Subhaanallahi) “Glory be to Allah.”
(Walhamdu lillah) “Praise be to Allah!”
(WA la’ilaha, illal-laah) “No (true) god except Allah
(Wallaahu Akbar) “Allah is the Greatest!”
(WA la hawla WA la quwwata ’ILA billaahi) ‘There is no power nor strength save by Allah!”.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
"And the remembering (praising) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising) of Allah in prayers]'' (29:45)
"Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying). I will remember you.'' (2:152)
"And remember your Rubb by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words, in the mornings and in the afternoons, and be not of those who are neglectful.'' (7:205)
"And remember Allah much, that you may be successful.'' (62:10)
"Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and women... (Up to)... And the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues. Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e., Jannah).'' (33:35)
"O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon [the early morning (Fajr) and `Asr prayers].'' (33:41, 42)
1408. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allahil-Azim [Glory be to Allah and His is the praise, (and) Allah, the Greatest is free from imperfection)'.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith affirms that man's actions carry weight. On the Day of Judgment, his actions will be cast into the Balance. At that time Allah will endow these actions with weight, or according to some scholars, those records which register man's actions will be weighed. This is quite possible for the reason that Almighty Allah is Capable of weighing things without even their physical form. This discussion apart, when actions will be cast into the Balance, the formula mentioned in the Hadith, the utterance of which is very easy, will prove weighty. Every Muslim should make it a practice to repeat them frequently.
1409. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The uttering of the words: "Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection), Al-hamdu lillah (all praise is due to Allah), La ilaha illallaah (there is no true god except Allah) and Allaahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)' is dearer to me than anything over which the sun rises.''
[Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith highlights the fact that the formulas which mention the Praise and Glory of Allah, His Majesty and Oneness are liked by the Prophet (PBUH) more than anything in the world, because this is one of the virtues which will survive and will be rewarded, while the world and all that it has will perish.
1410. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who utters a hundred times in a day these words: `La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai’in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him; His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent),' he will have a reward equivalent to that for emancipating ten slaves, a hundred good deeds will be recorded to his credit, hundred of his sins will be blotted out from his scroll, and he will be safeguarded against the devil on that day till the evening; and no one will exceed him in doing more excellent good deeds except someone who has recited these words more often than him. And he who utters: `Subhan-Allahi WA bihamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)' one hundred times a day, his sins will be obliterated even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of the ocean.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: Here sins mean minor sins and those which do not relate to the rights of people. This point has already been elaborated in the preceding Hadith.
1411. Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said: "He who utters ten times: `La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai’in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is one and He has no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent),' he will have a reward equal to that for freeing four slaves from the progeny of Prophet Isma’il.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: "Slaves from the progeny of Isma’il'' is a simile for very precious slaves. That is, it has the same reward to which the emancipation of four very precious slaves is eligible.
1412. Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to me, "Shall I tell you the expression that is most loved by Allah?'' It is `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi' (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)'.''
[Muslim].
1413. Abu Malik Al-Ashari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Wudu' is half of Salat, and the expression: `Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection)' fills the Balance, and the expression: `Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)' fills the space between the heavens and the earth.''
[Muslim].
Commentary: "Tahur’’ is purification or Wudu', while "Tahur’’ is water or something which is used for purification. According to some scholars, `Faith'' means Salat. This is also the sense in which it has been used in the Qur'an: "And Allah would never make your Faith to be lost (i.e., your prayers).'' [2:143]. Thus when Salat is the Faith, the purification is a prerequisite for Salat. Salat is not valid without purification. Some scholars are of the opinion that Faith here means Faith in general, as the Shari`ah defines it: To sincerely accept and believe in all that the Prophet (PBUH) came with, i.e., sincere acceptance of Allah and His Prophet (PBUH).
"Purification is half of the Faith'' means the acceptance that purification is the most important article of Faith. It is like the saying of the Prophet (PBUH) that "Hajj is `Arafah'', which means that `Arafat (the place where the pilgrims stay on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah) is the most important element of the Hajj. Thus, this Hadith stresses the importance and merits of purification and offers an inducement for it. It also mentions the eminence of the invocations mentioned in the Hadith by saying that if they are given a form, they will fill the space between the heavens and the earth. In other words, it is a description of the infinite vastness of the Mercy and Grace of Allah.
1414. Sa’d bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said to him, "Teach me a few words to recite frequently.'' He (PBUH) said, "Say: "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu; Allaahu Akbar kabiran, wal-hamdu lillaahi kathiran, WA Subhan-Allahi Rabbil-`alamin; WA la hawla wa la quwwata ila billahil-`Azizil-Hakim (there is no true god except Allah the One and He has no partner with Him; Allah is the Greatest and greatness is for Him. All praise is due to Him. Allah, the Rubb of the worlds is free from imperfection; there is no might and power but that of Allah, the All-Powerful and the All-Wise.)''' The Bedouin said: "All of these for my Rubb. But what is for me?'' Thereupon he (Messenger of Allah (PBUH)) said, "You should say: `Allahummaghfir li, warhamni, wahdini, warzuqni (O Allah! Grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, direct me to righteousness and provide me subsistence)'.''
[Muslim].
1415. Theban (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) concluded his prayer, he would beg forgiveness from Allah thrice and then would recite: "Allahumma Antas-Salamu, wa minkas-salamu, tabarakta ya Dhal-Jalali wal-Ikram (O Allah, You are the Grantor of security, and security comes from you. You are Blessing, O You Who have majesty and nobility)!'' (Imam) Al-Awza`i, one of the narrators of this Hadith, was asked: "How forgiveness is to be sought?'' He answered: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to say: `Astaghfirullah! Astaghfirullah! (I beseech Allah for forgiveness, I beseech Allah for forgiveness)'.''
[Muslim].
1416. Al-Mughirah bin Shu’ba (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to say at the conclusion of prayer: "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai'in Qadir. Allahumma la Mani`a Lima a'tayta, WA la mu’tiya Lima mana’ta, WA la yanfa’u dhal-jaddi, minkal-jadd (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him, His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent. O Allah! None can deny that which You bestow and none can bestow that which You hold back; and the greatness of the great will be of no avail to them against You).''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: "Al-Jaddu’’ means good luck and richness. That is, good fortune and prosperity will not be of any avail before Allah. What will really benefit a person before Him are Faith and virtuous deeds. The prayer quoted in this Hadith makes a special mention of His Oneness.
1417. It has been reported that `Abdullah bin Zubair (May Allah be pleased with them) used to recite after Taslim at the conclusion of every Salat (prayer): "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai'in Qadir. La hawla WA la quwwata ila billah. La ilaha illallahu, wa la na’budu ila iyyaahu, Lahun-ni’matu, wa lahul-fadhlu, wa lahuth-thanaa’ul-hasanu. La ilaha illallahu, mukhliseena, lahud-deena, WA Lau karihal-kaafiroon (there is no true god except Allah; He is One. To Him belongs the dominion and to Him is all praise, and He is Powerful over all things. There is no power and might except with (the help of) Allah. There is no God but Allah and we worship none except Him, to Him belongs the bounty and to Him belongs the grace, and to Him belongs all excellent praise; there is no deity but Allah. We reserve our devotion exclusively for Him though the disbelievers may detest it).'' Ibn Az-Zubair said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to celebrate Allah's Greatness in those terms after every Salat (prayer).
[Muslim].
Commentary: The invocation mentioned in this Hadith is ordained by the Prophet (PBUH) and was his practice. To recite Shahadah repeatedly after Salat and to offer benediction and salutations to the Prophet (PBUH) collectively is a self-invented formula and is not consonant with the practice of the Prophet (PBUH). It is, therefore, a heresy and will have no merit. Every Muslim has to follow only the preaching’s and practice of the Prophet (PBUH).
1418. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The poor Emigrants came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said: "The wealthy have gone with the highest ranks and lasting bliss.'' He asked: "How is that?'' They replied: "They offer Salat (prayer) as we offer it; they observe fast as we do; (and as they are wealthy) they perform Hajj and `Umrah, and go for Jihad, and they spend in charity but we cannot, and they free the slaves but we are unable to do so.'' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Shall I not teach you something with which you may overtake those who surpassed you and with which you will surpass those who will come after you? None will excel you unless he who does which you do.'' They said: "Yes, please do, O Messenger of Allah'' He (PBUH) said, "You should recite: Tasbih (Allah is free from imperfection), Takbir (Allah is Greatest), Tahmid (Praise be to Allah) thirty-three times after each Salat.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Abu Salih, the sub narrator of the Hadith said, when Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the manner of reciting Tasbih, Tahmid and Takbir, he said, "Recite: "Subhan-Allah, wal-hamdu lillah, wallaahu Akbar', till all are recited thirty-three times.
Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned, but with a slightly different wording with reference to Sahih Muslim. The elaboration made by Abu Salih apparently seems to indicate that all the three words should be recited in combination while other religious scholars have shown preference for reciting them separately. The purpose is, however, attained in either way. There does arise one question here: Should one recite each of these words thirty-three times or in all for thirty-three times? The wording of the Hadith does not make this clear. Other Hadith, (which will follow soon) make it clear that each of these words is to be recited for thirty-three times. This is how their aggregate will come to ninety-nine. The Hadith that follows makes this point Lear.
1419. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who recites after every prayer: Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection) thirty-three times; Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) thirty-three times; Allaahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest) thirty-three times; and completes the hundred with: La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai'in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is one and He has no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent), will have all his sins pardoned even if they may be as large as the foam on the surface of the sea.''
[Muslim].
1420. Ka`b bin `Ujrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There are some words, the reciters of which will never be disappointed. These are: Tasbih [saying `Subhan-Allah' (Allah is free from imperfection)], thirty-three times, Tahmid [saying `Al-hamdu lillah' (praise be to Allah)] thirty-three times and Takbir [saying `Allaahu Akbar' (Allah is Greatest)] thirty-four times; and these should be recited after the conclusion of every prescribed prayer.''
[Muslim]
Commentary: "Muaqqibat'' means the words of Praise and Glorification of Allah which are recited after Salat. This Hadith says that the words "Allaahu Akbar'' should be recited thirty-four times.
1421. Sa’d bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to seek (Allah's) protection after prayers in these words: "Allahumma inni a`udhu bika minal-jubni wal-bukhl, wa a`udhu bika min an uradda ila ardhalil-`umur, wa a`udhu bika min fitnatid-dunya, wa a`udhu bika min fitnatil’qabr (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from cowardice, miserliness and from being sent back to a feeble age; and, seek refuge with You from the trials of this life and those of the grave).''
[Al-Bukhari].
Commentary: Some religious scholars are of the opinion that it is better to observe reciting this Dua after concluding prayers, and that it is better to combine both. Some scholars say that the Prophet (PBUH) used to recite this Dua just before Taslim, while he used to recite the Dua mentioned earlier after Taslim.
1422. Muadh (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) took hold of my hand and said, "O Muadh! By Allah I love you, so I advise you to never forget to recite after every prayer: "Allahumma a`inni ala dhikrika, wa shukrika, wa husni `ibadatika (O Allah, help me remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in an excellent manner).''
[Abu Dawud].
Commentary: This Hadith stresses the fact that one should seek the Help of Allah for His remembrance, thanksgiving and worship, because one cannot do anything without His Help and Support. It also shows the superiority of Muadh (May Allah be pleased with him) and the Prophet's love for him.
1423. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When anyone of you has done his Tashahhud during Salat (prayer), he should seek refuge in Allah against four things and say: "Allahumma inni a`udhu bika min `adhabi jahannam, wa min `adhabil-qabr, wa min fitnatil-mahya wal-mamat, wa min sharri fitnatil-masihid-dajjal (O Allah! I seek refuge in you from the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the mischief of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist).''
[Muslim].
Commentary: "Trials of life'' means ordeals which one has to face in life and which can harm his Faith and body. "The trials of death'' means the troubles which one has to face before death. "Masih'' means Mumsuh-ul-`Ain, one who is squint. Ad-Dajjal (deceiver, impostor) refers to that man with a squint who will appear before the Day of Judgment. This is why he is called Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal. He will make claim of godhood and in order to test the Faith of people, Allah will get some supernatural works done from him. The pious ones would, however, recognize him and will save themselves from his trap. This will be a great trial indeed and one must seek refuge with Allah from it.
1424. `Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was in Salat (prayer), he used to supplicate towards the end of prayer after Tashahhud and before the concluding salutations: "Allahum-maghfir li ma qaddamtu wa ma akh-khartu, wa ma asrartu, wa ma a`lantu, wa ma asraftu, wa ma Anta a’lamu bihi minni. Antal-Muqqadimu, wa Antal-Mu'akh-khiru. La ilaha illaa Anta (O Allah! Forgive my former and latter sins, which I have done secretly and those which I have done openly, and that I have wronged others, and those defaults of mine about which You have better knowledge than I have. You alone can send whomever you will to Jannah, and You Alone can send whomever you will to Hell-fire. None has the right to be worshipped but you.''
[Muslim].
1425. `Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) used to recite frequently in his bowing and prostration: "Subhanak-Allahumma, Rabbanaa wa bihamdika. Allahumma maghfir’ li. (O Allah! You are free from imperfection and I begin with praising You. Forgive my sins).''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
1426. `Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to recite in his bowing and prostration: "Subbuhun Quddusun, Rabbul-mala'ikati war-Ruh [You are the Most Glorious. The Most Holy. You the Rubb of the angels and of Jibril
[Muslim].
Commentary: "Subbuh’’ and "Quddus'' are two attributive Names of Allah which denote His Perfect Purity and Uniqueness. "Ar-Ruh'' means Jibril (Gabriel). Although he, too, comes in the category of angels but his special mention is made here to emphasize his majesty and honour. In short, the recitation of the prayers mentioned in this Hadith is in keeping with the practice of the Prophet (PBUH).
1427. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Glorify your Lord in Ruku` (bowing posture) and exert yourself in supplication in prostration. Thus your supplications are liable to be accepted.''
[Muslim].
1428. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "A slave becomes nearest to his Rubb when he is in prostration. So increase supplications while prostrating.''
[Muslim].
Commentary: Both the Hadith mentioned above, evidently show that there is greater possibility of acceptance of an invocation which is made in prostration. Therefore, one must do it in the voluntary Salat.
1429. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to say in his prostration: Allahum-maghfir li dhanbi kullahu: diqqahu WA jillahu, WA `awwalahu wa akhirahu, wa alaniyatahu wa sirrahu (O Allah! Forgive all my sins, the small and the great, first and the last, the open and the secret).''
[Muslim].
Commentary: Although the Prophet (PBUH) was innocent and free of sins, he used to pray for the forgiveness of his shortcomings out of his gratitude to Allah's Might and Majesty. Thus, this Hadith has a great lesson for us. In spite of being innocent, he was always fearful of the Wrath of Allah, while we, despite being embodiments of sins, are fearless of Allah.
1430. `Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: One night I missed the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) from his bed. I searched for him. When I found him he was in bowing or prostrating posture and was reciting: Subhanaka WA bi hamdika. La ilaha illaa Anta (You are free from imperfection and I begin praising you. There is no true god except you).''
Another narration is: My hand fell over his feet while he was in prostration with his feet erect. He was supplicating: "Allahumma inni a’udhu biridaka min sakhatika, wa bi-mu`afatika min `uqubatika, wa a’udhu bika minka, la uhsi thana'an `alaika, Anta kama athnaita `ala Nafsika (O Allah! I seek protection against Your Wrath in Your Pleasure. I seek protection in Your Pardon against Your chastisement; I am not capable of enumerating praise of you. You are as you have lauded yourself).''
1431. Sa’d bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when he asked, "Is anyone of you unable to earn a thousand good deeds?'' One of those present asked: "How can one earn thousand good deeds in a day?'' He (PBUH) replied, "By saying: Subhan Allah a hundred times, then one thousand good deeds will be recorded for him or one thousand sins will be blotted out from his record.''
[Muslim].
Commentary: One thousand good deeds in return for saying the word "Subhan-Allah'' is a minimum reward under the promise that says i.e., ten-fold reward would be given for each good deed. The words "Au yuhattu’’ is open to disagreement among the religious scholars. Some of them have mentioned it with "Au'' which means one gets one thousand good deeds or a thousand sins are forgiven; while others have mentioned this Hadith with the word "Wa yuhattu'', that is, one is given a thousand virtues and a similar number of sins are pardoned.
1432. Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Every morning charity is due from every joint bone of the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah's Glorification (i.e., Subhan-Allah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of praise of Him (i.e., Al-hamdu lillah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of profession of Faith (i.e., La ilaha illallaah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of His Greatness (i.e., Allaahu Akbar) is an act of charity; and enjoining good is an act of charity and forbidding what is disreputable is an act of charity; and two Rak’ah prayer which one offers in the forenoon (Ad-Duha) will suffice for all this.''
[Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned. See Hadith No. 118. It brings into prominence the distinction of the two Rak’ah‘s of Ad-Duha as it is a means to express one's gratitude to Allah for 360 joints in one's body. Similarly, the Praise and Glorification of Allah, the declaration of His Oneness, enjoining good and forbidding vices are all Sadaqah of man's body.
1433. Jawairiyah bint Al-Harith (May Allah be pleased with her) reported, the Mother of the Believers: The Prophet (PBUH) came out from my apartment in the morning as I was busy in performing the dawn prayer. He came back in the forenoon and found me sitting there. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Are you still in the same position as I left you.'' I replied in the affirmative. Thereupon the Prophet said, "I recited four words three times after I had left you. If these are to be weighed against all you have recited since morning, these will be heavier. These are: Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, `adada khalqihi, wa rida nafsihi, wa zinatah `arshihi, wa midada kalimatihi [Allah is free from imperfection and I begin with His praise, as many times as the number of His creatures, in accordance with His Good Pleasure, equal to the weight of His Throne and equal to the ink that may be used in recording the words (for His Praise)].''.
[Muslim].
Commentary: The recitation of the words quoted in this Hadith is highly meritorious and rewarding because they are full of Praise and Glorification of Allah.
1434. Abu Musa Al-Ashari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The similitude of one who remembers his Rubb and one who does not remember Him, is like that of the living and the dead.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: Lack of remembrance of Allah is akin to death. When a person dies, he is unable to do anything. Similarly, a person who does not remember Allah goes so far from Him that he cannot do anything which can benefit him.
1435. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah the Exalted says: `I am as my slave expects me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me inwardly, I will remember him inwardly, and if he remembers Me in an assembly, I will remember him in a better assembly (i.e., in the assembly of angels).''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: "I am as my slave expects me to be'' means that one should have the conviction that He accepts repentance, grants pardon, relieves people of their tensions and emancipates them from their troubles. Along with this conviction one should do good deeds which please Allah and avoid such deeds which have been prohibited by Him. With this conduct, one should hope for the best from Allah. This approach is similar to that of a cultivator who ploughs his land, sows the seed, waters it, takes every possible care of it and then cherishes hope for a good crop. It can also be linked to the endeavors of a person who intends to become a scholar, or a physician or an engineer. The first and foremost requirement to pursue his ambition is to study the books through which he can gain the required knowledge. For every work one intends to do, one has to first make a foundation and then acquire the means essential for it. It is only then that one can hope to achieve one's aim.
Similar is the case of associating good hopes with Allah. Unless a person does not furnish the foundation of Faith and good deeds for it, it will be unwise to associate good hopes with Allah. A slave who rather than serving his master runs away or annoys him and still hopes that his master being so kind will not take him to task for his excesses would be called stupid by the people. The same is true of Allah, who is certainly the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful and Forgiving. But for whom is He so? The answer is for His faithful and obedient slaves and not for those who are followers of Satan. For Satan and his followers, Allah's Decision is that: "I will fill Hell with you (Iblis) and those of them (mankind) that follow you, together.'' (38:85).
1436. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The Mufarridun have gone ahead.'' He was asked, "Who are the Mufarridun?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Those men and women who frequently celebrate the remembrance of Allah.''
[Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith highlights the following two points: First, the eminence of plentiful remembrance of Allah. People who have this quality will be ahead of others in reward on the Day of Judgment. Second, people who remember Allah and are obedient to Him, be they men or women, will be rewarded equally. In the matter of reward no distinction will be made on the basis of their gender.
1437. Jabber (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "The best way to celebrate the remembrance of Allah is to say: La ilaha illallaah (there is no true god except Allah).''
[At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: Since the Shahadah is the basis of Islam, its repetition in abundance has the greatest eminence. Some religious scholars regard only La ilaha illallaah as eminent, while others hold that the second part of it (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) is also included in it. Thus, in their opinion both these parts of the Shahadah should be recited together.
1438. `Abdullah bin Busr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: One of the Companions said, "O Messenger of Allah. There are many injunctions of Islam for me. So tell me something to which I may hold fast.'' He said, "Keep your tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah.''
At-Tirmidhi.
Commentary: Shari’s` is the plural of Shari`ah Shari`ah is in the sense of Mashru`ah, that is the Divine injunctions. These Divine injunctions are of various kinds, i.e., some of them are obligatory, some desirable and some voluntary. The obligatory ones are compulsory and their compliance is indispensable. What is termed as Mustahabbat (desirables) are also highly important for gaining the Pleasure of Allah, Similarly, voluntary acts are a means of getting close to Allah. Ordinary people are sometimes puzzled by the abundance of the latter and want to adhere to the first two that is obligations and what comes in the category of desirables. A desire to this effect is mentioned in this Hadith. The Prophet (PBUH) answered the query in this matter by saying to the inquirer, "Keep your tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah.'' Keeping the tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah here means its abundant recitation. In other words, one should make the remembrance of Allah a permanent feature. If one is not able to do many voluntary good works, which some people find difficult, the remembrance of Allah will make up the deficiency in that regard.
1439. Jabber (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "For him who says: `Subhan-Allahi WA bi hamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection, and I begin with praising Him, and to Him),' a palm-tree will be planted in Jannah.''
[At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: Jannah is so vast that we cannot even imagine its vastness. The planting of trees in return for the Praise and Glorification of Allah is, therefore, neither something difficult nor surprising. So, there should not be any hesitation in accepting it as a fact. Some people take it is as a metaphor for a plentiful reward.
1440. Ibn Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "I met Ibrahim (PBUH) on the Night of Ascension (Al-Asra), and he said to me: `O Muhammad, convey my greetings to your Ummah, and tell them that Jannah has a vast plain of pure soil and sweet water. It is a plain leveled land. The plants grow there by uttering: Subhan-Allah, Al-hamdu lillah, La ilaha illallaah and Allaahu Akbar (Allah is free from imperfection; praise be to Allah; there is no true god except Allah; and Allah is Greatest).''
[At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: Qi`an is the plural of Qa` which means plain leveled land that does not have any tree. Trees grow on the plain land of Jannah in return for remembrance and Glorification of Allah. The more one remembers Allah, the greater is the number of trees which grow on the piece of land that will be awarded to him.
1441. Abud-Darda (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions which are the purest to your Rubb, which exalt you to the high ranks, which are more efficacious than spending gold and silver (in charity), and better for you than you should encounter your enemies whom you will smite their necks and they will smite your necks?'' They said, "Certainly.'' He (PBUH) said, "Remembrance of Allah the Exalted.''
[At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: This Hadith also tells us about the eminence of remembrance of Allah, as the basis of every good deed is remembrance of Allah and expression of one's devotion and obedience to Him. Without these two, even the greatest virtue is useless and is of no value. Thus, we must always bear it in mind that remembrance of Allah is superior to everything else.
1442. Sa’d bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and I went to see a woman. She had date-stones or pebbles in front of her, and she was counting and reciting Tasbih. [`Subhan-Allah' (Allah is free from imperfection)]. He said, "Shall I not inform you of what is easier or better than this for you?'' You should say: `Subhan-Allah `adada ma khalaqa fis -sama', wa Subhaanallahi `adada ma khalaqa fil-’ardhi, wa Subhaanallahi `adada ma baina dhalika, wa Subhaanallahi `adada ma Huwa Khaliqun, wallaahu Akbar mithla dhalika, wal-hamdu lillaahi mithla dhalika, wa la ilaha illallahu mithla dhalika, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illaa billaahi mithla dhalika (Subhan-Allah, equal to the number of what He created in the heaven; and Subhan-Allah, equal to the number of His creatures in the earth; and Subhan-Allah, equal to the number in between them; and Subhan-Allah equal to the number of those He will create).' Then say: `Allaahu Akbar' (Allah is Greatest) in the same way. Then say: `Al-hamdu lillah' (praise be to Allah) in the same way. Then say: `La ilaha illallaah' (there is no true god except Allah) in the same way. Then say: `La hawla wa la quwwata illaa billah' (there is no change of a condition nor power except by Allah) in the same manner.''
[At -Tirmidhi].
Commentary: Sheikh Al-Albani has accepted this Hadith as Hasan because of the defect in its authority. He has stated that the original narration of it is without any reference to gravels and stones (of fruits) and that is "Sahih'' and has been mentioned by Imam Muslim in his Sahih with reference to Jawairiyah (May Allah be pleased with her). (See Riyad-us-Saliheen, edited by Sheikh Al-Albani).
1443. Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to me, "Shall I not guide you to a treasure from the treasures of Jannah?'' I said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!'' Thereupon he (PBUH) said, "(Recite) `La hawla wa la quwwata illaa billah' (There is no change of a condition nor power except by Allah).''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: In this Hadith the invocation "La hawla wa la quwwata illaa billah'' has been regarded a treasure of Jannah or one of the most precious stores of Jannah. The reason for its high eminence seems to be that through it, one makes a confession of his utter weakness and helplessness and attributes all power and authority to Allah, and this is very much liked by Allah. This statement is an outright admission that man has no power and if he can prevent himself from any mischief or do any good deed, it is only by the Will of Allah and His Permission.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 1243 Narrated by AbuHurayrah
Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: If anyone extols Allah after every prayer thirty-three times, and praises Allah thirty-three times, and declares His Greatness thirty-three, times, ninety-nine times in all, and say to complete a hundred: "There is no god but Allah, having no partner with Him, to Him belongs sovereignty and to Him to praise due, and He is Potent over everything," his sins will be forgiven even if these are as abundant as the foam of the sea.
If we look into the Quran we will find that the word “Zikr” occurs 268 times in the Quran and has 63 derivatives used in the Book, the Quran. This word “Zikr” has many connotations in Islam. It’s almost opposite is “Nissiyane” (forgetting). This verb occurs 45 times in the Quran; and 28 of its derivatives have also been mentioned in the sacred Book.
The root of Zikr is Za-Kaf-Ra. Some of its meanings are:
* Az-Zikro Wattazk’aro: It means to preserve something, to keep alive in mind; this word is used opposite to NASYUN, which means to forget (6:68)
* At tazkerato: It means
To remind something which is needed?
The Quran has also been called As-Zikro because it contains the history and Causes or Laws for the rise and fall of nations
*
Zikrun also means to remain steadfast in the battlefield and thus ensures the supremacy of Divine Laws. The Divine Laws are also called Zikrullah (39:23). It has also been used in the context of dignity, honour, respect, fame and saying something good (43:44)
*
Verse (2:152) says Faz Kurunee Azkur Kum -‘You keep in view My Laws and I shall protect your rights and grace you with dignity and honour'
In short Zikr means
1.
To remain steadfast in the battle field
2.
Ponder over the secrets of nature
3.
Take lesson from the previous history of nations
4.
Keep in view the Divine Laws and take decisions accordingly
5.
Propagate or give publicity to the Divine Laws
6.
These are the steps which install peace of mind (13:28) and not the rotation of beads or retreating to the caves or hujras
Keep these meanings in view, study the Quran and grasp the places where this word has been used. You will understand the real perspective and get the action verbs commanding you to do the things practically.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
Friday, 23 July 2010
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Sha`ban is My Month -Muhammad saw
Alhamdullillah,
Asalaamu 'alaikum wa rahmat Ullahi wa barakaatuh,
We are leaving the month of Shabaan quickly moving into the radar of the Blessed Ramadan.
Yeah so Ramadhan is on its way (YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY! )......and we should prepare for it, Insha Allah.
I thought it may be beneficial for us, in preparation for Ramadhan to look at the virtues of the month of Sha'ban and the authentic good practices that are encouraged in it:
Sha'ban is the name of the (eigth) month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and it is so called because in this month the Arabs used to disperse (tasha'aba) in search of water, or it was said that it is so called because it sha'aba (branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadan.
Sha`ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad . It is reported in authentic ahadith that Prophet Muhammad , used to fast most of the month in Sha`ban. These fasts are supererogatory (nafl) and well deserving of reward, for Sha`ban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan. The Prophet mentioned in a hadith, "Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha`ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of the Nation".
Know that Sha'ban is from amongst the greatest of months, a month whose blessings are
well known and its goodness readily present. Repentance in it is from amongst the best
reaping for a believer, and worship in it is most profitable.
It is the month of the Prophet, upon him be peace, as mentioned in the hadith "Rajab is
the month of Allah, Sha'ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of the Qu'ran". It is
the month in which he split the moon, and the verse "Verily Allah and His Angels send
blessings upon the Prophet. Oh you who believe! Send your prayers and blessings upon
him and salute him well!” {Ahzab:56} was revealed, hence it is the month of sending
salaw't upon the Prophet, so send your blessings upon him profusely!
It is also the month of the middle night of Sha'ban, the night in which the provisions of
created beings are allotted. It is mentioned in the book Tuhfat al-Ikhwan, narrated from
Ata' ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, that "….there is no night better after the
night of Qadr than the 15th night of Sha'ban".
Note that after the decree of Allah is made apparent to the Angels there is no changing it,
however before that, it is in the Tablet (Lawh), where Allah can take from or add to it as He
so wills, glory be to Him. Many ahhadith narrate that it is the night in which Allah
decrees all good works and provisions to those who seek it. The apparent wisdom behind
this is of awakening desire and warning. Awakening desire to attain towards good works
through obedience and action so felicity may be written for him, and warning of sin in that
night out of fear that one may be considered amongst the dead heartened and that it be
written for them like that for the remainder of the year.
It is reported in the book Tuhfat al-Ikhwan that the Messenger of Allah, upon him be
peace, said "Verily Allah forgives all of the believers on this night, except the fornicator, the
one who drinks alcohol and the one disobedient to his/her parents". From other ahhadith it
can be gathered that this list be expanded to the one who associates partners with Allah
(mushrik), the one who breaks family ties of kinship amongst others.
It is said that the first ten days of Rajab were preferred over other months due to the 1st
night of Rajab, and the second ten days of Sha'ban were preferred over other months due
to the 15th night, and that the last ten days of Ramadan were preferred over others due to
the night of power (Qadr).
Note that the recommendation of praying 100 raka's of voluntary prayer (nafl), or anything
similar, is an innovation and has no basis. It is more preferable to engage in salat al-tasbih
as was taught by the Prophet .
Selected ad’iyah (du’a’s - prayers)
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said "Never did a servant invoke
Allah with this invocation except that Allah will widen for him his living".
Du’a’:
In the name of Allah, most Merciful, most Compassionate. Prayers and blessings upon our
master Muhammad saw, and his family and companions
O Allah, Tireless Owner of Bounty. O Owner of Sublimity, Honor, Power, and Blessings.
There is no Allah except You,
the Support of refugees and Neighbour of those who seek nearness,
Guardian of the fearful.
O Allah, if you have written in Your Book that I be
abject, deprived, banished, and tight-fisted,
then erase O Allah, through Your bounty,
my misery, deprivation, banishment, and stinginess
and establish me with You as happy, provided with
blessings, for surely You have said—and Your Word
is True—in Your Revealed Book on the tongue of
Your Messenger,
“Allah blots out or confirms what He
pleases, and with Him is the Mother of Books.” (13:39)
My God, by the Great Manifestation of the Night of the
middle of the Noble Month of Sha`b?n
“in which every affair of wisdom is made distinct and
authorized,“(44:4) remove from us calamities—those
we know and those we do not know, and Thou
knowest best—for surely You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.
Du’a’:
The following du’a is attributed to the great Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (ra), which he
composed specifically for the blessed night of the 15th:
Oh Allah, if you manifest Yourself to Your
creation on the mid-night of Sha'ban
Then bring unto us your relenting and
protection
And decree for us, by your bounty, abundant
provision
And let us be counted from amongst those who
uphold your right in this night
Oh Allah, whosoever you ordained for them
death, then ordain with that your mercy for
them
And whosoever you ordained for them a long
life, then grant them Your favour with that
And realise for us what our hopes cannot
Oh Greatest before whom feet have stood, oh
Lord of the worlds
Your mercy! Oh most Merciful of those who
show mercy
And prayers of God, most High, be upon our
master Muhammad saw, the best of His creation,
and upon his family and companions.
Oh Allah may you send your blessings (prayers) upon our master Muhammad(PBUH) saw, your
servant and messenger, the unlettered Prophet, and upon his family and companions
1. The blessed companion Anas , reports that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was asked, "Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasts of Ramadan?" He replied, "Fasts of Sha`ban in honor of Ramadan."
2. The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid , reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad : "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha`ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." Prophet Muhammad , replied: "That (Sha`ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting."
3. Ummul Mu'mineen `Aishah (r), says, "Prophet Muhammad , used to fast the whole of Sha`ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha`ban your favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting.’"
4. In another Tradition she says, "Prophet Muhammad , would sometimes begin to fast continuously until we thought he would not stop fasting, and sometimes he used to stop fasting until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting a complete month, except the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting in a month more frequently than he did in Sha`ban."
5. In another report she says, "I never saw the Messenger of Allah, , fasting in a month so profusely as he did in the month of Sha`ban. He used to fast in that month leaving only a few days, rather, he used to fast almost the whole of the month."
6. Ummul-Mu'mineen Umm Salamah (r), says: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha`ban and Ramadan."
These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha`ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet Muhammad did not like to miss it.
When Sha'ban began, if the Prophet (PBUH) still had some voluntary fasts outstanding that he had not fasted, he would make them up during Sha'ban so that his nafl fasts would be complete before Ramadan came. Similarly, if he had missed some Sunnah prayers or he had missed Qiyam al-Layl (night prayer), he would make it up. 'A'ishah used to make the most of this opportunity to make up any obligatory Ramadan fasts that she had missed because of menstruation; during other months she was too busy with the Prophet (PBUH) to fast.
We should also note here that anyone who has any missed fasts to make up has to make them up before the next Ramadan comes. It is not permissible to delay it until after the following Ramadan except in cases of necessity (such as a valid excuse that continues between the two Ramadans). Whoever is able to make them up before the (second) Ramadan and does not do so, has to make them up after the (second) Ramadan and in addition to that, he has to repent and to feed one poor person for each day that he missed. This is the view of Malik, al-Shafa'i and Ahmad.
Another benefit of fasting in Sha'ban is that it is a kind of training for the Ramadan fast, in case a person finds it difficult to fast when Ramadan starts; if he fasts in Sha'ban he will have gotten used to fasting and he will feel strong and energetic when Ramadan comes. Sha'ban is like an introduction to Ramadan and it has some things in common with Ramadan, such as fasting, reciting Qur'an and giving in charity. Salamah ibn Suhayl used to say: "The month of Sha'ban is the month of reciters (of the Qur'an)." Habeeb ibn Abi Thabit used to say, when Sha'ban came, "This is the month of reciters (of the Qur'an)." When Sha'ban came, 'Amr ibn Qays al-Mala'i used to close his store and devote his time to reading the Qur'an.
Fasting at the end of Sha'ban
It was reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim from 'Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said to a man, "Have you fasted anything of the sirar of this month?" He said, "No." He said: "If you have not fasted, then fast two days." According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari: I think he meant Ramadan. According to a report narrated by Muslim, (the Prophet - PBUH) said: "Have you fasted anything of the sirar of Sha'ban?"
There was some dispute as to the meaning of the word sirar. The most well known view is that it refers to the end of the month. The end of the month is called sirar because the moon is hidden at that time. Someone may raise the point that it was reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Do not pre-empt Ramadan by one or two days, except for those who have the habit of fasting regularly, in which case they may fast." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
How can we reconcile the hadeeth which encourages fasting at this time with the hadeeth which says not to fast at this time? The answer is: many of the scholars and most of those who commented on this hadeeth said: this man to whom the Prophet (PBUH) addressed this question was known to have the habit of fasting regularly, or else he had made a vow, so the Prophet (PBUH) commanded him to make up his fast. There are also other points of view on this issue.
In brief we may say that there are three scenarios for fasting at the end of Sha'ban:
The first scenario is when a person fasts at the end of Sha'ban with the intention of being on the safe side and not missing the first day of Ramadan. This is forbidden.
The second scenario is when a person fasts with the intention of fulfilling a vow or of making up a day of Ramadan that he missed or as an act of expiation (kaffarah), etc. This is permissible according to the majority.
The third scenario is when this is purely a voluntary fast. This is regarded as makrooh (disliked) by those who said that we should differentiate between Sha'ban and Ramadan by not fasting for a while. Among those who said this was al-Hasan. If it happens to coincide with a day when a person habitually fasts, Malik and those who agreed with him permitted this, but al-Shafa'i, al-'Awza'i, Ahmad and others made a distinction between cases where it is a fast which a person habitually observes or otherwise.
In conclusion, the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah R.A. quoted above is what we should follow according to the majority of scholars. It is makrooh to observe a voluntary fast one or two days before Ramadan for those who do not habitually fast on those days and who have not previously fasted until the end of Sha'ban.
It may be asked: why is it makrooh to fast just before Ramadan (for those who do not have a prior habit of fasting)? The answer is that there are a number of reasons why this is so, such as:
Firstly: lest extra days be added to the fast of Ramadan that are not part of it. Fasting on the day of Eid is prohibited for the same reason, lest we fall into the same trap as the People of the Book with regard to fasting, as they added to their fasts because of their own whims and desires. For the same reason it is also forbidden to fast on the "day of doubt". 'Ammar said: whoever fasts on this day has disobeyed Abu'l-Qasim (PBUH). The "day of doubt" is a day when people are not sure whether it is Ramadan or not, when news of the sighting of the crescent moon comes from one whose word cannot be accepted. As for a cloudy day, some of the 'ulama' said that this was also a 'day of doubt' and said that fasting was not allowed on this day. This is the view of the majority.
Secondly: to make a distinction between fard (obligatory) fasts and nafl fasts, because making a clear distinction between fard actions and nafl actions is prescribed in Islam. Hence it is haram to fast on the day of Eid, and the Prophet (PBUH) forbade following an obligatory prayer immediately with another prayer unless they are separated by saying salam or speaking, especially in the case of the Sunnah prayer performed just before Fajr. It is prescribed to make a clear separation between this prayer and the obligatory prayer. Hence it is prescribed to pray it at home and to lie down afterwards.
When the Prophet (PBUH) saw a man praying at the time when the iqamah had been given for Fajr, he said to him: "Al-Subh is four rak'ahs?" (Narrated by al-Bukhari).
Some ignorant people may think that the reason why we do not fast just before Ramadan is so that we can make the most of eating and have our fill of our desires before we have to deny ourselves by fasting. This is an ignorant mistake on the part of those who think this.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following:
“This month is between Rajab and Ramadan; People are ignorant of this month, which is between Rajab and Ramadan. It is the month in which the deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds. I want my deeds to be presented to Allah when I am fasting.”(8)
If we appreciate these holy days and render our days and nights blessed and fruitful spiritually, we will benefit from the abundance and prosperity f this month more. The fasting performed in those months is not fard or wajib (obligatory); it is sunnah. We should try to fast in order to obtain rewards by following our Prophet.
May Almighty God make us benefit from the light and prosperity of the month of Shaban in the maximum degree. Amin.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
Asalaamu 'alaikum wa rahmat Ullahi wa barakaatuh,
We are leaving the month of Shabaan quickly moving into the radar of the Blessed Ramadan.
Yeah so Ramadhan is on its way (YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY! )......and we should prepare for it, Insha Allah.
I thought it may be beneficial for us, in preparation for Ramadhan to look at the virtues of the month of Sha'ban and the authentic good practices that are encouraged in it:
Sha'ban is the name of the (eigth) month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and it is so called because in this month the Arabs used to disperse (tasha'aba) in search of water, or it was said that it is so called because it sha'aba (branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadan.
Sha`ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad . It is reported in authentic ahadith that Prophet Muhammad , used to fast most of the month in Sha`ban. These fasts are supererogatory (nafl) and well deserving of reward, for Sha`ban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan. The Prophet mentioned in a hadith, "Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha`ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of the Nation".
Know that Sha'ban is from amongst the greatest of months, a month whose blessings are
well known and its goodness readily present. Repentance in it is from amongst the best
reaping for a believer, and worship in it is most profitable.
It is the month of the Prophet, upon him be peace, as mentioned in the hadith "Rajab is
the month of Allah, Sha'ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of the Qu'ran". It is
the month in which he split the moon, and the verse "Verily Allah and His Angels send
blessings upon the Prophet. Oh you who believe! Send your prayers and blessings upon
him and salute him well!” {Ahzab:56} was revealed, hence it is the month of sending
salaw't upon the Prophet, so send your blessings upon him profusely!
It is also the month of the middle night of Sha'ban, the night in which the provisions of
created beings are allotted. It is mentioned in the book Tuhfat al-Ikhwan, narrated from
Ata' ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, that "….there is no night better after the
night of Qadr than the 15th night of Sha'ban".
Note that after the decree of Allah is made apparent to the Angels there is no changing it,
however before that, it is in the Tablet (Lawh), where Allah can take from or add to it as He
so wills, glory be to Him. Many ahhadith narrate that it is the night in which Allah
decrees all good works and provisions to those who seek it. The apparent wisdom behind
this is of awakening desire and warning. Awakening desire to attain towards good works
through obedience and action so felicity may be written for him, and warning of sin in that
night out of fear that one may be considered amongst the dead heartened and that it be
written for them like that for the remainder of the year.
It is reported in the book Tuhfat al-Ikhwan that the Messenger of Allah, upon him be
peace, said "Verily Allah forgives all of the believers on this night, except the fornicator, the
one who drinks alcohol and the one disobedient to his/her parents". From other ahhadith it
can be gathered that this list be expanded to the one who associates partners with Allah
(mushrik), the one who breaks family ties of kinship amongst others.
It is said that the first ten days of Rajab were preferred over other months due to the 1st
night of Rajab, and the second ten days of Sha'ban were preferred over other months due
to the 15th night, and that the last ten days of Ramadan were preferred over others due to
the night of power (Qadr).
Note that the recommendation of praying 100 raka's of voluntary prayer (nafl), or anything
similar, is an innovation and has no basis. It is more preferable to engage in salat al-tasbih
as was taught by the Prophet .
Selected ad’iyah (du’a’s - prayers)
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said "Never did a servant invoke
Allah with this invocation except that Allah will widen for him his living".
Du’a’:
In the name of Allah, most Merciful, most Compassionate. Prayers and blessings upon our
master Muhammad saw, and his family and companions
O Allah, Tireless Owner of Bounty. O Owner of Sublimity, Honor, Power, and Blessings.
There is no Allah except You,
the Support of refugees and Neighbour of those who seek nearness,
Guardian of the fearful.
O Allah, if you have written in Your Book that I be
abject, deprived, banished, and tight-fisted,
then erase O Allah, through Your bounty,
my misery, deprivation, banishment, and stinginess
and establish me with You as happy, provided with
blessings, for surely You have said—and Your Word
is True—in Your Revealed Book on the tongue of
Your Messenger,
“Allah blots out or confirms what He
pleases, and with Him is the Mother of Books.” (13:39)
My God, by the Great Manifestation of the Night of the
middle of the Noble Month of Sha`b?n
“in which every affair of wisdom is made distinct and
authorized,“(44:4) remove from us calamities—those
we know and those we do not know, and Thou
knowest best—for surely You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.
Du’a’:
The following du’a is attributed to the great Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (ra), which he
composed specifically for the blessed night of the 15th:
Oh Allah, if you manifest Yourself to Your
creation on the mid-night of Sha'ban
Then bring unto us your relenting and
protection
And decree for us, by your bounty, abundant
provision
And let us be counted from amongst those who
uphold your right in this night
Oh Allah, whosoever you ordained for them
death, then ordain with that your mercy for
them
And whosoever you ordained for them a long
life, then grant them Your favour with that
And realise for us what our hopes cannot
Oh Greatest before whom feet have stood, oh
Lord of the worlds
Your mercy! Oh most Merciful of those who
show mercy
And prayers of God, most High, be upon our
master Muhammad saw, the best of His creation,
and upon his family and companions.
Oh Allah may you send your blessings (prayers) upon our master Muhammad(PBUH) saw, your
servant and messenger, the unlettered Prophet, and upon his family and companions
1. The blessed companion Anas , reports that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was asked, "Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasts of Ramadan?" He replied, "Fasts of Sha`ban in honor of Ramadan."
2. The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid , reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad : "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha`ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." Prophet Muhammad , replied: "That (Sha`ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting."
3. Ummul Mu'mineen `Aishah (r), says, "Prophet Muhammad , used to fast the whole of Sha`ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha`ban your favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting.’"
4. In another Tradition she says, "Prophet Muhammad , would sometimes begin to fast continuously until we thought he would not stop fasting, and sometimes he used to stop fasting until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting a complete month, except the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting in a month more frequently than he did in Sha`ban."
5. In another report she says, "I never saw the Messenger of Allah, , fasting in a month so profusely as he did in the month of Sha`ban. He used to fast in that month leaving only a few days, rather, he used to fast almost the whole of the month."
6. Ummul-Mu'mineen Umm Salamah (r), says: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha`ban and Ramadan."
These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha`ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet Muhammad did not like to miss it.
When Sha'ban began, if the Prophet (PBUH) still had some voluntary fasts outstanding that he had not fasted, he would make them up during Sha'ban so that his nafl fasts would be complete before Ramadan came. Similarly, if he had missed some Sunnah prayers or he had missed Qiyam al-Layl (night prayer), he would make it up. 'A'ishah used to make the most of this opportunity to make up any obligatory Ramadan fasts that she had missed because of menstruation; during other months she was too busy with the Prophet (PBUH) to fast.
We should also note here that anyone who has any missed fasts to make up has to make them up before the next Ramadan comes. It is not permissible to delay it until after the following Ramadan except in cases of necessity (such as a valid excuse that continues between the two Ramadans). Whoever is able to make them up before the (second) Ramadan and does not do so, has to make them up after the (second) Ramadan and in addition to that, he has to repent and to feed one poor person for each day that he missed. This is the view of Malik, al-Shafa'i and Ahmad.
Another benefit of fasting in Sha'ban is that it is a kind of training for the Ramadan fast, in case a person finds it difficult to fast when Ramadan starts; if he fasts in Sha'ban he will have gotten used to fasting and he will feel strong and energetic when Ramadan comes. Sha'ban is like an introduction to Ramadan and it has some things in common with Ramadan, such as fasting, reciting Qur'an and giving in charity. Salamah ibn Suhayl used to say: "The month of Sha'ban is the month of reciters (of the Qur'an)." Habeeb ibn Abi Thabit used to say, when Sha'ban came, "This is the month of reciters (of the Qur'an)." When Sha'ban came, 'Amr ibn Qays al-Mala'i used to close his store and devote his time to reading the Qur'an.
Fasting at the end of Sha'ban
It was reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim from 'Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said to a man, "Have you fasted anything of the sirar of this month?" He said, "No." He said: "If you have not fasted, then fast two days." According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari: I think he meant Ramadan. According to a report narrated by Muslim, (the Prophet - PBUH) said: "Have you fasted anything of the sirar of Sha'ban?"
There was some dispute as to the meaning of the word sirar. The most well known view is that it refers to the end of the month. The end of the month is called sirar because the moon is hidden at that time. Someone may raise the point that it was reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Do not pre-empt Ramadan by one or two days, except for those who have the habit of fasting regularly, in which case they may fast." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
How can we reconcile the hadeeth which encourages fasting at this time with the hadeeth which says not to fast at this time? The answer is: many of the scholars and most of those who commented on this hadeeth said: this man to whom the Prophet (PBUH) addressed this question was known to have the habit of fasting regularly, or else he had made a vow, so the Prophet (PBUH) commanded him to make up his fast. There are also other points of view on this issue.
In brief we may say that there are three scenarios for fasting at the end of Sha'ban:
The first scenario is when a person fasts at the end of Sha'ban with the intention of being on the safe side and not missing the first day of Ramadan. This is forbidden.
The second scenario is when a person fasts with the intention of fulfilling a vow or of making up a day of Ramadan that he missed or as an act of expiation (kaffarah), etc. This is permissible according to the majority.
The third scenario is when this is purely a voluntary fast. This is regarded as makrooh (disliked) by those who said that we should differentiate between Sha'ban and Ramadan by not fasting for a while. Among those who said this was al-Hasan. If it happens to coincide with a day when a person habitually fasts, Malik and those who agreed with him permitted this, but al-Shafa'i, al-'Awza'i, Ahmad and others made a distinction between cases where it is a fast which a person habitually observes or otherwise.
In conclusion, the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah R.A. quoted above is what we should follow according to the majority of scholars. It is makrooh to observe a voluntary fast one or two days before Ramadan for those who do not habitually fast on those days and who have not previously fasted until the end of Sha'ban.
It may be asked: why is it makrooh to fast just before Ramadan (for those who do not have a prior habit of fasting)? The answer is that there are a number of reasons why this is so, such as:
Firstly: lest extra days be added to the fast of Ramadan that are not part of it. Fasting on the day of Eid is prohibited for the same reason, lest we fall into the same trap as the People of the Book with regard to fasting, as they added to their fasts because of their own whims and desires. For the same reason it is also forbidden to fast on the "day of doubt". 'Ammar said: whoever fasts on this day has disobeyed Abu'l-Qasim (PBUH). The "day of doubt" is a day when people are not sure whether it is Ramadan or not, when news of the sighting of the crescent moon comes from one whose word cannot be accepted. As for a cloudy day, some of the 'ulama' said that this was also a 'day of doubt' and said that fasting was not allowed on this day. This is the view of the majority.
Secondly: to make a distinction between fard (obligatory) fasts and nafl fasts, because making a clear distinction between fard actions and nafl actions is prescribed in Islam. Hence it is haram to fast on the day of Eid, and the Prophet (PBUH) forbade following an obligatory prayer immediately with another prayer unless they are separated by saying salam or speaking, especially in the case of the Sunnah prayer performed just before Fajr. It is prescribed to make a clear separation between this prayer and the obligatory prayer. Hence it is prescribed to pray it at home and to lie down afterwards.
When the Prophet (PBUH) saw a man praying at the time when the iqamah had been given for Fajr, he said to him: "Al-Subh is four rak'ahs?" (Narrated by al-Bukhari).
Some ignorant people may think that the reason why we do not fast just before Ramadan is so that we can make the most of eating and have our fill of our desires before we have to deny ourselves by fasting. This is an ignorant mistake on the part of those who think this.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following:
“This month is between Rajab and Ramadan; People are ignorant of this month, which is between Rajab and Ramadan. It is the month in which the deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds. I want my deeds to be presented to Allah when I am fasting.”(8)
If we appreciate these holy days and render our days and nights blessed and fruitful spiritually, we will benefit from the abundance and prosperity f this month more. The fasting performed in those months is not fard or wajib (obligatory); it is sunnah. We should try to fast in order to obtain rewards by following our Prophet.
May Almighty God make us benefit from the light and prosperity of the month of Shaban in the maximum degree. Amin.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
Monday, 19 July 2010
Witchcraft was directed against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
Praise be to Allaah.
Witchcraft or magic is real and that it can have an effect _ if Allaah wills and decrees it _ on the body of the one against whom it is directed, and it could even kill him.
Imaam al-Quraafi said: "Witchcraft is real and the person against whom it is directed could die, or his mood and habits could be changed… This was also the view of al-Shaafa'i and Ibn Hanbal…"
The Mu'tazilah and Qadariyyah did not agree with this… but that is of no significance. Al-Quraafi and others mentioned that the Sahaabah agreed that it (witchcraft) is real, before there emerged anybody who denied this.
Among the evidence of Ahl al-Sunnah is:
The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)." And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not." [al-Baqarah 2:102]
This aayah clearly indicates what is being asked about here, which is that witchcraft is real and that the practitioner of witchcraft can cause separation between a man and his wife and that he can cause harm to people by his witchcraft _ if that is decreed by the universal will of Allaah.
The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"And from the evil of the witchrafts when they blow in the knots" [al-Falaq 113:4]
`the witchcrafts when they blow in the knots' refers to witches or female practitioners of witchcraft who tie knots as part of their magic and blow on them. If witchcraft were not real, Allaah would not have commanded us to seek refuge from it.
Further proof is to be seen in the fact that witchcraft was directed against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by the Jew Labeed ibn al-A'sam. This is a saheeh hadeeth which was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
Further evidence is to be seen in the real-life experiences of many people, which cannot be overlooked.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: the witchcraft which causes people to be sick or to feel depressed, or which makes them love or hate, exists and is well known to all people. Many people have experienced what it can do to them." (al-Tafseer al-Qayyim, p. 571).
Ibn Qudaamah said: "It is well known among people that a man can be separated from his wife (by witchcraft) when he gets married, so that he is unable to have intercourse with her, but when the spell is lifted, then he is able to have intercourse with her. This is so commonly known that it cannot be denied. There are so many reports of witchcraft that it is inconceivable that so many people would agree on a lie."
(al-Mughni, 8/151)
There are many ways of protecting oneself against witchcraft:
The best way is to fear Allaah, obey His commands, put one's trust in Him, seek refuge with Allaah, and start each morning by eating seven dates. All of these were narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth.
There are many ways of removing the effects of witchcraft, including:
Ruqyah [prayers, supplications], the best of which is supplications from the Qur'aan, then du'aa's narrated in saheeh haadeeth.
Finding the objects used for witchcraft purposes and doing something to neutralize them.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: the Sunnah for treating this sickness _ two kinds were transmitted from him:
One of them _ which is the best _ is to locate and neutralize the object, as it was reported in a saheeh hadeeth that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked his Lord about that, and He directed him to a well where he found a comb, some hairs that had fallen when he combed his hair ….…. When he removed these things from the well, he felt better, as if he had recovered from an illness. This is this is the best way of dealing with this problem, and is like removing something bad from the body by expelling it.
Cupping, induced vomiting and surgery.
Ibn al-Qayyim said _ continuing what he said in the words quoted above: "The second kind is by physically removing the place affected by the witchcraft, because witchcraft has an effect on human nature and the bodily humours, and can affect moods. If its effects are noted in any part if the body and it is possible to remove the bad material, this will be very beneficial." (Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/124, 125).
Divination and magic in Islam encompass a wide range of practices, including black magic, warding off the evil eye, the production of amulets and other magical equipment, conjuring, casting lots, astrology, and physiognomy. Muslims do commonly believe in magic (Sihr) and explicitly forbid its practice. Sihr translates from Arabic as sorcery or black magic. The best known reference to magic in Islam is the Surah Al-Falaq (meaning dawn or daybreak), which is known as a prayer to Allah to ward off black magic.
Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn From the mischief of created things; From the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads; From the mischief of those who practise secret arts; And from the mischief of the envious one as he practises envy. (Quran 113:1–5)
Also according to the Quran:
And they follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind sorcery and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut ... And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew. (al-Qur'an 2:102)
However, whereas performing miracles in Islamic thought and belief is reserved for only Messengers and Prophets; supernatural acts are also believed to be performed by Awliyaa – the spiritually accomplished. Disbelief in the miracles of the Prophets is considered an act of disbelief; belief in the miracles of any given pious individual is not. Neither are regarded as magic, but as signs of Allah at the hands of those close to Him that occur by His will and His alone.
Some Muslim practitioners believe that they may seek the help of the Jinn (singular—jinni) in magic. It is a common belief that jinn can possess a human, thus requiring Exorcism. Still, the practice of seeking help to the Jinn is prohibited and regarded the same as seeking help to a devil.
The belief in jinn is part of the Muslim faith. Imam Muslim narrated the Prophet said: "Allah created the angels from light, created the jinn from the pure flame of fire, and Adam from that which was described to you (i.e., the clay.)".
Also in the Quran, chapter of Jinn:
And persons from among men used to seek refuge with persons from among the jinn, so they increased them in evil doing.
—(The Holy Qur'an) (72:6)
To cast off the jinn from the body of the possessed, the "ruqya," which is from the Prophet's sunnah is used. The ruqya contains verses of the Qur'an as well as prayers which are specifically targeted against demons. The knowledge of which verses of the Qur'an to use in what way is what is considered "magic knowledge".
There is a Hadeeth recorded by Al-Bukhari which narrates that one who has eaten seven dates in the morning will not be adversely affected by magic in the course of that day.
Students of the history of religion have linked several magical practises in Islam with pre-islamic Turkish and East African customs. Most notable of these customs is the Zar Ceremony.
Is there any report which says that the jinn have angels watching over them to record their deeds?
Do the jinn have angels who record their deeds as humans have?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The jinn are accountable just as humans are; those of them who obey Allah will enter Paradise, and those who disobey Him will enter Hell. The words of the Qur’aan are addressed to them too and they will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection for their deeds, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And they have invented a kinship between Him and the jinn, but the jinn know well that they have indeed to appear (before Him) (i.e. they will be called to account)”
[al-Saaffaat 37:158].
Mujaahid said: They will be brought to account, as it says in Jaami‘al-Bayaan by al-Tabari (21/122). Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) included a chapter in his Saheeh entitled “Mention of the jinn and their reward and punishment”, in which he quoted some verses, including this verse, and he quoted the tafseer of Mujaahid (may Allah have mercy on him).
Al-‘Allaamah al-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
i.e., these mushrikeen claimed there was a relationship between Allah and the jinn, as the claim that the angels were the daughters of Allah and that their mothers were the daughters of the masters among the jinn. But in fact, the jinn know that they will be brought to account before Allah, to be rewarded or punished, and if there were any relationship between them and Him, that would not be the case. End quote.
Tafseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan, p. 708
The evidence for this has been discussed in detail in the answer to question number 2340 and 13378.
Secondly:
As for how the deeds of the jinn are recorded and whether their situation in this regard is like that of humans, for each of whom Allah has appointed two angels to record his deeds and watch over his actions, that is a matter of the unseen which Allah has not told us about. The verses and hadeeths that speak of that have to do with humans, not jinn, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O man! What has made you careless about your Lord, the Most Generous?
7. Who created you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion.
8. In whatever form He willed, He put you together.
9. Nay! But you deny Deen (i.e. the Day of Recompense).
10. But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you,
11. Kiraaman (Honourable) Kaatibeen —writing down (your deeds),
12. They know all that you do”
[al-Infitaar 82:6-12].
And He says:
“And indeed We have created man, and We know what his ownself whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge).
17. (Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions).
18. Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)”
[Qaaf 50:16-18].
So knowledge of the jinn remains with the Creator alone, in addition to the fact that there is little benefit in pursuing knowledge of such matters that have nothing to do with belief and on which no actions are based.
And Allah knows best.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
Witchcraft or magic is real and that it can have an effect _ if Allaah wills and decrees it _ on the body of the one against whom it is directed, and it could even kill him.
Imaam al-Quraafi said: "Witchcraft is real and the person against whom it is directed could die, or his mood and habits could be changed… This was also the view of al-Shaafa'i and Ibn Hanbal…"
The Mu'tazilah and Qadariyyah did not agree with this… but that is of no significance. Al-Quraafi and others mentioned that the Sahaabah agreed that it (witchcraft) is real, before there emerged anybody who denied this.
Among the evidence of Ahl al-Sunnah is:
The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)." And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not." [al-Baqarah 2:102]
This aayah clearly indicates what is being asked about here, which is that witchcraft is real and that the practitioner of witchcraft can cause separation between a man and his wife and that he can cause harm to people by his witchcraft _ if that is decreed by the universal will of Allaah.
The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"And from the evil of the witchrafts when they blow in the knots" [al-Falaq 113:4]
`the witchcrafts when they blow in the knots' refers to witches or female practitioners of witchcraft who tie knots as part of their magic and blow on them. If witchcraft were not real, Allaah would not have commanded us to seek refuge from it.
Further proof is to be seen in the fact that witchcraft was directed against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by the Jew Labeed ibn al-A'sam. This is a saheeh hadeeth which was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
Further evidence is to be seen in the real-life experiences of many people, which cannot be overlooked.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: the witchcraft which causes people to be sick or to feel depressed, or which makes them love or hate, exists and is well known to all people. Many people have experienced what it can do to them." (al-Tafseer al-Qayyim, p. 571).
Ibn Qudaamah said: "It is well known among people that a man can be separated from his wife (by witchcraft) when he gets married, so that he is unable to have intercourse with her, but when the spell is lifted, then he is able to have intercourse with her. This is so commonly known that it cannot be denied. There are so many reports of witchcraft that it is inconceivable that so many people would agree on a lie."
(al-Mughni, 8/151)
There are many ways of protecting oneself against witchcraft:
The best way is to fear Allaah, obey His commands, put one's trust in Him, seek refuge with Allaah, and start each morning by eating seven dates. All of these were narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth.
There are many ways of removing the effects of witchcraft, including:
Ruqyah [prayers, supplications], the best of which is supplications from the Qur'aan, then du'aa's narrated in saheeh haadeeth.
Finding the objects used for witchcraft purposes and doing something to neutralize them.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: the Sunnah for treating this sickness _ two kinds were transmitted from him:
One of them _ which is the best _ is to locate and neutralize the object, as it was reported in a saheeh hadeeth that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked his Lord about that, and He directed him to a well where he found a comb, some hairs that had fallen when he combed his hair ….…. When he removed these things from the well, he felt better, as if he had recovered from an illness. This is this is the best way of dealing with this problem, and is like removing something bad from the body by expelling it.
Cupping, induced vomiting and surgery.
Ibn al-Qayyim said _ continuing what he said in the words quoted above: "The second kind is by physically removing the place affected by the witchcraft, because witchcraft has an effect on human nature and the bodily humours, and can affect moods. If its effects are noted in any part if the body and it is possible to remove the bad material, this will be very beneficial." (Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/124, 125).
Divination and magic in Islam encompass a wide range of practices, including black magic, warding off the evil eye, the production of amulets and other magical equipment, conjuring, casting lots, astrology, and physiognomy. Muslims do commonly believe in magic (Sihr) and explicitly forbid its practice. Sihr translates from Arabic as sorcery or black magic. The best known reference to magic in Islam is the Surah Al-Falaq (meaning dawn or daybreak), which is known as a prayer to Allah to ward off black magic.
Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn From the mischief of created things; From the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads; From the mischief of those who practise secret arts; And from the mischief of the envious one as he practises envy. (Quran 113:1–5)
Also according to the Quran:
And they follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind sorcery and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut ... And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew. (al-Qur'an 2:102)
However, whereas performing miracles in Islamic thought and belief is reserved for only Messengers and Prophets; supernatural acts are also believed to be performed by Awliyaa – the spiritually accomplished. Disbelief in the miracles of the Prophets is considered an act of disbelief; belief in the miracles of any given pious individual is not. Neither are regarded as magic, but as signs of Allah at the hands of those close to Him that occur by His will and His alone.
Some Muslim practitioners believe that they may seek the help of the Jinn (singular—jinni) in magic. It is a common belief that jinn can possess a human, thus requiring Exorcism. Still, the practice of seeking help to the Jinn is prohibited and regarded the same as seeking help to a devil.
The belief in jinn is part of the Muslim faith. Imam Muslim narrated the Prophet said: "Allah created the angels from light, created the jinn from the pure flame of fire, and Adam from that which was described to you (i.e., the clay.)".
Also in the Quran, chapter of Jinn:
And persons from among men used to seek refuge with persons from among the jinn, so they increased them in evil doing.
—(The Holy Qur'an) (72:6)
To cast off the jinn from the body of the possessed, the "ruqya," which is from the Prophet's sunnah is used. The ruqya contains verses of the Qur'an as well as prayers which are specifically targeted against demons. The knowledge of which verses of the Qur'an to use in what way is what is considered "magic knowledge".
There is a Hadeeth recorded by Al-Bukhari which narrates that one who has eaten seven dates in the morning will not be adversely affected by magic in the course of that day.
Students of the history of religion have linked several magical practises in Islam with pre-islamic Turkish and East African customs. Most notable of these customs is the Zar Ceremony.
Is there any report which says that the jinn have angels watching over them to record their deeds?
Do the jinn have angels who record their deeds as humans have?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The jinn are accountable just as humans are; those of them who obey Allah will enter Paradise, and those who disobey Him will enter Hell. The words of the Qur’aan are addressed to them too and they will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection for their deeds, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And they have invented a kinship between Him and the jinn, but the jinn know well that they have indeed to appear (before Him) (i.e. they will be called to account)”
[al-Saaffaat 37:158].
Mujaahid said: They will be brought to account, as it says in Jaami‘al-Bayaan by al-Tabari (21/122). Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) included a chapter in his Saheeh entitled “Mention of the jinn and their reward and punishment”, in which he quoted some verses, including this verse, and he quoted the tafseer of Mujaahid (may Allah have mercy on him).
Al-‘Allaamah al-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
i.e., these mushrikeen claimed there was a relationship between Allah and the jinn, as the claim that the angels were the daughters of Allah and that their mothers were the daughters of the masters among the jinn. But in fact, the jinn know that they will be brought to account before Allah, to be rewarded or punished, and if there were any relationship between them and Him, that would not be the case. End quote.
Tafseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan, p. 708
The evidence for this has been discussed in detail in the answer to question number 2340 and 13378.
Secondly:
As for how the deeds of the jinn are recorded and whether their situation in this regard is like that of humans, for each of whom Allah has appointed two angels to record his deeds and watch over his actions, that is a matter of the unseen which Allah has not told us about. The verses and hadeeths that speak of that have to do with humans, not jinn, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O man! What has made you careless about your Lord, the Most Generous?
7. Who created you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion.
8. In whatever form He willed, He put you together.
9. Nay! But you deny Deen (i.e. the Day of Recompense).
10. But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you,
11. Kiraaman (Honourable) Kaatibeen —writing down (your deeds),
12. They know all that you do”
[al-Infitaar 82:6-12].
And He says:
“And indeed We have created man, and We know what his ownself whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge).
17. (Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions).
18. Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)”
[Qaaf 50:16-18].
So knowledge of the jinn remains with the Creator alone, in addition to the fact that there is little benefit in pursuing knowledge of such matters that have nothing to do with belief and on which no actions are based.
And Allah knows best.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Islamic Greeting- Assalamu Alikum Wa Rahmatulah.
Salaam - The Islamic Greeting
Islam has professed the use of the Islamic greeting when encountering another Muslim or leaving the company of another Muslim because it unifies the hearts and strengthens bonds between Muslims.
What is the history of the Islamic greeting, when did it start, and who was the one who chose it?
Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "When Allah created Adam he told him to go and say Assalamu Alikum to a group of Angels and listen to their reply. It is your greeting and the greeting of your descendants. Adam went and said: Assalamu Alikum they said Assalamu Alikum Wa Rahmatulah."
The complete form for the Islamic greeting is Assalamu Alilkum Wa Rahmatulah Wa Barakatuh meaning peace, mercy, and blessings be upon from Allah (S.W.T.). This is because Imams Abu-Dawood and At-Termithi reported in a good hadith that a man came to the prophet (S.A.W.) and said, "Assalamu Alikum." The prophet responded and the man sat down. The prophet said, "Ten rewards." Another man came and said, "Assalamu Alikum Wa Rahmatullh." The prophet responded and the man sat down. The prophet said, "twenty rewards."
Then another man came and said: Assalamu Alakum Wa Rahmatulah Wa Barakatuh. The prophet responded and the man sat down. The prophet said, "thirty rewards."
The Scholars have agreed that starting with salam is highly recommended. And responding is obligatory because Allah (S.W.T.) said in surat An-Nesa’, (verse 86), what can be translated as, "When a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or at least of equal courtesy."
It is enough for one to say the Islamic greeting to a group and it is enough for one of the group to return it. This is the meaning of the two ahadith that were reported by Imams Abu Dawood and Malik.
Imam Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "I swear by the one whose hand my soul is in that you will not enter paradise until you believe. And you won’t be believed until you love one another. May I tell you something, that if you practice it you will love another, spread the (salam) Islamic greeting among you." This makes it clear to us, that spreading salam among Muslims is the first step towards paradise. This is because spreading salam leads to increasing the love between our hearts. And the increase of love between our hearts will increase the Iman, (faith).
An authentic hadith reported by Imams At-Termithi and Ibn Majah that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Oh you people, spread salam among you, serve the food, behave kindly with your blood relations, and offer prayer at night when others are asleep, and you will enter paradise safely." And Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that a man asked the prophet (S.A.W.), "what in Islam is the best?" He (S.A.W.) answered, "To feed people and to say salam to everyone whether you know them or not."
Islamic form of greeting
Muslims all over the world use the Islamic form of greeting, "Assalamu alaikum", which means peace be to you.
“When you salute a single individual, you must say: as-salaamu ‘alaikum [using the pronoun -kum], for the angels are with him.”
It should be interesting to note that our greeting, seemingly of a simple nature, holds many keys within it. And like other keys or secrets, there are protocols upon their use. For example a hadith, tradition of the Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him), reported in the Sahih of Muslim as narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be well pleased with him) says that according to God’s Messenger (may Peace and Blessings be upon him),
“The rider should salute the walker, the walker the sitter, and the few the many.”
Another custom of the Holy Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) is shaking hands while offering salaams. This custom in particular, you will find upon meeting me that I have a fondness for, perhaps to a fault. Today, we must ask ourselves, how much of this, seemingly simple custom are we following? And if we are not what have we adopted in its place? Especially when there is blessing and reward for us in these simple customs. For instance concerning the shaking of hands, the Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) says,
“When two Muslims shake hands, their sins fall to the ground, as leaves of the tree fall to the ground.”
MashaAllah! And we pass the opportunity to rid ourselves of sins on a daily basis. Yes, mashaAllah to us! There are so many customs for greetings that are lost. But those that we have we should try our best to apply and to raise our children with, to train our children to exercise so that they can benefit from them for generations and not lose these gems, these salutations of the Prophet in later generations. Some of these customs I had never seen in regular life until I attended regular association with a shaykh. Some of which have happened more recently, these customs include:
* When entering an empty house, you must offer the salutation of peace.
o You are saluting yourself on Allah’s behalf.
o You are saluting the believing jinn who occupy the house.
o Through the blessings of peace, you are seeking safety from the devils and harmful influences present in the house.
* Custom requires the person who initiates the salutation to be in a state of ritual purity (wudu’) as well as the respondent.
* When two people meet, custom requires them to try and forestall each other in offering the salutation, as a demonstration of humility.
So clearly it is preferred to return a greeting by adding to it. But there have been so many times where I have greeted a Muslim and received no greeting at all! And perhaps times where a Muslim has greeted me and received only an equal greeting in return, or worse. These days we greet people we know, and only people we know. When we receive a greeting from someone we don’t know we are silent looking oddly as if someone has violated an unwritten code of ethics. But this unwritten code of ethics is un-Islamic by nature and egoistic at best.
I have on occasion come across Muslims who are sincere but ignorant of some of the finer points of Islamic lifestyle according to the traditions of the Holy Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him). This however, is easy to do in this day and age where there are so many forgotten traditions of the Holy Prophet which if we saw today we may think they are some strange bidat! One of these forgotten traditions is one of the most basic and fundamental elements of our dear religion, the Islamic greeting. The Islamic greeting, as-salaamu ‘alaikum; God’s Peace be upon you, is an element of good Islamic manners. In the proper conduct of greetings one may find keys to good social behavior and the proprieties of friendship and exchanges in Islamic framings.
The very wording helps generate a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. It is also common in its shorter and longer forms to all Muslim communities wherever they happen to be. Thus, when two Muslims meet who are total strangers to each other, the moment they use this greeting, they immediately feel that they have common grounds, even when they do not speak each other's languages.
The Islamic greeting has different versions, the shortest of which is the one we have already mentioned. The rule in Islam is that when we are offered a greeting, we return it with a better one, or with its equal at least. God orders in the Qur'an:
"When a greeting is offered you, answer it with an even better greeting, or (at least) with its like. God keeps count of all things."
[Surah an-Nur; 4: 86]
The better greeting and reply are illustrated in the following Hadith. Umar (radiAllahu anhu) reports that he was riding with Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) on one mount. When they passed by people, Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) greeted them saying: 'Assalamu alaikum' and they replied: 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah.' Or he may greet them saying: 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah,' for which their reply was: 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh.' Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) commented: "Today, people have gained much more than us." [Sahih al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]
We note that every time Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) offered a greeting, its reply was the same with an addition. The first one was the short form of the greeting of peace. The reply stated: 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah.' This means: 'And to you be peace together with God's mercy.' Thus, the reply adds a prayer that the person who offered us a greeting should be blessed with God's mercy, both in this life and in the life to come.
When the person who starts the greeting includes in it this same prayer for mercy to the one being accosted, the latter replies with yet another addition, 'wa barakatuh,' which adds a wish for Allah's blessing to the one who took advantage and offered us a friendly greeting. Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu's) comment at the end of the Hadith shows that he was pleased with the fact that people always replied to his greeting with a better one.
These are the normal form of greetings mostly used in Muslim communities. Rarely does a greeting go beyond these. It is reported that a man from the Yemen visited Abdullah ibn Abbas (radiAllahu anhu) and greeted him with the full greeting 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh,' but added something extra. Ibn Abbas told him: 'A greeting of peace ends with the wish for God's blessings.' This means that Ibn Abbas thought that such addition is unnecessary.
However, Kharijah ibn Zaid, a scholar of very high standing who belonged to the generation that followed the Prophet's companions, i.e. the tabieen, used to write when he addressed the caliph: 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh wa maghfiratuh wa tayyib salawatih.'
The added last phrases express a prayer that the addressee will also have Allah's forgiveness and special blessings. Kharijah would not have added these phrases if he had the slightest doubt about such addition being appropriate. His father was distinguished among the Prophet's companions for his scholarship. When we have two reputable scholars expressing opposite views, we say that one of them was aware of something the other did not know. Perhaps Kharijah was aware that when addressing a person of eminence, the use of additional phrases would be in order.
Another Hadith that speaks of the importance of the wording of the Islamic greeting quotes the Prophet as saying: 'The Jews do not envy you for anything more than they do for the greeting of peace and saying Aameen.' This Hadith stresses the special distinction given to the Islamic greeting.
The Jews the Prophet refers to here are the ones with profound knowledge, such as the well- versed rabbis. They are the ones to appreciate the significance of the Islamic greeting, assalamu alaikum.
Aameen is a word which we say when someone addresses a prayer to God. It signifies a request made to God to answer his prayer. This makes the prayer a collective one, with all those who are present joining their fellow Muslim in an appeal to God on behalf of the one who is saying that prayer. But why would the Jews be envious of our greeting?
The word 'Salam', which means peace, is also a name of Allah. Using it in our greeting is a constant reminder of the special relation between a believer and Allah.
We have already mentioned that the Prophet has encouraged us to use the Islamic greeting often, and with all people. But how important is it to greet others?
To answer this question we mention a Hadith reported by Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) who quotes the Prophet as saying: 'A Muslim has a right against his fellow Muslim in six ways.' Asked what were these, the Prophet said:
'(1)When you meet him, greet him;
(2) if he invites you, accept his invitation;
(3) if he seeks your advice, give him an honest and sincere advice;
(4) if he sneezes and praises God, bless him;
(5) if he falls ill, visit him; and
(6) if he dies, attend his funeral.'
[Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The Hadith is clear in making it a duty of a Muslim to offer a greeting to his fellow-Muslim when they meet. The one who takes the initiative is in a better position. Although offering a greeting is a sunnah, which means that it is highly recommended, returning a greeting is obligatory. The other five aspects also help to cement relations within the Muslim community. All of them fall within the category of Sunnah, except for giving an honest advice, which is obligatory. A person who is asked for advice commits a sin if he deliberately and knowingly gives the wrong advice. To do so is dishonest, and dishonesty is forbidden in Islam.
Ibn Abbas said: Whoever greeted you from the creation of Allah then return it back even if he was a Magian, for Allah said: When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it or return it. Muhammad bin Bashar, said that Salim bin Nooh said that Saeed bin Abi Arooba said that Qatada said: That part of Allah’s statement “When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it” is for the Muslims and that part of Allah’s statement “or return it” is for the People of the Book. Bashr Ibn Muath said that Yazid said that Sa’eed said that Qatada said: That part of Allah’s statement “When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it” is for the Muslims and that part of Allah’s statement “or return it” is for the People of the Book. Bashr Ibn Muath said that Yazid said that Sa’eed said that Qatada said: That part of Allah’s statement “When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it” you should greet better than you were greeted and this is only for the Muslims and that part of Allah’s statement “or return it” is for the People of the Book. Yunus told me that Ibn Wahab told him that Ibn Zayd said: That part of Allah’s statement “When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it” my father said: It is a duty on every Muslim who is greeted (by a Muslim) to greet him back with a better greeting, and if he is greeted by other than a Muslim then he should greet back just like what was said to him.
According to the commentary Muslims are to reply back a better greeting if greeted by a Muslim and an equal greeting if greeted by a non-Muslim.
Some Hadith in which the Prophet states how to reply back to the greetings of Christians and Jews…
Saheeh Bukhari
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 275:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet said, "If the people of the Scripture greet you, then you should say (in reply), 'Wa'alaikum (And on you).' "
Saheeh Muslim
Book 026, Number 5380:
Anas b. Malik reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When the People of the Book offer you salutations, you should say: The same to you.
Book 026, Number 5381:
Anas reported that the Companions of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said to him: The People of the Book offer us salutations (by saying as-Salamu- 'Alaikum). How should we reciprocate them? Thereupon he said: Say: Wa 'Alaikum (and upon you too).
So here from the Hadith we see how we should reply back to the People of the Book. But why did this command come about in the first place?
The reason could be made clear by reading the following Hadith…
Saheeh Bukhari
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 274:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "When the Jews greet you, they usually say, 'As-Samu 'alaikum (Death be on you),' so you should say (in reply to them), 'Wa'alaikum (And on you)."
Volume 8, Book 75, Number 404:
Narrated 'Aisha:
The Jews used to greet the Prophet by saying, "As-Samu 'Alaika (i.e., death be upon you), so I understood what they said, and I said to them, "As-Samu 'alaikum wal-la'na (i.e. Death and Allah's Curse be upon you)." The Prophet said, "Be gentle and calm, O 'Aisha, as Allah likes gentleness in all affairs." I said, "O Allah's Prophet! Didn't you hear what they said?" He said, "Didn't you hear me answering them back by saying, 'Alaikum (i.e., the same be upon you)?"
Volume 9, Book 84, Number 62:
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "When the Jews greet anyone of you they say: 'Sam'Alaika (death be upon you); so you should say; 'Wa 'Alaika (and upon you).'"
Volume 9, Book 84, Number 60:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
A Jew passed by Allah's Apostle and said, "As-Samu 'Alaika." Allah's Apostle said in reply, "We 'Alaika." Allah's Apostle then said to his companions, "Do you know what he (the Jew) has said? He said, 'As-Samu 'Alaika.'" They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we kill him?" The Prophet, said, "No. When the people of the Book greet you, say: 'Wa 'Alaikum.'"
Saheeh Muslim
Book 026, Number 5382:
Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When the Jews offer you salutations, tome of them say as-Sam-u-'Alaikum (death be upon you). You should say (in response to it): Let it be upon you.
Book 026, Number 5384:
'A'isha reported that a group of Jews came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and sought his audience and said: As-Sam-u-'Alaikum. A'isha said in response: As-Sim-u-'Alaikum (death be upon you) and curse also, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: 'A'isha, verily Allah loes kindness in every matter. She said: Did you bear what they said? Thereupon he said: Did you not hear that I said (to them): Wa 'Alaikum.
Book 026, Number 5386:
'A'isha reported that some Jews came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and they said: Abu'l-Qasim (the Kunya of the Holy Prophet), as-Sam-u-'Alaikum, whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Wa 'Alaikum. A'isha reported: In response to these words of theirs, I said: But let there be death upon you and disgrace also, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: 'A'isha, do not use harsh words. She said: Did you hear what they said? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Did I not respond to them when they said that; I said to them: Wa'Alaikum (let it be upon you).
Book 026, Number 5388:
Jabir b. Abdullah reported that some people from amongst the Jews said to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) Abu'l-Qasim. as-Sam-u-'Alaikum, whereupon he said: Wa 'Alaikum, A'isha was enraged and asked him (Allah's Apostle) whether he had not heard what they had said. He said, I did hear and I retorted to them (and the curse that I invoked upon them would receive response from Allah), but (the curse that they invoked upon us) would not be responded.
Abu Dawud
Book 41, Number 5187:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: When one of the Jews greets you saying: Death may come upon you, reply: The same to you.
If all the texts of this Hadith are collected and analyzed, what comes to light is the fact that the People of the Book used to mischievously twist their tongue in a swift manner and instead of saying the proper words of the salutation would say Assamu ‘alaykum (Death be to you all), which when quickly pronounced sounded very near to the original words of Assalamu ‘alaykum. It was to counter this devilish prank that the Muslims were directed to say: Wa ‘alaykum (To you too). It must be borne in mind that the Muslims were asked to give this particular reply only after the truth had been revealed in its ultimate form by the Prophet (sws) to the People of the Book after many years of propagation, and in spite of that they were not willing to submit to it. Had this ultimate stage not come, one can safely conclude that Muslims would never have been asked to reply with equally harsh words and would have continued to say the words: Assalamu ‘alaykum, the best of prayers and the best of wishes.
It also comes in Hadith that Muslims should greet every body they see…
Saheeh Bukhari
Volume 7, Book 62, Number 104:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib:
The Prophet ordered us to do seven (things) and forbade us from seven. He ordered us to visit the patients, to follow the funeral procession, to reply to the sneezer (i.e., say to him, 'Yarhamuka-l-lah (May Allah bestow His Mercy upon you), if he says 'Al-hamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah), to help others to fulfill their oaths, to help the oppressed, to greet (whomever one should meet), and to accept the invitation (to a wedding banquet). He forbade us to wear golden rings, to use silver utensils, to use Mayathir (cushions of silk stuffed with cotton and placed under the rider on the saddle), the Qasiyya (linen clothes containing silk brought from an Egyptian town), the Istibraq (thick silk) and the Dibaj (another kind of silk). (See Hadith No. 539 and 753).
Volume 7, Book 69, Number 539:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib:
Allah's Apostle ordered us to do seven things and forbade us from seven. He ordered us to visit the sick, to follow funeral processions, (to say) to a sneezer, (May Allah bestow His Mercy on you, if he says, Praise be to Allah), to accept invitations, to greet (everybody), to help the oppressed and to help others to fulfill their oaths. He forbade us to wear gold rings, to drink in silver (utensils), to use Mayathir (silken carpets placed on saddles), to wear Al-Qissi (a kind of silken cloth), to wear silk, Dibaj or Istabraq (two kinds of silk).
Volume 7, Book 70, Number 553:
Narrated Al-Bara bin Azib:
Allah's Apostle ordered us to do seven things and forbade us to do seven other things. He forbade us to wear gold rings, silk, Dibaj, Istabriq, Qissy, and Maithara; and ordered us to accompany funeral processions, visit the sick and greet everybody. (See Hadith No. 104)
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 253k:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr:
A man asked the Prophet, "What Islamic traits are the best?" The Prophet said, "Feed the people, and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know."
We see in these Hadith that the Prophet ordered us to greet people. He did not specify a limit as to whom we should greet. However, when we look at other Hadith we see that Muslims are not to initiate greetings with the People of the Book…
Saheeh Muslim
Book 026, Number 5389:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it.
Book 026, Number 5390:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Suhail with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording. The hadith transmitted on the authority of Waki', the words are 'When you meet the Jews." And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba, the words are: 'When you meet the People of the Book." And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Jarir the words are:" When you meet them," but none amongst the polytheists has been mentioned explicitly by name.
Abu Dawud
Book 41, Number 5186:
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
Suhayl ibn AbuSalih said: I went out with my father to Syria. The people passed by the cloisters in which there were Christians and began to salute them. My father said: Do not give them salutation first, for Abu Hurayrah reported the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) as saying: Do not salute them (Jews and Christians) first, and when you meet them on the road, force them to go to the narrowest part of it.
It is possible that the Prophet only meant it for the Jews as we can see in the Hadith above because the Jews were known to have said ‘death be upon you and therefore it was a way for Muslims to show their disapproval of them.
The Prophet most likely gave the commands to greet everybody at first and then when the problem of Jews coming along saying ‘death upon you’, the Prophet would have had to reverse his judgment.
It is unknown why the Prophet issued the order as to why Muslims shouldn’t greet nonbelievers first. The Prophet also gave other orders as to whom who should greet who first…
Saheeh Bukhari
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 250:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "The young should greet the old, the passer by should greet the sitting one, and the small group of persons should greet the large group of persons. "
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 252:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "The riding person should greet the walking one, and the walking one should greet the sitting one, and the small number of persons should greet the large number of persons."
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 252e:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "The younger person should greet the older one, and the walking person should greet the sitting one, and the small number of persons should greet the large number of persons."
Saheeh Muslim
Book 026, Number 5374:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The rider should first greet the pedestrian, and the pedestrian the one who is seated and a small group should greet a larger group (with as-Salam-u-'Alaikum).
As there is some wisdom to the why the Prophet had ordered why certain individuals greet others first there must be some wisdom as well behind why non-Muslims should greet Muslims first.
Imam Malik R.A. was of the opinion that it’s not that big of a problem if a Muslim did greet a non-Muslim first….
MALIK MUWATTA
Book 53, Number 53.2.3:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar that Abdullah ibn Umar said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When a jew greets you, and says 'Death to you' (as-samu alaykum) say, 'And to you.' "
Yahya said, "Malik was asked whether a person who greeted a jew or christian, should apologise for it. He said, 'No'."
Lets take a look at the opinions of scholars about all the issues discussed…
A group of the early generation of Muslims said that you should reply back saying ‘Alaykum Assalam’ just like how you would reply back to a Muslim, and others using God’s statement stating that you should greet and Al Maroudi said that the opinion of some of the Shafi’s is that you should not say ‘Rahamatullah’ (and mercy of Allah be upon you), and should be done at all times, and on the authority of Ibn Abbas and A’lqama that it should be done only at a time of necessity, and on Awzaa’ee: If you greet then the righteous have greeted, and if you left then they left and a group of scholars said: Their greetings should not even be replied back to, and some of them said it is a differentiation between the Dhimmis and enemies of war.
Imam Nawawi has in his commentaries…
The scholars have agreed that a response should be given if the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) give greetings, but it should not be said to them: “Wa Alaykum Assalam”, and only say: “Wa Alaykum”
Another group said that we are obliged to begin greetings with them.
And some of our companions said: It is disliked to greet them first, but not forbidden, and this is weak as well because the Prophet had forbidden it. So it is forbidden to greet them first, and Al Qadi said that you should only greet them first if there is a need or reason to, and this is the opinion of Alqama and Nakha’ee.
And some of our companions said: You should reply back saying ‘Wa Alaykum Assalam”, but not “Wa Rahamatullah”, says Maaroodi and this is weak because it contradicts the Hadith and God knows best.
Our companions said: The Dhimmi is not left to walk in the middle of the pathway, he should be forced to walk on its sides if the Muslims are walking through, if the pathway is not crowded then it is okay (for them to walk in the middle of the pathway), and the forcing them to the sides should not be done as to let him be in a congested and uncomfortable position, and that he should not hit a wall, and God knows best.
Imam Malik has in his commentary…
And it is narrated on Al Sha’bi that he said to a Jew: “Wa Alaykum Assalam Wa Rahmatullah” so it was said to him: You told a Jew “Wa Rahamatulla” (and mercy of Allah be upon you)? So he replied back saying: Isn’t he living under the mercy of Allah? And some other people said that you should say “Wa Alaykh Assalam” (and on you be peace) by saying “Siilam”
Awn Ma’bood has in his commentary…
And Ibn Maalik said: meaning don’t leave them walking the main pathway if it is in a situation of crowdedness but if the pathway was empty and not crowded then it is okay.
Conclusion.
To sum it all up, there are different opinions. Some may think that the Prophet only ordered the rules of greeting the non-Muslims for that particular time because of the tension between them and the majority believes that it is still applied to this day. Muslims could greet non-Muslims first but not with the Islamic greeting. He could say eg. Hello, good morning etc.
Even if a non-Muslim tells a Muslim the Islamic greeting, the Muslim is still returning the peace of God upon him. So there is nothing offensive in the reply anyway. The Prophet probably stated that Muslims should return the greeting to other Muslims in a better way to increase the love and brotherhood within the Muslim community. This could be a special greeting that only Muslims should do for each other just like how both Paul and Peter urged first-century Christians to greet each other with holy kisses (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14) and God knows best.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
(a reminder, a reminder for you and for me to give salaams to our fellow Believers as a means to attain purity.)
Islam has professed the use of the Islamic greeting when encountering another Muslim or leaving the company of another Muslim because it unifies the hearts and strengthens bonds between Muslims.
What is the history of the Islamic greeting, when did it start, and who was the one who chose it?
Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "When Allah created Adam he told him to go and say Assalamu Alikum to a group of Angels and listen to their reply. It is your greeting and the greeting of your descendants. Adam went and said: Assalamu Alikum they said Assalamu Alikum Wa Rahmatulah."
The complete form for the Islamic greeting is Assalamu Alilkum Wa Rahmatulah Wa Barakatuh meaning peace, mercy, and blessings be upon from Allah (S.W.T.). This is because Imams Abu-Dawood and At-Termithi reported in a good hadith that a man came to the prophet (S.A.W.) and said, "Assalamu Alikum." The prophet responded and the man sat down. The prophet said, "Ten rewards." Another man came and said, "Assalamu Alikum Wa Rahmatullh." The prophet responded and the man sat down. The prophet said, "twenty rewards."
Then another man came and said: Assalamu Alakum Wa Rahmatulah Wa Barakatuh. The prophet responded and the man sat down. The prophet said, "thirty rewards."
The Scholars have agreed that starting with salam is highly recommended. And responding is obligatory because Allah (S.W.T.) said in surat An-Nesa’, (verse 86), what can be translated as, "When a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or at least of equal courtesy."
It is enough for one to say the Islamic greeting to a group and it is enough for one of the group to return it. This is the meaning of the two ahadith that were reported by Imams Abu Dawood and Malik.
Imam Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "I swear by the one whose hand my soul is in that you will not enter paradise until you believe. And you won’t be believed until you love one another. May I tell you something, that if you practice it you will love another, spread the (salam) Islamic greeting among you." This makes it clear to us, that spreading salam among Muslims is the first step towards paradise. This is because spreading salam leads to increasing the love between our hearts. And the increase of love between our hearts will increase the Iman, (faith).
An authentic hadith reported by Imams At-Termithi and Ibn Majah that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Oh you people, spread salam among you, serve the food, behave kindly with your blood relations, and offer prayer at night when others are asleep, and you will enter paradise safely." And Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that a man asked the prophet (S.A.W.), "what in Islam is the best?" He (S.A.W.) answered, "To feed people and to say salam to everyone whether you know them or not."
Islamic form of greeting
Muslims all over the world use the Islamic form of greeting, "Assalamu alaikum", which means peace be to you.
“When you salute a single individual, you must say: as-salaamu ‘alaikum [using the pronoun -kum], for the angels are with him.”
It should be interesting to note that our greeting, seemingly of a simple nature, holds many keys within it. And like other keys or secrets, there are protocols upon their use. For example a hadith, tradition of the Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him), reported in the Sahih of Muslim as narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be well pleased with him) says that according to God’s Messenger (may Peace and Blessings be upon him),
“The rider should salute the walker, the walker the sitter, and the few the many.”
Another custom of the Holy Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) is shaking hands while offering salaams. This custom in particular, you will find upon meeting me that I have a fondness for, perhaps to a fault. Today, we must ask ourselves, how much of this, seemingly simple custom are we following? And if we are not what have we adopted in its place? Especially when there is blessing and reward for us in these simple customs. For instance concerning the shaking of hands, the Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) says,
“When two Muslims shake hands, their sins fall to the ground, as leaves of the tree fall to the ground.”
MashaAllah! And we pass the opportunity to rid ourselves of sins on a daily basis. Yes, mashaAllah to us! There are so many customs for greetings that are lost. But those that we have we should try our best to apply and to raise our children with, to train our children to exercise so that they can benefit from them for generations and not lose these gems, these salutations of the Prophet in later generations. Some of these customs I had never seen in regular life until I attended regular association with a shaykh. Some of which have happened more recently, these customs include:
* When entering an empty house, you must offer the salutation of peace.
o You are saluting yourself on Allah’s behalf.
o You are saluting the believing jinn who occupy the house.
o Through the blessings of peace, you are seeking safety from the devils and harmful influences present in the house.
* Custom requires the person who initiates the salutation to be in a state of ritual purity (wudu’) as well as the respondent.
* When two people meet, custom requires them to try and forestall each other in offering the salutation, as a demonstration of humility.
So clearly it is preferred to return a greeting by adding to it. But there have been so many times where I have greeted a Muslim and received no greeting at all! And perhaps times where a Muslim has greeted me and received only an equal greeting in return, or worse. These days we greet people we know, and only people we know. When we receive a greeting from someone we don’t know we are silent looking oddly as if someone has violated an unwritten code of ethics. But this unwritten code of ethics is un-Islamic by nature and egoistic at best.
I have on occasion come across Muslims who are sincere but ignorant of some of the finer points of Islamic lifestyle according to the traditions of the Holy Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him). This however, is easy to do in this day and age where there are so many forgotten traditions of the Holy Prophet which if we saw today we may think they are some strange bidat! One of these forgotten traditions is one of the most basic and fundamental elements of our dear religion, the Islamic greeting. The Islamic greeting, as-salaamu ‘alaikum; God’s Peace be upon you, is an element of good Islamic manners. In the proper conduct of greetings one may find keys to good social behavior and the proprieties of friendship and exchanges in Islamic framings.
The very wording helps generate a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. It is also common in its shorter and longer forms to all Muslim communities wherever they happen to be. Thus, when two Muslims meet who are total strangers to each other, the moment they use this greeting, they immediately feel that they have common grounds, even when they do not speak each other's languages.
The Islamic greeting has different versions, the shortest of which is the one we have already mentioned. The rule in Islam is that when we are offered a greeting, we return it with a better one, or with its equal at least. God orders in the Qur'an:
"When a greeting is offered you, answer it with an even better greeting, or (at least) with its like. God keeps count of all things."
[Surah an-Nur; 4: 86]
The better greeting and reply are illustrated in the following Hadith. Umar (radiAllahu anhu) reports that he was riding with Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) on one mount. When they passed by people, Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) greeted them saying: 'Assalamu alaikum' and they replied: 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah.' Or he may greet them saying: 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah,' for which their reply was: 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh.' Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) commented: "Today, people have gained much more than us." [Sahih al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]
We note that every time Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) offered a greeting, its reply was the same with an addition. The first one was the short form of the greeting of peace. The reply stated: 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah.' This means: 'And to you be peace together with God's mercy.' Thus, the reply adds a prayer that the person who offered us a greeting should be blessed with God's mercy, both in this life and in the life to come.
When the person who starts the greeting includes in it this same prayer for mercy to the one being accosted, the latter replies with yet another addition, 'wa barakatuh,' which adds a wish for Allah's blessing to the one who took advantage and offered us a friendly greeting. Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu's) comment at the end of the Hadith shows that he was pleased with the fact that people always replied to his greeting with a better one.
These are the normal form of greetings mostly used in Muslim communities. Rarely does a greeting go beyond these. It is reported that a man from the Yemen visited Abdullah ibn Abbas (radiAllahu anhu) and greeted him with the full greeting 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh,' but added something extra. Ibn Abbas told him: 'A greeting of peace ends with the wish for God's blessings.' This means that Ibn Abbas thought that such addition is unnecessary.
However, Kharijah ibn Zaid, a scholar of very high standing who belonged to the generation that followed the Prophet's companions, i.e. the tabieen, used to write when he addressed the caliph: 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh wa maghfiratuh wa tayyib salawatih.'
The added last phrases express a prayer that the addressee will also have Allah's forgiveness and special blessings. Kharijah would not have added these phrases if he had the slightest doubt about such addition being appropriate. His father was distinguished among the Prophet's companions for his scholarship. When we have two reputable scholars expressing opposite views, we say that one of them was aware of something the other did not know. Perhaps Kharijah was aware that when addressing a person of eminence, the use of additional phrases would be in order.
Another Hadith that speaks of the importance of the wording of the Islamic greeting quotes the Prophet as saying: 'The Jews do not envy you for anything more than they do for the greeting of peace and saying Aameen.' This Hadith stresses the special distinction given to the Islamic greeting.
The Jews the Prophet refers to here are the ones with profound knowledge, such as the well- versed rabbis. They are the ones to appreciate the significance of the Islamic greeting, assalamu alaikum.
Aameen is a word which we say when someone addresses a prayer to God. It signifies a request made to God to answer his prayer. This makes the prayer a collective one, with all those who are present joining their fellow Muslim in an appeal to God on behalf of the one who is saying that prayer. But why would the Jews be envious of our greeting?
The word 'Salam', which means peace, is also a name of Allah. Using it in our greeting is a constant reminder of the special relation between a believer and Allah.
We have already mentioned that the Prophet has encouraged us to use the Islamic greeting often, and with all people. But how important is it to greet others?
To answer this question we mention a Hadith reported by Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) who quotes the Prophet as saying: 'A Muslim has a right against his fellow Muslim in six ways.' Asked what were these, the Prophet said:
'(1)When you meet him, greet him;
(2) if he invites you, accept his invitation;
(3) if he seeks your advice, give him an honest and sincere advice;
(4) if he sneezes and praises God, bless him;
(5) if he falls ill, visit him; and
(6) if he dies, attend his funeral.'
[Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The Hadith is clear in making it a duty of a Muslim to offer a greeting to his fellow-Muslim when they meet. The one who takes the initiative is in a better position. Although offering a greeting is a sunnah, which means that it is highly recommended, returning a greeting is obligatory. The other five aspects also help to cement relations within the Muslim community. All of them fall within the category of Sunnah, except for giving an honest advice, which is obligatory. A person who is asked for advice commits a sin if he deliberately and knowingly gives the wrong advice. To do so is dishonest, and dishonesty is forbidden in Islam.
Ibn Abbas said: Whoever greeted you from the creation of Allah then return it back even if he was a Magian, for Allah said: When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it or return it. Muhammad bin Bashar, said that Salim bin Nooh said that Saeed bin Abi Arooba said that Qatada said: That part of Allah’s statement “When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it” is for the Muslims and that part of Allah’s statement “or return it” is for the People of the Book. Bashr Ibn Muath said that Yazid said that Sa’eed said that Qatada said: That part of Allah’s statement “When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it” is for the Muslims and that part of Allah’s statement “or return it” is for the People of the Book. Bashr Ibn Muath said that Yazid said that Sa’eed said that Qatada said: That part of Allah’s statement “When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it” you should greet better than you were greeted and this is only for the Muslims and that part of Allah’s statement “or return it” is for the People of the Book. Yunus told me that Ibn Wahab told him that Ibn Zayd said: That part of Allah’s statement “When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it” my father said: It is a duty on every Muslim who is greeted (by a Muslim) to greet him back with a better greeting, and if he is greeted by other than a Muslim then he should greet back just like what was said to him.
According to the commentary Muslims are to reply back a better greeting if greeted by a Muslim and an equal greeting if greeted by a non-Muslim.
Some Hadith in which the Prophet states how to reply back to the greetings of Christians and Jews…
Saheeh Bukhari
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 275:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet said, "If the people of the Scripture greet you, then you should say (in reply), 'Wa'alaikum (And on you).' "
Saheeh Muslim
Book 026, Number 5380:
Anas b. Malik reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When the People of the Book offer you salutations, you should say: The same to you.
Book 026, Number 5381:
Anas reported that the Companions of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said to him: The People of the Book offer us salutations (by saying as-Salamu- 'Alaikum). How should we reciprocate them? Thereupon he said: Say: Wa 'Alaikum (and upon you too).
So here from the Hadith we see how we should reply back to the People of the Book. But why did this command come about in the first place?
The reason could be made clear by reading the following Hadith…
Saheeh Bukhari
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 274:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "When the Jews greet you, they usually say, 'As-Samu 'alaikum (Death be on you),' so you should say (in reply to them), 'Wa'alaikum (And on you)."
Volume 8, Book 75, Number 404:
Narrated 'Aisha:
The Jews used to greet the Prophet by saying, "As-Samu 'Alaika (i.e., death be upon you), so I understood what they said, and I said to them, "As-Samu 'alaikum wal-la'na (i.e. Death and Allah's Curse be upon you)." The Prophet said, "Be gentle and calm, O 'Aisha, as Allah likes gentleness in all affairs." I said, "O Allah's Prophet! Didn't you hear what they said?" He said, "Didn't you hear me answering them back by saying, 'Alaikum (i.e., the same be upon you)?"
Volume 9, Book 84, Number 62:
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "When the Jews greet anyone of you they say: 'Sam'Alaika (death be upon you); so you should say; 'Wa 'Alaika (and upon you).'"
Volume 9, Book 84, Number 60:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
A Jew passed by Allah's Apostle and said, "As-Samu 'Alaika." Allah's Apostle said in reply, "We 'Alaika." Allah's Apostle then said to his companions, "Do you know what he (the Jew) has said? He said, 'As-Samu 'Alaika.'" They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we kill him?" The Prophet, said, "No. When the people of the Book greet you, say: 'Wa 'Alaikum.'"
Saheeh Muslim
Book 026, Number 5382:
Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When the Jews offer you salutations, tome of them say as-Sam-u-'Alaikum (death be upon you). You should say (in response to it): Let it be upon you.
Book 026, Number 5384:
'A'isha reported that a group of Jews came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and sought his audience and said: As-Sam-u-'Alaikum. A'isha said in response: As-Sim-u-'Alaikum (death be upon you) and curse also, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: 'A'isha, verily Allah loes kindness in every matter. She said: Did you bear what they said? Thereupon he said: Did you not hear that I said (to them): Wa 'Alaikum.
Book 026, Number 5386:
'A'isha reported that some Jews came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and they said: Abu'l-Qasim (the Kunya of the Holy Prophet), as-Sam-u-'Alaikum, whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Wa 'Alaikum. A'isha reported: In response to these words of theirs, I said: But let there be death upon you and disgrace also, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: 'A'isha, do not use harsh words. She said: Did you hear what they said? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Did I not respond to them when they said that; I said to them: Wa'Alaikum (let it be upon you).
Book 026, Number 5388:
Jabir b. Abdullah reported that some people from amongst the Jews said to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) Abu'l-Qasim. as-Sam-u-'Alaikum, whereupon he said: Wa 'Alaikum, A'isha was enraged and asked him (Allah's Apostle) whether he had not heard what they had said. He said, I did hear and I retorted to them (and the curse that I invoked upon them would receive response from Allah), but (the curse that they invoked upon us) would not be responded.
Abu Dawud
Book 41, Number 5187:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: When one of the Jews greets you saying: Death may come upon you, reply: The same to you.
If all the texts of this Hadith are collected and analyzed, what comes to light is the fact that the People of the Book used to mischievously twist their tongue in a swift manner and instead of saying the proper words of the salutation would say Assamu ‘alaykum (Death be to you all), which when quickly pronounced sounded very near to the original words of Assalamu ‘alaykum. It was to counter this devilish prank that the Muslims were directed to say: Wa ‘alaykum (To you too). It must be borne in mind that the Muslims were asked to give this particular reply only after the truth had been revealed in its ultimate form by the Prophet (sws) to the People of the Book after many years of propagation, and in spite of that they were not willing to submit to it. Had this ultimate stage not come, one can safely conclude that Muslims would never have been asked to reply with equally harsh words and would have continued to say the words: Assalamu ‘alaykum, the best of prayers and the best of wishes.
It also comes in Hadith that Muslims should greet every body they see…
Saheeh Bukhari
Volume 7, Book 62, Number 104:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib:
The Prophet ordered us to do seven (things) and forbade us from seven. He ordered us to visit the patients, to follow the funeral procession, to reply to the sneezer (i.e., say to him, 'Yarhamuka-l-lah (May Allah bestow His Mercy upon you), if he says 'Al-hamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah), to help others to fulfill their oaths, to help the oppressed, to greet (whomever one should meet), and to accept the invitation (to a wedding banquet). He forbade us to wear golden rings, to use silver utensils, to use Mayathir (cushions of silk stuffed with cotton and placed under the rider on the saddle), the Qasiyya (linen clothes containing silk brought from an Egyptian town), the Istibraq (thick silk) and the Dibaj (another kind of silk). (See Hadith No. 539 and 753).
Volume 7, Book 69, Number 539:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib:
Allah's Apostle ordered us to do seven things and forbade us from seven. He ordered us to visit the sick, to follow funeral processions, (to say) to a sneezer, (May Allah bestow His Mercy on you, if he says, Praise be to Allah), to accept invitations, to greet (everybody), to help the oppressed and to help others to fulfill their oaths. He forbade us to wear gold rings, to drink in silver (utensils), to use Mayathir (silken carpets placed on saddles), to wear Al-Qissi (a kind of silken cloth), to wear silk, Dibaj or Istabraq (two kinds of silk).
Volume 7, Book 70, Number 553:
Narrated Al-Bara bin Azib:
Allah's Apostle ordered us to do seven things and forbade us to do seven other things. He forbade us to wear gold rings, silk, Dibaj, Istabriq, Qissy, and Maithara; and ordered us to accompany funeral processions, visit the sick and greet everybody. (See Hadith No. 104)
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 253k:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr:
A man asked the Prophet, "What Islamic traits are the best?" The Prophet said, "Feed the people, and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know."
We see in these Hadith that the Prophet ordered us to greet people. He did not specify a limit as to whom we should greet. However, when we look at other Hadith we see that Muslims are not to initiate greetings with the People of the Book…
Saheeh Muslim
Book 026, Number 5389:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it.
Book 026, Number 5390:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Suhail with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording. The hadith transmitted on the authority of Waki', the words are 'When you meet the Jews." And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba, the words are: 'When you meet the People of the Book." And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Jarir the words are:" When you meet them," but none amongst the polytheists has been mentioned explicitly by name.
Abu Dawud
Book 41, Number 5186:
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
Suhayl ibn AbuSalih said: I went out with my father to Syria. The people passed by the cloisters in which there were Christians and began to salute them. My father said: Do not give them salutation first, for Abu Hurayrah reported the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) as saying: Do not salute them (Jews and Christians) first, and when you meet them on the road, force them to go to the narrowest part of it.
It is possible that the Prophet only meant it for the Jews as we can see in the Hadith above because the Jews were known to have said ‘death be upon you and therefore it was a way for Muslims to show their disapproval of them.
The Prophet most likely gave the commands to greet everybody at first and then when the problem of Jews coming along saying ‘death upon you’, the Prophet would have had to reverse his judgment.
It is unknown why the Prophet issued the order as to why Muslims shouldn’t greet nonbelievers first. The Prophet also gave other orders as to whom who should greet who first…
Saheeh Bukhari
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 250:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "The young should greet the old, the passer by should greet the sitting one, and the small group of persons should greet the large group of persons. "
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 252:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "The riding person should greet the walking one, and the walking one should greet the sitting one, and the small number of persons should greet the large number of persons."
Volume 8, Book 74, Number 252e:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "The younger person should greet the older one, and the walking person should greet the sitting one, and the small number of persons should greet the large number of persons."
Saheeh Muslim
Book 026, Number 5374:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The rider should first greet the pedestrian, and the pedestrian the one who is seated and a small group should greet a larger group (with as-Salam-u-'Alaikum).
As there is some wisdom to the why the Prophet had ordered why certain individuals greet others first there must be some wisdom as well behind why non-Muslims should greet Muslims first.
Imam Malik R.A. was of the opinion that it’s not that big of a problem if a Muslim did greet a non-Muslim first….
MALIK MUWATTA
Book 53, Number 53.2.3:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar that Abdullah ibn Umar said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When a jew greets you, and says 'Death to you' (as-samu alaykum) say, 'And to you.' "
Yahya said, "Malik was asked whether a person who greeted a jew or christian, should apologise for it. He said, 'No'."
Lets take a look at the opinions of scholars about all the issues discussed…
A group of the early generation of Muslims said that you should reply back saying ‘Alaykum Assalam’ just like how you would reply back to a Muslim, and others using God’s statement stating that you should greet and Al Maroudi said that the opinion of some of the Shafi’s is that you should not say ‘Rahamatullah’ (and mercy of Allah be upon you), and should be done at all times, and on the authority of Ibn Abbas and A’lqama that it should be done only at a time of necessity, and on Awzaa’ee: If you greet then the righteous have greeted, and if you left then they left and a group of scholars said: Their greetings should not even be replied back to, and some of them said it is a differentiation between the Dhimmis and enemies of war.
Imam Nawawi has in his commentaries…
The scholars have agreed that a response should be given if the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) give greetings, but it should not be said to them: “Wa Alaykum Assalam”, and only say: “Wa Alaykum”
Another group said that we are obliged to begin greetings with them.
And some of our companions said: It is disliked to greet them first, but not forbidden, and this is weak as well because the Prophet had forbidden it. So it is forbidden to greet them first, and Al Qadi said that you should only greet them first if there is a need or reason to, and this is the opinion of Alqama and Nakha’ee.
And some of our companions said: You should reply back saying ‘Wa Alaykum Assalam”, but not “Wa Rahamatullah”, says Maaroodi and this is weak because it contradicts the Hadith and God knows best.
Our companions said: The Dhimmi is not left to walk in the middle of the pathway, he should be forced to walk on its sides if the Muslims are walking through, if the pathway is not crowded then it is okay (for them to walk in the middle of the pathway), and the forcing them to the sides should not be done as to let him be in a congested and uncomfortable position, and that he should not hit a wall, and God knows best.
Imam Malik has in his commentary…
And it is narrated on Al Sha’bi that he said to a Jew: “Wa Alaykum Assalam Wa Rahmatullah” so it was said to him: You told a Jew “Wa Rahamatulla” (and mercy of Allah be upon you)? So he replied back saying: Isn’t he living under the mercy of Allah? And some other people said that you should say “Wa Alaykh Assalam” (and on you be peace) by saying “Siilam”
Awn Ma’bood has in his commentary…
And Ibn Maalik said: meaning don’t leave them walking the main pathway if it is in a situation of crowdedness but if the pathway was empty and not crowded then it is okay.
Conclusion.
To sum it all up, there are different opinions. Some may think that the Prophet only ordered the rules of greeting the non-Muslims for that particular time because of the tension between them and the majority believes that it is still applied to this day. Muslims could greet non-Muslims first but not with the Islamic greeting. He could say eg. Hello, good morning etc.
Even if a non-Muslim tells a Muslim the Islamic greeting, the Muslim is still returning the peace of God upon him. So there is nothing offensive in the reply anyway. The Prophet probably stated that Muslims should return the greeting to other Muslims in a better way to increase the love and brotherhood within the Muslim community. This could be a special greeting that only Muslims should do for each other just like how both Paul and Peter urged first-century Christians to greet each other with holy kisses (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14) and God knows best.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
(a reminder, a reminder for you and for me to give salaams to our fellow Believers as a means to attain purity.)
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