Fasting Six Days of Shawwal after Ramadan

Sayyiduna Ayyub (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said,   “Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days from Shawwal it is as if they fasted the entire year.” [Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah; Ahmad transmitted it from Jabir, Muntaqa]   Sayyiduna Thawban (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said,   “Whoever fasts Ramadan, and then six days after Eid, it is an entire year. Whoever does a good deed shall have ten times its reward.” [Ibn Majah, Muntaqa]   Important Notes: 1. Based on this, the majority of the fuqaha, including the Hanafi, Shafi`i, and Hanbali school, have held that it is recommended to fast six days of the month of Shawwal. [Radd al-Muhtar; Mughni al-Muhtaj Shah al-Minhaj; Kashshaf al-Qina`] 2. It is permitted to fast these six days separately throughout the month, or consecutively, after Eid al-Fitr. 3. It is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) and sinful to fast on Eid day itself. [Radd al-Muhtar] 4. The Shafi`is and Hanbalis state that it is superior to make the six fasts consecutive [Minhaj, Ghayat al-Muntaha]. Khatib al-Shirbini explains the reasoning as being,   “In order to hasten to do the good, and because of the problems inevitable in delaying,”   such as becoming lazy and not actually fulfilling this sunnah in the end, though he points out that the sunnah is fulfilled by both consecutive and non-consecutive fasting of six days in Shawwal. [Mughni al-Muhtaj]   The later Hanafi scholars differed as to which is better, fasting the six days consecutively or non-consecutively, though neither is disliked and both fulfill the sunnah.[Radd al-Muhtar] However, it would be agreed that those who fear not fulfilling the recommendation due to laziness, forgetfulness or other excuses, should hasten to fast the six days consecutively immediately after Eid al-Fitr. 5. The reward is akin to having fasted obligatory fasts the entire year days, according to Buhuti, Shirbini, and others. Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said,   “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, though there is good in both. Be avid for that which benefits you. Rely on Allah and do not deem yourself incapable…” [Muslim:4816, Ibn Majah:76, Ahmad:8436]   Imam Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) explained that the ‘strength’ in this hadith refers to, “One’s determination and ability in matters of the next life.” And Allah alone gives success!!   -- References: Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar `ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Vol. 2, Page 125 Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj Sharh al-Minhaj, Vol. 2, Page 184-185 Buhuti, Kashshaf al-Qina`, Vol. 2 Page 237-238

The Mother of All Muslims Hazrat Khadija tul Kubra (Radi allahu taala Anhu)

Hazrat Khadija tul Kubra

Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's (SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam) marriage with Sayyidah Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha took place about fifteen years before the beginning of the Revelation, he being 25, and she was 40 years old. She was a rich widow and ran a large trade of her own. It was she who offered herself in marriage to the Holy Prophet Muhammad SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam who was associated with her in her trading ventures. From the time of her marriage with the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam till her death, over a period of twenty years, she gave her husband ease of circumstances, and deep love and devotion.   In spite of conspicuous difference in age, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam love for Sayyidah Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha never wavered. When death parted her from the Beloved Nabi SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam after having shared with him for 28 years the toils and trials of life, especially the first ten years of his Ministry of Prophethood, he deeply mourned her death. Once Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha asked him if she had been the only woman worthy of his love. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam replied in an honest burst of tender emotion:   "She believed in me when none else did. She embraced Islam when people disbelieved me. And she helped and comforted me when there was none else to lend me a helping hand."   In the heart of the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam grateful and affectionate remembrance of her remained fresh until the very end of his life. The Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam remained true and loyal to Sayyidah Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha until he was over 50 years old. This had been the case at a time when polygamy was normal among the Arabs. Moreover, since no male offspring of Sayyidah Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha survived, he had all the necessary justification to marry another woman considering that newborn daughters were customarily buried alive and male offspring alone regarded as rightful heirs.   Before Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam announced his Prophethood he had lived 17 years of married life, and thereafter eleven more years without ever thinking of marriage with another woman. He was kind to all her fellows and occasionally sent them gifts.   "Never was I jealous of any of the Prophet's wives", said Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha, "but Khadija, although I never saw her. Her sweet memory never blurred in the Prophet's SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam heart. Once I hurt his feelings on this issue and he replied gravely, 'Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala has blessed me with her love.'"   Sayyiduna Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha bore the Beloved Habeeb SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam seven children, the first born was named Sayyiduna Qaasim Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho, after whom, according to Arab custom, the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam received the Kunya "Abul Qaasim" or "the father of Qaasim". Then were born Sayyiduna Tayyab Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha and Sayyiduna Taahir Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anhum Ajmaa'een. All of them passed away in their infancy. Amongst the daughters Sayyidah Ruqayya Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha was the eldest, then came Sayyidah Zaynab Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha, Sayyidah Umm Kulthoom Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha and the last and best known of them was Sayyidah Faatima Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha.   Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Ja'far Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha reported that he heard Sayyiduna Ali Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho saying in Kufa that Allah's Messenger SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam said:   "The best of the women of her time was Mariam Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha, daughter of Imran, and the best of the women of her time was Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha, daughter of Khuwailid. Abu Kuraib said that Waki' pointed towards the sky and the earth. What this implies is that Mariam Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha and Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha were best in their respective times not only amongst the creatures of the earth, but of the heaven too."   Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha reported that Sayyiduna Jibra'eel Alaihis Salam came to Allah's Messenger SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam and said:   "Allah's Messenger! Khadija is coming to you with a vessel of seasoned food or drink. When she comes to you, offer her greetings from her Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, and on my behalf and give her glad tidings of a palace of jewels in Paradise wherein there is no noise and no toil".   This Hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayra Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha through another chain of transmitters with a slight variation of wordings.   Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha reported that Allah's Apostle SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam gave glad tidings to Sayyidah Khadija bint Khuwailid Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha of a palace in Paradise. Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha further reported:   "Never did I feel jealous of any woman, as I was jealous of Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha. She had died three years before the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam married me. I often heard him praise her, and his Lord, the Exalted and Gracious, had commanded him to give her the glad tidings of a palace of jewels in Paradise, and whenever he slaughtered a sheep he presented its meat to her female companions".   In another Hadith, Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha added:   "I annoyed him one day and said, 'It is Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha only who always prevails upon your mind'. Thereupon, Allah's Messenger SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam said, 'Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala Himself had nurtured Her love in my heart.'"   Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha reported that Allah's Messenger SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam did not marry any other woman till Sayyidah Khadija's Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha death. The point is why did Allah's Messenger SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam not marry during the lifetime of Sayyidah Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha but, after her sad demise, he married several wives. The fact is that the Holy Prophet of Islam SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam married all his wives from the point of view of religious necessity. At the age of twenty-five, he married Sayyidah Khadija Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha who was forty and she remained with him for the quarter of a century as a great source of strength and consolation to him. During this period the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam was busy in instilling in the minds of the people the fundamentals of faith, Oneness of Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala, Apostlehood of Muhammad SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam, life after death. He did not feel the necessity of marrying another lady because it was only in the matter of faith and belief that he had to strive hard with mankind.   After his migration to Madinatul Munawwara when the Islamic society was established and the Muslims were required to conform their personal and social behaviour to the teaching of Islam, revelations for practical guidance in all walks of life came from Almighty Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala. This had to be explained in various places and in different spheres by the life examples of the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam. There was not one problem but numerous problems and most of them were social which needed solutions at every step. Thus, it was felt that a group of women should be trained in Islamic ideals and it was done through the wives of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam. It was not an ordinary work, but an important task of vast magnitude, which required the sweat, and labour of so many pious souls and these were the noble wives of the Holy Prophet of Islam SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam.   -- Taken from: Gateway to Heaven (A Concise Manual for Muslim Sisters) by Sayyid Shah Aal-e-Rasool Nazmi al-Husaini al-Qadiri Barakati Marehrawi

Syedna Khuwaja Hasan Basri Rahmatullahi Taala Alaih

Syedna Khuwaja Hasan Basri

Al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri was born at Madina al-Munawwarah in 21 (642), the son of a slave captured in Maisan who afterward became a client of the Prophet Mohammad’s Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him secretary Zaid ibn Thabit. Brought up in Basra, he met many Companions of the Prophet including, it is said, seventy of those who fought at the Battle of Badr. He grew up to become one of the most prominent figures of his generation, being famous for his uncompromising piety and outspoken condemnation of worldliness in high places. Whilst the Mo’tazelite theologians claim him as the founder of their movement (and ‘Amr ibn ‘Obaid and Wasel ibn ‘Ata’ are counted amongst his pupils), in Sufi hagiography he is revered as one of the greatest saints of early Islam. He died at Basra in 110 (728). Many of his speeches —he was a brilliant orator— and sayings are quoted by Arab authors and not a few of his letters have been preserved. The conversion of Hasan of Basra The beginning of Hasan of Basra’s conversion was as follows. He was a jewel merchant and was called Hasan of the Pearls. He traded with Byzantium, and had to do with the generals and ministers of Caesar. On one occasion, going to Byzantium he called on the prime minister and conversed with him a while. “We will go to a certain place,” the minister told him, “if you are agreeable.” “It is for you to say,” Hasan replied. “I agree.” So the minister commanded a horse to be brought for Sayyiduna Hasan al-Basri. He mounted with the minister, and they set out. When they reached the desert Hasan perceived a tent of Byzantine brocade, fastened with ropes of silk and golden pegs, set firm in the ground. He stood to one side. Then a mighty army, all accoutered in the panoply of war, came out; they circled the tent, said a few words, and departed. Philosophers and scholars to the number of nigh four hundred arrived on the scene; they circled the tent, said a few words, and departed. After that three hundred illumined elders with white beards approached the tent, circled it, said a few words, and departed. Thereafter more than two hundred moon-fair maidens, each bearing a plate of gold and silver and precious stones, circled the tent, said a few words, and departed. Sayyiduna Hasan relates that, astonished and filled with wonder, he asked himself what this might be. “When we alighted,” he went on, “I asked the minister. He said that the Caesar had a son of unsurpassable beauty, perfect in all the branches of learning and unrivaled in the arena of manly prowess. His father loved him with all his heart.” Suddenly he fell ill so Hasan related on the authority of the minister. All the skilled physicians proved powerless to cure him. Finally he died, and was buried in that tent. Once every year people come out to visit him. First an immense army circles the tent, and they say: “O prince, if this circumstance that has befallen thee had come about in war, we would have all sacrificed our lives for thee, to ransom thee back. But the circumstance that has befallen thee is at the hand of one against whom we cannot fight, whom we cannot challenge.” This they say, and then return. The philosophers and the scholars come forward, and say: “This circumstance has been brought about by one against whom we cannot do anything by means of learning and philosophy, science and sophistry. For all the philosophers of the world are powerless before him, and all the learned are ignorant beside his knowledge. Otherwise we would have contrived devices and spoken words which all in creation could not have withstood.” This they say, and then return. Next the venerable elders advance, and say: “O prince, if this circumstance that has befallen thee could have been set right by the intercession of elders, we would all have interceded with humble petitions, and would not have abandoned thee there. But this circumstance has been brought upon thee by one against whom no mortal man’s intercession profits anything.” This they say, and depart. Now the moon-fair maidens with their plates of gold and precious stones advance, circle the tent, and say: “Son of Caesar, if this circumstance that has befallen thee could have been set right by wealth and beauty, we would have sacrificed ourselves and given great moneys, and would not have abandoned thee. But this circumstance has been brought upon thee by one on whom wealth and beauty have no effect.” This they say, and return. Then Caesar himself with his chief minister enters the tent, and says: “O eye and lamp of thy father, O fruit of the heart of thy father, O dearest beloved of thy father, what is in thy father’s hand to perform? Thy father brought a mighty army, he brought philosophers and scholars, intercessors and advisers, beautiful maid-ens, wealth and all manner of luxuries; and he came himself. If all this could have been of avail, thy father would have done all that lay in his power. But this circumstance has been brought about by one before whom thy father, with all this apparatus, this army and retinue, this luxury and wealth and treasure, is power-less. Peace be upon you, till next year!” This he says, and returns. These words of the minister so affected Hasan that he was beside himself. At once he made arrangements to return. Coming to Basra, he took an oath never to laugh again in this world, till his ultimate destiny became clear to him. He flung himself into all manner of devotions and austerities, such that no man in his time could exceed that discipline. Hasan of Basra and Abu Amr It is related that Abu Amr, the leading authority on the reading of the Qur'an al-Karim, was teaching the Quran one day when suddenly a handsome boy arrived to join his class. Abu Amr gazed at the child improperly, and immediately he forgot the whole Quran, from the Alif of “al-Hamd” to the Seen of “wa al-Naas”. A fire possessed him, and he lost all self-control. In this state he called on Hasan of Basra and described to him his predica-ment. “Master,” he wept bitterly, “such is the situation. I have forgotten the whole Quran.” Sayyiduna Hasan was most distressed to hear of his situation. “Now is the season of the pilgrimage,” he said. “Go and perform the pilgrimage. When you have done that, repair to the mosque of Khaif. There you will see an old man seated in the prayer-niche. Do not spoil his time, but let him be until he is disengaged. Then ask him to say a prayer for you.” Abu Amr acted accordingly. Seated in a corner of the mosque, he observed a venerable elder and about him a circle of people seated. Some time passed; then a man entered, clad in spotless white robes. The people made way before him, greeted him, and conversed together. When the hour of prayer arrived, the man departed and the people departed with him, so that the elder remained alone. Abu Amr then approached and saluted him. “In Allah’s name, help me,” he cried. And he described his predicament. The elder, much concerned, raised his eyes to heaven. “He had not yet lowered his head,” Abu Amr recounted, “when the Quran came back to me. I fell down before him for joy.” “Who recommended me to you?” the elder asked. “Hasan of Basra,” Abu Amr replied. “Anyone who has an Imam like Hasan,” the old man commented, “what need has he of another? Well, Hasan has exposed me. Now I will expose him. He rent my veil, and I will rend his as well. That man,” he went on, “in the white robes who entered after the afternoon prayer and left before the rest, and the others did him reverence — that man was Hasan. Every day he prays the afternoon prayer in Basra and then comes here, converses with me, and returns to Basra for the evening prayer. Anyone who has an Imam like Hasan, why should he ask me for a prayer?” Hasan of Basra and the Fire-worshiper Hasan had a neighbor named Simeon who was a fire-worshiper. Simeon fell ill and was at death’s door. Friends begged Hasan to visit him; he called, to find him in bed, blackened with fire and smoke. “Fear God,” Hasan counseled him. “You have passed all your life amid fire and smoke. Accept Islam, that God may have mercy on you.” “Three things hold me back from becoming a Muslim,” the fire-worshiper replied. “The first is, that you speak ill of the world, yet night and day you pur-sue worldly things. Secondly, you say that death is a fact to be faced, yet you make no preparation for death. In the third place, you say that God’s face shall be seen, yet today you do everything contrary to His good pleasure.” “This is the token of those who know truly,” Hasan commented. “Now if believers act as you describe, what have you to say? They acknowledge the unity of God; whereas you have spent your life in the worship of fire. You who have worshiped fire for seventy years, and I who have never worshiped fire — we are both carried off to Hell. Hell will consume you and me. God will pay no regard to you; but if God so wills, the fire will not dare so much as to burn one hair of my body. For fire is a thing created by God; and the creature is subject to the Creator’s command. Come now, you who have wor-shipped fire for seventy years; let us both put our hands into the fire, then you will see with your own eyes the impotence of fire and the omnipotence of God.” So saying, Hasan thrust his hand into the fire and held it there. Not a particle of his body was affected or burnt. When Simeon saw this he was amazed. The dawn of true knowledge began to break. “For seventy years I have worshiped fire,” he groaned. “Now only a breath or two remains to me. What am I to do?” “Become a Muslim,” was Hasan’s reply. “If you give it me in writing that God will not pun-ish me,” said Simeon, “then I will believe. But until I have it in writing, I will not believe.” Hasan wrote it down. “Now order just witnesses of Basra to append their testimony.” The witnesses endorsed the document. Then Simeon wept many tears and proclaimed the faith. He spoke his last testament to Hasan. “When I die, bid them wash me, then commit me to the earth with your own hands, and place this document in my hand. This document will be my proof.” Having charged Hasan thus, he spoke the attestation of faith and died. They washed his body, said the prayer over him, and buried him with the document in his hand. That night Hasan went to sleep pondering what he had done. “How could I help a drowning man, seeing that I am drowning myself? Since I have no control over my own fate, why did I venture to prescribe how God should act?” With this thought he fell asleep. He saw Simeon in a dream glowing like a candle; on his head a crown, robed in fine raiment, he was walking with a smile in the garden of Paradise. “How are you, Simeon?” Hasan inquired. “Why do you ask? You can see for yourself,” Simeon answered. “God Almighty of His bounty brought me nigh His presence and graciously showed me His face. The favours He showered upon me surpass all description. You have honoured your guarantee; so take your document. I have no further need of it.” When Hasan awoke, he saw that parchment in his hand.“Lord God,” he cried, “I know well that what Thou doest is without cause, save of Thy bounty. Who shall suffer loss at Thy door? Thou grantest a Guebre of seventy years to come into Thy near presence because of a single utterance. How then wilt Thou exclude a believer of seventy years?” Gems of Wisdom by Sayyiduna Imam Hasan al-Basri Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho   That work that is free from wisdom becomes a burden. That silence that is free from wisdom is inattentiveness. That sight that is free from wisdom is disgraceful. The magnificence of knowledge is with tolerance and that of tolerance is with knowledge. The person who lives in the World safeguarding himself from the love of the World, has benefited himself and others. Sorrow gives the soul strength. The freedom of sight and tongue imprisons the soul. Whoever ALLAH SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala wished to disgrace becomes engrossed in the search of wealth. Those people are truly afraid who are truly afraid of ALLAH SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala. The punishment of this World is that your heart becomes dead. There is no greater or bigger animal that is more foul mouthed ruder and harsher than the Nafs.

Permissibility of Fatiha Teeja Daswan and Chaliswan

Permissibility of Faatiha Teeja, Daswaan and Chaliswaan   The reward (Thawab) of physical and financial good deeds is conveyed and received in favour of the other Muslim and it is permissible, in support of which there are many proofs provided by the verses of the Holy Qur'an, AHadith of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and the sayings (statements) of the religious scholars. The Holy Qur'an has stressed upon Muslims to pray for the welfare of other Muslims as brothers and well wishers in the Islamic fraternity; funeral prayer of deceased Muslim is a glaring example in this behalf. In the Mishkaat, Babul Fitan, Babul Malaahim, Chapter Two, there is a saying of Hadrat Abu Huraira:   يضمن لي منكم أن أصلي في مسجد العشاء ، يعني بالأيلة ركعتين أو أربعة ، يقول هذه عن أبي هريرةIs there any of you who will undertake to pray two or four rak'ahs on my behalf in the mosque of al-Ashshar, stating, "they are on behalf of Abu Hurayrah"   Sunan Abi Dawood, Kitab al-Malaahim, Vol 2, Page 244, Hadith 3754 Shau'ab al-Iman lil Bayhaqi, Bab al Fadail al-Hajj wa al-Umrah, Vol. 9, Page 152, Hadith 3960 From the above narration three clear problems and their solutions can be deduced namely:    To offer physical act of worship (Namaz) with the intention of conveying the thawab of that Namaz to any other person is permissible. To utter by the tongue praying Almighty Allah to convey the thawab to so and so (by Name) is much better than simple intention. To offer the Namaz in the Masjid of some righteous saintly person with the intention of receiving more thawab is also permissible. Fatiha, Teeja (Fatiha made on the 3rd day after a person's death), Daswaan (the 10th day after) and Chaliswaan (on the 40th day after) etc. pertain to the exclusive category of Eesal-e-Thawab and not for receiving any benefit for one's own self! On these occasions Fatiha (recitation of Qur'an a kind of physical deed of goodness) and Sadqah (a mode of financial involvement) are done mainly, rather exclusively for conveying the reward (Eesal-e-Sawab), in favour of the deceased persons whether near and dear ones or some spiritual dignitaries (Awliyal Allah) who are in themselves the fountain heads of blessing and beneficence for their devotees.   In Tafsir Ruh al-Bayan, it is said while commenting on the verse 155 of Surah An'aam:   وعن حميد الاعرج قال من قرء القران و ختمه ثم دعا امن علي دعائه اربعة الاف ملک ثم لايزالون يدعون له و يستغفرون و يصلون عليه الي المساء او الي الصباحIt is reported from Hadrat Aa'raj that the person who completes the recitation of the Holy Qur'an from beginning (at a stretch or with intermittent intervals) then prays for its acceptance along with the fulfillment of his desires in the Presence of Almighty Allah, on that occasion four thousand angels say Aameen and they (the angels) remain engaged in the prayer (Dua) for the betterment and forgiveness of that person from morning to evening or from evening to morning. [Tafsir Rooh al-Bayan, Vol. 3, Page 156/157, Under Verse 155 of Surah al-An'aam]   This very subject has also been mentioned in the book of Imam Nawawi's Kitab al Azkaar, Chapter relating to the Tilawat (recitation of the Holy Quran). It is evident from the above presented reference that the prayer begged from Almighty Allah on the conclusion of the Completion of recitation of the Qur'an (known as Khatm-e-Quran), is granted by Almighty Allah. The deed of Eesal-e-Sawab is also a dua (invocation) in the Presence of Almighty Allah. This means that if the Eesal-e-Sawab is done when the Tilawat of the Quran has been done in full, it shall be most beneficial both for the person for whom the Eesal-e-Sawab is intended and the person or persons who help completing the reciting of the Quran for that purpose. In the book Ash'atul Lam'at it is said in the chapter Ziyaratil Qubur (visiting the graves ),   وتصدق کردہ شوداز میت بعد رفتن اداز عالمتا ہفت روز "After the death of the deceased, the sadqah should be given for seven days". [Ashiat al-Lam'at, Vol. 1, Page 716]   At another place in the some book it is said, وبعض روایات آمدہ است کہ روح میت مے آید خانہ خورا شب جمعہ پس نظرمی کند کہ تصدق کنند از دے یا نہ "The soul of the deceased visits its home in the night of Friday to see whether the inmates (relatives) are offering sadqah or not." [Ashiat al-Lam'at, Vol. 1, Page 716] From this it is seen that at places where breads are distributed for seven days continuously (daily) after the demise of the relative and offer Fatiha regularly on each Thursday, the ceremony has this origin as to its admissibility.     In the book Anwar-e-Sati'ah and Hashiyah Khazanat ar-Riwayaat it is written that Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him) offered sadqah on the third, seventh and fortieth day of the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Hamzah and repeated the same at every sixth months and at the end of the year. [Anwaar-e-Sati'ah, Page 145]   This is the origin and reality of the generally known Teeja, Chaaleewan, Shash Mahi (sixth monthly) and Barsi (yearly) Fatiha among the sunni Muslims. Imam al-Nawawi Alaihir raHma has said: Hadrat Anas bin Malik used to gather his family members on the occasion of Khatm al-Quran and offered Fatiha, in the Presence of Allah for the welfare of all. [Kitab al-Azkaar, Baab Tilawatil Qur'an]   Hakeem Ibn Utbah says that Once Ibn Abi Lubabah invited a group of the people and told them that he had invited them at his home because he was completing the Khatm al-Qur'an on that day so that they might benefit thereby as the dua on that auspicious occasion receives the acceptance from the Almighty Allah. [Kitab al-Azkaar, Baab Tilawatil Qur'an] It is also reported by Hadrat Mujahid on reliable authority that Some righteous persons used to gather the people on the occasion of the Khatm al-Qur'an and told them that on this occasion, the Mercy (Rahmat) from Allah descends upon those present there. [Kitab al-Azkaar, Baab Tilawatil Qur'an] This provides sanction from holding the gathering on the occasions of Teejah, and Cheh'lam (Chaliswan) is a practice among the saintly persons of the Ahlus Sunnah, which is in a sense their sunnah. In Raddul Muhtar it is said that according to a Hadith: من قرأ الإِخلاص أحد عشر مرة ثم وهب أجرها للأموات أعطي من الأجرِ بعدد الأموات If a person recites Surah Ikhlas eleven times and conveys its thawab to the deceased Muslims, then he himself shall receive the thawab equal to the total reward given to the souls of the deceased Muslims. [Raddul Muhtar, Qir'at lil Mayyit, Baab ad-Dafan, Vol. 1, Page 666]   It is said in the Shaami: و يقرء من القران ماتيسرله من الفاتحة و اول البقرة و اية الکرسي و امن الرسول و سورة يس و تبارک الملک و سوره التکاثر و الاخلاص اثني عشر مرة او احدي عشر او سبعا او ثلاثا ثم يقول اللهم اوصل ثواب ماقرئناه الي فلان او اليهمOne may recite the Holy Qur'an by way of Fatiha, on any particular occasion in the following manner: In the beginning Surah Fatiha, then the first there verses of the Surah Baqrah then Ayat-ul-Kursi, the last three verses of the Surah Baqrah, then Surah Yasin, Surah Mulk, Surah Takathur and in the end Surah Ikhlas the last one recited Twelve times or Eleven times or Seven times or Three time then pray to Almighty Allah for the Eesal-e-Sawab in favour of so and so person or persons.[Raddul Muhtar, Qir'at lil Mayyit, Baab ad-Dafan, Vol. 1, Page 666] In the above passages full procedure of the known offering of Fatiha has been outlined, which in short is that the man offering Fatiha should recite the Holy Qur'an from different places and finally pray to Almighty Allah to grant the reward of the recitation in favour of or persons concerned. Since it is sunnah to raise hand at the time of final prayer of Eesal-e-Sawab, the man should raise both palms joined together up to the shoulders. Thus the proof of the Fatiha is established. It is said in the Fatawa Aziziyah: طعامیکہ ثواب آن نیاز حضرت امامین نمایند برآں قل و فاتحہ ودرود خواندن متبرک می شود وخوردن بسیار خوب است"The Fatiha which is intended for Hadrat Imam Hasan and Hadrat Imam Hussain on the food prepared for the occasion should be offerred with the recitation of the Surah Fatiha accompanied by four Quls and the Durood which is the source of blessing and eating the food prepared for the occasion is also blissful." [Fatawa Aziziyah, Page 75]   In the Fatawa-e-Azizia, at page 41 it is said: اگر مالیدہ و شیر برائے فاتحہ بزرگے بقصد ایصال ثواب بروح ایشاں پختہ بخوراند جائز است مضائقہ نیست "If the Fatiha for the thawab of the Awliya Allah is offered on the food prepared with the milk and the bread meshed together (known as Maleedah) is also permissible and there is no harm in doing so." [Fatawa Aziziyah, Vol. 1 , Page 41]   ؑEven the Teeja of Shah Waliullah (who the opposition accepts as their leader) took place. It is recorded in Malfoozat-e-Abdul Aziz: روز سوم کثرت ہجوم مردم آں قدر بود کہ بیروں از حساب است ہشتادویک کلام اللہ بہ شمار آمدہ و زیادہ ہم شدہ باشد و کلمہ را حصریستIn the Teeja (3rd after the demise) of Shah Waliyullah there was a huge crowd of persons who could not be counted easily and number of the Khat'm-e-Qur'an was no less then eighty one or more and the repetition of the Kalima-e-Tayyabah was literally beyond numbers. [Malfoozat-e-Abdul Aziz, Page 80]   This justifies the ceremony of the Fatiha and Teeja and the recitation of the Holy Qur'an as much as it is convenient preferably the Khatm-e-Qur'an. Qasim Nanotvi of Madrissa Deoband, writes in his book Tehzeer an-Naas: جنید کے کسی مرید کا رنگ یکایک متغیر ہوگیا۔ آپ نے سبب پوچھا تو بروے مکاشفہ اس سے یہ کہا کہ اپنی ماں کو دوزخ میں دیکھتا ہوں حضرت جنید نے ایک لاکھ پانچ ہزار بار کلمہ پڑھا تھا یوں سمجھ کر بعض روایات میں اس قدر کلمہ کے ثواب پر وعدہ مغفرت ہے، آپ نے جی ہی جی میں اس مرید کی ماں کو بخش دیا اور اس کی اطلاع نہ دی۔ بخشتے ہی کیا دیکھتے ہیں کہ وہ جوان ہشاش بشاش ہے۔ آپ نے سبب پوچھا۔ اس نے عرض کیا کہ اپنی ماں کو جنت میں دیکھتا ہوں۔ آپ نے اس پر یہ فرمایا کہ اس جوان کے مکاشفہ کی صحت تو مجھ کو حدیث سے معلوم ہوئی۔ اور حدیث کی تصحیح اس کے مکاشفہ سے ہوگئی۔ "In a meeting, the colour of the face of one Murid of Hadrat Junaid changed suddenly (due to fear). Hadrat Junaid asked him the reason for this sudden fear, the murid explained through mukashifah that he has seen his mother in the hell. Hadrat Junaid had previously recited the Kalima one Lac and five thousand times. Believing that as he had come to know according to certain traditions (riwayat) that by reciting the Kalima for one Lac and five thousand times and the Eesal-e-Thawab thereof in favour of certain deceased there is hope that the deceased shall be granted forgiveness by Almighty Allah, Hadrat Junaid offered the thawab of the said Kalima to the mother of his murid, secretly and silently in his heart without informing the murid. Within a few moments the murid was seen bursting with delight and happiness. On being asked the reason of this sudden change he said that he was seeing his mother joyfully admitted in the Paradise Then Hadrat Junaid explained the situation and said that he had come to know the Mukashifah correctness of the young man through the Hadith and the correctness of the Hadith was confirmed by the Mukashifa of that man." [Tehzeer al-Naas, Page 24]   From this passage it is observed that through the recitation of the Kalima Tayyaba one lac and five thousand times, and on being given reward to him, it is hoped that the deceased Muslim shall be forgiven of his short comings in the world. This tradition of Esal-e-Thawab has been accepted as the part of the Teeja.   The only aspect for consideration is whether the food should be kept in front and then offers the Fatiha, by raising hands. There are many Ahadith concerning this point. It is recorded in Mishkaat Sharif, Chapter of Miracles (Al-Mu'jizaat). It is reported by Hadrat Abu Huraira that once he brought some dates in the presence of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and requested him to pray for its abundant growth   فضمهن ثم دعا لي فيهن بالبرکةThe Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) mixed these dates together and prayed for increased growth of the dates (dry fruit).[Tirmidhi, Bab al-Manaqib, Vol 12, Page 327, Hadith 3774]   It is recorded in the Mishkaat, Babul Mujizat that in the Battle of Tabuk,   At one stage of the battle a shortage of food was felt in the Islamic army. The Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) asked every man present there to bring whatever was with him. Every one brought whatever was with him and presented it to the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The tablecloth was spread. The Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) prayed for the blessing over the food so spread. After this he asked the men to put back the food in the utensils (pots) as a reserve for eating at the food time.[Mishkat al-Masabih, Baab al-Maujizat, Page 539]   In the same Mishkaat, it is also recorded that   On the wedding of the Holy Prophet (peace be upno him) with Hadrat Zainab, Hadrat Umm-e-Saleem prepared a small quantity of valima in celebration of the wedding. But the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) invited a large number of Companions to attend the Valima. The food was obviously short. The Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) recited some prayer on the food and passed his Holy hand over the food.[Mishkat al-Masabih, Baab al-Maujizat, Page 539] There is yet another incident of praying over the food for the blessing in the food which is recorded in the same Mishkaat and it is that   On the occasion of the battle of Trench (Ghazwa-e-Khandaq), the Companion Hadrat Jabir prepared some small quantity of food for the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). When the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) came to Hadrat Jabir, He brought some kneaded flour with intent for prayer for its sufficiency to feed the number of guest-companions whom the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) had brought with them to participate in taking the food. The Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) offered Dua for the barakah in the food and mixed his blessed saliva (lu'ab) as a token of blessing.[Mishkat al-Masabih, Baab al-Maujizat, Page 539] However, it suffices to prove that necessary stages of the Fatiha described in these lines, prove the Fatiha as a permissible offering for the purpose of Eesal-e-Sawab. It is now clear that Fatiha is the combination of the above mentioned two things namely, the recitation of the Quran and Sadqah which are obviously permissible as well as the means and medium of blessing (barkat) in their own way. Then why should the combination of these two in the offering of Fatiha be considered as Haram, when the intent has no mundane or worldly gain in the offering of Fatiha? For obvious reasons when the ingredients of many eatables are halal, then on what grounds the combination of these ingredients be declared as unlawful or haram when the prepared combination does not produce any objectionable result which is not permissible in the laws of the shariah. The other point to observe in this regard is that the thing for which fatiha or dua for blessing is sought, should be placed before the person doing the dua. This is sunnah and the tradition of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) as we have seen that in the cases mentioned in these lines the things for which blessing was prayed were placed before the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The funeral pier (Janaza) of the deceased is placed in front of the Imam who leads the funeral prayer and offers the Dua forgiveness in the Presence of Allah. Just in the same way the foodstuff on which blessing is sought is placed before the person offering the dua. There appears no valid justification for objecting this gesture of seeking Blessings from Almighty Allah. It is said that the Syeduna Rasoolullah Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam while sacrificing the animal of Qurbani prayed for the blessings in favour of the Ummah while the animal of sacrifice lay before him, he recited he following dua on that occasion:   اللهم هذا من امة محمد O Allah! Accept this Qurbani (Sacrifice) on behalf of my Ummah. [Sunan Abi Dawood, Vol. 2, Page 30]   The Dua on the occasion of Aqiqa is also recited over the sacrificial animal that remains before the sight. Reciting Bismillah before eating the food kept in front is the command of the Shariagh. Bismillah, as we all know, is the verse of the Holy Qur'an. Fatiha for Eesal-e-Sawab or blessing is the process on a larger scale but not different in any way! The leader of the prohibitors of the Fatiha is also in favour of the Fatiha in the current manner. Shah Waliyullah in his book Kitabul Intibah fi Salassil Auliya writes as under.   پس دہ مرتبہ درود خوانند ختم تمام کنند بر قدرے شیرینی فاتحہ بنام خواجگان چشت عموماً بخواند و حاجت از خدا سوال نمایند"Then recite the Durood ten times and after completing it offer the Fatiha in the name and on behalf of the Khwajgan-e-Chisht on some sweets and then pray to Allah for His Blessing." [Kitabul Intibah fi Salassil Auliya, Page 114]   Shah Waliyullah in his other book 'Zubdatun Nasaaiq' writes while replying to a question addressed to him:   وشیر برنج بر فاتحہ بزرگے بقصد ایصال ثواب بروح الیشاں یزند و بخورند مضائقہ نیست و اگر فاتحہ بنام بزرگے وادہ شود اغنیا راہم خوردن جائز است"Offer Fatiha on the food cooked with the mixture of rice and milk for the Eesal-e-Sawab of some Wali Allah and eat some of this yourself besides offering to the poor and the needy, If the Fatiha is offered in the name of some mystic great personality. Then this can be taken even by rich and the well to do persons." [Zubdat an-Nasaiq, Page 132]   Hadrat Haji Imdadullah, the Murshid of Ashraf Ali Thanwi and Rashid Ahmad Gangohi has written in his book 'Faisla Haft Mas'alah'   "No one has any objection and it is acceptable to all that the issue of Eesal-e-Thawab by itself for the blessings of the deceased persons is justifiable; however if the Fatiha or Eesal-e-Sawab is done in the name of some chosen person and restrict in the blessing thereof exclusively to that personality, believing it as Fard or Wajib, then such a course is prohibited except that this exclusive offering is on account of some specific reason without believing as Fard and Wajib, then such an offering can be allowed. This may be taken as or suggesting recitation of certain part of the Holy Qur'an in the offering of some Nawafils or other suggested prayers. The latter course has the approval and consent of the religious scholars, for example, practice of some Mashaikh in the Namaz of Tahajjud." [Faisla Haft Mas'alah]   Then at another place he says:   "Though the intent in the heart for offering any namaz is permissible, but in order to have a kind of union between the heart and the tongue, it is advisable if the intent (Niyat) of the Namaz may also be uttered by tongue. Apropos of this holy intent in respect of the Namaz, if a few words O Allah! Grant the thawab of this Fatiha to some deceased. It should be taken as something permissible, This in other words, justifies the offering of the Fatiha or Eisale Sawab, as is usually done by devotees of the Sunnat wal Jama'at, especially some portion of the Holy Qur'an is also recited in the latter occasions in which the sawab of the Quran will be added to the offering of Fatiha. The most striking feature of this admissibility of the Nazar-o-Niyaz as the high ideals expressed by the great scholar"[Faisla Haft Mas'alah] Hadrat Haji Sahib continues saying:   "The Giyarhween of Ghaus Pak, Daswan, Beeswan, Chehlam, Shashmahi and Salan (The fatiha ceremonies of the day, twentieth day, fortieth day, the Sixth montly and the Annual Fatihas), Tosha of Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Haq and Barsini of Hadrat Shah Bu Ali Qalander, the Halwa of Shab-e-Bra'at and other modes of fatiha etc come within the purview of this general admissibility."[Faisla Haft Mas'alah] The broad hearted words of the great Pir Sahib have settled the problem of Fatiha as a great and worth while decision in this behalf, on the moral logical, philosophical, religious, and spiritual grounds, leaving no justifiable excuse or objection in this behalf and if any such things crop up by way of objection or denial then it will not be difficult to answer them effectively!   -- Extracted From Ja Al-Haq (The Obliteration of Falsehood) by Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na'eemi

5 RAJAB UL MURAJAB Wisaal Sayyedna Hazrat Imam Moosa Kaazim (Radi Allah Ta'ala Anh)

Sayyedna Hazrat Imam Moosa Kaazim (radi allahu anh)

HIS POSITION IN THE SILSILA: Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Moosa Kaazim Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu is the Seventh Imam and Shaykh of the Silsila Aaliyah Qadiriyah Barakatiyah Ridawiyah Nooriyah. He was a great Aalim and is a Wali-e-Kaamil. BIRTH: He was born in Abwa Sharif (between Makkah Mukarrama and Madinah Munawwarah), on a Sunday, either on the 7th or the 10th of Safar, 128 Hijri.[Masaalik as-Saalikeen, Vol. 1, Page 225] NAME: His name was Moosa, and he was also known as Saami, Abul Hassan and Abu Ibrahim. His titles were Saabir, Saaleh, Ameen and Kaazim. HIS PARENTS: His father was Hadrat Imam Jaafar Saadiq and his mother was Umm-e-Wulad Bibi Hameeda Radi Allahu Ta'ala Alaihim Ajma'een . HIS FEATURES: He was of good height, and very handsome. He was tan in complexion and some have said that he was not very fair in complexion. [Anwaar-e-Sufiyah, Page 92] SHAYKH-E-TARIQAT: He is the mureed and Khalifa of his father, Hadrat Imam Jaafar as-Saadiq Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu.   HIS EXCELLENCE: Hadrat Moosa Kaazim was such a blessed personality, that whomsoever took his name as a wasila, they found that all their duas were accepted. It is for this reason, that the people of Iraq referred to him as Baabul Hawaa'ij (The Door at which all their problems were answered). Hadrat Imam Shafi'i Radi Allahu Anhu says that   The Mazaar Shareef of Imam Moosa Kaazim is a great means of acceptance.   Hadrat Imam Jaafar as-Saadiq Radi Allahu Anhu says,   "From all of my children, the most exalted is Moosa Kaazim. He is a pearl from amongst the pearls (treasures) of Allah."   He was an Aabid and Zaahid, and spent his days keeping fast, and his nights in the ibaadat of Allah. He was also known as Abdus Saaleh, due to the lengthy nights that he used to spend in the Ibaadat of Almighty Allah. He was known as Kaazim (one who drinks his anger), due to his humility and simplicity. He was also very generous and kind. He would go out in search of the needy in Madinah Munawwarah, and would then send people to distribute money to them in the darkness of night, and none would know from where they had received the money. He never turned any supplicant away at any time. He always fulfilled the needs of those who asked his assistance. Whenever he met any person, he would be first in making Salam. If someone spoke against him or tried to harm him, then he even took care of that person by sending him money and treating him kindly. [Masaalik as-Saalikeen, Vol. 1, Page 226] Hadrat Shafeeq Balkhi who was a contemporary of Imam Moosa Kaazim says,   "On my way to Hajj in 149 Hijri, I stopped over at a town called Qaadisiya. I was looking at the behaviour and the manner of the people living there, when my sight fell upon a very handsome young man, who was wearing a Suf (blended cotton fabric) cloth over his clothes, and a pair of shoes. He sat away from the rest of the people. I began to think that he was a Sufi kind of person and wanted to be an obstacle in the way of the people. I thus went towards him to give him some advice. When he saw me coming towards him. He called my name and told me exactly what I was thinking. I then thought in my heart, that this is definitely a pious man, as he does not even know me, yet he called me by my name and said what was in my heart. I felt that I should meet with him and ask his forgiveness. I rushed to find him, but he had already gone away. I searched for a very long time, but could not find him. We stopped at a place called Fida during our journey, and again I saw him. He was in namaaz, and he was trembling and weeping. I walked towards him again, with the intention of asking him to forgive me, when he said, "O Shafeeq Read! Verily I am Compassionate towards him who repented and brought faith and did good deeds and then walked the straight path." He read this verse, and then walked away. I then began to think that he was from amongst the Abdaals (a station of Wilaayat), for he has read my heart twice already. Then we went to Mina, and I saw him again. He was standing at a well, with a huge bowl in his hand. He was intending to take some water. Then all of a sudden the bowl fell from his hands into the well. When this happened, he recited the following couplet: 'You are my Sustainer, when I am thirsty for water, and You are my strength when I intend to eat.' He then said, 'O Allah! O my Creator! O my Lord! You know that with the exception of this bowl, I have nothing else. Do not deprive me of this bowl.' By Allah, I saw that the water in the well reached the top of the well and he stretched out his hand and filled his bowl with water. He then performed wudhu and read four rakaats of Namaaz. After Namaaz, he filled sand into his bowl of water and began to stir it. He then began to drink the mixture of sand and water. I went close to him and said salaam. He returned my salaam. I then asked if he would bless me with some of the blessings which he has attained. He said, 'O Shafeeq! My Lord has always bestowed his hidden and apparent bounties upon me, so always intend good from your Lord.' He then handed his bowl over to me. When I drank out of it, By Allah it was a sweet drink, and never have I tasted something so delicious. The barkat of that meal was such, that I did not feel any hunger and thirst for may days. Then I did not see him until we entered Makkah Mukarramah. I again saw him late one night near the well of Zamzam, reading Namaaz, weeping and trembling. After his Namaaz he sat there for a long time and read tasbeeh. He then read his Fajr Salaah and went to the Haram to perform the Tawaaf. As he left the Haram, I followed him, but I was amazed to see him in a completely different situation to which I had seen him during our journey. I saw his friends, disciples and servants all around him. They sealed of the entire area around him as he arrived and they began to make his khidmat. Each one of them were making salaam to him with great love and respect. On seeing this, I asked one person, 'Who is this young man?' He said, 'he is Moosa bin Jaafar bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Taalib.' [Jaami' al-Manaaqib, Page 226/230]   KARAAMATS: Imam Moosa Kaazim performed many miracles. A few of his miracles are quoted below for us to attain barakaat. KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNSEEN: Ishaaq bin Amaar says, that when Imam Moosa Kaazim was imprisoned, then the Saahibain of Imam Abu Hanifa, namely Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad bin Hassan (Ridwaanullahi Ta'ala Alaihim Ajma'een) went to meet with him, so that they ask him some important questions. Whilst they were seated with him, a prison guard came to him and said, 'I am now about to complete my duty and I am on my way home. If there is anything you need, please let me know, so that I may arrange it for you tomorrow when I return.' Hadrat Moosa Kaazim looked at him and said, 'There is nothing I need. All is well.' As he left, Imam Moosa Kaazim said, 'I am amazed by him, that he wants to know if there is anything that he can do for me tomorrow, whereas tonight he will pass away.' When Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad (Ridwaanullahi Ta'ala Alaihim Ajma'een) heard this, they said, 'We came here to learn about some laws relating to fard and sunnahs and he discusses Ilm-e- Ghaib (Knowledge of the Unseen).' Both of them, then sent a man to follow the prison guard to see the outcome of what Imam Moosa Kaazim said. The man sat outside the house of the prison guard, as he was instructed. When he heard the sounds of weeping and screaming, he enquired as to what had happened. The people of the house informed him that the guard had passed away. When this message reached Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad (radi Allahu anhum), they were astonished. [Tashreef al-Bashar, Page 84] HIS FORESIGHT: Esa Mada'ini says that he worked for a year in Makkah Mukarramah and then decided to spend a year in Madinatul Munawwarah as he felt that this would be a means of achieving many blessings. He arrived in Madinatul Munawwarah and often visited Imam Moosa Kaazim whilst he was there. One day whilst he was seated in the presence of Hadrat Moosa Kaazim, the Imam looked at him and said, "O Esa! Go and see, your house has collapsed over all your belongings." Esa Mada'ini immediately rushed home and found that his house had collapsed over all his belongings. He quickly employed a man that was passing by to remove all his belongings from the house. He then realised that his jug was missing. The following day, he went to meet Hadrat Moosa Kaazim who said, "O Esa! Did you lose anything when your house collapsed. If so, let me know, so that I may make dua and Allah shall bless you with something better in its place." Esa Mada'ini answered that everything was found except a jug. Hadrat then lowered his head for a while and then raised his head and said, “You removed it from the house before it collapsed and you have forgotten about where you left it. Go to the maid of the house and ask her to give the jug to you.” He did this, and found that the maid handed over the lost jug to him. [Masaalik as-Saalikeen, Page 83]   HIS CHILDREN: Almighty Allah had blessed Imam Moosa Kaazim with many children. The names of his children are as follows: Sons: Hadrat Ali Raza, Zaid, Aqeel, Haaroon, Hassan, Hussain, Abdullah, Abdur Rahmaan, Ismaeel, Ishaaq, Yahya, Ahmad, Abu Bakr, Muhammad, Akbar, Jaafar  Akbar, Jaafar Asghar, Hamza, Abbas, Qaasim Daughters: Bibi Khadija, Asmaul Akbar, Asmaul Asghar, Faatimatul Kubra, Faatimatus Sughra, Zainab Kubra, Zainab Sughra, Umme Kulthoom Kubra, Umme Fardah, Umme Abdullah, Ummul Qaasim, Aaminah, Hakeema, Mahmooda, Imaama, Maimoona (Ridwaanullahi Ta'ala Alaihim Ajma'een). HIS KHULAFA: The names of all his Khulafa can not be found, but His two well-known khulafa are being mentioned: 1. Hadrat Shaykh Ali Raza 2. Hadrat Shaykh Matlibi [Anwaar-e-Sufiyah, Page 93] WISAAL: He commanded one of his servants to be the administrator of his funeral arrangements. Hadrat Sayyiduna Moosa Kaazim was poisoned by his enemies. He passed away on either the 5th or 25th of Rajab, 183 Hijri on a Friday, at the age of 55. MAZAAR SHAREEF: His Mazaar Shareef is in a place called Kaazmeen (Kadhimiyah) in Iraq.

Muslim Women

Children are a great gift from Almighty Allah to all parents. Parents must think of their children as such treasures that the all the wealth and material resources are worthless as when compared to one�s children. We, as parents, should thank Almighty Allah for blessing us with children whether they are boys or girls. Today, it is quite disheartening to see that some parents rejoice when the newborn child is a male and show their dissatisfaction when the child is a female. But, this should not be the attitude. Islam does not condone this type of behaviour, as such was the manner of the parents in the time of ignorance. Daughters are without doubt a great blessing from Almighty Allah. They are a means of salvation and a path to Jannah for their parents. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has stated that when a boy is born, then he brings one Noor (light) and when a girl is born, then she brings two Noors. It has been narrated in a Hadith that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has stated that if parents are kind and generous towards their daughters, then they will be so close to the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in Jannah, like one finger is to the next. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has also stated that the person who is faced with hardship due to his daughters, and makes Sabr (is patient), then his daughters will be a Purdah (curtain) between him and Hell. The crux of one narration states that one who loves his daughters and withstands the hardship of grooming and getting them married, then Almighty Allah makes Jannah Waajib (compulsory) on him and keeps him protected from the Fire of Hell. Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Haaroni (radi Allahu anhu), the Peer-o-Murshid of Khwaja-e-Khwajegaan, Hazrat Sheikh Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaaz (radi Allahu anhu), states: "Daughters are a gift from Almighty Allah. Those parents who are kind towards them, then Almighty Allah is generous towards such parents. Those who are merciful to their daughters, Almighty Allah is Merciful towards them." The great Saint also said, "When a girl is born to a family, then between the parents and Hell, there shall be a distance of five hundred years." It has been stated that when parents rejoice at the birth of a daughter, this is greater than making Tawaaf of the Kaaba seventy times. Muslims should also remember that the family of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is from his beloved daughter Sayyidah Fatima Zahra (radi Allahu anha). Dear brothers and sisters, rejoice on the birth of your daughters, love and guide them and give them that which is due to them from your belongings. Do not deprive them of their inheritance as they also have say in this. Remember! Daughters are a blessing and not a burden.   ISLAMIC HIJAB - ARE MUSLIM WOMEN OPPRESSED? The feeling still persists in society that Muslim women wear Hijab or the outer covering because they are slaves to tradition, so much so that it is seen as a symbol of oppression. Western society says that women's liberation and independence is impossible unless they first remove the Hijab. This view is not correct. Why do Muslim women wear the outer covering that sometimes covers their face and hides the rest of their body? Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 33, Verse 59: "O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons; that is better, that they should be known (as such) and not be molested." And in Chapter 24, Verse 31: "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what appear thereof; that they should draw theirscarves over their bosoms - " Muslim women all over the world are wearing Hijab as a religious requirement and a sign of respect, not out of a misdirected sense of "tradition." It is both a sign of a women's obedience to Allah and a manifestation of her faith. The Hijab is part of a Muslim's religious identity. It gives women dignity and self-respect. Islam commands women to cover their bodies so as not to trouble men who are weak and unable to resist temptation. In Islam, men and women are commanded to dress modestly and not appear "naked" in public, even in all male and female situations. Just as a short skirt or a see-through dress can send the signal that the wearer is available to men, so the Hijab signals, loud and clear: "I am forbidden to you."Wearing the Hijab protects the female from harassment and men. It is the western women who are to be pitied for displaying their private self for all to see. An American, Ruth Anderson, has said: "Hijab is not a sign of backwardness, ignorance or mental incompetence, but a woman's duty and her right." A women in Hijab is like a jewel that is of high exceptional value and that which must be kept hidden. Wearing the Hijab is a choice that Muslim women make. To discard the Hijab or expose that part of her body ordered covered by the Divine Law is to disobey Islamic principles and a women's basic Islamic belief.   RE-INTRODUCTION OF HIJAAB IN INDONESIA Growing popularity of Islamic dress code in Indonesia has started a new trend. Women from the middle-income group have explicitly shown escalating preference to Islamic clothes resulting in a multi-million fashion industry as admitted by Aami Waamsu, Editor of the fashion magazine "Femina." According to Taufiq Abdullah Nigar of Indonesian Science Institute, this shocking trend has developed in the short span of the last 2 - 3 years. This has been in the wake of the recognition that Indonesian men are more respectful towards women in Islamic attire. Previously, modern Indonesian women wore tops, pants and ordinary scarves. Nowadays, preference is given to dignified loose clothing with scarves completely covering the head. The fever has caught on to such an extent that even non-Muslim designers have resorted to designing Islamic clothes. Muslim women are active in social, religious and political fields dressed according to Islamic dressing code. A really interesting angle of this "fashion revival" is that so impressed are the non-Muslim women by this trend that they too have begun to imitate it!    BEIJING WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN CONSPIRE TO "LIBERATE" MUSLIM WOMEN FROM ISLAM At the Beijing World ("anti-Islam & anti-religion") Conference, "experts" talked about the need to liberate Muslim women from Islam, and in general all women from religion. It was easy to see that there were open attacks against Islam and religion in general. There were also open talks about rights for prostitutes, lesbians and homosexuals. The Conference also discussed about the rights of children over their sexual lives. Betty Freidan, an American feminist leader and author, talked about the dangers Islamic conservatism poses to women. In a panel session entitled "Muslim Women in North America", led by a Muslim delegate chosen by the Clinton administration to represent the US as a liaison between the US and the Muslim and Arab worlds, a panel member vehemently attacked the Imams of North American mosques for fanaticism against Muslim women in the "land of freedom". In another session that was chaired by a feminist Hindu, she described how the Vatican had come together with Islam for the purpose of denying women's rights. Another speaker in this session, who was a liberal Catholic, encouraged women to become more "open" and to acquire power. She also said that "the biggest mistake in the universe" is to envision an "omnipotent or perfect God." Dr Riffat Hassan, a professor in Islamic studies from the University of Louisville, explained how she had been engaged in the last 20 years in developing a "feminist theology in the context of Islam". It was also clear from the Conference that the powers who were running the UN have an agenda to impose their own "Shariah" on the entire world. Just by attending the Conference at government level, the Muslim countries accepted the principle that they could negotiate about this imposed Shariah. Muslim delegates did not realise that they were actually "dignifying" a gathering that could not be dignified. The Conference failed to encourage the individuals need in altering their life styles in order to combat sexually transmitted diseases; did not encourage family life and morality; for women (and men) to abstain from early sex; etc. The UN also encourages that for women to work in a factory or an office is a right; to stay at home is an oppression. A woman should not be dependent of her husband; she should be dependent on her boss. Muslims throughout the world, including all South African Muslims, must condemn and reject this Conference. What about the women in Kashmir who jumped into the Jhelum River in Kashmir to protect their honour from the Indian forces? Why did the World Conference on Women not speak about that! What about the 70, 000 Muslim women raped, abused and beaten in Bosnia? What about the millions in Iraq, Kashmir and Bosnia who are without food and medicine? The "women's right" which the Conference speaks about is far from the women's rights which Islam grants. This is nothing but an attempt by the UN and the world in condemning Islam, Islamic values and creating a world and society completely devoid of all sensibility and shame. (Facts extracted from "Impact International" - Vol.25 No.10)   DUTY TOWARDS OUR MOTHERS A Saint relates that once, having made intention of performing Haj, he left for Baghdad from where he was to proceed to Hijaz. In Baghdad, he arrived at the house of Hazrat Abu Hazim Makki (rahmatullahi alai) where he found Hazrat Abu Hazim Makki (rahmatullahi alai) fast asleep. When he awoke from his asleep, he came over to the Saint and told him, "I had the good fortune of seeing Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in my dream just now, and he asked me to convey a message to you." "What is the message?" asked the Saint. "He asked me to inform you that it would be better for you if you called off your journey to Hijaz for purpose of making Haj, and spent time looking after your ageing mother and keeping her happy at all times. This would enable you to perform your Haj in the future with Allah's Pleasure." The Saint, upon hearing this, returned home without performing Haj.   ESCALATION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN MUSLIM COMMUNITY This almost taboo issue is being brought out to the open. Violence against women has reached such high levels in the Muslim community that almost 1 in 5 families is adversely affected. Whether it is physical, emotional or sexual abuse, it threatens the very existence of healthy communities. If women are abused how does a mother then fulfill her major roles as a wife and a mother? Yet Muslims in South Africa have not yet acknowledged this as one of the major social problems them all the time. Research clearly shows that children from abusive homes, themselves become abusive parents. The high rate of divorce, separation, extra-marital relationships is a daily occurance in our society. The disruption and breakdown of families leads to a variety of social problems. (Courtesy: JIMASA - Dec. 1996)   VERY IMPORTANT NOTE It is Haraam for women to touch the hand, feet or body of any strange man and it is also Haraam for the man to give her the permission to do so. The Mashaa'ikh and Peers of today should take a lesson from this. The evil practice of Mureedas (female Mureeds) kissing the hands and feet of their Peer-o-Murshid must stop. It is totally Haraam for both to kiss and to be kissed. It is FARD on the Sheikh to strongly forbid their female Mureeds from doing such un-Islamic acts. Sayyidah Ayesha Siddiqa (radi Allahu anha) states that there was never an instance when a woman touched the hands of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) at the time of Bai'at. Likewise, those persons who visit massage parlours, etc. and have their bodies massaged or rubbed by strange women is strictly Haraam and a great sin (Kabeera). It is Fard on them to abstain from such immoral acts and fear Allah, the All Knowing and All Powerful.

Fazail Maahe Rajab ul Murajab