

other than Allah, One without partner, and I bear witness that

Muhammad is His servant and Messenger).

Minimum Mandatory Actions of Wudoo________

Among these acts, the mandatory ones are:

1) The intention

2) Washing each part once, except for the hands

3) Wiping over the entire head once

4) Doing all this in the sequence we mentioned

5) He should not delay the washing of any part such as the part

prior to it becomes dry.



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Wiping over Socks_________________________

It is permissible to wipe over leather socks and whatever resemblesthem, like thick socks that stay on the feet and shoes that reach

above the anklebones. This is in the case of the minor ablution.

Wiping is done over the top. Not the bottom of the sock or shoe, Al-

Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I saw the

Messenger of Allah wipe over the top of his socks.” (Tirmidhi)

Ibn Al-Mugheerah narrated from his father (may Allah be pleasedwith them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon

him) “Wiped over his leather socks and over his forelock and turban.”

(Muslim)

In another report, he said: “The Messenger of Allah wiped over the

socks and sandals.” (Muslim)

Must have been put on while having Complete Wudoo

A condition of the validity of wiping over all such things is to have put

them on (that part of the body which will be wiped over) while in a

state of complete purity.

This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to

al-Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him), when he attempted

to take off the Prophet’s leather socks: “Leave them, for I put them onwhile in a state of purity” – and he wiped over them. (Muslim)

Duration of the Wiping Period________________

“The Messenger of Allah specified (the upper limit) of three days and

three nights for a traveller and one day and one night for the

resident.” (Muslim)

The count starts from the time of wiping and it continues for either

24 hours or 72 hours.



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Removal of the Sock or Turban_______________

Removing the sock or turban does not invalidate the state of purity,al-Hassan said “If one cuts his hair or clips his nails or takes off his

leather socks, there is no wudoo due on him.” (Bukhari)

Wiping over Bandages______________________

It is permissible to wipe over a bandage (this includes adhesive

bandage strips like Band-Aids), as long as he did not when putting it

on exceed the part that needs to be wrapped, for example for a small

cut on his arm, he would wrap the cut not the entire arm. He can

wipe over it until he removes it.

For Women_______________________________

The man and woman are equal in Wudoo except that the woman

may not wipe over the turban as it is forbidden for her to wear one,

however the woman may wipe over the headscarf Ibn Abi Shaybah

(may Allah be pleased with him) reported from Umm Salamah (may

Allah be pleased with her): “…that she used to wipe over the head

covering.”

Nullifiers of Wudoo________________________

1.

Anything which passes out of the two passages (respectiveprivate parts of female and male), such as urine, faeces [pus,

or blood].

2. Passing gas/wind (flatulence)

3. Loss of intellect (deep sleep in which one loses all

perception), except for light sleep while standing or sitting.

4. Touching private parts with lustful desire

5. Apostasy from Islam

6. Eating camel’s meat



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In Cases of Doubt__________________________

If a person who had performed wudoo is in doubt whether he haddone something to invalidate his wudoo, his wudoo is not considered

invalid until he becomes certain that he had done something to

invalidate it. There is no difference whether one is praying or not

praying.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“If a person feels something in his stomach, and he does not knowwhether he passed gas or not, he should not leave the masjid until he

hears a sound or finds an odour.” (Muslim)

Certainty cannot be changed by doubt unless there is certainty in the

doubt, if you have done wudoo, and you think you have nullified it

but are not completely 100% sure then you are still on wudoo.

When Wudoo is Recommended______________

Before going to sleep, the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and

blessings be upon him) said:

“Whenever you go to bed, perform wudoo´ as you would for the

Prayer, then lie on your right side and say:

‘Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilayk, wa fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa alja´tu

dhahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, la malja´a wala manjaa

minka illaa ilayk.Allahumma aamantu bi kitabik-alladhi anzalt, wa

binabiyik-alladhi arsalt.’

‘O Allah! I surrender to You and entrust all my affairs to You, and

depend upon You for blessings, both with hope and fear of You. Thereis no fleeing from You, and there is no place of protection and safety

except with You. O Allah! I believe in Your Book (the Qur’an) which



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You have revealed, and in Your Prophet (Muhammad) whom you have

sent.’

If you die on that very night, you will die on the religion of the true

and pure nature (i.e. Islam). Let these words be the last thing you say

[before you sleep].” So I repeated these words to the Prophet and

when I reached: “O Allah! I believe in Your Book (the Qur’an) which

You have revealed,” I said: “…and in Your Messenger,” upon which He

(Prophet Muhammad) corrected, ”No, ‘and in Your Prophet whom you

have sent.’” (Bukhari)

If one is in a major state of impurity (janabah) due to sexual

intercourse, and wishes to eat drink or sleep, ‘Ammar ibn Yasir said:

“The Messenger of Allah gave the person in a state of janabah the

concession to perform wudoo like the one he would do for Prayer, if

he wished to eat, drink or sleep” (Tirmidhi)

Also, it is recommended to perform wudoo if one in a state of janabah and wishes to have intercourse again, due to the saying of

the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):

“If one of you has intercourse with his wife and then intends to do so

again, let him perform wudoo [before doing so].” (Muslim)

Upon performing the ritual bath (ghusl) for jabanah (state of major

impurity), menstruation or postpartum bleeding, the Mother of theBelievers, Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported:

“When performing ghusl, the Messenger of Allah would first wash his

hands, then use his right hand to pour water over his left hand and

wash his private parts, and then perform wudoo as one does for

Prayer. He would then take water and put his fingers into the roots of

his hair. When he deemed that the water had reached his entire scalp,

he would pour three handfuls of water over his head, and then pour

water over the rest of his body, and [lastly] he would wash his feet.”

(Muslim)



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Renewing one’s wudoo before each prayer

“Had it not been difficult upon people, I would have ordered them to perform wudoo for each Prayer, and to use siwaak with each wudoo.”

(Bayhaqi)

Purification from Major States of Impurity

(Ghusl)

Ghusl means to wash the whole body with water. It becomes

obligatory after one of the following actions:

Ejaculation of semen due to desire, for example sexual

intercourse, masturbation, fantasizing, nocturnal emission

(known as ‘wet dream’) and other similar reasons. This is

based on the saying of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala):

And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves.

(al-Ma’idah: 6)

Sexual intercourse, if the private parts meet, even if no

ejaculation takes place, both spouses are required to

perform ghusl. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon

him) said:

“If he (the husband) positions himself between her (wife’s)

legs and arms and penetrates her, ghusl becomes obligatory,

whether he ejaculates or not.” (Muslim)

Following menstruation or postpartum bleedings, Allah

(subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:

And they ask you about menstruation. Say, "It is harm, so

keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not

approach them until they are pure. And when they have



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purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah

has ordained for you. Indeed, Allah loves those who are

constantly repentant and loves those who purifythemselves."

(al-Baqarah: 222)

A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that

Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh (may Allah be pleased with her)

asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon

him):

“I experience vaginal bleedings [other than menses] and it

does not stop, should I leave the Prayer?” He replied, ‘No.

That is just a vein. Leave the Prayer on those days in which

you experience menstruation, then perform ghusl and pray.”

(Bukhari)

Death, When a Muslim dies, Muslims are required to bathehim, Umm ‘Attiyah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:

“Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) came

to us when his daughter died and said: ‘Wash her three

times, five times or more than that if you see fit, and do so

with water and Sidr (lote-tree leaves). At the end, sprinkle

camphor or something of it on her, and when you finish,

inform me.’ When we were finished, we informed him, then

he gave us his waist-sheet and said, ‘Shroud her in it.’”

(Bukhari)



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A Description of a Complete Ghusl____________

The Intention (Niyyah), is needed, one must intend in his heart thathe is performing ghusl to remove himself from the major state of

impurity – whether janabah, menstruation or postpartum bleedings –

without uttering such intention vocally.

Mentioning the Name of Allah, one should say, “Bismillah”

He should wash his hands, and then wash his private parts to remove

the filth.

Next, he should perform a complete wudoo as he would for the

Prayer. He may delay washing his feet until the end of his ghusl.

He should pour at least three handfuls of water on his head, running

his finger through his hair and beard so that water reaches the roots

of his hair and scalp.

Then he should pour water over the rest of his body, rubbing it,

beginning with the right side and then the left. He should take care

that water reaches his armpits, ears, and navel and in between the

folds of the skin if he is fat, for these folds of flesh which form in the

obese prevent water from reaching the areas of skin concealed within

the folds and may remain dry. He should then wash his feet if he had

not already done so while making wudoo [before performing the

ghusl]. ‘Ai`shah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported:

“When Allah’s Messenger would perform ghusl due to sexual

intercourse, he would first wash his hands, and then pour water with

his right hand into his left, washing his private parts. After that he

would perform wudoo as he would for the Prayer, and then take

water and rub it into the roots of his hair with his fingers. [Lastly] he

would wash his feet.” (Muslim)

Maymoonah said,



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“I placed water for the Prophet to perform ghusl. He poured them on

his hands and washed them twice or thrice, and then poured water

with his right hand into his left and washed his private parts. Afterwards, he wiped his hands on the earth and then rinsed his

mouth and nose. He washed his face, his two hands, and then washed

his head thrice. Afterwards, he poured water over his body. Then he

shifted from that place and washed his feet.” (Bukhari)

Minimum Mandatory Acts for a Valid Ghusl_____

Intention

Washing the entire body , Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says,

O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you

are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a

state of janabah, except those passing through [a place of

prayer], until you have washed [your whole body] (an-Nisa:

43)

This includes cleaning the private parts, pouring three

handfuls of water over his head until it reaches the roots of

his hair and scalp, armpits, ears, navel and between the folds

of skin, this can all be done by submerging the bodycompletely in water.

Rinsing the mouth and the nostrils



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Cases in which Ghusl is Recommended_________

When a disbeliever enters the fold of Islam (becomes Muslim), it isrecommended that he performs ghusl, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be

pleased with him) narrated:

“When Thumamah al-Hanafi accepted Islam, the Messenger of Allah

sent him to the walled garden of Abu Talhah and ordered him to

perform ghusl, so he performed ghusl and prayed a two rak’ah

prayer. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) then

said, ‘Your brother’s Islam is sincere.’ “(Ibn Khuzaymah)

The Friday Prayer (Jumuah): The Messenger of Allah (peace and

blessings be upon him) said:

“It is obligatory upon every Muslim that he performs ghusl, clean his

teeth and perfume himself on Friday if he has some.” (Ahmad)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Whoever performs ghusl and then proceeds to the Jumu’ah prayer

and prays what was written for him, keeps silent and listens to the

Imam until he finishes his sermon (khutbah) and then prays with him,

the sins he committed between that Friday and the next will be

forgiven, as well as three additional days.” (Muslim)

The Prayer of the two Eids (Fitr and Adha), and the Day of ‘Arafaat,

this is due to the hadith narrated by Al-Fakih ibn Sa’d:

“The Prophet would perform ghusl on Friday, the Day of Fitr and the

day of Sacrifice (Adha).” (Ahmad)

Entering the state of Ihram (the state in which a pilgrim enters when

performing Hajj or Umrah in which he is prohibited to do certain

things) for Hajj or Umrah, Khaarijah ibn Zaid reported from his father



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“The Prophet took off his clothes and took a bath for Ihram.” (Ibn

Khuzaymah)

Entering Makkah,

Whenever Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) wanted

to enter Makkah, he would refrain from making the talbiyyah (a

supplication repeated by a pilgrim after making his intention for

entering the state of ihram), He would spend the night at Dhu Tuwaa

pray the Fajr prayer, and then perform bath. He would say that the

Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did the same. (Bukhari)

Things which are Forbidden for Those in a State

of Janabah

The Prayer: Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are

intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of

janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you

have washed [your whole body] (an-Nisa: 43)

Tawaf (Circumambulation) of the Sacred House (Ka’bah) Aishah (may

Allah be pleased with her) said:

“I came to Makkah while I was menstruating, so I was not able to

make Tawaf of the Sacred House or Sa’i (walking between the two

mounts of Safa and Marwah during ‘Umrah or Hajj) between Safa

and Marwah. I complained to Allah’s Messenger. He said to me: ‘Do

everything a pilgrim does except for Tawaf of the Sacred House until

you are pure.’ “(Bukhari)

Touching or carrying the Mus-haf (Qur’an) as stated in the hadith of

Abu bakr ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Amr



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“The Prophet wrote a letter to the people of Yemen, and from the

things it read was: ‘Nobody should touch the Qur’an unless he is

pure.’ “(Hakim)

Recitation of the Qur’an, Once Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)

performed wudoo: he rinsed his mouth and nose thrice, washed his

face thrice, washed his hands and arms twice then wiped his head

once and washed his feet thrice. He said, ‘This is how I saw the

Messenger of Allah perform the wudoo.’ He recited some verses of

the Qur’an and then said, ‘This is for those who are not in a state of

Janabah. As for those in a state of Janabah, they should not reciteeven a verse.’” (Ahmad)

Remaining in the Masjid, Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her)

narrates:

“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and

[saw] that the doors of the houses of his companions were faced

towards, and opened into the masjid. He said, ‘Face these housesaway from the masjid.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon

him) entered, and the people did not do anything in hope that he

would give them a concession in this regard. He came out again] and

said, ‘Turn these houses away from the masjid, for indeed I do not

permit the masjid for a menstruating woman or one in a state of

janabah.’” (Ibn Khuzaymah)

___________________Tayammum (Dry Ablution)

Tayammum is a purification that replaces wudoo and ghusl due to a

lack of water or other factors which may prevent water being used.

Tayammum makes permissible for us the same acts as does wudoo

and ghusl, such as Prayer, touching the Qur’an and the like. Allah

ta’ala says:



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O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are

intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of

janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until youhave washed [your whole body]. And if you are ill or on a journey or

one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have

contacted women and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe

over your faces and your hands [with it]. Indeed, Allah is ever

Pardoning and Forgiving. (an-Nisa’: 43)

It is also something specifically given to the Ummah (Nation) Of

Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Prophet (peaceand blessings be upon him) said:

“I have been favoured over the other prophets with six things: I have

been given ‘inclusive speech’, I have been given victory through fear,

war-booty has been made permissible for me, the earth has been

made pure for me and a place of prayer, I have been granted all good

morals and manners, and I am the seal of the Prophets (the final

Prophet).” (Muslim)

Description of Tayammum___________________

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“…The earth was made a place of prayer for me and a source of

purification, so when the time of prayer comes for anyone among my

Ummah, let him pray.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Also in another report by Ahmad and Tabarani:

“…The earth was made a place of prayer for me and a source of

purification, so when the time of prayer comes for anyone among my

Ummah, let him pray, he will have by him his masjid (a place of prostration, usually referring to a mosque) and means of

purification.”



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The description of Tayammum is to strike the wholesome surface of

the Earth once with his two hands, and then wipe his face and hands

(up to the wrists) with them, this is based on the saying of theProphet (peace and blessings be upon him) to ‘Ammar (may Allah be

pleased with him):

“It would have been enough for you to do like this,” and he struck the

earth with his hands and wiped his face and two hands (up to the

wrists).” (Muslim)

Conditions of Tayammum___________________

It has four conditions:

First: Inability to Use Water

Shortage of water

Fear of harm if one uses it, due to sickness or severe cold

Fear that he, his companions or his beast may suffer from

thirst

If the search for water will risk his life, honour or wealth, for

example if there was an enemy or if the searching wouldexpose him to the danger of wild animals.

If it cannot be obtained except at an expensive price.

Second: Commencement of the Prayer Time

One should not make tayammum for a mandatory prayer before its

time, or for a recommended prayer during the time of its prohibition.

Third: Intention



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If one made tayammum for a recommended prayer

(Nawafil/Sunnah), he must not pray a mandatory prayer with it. If he

made tayammum for a mandatory prayer, he can perform it andother mandatory and recommended prayers until its time is

completed.

Fourth: Soil

One may not use other than wholesome soil that has particles of

dust.

What invalidates Tayammum? _______________

What invalidates the wet ablution (wudoo) invalidates the

tayammum. The other invalidators are when the factors which

prevent one from using water cease to exist, and the ability to use

water, even if he was in prayer.

Important Notes on Tayammum______________

If a person performs tayammum and prays, and then finds water, or if

the factors which prevented the use of water cease to exist after

completion of the Prayer, it is not required for him to repeat that

Prayer even if there is still time. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said:

“Two men set out on a journey. When the time for Prayer came, they

had no water, so they performed tayammum and prayed. Later, they

found water within that prayer time, so one of them performed

wudoo’ and repeated that prayer while the other did not. When they

met Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and

informed him of what occurred, he said to the one which did not

repeat [the prayer], ‘You have done the Sunnah and your prayer is

valid,’ while he said to the one who performed wudoo’ and repeated

[the Prayer], ‘You have a double reward.’” (Hakim)



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If one finds water, of if the factors which prevented the use of water

cease to exist while he is in the act of praying, his wudoo’ becomes

invalid, and he is required to perform wudoo’. Abu Dharr (may Allahbe pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be

upon him) while he was in a state of Janabah (major impurity). The

Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) called him to bring water,

and he concealed himself and performed ghusl. He then said to him,

“Clean earth is the wudoo’ for a Muslim even if he does not find water

for ten years. But when he finds water, let him wet his body, for that

is what is better.” (Ahmad)

A person who performs tayammum in a case of major states of

impurity – such as janabah, menstruation, postpartum bleedings, for

some acceptable reason which justifies tayammum is not required to

repeat his Prayer. But upon finding water, or when the factors which

prevented the use of water cease to exist, he must perform ghusl to

purify himself from this state of impurity. ‘Imran ibn al-Hussain (may

Allah be pleased with him) narrated:

Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) saw a man

sitting alone not performing the Prayer in congregation. He asked

him, ‘O so-and-so, what has prevented you from praying in

congregation?’ He replied, ‘I am junub (in a state of major impurity)

and I have no water.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

said: ‘you must use the earth [and perform tayammum] for it is

sufficient. Imran then said, after they had found water, Allah’s

Messenger gave the man a container of water and said: “Go and pour

it over yourself.” (Bukhari)



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____________________________Prayer (Salaat)

The prayer is the second pillar of Islam after the testimony of faith.

Linguistically it means a connection. It is a chance for the servants to

pull themselves out of the spinning machine of this life to reinforce

their relationship with their Creator, to water the tree of their faith

and to moisten their souls, which would otherwise be drying out and

cracking in the desert of this never-ending pursuit of Dunya (worldly

life). For the soul, praying is like turning to the shade of a tree in the

middle of work on a hot day. It is a chance to rejuvenate spiritually; a

reminder of our origin, our Creator and the cause of our existence. If

it is done with devotion, it will be our greatest deterrent from

wrongdoing and aggression, Allah ta’ala says:

Verily, in the Remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest (ar-Ra’d: 28)

There are five mandatory prayers: Fajr, Dhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Isha

Virtues of Salaat___________________________

Salaat has the following virtues:

i. It is the foremost obligation after the declaration of

faith.

ii. It was given to the Prophet directly by Allah without

any intermediaries.

iii. It was given to the Prophet on the greatest night

ever experienced (Al Isra), where he met Prophets

Idris, Esa, Musa, Ibrahim.

iv. It was given over to the Muslims at the highest

point that any human can ever reach.

v. It was obligated as fifty prayers and then later

reduced to five prayers, with the reward of fifty

remaining. The reward of fifty was kept to signify

how great this action is to Allah.



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vi. It is the only daily continual act of worship we have,

despite whatever condition or situation we are in,

i.e. whether we are ill, in battle, travelling, etc.vii. It is the best of actions.

viii. It is the first thing that the servant of Allah will be

judged upon on the Day of Judgment.

ix. It has been given its own public call each time: the

Adhan.

x. It is the defining characteristic of the Muslim. Its

abandonment leads a person to shirk and kufr.

xi. It expiates our sins. The minor sins committed

between each prayer are cleansed at the next

prayer.

xii. One becomes closer to Allah, conversing with one’s

Lord.

xiii. The soul is strengthened and ascends to the

Heavenly Realm away from the harms of the Dunya.

xiv.

It is a relaxation, the entire Salaat is based on asingle word

xv. It takes away stress and hardship

xvi. It provides physical and spiritual training and

discipline – it preserves from profanity and sins



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________________________Adhan and Iqamah

The Beauty of the Adhan (First Call to Prayer)

In Fiqh us-Sunnah, Sayyid Sabiq (may Allah have mercy on him)

quotes the following from the great muffasir Imam al-Qurtubi (may

Allah have mercy on him) and others:

“Al-Qurtubi and others have said that the adhan, though it has very

few words, covers all essentials of the faith.It begins by proclaiming

the greatness of Allah, and that includes His existence and perfection.

It mentions second to that His oneness and then the denial of

polytheism, and it confirms the messengership of Muhammad (peace

and blessings be upon him) and then it invites to specific acts of

obedience after testifying to Muhammad's messengership, for they

[those deeds] are not known except through the Messenger. And

then, it calls to prosperity which is eternity in paradise and it points to

the return to Allah. Then, for emphasis, some repetitions are made."

Virtues of Adhan___________________________

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“When the Adhan is pronounced Satan takes to his heels and passes

wind with noise during his flight in order not to hear the Adhan. When

the Adhan is completed he comes back and again takes to his heels

when the Iqama is pronounced and after its completion he returnsagain till he whispers into the heart of the person (to divert his

attention from his prayer) and makes him remember things which he

does not recall to his mind before the prayer and that causes him to

forget how much he has prayed.” (Bukhari)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)said, “If

the people knew the reward for pronouncing the Adhan and for

standing in the first row (in congregational prayers) and found noother way to get that except by drawing lots they would draw lots,

and if they knew the reward of the Dhuhr prayer (in the early



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moments of its stated time) they would race for it (go early) and if

they knew the reward of ‘Isha’ and Fajr (morning) prayers in

congregation, they would come to offer them even if they had tocrawl.” (Bukhari)


“Allah and His angels pray upon those in the first rows, and the caller

to prayer is forgiven, for as far as his voice reaches and whatever

hears him will confirm what he says. He will get a reward similar to all

of those who pray with him.” (Abu Dawud & Ahmad)

Description of Adhan and Iqamah_____________

The Adhan_______________________________

The first call to prayer contains fifteen unique words:

- Allahu Akbar = Allah is the Greatest (said four times).

- Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah = I bear witness that there isNo God worthy of worship except Allah (said twice).

- Ash-hadu anna Muhammadur-Rasool Ullah = I bear witness

that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (said twice).

- Hayya ‘alas-Salaah = Hurry (or rise up) to the prayer (said

twice).

- Hayya ‘alal-falah = Hurry to success (or rise up for salvation)

(said twice).

- Allahu Akbar = Allah is the Greatest (said twice).

- La ilaha illa Allah = There is none worthy of worship except

Allah (said once).

For the Dawn (fajr) prayer, the following phrase is also said after

Hayya ‘alal-falah:

- As-salaatu khayrum-minan-nawm = Prayer is better than

sleep (said twice).



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The Iqamah_______________________________

The second call to initiate the prayer contains eleven unique words.


- Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah = I bear witness that there is

No God worthy of worship except Allah (said one time).

- Ash-hadu anna Muhammadur-Rasool Ullah = I bear witness

that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (said one time).

- Hayya ‘alas-Salaah = Hurry (or rise up) to the prayer (said

once).

- Hayya ‘alal-falah = Hurry to success (or rise up for salvation)

(said once).

- Qad Qaamatus-Salaah = Prayer will being immediately (said

twice)


- La ilaha illa Allah = There is none worthy of worship except

Allah (said once).

The caller to prayer (mu’adh-dhin) should be honest, with a good and

loud voice, and should be knowledgeable about the times [of

prayers].

It is recommended that he makes the adhan while standing, in a state

of wudoo’, and on a high place, facing the qiblah.

When he reaches haya ‘alas-Salaah he should lean to the rightwithout moving his feet and when he reaches haya ‘alal-Falah he

should lean to the left without moving his feet.

He should put his index fingers in his ears while making adhan, he

should recite the adhan slowly and the iqamah quickly. It is

recommended for those who hear the mu’adh-dhin to repeat what

he says, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon

him) said: “If you hear the call [to prayer], say what he says (except

for the Hay’alah, he should say La Hawla wa la Quwatta ila Billah).”



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Conditions of the Prayer____________________

Pre-requisites for obligating Salaat____________

i. Islam

ii. Puberty

iii. Sound mind

Conditions for Salaat_______________________

i. To be performed after the time has certainly

started

ii. Purification from minor and major ritual impurities.

A little bit of blood loss is no problem.

iii. Removal of physical filth (impurities) from the body

and the place of worship

iv. Covering the Awrah – this means the parts of the

body that are not meant be exposed in public. For

the man, he has to cover what is between the navel

and thighs. For woman, her entire body must be

covered, except her hands and face.

v. Facing the directions of the Qiblah

vi. Al-Niyyah, the intentions of Salaat.

vii. The continuation of the acts of Salaat without anylong intermission. Acts which other people will have

doubts whether one is in prayer or not, can nullify

the prayer, i.e. extensive itching, scratching, falling

asleep, etc.



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Etiquettes of Walking to the Prayer____________

It is recommended:

To walk to the prayer with tranquillity and solemnity; “When

the iqamah is called, do not run to the prayer, but proceed to

it with tranquillity and solemnity. Pray what you catch (with

the congregation), and make up what you miss.” (Bukhari &

Muslim)

To take short steps

Not to interlace one’s fingers; “When one of you makes

wudoo’ and then heads towards the masjid, he should not

interlace his fingers, for he is (as if) in prayer.” (Ahmad, Abu

Dawud, Tirmidhi)

When arriving at the masjid, enter with the right foot first,

and say: Bismillah was-salaatu was-salamu ‘ala Rasoolillah.

Allahumma ighfir li dhunoobi, waftah li abwaba rahmatik.

(In the name of Allah and peace and blessings on the

Messenger of Allah. O Allah, forgive my sins and open for me

the gates of Your mercy.) (Muslim)

When leaving, step out with left foot first and say the same

as above except with “…waftah li abwaba fadlik” (…and

open for me the gates of Your Graciousness).

____________________Description of the Prayer

Intention (it is a determination in the heart that you are performing a

particular Salaat; not to be uttered).

Face the direction of the Qiblah (Sacred House in Makkah Known

as Ka'bah).

Raise your hands to the level of the shoulders, or earlobes, and say

ALLAHU AKBAR



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Standing Facing Qiblah and Making Takbeer with raised voice

Place the right hand over the left on the chest. Look at the place of

prostration without lowering your head:

Hands on the Chest; Right hand over the left.



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Recite the Opening Invocation (du'a) for Salaat:

[Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika tabaarakas muka wa ta'aalaa jadduka wa laa ilaaha ghairuk.]

O Allah! I declare You far removed from above all imperfection, and

that You deserve all Praise. Blessed is Your Name. Your Majesty

(Glory and Might) is Exalted, and there is no true God Worthy of

Worship Except You.

Recitation of Surah Al-Faatiha (Opening Chapter of the Qur'an):

Must be recited in every unit of prayer (Rak'ah). Begin by utter the

following with a low voice:

A'oodthu billahi minash-shaitanir-rajeem (I seek Refuge with Allah

from Satan, the outcast.)

Bismillaahir-Rahmannir-Raheem (In the Name of Allah, the Most

Beneficent, the Most Merciful)

Then you must recite the Faatiha in every Rak'ah, pausing after each

verse (ayah):

- Alhamdu lillahi rabbi alAAalameen (All the praises and

thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinn's

and all that exists)).

- Ar-Rahmani-r Raheem (The Most Beneficent, the Most

Merciful).

- Maliki yawmi deen (The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling

Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of

Resurrection)).

- Iyyaka naAAbudu wa-iyyaka nastaAAeen (You (Alone) we

worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and



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everything)).

- Ihdina assirata almustaqeem (Guide us to the Straight Way)

- Sirata allatheena anAAamta AAalayhim ghayri almaghdoobi

AAalayhim wala addalleen (The Way of those on whom You

have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who

earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who

went astray (such as the Christians)).

- At the end, you must say Ameen .

Those who cannot recite the Faatiha may say instead (Subhanah

Allah, Al-Hamdulillah, and la Illaah Illallaah, Allahu Akbar, and

laa Hawlah wa Laa Quwata Illaa bil-laah) which means: I declare

Allah far removed from all imperfection, and deserving all the Praise,

and that there is no true God other than Allah), this is only until they

learn the Faatiha which should be as soon as possible.

Then recite another Surah from the Noble Qur’an.

Rukoo' (Bowing Down)

Raise the hands as described previously (see above) and say ALLAHU

AKBAR (Allah is the Greatest) while going into the bowing position.

In bowing posture, put the hands on the knees and grab them with

your elbows away from your sides, and your back straightened with

the head levelled with your back (see below):



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Bowing (Rukoo') Position in Salaat

While in bowing position one says:

Subhanna Rabbiyal 'Adheem (3 times) (Far removed from every

imperfection is my Rabb (Lord), the Great).

Standing Upright (Qiyaam) after Rukoo' :

Rise from bowing, raising your hands to the levels of the shoulders, or

earlobes, saying:

Sami'Allahu li man hamdidah( Allah hears the one who praises Him).

Stand upright until one's very parts take their positions and say:

Rabbana walakal-hamd (O our Rabb (Lord)! All the praise is due to

You).

The Sujood (Prostration) & Juloos (Sitting):

Reach the ground with the hand's first and then the knees while

saying ALLAHU AKBAR (Allah is the Greatest), and rest on your palm's

and place your forehead, nose, knees, and feet on the floor with your

belly away from your thighs. Toes should be erected and directed to

the Qiblah. Your arms should be away from the ground, as below,

saying:



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Subhaana Rabiyyal-'Alaa (3 times) (Far removed is my Rabb, the Most

High, from any Imperfection)

Prostration Position

Then you raise your head while saying: ALLAHU AKBAR, sit on your

left leg while keeping your right foot upright with its fingers to the

Qiblah. Put your hands on your knees [see below], and supplicate

saying:

Rabbigh-fir-lee (O my Lord! Forgive me).

Sitting Position (The left and right foot in IFTIRASH)



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This position of IFTIRASH is done in the last Rak'ah of Fajr and

Maghrib Prayer and in all Regular or optional prayers.

Following the sitting position, you come up with a second prostration

as you did before. Once done you have completed one full unit

(Rak'ah). Say Allahu Akbar and stand up for the second Rak'ah. Do itin the same manner as you did the first one, but without reciting the

opening supplication.

Sitting for Tashahhud (Testification of Faith):

First Tashahhud

Once you finish the second Rak'ah, follow the same way of sitting asabove. Hold your right hand closed with its thumb and middle finger

touching each other like in a circle while pointing the index finger

straight in the direction of the Qiblah and moving it through the

recitation of the Tashahhud:



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Attahiyyaatu lillaahi wassalawaatu wattayyibatu.Assalaamu 'alayka

ayyuhan-Nabiyyi warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh.Assalaamu 'alayna

wa 'ala 'ibaadillaahis saaliheen. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illallaah wa

ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasooluh.

All compliments [Allah is free of all imperfection, His is the dominion,

Magnificence, Endless existence belongs to Him], prayers, and pure

words and deeds, are due to Allah. May Allah grant the Prophet

safety from all defects and imperfections and keep his message safe

from all evil; [may Allah grant him] mercy and honour. May safety

and security be granted to us and to all the righteous slaves of Allah. I

bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah,

and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Full Tashahhud

At the end of the last Rak'ah, recite the first Tashahhud and follow it

with the following recitation known as As-Salaatul Ibraaheemiyyah:

Allaahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad kamasallaita 'ala Ibraaheem wa 'ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun

Majeed, wabaarik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhamaad kama



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baarakta 'ala Ibraaheem wa 'ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun

Majeed.

O Allah! Praise Muhammad, and on the family of Muhammad, as You

Praised Ibraaheem, and the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed

Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. And send blessings on Muhammad,

and on the family of Muhammad, as you sent blessings on

Ibraaheem, and the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of

Praise, Full of Glory.

What to do when going for the final Rak'ah in Salaat?

In the prayers of the three or four Rak'ah type, after finishing the

second Rak'ah and the first Tashahhud, stand up raising your hands

(as described earlier) and say: ALLAHU AKBAR. When you reach the

straight standing position, recite the Faatiha and go for the

prostrations as done earlier. If you are praying the three Rak'ah

prayer of Maghrib sit with your body resting on your left thigh, your

left leg under your right, while keeping your right foot upright. This

position is called Tawarruk:

Tawarruk Position



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For the four Rak'ah prayers, stand up at the end of the third Rak'ah

and bring fourth the fourth and final Rak'ah. Recite full Tashahhud in

the Tawarruk position.

After recitation of the full Tashahhud, you can supplicate Allah with

the following invocation (du'a):

Allaahumma Inni a'oodthu bika min adthabil qabr, wa a'oodthu bika

min fitnatil-Maseeh ad-Dajjal, wa a'oodthu bika min fitnatil mahya

wal mamat. Allaahumma inni a'oodthu bika minal-ma'tham

walmaghram.

O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the Punishment of the grave and

from the Fitnah (trail or affliction) of Ad-Dajjaal and from the Fitnah

of life and Fitnah of death. O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the

sins and from being in debt.

You may also ask Allah to bestow upon you from the good things for

this life and for the hereafter.

Concluding Salaat by Tasleem:

After you recite the Tashahhud and make the supplications, turn your

head to the right and say:

Assalammu ‘alaykum warahmatul-laah (May Allah’s Peace, Mercy be

upon you).

Then turn your head left and say:

Assalaammu 'alaykum warahmatul-laah (May Allah’s Peace, Mercy

be upon you).

(Note: IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO BE TAUGHT FIRST HAND

HOW TO PRAY AS TO FIX ANY MISTAKES OR MISUNDERSTANDINGS

BY THE READER)



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______________________________Salaat Times

There are five obligatory Prayers that a Muslim must complete eachday, these prayers are:

Prayer Time Rak’ahs

Fajr From dawn until

just before Sunrise

2

Dhuhr After midday until

early afternoon

4

‘Asr From lateafternoon till just

before sunset

4

Maghrib After sunset until

daylight twilight

ends

3

Isha Evening until Dawn

(some scholars

have said the time

limit is 12am)

4

It is forbidden to pray during the sunrise, sunset and Zawwal (Noon)

The regular Sunnah prayers fall into two categories:

Sunnahs which are done before the fard prayer – two rak’ahs before

Fajr and four before Dhuhr.

Sunnahs which are done after the fard prayer – two rak’ahs after

Dhuhr, two rak’ahs after Maghrib and two rak’ahs after ‘Isha.

Concerning their virtue, it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and

blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever prays twelve rak’ahs during

the night and day, a house will be built for him in Paradise: four

before Dhuhr and two after, two rak’ahs after Maghrib, two rak’ahs

after ‘Isha and two rak’ahs before Fajr prayer.” (Tirmidhi)



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________________Consequences of Not Praying

The consequences of not praying are extremely heavy, it is thedifference between being a Muslim and a Kafir (disbeliever), and this

issue should not be taken lightly.

As a structure needs pillars to stand, so does your Islam, if a structure

has a faulty pillar, the entire structure will fall, this is the same for

with your Islam, the Prayer, it is one of the main pillars of Islam, if it is

not firmly upright then your Islam will collapse and you will fall into

disbelief.

The proofs are many and as the late Muhaddith and Sheikh Al-Albaani

said, “One proof is sufficient for the seeker of truth, but 1000 proofs

is not enough for the person of desires.”

Allah ta’ala says,

But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil - Except those who

repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise

and will not be wronged at all. (Maryam: 59-60)

‘Ubadah ibn as-Samit (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that

he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Five

prayers Allah had dictated on the servants every day and night. He

who diligently observes them will have a covenant with Allah that Hewill admit him into paradise, and he who doesn’t diligently observe

them will have no covenant with Allah; if He wills, He will torment

him, and if He wills, He will forgive him.” (Abu Dawud)

Jabir reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings and be upon him)

said, “Between a person and disbelief is leaving prayer.” (Ahmad,

Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The first thing

which will be judged among a man’s deeds on the Day of Resurrection

is the Prayer. If this is in good order then he will succeed and prosper



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but if it is defective then he will fail and will be a loser. (Nasai,

Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)

And he also said, “If anyone abandons prayer deliberately then he has

no claim upon Allah.” (Ibn Majah, Bukhari & Tabarani)

Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

We narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with

him), Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, Ibn Mas’ood and a number of the Sahaabah

(may Allah be pleased with them), and from Ibn al-Mubaarak, Ahmad

ibn Hanbal, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh (may Allah have mercy on them),

and from 17 of the Sahaabah in total (may Allah be pleased with

them) that the one who deliberately and consciously does not offer an

obligatory prayer until the time for it ends is a kaafir and an apostate.

This is also the view of ‘Abd-Allah ibn al-Maajishoon, the companion

of Maalik. And it was the view of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Habeeb al-

Andalusi and others. (al-Fasl fi’l-Milal wa’l-Ahwa’ wa’l-Nihal, 3/128)

He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: And it was narrated from

‘Umar, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, Abu Hurayrah

and others among the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them)

that the one who deliberately does not offer one obligatory prayer

until the time for it ends is a kaafir and an apostate. (al-Muhalla

(2/15))

___________________________________Zakaat

Zakaat is obligatory upon every free Muslim who has complete

ownership of the nisaab (Zakaat threshold), for each type of wealth

there is a minimum below which one does not need to pay zakaat

(will be explained as you progress). This may be translated as

Zakaatable minimum or Zakaat threshold.



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Wisdom of Zakaat__________________________

There is no one comprehensive word alone that adequatelytranslates Zakaat. The words alms, donations, charity and so on do

not convey the meanings embodied in the word Zakaat, which

include:

Purification, for it purifies one's money from suspicious

earnings and it purifies one's heart from stinginess and

miserliness

Increase, for it increases the wealth of the recipient as well

as that of the donor by the blessings that will be put in his

money, himself and his family and also, through the

supplications of the recipient

Praise, for it will be a cause for the donor being praised on

the Day of Judgment, also, s/he will be praised by the

recipients, who would otherwise have been envious and

hateful of the wealthy that withhold their money and share

no part of it.

Teaches the Muslim that in essence and ultimately Allah

(subhanahu wata’ala) is in ownership of their wealth as they

have to pay the Zakaat incumbent upon them and are not

able to spend their wealth in unlawful (Haraam) ways.

There is no zakaat on property until an entire hawl (Islamic/lunar

year) has passed, except for that which comes from the land, and thegrowth arising from capital through birth [as with livestock] or profit.

The hawl of these is that of their origin. The passing of the hawl is a

condition of obligation for zakaat on livestock, gold and silver, and

merchandise.



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Zakaatable Wealth_________________________

Zakaat is only obligatory on four types of property:

1. Free-grazing, domesticated livestock

2. What is produced or extracted from the land

3. Silver and gold

4. Merchandise prepared for sale.

This book will only be explaining the third type and fourth type as the

first and second type are not common in today’s society as the

majority of society deals with either the third point or the fourth

point.

Zakaat Threshold__________________________

There is no zakaat on any of this until it reaches the nisaab, if the

value reaches or exceeds the nisaab, then zakaat is obligatory on the

full amount, and one lunar year must have passed on the nisaab.

Zakaatable Wealth Zakaatable Minimum

(Nisaab)

Rate of Zakaat

Gold, Silver Gold: 85 grams

Silver: 595 grams

2.5% of the value

Cash Savings The value of 85

grams of gold or 595

grams of silver

2.5% of the amount

Trade Goods The value of 85

grams of gold or 595

grams of silver

2.5% of the

wholesale value of

goods

Merchandise prepared for sale_______________

This includes anything that is obtained for the business of buying and

selling: land, animals, food provisions, fabric, cars, spare parts, etc.This inventory is evaluated annually and assessed for Zakaat, whether

the value is the same as the amount spent on it, more, or less.



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The owners of grocery stores, like any other business, must evaluate

every item and give their Zakaat. Simple bookkeeping of inventory,

orders, cash on hand, and credits, that is non-delinquent loans, willgive one a good picture of the Zakaatable assets. But if one is unable

to account for everything in the store or shop, he should assess it

according to his ability until he is sure that his conscience is clear.

There is no Zakaat on what is within one's dwelling or property which

includes food, drinks, furniture, houses, animals, cars, clothes and

shoes. The only exception is gold and silver. There is no Zakaat on

assets from rentals or lease, whether they are apartment units, taxi

cabs, etc. That is, there is no Zakaat on the apartment units, buses orcars for rental like yellow cabs company or trucks for rental or

equipment. But there is Zakaat on the proceeds or incomes from

these rental assets if these assets reach the executable amount,

either by themselves or in combination with other assets.

Gold and Silver____________________________

Whether used for commerce (trade) or jewellery, Allah (subhanahuwata’ala) says,

“…And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of

Allah - give them tidings of a painful punishment. The Day when it will

be heated in the fire of Hell and seared therewith will be their

foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, [it will be said], "This is what

you hoarded for yourselves, so taste what you used to hoard." (at-

Tawbah: 34-35)

Hoarding is meant refusal to give it in the path of Allah, which

includes Zakaat.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "For

the owner or possessor of gold and silver who does not fulfil its

obligation, on the Day of Resurrection it will be cast into sheets of fire

and be branded on his forehead, side and back. Whenever it cools it is

to be repeated for him in a day whose length is the length of fifty

thousand years, until the judgement is rendered among the people."

(Muslim) By its obligation is meant assessing it for Zakaat. In another

version: "No possessor of a treasure who does not give its Zakaat."



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Zakaat is mandatory on gold and silver, irrespective of its form: in

coins, raw or nugget, or jewellery for wearing, or for rent, because ofthe generality of evidence of Zakaat without any detail.

A woman came to the Messenger of Allah with her daughter. On the

daughter's wrist were two heavy gold bracelets. The Messenger

asked her, "Do you pay Zakaat on this?" She replied, "No." The

Messenger said: "Would it please you that Allah will encircle you with

two bracelets of fire?" The reporter commented that she took them

off and threw them down in front of the Messenger, and said: "They

are for Allah and his Messenger." (Ahmed, Tirmidhi).

Zakaat is due on gold when it reaches the amount of (nisaab), which

is 20 Dinaar. According to a hadith, the Messenger said: "No Zakaat

on you is due until it reaches 20 dinaar." (Abu Dawud).

The Islamic dinaar (currency) is one mithqal, a unit of weight which

weighs four and one quarter of a gram. Thus, the nisaab is 85 grams

of gold.

Similarly, there is no Zakaat on silver until it reaches five oqiyah,because the Messenger said: "There is no Zakaat on less than five

oqiyah." (Bukhari& Muslim) Oqiyah is equal to forty Islamic dirhams.

The nisaab is 200 dirhams. 200 dirham is equivalent to 595 grams of

silver. The Zakaatable amount in both the gold and silver is 2.5% or

0.025

Zakaat of Currency_________________________

There are two kinds of currency: gold and silver, but the way our

current societies operate, cash (paper money) takes the same ruling

as gold and silver, here and in the case of riba (interest/usury), since

cash is used by people in our current time as currency, and it was

instituted in replacement of gold and silver, even if it not tied to a

gold reserve anymore.

There is no zakaat on silver until it reaches 200 dirhams [about 595

grams of pure silver], and its zakaat is five dirhams [2.5%]. There is no

zakaat on gold until it reaches twenty mithqal [about 85 grams of

pure gold], and its zakaat is half a mithqal [2.5%].



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Paper currency is the equivalent to silver, during the early days of

Islam, silver and gold were the currency of exchange minted intodirham for silver and dinaar for gold. Silver, not gold, had a larger

circulation. Thus many scholars are of opinion that silver should be

the standard for the paper currencies of today because that is more

advantageous to the Zakaat payer, as it raises the minimum nisaab

whereas gold lowers it. Although both metals are no longer

circulated, they are still considered as a security against ever

fluctuating paper money.

To find out the current threshold, find out the current price of 1 gramof silver multiplied by 595, this is the threshold, if you reach it or

exceed it you must pay zakaat on your cash money that you have had

in your possession for a lunar year, the Zakaatable amount is 2.5% or

0.025.

For example I have $1000 in my bank account which I have had in the

account for a year

The current price of 1 gram of Silver is $0.90, so 595 x 0.90 = $535.5.

(20/03/2013)I have exceeded the threshold so I calculate the Zakaat I am owing,

$1000 x 0.025 = $25

______________________________Zakaat al-Fitr

Zakaat al-Fitr is charity given at the end of the fast of Ramadan, it is

an obligation on every Muslim who owns more than the essentialfood he needs and his dependents (family), for the eve and the day of

the Eid.

The amount of Zakaat al-Fitr, is one saa` of [whole] wheat or barley,

or the flour. It can also be paid in crushed form, or in dates or raisins,

but if he cannot find this, he should give any kind of food that he eats

that would [measure] one saa`.

Whoever must pay Zakaat al-Fitr for himself, must also pay it for all of

his dependents, if he owns enough, on the night of Eid, to pay for

them.



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If someone’s provision is the responsibility of a group of people, like

someone in financial difficulty who is a relative of a group of people,his Zakaat al-Fitr is obligatory on them all in accordance with their

share of responsibility for his provision.

It is preferable to pay Zakaat al-Fitr on the day of Eid before the

prayer. It is not permissible to delay it until after the day of Eid, but it

is permissible to pay it a day or two in advance.

It is permissible to give one man the Zakaat that is obligatory on a

group and to give a group the Zakaat that is obligatory on one man,note this must be given to a Muslim.

How to Give Zakaat________________________

Zakaat may be assessed and returned in two ways:

a) Make a record of all money earned, either daily or monthly, whichhas reached the nisaab and remains in the treasury. The Zakaat of

that money would be due one year later on the same day the money

was earned and reached nisaab. This means every month's income

must be set aside and assessed for Zakaat and so will be the case for

the rest of the months. For instance, the income of January, 2012 will

be assessed for Zakaat in January, 2013, and the income of February,

2012 will be assessed for Zakaat in February 2013, etc. This method

of assessing Zakaat is very difficult because it entails complete

bookkeeping of daily or monthly earnings.

b) The best way is to set a day or a month for your annual Zakaat

return calendar, we will use as an example Rajab 1st, 1433. One year

later on the same day Rajab, 1434, your Zakaat is due and payable.

Whatever is in the savings is due for Zakaat, regardless of whether

the entire amount in the savings reaches a year or not. For instance:

if you have $20,000.00 in the savings account on the 1st of Rajab,

1433 and one year later by the 1st of Rajab, 1434 there is $50,

000.00, your Zakaat will be assessed for $50,000.00, that is:

$50.000.00 x .025= $1,250.00. If, on the other hand, by the 1st of

Rajab, 1413 the amount in the savings is $15,000.00, your Zakaat will



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be for the amount in the savings, that is $15,000.00 x .025= $375.00.

This method is the best because it is easy to assess, meets one's

obligation and relieve one's conscience.

The Recipient of Zakaat_____________________

They are eight types of people, Allah The Most High says,

Zakaah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for

those employed to collect (zakaah) and for bringing hearts together

[for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt

and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveller - an

obligation [imposed] by Allah . And Allah is Knowing and Wise (at-

Tawbah: 60)

The first type is the poor, and they are those who cannot afford what

they need through earning or otherwise.

The second type is the needy (al-masakeen) and they are the ones

who can afford some of their needs, but not enough

The third type are the Zakaat workers and they are the people who

collect it and that are needed for it (all workers hired by the Zakaat

administration).

The fourth type are those whose hearts are to be reconciled, andthey are the authorities within their tribes about whom it is hoped

that by giving them Zakaat that their evil will be prevented or their

faith will be strengthened or that they may help protect the Muslims

or help them collect Zakaat from those who are withholding it.

The fifth type are slaves and captives; who are contracted slaves, and

for freeing slaves.

The sixth type is for those in debt and they are the debtors who

borrowed money for themselves to pay for permissible things or to

reconcile two Muslim parties.



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The seventh type is in the cause of Allah and they are the fighters

who are not part of an organized army unit (unpaid). The fighter(mujahid) will be given as salary what will be enough for him. This can

also be for the student of knowledge as both the fighter and the

student of knowledge are going out in the path of Allah.

The eighth is the wayfarer; the traveller who lacks the means to

return home even if he was well-off in his homeland.

These are the ones that deserve to receive Zakaat and it is not

permissible to give to others.

The poor and needy are given what is sufficient for their needs and

the worker will be given fair recompense for his work and the one

whose heart is to be reconciled will be given what will reconcile him

and the contracted slave and the debtor will be given what they need

to pay off what is due on them and the fighter will be given what he

needs for fighting and the wayfarer will be given enough to enable

him to return to his homeland and none of them may be given more

than that.

Five of them will not take anything except in the case of need, and

those are: the poor, the needy, the contracted slave, the debtor for

himself and the wayfarer.

It is permissible for four of them to be given them the Zakaat even if

they are well-off and they are the Zakaat worker, the one to be

reconciled, the fighter and the debtor who incurred the debt to

reconcile disputants.



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__________________________________Fasting

The Wisdom behind Fasting__________________

Books can be written about the wisdoms of the legislation of Fasting,

but some of the more important wisdoms include:

Demonstration of submission to the will of Allah, and

exercise of devotion, where the servant reinforces in his

heart that Allah comes first, and His pleasure should be the

ultimate objective, before any desire. This is the greatest

wisdom behind all acts of worship.

Allowing the spirit to bring to balance the equation between

the body and soul. For most of the year, most of the people

are too busy satisfying their carnal desires to allow theirsouls to rise to the greater heights of piety, devotion, self-

denial, perseverance and asceticism.

Fasting is a great exercise of patience and perseverance, and

such qualities are essential for the believer to develop.

Allows the comfortable to experience hunger and thirst, and

consequently, sympathize with those who are forced, most

of their days to live that experience.

There is no doubt that Fasting is good for one’s health. It rids

one of the weaker cells in the body, and allows people to

rest the digestive tract, and help them lose some of the

extra weight.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "There is a gate

in Paradise called Ar-Raiyan, and those who observe fasts will enter

through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter

through it. It will be said, 'Where are those who used to observe

fasts?' They will get up, and none except them will enter through it.



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After their entry the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through

it." (Bukhari)

Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Fasting is

a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting

should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave

foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses

him, he should tell him twice, 'I am fasting." The Prophet added, "By

Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth

of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of

musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), 'He has left his food,drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the

fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten

times." (Bukhari)

Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "When

those who do not fast eat near a fast observer, angels pray for him"

(Tirmidhi).

The Prophet said that your Lord said, "Every (sinful) deed can be

expiated; and the fast is for Me, so I will give the reward for it; and

the smell which comes out of the mouth of a fasting person, is better

in Allah's Sight than the smell of musk." (Bukhari)

Ramadan_________________________________

Fasting in Ramadan is mandatory upon every sane adult Muslim who

is capable of fasting.

Allah the Almighty says:

The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a

guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. Sowhoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and

whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days.



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Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and

[wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that

[to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. (al-Baqarah: 185)

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was

decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous – (al-

Baqarah: 183)

A child should be ordered to fast when he can tolerate it, but it is not

mandatory on them,The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The pen has

been lifted for three (they are not held accountable): from one who

has lost his mind until he regains his sanity, one who is asleep until he

wakes up, and a child until he reaches puberty.” (Abu Dawud)

However, it’s important to get them used to fasting so that it is not

hard on them when they have to.

Fasting becomes mandatory upon the occurrence of one of the

following two things:

1. The completion of thirty days of Sha’ban (month prior

Ramadan)

2. The sighting of the crescent moon (hilaal) of Ramadan

Narrated Ibn Umar: I heard Allah's Messenger saying, "When you see

the crescent (of the month of Ramadan), start fasting, and when you

see the crescent (of the month of Shawwal [month after Ramadan]),

stop fasting; and if the sky is overcast (and you can't see It) then

regard the crescent (month) of Ramadan (as of 30 days)". (Bukhari)



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Virtues of Ramadan________________________Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “When the

month of Ramadan starts, the gates of Jannah (Paradise) are opened

and the gates of Jahannam (Hell) are closed, and the shayatin (devils)

are chained up." (Bukhari & Muslim)

"Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully

out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not for

showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven." (Bukhari)

A Bedouin came to the Prophet and said, "Tell me of such a deed as

will make me enter Paradise, if I do it." The Prophet (peace and

blessings be upon him) said, "Worship Allah, and worship none along

with Him, offer the (five) prescribed compulsory prayers perfectly, pay

the compulsory Zakaat, and fast the month of Ramadan." The

Bedouin said, "By Him, in Whose Hands my life is, I will not do morethan this." When he (the Bedouin) left, the Prophet said, "Whoever

likes to see a man of Paradise, then he may look at this man."

(Bukhari)

Rulings on those Exempt from Fasting_________

Breaking the fast is permissible in Ramadan for four types of people:

The first is the ill person who would be harmed by fasting and the

traveller who is permitted to shorten the prayer. For them, breaking

the fast is preferable and they should make up for the number of

days they did not fast, and if they fasted it would be valid.

The second type is a menstruating woman and one having

postpartum bleeding. They break their fast and make up for [those

days], and if they fast it would not be valid.

The third type is a pregnant woman and one who is breast feeding. If

they fear for themselves, they break their fast and make up for it.



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And if they fear for their unborn child, they break and fast and make

up for it and feed one poor individual per day.

The fourth type is the person who is incapable of fasting because of

old age or an incurable disease. In this case he should feed one poor

individual per day.

And as for the rest of those who break their fast, they should make

up [those days] only, except for the one who broke his fast by

intercourse. In the case he must make it up plus free a slave, and if he

could, he should fast two consecutive months, and if he could not, heshould feed sixty individuals and if he could not, then the burden is

lifted from him.

The Nullifiers of Fasting_____________________

Intentionally Eating or Drinking

Takes anything into his stomach through his nostrils

Takes anything through any other route (for example:Nutritious Injections which give nourishment and reach the

stomach)

Intentionally vomits (if you are overwhelmed by vomiting

and none goes back down the throat passage you are still

fasting, if you have intentionally broken you must make up

the day)

Masturbation

Kissing or touching the opposite sex subsequently

ejaculating semen or dripping of madhy (pre-seminal fluid)

[you are able to kiss your wife as long as you know you will

not be aroused to the point of ejaculation of semen or

madhy].



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Ruling on Forgetfulness or Compulsion_________

If one does any of the nullifiers absentmindedly or is forced, his fast isnot nullified. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“He who forgets while fasting and eats or drinks, let him finish his

fasting, for it is Allah the Almighty who fed him and gave him drink.”

(Bukhari & Muslim)

The same would apply to one under compulsion, since he did not

intentionally break his fast; this also applies to one who had

intercourse without remembering that he is fasting.

__________________________________Khilafah

The Khilafah is the ruling system of Islam. It is the Islamic state, in

which the implementation of laws completely belongs to a righteous

God-fearing ruler, that rules and judges by what Allah has revealed.

Allah (subhanahu wata’ala) revealed the Qur’an, as guidance tomankind.

Within the Qur’an, exists many Ayat for the believers to reflect upon

and implement in their daily lives, from stories of the Prophets, from

understanding of Aqeedah and the principles of faith, and many more

- it essentially comes also with a divine law, the Hukm Shar’i that

Muslims must be governed with. The Prophet Muhammad (peace

and blessings be upon him) lived as a minority in Makkah, preaching

Tawheed and calling people to reject the Taghout, which was the

idols in which the Mushrikeen worshipped for centuries, following

the footsteps of their forefathers.

As he challenged the Mushrikeen politically, he had made Hijrah to

Abyssinia seeking justice, continuing his open Da’wah to the

disbelievers; he eventually sought Nusrah (support) from the tribes

that were willing to assist him. Arriving in Madina, with the

Muhajireen and through the help of the Ansaar, he established theIslamic state in Medina.



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The Islamic state, being the political authority of Islam in which the

ruler must implement the shari’ah of Allah with justice and Taqwa

(Piety)

The Khalifah is elected by the people, He is not a dictator or a king

but an elected ruler whose authority to rule must be given willingly

by the Muslims through a ruling contract called bay’ah (pledge of

allegiance), and without bay’ah he cannot be the head of the state.

The Muslims are obliged to give him bay’ah, in which it is a direct

command from Allah and the Prophet that the people must obey

him, as obedience to the ruler is also obedience to Allah.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“‘Prophethood will last among you for as long as Allah wills, then

Allah will take it away. Then it will be (followed by) a Khilafah Rashida

(rightly guided Khilafah)) on the pattern of the Prophethood. It will

remain for as long as Allah wills, then Allah will take it away.

Afterwards there will be a hereditary leadership which will remain for

as long as Allah wills, and then He will lift it if He wishes. Afterwards,

there will be biting oppression, and it will last for as long as Allah

wishes, then He will lift it if He wishes. Then there will be a Khilafah

Rashida (rightly guided Khilafah) according to the ways of the

Prophethood’. Then he kept silent.” (Ahmad)

We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to hasten the return of the

Khilafah, Ameen.



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_________________________________Marriage

The first thing we should look for when marrying is how committedthe person is to Islam. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be

upon him) said, "A woman is normally sought as a wife for her

wealth, beauty, nobility, or religiousness (adherence to Islam), but

choose a religious woman and you will prosper.” (Muslim) And he

said, "A woman is married for four things, i.e., her wealth, her family

status, her beauty and her religion. You should marry the religious

woman (otherwise) you will be a loser. "(Bukhari) And he said , "The

whole world is a provision, and the best object of benefit of the world

is the pious woman.” (Muslim)

The same holds true when looking for a husband, as the Messenger

of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "When someone with

whose religion and character you are satisfied asks to marry your

daughter, comply with his request. If you do not do so, there will be

corruption and great evil on earth. “(Tirmidhi)

The man is responsible for providing for his wife, as Allah (subhanahu

wa ta’ala) says,

Let a man of wealth spend from his wealth, and he whose provision is

restricted - let him spend from what Allah has given him. Allah does

not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it. Allah will

bring about, after hardship, ease. (at-Talaq: 7)

Both the husband and wife should make sure their home is a place

where Allah is remembered and His Commandments are reflected

and acted upon. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon

him) said, "The similitude of a home in which Allah is remembered

and a home in which He is not is like the living and the dead."

(Muslim)



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The Wife Obeying Her Husband_____________________

A woman must obey her husband as long as he does not tell her toperform any haraam (unlawful) acts. The Messenger (peace and

blessings be upon him) said, “If a woman observes her five daily

prayers, fasts during the month of Ramadan, guards her chastity and

obeys her husband, she may enter Paradise through any of the gates

she wishes.” (Ibn Hibban)

Kind Treatment to One’s Wife

Just because Allah has given men a position of authority does not give

them the right to abuse it. They have to treat their wives in the best

manner. Allah says,

"And live with them in kindness." (an-Nisa: 19)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “He is not of us

(the one) who does not have mercy on our young children, nor honour

our elderly.” (Tirmidhi)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never hit a woman

(Ibn Majah)

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The

believer with the most complete faith is the one with the best

character, and the best of them are those whom treat their women

the best." (Tirmidhi)



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_____________________________________Jinn

Allah Almighty has created certain creatures, some of them areknown to us and some of them are not.

In his capacity as Allah’s vicegerent on earth, man is ordained by Allah

to worship Him Alone without partners. Consequently, we should not

get absorbed in stories about jinn, as it is not a form of worship.

The Qur’an and Sunnah indicate that jinn exist, and that there is a

purpose for their existence in this life, which is to worship Allah Alonewith no partner or associate. Allah Almighty says: “And I (Allah)

created not the jinn's and humans, except they should worship Me

(Alone).” (Adh-Dhariyat: 56)

Allah Almighty says, “And among us there are righteous folk and

among us there are far from that. We are sects having different

rules.” (Al-Jinn: 11) “And there are among us some who have

surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path

purposefully.” (Al-Jinn: 14)

The world of the jinn is an independent and separate world with its

own distinct nature and features that are hidden from the world of

humans. Jinn's and humans have things in common, such as the

ability to understand and choose between good and evil. The word

jinn comes from the Arabic root meaning “hidden from sight”. AllahAlmighty says: “… Verily he (shaytan) and his soldiers from the jinn or

his tribe see you from where you cannot see them…” (Al-A`raf: 27)

Allah has told us in His Book the essence from which the jinn were

created. He says: “And the jinn, We created aforetime from the

smokeless flame o fire.” (Al-Hijr : 27)

`A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Prophet (peaceand blessings be upon him) said: “The angels were created from light,



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the jinn were created from fire, and Adam was created from that

which has been described to you.” (Reported by Muslim)

Types of jinn_____________________________________

Allah has created different types of jinn. Among them are some who

can take on different forms such as dogs and snakes; some who are

like flying winds with wings; and some who can travel and rest. Abu

Tha`labah al-Khushni says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be

upon him) says: “The jinn are of three types: a type that has wings

and they fly through the air; a type that looks like snakes and dogs;and a type that stops for a rest then resumes its journey.” (Reported

by At-Tahawi in Mushkil Al-’Athar)

The jinn and the sons of Adam______________________

Every individual among the sons of Adam has a jinn who has been

appointed to be his constant companion (qarin). Ibn Mas`ud reports

that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: “TheMessenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says:

‘There is not one of you who does not have a jinn appointed to be his

constant companion.’ They said, ‘And you too, O Messenger of Allah?’

He said, ‘Me too, but Allah has helped me and he has submitted, so

that he only helps me to do good.’” (Reported by Muslim)

The dwelling-places of the jinn______________________

The jinn live where we do live on this earth. They are mostly to be

found in ruins and unclean places like bathrooms, dunghills, garbage

dumps and graveyards. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings be

upon him) taught us to take precautions when entering such places,

by reciting the adhkar (mentioning Allah’s Name) prescribed by Islam.

One of these are reported by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased

with him) who says: “When the Messenger of Allah (peace andblessings be upon him) entered the toilet, he would say, ‘Allahumma

inni a`udhu bika min al-khubuthi wal-khaba’ith (O Allah, I seek Refuge



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with You from all offensive and wicked things [evil deeds and evil

spirits]).’”

Some jinn's are Muslims and some are non-Muslims_____

Allah tells us that some of the jinn said “And there are among us

some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some

who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have

taken the right path purposefully. ” (Al-Jinn: 14)

Jinn can see us while we cannot see them, the Prophet (peace andblessings be upon him) taught us many ways to protect ourselves

from their harm. They are seeking refuge of Allah from the accursed

shaytan, reciting surat Al-Falaq and surat An-Nas, and reciting the

words taught by Allah in the Qur’an. Allah Almighty says, “And say:

My Lord! I seek refuge in Thee from suggestions of the evil ones. And I

seek refuge in Thee, my Lord, lest they be present with me.” (Al-

Mu’minun: 97-98)

Saying Bismillah (in the Name of Allah) before entering one’s home,

eating or drinking, and having intercourse will keep Satan from

entering the house or partaking with a person in his food, drink and

sexual activity. Similarly, mentioning the name of Allah before

entering the toilet or taking off one’s clothes will prevent the jinn

from seeing a person in a state of undress or harming him. The

Prophet (peace and blessings of be upon him) says: “To put a barrier

that will prevent the jinn from seeing the `awrah of the sons of Adam,

let any one of you say ‘Bismillah’ when entering the toilet.” (Reported

by Tirmidhi)

Strength of faith and religion in general will also prevent jinn from

harming a person, so much so that if they were to fight, the one who

has faith would win. Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him)

says: “A man from among the Companions of Muhammad met a man

from among the jinn. They wrestled, and the human knocked down

the jinn. The human said to him, ‘You look small and skinny to me,

and your forearms look like the front paws of a dog. Do all the jinn



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look like this, or only you?’ He said, ‘No, by Allah, among them I am

strong, but let us wrestle again, and if you defeat me I will teach you

something that will do you good.’ The human said, ‘Fine.’ He said,‘Recite (the verse): “Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the

Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him

belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the

earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He

knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them,

while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will.

His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary

of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.” (Al-Baqarah:

255) The human said, ‘Fine.’ He said, ‘You will never recite this in your

house but the shaytan will come out of it like a donkey breaking wind,

and he will never come back in until the next morning.’” (Reported by

Ad-Darami)

____________________________________Du’a

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me -

indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when

he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and

believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (al-Baqarah: 186)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Du’a is

worship", then he recited what Allah, the Almighty said which means:

“ And your Lord says: Call on Me; I will answer your (prayers); verilythose who are too arrogant to worship Me will surely enter hell

abased”. (Ghaafir: 60) (Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi)

The place of du'a is so high to Allah that the Prophet said: "Nothing is

more honourable to Allah the Most High than du’a." (Bukhari),He also

said: "The most excellent worship is du’a." (Bukhari) and in order to

warn those who are arrogant, or careless in making du'a, the Prophet

said: "The most incapable person is the one who does not make du’a,and the most miserly person is the one who does not give salaam."



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(Bukhari), and further, said: "If one does not ask Allah, He will get

angry with him." (Bukhari)

Allah is the Glorious and the Mighty, the answerer of every person in

need and every person with a request. Indeed Allah is free of all

wants, and He is answerable to none. We have no other God, but

Him, whilst He has many servants other than us. Indeed Allah has

revealed:

O mankind, you are those in need of Allah , while Allah is the

Free of need, the Praiseworthy. (Fatir: 15)

So to fulfil our needs and wants, we must call on Him. Making Du’a to

Allah is recognition of our weakness and His greatness. The Prophet

(peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ask Allah for everything,

even the lace of your shoes. If Allah does not provide, it will never be

available." (Tirmidhi)

Al-Haafidh ibn al-Qayyim explains the causes that lead to one’ssupplication being answered in a beautiful way saying; When the

servant combines in his supplication presence of the heart and its

being attentive and devoting itself solely to Allah, sincerely asking

Him for the desired matter, doing so at one of the six times when the

supplication is more likely to answered - these being:

The last third of the night.

At the time of the adhan. Between the adhan and iqamah.

At the ends of the prescribed prayers.

From the time the Imam ascends the pulpit to the time the

prayer has finished on the day of Jumu`ah.

The last hour after the prayer ‘Asr.

Please remember our brothers and sisters the Mujahideen, the

oppressed and the prisoners in your Du’a it’s the least you can do.



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___________________The Mysteries of the Soul

“And they ask you (O Muhammad), concerning the Ruh (the spirit);Say: “The Ruh (the Spirit): its knowledge is with my Lord. And of

knowledge, you (mankind) have been given a little,” (al-‘Isra: 85)

The majority of Islamic scholars agree that nafs (soul) and ruh (spirit)

are two names for one in the same thing, and as such are

interchangeable. You will find throughout the Qur’an and the Sunnah

the term ‘soul’ and ‘spirit’ used intermittently. Some scholars of

Hadith hold the opinion, that the ruh is other than the nafs, but the

nafs, which is in the form of man, is dependent on the ruh for

existence.

Man’s nature (i.e. nafs) is filled with vanities, desires and passions. It

is the source of trials and afflictions, and there is no enemy more

hostile to him than his own nafs. Thus, the nafs wants and loves

nothing other than the things of this world, while the ruh longs for

the Hereafter and invites to it.

According to Ibn al-Qayyim and affirmed by Ibn Abul-‘Izz al-Hanafi,we find their description of the “souls” form described and explained

as follows:

“The spirit is an entity which differs from the physical, tangible body.

It is a higher type of luminous (or light-like) being, alive and moving,

and it penetrates the limbs, circulating through them as water

circulates throughout the petals of a rose, as oil circulates throughout

the olive, and as fire circulates throughout the burning embers of

coal.”(Sharh ‘al Aqeedat at Tahawiyyah)

Descriptions of the spirit as “light”, it’s mode of penetration of the

body, and its shape cannot be proven by the Qur’an or the Sunnah.

These descriptions can only be considered conclusions based upon

their own understanding of the “proofs”.

The Sunnah is replete with description of the state and the nature of

the soul. These Hadith substantiate the view held by dependable

scholars:



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An example of the physical and psychological punishment awaiting

the disbeliever's occurs in the following portion of a long,

authentically related Hadith:

“....The Angel of Death says: “O you foul soul, come out to the anger

and wrath of your Lord” The soul inside the disbeliever's body is

overcome by terrible fear (and does not want to deliver itself up),

whereupon the Angel of Death violently pulls it out like multi-pronged

skewers, being yanked out of wet wool - tearing with them the

arteries and nerves..” (Bukhari)

It is also narrated in an authentic Hadith Um Salamah reported:

“Allah’s Messenger (saws) entered upon Abu Salamah (i.e. his corpse),

whose eyes were wide open. The Prophet (saws) closed the lids and

then said: “When the Ruh (spirit) is taken out, the eyesight follows it

(i.e. watches it ascend).” (Ahmad & Muslim)

These Hadith indicate in two ways that the soul is indeed a form. First

of all, something must have form in order to be grasped and

extracted. And second of all, eyes can only visualize something that

has form.

In the Qur’an Allah ta’ala has mentioned two deaths and two lives.

“How can you deny Allah when you were dead, he gave you life, then

he gave you death and he is going to give you life once again and you

will come back to us.”(al-Baqarah: 28)

“The kafir will say on the day of judgment -Oh Allah, you have bound

us to die twice, and you gave us life twice, and now we admit our sins,so is there any way out for us?” (Ghafir: 11)

The first death is the state of the soul when it was first created. Allah

(swt) creates first of all from the sperm, it turns into ‘Alaqa’ (leach

like substance), then the ‘Mugarah’ (little piece of flesh), and when it

is in the shape of a fetus (after 120 days), the soul is breathed into it.

This is the moment when life begins. When the soul leaves the body

(when death occurs), this is the second death and then Allah

(subhanahu wa ta’ala) gives them a new form and this is the secondlife.



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This life now is the most important one, because what we do in this

life, determines what happens in the next.

A third of our life is spent in sleeping. While we are sleeping our souls

leave our body.

“Allah takes souls at the time of their death and (the souls) of those

that do not die, during their sleep. He retains those souls for which he

has ordained death, whereas he releases the rest for an appointed

term.” (az-Zumar: 42)

The soul can experiences pain and emotions and we know this by the

fact that we dream.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said;

“The clearest among you in his dreams are the clearest among you in

his faith. If you speak the truth all the time, then your dreams will be

true, but if you speak lies all the time then your dreams will be false.”

(Bukhari)

“If you could see, when the wrongdoers taste the pangs of death, and

the angels stretch their hands out (saying), “Deliver up your souls.

This day you will be awarded a degrading punishment.”

(al-An’am: 93)

Here it is stated that death is painful for the disbeliever's. Although,

they are ordered to surrender their own souls to the angels, they are

unwilling; therefore, the soul must be forced out as it does not wish

to meet its punishment.

Souls of the Dead Meeting with Each Other

The souls of the dead may be divided into the following two

categories:

1. Favoured souls (i.e. those of pious believers)

2. Punished souls (i.e. those of the sinful believers and disbeliever's)

The souls of the second group are confined to places of punishment

and are too preoccupied with the torments of the grave to be able to

meet or visit with each other. However, the blessed and favoured

souls of the pious believers are free to roam and meet. They may visit



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and discuss with each other their previous existence on earth. In the

barzakh (the place between the physical and spiritual world in which

the soul awaits after death and before resurrection on Qiyama) everysoul will be with companions of like nature. (Ibn al-Qayyim’s Kitab ar-

Ruh page 28)

The following Hadith is a direct reference and clear proof that, in

general, the souls of pious believers are able to meet and converse

with each other.


“Verily, the soul of the believer (after death) soars up to the heavens,whereupon the souls of other believers come to it, seeking news

about those they know from the people of the earth.” (Muslim,

Bukhari & Ahmad)

[Excerpts from Mysteries of the Soul Expounded by Abu Bilal Mustafa

al-Kanadi]



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___________________________Misconceptions

Jihad____________________________________

There is, perhaps, no term today that is more misunderstood than

the term jihad. Nowadays, the word jihad has solely come to signify a

holy war, terrorism or the mass murder of innocent people. However,

what is jihad really about and what does it really mean?

The term jihad is in fact derived from the Arabic word jahada, which

linguistically means to strive or struggle. In Islam, however, jihad

means to exhaust utmost effort striving to please God. This,

unsurprisingly, includes fighting, as fighting is a form of struggle.

So, jihad does not translate as “holy war” or the killing of innocent

people. It is to strive, with utmost effort, to please Allah and to strive

in His way. It is famously reported that Prophet Muhammad (peace

and blessings be upon him) said:

“The best form of jihad is to speak the truth in the face of a tyrant

ruler.” (Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi)

Women’s Rights in Islam____________________

Women in Islam are thought to be subjugated, degraded, oppressed -

but are they really? Are millions of Muslims simply that oppressive or

are these misconceptions fabricated by a biased media?

“And for women are rights over men, similar to those of men over

women.” (al-Baqarah: 228)

Over fourteen hundred years ago, Islam gave women rights that

women in the West have only recently began to enjoy. In the 1930’s,

Annie Besant observed, “It is only in the last twenty years thatChristian England has recognised the right of woman to property,

while Islam has allowed this right from all times. It is a slander to say



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that Islam preaches that women have no souls.” (The Life and

Teachings of Mohammed, 1932).

Men and women worship Allah in the same way, meaning they

worship the same God (Allah), perform the same acts of worship,

follow the same scripture, and hold the same beliefs. Allah (the

Arabic word for the One true God of all creation), judges all human

beings fairly and equitably. Allah emphasises the just treatment and

reward due to both men and women in many verses of the Qur’an:

“Allah has promised to the believers, men and women, gardens underwhich rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens

of everlasting bliss.” (at-Tawbah: 72)

“Never will I allow the loss of the work of any worker amongst you,

male or female; you are of one another.” (‘Ali `Imran 3: 195)

Both men and women are equally encouraged to seek knowledge.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Education is

compulsory for every Muslim.”

Also, great female Muslim Scholars existed at and around the time of

the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Some were from his

family and others were his companions or their daughters. Prominent

amongst them was Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (peace and

blessings be upon him) through who a quarter of the Islamic law has

been transmitted.

Other females were great scholars of jurisprudence and had famous

male scholars as their students.

Islam has honoured women by giving them the right to choose a

spouse and keep their original family name once married.

Additionally, many have the impression that parents force their

daughters into marriage. This is a cultural practice, and has no basis

in Islam. In fact, it is prohibited.



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At the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon

him), a woman came to him and said, “My father has married me to

my cousin to raise his social standing and I was forced into it.” TheProphet sent for the girl’s father and then in his presence gave the

girl the option of remaining married or nullifying the marriage. She

responded, “O Messenger of Allah, I have accepted what my father

did, but I wanted to show other women (that they could not be forced

into a marriage).”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also encouraged men

to treat their spouses in the best way, “The best of you are those whoare best (in treatment) to their wives.”

“And among His signs is that He created or you wives amongst

yourselves that you may dwell in tranquillity with them; and He has

put love and mercy between your (hearts). Surely in this are Signs for

people who reflect.” (ar-Rum: 21)

Aisha (the Prophet’s wife) was once asked how the Prophet’s conductwas in his home. She said, “He was like one of you at home, yet he

was most lenient and most generous ... He was ready to give a

helping hand to his wives in the ordinary work of the house, [he]

sewed his own clothes and mended his own shoes.” In general, he

helped in whatever work his wives did.

A mother has the greatest influence on a child especially in the earlier

years through her affection, care and love. Undoubtedly, the successof a society is due to mothers. Therefore, it is only right for Islam to

honour and raise their status.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“And we have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his Parents,

His mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with

hardship.” (al-‘Ahqaf: 15)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was once asked, “O

Messenger of Allah, who among people is most deserving of my good



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treatment?” He said, “Your mother.” The man asked twice more,

“Then who?” and was given the same response. Only until the fourth

time did the Prophet respond, “Then your father.” Reward is not onlygiven to the good and kind treatment towards mothers. In fact, Islam

has designated a special reward for raising daughters that is not

granted for raising sons.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“Whoever Allah has given two daughters and is kind towards them;

they will be a reason for him entering Paradise.”

Before Islam, women were considered shameful, female children

were buried alive, prostitution was rampant, divorce was only in the

hands of the husband, inheritance was only for the strong, and

oppression was widespread. Islam came and abolished these

practices. Even now, in “developed countries”, women are not

granted respect, dignity and honour, let alone equal pay for equal

work. Islam, however, regards women as precious and valuable, not

to be disrespected or disgraced. The mistreatment of women in some

Middle-Eastern countries or Muslim families is due to cultural factors

that some Muslims wrongly follow, not because of Islam. Why would

many women around the world willingly enter Islam if it is an

oppressive religion?

We end with the words of our Lord, the Creator and Sustainer of all

men and women:

“Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the

believing men and the believing women, and the obedient men and

the obedient women, and the truthful men and the truthful women,

and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men

and the humble women… Allah has prepared for them forgiveness

and a great reward.” (al-‘Ahzab: 35)



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Success is Only through Islam________________

We were the most disgraced of people, and Allah granted us honourwith Islam. Now, whenever we seek honour in other than what Allah

honoured us with, Allah shall disgrace us (once again).

– Umar Bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)

Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries

and anxiety… these are what everyone wants and these are the ways

in which people can have a good life and find complete happiness

and joy. There are religious means of achieving that, and natural and

practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the

believers; although other people may achieve some of them, they will

miss out on others.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says in the Qur’an

Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a

believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will

surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best

of what they used to do. (an-Nahl: 97)

Allah the Most Just, the Most Truthful tells us and promises us that

whoever combines faith with righteous deeds will have a good life

and a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “How wonderful

is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something

good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him;if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that

is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer.”

(Muslim)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told us that the

believer is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always

multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad.

The key is patience, Allah ta’ala says,



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And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a

loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the

patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon

whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who

are the [rightly] guided. (al-Baqarah: 155-157)

Allah is telling us that we will be tested, Do people think that they will

be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested.

(al-`Ankabut: 2)

And He further explains to us those who say “Indeed we belong toAllah, and indeed to Him we will return”, these are the ones upon

whom blessings from their Lord and mercy and it is those who are the

rightly guided.

This is what we want, and this is what we strive for, this is what we

live for, we live for the worship of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), we

live to seek His Pleasure and Only His pleasure as Ibn Qayyim said:

"Every drop of sweat and every breath we take in life, if not taken for

the sake of Allah, will lead to regret and sorrow on the Day of Judgement."

This is all done, so that when we meet Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) on

the Day of Judgement, knowing we did our best in this life and hoping

for His Mercy that He may enter us and accept us into His Paradise.

May Allah grant all the Muslims the Highest Level of Paradise,

Ameen.



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Glossary_________________________________

Adhan: Call for formal Islamic Prayer

Alayhi Salam: Peace be upon him, this is said after mentioning the

Prophets (peace be upon them)

Al Walaa Wal Baraa: Alliance (love) and Disavowal (hate) for the sake

of Allah

Ansar: The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon

him) who lived in Madinah and supported him and those who

emigrated to Madinah with him from Makkah.

‘Aqeedah: The creed and beliefs of a person

Asmaa’ was-Sifaat: One of the four categories of Tawheed, the

Names and Attributes of Allah

‘Asr: Afternoon Prayer

Ayat/Ayah: Verses of the Qur’an

Azza wa Jall: Mighty and the Majestic

Barzakh: Barrier between the physical and spiritual worlds, in which

the soul awaits after death and before resurrection on Qiyama

Dajjal: False Messiah that will come at the Ends of time

Da’wah: Preaching and spreading Islam

Deen: Religion

Dhuhr: Noon Prayer until Afternoon

Dirham: type of currency

Dinaar: type of currency



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Dunya: This temporary worldly life/existence

Fajr: Dawn until Sunrise prayer

Fiqh: Islamic Jurisprudence

Fitnah: a problem

Hadith: A collection of sayings, teachings and actions of the Prophet

Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

Hakimiyyah: the Legislation is Only for Allah.

Halaal: The lawful actions allowed according to Islamic Shari’ah

Haraam: The unlawful actions prohibited according to Islamic

Shari’ah

Hereafter: Life after death, you will either be in Paradise or Hell-Fire

(may Allah save us from it)

Ghusl: Major Ablution which is needed when you are in a major state

of impurity

Iman: Faith

Iqamah: Call to rise for Prayer

‘Isha: Night Prayer until Midnight

Ithbaat: Affirmation

Jahiliyyah: Pre-Islam, days of ignorance

Janabah: Major Impurity

Kafir: Disbeliever

Kufr: Disbelief



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Khilafah: An Islamic state led by a One God-Fearing Leader known as

the Khalif, Shari’ah is implemented under the Khilafah

Janhanum: Hell-Fire

Jannah: Paradise

Jihad: Struggling

Maghrib: Sunset prayer

Masjid: House of Allah (in the west known as Mosque)

Muhajiroon: Those Companions of the Prophet who migrated from

Makkah to Madinah

Mujahideen: The ones who fight in the cause of Allah

Mushrikoon/Mushrikeen: The people who commit shirk, the people

of shirk

Nafy: Negation

Nawafil: Voluntary, usually refers to Voluntary prayers or other acts

of worship like fasting.

Qadr: The predestination or pre-decree of Allah

Qiblah: The direction in which every Muslim faces in prayer, towardsthe Ka’bah in Makkah

Qiyama: Judgement Day

Rahimahullaah: May Allah have Mercy on him

Ruboobeeyah: One of the four categories of Tawheed, referring to

Allah’sLordship

Sahabah: The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be

upon him)



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Salaat/Salaah: Prayer

Salaf: The righteous predecessors – those who followed the Prophetand his Companions in religion

salAllahu alayhi wa sallam: This is said after mentioning the Prophet

Muhammad’s name, it means peace and blessings be upon him

Shari’ah: The Laws of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), the Laws of Islam.

Shaykh: A term often used to refer to a scholar of Islam

Shaytaan: A devil from men or Jinn, another unseen, creation of Allah

Shirk: Associating partners with Allah in anything that is exclusive to

only Him, such as worship

Sifaat: Attributes or characteristics, usually referring to the Attributes

of Allah

Siwaak/Miswaak: Siwak or Miswak is a natural tooth brush prepared

from the roots or branches of various trees and bushes. The most

common and beneficial is that of the root of the Salvadora Persica, a

wild desert plant known in Arabic as Arak, and in Urdu as Peelu.

Subhanahu wa ta’ala: “Glorified and High is He above all

imperfections.” (Allah)

Sunnah: The statements, beliefs, actions, approvals or descriptions of

the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Taghout: anyone who exceeds the limits of the Shari'ah by ascribing

to himself any of the rights of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), like the

right to be worshiped or obeyed and makes himself a partner or rival

besides Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala).

Tawheed: Pure monotheism

Tayammum: Dry ablution



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Uluhiyyah: One of the four categories of Tawheed, The worship for

Allah one.

Ummah: One United Muslim Community, the body of Muslims united

Wudoo: Minor ablution, needed for certain acts of worship

Zakaat/Zakaah: The obligation that an individual has to donate a

certain proportion of wealth each year to charitable causes. Zakaat is

a mandatory process for Muslims in order to physically and spiritually

purify their yearly earnings that are over and above what is required

to provide the essential needs of a person or family.

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