Easy Good Deeds - Ten Things You Ought To Know

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1. Sitting After Subuh Solah

"Whomsoever prays Al-Ghadaa (Fajr) in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until sunrise, then prays two rak'ats of Solah has a complete reward of Hajj and Umrah." The Prophet SAW repeated the word 'complete' three times for emphasis. (TIRMIDHI)


2. Praying the Twelve Sunnat Prayers Each Day

"Allah will build a house in Jannah for whomsoever that is diligent in observing 12 Sunnat Rak'ahs (as follows): 4 rak'ahs before and 2 after Dhuhr, 2 after the Maghrib, 2 after 'Ishaa, and 2 before Fajr." (TIRMIDHI)


3. Attending Lectures In The Masjid

"Whomsoever goes to the Masjid not desiring except to learn or to teach what is good - has the reward of a pilgrim who completed his Hajj." (TABRANI)


4. Visiting A Sick Muslim

"There is no Muslim who visits a sick muslim early in the morning but 70 thousand Angels send blessings upon him until evening comes; and if he visits him (i.e. the sick person) in the evening, 70 thousand Angels send blessings upon him until morning comes; and he will have a Garden in Paradise." (TIRMIDHI)


5. Providing Food To Break The Fast

"Whomsoever provides food for breaking the fast of a fasting person - receives the reward of the fasting person, without the reward of the fasting person being reduced in any way." (TIRMIDHI, IBN MAJAH)


6. Standing In Solah On Laylatul Qadr

"Laylatul Qadr is better than a thousand months." (AL-QUR'AN 97:3)

Note: Better than a thousand months means that it is superior than approximately 83 years of worship!


7. Remember Allah When Going Shopping

"Whomsoever enters a market and recites:

'Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyi wa yumeetu wa huwa hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khair, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer...'

(Meaning: 'There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise, He causes life and feath and He is the Living and does not die. With him is all the good, and He is over all things competent.')

… Allah will write for him / her a million good deeds and erase a million bad deeds and raise him a million levels." (TIRMIDHI)


8. Asking Allah to Forgive Your Muslim Brothers and Sisters

"Whomsoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing woman, Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and each believing woman." (TABRANI)


9. Recitation of Subhanallah Wabihamdih Morning and Evening

"Whomsoever recites 'Subhanallah Wa Bihamdih' (meaning: 'praise and glory be to Allah') one hundred times (100 x) morning and evening, his sins will be erased even if they are like the foam on the sea." (BUKHARI)


10. Recitation of Subhanallah One Hundred Times

"If a person says 'Subhanallah' (meaning: 'glory be to Allah') one hundred times (100 x) - a thousand (1000) good deeds are recorded for him and a thousand (1000) bad deeds are wiped away. (MUSLIM)

Strengthening Our Devotions To Allah In Our Young Age

In our young age, no matter whether we are in our teens, our 20s, our 30s, or even early 40s - Allah SWT out of His Mercy does in many times, inject that impulse in our hearts to become better Muslims. Unfortunately, our surroundings and company, as well as the so many distractions in life make it difficult to traverse the path of righteousness. This very short treatise aims to provide some prescriptions to help all of us become better Muslims. A long journey will always start with the first step.


Huzaifah Ra states that (mafhum):

When a hardship came upon Nabi SAW, then immediately he would turn towards Solat. (Riwayat Abu Dawud)


Allah SWT states in the Quran:

"O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer (Solat)." (Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayat 153)


We should also make zikr. Any zikr will make faith stronger. Some specific zikr to help strengthening Imaan which may be recited is as follows:

- "Hasbi yallahu wa ni'mal wakeel"

- Ayatul Kursi

- The last verses of Surah At-Taubah - i.e. Ayat 129 onwards from "hasbiyallahu laa ilaaha illa hu... 'adheem'. The translation of this verse is "So, if they turn away, say, enough for me is Allah. there is no God but He. In Him I have placed my trust, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne."


Great merits of the above last two verses appear in Hadith.

Abu Darda RA says:

"One who recites these verses three times, morning and evening, shall find that Allah Ta'ala makes things easy for him." (Riwayat Qurtubi)

In one narration, it has been reported that the Prophet Muhammad SAW said that (mafhum):

"The following seven people will be accommodated by Allah in the shade of His Mercy on the Day when there will be no other shade except His:

(1) A just ruler

(2) One who is young and worships Allah in his youth

(3) A person whose heart yearns for the Masjid

(4) Those two persons who love, meet and depart only for the pleasure of Allah

(5) A man who is tempted by a beautiful woman and refuses to respond for fear of Allah

(6) A person who gives alms so secretly that the charity of one hand is not known to the other hand

(7) A person who practises Zikr of Allah in solitude, so that tears flow of his eyes."

(Bukhari & Muslim)


Let us use whatever remains of our youth and young age for devotion towards the Almighty Creator. Indeed, we shall only appreciate what we have, when we lost it. We shall appreciate and miss our young age when we become old; and we shall appreciate and miss our young age on the Day of Judgement.

The "Twelve Leaders" narrated in Sahih Bukhari

In Sahih Bukhari - Volume 9, Book 89, Hadith Number 329 - Jabir bin Samura RA narrated (mafhum):

"I heard the Prophet (SAW) saying, "There will be twelve Muslim rulers (who will rule all the Islamic world)". He (SAW) then said a sentence which I did not hear. My father said, "All of them (those rulers) will be from (the) Quraysh."


EXPLANATION

The most appropriate interpretation of this Hadith is that it refers to twelve leaders who will come until the Day of Qiyamah. Some may have already passed and the others are still to come. Moreover, it is not appropriate to specify any names when Nabi Muhammad SAW himself has not specified them.

(As based on the grand kitab providing the explanation on Sahih Bukhari - Fathul Baari)

"Cleanliness is Half of Faith" - What Does This Hadith Mean?

What is meant by the above hadith - "cleanliness is half of faith" is more than what could be gathered literally. The Ulama have interpreted many different meanings to this Hadith, and the most appropriate meaning is that the word "Imaan" in the Hadith refers to Solat as in the Qur'anic verse:

" وما كان الله ليضيع إيمانكم "

- and thus Wudhu is a condition for Solat, and so it is as if though it is half of Solat.

(Tuhfatul Ahwazi: Darul Hadith: Kaherah)

What Is Hadith ? - 102

The Arabic word "Hadith" literally means "statement" or "talk".

In the Shari'ah, the word Hadith means those things or action, which Rasulullah SAW said, did or approved.

Sometimes the word "Sunnah" is also used for Hadith, but usually "Sunnah" is used to report a deed or actions while Hadith is used for "talk".


TERMINOLOGY

Some basic common terminologies used in Hadith are as follows:

1. Athar - That statement or act which is attributed to the Sahabah RA.

2. Sanad - A group or chain of narrators who narrates a Hadith from Rasulullah SAW.

3. Mutan - The actual textual content of the Hadith.

4. Rawy - The narrator of the Hadith.

5. Marwy - Same as Mutan i.e. the actual textual content of the Hadith.

6. Hadith Qudsi - A Hadith which Rasulullah SAW quotes from Allah Ta'ala, which is not in the Qur'an.

7. Marfu' Hadith - A Hadith which is traced back to Rasulullah SAW directly.

8. Mau'quf Hadith - A Hadith of which its chain stops at Sahabah, and not Rasulullah SAW.

9. Maqtu' Hadith - That statement which is attributed to some Tabi'een RA.

10. Mutasil Hadith - That Hadith which has successive narrators, and there are no gaps or omission in the chain.

11. Musnad Hadith - That Marfu' Hadith which the chain is Mutasil i.e. no gaps or omission in the chain.

THE TYPES OF HADITH

Hadith has five types:

1. Mutawatir - That Hadith where there is a group or a large number of narrators, that it is impossible for them to agree to tell a lie.

2. Khabr Wahid - That Hadith which does not reach the status of Mutawatir.

3. Mashur Hadith - That Hadith which is handed down by at least three or more narrators and does not reach the state of Mutawatir.

4. Aziz Hadith - That Hadith which is handed down by at least two or more narrators.

5. Ghureeb Hadith - That Hadith which is handed down by only one narrator.

THE WELL-KNOWN AUTHENTIC COLLECTIONS OF HADITH

These are:

1. Sahih Bukhari.

2. Sahih Muslim

3. Sunan Abu Dawud

4. Sunan Nasa'i

5. Sunan Tirmidhi

6. Sunan Ibn Majah

7. Muwatta Imam Malik

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HADITH

There are people nowadays who incorrectly say that you do not need Hadith, and that Qur'an is enough for guidance to the straight path.

The correct view and understanding is that many times the Qur'an gives us the general principal of an order; but to understand the order clearly in its fullest sense - Hadith is required.

For example - A teacher, whenever he is preparing for that class or "Sabak" which he is going to teach tomorrow. He will look into many number of “Sharahs” to get a very clear and comprehensive view.

So similarly, the Qur'an tells us the principle, but to get a comprehensive view we will need Hadith.

Taqlid 102

Some people who are genuinely concerned say:

"...there are going to be 73 sects in Islam by the end of time. Only one is going to be right. We the Sunni's are already divided into four main madhabs. All four cannot be right..."

AN EXPLANATION HERE THUS IS IMPERATIVE

What is Taqlid or Ittiba ?

Taqlid or Ittiba' is Wajib (compulsory) upon Muslims.

Yet there are many Muslims in the present age who have hardly heard of the words Taqlid or Ittiba'. Others who may have heard about it, do not fully comprehend or understand its meaning. This has led to people even rejecting Taqlid - thereby rejecting a Wajib. As a general rule, man is suspicious and afraid of that which he does not know. Therefore a proper understanding of the issue of Taqlid or Ittiba' would dispel the ignorance surrounding it, InshaAllah.

Taqlid is a part of everyday life. Taqlid or Ittiba' in essence, simply refers to the practice of an unqualified, lay person submitting to and accepting the authority of an expert in that field, without demanding proof and justification for every view, opinion or verdict expressed by such an expert authority.

This is a natural state of human existence, practised by millions of people worldwide in every facet of life. The simplest and most tangible example of Taqlid or Ittiba' is that of a child learning his basic alphabets at school. Every child learning his alphabets is unconsciously practising Taqlid. A learner driver taking instructions from a driving instructor is practising Taqlid. People going to a specialist doctor for medical treatment and following his instructions is another glaring example of Taqlid or Ittiba'. A lay person soliciting a legal opinion from an advocate or following the advice of a tax consultant is another common case of Taqlid. A client at an engineering firm, asking for the engineer's advice on complex engineering calculations is yet another instance of Taqlid or Ittiba in action.

The millions of 'facts' in the myriad of sciences such as astronomy, archaeology, etc. are all distinct examples of Taqlid or Ittiba'. Who ever questions the 'fact' or asks for proof that the sun is really 93 million miles away from the earth! It is taken for granted that this is the findings of the experts in these fields and everyone simply accepts it as such. School teachers teach these to their pupils as facts and children learn and memorise these facts with the hope of succeeding in their exams.

There are countless such examples of Taqlid or Ittiba' in everyday existence. It is quite clear from the above, that Taqlid or Ittiba' is a natural way of life, and is not specific to Islam or Islamic Fiqh alone. Taqlid is the easy option for ordinary people.

In the context of Islamic Fiqh or Law, Taqlid or Ittiba' simply refers to accepting and following the verdicts of expert scholars of Islamic Fiqh in their exposition and interpretation of Islamic Law, without demanding from them an in-depth explanation of the intricate processes required in arriving at such a verdict, called Ijtihad.

It simply means that ordinary folk do not have to do Ijtihad, i.e. the intricate and complicated procedures involved in deriving Islamic rulings that scholars exercise when issuing a Fatwa (legal verdict). The duty of ordinary people is to trustingly accept the authority of the learned scholars in this matter and act upon their verdicts.

In this sense, Taqlid is a great blessing for common people, for it is beyond their capacity to understand the extremely complex and complicated mechanics of Ijtihad. The ability to do Ijtihad requires many long years of study and erudition and a great deal of exertion (Ijtihad means to exert one self) in acquiring a mastery of various Islamic sciences, among other varying requirements.

What Is Hadith ? - 101

Hadith - is defined as any utterance, action or indirect approval (of an act) by Rasulullah SAW.

The Hadith of Rasulullah SAW is the second fundamental source of Islamic Law after the Qur'aanul Kareem. It embodies the entire pattern of the life of Nabi SAW and includes every detail containing his actions, his conduct and his attitudes whether explicit or implicit.

Every aspect of his (SAW) life and conduct has been reported to us in the vast collections of Ahadith. Our pious predecessors had great zeal and yearning to learn and acquire the teachings of the Noble Ahadith. Numerous incidents have been recorded where great personalities undertook difficulty and hardship to acquire the knowledge of Hadith.

One Sahabi RA once undertook a costly, lengthy and tedious journey simply to listen to just one hadith from his fellow Companion RA. He had no other motive for this journey.

Surely we cannot fathom the depths to which these great personalities reached in the field of hadith. It was due to the untiring sincere efforts of these luminaries that Allah Ta'ala blessed them with outstanding knowledge and understanding of Hadith.

Today we sit comfortably, all the work done, compiled in neatly bound books, and now even at the click of a button of our personal computer. That why it is said - self research with a computer cannot replace sittings with the Ulama.

Therefore we should have great eagerness and thirst to learn the Hadith of Rasulullah SAW, practice upon it ourselves, teach it to our children and propagate it to others. This section is just a little way in which we can create a zeal for Hadith and embark upon making this an integral feature of our life. The life of a true Muslim.

Not Mentioned in Qur'an But Only In Hadith

The mentioning of something not found in the Qur'an but only found in Ahadith does not make the item insignificant. An example of this is the mentioning of the coming of Isa AS, which is not mentioned in the Qur'an but only in Ahadith. The Ulama have explained that with regards to this - There are many other significant aspects as well in Deen that are not mentioned in the Qur'an also but are found in authentic Ahadith. Being recorded only in Ahadith does not alter the significance of the matter.