Vol 1 Iss 1

With the name of Allaah, The Most Beneficent, The Bestower of Mercy

~ AL

BASEERAH ~

♦ EDITORIAL

After the Fast: Continue to Benefit

STAYING STEADFAST

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T SEEMS ALL but inevitable: after Ramadan we all lose some steam. Some more than others, but it’s a fact nonetheless. Shaytaan is unchained, and he resumes his whisperings. We become more lax in our observance of our daily Salawah as well– especially Fajr. If our Eemaan was a bottle on the shore after Ramadan, it would be gradually slipping out to sea. But that’s only if we allow it to, for Allaah knows our Eemaan will not remain at a constant level all the time. If we were to draw a graph of our Eemaan

over the years, it would probably have numerous peaks and valleys. Each Ramadan gives us the opportunity to check ourselves and get back on course, and though our intensity may fade a bit after Eid-ulFitr, we should all try to elevate our Eemaan to a higher level each Ramadan. Staying steadfast is just as important as the fast, and is easier said than done. But there are many tools at our disposal for us to show that we came out of Ramadan with something we did not have before. One sure killer of the Ramadan spirit is to cease attending the masjid– you

know: out of sight, out of mind! The road to Jannah is filled with twists and turns, and hills and valleys. And if we persevere, ask Allaah for forgiveness, mercy and guidance, and make the effort to achieve it, it is possible. So go the masjid, take a class, just don’t stay home. Stay steadfast! ♦♦♦

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Masjid Ahlul Quraan Wa Sunnah ~

T A RECENT meeting, the administrator of the Masjid, Brother Zahid Rashid announced a variety of new projects to educate, unite and serve the community. Offering many Islamic Classes and community

development projects, From marriage counseling to computer classes, the focus is on having more community involvement and a lot more Dawah activities. These new projects will complement the masjid’s current programs of classes in Fiqh, Aqueeda, Arabic language

Vol. 1 Issue 1 Oct 2008 Shawwal 1429

The Administration of the Masjid wish you all a very

Happy, blessed & Joyful Eed Taqabal Allaahu Minna wa Minkum

New projects at YOUR Masjid; ~

FREE

and the children’s madrassa. Particular emphasis was also placed on the weekly live tele-links from the scholars, the most recent being the mid-Ramadan conference where the turnout surpassed all expectations Alhamdulillah.

Inside this issue: Actions are from Eemaan

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The importance of seeking knowledge

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The six fasts of Shawwal

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Making up for missed fasts

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A beginner’s guide to fiqh

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Ramadan Recap at Masjid Ahlul Quraan wa Sunnah

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~ Al Baseerah ~

Our actions are from Our Eemaan

One main indicator of the level of ones Eemaan is in their performance of Salaah

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you who believe! Keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allaah, and His Messenger he has indeed achieved a great achievement”[Al-Ahzaab 33:70-71] It is known that the Deen (religion) of Islaam is the final of all religions. This is so because the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam)is the seal of all the Prophets and Messengers. Based on this, it is upon every person living on this earth and those who will be born afterwards, to learn the Deen of Islaam and adhere to it. The religion of Islaam is built upon great pillars as the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam)clarified by saying, “Islaam is based on five principles; to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, to offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers, to pay the Zakaat (charity), to observe fast during the month of Ramadaan and to perform Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah) for those who are able to do so. [Bukhari, Muslim] Therefore, one must enter into monotheism (tawheed). He must be a monotheist, testifying to the two testimonies (bearing witness that

there is no god worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) is His Prophet and Messenger) and implementing monotheism. Tawheed (monotheism) stands upon two great foundations, which all the Messengers called to. {And verily, We have sent among every nation a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allaah (alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities)…} [AnNahl 16:36] So, they are: sincerity upon the Deen (religion) and upon the worship of Allaah after knowing Him, glorified is He; and disbelieving in at-Taaghoot i.e. being free from polytheism (shirk), its people, and from every religion other than the religion of Islaam. ESTABLISHING THE SALAAH Then after that, the second pillar is establishing the salaah (five daily prayers). The prayer is the second pillar from the pillars of Islaam. Imaam Ahmad, the imaam of AhlusSunnah has mentioned that the great principle of Islaam is: “holding fast to what the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) were upon, taking them (and their way) as a model to be followed, and abandonment of i n n o v a t i o n s . ” This is the basis of knowledge, meaning that the person should

learn the religion that the Companions were upon. He should learn that way of life and worship Allaah based upon it. He should familiarize himself what the Companions were upon and learn about the evidences that they used for the positions that they held. This is the way of the Salafi – to know the r e l ig io n th a t t h e Pr o p h e t (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) taught to his Companions – to hold fast to it, to follow them and to stay away from innovations. The creed of Salafiyyah is that the people cannot (correctly) understand the Qur’aan and the Sunnah without referring to the guidance of the Companions. WHOEVER ABANDONS THE SALAAH HAS DISBELIEVED Imaam Ahmad mentioned in his treaty entitled Usool-us-Sunnah (the Principles of the Sunnah) that establishing the salaah (prayer) is from the pillars of the religion and whoever gives it up, hasthe disbelieved establishing salaah (prayer) is from the pillars of the religion and whoever gives it up, has disbelieved. He mentioned that the Companions held the opinion that whoever abandons the salaah is a disbeliever. He (Imaam Ahmad) pointed out the statement of the Taabi’ee (follower) Abdullah bin Shaqeeq who said: “The Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) were of the view that there is nothing from amongst the actions, the abandonment of which constitutes disbelief except for the prayer.” [Tirmidhi] In explaining this position of the Companions, he said that they never considered any single act, other than the abandoning of salaah, as an act which would take a person out of the fold of Islaam, making him a disbeliever. He quoted this narration from a Taabi’ee (Successor) Abdullah Ibn (Continued on page 3)

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Shaqeeq, using it as evidence (daleel) showing that this was something that the Companions were u p o n .

(sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) in both of the authentic collections of hadeeth (al-Bukhaaree & Muslim) and other than them, we would find that this is clearly proven. From

- such is the importance of Salaah that whoever abandons it is regarded as a disbeliever. How many of us still take this lightly?

So, this is what Imaam Ahmad clarified: that the Companions held the view that whoever abandons the prayer completely, never praying, then even if he displays (signs of) Islaam and utters the two testimonies; he is not a Muslim. He mentioned this from Abdullah bin Shaqeeq and it was also mentioned by Imaam Al-Bukhaaree who reported from the Salaf i.e. the Companions and those who came after them, that they hold the view that whoever intentionally left off one obligatory prayer until the time for the prayer elapsed, not having any excuse for it, then by that he becomes a disbeliever. If we were to look at the authentic evidences from the Prophet

that is the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam)” The pact which is between us and them is the prayer; whoever gives it up, has disbelieved.”[Tirmidhi]. Also, the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (allAllaahu alayhe wasallam) ”Between a man and shirk and kufr (disbelief) is neglecting the p r a y e r . ” [ M u s l i m ] Furthermore, when the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) mentioned the leaders who would change and abandon uprightness upon Islaam, and who would display injustices and sins, some of the Companions said to him (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) ”Shall we not go out against them? Shall we not raise the sword against

... New Projects from page 1

them or fight against them?” The Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) said, “No, unless you see clear disbelief.” [Muslim]; and in another narration, “No, as long as they establish the prayer.” [Muslim] The People of Knowledge have clarified that from these two evidences, it becomes apparent that abandonment of the prayer is clear disbelief. ACTION MUST ACCOMPANY F A I T H We are mentioning these matters to show the importance of salaah so that no one will think that tawheed alone is sufficient for one to be Muslim. Indeed, it is a pillar of Islaam and whoever abandons it, his Islaam becomes destroyed. We also mention this because today we find that some of the People of the Sunnah affirm that whoever gives up all actions in entirety still remains a Muslim. Without any doubt, this is the opposite of what the Companions of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam)were upon, as was clarified by Imaam Ahmad. ♦♦♦ [condensed from albaseerah.org]

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~ Al Baseerah ~

Why, Where, and How we should all seek knowledge ? Not everyone will attend Islamic universities, but you can still benefit from Senior Scholars and Mashaykh of AhliSunnah wal Jamah, the Imaam of the Masjid, and graduate students from reputable Islamic Universities at YOUR Masjid, Masjid Ahlul-Quraan wa As-Sunnah

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HERE ARE MANY virtues of seeking knowledge mentioned both in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

VIRTUES OF SEEKING KNOWLEDGE MENTIONED IN T H E Q U R ’ A A N From them is a saying of Allaah t h a t : …}Allâh will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge...} [Al-Mujaadilah 58:11] Allaah clarifies in this verse that He will raise the Believers in levels, those of them who were given knowledge will be raised many levels and high levels. Another verse is the saying of Allaah : {…..Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allâh's Signs and Verses). } [Az-Zumar 3 9 : 9 ] If you realize, there was no response to this question as the aim of this question is affirmation. There was a question to which a response did not come after it, why? Because this is an issue that no one differs in, there is no differing between anyone or any two people that ‘those who know are not equal to those who do not know.’

Another saying of Allaah is: {…It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allâh…} [Fatir 35:28] This is khashyah. Khashyah is the fear of someone you know. So if fear comes together with knowing the one you fear, then this is called khashyah. The `Ulamaa’ are those who best know Allaah and His Capability. This is why Allaah described them as having khashyah of Him. VIRTUES OF SEEKING KNOWLEDGE MENTIONED IN T H E S U N N A H As for the Sunnah, then there are many different evidences showing the virtues of knowledge. From

them understanding of the religion. This is the person that Allaah wishes good for, the one who has understanding of Deen. Also from the understanding of this hadeeth is that ‘those whom Allaah does not wish good for, then He does not give them understanding in the religion’. So everyone is encouraged to be keen in seeking knowledge and gaining understanding in the religion in order to be from those whom Allaah wishes good for. In another hadeeth, the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam)said, “Whoever traverses a path in order to gain knowledge, then Allaah will make the path to Jannah easy for him.”[Tirmidhi]. So if you go to a masjid for a lecture or a class, then it is as though you are going towards Jannah i.e. you are going on a path towards Jannah, Making up for the missed days this is a great virtue of Knowledge. of fasting At-Tabaraani narrated a hadeeth by Abu Umaamah that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam)said, “Whoever comes to a masjid and he did not come to the masjid except with the intention that he would learn something good or

...if you go to the masjid for a lecture or a class, then it is as though you are going towards Jannah, this is a great virtue of seeking knowledge... amongst them is the saying of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) "Whoever Allaah wants good for, He gives him fiqh (understanding) of the Deen.”[Bukhari]. Here the Messenger of Allaah(sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) clarified that those whom Allaah wishes good for, He gives

teach something good, he will be given the reward of someone who performed hajj.” Look at this great virtue, just look at this great reward, whoever goes to the masjid to learn, Allaah will give him the reward of a hajj – of a person who (Continued on page 5)

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went to Makkah and made tawaaf (circumambulation) around the Ka’bah and he made sa’ee (walking between Safa and Marwah) as well as the rest of the rituals of hajj. Whoever goes to a masjid to seek knowledge will be given this same reward. In another hadeeth, the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam)said, “The student of knowledge (or the seeker of knowledge), everything will ask forgiveness for him even the fish in the ocean.”. Another great virtue is that everything asks forgiveness for the Student of Knowledge, even the fish that are in the ocean. This is due to their being pleased with what he seeks i.e. knowledge. This is another great virtue of knowledge and the seekers of knowledge. In another hadeeth, the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam)said, “There is not a people who gather in a house from the houses of

Allaah (a masjid) to recite the Book of Allaah or study it except that calmness will descend upon them and mercy would cover them and they would be surrounded by the angels and Allaah will mention them with good to those near to Him.”[Muslim]. The scholars Shaykh Ibn Baaz and Shaykh al-Albaanee held the opinion that this does not only refer to a masjid, but any place – whether in a classroom or at home, i.e. whoever gathers together in order to study or recite the Book of Allaah will gain this reward. Take a look at this reward, sakeenah which is a great calmness will encompass them, and the angels will descend and surround them with their wings, and they will be in the Mercy of Allaah. Allaah will bestow mercy upon them and He would mention them with good, to those close to Him in the Heavens. This is an evidence of the virtues of seeking knowledge, and the khayr

(good) which is obtained by those w h o s e e k i t . Another hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam)in clarifying the virtues of the gatherings where knowledge is sought, is that it is a reason for the forgiving of sins. The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhe wasallam) said that “Allaah would say at the end of the gathering of those who gathered to gain knowledge, ‘Get up! You have been forgiven.’ The malaaikah (angels) would say ‘O Allaah there was a servant of yours who only came to that gathering because of a need – he only wanted a person in that gathering.’ Allaah would respond ‘I have forgiven him as well.’”[Ahmad & Bukhari]. This is because in such a virtuous gathering whoever gathers with them cannot be denied. He will be given the same reward and he will be forgiven. ♦♦♦ [condensed from albaseerah.org]

Our New Name Did You Notice it ? From the Editor

To our dear readers: “The Muslim Standard” is now “ALBASEERAH”, which means ’True Knowledge ~Sure Knowledge ~ Heavenly Knowledge’ The name change was made to more convey the purpose of our publication. Since this is our first issue with the new name, we have decided to start over from Issue one.

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~ Al Baseerah ~

Don’t forget the six fasts of Shawwal

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HAWWAL IS THE tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It comes immediately after Ramadan. Shawwal is also the first month of the Ashhur al -hajj - (the months of Hajj). Eid ul Fitr also occurs in this month. Regarding the six fasts of Shawwal Abu Ayyub (ra) reports: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: "He who observes As-Saum (the fasts) in the month of Ramadan, and also observes As-Saum for six days in the month of Shaw-

wal, it is as if he has observed As-Saum for the whole year.'' [Muslim]. According to the formula that there is at least ten-fold reward for every virtue, the fast of one month (Ramadan) are equivalent to fast of ten months. If one also observes six days of fast of Shawwal, they will be equal to fast of two months. Thus, one becomes eligible for the reward of one full years' fast. He who makes it a permanent feature is like one who observes fast throughout his life. He will be considered by Allaah

as one who observes fast permanently. Although voluntary in nature, they are highly important. One can observe these six-day fast at a stretch or with intervals. Similarly, if a person has missed some fast of Ramadan due to illness, traveling etc., he should first make up the shortfall and then observe the voluntary six-day fast of Shawwal, i.e. complete his obligatory fast first before fasting the voluntary fasts. ♦♦♦

Al-Qadaa after Ramadan

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T IS NOT compulsory (waajib) to make up the missed days of Ramadan immediately. The compulsion to make it up is as one is able to as ''Aaeisha (R) said: "I used to have to make up for some of the Fast of Ramadan and I would not be able to do it until the following Sha'baan." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) Al Hafidh ibn Hajar said: "In this hadeeth there is proof to indicate that it is allowed to delay the making up of the missed days of fasting for an indefinite time be it that there is a reason for not making it up or not." However, it is known that it is preferred to make it up as early as possible because of many proofs to indicate that the Muslim must hasten to

do good and not postpone it for later. Allaah said, which means: {And be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise which is as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the Muttaqeen (Allaah-fearing.} [Aali 'Imraan 3:133] And Allaah also said, which means:

Ibn Abbaas said: "There is nothing wrong if someone separates (between the days he has to make up)." [Daarqutnee] The scholars of this Deen agree that if someone is unable to fast, then he should feed one poor person for everyday he misses and that no one should fast on his behalf during his lifetime.

{It is those who race for the good deeds and they are foremost in them} [Muminoon 23:61]

However, whoever dies and had an oath to fast that which he did not fulfill, then his wali (guardian, offspring) must fast on his behalf.

It is also not compulsory to make up the missed days on succ e s s i v e d a y s . Allaah said, which means:{... but if you are ill, or on a journey, the same number (of days should be made up) from other days ...} [Al - Baqarah 2:183]

This is established from the messenger of Allaah who said: "Whoever dies and there are some fast that he did not fast, then his wali must fast for him." [Bukhari and Muslim]. ♦♦♦

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Vol. 1 Issue 1 Oct 2008

A beginners guide to Fiqh By definition, Fiqh refers to: The knowledge of Islamic rulings that pertain to ‘Eebadah, that has been extracted from the evidences of the Qur’an and Sunnah

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HE LINGUISTIC MEANING of ’Fiqh’ is “understanding” and the meaning given in the header is the religious meaning. The principles of Fiqh were never formalized during the time of the Prophet, but were understood by the Companions and the first person to actually write books of Fiqh was Imam Shaffie Technically, Fiqh comprises of both the how of extracting rulings, and the rulings themselves. For example, we know we are commanded to fast during Ramadan. How it is determined from the Qur’an and Sunnah that it is indeed a command that is obligatory, and not just a recommendation is the ‘how’ or principles of Fiqh. The actual mechanics of Fasting is the broader application of Fiqh. When the seeker of knowledge (this means you!) really understands the principles by which rulings are extracted, he/she would then really have a greater respect and appreciation of the contributions of our scholars.

Pure Fiqh has nothing to do with Aqueeda (see Issue 7) because it is concerned with our actions and not beliefs. Five Rulings Regarding Fiqh Basically, commands fall into one of five categories. WAAJIB also known as FARD, which means compulsory. The person performing a waajib action will be rewarded by Allaah, and a person leaving it will be punished. MUSTAHAB also known as SUNNAH. The person who performs a Mustahab action is rewarded, but if he/she leaves it, there is no sin. The majority of actions in the Shariah are Mustahab and not Waajib. MUBAAH. This is an action that in doing it there is no reward, and in leaving it there is no sin. For example driving your car is Mubaah. However, driving your car may become Mustahab or even Waajib de-

pending on the action that calls for its use. MAKRUH. This is an action that for leaving there is reward, but no sin in doing. HARAM. The person who does that act that is Haram (unlawful) is punished. And if he/she leaves it is rewarded. As we shall see Insha Allaah, the principles of Fiqh is a very interesting topic, and is more than simply the extracting of rulings. It is critical that when rulings are extracted, they are extracted correctly and categorized appropriately. Hence, our scholars have a huge responsibility . Which is why we should appreciate their efforts and understand why they may sometimes differ in their opinions. Some issues may not be as clear-cut as others. In future issues Insha Allaah we shall also look into the the science of Hadith, tafseer and other topics, which shall give us all a better perspective on the knowledge we already have and what we are going to learn.

♦♦♦ This article is an excerpt from class #1 of the weekly Fiqh class held at the Masjid Ahlul Sunnah Wa Jamaah.

~ AL BASEERAH ~ AL BASEERAH is a monthly newsletter aimed at providing useful Islamic information to encourage personal Islamic development and growth.. We welcome and invite reader feedback. Please send us an e-mail: [email protected] We at Masjid Ahlul Quraan wa As-Sunnah are absolutely committed to serve you. We welcome your suggestions and Dawah Ideas. Please write us how would you like us to serve you, drop us a note in “SUGGESTIONS BOX” or send us an email or call us at Tel: 718-529-4092 We are located at 109-06 Van Wyck Expressway, South Ozone Park, NY 11416