Articles

On the Anniversary of Prophet Mohammad`s Birthday
Author : Dr. Ali Al-Qudah
Date Added : 07-04-2024

 

All perfect praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. I send prayers and peace in a manner befitting the status of the Prince of the Prophets, the Leader of the Messengers. I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah, the Guide of the righteous, and I bear witness that Mohammad: our master, prophet, and beloved is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers.

 

Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah. You are the fulfillment of the prayer of your father Ibrahim: "Our Lord, send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise." You were indeed this divine call, and how magnificent it is...

 

And you are the glad tidings of your brother Isa (Jesus), when he said: "O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad."

 

You are the vision of your mother Amina. When she gave birth to you, she saw as if a light radiated from her illuminating the palaces of Sham (Greater Syria). You were that light illuminating in a night whose sky was clear, waters were sweet, and air was pleasant. Amina bint Wahb gave birth to the best of Allah's creation and the elite of His messengers, Mohammad, peace be upon him. She spread this happy news throughout the universe.

 

May Allah's blessings be upon you, O source of guidance, as gentle breezes blow and nightingales sing their melodies.

 

What can I say about you, O Messenger of Allah, when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, Saying (What means): "And [mention, O Muhammad], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], 'Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him.' [Allah] said: "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?' They said, 'We have acknowledged it.' He said, 'Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses." 

 

What can I say about you, O Messenger of Allah? My example and yours are like that of a desert Arab who had lost his way in the desert. When the moon rose, he found guidance in its light and said: What shall I say to you, O moon? Should I say that Allah elevated you? Indeed, Allah has elevated you. Should I say that Allah illuminated you? Indeed, Allah has illuminated you. Should I say that Allah honored you? Indeed, Allah has honored you. And what can I say to you, O my master, O Messenger of Allah? Should I say that Allah elevated you? Indeed, He has elevated you (And We have raised high your mention). Should I say that Allah illuminated you? Indeed, He has illuminated you (There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book). Should I say that Allah honored you? Indeed, He has honored you (O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good tidings, and a warner, And one who invites to Allah, by His permission, and an illuminating lamp).

 

Hello on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Prophet of Allah, Mohammad (peace be upon him), the Messenger of guidance and the true religion, a mercy to the worlds. Allah chose him from among the best of humanity and favored him over all His creation, to reconstruct history, rectify the conditions of human life, and fill the earth with the abundance of his light. Thus, he became like a luminous planet among the stars in the sky. He liberated humanity from the worship of its desires to the worship of its Lord, from prostrating to creations to prostrating to their Creator, who created mankind from clay equally, nurtured gardens from paradise, made rivers flow from rocks, and turned green trees into fire (So why do they not believe?).

 

 

On the birth of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), the flowers of paradise bloomed with glad tidings and peace before the flowers of transient debris in the world of mortality. The wings of the purified angels encircled the inhabited House, glorifying and praising their Lord, welcoming the precious pearl in a secure corner and the moon born in the house of Allah and the treasured gem from the valleys of Mecca. It is greeted by the care of its extended shade in the sanctuary of Allah, where birds and animals found safety when security was lost among human beings.

 

Welcome to this noble orphan, the rich in poverty, rich in treasures of goodness in his message, an orphan and the entire humanity in his care. He is the call of Ibrahim and the glad tidings of Isa... A tree from the desert that shaded the universe and an illiterate sent as a teacher to readers and writers. The foundations of the unjust palace were cracked at his birth, a warning to the oppressors, the dominance of Byzantium. Before the light of monotheism, the fading glow of Zoroastrianism in the house of fire disappeared, and the waves of floating disbelief drowned in the tears of the oppressed...

 

 

That is our Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) who demolished the idols of stone in the K'aaba, and Bilal stood on it to dismantle with his call to prayer the idols of humans... What say you about the Lord of the Worlds!

 

He (Allah) has molded his (Prophet Mohammad`s) nature from the glory of the noble Arabs and their genuine fruitful branch. It is not surprising that the son of the desert carries in it a heart wider than its expanse, a soul purer than its skies, and a generosity that kindles fire at the doors of tents during the nights to guide the stranger to shelter, when he finds guidance in the fire. Yet, the son of the desert, with all this generosity, has a fury that erupts like a volcano when it is meant to accept humiliation. He elevates his independence above his life, and he does not compromise the dignity of his blood to protect his honor. You see him advancing, with the back of a horse as his throne, the roar of the lion as his melody, the clang of the spear as his anthem, and his courage seeking victory as its pursuit. He lifts oppression from his land and repels tyranny from his sanctuary.

 

 

O people!

 

This is the Prophet of God, the beacon of creation, and the source of light that illuminated the earth with prostrations... Crowds used to flock to his door, and armies and soldiers would submit to his command. The spoils were plentiful and abundant. Then Ibn Abbas would enter upon him, and behold, he would be praying in a single garment, wrapped around him, seeking protection from the extremes of the earth's heat and cold... His food was barley, his constant companion was vinegar, his provision was contentment, and his mount after Al-Buraq was a camel... He would prefer to lay on a mat on his side, even though he could have the silk of Paradise... Walking beside him would be the poor and needy, and if he wished, he could have been greeted by the shining moon... He abandoned the luxuries of the world, content with simplicity and submission to God...

 

O protectors of Islam, O guardians of al-Aqsa, if you seek peace on earth, follow Mohammad, and ease the burden of the United Nations.

 

May peace and blessings be upon our Master Mohammad, his family, his companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of all The Worlds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

When does the time for Udhiyah begin?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The permissible timeframe for Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) begins on the day of Eid al-Adha—the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah—once the sun has risen and a period of time sufficient to perform two brief prayer units (Rak'ahs) and two short sermons (Khutbahs) has passed. This window remains open until the sun sets on the final day of Tashreeq, which is the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
Our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: "Every valley of Mina is a place of sacrifice, and slaughtering may be done throughout all the days of Tashreeq." (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban)
 
The days of Tashreeq refer to the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
The most virtuous time to perform the sacrifice is immediately after concluding the Eid prayer, based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The first thing we do on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and offer our sacrifice. Whoever does that has acted in accordance with our Sunnah (tradition), and whoever slaughters before that, it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it has nothing to do with the ritual sacrifice." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
 
What is meant here is an estimation of time rather than the actual performance of the prayer itself, as our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), used to offer the Eid al-Adha prayer immediately after sunrise.
 
The sacrifice is valid if performed at any time during these designated days, whether by day or by night, though slaughtering at night is considered disliked (Makruh). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on making up missed prayers during prohibited times?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to make up (qada’) missed prayers at any time, even during the periods when prayer is generally prohibited. The prayers that are forbidden and considered invalid during these times are 'absolute voluntary prayers' (nafl mutlaq)—which have no specific cause—and voluntary prayers whose cause follows the prayer itself, such as the Sunnah of entering Ihram or the Sunnah of the Istikharah prayer. Furthermore, no prayer is considered disliked (makruh) during these prohibited times when performed within the Meccan Sanctuary (Makkah al-Mukarramah).
 
It is stated in Bushra al-Karim (Vol.1/P.181), one of the Shafi’i texts: 'It is not forbidden to perform prayers that have a cause that is not delayed (i.e., the cause is preceding), such as making up a missed prayer (fa’itah)—even if it was a voluntary one—and the funeral prayer (janazah); or a cause that is simultaneous, such as the prayer for rain (istisqa’) or the eclipse prayer (kusuf)... and the Sunnah of wudu, the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid), the Sunnah of circumambulation (tawaf), the Sunnah of arrival, and the prostrations of recitation (tilawah) or thankfulness (shukr). These mentioned prayers and their like are not forbidden provided that one does not specifically intend (ta'ammud) to perform them during the disliked time because it is a disliked time. If one does so intentionally, it becomes forbidden, even if it is a mandatory makeup prayer that is due immediately; because in that case, one is acting in defiance of the Sharia. This is in contrast to when one does not specifically seek out that time, even if the prayer happens to fall within it, or if one seeks it for another purpose—such as delaying a funeral prayer to that time so that a larger number of people may pray over the deceased; in such cases, it is permissible and valid... And it is forbidden to perform prayers with no cause at all, like absolute nafl, or those with a delayed cause, such as the Istikharah prayer, the prayer for Ihram, the prayer for a need (hajah), the prayer before leaving the house, or the prayer before execution; because their causes occur after the prayer itself.' And Allah the Exalted knows best."

What is the Islamic ruling on the aqiqa?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The 'aqīqah is a confirmed Sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah). Two sheep are to be slaughtered for a newborn boy, and one sheep for a newborn girl. This is established by numerous Prophetic traditions, among them:
The narration of Samurah ibn Jundub, may Allah be pleased with him, who reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Every child is held in pledge for his 'aqīqah, which is slaughtered on his behalf on the seventh day, and he is named, and his head is shaved." — Narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who graded it as ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ.
And the narration of 'Ā'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us to slaughter one sheep as 'aqīqah for a girl, and two sheep for a boy." — Narrated by Aḥmad and Ibn Mājah.
The imperative in these narrations is understood to denote recommendation rather than obligation, based on the ḥadīth of 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about the 'aqīqah, whereupon he said: "Allah does not love 'uqūq" — as though he disliked the name itself — and then said: "Whoever has a child born to him and wishes to offer a sacrifice on their behalf, let them do so: two equivalent sheep for a boy, and one sheep for a girl." — Narrated by Aḥmad and Abū Dāwūd.
The legal inference drawn from this narration is that the Prophet ﷺ linked the slaughter to the wish and willingness of the individual, saying: "whoever wishes to offer a sacrifice... let them do so" — thereby indicating that the 'aqīqah is recommended (mustaḥabb) and not obligatory (wājib).
And Allah Almighty knows best.