Remedy for memorising

“So I asked him about the remedy for memorising..."

*Please appropriately reference this quote to: www.fatwa-online.com, thankyou!*

‘Alaa ibn Khushrum said:

((I have never seen Wakee’ with a book in his hands, rather, he memorised. So I asked him about the remedy for memorising and he said:

“If I taught you the remedy would you use it?” I said: “Yes, wAllaahi!” He said: “Abandon sinning (since) I have never experienced anything like it for memorising”))

al-Hifth – Ahammiyyatuhu, ‘Ajaa.ibuhu, Tareeqatuhu, Asbaabuhu – Page 67

al-Jaami’ lil-Khateeb – Volume 2, Page 258

Tahtheeb al-Kamaal – Volume 30, Page 480

[Extracted from: http://www.fatwa-online.com/wordsofwisdom/knowledge/0030921.htm]

Selamat Berjuang Wahai Sahabatku, Penuntut Ilmu

Sahabatku...
Kau telahpun pergi meninggalkanku
Berjihad menuntut ilmu
Mendalami ilmu agama
Memantapkan manhaj Salafiyyah
Demi menegakkan da'wah Islamiyyah
Yang sebenar..

Kini daku bagai keseorangan
Bagai kehilangan seorang teman
Teman bagaikan saudara kandung
Saling berbicara membincangkan ilmu
Mengongsi hal dan masalah peribadi
Dalam mengharungi kehidupan duniawi..

Walau kini daku keseorangan
Rasa kesepian
Amanahmu akan aku laksanakan
Nasihatmu kan ku jadikan pegangan
Dalam mengharungi pelbagai dugaan
Sebagai Salafi dalam pengasingan
Kerana kamilah Ghurabaa'
Bak sabda Nabi junjungan..

Malaikat mengembangkan sayap
Menaungi penuntut ilmu
Mendoakan kerahmatan Allah Yang Satu

Moga kau terus gigih menuntut ilmu
Demi kebenaran
Mencari keredhaan
Yang Maha Esa
Maha Pengasih, Maha Penyayang

Doa dan ingatanku
Kepadamu selalu..

Selamat berjuang wahai sahabatku...
Terus berjihad wahai penuntut ilmu..

Why Salafism and Terrorism Mostly Don't Mix

Indonesia Backgrounder: Why Salafism and Terrorism Mostly Don't Mix

Asia Report N°83

13 September 2004

To access the executive summary of this report in French, please click here.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

One result of the "war on terror" in Indonesia has been increased attention to the country's links with religious institutions in the Middle East and the puritanical form of Islam known as salafism. Particularly outside observers but some Indonesians as well tend to assume that salafism is alien to Indonesian Islam, is growing by leaps and bounds, and is dangerous, because it promotes violence. All three notions are misleading. This report, the first comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon in Indonesia, concludes that most Indonesian salafis find organisations like Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the group responsible for the Bali bombings of October 2002 and almost certainly the Australian embassy bombing of September 2004, anathema. Salafism may be more of a barrier to the expansion of jihadist activities than a facilitator.

The term salafism describes a movement that seeks to return to what its adherents see as the purest form of Islam, that practiced by the Prophet Mohammed and the two generations that followed him. In practice, this means the rejection of unwarranted innovations (bid'ah) brought to the religion in later years.

The strictest salafis in Indonesia:

• are religious, not political activists;
• eschew political or organisational allegiances because they divide the Muslim community and divert attention from study of the faith and propagation of salafi principles;
• reject oath-taking to a leader -- central to the organisational structure of groups like JI;
• believe it is not permissible to revolt against a Muslim government, no matter how oppressive or unjust, and are opposed to JI and the Darul Islam movement because in their view they actively promote rebellion against the Indonesian state; and
• tend to see the concept of jihad in defensive terms -- aiding Muslims under attack, rather than waging war against symbolic targets that may include innocent civilians.

While some involved in terrorism in Indonesia, such as Aly Gufron alias Mukhlas, a Bali bomber, claim to be salafis, the radical fringe that Mukhlas represents (sometimes called "salafi jihadism") is not representative of the movement more broadly.

The report examines the rise of salafism in Indonesia, noting that far from being alien to Indonesian Islam, it is only the most recent in a long history of puritanical movements, and looks at the role of Saudi funding in its expansion in the 1980s and 1990s. As important as funding is the close communication between Indonesian salafis and their Middle Eastern mentors, most but not all of them Saudis.

Indonesian salafi leaders rarely decide issues of doctrine or practice without consulting their teachers. Laskar Jihad, the militia established to wage jihad in Ambon was forced to disband after one important Saudi scholar concluded it had strayed from its original purpose. The fact that the Saudi sheikhs most frequently consulted by Indonesian salafis are themselves close to the Saudi government is another brake on any attraction within the movement to Osama bin Laden.

A major split within Indonesian salafism is between "purists", who reject any association with groups or individuals willing to compromise religious purity for political goals, and more tolerant and inclusive groups willing to acknowledge some good even in deviant teachings. The "purists" categorically reject the Muslim Brotherhood and its Indonesian offshoot, the political party PKS, as well as organisations like Hizb ut-Tahrir, Jemaah Tabligh, and Darul Islam. Not only will they not interact with them, but they also reject funding from any source that has deviant organisations among its grantees.

Ironically, this means that the most "radical" of the salafis are the most immune to jihadist teachings, and the more "moderate", those more open to other streams of thought, may provide slightly more fertile recruiting grounds for the jihadis.

That said, ICG's information suggests that most salafi jihadis are not recruited from salafi schools but rather from schools linked to Darul Islam or JI itself; urban mosques; and areas with a history of communal conflict. The report examines the few concrete cases known of salafis who have crossed into or out of JI. Drawing on their own writings, it looks in depth at the difference between salafis and salafi jihadis.

More than ever, there is need for an empirical study of the educational backgrounds of known JI-members, but ICG concludes that salafism in Indonesia is not the security threat sometimes portrayed. It may come across to outsiders as intolerant or reactionary, but for the most part it is not prone to terrorism, in part because it is so inwardly focused on faith.

Southeast Asia/Brussels, 13 September 2004

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=2967&l=1

Renungan Muharram (bahagian 1)

As-Salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

Al-Hamdu lillah, tibalah sudah bulan Muharram.. berlalunya tahun yang lalu, meninggalkan kita tak kembali lagi.. bermulalah tahun baru 1428H, Allah saja yang tahu apa yang menanti untuk kita semua..

Bulan Muharram, tak dinafikan, merupakan satu kesempatan bagi kita untuk bermuhasabah diri. Menanamkan azam yang baru, sentiasa memperbaiki diri.

Namun, hendaklah kita ketahui.. muhasabah diri bukanlah dengan menunggu kedatangan bulan Muharram semata baru nak muhasabah diri.. jika demikian sikap kita, apa bezanya kita dengan orang kafir yang hanya akan menanamkan azam baru memperbaiki diri pada awal setiap tahun?

Saiyidina Ali radhiyAllahu 'anhu pernah berkata yang lebih kurang berikut:

"Beruntunglah mereka yang hari ini lebih baik daripada hari semalam, terpedayalah mereka yang hari ini sama seperti hari semalam, celakalah mereka yang hari ini lebih buruk daripada hari semalam."

Sebuah lagi kata mutiara yang membawa maksud yang serupa:

"Hendaklah hari ini lebih baik daripada hari semalam, dan hendaklah hari esok lebih baik daripada hari ini."

Maka, dalam Islam, muhasabah diri itu seharusnya dilakukan setiap hari. Kalau tak mampu, maka beberapa hari sekali. Kalau tak mampu juga, maka seminggu sekali. Kalau tak mampu juga, beberapa minggu sekali.

Pokoknya, kita sebagai Muslim hendaklah senantiasa muhasabah diri dan mempertingkat diri kita, memperbaiki diri senantiasa.

Hendaklah kita manfaat suatu hari itu dengan sepenuhnya agar ianya hari terbaik yang pernah kita lalui.

Sabda Nabi Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam lebih kurang berikut:

"Bekerjalah kamu seolah-olah kamu akan hidup seribu tahun, beribadahlah kamu seolah-olah kamu akan mati esok hari." [1]

Dalam mempertingkatkan dan memperbaiki diri, hendaklah kita muhasabah diri. Di manakah kedudukan kita sebagai umat Muhammad?

Ustaz-ustaz kita biasa sebutkan, syarat-syarat sah ibadah adalah:

1. Islam (ada ulama mengatakan taqwa)
2. Ikhlas (kerana Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala semata-mata)
3. Ittiba' (yakni, ittiba' us-Sunnah yang bererti mencontohi Sunnah Nabi sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam)

Poin 1 dan 2, insha-Allah ramai di kalangan kita telah pun penuhi. Namun, poin 3... berapa ramai daripada kita yang telah memenuhinya?

Berapa ramai di kalangan kita yang senantiasa muhasabah dirinya dalam mencontohi sunnah Nabi sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam?

Misalnya, dalam soal ibadah seperti solat.. berapa ramai di kalangan kita yang muhasabah diri sama ada solat kita telah menepati Sunnah Nabi sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam?

Bukankah Nabi sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam telah bersabda:

"Solatlah kamu sebagaimana kamu melihat aku solat."? [2]

Lalu kita menyambut kedatangan bulan Muharram [3] dengan membaca doa akhir tahun sebelum Maghrib dan doa awal tahun selepas solat Maghrib sedangkan tiada contoh dari Nabi Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam mahupun para sahabatnya ridhwanullahi 'alayhim.

Bukankah dalam ilmu Usul Fiqh ditetapkan bahawa prinsip asas berkaitan ibadah ialah asal segala sesuatu adalah haram melainkan ada dalil (sahih) yang menghalalkan?

Dalam Khutbatul-Hajah, Nabi sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam bersabda:

"Seburuk-buruk perkara adalah perkara yang diada-adakan (dalam agama). Setiap perkara yang diada-adakan (dalam agama) adalah bid'ah, setiap bid'ah adalah dhalalah (menyesatkan), dan setiap dhalalah adalah di dalam neraka." [4]

Ibnu Umar radhiyAllahu 'anhuma pula berkata:

"Setiap bid'ah (dalam agama) adalah dhalalah (menyesatkan), sekalipun orang ramai menganggapnya baik." [5]

Bahkan, bulan Muharram hanya ditetapkan sebagai permulaan tahun pada masa pemerintahan Saiyidina Umar radhiyAllahu 'anhu apabila beliau mengasaskan takwim Islam! Dan tiadalah beliau mahupun para Sahabat yang lain pada masanya mengadakan amalan atau doa khusus pada awal Muharram. [6]

Lalu dalam doa awal tahun tersebut, kita berdoa memohon keredhaan dan rahmat Allah serta barakah daripadaNya, subhanAllah!

Bagaimana nak dapat keredhaan, rahmat dan barakah daripada Allah kalau apa yang kita lakukan/amalkan (yang kita anggap sebagai sebahagian daripada agama) tidak diperintahkan oleh Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala dan tidak pula dianjurkan oleh Nabi sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam?

Sedangkan Imam Malik rahimahullah mengatakan bahawa barangsiapa yang mengamalkan bid'ah yang ia anggap baik, samalah seperti dia mengatakan bahawa Nabi sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam telah mengkhianati risalah! Wa iyadzu billah..

Maka ana menyeru diri ana sendiri dan pembaca sekalian.. ayuhlah kita muhasabah diri kita dalam rangka menilai kedudukan kita sebagai umat Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam.. apakah nilaian cinta kita kepada Baginda sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam? Apakah amal ibadah kita atas dasar ittiba' us-Sunnah ataupun taqlid buta semata? Apakah kita pendukung Sunnah dan penentang bid'ah ataupun kita pendukung bid'ah yang mematikan Sunnah?

Wallahu al-Musta'an.

____________

Nota kaki:

[1] Ana tak dapat pastikan kesahihan hadith ini. Jika tidak sahih, maka tinggalkanlah.

[2] HR. Bukhari, Muslim dan Ahmad.

[3] Yakni, yang ramai orang sebutkan sebagai sambutan Awal Muharram ataupun Zikral Hijrah.

[4] HR Muslim.

[5] HR Abu Syamah, sanadnya hasan. Abu Syamah seorang ulama hadith bermazhab Syafi'i.

[6] Hal ini sebagaimana yang diterangkan oleh Ustaz Hamzah Jumaat di dalam kuliah Maghribnya di Masjid Alkhair pada 1 Muharram 1428H dalam menjawab soalan yang dikemukakan tentang penetapan awal Muharram.

Bin Laden VS Shaykh Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhab (Wahhabi Islam)

Dr Natana DeLong-Bas superbly states in chapter six of her book Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad:

"The global jihad espoused by Osama bin Laden and other contemporary extremists is clearly rooted in contemporary issues and interpretations of Islam. It owes little to the Wahhabi tradition, outside of the nineteenth-century incorporation of the teachings of Ibn Taymiyya and the Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jauziyyah into the Wahhabi worldview as Wahhabism moved beyond the confines of Najd and into the broader Muslim world.

The differences between the worldviews of Bin Laden and Ibn Abd al-Wahhab are numerous. Bin Laden preaches jihad; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab preached monotheism.

Bin Laden preaches a global jihad of cosmic importance that recognizes no compromise; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's jihad was narrow in geographic focus, of localized importance, and had engagement in a treaty relationship between the fighting parties as a goal.

Bin Laden preaches war against Jews and Christians; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab called for treaty relationships with them.

Bin Laden's jihad proclaims an ideology of the necessity of war in the face of unbelief; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab preached the benefits of peaceful co-existence, social order, and business relationships.

Bin Laden calls for the killing of infidels and the destruction of their money and property; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab restricted killing and the destruction of property.

Bin Laden calls for jihad as a broad universal prescription for Muslims of every time and place; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab confined jihad to specific and limited circumstances and contexts.

Bin Laden issues calls to violence and fighting; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab sought to curtail violence and fighting.

Bin Laden provides an ideological worldview based on jihad; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab provided legal justifications for the mechanics of jihad.

Bin Laden calls for jihad as an individual duty; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab upheld jihad as a collective duty.

Bin Laden requires no justification for jihad outside the declaration of another as an infidel; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab limited justifications for jihad and restricted the use of the label infidel.

Bin Laden's vision of jihad clearly belongs to the category of contemporary fundamentalists; Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's vision of jihad contains elements of both classical and modernist interpretations of Islam.

Wahhabi Islam is neither monolithic nor stagnant. Changes in thought, topics addressed, and emphases on different themes have clearly occurred over the past 250 years.

The militant Islam of Osama bin Laden does not have its origins in the teachings of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and is not representative of Wahhabi Islam as it is practised in contemporary Saudi Arabia, yet for the media it has come to define Wahhabi Islam in the contemporary era.

However, "unrepresentative" bin Laden's global jihad of Islam in general and Wahhabi Islam in particular, its prominence in headline news has taken Wahhabi Islam across the spectrum from revival and reform to global jihad. [56]

[Extracted from Does Saudi Arabia Preach Intolerance and Hatred in the UK and the US? by SalafiManhaj, http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_Saudi.pdf]

______________

Footnotes:

[56] Natana DeLong Bas, Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), pp.278-279

Kata-kata hikmah tentang cinta & wanita, buat renungan...

Jami' berkata,

"Ku tanya Sa'id bin Al-Musayyab mufti Madinah

adakah dosa karena cinta yang melimpah

Sa'id bin Al-Musayyab memberi jawaban

celaan bagi orang yang sebenarnya bisa menahan.

"Dunia ini adalah perhiasan, dan sebaik-baik perhiasan dunia adalah wanita shalihah." (Diriwayatkan Muslim)

Suwaid bin Sa'id Al-Hadatsany berkata, kami diberitahu Ali bin Mushir, dari Au Yahya Al-Qattat, dari Mujahid, dari Ibnu 'Abbas radhiyAllahu 'anhuma, dari Nabi shallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam, beliau bersabda,

"Barangsiapa jatuh cinta, lalu menyembunyikan cinta, menahan diri, bersabar lalu meninggal dunia, maka dia mati syahid."

Al-Khara'ithy berkata, "Ada beberapa rekan yang menyenandungkan syair,

"Permulaan cinta indah menawan di hati

akhirnya kematian laksana permainan

ia bermula dari pandangan dan canda

menyala di hati laksana bara api

seperti api yang bermula dari percikan

jika membesar ia kan membakar semua kayu."

Syu'bah meriwayatkan dari Abdul-Malik bin Umair, dia berkata, "Saya mendengar Mush'ab bin Sa''d berkata, 'Sa'd mengajarkan doa ini kepada kami dan dia menyebutkannya dari Nabi shallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam,

"Ya Allah, aku berlindung kepada-Mu dari cobaan wanita dan aku berlindung kepada-Mu dari siksa kubur."

[Diriwayatkan al-Khara'ithy di dalam I'tilalul-Qulub, sebagaimana yang dikatakan As-Suyuthy.]

"Tiga perkara, siapa yang tiga perkara itu ada padanya, maka dia mendapatkan manisnya iman, yaitu: Siapa yang Allah dan Rasul-Nya lebih dia cintai daripada selain keduanya, Siapa yang mencintai seseorang, dia tidak mencintainya melainkan kerana Allah, Siapa yang enggan kembali dalam kekufuran setelah Allah menyelamatkannya dari kekufuran itu, sebagaimana dia enggan untuk melemparkan ke dalam neraka."

[Diriwayatkan Al-Bukhary, Muslim, At-Tirmidzy dan An-Nasa'y]

Abdullah bin Ahmad berkata di dalam Kitabuz-Zuhd bagi bapaknya, kami diberitahu Abu Ma'mar, kami diberitahu Yusuf bin Athiyah, dari Tsabit, dari Anas bin Malik RadhiyAllahu 'Anhu, dia berkata, "Rasulullah shallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda,

"Kesenanganku dijadikan di dalam shalat dan aku dijadikan menyenangi wanita serta wewangian. Orang yang lapar bisa kenyang dan orang yang dahaga bisa minum sepuasnya. Sedangkan aku tidak kenyang kerana mencintai shalat dan wanita."

[Diriwayatkan An-Nasa'y, Ahmad, Al-Hakim dan Ath-Thabrany]

(Nota: Asal hadith ini ada dalam Shahih Muslim, tanpa tambahan "Orang yang lapar...")

...disebutkan perkataan Thawus dari Ibnu 'Abbas radhiyAllahu 'anhu, dari Nabi shallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam, beliau bersabda,

"Tidak ada yang bisa dilihat (lebih indah oleh) orang-orang yang saling mencintai seperti halnya pernikahan."

[Ditukil dari kitab Cinta dan Rindu Menurut Al-Qur'an dan As-Sunnah oleh Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jauziyyah.]

Used to continuously pray 2 rak'ahs until the imaam ascended the pulpit...

Used to continuously pray 2 rak'ahs until the imaam ascended the pulpit...

*Please appropriately reference this quote to: www.fatwa-online.com, thankyou!*

Concerning the Imaam of Hadeeth, the Shaykh - Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee (rahima-hullaah), it has been narrated by Sameer ibn Ameen az-Zuhayree:

"Whenever he entered the masjid on the day of Jumu'ah, he would pray 2 rak'ahs (naafilah) and continue to do so until the imaam ascended the pulpit."

Muhaddith al-'Asr Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee – Page 39

http://www.fatwa-online.com/jewelsofguidance/alalbaanee/0021021.htm

May Allaah beautify you with that which he has beautified the man...

May Allaah beautify you with that which he has beautified the man...

*Please appropriately reference this quote to: www.fatwa-online.com, thankyou!*

Concerning the Imaam of Hadeeth, the Shaykh - Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee (rahima-hullaah), and how much importance he placed on enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, it has been narrated by Sameer ibn Ameen az-Zuhayree:

"I was with him once while he was ill (hospitalised) when one of the doctors (who was clean-shaven) entered (the room).

After giving the Shaykh his medication he hastened to leave, saying:

"Pray for me O Shaykh".

So the Shaykh (rahima-hullaah) said:

"May Allaah beautify you with that which he has beautified the man"."

Muhaddith al-'Asr Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee – Page 30

..........

Translators note: It is understood that the Shaykh's supplication implied the seeking of Allaah's Guidance for this man to keep a beard (which is obligatory), wAllaahu A'lam.

http://www.fatwa-online.com/jewelsofguidance/alalbaanee/0020528.htm

"Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen! Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen! Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen!..."

"Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen! Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen! Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen!..."

*Please appropriately reference this quote to: www.fatwa-online.com, thankyou!*

Concerning the Imaam, the Shaykh - Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (rahima-hullaah), it has been narrated:

"A member of the Da’wah and Guidance Centre in Jeddah narrates that during the hajj of 1416A.H, he was in the company of the Shaykh at King ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Airport in Jeddah surrounded by the pilgrims who were arriving for hajj.

Here, the Shaykh undertook that which was obligatory upon him by giving da’wah to the arriving pilgrims. A large group of Russian pilgrims arrived and the Shaykh wanted to offer some words (of da’wah) to them. So he asked if there was a translator amongst them. Then, the (Russian) guide for the group came forward not knowing this was Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen.

After completing the translation, the guide asked who the Shaykh was. He was told that it was Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen. At this, he turned to embrace the Shaykh kissing him (on his forehead) whilst crying. He then grabbed hold of the microphone and addressed all the members of his group that this was Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen. At this, tears began falling from the eyes of each and every member of the group, whilst the guide was repeatedly loudly calling out on the microphone “Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen! Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen! Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen!...”

The members of the group then came (forward) and conveyed their greetings to the Shaykh and kissed him (on his forehead).

The guide for the group then turned to the Shaykh and said:

“These are your students. They used to read your books in shelters under the ground during the Communist rule.”

al-Jaami’ li-Hayaat al-‘Allaamah Muhammed ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen – Page 38

http://www.fatwa-online.com/jewelsofguidance/ibnuthaymeen/0030305.htm

Prolongation in the adhaan

Question:

What is the ruling on tatweel (prolongation) in the adhaan?

Answer:

(Regarding) prolongation in the adhaan, we do not know of any basis for this. Rather the Sunnah is that he gives the adhaan with the legislated adhaan in such a way that it be moderate.

And with Allaah is the tawfeeq. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.

Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts

Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz

Shaykh `Abdullah bin Ghudayaan

Shaykh `Abdullaah bin Qu`ood

Shaykh `Abdur-Razzaaq al-`Afeefee

Question 2 from fatwa 4160 P62 volume 6 Fataawa of the Permanent Committee

Translated by Abu Abdir Rahmaan ibn Najam

http://www.fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=641

Concerning the Hadeeths ''Whoever Listens to a Female Singer'' And ''Music Makes Hypocrisy Grow''

Question:

I read in a Hadeeth that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever listens to a female singer, then molten lead will he poured into his ears." And another Hadeeth: "Music makes hypocrisy grow in the heart just as water makes grass grow. Are these Hadeeths authentic? And what is the ruling regarding someone who hears singing in a car or in a gathering, when he does not have the ability to turn it off?

Answer:

Listening to a voice implies that one is listening carefully, concentrating on what he is listening to. So in the case of singing, listening to it implies that one is listening carefully and concentrating on it.

As for hearing, it could be on purpose, the same as listening carefully and concentrating, in which case it is also called listening, and the same judgements apply. On the other hand, hearing could occur without it happening on purpose, without concentrating on the voice, then it is not called listening and the judgements related to listening do not apply.

Accordingly, listening to what the questioner mentioned, different types of singing, is unlawful for anyone who concentrates on it. This is the case, be it a man, a woman, in the home, or not in the home, in the car, or in gatherings, large or small. It is the same, whenever one chooses to do so, and is inclined to participate in what is unlawful according to the Shari'ah.

Allaah Almighty said:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

"And of mankind is he who purchases idle talk (Lahwul-Hadeeth) to mislead men from the path of Allaah without knowledge, and takes it by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment." [Luqman 31:6]

The singing that the questioner mentioned is part of Lahwul-Hadeeth. It tempts heart, and it leads it to evil, taking it away from good, and causing people to waste their time. So because of this it falls under the general meaning of Lahwul-Hadeeth, it is the same for one singing and the one who listens to singing, all of them fall under the general category of purchasing Lahwul-Hadeeth and misleading others from the path of Allaah. So there is prohibition and a warning of a sever punishment for doing so.

Just as the prohibition of singing and listening to it is proven in the Qur'aan, so too has the Sunnah. The Prophet (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,

ليكونن من أمتي أقوام يستحلون الحر والحرير والخمر والمعازف ولينزلن أقوام إلى جنب علم يروح عليه بسارحة لهم يأتيهم يعني الفقير لحاجة فيقولوا ارجع إلينا غدا فيبيتهم الله ويضع العلم ويمسخ آخرين قردة وخنازير إلى يوم القيامة

"There will be from my Nation a people who will deem fornication, silk (for men), alcohol, and music to be permissible; and there will be a people who will camp beside a high mountain, when a poor man passes by them and asks for a need, they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' In the morning Allaah will make the mountain fall upon them and the others (who are saved) are transformed into apes and pigs, until the Day of Judgement." (Al-Bukhari no. 5990)

Music is the use of instruments of Lahw, and part of this is singing and listening to it. So Allaah's Messenger (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) condemned those who seek to legalize fornication, the use of silk for men, drinking alcohol, and such entertainment instruments and listening to them. Here he accompanied music with other major sins. In the end of the Hadeeth he threatened those who do that with a punishment.

This shows that listening to music is unlawful. But a person is not sinning when he accidentally listens to music, such as a person who is walking in the street and hears music being played in stores, or in a car, as long as he does not desire to listen to it. Such a person is not sinning because he has no choice; however, he must advise and warn those who are playing the music, he must do so with wisdom and good exhortation. And should avoid as much as possible going to places where music is played, and Allaah does not place a burden on a soul greater than it can bear.

A group of scholars use authentic proofs and then follow that with narrations that have some weakness in their chains of narration, or from the view of proving the objective. There is nothing wrong in this because they mention these narrations as secondary, narrations to be reflected upon, but they depend entirely on authentic Hadeeth for proof. An example of this regarding singing and listening to it, where scholars first mention the authentic narrations and then mention narrations that are weak. Here are some examples of the weak narrations:

1) Al-Hakim At-Tirmithi related from Abu Musa Al-'Ashari that the Prophet (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,

من استمع إلى صوت غناء لم يؤذن له أن يسمع الروحانيين
(قراء أهل الجنة)

"Whoever listens to the sound of singing will not be permitted to listen to the spirits in Paradise." (Kanzu 'Ummal no. 40660, 400666 and Qurtubi no. 14/53-54)

2) Ibn 'Asakir relates from Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,

من استمع قينة صب في أذنيه الآنك يوم القيامة

"Whoever listens to a female singer, molten lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Judgement." (Dha'ifu-Jami' As-Saghir Lil-Albani no. 5410 and Ad-Dha'ifah no. 4549)

3) In Thamm Al-Malahi Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya' relates from Ibn Mas'ud a saying of the Prophet:

الغناء ينبت النفاق في القلب كما ينبت الماء البقل

"Singing makes hypocrisy to grow in the heart like water makes herbs grow." (Al-Baihaqi 10/223 and Abu Dawud no. 4927)

4) Al-Bayhaqi related from Jabir, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,

الغناء ينبت النفاق في القلب كما ينبت الماء الزرع

"Singing makes hypocrisy to grow in the heart like water makes plants grow." (Shua'bul-Iman no. 5100)

All of these Hadeeths are weak, but just because they are weak doesn't affect the ruling on singing and on listening to singing; both are unlawful because of other authentic proofs from the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. And with Allaah is the facilitation to do what is right.

Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts

Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 7, Pages 188-189, DARUSSALAM

[Extracted from: http://www.fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=502]

Note: Music is nevertheless haram as explained by the Salafee mashaayikh. For more information, read the book "Singing and Music in the Light of the Qur'an and the Sunnah" by Abu Bilal Mustafa al-Kanadi or click onto the following link: http://members.tripod.com/oum_abdulaziz/music.html

Sheikh Ahmed an Najmee declares Saddam Hussain a Muslim!

The following is an extracted from an email from Akh Talha Shahid who received the email from Authentic Statements:

From: Authentic Statements General Announcments <info@authenticstate ments.com >

Date: Jan 7, 2007 12:16 PM

Subject: Sheikh Ahmed an Najmee declares Saddam Hussain a Muslim!

To: (Akh Talha Shahid's email has been removed. To contact him, please refer to his blog: www.puresalaf.blogspot.com)

Al-Hamdulillaah was-Salaatu was-Salaamu 'alaa Rasoolillaah,

Sheikh Ahmed an Najmee declares Saddam Hussain a Muslim!

This question was presented to Sheikh Ahmed an Najmee concerning SaddamHussain on Saturday the 18th of Dhul Hijjah/ 6th January, 2006.

It reads:

Many questions have been asked concerning Saddam Hussain and the position ofthe Muslim with regards to him, (and the fact that) he declared theshahadatan (declaration of Islam) as was seen (video recording), and other than that. (The question is) what is the (correct) position of the studentof knowledge in this matter, and should one send peace upon him or not?

The Sheik responded:

All praise is for Allah, and may much peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon (the Messenger's) family and companions.In reality, the belief of the communist is a disbelieving belief. I haveread what Saddam did in Iraq from the spilling of blood (killing) and the closing of the masajid from the worshippers and forbidding them fromentering them, as well as the spreading of evil and other than that ofaffairs that took place from him. There is no doubt that these sort of actions are disbelief because the communist belief is disbelief. But thefact that he was jailed for an extended period of time and he declared theshahadatan (declaration of Islam) before being hung at the time of his death, based on that, we declare him to be a Muslim and we leave his affairto Allah -Aza wa Jel. We also say that there is no harm in praying over him.If a person is a student of knowledge in a land where the ruler orders prayer to be performed (janazah prayer performed in a distant land) overhim, than a person should pray over him and leave his (Saddam's) affair to Allah.

Praying the Tahiyyatul-Masjid whilst the adhaan for Jumu'ah is being called

Praying the Tahiyyatul-Masjid whilst the adhaan for Jumu'ah is being called
*Please appropriately reference this fatwa to: www.fatwa-online.com, thankyou!*


Question: Should he pray the Tahiyyatul-Masjid (2 rak'ah prayer) when he enters the masjid whilst the adhaan for Jumu'ah is being called?

Response: Yes. If a Muslim enters the masjid whilst the adhaan for Jumu'ah is being called, then he should pray the Tahiyyatul-Masjid and not wait until the mu.adhdhin has finished (calling the adhaan).


Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq 'Afeefee
Fataawa wa Rasaa.il Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq 'Afeefee - Page 404, Fatwa No.7

Saudi Prison Director Disputes Conflicting Human Rights Watch Statements

26/12/2006

By Turki Al-Saheil


Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- Members of the US Human Rights Watch delegation (HRW) that concluded its mission in Saudi Arabia last week made conflicting statements to the press regarding the way in which Saudi authorities dealt with the delegation during its visits to the country's prisons and detention centers.

Hassan al-Masri, a member of the delegation, said in remarks that were carried by the local media that Saudi authorities had allowed the delegation to visit Al-Ha'ir prison and speak with the detainees with complete freedom.

In contrast the Executive Director of the HRW Kenneth Roth claimed in a statement posted on the organization's website, that Saudi "authorities allowed the delegation members to visit only one wing of the prison and prevented them from making a second visit to it."

The inconsistency between the two statements made by the two HRW officials is evident. Al-Masri said that the delegation's visit to the prison lasted for five hours, during which they were able to tour all its sections and to speak with the prisoners in private and with total freedom, while their online statement that the Saudi authorities allowed the delegation to visit a small number of prisoners in one single wing, the one that was best maintained.

The Human Rights Watch delegation has ended its Three week visit to Saudi Arabia.

Commenting on the conflicting statements, Maj Gen Dr Ali al-Harithi, director of Saudi prisons, rejected the HRW's claims that the authorities refused to allow the delegation to visit the prisons and detention centers.

"Naturally we did not prevent them from carrying out their mission," Al-Harithi told Asharq al-Awsat. "The delegation visited Al-Ha'ir jail on its members' request. They were able to meet with the detainees in private. They also visited the solitary detention wing." He added.

Al-Harithi was also disappointed by the delegations refusal to provide his office with their assessment of the Al-Ha'ir jail. "We asked the delegation members to provide us with their impressions they got during their visit to this prison, but they declined."

Al-Harithi expressed astonishment that the human rights delegation refused to express its opinions openly. He said that he would have liked the persons in charge of the prison to learn from the human rights delegation's assessment in order to have a discussion between the two sides and learn of their observations.

The director of Saudi prisons explained that his office staff sought to make the Human Rights Watch delegation members feel that the task they were carrying out was a commendable humanitarian action. He remarked: "In this country we are closer to human rights than they are."

He added that his office has taken note of certain negative aspects in the country's prisons and corrected them, proceeding from the wish to provide a suitable environment for all prisoners.

[Extracted from: http://www.asharqalawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=7451]

Takbir Pada Hari Raya 'Ied

[Ditukil daripada kitab Meneladani Rasulullah shallAllaahu 'alaihi wa sallam dalam Berhari Raya tulisan Syaikh 'Ali Hasan bin 'Ali al-Halabi al-Atsari, terbitan Pustaka Imam Asy-Syafi'i. Judul asli: Ahkaamul 'Iedain fis Sunnah al-Muthahharah, terbitan Daar Ibnu Hazm, Bairut, Libanon]

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala berfirman:

وَلِتُكْمِلُواْ الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ اللّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

"Dan hendaklah kalian mencukupkan bilangannya dan hendaklah kalian mengagungkan Allah atas petunjuk-Nya yang diberikan kepadamu, supaya kalian bersyukur." (QS. Al-Baqarah: 185)

Telah tetap suatu riwayat bahwa Nabi shallAllaahu 'alaihi wa sallam biasa berangkat menunaikan shalat pada hari raya 'Ied, lalu beliau bertakbir hingga sampai di tempat pelaksanaan shalat, bahkan sampai shalat akan dilaksanakan. Dan jika shalat dilaksanakan, beliau menghentikan bacaan takbir. [1]

Seorang ahli hadits, al-Albani mengemukakan: "Di dalam hadits tersebut terkandung dalil yang menunjukkan disyari'atkannya apa yang dikerjakan oleh kaum muslimin berupa takbir dengan suara lantang selama dalam perjalanan menuju ke tempat pelaksanaan shalat (tanah lapang), meskipun banyak dari mereka mulai meremehkan Sunnah ini."

Dan pada kesempatan yang baik ini, perlu juga diingatkan bahwa bertakbir dengan suara keras tidaklah disyari'atkan secara bersama-sama dengan satu suara (koor), sebagaimana yang dilakukan oleh sebahagian orang. Demikian juga setiap dzikir yang disyariatkan untuk membacanya dengan suara keras mahupun tidak, maka tidak disyari'atkan untuk dilakukan dengan bersama-sama seperti yang telah disebutkan tadi. Hendaklah kita berhati-hati untuk tidak melakukan hal tersebut. [2] Dan hendaklah kita senantiasa mengarahkan pandangan kita kepada keyakinan bahwa sebaik-baik petunjuk adalah petunjuk Muhammad shallAllaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.

Syaikhul Islam Ibnu Taimiyyah rahimahullah pernah ditanya tentang waktu pelaksanaan takbir pada shalat 'Iedul Fithri dan 'Iedul Adh-ha, maka ida pun memberikan jawapan: "Segala puji hanya bagi Allah, pendapat yang benar mengenai pelaksanaan takbir ini dan yang menjadi pendapat Jumhur (mayoritas) ulama salaf dan fuqaha (para ahli fiqih) dari kalangan Sahabat dan Tabi'in adalah bertakbir dari waktu fajar pada hari 'Arafah sampai akhir hari Tasyriq, setiap kali selesai shalat. Dan disyari'atkan bagi setiap orang untuk membaca takbir denga suara lantang pada saat berangkat menuju tempat shalat 'Ied. Yang demikian itu dengan kesepakatan empat imam madzhab." [3]

Penulis katakan: "Pendapat Ibnu Taimiyyah rahimahullaah yang menyebutkan: 'Setiap kai selesai shalat,' -secara khusus- adalah tidak berdalil sama sekali, dan yang benar adalah setiap waktu, tanpa adanya pengkhususan."

Dan hal tersebut diperkuat oleh apa yang dikemukakan oleh Imam al-Bukhari di dalam kitab al-Iidain dari kitab Shahihnya (II / 461), bab Bertakbir Pada Seluruh Hari di Mina (hari-hari Tasyriiq) dan Apabila Menuju 'Arafah.

'Umar radhiyAllaahu 'anhu biasa bertakbir di kemahnya di Mina sehingga terdengar oleh orang-orang yang hadir di masjid lalu mereka pun bertakbir. Juga orang-orang yang sedang berada di pasar ikut bertakbir sehingga Mina bergemuruh oleh bacaan takbir.

Dan Ibnu 'Umar juga bertakbir di Mina pada hari-hari tersebut, setelah selesai shalat, di atas tempat tidur, lantai, tempat duduk, dan dalam perjalanannya selama hari-hari itu.

Maimunah juga bertakbir pada hari raya kurban. Dan kaum wanita pun ikut bertakbir di belakang Abbas bin 'Utsman dan 'Umar bin 'Abdil 'Aziz selama malam-malam hari Tasriq bersama kaum pria di masjid.

Dan Ibnu 'Umar jika berangkat ke tanah lapang pada hari raya 'Iedul Fithri dan 'Iedul Adh-ha membaca takbir dengan suara lantang sehingga sampai di tempat pelaksanaan shalat, dan kemudian bertakbir sampai imam datang. [4]

Sebatas pengetahuan saya (penulis), tidak ada satu hadits Nabi pun yang shahih dalam menjelaskan sifat takbir. Akan tetapi ada riwayat dari sebagian Sahabat Nabi shallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, seperti Ibnu Mas'ud radhiyAllaahu 'anhu pernah mengucapkan:

الله أكبر الله أكبر, لا إله إلا الله والله أكبر, الله أكبر ولله الحمد

"Allah Mahabesar, Allah Mahabesar, tidak ada ilah yang berhak diibadahi kecuali hanya Allah semata. Dan Allah Mahabesar, Allah Mahbesar, dan segala puji hanya bagi Allah." [5]

Ibnu 'Abbas juga pernah mengucapkan:

الله أكبر الله أكبر, الله أكبر ولله الحمد, الله أكبر وأجَلَّ, الله أكبر على ما هدانا

"Allah Mahabesar, Allah Mahabesar, Allah Mahabesar, segala puji hanya bagi Allah. Allah Mahabesar lagi Mahaagung. Dan Allah Mahabesar atas petunjuk yang telah diberikan kepada kita." [6]

Dan diriwayatkan oleh Abdurrazzaq [7] yang di antara jalannya terdapat pada al-Baihaqi di dalam kitab as-Sunan al-Kubraa (III / 316), dengan sanad shahih dari Salman al-Khair radhiyAllaahu 'anhu, dia mengatakan:

كَبِِِّرُوْا الله: الله أكبر, الله أكبر, الله أكبر كبيرًا

"Agungkanlah Allah dengan menyebut: Allah Mahabesar, Allah Mahabesar, Allah Mahabesar."

Cukup banyak orang awam yang menyalahi dzikir yang bersumber dari kaum Salaf, dengan membaca dzikir-dzikir lain, melakukan penambahan, serta membuat lafazh-lafazh baru yang tidak memiliki dasar sama sekali. Sehingga al-Hafizh Ibnu Hajar rahimahullaah mengatakan di dalam kitabnya, Fat-hul Baari (II / 536): "Dan pada zaman sekarang ini telah terjadi penambahan [8] dalam hal takbir tersebut yang tidak memiliki dasar sama sekali."

_____________

Nota kaki:

[1] HR. Ibnu Abi Syaibah di dalam kitab al-Mushannaf, dan al-Mahamili di dalam kitab Shalaatul 'Iidain, dengan sanad yang sahih, tetapi berstatus mursal. Akan tetapi ia memiliki beberapa syahid (penguat) yang memperkuatnya. Lihat di dalam kitab Silsilah al-Ahaadits ash-Shahiihah (170). Dan permulaan takbir pada hari raya 'Ied adalah waktu berangkat ke tempat pelaksanaan shalat (tanah lapang).

[2] Silsilatul al-Ahaadtis ash-Shahiihah (I/121). Syaikh al-'Allamah Hamud at-Tuwaijiri rahimahullah memiliki satu risalah khusus mengenai penolakan takbir yang dibaca secara bersama-sama dan telah dicetak.

[3] Majmuu' al-Fataawaa (XXIV / 220). Lihat juga kitab Subulus Salaam (II / 71-72).

[4] HR. Ad-Daruquthni, Ibnu Abi Syaibah dan lain-lainnya, dengan sanad shahih. Lihat juga kitab Irwaa-ul Ghaliil (650).

[5] HR. Ibnu Abi Syaibah (II / 168) dengan sanad shahih.

[6] HR. Al-Baihaqi (III / 315) dan sanad shahih.

[7] Dan saya (penulis) tidak mendapatkannya di dalam Mushannaf-nya.

[8] Bahkan tambahan yang sangat banyak sekali.

Why Grow a Beard?

"If God had wanted you to have a hairless chin, He would have given you one." (Marvin Grosswirth)[82]

"He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man." (Willian Shakespear (1564-1616) Much Ado About Nothing, act 2, sc.1)

[Extracted from Growing a Beard: In Light of the Qur'an,Sunnah and modern Science by Dr. Gohar Mushtaq.]


_________________
Footnotes:
[82] Grosswirth, Marvin, The Art of Growing a Beard (New York: Jarrow Press, Inc., 1971)

A Pakistani Cricket Player and his Beard

The name of Saeed Anwar in the history of Pakistan's cricket team will not easily be forgotten; he was one of the most prolific of those to make runs. Saeed Anwar surprised the cricket world in 2001 when "he turned up with a long, thick beard in a sport dominated by men who are clean-shaven."[97]

Saeed Anwar, a computer engineer by profession, used to be a materialist until September 2001 when his daughter, Bisma, died. That changed his whole outlook on life. He realised the temporary nature of this world.

In an interview, when he was asked about the initial reaction of cricket players on his appearing at the cricket ground with a beard, he said:

"People were very surprised to see me. But I was numb with pain because only recently, I had lost my daughter Bisma. I did not like anything. I felt very empty but I was surprised by people's reaction. They came up to me and started asking me about the beard, about who I was.

Also, I was respected more than ever before. Australian cricketers are famous for their rudeness and bad language. On a tour last June, the fast bowler Glenn McGrath collided with me.

Normally he would hurl some abuse at me but instead he put his arms around my shoulders, and said, 'It's my fault. I'm sorry.'

The beard has had a strange spiritual effect on me which I cannot describe. When you wear a sweater, it gives you warmth inside. Also, my beard has affected the people around me. They never utter a filthy word in my presence. So my five senses are protected from exposure to bad things."[98]

[Taken from the book, "Growing a Beard: In Light of the Qur'an, Sunnah and Modern Science" by Dr. Gohar Mushtaq.]


____________________
Footnotes:
[97] Khan, Sameem (16 January 2003). "Saeed Anwar: 'It is all from Allah'." Arab News. www.arabnews.com

[98] Ibid.

Why Lincoln Grew a Beard

A young girl wrote a Letter to Lincoln persuading him to grow his beard since it would increase his popularity with the public

Today, when we think of Abraham Lincoln, immediately an image of Lincoln wearing a beard appears. However, for many years, Lincoln did not allow his beard to grow. Members of his own political party suggested to him to allow it to grow because they were afraid of his gangling appearance.

However, a young girl convinced Lincoln to grow his beard. The name of that eleven year old girl was Grace Bedell. She was from Westfield, a village in New York state.

Grace admired Lincoln but when her father brought a picture of Lincoln home during the election campaign of 1860, she was frightened by the grotesque, clean-shaven appearance of Lincoln with is crooked jaw-line. Since she was worried about Lincoln's look, she wrote him the following letter. It inspired Lincoln to grow his beard:

"I hope you won't think me bold to write to such a great man as you are but want that you should be the President of the United States very much. I have got four brothers and part of them will vote for you anyway [since they were Republicans], and if you will let your whiskers [beard] grow, I will try to get the rest of them to vote for you. You would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President."[103]

Lincoln replied to Grace and thanked her for the suggestion but stated that it might be regarded as unwise since he had never before grown his beard. Nevertheless, Lincoln acted upon the advice of Grace Bedell, began to grow his beard and a few weeks afterwards he won the election.

The following February when he went from Illinois to Washington for his inauguration, he stopped at the village of Westfield, New York. When Lincoln came out of his train, he addressed the cheering crowd and told them that a young girl from the town had sent him an inspiring letter. Lincoln further said:

"She asked me to let my whiskers grow, as it would improve my personal appearance. Acting upon her suggestion, I have done so. And now, if she is here, I would like to see her."[104]

After saying this, Lincoln stepped down from the train and went into the crowd where Grace was standing and thanked her for the advice she had given him to grow his beard. The bearded image of Lincoln proved important in the years to come when there was a bloody civil war. The Americans regarded their leader not as a rough, beardless leader but as a statesman whom they called "Father Abraham".[105]

[Taken from the book, "Growing a Beard: In Light of the Qur'an, Sunnah and Modern Science" by Dr. Gohar Mushtaq.]


______________________
Footnotes:
[103] Holzer, Harold (1989). "Why Lincoln Grew a Beard". Cobblestone 10(1): 14 - 15

[104] Ibid.

[105] Holzer, Harold (1989). "Why Lincoln Grew a Beard". Cobblestone 10(1): 14-15

Reflections of an American Muslim about his beard

Dr. Shahid Athar, an American Muslim, in narrating the story of his beard, writes that twenty years ago when he came back to the USA, he was surprised to observe that many non-Muslims, including musicians, hippies, and even intellectual professors, had beards.[100] Therefore, he decided to grow his beard but later shaved it off. when one of his old patients saw him, he said to him:

"Doc! You look naked without your beard."

Dr. Athar writes that he did feel naked. Finally, Dr. Athar decided to grow his beard again as a result of a question which he asked himself: "How do I want to look when I am being laid to rest in the earth."[101]

Dr. Athar writes: "I looked at my former picture and the mirror and the answer was obvious. I am fully clothed now!"[102]

[Taken from the book, "Growing a Beard: In Light of the Qur'an, Sunnah and Modern Science" by Dr. Gohar Mushtaq.]


______________
Footnotes:
[100] Athar, Shahid, M.D. The Story of My Beard. http:www.kuwaitonline.com/islam/story/tsomb.htm

[101] Ibid.

[102] Ibid.

Logic on the Importance of the Beard

The Logic Used by Imam Farahi to convince Shaykh Islahi about the Importance of the Beard

Once Imam Hameed ud-din Farahi was trying to convince Shaykh Ameed Ahsan Islahi about the importance of the beard. Shaykh Islahi argued that the beard does not hold a pivotal position in Islam. Imam Farahi explained to him the meanings of the traditions of the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam about allowing the beard to grow. When Imam Farahi felt that Shaykh Islahi was still not convinced, he said to him:

"Let's suppose that the beard does not hold an important position in Islam. But can you deny the fact that this small thing informs you of big things."

Shaykh Islahi asked: "How?" Imam Farahi replied:

"Just as throwing a pinch of ashes in the air tells us about the direction of such a huge thing as the wind, similarly, based on the presence or absence of the beard on a Muslim's face, we learn whetehr that Muslim has an inclination towards Islam or not."

When Shaykh Islahi heard this reply, he was convinced and became silent. He afterwards wrote:

"As far as a Muslim is concerned, the beard serves as a barometer for the preferences and predilection of his heart for Islam. Based on that there is no doubt that the beard holds a very important position in Islam and it deserves that position."[99]

[Taken from the book, "Growing a Beard: In Light of the Qur'an, Sunnah and Modern Science" by Dr. Gohar Mushtaq.]

______________________
Footnotes:
[99] Sheikh Ameen Ahsan Islahi, Biography of Imam Faraahi quoted in Faraahi, Hameed-ud-din, Majmooa Tafaaseer Faraahi (Lahore, Faraan Foundation, 1991)