online quran reciter: April 2012

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Is this expression correct?

Is there anything wrong with this expression: “If we knew what was going to happen in the future we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble”?.

Praise be to Allaah.

What this expression means if that if a person knew what was going to happen to him, which is a matter of the unseen, he would have been able to avoid the problems and evil that have befallen him. This is in accordance with the Muslim’s belief (‘aqeedah), and there is nothing wrong with it, because the unknown is something that is known only to Allaah. If it were the case that people could see the unseen and know of events before they happen, they would have achieved everything good and avoided everything bad. They would look at the causes of good health, wealth and happiness and they would pursue them, and they would look at the causes of poverty, disease and death and they would avoid them. But this is something hypothetical and impossible. The point is that man is incapable and weak and must submit to the fate that Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has decreed for him.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): ‘I possess no power over benefit or hurt to myself except as Allaah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe’”

[al-A’raaf 7:188]

It says in Tafseer al-Qur’aan il-‘Azeem (3/524):

The best comment concerning this is what was narrated by al-Dahhaak from Ibn ‘Abbaas: “If I had knowledge of the unseen I would have acquired a lot of good” i.e., wealth. According to another report: “If I knew the unseen I would have known what would make a profit and what would not, and I would have made a lot of money and poverty would not have come my way.”

Ibn Jareer said: Others said: What that means is: If I had knowledge of the unseen I would have prepared for the year of drought (by setting side something) from the year of plenty, and I would have known when prices were about to go up or down, so I would have saved for myself from the times when prices were low for the times when prices were high.

‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Zayd ibn Aslam said: “and no evil should have touched me” I would have avoided evil before it happened. End quote.

Shaykh al-Sa’di said in Tafseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan (p. 311): “If I had the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me” means: I would have done the things that I know would have resulted in good and benefits for me, and I would have avoided everything that could lead to evil and negative consequences, because I would have known about things before they happened, and I would have known what they would lead to.

But – because of my lack of such knowledge – bad things may happen to me, and I may miss out on good things. This is the clearest evidence that I have no knowledge of the unseen. End quote.

See also the answer to question no. 49004.

And Allaah knows best.

Every cloud has a silver lining

I have seen on TV many of the calamities that have befallen the Muslim ummah, in Palestine our wounds are bleeding; in Chechnya our bodies are cut; in Afghanistan our houses are destroyed; in the Philippines and in Kashmir… and now in Iraq.
Tomorrow only Allaah knows who will be meet this fate…
Are these calamities and these disasters that we see good or bad?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Disasters and calamities have been created for a reason, which none can fully comprehend but Allaah. Some of the things that Allaah has shown to us indicate this.

1 – Disasters and calamities are a test of the believer’s patience. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allaah?’ Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allaah is near!”

[al-Baqarah 2:214]

2 – This is a sign of man's weakness and his need for his Lord, and shows that he cannot succeed unless he realizes his need for his Lord and starts beseeching Him.

3 – Calamities are a means of expiation of sin and raising one's status. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is nothing that befalls a believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allaah will record one good deed for him and will remove one bad deed from him.”

Narrated by Muslim.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Trials will continue to befall the believing man and woman, with regard to themselves, their children and their wealth, until they meet Allaah with no sin on them.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2399; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2280.

And it was narrated that Jaabir said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, when people who had suffered affliction are given their reward, those who were healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the world.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2402. See al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 2206.

4 – One of the reasons for calamities is so that people will not feel content only with this world. If the world were free of calamities, man would love it more and feel content with it, and would forget about the Hereafter. But calamities wake him up from his negligence and make him strive for the place in which there are no calamities or trials.

5 – One of the greatest reasons behind calamities and trials is to warn against falling short in some matters, so that man can make up for the areas in which he has fallen short. This is like the warning that is issued to an employee or student who is falling short. The purpose behind it is to make him make up for his shortcomings. If he does that, then all well and good, otherwise he deserves to be punished. The evidence for that includes the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad). And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health (with calamities) so that they might humble themselves (believe with humility).

When Our Torment reached them, why then did they not humble themselves (believe with humility)? But their hearts became hardened, and Shaytaan (Satan) made fair‑seeming to them that which they used to do”

[al-An’aam 6:42]

Another reason… is as a punishment for those who were previously warned, but did not benefit from the warning and mend their ways, and persisted in their sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“…so We destroyed them for their sins …”

[al-Anfaal 8:54]

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And indeed, We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong, while their Messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe! Thus do We requite the people who are Mujrimoon”

[Yoonus 10:13]

“And when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite order (to obey Allaah and be righteous) to those among them [or We (first) increase in number those of its population] who lead a life of luxury. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with complete destruction”

[al-Isra’ 17:16]

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Grief may be accompanied by that for which a person will be rewarded and praised, so it may be good in that sense, not that grief is good in and of itself, such as one who feels sad for falling short in religious matters or for calamities that befall the Muslims. In this case a person will be rewarded for what is in his heart of loving good and hating evil, and so on, but grief in itself, if it leads to failure to do that which is enjoined, namely patience, jihad, seeking benefits and warding off harm, is forbidden, but if the person does not give it up, and it is not recorded as a sin for him then he is fine.”

So the one who wishes that Allaah would change his situation without any effort on his part and that of others like him needs to understand this.

6 – Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad). And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health (with calamities) so that they might humble themselves (believe with humility)”

[al-‘An’aam 6:42]

al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: (This means) We sent (Messengers) to the nations who came before you, and they disbelieved in Our Messengers and rejected Our signs. So We seized them with poverty, sickness, calamities and disasters as a mercy from Us to them, so that they might humble themselves before us and turn to Us at times of hardship.

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Evil (sins and disobedience to Allaah) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds), that He (Allaah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allaah, and begging His Pardon)”

[al-Room 30:41]

al-Sa’di interprets the word fasaad (translated here as “evil”) as referring to the disasters that develop on land and sea, which are making people’s lives difficult and causing a lot of problems with regard to their livelihood and well-being.

And the disasters that befall them themselves, such as diseases, plagues and the like, which happen because of the things their own hands have wrought of evil deeds that can only lead to bad consequences.

This phrase “that He (Allaah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done” means, so that they might know that Allaah is requiting them for their deeds, so He gives them a foretaste of the recompense of their deeds in this world, “in order that they may return (by repenting to Allaah, and begging His Pardon)” i.e., repent from their deeds that have had this bad effect on them, and set their affairs straight.

Glory be to the One Who blesses by means of His punishment, for if He were to make them taste all that they have done, no living creature would be left alive on earth.

7 – Worship at times of hardship and tribulation has a special flavour and a special reward.

It was narrated from Ma’qil ibn Yasaar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Worshipping at times of tribulation and confusion is like migrating to join me.” Narrated by Muslim, 2948.

Al-Nawawi said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Worshipping at times of tribulation and confusion is like migrating to join me.’ The reason why worship at such times is of such great virtue is that people become negligent about worship and are distracted from it, and no one focuses on worship except a few.”

Al-Qurtubi said: “Tribulation and great hardship will happen until the matter of religion is taken lightly and people will care about nothing but their worldly affairs and how to earn a living. So worship becomes very important at times of tribulation, as Muslim narrated from Ma’qil ibn Yasaar in the marfoo’ report: ‘Worshipping at times of tribulation and confusion is like migrating to join me.’”

8 – Blessings that come after pain, hardship and calamity are more precious to people.

So then they appreciate the blessings of good health and safety as they should be appreciated.

Another of the benefits of calamity is a reminder of how Allaah has blessed man, because the man who is created with sight – for example – forgets the blessing of sight and does not really appreciate it, but if Allaah tests him with temporary blindness, then restores to him his sight, he will fully understand the value of this blessing. If things are always easy a person may forget this blessing and not be grateful for it, so Allaah takes it away and then restores it, as a reminder to him to be grateful for it.

Calamity may remind the person to whom it happens and others of the blessings of Allaah. So when a person sees one who is insane, he appreciates the blessing of sanity; when he sees one who is sick, he appreciates the blessing of sound health. When he sees a kaafir who is living like cattle, he appreciates the blessing of faith. When he sees an ignorant man he appreciates the blessing of knowledge. Only the one whose heart is open will feel this. Those who have no heart do not give thanks for the blessings of Allaah, rather they are arrogant towards the creation of Allaah.

9 – The benefit of calamity is that it rescues man from negligence and alerts him to his shortcomings in keeping his duty to Allaah, so that he does not think that he is perfect, which would lead to hardening of his heart and negligence.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“When Our Torment reached them, why then did they not humble themselves (believe with humility)? But their hearts became hardened, and Shaytaan (Satan) made fair‑seeming to them that which they used to do”

[al-An’aam 6:43]

10 – One of the benefits of tribulations and hardships is purification.

Hardships reveal how people really are, and distinguish the good from the bad, the true from the false, the believer from the hypocrite. Allaah says of the Battle of Uhud and what happened to the Muslims on that day, explaining part of the wisdom behind this trial (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:179]

So the true nature of all things is shown clearly.

11 – When Muslims help those Muslims who have been afflicted by calamity, they will be rewarded for that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The likeness of the believers in their mutual love, mercy and compassion is that of the body; when one part of it suffers, the rest of the body joins it in staying awake and suffering fever.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6011; Muslim, 2586.

And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 13; Muslim, 45.

12 – At times of hardship and war we see the true meaning of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)”

[al-Maa'idah 5:2]

Ways of cooperating in da’wah and supporting Islam include: waging jihad against the kuffaar and hypocrites for the sake of Allaah, joining with the people of Islamic da’wah in fighting the followers of kufr and misguidance, and preparing all means and tools for jihad for the sake of Allaah.

One of the ways of cooperating in supporting Islam that was invented at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is cooperating in killing those who claimed to be Prophets, killing the leaders of the mushrikeen and the apostates, including those who insulted the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Ruling on regarding a house as unlucky

A woman had seven sons and daughters, and when she went to live in a new house, one of her sons died, as did one of her daughters. After they died, she saw in a dream that if she stayed in that house, all her children would die. I hope that you can offer some advice.

Praise be to Allaah.

If the situation is as described, then she has the choice. If she wishes she may continue to live in that house, and if she wishes, she can move to another house, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Bad omens are in three things: a house, a woman and a mount.” May Allaah help and guide us all. End quote.

Are rizq (provision) and marriage written in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz?

Are rizq (provision) and marriage written in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Everything from when Allaah created the Pen until the Day of Resurrection is written in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, because when Allaah first created the Pen, He said to it: “Write.” It said: “My Lord, what should I write?” He said: “Write what is to be. So at that moment it began to write what would be until the Day of Resurrection. And it is proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that when the foetus in its mother’s womb is four months old, Allaah sends an angel to breathe the soul into it and write down its provision, its lifespan and its deeds, and whether it is doomed or blessed.

Provision is also written down and connected to its means, and it does not increase or decrease. Among those means are that man should work to seek provision, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“He it is Who has made the earth subservient to you (i.e. easy for you to walk, to live and to do agriculture on it); so walk in the path thereof and eat of His provision. And to Him will be the Resurrection”

[al-Mulk 67:15]

Other means are:

upholding ties of kinship, such as honouring one’s parents and upholding ties with relatives. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever would like his provision to be abundant and his lifespan to be extended, let him uphold his ties of kinship.”

Fearing Allaah (taqwa), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).

3. And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things”

[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]

Do not say “Provision is foreordained and limited and I will not do any of the things that lead to it,” because this is helplessness; smartness and resolve mean striving to seek provision and that which will benefit you in religious and worldly terms. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The smart man is the one who takes stock of himself and strives to do that which will benefit him after death, and the helpless one is the one who follows his own whims and desires and engages in wishful thinking, (assuming that Allaah will forgive him regardless of what he does and that he does not need to strive to good deeds).”

Just as provision is written and connected to its means, so too marriage is also written and preordained. For both spouses it is written that he or she will be the spouse of this particular person. Nothing is hidden from Allaah on earth or in heaven. End quote.

And Allaah knows best.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him)

What is the benefit of praying istikhaarah when things are already decreed?

With regard to praying istikhaarah: it crosses one’s mind sometimes:
What is the benefit of asking, supplicating and striving, when the decree of Allaah is what will come to pass?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah has made du’aa’ a means of attaining what one wants. The Lord enjoins it, as He says:

“And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’”

[Ghaafir 40:60]

Once this is understood, there will be no confusion, because Allaah has decreed things according to their causes. So if it is decreed that a person should have a child – for example – it must inevitably be preceded by marriage and intercourse in order for the child to come after that. The results cannot happen without the causes. The entire universe is based on the connection between cause and effect.

The same applies to du’aa’ or istikhaarah too.

Allaah has decreed many things that are connected to calling upon Him or asking Him, and the desired outcome does not happen without the cause or means, which is du’aa’, in addition to tangible causes. The ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) clearly point to this idea.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ may be of benefit with regard to what has already happened or what has not yet happened, so adhere to du’aa’, O slaves of Allaah.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (3548) and classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (3409).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (8/69):

If a person says that he does not say du’aa’ or ask of Allaah, because he relies on the divine decree, he is also erring, because Allaah has made du’aa’ and asking means of attaining His forgiveness, mercy, guidance, support and provision. If good is decreed for a person he will attain by means of du’aa’ what he cannot attain without du’aa’. What Allaah has decreed and knows with regard to His slaves’ circumstances and destinies is only decreed on the basis of means, and decrees will be fulfilled at the appointed times. There is everything that happens in this world or in the Hereafter happens on the basis of cause and effect; Allaah is the Creator of both cause and effect.

Disregarding the principle of cause and effect is contrary to reason. End quote.

He also said: (8/287):

One of them said: Du’aa’ is nothing more than pure worship, because what is decreed will happen, whether one says du’aa’ or not. It was said to him: Allaah has made du’aa’ a means of attaining the desired outcome that has been decreed, so how can it happen without du’aa’?! End quote.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Jawaab al-Kaafi (p. 4):

Du’aa’ is one of the most beneficial of remedies; it is the enemy of calamity; it wards it off, remedies it, prevents it befalling, alleviates it or reduces it if it befalls. It is the weapon of the believer. In the case of calamity, one of three scenarios must apply:

1.     It (du’aa’) is stronger than the calamity, so it wards it off;

2.     It is weaker than the calamity, so the calamity overpowers it and befalls the person, but it may reduce it even if it is weak;

3.     They resist one another and each impedes the other. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Majmoo’ al-Thameen min Fataawa Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (1/157):

Du’aa’ is one of the means by which what is asked for is attained. In fact it wards off the divine decree and nothing wards off the divine decree except du’aa’, and that may happen in two ways. For example, a sick person may pray to Allaah for healing and be healed, and were it not for the du’aa’ he would have remained sick, but he was healed by means of the du’aa’. But we say: Allaah decreed that the sick person would be healed from this sickness by means of du’aa’, and this is what was decreed. He thinks that were it not for the du’aa’ he would have remained sick, but in fact he did not ward off the divine decree, because the basic principle is that du’aa’ was decreed and that the healing would come by means of this du’aa’, and this is the original decree that was decreed from eternity. The same applies to everything that is decreed to happen through some means or cause. Allaah has made this means the cause for the thing to happen, and that was decreed from eternity, before it happened. End quote.

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked: Does du’aa’ repel the divine decree?

They replied: Allaah has prescribed and enjoined du’aa’. He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation)’”

[Ghaafir 40:60]

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor)”

[al-Baqarah 2:186].

So if a person avails himself of the prescribed means and calls upon Allaah in du’aa’, then that is part of the divine decree, so it repels one decree with another, if Allaah wills that. It is proven in a saheeh hadeeth that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A person may be deprived of provision because of sins that he commits, and the decree is not warded of by anything but du’aa’, and nothing increases one’s lifespan except righteousness.” End quote. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (1/195).

They were also asked (24/243):

Does du’aa’ reduce calamities? Does Allaah show kindness to us as the result of du’aa’? How can that be when Allaah sends down calamities upon people despite the fact that they call upon Him in du’aa’?

They replied:

Du’aa’ is an act of worship towards Allaah, and Allaah has commanded us to call upon Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’”

[Ghaafir 40:60]

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright”

[al-Baqarah 2:186].

Du’aa’ may reduce calamities, ward them off or ward off greater calamities. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Nothing wards off the divine decree but du’aa’.” If calamities happen, they expiate sins and raise people in status, so if a calamity befalls the Muslim, he should bear it with patience and seek reward with Allaah, and he should not complain about the divine decree. End quote.

From these quotations we may derive an understanding of the issue in sha Allaah. When the Muslim understands the issue of istikhaarah and du’aa’ as a means of attaining what he wants, he will never neglect it and he will never try to attain what he wants in any other way. Du’aa’ will become a source of strength and a way to good for the Muslim, as Allaah wants it to be.

For more information please see the answer to question no. 11749.

And Allaah knows best.

Words concerning the reasons for calamities and bearing them with patience

It is known that having patience when a calamity befalls a person is a part of a Muslim’s belief. Accepting and being content with what Allah decrees for us is an attribute of a believer. Is there a difference between this type of calamity and the other type that befalls one as a result of his own neglecting, or all calamities are equal?
If a person neglects his education and does not work hard for seeking it while he is able to, then when he becomes old, he keeps whining for his past and saying : “why have I neglected my education when I was able to gain it” some may think that this is dissatisfaction and rejection to what Allah decreed, and they justify this by saying that if Allah has decreed for this man to be educated he would have been, so he should not reject his fate and say why this happened to me. Please clarify this matter.

Praise be to Allaah.

1.

The believer who affirms the Oneness of Allaah (Tawheed) knows that everything happens by the decree of Allaah; what Allaah wills happens and what He does not will does not happen; there is nothing that can block the will of Allaah from being executed in His creation. Thus the heart of the believer who affirms the Oneness of Allaah is at rest, and he knows that there is no room for regret or grief in his life, because the command of Allaah preceded (the event) and His will is executed.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allaah.

23. In order that you may not grieve at the things over that you fail to get, nor rejoice over that which has been given to you. And Allaah likes not prideful boasters”

[al-Hadeed 57:22-23]

“Say: ‘Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allaah has ordained for us. He is our Mawlaa (Lord, Helper and Protector).’ And in Allaah let the believers put their trust”

[al-Tawbah 9:51]

2.

If this is the case for the believer who affirms the Oneness of Allaah, then there is no room in his life for regret about the past and there is no room for the words “if only” in his speech. What Allaah has decreed for His slave must be one of two things:

(i) Either it is because of a sin that the slave has committed, so Allaah has decreed it for him because of his sins. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned” [al-Shoora 42:30],

(ii) Or it is a test from Allaah to raise him in status and expiate his bad deeds.

What should the believer who affirms the Oneness of Allaah do, once he knows this and believes firmly in it?

If the calamity is because of a sin that he has committed, or because of neglecting something that he should have done, what he must do is hasten to repent and seek forgiveness, and turn back to his Lord, and regret what he has done, and set things straight between him and His Creator and Lord. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)”

[Ta-Ha 20:82]

If the calamity is a test to raise him in status and expiate his bad deeds, then all that the believer who affirms the Oneness of Allaah can do is accept the decree of Allaah, and seek reward for what has befallen him with his Lord, hoping for reward and seeking to expiate his sins.

In both cases, the heart of the believer who affirms the Oneness of Allaah will only become strong and at peace, and it will never become weak and feeble [?], rather he will hasten to obey and do good deeds. If he has sinned then he will give up his sins and become better than he was before, and if he was obedient to Allaah then he will become even more obedient to His Creator and Lord.

3.

The shaytaan tries to weaken the heart of the believer and instil grief and sorrow in his heart, and he strives hard to make him helpless . He does all of that by means of the words “if only”, referring to the past and what he did or did not do. Along with all that evil and corruption he makes him live in a world of illusions and false notions, so he says, “If only such and such had happened, then such and such would have happened.” How does he know that that would have been the case?

Look at what the shaytaan causes of regret, sorrow and conjecture about the decree of Allaah, and alongside that he weakens his resolve to strive and obey Allaah, and he continues to bemoan his fate and regret until his life has passed. Allaah tells us that this is the action of the hypocrites, and our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against going down that path.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allaah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive to do that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not feel helpless. If anything befalls you, do not say ‘If only I had done (such and such), the such and such would have happened,’ rather say: ‘Allaah has decreed and what He wills He does,’ for ‘if only’ opens the door to the work of the shaytaan.”

Narrated by Muslim (2664).

Look at this great hadeeth and ponder it, for it explains the difference between the strong believer and the weak believer, and it urges us to strive and not feel helpless. All of that is completely appropriate to the prohibition on regretting by saying “if only”.

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said:

When a person experiences something unpleasant or a calamity befalls him, he should not say “If only I had done such and such, this would not have happened to me” or “If only I had not done such and such, this would not have happened to me,” because that is a sign of not having patience in accepting what has been missed and cannot be regained, and because these words are indicative of not believing in the divine will and decree, and because it causes one pain and allows the shaytaan to gain power over a person though waswaas and worries.

What one must do when calamity strikes is submit to the decree of Allaah, and bear with patience that which has befallen one, whilst striving to achieve the means of bringing good and protecting oneself against evil and disliked things, without apportioning blame.

Allaah criticized those who said such things when calamity befell the Muslims at the battle of Uhud. He said (interpretation of the meaning): “[they said] ‘If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:154]. These words were spoken by some of the hypocrites on the day of Uhud, when calamity struck the Muslims. They said it in objection to the divine decree, and they criticized the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Muslims for going out to fight the enemy. But Allaah refuted what they said, in the same verse (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: ‘Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death’”, i.e., what Allaah decreed would happen was inevitable and could not have been prevented by their staying in their homes or worrying.

Saying “if only” after a calamity has struck does not achieve anything but causing regret, sorrow, pain and weakness, in addition to its effect on ‘aqeedah (belief), because it is generated by a lack of submission to the divine decree.

Then Allaah mentioned something else that the hypocrites said, in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“(They are) the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat (at home): ‘If only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed’”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:168]

This is another thing that the hypocrites said on the day of Uhud. It is narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ubayy objected to the divine decree and said: If they had listened to our advice to stay home and not go out to fight, they would not have been killed. Allaah refuted what they said, in the same verse (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: ‘Avert death from your ownselves, if you speak the truth’”, i.e., if staying home and not going out to fight could save a person from being killed or dying, then you should not die, but death will inevitably come to you in any place, so ward it off from yourselves if you are telling the truth in your claim that those who obeyed you would be safe from death.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) guided us to the actions that will benefit a person in this world and in the Hereafter, that Allaah has prescribed to His slaves, whether they are obligatory, mustahabb or permissible. When a person does these actions, he should seek the help of Allaah to perfect his efforts and benefit him, because Allaah is the One Who created cause and effect. Combining appropriate action with putting one’s trust in Allaah is Tawheed. Moreover, he forbade feeling helpless, which means not doing the things that are the means of benefit. This is the opposite of keenness to do that which will benefit one. If a person is keen to do that which will benefit him, and pursue the means, and then the opposite of what he wanted happens, or what he doesn’t want happens, he should not say “If only I had done such and such, such and such would have happened,” because these words do not do any good, rather they open the door to the shaytaan, and cause regret and make one blame the divine decree. This is contrary to patience and acceptance of the divine decree. Patience is obligatory, and belief in the divine decree is obligatory. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught him to say beneficial words which imply belief in the divine decree: “Qadara Allaah wa ma sha’a fa’ala (Allaah decrees and what He wills He does”), because what Allaah decrees will inevitably come to pass, and what is required is to submit and accept what has been decreed. What Allaah wills He does, because His actions stem only from wisdom.

May Allaah have mercy on Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) who said: If a person misses out on something, one of two scenarios must apply. He may have felt helpless, which is the work of the shaytaan, who prompted him to say “If only”, but there is no benefit in that; rather it is the key to blame.

The second scenario is studying and pondering the divine decree; if something is decreed it could never miss him, and no one could get it before him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us that which will benefit a person whether he gets what he wanted or not. He forbade us to say “if only” and told us that this opens the door to the shaytaan, because it implies regret for what has passed, grief, sorrow, and blaming the divine decree, and one is sinning thereby. It is the work of the shaytaan. This does not apply only to the words “if only”, rather it applies to the feelings in the heart that accompany it, which are contrary to complete faith and open the door to the shaytaan.

This hadeeth which was narrated by Abu Hurayrah is something which no one can do without. It implies affirmation of the divine decree, affirmation of the role of human effort and true submission to Allaah (al-‘uboodiyyah).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, concerning the meaning of this hadeeth: Do not be helpless in doing what is enjoined and do not panic with regard to what is decreed.

Al-Irshaad ila Saheeh al-I’tiqaad wa’l-Radd ‘ala Ahl al-Shirk wa’l-Ilhaad (p. 130-133).

4.

For one who missed out on being taught when he was young, let his regret for his negligence motivate him to invest what remains of his life in learning. He should not feel weak and helpless and give up on learning. The one who missed out on doing Hajj when he was young should hasten to do Hajj at the first opportunity; he should not delay it any longer. The same applies to all other acts of worship and good deeds that he may have missed out on. He has to believe that this is the decree of Allaah; he should not feel helpless, rather he should be strong and strive to do that which will benefit him. If what he missed out on was due to his sinning, then he should do what we have mentioned above, in addition to repenting sincerely from sin, and asking his Lord to bless him with sound faith and to help him to do and say that which He loves and which pleases Him.

But we should point out to you that there is not only one door to goodness, righteousness, guidance and success in Paradise and the Hereafter. Rather there are many doors. The one who finds some branches of knowledge too difficult for him can find other branches of knowledge that he is able to learn, so he can make up for what he has missed out on with regard to knowledge. If you are wealthy, then spend for the sake of Allaah and strive for His sake with your wealth. If you are physically strong then you can fast, for there is nothing like it. You can pray, for it is the best thing. You can do Hajj and ‘Umrah. You can enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil; you can recite dhikr and tasbeeh and read Qur’aan. There are many ways of doing good, and everyone is guided to that for which he was created and the one who is doomed has no one to blame but himself.

We ask Allaah to help you, guide you and make you steadfast in doing good.

For more information please see the answers to questions no. 49039, 49004, 43021, 34732, 11010 and 85362.

And Allaah is the source of strength.

Regarding a house as unlucky

There is a person who lived in a house, and he suffered a great deal of sickness and calamities, which made him and his family regard this house as unlucky. Is it permissible for him to move for this reason?.

Praise be to Allaah.

There may sometimes be some houses or vehicles or wives which are unlucky, and Allah in His wisdom causes, when one is with them, some harm or loss of benefits and the like. In this case there is nothing wrong with selling this house and moving to another house, and perhaps Allah will cause some good to be in the house to which he moves. It was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: “Bad omens are in three: a house, a woman and a horse.” Some vehicles may be unlucky, some wives may be unlucky, and some houses may be unlucky. If a person sees that, he should understand that it is by the decree of Allah and that Allah by His wisdom has decreed that so that the person will move to another place. And Allah knows best. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him)

A questioner is asking: Why did Allaah create mankind when He knows what their destiny will be, in Paradise or Hell?

I have a question which I hope you will answer, may Allaah reward you with good.
If Allaah knows the unseen, and He knows what people will do, and He knows who will go to Hell or to Paradise – because the knowledge of Allaah precedes all things – then why did He create us? Why did Allaah send Iblees down to earth with Adam and Hawwa’, when He knew that repentance would not benefit him and He had already decreed that he will go to Hell?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Knowledge of the purpose for which Allaah created mankind may answer many questions that the atheists raise in order to confuse people, and by which some Muslims may be influenced. These issues include the idea that Allaah created mankind in order to put some of them in Paradise and the others in Hell! This is a mistaken notion. It is not for this purpose that Allaah created mankind and brought them into being.

The brother who asked this question – and whoever wants to know the truth – should realize that the purpose behind the creation of man and the creation of heaven and earth, is that Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, may be known and that His Oneness (Tawheed) may be affirmed and that He may be obeyed.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56].

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

i.e., I have only created them so that I might command them to worship Me, not because I am in need of them.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah said, narrating from Ibn ‘Abbaas: “except that they should worship Me (Alone)” means: except that they should affirm their servitude to Me, willingly or unwillingly.

This was the view favoured by Ibn Jareer.

Tafseer Ibn Katheer (4/239).

Many people are confused about what is wanted from the slaves of Allaah, which is adhering to His religion which He has chosen for them, and what is wanted for them, which is rewarding the obedient and punishing the disobedient. This is part of Allaah’s decree which will never be altered or changed.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

As for the truth which is the purpose for which He created them – i.e., the heavens and the earth and everything in between them – it is a twofold aim: what is wanted from His slaves and what is wanted for them.

What He wants from them: is that they should know Allaah and the attributes of His perfection, may He be glorified and exalted, and they should worship Him alone and not associate anything with Him, so He alone will be their God, the One Whom they worship and obey and love. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“It is Allaah Who has created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof (i.e. seven). His Command descends between them (heavens and earth), that you may know that Allaah has power over all things, and that Allaah surrounds all things in (His) Knowledge”

[al-Talaaq 65:12].

He told us that he created the universe so that His slaves might know the perfection of His power, the all-encompassing nature of His knowledge, which requires knowing Him and His names and attributes, and affirming His oneness.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56].

This purpose is what is wanted from His slaves, which is that they should know their Lord and worship Him alone.

As for what is wanted for them, it is recompense on the basis of justice and divine grace, reward and punishment. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And to Allaah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done (i.e. punish them in Hell), and reward those who do good, with what is best (i.e. Paradise)”

[al-Najm 5 :31]

“Verily, the Hour is coming __ and I am almost hiding it __that every person may be rewarded for that which he strives”

[Ta-Ha 20:15]

“In order that He may make manifest to them the truth of that wherein they differ, and that those who disbelieved (in Resurrection, and in the Oneness of Allaah) may know that they were liars”

[al-Nahl 16:39]

“Surely, your Lord is Allaah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and then rose over (Istawâ) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty), disposing the affair of all things. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His Leave. That is Allaah, your Lord; so worship Him (Alone). Then, will you not remember? 4. To Him is the return of all of you. The Promise of Allaah is true. It is He Who begins the creation and then will repeat it, that He may reward with justice those who believed and did deeds of righteousness. But those who disbelieved will have a drink of boiling fluids and painful torment because they used to disbelieve”

[Yoonus 10:3, 4].

Badaa’i’ al-Fawaa’id (4/971).

For more information on the wisdom behind the creation of mankind, please see the answer to question no. 45529.

Secondly:

Allaah does not admit people to Paradise or Hell simply because He knows that they deserve that, rather He will admit them to Paradise or Hell on the basis of the deeds that they actually did in this world. If Allaah created mankind and put them in His Hell, they would soon argue that He did not test them or give them the chance to strive. Allaah wanted to refute this argument, so He created them in this world and gave them reason, and revealed His Books, and sent His Messengers; all of that is so that they will have no argument against Allaah on the Day of Resurrection.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allaah after the (coming of) Messengers. And Allaah is Ever All‑Powerful, All‑Wise”

[al-Nisa’ 4:165].

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

In this aayah it clearly states that it is essential to leave no excuse for anyone, by sending the Messengers who give glad tidings of Paradise to those who obey them and give warning of Hell to those who disobey them.

This excuse is completely ruled out here by the sending of the Messengers with glad tidings and warnings, as is stated at the end of Soorah Ta-Ha where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And if We had destroyed them with a torment before this (i.e. Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Qur’aan), they would surely, have said: ‘Our Lord! If only You had sent us a Messenger, we should certainly have followed Your Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), before we were humiliated and disgraced’” [Ta-Ha 20:134].

It is also referred to in Soorah al-Qasas where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if (We had) not (sent you to the people of Makkah) __ in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they would have said: ‘Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger? We would then have followed Your Ayaat (Verses of the Qur’aan) and would have been among the believers’”

[al-Qasas 28:47].

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“This is because your Lord would not destroy the (populations of) towns for their wrongdoing (i.e. associating others in worship along with Allaah) while their people were unaware (so the Messengers were sent)”

[al-An’aam 6:131]

“O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Now has come to you Our Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series of) Messengers, lest you say: ‘There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner.’ But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner”

[al-Maa’idah 5:19]

“And this is a blessed Book (the Qur’aan) which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allaah (i.e. do not disobey His Orders), that you may receive mercy (i.e. saved from the torment of Hell).

156. Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: “The Book was sent down only to two sects before us (the Jews and the Christians), and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied.”

157. Or lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: “If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely, have been better guided than they (Jews and Christians).” So now has come unto you a clear proof (the Qur’aan) from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy”

[al-An’aam 6:155-157]

And there are other similar verses.

It is clear from these and other aayahs of the Qur’aan that Allaah does not punish anyone except after warning and leaving no excuse on the lips of the Messengers (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them). Allaah clearly states in many aayahs that he does not admit anyone to Hell except after leaving no excuse and warning on the lips of the Messengers, for example He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Every time a group is cast therein, its keeper will ask: ‘Did no warner come to you?’

9. They will say: ‘Yes, indeed a warner did come to us, but we belied him and said: “‘Allaah never sent down anything (of Revelation)”’”

[al-Mulk 67:8]

It is well known that the words of Allaah “Every time a group is cast therein” includes all the groups who will be thrown into it.

Abu Hayyaan said in al-Bahr al-Muheet, commenting on the aayah under discussion: [The word] kullama (“every time”) indicates a general meaning encompassing every time throwing is done, so it includes all those who are thrown in.

Another example is the aayah in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups till when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened (suddenly like a prison at the arrival of the prisoners). And its keepers will say: ‘Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves, reciting to you the Verses of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of this Day of yours?’ They will say: ‘Yes,’ but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers!”

[al-Zumar 39:71].

The words “And those who disbelieved will be driven” are general in meaning and include all the kuffaar.

The words “And those who disbelieved will be driven… They will say: ‘Yes…’ ” are general in meaning and include all the kuffaar. This clearly shows that the all the people of Hell will have been warned by their Messengers in this world, but they disobeyed the command of their Lord, as is clear.

Adwa’ al-Bayaan (3/66, 67)

We believe that knowing the purpose for which Allaah created mankind, and knowing that Allaah will not punish anyone according to what He knows about them, rather it will be recompense for his deeds in this world, and therefore he will not have any excuse before Allaah – this is the answer to the confusion mentioned in the question.

Secondly:

With regard to the question of why Iblees was sent down to earth with Adam and his progeny, the difference between Adam’s coming down and that of Iblees is that when Adam (peace be upon him) was sent down to earth he had repented to Allaah, so Allaah accepted his repentance and guided him, and sent him down to this earth as an honoured Prophet who had been forgiven, and he was to remain in this world until the appointed time that Allaah has decreed for him.

As for the enemy of Allaah Iblees, he did not repent at all or regret his sin, or turn back; he has no hope of repentance and never tried to repent. Rather he was stubborn and arrogant, and he overstepped the mark and disbelieved. But he asked Allaah not to hasten his doom and punishment, but rather to delay that until the Day of the appointed time. He did not ask for that so that he would have the opportunity to repent, rather it was so that he could persist in following the path of doom, and take the misguided people to Hell with him. He came down as a leader of his party, the losing party of the shaytaan, so that Allaah’s wisdom concerning His creation might be fulfilled, and so that He might test them: will they obey Him or will they obey His enemy?, and so that the ultimate doom will be the share of this accursed enemy, because of his stubbornness and evildoing, and he deserves to be a loser.

And Allaah knows best.

A questioner is asking: Why did Allaah create mankind when He knows what their destiny will be, in Paradise or Hell?

Is it permissible for him to ask Allaah for the girl who died and to whom he wanted to propose marriage to let her be his bride in Paradise?

The daughter of my maternal uncle died in an accident, and I was intending to propose marriage to her. Is it permissible to pray to Allaah to make her my bride in Paradise, or is this overstepping the mark in du’aa’? May Allaah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allaah.

First of all, we ask Allaah to encompass that girl with His mercy, and to admit her to His Paradise, and to bless her family and all her relatives with patience and consolation.

We advise you to treat her parents kindly, and help them to overcome their trial. With regard to yourself, we advise you to accept the decree of Allaah and to have faith that all things are in His hand (?), and that He controls all things in this universe, and He has great wisdom and He cannot questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned.

With regard to your question about praying that this girl will be your wife in Paradise, there is no reason why you should not do that, if Allaah wills, and you may pray for that.

But what we would prefer for you is to pray to Allaah for mercy and forgiveness, and to raise her in status in Paradise. This is what will benefit her from you, and you will be rewarded for it, if Allaah Wills.

We are afraid that you may exaggerate about this matter, or use this du’aa’ too much, and that it may increase your attachment to her and affects your life or distract you from seeking that which will keep you chaste in this world, namely halaal marriage. We should also point out to you, so that you will not go to extremes in your attachment to her, that she has died and is a non-mahram to you, so be aware of going to extremes in expressing grief and sorrow for what you have missed out on, for Allaah has set an appointed time for all things.

We remind you of the verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As‑ Saabiroon (the patient).

156. Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.’

157. They are those on whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones”

[al-Baqarah 2:155-157]

Shaykh al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Allaah tells us that He will inevitably test His slaves with trials, so as to differentiate those who are sincere from those who are lying, those who panic from those who have patience. This is His way with His slaves, because if ease were to continue with those who believe and no trials were to befall them, there would be no distinction between those who have faith and those who do not, which leads to corruption. The wisdom of Allaah dictates that the people of good should be differentiated from the people of evil.

This is the purpose of trials, not to take away what the believers have of faith or to turn them away from their religion. Allaah never causes the faith of the believers to be lost, and He tells us in this verse that He will test His slaves “with something of fear” from enemies, “ and hunger” i.e. He will test them with a little of both, because if He were to test them with extreme fear or with extreme hunger, they would be doomed, but the point of trials is to show this distinction, not to doom people.

“loss of wealth” this includes all kinds of loss of wealth such as disasters coming from the heavens, drowning, loss, seizing of wealth by wrongdoers such as unjust kings, banditry and so on.

“lives” i.e. loss of loved ones such as children, relatives and friends from various kinds of disease in a person's body or in the body of those whom he loves. “and fruits” means grains, the fruit of date palms and all other trees and vegetables, due to hail or cold or fire or a catastrophe such as locusts and the like.

These things will inevitably happen because the All-knowing All-aware has told us of them, so they happened as He told us. When they happen, people fall into one of two categories, those who panic and those who are patient. The one who panics suffers two calamities: the loss of a loved one, which is a calamity, and the loss of what is greater than it, which is the reward he could have attained if he had followed the command of Allaah to exercise patience, so he incurs loss and deprivation and a decline in the faith that he has; he misses out on patience, acceptance and gratitude and there befalls him the divine wrath which is indicative of great loss.

As for the one whom Allaah helps to be patient when these calamities come, he controls himself and does not express discontent in word or deed; he seeks reward for that which is with Allaah and realises that the reward he will attain by being patient is greater than the calamity that has befallen him. Indeed the calamity is in fact a blessing because it becomes a way to attain something that is better and more beneficial. He has obeyed the command of Allaah and attained reward. Hence Allaah says: “but give glad tidings to As‑ Saabiroon (the patient)”, i.e. give them the glad tidings that they will be given their reward without reckoning.

The patient are those who have earned these great glad tidings and bountiful gift from Allaah. Then He describes them as “ [those] who, when afflicted with calamity”, which refers to everything that pains the heart or body or both, of those things mentioned above.

“[they] say: ‘Truly, to Allaah we belong” i.e. we are slaves of Allaah, subject to His command and control; we have no control whatsoever over ourselves or our wealth. If He tests us with any of those things, the Most Merciful of those who show mercy sas disposed of His slaves and their possessions, and there can be no objection to Him; rather it is a part of a person's full and complete submission and servitude to Allaah (‘uboodiyyah) to know that calamity has come from the All-Wise, Who is more merciful to His slave than he is himself, and that requires him to be pleased with Allaah and to give thanks to Him for His decree, because that is better for His slave, even if he does not realize that, as we all belong to Allaah, then to Him we will return on the Day of Resurrection, then each person will be requited for his actions. So if we are patient and seek reward with Him, we will find an abundant reward with Him; but if we panic and get angry, there our lot will be no more than divine wrath and loss of reward. So each person belongs to Allaah and will return to Him, and this is one of the strongest means of being patient.

“They” i.e. those who are described above as being patient “are those on whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord” i.e. praise and speaking of their virtue. “and (they are those who) receive His Mercy”, which is abundant. Part of His mercy towards them is that He helps them to be patient, by means of which they attain the reward in full. “and it is they who are the guided ones”, those who know the truth, which in this context refers to their knowledge that they belong to Allaah, that they will return to Him, and they act upon it, and that is their patience for the sake of Allaah.

This verse indicates that the one who is not patient will have the opposite of what they have, so he will be blamed by Allaah and punished, misguided and will suffer loss. How great is the difference between the two groups and how little is the effort of those who are patient, and how great is the pain of those who panic.

These two verses tell us that we should think about calamities before they happen, so as to reduce their impact and make them easier to bear if they do happen, and explain how to respond to them if they happen, which is with patience. And they explain what helps one to be patient, the reward that the patient person will have and they describe the situation of the one who is not patient, which is the opposite of patience. And they tell us that these calamities and trials are the law of Allaah and one can never find any alternative to the law of Allaah, and they describe different kinds of calamities. End quote.

Tafseer al-Sa’di (p. 75).

Think about these words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) and these teachings of the salaf:

it was narrated that there Mother of the Believers, Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her), said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) say: “There is no Muslim who is stricken with a calamity and says what Allaah has enjoined – ‘Verily to Allaah we belong and unto Him is our return. O Allaah, reward me for my affliction and compensate me with something better’ – but Allaah will compensate him with something better.”

She said: When Abu Salamah died, I said: Who among the Muslims is better than Abu Salamah, the first household to migrate to join the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him)? Then I said it, and Allaah compensated me with the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him).

She said: The Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) sent Haatib ibn Abi Balta’ah to me with his proposal of marriage, but I said: I have a daughter and I am of a jealous nature. He said: “As for her daughter, we will pray to Allaah to make her independent of her, and I pray that Allaah will take away her jealousy.”

Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh (918).

So pray to Allaah to reward you for your calamity and compensate you with someone better than her. Also pray to Allaah for this girl and for all the deceased Muslims, asking for mercy and forgiveness for them.

And Allaah knows best.

Discussion of the hadeeth, “The Qadariyyah are the Magians of this ummah”

I came across this hadith on the internet The Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) said:"To every Ummah there is a magian and the magian of this ummah are those who reject the Qadr [pre-destination]. If anyone amongst them dies, do not attend their funeral, and if anyone amongst them becomes sick don’t visit them and they are Shia-tul Dajjal and it is the right of God to join them with the Dajjal.” (Sunan Abu Dawoud #4072)
And then I went to Sunan Abu Dawud kitab libas and I could not find this hadith (4072) so I was wondering why? Is it authentic or daaef?.

Praise be to Allaah.

This hadeeth was narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan (4961), Kitaab al-Sunnah, Baab fi’l-Qadar:

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: “The Qadaris (those who deny al-qadar) are the Magians of this ummah. If they get sick, do not visit them and if they die, do not attend (their funerals).

It was also narrated by al-Haakim (286), al-Bayhaqi (21391), al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat (2494), al-Baghawi in Sharh al-Sunnah (1/78), Ibn ‘Asaakir in Tareekh Dimashq (19/62), Ibn Abi ‘Aasim in al-Sunnah (268) and others, from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). It was classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Qattaan in Bayaan al-Wahm wa’l-Eehaam (5/446) and as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood and elsewhere. Al-Safaareeni said in Lawaa’ih al-Anwaar: It is no less than hasan.

The beginning of it was narrated via numerous other isnaads. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Something similar was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) from Ibn ‘Umar, Hudhayfah, Ibn ‘Abbaas, Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah, Abu Hurayrah, ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas and Raafi‘ ibn Khadeej.

End quote from Tahdheeb Sunan Abi Dawood, 2/347

Al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

They are called Qadariyyah because they affirmed al-qadar (power of decree) for themselves but they denied it for Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. They denied that He created their deeds and affirmed that for themselves. By attributing some acts of creation to Him but not others they became like the Magians in their belief in the two principles of light and darkness and that good is the action of light and evil is the action of darkness.

End quote from al-I‘tiqaad, p. 245

Al-Khattaabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) likened them to Magians because their views were similar to the views of the Magians who believe in two principles, light and darkness, and they claimed that good is the action of the light and evil is the action of darkness, so they became believers in dualism. Similarly, the Qadaris attribute good to Allah, may He be exalted, and they attribute evil to someone other than Him, but Allah, may He be glorified and exalted is the Creator of both good and evil; neither of them could happen except by His will, so they are attributed to Him in the sense that He created them and brought them into being, and they are attributed to the ones who do them of His slaves in the sense that they commit these actions. End quote.

Sharh Muslim, 1/154

And Allah knows best.

Discussion of the hadeeth, “The Qadariyyah are the Magians of this ummah”

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Are sperm alive or do they have no soul?

If the soul is breathed into the embryo after four months, are we to understand that the sperm which joins with the woman’s egg, from which the embryo is formed, has no soul, or what?

Praise be to Allaah.

Both the sperm and the ovum are alive in a sense which, if they are free from defects, prepares each of them to join with the other, if Allaah wills and decrees it to happen. When that happens, if Allaah wills it, the embryo is formed and is also alive in a manner that suits it and prepares it to grow and develop, moving through the known stages. When the soul is breathed into it, it becomes alive in another sense, by the permission of Allaah, the Subtle One, the Aware. No matter how a man tries, even if he is a highly-skilled doctor, he can never comprehend all the secrets and stages of development of pregnancy. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):

“Allaah knows what every female bears, and by how much the wombs fall short (of their time or number) or exceed. Everything with Him is in (due) proportion. All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Most Great, the Most High.” [al-Ra’d 13:8-9]

“Verily, Allaah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs…” [Luqmaan 31:34]

(Fataawa Islamiyyah li’l-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 488).

Life is of varying kinds, and each being is alive in a manner that suits it by the power of Allaah. So plants are alive in a manner that suits them, sperm is alive in a manner that suits it, and man is alive in a manner that suits him, and so on. Allaah is the Creator of all this, and He has made water the basis of every living thing, as He says in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning):

“Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted them? And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” [al-Anbiya’ 21:30]

And Allaah knows best.

The meaning of the hadeeth “Souls are like conscripted soldiers”

A'ushu mina Eshaytan errajim
Bismi Allahi Errahman Errahiim
Assalam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh
Dear Imam
I am a revert and my homepage is at : …………..
I have found the Haadith below and i have asked an Uztazah about it. I send you her answer.
I am very troubled about the Haadith and the answer I received concerning what this Haadith really means.
Please, could you tell me more about this matter and if there are other Haadiths confirming it?
Jazakallahkhairan
May Allah Taalah reward you for your efforts in His Deen < Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: Souls are troops collected together and those who familiarised with each other (in the heaven from where these come) would have affinity with one another (in the world) and those amongst them who opposed each other (in the Heaven) would also be divergent (in the world).
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah the hadith doesn't say "humans were alive before being born". Only the souls were in heaven.
This heaven is not the one people with good deeds go to in the hereafter. It is somewhere that we do not know. It's in the Lohmahfuz....only Allah knows. In simple words this place is like a "bank" where the souls created by Allah were placed. So when a woman is pregnant, at the point where Allah gives the soul to the creation in the womb, He will take one of these souls. So, there were good and bad souls. Let say, the bad soul is given to the creation, the baby is born and become a bad person. However, this grown up person can have a change in his/her destiny due to his/her deeds in his life. This is where the du'a plays a major role. The du'a and the inten

Praise be to Allaah.

Imaam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported in his Saheeh that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying: ‘Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with, and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along with.’” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Ahaadeeth al-Anbiyaa’, Baab al-Arwaah junood mujannadah).

Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the hadeeth: “Concerning the phrase ‘Souls are like conscripted soldiers…’ al-Khattaabi said: ‘This may refer to their similarity as regards good or evil, righteousness or corruption. Good people are inclined towards other good people, and evil people are similarly inclined towards other evil people. Souls feel affinity with others according to the nature in which they were created, good or evil. If souls’ natures are similar, they will get along, otherwise they will not be on good terms with one another. It could be that what is being referred to is the beginning of creation in the realm of the unseen when, it is reported, souls were created before bodies, and used to meet one another and express their pessimism about the future. When souls have entered bodies (come to the physical realm) they may recognize one another from the past, and may be on friendly terms or otherwise based on that past experience.”

Someone else said: “What it means is that when souls are created, they are made in two parts, and when the bodies in which the souls reside meet in this world, they either get along together or do not, based on the way in which these souls are created in this world.”

I say that this is not contradicted by the fact that some people who do not like one another at first may get along well later on, because the hadeeth is probably speaking about the moment of first meeting, which has to do with the original creation and nothing else. If they dislike one another at first but later come to like one another, it is because of something new, a new quality that makes them love one another after the initial dislike, such as a kaafir becoming a Muslim or a sinner being reformed.

The phrase “conscripted soldiers” refers to different types or classifications, or groups brought together. Ibn al-Jawzi said: “What we learn from this hadeeth is that when a person finds that he feels dislike towards someone who is known to be virtuous or righteous, he should try to find out the reason for that so that he can make the effort to rid himself of something undesirable. The opposite (if a person finds himself liking someone who is known to be evil) also applies.” Al-Qurtubi said: “Although they are all souls, they differ in different ways, so a person will feel an affinity with souls of one kind, and will get along with them because of the special quality that they have in common. So we notice that people of all types will get along with those with whom they share an affinity, and will keep away from those who are of other types. [“Birds of a feather flock together” – Translator]. We may also note that within any given group or type, people may get along with some and dislike others, and this is in accordance with issues or qualities that form the basis of love or hate.”

We have narrated a mawsool report in Sunan Abi Ya’laa, at the beginning of which is the story narrated from ‘Amrah bint ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, who said: “There was a woman in Makkah who liked to joke, and she came and stayed with a woman in Madeenah who was like her. When ‘Aa’ishah heard about this, she said, ‘My beloved spoke the truth. I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying…’ and mentioned a similar hadeeth.”

The hadeeth was also narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, 4773. Al-Nawawi said: “With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with, and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along with’, the scholars said that the meaning is groups gathered together, or different types. As for them getting along, this happens because of something in common between them that Allaah has created. It was said that they are similar attributes that Allaah has created in them, or that they were created in a group and then dispersed in their bodies, so people who have similar characteristics will like one another, and those who do not have similar characteristics will not like one another. Al-Khattaabi and others said: this getting along with one another has to do with what Allaah decreed from the outset about the ultimate destiny of souls, whether they will be among the blessed [in Paradise] or the doomed [in Hell]. Souls are of two opposing kinds, and when they meet in this physical world, they will either love or hate one another depending on the way they were created. Good souls will be inclined towards other good souls, and evil souls will be inclined towards other evil souls. And Allaah knows best.