Friday, 22 March 2013
“Shiites of falsehood”
Pursuant to an authentically reported hadith of Prophet
Muhammad, blessing and peace of Allah be upon him, said, “This Ummah[1]
shall be divided into seventy three factions; all but only one of them shall be
in Hell.” The ‘but only one’ referred to by the Prophet are those who adhere to
the teachings and practices of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him and that of his righteous companions, who are the best of the
mankind after the Prophets and the best community ever evolved for the mankind.
In the infallible words of Allah, He says:
“And whoever contradicts and
opposes the Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) after the right path has
been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way. We shall
keep him in the path he has chosen and burn him in Hell – what an evil
destination!”[2]
Islamic scholars that upholds strongly the tenets of Prophet
Muhammad, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, which comprises of his
teachings and practices agreed that the most erroneous of the strayed groups is
the Shiite sect. Thus, the Shiite sect is sometimes called, ‘Shiites of
falsehood’ or ‘Shiites of desire’.
Internally, the injudicious Shiite sect is believed to be
divided into three hundred sub-sects. The most erroneous and spurious of these
sub-sects is a group known as ‘Al-Ithna ‘Ashriyyah. This is due to the fact
that this sub-sect embraces tenaciously unto all errors and falsehood with no
exception and rejected all truths and guidance.
The belief of this misguided sect is predicated upon
extremely spurious fundamentals such as questioning the authenticity of the
Qur’an, rejecting the Sunnah, declaring companions of the Prophet, blessings
and peace of Allah be upon them as disbelievers and toeing other than the
believers’ path. Distortion of the truth, lying, hypocrisy, unlawful
desecrating of lives, properties and honours of the people under the guise of
punishing those who are hostile to members of the Prophet’s household. They
also engage in excessive veneration of their so called imams.
They disbelief in the authenticity of the Qur’an? Yes
indeed! Their books of Tafseer such as those written by al-Qummi, al-‘Ayashi,
as-Saafi and al-Burhaan indicates how they are sure that the Qur’an had been
altered, and how they changed and omitted words of the Qur’an and added their
own words.
Rejection of the Sunnah is no less. The Shiite disbelieve
in the authentic Sunnah conveyed by the
noble companions –may Allah be pleased with them. This is because they claim
that after the death of the Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him,
all his companions apostatized except five[3]
who are: al-Miqdad, Hudhayfah, Abu Darr and ‘Ammar who remained with ‘Ali – may
Allah be pleased with all of them. Does then make any sense to say about hundred
thousand companions who are with the Messenger of Allah, blessing and peace of
Allah be upon him apostatized?
These are the companions Allah described as the best nation
ever raised up for mankind. These are the companions Allah says are fervent in
prayer, severe against disbelievers and merciful among themselves[4].
On veneration of their leaders, the Shiites read the verse
“You are the best imams ever raised up for mankind...” interpreting the ‘Imams’
as ‘Shiite Imams’ since they do not concur with the message of the verse.
The Shiite sect indulge themselves in misguiding people to
their spurious path by being overly nice to people and spending their wealth to
promote their falsehood. It is incumbent upon all Muslims who follow the path
of Prophet Muhammad, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him to equip
themselves with adequate knowledge of Islam to guard against all beliefs that
are misleading. Allah says:
“Verily, those who disbelieve spend
their wealth to hinder (men) from the path of Allah, and so will they continue
to spend it; but in the end it will become an anguish for them. Then they will
be overcome. And those who disbelieve will be gathered unto Hell.”[5]
For further
elaboration, see the following books
·
As-shee‘ah was-Sunnah and Ash-Shee‘ah wa
Ahlul-Bayt by Ihsaan Ilahi Zaheer
·
Triumph of the Truth by Majdi Muhammad
ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad adapted to English by Abdur-Raafi al-Imaam
·
Wajaa’a Dawr al-Majoos
·
Al-‘Aqeedah al-Wasitiyyah by Ibn
Taymiyyah
[1]
Islam
[2]
Surah An-Nisa v. 115
[3]
Some of the Shiites claim that all the companions apostatized except twelve who
are: ‘Ali and some members of his family, Salman, Abu Dharr, ‘Ammar, al-Miqdad,
Hudhayfah, Abu Haytham ibn Tayhaan, Sahl ibn Haneef, ‘Ubadah ibn Saamit, Abu Ayyub
al-Ansari, Khuzaymah ibn Thabit and Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri.
[4]
Surah Al-Fat-h v. 29
[5]
Surah Al-Anfal v. 36
MEDICINE FOR VARIOUS DISEASES
The use of ‘Ajwa dates
as medicine for magic and poison
Narrated Sa‘d (Rodiyallah
‘Anhu): The Prophet said, “I heard Allah’s Messenger (S.A.W.) saying, “If
somebody takes seven ‘Ajwa dates in the morning, neither magic nor poison will
hurt him that day.”[1]
Treatment for a person
suffering from diarrhea
Narrated Abu Sa‘id
Al-Khudiri (Rodiyallah ‘Anhu): A man came to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and said, “My
brother has some abdominal trouble.” The Prophet (S.A.W.) said to him “Let him
drink honey.” The man came for the second time and the Prophet (S.A.W.) said to
him, “Let him drink honey.” He came for the third time and the Prophet (S.A.W.)
said, “Let him drink honey.” He returned again and said, “I have done that.”
The Prophet (S.A.W.) then said, “Allah has said the truth, but your brother’s
abdomen has told a lie. Let him drink honey.” So he made him drink honey and he
was cured.[2]
The use of black cumin
(Nigella seeds)
Narrated Khalid bin
Sa‘d: We went out and Ghalib bin Abjar was accompanying us. He fell ill on the
way and when we arrived at Al-Madina, he was still sick. Ibn Abu ‘Atiq came to
visit him and said to us, “Treat him with black cumin. Take five or seven seeds
and crush them (mix the powder with oil) and drop the resulting mixture into
both nostrils, for ‘Aishah (Rodiyallah Anha) has narrated to me that she heard
the Prophet (S.A.W.) saying, “This black cumin is healing for all diseases
except As-Sam.’ ‘Aishah asked, ‘What is As-Sam?’ He (S.A.W.) said, ‘Death’.”[3]
Al Udhra (throat or
tonsil diseases)
Narrated Umm Qais: I
went to Allah’s Messenger (S.A.W.) along with a son of mine whose palate and
tonsils I had pressed with my fingers as a treatment for a (throat and tonsil)
disease. The Prophet (S.A.W.) said, “Why do you pain your children by pressing
their throats! Use Al-Ud Al-Hindi (certain Indian incense) for it cures seven
diseases, one of which is pleurisy. It is used as a snuff for treating throat
and tonsil disease and it is inserted into one side of the mouth of one
suffering from pleurisy.”[4]
Al-Mann heals eye
diseases
Narrated Sa‘id bin
Zaid: I heard the Prophet (S.A.W.) saying, Al-Kama (truffles) are like Mann
(i.e they grow naturally without man’s care) and their water heals eye
diseases.”[5]
Medicine for stopping
bleeding
Burn a mat made of
palm-tree leaves (and put its ashes into a wound) to stop bleeding.[6]
Islam is a total way of
life that contributes to every sphere of life without leaving any particular
aspect of life untouched.[7]
Saturday, 9 March 2013
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SAYING “AMIN” IN ISLAM
Muslims are known to
say the word ‘amin’ after the recitation of surah al-Fatihah while observing
prayers likewise when supplication is being made. In those instances, what does
the word ‘amin’ connote? Is the term ‘amin’ of such nature mentioned in the Qur’an
and/or is its saying in prayers cum supplication a tradition of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH)? Then, of what significance is it? Moreover, dogmatism is
believed to have no place in Islam.
According to an
opinion, the term ‘amin’ is a name of an Egyptian god called amun. Egyptians
then are used to sing and pronounce the name in a manner where they break the
pronunciation of the vowel ‘u’ and pronounce it closer to the vowels ‘ee’ and
hence the word ‘amin’. From the god’s name, ‘amin’ is then derived. To some,
they say the term is of Hebrew origin. These are some views given as regards
the origin of the word ‘amin’. Comparatively, the pronunciation of the word in
the origins mentioned above are not utterly related to the way Muslims
pronounce theirs. Muslims pronounce it as ‘amin’. In Hebrew, it is pronounced
as ‘amen’ and that attributed to Egyptian god is ‘amun’.
Philologically, ‘amin’
was derived from an Arabic word ‘amana’ which means ‘he believed’.
Linguistically, the word denotes ‘trustworthy’. Going through the annals,
Muslim scholars traced the saying of ‘amin’ back to the time of Prophet Musa
and his faithful brother Harun up to the era of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). By
their findings, it was discovered that saying of the word ‘amin’ after a
supplication was implicitly referred to in the infallible words of Allah.
Particularly, where Allah says:
“And
Musa (Moses) said: “Our Lord! You have indeed bestowed on Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) and
his chiefs splendor and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord! That they may
lead men astray from Your path. Our Lord! Destroy their wealth, and harden
their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment[1].”
Prophet Musa made this
prayer during the last period of his stay in Egypt. When he had shown many
signs, one after the other, to Fir‘aun and his chiefs and pointed out the way
clearly to them, but they had persisted obdurately in their antagonism to the
truth. The Prophet prayed his Lord to destroy their possessions and harden
their hearts. To this prayer of Prophet Musa, Harun, his brother, was reported
to have said ‘amin’[2].
Consequent upon that, Allah says:
“Allah
said: “Verily, the invocation of you both is accepted.[3]”
In the interpretation
of surah al-Fatihah, Qadhi Shawkani and Imam Qurtubi write that ‘Amin’ is also
a du‘a (invocation)[4].
Furthermore, in one of
the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, it was reiterated succinctly that Prophet
Musa and Harun were the first to be granted ‘amin’ to say. In the same
narration, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also mentioned two instances where ‘amin’
can be said. These instances are during salah (prayer) and at the time of du‘a
(supplication). In the words of the Prophet, it says:
“I
have been granted amin (to say) in salah and at the time of Du‘a. None was
granted such before me except Musa (Moses) (Alayhis-salam). He would make Du‘a
(supplication) and Harun (Aaron) (Alayhis-salam) would say Amin…[5]”
Specifically, Prophet
Muhammad was reported that he used to say ‘amin’.
Narrated
Abu Huraira – Ibn Shilab said, “Allah’s Apostle used to say “Amin”[6].
Saying ‘amin’ is
recommended for those who are not praying (when reciting Al-Fatihah) and is strongly recommended
for those who are praying whether alone or behind the Imam[7].
Thus, the importance of
uttering the word was likened to a seal on a book and also serving as an eraser
of previous wrong doings for the one whose ‘amin’ coincides or is
contemporaneous with the ‘amin’ of the angels. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
declares:
Narrated
Abu Zuhayr-an-Numayri: Abu Misbah al-Mugra’i said: We used to sit in the
company of Abu Zuhayr an-Numayri. He was a companion of the Prophet (PBUH), and
he used to narrate good traditions. Once a man from among us made a
supplication. He said: End it with the utterance of Amin, for Amin is like a
seal on the book. Abu Zuhayr said: I shall tell you about that. We went out
with the Apostle of Allah (PBUH) one night and came upon a man who made
supplication with persistence. The Prophet (PBUH) waited to hear him. The
Prophet (PBUH) said: He will have done something which guarantees (paradise for
him) if he puts a seal to it. One of the people asked: What should he use as a
seal? He replied: Amin, for if he ends it with Amin, he will do something which
guarantees (paradise for him)[8].
Muslim recorded that
the Messenger of Allah said:
“When
any of you says in the prayer ‘Amin’ and the angels in heaven say Amin in
unison, his previous sins will be forgiven[9].”
Prophet Muhammad
categorically stated in his saying that in prayer, ‘amin’ should be uttered
after the recitation of surah al-Fatihah. The Prophet provides:
Narrated
by Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “When the Imam says: ‘Ghair-il-maghdubi
‘alaihim walad-dalin (i.e. not the path of those who earn Your Anger nor the
path of those who went astray (1:7)), then you must say, ‘Amin’, for if ones
utterance of ‘Amin’ coincides with that of the angels, then his past sins will
be forgiven[10].”
In some narrations of
the Prophet, it was made open; to what extent the word ‘amin’ can be stressed
and how loud the word may be pronounced.
Ibn
Shilab said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
used to say ‘Aameen’ (extending it)[11].”
…When
the Apostle of Allah (PBUH) recited the verse “Nor of those who go astray”
(1:7), he would say Amin; and raised his voice (while uttering this word).[12]
The following line was
added in another narration:
“he
would say Amin so loudly that those near him in the first row would hear it.”[13]
Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah
recorded this hadith with the addition:
“Then
the Masjid would shake because of (those behind the Prophet) reciting Amin[14].”
Conversely, uttering
the word silently has also received an authority to that effect. Abu Wail
reports that Sayyidina ‘Ali and Sayyidina ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ood would not say
the basmalah, ta‘awudh or Amin loudly.[15]
Based on the authorities proffered, either saying ‘amin’ loudly or silently is
therefore acceptable.
Allah decrees:
“But
seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the
Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and
do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land.
Verily, Allah likes not the Mufsidun (those who commit great crimes and sins,
oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupters).”[16]
[1] Q.
10 v. 88
[2] Tafsir Ibn Kathir under surah al-Fatihah
[3] Q. 10 v. 89
[4] Qurtubi and Fathul Qadeer
[5] Tafsir Ibn Kathir Vol. 1 page 56
[6] Bukhari: Book 1: volume 12: hadith 747
[7] Tafsir Ibn Kahir under surah al-Fatihah
[8] Dawud: Book 3: hadith 938
[9] Muslim 1:307
[10]
Bukhari
[11]
Malik Book 3
[12] Dawud: Book 3: hadith 932
[13] Dawud: Book 3: hadith 934
[14] Dawud: Book 3: hadith 934
[15] Tabarani in al-Mujam al Kabeer
[16] Q. 28 v. 77
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