Review from Last Week
The Prophet (saws) prohibited the believers from sitting (gathering) in the streets (sitting on the side of the road). The sahabah said that they didn’t have any other option and that this was part of their tradition. The prophet then said, “If you insist, then observe the rights of the streets.
The etiquettes are:
1. Lowering your gaze
2. Return the greeting (salam)
3. Enjoin what is good & forbid what is wrong
4. Hold back from any harm upon anyone
(32) And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allah will enrich them with His bounty, and Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
Definitions
ankiHu : imperative form of nakaHa; nikaH means marriage; implies a two-way commitment
al-ayama (plural of ayyim) : unmarried individual
al-SaliHin : righteous; pious
`ibadikum (plural of `abd) : male slave
ima’ikum (plural of amah) : female slave
fuqara' (plural of faqir) : needy
yughnihim : to enrich them
Tafsir
* Allah in this verse is showing the proper and Islamic method of fulfilling one’s physical and emotional needs.
* The Prophet (saws) says, “If a man with whom you are pleased with his level of commitment to his faith and his trust, marry him your daughters. If you do not follow this, it will turn into a huge fitnah/corruption will spread.”
* This verse is addressing the guardians (parents, fathers, uncles, heads of households, the community leadership, etc.) to marry the unmarried children/community members, to pursue it and to help facilitate this as well.
* If the unmarried chooses not to get married, then no one can force him. This ayah makes the act of getting married mustahabb (recommended), even though it is a sunnah. But the prophet (saws) said, “Oh young men, whosoever can afford marriage, then let them get married, for it is more effective in helping you lower his gaze and preserve his chastity. And whosoever cannot do so, then let him fast.”
Slaves and their Status in Islam
* Abolishing slavery completely would have caused a war when Islam was revealed.
* Instead, it regulated it and changed the perception of slaves. Here, Allah (swt) says to help them get married, if they are righteous.
* Unjustified physical abuse to a slave is grounds for the slave to obtain their own freedom.
Waliyy – guardian
* This ayah implies that having a waliyy is necessary, at least on behalf of the woman.
Financial Status
* Financial ability is necessary, but it is not a condition. Use marriage as a means to achieve financial independence for marriage will motivate a person to achieve financial independence.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Class #8: April 1st Notes
Registration Policy: People have until the 15th of this month to register for Part 2
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Faqih: I want this class to be interactive. Words of advice from his Shaykh’s teacher: Three points. “Lower your gaze, preserve your chastity; no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to avoid it. If you ever see something haraam, then make sure you resort to the remedy or cure for it: tawba and astaghfar.”
Verses 30 - 31
“Say O Muhammad to the believing men to lower their gaze (from the haraam), to guard their private parts (or preserve one’s chastity) at all times. That is most purifying for them (their hearts, souls, their very person) and indeed Allah is well-acquainted with what they do.
Say to the believing women to lower their gaze as well and protext their private parts, and not show their beauty except that which appears of it normally. And let them strike their khimar over their junubiyan, and not expose their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or children who have not reached puberty. And let not women stamp their feet to show the adornments they have hidden. And turn to Allah, all of you O believers, that you may succeed.”
This is our personal firewall from spiritual viruses. This is meant to enforce a pure environment which will allow us to preserve and maintain haya`.
What is desensitization? It is when something that would be considered shocking, due to overexposure, becomes commonplace and normal. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala knows that we have this weakness, and He knows that if we are constantly exposed to wrong, it will mean we will no longer know what is right and what is wrong. It is part of our innate nature, part of our fitra, to cover our private parts and not look at other people’s private parts. Haya` is part of our fitra. But through constant exposure, we can get desensitized and lose our sense of haya` - and this can become widespread throughout society. This means we can no longer have a virtuous society.
Example: Ted Bundy who is a mass killer and rapist. It all started one day when he was driving home from work and he saw a magazine with a half-naked person on the cover and bought it -> addicted to porn -> mass rapist/killer. That’s how it all started.
When one lowers their gaze, they preserve the purity and innocence of their hearts and spirits. They are able to preserve their chastity and worship Allah. To stare (out of curiosity or lust) is not allowed. In the Shari’ah you cannot look at a person of the opposite gender for a long period of time; you also cannot look at someone from the same gender for a long time if it is out of lust. This message is for he true believers, those who want to reserve this special connection and relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala and maintain their purity. Knowledge is light in the hearts of the believers. It cannot be given to sinners.
Why did Allah (swt) address men and women separately?
Allah is pointing out the danger of not following these acts, and enforcing that this is an issue for believing men and women. It can also be specific instructions to each gender. It may also be that they disobey for different reasons, which is why He addresses them differently.
Allah (swt) told the Believers to also lower their voices while around the Prophet (saws).
Hijab
Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala honors women in the Qur’an. The body of a woman should be put on a pedestal – it is where life is made. This includes the bodies of the most sacred people that walked on Earth – they were shaped in the body of a woman. That body should not be exploited or misused or reconstructed; it should be preserved. Which religion honors it the most? Islam. These ayat are one place where Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala honored the bodies of women. Generally speaking, women have a beauty. It is not to be flaunted, except that which normally appears. Does that mean women should not expose their bodies except that which happens in normal situations? What does that mean?
The khimar is a head-covering. The junubiyan is the upper chest area.
Mahram
The husband and wife can see anything of each other. Besides that, there are certain categories of men who can see but the Sunnah defines the limits of what can be seen. So the fathers (which includes grandfathers, great-grandfathers, etc. on the mother and father side), or their father-in-laws, or their sons (grandsons, great-grandsons, etc.), the sons of their husbands (step-sons), or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons (nephews whether from half or full or foster siblings), or from the believing women, or their right hand’s possessions, or men who do not desire – old men or mentally-handicapped men, or children who have reached an age where they can distinguish beauty. We are not only responsible for ourselves, we are also responsible for those we affect – we will be asked about tempting others. (In Surat an-Nisa, the uncle is part of the mahram).
Lowering The Gaze
Bad images – one glimpse – is an arrow from Shaytan that is aimed at your heart.
When Can People See Each Other (Hair, etc.)
* Emergency situations and for medical treatment.
* During an engagement, when both parties are ready to get married (like seriously right away).
* For security reasons or criminal/legal reasons
* Women who understand the rule of not exposing a Muslim woman, can see you without hijab.
o You should not take off your hijab in public places, like bathrooms, where there are non-Muslim women.
o If you violate this ruling, this will be considered a sin.
A foster child can be breastfed anytime in two years for it to be considered a foster child.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Faqih: I want this class to be interactive. Words of advice from his Shaykh’s teacher: Three points. “Lower your gaze, preserve your chastity; no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to avoid it. If you ever see something haraam, then make sure you resort to the remedy or cure for it: tawba and astaghfar.”
Verses 30 - 31
“Say O Muhammad to the believing men to lower their gaze (from the haraam), to guard their private parts (or preserve one’s chastity) at all times. That is most purifying for them (their hearts, souls, their very person) and indeed Allah is well-acquainted with what they do.
Say to the believing women to lower their gaze as well and protext their private parts, and not show their beauty except that which appears of it normally. And let them strike their khimar over their junubiyan, and not expose their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or children who have not reached puberty. And let not women stamp their feet to show the adornments they have hidden. And turn to Allah, all of you O believers, that you may succeed.”
This is our personal firewall from spiritual viruses. This is meant to enforce a pure environment which will allow us to preserve and maintain haya`.
What is desensitization? It is when something that would be considered shocking, due to overexposure, becomes commonplace and normal. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala knows that we have this weakness, and He knows that if we are constantly exposed to wrong, it will mean we will no longer know what is right and what is wrong. It is part of our innate nature, part of our fitra, to cover our private parts and not look at other people’s private parts. Haya` is part of our fitra. But through constant exposure, we can get desensitized and lose our sense of haya` - and this can become widespread throughout society. This means we can no longer have a virtuous society.
Example: Ted Bundy who is a mass killer and rapist. It all started one day when he was driving home from work and he saw a magazine with a half-naked person on the cover and bought it -> addicted to porn -> mass rapist/killer. That’s how it all started.
When one lowers their gaze, they preserve the purity and innocence of their hearts and spirits. They are able to preserve their chastity and worship Allah. To stare (out of curiosity or lust) is not allowed. In the Shari’ah you cannot look at a person of the opposite gender for a long period of time; you also cannot look at someone from the same gender for a long time if it is out of lust. This message is for he true believers, those who want to reserve this special connection and relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala and maintain their purity. Knowledge is light in the hearts of the believers. It cannot be given to sinners.
Why did Allah (swt) address men and women separately?
Allah is pointing out the danger of not following these acts, and enforcing that this is an issue for believing men and women. It can also be specific instructions to each gender. It may also be that they disobey for different reasons, which is why He addresses them differently.
Allah (swt) told the Believers to also lower their voices while around the Prophet (saws).
Hijab
Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala honors women in the Qur’an. The body of a woman should be put on a pedestal – it is where life is made. This includes the bodies of the most sacred people that walked on Earth – they were shaped in the body of a woman. That body should not be exploited or misused or reconstructed; it should be preserved. Which religion honors it the most? Islam. These ayat are one place where Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala honored the bodies of women. Generally speaking, women have a beauty. It is not to be flaunted, except that which normally appears. Does that mean women should not expose their bodies except that which happens in normal situations? What does that mean?
The khimar is a head-covering. The junubiyan is the upper chest area.
Mahram
The husband and wife can see anything of each other. Besides that, there are certain categories of men who can see but the Sunnah defines the limits of what can be seen. So the fathers (which includes grandfathers, great-grandfathers, etc. on the mother and father side), or their father-in-laws, or their sons (grandsons, great-grandsons, etc.), the sons of their husbands (step-sons), or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons (nephews whether from half or full or foster siblings), or from the believing women, or their right hand’s possessions, or men who do not desire – old men or mentally-handicapped men, or children who have reached an age where they can distinguish beauty. We are not only responsible for ourselves, we are also responsible for those we affect – we will be asked about tempting others. (In Surat an-Nisa, the uncle is part of the mahram).
Lowering The Gaze
Bad images – one glimpse – is an arrow from Shaytan that is aimed at your heart.
When Can People See Each Other (Hair, etc.)
* Emergency situations and for medical treatment.
* During an engagement, when both parties are ready to get married (like seriously right away).
* For security reasons or criminal/legal reasons
* Women who understand the rule of not exposing a Muslim woman, can see you without hijab.
o You should not take off your hijab in public places, like bathrooms, where there are non-Muslim women.
o If you violate this ruling, this will be considered a sin.
A foster child can be breastfed anytime in two years for it to be considered a foster child.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Class #7: March 18th Notes
Ayah 27-30
(27) Oh you, who have believed, do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their inhabitants. That is best for you; perhaps you will be reminded.
(28) And if you find no one therein, still, enter not until permission has been given. And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you, and Allah is All-Knower of what you do.
(29) There is no blame upon you for entering houses not inhabited in which there is convenience for you. And Allah knows what you reveal and what you conceal.
Definitions
Word: Explanation
tadkhulu
root: dakhala; to enter; penetrate
buyutan
root: bayt; plural of home; house; private space; habitat; apartment
tasta'tanisu
root: anisa; make yourself familiar (known)
tusallimu
root: salam; to salute
la`alla
perhaps
tajidu
root: wajada; to come upon; to arrive to
yu'dhan
root: adhina; to be given permission
irji`u
root: raji`a; to go back; to turn away; retreat
junaH
burden; blame; sin
maskun
inhabited; lived in; occupied
ghayr
not; other; than
* These ayahs have to do with respecting one’s privacy. They honor the sanctity of one’s privacy. It is a God-given right. Crossing or violating ones privacy could lead to many issues.
* It is interesting that these ayahs come immediately after talking about two things: sexual relations outside marriage and the incident of Aisha (ra).
* These instructions were given to the believers to protect them from themselves and from the boundaries of others.
* Story: A woman from al-Ansar came to the Prophet (saws) and said, “Oh Messenger of Allah, when I am at home in my own place, I am in a state where I don’t want any strangers to see me. People continue to come, especially male members of my household just barge in. What should I do?” Allah (swt) then revealed Verses 27-28, and later other verses were revealed as well.
* General rule: do not enter a place/house that does not belong to you
* The scholars differ on the word tasta’nis; Allah (swt) later used the word adhina (to seek permission) and could have easily used it here, but used a different word to indicate: to befriend; to ask permission/to feel that you are welcome and accepted by the host (it is more than just mere permission).
* In addition, one must offer greetings to those who inhabit the place being entered. Although tasta’nisu was mentioned before greeting; both are required.
* Upon salam, you are accomplishing two things:
o Declaring your identity as a Muslim
o Offer peace by making du`a’; helps put the host at ease
* If one come to a home, and is told to go back, then they should retreat without offense and in fact they should feel happy. One who is turned away most likely has a special relationship with the inhabitants because the host is comfortable enough to tell them to return later.
* Allah then says that you are not in violation if you enter houses uninhabited where there is some benefit/interest/need for you. Remember that Allah (swt) knows what you reveal and that which you conceal, as well.
What is permissible
* Respecting sanctity of other’s privacy.
* Seeking permission before entering in.
* Greeting when entering in.
* Not facing the door or looking through the door/windows while waiting to be responded.
* Not breaking in or entering into a property in their absence.
* Leave when asked to leave.
What is not permissible
* Invading privacy of others (house, car, computer, phone).
* Not seeking permission before entering in.
* Not greeting when entering in.
* Facing/looking through the door/windows while waiting to be responded.
* Entering/breaking into a property in their absence.
* Refusing to go away when asked
Du`a’ upon entering someone’s house:
“In the name of Allah we enter and in the name of Allah we leave, and upon our lord we place our trust.”
* Upon saying this du`a’, the shayatin that are at your door step to waiting to enter with you will be sent away. If one does not say this or mention the proper salam, the shayatin will enter with the person.
Upon entering one’s home
1. Permission: do not exceed three times unless necessary
2. Combine with the greeting of salam.
3. Do not face the entrance/door.
4. If needed, knock or ring the bell moderately.
5. Identify yourself by stating your name.
6. State the purpose of your visit if needed/asked.
7. Cultural expressions may be used.
8. If entering your own place, adhere to the following Adab
Entering Upon Other: “Peace be upon you. And Allah’s mercy and blessings.”
(30) Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is acquainted with what they do.”
* Gaze: to look steadily or stare with interest, pleasure, or wonder.
* This was told to the believing men and believing women.
(27) Oh you, who have believed, do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their inhabitants. That is best for you; perhaps you will be reminded.
(28) And if you find no one therein, still, enter not until permission has been given. And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you, and Allah is All-Knower of what you do.
(29) There is no blame upon you for entering houses not inhabited in which there is convenience for you. And Allah knows what you reveal and what you conceal.
Definitions
Word: Explanation
tadkhulu
root: dakhala; to enter; penetrate
buyutan
root: bayt; plural of home; house; private space; habitat; apartment
tasta'tanisu
root: anisa; make yourself familiar (known)
tusallimu
root: salam; to salute
la`alla
perhaps
tajidu
root: wajada; to come upon; to arrive to
yu'dhan
root: adhina; to be given permission
irji`u
root: raji`a; to go back; to turn away; retreat
junaH
burden; blame; sin
maskun
inhabited; lived in; occupied
ghayr
not; other; than
* These ayahs have to do with respecting one’s privacy. They honor the sanctity of one’s privacy. It is a God-given right. Crossing or violating ones privacy could lead to many issues.
* It is interesting that these ayahs come immediately after talking about two things: sexual relations outside marriage and the incident of Aisha (ra).
* These instructions were given to the believers to protect them from themselves and from the boundaries of others.
* Story: A woman from al-Ansar came to the Prophet (saws) and said, “Oh Messenger of Allah, when I am at home in my own place, I am in a state where I don’t want any strangers to see me. People continue to come, especially male members of my household just barge in. What should I do?” Allah (swt) then revealed Verses 27-28, and later other verses were revealed as well.
* General rule: do not enter a place/house that does not belong to you
* The scholars differ on the word tasta’nis; Allah (swt) later used the word adhina (to seek permission) and could have easily used it here, but used a different word to indicate: to befriend; to ask permission/to feel that you are welcome and accepted by the host (it is more than just mere permission).
* In addition, one must offer greetings to those who inhabit the place being entered. Although tasta’nisu was mentioned before greeting; both are required.
* Upon salam, you are accomplishing two things:
o Declaring your identity as a Muslim
o Offer peace by making du`a’; helps put the host at ease
* If one come to a home, and is told to go back, then they should retreat without offense and in fact they should feel happy. One who is turned away most likely has a special relationship with the inhabitants because the host is comfortable enough to tell them to return later.
* Allah then says that you are not in violation if you enter houses uninhabited where there is some benefit/interest/need for you. Remember that Allah (swt) knows what you reveal and that which you conceal, as well.
What is permissible
* Respecting sanctity of other’s privacy.
* Seeking permission before entering in.
* Greeting when entering in.
* Not facing the door or looking through the door/windows while waiting to be responded.
* Not breaking in or entering into a property in their absence.
* Leave when asked to leave.
What is not permissible
* Invading privacy of others (house, car, computer, phone).
* Not seeking permission before entering in.
* Not greeting when entering in.
* Facing/looking through the door/windows while waiting to be responded.
* Entering/breaking into a property in their absence.
* Refusing to go away when asked
Du`a’ upon entering someone’s house:
“In the name of Allah we enter and in the name of Allah we leave, and upon our lord we place our trust.”
* Upon saying this du`a’, the shayatin that are at your door step to waiting to enter with you will be sent away. If one does not say this or mention the proper salam, the shayatin will enter with the person.
Upon entering one’s home
1. Permission: do not exceed three times unless necessary
2. Combine with the greeting of salam.
3. Do not face the entrance/door.
4. If needed, knock or ring the bell moderately.
5. Identify yourself by stating your name.
6. State the purpose of your visit if needed/asked.
7. Cultural expressions may be used.
8. If entering your own place, adhere to the following Adab
Entering Upon Other: “Peace be upon you. And Allah’s mercy and blessings.”
(30) Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is acquainted with what they do.”
* Gaze: to look steadily or stare with interest, pleasure, or wonder.
* This was told to the believing men and believing women.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Class #6: March 11th Notes
Ayah 22-29
Scholars say that these ayahs were revealed connected to the story of Aisha (ra).
(22) And let not those among you who are blessed with graces and wealth swear not to give to their kinsmen, the poor, and those who left their homes for Allah’s cause. Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
• This verse was revealed in response to Abu Bakr (ra). MislaH (participated in slander) was a relative of Abu Bakr that used to be taken care of by Abu Bakr. After the incident of Aisha, Abu Bakr vowed not to support him anymore. This ayah was revealed to:
o ?
o ?
o Encourage Abu Bakr to continue their good deeds.
o Allah (swt) advises Abu Bakr to do pardon and forgive. And He motivates him by saying “Would you want Allah to forgive you?”
• Abu Bakr replied, “Indeed, I would love for our Lord to forgive us.”
• Three words used for forgiveness:
o `afw: to pardon; to relieve the person from the consequences of his/her actions; to erase a trace of something; occurs only if revenge is appropriate
o SafH: to turn away; to remove; to overlook and to get rid of the effect upon self.
o Maghfirah: only Allah (swt) is capable of ghufran; to absolve; to exonerate
The children of Israel ask Allah (swt) for rain and they get no response. Musa will then beg for rain and Allah (swt) said that amongst you is a man that is sinning and if he is amongst you, then we are not going to grant you rain. Musa then makes the announcement to his community and after that, Allah (swt) granted rain upon Musa’s community. Allah said that that person repented. Musa wanted to know who it was and he asked Allah for who it was and Allah (swt) responded and said that this man has sinned in private his entire life and repented in private, so why should I reveal his identity right now?
• When Yusuf (as) was accused of trying to seduce the wife of the governor of Egypt, Allah (swt) exonerated him through a little baby. In the case of Maryam (as), her baby boy exonerated her. In the case of Aisha (ra), 15 verses came down directly from Allah that exonerated her.
Definitions:
Word Explanation
ya'tali - to vow
ulu - people of
al-fadl - grace; excellence; virtue; nobility
masakin - needy
(23) Verily, those who accuse chaste believing women, who never even think of anything touching their chastity and are good believers – are curse in this life and in the Hereafter, and for them will be a great torment. (24) On the day when their tongues, their hands, and their legs will bear witness against them as to what they use to do.
• Allah is creating a special case here in defending women who are accused of being unchaste. He says they will receive a great punishment. He then goes on to discuss this in more detail.
• On that day, their tongues (that were used to accuse others), their hands, and their legs (used to get to those places), all of them will testify against them. The Prophet (saws) said, “On the day of Judgment, the disbeliever will be shown his deeds. He will reject them (that is what disbelief is). It will be said to him, “Here, your neighbors will testify against you. The person will say they are liars. What about your family? They are liars. They didn’t care about me. He will say bring someone who care for me. Allah will then ask his own self (body parts) to testify against him.”
(25) On that day, Allah will pay them the recompense of their deed in full, and they will know that Allah, He is the Manifest Truth.
• The Prophet used to laugh and he was asked why and his response was, “The person will say, ‘I will not accept anyone to testify against me except myself. His mouth will then be sealed and his body parts will testify and speak against him. The kafir will then say to his own body parts, “Damn you! I was trying to protect you from what was going to come next!”
Scholars say that these ayahs were revealed connected to the story of Aisha (ra).
(22) And let not those among you who are blessed with graces and wealth swear not to give to their kinsmen, the poor, and those who left their homes for Allah’s cause. Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
• This verse was revealed in response to Abu Bakr (ra). MislaH (participated in slander) was a relative of Abu Bakr that used to be taken care of by Abu Bakr. After the incident of Aisha, Abu Bakr vowed not to support him anymore. This ayah was revealed to:
o ?
o ?
o Encourage Abu Bakr to continue their good deeds.
o Allah (swt) advises Abu Bakr to do pardon and forgive. And He motivates him by saying “Would you want Allah to forgive you?”
• Abu Bakr replied, “Indeed, I would love for our Lord to forgive us.”
• Three words used for forgiveness:
o `afw: to pardon; to relieve the person from the consequences of his/her actions; to erase a trace of something; occurs only if revenge is appropriate
o SafH: to turn away; to remove; to overlook and to get rid of the effect upon self.
o Maghfirah: only Allah (swt) is capable of ghufran; to absolve; to exonerate
The children of Israel ask Allah (swt) for rain and they get no response. Musa will then beg for rain and Allah (swt) said that amongst you is a man that is sinning and if he is amongst you, then we are not going to grant you rain. Musa then makes the announcement to his community and after that, Allah (swt) granted rain upon Musa’s community. Allah said that that person repented. Musa wanted to know who it was and he asked Allah for who it was and Allah (swt) responded and said that this man has sinned in private his entire life and repented in private, so why should I reveal his identity right now?
• When Yusuf (as) was accused of trying to seduce the wife of the governor of Egypt, Allah (swt) exonerated him through a little baby. In the case of Maryam (as), her baby boy exonerated her. In the case of Aisha (ra), 15 verses came down directly from Allah that exonerated her.
Definitions:
Word Explanation
ya'tali - to vow
ulu - people of
al-fadl - grace; excellence; virtue; nobility
masakin - needy
(23) Verily, those who accuse chaste believing women, who never even think of anything touching their chastity and are good believers – are curse in this life and in the Hereafter, and for them will be a great torment. (24) On the day when their tongues, their hands, and their legs will bear witness against them as to what they use to do.
• Allah is creating a special case here in defending women who are accused of being unchaste. He says they will receive a great punishment. He then goes on to discuss this in more detail.
• On that day, their tongues (that were used to accuse others), their hands, and their legs (used to get to those places), all of them will testify against them. The Prophet (saws) said, “On the day of Judgment, the disbeliever will be shown his deeds. He will reject them (that is what disbelief is). It will be said to him, “Here, your neighbors will testify against you. The person will say they are liars. What about your family? They are liars. They didn’t care about me. He will say bring someone who care for me. Allah will then ask his own self (body parts) to testify against him.”
(25) On that day, Allah will pay them the recompense of their deed in full, and they will know that Allah, He is the Manifest Truth.
• The Prophet used to laugh and he was asked why and his response was, “The person will say, ‘I will not accept anyone to testify against me except myself. His mouth will then be sealed and his body parts will testify and speak against him. The kafir will then say to his own body parts, “Damn you! I was trying to protect you from what was going to come next!”
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Class #5: March 4th Notes
Ayah 16-20
(16) And why, when you heard it, did you not say, “It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, Oh Allah; this is a great slander?”
• The Prophet (saws) asked Zaynab, “Ya Zaynab, what do you know and what have you seen?” She said, “By Allah, I know nothing but good. She is the one that used to compete with me amongst the wives of the Prophet (saws), but because of her piety, Allah (swt) protected her.”
• Allah in this ayah is reprimanding the believers for what they should have said.
(17) Allah warns you against returning to the likes of this conduct, eve, if you should be believers.”
• This is a lesson for the Muslims to never repeat it or repeating anything like it.
• Therefore, if anyone is to ever come back to revisits this issue, then they are not amongst the believers.
(18) And Allah makes clear to you the verses, and Allah is Knowing and Wise.”
(19) Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know.
• This ayah is referring to those who like to kill the culture/mood of haya’ (modesty), which in turn leads to behavior that is indecent.
• Haya’ is the moral immune system of a believer.
The sacredness of Marriage
- Those who love to spread immorality among the believers will have a great punishment in both this world and in the Hereafter.
- If you spread immorality especially amongst the believers, who should be setting the standard, then Shaytan has won.
- Allah knows us, He created us. He has set our character, he knows our psychology. So when He sets the principles and guidelines down, they are to protect us from ourselves – from the evil in our nature. If Shaytan and your nafs joined forces, you are destroyed. What Allah swt tells us is better for us.
- Any group that will spread fahisha amongst them, Allah will send them calamities and great diseases that were not known before. All of these diseases have cures, we do not know their cure; but the greatest cure of any disease is prevention; so if you know what would spread the disease, then we should stop that (ex. sexually-transmitted diseases).
- “…If it were not for the mercy of Allah, you would have suffered a severe punishment...” Allah closes this section of the surah with a reminder about His favors upon us. Therefore the rules that are put down in this surah are blessings from Allah because they protect the entire society.
- The believers are just as susceptible to fahisha. These guidelines are from the mercy for you.
- “Oh you who believe! Follow not the steps of Shaytan. Whosoever follows the steps of Shaytan, he indeed leads you to fahisha and evil deeds.” (ayah 21) There is someone out there who does not have your best interests in mind and wants to ruin you. These steps that you are taking in the wrong direction – where does Shaytan want to lead you? Don’t set yourself up, don’t fall for Shaytan’s tricks.
- Once it happens, you cannot blame Shaytan. It was your choice to overlook and ignore the warning signs, and to water things down. On the Day of Judgment, Shaytan will say he has nothing to do with you – he did not force you to do anything. Do not blame him, blame yourself. Allah swt warns us against these steps of Shaytan.
- Ibn Qayyim (ra): “We should resist temptations from the beginning, before it even happens.” We do something, we violate one of the basic rules. You may see something or someone, but do not let it affect you. Remedy the damage that it causes within you. “Resist the thought.” We still have control over this at that point, we do not have control over what other people do. Control your reaction. “If you do not resist the thought, then it will become an idea.” If it becomes an idea, then we need to fight it – an all out war! Allah swt will not judge us on our thoughts, so long as we do not speak about it or act upon it. “If you do not snap out of it, then it will become a fantasy. If you do not fight it at that point, it will become an urge or desire. If you do not wage war against it at that point, then it will become a plan. After this, then the next step will be that the event will actually happen. If this happens, make tawba and remove yourself from the environment and never allow for it to happen again. Or else it will become a habit – an addiction. After this, it will be extremely difficult to change a habit.”
- “Do people think they will believe without being tested?” Do not test yourselves, please – or anyone else. You test yourselves and each other when you put yourself in awkward situations such as “friendships.” You cannot control the thoughts going through the other person’s mind.
- A man will never be alone with a woman, except that Shaytan will be the third.
- We need to bring back our culture of haya`.
- “Had it not been the grace of Allah, none of you would have been purified...” Right now we have so many forces going against your purity. Don’t take your purity for granted. Just like you protect yourself from diseases, you need to protect your emotions and heart – your spiritual purity from anything that might compromise it.
- If someone is trying to spread fah’sha, then it is our duty to stand against it. We must fight it, stop it. We cannot be passive, because if we are then we are included in the punishment. If you are of those that do not love it, do not spread it, but do not speak against it – then you will be included as one of the people who are apart of it.
- We live in a time and place that is anti-haya’. It is good for people to have shame, to feel guilty. When the rumors would begin, someone would automatically resign to kill these rumors so that they would not be destroyed. These days, we have a reelection of an openly cheating husband – he was reelected as mayor! We need to revive the culture of haya’.
- The Sahaba did not come from a culture of haya’ but it was cultivated and promoted – this is what brought back the haya’. One thing you can do is to stay around good people. They will give you the courage to suppress these behaviors and help bring out the goodness. Stay around them because they are good for you. We should not hang out with those who make us feel good about the bad we are doing; who do not make us feel shame about what we are doing.
- Also be careful about what you watch on TV, listen to the radio or read in the books. If you come from a haya’ background, at first you will be disgusted by the disgusting things. But through constant exposure you become desensitized.
(16) And why, when you heard it, did you not say, “It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, Oh Allah; this is a great slander?”
• The Prophet (saws) asked Zaynab, “Ya Zaynab, what do you know and what have you seen?” She said, “By Allah, I know nothing but good. She is the one that used to compete with me amongst the wives of the Prophet (saws), but because of her piety, Allah (swt) protected her.”
• Allah in this ayah is reprimanding the believers for what they should have said.
(17) Allah warns you against returning to the likes of this conduct, eve, if you should be believers.”
• This is a lesson for the Muslims to never repeat it or repeating anything like it.
• Therefore, if anyone is to ever come back to revisits this issue, then they are not amongst the believers.
(18) And Allah makes clear to you the verses, and Allah is Knowing and Wise.”
(19) Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know.
• This ayah is referring to those who like to kill the culture/mood of haya’ (modesty), which in turn leads to behavior that is indecent.
• Haya’ is the moral immune system of a believer.
The sacredness of Marriage
- Those who love to spread immorality among the believers will have a great punishment in both this world and in the Hereafter.
- If you spread immorality especially amongst the believers, who should be setting the standard, then Shaytan has won.
- Allah knows us, He created us. He has set our character, he knows our psychology. So when He sets the principles and guidelines down, they are to protect us from ourselves – from the evil in our nature. If Shaytan and your nafs joined forces, you are destroyed. What Allah swt tells us is better for us.
- Any group that will spread fahisha amongst them, Allah will send them calamities and great diseases that were not known before. All of these diseases have cures, we do not know their cure; but the greatest cure of any disease is prevention; so if you know what would spread the disease, then we should stop that (ex. sexually-transmitted diseases).
- “…If it were not for the mercy of Allah, you would have suffered a severe punishment...” Allah closes this section of the surah with a reminder about His favors upon us. Therefore the rules that are put down in this surah are blessings from Allah because they protect the entire society.
- The believers are just as susceptible to fahisha. These guidelines are from the mercy for you.
- “Oh you who believe! Follow not the steps of Shaytan. Whosoever follows the steps of Shaytan, he indeed leads you to fahisha and evil deeds.” (ayah 21) There is someone out there who does not have your best interests in mind and wants to ruin you. These steps that you are taking in the wrong direction – where does Shaytan want to lead you? Don’t set yourself up, don’t fall for Shaytan’s tricks.
- Once it happens, you cannot blame Shaytan. It was your choice to overlook and ignore the warning signs, and to water things down. On the Day of Judgment, Shaytan will say he has nothing to do with you – he did not force you to do anything. Do not blame him, blame yourself. Allah swt warns us against these steps of Shaytan.
- Ibn Qayyim (ra): “We should resist temptations from the beginning, before it even happens.” We do something, we violate one of the basic rules. You may see something or someone, but do not let it affect you. Remedy the damage that it causes within you. “Resist the thought.” We still have control over this at that point, we do not have control over what other people do. Control your reaction. “If you do not resist the thought, then it will become an idea.” If it becomes an idea, then we need to fight it – an all out war! Allah swt will not judge us on our thoughts, so long as we do not speak about it or act upon it. “If you do not snap out of it, then it will become a fantasy. If you do not fight it at that point, it will become an urge or desire. If you do not wage war against it at that point, then it will become a plan. After this, then the next step will be that the event will actually happen. If this happens, make tawba and remove yourself from the environment and never allow for it to happen again. Or else it will become a habit – an addiction. After this, it will be extremely difficult to change a habit.”
- “Do people think they will believe without being tested?” Do not test yourselves, please – or anyone else. You test yourselves and each other when you put yourself in awkward situations such as “friendships.” You cannot control the thoughts going through the other person’s mind.
- A man will never be alone with a woman, except that Shaytan will be the third.
- We need to bring back our culture of haya`.
- “Had it not been the grace of Allah, none of you would have been purified...” Right now we have so many forces going against your purity. Don’t take your purity for granted. Just like you protect yourself from diseases, you need to protect your emotions and heart – your spiritual purity from anything that might compromise it.
- If someone is trying to spread fah’sha, then it is our duty to stand against it. We must fight it, stop it. We cannot be passive, because if we are then we are included in the punishment. If you are of those that do not love it, do not spread it, but do not speak against it – then you will be included as one of the people who are apart of it.
- We live in a time and place that is anti-haya’. It is good for people to have shame, to feel guilty. When the rumors would begin, someone would automatically resign to kill these rumors so that they would not be destroyed. These days, we have a reelection of an openly cheating husband – he was reelected as mayor! We need to revive the culture of haya’.
- The Sahaba did not come from a culture of haya’ but it was cultivated and promoted – this is what brought back the haya’. One thing you can do is to stay around good people. They will give you the courage to suppress these behaviors and help bring out the goodness. Stay around them because they are good for you. We should not hang out with those who make us feel good about the bad we are doing; who do not make us feel shame about what we are doing.
- Also be careful about what you watch on TV, listen to the radio or read in the books. If you come from a haya’ background, at first you will be disgusted by the disgusting things. But through constant exposure you become desensitized.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Class #4: Feb 25th Notes
Follow Up from previous class
al-li`an – situation when a man accuses his wife of committing zina
la`nah – to disqualify someone from receiving mercy
ghaDab – anger; rage; but it encompasses la`nah within it as well;
Ayahs 11-20
“Verily, those who brought forth the slander are a group among you. Consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you. Unto every man among them will be paid that which he had earned of the sin, and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be a great torment. When then, did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it, think good of their own people and say: ‘This is an obvious lie.’ When did they not produce four witnesses against him? Since they have not produced witnesses, then with Allah, they are liars. And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been touched for that [lie] in which you were involved by a great punishment.. when you receive it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous.
Definitions
al-ifk: the worse form of slander
`uSbah: union; group; association
taHsabuhu: Think
sharr: Evil
bal: Rather
imri': individual; person
iktasaba: to obtain
kibrahu: most of it
Ayah 11
This ayah came to show the innocence of Aisha. The end of this ayah explains the torment that Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul (the hypocrite who began the rumors about Aisha).
Iktasaba
Iktasaba is used throughout the Qur'an many times and is generally used to refer to earning bad deeds. The only place where the word “kasaba” is used is in one ayah in the Qur'an. This generally means that that person is generally submerged into bad deeds, does not struggle with it, and does not feel bad for earning a bad deed. It is on the form of the word “ifta`ala” and usually means to struggle and go out of your nature to commit that specific action, and in this case, it is “kasaba.”
The matter of Ifk
Azbab an-Nazool: Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 274:
Narrated Aisha (ra), the wife of the Prophet (s):
Whenever Allah's Apostle intended to go on a journey, he used to draw lots among his wives and would take with him the one on whom the lot had fallen.Once he drew lots when he wanted to carry out a Ghazwa, and the lot came upon me. So I proceeded with Allah's Apostle after Allah's order of veiling (the women) had been revealed and thus I was carried in my howdah (on a camel) and dismounted while still in it. We carried on our journey, and when Allah's Apostle had finished his Ghazwa and returned and we approached Medina, Allah's Apostle ordered to proceed at night. When the army was ordered to resume the homeward journey, I got up and walked on till I left the army (camp) behind. When I had answered the call of nature, I went towards my howdah, but behold! A necklace of mine made of Jaz Azfar (a kind of black bead) was broken and I looked for it and my search for it detained me. The group of people who used to carry me, came and carried my howdah on to the back of my camel on which I was riding, considering that I was therein. At that time women were light in weight and were not fleshy for they used to eat little (food), so those people did not feel the lightness of the howdah while raising it up, and I was still a young lady. They drove away the camel and proceeded. Then I found my necklace after the army had gone. I came to their camp but found nobody therein so I went to the place where I used to stay, thinking that they would miss me and come back in my search. While I was sitting at my place, I felt sleepy and slept.
Safwan bin Al-Mu'attil As-Sulami Adh-Dhakw-ani was behind the army. He had started in the last part of the night and reached my stationing place in the morning and saw the figure of a sleeping person. He came to me and recognized me on seeing me for he used to see me before veiling. I got up because of his saying: "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun," which he uttered on recognizing me. I covered my face with my garment, and by Allah, he did not say to me a single word except, "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun," till he made his she-camel kneel down whereupon he trod on its forelegs and I mounted it. Then Safwan set out, leading the she-camel that was carrying me, till we met the army while they were resting during the hot midday. Then whoever was meant for destruction, fell in destruction, and the leader of the Ifk (forged statement) was 'Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul. After this we arrived at Medina and I became ill for one month while the people were spreading the forged statements of the people of the Ifk, and I was not aware of anything thereof. But what aroused my doubt while I was sick, was that I was no longer receiving from Allah's Apostle the same kindness as I used to receive when I fell sick. Allah's Apostle would enter upon me, say a greeting and add, "How is that (lady)?" and then depart. That aroused my suspicion but I was not aware of the propagated evil till I recovered from my ailment. I went out with Um Mistah to answer the call of nature towards Al-Manasi, the place where we used to relieve ourselves, and used not to go out for this purpose except from night to night, and that was before we had lavatories close to our houses. And this habit of ours was similar to the habit of the old 'Arabs (in the deserts or in the tents) concerning the evacuation of the bowels, for we considered it troublesome and harmful to take lavatories in the houses. So I went out with Um Mistah who was the daughter of Abi Ruhm bin Abd Manaf, and her mother was daughter of Sakhr bin Amir who was the aunt of Abi Bakr As-Siddiq, and her son was Mistah bin Uthatha. When we had finished our affair, Um Mistah and I came back towards my house. Um Mistah stumbled over her robe whereupon she said, "Let Mistah be ruined!" I said to her, "What a bad word you have said! Do you abuse a man who has taken part in the Battle of Badr?' She said, "O you there! Didn't you hear what he has said?" I said, "And what did he say?" She then told me the statement of the people of the Ifk (forged statement) which added to my ailment. When I returned home, Allah's Apostle came to me, and after greeting, he said, "How is that (lady)?" I said, "Will you allow me to go to my parents?" At that time I intended to be sure of the news through them. Allah's Apostle allowed me and I went to my parents and asked my mother, "O my mother! What are the people talking about?" My mother said, "O my daughter! Take it easy, for by Allah, there is no charming lady who is loved by her husband who has other wives as well, but that those wives would find fault with her." I said, "Subhan Allah! Did the people really talk about that?" That night I kept on weeping the whole night till the morning. My tears never stopped, nor did I sleep, and morning broke while I was still weeping, Allah's Apostle called 'Ali bin Abi Talib and Usama bin Zaid when the Divine Inspiration delayed, in order to consult them as to the idea of divorcing his wife.
Usama bin Zaid told Allah's Apostle of what he knew about the innocence of his wife and of his affection he kept for her. He said, "O Allah's Apostle! She is your wife, and we do not know anything about her except good." But 'Ali bin Abi Talib said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allah does not impose restrictions on you; and there are plenty of women other than her. If you however, ask (her) slave girl, she will tell you the truth." 'Aisha added: So Allah's Apostle called for Barira and said, "O Barira! Did you ever see anything which might have aroused your suspicion? (as regards Aisha). Barira said, "By Allah Who has sent you with the truth, I have never seen anything regarding Aisha which I would blame her for except that she is a girl of immature age who sometimes sleeps and leaves the dough of her family unprotected so that the domestic goats come and eat it." So Allah's Apostle got up (and addressed) the people an asked for somebody who would take revenge on 'Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul then. Allah's Apostle, while on the pulpit, said, "O Muslims! Who will help me against a man who has hurt me by slandering my family? By Allah, I know nothing except good about my family, and people have blamed a man of whom I know nothing except good, and he never used to visit my family except with me," Sad bin Muadh Al-Ansari got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! By Allah, I will relieve you from him. If he be from the tribe of (Bani) Al-Aus, then I will chop his head off; and if he be from our brethren, the Khazraj, then you give us your order and we will obey it." On that, Sad bin 'Ubada got up, and he was the chief of the Khazraj, and before this incident he had been a pious man but he was incited by his zeal for his tribe. He said to Sad (bin Muadh), "By Allah the Eternal, you have told a lie! You shall not kill him and you will never be able to kill him!" On that, Usaid bin Hudair, the cousin of Sad (bin Muadh) got up and said to Sad bin 'Ubada, "You are a liar! By Allah the Eternal, we will surely kill him; and you are a hypocrite defending the hypocrites!" So the two tribes of Al-Aus and Al-Khazraj got excited till they were on the point of fighting with each other while Allah's Apostle was standing on the pulpit. Allah's Apostle continued quietening them till they became silent whereupon he became silent too.
On that day I kept on weeping so much that neither did my tears stop, nor could I sleep. In the morning my parents were with me, and I had wept for two nights and a day without sleeping and with incessant tears till they hought that my liver would burst with weeping. While they were with me and I was weeping, an Ansari woman asked permission to see me. I admitted her and she sat and started weeping with me. While I was in that state, Allah's Apostle came to us, greeted, and sat down. He had never sat with me since the day what was said, was said. He had stayed a month without receiving any Divine Inspiration concerning my case. Allah's Apostle recited the Tashahhud after he had sat down, and then said, "Thereafter, O 'Aisha! I have been informed such and-such a thing about you; and if you are innocent, Allah will reveal your innocence, and if you have committed a sin, then ask for Allah's forgiveness and repent to Him, for when a slave confesses his sin and then repents to Allah, Allah accepts his repentance." When Allah's Apostle had finished his speech, my tears ceased completely so that I no longer felt even a drop thereof. Then I said to my father, "Reply to Allah's Apostle on my behalf as to what he said." He said, "By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Apostle." Then I said to my mother, "Reply to Allah's Apostle." She said, "I do not know what to say to Allah's Apostle." Still a young girl as I was and though I had little knowledge of Quran, I said, "By Allah, I know that you heard this story (of the Ifk) so much so that it has been planted in your minds and you have believed it. So now, if I tell you that I am innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you will not believe me; and if I confess something, and Allah knows that I am innocent of it, you will believe me. By Allah, I cannot find of you an example except that of Joseph's father: "So (for me) patience is most fitting against that which you assert and it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought. Then I turned away and lay on my bed, and at that time I knew that I was innocent and that Allah would reveal my innocence. But by Allah, I never thought that Allah would sent down about my affair, Divine Inspiration that would be recited (forever), as I considered myself too unworthy to be talked of by Allah with something that was to be recited: but I hoped that Allah's Apostle might have a vision in which Allah would prove my innocence. By Allah, Allah's Apostle had not left his seat and nobody had left the house when the Divine Inspiration came to Allah's Apostle . So there overtook him the same hard condition which used to overtake him (when he was Divinely Inspired) so that the drops of his sweat were running down, like pearls, though it was a (cold) winter day, and that was because of the heaviness of the Statement which was revealed to him. When that state of Allah's Apostle was over, and he was smiling when he was relieved, the first word he said was, "Aisha, Allah has declared your innocence." My mother said to me, "Get up and go to him." I said, "By Allah, I will not go to him and I will not thank anybody but Allah."
Allah revealed:
”Verily! Those who brought forth the slander (against Aisha) are a group among you. Consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you. Unto every man among them will be paid that which he had earned of the sin, and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be a great torment. Why then, did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it (the slander) think good of their own people and say: "This (charge) is an obvious lie?" Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they (the slanderers) have not produced witnesses! Then with Allah they are the liars. Had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy unto you in this world and in the Hereafter, a great torment would have touched you for that whereof you had spoken. When you were propagating it with your tongues, and uttering with your mouths that whereof you had no knowledge, you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great. And why did you not, when you heard it, say? "It is not right for us to speak of this. Glory be to You (O Allah) this is a great lie." Allah forbids you from it and warns you not to repeat the like of it forever, if you are believers. And Allah makes the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) plain to you, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you know not. And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, (Allah would have hastened the punishment upon you). And that Allah is full of kindness, Most Merciful.” (24: 11-20)
When Allah revealed this to confirm my innocence, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq who used to provide for Mistah bin Uthatha because of the latter's kinship to him and his poverty, said, "By Allah, I will never provide for Mistah anything after what he has said about Aisha."
So Allah revealed:
"Let not those among you who are good and are wealthy swear not to give (help) to their kinsmen, those in need, and those who have left their homes for Allah's Cause. Let them Pardon and forgive (i.e. do not punish them). Do you not love that should forgive you? Verily Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." (24.22)
Abu Bakr said, "Yes, by Allah, I wish that Allah should forgive me." So he resumed giving Mistah the aid he used to give him before and said, "By Allah, I will never withhold it from him at all." Aisha further said: Allah's Apostle also asked Zainab bint Jahsh about my case. He said, "O Zainab! What have you seen?" She replied, "O Allah's Apostle! I protect my hearing and my sight (by refraining from telling lies). I know nothing but good (about Aisha)." Of all the wives of Allah's Apostle, it was Zainab who aspired to receive from him the same favor as I used to receive, yet, Allah saved her (from telling lies) because of her piety. But her sister, Hamna, kept on fighting on her behalf so she was destroyed as were those who invented and spread the slander.
Lessons
* These ten ayahs are revealed in regards to this incident. This is the worst type of slander because it pertains to one of the most virtuous, pure women. The higher the status of the person you accuse falsely, the worse your accusation is. Allah establishes that those who slandered are from amongst the community.
* Do not think it is bad for you, it is good for you. For Aisha, it establishes her innocence, her status in Islam, in ayat that will be recited until the end of time. The most innocent of all women: Aisha (ra) and the mother of Isa (as). They were both accused falsely, and their defense was from Allah.
* Each person that accused her will have their own punishment, and the one that had the greater share of this will have a great punishment. A person who creates an evil precedent will not only carry the burden of his sin, but also the sin of those who follow him (in this case anyone who shares that rumor). That is why it is very bad to set a precedent that is a misguidance, and will carry on. This is very serious.
* Why did not the believers when they heard of this think of themselves? The believers should have thought better of themselves and of each other. In Islam, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. You should always give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Even if there were any grounds for it, they should have provided four witnesses against him. If they do not, it is considered a lie with Allah. Now, with Allah those people are considered liars.
* It was the favor of Allah, and a mercy upon you in this world and the Hereafter, that you are not punished for such a great offense - but it is a good lesson for you. Slander is not insignificant, especially to the person who is being attacked. With Allah swt this may be the worst thing you could have done to them. Be careful of what you say. You think of it as insignificant, but the words could be very heavy with Allah swt.Your browser may not support display of this image.
al-li`an – situation when a man accuses his wife of committing zina
la`nah – to disqualify someone from receiving mercy
ghaDab – anger; rage; but it encompasses la`nah within it as well;
Ayahs 11-20
“Verily, those who brought forth the slander are a group among you. Consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you. Unto every man among them will be paid that which he had earned of the sin, and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be a great torment. When then, did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it, think good of their own people and say: ‘This is an obvious lie.’ When did they not produce four witnesses against him? Since they have not produced witnesses, then with Allah, they are liars. And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been touched for that [lie] in which you were involved by a great punishment.. when you receive it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous.
Definitions
al-ifk: the worse form of slander
`uSbah: union; group; association
taHsabuhu: Think
sharr: Evil
bal: Rather
imri': individual; person
iktasaba: to obtain
kibrahu: most of it
Ayah 11
This ayah came to show the innocence of Aisha. The end of this ayah explains the torment that Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul (the hypocrite who began the rumors about Aisha).
Iktasaba
Iktasaba is used throughout the Qur'an many times and is generally used to refer to earning bad deeds. The only place where the word “kasaba” is used is in one ayah in the Qur'an. This generally means that that person is generally submerged into bad deeds, does not struggle with it, and does not feel bad for earning a bad deed. It is on the form of the word “ifta`ala” and usually means to struggle and go out of your nature to commit that specific action, and in this case, it is “kasaba.”
The matter of Ifk
Azbab an-Nazool: Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 274:
Narrated Aisha (ra), the wife of the Prophet (s):
Whenever Allah's Apostle intended to go on a journey, he used to draw lots among his wives and would take with him the one on whom the lot had fallen.Once he drew lots when he wanted to carry out a Ghazwa, and the lot came upon me. So I proceeded with Allah's Apostle after Allah's order of veiling (the women) had been revealed and thus I was carried in my howdah (on a camel) and dismounted while still in it. We carried on our journey, and when Allah's Apostle had finished his Ghazwa and returned and we approached Medina, Allah's Apostle ordered to proceed at night. When the army was ordered to resume the homeward journey, I got up and walked on till I left the army (camp) behind. When I had answered the call of nature, I went towards my howdah, but behold! A necklace of mine made of Jaz Azfar (a kind of black bead) was broken and I looked for it and my search for it detained me. The group of people who used to carry me, came and carried my howdah on to the back of my camel on which I was riding, considering that I was therein. At that time women were light in weight and were not fleshy for they used to eat little (food), so those people did not feel the lightness of the howdah while raising it up, and I was still a young lady. They drove away the camel and proceeded. Then I found my necklace after the army had gone. I came to their camp but found nobody therein so I went to the place where I used to stay, thinking that they would miss me and come back in my search. While I was sitting at my place, I felt sleepy and slept.
Safwan bin Al-Mu'attil As-Sulami Adh-Dhakw-ani was behind the army. He had started in the last part of the night and reached my stationing place in the morning and saw the figure of a sleeping person. He came to me and recognized me on seeing me for he used to see me before veiling. I got up because of his saying: "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun," which he uttered on recognizing me. I covered my face with my garment, and by Allah, he did not say to me a single word except, "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun," till he made his she-camel kneel down whereupon he trod on its forelegs and I mounted it. Then Safwan set out, leading the she-camel that was carrying me, till we met the army while they were resting during the hot midday. Then whoever was meant for destruction, fell in destruction, and the leader of the Ifk (forged statement) was 'Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul. After this we arrived at Medina and I became ill for one month while the people were spreading the forged statements of the people of the Ifk, and I was not aware of anything thereof. But what aroused my doubt while I was sick, was that I was no longer receiving from Allah's Apostle the same kindness as I used to receive when I fell sick. Allah's Apostle would enter upon me, say a greeting and add, "How is that (lady)?" and then depart. That aroused my suspicion but I was not aware of the propagated evil till I recovered from my ailment. I went out with Um Mistah to answer the call of nature towards Al-Manasi, the place where we used to relieve ourselves, and used not to go out for this purpose except from night to night, and that was before we had lavatories close to our houses. And this habit of ours was similar to the habit of the old 'Arabs (in the deserts or in the tents) concerning the evacuation of the bowels, for we considered it troublesome and harmful to take lavatories in the houses. So I went out with Um Mistah who was the daughter of Abi Ruhm bin Abd Manaf, and her mother was daughter of Sakhr bin Amir who was the aunt of Abi Bakr As-Siddiq, and her son was Mistah bin Uthatha. When we had finished our affair, Um Mistah and I came back towards my house. Um Mistah stumbled over her robe whereupon she said, "Let Mistah be ruined!" I said to her, "What a bad word you have said! Do you abuse a man who has taken part in the Battle of Badr?' She said, "O you there! Didn't you hear what he has said?" I said, "And what did he say?" She then told me the statement of the people of the Ifk (forged statement) which added to my ailment. When I returned home, Allah's Apostle came to me, and after greeting, he said, "How is that (lady)?" I said, "Will you allow me to go to my parents?" At that time I intended to be sure of the news through them. Allah's Apostle allowed me and I went to my parents and asked my mother, "O my mother! What are the people talking about?" My mother said, "O my daughter! Take it easy, for by Allah, there is no charming lady who is loved by her husband who has other wives as well, but that those wives would find fault with her." I said, "Subhan Allah! Did the people really talk about that?" That night I kept on weeping the whole night till the morning. My tears never stopped, nor did I sleep, and morning broke while I was still weeping, Allah's Apostle called 'Ali bin Abi Talib and Usama bin Zaid when the Divine Inspiration delayed, in order to consult them as to the idea of divorcing his wife.
Usama bin Zaid told Allah's Apostle of what he knew about the innocence of his wife and of his affection he kept for her. He said, "O Allah's Apostle! She is your wife, and we do not know anything about her except good." But 'Ali bin Abi Talib said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allah does not impose restrictions on you; and there are plenty of women other than her. If you however, ask (her) slave girl, she will tell you the truth." 'Aisha added: So Allah's Apostle called for Barira and said, "O Barira! Did you ever see anything which might have aroused your suspicion? (as regards Aisha). Barira said, "By Allah Who has sent you with the truth, I have never seen anything regarding Aisha which I would blame her for except that she is a girl of immature age who sometimes sleeps and leaves the dough of her family unprotected so that the domestic goats come and eat it." So Allah's Apostle got up (and addressed) the people an asked for somebody who would take revenge on 'Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul then. Allah's Apostle, while on the pulpit, said, "O Muslims! Who will help me against a man who has hurt me by slandering my family? By Allah, I know nothing except good about my family, and people have blamed a man of whom I know nothing except good, and he never used to visit my family except with me," Sad bin Muadh Al-Ansari got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! By Allah, I will relieve you from him. If he be from the tribe of (Bani) Al-Aus, then I will chop his head off; and if he be from our brethren, the Khazraj, then you give us your order and we will obey it." On that, Sad bin 'Ubada got up, and he was the chief of the Khazraj, and before this incident he had been a pious man but he was incited by his zeal for his tribe. He said to Sad (bin Muadh), "By Allah the Eternal, you have told a lie! You shall not kill him and you will never be able to kill him!" On that, Usaid bin Hudair, the cousin of Sad (bin Muadh) got up and said to Sad bin 'Ubada, "You are a liar! By Allah the Eternal, we will surely kill him; and you are a hypocrite defending the hypocrites!" So the two tribes of Al-Aus and Al-Khazraj got excited till they were on the point of fighting with each other while Allah's Apostle was standing on the pulpit. Allah's Apostle continued quietening them till they became silent whereupon he became silent too.
On that day I kept on weeping so much that neither did my tears stop, nor could I sleep. In the morning my parents were with me, and I had wept for two nights and a day without sleeping and with incessant tears till they hought that my liver would burst with weeping. While they were with me and I was weeping, an Ansari woman asked permission to see me. I admitted her and she sat and started weeping with me. While I was in that state, Allah's Apostle came to us, greeted, and sat down. He had never sat with me since the day what was said, was said. He had stayed a month without receiving any Divine Inspiration concerning my case. Allah's Apostle recited the Tashahhud after he had sat down, and then said, "Thereafter, O 'Aisha! I have been informed such and-such a thing about you; and if you are innocent, Allah will reveal your innocence, and if you have committed a sin, then ask for Allah's forgiveness and repent to Him, for when a slave confesses his sin and then repents to Allah, Allah accepts his repentance." When Allah's Apostle had finished his speech, my tears ceased completely so that I no longer felt even a drop thereof. Then I said to my father, "Reply to Allah's Apostle on my behalf as to what he said." He said, "By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Apostle." Then I said to my mother, "Reply to Allah's Apostle." She said, "I do not know what to say to Allah's Apostle." Still a young girl as I was and though I had little knowledge of Quran, I said, "By Allah, I know that you heard this story (of the Ifk) so much so that it has been planted in your minds and you have believed it. So now, if I tell you that I am innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you will not believe me; and if I confess something, and Allah knows that I am innocent of it, you will believe me. By Allah, I cannot find of you an example except that of Joseph's father: "So (for me) patience is most fitting against that which you assert and it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought. Then I turned away and lay on my bed, and at that time I knew that I was innocent and that Allah would reveal my innocence. But by Allah, I never thought that Allah would sent down about my affair, Divine Inspiration that would be recited (forever), as I considered myself too unworthy to be talked of by Allah with something that was to be recited: but I hoped that Allah's Apostle might have a vision in which Allah would prove my innocence. By Allah, Allah's Apostle had not left his seat and nobody had left the house when the Divine Inspiration came to Allah's Apostle . So there overtook him the same hard condition which used to overtake him (when he was Divinely Inspired) so that the drops of his sweat were running down, like pearls, though it was a (cold) winter day, and that was because of the heaviness of the Statement which was revealed to him. When that state of Allah's Apostle was over, and he was smiling when he was relieved, the first word he said was, "Aisha, Allah has declared your innocence." My mother said to me, "Get up and go to him." I said, "By Allah, I will not go to him and I will not thank anybody but Allah."
Allah revealed:
”Verily! Those who brought forth the slander (against Aisha) are a group among you. Consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you. Unto every man among them will be paid that which he had earned of the sin, and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be a great torment. Why then, did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it (the slander) think good of their own people and say: "This (charge) is an obvious lie?" Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they (the slanderers) have not produced witnesses! Then with Allah they are the liars. Had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy unto you in this world and in the Hereafter, a great torment would have touched you for that whereof you had spoken. When you were propagating it with your tongues, and uttering with your mouths that whereof you had no knowledge, you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great. And why did you not, when you heard it, say? "It is not right for us to speak of this. Glory be to You (O Allah) this is a great lie." Allah forbids you from it and warns you not to repeat the like of it forever, if you are believers. And Allah makes the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) plain to you, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you know not. And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, (Allah would have hastened the punishment upon you). And that Allah is full of kindness, Most Merciful.” (24: 11-20)
When Allah revealed this to confirm my innocence, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq who used to provide for Mistah bin Uthatha because of the latter's kinship to him and his poverty, said, "By Allah, I will never provide for Mistah anything after what he has said about Aisha."
So Allah revealed:
"Let not those among you who are good and are wealthy swear not to give (help) to their kinsmen, those in need, and those who have left their homes for Allah's Cause. Let them Pardon and forgive (i.e. do not punish them). Do you not love that should forgive you? Verily Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." (24.22)
Abu Bakr said, "Yes, by Allah, I wish that Allah should forgive me." So he resumed giving Mistah the aid he used to give him before and said, "By Allah, I will never withhold it from him at all." Aisha further said: Allah's Apostle also asked Zainab bint Jahsh about my case. He said, "O Zainab! What have you seen?" She replied, "O Allah's Apostle! I protect my hearing and my sight (by refraining from telling lies). I know nothing but good (about Aisha)." Of all the wives of Allah's Apostle, it was Zainab who aspired to receive from him the same favor as I used to receive, yet, Allah saved her (from telling lies) because of her piety. But her sister, Hamna, kept on fighting on her behalf so she was destroyed as were those who invented and spread the slander.
Lessons
* These ten ayahs are revealed in regards to this incident. This is the worst type of slander because it pertains to one of the most virtuous, pure women. The higher the status of the person you accuse falsely, the worse your accusation is. Allah establishes that those who slandered are from amongst the community.
* Do not think it is bad for you, it is good for you. For Aisha, it establishes her innocence, her status in Islam, in ayat that will be recited until the end of time. The most innocent of all women: Aisha (ra) and the mother of Isa (as). They were both accused falsely, and their defense was from Allah.
* Each person that accused her will have their own punishment, and the one that had the greater share of this will have a great punishment. A person who creates an evil precedent will not only carry the burden of his sin, but also the sin of those who follow him (in this case anyone who shares that rumor). That is why it is very bad to set a precedent that is a misguidance, and will carry on. This is very serious.
* Why did not the believers when they heard of this think of themselves? The believers should have thought better of themselves and of each other. In Islam, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. You should always give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Even if there were any grounds for it, they should have provided four witnesses against him. If they do not, it is considered a lie with Allah. Now, with Allah those people are considered liars.
* It was the favor of Allah, and a mercy upon you in this world and the Hereafter, that you are not punished for such a great offense - but it is a good lesson for you. Slander is not insignificant, especially to the person who is being attacked. With Allah swt this may be the worst thing you could have done to them. Be careful of what you say. You think of it as insignificant, but the words could be very heavy with Allah swt.Your browser may not support display of this image.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Booklet: The Evil Consequences of Adultry & Fornication
as salam `alaykum,
Below is a booklet mentioned that Shaykh Muhammad mentioned in class written by Muhammad Ibrahim al-Hamad: The Evil Consequences of Adultery and Fornication
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4966066/The-Evil-Consequences-of-Adultery-and-Fornication-Muhammad-Ibrahim-AlHamad
Below is a booklet mentioned that Shaykh Muhammad mentioned in class written by Muhammad Ibrahim al-Hamad: The Evil Consequences of Adultery and Fornication
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4966066/The-Evil-Consequences-of-Adultery-and-Fornication-Muhammad-Ibrahim-AlHamad
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