Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (R.A)

 Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was a great Muslim Imam. His full name is Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Abu Abdullah Al-Shaybani. He was born 164 AH (780 CE) in Baghdad. He belonged to the tribe of Shayban from both parents. He was still an infant when his father died.

He studied fiqh (jurisprudence) under the  Abu Yusuf (a student and companion of  Imam Abu Hanifa). He was also a student of  Imam Al-Shafi.

When he was about 15 years old he started to study hadith (sayings/actions of the Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him). He travelled the Muslim ruled lands to seek knowledge from the great Muslim scholars of his time. Musnad is a book of hadith compiled by him, this is the most important of his works. About 40,000 ahadith (plural of hadith) have been recorded in this book.

His faith in Allah subhanahu wata'ala and his understanding of Deen (religion) was tested when he took a stance against the Khalifa (Caliph) at the time, Mamoon. The Khalifa declared that even though the Quran is the speech of Allah subhanahu wata'ala, Allah subhanahu wata'ala created the Quran as a physical entity like any other living being. Many scholars of the time were punished and forced to agree. But Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and his companion Muhammad ibn Nuh stood firm in their belief against the ruler.

After Mamoon's death, Muttasim took over and continued the reign of torture, he had Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal flogged in public. When Muttasim died, Wathiq became the Khalifa and banished Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal from Baghdad. After Wathiq's death, his brother Mutawakkil became the Khalifa and circumstances started to change. He ordered to stop all discussions regarding the creation of the Quran and restored Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal's status.

He had eight children and many disciples. He went for Hajj five times during his lifetime, twice on foot. He died in Baghdad in 241 AH (855 CE).

The Abbasid Caliph, Al-Mutawkki.
The Abbasid Caliph, Al-Mutawkkil was a strong admirer of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He once sent him some rich gifts, including a large amount of money. A highly placed official at court, who wished Ahmad well, wrote to him that the gift was forthcoming and alerting him that, should he refuse it, there would be no shortage of people who would be quick to try to use that in order to sew discord between him and the Caliph. Nevertheless, Ahmad did not allow any part of the gift to enter his home. He distributed it all to poor and needy people, taking nothing for himself or his family.

Thus was Ahmad ibn Hanbal: a model of courage, honesty who cared little for worldly comforts and luxuries that money may buy. What a Caliph would give held no temptation for him. Yet he did not consider taking such a gift to be forbidden. His son once asked him whether he could offer the pilgrimage using money he received from the Caliph. He answered that he could, because it was money obtained from a legitimate source, explaining that he would not take it himself, as he wished to maintain a standard of purity that he imposed on no one else. If such an attitude was certain to ensure great fame for the scholar, let us now look into his life.

Although the name Ahmad has been over the whole history of Islam one of the most common names in Islamic culture and throughout the Muslim world, when it is mentioned on its own in any scholarly work of hadith or Fiqh, there can be no mistake that the reference is to Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Ahmad was the founder of the fourth school of thought, but the ranking is made only on the basis of chronological order. He was born in 164 A.H, corresponding to 781 AD. This means that his birth took place 14 years after Abu Haneefah's death, and 15 years before Malik's death, but the two did not meet. He was a student of El-Shafie whom he respected very highly. His full name was Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal Al-Shaibani, which means that Hanbal was his grandfather, but the affiliation to his grandfather stuck to him, perhaps because his father died when he was a very young baby. Indeed he mentions that he did not see his father, which suggests that the father died when the young child was not yet able to recognise people with eyesight.

His grandfather was a governor in Persia, and although the family was purely an Arab one, it lived in Persia for many years that some of its members found it easier to converse in Persian, rather than Arabic. Ahmad himself spoke Persian, although the family moved to Baghdad when he was still very young. That helped Ahmad who showed strong inclinations to study and learning. His uncle was looking after the family, and directed his early studies, but it was his mother's influence that had the clearest mark on his upbringing and future attitudes. She was a remarkable woman of very strong faith and serious attitude. His early promise was recognised by teachers and friends. Thus, he was known to be among scholars as ‘the pious young man' and in his old age he was the master scholar withstanding torture and hardship for his beliefs.

Ahmad memorised the Quran at an early age, and as he was directed by his uncle and his mother to pursue his studies, his serious nature and early pious attitude ensured that he sought to study Fiqh, or Islamic jurisprudence. Baghdad was at the time not only the political capital of the vast Islamic state, stretching from the Atlantic in North Africa to Central Asia; it was also the most important centre of Islamic scholarship, witnessing at the same time the penetrating influence of other cultures, including Greek philosophy, Indian mythology and Persian traditions. Ahmad sought none of this, but went straight into the study of Fiqh, reading under Abu Yussuf, the best known student of Abu Haneefah. This means that his early studies took him into learning Fiqh that gave scholarly discretion a very high rank and relied much on analogy. But soon afterwards, he decided to pursue the study of hadith, delaying Fiqh study for a while.

Ahmad started his pursuit of the study of hadith in Baghdad at the age of 15, and continued to give it its full attention there for seven years. He realised that the main scholars of hadith did not all live in the capital. So he decided to seek them wherever they lived. He began to travel Basrah, Kufah, Hijaz and Yemen. He is said to have travelled five times to Basrah, and paid a similar number of visits to Hijaz. However, in the latter trips he combined offering the pilgrimage with his studies.

On all these trips, Ahmad's aim was to listen to the Prophet's hadiths from scholars personally. He could have easily learnt the hadiths from their books, but he was keen to listen to their hadiths as they personally reported them. That is a recognised virtue of excellence in the scholarship of hadith, because it ensured a smaller number of reporters in the chain of transmission of a hadith between the student and the Prophet himself. A shorter chain of transmitters, who were all reliable and trustworthy, meant the room for error is practically non-existent. Hence, scholars were keen to seek a hadith at the shortest chain of transmission they could achieve, even though that might have required them to undertake a long journey.

His trip to Yemen was one such effort. He was keen to meet Abdurrazzaq ibn Hammam, an eminent scholar of hadith who was at the time, and remains today, widely famous. In fact he had met Abdurrazzaq during pilgrimage, and he could have learnt from him whatever he wanted to learn, sparing himself a long journey to Yemen, but he preferred to learn from the scholars of Makkah and Madinah while he was on pilgrimage, and to go to Abdurrazzaq in Yemen later. That way, he would hope for God's reward for his arduous journey and get all that he could from the Yemeni scholar in his home surroundings.

Up to this stage, we recognise two major influences on Ahmad's scholarship: the early study of Fiqh under Abu Yussuf and the hadith study through which he collected a wealth of statements by the Prophet, or hadiths, together with rulings by the Prophet's companions and their successors as well as their judgements in disputes put to them. This represented a strong exposure to the practical application of hadith and other religious text, which means that he was not isolated from Fiqh during his study of hadith. However, a third influence was soon to have a major bearing on Ahmad and his scholarship. That was his meeting with El-Shafie who by that time had developed his methodological approach to Fiqh and the fundamental rules he set for construction and deduction of rulings and judgements. When he studied under El-Shafie, Ahmad started to review what he had learnt and collected of hadiths and reports of the Prophet's companions and their successors so as to pinpoint the relevance of those texts and reports to practical matters. That gave him a profound insight in Fiqh which was rare among scholars of hadith. Thus, Ahmad was at the same time a top scholar of hadith and a top scholar of Fiqh. That combination gave him a rare standard of excellence.

It was not until Ahmad was 40 years of age that he had a circle where he taught and gave rulings on any question put to him. This does not mean that he would not have given rulings earlier than that. Indeed he would answer when a question was put to him, because abstention meant suppression of knowledge and that is forbidden in Islam. But he would not sit for teaching and issuing rulings until he was 40. He had two reasons for that: the first was to follow the Prophet's example, who received his revelations and became a teacher for mankind at that age, and the other his respect for his teachers meant that he would not teach while they were alive. It was a coincidence that El-Shafie died in 204, when Ahmad was 40. A point to remember is that Abu Haneefah did the same, starting his study circle at the age of 40.

It did not take long for Ahmad to become widely known. Indeed his circle was soon very large, with some reports putting the number of students and listeners attending it at 5000, among whom one tenth wrote what he taught. While this may be rather exaggerated, even a circle one-fifth that size, i.e. 1000 students, is very large by any standard. People loved his teaching because they recognised in him a teacher of wide knowledge, and a highly pious man who spared no effort in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge.

Three factors enhanced Ahmad's popularity as a teacher. The first was that his serious attitude to learning and teaching was coupled with exemplary humility and contentment. Secondly, he was always keen to report only that of which he was absolutely certain. Hence, he did not rely on his memory, fine and sharp as it was. He always referred to his books, which he had written with his own hand, when he learnt from his teachers. He feared that if he would report from memory, he might be mistaken and he would attribute to the Prophet what the Prophet did not actually say. Thirdly, he taught his students to write down what they learnt of hadith only. He did not allow them to write anyone else's views or teachings. To him, true knowledge that deserved to be documented was the Quran and the hadith.

This meant that despite the numerous trends of scholarship with which Baghdad was bustling at the time, Ahmad rejected any study that was not based on the Quran and hadith only. Thus, he would not take a logical approach to faith, nor would he discuss matters of faith in a purely rational or philosophical way. He rejected any involvement in debates of theological nature, such as whether God's names and qualities mentioned in the Quran were purely attributes of His, or they were the same as Himself. To him, that was a pursuit that brought no useful results.

Ahmad ibn Hanbal combined qualities that are always certain to ensure a degree of exceptional excellence. The first of these is one he shares with all hadith scholars of repute; that is, a sharp memory coupled with penetrative insight. In this regard Ahmad is rated by many scholars who knew him well as having the clearest, sharpest and most reliable memory of all his contemporaries.

The other quality that stands out when we discuss Ahmad's personality is his endurance and perseverance. This is the fruit of a strong will, sincerity and an aspiration to achieve only what is best. It gave him a most pleasant personality that combined poverty with generosity and dignity, self-respect with willingness to forgive those who caused him harm and injury, and a willingness to undertake difficulties in the pursuit of his goals. We will see how these qualities stood him in good stead during his long and hard trial when he was subjected to much persecution. As we try to delve deeper into his character, we find a person who derives his dignity from faith, relies on none other than God, aspires to nothing that a human being can confer, and fears God alone. Hence, he was a model of humility, always ready to overlook other people's mistakes and forgive whatever they might have caused him of hardship.

Ahmad's third quality was purity of heart in the broadest sense of the word. He never touched anything belonging to someone else, nor did he ever succumb to a desire. Moreover, his faith was pure, acknowledging no authority other than that of God. We find this quality rubbing on his scholarship. In beliefs and thought, he would not take any course other than that of the Prophet and his companions. In Fiqh, he would not even try to weigh up the different views of the Prophet's companions. If they differed on one questions, he would consider their differing views as equally acceptable. He treated the tabieen, or successors to the Prophet's companions in the same way.

His purity of heart affected his whole life. He tried his best to ensure that he would not touch any money, property or indeed anything that came from any source other than what he knew to be absolutely lawful. He would not accept money given to him by a teacher, friend, prince or Caliph. He was poor, living mostly on the rent he received for property he owned, but that rent was too little to give him a comfortable life. When a teacher like the Yemeni hadith scholar, Abdurrazzaq, tried to help him with some money as a gift, he apologised gently, pointing out that he preferred to live on his own earnings. Therefore, when he needed extra income, he worked, doing whatever job he could find. He did not hesitate even to copy with long hand a book for someone who needed it in return for some money.

Ahmad also maintained a high standard of honesty in everything he pursued. Thus, all his scholarship was for God's sake. He sought no recognition or position. Even when he was young, he would not carry his writing material in a visible way; he would hide them so that people would not say that he was going to study, or that he was a scholar.

It was an awesome scene in a terrifying place. The Caliph, Al-Mustassim, who was a courageous fighter and an uncompromising ruler, tried hard with the assistance of Al-Mutazilah scholars to persuade Ahmad ibn Hanbal to agree to their line of thinking stating that the Quran is a ‘creature of God'. Great and tempting promises were offered and hard punishment was threatened but he would not budge. The punishment was to be carried out there and then. A well-wisher who belonged to scholarly circles approaches him and whispers: "Why subject yourself to all this torture when God allows you to spare yourself by telling them what they wish to hear and maintain your own beliefs." Ahmad asked him whether he knew who was outside. The man said: "There are more than a thousand people carrying pen and paper." He said: "Yes. They all want to know what Ahmad says on this issue. If I conceal what I believe to be the truth in order to spare myself, this wrong idea will spread and flourish for generations to come. I will not meet my Lord having helped to spread it." He remained steadfast bearing excessive torture.

Ahmad's great test of endurance and hardship began towards the end of the reign of the Abbasid Caliph, Al-Ma'moon, when the philosophical school known as Al-Mutazilah was on the ascendance. The Caliph himself was a scholar who loved philosophy and debate. He favoured Al-Mutazilah because of their logical approach to all matters. One major issue Al-Mutazilah raised was that of the position of the Quran in relation to God. It is well known that all Muslims believe that the Quran is, literally, the word of God, but Al-Mutazilah added that it was ‘created', in the sense that it did not share God's attribute of being ‘ever-present'. This attribute belonged to God and to no one and nothing else.

The Caliph accepted this view and defended it with enthusiasm. He even wrote in his will that he bears witness that ‘God is unlike anything else. He is One, the Sovereign of the universe with no partner. Everything else is a creation of His. The Quran cannot be anything other than the rest of creation, having the same qualities as everything else, while God is one with nothing like Him.' He also urged his brother, Al-Mu'tassim, who was to succeed him, to follow his ideas.

As Al-Ma'moon was staying at Tartoos, he wrote to Ishaq ibn Ibraheem, his Deputy in Baghdad, to examine all scholars on this point, insisting that they must accept that the Quran was ‘created' by God. The orders were carried out immediately, with the Deputy organising a meeting of all scholars and warning them that torture and affliction would be the lot of anyone who dissented. All scholars attending toed the official line, with the exception of four, but two of these later followed suit and two were left unwilling to compromise. Ishaq ibn Ibraheem decided to send them over to the Caliph, in fetters, as his orders specified. The two were Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Muhammad ibn Noah. On the journey, the latter scholar died, a martyr, and Ahmad was transported to the Caliph. However, a couple of days later, news of the Caliph's own death were received, but the travelling party continued their journey until they arrived at the door of his successor, Al-Mu'tassim.

Al-Mu'tassim was in no way a scholar, nor did he understand what the whole issue was about. He was more of a military commander, but he loved his brother, Al-Ma'moon and trusted his judgement. Therefore, he was bent on carrying to the letter his brother's will, requiring him to eradicate the opposite view. Hence, Ahmad was brought to him, in fetters, and was asked about his views on the question at issue, i.e. the position of the Quran. He said in court, which was attended by a large number of scholars, mostly of Al-Mutazilah, that the whole subject was not mentioned in the Quran, the hadith or by the Prophet's companions. As such, it was better and safer not to be involved in such theological arguments and to confine oneself only to stating that the Quran was God's word. They would not accept that from him. Because of his popularity and high standing, they tried both to tempt him to agree and to scare him of the consequences of refusal, but without success. Hence, they inflicted on him physical torture, with slaves beating him up with whips, but he would not give in. Then he was taken to prison. This was carried out repeatedly over a period of 28 months, but Ahmad would not budge.

Ahmad's popularity increased, as people admired his resolute stand. Therefore, he was released, but placed under house arrest. He was banned from teaching or meeting other people. This continued for the rest of the reign of Al-Mu'tassim and his son, Al-Wathiq. However, when Al-Mutawkkil succeeded Al-Wathiq, in 232 AH, 837 AD, the trouble was over, as he leaned towards scholars of Fiqh and hadith, among whom Ahmad was the top figure. That was a time when Ahmad could have avenged himself against those who persecuted him, but he absolved them all of everything they did, seeking no revenge whatsoever.

To the end of his life, Ahmad maintained his position on the central question in this difficult period. He believed that the Quran was part of God's knowledge, and His word revealed to His last messenger, Muhammad [peace be on him]. It was not a ‘creature' of God. He relied in this on the fact that neither the Prophet nor any of his companions stated anything of the sort. Hence, Muslims should maintain the same position and refrain from such logical and theological debate that was bound to be futile.

Imam Ahmad devoted all his scholarly work to hadith and Fiqh. He attained a very high position in both disciplines, but this has led some scholars to classify him among the scholars of one speciality rather than the other. Whatever anybody may feel, the truth is that Ahmad was a scholar of Fiqh who paid great attention to hadith so that hadith became his distinctive scholarly mark. We will consider Ahmad's work in both capacities.

Imam Ahmad started his collection of hadith early in his scholarly career, and continued his efforts throughout his life. He kept all his material carefully, but without putting what he collected in any specific order. Late in his life, when he feared that what he collected might be lost, he gathered his sons and a few of his best students and related all his collection to them. He aimed to revise it all and classify it, but he died before he could do so. That task was left to his son Abdullah ibn Ahmad, who was a distinguished scholar of hadith in his own right. Abdullah added some hadiths which confirmed those collected by his father on different topics.

The system of classification followed by Abdullah ibn Ahmad was different from that of the other main collections of hadith which followed aspects of Fiqh. Al-Musnad is classified according to the first reporter of hadith, which means that it relates all the hadiths reported by one companion of the Prophet, regardless of subject matter. When these have been documented, a new chapter is started to relate all the hadiths reported by another companion, and so on. This makes it very difficult to use Al-Musnad by anyone who is not a scholar of hadith. This method of classification is useful in knowing the scholarly standpoint and views of each companion of the Prophet, but this is a specialised area.

Ahmad was keen to make his collection highly authentic. He was always looking into it, dropping any hadith that he suspected to have not been accurately reported. But he did not drop all the hadiths that were lacking in authenticity. He says to his son, Abdullah: "Had I aimed to include only what is highly authentic, I would have related only a small portion, but you, my son, know my method in relating hadith. I do not contradict a hadith whose authenticity is questionable unless there is some other hadith on the same subject to contradict it."

This means that Al-Musnad includes some hadiths that are somewhat lacking in authenticity, but, as Imam Ibn Taimiyah says, there is not a single hadith in Al-Musnad that has been proven to be false or fabricated.

That Ahmad was a top scholar of Fiqh is a matter of no doubt, but his Fiqh scholarship was based on his excellence in hadith. Suffice it to say that when Al-Bukhari completed his Sahih collection, he chose Ahmad to review it for him, and Ahmad raised questions only on four hadiths in the book that was destined to become the best known in the Muslim world for 12 centuries so far. Hence, Ahmad's fiqh is closest to the Sunnah and hadith. However, the mainstay of Ahmad's fiqh may be summed up as follows.

1.      Religious text, meaning the Quran and the hadith. When Ahmad finds a text applicable to a question, he adopts that and does not consider any other view, not even a ruling by any companion of the Prophet.

2.      Rulings by the Prophet's companions when there was nothing to contradict these. He would not say that such a ruling represented unanimity, but he would only say that he did not know of any opposing view.

3.      If he had different views of the Prophet's companions, he would choose the one that was more in line with the Quran and the Sunnah. If he could not determine that, he would report their disagreement without favouring any view. In this he is different from El-Shafie who would weigh up the different views and come out in preference of one. Ahmad considers analogy to be of lesser value than the view of a companion of the Prophet.

4.      Ahmad places some of the less authentic hadiths ahead of analogy, or qiyas, as a source of rulings. Such hadiths would be the ones whose reporters are not of the highest calibre on reliability, but are not accused of falsification or fabrication. This means that Ahmad would uphold the views of scholars of the generation of tabieen, who were successors to the Prophet's companions. If there were several views of this degree, he would consider them all acceptable.

5.      Analogy, or qiyas, to which he resorted only when necessary. However, he relies on this source less than other scholars, including El-Shafie.

6.      Unanimity of scholars, which is accepted as a main source of legislation by all schools of thought. However, Ahmad felt that such unanimity is very hard to achieve, particularly after the generation of the Prophet's companions. For unanimity to be ascertained, there must be no dissenting views, and with scholars available in every main city, it was very difficult to achieve.

7.      Serving the interests of the individual or the community, provided that these interests fit in with the aims of the religion and do not contradict any statement in the Quran or the Sunnah. This is what is known as massalih mursalah.

8.      Means of accomplishing ends. This is a principle that has been refined by the Hanbali school of thought. What it entails is that if something leads to a forbidden end, it is forbidden, and if it facilitates the accomplishment of a duty, it becomes a duty or highly recommended. For example, Ahmad imposes the payment of blood money, like in accidental killing, on a person who prevents another to eat or drink until he dies, because his action led to his death. He also makes it forbidden for a shopkeeper to slash his prices in order to damage his neighbour's business.

9.      An initial ruling remains valid unless we have clear evidence to show that it has changed. This is what is known in Islamic jurisprudence as istishab. What it means in practice is that all transactions and conditions incorporated in them are permissible unless they are clearly forbidden, because all things are initially permissible unless they come under a specific prohibition. The Hanbali school of thought implements this principle far more widely than the rest.

The Hanbali school of thought is rich with diverse opinions. We often have more than one Hanbali view on the same question. Several reasons have contributed to this, such as the fact that Ahmad would accept as valid all the views reported to have been expressed by the Prophet's companions, without favouring any of them. Another reason was that Ahmad would not give a ruling unless he studied the question in relation to the parties involved. Thus he may give two different rulings on very similar questions because the parties in each time have different circumstances, and he takes these into consideration. Moreover, over the years there were many highly distinguished scholars belonging to the Hanbali school who attained the grade of making independent ijtihad, or the exercise of scholarly discretion. These have greatly enriched Hanbali scholarship.

The Hanbali school of thought has not spread far and wide as the other three, mainly because it was the last of the four to develop. However, it always remained the one followed in the heart of Arabia, and after the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia it has spread to all parts of the Arabian Peninsula apart from Yemen and Oman. It continues to constitute a very valuable contribution to Islamic scholarship. Ahmad died in 241 A.H, corresponding to 856 AD.
 May God bless his soul.

May God reward Imam Ahmad  handsomely and bless his soul.


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. !!

Naseehah (Advising) and Tajreeh (Disparaging)

The Difference between Naseehah (Advising) and Tajreeh (Disparaging)
The Linguistic and Technical Meaning of the word Naseehah (Advising)

The word “Naseehah” linguistically indicates something that is pure. It means purity from everything that is corrupt. It is said that milk is
Naasih (pure) when it is free of impurity. Therefore the religion that Allah sent to our Prophet Muhammad (may peace & blessings be upon him)
 commands (us to observe) this aspect of Naseehah which is a purity from all that is deceptive, whatever that form of deceit may be. Whether it
occurs in the relations people have, or during counseling sessions, or in their business transactions. Even during their arguments and disputes,
or the rulings given amongst the people all of that is done sincerely without any deceit or its involvement.

Naseehah begins first with Allah which is to believe in Him, and to believe in His names and attributes while worshiping Him the Glorified, the
 Most High, the one who is alone having no partner. This is the meaning of Naseehah to Allah.

Then there is Naseehah to the Book of Allah. It is to believe that the Quran is the speech of Allah the Glorious, the Most High.
To use it as a source of reaching a ruling in order to settle disputes, to adhere to what was revealed within it, to act according to its commands
and to leave that which it prohibits.

Then there is Naseehah to the Messenger of Allah (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) which is to believe in him
(as the final prophet) and to affirm this belief while loving him and obeying him. It is to adhere to what he brought and to abandon all of the
 newly invented matters and innovations that oppose what was revealed to him (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him). This is the
 meaning of Naseehah to the Messenger of Allah (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him).

Then there is Naseehah to the Muslim rulers who are in charge of running the affairs of the people. This is done by listening to them and obeying
 them in goodness without trying to overthrow them. It also includes supplicating for them to have piety and honesty as well as carrying out the
work that they have entrusted the people with from amongst the high ranking officials. So when they entrust those who are reliable with an order
concerning the affairs of the Muslims and they place them in charge of them, then it is obligatory for the ruler to advise them in performing their
 jobs and carrying them out. This includes the princes, the judges, the employees, and the workers, all of those whom the ruler has placed in
positions.
All of them must be given Naseehah by the ruler in order to carry out their work. Just as Naseehah is to be given to the ruler as well in conveying
 what they observe form his shortcomings until he acts based on what he rectified and what he reconciled (of his shortcomings).
This is Naseehah to them (the rulers) and cooperation with them.

Then there is Naseehah to the common Muslim people and that is by spreading love amongst the Muslims and rectifying all forms of discord.
The Most High says: {Fear Allah and rectify all forms of discord amongst yourselves.} Soorat-ul-Anfaal: 1

And the Most High says: {And if two groups from amongst the believers begin to fight with one another then make peace between them both.
 However if one breaks the peace by resuming the differences amongst the two then all of you must fight the group that rebelled until it complies
 with the order of Allah. If they comply then make peace between them in fairness and be just. Indeed Allah loves those who are just.}
 Soorat-ul-Hujuraat: 9 -10

This is the Naseehah that is to be given to the Muslims.

Naseehah also includes enjoining the good and forbidding the evil to whoever falls into that which opposes (the religion) until he returns to the
correct position.

{And the believing men and the believing women are supporters of one another. They enjoin the good and forbid the evil, they establish prayer,
they pay the alms tax, and they obey Allah and His messenger. They are the ones whom Allah will have mercy upon. Indeed Allah is Mighty and
Wise.} Soorat-ut-Tawbah: 71

Therefore enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is Naseehah. How do you watch your brother opposing (the religion) or upon some form of
 disobedience, you harm him and you harm society by not advising one another! You must advise one another and enjoin the good and forbid the
 evil by using wisdom and good admonition. Debating by using good words is best, not by disparaging, condemning, and belittling.
This is not Naseehah rather this is Fadheehah (scandal and controversy): {Indeed those who love that al-Faahishah (filthy vile language,
illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) be spread amongst those who believe, they will suffer a painful punishment in this life and in the hereafter.
And Allah knows but you do not.} Soorat-un-Noor: 19

The Difference between Naseehah (Advising) and Tajreeh (Disparaging)

It is not permissible to broadcast mistakes and to disparage those who have fallen into them and to construct our gatherings upon back biting
and slandering them. Allah has prohibited all of that. The Most High says: {O you who believe do not let a group among you make fun of another
group among you. It may be that those being ridiculed are better than those who ridicule them. Nor allow a group of women among you to ridicule
another group of women among you. It may be that those being ridiculed are better than those who ridicule them.} Soorat-ul-Hujuraat: 11

So perhaps the one being spoken about is better than the one who speaks about him (as Allah says:) {It may be that those being ridiculed are
 better than those who ridicule them. Nor allow a group of women among you to ridicule another group of women among you. It may be that
those being ridiculed are better than those who ridicule them.} Soorat-ul-Hujuraat: 11

The deficiency found in your brother is a deficiency found in you. If you want to rectify this deficiency that has occurred from the ruler or from the
general Muslims then let this Naseehah occur between you and between the one being advised in private. That you sit in a gathering or speak
 on a tape recording or speak upon the pulpit during a sermon and disparage the Muslim rulers or that you disparage your Muslim brothers then
this affair is not permissible. This is not Naseehah. On the contrary this is Fadheehah (scandal and controversy). It is the difference between
Naseehah and Tajreeh (disparagement).

Naseehah is what Allah the Glorious and Most High commands. The Messenger (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) commands it.
It  is (a form of) rectification. As for Tajreeh (disparagement) then it is corruption. It is the difference between corruption and rectification:
{And Allah knows the corrupt person from the one who wants to make peace.} Soorat-ul-Baqarah: 22

The one who desires rectification does not call out his brothers when they fall into mistakes. He does not disparage them or announce their
shortcomings. Rather he must sit with the one being advised or speak to him via the various modes of communication and discuss it privately.
 He may not know about the mistake that he has fallen into. So he is advised of it for the sake of avoiding it and no one is informed of that.
This is the Naseehah which indicates clarity within the souls and love within the hearts. And this will produce rectification to those things which
are corrupt as well as produce mutual brotherhood between the Muslims and the safeguarding used to cover up mistakes. So whoever covers
up the fault of a Muslim, Allah will cover his in this life and in the hereafter.


Real meanings of Islam
Does the world know the real meanings of Islam, or does it only know the irresponsible behavior of some reckless Muslims?
I think the second question is the most relevant. People living in remote villages in Europe, America, Brazil or Argentina will
not look at Islam academically but rather through the extreme conduct of some Muslims: murder, threats, blowing up trains
and hijacking aircraft. They will not know about Islam from great Muslim scholars, but rather from people like Osama Bin Laden,
Mullah Muhammad Omar, Ayman Al-Zawahri and others whose hands have been soaked in the blood of the innocent.
 I think the first thing we should begin with is to purify the major sources from which the communities come to know about Islam
 being mosques or schools.

The curricula might project a distorted picture of Islam either because they contain extreme and rigid opinions canceling the
other or because they are unable to cope with new developments in the world.

We cannot correct Islam through advertisement and publicity but rather through being a role model in conduct, discipline and good
manners. It is ironic to talk about the tolerance of Islam while some preachers hit girls with sticks and follow young men in our streets.

By doing so we are contradicting ourselves and affirming the already bad picture of Islam. We cannot correct the real understanding
of Islam while we are doing provocative things. This is a truth that many people do not understand.

Pilgrimage to Makka

 Eid Al-Adha is expected to be on or around November 27, 2009.


.........Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk................The Hajj must be performed during a specific period of time in the Islamic calendar, beginning on the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah (the "month of Hajj"), the 12th month in the Islamic calendar. The dates of the Hajj have been set since ancient times, when the Prophet Abraham first called people to make the pilgrimage.

"Proclaim the pilgrimage among people; they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways. That they may witness the benefits (provided) for them, and celebrate the name of Allah, throughout the appointed days..." (Qur'an 22:27-28).

Muslims believe that these "appointed days" (beginning with the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah) have been set since the time of Abraham, and were recognized and practiced by the Prophet Muhammad.

However, there is another type of pilgrimage to Makka, known as the umrah (lesser pilgrimage), which may be performed any time during the year. During umrah, Muslims observe some of the same pilgrimage rites as during Hajj. However, while this experience is commendable, it does not relieve one from the requirement of performing the Hajj during the appointed annual time.

Ibn Hajjar said in his book "Al Fath". "The majority of the Muslim scholars are agreed that the verse ordering people to perform Hajj was revealed in the sixth year after Hijra. Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {And perform properly (i.e. all the ceremonies according to the ways of Prophet Muhammad SAW), the Hajj and 'Umrah (i.e. the pilgrimage to Makkah) for Allâh.}[2:196]. What is meant by "complete" is the starting of this rite to be obligatory on Muslims".
Other scholars like Al Nawawi and Ibn Al Qayyim believe that Hajj became mandatory on Muslims in the ninth year after Hijra. The reason, they put this date forward is the fact that the Prophet performed only one Hajj (The Farewell Hajj) and that was in the year ten after the Hijra. Since Hajj becomes obligatory as soon as the person have the material means to perform it and can physically do so, these scholars think that the Prophet would not delay performing Hajj three years. But the first opinion is the most sound one. The Prophet delayed his Hajj till the year ten because Makkah was before that date the place of pagans and atheists. It did not become a Muslim city until the year 8 after the Hijra. The pagans used to perform Hajj in months other than originally intended until Islam re-established the proper times.
This is why the Prophet said in the farewell Hajj: "Time has come back to its original state which it had on the day Allah created the Heavens and the Earth. The year is twelve months, four of which are sacred, three of them are in succession, namely Dhul-Qa'da, Dhul Hijja and Muharram, (the fourth being) Rajab Mudar which is between Juma'da (ath-thani) and Sha'ban".(Bukhari and Muslim).


Steps of Hajj
.The pilgrims begin arriving by air, sea, and land during the weeks prior to the pilgrimage period. They usually arrive into Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the major port city nearest to Makka (45 miles distance). From there they travel with their Hajj group to Mecca. As they approach Makka, they stop at one of the designated areas to shower and change clothing, entering into a state of devotion and purity for the pilgrimage. They then begin reciting an invocation:

Here I am, Oh God, at Your command!
Here I am at Your command!
You are without associate!
Here I am at Your command!
To You are all praise, grace and dominion!
You are without associate!

The sound of this chant (said in Arabic) echoes over the land, as the pilgrims begin arriving in Makka by the thousands for the sacred rites.

On the first official day of the pilgrimage, the millions of pilgrims that have now gathered travel from Makka to Mina, a small village east of the city. There they spend the day and night in enormous tent cities, praying, reading the Qur’an, and resting for the next day.

On the second day of the pilgrimage, the pilgrims leave Mina just after dawn to travel to the Plain of Arafat for the culminating experience of the Hajj. On what is known as the "Day of Arafat,” the pilgrims spend the entire day standing (or sitting) near the Mount of Mercy, asking Allah for forgiveness and making supplications. Muslims around the world who are not at the pilgrimage join them in spirit by fasting for the day.

After sunset on the Day of Arafat, the pilgrims leave and travel to a nearby open plain called Muzdalifah, roughly halfway between Arafat and Mina. There they spend the night praying, and collecting small stone pebbles to be used the following day

On the third day, the pilgrims move before sunrise, this time back to Mina. Here they throw their stone pebbles at pillars that represent the temptations of Satan. When throwing the stones, the pilgrims recall the story of Satan’s attempt to dissuade Abraham from following God’s command to sacrifice his son. The stones represent Abraham’s rejection of Satan and the firmness of his faith.

After casting the pebbles, most pilgrims slaughter an animal (often a sheep or a goat) and give away the meat to the poor. This is a symbolic act that shows their willingness to part with something that is precious to them, just as the Prophet Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son at God’s command.

Throughout the world, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, on this day. This is the second of the two major holidays in Islam each year.(Festival of Sacrifice) One of the two main Islamic festivals (the other is 'Id al-Fitr), this festival falls on the 10th day of the lunar month of Zul-Hijja and is the concluding act of pilgrimage to Makkah. In commemoration of Abraham's faith, sheep, goats and camels are offered to God, and the meat is distributed to the poor and needy. 'Id al-Adha is observed whether or not one is on pilgrimage)

Indeed in the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) women attended the Eid Salaah, however the practises of women for attending Mosque (adherence to rules of Hijab etc.) must be followed and practised.

Ibn 'Abbas (RA) says that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would take his wives and daughters to the two 'ids. This is related by Ibn-Majah and al-Baihaqi.

Ibn 'Abbas (RA) further reports: "I went out with the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) on the day of breaking the fast or of the sacrifice, and he prayed and gave a khutbah, and then he went to the women and admonished them, reminded them of Allah, and ordered them to give charity." This is related by al-Bukhari.

Aisha (RA) reports that women used to come to the Musjid completely covered in their sheets (Bukhari).


1. It is preferred to make the ghusl Bath), perfume one's self and don one's best attire on the occasions of the two 'ids. ”

Ja'far ibn-Muhammad (RA) relates from his father on the authority of his grandfather who reported that the Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) would wear a Yemeni cloak on every 'id. This is related by ash-Shaf'i (RA) and al-Baghawi (RA).

Al-Hassan as-Sibt says: "The Messenger of Allah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) ordered us to wear the best clothes we could find for the two 'ids and to apply the best perfume we could find and to sacrifice the best animal we could find." This is related by al-Hakim and in its chain is Ishaq ibn Barzakh whom al-'Azdi declares to be weak while Ibn Hibban says he is trustworthy.
Ibn al-Qayyim writes: "The Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) used to wear his most beautiful clothes for them and he had a special cloak that he would wear on the two 'ids and Jumu'ah.

Among the different schools of Fiqh (Jurisprudence), there are different views when it comes to the issue of the extra takbeers in the Eid prayers. However, there are NO differences amongst ‘followers of the sunnah’, when it comes to the rest of the prayer and the kutbah (sermon) which is held after the prayer.

Imaam Maalik (r) said:
"In my opinion, anyone who prays the `Eid prayer individually, whether man or woman, should say seven Takbeers in the first rak`ah, before recitation, and five in the second, before recitation."

This is the opinion of ash-Shaafi`ee - that if one misses the prayer with the imaam, he should pray two Rak`aat in order to at least attain the virtue of performing the `Eid prayer, despite the fact that he missed the virtue of praying it in Jamaa`ah with the imaam. As for the Hanafi’s school, there is no make-up for the `Eid prayer. If one misses it with the Imaam, he has totally missed it."

Umar (ra) reported:
"The travelers' prayer is two Rak`aat; the Adha prayer is two Rak`aat; the Fitr prayer is two Rak`aat; and the Jumu`ah prayer is two Rak`aat; this is their full length as came upon the tongue of Muhammad (saws)."

The Eid Prayer has two rak'ah to perform in the normal way, with the only addition of six takbirs, three of them in the beginning of the first rak'ah, and three of them just before ruku' in the second rak'ah. The detailed way of performing the 'Eid prayer is as follows:

The Imam will begin the prayer without Adhan or Iqamah. He will begin the prayer by reciting takbir of Tahrimah (Allahu Akbar). You should raise your hands up to the ears, and reciting the takbir, you give a little pause during which you should recite Thana' (Subhanak Allahumma.......)· After the completion of Thana' the Imam will recite takbir (Allahu Akbar) three times, and after reciting each Takbir (Allahu Akbar) in a low voice, you should bring your hands down and leave them earthwards. But, after the third takbir, you should set them at the level of your navel as you do in the normal prayer.

After these three takbirs the Imam will recite the Holy Qur'an, which you should listen quietly. The rest of the rak'ah will be performed in the normal way.

After rising for the second rak'ah, the Imam will begin the recitations from the Qur'an during which you should remain calm and quiet. When the Imam finishes his recitation, he will recite three takbirs once again, but this time it will be before bowing down for ruku'. At each takbir you should raise your hands up to the ears, and after saying "Allahu Akbar' bring them down and leave them earthwards. After these three takbirs have been called and completed, the Imam will say another takbir for bowing down into the ruku' position. At this takbir you need not raise your hands. You just bow down for your ruku' saying, 'Allahu Akbar'. The rest of the Salah will be performed in its usual way.

The pilgrims then return to Mecca and perform seven tawaf, turns around the Ka’aba, the house of worship built by Abraham A.S. and his son. In other rites, the pilgrims pray near a place called “The Station of Abraham,” which is reportedly where Abraham stood while constructing the Ka’aba. The pilgrims also walk seven times between two small hills near the Ka’aba (and enclosed in the Grand Mosque’s complex). This is done in remembrance of the plight of Abraham’s wife Hajar, who desperately searched in the area for water for herself and her son, before a spring welled up in the desert for her. The pilgrims also drink from this ancient spring, known as Zamzam, which continues to flow today.

In the days and weeks after Hajj, many Muslims take advantage of their travel time by visiting the city of Madinah, 270 miles north of Mecca. The people of Madinah provided refuge to the early Muslim community, when they were being persecuted by the powerful Meccan tribes. Madinah became a center for the growing Muslim community, and was home to the Prophet Muhammad and his followers for many years. Pilgrims visit the Prophet’s Mosque, where Muhammad saw is buried, as well as other ancient mosques, and the many historical battle sites and graveyards in the area.

Pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia are required to leave the country by the 10th of Muharram, about one month after the completion of the pilgrimage.

 Prophet saw sent Abu Bakr (RA)and then Ali(RA) the year that proceeded the farewell Hajj to Makkah to tell people that: "No polytheist should perform Hajj after this year, and none should circumambulate around the Kaaba in a naked state".[Reported by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim]
2. It is proved that only one verse was revealed to the Prophet during the Farewell Hajj. This verse is Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion.}[5:3].
Omar Ibn Al Khattab(r) said: "I know for a fact, the place where it (this verse) was revealed to him (the Prophet) the day on which it was revealed to the Prophet. It was revealed in Arafat on Friday" [Reported by Imam Muslim].
.


Muhammad (may peace be upon him) performed Hajj only once. This Hajj is also known as "Hijjat-ul-Widaa".

In the 10th Hijrah year, when the unbelievers were forbidden to visit Holy Ka’bah, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) accompanied by fourteen thousand Muslims left Madinah for Makkah to offer Hajj. That year, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) offered all the Hajj rites. Hence, whatever he did became "Sunnah". Till today, all the Muslims follow it. Before this, he did not perform the complete Hajj rites. In the previous year, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) himself did not go to Makkah. However in the 10th Hijrah year, the Prophet  (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) performed all the Hajj ceremonies; wore the Pilgrim robe (Ahram), circumambulated the Holy Ka’bah seven times and performed "Sai" between Safa and Marva seven times.

10 years after his migration from Mecca to Medina, the Prophet Muhammad performed his Hajj, which came to be known as the "Hajj of Farewell." The Prophet told his followers: "Learn how to perform Hajj, as after this year I may not perform it." As the news spread around, people from Medina and nearby areas started assembling there to accompany the Prophet.

On the afternoon of Thursday, 24 Dhul Qada, 10 AH, the Prophet mounted his she-camel to set out for Mecca. A multitude of people, over 100,000 in number, accompanied him. Jabir, a Companion of the Prophet said, "I could see people as far as my eyes could see." On the way more people joined the caravan. When the Prophet reached a place called Dhul Halifa, he spent the night there and in the morning took a bath and put on ihram, the pilgrims’ dress, made up of two unstitched sheets (women wear normal dress and cover their heads by a scarf). Afterwards he moved towards Mecca saying the talbiyah prayer: "Here I am, O Allah, Here I am at Your service! You have no partner, here I am. All praise, grace and dominion belongs to You. You have no partner." The multitude joined him in repeating these words.

After travelling for nine days, the Prophet reached Mecca on 4 Dhul Hijjah. He first went to the Sacred Mosque. On seeing the Kabah, he said: "O Allah! increase the greatness and sublimity of Your House." And further added, "O Allah, You are peace, with You is peace. Our Lord, keep us alive with peace." Afterwards he performed tawaf—going round the Kabah seven times. As he did this, he kept calling upon God: "Our Lord, give us goodness in this world and goodness in the Hereafter, and keep us safe from the fire of Hell." When he had finished going round the Kabah, he prayed two rakat at the Maqam Ibrahim—the Station of Abraham, and went towards the Black Stone and kissed it. He moved towards Safa, saying that Safa and Marwa were one of the signs of Allah. He went up the Safa hill, till he could see the Kabah. (At that time the hills of Safa and Marwa were outside the Sacred Mosque, but now after the expansion of the grounds, they come within the boundary wall

The Prophet walked briskly between the two hills seven times and ended the walk at Marwa. Some of the seven laps he did on camel-back. Perhaps he did so that people could see him from a distance. The Prophet was staying in Mecca at a place called al-Bath. After staying there for four days, he moved to Mina on 8 Dhul Hijjah and the next morning, he moved off towards Arafat. At Arafat, he stayed in a small tent in the Arnah valley. In the afternoon he rode his she-camel as far as the middle part of the Arafat valley. Here, mounted on his she-camel, he gave a sermon which is known as the Sermon of the Farewell Hajj. Today, at this very spot there stands a mosque by the name of Nimra.

In his message to humanity, the Prophet emphasized the highest moral values. Here the Prophet announced: "No Arab is superior to a non-Arab and no non-Arab is superior to an Arab. No black man is superior to a red man and no red man is superior to a black, except through taqwa or fear of Allah. The most noble among you is the one who is deeply conscious of God."

While the Prophet was praying here, the very last verse of the Qur’an was revealed to him, and so the Holy Book was completed.

After delivering the sermon, the Prophet performed two prayers together—Zuhr and Asr. After prayers, the Prophet came to the spot in Arafat which known as the "standing place". Here, mounted on his she-camel, the Prophet prayed till sunset. He said that the prayer of this day was the best of all. The Prophet was praying with divine feelings. He was praying, the people around him were praying, some standing, some mounted on their animals—weeping and crying to their Lord for His favors, vowing for repentance and craving His blessing. It was such a great moment that the Prophet said, "Arafat is Hajj." He prayed, "O Allah, You are listening to me. You are watching my place. You are aware of my hidden and open affairs. I am miserable and needy, I am pleading to You. Asking your protection..."

After sunset, the Prophet rode towards Muzdalifa. He asked Usama ibn Zayd to ride his camel too. He went on saying Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk—"Here I am O Lord, Here I am". And the people were chanting the same. The Prophet asked people not to run, but to move slowly and calmly, as running was no work of piety. On reaching Muzdalifa, the Prophet asked his Companion, Bilal to give the call for prayers. There he said the Maghrib and the Isha prayer together. The Prophet took rest at night and in the morning after praying, he went towards a place called Mashar Haram where he offered further for prayers. Before sunrise, the Prophet left Muzdalifah for Mina, after taking seven small pebbles from there. On the way, passing through the valley of Muhssar, he asked people to move fast, as this was the place, where the People of the Elephant, who came to destroy the Kabah, were punished by Allah. This incident happened in the year in which the Prophet was born. Riding on, he reached the Jamarah, the three pillars at Mina, at which he cast seven pebbles, saying Allahu Akbar each time. The Prophet gave his second sermon at Mina, which was similar to the previous one at Arafat. Afterwards the Prophet offered his sacrifices, shaved his head and took off the ihram—the pilgrims’ dress. That was the day of the feast—(today we remember that day as Id al-Adha).

On the same day, the Prophet rode to Mecca, performed tawaf, drank water at Zamzam and returned to Mina. At Mina people came to him, asking many questions about the pilgrimage. Some said, "I delayed in doing so and so," or "I performed something before it was due," and so on. But the Prophet would tell them: "No objection, no objection! Objections are only for the person who wrongfully violates the honor of his fellow-man."

At Mina the Prophet spent three more days for the throwing of stones. In the afternoon of Tuesday, the Prophet moved to Mecca, where he stayed in a tent and slept briefly. Before the morning prayer, he went to the Sacred Mosque and performed the tawaf of Farewell.

The Prophet stayed in Mecca during Hajj for 10 days. Afterwards he left for Medina. At a place called, Dhul Halifa he rested for the night, and at the sunrise, entered his beloved city—Medina, the Radiant. When he first saw the city dwellings from a distance, words of praise started pouring from his lips: "Allah is most High. There is no deity save Him. He is One. No one is His partner. He is Lord of everything. All praise belongs to Him and He empowers all things. We are returning repentant, praying, prostrating ourselves, praising our Lord. Allah has kept His promise."The Prophet died two months after performing his Hajj.