Articles

The Prophet`s Birth Anniversary
Author : His Grace Shiekh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh
Date Added : 02-11-2022

 

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Gracious 

The Prophet's Birth Anniversary 

 

 

Praise be to Allah; 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.

 

Al-Bukhari narrated quoted from Abu Raja Al-Utaridi (May Allah Have Mercy on them) where the latter said: "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." 

 

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 (What means): "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 amongst them, and he specifically mentioned the believers although the Prophet was sent a mercy to all creatures. Almighty Allah Says (What means): "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 command of our beloved Prophet: adherence to the Quran and the Prophetic tradition. Abu Hurrairah (May Allah Be Pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "You shall never go astray if you adhere to the Book of Allah and the Sunna (Prophetic tradition) of His Messenger." [At-Tirmithi & An-Nissa'ee]. And Allah Knows Best.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What are the Sunnahs and etiquettes recommended for the person offering the Udhiyah?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
There are several Sunnahs (prophetic traditions) and etiquettes that are highly recommended for the person offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) to observe:
 
First:
It is a Sunnah for anyone intending to offer a sacrifice to refrain from cutting or removing any of their hair or nails once the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah begin. This is based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "When the ten days [of Dhul-Hijjah] begin and one of you intends to offer a sacrifice, let him not touch any of his hair or skin." (Narrated by Muslim)
 
However, if someone does happen to remove any hair or nails, they have not committed a sin, and their sacrifice remains perfectly valid.
 
Second:
The person offering the sacrifice should ideally slaughter the animal themselves. If they are unable to do so, they should at least witness its slaughter. This is drawn from what our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said to Lady Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her):
 
"Stand up and witness your sacrifice, for with its very first drop of blood, every sin you have committed will be forgiven." (Narrated by Al-Tabarani in his Mu'jam, Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and Al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan)
 
Third:
Face the Qiblah (the direction of prayer) at the time of slaughtering, as the Qiblah is the most honorable of directions.
 
Fourth:
Pronounce the name of Allah (Tasmiyah) at the moment of slaughter by saying: "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim" (In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). Even if one forgets to say it, the meat remains lawful (Halal) to eat. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:
 
"So eat of that [meat] upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned." (Al-An'am: 118)
 
It is also recommended to send blessings upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and to follow it with the Takbeer (Allahu Akbar).
 
Fifth:
Supplicate for acceptance by saying: "Allahumma hadhihi minka wa ilayka, fa-taqabbal minni" (O Allah, this is a blessing from You and is offered back to You, so please accept it from me). This means: This sacrifice is a blessing that originated from You, and I am offering it to draw closer to You. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is the ruling on offering a sheep as a sacrifice (Udhiyah) if its fat-tail is sound, except that when it was young, the tip of its fat-tail was cut so that it would grow larger? And what is the ruling in case of doubt regarding the amount that was cut?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Cutting a minor, insignificant portion from the tip of an animal's fat-tail (al-alyah) to encourage it to grow larger is not considered a defect, and it does not prevent the animal from being valid for sacrifice (Udhiyah).
 
It is stated in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj (Vol.9/P.352): "There is some scholarly deliberation regarding the common practice of cutting the tip of the fat-tail so that it grows larger. It could potentially be likened to a partial cut of the ear—supported by the jurists' general rule: 'even if it is a small amount.' On the other hand, if it is an exceptionally minor cut, it might have no effect on validity. This is explicitly clarified by the juristic exception to the general rule, which states that cutting a tiny piece from a large limb causes no harm. This latter view is more well-founded.
 
Furthermore, I found that some scholars investigated this matter and concluded: 'It should not affect validity if a custom-sanctioned portion of its fat-tail is removed during its youth to make it grow larger and look better, just as castrating a male animal causes no harm.' However, applying this unconditionally contradicts the established texts of the jurists, as understood from what I have laid out; thus, the restriction I specified is what must be relied upon."
 
Similarly, it is mentioned in Nihayat al-Muhtaj (8/135): "If a small piece is cut from the fat-tail to help it grow larger, the most well-founded view is that the sacrifice remains valid, as was given in a formal legal verdict (Fatwa) by my father [Shihab al-Din al-Ramli], may Allah be pleased with him. This is proven by the jurists' maxim: 'The loss of a tiny piece from a large limb causes no harm.'"
 
In cases where there is doubt as to whether the portion cut was large or small, the animal is still deemed valid for sacrifice. It is noted in Hashiyat al-Shubramallisi ‘ala Nihayat al-Muhtaj (Vol.8/P.135):
 
"This matter requires careful consideration, but the closer and more correct view is that it is valid. This is because soundness is the default state for the animal from which the piece was cut, and it aligns with what usually occurs—namely, that the part removed to help the fat-tail grow larger is naturally very small." And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

How to pay Zakah (obligatory charity) due on articles of merchandise?

Articles of merchandise are estimated by their whole sale market price at the end of each lunar year, and (2.5%) of their value is paid as Zakah whether it (value) went up, or down compared to actual purchasing price, and whether the increase (profit) was in the article itself such as an increase in the animal`s weight, or in the prices themselves. And Allah Knows Best.

What is the ruling on eating or drinking during the second Adhan?

It is not permissible to eat or drink during the second Adhan because it announces the break of dawn and the obligation to start fasting. Allah Almighty says {what means}:"and eat and drink until you can discern the white streak of dawn against the blackness of night." [Al-Baqarah/187].
Whoever eats or drinks during this time invalidates their fast, and they must refrain from eating for the rest of the day and make up for the missed fast later.