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The Prophet`s Birth Anniversary
Author : His Grace Shiekh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh
Date Added : 04-01-2015

The Prophet`s Birth  Anniversary

By the Grand Mufti of  Jordan, Sheikh Abdulkarim Khasawneh

 

All perfect praise be to Allah,the Lord of the Worlds,and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Before the birth of Prophet Mohammad{PBUH}, the world was in a state of chaos and anarchy as the people were overwhelmed with false ideas, myths and illusions where it was impossible to tell right from wrong and people misused the heritage of the prophets. Abu Raja Al-Utaridi narrated : “We used to worship stones, and when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter, but if we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (i.e. soil) and then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and perform the Tawaf around it. When the month of Rajab came, we used (to stop the military actions), calling this month the iron remover, for we used to remove and throw away the iron parts of every spear and arrow in the month of Rajab. “{Bukhari}.

When Almighty Allah decided for the truth to uncover and the tyranny to end, He permitted the birth of His Prophet{PBUH}. He made him illuminate this universe with rays brighter than those of the sun, and by doing so the darkness of the night has faded away.

When he was born{PBUH}, he marked the birth of a new world. Almighty Allah says: “ There hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book,- “{Al-Ma`idah/15}.

His birth has given life to the universe, Monotheism emerged and Allah willed that His Message{Islam} be launched from a blessed spot of a remote place located in a barren, unreachable valley in the heart of desert. The great favor that Allah has conferred upon the Arabs  is that he has sent the seal of His messengers from them, and he specifically mentioned the believers although the Prophet was sent as mercy to all creatures. Almighty Allah says: “ God did confer a great favor on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of God, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error. “{Al-Imran/164}.

The Prophet{PBUH} adopted the message of Islam and paid no attention to the ignorant, opportunist and skeptic. He countered mischief with patience and abomination with meekness. History hasn`t witnessed a man who has been perfected, disciplined and good mannered by Allah like our Prophet Mohammad{PBUH}. Thus, it isn`t surprising that he has led humanity from darkness to light and from injustice of religions to the justice of Islam. This has established principles of  a generation that addresses the world: “ How could you enslave people whose mothers  gave birth to them free. “ Praise be to Allah for His favors and gifts.

This is the Prophet whose birth anniversary we are celebrating today. His manners and heritage are reflected through the acts of  his followers.

However, we should realize that it is difficult to combine  peace of mind with the fulfillment of aspirations. Challenges are only overcome by uniting under the banner of Islam as one person, and Almighty Allah won`t fail the best of  people`s, evolved to mankind. Our Prophet{PBUH} said: “ My Muslim Ummah(Nation) is like the rain: One can`t tell its beginning from its end “

In a bid to achieve our aspirations, overcome weaknesses and protect ourselves against tests and trials, it is mandatory that we adhere to the commands of our beloved Prophet: adherence to the Quran and the Prophetic tradition. Abu Hurrairah narrated that the Prophet{PBUH} said: “ You shall never go astray if you adhere to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah{Prophetic tradition} of His Messenger  “{ Malik}. And Allah knows best.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

For some time I have been searching for a guiding shaykh to teach me the spiritual path (*sulūk*) and the Islamic sciences, but I have not found one. What should I do?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
There is abundant good in this Ummah, and the scholars who guide and nurture are never cut off. The student of knowledge should strive in seeking them out, ask diligently after them, and draw from their learning.
As for one who cannot find a guiding and nurturing shaykh, he should send abundant prayers and peace upon our master the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), while keeping constantly to dhikr and worship and abstaining from the forbidden. For that will bring him to his goal in traveling toward Allah the Exalted. Imam Muḥammad al-Sanūsī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “I have seen it said by some of the imams of Sufism that whoever lacks shaykhs of spiritual training (shuyūkh al-tarbiyah) should increase his invocation of blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), for by it he will reach his goal.”
The scholar Aḥmad Zarrūq al-Mālikī (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Qawāʿid al-Taṣawwuf (p. 86), rule no. 114: “Dhikr is the decree of sainthood (manshūr al-wilāyah). Whoever is given dhikr has been given the decree. Our shaykh Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Ḥaḍramī (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘Keep constantly to dhikr and abundant blessings upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for it is a ladder, an ascent, and a path to Allah the Exalted when the seeker does not meet a guiding shaykh.’” And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on reciting the Noble Qur’an during menstruation?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is impermissible for a woman in menses, a woman in postnatal bleeding, or a person in a state of major ritual impurity to recite any part of the Noble Qur’an with the intention of recitation, even from a mobile phone or a computer, and even if the recitation is from memory. It is narrated on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) “was not prevented, or he said kept back, from the Qur’an by anything except janābah (major ritual impurity).” It was narrated by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī, who said: “Ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ.”
Janābah and menstruation are one and the same in that both constitute a major ritual impurity. Just as a woman is commanded by Allah Almighty to pray, fast, and recite the Noble Qur’an during her period of purity, she is likewise commanded to refrain from these during the period of her excuse.
For further reference, see the fatwas: (Fatwas of Shaykh Nūḥ, Fatwa no. 27) and (248). And Allah Almighty knows best.

What are the Sunnahs and etiquettes related to the slaughtering of an animal?

 

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
1-Avoid terrifying the animal before it is slaughtered.
 
2-Do not slaughter the animal in front of others of its kind.
 
3-Offer water to the animal before the sacrifice.
 
4-Sharpen the knife thoroughly prior to slaughtering to ensure the cut is made as quickly and cleanly as possible. This is in accordance with the statement of our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Indeed, Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, has prescribed excellence (Ihsan) in all things. So when you kill, kill well; and when you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each of you sharpen his blade, and let him put his sacrificial animal at ease." (Narrated by Muslim)
 
Do not begin skinning the carcass until you are absolutely certain that the animal has completely passed away.
 
Slaughter cattle, sheep, and goats while they are lying down on their left side, facing the Qiblah (direction of prayer). Leave the right leg untied so the animal can move it, helping it rest more easily during its final moments. For camels, however, the preferred method (Nahr) is to slaughter them while they are standing up, with their left knee tied. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is the ruling on someone who possesses gold with the intention of saving/hoarding it, and owns nothing else — is he obligated to sell a portion of it in order to pay the zakāh due on it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh becomes immediately obligatory on cash, and likewise on gold — that which is not designated for a woman's personal adornment— once both reach the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah) and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has passed over them. It is not permissible to delay payment when it is genuinely possible to pay — meaning, when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both available. It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.129): "Zakāh is obligatory immediately once it becomes feasible to pay it, meaning when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both present."
The one paying zakāh must discharge the obligatory zakāh due on saved (hoarded) gold either from the gold itself, or from its equivalent monetary value, in the event that no other funds are available — since paying from the gold itself is the original default (al-aṣl). It becomes permissible to pay from other funds instead only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency, as stated in Asnā al-Maṭālib (Vol.1/p.366): "When a full ḥawl has elapsed on wealth other than trade goods... zakāh attaches to the actual asset itself (al-‘ayn), and the poor effectively become partners in it — even, for example, [becoming partners] in camels through the value of a sheep [owed as zakāh on them]... Paying from other wealth is permitted only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency."
Accordingly: the one paying zakāh must discharge it either from the actual saved gold itself, or by selling a portion of the gold equal to the amount of zakāh owed. He may also borrow money to pay the zakāh, or pay the zakāh in installments before the ḥawl is complete [as an advance payment]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.