Al-salaamu alaykum wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (Peace be upon you, and
the mercy of Allaah and His blessings).


The virtue of the last ten days of Ramadaan and Laylat al-Qadr


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon
the Trustworthy Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and companions.

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to strive hard
(in worship) during the last ten days of Ramadaan in a way that he did not
strive at any other times. (Muslim, 1175, from ‘Aa’ishah). Among the things
he did were secluding himself in I’tikaaf and seeking Laylat al-Qadr during
this time. (Al-Bukhaari, 1913; Muslim, 1169). In al-Saheehayn it is reported
from the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that when the
last ten days of Ramadaan came, the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) would stay up at night, wake his family and gird his loins.
(al-Bukhaari, 1920; Muslim, 1174). Muslim added: he strove hard and girded
his loins.

Her phrase “girded his loins” is a metaphor for his preparing himself to
worship and strive hard in worship, more than usual. It has the meaning of
“rolling up one's sleeves” to worship (i.e. getting ready to make a great
deal of effort).

It was also said that it was a metaphor for keeping away from women and
abstaining from sexual relations.

The phrase “stay up at night” means that he would stay awake, spending the
night in prayer, etc. It was reported in another hadeeth that ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) said: “I never saw the Prophet  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) recite the entire Qur’aan in one night, or
spend a whole night in prayer until the morning, or fast an entire month,
except in Ramadaan.” (Sunan al-Nasaa’i, 1641). The words “stay up at night”
may mean that he spent most of the night in worship, or that he did not stay
up for the entire night, but he did that at the times of ‘Ishaa and Suhoor,
and other times, in which case it would mean that he stayed up for most of
the night.

The phrase “and wake his family” means that he would wake his wives to pray
qiyaam. It is known that he  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to wake his wives all year round, but he used to wake them to spend
part of the night in qiyaam. In Saheeh al-Bukhaari it is reported that the
Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) woke up one night and
said, “Subhaan Allaah! What tribulations have come down tonight! What
treasure has come down tonight! Who will wake up the dwellers of the
apartments? There may be women who are clothed in this world and naked in
the Hereafter.” (al-Bukhaari, 1074). It was also reported (in Saheeh
al-Bukhaari) that he  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
wake ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) when he wanted to pray Witr.
(al-Bukhaari, 952). But when he woke his wives during the last ten nights of
Ramadaan, this was more persistent than at other times of the year.

The fact that he  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did this
indicates the importance he attached to worshipping his Lord and making the
most of this special time.

The Muslim should follow the example of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), for he is the best example, and he should strive hard
in worshipping Allaah. He should not waste the hours of these days and
nights. For we do not know, perhaps this time will never come again, for the
spoiler of pleasures, i.e., death, which must come to all men, may come and
snatch him and his life will end; then he will feel regret at the time when
regret will be of no avail.

Among the unique virtues of these special nights is that Laylat al-Qadr is
among them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Haa-Meem. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’aan and none
but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.]

By the manifest Book (this Qur’aan) that makes things clear.

We sent it (this Qur’aan) down on a blessed night [(i.e. the Night of
Al-Qadr) in the month of Ramadaan]. Verily, We are ever warning [mankind
that Our Torment will reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship
and in Our Oneness of worship].

Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments.

As a Command (or this Qur’aan or the Decree of every matter) from Us.
Verily, We are ever sending (the Messengers),

(As) a mercy from your Lord. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.”
[al-Dukhaan 44:1-6]

Allaah sent down the Qur’aan on this night which the Lord of the Worlds has
described as blessed. It was reported from a group of the Salaf – including
Ibn ‘Abbaas, Qutaadah, Sa’eed ibn Jubayr, ‘Ikrimah, Mujaahid and others –
that the night on which the Qur’aan was sent down was Laylat al-Qadr.

The phrase Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments
means, on that night the destiny of all creatures for the coming year is
decreed. On that night it is written who will live, who will die, who will
be saved, who will be doomed, who will be destined for Paradise, who will be
destined for Hell, who will be granted honour, who will be humiliated, where
drought and famine will occur, and everything else that Allaah wills in that
year.

What is meant by the idea that the destiny of all creatures is written on
Laylat al-Qadr is – and Allaah knows best – that on Laylat al-Qadr they are
transferred from al-Lawh al-Mahfooz. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “You may see a man
furnishing his home or plowing his field, and he is one of those who are
going to die,” i.e., it has been decreed on Laylat al-Qadr that he is one of
those who are going to die (in the coming year). And it was said that on
this night, the destiny of people is shown to the angels.

The meaning of “Qadr” is veneration or honour, i.e. it is a night that is
venerated because of its special characteristics, and because the one who
stays up during this night becomes a man of honour. And it was said that
Qadr means constriction, in the sense that the knowledge of precisely when
this night is, is hidden. Al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad said: it was called Laylat
al-Qadr because the earth is constricted by the great numbers of angels on
that night, and Qadr means constriction. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): “But when He tries him, by straitening his means of life [fa
qadara ‘alayhi rizqahu]…” [al-Fajr 89:16], i.e., by constricting or reducing
his provision.

And it was said that Qadr means Qadar, i.e., that on this night the decrees
for the coming year are ordained, as Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments” [al-Dukhaan
44:4]

and because Allaah’s decrees are decided and written down on this night.

So Allaah has called it Laylat al-Qadr, because of its great value and high
status with Allaah, and because so many sins are forgiven and so many faults
are concealed during this night. For it is the night of forgiveness, as it
was reported in al-Saheehayn from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Whoever stays up during Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in the hope of
earning reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.” (al-Bukhaari, 1910;
Muslim, 760).

Allaah has given this night special characteristics which make it unique:

It is the night on which the Qur’aan was sent down, as we have stated above.
Ibn ‘Abbaas and others said: “Allaah sent down the Qur’aan at one time from
al-Lawh al-Mahfooz to Bayt al-‘Izzah in the first heaven, then it was
revealed to the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) in stages according to events over twenty-three years.” (Tafseer Ibn
Katheer, 4/529)

Allaah described it as being better than a thousand months, as He said
(interpretation of the meaning): “The night of al-Qadr is better than a
thousand months” [al-Qadr 97:3].

Allaah described it as being blessed, as He said (interpretation of the
meaning): “We sent it (this Qur’aan) down on a blessed night” [al-Dukhaan
44:3].

On this night, the angels and the Spirit [al-Rooh] descend, “i.e., many
angels descend of this night because it is so blessed, and the angels come
down when Allaah’s blessing and mercy come down, just as they come down when
Qur’aan is recited, and they surround the circles of dhikr (gatherings where
Allaah is remembered), and they beat their wings for the one who sincerely
seeks knowledge, out of respect for him.” (See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/531).
The Spirit [al-Rooh] is Jibreel (peace be upon him), who is specifically
mentioned in this manner as a sign of respect for him.

This night is described as peace, i.e., it is safe, for the Shaytaan cannot
do any evil or cause any harm on this night, as Mujaahid said. (See Tafseer
Ibn Katheer, 4/531). On this night, many people are saved from punishment
because of what they do to worship Allaah, may He be glorified.

“Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments” [al-Dukhaan
44:4 – interpretation of the meaning], i.e., the affairs of that year are
dispatched from al-Lawh al-Mahfooz to the angels who record the decrees: who
will live, who will die, what provision people will be given, what will
happen until the end of that year, every matter of ordainments is decreed,
and it cannot be altered or changed. (See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/137, 138).
All of this is already known to Allaah before it is even written down, but
He makes known to the angels what is to happen, and commands them to do
whatever they are enjoined to do. (Sharh Saheeh Muslim li’l-Nawawi, 8/57).

Allaah forgives the previous sins of the one who stays up and prays during
this night out of faith and in hope of earning the reward from Him. It was
reported in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
fasts the month of Ramadaan out of faith and in the hope of earning reward,
all his previous sins will be forgiven, and whoever stays up during Laylat
al-Qadr out of faith and in the hope of earning reward, all his previous
sins will be forgiven.” (Agreed upon). The phrase “out of faith and in the
hope of earning reward” means, believing in Allaah’s promise of reward for
this, and seeking the reward, with no other aim or purpose, such as showing
off etc.” (Fath al-Baari, 4/251).

Allaah has revealed a soorah concerning this night which will be recited
until the Day of Resurrection, in which He mentions the honour and great
value of this night. This is the soorah in which He says (interpretation of
the meaning):

“Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the Night of Al-Qadr
(Decree).

And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is?

The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e.
worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand
months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).

Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibreel] by Allaah’s Permission
with all Decrees,

(All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allaah to His believing
slaves) until the appearance of dawn.” [al-Qadr 97:1-5]

The phrase And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree)
is? serves to draw attention to the importance and great significance of
this night.

The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months means, it is
better than over eighty three years, as we have already mentioned. This is a
great virtue, the value of which no one can fully understand except the Lord
of the Worlds, may He be blessed and exalted. This encourages the Muslim to
spend this night in prayer and to seek the Face of Allaah by doing so. The
Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek this
night, hoping to gain some good from it, and he is the example for this
Ummah.

It is mustahabb to seek it during Ramadaan, especially in the last ten
nights of the month. It was reported in Saheeh Muslim that Abu Sa’eed
al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did I’tikaaf during the first
ten days of Ramadaan, then he did I’tikaaf during the middle ten days in a
Turkish tent [the word qubbah, translated here as “tent”, refers to a tent
or any circular structure] in which a mat was placed. He said: so he took
the mat in his hand and put it at the side of the tent, then he raised his
head to speak to the people, so they came closer to him. He said: “I did
I’tikaaf during the first ten days, seeking this night, then I did I’tikaaf
during the middle ten days. Then someone came to me and told me that it is
in the last ten days, so whoever among you wants to do I’tikaaf, let him do
so.” So the people did I’tikaaf with him. He said: “I was shown an
odd-numbered night, in the morning of which I was prostrating in mud and
water”. Then in the morning of the twenty-first, he got up to pray Subh and
it was raining; the roof of the mosque leaked, and there was mud and water.
He came out when he had finished praying, and there was mud and water on his
forehead and nose. That was the morning of the twenty-first, one of the last
ten days. (Saheeh Muslim, 1167).

In a report, Abu Sa’eed said: “It rained on the night of the twenty-first,
and the roof of the mosque leaked over the place where the Messenger of
Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was praying. I looked at
him, when he had finished praying Salaat al-Subh, and his face was wet with
mud and water.” (Agreed upon). Muslim narrated a hadeeth from ‘Abd-Allaah
ibn Unays (may Allaah be pleased with him) that was similar to the hadeeth
of Abu Sa’eed, except that he said, “it rained on the night of the
twenty-third.” According to a hadeeth narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with them both), the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Seek it in the last ten days of Ramadaan, when there are nine
days left, and seven days left, and five days left.” (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 4/260).

Laylat al-Qadr is in the last ten days of Ramadaan, as stated in the hadeeth
of Abu Sa’eed quoted above, and as stated in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah, and
in the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar who said that the Prophet  (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten days of
Ramadaan.” (The hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah was narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/259; the
hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar was narrated by Muslim, 2/823. This wording is that of
the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah).

It is more likely to be one of the odd-numbered nights, because of the
hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah who said that the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the
odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
4/259)

We should seek it especially in the odd-numbered nights, i.e., on the
twenty-first, the twenty-third, the twenty-fifth, the twenty-seventh and the
twenty-ninth. It was reported in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Seek it in the last ten nights, on
the odd-numbered nights.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1912, see also, 1913.
Also narrated by Muslim, 1167, see also 1165).

According to the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them
both), the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Seek
it in the last ten nights of Ramadaan, when there are nine left, when there
are seven left, when there are five left.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
1917-1918). So it is more likely to be one of the odd-numbered nights.

In Saheeh al-Bukhaari it was narrated that ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit said: the
Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out to tell us
when Laylat al-Qadr was, and two of the Muslims were arguing. He said: “I
came out to tell you when Laylat al-Qadr was, and So and so and So and so
were arguing, so it [the knowledge of when Laylat al-Qadr was] was taken
away from me. Perhaps this is better for you. So seek it on the ninth and
the seventh and the fifth” (al-Bukhaari, 1919), i.e., on the odd-numbered
nights.

This hadeeth indicates how bad it is to argue and fight, especially with
regard to matters of religion, and that this is a cause of goodness being
taken away or concealed.

Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyah said: “But odd-numbers have to do with what is
past [i.e., when one starts counting from the beginning of the month], so it
should be sought on the twenty-first, the twenty-third, the twenty-seventh
or the twenty-ninth; or it may be with regard to what is left, as the
Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘when there are
nine left, or seven left, or five left, or three left.’ On this basis, if
the month has thirty days, these will be even-numbered nights, so on the
twenty-second there will be nine days left, on the twenty-fourth there will
be seven days left. This is how it was explained by Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri in
the saheeh hadeeth, and this is how the Prophet  (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) prayed qiyaam during this month. If this is the case,
then the believer should seek it in all of the last ten days.” (al-Fataawaa,
25/284, 285).

Laylat al-Qadr is more likely to be in the last seven days. Ibn ‘Umar (may
Allaah be pleased with him) reported that a man among the companions of the
Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was shown Laytal
al-Qadr in a dream, and that it was one of the last seven nights. The
Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It
seems that your dreams agreed that it is one of the last seven nights, so
whoever wants to seek it, let him seek it in the last seven nights.”
(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1911; Muslim, 1165). Muslim reported: “Seek it in
the last ten nights, and if any of you are weak or unable to do that, then
let him not miss the last seven.”

It is most likely to be on the night of the twenty-seventh. It was reported,
in a hadeeth narrated by Ahmad from Ibn ‘Umar, and a hadeeth narrated by Abu
Dawood from Mu’aawiyah, that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “Laylat al-Qadr is the night of the twenty-seventh.” (Musnad
Ahmad and Sunan Abu Dawood, 1386). The view that it is the night of the
twenty-seventh is the opinion of most of the Sahaabah and the majority of
scholars, and Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to
assert, without saying “in shaa Allaah”, that it was the night of the
twenty-seventh. Zurr ibn Hubaysh said: I said: What makes you say that, O
Abu’l-Mundhir? He said: by the signs of which the Messengers of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us: that the sun rises that
morning with no visible rays. (Narrated by Muslim,2/268).

Many marfoo’ ahaadeeth were narrated which said that it was on this
particular night.

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) also stated that it is
the night of the twenty-seventh. He reached this conclusion by means of an
amazing process. It was reported that ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him)
gathered the Sahaabah together and included Ibn ‘Abbaas even though he was
very young. They said, “Ibn ‘Abbaas is like one of our children. Why have
you brought him here with us?” ‘Umar said: “He is a youth who has a good
mind and who asks lots of questions.” Then he asked the Sahaabah about
Laylat al-Qadr, and they agreed that it was one of the last ten nights of
Ramadaan. He asked Ibn ‘Abbaas about it, and he said: “I think I know when
it is: it is the night of the twenty-seventh.” ‘Umar said, “What makes you
think that?” He said, “Allaah made the heavens seven, and the earths seven,
and the days seven, and He created man from seven, and He made Tawaaf seven
(circuits), and al-Saa’ee seven, and the stoning of the Jamaar seven.” So
Ibn’ Abbaas thought that it was the night of the twenty-seventh because of
this analysis. This has been soundly reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas.

Another of the ways in which the conclusion was reached that it is the night
of the twenty-seventh is by noting that the word fihaa (therein) in the
aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Therein descend the angels and the
Rooh [Jibreel]” [al-Qadr 97:4] is the twenty-seventh word of Soorat al-Qadr
[in the original Arabic].

There is no shar’i evidence (daleel) to support this manner of analysis, and
there is no need for such calculations, because we have sufficient shar’i
evidence available to us.

The fact that it is usually the night of the twenty-seventh – and Allaah
knows best – does not mean that this is always the case. It could be the
night of the twenty-first, as mentioned in the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed quoted
above, or it could be the twenty-third, as mentioned in the report of
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Unays (may Allaah be pleased with him) quoted above.
According to a hadeeth narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with
them both), the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Seek it in the last ten days of Ramadaan, when there are nine days left,
and seven days left, and five days left.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/260).

Some of the scholars thought that it is more likely that Laylat al-Qadr
moves and does not come on a specific night each year. Al-Nawawi (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: “This is the apparent meaning because of the
conflict between the saheeh ahaadeeth on this matter, and there is no way to
reconcile the ahaadeeth apart from saying that Laylat al-Qadr moves.”
(al-Majmoo’, 6/450).

Allaah has concealed this night so that His slaves will strive to seek it,
and will strive hard in worship, just as He has concealed the hour of
jumu’ah, and so on.

So the believer should strive hard during the days and nights of these ten
days, seeking Laylat al-Qadr and following the example of our Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he should strive in making
du’aa’ and seeking to draw close to Allaah.

It was reported that ‘Aa’ishah said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what
do you think, if I witness Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say?’ He said:
‘Say, O Allaah, You are Forgiving and Generous, and you love forgiveness, so
forgive me.’” (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi (3515) and Ibn Maajah
(3850). Its isnaad is saheeh).

Thirdly: a greater virtue is attached to I’tikaaf on this night than on any
other night of the year. I’tikaaf means staying in the mosque to worship
Allaah, may He be exalted. The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to spend these ten days in I’tikaaf, as stated in the hadeeth
of Abu Sa’eed quoted above. He spent the first ten days in I’tikaaf, then
the middle ten days, then he told them that he had been seeking Laylat
al-Qadr, and that he had been shown that it was in the last ten days, and he
said: “Whoever was doing I’tikaaf with me, let him do I’tikaaf for the last
ten days.” It was reported from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do
I’tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadaan until he passed away, then his
wives did I’tikaaf after him. (Agreed upon). There is also a similar report
narrated from Ibn ‘Umar.

When the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to do
I’tikaaf, he would pray Fajr, then enter the place where he was to do
I’tikaaf, as was stated in al-Saheehayn from the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah.

The four imaams and others (may Allaah have mercy on them) said that he
entered it before the sun set, and they interpreted the hadeeth as meaning
that he entered his place of I’tikaaf and kept away from people after Salaat
al-Subh, not that this was the time when he started his I’tikaaf. (See Sharh
Muslim li’l-Nawawi, 8/68, 69; Fath al-Baari, 4/277). It is Sunnah for the
person in I’tikaaf to keep himself busy with worship, and it is forbidden
for him to have intercourse or to do anything that leads to it, because
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not have sexual
relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining
oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly
activities) in the mosques” [al-Baqarah 2:187].

And he should not go out of the mosque except in the case of a pressing
need.

The signs by which Laylat al-Qadr is known

The first sign: it was reported in Saheeh Muslim from the hadeeth of Ubayy
ibn Ka’b (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) announced that one of its signs was that
when the sun rose on the following morning, it had no (visible) rays.
(Muslim, 762).

The second sign: it was reported from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated by
Ibn Khuzaimah, and by al-Tayaalisi in his Musnad, with a saheeh isnaad, that
the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Laylat
al-Qadr is a pleasant night, neither hot nor cold, and the following day the
sun rises red and weak.” (Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, 2912; Musnad al-Tayaalisi).

The third sign: it was reported by al-Tabaraani with a hasan isnaad from the
hadeeth of Waathilah ibn al-Asqa’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Laylat al-Qadr
is a bright night, neither hot nor cold, in which no meteors are seen.”
(Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer. See Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 3/179;
Musnad Ahmad).

These three saheeh ahaadeeth explain the signs which indicate Laylat
al-Qadr.

It is not essential for the one who “catches” Laylat al-Qadr to know that he
has “caught” it. The point is to strive hard and to be sincere in worship,
whether or not one knows that one has “caught” it. It may be that some of
those who do not know that may be better with Allaah and higher in status
than those who did know which night it was, because the former strove hard.
We ask Allaah to accept our fasting and our prayer at night, and to help us
to remember Him and to thank Him and to worship Him properly. May Allaah
bless our Prophet Muhammad.


I’tikaaf


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Definition

I’tikaaf means staying in the mosque for a specific purpose, which is to
worship Allaah (may He be glorified). It is prescribed in Islam and is
mustahabb according to the consensus of the scholars. Imaam Ahmad said, as
was narrated from him by Abu Dawood: “I have not heard from any of the
scholars that it is anything other than Sunnah.”

Al-Zuhri (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “How strange the Muslims are!
They have given up I’tikaaf, despite the fact that the Prophet  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) never abandoned this practice from the time
he came to Madeenah until his death.”

The benefits of I’tikaaf

There are many hidden benefits in the acts of worship and much wisdom behind
them. The basis of all deeds is the heart, as the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “In the body there is an
organ which if it is sound, the entire body will be sound, and if it is
corrupt, the entire body will be corrupt. That organ is the heart.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 52; Muslim, 1599)

What corrupts the heart most is distractions and preoccupations – such as
food, drink, sex, talking too much, sleeping too much and socializing too
much, and other distractions – which divert people from turning to Allaah
and cause the heart to be unfocused and unable to concentrate on worshipping
Allaah. So Allaah has prescribed acts of worship, such as fasting, to
protect the heart from the negative effects of these distractions. Fasting
deprives a person of food and drink and sex during the day, and this denial
of excessive enjoyments is reflected in the heart, which gains more strength
for seeking Allaah and frees it from the chains of these distractions which
distract a person from thinking of the Hereafter by occupying him with
worldly concerns.

Just as fasting is a shield which protects the heart from the influences of
physical distractions such as excessive indulgence in food, drink and sex,
so I’tikaaf offers an immense hidden benefit, which is protection from the
effects of excessive socializing. For people may take socializing to
extremes, until it has a similar effect on a person to the effects of
over-eating, as the poet said:

“Your enemy was once your friend, so do not have too many companions,

For, as you see, most diseases come from food and drink.”

I’tikaaf also offers protection from the evil consequences of talking too
much, because a person usually does I’tikaaf on his own, turning to Allaah
by praying Qiyaam al-Layl, reading Qur’aan, making Dhikr, reciting du’aa’,
and so on.

It also offers protection from sleeping too much, because when a person
makes I’tikaaf in the mosque, he devotes his time to drawing closer to
Allaah by doing different kinds of acts of worship; he does not stay in the
mosque to sleep.

Undoubtedly a person’s success in freeing himself from socializing, talking
and sleeping too much will help him to make his heart turn towards Allaah,
and will protect him from the opposite.

The connection between fasting and I’tikaaf

No doubt when a person has all the means of purifying his heart by keeping
away from all the things that can distract him from worship, this will be
more effective in helping him to turn towards Allaah with devotion and
humility. Hence the Salaf regarded it as mustahabb to combine fasting and
I’tikaaf. Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “It was
not reported that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
ever did I’tikaaf when he was not fasting. Indeed, ‘Aa’ishah said: ‘There is
no I’tikaaf except with fasting.’” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2473)

Allaah did not mention I’tikaaf except in conjunction with fasting, and the
Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do
I’tikaaf except in conjunction with fasting.

The most correct opinion concerning the evidence which the majority of the
Salaf agreed upon is: “that fasting is a condition of I’tikaaf. This is the
view that was regarded as most correct by Shaykh al-Islam Abu’l-‘Abbaas Ibn
Taymiyah.” (Zaad al-Ma’aad, 2/87, 88)

The view that fasting is a condition of I’tikaaf was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar
and Ibn ‘Abbaas. It was also the view of Maalik, al-Oozaa’i and Abu
Haneefah, and different opinions were narrated from Ahmad and al-Shaafa’i.

With regard to the words of Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him),
“It was not reported that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) ever did I’tikaaf when he was not fasting”, there is some room for
debate. It was reported that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) did I’tikaaf in Shawwaal (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1928, and
Muslim, 1173), but it was not proven whether he was fasting or not on these
days when he did I’tikaaf.

The most correct view is that fasting is mustahabb for the one who does
I’tikaaf, but it is not a condition of his I’tikaaf being valid.

With the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his
I’tikaaf

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did I’tikaaf during
the first ten days of Ramadaan, then in the middle ten days, seeking Laylat
al-Qadr, then it became clear to him that it was in the last ten days, after
which he always spent them (the last ten days) in I’tikaaf.

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger
of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do I’tikaaf
during the middle ten days of the month, and when the night of the twentieth
had passed and the twenty-first had begun, he would go back to his home, and
those who were doing I’tikaaf with him also went home. Then one month he
made I’tikaaf on that night when he used to go home. Then he addressed the
people, commanding them as Allaah willed, then he said: ‘I used to spend
these ten days in I’tikaaf, but now I want to spend these last ten days in
I’tikaaf, so whoever used to do I’tikaaf with me, let him stay in his place
of I’tikaaf. I was shown that night (Laylat al-Qadr) then I was made to
forget it, so seek it during the last ten nights, in the odd-numbered
nights. And I saw myself prostrating in water and mud.’

Abu Sa’eed said: it rained on the night of the twenty-first, and the roof of
the mosque leaked in the place where the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) was praying. I looked at him when he had
finished praying Subh (Fajr), and his face was wet with water and mud, so
what he  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had seen came to pass.
And this was one of the signs of his Prophethood.”

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) continued to do
I’tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadaan, as it was reported in
al-Saheehayn from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), who said that
the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to spend the
last ten days of Ramadaan in I’tikaaf until he died, then his wives
continued to do I’tikaaf after he died. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1921;
Muslim, 1171).

During the year in which he  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
died, he spent twenty days in I’tikaaf (al-Bukhaari, 1939), i.e., the middle
ten days and the last ten days. This was for a number of reasons:

In that year, Jibreel reviewed the Qur’aan with him twice (al-Bukhaari,
4712). It was appropriate for him to spend twenty days in I’tikaaf, so that
he could review the entire Qur’aan twice.

He  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to increase his
righteous deeds and do more acts of worship, because he  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) felt that his time (of death) was near, as
we may understand from the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

“When there comes the Help of Allaah (to you, O Muhammad against your
enemies) and the Conquest (of Makkah).

And you see that the people enter Allaah’s religion (Islam) in crowds.

So glorify the Praises of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness. Verily, He is
the One Who accepts the repentance and Who forgives.”

[al-Nasr 110:1-3]

So Allaah commanded His Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
to increase his Tasbeeh (“Subhaan Allaah – Glory be to Allaah”) and his
Istighfaar (“Astaghfir-Allaah – I seek the forgiveness of Allaah”) towards
the end of his life, and this is what he  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) did. Often when he did Rukoo’ and Sujood, he would say, “Subhaanak
Allaahumma wa bi hamdik, Allaahumma ighfir li (Glory and praise be to You, O
Allaah. O Allaah, forgive me)” – in obedience to the commands of the
Qur’aan. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 487, and Muslim, 484).

He  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did that in gratitude to
Allaah for the blessings that He had bestowed upon him of righteous deeds
such as jihaad, teaching, fasting and qiyaam (praying at night), and for the
blessings of the revelation of the Qur’aan to him, raising high his fame,
and other favours that Allaah had bestowed upon him.

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to enter his
place of I’tikaaf before the sun set. If he wanted, for example, to spend
the middle ten days of the month in I’tikaaf, he would enter his place of
I’tikaaf before the sun set on the eleventh day. If he wanted to spend the
last ten days in I’tikaaf, he would enter his place of I’tikaaf before the
sun set on the twenty-first day.

Concerning the report in al-Saheeh that he  (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) prayed Fajr and then entered his place of I’tikaaf (narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1928; Muslim, 1173; al-Tirmidhi, 791), what is meant here is
that he entered the special place in the mosque after Fajr prayer. He used
to do I’tikaaf in a place reserved especially for that, as it was reported
in Saheeh Muslim, that he used to do I’tikaaf in a Turkish tent. (Narrated
by Muslim, 1167).

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to put his
head into ‘Aa’ishah’s apartment whilst he was in I’tikaaf in the mosque, and
she should wash his hair and comb it, and she was menstruating, as was
reported in al-Saheehayn (al-Bukhaari, 1924, 1926; Muslim, 297).

In Musnad Ahmad it was reported that he would lean in the doorway of her
room, then he would put his head out, and she would comb his hair. (Ahmad,
6/272).

This indicates that if a person in I’tikaaf puts part of his body – such as
his foot or his head – outside of the place where he is doing I’tikaaf,
there is nothing wrong with that, and if a woman who is menstruating puts
her hand or foot into the mosque, there is nothing wrong with it, there is
nothing wrong with that because this is not counted as entering the mosque.

Another thing that we learn from this hadeeth is that there is nothing wrong
with the person in I’tikaaf keeping clean and perfuming himself, and washing
and combing his hair. None of these things affect his I’tikaaf.

Another of the things that happened to the Prophet  (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) in his I’tikaaf was narrated by the two shaykhs
(al-Bukhaari and Muslim) from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her),
who said: “When the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) wanted to go into I’rikaaf, he would pray Fajr, then go into the
place where he did I’tikaaf. He commanded that a tent be put up, and it was
done. Some of the other wives of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) commanded that tents be put up, and this was done. When he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had prayed Fajr he looked and
saw the tents, and said: “Are you seeking to do a righteous deed?” Then he
commanded that his tent should be dismantled, and he did not do I’tikaaf in
that month, delaying it until the first ten days of Shawwaal. (al-Bukhaari,
1928; Muslim, 1173).

The phrase “Are you seeking to do a righteous deed?” means, Is your motive
for doing this the desire to do good, or is it jealousy and the desire to be
close to the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him)?

It is most likely – and Allaah knows best – that his I’tkaaf in Shawwaal of
that year was after the Eid, i.e., the second of Shawwaal.

It may be that it started on the day of Eid. If this is true, then it is an
indication that fasting is not a condition of I’tikaaf, because there is no
fasting on the day of Eid.

Something else that happened to the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) in his I’tikaaf and was narrated by the two shaykhs
(al-Bukhaari and Muslim) was that Safiyyah the wife of the Prophet  (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came and visited him during his
I’tikaaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadaan. She spoke with
him for a while, then she stood up to go home. The Prophet  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood up with her to take her back, then
when she reached the door of the mosque, by the door of Umm Salamah, two men
of the Ansaar passed by and greeted the Prophet  (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said to them, “Wait, this is Safiyyah bint Huyay.” They said, “Subhaan
Allaah, O Messenger of Allaah!” They felt distressed (that he thought they
might think something bad). The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “The Shaytaan is as close to a man as his blood.” According
to another report: “(Shaytaan) flows through the veins of a man like blood.”
“I was afraid that the Shaytaan might cast some evil ideas into your
hearts.”

He  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was keen that the two
Ansaaris should remain steadfast in their faith, and he was afraid that the
Shaytaan might plant some evil thoughts in their hearts, making them doubt
the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which
would have led them to kufr, or that they might be distracted by trying to
rid themselves of these insinuations, so he  (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) explained the matter to them so as to remove any possible
doubts or insinuating whispers. So he told them that was Safiyyah bint Huyay
(may Allaah be pleased with her), and she was his wife.

His guidance concerning I’tikaaf

The guidance of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is
the most perfect and straightforward of guidance and teaching. When he
wanted to do I’tikaaf, he would have a bed or mattress put in the mosque for
him, behind the Column of Repentance, as reported in the hadeeth from Naafi’
from Ibn ‘Umar from the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him): “When he  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to do
I’tikaaf, he would have his mattress or his bed placed behind the Column of
Repentance.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1/564).

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to have a tent
put up for him, and he would stay in it, apart from the times of prayer, so
that he could be truly secluded. This was in the mosque and it is probable
that the tent would be placed over his bed or mattress, as reported in the
hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), who said: “The
Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do I’tikaaf in
the last ten days of Ramadaan, and I used to put up a tent for him. He would
pray Fajr, then go into the tent…” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/810, Fath
al-Baari).

He used to stay in the mosque all the time and not go out except in the case
of “human need”, i.e. to pass urine or stools. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be
pleased with her) said: “… he would not enter the house unless he needed to,
when he was in I’tikaaf.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/808 Fath al-Baari).

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to have his
food and drink brought to him when he was in I’tikaaf, as Saalim narrated:
“His food and drink were brought to him in the place where he was doing
I’tikaaf.” (p.75).

He  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to keep clean, as he
used to put his head out into ‘Aa’ishah’s room for her to comb his hair.
According to a hadeeth narrated from ‘Urwah from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be
pleased with her), she used to comb the hair of the Prophet  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was in I’tikaaf and she was
menstruating, and he was in I’tikaaf in the mosque, and she was in her room;
he would lean his head towards her. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/807 Fath
al-Baari).

Ibn Hajar said:

“The hadeeth indicates that it is permissible to keep clean, apply perfume,
wash, shave and adorn oneself, by analogy with combing. The majority agree
that there is nothing makrooh in I’tikaaf except that which is viewed as
being makrooh in the mosque.” (4/807 Fath al-Baari).

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not visit the
sick or attend funerals when he was in I’tikaaf, so that he could focus and
devote all his attention to worshipping Allaah. According to a hadeeth
narrated from ‘Aa’ishah: “The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) would pass by a sick person when he was in I’tikaaf, and he would
not stop to ask him how he was.” It was also reported from ‘Urwah that she
said: “The Sunnah for the person who is in I’tikaaf is that he should not
visit the sick or attend funerals, or touch his wife or have intercourse
with her, or go out for any but the most pressing of needs. There is no
I’tikaaf except with fasting, and there is no I’tikaaf except in a Jaami’
Masjid.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2/333).

The wives of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used
to visit him in the place where he was doing I’tikaaf. It so happened that
he came out to take one of them home, and this was for a reason, as it was
night time. This was reported in the hadeeth of ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn:
“Safiyyah (may Allaah be pleased with her) came to the Prophet  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was in I’tikaaf, and when she went
back he walked with her. A man from among the Ansaar saw him, and when he
[the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] saw him, he
called him and said, ‘Come here, this is Safiyyah.’” Sufyaan [one of the
narrators] may have said: “This is Safiyyah; for the Shaytaan runs through
the veins of the son of Adam like blood.’” I [one of the narrators] said to
Sufyaan, ‘Did she come to him at night?’ He said, ‘Could she have come at
any time other than at night?’ (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/819).

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) thought that it was
essential for him to go out with her (may Allaah be pleased with her)
because it was night, so he went out with her from the place where he was
doing I’tikaaf, in order to take her home.

In conclusion therefore: the example of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was characterized by striving, and he spent most of the
time in the mosque, devoting himself to worshipping Allaah and seeking
Laylat al-Qadr.

The aims of I’tikaaf

seeking Laylat al-Qadr.

Being alone with Allaah, may He be glorified, and keeping away from people
as much as possible, so that one may be entirely focused on Allaah and on
remembering Him.

Purifying one's heart. He did not let himself become dishevelled at all when
he devoted himself to worshipping Allaah.

Devoting oneself completely to pure worship, praying, making du’aa’,
remembering Allaah and reading Qur’aan.

Protecting one's fast from everything of one's selfish desires that could
affect it.

Reducing one's involvement in permissible worldly matters and ignoring many
of them at the time when one is able to deal with them.

Different types of I’tikaaf

Waajib (obligatory): this can only be as the result of a vow. Whoever vows
to do I’tikaaf is obliged to do it. The Prophet  (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever vows to obey Allaah, let him obey Him;
and whoever vows to disobey Allaah (commit a sin), let him not do that.”
According to a hadeeth, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
‘Umar asked the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “I
made a vow during the Jaahiliyyah to spend one night in I’tikaaf in
al-Masjid al-Haraam.’ He said, ‘Fulfil your vow.’” (al-Bukhaari, 4/809)

Mandoob (recommended): This is what was the habit of the Prophet  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), when he did I’tikaaf during the last ten
days of Ramadaan, and he persisted in doing this. It is Sunnah Mu’akkadah
(confirmed Sunnah) which is known from his life  (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), as was reported in the ahaadeeth referred to when we
discussed the fact that I’tikaaf is prescribed in Islam.

The ruling on I’tikaaf

It is Sunnah Mu’akkadah (confirmed Sunnah), an action which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) always did, and he made up some
of it that he missed. ‘Azzaam said concerning this: “Al-masnoon (the Sunnah)
is that which the Muslim does voluntarily to draw closer to Allaah, seeking
to earn reward from Him and following the example of the Messenger of Allaah
  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It was reported that he did
this and persisted in it.” (p.114).

The conditions of I’tikaaf

Certain conditions apply to I’tikaaf, as follows:

Islam; I’tikaaf on the part of a kaafir is not valid, as is also the case
with an apostate who has left the religion.

Discernment; it is not valid on the part of a child who has not yet reached
the age of discernment.

Purity (tahaarah) from major forms of impurity (janaabah – sexual impurity,
Hayd – menstruation; Nifaas – post-partum bleeding). If any of these things
happen to a person during his I’tikaaf, he has to leave the mosque, because
it is not permissible for him to stay in the mosque in this state.

It should be in the mosque. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in
I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations
leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques” [al-Baqarah 2:187].

It is preferable for I’tikaaf to be in a mosque where Jumu’ah (Friday)
prayers are held, so that one will not have to go out of the mosque in order
to attend Jumu’ah prayers.

Some scholars said that there should not be any I’tikaaf except in the three
mosques: al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah], al-Masjid al-Aqsaa [in
al-Quds/Jerusalem] and al-Masjid al-Nabawi [in Madeenah]. The correct view
is that I’tikaaf is permissible in any mosque in which the five obligatory
prayers are prayed. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in
I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations
leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques” [al-Baqarah 2:187]. The
general meaning of the phrase in the mosques implies that it is permissible
in every mosque. It is mustahabb to do I’tikaaf in a Jaami’ mosque (one in
which Jumu’ah prayers are offered) so that the one who is doing I’tikaaf
will not need to go out for Jumu’ah.

With regard to the hadeeth, “There is no I’tikaaf except in the three
mosques” (narrated by al-Tahhaawi in Mushkil al-Athaar, 4/20), if we accept
it as saheeh, it should be interpreted as meaning that the best I’tikaaf is
in these mosques, as the scholars said.

It may be that what was meant by the words, “There is no I’tikaaf except in
the three mosques”, is that there should be no I’tikaaf for which one makes
a vow or for the purpose of which one travels. I’tikaaf is valid in all
mosques. The imaams – especially the four imaams – agreed that I’tikaaf is
valid in all Jaami’ mosques. Nothing was transmitted to the effect that
I’tikaaf is not valid unless it is in one of the three mosques, from any
well known, imaam, not the four imaams nor the ten imaams, or any others.
This was reported only from Hudhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him) and
one or two of the Salaf.

If a person vows to do I’tikaaf in al-Masjid al-Haraam, he has to fulfil his
vow and do I’tikaaf in al-Masjid al-Haraam. But if he vows, for example, to
do I’tikaaf in al-Masjid al-Nabawi, then it is permissible for him to do
I’tikaaf in al-Masjid al-Nabawi or in al-Masjid al-Haraam, because al-Masjid
al-Haraam is better.

If he vowed to do I’tikaaf in al-Masjid al-Aqsaa, it is permissible for him
to do I’tikaaf in al-Masjid al-Aqsaa or in al-Masjid al-Haraam or in
al-Masjid al-Nabawi, because they are better than al-Masjid al-Aqsaa.

The pillars of I’tikaaf

Intention (niyyah). ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) say: ‘Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have but
that which he intended. So he whose migration was for Allaah and His
Messenger, his migration was for Allaah and His Messenger, and he whose
migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in
marriage, his migration was for that for which he intended.’” (Al-Bukhaari,
1/15)

Staying in the mosque. As it says in the aayah (interpretation of the
meaning): “We commanded Ibraaheem and Ismaa’eel that they should purify My
House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) for those who are circumambulating it, or
staying (I‘tikaaf), or bowing or prostrating themselves (there, in prayer).”
[al-Baqarah 2:125]. This confirms that the place of I’tikaaf is the mosque.
This is also indicated by the actions of the Prophet  (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and by his wives and companions after him (may Allaah
be pleased with them all). And in the hadeeth from Yoonus ibn Zayd that
Naafi told him from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them
both) that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
do I’tikaaf in the last ten days of Ramadaan, Naafi said, ‘Abd-Allaah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) showed me the spot where the Messenger of Allaah
  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do I’tikaaf in the
mosque. (Reported by Muslim, 8/308).

The place, time and starting point of I’tikaaf

The place of I’tikaaf is the mosque, as indicated in the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning): “And do not have sexual relations with them
(your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque
for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques”
[al-Baqarah 2:187].

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his wives and
companions (may Allaah be pleased with them all) used to do I’tikaaf in the
mosques, and it is not reported that any of them did I’tikaaf in any place
other than the mosque.

The timing of I’tikaaf is during Ramadaan and it is best to be done during
the last ten days of the month. But it is permissible at any time during
Ramadaan and at other times. It is not restricted to a specific time; indeed
it is mustahabb at all times, and it is obligatory if a person makes a vow
committing himself to it. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
reported that ‘Umar asked the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), “I made a vow during the Jaahiliyyah that I would spend a night
in I’tikaaf in al-Masjid al-Haraam.” He said, “Fulfil your vow.”
(al-Bukhaari, 4/809).

The beginning of I’tikaaf is before sunset, for the person who wants to
spend a day and night or longer in I’tikaaf. Some scholars said that a
person should enter his place of I’tikaaf at Fajr.

The adab (etiquette) of I’tikaaf

There is a certain etiquette which it is mustahabb for the person in
I’tikaaf to follow so that his I’tikaaf will be acceptable. The more he
adheres to this etiquette, the greater his reward from the Lord of the
Worlds will be, and the less he follows it, the less his reward will be.

It is mustahabb for the person in I’tikaaf to keep himself busy with prayer,
reading Qur’aan, remembering Allaah (dhikr) and other kinds of pure worship.
He should avoid all kinds of words and actions which will not help him to do
this. He should not talk too much, because the one who talks too much, is
more likely to say wrong things, and because the hadeeth says, “Part of a
person’s being a good Muslim is that he leaves alone that which does not
concern him.” He should avoid arguing, disputing, swearing and speaking in
an obscene manner, for all of that is makrooh when he is not in I’tikaaf, so
it is even more makrooh when he is in I’tikaaf; he should not invalidate his
I’tikaaf by doing any of these things. There is nothing wrong with his
speaking when he has to, or conversing with others. The two shaykhs
(al-Bukhaari and Muslim) narrated that Safiyyah, the wife of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), came to visit him during his
I’tikaaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadaan. She spoke with
him for a while, then she got up to leave. The Prophet  (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) stood up to go with her, and when she reached the
door of the mosque, by the door of Umm Salamah, two men of the Ansaar passed
by and greeted the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The
Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to them, “Wait,
this is Safiyyah bint Huyay.” They said, “Subhaan Allaah, O Messenger of
Allaah!” They felt distressed (that he thought they might think something
bad). The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The
Shaytaan is as close to a man as his blood.” According to another report:
“(Shaytaan) flows through the veins of a man like blood.” “I was afraid that
the Shaytaan might cast some evil ideas into your hearts.”

Al-Haafiz said:

We learn a number of things from this hadeeth:

It is permissible for the person who is in I’tikaaf to do permissible things
such as seeing a visitor out and talking with him, and it is permissible for
him to be alone and for a woman to visit him.

‘Abd al-Razzaaq narrated that ‘Ali said: Whoever does I’tikaaf should not
engage in obscene speech or swear; he should attend Jumu’ah and funerals,
and talk to his family if he needs to, but he should remain standing and not
sit with them.

With regard to teaching Qur’aan and other (Islamic) knowledge, studying,
debating with the fuqahaa’, sitting with them and writing down ahaadeeth,
there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. According to Imaam
Ahmad, this is not recommended (not mustahabb), because the Prophet  (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do I’tikaaf and it was not
reported that he did anything except devote himself to acts of worship.

Al-Marwazi said:

I said to ‘Abd-Allaah that a man was teaching Qur’aan to others in the
mosque and he wanted to do I’tikaaf and perhaps he would complete the
Qur’aan each day. He said:

If he does that, it will be for himself, but if he sits in the mosque it
will be for himself and for others; I prefer for him to teach others.

The view of al-Shaafa’i, as recorded in al-Mughni, was: that it is mustahabb
because it is the best kind of worship and its benefit is not limited to
only one person.

The view of Imaam Ahmad is better, and Allaah knows best.

NB (1): some people see I’tikaaf as an opportunity to be with some of their
friends and spend time chatting with them. This is not good.

There is nothing wrong with a group of people doing I’tikaaf in the mosque,
because the wives of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) did I’tikaaf with him, and one of them even did I’tikaaf with him when
she was experiencing Istihaadah (non-menstrual bleeding), but she was in the
mosque with him. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 303, 304). So there is nothing
wrong with a person doing I’tikaaf with his friend or relative, but the
problem arises when I’tikaaf is regarded as an opportunity to stay up late
chatting and gossiping, etc. Hence Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim, after referring to
what some ignorant people do by treating I’tikaaf as an opportunity to get
together and visit with one another and chat, said: “This is one thing, and
the I’tikaaf of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
something else altogether.” (Zaad al-Ma’aad).

NB (2): Some people leave their work and neglect their obligations in order
to do I’tikaaf. This is not the right attitude, because it is not right for
a person to ignore something obligatory in order to do something that is
Sunnah. The one who has left his work in order to do I’tikaaf has to stop
his I’tikaaf and go back to work so that his earnings will be halaal. But if
he can do I’tikaaf during his time off from work, or if he can make an
arrangement with his boss, then this is very good.

Things which are forbidden in I’tikaaf

Going out of the mosque. I’tikaaf becomes invalid if a person goes out of
the mosque for no reason, because the Messenger  (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) did not go out of the mosque except in the case of
“human need” i.e., to eat, if it was not possible to have food brought to
him. Food used to be brought to him in the mosque, because Saalim says: “As
for his food and drink, it was brought to him where he was in his place of
I’tikaaf.”

He also used to go out to purify himself from minor impurities and to do
wudoo’, as ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger
of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to put his head
into my room whilst he was in the mosque, and I would comb his hair. He
would not enter the house except in the case of need when he was in
I’tikaaf.” (Fath al-Baari, 4/808).

Touching women – including intercourse. This is something which invalidates
I’tikaaf, because it is clearly stated that this is not permitted, in the
aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not have sexual relations
with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in
a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the
mosques” [al-Baqarah 2:187].

Menstruation and post-natal bleeding. If a woman who is in I’tikaaf starts
to menstruate or experiences post-natal bleeding, she has to leave the
mosque, so as to preserve the purity of the mosque. The same applies to
anyone who is in a state of junub (impurity following sexual discharge) –
until he does ghusl.

To complete ‘iddah. If the husband of a woman who is in I’tikaaf dies and
she is in the mosque, she has to leave the mosque so that she can do her
‘iddah in her house.

Apostasy or leaving Islam. One of the conditions of I’tikaaf is Islam, so
the I’tikaaf of an apostate (a person who has left Islam) does not count.

Educational aspects of I’tikaaf

Implementing the concept of worship in a complete fashion:
I’tikaaf plants in the soul of the person who does it the concept of true
enslavement to Allaah (‘uboodiyyah), and trains him in this important matter
for which man was created. For Allaah (may He be exalted) 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].
For the person who is in I’tikaaf has devoted his whole self and his whole
time to worship Allaah, may He be glorified.

His whole purpose is to earn the pleasure of Allaah, may He be exalted, so
he strives with his body, senses and time for this purpose, by praying fard
and naafil prayers, by making du’aa’ and dhikr, by reading the Qur’aan, and
other kinds of acts of worship.

Through this training during the best days of the month of Ramadaan, the
person in I’tikaaf trains himself to apply the concept of ‘uboodiyyah or
enslavement to Allaah in his public and private life, and he strives to put
into practice the words of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Say
(O Muhammad): “Verily, my Salaat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my
dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that
exists). He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the
first of the Muslims.” [al-An’aam 6:162-163]

Al-Qurtubi said: “my living means, whatever I do in my life; my dying means
what I advise you to do after my death; for Allaah, the Lord of the
‘Aalameen means, they are only for the purpose of drawing closer to Him.”
(7/69).

Seeking Laylat al-Qadr

This was the main purpose behind the I’tikaaf of the Prophet  (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). At first his I’tikaaf lasted for the
entire month, then he did I’tikaaf during the middle ten days, seeking
Laylat al-Qadr. When he learned that it is in the last ten days of the month
of Ramadaan, he limited his I’tikaaf to these blessed ten days.

Getting accustomed to staying in the mosque

The person in I’tikaaf has committed himself to staying in the mosque for a
specific time period. Human nature may not readily accept such restrictions
at the beginning of the I’tikaaf, but usually this attitude quickly
disappears because of the peace of mind that the Muslim soul develops from
staying in the House of Allaah.

The person in I’tikaaf understands the importance of his staying in the
mosque during his I’tikaaf from the following things:

The person who stays in the mosque finds that the mosque becomes dear to
him, and he understands the value of the houses of Allaah, may He be
exalted. This love has a great value with Allaah, because those who love the
houses of Allaah will be one of the groups whom Allaah will shade on the Day
when there will be no shade except His shade.

When a person stays in the mosque, whilst he is waiting for the prayer, he
is rewarded as for praying, and the angels pray for forgiveness for him.
According to the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him), the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “The angels will pray for blessings for any one of you as long as
he stays in his place of prayer and as long as nothing happens to break his
wudoo’. [They say:] ‘O Allaah, forgive him, O Allaah have mercy on him.’ As
long as any one of you stays in his place of prayer, as long as what is
keeping him there is the fact that he is waiting for the prayer, and nothing
is keeping him from going back to his family apart from his prayer.”
(al-Bukhaari, 2/360 Fath al-Baari).

Keeping away from physical luxuries.

In I’tikaaf a person reduces a lot of these things and becomes like a
stranger in this world, so “give good news to the stranger.” For the sake of
earning the pleasure of Allaah, he is content to stay in a corner of the
mosque with usually no more than a pillow on which to lay his head and a
blanket with which to cover himself, for he has left his comfortable bed and
his usual habits for the sake of earning Allaah’s pleasure.

As for his food, this is a different story, if it is not what he usually
eats. If he has food brought from his house, usually it will not be as much
as he would eat at home, and he does not eat it at a table with his wife and
children, as he would usually do. On the contrary, he eats like a stranger,
like a poor slave who is need of his Lord. If he goes out to the
market-place to get food, he tries hard to take what is available and he is
not too fussy about what kind of food he gets, because he has to go back to
his place of I’tikaaf and not take too long to do these things. Thus he
learns that he can get by with a little, for which his Lord will be pleased
with him, just as he can live with much, for which his Lord will not be
pleased with him – and the different between the two is immense.

Giving up many harmful habits

In the light of the fact that the concept of Islamic education is lacking in
many Muslim societies and in many homes in those Muslim societies, many
habits have become widespread which go against the teachings of this pure
religion. These evil habits have become so widespread that they have become
almost acceptable and are not seen as having any harmful impact either on
the religion or the individual. These habits include smoking, listening to
music and watching scenes and events broadcast by satellite channels which
go against the ‘aqeedah (belief) of the Muslim and his sense of modesty and
chastity, and other habits which affect the religion and the individual.

The time of I’tikaaf gives the individual the opportunity to see the
falsehood of these habits and the futility of the belief which many Muslims
have, that they do not have the ability to rid themselves of these habits,
because they have gained control over them.

During the period of I’tikaaf, when he is alone with his Creator, the Muslim
comes to understand the concept of worship in the most comprehensive sense
and that he has to be enslaved to Allaah every hour of the day, in both his
public and his private life. When he takes the pleasure and love of Allaah
as the yardstick against which he measures all his actions, he will find
that the habits we have referred to above, and many others, do not agree
with that love of Allaah, and indeed they are the opposite. So he discovers
that habits such as these take him out of the circle of sincere ‘uboodiyyah
towards Allaah. If this is the case, then he is obliged to rid himself of
these habits as quickly as possible.

During the period of I’tikaaf, the Muslim is not allowed to go out except in
the case of definite needs which serve to facilitate his staying in the
mosque for I’tikaaf. Apart from that, he should not go out, even if it is
for a permissible purpose. So – for example – he cannot go out and walk
around in the market-place, even for a short time, to buy things that have
nothing to do with his I’tikaaf. If he goes out to buy siwaak, this will not
affect his I’tikaaf because it is something that is required for his prayer
during his I’tikaaf. But if he went out to buy a gift for his wife or for
one of his children, that would invalidate his I’tikaaf, because the
Messenger  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not go out except
in the case of “human need”, as mentioned above. So how about if the person
in I’tikaaf goes out to do something haraam such as smoking cigarettes for
example, or to watch a satellite TV show that he usually watches?
Undoubtedly this would invalidate his I’tikaaf.

So if he goes out to drink wine or to smoke, this invalidates his I’tikaaf.
In general, any going out for any invalid reason invalidates one's I’tikaaf,
and more so if the purpose of going out is to commit a sin. Even when he
goes out for a legitimate purpose, it is not permissible for him to light a
cigarette on the way.

I’tikaaf is an annual opportunity in which a person can get rid of these bad
habits by repenting and turning to Allaah, and by weaning himself from these
sins during the period of I’tikaaf, not giving in to his desires, and
getting used to this.

This continual worship of Allaah requires continual patience on the part of
the person in I’tikaaf, which is a kind of training for a person's will and
a kind of self-discipline for the soul which usually tries to escape this
worship to turn towards other matters which it desires.

There is also the kind of patience which is required for dealing with the
absence of things which a person may be used to, such as different kinds of
food that he eats at home but which are not available in the mosque. So he
puts up with having little for the sake of earning the pleasure of Allaah,
may He be exalted and glorified.

And there is the kind of patience which is required for putting up with the
place where he is sleeping, for he will not have a bed put in the mosque for
him, or a comfortable mattress on which he could sleep. He sleeps on a very
modest mattress or even on the carpets in the mosque.

And there is the kind of patience which is required for putting up with the
conditions in the mosque, the crowds of people around him, the lack of peace
and quiet such as he enjoys at home when he wants to sleep.

And there is the kind of patience which is required for suppressing his
desire for his wife, with whom he is not allowed to have sexual relations if
he goes home for any purpose; he cannot even kiss her or hug her, even
though she is halaal for him. Thus the value of patience, strong will power
and self-control is manifested. Through these practices and others, a person
can train himself to delay many of the things he desires for the sake of
things which are more important, so he puts off these psychological and
material needs for the sake of earning the pleasure of Allaah, may He be
glorified and exalted.

(9) Peace of mind

(10) Reading the Qur’aan and completing it

(11) Sincere repentance

(12) Qiyaam al-Layl (praying at night) and getting used to it

(13) Making good use of one's time

(14) Purifying one's soul

(15) Reforming one’s heart and focusing on Allaah.

We ask Allaah to help us to remember Him, thank Him and worship Him
properly. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

References:

Al-I’tikaaf Nadrah Tarbawiyyah, Dr. ‘Abd al-Lateef ibn Muhammad Baaltoo

Al-Ithaaf fi Bayaan Masaa’il al-I’tikaaf, Abu ‘Umar Haay al-Haay


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question:


what is the importance of 15 shaban,is it the night in which the fate of
every one is decided for the next year?
the especial night mentioned in surah Dakan means which night.is it the
shaban or Qadar?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan (the 15th of Sha’baan) is like any other night,
and there is no sound report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) to indicate that on this night the fate or destiny of people is
decided.

With regard to the night mentioned in the verses:

“We sent it (this Qur’aan) down on a blessed night. Verily, We are ever
warning [mankind that Our Torment will reach those who disbelieve in Our
Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness of worship].

Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments”

[al-Dukhaan 44:3-4]

Ibn Jareer al-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: the commentators
differed concerning that night, i.e., which night of the year it is. Some of
them said that it is Laylat al-Qadr, and it was narrated from Qurtaadah that
it is Laylat al-Qadr. Others said that it is the night of the 15th of
Sha’baan. The correct view is the view of those who say that it is Laylat
al-Qadr, because Allaah has told us of that when He says, ‘Verily, We are
ever warning’ [al-Dukhaan 44:3].”

(Tafseer al-Tabari, 11/221)

With regard to the phrase, “Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of
ordainments”: Ibn Hajar said in his commentary on Saheeh al-Bukhaari: “What
this means is that the decrees for the year are decided on that night,
because Allaah says: ‘Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of
ordainments’. And al-Nawawi said: the scholars said that it is called Laylat
al-Qadr because on this night the angels write down the decrees (aqdaar),
because Allaah says, ‘Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of
ordainments’. This was also narrated by ‘Abd al-Razzaaq and other
mufassireen with saheeh isnaads from Mujaahid, ‘Ikrimah, Qutaadah and
others. Al-Toorbashti said that the word used in the Qur’aan is qadr,
whereas people think it is qadar (decree); the word qadr refers to the
detailed manifestation of the decree.

Laylat al-Qadr brings great reward for the one who does good deeds and
strives in worship on that night.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the Night of Al‑Qadr
(Decree).

And what will make you know what the Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is?

The Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e.
worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand
months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).

Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allaah’s
Permission with all Decrees,

(All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allaah to His believing
slaves) until the appearance of dawn”[al-Qadr 97:1-5]

There are many ahaadeeth which speak of the virtue of that night, such as
the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari from Abu Hurayrah, in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends Laylat
al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and hoping for reward, all his previous sins
will be forgiven, and whoever fasts Ramadaan out of faith and hoping for
reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
al-Sawm, 1768).

And Allaah knows best.

Question:


I have a strange quran. My aqeedah is that after the body is dead it is of
no use and they cannhot hear.but according to hadith there is punishment in
the grave.does this mean that the body is still alive.also in the quran it
is mentioned that martyrs dont die?and also it is reported in a hadith in
muslim that when prophet(saw) addresses the body of abu jahl, umaya and
others umar(ra)asks him how can the dead hear to which the prophet(saw)
replies that they can hear but cannot reply.kindly answer my question with
detail

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

1 – What is mentioned in the question, that the dead do not hear anything
that the living say is true and is correct. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meanings):

“but you cannot make hear those who are in graves”

[Faatir 35:22]

“So verily, you (O Muhammad) cannot make the dead to hear”

[al-Room 30:52]

2 – The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that there is torment and
punishment in the grave and life in al-barzakh (the interval between death
and the Day of Resurrection), and there is blessing and pleasure, according
to the status of the deceased. The evidence for that is the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning):

“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon. And on the Day
when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): ‘Cause
Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!’”[Ghaafir 40:46]

Allaah states here that the people of Pharaoh are exposed to torment morning
and afternoon even though they are dead. From this aayah, the scholars
affirmed that the torment of the grave is real.

Ibn Katheer said:

This aayah is the main basis of the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah in the torment
of al-barzakh, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon” [Ghaafir 40:46].

(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/82)

According to the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the
wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray
in his salaah (prayer), “Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika min ‘adhaab il-qabr,
wa a’oodhu bika min fitnat il-maseeh il-dajjaal, wa a’oodhu bika min fitnat
il-mahyaa wa fitnat il-mamaat, Allaahumma ini a’oodhu bika min al-ma’tham
wa’l-maghram (O Allaah, I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave,
I seek refuge in You from the tribulation of the Dajjaal, I seek refuge in
You from the trials of life and death, O Allaah, I seek refuge in You from
sin and loss).”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 798; Muslim, 589)

The relevant point in this hadeeth is that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of
the grave. This is one of the pieces of evidence that confirm the torment of
the grave. No one disputed the torment of the grave apart from the
Mu’tazilah and some other groups who are not worth paying attention to.

3 – With regard to the hadeeth which describes the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) addressing the dead bodies of the
mushrikeen on the day of the battle of Badr, it is to be understood that
this was a unique case, where Allaah brought them back to life so that His
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) might rebuke them and
humiliate them.

(a)      It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood over
the well of Badr [into which the bodies of the mushrikeen had been thrown]
and said, ‘Have you found the promise of your Lord to be true?’ Then he
said, ‘They can hear what I am saying now.’”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3980; Muslim, 932)

(b)     It was narrated that Abu Talhah said: “ ‘Umar said, ‘O Messenger of
Allaah, why are you speaking to bodies that have no souls?’ The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘By the One in
Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, you do not hear what I am saying any
better than they do.’” Qutaadah said: Allaah brought them back to life so
that they could hear what he was saying, so that they might be rebuked and
feel regret and shame.

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3976; Muslim, 2875. See Fath al-Baari, 7/304)

The relevant point here is that Allaah caused the people in the well to hear
the words of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so
that they might be humiliated. But it is not correct to deduce from this
hadeeth that the dead can hear everything, because this applied only to the
people in the well. Some scholars made an exception and said that the dead
can hear the salaam, but this is a view for which clear sound evidence is
lacking.

4 – According to the most correct scholarly view, the torment of the grave
befalls both the soul and the body.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“The view of the salaf (earliest generations) of this ummah and its imams is
that the torment or blessing (of the grave) happens to the soul of the
deceased and his body. After it departs from the body, the soul continues to
be blessed or punished, and it is also connected to the body from time to
time, so that the blessing or torment befalls the body as well as the soul.”

So we must believe in that which Allaah has told us.

(al-Ikhtiyaaraat al-Fiqhiyyah, p. 94)

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) was asked about this matter, and we will
quote his reply in full:

“Indeed, the torment and blessing happen to both the soul and the body,
according to the consensus of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. The soul is
blessed or tormented separately from the body, and it is blessed or
tormented in connection with the body. The body is connected to it, so in
this case the blessing or torment happens to them both, and it may happen to
the soul separately from the body.

The view of the salaf and imams of this ummah is that when a person dies, he
will be in a state of blessing or torment, and that happens to his soul and
his body. After the soul has departed from the body, it remains in a state
of blessing or torment, and that is sometimes connected to the body and the
blessing or torment happens to them both. Then when the Day of Resurrection
comes, the souls will be returned to their bodies and they will rise from
their graves to meet the Lord of the Worlds. The physical resurrection is a
matter upon which the Muslims, Jews and Christians are agreed.”

(al-Rooh, p. 51, 52)

The scholars likened that to dreams when one is asleep, for a person may
dream that he is going and traveling, and he may feel happiness or grief and
sorrow while he is sleeping, and that is when he is in his place and in this
world. So it is more apt that things should be different in the life of
al-barzakh which is completely different from the life of this world and the
life of the Hereafter.

Al-Nawawi said:

“If it is said, we see the deceased and how he is in his grave, so how can
he be questioned, made to sit up and beaten with iron rods, when no mark is
left on him? The answer is that this is not impossible, and indeed there is
a similar case in our regular lives, that of the sleeper who feels joy or
pain of which we feel nothing.  A person who is awake may also feel joy or
pain because of something he hears or thinks about, and those who are
sitting with him feel nothing of that. Similarly, Jibreel used to come to
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and tell him of the
Wahy (Revelation), and the people present were unaware of it. All of that is
clear and evident.”

(Sharh Muslim, 17/201)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

“When a person sleeps, he may feel joy or pain, and that happens to his soul
and his body. He may dream that someone is beating him and wake up with pain
in his body, or he may dream that he is being fed some good food, then wake
up with the food in his mouth. This is something that really happens. If the
body and soul of a sleeping person can experience joy and pain that are not
felt by the person next to him, and a sleeper may even cry out because of
the intensity of pain or fear of what is happening to him, and those who are
awake can hear him, and he may speak, reciting Qur’aan or dhikr, or talking
to someone, and those who are awake can hear that, even though he is asleep
with his eyes closed, and he does not hear them if they speak to him – then
how can we deny that the one who is buried in his grave also feels things,
when the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us
that he “hears the sound of their footsteps” and “You do not hear what I say
any better than they do”?

The heart is akin to the grave, hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, when he missed ‘Asr on the day of al-Khandaq: “May
Allaah fill their hearts and graves with fire.” And Allaah differentiated
between them (graves and hearts) in the aayah (interpretation of the
meaning):

“Knows he not that when the contents of the graves are poured forth (all
mankind is resurrected)?

And that which is in the hearts (of men) shall be made known?”

[al-‘Aadiyaat 100:9-10]

This is just to explain that this could happen.


We cannot say that the blessing or torment that the dead experience is like
that which a sleeper experiences when he dreams, rather that blessing or
torment is more complete and more far-reaching; it is a real blessing and a
real torment. But this example is given to show that this is possible. If
someone were to say that the dead person does not move in his grave, and the
soil does not change, and so on, this matter may be explained in more
detail, but that would take too long to explain here. And Allaah knows best.
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/275, 276)

And Allaah knows best

Question:


I would like to ask about the grave: after the two angels have finished
questioning the person in his grave, will the evildoer continue to be
tormented in his grave until the Hour begins? Also, will the believer
continue to enjoy delight until the Hour begins? Or does that simply last
for one day which comes to an end, after which the person becomes just a
dead body? Is there any evidence to indicate that the person in his grave
moves into a new life which will last until the Hour begins? Please answer
me, may Allaah bless you.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Man’s life is divided into three sections:

1 – The life of this world, which ends with death.

2 – The life in al-barzakh, which starts after death and ends when the Hour
begins.

3 – The life of the Hereafter, which begins after the people are raised from
their graves, and is spent either in Paradise (we ask Allaah of His Bounty)
or in Hell (we seek refuge with Allaah).

So the life of al-barzakh lasts from after a person dies until he is
resurrected, whether he is buried in a grave or not, whether he is burned or
eaten by wild animals. The evidence that points to this life is the hadeeth
narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who
said that after the deceased is placed in his grave, he can hear the
footsteps of his family (as they walk away from the grave).

This life (in al-barzakh) will either be filled with delight, or it will be
hellish, and the grave will either be one of the gardens of Paradise or one
of the ditches of Hell.

What indicates that there will be either delight or torment (in al-barzakh)
is the aayah in which Allaah says concerning the people of Pharaoh:

“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon. And on the Day
when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): ‘Cause
Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!’”

[Ghaafir 40:46 – interpretation of the meaning]

Ibn Mas’ood said: The souls of the people of Pharaoh and those of their ilk
among the kaafirs are shown the Fire morning and evening, and they are told,
this is your abode.

Ibn Katheer said: this aayah is the main basis of the Sunni’s belief in the
torment of al-barzakh in the grave.

(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/82)

Al-Qurtubi said: Some of the scholars quoted as evidence to prove the
torment of the grave the phrase “The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning
and afternoon” [Ghaafir 40:46]. A similar view was expressed by Mujaahid,
‘Ikrimah, Muqaatil and Muhammad ibn Ka’b, all of whom said that this aayah
is proof of the torment of the grave. Do you not see that it says concerning
the torment of the Hereafter: “And on the Day when the Hour will be
established (it will be said to the angels): ‘Cause Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh)
people to enter the severest torment!”? (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 15/319)

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: ‘When any one of you dies, he is shown his place morning and evening.
If he is one of the people of Paradise then he is one of the people of
Paradise, and if he is one of the people of Hell, then he is one of the
people of Hell.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Bid’ al-Khalq, 3001; Muslim,
al-Jannah wa sifat na’eemihaa, 2866).

It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that a
Jewish woman entered upon her and mentioned the torment of the grave, and
said to her, “May Allaah protect you from the torment of the grave!”
‘Aa’ishah asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) about the torment of the grave, and he said, “Yes, the torment of
the grave.”  ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “I never saw
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pray any
prayer after that but he sought refuge with Allaah from the torment of the
grave.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Janaa’iz, 1283; Muslim, al-Kusoof,
903).

These aayahs and ahaadeeth indicate that the torment of the grave is real
and that it is ongoing in the case of some people.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him and save him from the
torment of the grave) said:

If a person is a kaafir (we seek refuge with Allaah), then there is no way
that the delight will ever reach him, and his torment will be continuous. If
a person was a sinner but he was a believer, then his torment in the grave
will be commensurate with his sin, and perhaps the punishment for his sin
will take less time than the time in al-barzakh between his death and the
onset of the Hour, in which case it will cease.

(al-Sharh al-Mumti’, vol. 3, p. 253)



Question:


I have a brother who died; he was a sinner who committed major sins and acts
of disobedience, but I loved him very much. I have read things about the
punishment in the grave which are very frightening. Is his punishment in the
grave continuous, and will it be lightened at all if I do acts of worship
and give the reward for them to him, such as giving in charity or doing
Hajj? I hope you can help me, because I am still grieving for him very much.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The ultimate fate of your brother rests with Allaah: if He wills, He will
punish him, and if He wills, He will forgive him. We cannot say anything
definite about his case, but we can speak about the matter in general terms.

With regard to the question of whether the punishment in the grave is
continuous or it may stop:

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

The answer is that the punishment in the grave is of two types:

A type which is continuous, apart from what has been narrated in some
ahaadeeth which say that it will be reduced during the period between the
two blasts of the Trumpet, then when they are raised from their graves, they
will say:

“Woe to us! Who has raised us up from our place of sleep.” [Yaa-Seen 36:52 –
interpretation of the meaning].

Further evidence that this punishment will be continuous is to be seen in
the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon” [Ghaafir 40:46]

This is also indicated by the hadeeth of Samurah which was narrated by
al-Bukhaari, about the dream in which the Prophet  (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) saw that being done to him (the person who was being
punished in the grave) until the Day of Resurrection.

And by the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas about the story of the two palm branches,
where the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed that
the punishment (of the people in the two graves) would be reduced as long as
the palm branches did not dry out, so the lessening of the punishment was
connected only to the period of time that the branches remained fresh.

And by the hadeeth of Rabee’ ibn Anas from Abu’l-‘Aaliyah from Abu Hurayrah,
then he [the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] came to
some people whose heads were being smashed with rocks, and every time they
were smashed, they were then restored, and they would have no respite from
that.

And by the story in al-Saheeh of the man who put on two garments and
strutted about in an arrogant manner, so Allaah caused the earth to swallow
him up, and he will remain sinking down into it until the Day of
Resurrection.

And by the hadeeth of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib about the story of the kaafir for
whom a door to Hell will be opened (in his grave) and he will look upon his
place in Hell until the Hour comes. This was narrated by Ahmad, and in some
versions it was said that that a hole will be made in his grave and he will
feel its distress and smoke until the Resurrection.

The second kind: which will last for a while, and then stop.

This is the punishment of some sinners whose sins are not so great; they
will be punished in accordance with their sins, then the punishment will be
reduced, just as they will be punished in the fire then the punishment will
end.

The punishment may be stopped by du’aa’, charity, seeking forgiveness or the
reward of Hajj – this may reach the deceased from some of his relatives or
others.

(al-Rooh, p. 89)

The last part of this passage answers the second part of your question. We
ask Allaah to bestow His mercy upon us. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad.


         Question:


Will the Muslim benefit from the trials of the grave by having his sayi’aat
(bad deeds) reduced or wiped out?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

One aspect of the bounty of Allaah towards this ummah is that He has created
means of expiation before people are brought to account. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) mentioned ten things which will
bring about expiation, one of which is the torment in the grave.

He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“Whatever befalls the believer in this world, in al-barzakh (the period
between death and resurrection) and during the Day of Resurrection of pain
which is a torment, Allaah will cause that to expiate for his sins. It was
reported in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: ‘Nothing befalls the believer of disease, affliction, grief
or harm, even a thorn which pricks him, but Allaah will cause it to expiate
for his sins.’” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa, 24/375).

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“The eighth reason: whatever happens to him in the grave of trials, being
squeezed, and terror. These are some of the things which will expiate for
his sins.” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa, 7/500).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah also said, in Minhaaj al-Sunnah (6/238), that
among the things which expiate for bad deeds is: what the believer is tested
with in his grave of being squeezed, and the interrogation of the two
angels.

And Allaah knows best.

Question:


What is Barzakh? Please explain in details. also I would like to know what
kind of punishment is there on which sins?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

What is meant by al-barzakh is the period between a person's death and his
resurrection on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever dies as a Muslim, obeying
Allaah, will be in a blessed state, and whoever dies as a kaafir, disobeying
Allaah, will be punished. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);

“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon. And on the Day
when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): ‘Cause
Fir‘aun’s (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!’”

[Ghaafir 40:46]

The punishments vary according to the sins committed. A hadeeth was narrated
in Saheeh al-Bukhaari which describes the torments of al-barzakh which will
befall some of those who committed major sins. It was narrated that Samurah
ibn Jundub (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) often used to ask his
companions, ‘Did any one of you see a  dream?’ So dreams would be described
to him by those who Allaah willed should speak. One morning, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Last night, two people came to me (in a dream), and woke me up and said,
‘Let’s go!’ I set out with them, and we came across a man who was lying
down, with another man standing over him, holding a big rock. He threw the
rock at the man's head, smashing it. The rock rolled away, and the one who
had thrown it followed it, and picked it up. By the time he came back to the
man, his head had been restored to its former state. Then he (the one who
had thrown the rock) did the same as he had done before. I said to my two
companions, ‘Subhaan Allaah! Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Move
on!’ So we went on, and came to a man who was lying flat on his back, with
another man standing over him, holding an iron hook. He put the hook in the
man's mouth and tore off that side of his face to the back (of his neck),
and he tore his nose and his eye from front to back in a similar manner.
Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did likewise. No
sooner had he finished the second side but the first side was restored to
its former state, then he went back and did the same thing again. I said to
my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allaah! Who are these two persons?’ They said,
‘Move on!’ So we went on, and came to something like a tannoor (a kind of
oven, lined with clay, usually used for baking bread).  – I think the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, in that oven there
was much noise and voices. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) added:  - We  looked into it and saw naked men and  women. A flame
of fire was reaching them from underneath, and when it reached them, they
cried out loudly. I asked them, ‘Who are these?’ They said to me,  ‘Move
on!’ So we went on and came to a river – I think he said, red like blood. –
In the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who
had gathered many stones. Whilst the swimmer was swimming, the man who had
gathered the stones approached him. The swimmer opened his mouth and the man
on the bank threw a stone into it, then the swimmer carried on swimming.
Each time he came back, he opened his mouth again, and the man on the bank
threw another stone into his mouth. I said to my two companions, ‘Who are
these two persons?’ They said, ‘Move on, move on!’ We went on and came to a
man who had the most repulsive appearance imaginable. Beside him there was a
fire, which he was kindling, and he was running around it. I asked my
companions, ‘Who is this man?’ They said, ‘Move on, move on!’ So we went on
until we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, with all kinds of
spring colours. In the midst of this garden was a very tall man, whose head
I could hardly see because of his great height. Around him there were
children, a great number such as I have never seen. I said to my companions,
‘who is this man, and who are these children?’ They said, ‘Move on, move
on!’ So we went on, until we came to a huge garden, bigger and better than
any I have ever seen. My two companions said to me, ‘Go up.’ So we went up
into it, until we reached a city built of gold and silver bricks. We went to
the gate and asked for it to be opened. It was opened and we entered the
city, where we found men with one side of their bodies more handsome than
the most handsome person you have ever seen, and the other side uglier than
the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men
to throw themselves into the river. There was a river flowing through the
city, and its water was pure white. The men went and threw themselves in the
river, and came out with the ugliness in their bodies gone, and they were in
the best shape. (My two companions) said to me, ‘This is the Paradise of
‘Aden (the Garden of Eden), and that is your place.’ I looked up and saw a
palace like a white cloud. They said to me, ‘That is your place.’ I said to
them, ‘May Allaah bless you both, let me enter it.’ They said, ‘For now you
will not enter it, but you shall enter it (one day).’ I said to them, I have
seen many wonders this night. What do all these things mean that I have
seen?’ They said: ‘We will tell you. The first man you came across, whose
head was being smashed with the rock, is the man who studies the Qur’aan
then he neither recites it nor acts upon it, and he goes to sleep,
neglecting the obligatory prayers. The man you came across whose mouth, nose
and ears were being torn from front to back, is the man who goes out of his
house in the morning and tells a lie that is so serious that it spreads all
over the world. The naked men and women whom you saw in a structure that
resembled an oven are the adulterers and adulteresses. The man you saw
swimming in the river with rocks being thrown into his mouth is the one who
consumed riba (usury). The ugly-looking man whom you saw kindling a fire and
walking around it was Maalik, the keeper of Hell. The tall man whom you saw
in the garden was Ibraaheem, and the children around him were the children
who died (young) in a state of fitrah (natural state of mankind, i.e.,
Islam).’ – Some of the Muslims asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what about the
children of the mushrikeen?’ He said, ‘And the children of the mushrikeen
too.’ – ‘As for the men who were half handsome and half ugly, they were
people who had mixed a good deed with another deed  that was bad, but Allaah
forgave them.’”  (narrated by Muslim, no. 6525)

        Question:


When it is said that the dead person is alive in the grave, is that the same
as his former life (is he alive in the same way)? How many of his senses are
restored to him? For how long does he stay alive in the grave? If the dead
person is questioned in a physical sense, how does that apply in the case of
those who are burned (cremated) like the Hindus and Japanese and others?
Where does their questioning take place?  When a doctor performs an
operation, he removes the person's senses by means of an anaesthetic. With
regard to death, I wonder what death means?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: it should be noted that what is obligatory upon every believing man
and woman is to believe what Allaah tells them in His Book or on the lips of
His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about all matters
that have to do with the Hereafter, the Reckoning, Paradise and Hell, or
that have to do with death, the grave and torment or blessing in the grave,
and all matters of the Unseen that are mentioned in the Noble Qur’aan or in
the saheeh reports of the Sunnah. We have to believe and accept that,
because we know that our Lord tells the truth in all that He says and tells
us about. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and whose words can be truer than those of Allaah? (Of course, none)”

[al-Nisaa’ 4:122]

“And who is truer in statement than Allaah?”[al-Nisaa’ 4:87]

We know that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) is the most truthful of people, and that he never spoke on the basis of
his own whims and desires; it was Revelation which was revealed to him.
Whatever was proven in the saheeh ahaadeeth, it is obligatory to believe in
it even if we do not fully understand it. So what we have to do is to
believe what has been narrated concerning the matters of the Hereafter and
of Paradise and Hell, and the blessings of the people of Paradise and the
torments of the people of Hell, and the fact that in the grave a person will
be tormented or blessed, and that his soul will return to him. All of this
is true and is stated in the texts, so we have to submit to that and believe
everything that we learn from the Qur’aan or that is narrated in the saheeh
Sunnah or on which the scholars of Islam reached consensus.

If Allaah blesses a believing man or woman with knowledge of the reasons for
that, then it is even better, light upon light and knowledge upon knowledge.
So let him praise Allaah and give thanks to Him for the knowledge and
insight that He has bestowed, thus increasing his knowledge and peace of
mind.

With regard to the questioning in the grave and the state of the deceased,
this questioning is real. The deceased person’s soul will be restored to
him; saheeh reports to that effect have been narrated from the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The life of the deceased in the
grave is different from his life in this world; it is a special kind of life
in al-barzakh (the interval between his death and the Day of Resurrection)
which is not like his life in this world, where he needs food and drink etc.
It is a special kind of life wherein he can understand the questions and
answers, so the two angels will ask him, Who is your Lord? What is your
religion? Who is your Prophet?

The believer will say, My Lord is Allaah, Islam is my religion and Muhammad
is my Prophet. This will be the answer of believing men and women. Then he
will be asked, What do you know about this man (Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him))? He will say, He is the Messenger of
Allaah. He brought us guidance and we believed in him and followed him. It
will be said: we knew that you were a believer. Then a gate to Paradise will
be opened for him, and he will feel its rest and provision and blessings. It
will be said, This is your place until Allaah resurrects you to it. And he
will be shown his place in Hell, and it will be said to him, This would have
been your place if you had disbelieved in Allaah, but now Allaah has granted
you refuge from it and you have ended up in Paradise.

As for the kaafir, he will be asked about his Lord and his religion and his
Prophet, and he will say, Oh, oh, I don’t know, I heard the people saying
something so I said the same. Then he will be beaten with an iron rod and
will utter a scream that will be heard by all things apart from
al-thaqalayn, i.e. jinn and men; the animals will hear it. Then a gate to
Hell  will be opened for him, and his grave will constrict until his ribs
intermingle, and his grave will be like one of the pits of Hell. A gate to
Hell will be opened for him and he will feel its heat and torment. It will
be said, This is your place until Allaah resurrects you to it. Then a door
to Paradise will be opened for him and he will be shown his place in
Paradise, and it will be said to him, This would have been your place if
Allaah had guided you.

From this we know that the grave will be either one of the gardens of
Paradise or one of the pits of Hell. The torment or blessing will happen to
the body as well as the soul in the grave, and also in the Hereafter, in
either Paradise or Hell.

With regard to those who die by drowning or burning, or are eaten by wild
animals, their souls will have their share of torment or blessing, and that
will come to their bodies on land or in the sea, or in the bellies of the
wild animals, as much as Allaah wills. But most of the blessing or torment
will come to their souls which remain, either in a state of blessing or a
state of torment. The soul of the believer will go to Paradise; the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The soul of the believer
is a bird which hangs from the trees of Paradise, eating their fruits; the
soul of the kaafir goes to Hell.”

Every Muslim man and woman has to accept what Allaah and His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) have told us, and believe it as
it was meant by Allaah, even though some of the meaning may be hidden from
us. And Allaah has perfect wisdom, may He be glorified.



Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-‘Allaamah
‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), p.
338.

Question:
Is it possible for a Muslim to be afflicted with psychological problems?
(Because some people say that a Muslim cannot be affected by psychological
problems).
        Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Undoubtedly man may be afflicted with psychological problems such as worries
about the future and grief over the past. Psychological problems affect the
body more than physical problems do. We should know that the worries and
distress that affect a person are among the things that expiate his sins and
reduce the burden of sin; if he is patient and seeks reward with Allaah, he
will be rewarded for that.

Treating these problems in the ways prescribed in Islam is more effective
than treating them with physical medicine, as is well known.

One of the treatments prescribed in Islam is to recite the du’aa’s narrated
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to relieve
worries and distress, for example, the saheeh hadeeth narrated from Ibn
Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him): “There is no-one who is afflicted
by distress and grief, and says: ‘Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn
amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka.
As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi
kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm
il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qur’aana al-‘Azeema rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri
wa jalaa’ huzni wa dhihaab hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your
slave, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command
over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by
every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed
in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved
in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Holy Qur’aan the
life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow
and a release for my anxiety),’ but Allaah will take away his distress and
grief.” This is one of the remedies prescribed in sharee’ah. One may also
say: “Laa ilaaha illa anta, subhaanaka inni kuntu min al-zaalimeen (There is
no god but You, glorified (and exalted) are You, truly I have been of the
wrongdoers).” [cf. al-Anbiya’ 21:87]

Another form of treatment is ruqya with which a person may treat himself –
which is better. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to do ruqyah for himself by reciting al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last two
soorahs of the Qur’aan) when he went to sleep, then he would wipe his face
and whatever he could of his body. Or a person may go to someone whose
religious commitment he trusts to do ruqyah for him.

If he wants to know more, he can refer to what the scholars have written
about du’aa’ such as al-Waabil al-Sayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Kalim
al-Tayyib by Shaykh al-Islam, al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi, and Zaad al-Ma’aad by
Ibn al-Qayyim.

From the fatwas of al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, Kitaab Fataawa Islamiyyah, vol.
4, p. 465-467.

We ask Allaah the Most High, the All-Powerful, to teach us that which will
benefit us, and to benefit us by that which we learn. May Allaah grant
blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

With the very best of good wishes,
Musa Amadu Pembo
Glasgow,
Scotland
UK.
[log in to unmask]
Da’wah is to convey the message with wisdom and with good words. We should
give the noble and positive message of Islam. We should try to emphasize
more commonalities and explain the difference without getting into
theological arguments and without claiming the superiority of one position
over the other. There is a great interest among the people to know about
Islam and we should do our best to give the right message.
May Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,guide us all to His Sirat Al-Mustaqim (Righteous
Path).May He protect us from the evils of this life and the hereafter.May
Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,grant us entrance to paradise .. Ameen


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>

To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>