The Fountain Issue 6

hikmah .CO.UK

ISSUE 6 / FREE RAMADHAN 1436 / JULY 2015

By the students of Imam Zakariya Academy under the guidance of Mufti Shah Sadruddin Online version available at: hikmah.co.uk

Contents 2 Madrasah Life Through The Eyes Of A University Student 3 Smoking -Time To Pack It In? 5 Vote Today, Kafir Tomorrow?

7 Maulana Mahmood Al Hasan 8 Poem 9 Bi Riwaayati Hafs ‘An ‘Aasim 11 Abu Bakr Siddeeq (May Allah be pleased with him) 12 Sunnahs of the Prophet g 13 Fountain of Hadith

Editor: Maulana Tahir Talati

Madrasah Life Through The Eyes Of A University Student

By Ridwan Basith (Year 2) Before I started studying at IZA I had never really experienced what it had meant to study my religion in a traditional environment. Since I started to take my Islam more seriously, I realised the urgent need for me to understand my faith and to actually look beyond the image that is often painted in the media. Thus, just before I started my second year of university I enrolled onto the alim course at the Imam Zakariya Academy.

Life at University and Madrasah are often seen in contrasting lights. The former is seen as a way of getting away from the rigidness of the latter. My time in madrasah has shown me that this could not be further from the truth. Perhaps one of the strangest things I’ve experienced since I’ve started studying the deen is the awesome tranquility that fills your heart whilst you are in the madrasah. I often ask my fellow students regarding this and I nearly always get the same response.

“Quote – if the rulers knew the peace we had they would take their armies to conquer our musullas” For me, the peace and serenity which seems to surround madrasah is as a result of the pious inhabitants of the school.

I am in awe of the character of many of the brothers who attend class here. As mentioned earlier, traditional Islam is often viewed as being very rigid and stern but the students here while they dress according to the sunnah, they also adorn themselves with the prophetic character of gentleness and compassion.

“And indeed you are of a great moral character” – Surah Qalam Verse 4 One example of this is a football match I recently played with the brothers here. Despite being on the losing team I was amazed at the etiquette that was shown. This feeling of brotherhood is rarely found in this day and age but on that day I truly felt like I was amongst brothers.

The other aspect of madrasah that I have yet to mention is the actual knowledge that is acquired whilst studying here. In the first two years of the alim course a heavy emphasis is placed on the learning of Arabic language. The main purpose behind this is first and foremost to understand the words of Allah.

At the start of the year I was quite skeptical as to how we were learning Arabic. I really could not fathom how all these different rules were supposed to allow me to understand the Qur’an.

SubhanAllah, now I am approaching the end of the year I am able to appreciate the wisdom in the way our teachers were teaching us. It is a completely different experience when whilst standing in salah you are able to comprehend the message that is being presented in front of you. What greater joy can there be when you start to understand the words of your Creator directly without the need for an English translation.

Finally, I have left the most important part of madrasah till last; our teachers. Under their guidance and tutelage Allah swt has truly blessed us with being able to learn under men who have attained their knowledge through their effort and sacrifice over a number of years. What has truly humbled us as students in front of our teachers is by witnessing the way they have internalized this knowledge of Qur’an and Sunnah and have developed their hearts to truly reflect the prophetic way.

Every single teacher is a gem in their own right and over the course of the academic year you start to appreciate the different qualities of the teachers. I will leave you with just one example of what this relationship means. During a salah, one of our teachers started of his recitation with a particular verse.

“All believers are but bothers, therefore seek reconciliation between your two brothers, and fear Allah, so that you may be blessed with mercy”- (Surah Hujrat Verse 10) As he was reading we could hear his voice breaking as tears started to flow down his cheeks, and instantly the emotions within his heart was transferred into the hearts of the students.

After salah we had felt that we had been taught such a deep lesson regarding the importance of maintaining good ties with all our fellow believers no matter what differences there are and most importantly not to allow any bitterness to grow within the hearts regarding any dispute.

SubhanAllah! How blessed are we that we have such teachers who teach us such lessons even within salah!

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Smoking - Time to pack it in?

By Maulana Muhammad Patel

O

n average, each cigarette shortens one’s life span anywhere from seven to eleven minutes and decreases overall life expectancy by approximately ten years. In the UK, an estimated 40% of Bangladeshi and 29% of Pakistani men regularly smoke cigarettes compared to the national average of 24% and smoking is highly prevalent amongst the Muslim youth too. As Ramadhan approaches, this is an ideal opportunity to consider relieving oneself from this addiction for good insha’Allah.

The detrimental effect of smoking on health is renowned. One of the most famous definitions of health is by the world health organisation (WHO) which states that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

In this article, I aim to explore the effects of smoking based on this holistic view of health. This will hopefully serve as a reminder for those who are not yet contemplating quitting or to further encourage those who are already intending to quit. This article, however, will not discuss any Shari’ ruling regarding the permissibility of smoking, but will merely address the issue from a health perspective.

Physical health The adverse impact of cigarette smoking on physical health has been published extensively and is well known. Cigarette smoking is the greatest single cause of illness and premature death in the UK. There has been a strong link found between cigarette smoking and heart disease,

lung disease and a number of cancers. Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including over 50 known carcinogens (causes of cancer) and other poisons. Smoking also affects male and female fertility and can increase the risk of bone disease. In fact there are very few medical conditions that are not affected by smoking, either directly, increasing susceptibility to certain diseases or by making an existing condition worse.

Mental Health Nicotine (in cigarettes) creates an immediate sense of relaxation so people smoke in the belief that it reduces stress and anxiety. Research has shown the opposite to be true over the long term; smoking actually increases anxiety and tension. This feeling of relaxation is temporary and soon gives way to withdrawal symptoms and increased cravings and does not deal with underlying causes of stress. A complex relationship has also been shown to exist between smoking and depression as well as the risk of developing dementia.

Social Health Smoking not only affects the individual smoking but is harmful to those around them too that are exposed to second hand smoke, especially children. In the UK alone, it is estimated that more than 10,000 people die from diseases caused by passive smoking every year. Whenever someone smokes, toxic particulate matter gets into that person’s hair and clothes. In addition, a smoker exhales toxins for several minutes after extinguishing the cigarette. Therefore babies are particularly vulnerable even if one smokes outside or while in a car, even -3-

if the window is opened. Smoking can also have a negative effect on social interaction and relationships and can hinder one’s self esteem.

Financial Health Smoking is an expensive habit. If we assume a person smokes 10 cigarettes a day, if he was to quit completely, he would save approximately £548 after 6 months and £10,950 after 10 years.

This will be coupled with better health which is priceless. Imagine having this much more money to spend on yourself, your family or to donate in sadaqah.

Spiritual Health Islam, as a complete way of life, has prescribed guidelines regarding preservation of one’s health. The human body is an amanah (trust) from Allah c and a great bounty for which will be questioned. We should therefore strive for optimum health and avoid all health damaging activities. “... and do not put yourselves into destruction.” [Quran; 2:195] The above verse directs us to avoid those things which may harm us.

The Quran also explicitly mentions that one must not be extravagant and reckless in spending such as spending on things which have no benefit: “And do not squander recklessly.”

[Quran; 17:26] The Quran and Sunnah encompass both physical and financial health as above, as well as social health:

Jabir r reported that the Messenger of Allah g said: “He who eats of this plant”, i.e. garlic, and sometimes He said: “He who eats onion and garlic and leek, should not approach our mosque for the angels are harmed by the same things as the children of Adam”. (Muslim) The foul smell emanating from the smoker can be a deterrent to the other members of the congregation as well as inconveniencing angels.

Shisha smoking: “it’s not the same as cigarettes...is it?”

The health dangers of smoking shisha are well established and there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that the harm from using water pipes or hookah is similar to, if not greater than smoking cigarettes. According to the British Heart Foundation, during a shisha smoking session lasting one hour, one can inhale the same

amount of smoke as from more than 100 cigarettes. This article will not go into depth about smoking shisha, but it is sufficient to say that many of the harms of cigarette smoking apply to shisha too and it is therefore recommended for one to quit.

Time to quit?

In summary, it is clear that smoking is injurious to many determinants of health and should therefore be avoided. The good news is that the harms of smoking are partially reversible with total abstinence. Light and intermittent smoking, or social smoking, is better for you than heavy smoking, but it still increases the risks of heart disease, lung cancer and a host of other conditions.

Many people want to quit but aren’t sure how to, while others have tried but were unsuccessful. Successfully quitting is not just about having will power. It’s about being practical, having a plan and having people on -4-

your side to support you. It requires courage and continuous dua to the Almighty to make it easy for you. If you fail, get back up and try again.

Don’t try and go it alone. Get some support from smoking cessation services or the NHS Choices website.

There are numerous means to help quitting including patches, sprays and even tablets. If one doesn’t work, don’t be disheartened to try another.

This Ramadhan is an ideal time to quit smoking forever. After perseverance and firm determination, you can look forward to a brighter future for yourself and your loved ones Insha’Allah. (see website for references)

Vote Today, Kafir Tomorrow?

By Maulana Zeeshan Chaudri

Whenever any elections draw near, the debate begins as to who and who not to vote for. Who will be beneficial for the Muslims and who will be harmful?

Some claim that the voting system is pointless as all the candidates are similar, whilst some believe in a conspiracy that all elections are rigged to cause Muslims maximum harm. The aim of this essay is not to answer any of the above questions, as everyone may have their respected evidences.

However, it is to respond to a notion held by some zealots that voting in elections regardless of one’s intent is Kufr (Disbelief ), and the perpetrator of this act of treachery to Islam has left the fold of the religion (with the exception of those who did so out of ignorance). As bizarre as this view sounds, many youth accept this to be the correct view and begin to do Takfir (charge someone with disbelief ) to those who allow the act.

My aim is to respond to this ignorant claim and show how ludicrous this view is when looked at from the traditional Sunni perspective. But before delving into this topic, I would like to comment about the dangers of charging one with disbelief and the way the scholars dealt with this. I will only mention classical scholars whose statements all would accept.

It is reported in the Sahihayn (al-Bukhari and Muslim) that the Prophet g said ‘A person does not charge a person with sin (Fisq) or Disbelief (Kufr) except it returns to him, if he (the accused) is not like that (of what he has been accused of ).’

The Hadith warns about the dangers of

loosely attributing sinfulness to a person, let alone disbelief, without having concrete evidence that they are so. It is also understood that the words of the Prophet g are in regards to charging Disbelief to a person attributing themselves to Islam, as the one who openly manifests his disbelief, then there is no harm in calling him what he is. Many Ahadith have come to this effect, which is why Ibn al-Wazir (d.840) had classified it as Mutawatir (Ithar al-Haq ‘ala al-Khalq, p.381) Imam al-Shawkani (d.1250) stressed the danger of loosely charging someone with disbelief, when he stated ‘Know, that applying the ruling on a Muslim that he has left the fold of Islam and entered into disbelief, is not appropriate for the one who believes in Allah c and the last day. Rather he should only apply the ruling of disbelief, when he has evidence more clear than the Sun at day time. It is established via authentic narrations from a large group of companions that the one who states to his brother, ‘Oh Kafir, then it returns on one of the two’’ (al-Sayl al-Jarrar, 4/548) Similar statements can be found from a host of Sunni scholars.

This is under the assumption that the person has done an act of disbelief, as merely doing an act of Kufr does not necessitate that the person has become a Kafir. This may be because the person had done so out of ignorance, or may have wrongly understood a text etc. So the Ahl alSunnah have always been extremely cautious when charging someone

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with disbelief, rather Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728) mentions ‘From the apparent defects of the people of innovation is their charging one another with disbelief and from the praiseworthy nature of the people of knowledge are them taking out their opponent’s mistakes, yet refraining from Takfir’. (Minhaj al-Sunnah, 5/251) Anyone who has associations with these types of people would know the truthfulness of Ibn Taymiyyah’s words.

This should serve as a warning to those who easily classify acts as disbelief, especially when the scholarly community by large are opposing their opinions. As for the topic of voting, then we should try to offer an academic approach, dealing with the commonly used arguments and providing further evidence from ourselves.

A common argument put forth is that Democracy is a system of Shirk, hence those who participate in the system are doing an act of Shirk. Therefore those who vote for a party or person are also aiding this Shirk/Kufr, and so are also doing Shirk themselves. Once this logic is explained to the Muslim voter and he still votes, then he is a Kafir/Mushrik.

Firstly, to say Democracy is Shirk is an overstatement. What exactly is the definition of Democracy? It actually doesn’t have a fixed meaning, for

example one such definition is ‘A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives’.

If it is used to mean that man has the right to legislate` instead of Allah c, then yes, this is Kufr. But one form of democracy can also mean that the majority decide who they want to lead them by Shariah; a person may claim that this is not the correct way, but it cannot be ruled as Shirk.

Secondly, one must understand that voting in itself is not Haram or Shirk.

Rather, the ruling of voting would change from scenario to scenario. If a group are travelling and cast a vote on who should be placed in charge, this is commendable. Likewise, if the vote is for something evil, then that would be a sin. Does that mean voting for Shirk is Shirk?

Many scholars have discussed that obedience of a Mushrik only becomes Shirk when ones heart agrees with the Shirk. As for the mere action, then it is a sin. Qadhi Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi (d.543) has stated ‘A believer can only become a Mushrik with the obedience of a Mushrik, when he obeys him in his belief (I’tiqad), as that (the heart) is the place of disbelief and faith. Thus when he obeys him in an action whilst his faith is sound and remaining on Tawhid (oneness of Allah c) and Tasdiq (affirmation), then he is a sinner. Understand that at all places’ (Ahkam al-Quran, 2/275) Al-Qurtubi (d.671) also quotes this from Ibn al-Arabi and agrees (See Jami’ Ahkam al-Quran, 7/77-78) A similar statement is said by Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi (d.745) in his Tafsir, where he explains the verse when Allah c warns the Prophet g and the Sahabah h that if they obey the Mushriks (in regards

to slaughter) then they will become Mushriks ‘And if you obey them, then you will be idolaters: meaning if you obey the friends of the devils. You are the idolaters: Because obedience of them is obedience of the devils and that is idolatry, but he is not an actual Mushrik unless he obeys him in the heart’ (al-Bahr al-Muhit 4/633) Similar statements can be found in various Tafasir, which show that obedience of a Mushrik has to be followed by belief in the heart. There are clear exceptions to this rule, that is when the act is such that it shows the state of a person’s heart has disbelieved, so for example prostrating to a Hindu God, or clear disparagement of the Mushaf etc (as mentioned by various authorities).

Now this clearly shows that electing a person to rule by other than Shariah, when done without the intention that someone other than Allah c has the right to legislate, the most that can be said that it is a sin not Shirk. But even this will only be classified as a sin if he does so because he sees a personal worldly gain or something to that effect. As for the one who does so for an overriding greater benefit for Islam, then this comes under the scope of Ijtihad (legitimate opinion [this is not the literal meaning of Ijtihad]). This is par the Usul laid down by the early authorities cited. But now there are two ways to look at the current situation in the West, as one doesn’t have a choice whether they want to live under Shariah law or non-Shariah law.

One is that the system of legislating is already established, so the voting is not giving anyone the right to legislate but rather choosing out of a pool of people who will inevitably take the role. And as we have seen, voting in itself is not an act of worship, rather

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it is Mubah (permissible). Therefore, in this situation it becomes incumbent to choose the lesser of the two (or more) evils.

The second way is that voting is giving the right to legislate, but as seen it is not Shirk but a sin. So there is a Mafsadah (evil) involved in voting, but at times not voting has a greater evil (Mafsadah) which is the spread of more sin and Kufr. So if there is a greater Mafsadah for not voting or a greater Mafsadah in voting, that is what the Hukm would be. I will show that both understanding can be considered valid.

Once that is known, we can discuss the concept of lesser of the two evils.

This Usul of ‘lesser of two evils’ is often sighted in this discussion. The option of choosing the lesser of two evils occurs when there are two actions that are harmful, and the person takes the less harmful option. An example of this mentioned by the Usulis is when the Bedouin came to the Masjid and began urinating. The Sahabah h got up to stop the man, but the Prophet g stopped them. This was because it could have spread the urine in more places or even be harmful to the physical state of the Bedouin. In this situation, the man urinating in the Masjid is a sin and not preventing the one urinating is also a sin.

But by preventing him, one is committing a great evil (Mafsadah) because of either the urine spreading or physical harm to the Bedouin (See Ibn Hajr’s (d.852) Fath al-Bari, 1/324-5) (The remainder of the article can be found on the Hikmah website)

Maulana Mahmood Al Hasan r

By Nazir Faruki (Year 7)

Among the great personalities produced by the Islamic educational seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, Maulana Mahmood al Hasan r was a shining beacon. More popularly known with the title Shaykh al Hind (The scholar of India), he was born in 1851 in the city of Barelli, with his lineage tracing back to the third caliph Uthman h. His father was a very knowledgeable scholar and encouraged Maulana Mahmood to start his Islamic education at a young age. He began memorising the Quran at the age of 6 along with learning Persian. Thereafter he learnt Arabic with his uncle until Darul Uloom Deoband was established on 30th May 1866 where he became the first student. Interestingly, the first student and teacher were both called Mahmood.

He enrolled at Darul Uloom Deoband at the age of 15 and graduated only 4 years later in 1871. When he completed his education he joined the staff of the school, and in the next forty years was a dominating influence in its teaching, becoming the school’s most famous teacher. Initially he began by teaching the elementary books but as his intelligence and capabilities became apparent he was assigned higher subjects, and in the year 1888, he was made the head teacher. He was a man of extraordinary energy, teaching ten lessons each day and writing scholarly works. He was especially known for his expertise in hadith and in the course of his career he taught over a thousand students from distant places such as Kabul, Qandahar, Bukhara, Makkah, Medinah, and Yemen.

He remained as head teacher for 44 years, nurturing students and producing leaders of communities. Among his students were Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani, Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri and Allamah Shabbir Ahmed Uthmani, the leaders of the third

generation of Ulama at the school.

He played an influential role in helping India gain independence from British rule and was known for advancing the silk letter conspiracy. The aim of this movement was to free India from British rule by allying with the Ottomans, Imperial Germany and Afghanistan. He went to the Hijaz (which was under the Ottoman rule) to persuade the Ottomans to declare war against the British in India, which they promised to do. After this he remained behind in Taif and intended to visit Istanbul to gain more support, however due to lack of transportation he was unable to leave. Whilst he was in Taif, Sharif Hussain revolted against the Ottoman rule. Things became worse for Maulana Mahmood when he refused to sign a fatwa declaring the Ottoman rulers as kafir and it being permissible to revolt against them. This bold move had its consequences, provoking Sharif ’s anger, who issued arrest warrants for Maulana Mahmood and his companions.

When Maulana Mahmood’s companions heard about the arrest warrant they forced him into hiding. However Sharif ’s police managed to arrest two associates of Maulana Mahmood and threatened to kill them if he did not surrender.

Maulana Mahmood, out of concern for his companions, presented himself to the authorities and was deported to Jeddah. He was detained for one month before being sent to Egypt. He and his companions were held in Egypt for a month where they were separately interrogated. Due to the lack of evidence their lives were spared and they were sent to the prison in Malta.

After spending approximately 3 years in Malta, he was set free. On his arrival in Bombay, great scholars and dignitaries -7-

such as Ghandi came to receive him. The official government scholar advised him saying, “Leave politics, you’ve become too old for it now. Spend the rest of your days in the remembrance of Allah c.” Maulana Mahmood however had no intention to stop in his efforts to liberate India. On his return he issued a fatwa endorsing the Muslims to boycott the British, with non-violent opposition.

He even had the intention touring India to get support, however his health did not allow for this to happen. Years of imprisonment and harsh treatment had taken its toll on his body. Since he had returned to India his health had begun to deteriorate until finally on 30th of November 1920 he bid farewell to this world. He was laid to rest next to his teachers in the Deoband graveyard.

Maulana Mahmood was well known amongst the scholars for his adherence to the sunnah of the Prophet g. During the snowy winters of Malta he would perform wudhu with cold water and pray Tahajjud. He would even buy a goat at the time of Eid to sacrifice in the prison.

It was also his habit to eat vinegar with every meal due to a Hadith mentioning that it is the best gravy. He was very soft and caring in his approach to others, even his opposition. He would never say anything to hurt or slander anyone. He would always be aware of his intention before doing any action. If he thought that it was not for the sake of Allah c he would leave that action even if he were in the middle of a talk. It was most probably due to these qualities that Allah c gave him such a high status. May Allah c give us the ability to follow in the footsteps of our pious predecessors and struggle for the truth. Aameen.

Poem About The Love Of The Prophet Muhammed g Assalatu Wassalamu Alyka Ya Rasulallah As I tread in the steps of giants, I imagine standing beside you, To feel the love of my nabi, I wish I could have been the one to protect you during Uhud, I travelled hundreds of miles to convey my salams, But I wish I could travel a thousand and couple hundred years back just to see your smile, As I drag myself to leave your house o nabi I feel as if I left a part of me, I ask myself to where and what am I going back to?

A place full of darkness where the stars don't shine and the ground is not humble as the sand that accepted your message, My wounded heart bleeds to see you, I wish I could have been your companion, To be you o Umar Al Farooq to have been guided on the dua of rosullulah, O Abu bakr as Sidique to spend a night with my beloved, But how blessed am I to be in your Ummah, The greatest present given to me before I was even born, That the other nations envied, That Musa (AS) kept asking of, And your companions kept asking who may your brothers be?

And my heart is at ease as I know it's me!

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Bi Riwaayati Hafs ‘An ‘Aasim

By Bodrul Hussain (Year 4) Students of knowledge are drawn to the Quran in the manner moths are drawn to the lights of lamps; an almost hypnotic and overwhelming attraction.

However, many a time when reading the cover of a mus’haf of the Qur’an or even listening to audio recordings of recitation, we almost ignore the phrase ‘bi riwayaatin Hafs ‘an ‘Aaasim’ as though its bears no significant.

Thus the inquisitive mind is forced to ask; what does this phrase refer to and what is its significance?

Those readers who will be fortunate enough to reach the third year of study at IZA will learn under the tutorage of our respected Muq’ri Qari Mohammad Tayyab that the ‘Uthmani mus’haf that we read is according to the narration of ‘Imam Hafs from the reading of Imam ‘Aasim’. Imam Shu’bah has also narrated from Imam ‘Aasim through Ali bin Abi Talib (May

Allaah

be

pleased

with

him).

his father who was called Bahdalah.

The more enlightened reader will know that Imam ‘Aasim was one out of the seven Imams of Qira’ah whose chain of narration is considered Mutawaatir (a transmission which has independent chains of authorities so wide as to rule out the possibility of any error and on which there is consensus).

His date of birth cannot be precisely verified, and in a similar fashion there is uncertainty on his date of death with scholars and historians offering several opinions. The most correct view according Ibn Al Jazri is that he died in 127 (AH) in Kufa.

Imam Abu Bakr ‘Aasim Al-Asadi Al-Kufi was born in Kufa (present day Iraq) during the caliphate of Mu’awiya (May Allaah be pleased with him). His family were clients (maula) of Banu Asad, who had settled in Iraq during the time of the messenger (May the salutations and peace of Allaah be upon him).

His father was known as Abu Najood. Ibn Al Jazri has narrated that his father’s name was ‘Abdullah and his mother’s name Bahdalah hence he was called ‘Ibn Bahdalah’.

However, Dhahabi considered this a fallacy and stated that it was in fact -9-

Although he is generally well known for his narration of Qira’ah, he also narrated Ahaadeeth, was very eloquent in speech, had a beautiful voice in reciting and was celebrated for his knowledge and mastery of the Arabic language.

Dhahabi, the great Shafi Muahddith and historian described Imam ‘Aasim in his celebrated work ‘Siyar ‘Alam An-Nubala’ as being a ‘great Imam, (as well as the) teacher and reciter of the Qur’an of his era’.

Ibn Mujahid says in his authoritative book ‘As Sab’a Fi’l Qira’at’ that ‘Aasim was the most senior (scholar) in his era, famous for his eloquence and renowned for his perfection and mastery (of Islamic sciences).

and then present myself to Zirr bin Hubaish and he used to recite to ‘Abdullah (bin Mas’ud), Abu Bakr bin ‘Iyaash says, so I said to ‘Aasim, ‘you have certainly verified (your knowledge)’.

Ibn Al Jazari says, ‘…he (‘Aasim) combined eloquence, perfection (of language), (knowledge of ) literature and tajweed, he had the most beautiful voice from among the people when it came to the recitation of the Qur’an’.

Having spent a lifetime in the company of the some of the sahaba and the eminent tabi’een, he is counted as being from amongst the tabi’een.

Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Hanbal narrated, I asked my father about ‘Aasim bin Bahdalah, he said ’he was pious, good and trustworthy, I (further) asked, ‘which recitation is the most beloved to you’? He replied ’the recitation of the people of Madinah, and if it had not been so, than the recitation of ‘Aasim (as narrated by Dhahabi).

As narrated by Mujahid, Ibn Al Jazri and Dhahabi, Abu Bakr bin ‘Iyaash said, ‘Aasim said to me, none used to teach me letter by letter except Abu AbdirRahman As Sulami, and he used to recite to Ali bin Abi Talib, I would return

His contribution to the transmitting of Qira’ah has been enormous to the extent that his transmission of recitation is commonly found all over the world. Work in any masjid in the UK and pick up a mushaf and it will be in the narration of Imam ‘Aasim. Likewise there have been millions of individuals who have memorised the quran in his narration, whilst the reciters would be in the many billions. Thus the next time one listens to Qur’an or reads from a mushaf, one ought to be of the greatness of Imam ‘Aasim and his contribution.

Imam ‘Aasim’s chain of transmission Allaah, Glorified, The Most High Angel Jibraa’il The Trustworthy (Peace be upon him) Muhammad The messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) Abu AbdirRahmaan Abdullah bin Habib Al-Sulami

Imaam ‘Aaasim Al-Kufi Imam Hafs Imam Ibn Al-Jazari

Imam Ash-Shatibi

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Abu Bakr Siddeeq r

By Huzaifa (Year 5)

Name: Abdullah ibn Uthman ibn Aamir r Title: Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq r Date of Birth: Two & A half years after the Year of the Elephants Date of Death: 13 A.H Lineage Attribute: Father-in-Law of the Prophet Muhammad g. His daughter Aishah r was married to the Prophet g Titles & Achievements Acompanied the Prophet salalahu alay hi wasalam at the time of Hijra and referred to as “The second of the Two (Thaani Ithnayn)” in the Quran First man after the Prophet (AS) to enter paradise Only man to be Invited to enter paradise from all of its 8 doors First man to accept Islam Gained the title As-Siddeeq after accepting and affirming the incident of Mi'raj First ever Khalifah in Islam after the demise of prophet salala hu alyhi wasalam One of the Ashara E Mubasharrah (the ten people who were given the glad tiding of Jannah in one gathering) Attendant of the battle of Badr Attendant of Bayat E Ridawaan From amongst the Muhajiroon Al Awaloon (the first muslims to migrate from Makkah) Abu Dardaa r once began travelling ahead of Abu Bakr r in a journey. Upon seeing this, Rasulullah SAW said “Oh Abu Dardaa! You are riding ahead of a man who is the best person the sun has ever risen upon after the prophets.” After this, Abu Dardaa r never travelled ahead of Abu Bakr r.

May Allah tala give us all the ability to be like our beloved Sahabas r and walk on their paths.

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Sunnahs of the Prophet Muhammad g Biography: The lineage of the Prophet g up to his grandfather Adnan: ‫ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ ﺍﻟﻤﻄﻠﺐ ﺑﻦ ﻫﺎﺷﻢ‬ ‫ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ ﻣﻨﺎﻑ ﺑﻦ ﻗﺼﻲ ﺑﻦ ﻛﻼﺏ ﺑﻦ ﻣﺮﺓ ﺑﻦ ﻛﻌﺐ ﺑﻦ‬ ‫ﻟﺆﻱ ﺑﻦ ﻏﺎﻟﺐ ﺑﻦ ﻓﻬﺮ ﺑﻦ ﻣﺎﻟﻚ ﺑﻦ ﻧﻀﺮ ﺑﻦ ﻛﻨﺎﻧﺔ ﺑﻦ ﺧﺰﻳﻤﺔ‬ ‫ﺑﻦ ﻣﺪﺭﻛﺔ ﺑﻦ ﺍﻟﻴﺎﺱ ﺑﻦ ﻣﻀﺮ ﺑﻦ ﻧﺰﺍﺭ ﺑﻦ ﻣﻌﺪ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺪﻧﺎﻥ‬ Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abd Manaf bin Qusai, bin Kilab, bin Murrah, bin K’ab, bin Lo’ai bin Ghalib bin Fahr (he was also called Quraish and the tribe was named after him) bin Malik bin Nadr bin Kinana bin Khuzaiman bin Mudrikah, bin Ilyas bin Mudar bin Nizar bin Ma’ad bin Adnan. [Nafhatul Arab] The lineage of the Messenger of Allah g has been verified and authenticated until Adnan. Some historians have traced his lineage back to Ibrahim (AS), whilst others have mentioned his lineage all the way to Adam (AS).

However, the lineage after Adnan has not been agreed upon and may contain mistakes.

Blessed Features: The Prophet g was blessed with extreme beauty. There are many narrations regarding the blessed features of the Messenger of Allah g, from the complexion of his skin to the length of his hair. The companion

of the Prophet g and famous poet Hassan bin Thabit r composed several couplets in praise of the Messenger of Allah g: ‫ﻭَﺃَﺣﺴَﻥُ ﻣِﻧﻚَ ﻟَﻡ ﺗَﺭَ ﻗَﻁُّ ﻋَﻳﻨﻲ‬ My eyes have never seen anyone better than you ُ‫ﻭَﺃَﺟﻤَﻝُ ﻣِﻧﻚَ ﻟَﻡ ﺗَﻟِﺩِ ﺍﻟﻨِﺳﺎﺀ‬ No woman has ever given birth to anyone more beautiful than you ٍ‫ﺧُﻟِﻗﺖَ ﻣُﺑَﺭَّﺀً ﻣِﻥ ﻛُﻝِّ ﻋَﻳﺐ‬ You have been created free from any defect ‫ﻛَﺃَﻧَّﻙَ ﻗَﺩ ﺧُﻟِﻗﺖَ ﻛَﻣﺎ ﺗَﺷﺎ ُﺀ‬ It is as if you have been created just as you desired.

The colour of the skin of the Prophet g was white with a slightly wheatcoloured complexion. It was very luminous, even more than a full moon.

Anas r reports: ‘The Prophet g was neither pale white nor very dark in complexion’, whilst Ali r says: ‘ The complexion of the Prophet g was white with redness in it’ [Shamail Tirmidhi].

Likes and Dislikes: The Prophet g was modest in everything that he did, including his dressing. He liked to wear white clothes and encouraged others to do - 12 -

the same. Ibn Abbas r says that the Prophet g said ‘wear white clothes because they are the best clothes and use them for shrouding your dead’[Tirmidhi]. The reason for this has been reported by Samurah r who narrates that the Messenger of Allah g said ‘Wear white clothes because they are the Purest and closest to modesty’[Ibn Majah].

The Prophet g disliked that clothes be dragged on the floor. This applies to all clothing, be it a Jubbah (thobe) or trousers. The Prophet g said ‘Whatever is below the ankles will be in the fire.’ (Bukhari) One Sunnah: When the weather would get hot the messenger of Allah g would make the following supplication: ْ‫ ﺍَﻟﻠّﻫُﻡَّ ﺃﺟِﺭْﻧِﻱْ ﻣِﻥ‬، ْ‫’ﻻ ﺍﻟﻪ ﺍﻻ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻣَﺍ ﺃﺷَﺩَّ ﺣَﺭَّ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟْﻳَﻭْﻡ‬ ‘ْ‫ﺣَﺭِّ ﺟَﻫَﻧَّﻡ‬ [Amal al-Yawm wa al-Lailah] [La ilaha ill Allah, ma ashaddu harra hadhal yaum, Allahumma ajirni min harri Jahannam].

There is no God besides Allah, How severe is the heat of this day! Oh Allah save me from the heat of the hell fire.

May Allah give us the ability emulate and follow in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet g. Aameen.

Fountain Of Hadith

By Qasim (Year 7)

Little Great Actions (‫ﺍَﺣَﺏُّ ﺍﻷَﻋْﻣَﺍﻝِ ﺇِﻟَﻯ ﺍﻟﻠﻪِ ﺃﺩْﻭَﻣُﻫَﺍ ﻭَ ﺇِﻥْ ﻗَﻝَّ )ﻣﺘﻔﻖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬ The Prophet g said, “The most beloved actions in the sight of Allah are the regular ones even if they are small in quantity” (Bukhari, Muslim) Islam is a unique religion, which teaches moderation in every aspect of life. In the sight of Allah (SWT) the greatest actions are not those which require great amounts of time and effort (though this can be meritorious), but rather those actions which are done with moderation and continuity. So beloved to Allah is continuity that even if the action may require very little time and effort, as long as a person remains consistent in performing that good deed, then this is the most beloved action to Allah.

If we ponder carefully at this Hadith, we can attain a glimpse of the sheer mercy and compassion of Allah (SWT). Indeed Allah (SWT) has made this religion easy for us. A misconception in regards to gaining closeness to Allah is that one may think he or she must do excessive worship in order to become beloved in the sight of Allah. Rather it is evident from this Hadith that the Messenger (saw) gave great importance to those actions which are done regularly. Thus we should take a little time out each day to engage in the remembrance of Allah even if it may be as small as reciting one side of the Quran. If one can maintain this for 365 days a year, then surely it will be amongst the most beloved actions in the sight Allah, even better than the reciting the entire Quran in one night and leaving it on the shelf for the rest of the year. Developing consistency in good deeds however is no easy feat and requires training.

As the month of Ramadhan draws closer we are presented with an invaluable opportunity to achieve this consistency, which is so beloved to Allah (SWT). One should choose an optional action to perform daily, choose a time to complete that action and the duration. The key is to be moderate in your choice, choose a small quantity, which you can maintain, as advised by the Messenger (PBUH). Thereafter you must work hard to ensure this action is built into your routine. Finally we should make dua to Allah that he gives us the ability to live our lives in moderation with consistency.

Simple Hadith Easy on the Memory

‫ﻧَﺿَّﺭَ ﺍﻟﻠﻪُ ﺍِﻣْﺭَﺃً ﺳَﻣِﻉَ ﻣَﻗﺎَﻟَﺗِﻱْ ﻓَﻭَﻋَﺍﻫَﺍ َﻓَﺃﺩَّﺍﻫَﺍ ﻛَﻣَﺍ ﺳَﻣِﻋَﻫَﺍ‬

May Allah make radiant [the face of] someone who has heard what I have said, has learnt it by heart and has transmitted it as he heard it.

ُ‫ﻣَﻥْ ﻛَﺍﻥَ ﻟَﻩُ ﺷَﻋْﺭٌ ﻓَﻟْﻳُﻛْﺭِﻣْﻩ‬

Whoever has hair should groom it (Abu Dawud)

‫ﻣَﻥْ ﺻَﻟَّﻯ ﻋَﻟَﻱَّ ﻭَﺍﺣِﺩَﺓً ﺻَﻟَّﻯ ﺍﻟﻠﻪُ ﻋَﻟَﻳْﻩِ ﻋَﺷْﺭًﺍ‬

Whoever sends a blessing (salutation) upon me, Allah sends ten blessings upon him (Muslim)

ِ‫ﻣَﻥْ ﻟَّﻡْ ﻳَﺳْﺋَﻝِ ﺍﻟﻠﻪَ ﻳَﻏْﺿَﺏْ ﻋَﻟَﻳْﻩ‬

Whoever does not ask Allah, Allah becomes angry with him (Tirmidhi, Ahmad)

Extraordinary Memory

It is reported that when the masters of Ahaadith in Baghdad heard about the extraordinary memory of Muhammad bin Ismaeel (Imaam Bukhari) they decided to put him to the test. Baghdad at the time was not only the capital of the Islamic world but also housed many institutes of learning which were to make important advancements in the fields of philosophy, mathematics, medicine and astronomy.

For example, the state of the worldly knowledge was such that in Baghdad alone at the time it was estimated that there were more than 900 certified doctors. The state of the Islamic knowledge was such that it was the cradle of “ilm” with a profusion of scholars residing there.

When Imaam Bukhari arrived the scholars of Baghdad took 100 Ahaadith and changed their chains and text. They appointed ten men and gave each man 10 Ahaadith to recite unto him. On the day of the test all the scholars of the different fields took their places and thousands left their homes to come and watch. The first man came and recited his first Hadith, Imaam Bukhari replied “Not known to me”. Those that knew this was a test, realised that Imaam Bukhari had understood the case while the general impression was that Imaam Bukhari’s knowledge was very meagre and his memory was very bad. All the ten men came and recited the Ahaadith appointed to them.

The only words on Imaam Bukhari’s lips were “Not known to me”. When all 100 Ahaadith had been recited he called the first man and said “this was the first Hadith you recited”. He recited this Hadith, pointed out the mistakes and then recited the Hadith correctly with the complete and correct chain of narrations. Imaam Bukhari did this with all 100 ahaadith. The people then acknowledged his great memory.

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