Fasting in The Month of Muharram

The Excellence of Observing Saum (Fasting) in the months of Muharram and Sha'ban and the Sacred Months

1246.Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "The best month for observing Saum (fasting) next after Ramadan is the month of Allah, the Muharram; and the best Salat (prayer) next after the prescribed Salat is Salat at night (Tahajjud prayers).''
[Muslim].

The Hadith points out that fasting in the month of Muharram are better than any other month of the year after Ramadan.

The Excellence of Observing Saum on the Day of 'Arafah, 'Ashura' and Tasu'a (i.e., 9th of Muharram)

1250.Abu Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) was asked about the observance of Saum (fasting) on the day of `Arafah. He said, "It is an expiation for the sins of the preceding year and the current year.''
[Muslim].

Commentary:The ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah is called Yaum-`Arafah . On this day, pilgrims stop and stand in prayers at `Arafat which is the most important ritual of Hajj, so much so that Hajj is deemed incomplete without it. On that day, the pilgrims are engaged in the remembrance of Allah and prayers as that is their most important worship on that day. For this reason, Saum is not desirable for them, but for other people, Saum has a special merit. The importance and merit of this Saum can be judged from the fact that it expiates sins for two consecutive years: the previous year and the current year. But these sins relate only to the minor sins, not the major ones, or become a means of elevation of one's status.

1251.Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) observed Saum (fasting) on the day of `Ashura' and commanded us to fast on this day.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary:`Ashura' 10th of Muharram. In another Hadith, it is stated that when the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) emigrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah, he saw that the Jews were fasting on this day. He asked them why they did this on that day and they told him that they did it for the reason that Allah granted Prophet Musa emancipation from Pharaoh on this day, and so they observed Saum in token of their joy. On this, he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said that in this happiness of Prophet Musa, Muslims have a greater right to observe Saum than the Jews. Consequently, he also observed Saum on 10th of Muharram. Then, he said that if he lived the following year, he would observe Saum on 9th of Muharram also so that they would make themselves different from the Jews. According to another Hadith, he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) ordained the Muslims to observe Saum on `Ashura' and in addition one more Saum on 9th or 11th of Muharram in opposition to the Jews. (Musnad Ahmad, Vol.4, P-21, edited by Ahmad Shakir; and Mujamma` Az-Zawaid, Vol.3, P-188). Thus observance of two Saum on this occasion is a Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam).

1252.Abu Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) was asked about observing As-Saum (the fast) on the tenth day of Muharram, and he replied, "It is an expiation for the sins of the preceding year.''
[Muslim].

1253.Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "If I remain alive till the next year, I shall also observe fast on the ninth of Muharram.''
[Muslim].

Commentary:Some people think these words stand to mean that `he will observe Saum on the 9th of Muharram only. But this interpretation does not agree with other Ahadith. In order to oppose the Jews, he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) resolved to observe one more Saum with that of 10th of Muharram and ordained it for the Muslims. In this connection, we have quoted above the authority from Musnad Ahmad. Hence, the meanings we have given in the translation of the text are correct. 

Do Not Flaunt Others Fault

Don’t Flaunt Faults of Others

Once when Al-Kisai and Al-Yazidi were gathered before the ruler, Ar-Rashid, the time for Maghrib prayer set in, and they had to choose someone among them to lead the prayer. It wasn't a difficult choice, for Al Kisai was a well-known reciter of the Qur'an: until this very day, he is known as one of the Seven Famous Reciters. After the prayer commenced and after he finished reading the "Opening Chapter" of the Qur'an, Al-Kisai then proceeded to recite "The Disbelievers Chapter":

"Say:  (0 Muhammad to these disbelievers):  "0 Al- - - - .”- Kafirun '(disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, and in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day Of Resurrection, and in Al-Qadar, etc.)!" (Qur'an 109: 1)

Although this is one of the shortest chapters of the Qur'an and one that is memorized by most young children, Al Kisai made a mistake in his recitation of it. When the prayer was over, Al-Yazidi exclaimed, exhibiting a great deal of surprise, "The Reciter and Imam of Kufa being confused about, making a mistake in, and forgetting the

'Chapter of the Disbelievers!":

When it came time to perform the 'lsha prayer later in the night, Al-Yazidi did not wait but instead put himself forward to lead the people in prayer. As soon as the prayer commenced, his voice ' began to tremble, and he forgot that Chapter of the Qur'an which is easiest to remember of all, "The Opening Chapter":

"All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord (If all that exists" (Qur'an 1: 1).

When the prayer was over, Al-Kisai turned to Al-Yazidi and said, "Hold back your tongue and do not speak, or else you will be put to trial. Indeed, it is guaranteed for one to be put to trial when he opens his mouth [to flaunt the faults of others]."

Contribution of Muslims to Chemistry

Chemistry

- Definition of Organic & Inorganic Chemistry

- Sulfur Mercury Theory of Metals

- Calcination

- Reduction

- Discoveries of various Acids Sulfuric & Nitric acids

- Preparation of Drugs

- Applied Chemistry

- Paper

Chemistry deals with the composition and properties of substances and the changes of composition they undergo. It has been divided into Inorganic and Organic. The conception of this division in modem Chemistry came from al-Razi 's classification of chemical substances into mineral, vegetable and animal. Inorganic chemistry, which deals with the preparation and properties of the elements and their compounds, originally arose from the study of minerals and metals. Organic chemistry, which deals with carbon compounds, developed through the investigation of animal and plant products.

Jabir ibn Hayyan, a great Muslim chemist of the 8th century CE, modified the Aristotelian doctrine of the four elements, and presented the so called sulfur mercury theory of metals. According to this theory, metals duller essentially because of different proportions of sulfur and mercury in them. He recognized and stated the importance of experimentation in chemistry; He combined the theoretical knowledge of the Greeks and the practical knowledge of craftsmen, and made noteworthy advances both in the theory and practice of chemistry. Jabir's contribution to chemistry is very great. He gave a scientific description of two principle operations of chemistry. One of them is calcination which is employed in the extraction of metals from their ores. The other is reduction which is employed in numerous chemical treatments. He improved upon the methods of evaporation, melting, distillation, sublimation and crystallization. These are the fundamental methods employed in the purification of chemical substances, enabling the chemist to study their properties and uses, and to prepare them. The process of distillation is particularly used for taking extracts of plant material. The most important discovery made by Jabir was the preparation of sulfuric acid. The importance of this discovery can be realized by the fact that in this modem age the extent of the industrial progress of a country is mostly judged by the amount of sulfuric acid used in that country.

Another important acid prepared by him was nitric acid which he obtained by distilling a mixture of alum and copper sulfate. Then by dissolving ammonium chloride into this acid, he prepared aqua-regia which unlike acids could dissolve gold in it.

Jabir classified chemical substances, on the basis of some distinctive features, into bodies (gold, silver, etc.) and souls (mercury, sulfur, etc.) to make the study of their properties easier. In the same century Jabir's work was further advanced by al-Razi who wrote many chemical treatises, and described a number of chemical instruments. He applied his chemical knowledge for medical purposes, thus laying the foundation of applied chemistry.

Abu Mansur distinguished between sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. He had some knowledge of arsenious oxide, cupric oxide, antimony and other substances. He knew the toxicological effects of copper and lead compounds, the depilatory virtue of quicklime, the composition of plaster of Paris and its surgical use.

The great Muslim surgeon, Khalaf ibn' Abbas al-Zahrawi wrote a great medical encyclopedia, Al-Tasrif, which contains interesting methods of preparing drugs by sublimation and distillation, but it's most important part is the surgical one. Ibn Sina wrote a treatise on minerals that provided one of the main sources of geological knowledge, and chemistry in Western Europe until the Renaissance. The Muslim chemists applied their chemical knowledge to a large number of industrial arts.

Paper is also featured in the pioneering works of the Muslims. Paper was invented by the Chinese who prepared it from the cocoon of the silk worm. Some specimens of Chinese paper dates back to the second century C.E. The first manufacture of the paper outside China occurred in Samarkand  in 757 C.E., when Samarkand was captured by the Muslims, the manufacture of paper spread all over the Muslims World. By the end of the 12th century CE, there were four hundred paper mills in Fas alone. In Spain the main center of manufacturing of paper was Shatiba which remained a Muslim city until 1239 C.E., Cordoba was the center of the paper business in Spain.

The Muslims developed this art. They prepared paper not only from silk, but also from cotton, rags and wood. In the middle of the 10th century CE the paper industry was introduced into Spain. In Khurasan" paper was made from linen. Joseph Karabacek, in one of his works, explains the process of making paper in minute detail, describing how the pulp is prepared to make sheets, washed and cleaned them, colored, polished and pasted. No text comparable to this in any other language exists from that time. The preparation of pulp involves a large number of complicated chemical processes, which indicates the level of achievement in chemistry reached by Muslims.

The manufacture of writing paper in Spain is one of the most beneficial contributions of Muslim to Europe. Without paper the scale on which popular education in Europe developed would not have been possible. The Muslims method of producing paper from cotton could only be useful for the Europeans. After Spain the art of paper making was established in Italy in1268 CE France owed its first paper mills to Muslim Spain. From these countries the industry spread throughout Europe.

Gentleness only beautifies

Gentleness only beautifies

We often comment in amazement at a person, "He is calm, he is un-flustered, and he is composed." When we would like to criticize a person, we would say, "He is hasty ... he is weak..."

Messenger of Allah Peace be Upon Him Said “Gentleness beautifies everything. Harshness disfigures." (Muslim)

It has come in a Hadith, "If Allah decides well for a family, he blesses them with gentleness. If Allah decides evil for a family, he deprives them of gentleness:'

Another Hadith states, "Allah is gentle and loves gentleness, and gives due to gentleness what He does not give to harshness or anything else:' (Muslim)

A gentle person who is easy-going and soft is beloved to all people. People feel comfortable with such a person and trust him, especially if gentleness is accompanied by beautiful speech and the skill of dealing with people correctly.

AI-Imam Abu Yusuf, the judge, was from the most famous Hanafi scholars. He was the most prominent student of Abu Hanifah. Abu Yusuf was very poor during his childhood and his father would forbid him from attending Abu Hanifah's lessons and instead order him to go to the marketplace to earn a living. Abu Hanifah was very keen for him and would reprimand him if he missed his lessons.

One day, Abu Yusuf complained to Abu Hanifah about his father. Abu Hanifah called his father and asked him, "How much does your son earn in one day?"

He replied, "Two dirhams:' Abu Hanifah said, "I will give you two dirhams if you allow him to study:'

Thus, Abu Yusuf studied with his teacher for years. When Abu Yusuf grew into a young man and became distinguished amongst his colleagues, he became afflicted with an illness that left him bedridden. When Abu Hanifah visited him he noticed that his illness was very severe, he became sad and feared that he may die. He left Abu Yusuf saying to himself, "Alas, Abu Yusuf! How I wished that you would serve the people after me!" Abu Hanifah went along dragging his feet to his study circle where his students were waiting. After a couple of days, Abu Yusuf recovered. He took a bath, wore his clothes and went off to attend his teacher's lessons. Those around him asked, "Where are you going?"

"To the Shaykh's lesson", he replied.

They said, "Even now you are studying? You don't need to. Haven't you heard what the Shaykh has said about you?"

"What did he say?" he enquired.

They said, "He has said: 'I wished that you would serve the people after me', meaning, you have acquired all the knowledge of Abu Hanifah, and if the teacher were to die today, you would have sat in his place."

Abu Yusuf felt amazed at him, and went to the Masjid where he saw Abu Hanifah's study circle in a corner, so he went to another corner and began to teach and pass verdicts!

Abu Hanifah noticed the new study circle and asked, "Whose study circle is this?

They said, "Abu Yusuf's."

"Has he recovered?" he asked.

"Yes", they said.

Abu Hanifah then asked, "Why didn't he come to our lessons.”

They replied, "He was informed of what you had said, so he began to teach the people since he isn't in need of you anymore."

Abu Hanifah then thought about how to deal with this case in a gentle manner and came up with an idea to teach Abu Yusuf a lesson. He turned to one of his students and said,"0 so-and-so, go to the Shaykh sitting over there  Abu Yusuf - and say to him, '0 Shaykh! I have a question.' He would be very happy with you upon you asking him questions, for he has only sat there to be asked questions!

Say to him, 'A man gives his garment to a tailor to get it shortened. When he returns to him after a few days to collect it, the tailor denies that he ever had his garment. The man goes to the police to complain, and the police enter the shop and recover his garment for him.

The question is: Does the tailor deserve the payment for shortening the garment or not?'

If he says to you, 'Yes, he deserves it', tell him he is wrong.

And if he says to you, 'No, he does not deserve if, tell him he is wrong,'

The student was pleased to learn this complex question and went off to Abu Yusuf and said,"0 Shaykh! I have a question."

Abu Yusuf said, "What is your question?"

He said, "A man gives his garment to the tailor... ", and before he could finish, Abu Yusuf replied, "Yes, he deserves payment, as long as he has finished his work."

The questioner said, "You are wrong."

Abu Yusuf became surprised and thought about the issue deeply and said, "Actually, he does not deserve payment."

The questioner said, "You are wrong, again."

Abu Yusuf looked at him and said, "By Allah, who sent you here?"

The man pointed towards Abu Hanifah and said, "The Shaykh sent me."

Abu Yusuf stood from his gathering and went to Abu Hanifah's circle and said,"0 Shaykh! I have a question."

Abu Hanifah ignored him. Abu Yusuf then came and sat on his knees in front of the Shaykh, and said with all due respect, "0 Shaykh, I have a question."

He said, "What is your question?"

Abu Yusuf said, "You know what the question is."

"The question about the tailor and the garment?" asked Abu Hanifah.

"Yes", replied Abu Yusuf.

Abu Hanifah said, "You answer the question. Aren't you a Shaykh?"

He replied, "Rather, you are the Shaykh,"

Abu Hanifah then said in response to the question, "We check how much he shortened the garment by. If the garment was shortened to match the man's height, then it means he did the work completely. But then it occurred to him that he should deny having his garment. In this case, he shortened the garment for this man, and therefore he deserves to be paid. But if he had shortened the garment to suit his own height then that means he shortened the garment for himself and therefore does not deserve any payment."

Upon hearing that, Abu Yusuf kissed Abu Hanifah's forehead and remained his student until Abu Hanifah passed away. Only then did Abu Yusuf sit in his place to teach the people. How beautiful is gentleness and how wonderful it is to deal with such issues with tenderness!

The Prophet's anger - if he ever became angry - was always in religious matters. The Prophet Peace Be upon Him never became angry for his own sake. He would only become angry if one of Allah's sanctities was being violated.

Once 'Umar bin al-Khattab may Allah be pleased with him- met a Jewish person. The Jewish person showed him a passage from the Torah, which amazed 'Umar, so he took a copy for himself. He then came to the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him with this passage from the Torah and read it out to him. The Prophet Peace Be Upon Him  realized that 'Umar was taken by the passage and that if the door  was opened up for deriving rulings from previous religions, then their books would become mixed with the Qur'an, thereby leaving the people perplexed. How could 'Umar have gone ahead and made a copy of the passage and written it with his own hands without asking the Prophet Peace Be upon Him?

The Prophet Peace Be upon Him became angry and said, "Are you confused over this, 0 Ibn al-Khattab" meaning, are you doubting my Shari'ah?

He then said, "I swear by the One who has my soul in His Hand, I have come to you with something crystal clear. Do not ask them about anything, lest they inform you of the truth and you reject it, or they inform you of falsehood and you believe in it. I swear by the One who has my soul in His hand, if Musa was alive today, he would have no choice but to follow me."

During the early stages of the Prophet's prophet hood, he used to come to the Ka'bah, whilst the Quraysh would be sitting In their gatherings. He would pray and not pay any attention to them. They would hurt him in many ways, whilst he would bear it all with patience.

One day, the noble ones from Quraysh gathered together and mentioned the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him and said, "We have never come across anything more severe than what we have had to bear from this man. He has declared our views stupid. He has insulted our forefathers. He has condemned our religion. He has disunited our ranks, and insulted our gods. We are truly exasperated with him."

Whilst they were discussing amongst each other, there came the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him and walked to the corner of the Ka'bah in order to touch it for the purpose of tawaf. When he began to make tawaf around the Ka'bah they started to mock him.

The Prophet's complexion changed but his attitude remained calm with them and bore it with silence and continued. When he passed by them the second time, they mocked him again. His complexion changed, but he remained silent and continued with the tawaf. When he passed by them the third time, they mocked him again. He realized that gentleness was not working with such people. He went to them and said, "Pay attention, 0 Quraysh! I swear by the One who has my soul in His hand, I have come to you with slaughter!" The brave Messenger said these words and remained standing, facing them. When the men heard the threat of being slaughtered from the 'most truthful and the most trustworthy one', they jumped up, until every single one sat upright and still, as if a bird was resting on his head, so much so that the harshest of them towards the Prophet ~ began to show him gentleness. They said, "Make your way, 0 Abul-Qasim as a noble man. You were never foolish:' thus, the Prophet Peace Be upon Him made his way. Yes, if it is said to you," be gentle ... ", then say, "gentleness has its place,": For one to be gentle at an inappropriate occasion is considered foolishness, although when one closely studies the life of the Prophet  Peace be upon Him he realizes that he was gentle on most occasions. But be careful!

 We are not calling for weakness and cowardice. We are only calling for gentleness.

Gentleness beautifies everything, harshness disfigures 

We can disagree and Still be Friends

We can disagree and still be friend

It is mentioned that ash-Shafi'i - may Allah have mercy on him - debated a scholar over a complex legal issue. They differed and argued for a long time, during which they raised their voices and failed to convince each other. The other scholar's complexion changed and he became angry and felt hurt. When the meeting ended and they decided to leave, al-Shafi'i turned to the scholar, took hold of his hand and said, "Why can't we differ and still be brothers?"

Some scholars of Hadith once sat in the presence of a Caliph. One of the scholars in the gathering narrated a Hadith, and thereupon, another scholar became very surprised and said, "This is not a Hadith! From where did you get it? Are you lying upon the Messenger of Allah Peace be Upon Him ?"

The scholar replied, "To the contrary, this is a well-established Hadith!"

The other scholar said, "No! We have never heard this Hadith nor memorized it!"

In the gathering there was an intelligent vizier. He turned to the scholar and said very gently,"0 Shaykh, have you memorized all of the Hadith of the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him ?"

"No", the scholar replied.

The vizier asked, "So did you memories half of them?"

"Perhaps", the scholar replied.

The vizier replied, "Then consider this Hadith to be from the half you have not memorized!" and that was the end of the problem.

Al-Fudhayl bin 'Ayadh and 'Abdullah bin al-Mubarak were two close friends who would never leave each other. They were both modest scholars 'Abdullah bin al-Mubarak decided to go for Jihad and join the garrison troops for guard duty at the frontiers, while al-Fudhayl bin 'Ayadh decided to stay in the Haram to pray and worship Allah.

One day, his heart melted and he began to weep Al -Fudhayl was sitting in the Haram and worshipping Allah. He longed for his friend, Ibn al-Mubarak, and recalled their gatherings in which they would remember Allah. Thus, al-Fudhayl wrote to Ibn al-Mubarak asking him to come to the Haram for worship, remembrance of Allah and recitation of the Qur'an.

When Ibn al-Mubarak read al-Fudhayl's letter, he took a piece of paper and wrote to al-Fudhayl:

"0 you who worships in the vicinity of the Two Holy Mosques! If you but see us, you will realize that you are only jesting in worship. He who brings wetness to his cheek with his tears should know. Our necks become wet with our blood, he who tires his horses without purpose, now that our horses are getting tired in battle.

The scent of perfume is yours, while ours is the glimmer of spears and the stench of dust [in battle]. We were narrated about in the speech of our Prophet, An authentic statement that never lies that the dust that erupts by Allah's horses and which fills the nostrils of a man shall never be combined with the smoke of a raging Fire. This, the Book of Allah speaks to us. Is that the martyr is not dead, and this cannot be denied.

He then said, "From Allah's slaves are those whom Allah has blessed with fasting. They fast like no other people. From them are those blessed with recitation of the Qur'an. From them are those blessed with seeking knowledge. From them are those blessed with Jihad, and from them are those blessed with praying at night. What you are engrossed in is not better than what I am engrossed in. Both of us are involved in something good. This is how gently the dispute ended between the two of them, by simply saying, "Both of us are doing good," and as Allah says, "Your Lord creates what He wills and chooses:'

This was the way of the Companions.

A group of disbelievers got together and rallied to fight the Muslims in Madinah. They came with an army the like of which was never witnessed amongst the Arabs, in terms of numbers and weapons.

In response, the Muslims dug up trenches which were" not able to be crossed in order to enter Madinah. Hence, the disbelieving army was kept behind the trenches. In Madinah, there was a tribe called Banu Quraydhah. They were Jews, lying in wait for the believers. They turned to the disbelievers to help them and began to cause mischief and disorder in Madinah, whilst the Muslims were busy guarding the city at the trenches.

The days passed with great difficulty until Allah sent wind and His hidden army against the disbelievers that tore their army apart. They turned back in failure, dragging their belongings back with them in the darkness of the night.

When the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him woke up the next morning, he departed from the trenches for Madinah. The Muslims put their weapons down and returned home. The Messenger of Alllah Peace Be Upon Him entered his home, put his weapons down and took a bath.

When the time for Dhuhr prayer entered, Jibril came and called the Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him from outside his house. The Messenger of Allah Peace Be upon Him instantly stood up in fear. Jibril  said to him,

"Have you put down your weapons, 0 Messenger of Allah?"

"Yes", the Prophet replied. Jibril said, "The angels have not yet put down their weapons. I have just come back, having chased them away. We chased them until we reached Hamra al-Asad", meaning, they chased the Quraysh away when they left Madinah for Makkah. The angels were following them and chasing them away from Madinah. Jibreel then said, "Allah has ordered you to head for Banu Quraydhah, for I am heading towards them to shake the earth beneath them:'

The Messenger of Allah Peace Be Upon Him then ordered a man to make an announcement, "Whosoever hears and obeys, let him not pray the 'Asr prayer except in Banu Quraydhah." The men dashed to grab their weapons, they heard and obeyed and went to the dwellings of Banu Quraydhah, but as they were on their way, the time for 'Asr prayer entered upon them. Some of them said, "We will not pray 'Asr except in Banu Quraydhah's dwellings." Others argued, "Rather, we will pray now, for this wasn't what the Prophet meant. He only wanted us to hurry."

They prayed Asr and continued with their journey, while others delayed the prayer until they reached Banu Quraydhah. When this was mentioned to the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him, he did not chastise any of the two groups. The Prophet Peace Be Upon Him then besieged Banu Quraydhah until Allah gave him victory over them. Consider how they used to differ amongst each other as brothers, such that their differences would not lead to discord, argumentation and people turning against each other.

Believe me, if you deal with the people with ease and gentleness, and with an open mind, they will love you and you would thereby enter into their hearts. And before all of this, Allah would love you, for discord is something always negative.