Assalaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

Monday, March 28, 2022

583. True Thankfulness

By Asma bint Shameem 

Ibn ul Qayyim says:
“To attain TRUE thankfulness to Allaah, there are 5 things a person must do. 

1. That a person *surrenders* and *submits* himself to Allaah. 

2. That the person *loves* the One who has blessed him. i.e Allaah. 

3. That a person *acknowledges* the blessings of Allaah upon him 

4. That a person *praises* Allaah for blessing him with this bounty 

5. That a person *abstains* from using that blessing to do anything that *displeases* Allaah.”

Amazing words of wisdom from Ibn al-Qayyim....

5 beautiful pieces of advice...
5 beautiful traits that will transform your life. 

Submit to Allaah 
Love Him. 
Acknowledge His blessings 
Praise Him 
Abstain from sin. 

How many of us are *truly grateful* to the One who created us, sustains us and provides unlimited and innumerable blessings for us? 

Don’t be thankful just ONE day...
Be thankful *EVERY DAY*.

Monday, March 21, 2022

582. If I’m Praying By Myself, Should I Still Say The Adhaan And iqaamah?

By Asma bint Shameem 

Giving the adhaan and iqaamah is good and recommended even if we’re praying alone by ourselves. 

 PROOF:

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
‘Your Lord likes it when a shepherd at the top of a mountain pass calls the Adhaan for prayer and then prays. 

Then Allaah says:
“Look at this slave of mine, saying the Adhaan and the Iqaamah for prayer and fearing Me. I ask you to bear witness that I have forgiven My slave and will admit him to Paradise.”’” (al-Nisaa’i- saheeh by al-Albaani)

And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam also said:
“Whoever hears the Adhaan, whether a human being, a jinn or any other creature, will be a witness for him (the Mu’adhdhin) on the Day of Resurrection.” (al-Bukhaari)

Shaikh al-Albaani said:
“Among the issues of Fiqh understood from this hadeeth is that it’s Sunnah to call the Adhaan for the person praying alone....
Therefore, it not suitable to ignore calling the Adhaan and Iqaamah when praying alone.” (Silsilah Saheehah 41)

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:
“Giving the adhaan and iqaamah is Sunnah for one who is praying on his own, and they are not obligatory, because he does not have anyone with him to call with the adhaan. 
But because the adhaan is remembrance and veneration of Allaah, and is a call to himself to prayer and prosperity, (it is Sunnah) and the iqaamah, likewise, is also Sunnah.”
(Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, 12/161)

What about for women?

It’s allowed for a woman to say the adhaan and iqaamah if she praying alone or with other women. And if she doesn’t say it, that’s also ok. 

Someone asked shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen:
“When the women gather to perform the prayer, do they make the iqaamah for the prayer?”

He said:
“If they make the iqaamah, there is no harm in that. If they do not do so, there is no harm in that either. 
This is because the adhaan and iqaamah are only obligatory upon the men. 
(Fataawa al-Mar’ah)

And the scholars said:
“If a woman does recite the adhaan, she must keep her voice low and make it just loud enough for her companions to hear. 

If a woman says the iqaamah for herself or for a group of women, that is better and is closer to what is mustahabb, but if she does not do that, the prayer is still valid.” (Wilaayat Al-Mar’ah Fi’l-Fiqh Al-Islaami)

So go ahead and say the adhaan and even the iqaamah the next time you stand for prayer. 

Earn lots of rewards. 

And let the creation be a witness for you on the Day of Judgment. 

Monday, March 14, 2022

581. Is It Okay For The Family of The Deceased To Make Food At The Time Of Death, For The People Who Come For Condolences?

By Asma bint Shameem 

Instead of the family of the deceased making food, it’s Sunnah that the *relatives, friends* and *neighbors* of the deceased should make food and bring it to the person’s house who has passed away.

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam instructed us to do that. 

When Ja’far radhi Allaahu anhu was killed, the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam  went to his family and said: 

“The family of Ja’far are busy with the matter of their deceased, so prepare food for them.’ (Ibn Majah - hasan by al-Albaani)

The family of the deceased is already going through a difficult time and it’s  just simply part of the consideration we have for others that people should help out and lighten this time of grief for them as much as possible. 

So we can bring food and help out in whatever way we can. 

The immediate family of the deceased should not be going out of their way to cook food for the people coming for condolences. 

That’s a kind of “wailing” and “mourning” that’s not allowed. 

Jareer ibn Abdullaah radhi Allaahu anhu said:
“We used to consider gathering with the family of the deceased and preparing food after the burial from niyahah (prohibited form of wailing and lamentation from the days of ignorance)." (Ahmad- saheeh by al-Albaani) 

But if the family offers some tea, or food etc on their own, to those visiting, *without any special preparations* for it, then it’s allowed for the visitors to eat and drink there. 

Shaikh ibn Baaz said:
“It is not permitted for the family to (especially) make food for people for the sake of the deceased. 

This is one of the actions of the Jaahiliyyah, whether it is done on the day of the death, or on the fourth or tenth day after the death, or at the new year. 
All of that is *not permitted*.

But if guests come to the family of the deceased during the mourning period, there is nothing wrong with them making food for them for the sake of hospitality, and there is nothing wrong with the household inviting whoever they want of their neighbors and relatives to eat with them from the food that has been given to them.” (Majmoo’ Fataawa)

And Allaah knows best

Monday, March 7, 2022

580. Do I Have To “Move” My Tongue And Lips When Reading The Qur’aan Or Any Dhikr, When Making Duaa Or Reading Salaah?

By Asma bint Shameem 

When saying any duaa or dhikr, whether for wudhu or in Salaah or at any other time, or when reading the Qur’aan, we MUST MOVE our lips and tongue and NOT just ‘think’ about them in the head or ‘say’ them in our heart. 

PROOF

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:Allaah, the Most High says: 
“l am with my slave when he remembers me and *his lips move with my mention*”.’ 
(Ibn Majah; saheeh by al-Albaani)

And the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“READ the Qur’aan, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for its companions.” (Muslim).

Here the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam used the word “READ”. 
*He did not use the word “look”.*

Also the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“The one who RECITES the Qur’aan while he is proficient in its recitation  will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels), and the one who recites the Qur’aan while it is difficult for him to recite will have a double reward." 
(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

Obviously the words “recites with difficulty” means actually ATTEMPTING to READ the words. 

And it does not mean just “looking at the words without moving the lips and tongue”. 

*Another proof*:

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala will forgive my ummah for whatever crosses their minds so long as they do not act upon it or “speak” of it.” 
[al-Bukhaari (5269) and Muslim (127)]

This shows that in order for our thoughts to “count” we MUST SAY them by moving our lips and tongue. 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam would say any dhikr or duaa or read Qur’aan or offer prayers by moving his lips and tongue. 

Also, the Sahaabah used to know that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam was reading something or doing dhikr by seeing the MOVEMENT of his beard. 

That’s because his beard would move with the movement of his lips as he was verbalizing the words. 

And thus they understood what ‘reading’ the Qur’aan or “saying” a dhikr or duaa meant. 

So we see them practicing that by reciting the Qur’aan sometimes in a loud voice and sometimes in a low voice; and doing dhikr, and making duaa, always by MOVING the lips and tongue. 

*Will I get reward for reciting the Qur’aan or performing dhikr without moving my lips?*

Ash-Shaykh Abdul Kareem al-Khudair said:
“It is not called a recitation if he does not move his tongue and lips. 
As for merely recalling the Quran and words of dhikr in one’s heart, then this is a form of *contemplation* and it isn’t considered an act of reading nor will the person attain the prescribed reward of ten good deeds for every letter recited from the Quran. 

Also, he wouldn’t be carrying out what has been encouraged concerning reading the adhkaar and what relates to it if he is merely recalling it with his heart. 

Yes, contemplating has its reward, however the prescribed reward that comes for reciting will not be attained through reading it only in his heart since it is not implied that he actually read nor that he actually performed dhikr. 

Rather, it was an act of *contemplation* that he did and he will be rewarded for that, however he will not be rewarded for the act of *reading* since it is necessary when reading to move one’s lips and tongue.”

Shaikh ibn Baaz said:
“There is nothing to prevent a person looking at the Qur’aan without reciting it, in order to ponder its meanings and understand it. 
But he is not considered to be “reading” the Qur’aan when he does that, and he does not earn the reward for *reading* it unless he pronounces (the words of) the Qur’aan, even if those around him do not hear him. 
And one cannot be counted as reading Qur’aan unless once actually pronounces it.”
( Majmoo’ Fataawa Wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah Li Samaahat - Vol. 8, P. 363)

*The same goes for moving the lips and tongue when reading Salaah:*

In fact, if someone offers his prayers and reads the Faatihah WITHOUT moving his lips and tongue then their prayer in INVALID!

That’s how SERIOUS this is.

The scholars said:
“The recitation of al-Faatihah is obligatory in the prayer. 
During this recitation the person MUST *move his tongue and lips*, i.e. the sounds of letters must be uttered from their place of articulation and in their appropriate manner of articulation.
As for what the person has in his ‘mind’, it is not called recitation or reading. 
This rule applies also to the obligatory Dhikr in Salaah like Tashahhud and prayer on the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) in the last Raka'h. These two must also be uttered accordingly.” 
(Islamweb Fatwa # 84707)

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said: 
“It is a “must” to move the lips when reciting the Qur’aan in the prayer and likewise when reading the obligatory adhkaar such as the takbeer, tasbeeh, tahmeed, and tashahhud since it is not considered to be speech *unless the person actually pronounces the words*. There is no way to pronounce the words unless he moves his tongue and lips. For this reason, the Sahaabah would notice the recitation of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallamthrough the moving of his beard.
However, the scholars have differed if it is obliged on the person to make himself hear his own self [when reading] or if he could suffice with merely pronouncing the words. A group of scholars say it is incumbent that he hears himself, [meaning] it must have a sound that he himself could hear. Another group of scholars say it is sufficient to merely pronounce the letters and this is a more correct opinion.” [Liqaa al-baab al-Maftooh]

That’s also the reason why when a person sneezes while using the bathroom, he cannot say ‘Alhamdulillaah’ aloud because it’s not allowed to use the Name of Allaah In the bathroom. 

So what are we supposed to do when we sneeze in the bathroom?

We should ‘say’ ‘Alhamdulillaah’ in the HEART, WITHOUT moving the lips and tongue.  

Imaam Ahmad said: 
“If a man sneezes (in the bathroom) he should praise Allaah in his *heart*.”

This shows that saying something in the *heart* does not count as actually ‘saying’ the words and thus it’s allowed to say Alhamdulillaah in the bathroom without moving the lips and tongue. 

It’s the actual “moving” of the lips and tongue that counts as “dhikr” or “recitation”.

And Allaah knows best