He is asking about al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah?

Question:
What is al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah? What is it about?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah is a book dealing with ‘aqeedah (basic tenets of faith) which was written by Imam al-Tahhaawi and named after him. Discussing this ‘aqeedah means that we must look at it from a number of angles.

Firstly:

The author is the imam, muhaddith and faqeeh Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Salaamah al-Tahhaawi – who is named after a village in Upper Egypt – he studied with many Shaykhs and learned from them and benefited from them, and he listed their number as three hundred Shaykhs.

He was praised by more than one of the scholars:

Ibn Yoonus said: al-Tahhaawi was trustworthy, sincere, a faqeeh and a man of wisdom, and after him there was no one else like him.

Al-Dhahabi said: the faqeeh, muhaddith, haafiz, one of the prominent scholars, and he was trustworthy, sincere, a faqeeh and a man of wisdom.

Ibn Katheer said: He was one of the trustworthy, sincere and a haafiz.

He wrote books which were well-written, comprehensive and of great value, among which was his great book Ma’aani al-Athaar, which contains research on fiqh accompanied by evidence and discussion of controversial matters, and pointing to which view is more correct. His books also include Mushkil al-Athaar and others.

He died (may Allaah have mercy on him) in 321 AH and was buried in Egypt, in al-Quraafah.

See his biography in Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’ (15/33-37) and al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah (11/174).

Secondly:

This ‘Aqeedah which was written by al-Tahhaawi mentions a number of the beliefs of the righteous salaf and those who followed them of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, which was approved by the imams of the Hanafis – as al-Tahhaawi followed the madhhab of Abu Haneefah. He explained in his introduction his aims in doing that, and said:

“This is an explanation of the ‘aqeedah of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah according to the view of the fuqaha’ of this madhhab: Abu Haneefah al-Nu’maan ibn Thaabit al-Kufi, Abu Yoosuf Ya’qoob ibn Ibraaheem al-Ansaari, and Abu ‘Abd-Allaah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybaani, may Allaah be pleased with them all, and the beliefs concerning the fundamentals of Islam, on the basis of which they submit to the Lord of the Worlds.” End quote.

Then he mentioned these basic beliefs, and the total number of things he mentioned was 105 things believed by Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah in general.

He started by explaining the Oneness of Allaah, may He be exalted, and said a little about the attributes of His Lordship (sifaat ruboobiyyatihi), such as His being alive and self-sufficient, and His being the Creator and Provider, and he affirmed the attributes of perfection without discussing how or likening Him to any of His creation, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer” [al-Shoora 42:11]. Then he followed that with a discussion of the obligation to believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and that he was sent to all people. Then he spoke of the Holy Qur’aan, stating that it is the word of Allaah and not created, and he affirmed that the believers will see Allaah in the Hereafter. Then he mentioned some matters of the unseen in which Ahl al-Sunnah believe, such as the Cistern (al-hawd), intercession, the Throne and the Footstool (al-Kursiy). Then he mentioned the pillars of belief in al-qada’ wa’l-qadar (the Divine will and decree) and what Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah believe about this topic. Then he went on to define faith and its pillars, and explained that faith may increase and decrease, and he explained the view of Ahl al-Sunnah in contrast to the views of the Khawaarij and Murji’ah. He also described what Ahl-al-Sunnah believe with regard to the noble Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), and that loving them is part of Islam, faith and ihsaan, and that hating them is kufr, hypocrisy and sin. Then he mentioned some of the portents of the Hour and what will happen on the Day of Resurrection, then he ended his essay with an discussion of how this religion is the middle path, between exaggeration and falling short.

Thirdly:

It is a book of ‘aqeedah that is easy to read and clear in meaning. It is comprehensive and brief. It sums up the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah and, for the most part, includes matters on which there is scholarly consensus and agreement.

Many scholars have written commentaries on this ‘Aqeedah and explained its words and meanings. One of the most famous of them is Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz al-Hanafi, who wrote a lengthy commentary on it; among later scholars, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz and Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on them) wrote commentaries on it, as did Shaykh Safar ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Hawaali (may Allaah preserve him). The one who wants to understand more of the meanings of al-Tahhaawiyyah can refer to these commentaries.

Fourthly:

‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawi discusses matters in brief and general terms, but what made it very famous and popular among the Salafis in particular is the commentary which was written by Shaykh Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz al-Hanafi (may Allaah have mercy on him), which is the most important and most detailed of its commentaries. He based his commentary on the books of Ahl al-Sunnah, especially the books of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) and his student Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him).

Fifthly:

Despite what we have referred to of the good features of this ‘Aqeedah and its commentary by Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz, it also contains a number of issues which were criticized, because they go against what the salaf believed, such as his saying, when defining faith: “Faith is affirming with the tongue and believing in the heart,” because limiting it to that is the view of the Murji’i fuqaha’ who excluded physical actions from the definition of faith. The same applies to what he said after that, “Faith is one and the same, and believers are equal with regard to the foundation of faith.”

It also includes some general phrases that may be understood incorrectly, and are most often used by innovators to mean things that are contrary to the beliefs of the righteous salaf, such as his saying, “exalted be He above limits and boundaries” and “exalted be He above having faculties and parts” and “He is not subject to directions and dimensions which are attributes of created beings.” Such phrases are used by those who misinterpret the attributes of Allaah (al-mu’attilah) to deny what is affirmed in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger of the sublime attributes of Allaah that befit His perfection, may He be glorified and exalted, such as His Countenance, hands and eyes. They call them faculties and parts, and deny that Allaah possesses them.

Another example is His being above His creation, and His rising above His Throne in His heaven. They call this “directions and location” and deny that it applies to Allaah, may He be exalted.

Because of that, it is important for the seeker of knowledge to pay attention to learning this ‘Aqeedah from a scholar of Ahl al-Sunnah who can explain it, such as Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz among classical scholars and from contemporary scholars who have written brief commentaries on it, as we have referred to above.

There are many audio commentaries on this book, such as the commentary by Shaykh Saalih Aal al-Shaykh, and the commentary by Shaykh Yoosuf al-Ghufays, and others.

Shaykh Safar al-Hawaali (may Allaah preserve him) has commented at length on the commentary of Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz; you may refer to it on his website.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

General Principles Regarding Allaah's Attributes

Manhaj

MULTIPLE PAGES

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The Methodology of the Salaf in Aqidah

General Principles Regarding Allaah's Attributes

Author: Alawee ibn `Abdil-Qaadir as-Saqqaaf

Source: Sifaatullaah `Azza wa Jalla al-Waaridah fil-Kitaab was-Sunnah (trans. by Dawud Burbank)

Article ID : AQD030010

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The First Principle
"Affirmation of everything that Allaah affirmed for Himself in His Book, or which His Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam, affirmed for Him. Without distorting (tahreef), without denial (ta'teel), and without saying how they are (takyeef) and without making any resemblance with the creation (tamtheel)."[1]

Since Allaah knows better about Himself than anyone else, and His Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam, knows better than rest of creation about his Lord.

The Second Principle
"To deny for Allaah everything which He has denied for Himself in His Book, or which His Messenger denied for Him, whilst believing its fully perfect opposite is confirmed for Allaah, the Most High."[2]

Since Allaah knows better about Himself than His creation, and His Messenger out of all the people is the one who knows best about His Lord, so denying death for Him includes affirmation of His perfect Life, and denying oppression for Him includes affirmation of His perfect Justice, and denying sleep for Him includes affirmation of His perfect charge/control over everything.

The Third Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Might and Magnificent, are only to be spoken of in accordance with a text (tawfeeqiyyah). So nothing is affirmed for Him except that which Allaah affirmed for Himself (or which) was affirmed for Him by His Messenger, and nothing is denied for Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, except that which He denied for Himself, was was denied for Him by His Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam."[3]

Since there is no one who knows better about Allaah than Allaah, the Most High, (Himself), and there is no one of the creation who knows better about His Creator than Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam.

The Fourth Principle
"To halt with regard to vague terms which are not found to be affirmed or denied textually, in wording or meaning, so further explanation is sought. Then if something false is meant by it, then we declare Allaah free of that and reject it, and if something that is true and something that is not to be denied for Allaah, then it is accepted and the correct terminology as found in the text is to be made clear. And one should call for its usage in place of this vague and newly-introduced wording."[4]

An example of this is the term 'direction.' We halt, neither affirming or denying it, and we ask the one who says it, 'What do you mean by direction?' So if he says, 'I mean a place which contains Him.' Then we say, 'This is something false and Allaah is to be declared free from this, and we reject it.' But if he says, 'That He is unrestrictedly above.' Then we say, 'This is true it is not to be denied for Allaah,' and we accept the meaning from him, and we say, 'However, it is more fitting that you say, 'He is above the heavens,' or 'He is above,' as occurs in the authentic texts.' But as for the term 'direction' then it is vague and a novelty, so it is better to leave it.

The Fifth Principle
"Every attribute which is established by an authentic report definitely agrees with sound intellect."[5]

The Sixth Principle
"To cut off any hope of reaching the reality of 'how.' As He, the Most High, says:

And they will never compass anything of His knowledge.[6] [7]

The Seventh Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, are affirmed in detail/specifically, whereas denial is done generally."[8]

So detailed and specific affirmation is, for example, affirming Hearing and Seeing, and the rest of the attributes. As for generalised denial, then like denial of any likeness as in His saying:

There is nothing like unto Him.[9]

The Eighth Principle
"Every name confirmed for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, is inclusive of an attribute, but the opposite is not the case."[10]

For example, Allaah's name ar-Rahmaan (the Most Merciful) incorporates the attribute of mercy, al-Kareem (The Munificent) incorporates the attribute of munificence and al-Lateef (the Most Gentle and the All-Perceiving) incorporates the attribute of gentleness and being all-perceiving and so on. However, as for His attributes, (such as) His Will, His Coming, His Ascending-then names are not to be derived from them such as, 'The One who Wills,' 'The Comer,' 'The One who Ascended,' etc.

The Ninth Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Most High, are perfect, containing no deficiency in any sense at all."[11]

The Tenth Principle
"Attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, are dhaatiyyah - those pertaining to His Self, and fi'liyyah - those pertaining to His actions, and there is no limit or end to His actions.

And Allaah does what He wills."[12] [13]

The Eleventh Principle
"The proof from the Book and Sunnah for the establishment of an attribute is either:
(i) by clearly stating it,
(ii) or by its being incorporated by the name,
(iii) or by clear statement of an action or a description proving it."[14]

Examples of the first are Mercy, Might, Power, His Face, His Hands and His Fingers etc.
Examples of the second are al-Baseer (The Seeing) which incorporates the attribute of sight, and as-Samee' (The Hearing) which incorporates the attribute of hearing, and so on.
Examples of the third are (His Saying):

Ar-Rahmaan rose over the Throne.[15]

Which proves His having ascended, and (another example is His saying):

We shall exact retribution from the Mujrimoon.[16]

Which proves that He exacts retribution, and so on.

The Twelfth Principle
"One may seek refuge with Allaah, the Might and Magnificent's, attributes and swear an oath by them."[17]

From this is his, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam, saying, "I seek refuge of Your Pleasure from Your Wrath, and from Your granting safety from Your punishment .." reported by Muslim (no. 486), and therefore al-Bukhaaree named a chapter heading in the Book of Oaths and Vows, "Chapter: Swearing an Oath by the Might of Allaah and His Attributes and His Words."

The Thirteenth Principle
"Speech concerning the attributes is like speech about His Self."[18]

Since just as His Self is real and does not resemble that of other than Him, then it is characterised by real attributes which also do not resemble the attributes of others, and just as affirming His Self is an affirmation of existence but not of 'how'-then the same is true of the attributes.

The Fourteenth Principle
"Speech concerning some of the Attributes is like speech about the rest of them."[19]

So whoever affirms the attributes of Allaah like Hearing, Seeing and Will, must therefore affirms Allaah's Loving, being Pleased, His Anger and His Hating. Shikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said, "And whoever differentiates between one attribute and another, despite their being the same with regard to reasons for their being literal or metaphorical-then he is contradicting himself, erroneous in his position, resembling those who believed in a part of the Book and disbelieved in other parts."

The Fifteenth Principle
"Whatever is attributed to Allaah and is not something separate from Him, then it is an attribute of His and not something created, and everything that is attributed to Him and is something separate from Him, then it is something created. So not everything which is attributed to Allaah is necessarily an attribute of His."[20]

Examples of the first are: Allaah's Hearing, Allaah's Seeing, His being Pleased and His Wrath.
Examples of the second are: The House of Allaah, the She-Camel of Allaah.

The Sixteenth Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and all other matters of 'aqeedah are established by that which is established from Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam, even if it is a single hadeeth, even if it is aahaad."[21]

The Seventeeth Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, which are established in the Book and the Sunnah, are known and are explained literally-never metaphorically or figuratively. But as for ;how' they are, then that is unknown."[22] [23]

The Eighteenth Principle
"Whatever occurs in the Book or the Sunnah, then it is binding upon every Believer to hold what it entails as his saying and to believe in it, even is he does not understand its meaning."[24]

The Nineteenth Principle
"The domain of reports[25] is wider than that of the attributes, and so things related about Him are not necessarily dependant solely upon text, such as 'The Pre-Existing,' that He is a 'thing,' that He 'exists.'"[26]

The Twentieth Principle
"No analogy is made regarding the attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent."[27]

So no analogy is made between His liberality (sakhaa') and His generosity (jood). Nor between His Strength (Jalad) and His Might (Qawwah). Nor His Capability (isti'aanah) and His Power (Qudrah). Nor His Compassion (riqqah) and His Mercy (rahmah) and (ra'fah). Nor His being Aware and His Knowing and so on. Since with regard to the attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, we may not go beyond the principle of halting until a text is found, as has been seen in the third principle.

The Twenty-First Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, cannot be enumerated, since every name comprises an attribute as has preceded, and Allaah's names cannot be enumerated since from them are those which Allaah has retained with Himself in the knowledge of the Unseen."

NOTES
[1] 'Aqeedatus-Salaf Ashaabul-Hadeeth of as-Saaboonee, p. 4, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 3/3, 4/182, 5/26, 6/38 and 515.
[2] Al-'Aqeedatut0Tadmuriyyah, of Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 55, Al-Jawaab Saheeh Liman Baddala Deenal-Maseeh, by him also, 3/139.
[3] Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/26.
[4] At-Tadmuriyyah, p. 65, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/299, 6/36.
[5] Mukhtasarus-Sawaa'iq al-Mursalah, 1/141 and 253.
[6] Soorah Taa haa (20):110.
[7] Manhaj wa Diraasaat li Aayaatil-Asmaa was-Sifaat, of Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeetee, p. 26.
[8] Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 6/37 and 515.
[9] Soorah Shooraa (42):11.
[10] Badaa'i'ul-Fawaa'id, 1/162 of Ibnul-Qayyim, Al-Qawaa'idul Muthlaa fee Sifaatillaah wa Asmaa'ihil Husnaa, p. 30 of Ibn 'Uthaymain.
[11] Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/206, Mukhtasarus-Sawaa'iq al-Mursalah, 1/232 and Badaa'i'ul-Fawaa'id, 1/168.
[12] Soorah Ibraaheem (14):27.
[13] Al-Qawaa'idul Muthlaa, p. 30.
[14] Al-Qawaa'idul-Muthlaa, p. 35.
[15] Soorah Taa Haa (20):5.
[16] Soorah as-Sajdah (32):22.
[17] Majmoo'ul-Fatwaawaa, 6/143 and 229, and see Sharhus-Sunnah of al-Baghawee (1/185-187) and some of them differentiate between swearing an oath by an attribute pertaining to an action and one pertaining to His Self, and they say, 'It is not permissible to swear (check?) by an attribute pertaining to an action.'
[18] Al-Kalaam 'alas-Sifaat of al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee, p. 20, Al-Hujjah fee Bayaanil-Mahajjah of Qawaamsu-Sunnah (al-Asbahaanee), 1/173, At-Tadmuriyyah (p. 43) and Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/330 and 6/355.
[19] At-Tadmuriyyah, p. 31 and Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/212.
[20] Al-Jawaab as-Saheeh liman-Baddala Deenal-Maseeh,3/145, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 9/290, Majmoo' Fataawaa wa Rasaa'il ibn 'Utahimain, 1/166.
[21] Mukhtasarus-Sawaa'iqul-Mursalah, 2/332, 412 and 43.
[22] For a reply to the doubts and claims of similarity refer to, Ar-Risaalatut-Tadmuriyyah, Munaazaatul-'Aqeedatil-Waasitiyyah, Ar-Risaalatul-Hamawiyyatul-Kubraa and Ar-Risaaltul-Marraakhashiyyah, all of them within Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 3/1-128, 1/160-194, 5/5-121 and 5/133-193, and all of them have also been published separately.
[23] At-Tadmuriyyah, pp. 43-44, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/36-42, Mukhtasarus-Sawaa'iqul-Mursalah, 1/238 and 2/106 -.
[24] At-Tadmuriyyah, p. 65, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/295 and Daqaa'qut-Tafseer, 5/245.
[25] I.e., about Allaah and His actions.
[26] Badaa'I'ul-Fawaa'id if Ibnul-Qayyim, 1/162.
[27] Sha'nud-Du'aa of al-Khattaabee, p. 111.

[Extracted from www.salafipublications.com/sps/]

The Conditions for the Proper Hijaab

AUTHOR:	Shaikh Zayd bin Muhammad Al-Madkhalee
SOURCE:	His treatise "Wujoob Sitr-il-Wajhi wal-Kafayn"
PRODUCED BY:	Al-Ibaanah.com

Second: An explanation of the conditions required for the Hijaab to fulfill its religious objective. Below is a list of the Hijaab’s necessary conditions:

1. The Hijaab must cover a woman’s entire body, based on Allaah’s statement: “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the believing women to cast their jalaabeeb over themselves (i.e. their bodies).” [33:59] You have already come to know from what we have written previously that the jilbaab is a long garment that is ample enough to cover the entire body and that the meaning of the word idnaa (to cast) is “to lower” and “to let down” as was stated previously.

2. The garment must be thick, not thin and transparent. This is since the objective of the Hijaab, which is to veil a woman’s entire body and her hidden and apparent adornment, cannot be achieved with a thin garment. Therefore, that which a great amount of covered women wear today, which they call the ‘abaa’ah (cloak) or the malaa’ah (mantle), but which are transparent and describe the skin, such that the onlooker can see what lies beneath the garment, is not considered a legitimate Hijaab since it only brings about an increase in her ability to entice (men) with her attractive and alluring features. And yet they only wear it so that it could be said: “They are wearing Hijaab.” So we seek Allaah’s refuge from deception, the harm of which only falls on those who love and are infatuated with it.

3. The Hijaab must not be a source of decoration in itself, such as by it being colorful and flashy, causing eyes to turn towards it and hearts to be diseased (with temptation). We explained previously the meaning of Allaah’s saying: "And (tell the believing women) not to display their zeenah (adornment) except for that which is apparent from it.” [24:31] So since it is this way, then every Hijaab that does not prevent the display of one’s adornment in front of male-strangers, is not a valid Hijaab.

4. It must be ample and loose, since a tight garment outlines the body and reveals it in front of male strangers. So it goes against the objective that is sought after from the obligation of Hijaab. Furthermore, from the various types of tight clothes is that which is called pants, since it does not properly cover what it goes over. On top of that, it describes and outlines the body, as well as resembling the dress of men, and the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cursed: “The man who wears a woman’s garment and the woman who wears a man’s garment.” [Reported by Abu Dawood and An-Nasaa’ee]

5. It is also required for the Hijaab not to be perfumed, since fragrances cause men’s desires to be incited and for them to be tempted, against their wills. So a woman who does this carries the sin of her action as well as the sin of those who respond to her active call to this type of fornication. It is reported in a hadeeth collected by the Sunan compilers and others that the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Indeed, when a woman perfumes herself and then passes by a gathering, she is such and such” – meaning a fornicator. And in another narration, he (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Verily, when a woman perfumes herself and then passes by a group of people such that they can smell her scent, she is a fornicator.”

These, O Muslim brothers and sisters, are the conditions required for the Hijaab to achieve its intended objective. So we must fear Allaah and be dutiful to Him by obeying what He has commanded and abstaining from what He has forbidden, and by following His Messenger (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), for indeed this brings success in both this life and the next.

[http://www.al-ibaanah.com/articles.php?ArtID=74]

Tanggungjawab Ibu Bapa Elakkan Remaja Berzina

BICARA REMAJA

TANGGUNGJAWAB IBU BAPA ELAKKAN REMAJA BERZINA
Oleh
Mohd Ali Mahmood

APABILA anak remaja hamil di luar nikah, banyak pihak yang akan cepat menuding jari pada remaja itu dan juga menyalahkan soal disiplin dalam keluarganya.

Tetapi bagi pihak keluarga itu sendiri, kadangkala mereka akan beranggapan segala sesuatu sudah dilakukan untuk anak itu namun kejadian yang tidak diingini tetap juga berlaku.

Jadi di manakah salah silapnya?

Mungkinkah kita sendiri yang melahirkan generasi liberal tanpa kita sedari? Hakikatnya, banyak perkara yang kita sendiri lakukan yang mungkin mendekatkan anak remaja kepada zina.

Mengapakah kita harus mempersalahkan si remaja itu sahaja sedangkan kehidupan tanpa batas didedahkan seperti sesuatu yang lumrah?

Dalam satu pihak, dalam peralihan tamadun, banyak perkara masih terus dianggap 'pantang' atau 'dilarang' untuk diketengahkan.

Tetapi pada satu pihak lain, anak-anak kian mendapat pendedahan yang meluas di media massa, namun ia tidak dibincangkan secara terbuka oleh orang tua mereka.

Sudahkah kita mengira beberapa banyak rancangan televisyen, filem dan video yang anak remaja kita tontoni yang menunjukkan budaya pergaulan bebas?

Malah, sebahagiannya rancangan Melayu kita sendiri. Walaupun ia sekadar lakonan untuk menunjukkan realiti kehidupan, bukankah ini akan menjadi ikutan jika anak menonton tanpa bimbingan?

Sementara itu, kita turut sama bersorak riang melihat juara pertandingan. Tapi kita lupa untuk menyelar anak-anak muda yang berdakapan di antara lelaki dengan perempuan untuk 'memberi perangsang' setelah mereka kecundang.

Jika diam tandanya setuju, maka kitalah yang telah mengizinkan tingkah laku ini sebagai norma kehidupan anak-anak. Pokoknya, 'CDROM' minda anak kita sudah pun merakamkannya.

Kitalah yang membuka mata mereka kepada perhubungan sumbang. Ingatlah, zina tidak berlaku secara spontan. Remaja akan mula berjinak-jinak dengan kelakuan sumbang secara bertahap-tahap bermula daripada sekadar menunjukkan kemesraan.

Daripada berpegangan tangan, ia menjurus kepada pelukan dan ciuman. Daripada secara tersembunyi-sembunyi ia beralih kepada keterbukaan.

Adakah kita yang melihat sekadar menggeleng-gelengkan kepala tetapi tidak kuasa untuk menegur kerana 'tidak mahu masuk campur' atau 'takut diherdik'?

Aksi membatu membuat remaja beranggapan ia satu penerimaan.

Oleh itu, tanyakan kepada diri kita sendiri, pernahkah kita membenarkan anak remaja kita keluar berdua-duaan, bermalam di rumah kawan atau membawa temanitanya bermalam di rumah kita?

Adakah anak-anak kita bebas membawa pulang temannya semasa kita tiada di rumah? Pernahkah kita membiarkan si remaja berdua-duaan tanpa dipantau atau ditegur?

Pokoknya, adakah wajar kita menuding jari jika kita sendiri menganggap perbuatan ini biasa-biasa sahaja? Adakah sikap toleransi kita dewasa ini semakin menebal?

Apabila batas perhubungan antara lelaki dengan perempuan menjadi rencam, nafsu berahi mampu mempengaruhi kelakuan. Malangnya, si remaja yang dibesarkan dengan nilai yang rapuh sudah pun pincang dalam 'peperangan'.

Setiap di antara kita ada peranan untuk mengelakkan remaja daripada zina. Mari kita memperbaiki diri kita dahulu. Mari kita menitikberatkan perkembangan anak-anak remaja kita.

Nota: Penulis ialah Pengarah Pusat Khidmat Keluarga PPIS Jurong.

[Ditukil dari Berita Harian (Singapura), 25 Oktobe 2007]

The worshippers in his mosque do innovations and wrong actions – how should he advise them?

Question:
I am a student in a country of kuffar where Muslims are weak minority. There is a masjid without an imam near where I live. The worshippers there feel very happy when I lead the congregation; especially that I am an Arab and Arabic speaker.
After every obligatory prayer they start mentioning Allah in a group then they communally make du’a. This is an innovation not taken from the prophet’s Sunnah. I fear they dislike me and become upset if I try to stop them doing this, what shall I do in this case? Shall I stay with them hoping I will benefit them? I feel they miss the right Sunnah, and I feel that I may be able to benefit them so that Allah may soften their hearts and make them accept the right approach of following the prophet’s Sunnah .

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

You have done well to ask before doing something that may have a negative impact on those worshippers, and may also backfire on you, in your prayer in particular and in your life in general.

Among the most important attributes of the one who calls people to Allaah are: knowledge and wisdom, with which the daa’iyah can achieve that which many others fail to achieve who lack the blessing of knowledge or wisdom and the skill to deal properly with those who differ in some way.

Wisdom does not mean being lenient or forsaking any aspect of the truth, rather it means adopting the appropriate approach so that one may succeed in leading people from ignorance and innovation to knowledge and the Sunnah.

The wise daa’iyah knows that these worshippers refer for their fatwas to imams and scholars whose religious commitment and knowledge they trust, so how can he want them to turn away from them and turn directly to him without paving the way?

The one who wants to call people to Islam should know that surprising people with the Sunnah of which they are unaware and denouncing them for what they are doing may cause them to hate the Sunnah and those who follow it, and this is what creates barriers between the daa’iyahs and some of the people when they try to teach them and explain the Sunnah to them. This does not mean that he should stop trying to advise them, rather it means that he should adopt a gradual approach in calling them.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, explaining the words of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, “Talk to the people about what they appreciate and accept; do you want them to reject Allaah and His Messenger?’ (narrated by al-Bukhaari) as follows:

The words in the report of ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), “Talk to the people” means when preaching and otherwise. “What they appreciate and accept” means, what they may understand, so that they will not be confused. Hence it was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “You will never tell a people anything that they do not understand but it will be a cause of confusion for some of them.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari.

Hence it is wise when calling people to Islam not to overwhelm the people with things that they cannot understand, rather one should call them gradually, so that they may gradually comprehend what you are telling them.

The phrase “do you want them to reject Allaah and His Messenger?” means: If you tell the people things that they do not appreciate, do you want them to reject Allaah and His Messenger? Because if you say “Allaah said such and such and His Messenger said such and such,” they will say, This is a lie, if it is beyond their comprehension, and in that case they will not be disbelieving Allaah and His Messenger, rather they will be disbelieving you and the words you attribute to Allaah and His Messenger, thus they will be ultimately disbelieving Allaah and His Messenger, not directly but via the one who told them that.

If it is said: Should we forego speaking of that which people do not understand even though they are in need of that? My answer is: We should not forego that, but we should tell them in a way that is acceptable to them, by telling them gradually, until they accept this idea and feel at ease with it, and we should not ignore that which they cannot understand and say that this is something objectionable so we should not speak of it.

For example: Following the Sunnah which the people are not used to and find objectionable. We should follow it, but after we tell them of it, until their hearts accept it and feel at ease with it.

It may be understood from this report the importance of wisdom in calling people to Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, and that the daa’iyah must have insight into the mentality of the people he is calling, and use a different approach for each individual.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen (10/774, 775).

So you have to follow the path of wisdom in calling these people to give up communal dhikr and the other innovations that they do, and to follow the Sunnahs that they are ignoring. We think that you should do the following:

1 – Continue to lead them in prayer as an imam, and seek to draw closer to their hearts by leading the prayers, and do not leave it for someone else to take charge of their prayer and ‘aqeedah.

2 – Do not join them in their dhikr and other innovations, but remember that it is essential for you to remain in the place where you prayed so that you may recite the prescribed dhikrs by yourself.

3 – Give them daily lessons that take up only a little time, as this may be a way of stopping their innovations as well as calling them and teaching them.

4 – Focus on the importance of the Sunnah and of following proper evidence, and mentioning the examples of the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and prominent imams, especially those whom you see that they love and respect.

5 – Do not object to their innovations directly, and do not criticize the contemporary imams and scholars whose opinions they follow.

6 – Pay attention to the leaders and knowledgeable ones among them who have an influence on them, and try harder with them than with others.

7 – Give them gifts occasionally, such as books, tapes and pamphlets, whilst also honouring them by offering food and drink as much as you can.

8 – Join them on permissible occasions, and try to draw close to them by having a good attitude towards them.

This does not apply to you alone, rather it applies to every daa’iyah who wants to succeed in a community where there is a great deal of innovation and where the people do not respect or follow the Sunnah a great deal.

Do not forget to seek the help of Allaah in your du’aa’, and be sincere in doing it, seeking thereby the countenance of Allaah. You should focus on the idea that these people are sick and need the remedy that you possess, but they do not realize that they are sick, so how can you deliver the remedy to them in a wise manner?

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=101675&ln=eng

The hadeeth: “Conceal the engagement and proclaim the marriage”

Question:
Is it forbidden for muslims to declare the engagement (alkhotoba)? If yes, who are the people supposed to know about the engagement?
Are Close friends allowed to know about it??.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

This hadeeth was narrated by al-Daylami in Musnad al-Firdaws, where it says: “Announce the marriage and conceal the engagement.” This is a da’eef (weak) hadeeth which was classed as such by al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (2494), and in Da’eef al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 922.

But the first part of it is saheeh with the word “proclaim.”

Ahmad narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Zubayr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Proclaim marriages.” This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 1993.

Proclaiming marriages, in the sense of announcing them and publicizing them, is obligatory according to the majority of scholars, indeed it is one of the conditions of a marriage being valid, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no marriage except with a wali (guardian) and two witnesses of good character.” Narrated by al-Bayhaqi from ‘Imraan and ‘Aa’ishah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7557.

Some scholars regarded it as mustahabb to conceal the engagement for fear of hasad (destructive envy) which could lead to trouble between the man and the family of his fiancée, as stated in Haashiyat al-‘Adawi ‘ala Sharh Mukhtasar Khaleel, 3/167.

This is supported by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Seek help in meeting your needs by keeping quiet, for everyone who is blessed is envied.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 943.

This does not apply only to engagement, rather a person should not show openly the blessings that Allaah has bestowed upon him to one who will envy him for that.

With regard to holding engagement parties, this is something that many people do, and there is nothing wrong with that in sha Allaah. But it should be noted that we must adhere to the limits set by sharee’ah in these parties, so there should be no free mixing of men and women, or use of musical instruments apart from the daff, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) allowed use of the daff in wedding parties.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=67884&ln=eng

A woman asking about the religious commitment of one who comes to propose marriage to her is not making things difficult

Question:
I am a religiously-committed young woman, praise be to Allaah. I am 25 years old. The problem is that every time someone comes to propose marriage to me, I ask my mother to ask his family some questions, like Does he pray? Does he smoke? Is he one of those who are interested in music and TV? Because those who come to propose to me are not religiously-committed. My mother says to me, “You are making it difficult.” She is afraid that I will miss out on marriage because of my stipulating conditions.
Am I wrong? What do you advise me to do? I am afraid that I am dreaming of a righteous man when there are no such men. And Allaah knows best.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

You are not wrong and you are not making things difficult, rather you are doing well to ask about the religious commitment and character of these suitors. This is what your family should in fact be doing; it is not permissible for them to object to your doing that, rather they should support you in it.

Islam enjoined making a good choice of husband and wife. The common factor in choosing is good character and religious commitment. A woman is too weak to be steadfast in her religious commitment if she marries someone who is lacking in character and religious commitment

Hence our advice to your family is to support you in this matter. Seek the help of Allaah with patience, prayer and du’aa’, and we ask Allaah to bless you with a righteous husband.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the most important qualities for which a girl should choose her husband.

He replied:

The most important qualities for which a woman should choose a man who proposes marriage are a good character and religious commitment. As for wealth and lineage, these are secondary matters. The most important thing is that the suitor should be religiously-committed and of good character, because the woman will not lose out with one who is religiously-committed and of good character: if he keeps her, he will keep her in a good and proper manner and if he lets her go, he will let her go with kindness. Moreover, a man who is religiously-committed and of good character will be a blessing to her and her children; she will learn morals and religious knowledge from him. But if he is other than that, then she must keep away from him, especially those who take the matter of praying lightly, or who are known to drink alcohol – Allaah forbid. As for those who do not pray at all, they are kaafirs and it is not permissible for them to marry believing women. The point is that the woman should focus on character and religious commitment. As for good lineage, this is preferable, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If there comes to you one with whose character and religious commitment you are pleased, then give (your daughter or female relative under your care) to him in marriage…” But if there is social compatibility too, that is preferable.

Fataawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 2/702

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was also asked about a man who proposed marriage to another man’s daughter. When he asked about him, he found out that he did not pray, and the one who was asked about responded by saying: “Allaah may guide him.” Should they go ahead with this marriage?

He replied:

If the one who is proposing marriage does not pray in congregation, then he is an evildoer who is disobeying Allaah and His Messenger, and going against the Muslim consensus, which is that offering prayer in congregation is one of the best of acts of worship. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (23/222): The scholars are agreed that it – i.e., praying in congregation – is one of the most important and best of acts of worship, and one of the greatest symbols of Islam. End quote.

But this evildoing does not put him beyond the pale of Islam, so it is permissible for him to marry a Muslim woman, but someone else who adheres to Islam and is of an upright character would be better than him, even if he is less wealthy and of a lesser lineage, as it says in the hadeeth: “If there comes to you one with whose character and religious commitment you are pleased, then give (your daughter or female relative under your care) to him in marriage.” They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, even if he falls short with regard to wealth and compatibility.” He said: “If there comes to you one with whose character and religious commitment you are pleased, then give (your daughter or female relative under your care) to him in marriage” three times. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi. And it is proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Women may be married for four things: their wealth, their lineage, their beauty and their religious commitment. Choose the one who is religiously-committed, may your hands be rubbed with dust (i.e., may your prosper).”

These two ahaadeeth indicate that the best things to pay attention to are religious commitment and good character in both the man and the woman. The guardian who fears Allaah and understands his responsibility is to pay attention to the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, because he will be asked about that on the Day of Resurrection. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) the Day (Allaah) will call to them, and say: ‘What answer gave you to the Messengers?’”

[al-Qasas 28:65]

“Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent and verily, We shall question the Messengers”

[al-A’raaf 7:6]

But if the one who is proposing marriage does not pray at all, neither in congregation nor on his own, then he is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam. He should be asked to repent, and if he repents and starts to pray, Allaah will accept his repentance if his repentance is sincere and truly for the sake of Allaah. Otherwise he should be executed as a kaafir and apostate, and he should not be buried in the Muslim graveyard, and he should not be washed or shrouded, or the funeral prayer offered for him. The evidence that he is a kaafir is to be found in the Book of Allaah, may He be exalted, and in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – and he quoted the evidence concerning one who does not pray, then he said:

As it is clear from the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah that the one who not pray is a kaafir whose kufr puts him beyond the pale of Islam, then it is not permissible for him to marry a Muslim woman, based on the texts and on scholarly consensus. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And do not marry Al-Mushrikaat (idolatresses) till they believe (worship Allaah Alone). And indeed a slave woman who believes is better than a (free) Mushrikah (idolatress), even though she pleases you”

[al-Baqarah 2:221]

And Allaah said concerning the women who migrated for the sake of Allaah (al-muhajiraat) (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them; Allaah knows best as to their Faith, then if you ascertain that they are true believers send them not back to the disbelievers. They are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them”

[al-Mumtahanah 60:10]

The Muslims are unanimously agreed on what is indicated by these two texts, namely that it is haraam for a Muslim woman to marry a kaafir. Based on this, if a man gives his daughter or other female relative who is under his care in marriage to a man who does not pray, that marriage is not valid, and the woman does not become permissible to the man by means of that contract, because it is a contract which is not in accordance with the command of Allaah, may He be exalted, and His Messenger. It is proven from the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours will have it rejected.”

So the marriage is to be annulled if the husband does not pray, unless he repents and comes back to Islam by starting to pray.

To sum up: With regard to this suitor who does not pray, if he does not pray in congregation then he is an evildoer who does not become a kaafir thereby, so it is permissible to marry him in this case, but one who is religiously committed and of good character is better than him. If he does not pray at all, neither with the congregation nor on his own, then he is a kaafir and apostate who is beyond the pale of Islam; it is not permissible for him to marry a Muslim woman under any circumstances, unless he repents sincerely and prays and adheres to Islam.

With regard to what is mentioned in the question about the woman’s father asking about him and the one who was asked about saying, “Allaah may guide him,” the future is known to Allaah and control of it is in His hand. We are responsible for what we know in the present, and what we know about the suitor right now is that he is a kaafir and it is not permissible for him to marry a Muslim woman. But we hope that Allaah will guide him and bring him back to Islam, so that he will be able to marry Muslim women; and that is not difficult for Allaah.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12/question no. 31

Conclusion: You have to be patient until Allaah blesses you with a righteous husband. What you are doing by asking and finding out about the character and religious commitment of suitors is something that is prescribed in Islam, in fact it is obligatory for you and your guardians. If the suitor does not pray, then any marriage contract is not valid, because not praying is kufr that puts one beyond the pale of Islam. Smoking, shaving the beard and listening to music are all haraam actions and they are legitimate reasons for refusing a suitor if he does those things.

We ask Allaah to guide you and make you steadfast in obedience to Him, and to bless you with a righteous husband and good children.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=69964&ln=eng

I proposed marriage to a religious girl, but she is not beautiful. Should I marry her?

Question:
I proposed marriage to a girl who is very religious but she is not beautiful, and I want a wife who is more beautiful. What is the right thing to do?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

One of the important reasons for which Islam has prescribed marriage is to achieve chastity and to protect oneself and prevent one from looking at haraam things. In order to achieve that, Islam encourages looking at the fiancée before getting married to her, as that will ensure that love and affection will be generated between them, and will create a happy family, based on love, affection and respect, and neither spouse will be tempted to do something other than that which Allaah has permitted. Hence beauty is one of the attributes which one is encouraged to seek and pay attention to.

It says in Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat, which is a Hanbali book (2/621):

It is also Sunnah to choose a beautiful woman, because it is gives a greater sense of transquillity and is more likely to help him lower his gaze and love her more. Hence Islam prescribes looking (at one's fiancée) before marriage.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: It was said: O Messenger of Allaah, which of women is best? He said: “The one who, when he looks at her he feels happy, when he tells her to do something she obeys him, and she does not go against his wishes with regard to herself or his wealth.” Narrated by Ahmad (2/251); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (1838). End quote.

Some scholars regard it as mustahabb, if a man wants to propose marriage to a woman, to start by asking about her beauty first, then about her religious commitment. That is because it is known that people seek beauty first and foremost.

Imam al-Bahooti said in Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat (2/621):

He should not ask about her religious commitment until he has been told good things about her beauty. Ahmad said: If a man wants to propose marriage to a woman, he should ask about her beauty first, and if good things are said, he should ask about her religious commitment, and if good things are said, he should marry her. If he does not hear good things about her religious commitment, then he will have rejected her because of her religious commitment. He should not ask about her religious commitment first, then if good things are said, the he asks about her beauty, then if he does not hear anything good, he rejects her because of beauty and not because of religious commitment. End quote.

What is blameworthy is when a man seeks beauty and forgets about character and religious commitment – which form the foundation of happiness and righteousness. As this is how most people are, the hadeeth urges them to look for one who is religiously committed and of good character, to stop people focussing on outward appearances and ignoring inward qualities.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Women may be married for four things: their wealth, their lineage, their beauty and their religious commitment. Choose the one who is religiously-committed, may your hands be rubbed with dust (i.e., may you prosper).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4802) and Muslim (1466).

Al-Nawawi said in Sharh Muslim (10/52):

The correct view concerning the meaning of this hadeeth is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was speaking of what people usually do, which is that they look for these four characteristics, the last of which in their view is religious commitment, but you who are rightly guided should choose the one who is religiously committed. End quote.

The view that it is mustahabb to seek beauty in one’s intended wife does not mean that dazzling beauty is essential, and that a young man should imagine the image of a girl who is one of the most beautiful women in the world and spend his whole life pursuing the image that he wants, because in most cases he will not find her, she may be weak in religious commitment and character.

Rather what is meant by beauty is the kind of beauty by means of which a man will keep himself chaste and avoid haraam things, and he will refrain from looking at other women. The definition of that beauty will vary from one person to another, and what matters is the opinion of the one who is proposing marriage.

Our advice to you is not to propose marriage to any girl unless you know that she is of the level of beauty that you are happy with, so that it will not be a matter of initial keenness after which you get fed up or start looking for something new, which will lead to a difficult series of problems in married life.

Whatever the case, the matter of religious commitment should take precedence over everything else.

With this balanced approach and balanced way of thinking, you can build a happy family life, in sha Allaah. I ask Allaah to help you and decree good for you.

See also the answer to question no. 8391 and 21510.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=83777&ln=eng

The status of the imams of the Ithna ‘Ashari Shi’ah

Question:
What is the position on the 12 Imams of the Shia, especiallt the later ones?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The Raafidis, Imamis or Ithna ‘Asharis (“Twelvers”) are one of the branches of Shi’ism. They are called Raafidis because they rejected (rafada) most of the Sahaabah and they rejected the leadership of the two Shaykhs Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, or because they rejected the imamate of Zayd ibn ‘Ali, and deserted him. They called Imamis because they are primarily focused on the issue of imamate, and they made it a basic principle of their religion, or because they claim that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated that ‘Ali and his descendents would be imams. They are called Ithna ‘Asharis (“Twelvers”) because they believe in the imamate of twelve men from the Prophet’s family (ahl al-bayt), the first of whom was ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) and the last of whom was Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askari, the supposed hidden imam, who they say entered the tunnel of Samarra’ in the middle of the third century AH and he is still alive therein, and they are waiting for him to come out!

They hold beliefs and principles which are contrary to those of the people of Islam, such as the following:

-1-

They exaggerate about their imams, claiming that they are infallible, and they devote many acts of worship to them such as supplication, seeking help, offering sacrifices and tawaaf (circumambulating their tombs). This is major shirk which Allaah tells us will not be forgiven. These acts of shirk are committed by their scholars and common folk alike, without anyone among them objecting to that.

-2-

They say that the Holy Qur’aan has been distorted, and that things have been added and taken away. They have books concerning that which are known to their scholars and many of their common folk, and they even say that believing that the Qur’aan has been distorted is an essential tenet of their beliefs. See the answer to question no. 21500.

-3-

They regard most of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) as kaafirs, and disavow them, and they seek to draw closer to Allaah by cursing and reviling them. They claim that they apostatized after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) except very few (only seven). This is a rejection of the Qur’aan which affirms their virtue, and says that Allaah was pleased with them and chose them to accompany His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It also implies a slur against the Qur’aan itself, because it was transmitted via them; if they were kuffaar then there is no guarantee that they did not distort it or change it. This is what the Raafidis believe anyway, as stated above.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: As for the one who goes further and claims that they apostatized after the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died, apart from a small number, no more than ten or so, or that they became evildoers, there is no doubt that he is a kaafir, because he is rejecting what it says in the Qur’aan in more than one place, that Allaah was pleased with them and praised them. Indeed, the one who doubts that such a person is a kaafir is to be labelled as a kaafir himself, because what this view implies is that those who transmitted the Qur’aan and Sunnah were kuffaar or rebellious evildoers. The verse says “You (true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Sunnah) are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:110], and the best of them were the first generation. But according to this view, most of them were kaafirs and rebellious evildoers, and this ummah is the worst of nations and the earliest generations of this ummah were the most evil of them. The fact that this is kufr is something that no Muslim has any excuse for not knowing. End quote from al-Saarim al-Maslool ‘ala Shaatim al-Rasool (p. 590).

-4-

They attribute badaa’ to Allaah, i.e., forming a new opinion that was not held before. This implies attribution of ignorance to Allaah, may He be exalted.

-5-

They believe in taqiyah (dissimulation) which means showing outwardly something other than what one feels inside. In fact this is lying and hypocrisy and skill in deceiving people. This is not something that they do at times of fear; rather they regard use of taqiyah as a religious duty for minor and major matters, at times of fear and times of safety. Whatever of truth was narrated from one of their imams, such as praise for the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or agreeing with Ahl al-Sunnah, even in matters of purification or food and drink, is rejected by the Shi’ah who say that the Imam only said that by way of taqiyah.

-6-

Belief in raja’ah, which is the belief that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the members of his household (ahl al-bayt), ‘Ali, al-Hasan, al-Husayn and the other imams will return. At the same time, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan, Mu’aawiyah, Yazeed, Ibn Dhi’l-Jooshan and everyone who harmed Ahl al-bayt – according to their claims – will also return.

All of these people will return – according to their beliefs – to this world once more before the Day of Resurrection, when the Mahdi reappears, as the enemy of Allaah Ibn Saba’ told them; they will return in order to be punished because they harmed Ahl al-Bayt and transgressed against them and denied them their rights, so they will be severely punished, then they will all die, then they will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection for the final recompense. This is what they believe.

And there are other corrupt beliefs which one can find more details about in the following books, which explain how false they are:

al-Khutoot al-‘Areedah by Muhibb al-Deen al-Khateeb (available in English, translated by Abu Bilal Mustafa al-Kanadi)

Usool Madhhab al-Shi’ah al-Imamiyyah by Dr. Naasir al-Qafaari

Firaq Mu’aasirah tantasib ila al-Islam by Dr. Ghaalib ibn ‘Ali ‘Awaaji (1/127-269)

Al-Mawsoo’ah al-Muyassarah fi’l-Adyaan wa’l-Madhaahib wa’l-Ahzaab al-Mu’aasirah (1/51-57).

See also the answer to question no. 1148 and 10272.

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked: Is the Imam Shi’ah way part of Islam? Who made it up? Because they, i.e., the Shi’ah, attribute their madhhab to Sayyiduna ‘Ali (may Allaah ennoble his face).

Answer: The Imami Shi’ah madhhab is a fabricated madhhab that has been introduced into Islam. We advise you to read the book al-Khutoot al-‘Areedah and Mukhtasar al-Tuhfah al-Ithna ‘Ashariyyah and Minhaaj al-Sunnah by Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah], which will explain a lot of their innovations.

‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan. End quote.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (2/377).

Secondly:

From the above it is clear that this madhahb is false and that it goes against the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, and that its beliefs will not be acceptable from anyone, either from their scholars or their common folk.

As for the imams to whom they claim to belong, they are innocent of this lie and falsehood.

There follow the names of these imams:

1- ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) who was martyred in 40 AH.

2- Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) (3-50 AH)

3- Al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) (4-61 AH)

4- ‘Ali Zayn al-‘Aabideen ibn al-Husayn (38-95 AH), whom they call al-Sajjaad

5- Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Zayn al-‘Aabideen (57-114 AH) whom they call al-Baaqir

6- Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Baaqir (83-148 AH) whom they call al-Saadiq

7- Moosa ibn Ja’far al-Saadiq (128-148 AH) whom they call al-Kaadim

8- ‘Ali ibn Moosa al-Kaadim (148-203 AH) whom they call al-Rida (Reza)

9- Muhammad al-Jawaad ibn ‘Ali al-Rida’ (195-220 AH) whom they call al-Taqiy

10- ‘Ali al-Haadi ibn Muhammad al-Jawaad (212-254 AH) whom they call al-Naqiy

11- al-Hasan al-‘Askari ibn ‘Ali al-Haadi (232-260) whom they call al-Zakiy

12- Muhammad al-Mahdi ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askari, whom they call al-Hujjah al-Qaa’im al-Muntazar. They claim that he entered a tunnel in Samarra’, but most researchers are of the view that he did not exist at all, and that he is a Shi’i myth.

See: al-Mawsoo’ah al-Muyassarah (1/51).

Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah (1/177): As for what they believe about the tunnel of Samarra’, that is a myth which has no basis in reality and no proof or sound reports. End quote.

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) divided the Imams of the Ithna ‘Ashari Shi’ah into four categories:

1 – ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, al-Hasan and al-Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with them). They are noble Sahaabah and no one doubts their virtue and leadership, but many others shared with them the virtue of being companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and among the Sahaabah there are others who were more virtuous than them, based on saheeh evidence from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

2 – ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baaqir, Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Saadiq and Moosa ibn Ja’far. They are among the trustworthy and reliable scholars. Manhaaj al-Sunnah (2/243, 244).

3 – ‘Ali ibn Moosa al-Rida, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Moosa al-Jawaad, ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-‘Askari, and al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-‘Askari. Concerning them, Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) said: They did not show a great deal of knowledge such that the ummah might benefit from them, nor did they have any authority by means of which they could help the ummah. Rather they were like any other Haashimis, they occupy a respected position, and they have sufficient knowledge of what which is needed by them and expected of people like them; it is a type is knowledge that is widely available to ordinary Muslims. But the type of knowledge that is exclusive to the scholars was not present in their case. Therefore seeks of knowledge did not receive from them what they received from the other three. Had they had that which was useful to seekers of knowledge, they would have sought it from them, as seekers of knowledge are well aware of where to go for knowledge. Minhaaj al-Sunnah (6/387).

4 – Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askari al-Muntazar (the awaited one). He did not exist at all, as stated above.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

[http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=101272&ln=eng]

What is Permissable for the Suitor to See of the Woman Before the Wedding

Question: If a man makes a proposal of marriage to a young woman, is it obligatory for him to see her? Also, is it correct for the young woman to uncover her hair and to reveal her beauty more for her fiancé? Advise us, and may Allaah benefit you.

Answer: There is no objection, but it is not obligatory. Rather, it is preferred for him to see her, and for her to see him. This is because the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi was salaam ordered the suitor to look at her, because that is more likely to produce harmony between them, so if she uncovers her face, hands and head for him, there is no objection, according to the most correct opinion. Some of the scholars said that it is sufficient for him to see her face and hands, but the most correct opinion is that there is no objection to him seeing her head, face, hands and feet, according to the aforementioned Hadeeth. But it is not permissible for him to do so, while being alone with her; rather, her father, her brother or another must be present with her. This is because the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi was salaam said: ‘A man may not be secluded with a woman except with a Mahram.’ Muslim no. 1341 He sallallaahu alayhi was salaam also said: ‘A man should not be alone with a woman, for verily Satan makes a third.’ At-Tirmithi no. 2165 and Ahmad 1/18. Narrated by Imaam Muslim with an authentic chain of narrators, on the authority of ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him.

Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz

Fatawa Islamiyyah, Darussalam, volume 5, pages 207/208

http://www.fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=94

Ada Guru Cuba Hidupkan Semula Aurad Muhammadiah (di Malaysia)

ADA GURU CUBA HIDUPKAN SEMULA AURAD MUHAMMADIAH

KUALA LUMPUR: Kesatuan Perkhidmatan Perguruan Kebangsaan (NUTP) mendedahkan ada guru termasuk penolong kanan cuba menghidupkan semula fahaman Aurad Muhammadiah yang pernah disebarkan oleh Ashaari Muhammad, pemimpin kumpulan Al-Arqam yang ditelah diharamkan.

NUTP mendakwa majoriti guru yang terlibat adalah bekas anggota Al-Arqam sebelum kumpulan itu diisytiharkan haram pada 1994.

Mereka mengguna- kan profesyen perguruan bagi menghidupkan semula ajaran berkenaan.

Presiden NUTP, Encik Anuar Ibrahim, berkata guru terlibat masih mengagungkan Ashaari sebagai pemimpin dan berpegang kepada fahaman dan amalan Aurad Muhammadiah serta berselindung di sebalik kerjaya guru bagi mengabui mata masyarakat.

Menurutnya, beliau mendapat maklumat itu melalui anggota Al-Arqam di Terengganu dan hasil siasatan mengesahkan memang ada guru di negeri itu yang masih berpegang kepada ajaran berkenaan.

'Walaupun setakat ini kes hanya dicatatkan di Terengganu, saya tidak menolak kemungkinan ada percubaan hendak menghidupkan semula ajaran itu di negeri lain dan kami sedang mengumpul maklumat,' kata beliau sebagaimana ditukil akhbar Berita Minggu Malaysia semalam.

Beliau mendedahkan perkara itu selepas laporan media mengenai kes seorang murid darjah enam di Klang, Selangor disuruh ibu bapanya menyiapkan karangan mengenai keagungan Ashaari dan menggambarkan pemimpin Al-Arqam itu sebagai tuhan kedua. -- BMM.

[Ditukil dari akhbar Berita Harian (Singapura), 22 Oktober 2007.]

Ibn Shamsud-Deen:

Kaitkan artikel ini dengan artikel sebelum ini yang telah saya utarakan.. persoalannya: bagaimana pula dengan guru-guru di Singapura, khususnya mereka yang berkemungkinan berkaitan dengan Aurad Muhammadiah, Madrasah al-Ma'arif dan Ustaz Taha Suhaimi?

Suatu persoalan yang masih membutuhkan jawapan kukuh, khususnya daripada Mufti dan Muis. (Namun, tidak bererti kita menentang Mufti mahupun Muis.)

Wallahu a'lam

Nasihat Ulama Tentang Da'wah Di Era Ini

Imam Albani
علينا أن نترفق في دعوتنا مع المخالفين ، وأن تكون من قوله تبارك
وتعالى دائما و أبداً:
( ادع إلى سبيل ربك بالحكمة و الموعظة الحسنة و جادلهم بالتي هي أحسن )
وأول من يستحق أن نستعمل معه هذه الحكمة هو من كان أشد خصومة لنا في
مبدئنا و في عقيدتنا؛ حتى لا نجمع بين ثقل دعوة الحق التي امتن الله عز و جل
بها علينا و بين ثقل أسلوب الدعوة إلى الله عز و جل .

"Wajib atas kita untuk berlemah lembut di dalam dakwah kita terhadap orang-orang yang menyelisihi kita, dan jadikan selalu firman Alloh Ta'ala berikut (sebagai pegangan) dan untuk selamanya :
"Serulah mereka ke jalan Rabb-mu dengan hikmah dan nasehat yang baik, serta berdebatlah dengan mereka dengan cara yang lebih baik."
Dan mereka yang pertama lebih berhak untuk kita terapkan hikmah ini adalah mereka yang paling memusuhi kita di dalam dasar (mabda') dan aqidah kita, hingga kita tidak menggabungkan antara beratnya dakwah yang haq yang Alloh memperteguh kita dengannya dengan beratnya cara (ushlub) kita berdakwah kepada Alloh Azza wa Jalla"

Imam Ibnu Baz
هذا العصر : عصر الرفق والصبر والحكمة ،وليس عصر الشدّة .
الناس أكثرهم في جهل ، في غفلة وإيثار للدنيا ، فلا بدّ من الصبر ،
ولا بدّ من الرفق ؛حتى تصل الدعوة ، وحتى يبلغ الناس ، وحتى يعلموا .
ونسأل الله للجميع الهداية

"Zaman ini adalah zaman kelembutan, kesabaran dan hikmah, bukanlah zaman kekerasan (kebengisan). Mayoritas manusia saat ini dalam keadaan jahil (bodoh), lalai dan lebih mementingkan duniawiyah. Maka haruslah sabar dan lemah lembut sampai dakwah ini tersampaikan dan sampai mereka mengetahuinya. Kami mohon petunjuk kepada Alloh untuk semuanya."

(Majmu' Fatawa Samahatul Imam Ibnu Bazz (Juz VIII, hal 376) dan (Juz X, hal. 91)

[Ditukil langsung dari laman sahabat kami, Akh Khairul: http://tashfeeyah.multiply.com/journal/item/56/
Nasehat_Ulama_Tentang_Dakwah_Di_Era_Ini]

Kekang ajaran Al-Arqam dan Aurad Muhammadiyah

Kekang ajaran Al-Arqam

PUTRAJAYA: Semua pihak berkuasa agama atau majlis agama negeri perlu terus memantau percubaan pihak tertentu menyampaikan atau menghidupkan semula ajaran Al-Arqam di Malaysia.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin, berkata pihak berkuasa agama negeri mempunyai kuasa untuk mengambil tindakan jika mendapati ada percubaan menghidupkan Al-Arqam. -- BHM.

[Ditukil dari Berita Harian (Singapura), 16 Oktober 2007]


Komentar dari Ibn Shamsud-Deen:

Pihak berkuasa agama dan majlis agama negeri di Malaysia sedang berusaha keras untuk mengekang ajaran Al-Arqam daripada sebarang percubaan untuk menyampaikan ataupun menghidupkannya.

Bagaimana pula dengan kita di Singapura?

Tidak lama dahulu, kita pernah dikecohkan dengan kewujudan cabang Rufaqa' Corporation di sini yang sememangnya terkait dengan Ashaari Muhammad, pengasas ajaran al-Arqam.

Lalu bagaimana dengan mereka yang terlibat mahupun terkait dengan Rufaqa' Corporation? Apakah mereka dipantau oleh Muis ataupun Pergas?

Kerana setahu saya, ada seorang kenalan yang mengikuti Rufaqa'. Dan beliau pernah meminta seorang kenalan untuk buat salinan bagi rakaman kelas Ashaari Muhammad dlm bentuk cd. Dan ini berlaku di depan mata saya.

Bagaimana pula dengan fahaman Aurad Muhammadiyah? Bukankah ajaran al-Arqam berasal daripada fahaman Aurad Muhammadiyah?

Semasa isu Rufaqa' muncul di akhbar BH sekitar akhir tahun lalu dan awal tahun ini, akhbar BH melaporkan bahawa fahaman Aurad Muhammadiyah diharamkan di Singapura dan Malaysia.

Benarkah demikian? Benarkah pengharaman fahaman Aurad Muhammadiyah dikuatkuasakan?

Hal ini amat diragui. Kerana Syeikh Muhammad Taha as-Suhaimi yang membawa dan mengajarkan fahaman Aurad Muhammadiyah di sini, beliau juga yang mengasaskan Madrasah al-Ma'arif al-Islamiah.

Dan beberapa kenalan memberi kesaksian, bahawa para asatizah di Madrasah al-Ma'arif mengajarkan fahaman Aurad Muhammadiyah.

Mudirahnya pula, ana pernah mengunjungi rumahnya saat Hari Raya. Tergantung di dalam rumah gambar Taha Suhaimi dan poster lain yang memang sinonimkan dengan fahaman Aurad Muhammadiyah.

Bahkan, beliau pernah bertanya kepada saya, "Ni budak al-Arabiah ye?" Bila saya menafikannya, beliau berkata, "oh.. tapi mukanya macam budak al-Arabiah."

Subhanallah..

Persoalannya, apakah Muis memantau Madrasah al-Ma'arif demi memastikan mereka tidak menghidupkan fahaman Aurad Muhammadiyah yang diharamkan?

Mengapa masih boleh didapati orang yang dengan bangga mengaku mengikuti fahaman Aurad Muhammadiyah?

Dan bagaimana pula Mudirah Madrasah al-Ma'arif tersebut boleh duduk di Lembaga Pengiktirafan Asatizah atau Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB)?

Bukan niat saya untuk menimbulkan kontroversi.. tapi ini merupakan persoalan-persoalan yang mengelirukan.. sedangkan aqidah kita sedang terancam..

Wallahu a'lam