Islaminus is 1 year old

Islaminus is 1 year old

Blog Islaminus will never see a 1-year anniversary since it got created on 29th February 2008.

BUT IT IS PROUD TO CELEBRATE ITS MAULID 1 WEEK SHORT OF MAULID OF THE BELOVED PROPHET MUHAMMAD (saw).

Alhamdulillah. We are grateful that Allah The Most High sent us his messenger as a rahmah to the worlds. And He sent him to set a good example for all of us to follow.

Wallahu a'lam

Schedule and Directions

Schedule and Directions

http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=pondokbatu10%40gmail.com&ctz=Asia/Kuala_Lumpur

Click to see detailed events scheduled for a particular day. Classes are open to the students and public alike: men, women, children. Weekend classes are tailored more towards working adults.



How to get to Madrasah Diniah Ahmadiah a.k.a Pondok Batu 10 From Middle Ring Road (Or Jalan Loke Yew):

1. Take Jalan Cheras towards Kajang until you see Plaza Phoenix on the right
2. Continue on Lebuhraya Cheras - Kajang 4.1 km
3. Take the exit toward Jalan Hulu Langat 0.4 km
4. Turn left at Jalan Hulu Langat 88 m
5. Sharp right at Jalan Cecawi 1 0.4 km
6. Turn left at Jalan Puyuh 0.3 km

Zoom into the google map clicking the '+' button on upper left. You can move around by click-and-drag the mouse.


View Larger Map

Do not worry, with a sincere intention, Allah will bring you there :)

Wallahu a'lam

An Encounter With Jinns

An Encounter with Some Rude Jinns

A student of Ustaz Zakaria had this interesting story:

I picked up a book during the weekend at a bookstore called “Akaamul Marjan”– a translation of al-Imam Jalaluddin as-Suyuti (rh) about jinns. I read it until late night, and sure enough, they came when I about to sleep…

I was on my bed, halfway between dream and awake (or probably it was just a coincidental nightmare – I don’t know). Their faceless and dark beings surrounded and suffocated me. I could not move even a finger.

I remembered a hadith in the as-Suyuti’s book, that Rasulullah (saw) advised his sahabah to call out the azan 3 times to drive those devils away. That was what I did. During my first azan, I could already hear them struggling. My second azan, they tried to drown out with some nice music. And my third call of azan totally annihilated all but three of them.

As soon as I recited the after-azan du’a, one of them went along reciting with me, but replacing Rasulullah’s (saw) name with something sounded like “Izzit” (his name I guess!). So instead of we supplicating that Allah raise Rasulullah’s maqam, the jinn unashamedly suggested I supplicate that Allah raise Izzit’s maqam. Tricky, slick devils they are!

I tried to shake loose by reciting the Alif-Laam-Miim but could not finish even one sentence. Then by will of Allah, I remembered this one du’a that had saved me a couple of times before. Right after saying this, they let me go and I woke up:

أَعُوْذُ بِكَلِمَاْتِ اللهِ التَّاْمَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَاْ خَلَقَ

(A’uuzubi kalimaatillahi taammati min sharrima kholaq)

I ask protection by the perfect words of Allah, from whatever evil He has created.

I suggest you memorize this du’a, it could be handy in ALL sticky situations – not just against jinns. It is one of the verses in Hizbul Bahri of Imam as-Shadzuli (rh), and I think it is a shorter version of “Ruqayyah Jibril” read by Rasulullah to drive away that Shaytan carrying a torch.

I agree Ayatul-Kursi is the popularly recommended weapon, but it is too long for me, and I often got swayed away in panic.

I (Islaminus) say:
In any case, not all jinns are bad. Some of them are Muslims like us. Some even narrated hadith to the scholars. You can learn all about jinns someplace else… like Imam Suyuti’s book.

I’d like to hear your comments on jinns or nightmares. It is okay to comment if you have different explanation and do not believe in supernaturals. Maybe what this brother encountered had some simple psychological explanation.

Wallahu a'lam

Zholim

Munyatul Musolli ( Tatmimul Faa’idah) 15th February 2009

The Prophet (saw) has said:

ما من عبد مظلوم فشخص ببصره إلى السماء إلا قال الله عزوجل لبيك عبدي حقا عليَّ لأنصرنك ولو بعد حين

Anybody who has been wronged, and raised his eyes towards the heavens
(supplicating for help), Allah will say “O My servant, I hear your call, it is
just a matter of time before I help you”.

In another hadith the Prophet (saw) broke down acts of zholim into three:

• One that can never be forgiven – taking something else besides Allah as a god.
• One that is accountable – a zholim act among fellow men. Will not be forgiven unless absolved by the party ebing wronged.
• One that can be forgiven – every sin committed on oneself.

Mu’awiyah (ra) said: “I would humiliate myself if I commit zholim on a person who has nobody to fend for himself but Allah The Most High.

Some wise men have said:

• When doing zholim on somebody, remind yourself on how Allah has been fair to him.
• When you in possession of authority, remind yourself of Allah’s authority over you.
• Never be awed by your own ability to take life because your life will be taken away just the same.

Abu Nur bin Yazid has said that a building, which founding material been taken away from the rightful owner unjustly, is liable to collapse sooner.

It is related that in his youth, Kisra had been educated by a teacher on manners. Once his teacher hit him while he had committed nothing wrong.
Later when he became the king, he asked his teacher why he had done zholim by hitting him on that particular day. The teacher answered:
“ I saw you have particular interest in manners, and I hoped that you would take over the kingdom after your father. I made you the receiving end of tyranny so you would never become a tyrant”.

Ustaz Zakaria said:

• It is not allowed to transfer a floor carpet or any material from a masjid to a surau or another building of lesser rank.
• Never foster anger towards your teacher, this is unmannered.
  Shaykh Usman Perlis once in a middle of lesson on tasawwuf (Hikam) ordered his students out to pull weed from the lemon trees. Some who thought this order weird went home instead. The Shaykh then called the remaining students back in, and explained: “This is tasawwuf, it is all about manners. How are you going to get any benefit if you distrust your teacher?”.
  Shaykhs Usman, Haji Abdul Qadir Ga’al, Shihabuddin Bukit Mertajam, all learned together under Shaykh Abdullah Tahir in Bunut Payung, Kelantan. During this time, Tok Kenali had become old and his pondok was not as popular.

Wallahu a'lam

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A Ruler And His Deputy

Munyatul Musolli ( Tatmimul Faa’idah) 8th February 2009

Maimun bin Mahran said that while he was with Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz (rh), a man who claimed to be the son of Bilal bin Rabah (ra) asked for permission to enter. Said the man:

My father has narrated to me that Rasulullah (saw) had said that a ruler who places a wall that prevents people from seeing him, then Allah will put a wall in front of him during the Judgment Day.

Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz immediately ordered the doorman home, and nobody ever saw anybody standing by his door afterwards.

Khalid bin ‘Abdullah al-Qushairi said to his bodyguard:

"When I sit, do not stop anybody from entering to see me. Know that a ruler should let everybody see him but three:

1. An unmannered fool who he does not like to be seen with
2. A person who is known as a schemer or of suspect character
3. A tightfisted man who dislike being asked for help."

It is demanded that a ruler appoints a reliable person as a deputy:

• who can be trusted with his religion
• whose words can be trusted
• of impeccable character
• who has insight into matters of his people
• who is aware of his responsibilities to fellow creatures of Allah

Stay away from appointing a weak, or person of following flaw into position of power:

• Who is not ashamed of committing evil
• Who is of lower social status among his people
• Who is too reticent or talks too little

If a ruler is a castle, then his deputy is the door. Whoever needs to enter, he will first knock on the door. A deputy is also a mirror that his ruler looks at everyday. What he sees in the mirror reflects himself. If he fails to look at the mirror, then he will not know if his kingdom is good shape or in shambles.

A deputy has to be intelligent, insightful, and honest.

The people of power should be aware of the dangers of injustice (zholim). In al-Quran, Allah has said:

So we put Allah’s curse upon those who do injustice

Think not that Allah is oblivious to the doings of the unjust

We have prepared the Fire that engulf those who commit injustice

Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:

"Whoever denies a muslim his rights, then Allah has promised him the Fire, and refused him the Jannah."
A man then asked:
"O Nabiyyulah, even just a little (of injustice)?
The Prophet (saw) said: Even as little as a piece of your ‘arak (toothbrush stick)."

Ustaz Zakaria said:

Zholim – literally putting something not at its place e.g. you buy a hat and wear it on your feet. Shar’i definition – doing something inappropriate to another person.
If you elect an unjust government, then you have a share being a zholim.

There used to be a man called Tok Wali Padang Kala in Kelantan. Often seen carrying huge tasbih beads and doing zikir. He walked into the state palace and asked for money from the sultan. He was a fake “wali” really, but the sultan was impressed enough to give some pocket money.

Tok Wali Haji Ismail Lundang Paku (rh) was by consensus a wali of Allah, gifted with kasyaf. Studied under Tuan Tabal (rh).

A leader should be of impeccable character, visionary, and should not be swayed away by money.

Wallahu a'lam

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Rulers Are Like The Wind

Munyatul Musolli ( Tatmimul Faa’idah) 1st February 2009

Once in lands of the west a sultan heard about an orchard. The sugarcane were sweet and its juice plenty. He fancied what if the orchard was his, and set out to meet the lady owner.

The owner cut down a sugarcane and squeezed out not even a bowl of juice. Caught by surprise, she thought aloud if the low quantity could be result of her sultan who wanted to seize the orchard from her. The sultan repented, the lady cut down another sugarcane, and this time the juice were plenty.

Sidi Abu Bakar at-Turtusi narrated in his “Sirajul Muluk”, there once had been date tree in So’idi, Egypt with dates so plenty its harvest was twice a normal tree. The year the sultan took it away from the owner, the tree stopped producing altogether.

In Iskandariah (Alexandria), there was a little bay by the sea with fish so abundant that even children were able to catch them. The local chief later laid claim to the area and prohibited fishing. As a result, the fish disappeared until this day, and nobody took benefit.

When a ruler behaves, so will his kingdom. When he misbehaves – even a slight evil intention – the whole kingdom would pay.

Historians have related to us about past rulers and their citizens:

During the time of Hajjaj (bin Yusuf as-Tsaqafi), people inquire each other in the morning: “Who were killed or beaten last night?”
During time of Walid (bin ‘Abdul Malik) – who loved castles and gardens – people asked each other whose turn it was to build houses, dig up irrigation ditches, or planted seeds.
During time of Sulaiman bin ‘Abdul Malik – who loved good food and married frequently– people talked about food and raised dowry.

The best of time came during caliphate of ‘Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz, where people asked each other how much of al-Quran, kitab or wirid they memorized, or how many days they fasted.

The rulers should follow the path of sahabah and the pious salaf, this would safeguard their kingdom and themselves from disaster.

Nobody claims friendship to a just ruler but the Prophet (saw) himself and the angels. What more, a just ruler is like the blowing wind that spreads seed from the flowers. He is the essence that fertilizes the barren soul of his people.

It is proper that a ruler should leave his door open so that people are able to bring matters to his attention directly.

Ustaz Zakaria said:

When the king is unjust, price of consumer goods rises.

Kampung Kubang Ikan in Besut had been named after a small lake with a lot of fish. As late as the 60’s, people had no need to go to the market to get fish. Some villagers used bamboo traps, others used fishing rods. Later the local government made an irrigation canal for the paddy fields, and the lake dried up.

The same village also blessed with birds (burung sitar) that landed in the bushes at night. Nobody knew where they came from, but villagers mimicked their call, and chased them into traps on the ground. Hundreds were caught in a single night. The flesh was tasty. The wildlife department put a stop to this declaring the sitar was endangered. Strange as it was, the sitar disappeared once the villagers stopped capturing them.

Many folks in Kelantan these days spend ime inside the mosques. Any quality reflection from their state leadership?

Wallahu a'lam

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Faridatul Faraid and Bakuroh Amani by Baba Harun

New Kitab Tonight

Bismillah, Alhamdulillah, salawat and salam upon Rasulullah.

Starting tonight, Baba Harun from Pondok Raja Teliang, South of Thailand will conduct lessons based on classical Islamic texts. InshaAllah he will teach for 1 week every month here in Madarasah Diniah Ahmadiah Batu 10 Cheras. Everybody is welcome to take benefit.

After Isha' inshaAllah Baba Harun will read Faridatul Faraid (by Shaykh Wan Ahmad Zain Fatani) and Bakuroh Amani (by Shaykh Wan Ismail Fatani). Both on Tauhid, but there is possibility he will add other texts as he sees fit. Stay posted.

Wallahu a'lam

Taqlid and Mazhab for Simple Folks

Simple Man’s Guide - Why Take Lessons from Shaykhs

I found this on menadahkitab.com, funny and simple yet goes deep. I liberally translate and summarize it from a Malay transcript. Original is here.

This is part of lesson on Munyatul Musolli (by a reliable shaykh inshaAllah).

The prophet (saw) once said:

Sollu kama ro aitumuni usolli

Perform solah just like how you see me performing it.

Can we actually see the Prophet perform solah these days? No! So we take instructions as relayed to us by the contemporary ulama. We go to lessons.

Simply copying, reading does not count as “going to lessons”. The ulama themselves went to lessons instructed by their shaykhs, who in turn had taken lessons from their shaykhs, who took from the earlier generation up to the tabi’in, the sahabah, then the Prophet (saw), who himself took from Jibril, who took from Allah The Most High. Allah could have revealed directly to Prophet Muhammad (saw), yet He sent Jibril to teach solah to Rasulullah (saw) eye-to-eye during the night of Isra’ and Mi’raj.

Once somebody phoned me and asked: “Ustaz, I found this wirid in a book. I recited it a few times, and I felt heated”.
So I asked if he took it from a shaykh, he said “no, just from a book”.
This is a regular wirid, thousands other people practice this same wirid hundreds thousands times a day without feeling any heat. This person who had stumbled into it and practice without instructions for sure would get some negative effect.

It is not right to copy or practice something without getting proper instructions. If you want to study religion, go to a reliable ‘alim. Make sure he has proper authority and proper chain. We preserve the chain so we get the correct knowledge.

Deriving Rules from al-Quran and Ahadith

Why bother with the fiqh kitabs? Why follow mazhabs? Is not Islamic jurisprudence based on al-Quran and ahadith?

The answer is “Yes”, but those are Allah’s and Rasulullah (saw) words. Sometimes only if we posses the right tools can we derive rulings from them. Things we do not understand we should take from the fiqh kitabs instead. Imams Shafi’i, Malik, Ibn Hanbal, Abu Hanifah had already digested Quran and hadith, and they came out with conclusions and suggestions that they recorded in the fiqh books. I afraid if we read and translate Quran and hadith ourselves, we make grave mistakes due to lack of knowledge.

It is like durian fruit, you want to eat the inside, but you’re not equipped to break the thorny shell. What do you do? Let somebody else break it for you!

In any case, if you have the tools and skills, go ahead, break the durian yourself.


Allah has said:

Fas aluu ahlaz zikr in kuntum la ta’lamuun.

Ask people of knowledge if you do not know.

If you do not know, then who else to ask if not the imams of mazhabs (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali). Go learn from the ulama of respective mazhabs, inshaAllah you will be safe. You should follow (taqlid) a mazhab, and when you do, follow only a single mazhab from beginning to end. Take wudhu’ according to Shafi’i, then perform solah according to Shafi’i. Do not worry, all those rulings came from al-Quran and hadith.

Imam Shafi’i, when he was seven years old, he had all of Quran in his head. Us? We were still running around naked at seven. Imam Malik, he took lessons from 900 shaykhs. Us? We learned from one shaykh in whole of our lives, and already we think our head is big.

Consider a hadith that says Nabi (saw) went to bed after 'Isha, woke up at midnight and performed tahajjud without taking wudhu? How is it that our mazhab Shafi'i says wudhu is broken with sleep? Is not that ruling contradict a hadith? The answer is that there are a few conflicting ahadith on this specific matter. Some mention that Nabi (saw) did take wudhu and some other said he did not. Our ulama have considered all of the ahadith and concluded that wudhu is broken with prolonged sleeping on our back. Some other mazhab concluded otherwise.

Doing Taqlid on Creed

On the other hand, if you want to be a faithful muslims, never do taqlid on matters of creed (tauhid). Example of doing taqlid on tauhid:
Q: Is there God?
A: Yes
Q: How do you know?
A: My father said so!

We probe further:
Q: Allah, is He all-powerful?
A: No question about that.
Q: How do you know?
A: My grandfather said so, my mother, my brother all said so.

This is not acceptable. You have to be totally convinced in matters of Tauhid.

Switching Mazhabs

No doubt we allowed to switch mazhab. The only problem is we still unclear about our own mazhab. How to switch if we still in the dark about our own position, let alone the position of other mazhabs?

On zakah – if you plant rice, then give back rice grain as zakah according to Shafi’i. But we find this troublesome, so without knowing it, we already made the switch to Maliki in giving out equivalent sum of money as zakah.

On asking forgiveness - if we offend others and want to make up, we ask forgiveness by detailing out our offense to the offended party. Tell the other guy you stole his rice harvest, or his shoes. A blanket apology would not do. In Shafi’I you have to admit everything.
In Maliki, suffice to ask forgiveness to the offended party and tell only yourself why you are apologizing. No problem if we Shafi’i, but follow Maliki in this case.

The important issue is that you go to lessons and take instructions from qualified shaykhs. Never imitate other people’s doings. Go to masjids and suraus where the shaykhs teach based on kitabs.

Wallahu a'lam

Islaminus’ p/s: I’d appreciate it if menadahkitab.com admin let me know in case he doesn’t agree with my translation – thanks.

Leaders’ Burden

Munyatul Musolli ( Tatmimul Faa’idah) 11th January 2009

Some of the past rulers used to write 3 pieces of note, which were to be handed back to him one by one anytime he becomes angry.

The first note said:
"You are no god but mere mortal. When you die the earth will consume you."

The second note:
"Have mercy upon those on earth, those in the heavens will have mercy upon you."

The third:
"Rule the people by laws of Allah, nothing else is more appropriate."

A ruler has no option but to encourage good behavior; else, his kingdom will be punished with crime and wrongdoing.

Once a jew came into audience of Caliph ‘Abdul Malik bin Marwan complaining being wronged by a state official. He demanded apology and that the jews be treated fairly. The caliph turned away with hatred; the jew repeated his plea second time and got the similar response. Finally the jew said:
“O Commander of the Faithful, the Torah as revealed to Moses says that a leader should never collaborate in acts of tyranny. If it has been made known to him, yet he fails to prevent tyranny, then he is a collaborator!”
‘Abdul Malik was so shaken he spared no time to sack the official. He later returned what was rightful to the jew.

Iskandar Zulkarnain once said:
“O servants of Allah, indeed your god is Allah and there is no god besides Him. Know that He is the one who helped Noah, and He showers you with rain when you are in need of drink, and unto Him you return when you die. By Allah, if He is fond of something, then I would be fond of it too and I will keep doing it until I die. If He despise something then I would find it despicable too, and I will stay clear of it until the day I die.
I have been told that Allah loves to do justice to His servants, and detests those who oppress others. Woe upon the oppressors! Beware that those I have appointed into position and rules justly, he can sit at ease in my gathering. He can ask for anything and I shall realize it.”

It is said that when a leader is corrupt, then his people will be corrupt. Likewise when the leader is good, so are the people.

Wahab bin Manbah (ra) said when a leader does something inappropriate, Allah will show disapproval by taking something away from his people or from his harvests. On the other hand if he does something righteous, then Allah will shower his land with bounty and abundance.

Historians said a king once concealed his royalty and made rounds to see well being of his people. He came across a farmer, whose prize cow produced huge quantity of milk – so huge the milk was 3o times as much as a normal cow would produce. In amazement he fancied how nice if the cow had been his own. The next morning he saw the farmer squeezed milk out only half of normal quantity, and he asked why so. The farmer was surprised himself and replied he had fed the cow as usual, but it just might be possible that his king had behaved unjustly, thus his nation had become less prosper. The king realized his mistake and repented silently. The next morning the cow produced a lot of milk again.

Ustaz Zakaria said:

• Allah will never give guidance to the tyrants.
• Each muslim is responsible to help establish a just government. There are many ways to fulfill this responsibility, do not become narrow-minded. Currently the right way is by democracy, not by armed revolution.
• The original Torah advocated peace and justice. The jewish people who are bombing the Palestinian muslims these days are clearly not following their book.
• The Arabs might wear white robes, but they do not necessarily do so due to Islamic tendency. Most of them practise secular system in daily life.
• The kings of old times were sensitive to the laws of Allah.
• Be fair to captive animals, give them food, drinks, mate.
• There are many categories of disbelievers (kaafir): harbi, muawwaman, muahhad etc. Pass judgment on them based on their own religion.

Wallahu a'lam

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Merits of a Just Ruler

Munyatul Musolli ( Tatmimul Faa’idah) 4th January 2009


‘Abdul Rahman bin Samurrah said that The Prophet (saw) had said:

Do not ask for position to rule over people. Nevertheless if it is given to you without asking, then Allah may help you. If it is given because you asked for it, then you are left to fend for yourself alone with it.

We are obliged to take side with a just ruler, on the other hand, we are obliged to break away when he is unjust. And know that best of times comes when the land is ruled with justice.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) also said:

A day’s worth of deeds – when performed by a just leader - merit more than 100 year’s worth of deeds performed by a man who is only fair to his family.

A moment spent by a just leader is more precious than sixty year’s worth of worship.

A supplication made to Allah, by a just leader, is never rejected.

Saidina Umar (ra) once said to Ka’ab (ra): Tell me about the Gardens of Eden (Jannatu ‘Adn).
Said Ka’ab: O Amirul Mu’minin, no one sits in there except the Prophets, the Siddiqin, the Martyrs, and the leaders who are just.
Said Umar: I am no prophet, but I am a believer (siddiq) in Rasulullah (saw). I am not a just leader, but I hope I am no tyrant either. And regarding a martyr, am I worthy to be mentioned with it?

Said Hasan: Then Allah made Saidina Umar a siddiq and a martyr, who had ruled with justice and fairness.

Iskandar (Zulkarnain) asked the wise among people of Babylon: "Which is more honorable to you, being brave or just?"
Said the wise people: "When we are adorned with justice, there is no need for bravery."

At the times of Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz, some of his governors sent letters asking for funds to make repairs to infrastructures. He replied:

"I have read and understood your letter. Make repairs to your state, but start by repairing yourself with justice and rid yourself of tyranny. These are the solution to the damage done to your state."

Declared Kisra (of Persia): "There will be no government without an army, there will be no army without wealth, there will be no wealth if there is no kingdom, there will be no kingdom except with people, and there will be no people except when ruled with justice."

Shuraij Ibnu ‘Ubaid said that among the past generations of Bani Israel, when a king went furious there was always an advisor who would hand out notes – piece by piece until his anger recede. The notes would say:

إرحم المسلمين، وخف الموت، واذكر الآ خرة

"Have mercy on your subjects (muslimin), and fear death, and remember the Day of Judgment."

Ustaz Zakaria added:

• When people appoint you as a leader without you asked for it, you can accept it. There is a chance Allah will help you.
  
• Never take side with unjust ruler. But do cooperate if what he wants to do if for the good of all.
  
• As stated by people of Babylon, when you are just, people will love you, and you do not need armed escorts around you.
  As Shaykh Ibrahim al-Laqqani had written in Jauharitut Tauhid: It is obligatory to establish a just government. A just government rules by the law of Allah. Unjust government rules from his own ideas.
  
• In the early days of Malaysia, pilgrims smuggled home the kitab “Mutiara” by Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Mandili from Makkah. They wrapped the kitab in plastic bags and left it in cooked rice inside pots. The kitab had been banned because it prescribes the proper way to govern a country as per Islam teachings. If police found it on board the pilgrim ships, it would be thrown overboard to the sharks.
  
• When we see the old shaykhs not being active with political speeches, do not write them off as politically apathetic. They contribute (albeit silently) with their own style, because not everybody is gifted with eloquence.
  
• Ustaz Zakaria told us how his madrasah started off in early 1990’s with the help of locals in Sungai Sekamat:
  - Haji Rushdan of Bukit Dukung and friends helped.
  - From donations, were able to buy ¼ acres of land from Cik Sudin; then added another ½ acres.
  - Had to sell back the land due to the Cheras-Kajang highway construction. Cik Sudin bought back at market value.
  - Used the money to buy current place. The construction company contributed RM25k to build current madrasah.
  

Wallahu a'lam

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Ruler and Responsibilites

Munyatul Musolli ( Tatmimul Faa’idah) 21st December 2008

Shaykh Daud Fatoni had added this section to the kitab Munyatul Musolli – which discuss issues on responsibilities as a ruler. According to narrations, a sultan of Petani (currently part of Southern Thailand) asked the world-famous Mecca-based Shaykh Daud to write up a reference manual on solah. He obliged, hence this kitab Munyatul Musolli; but as a subtle reminder to the sultan, he added a piece of advise on how to rule a country. This article he called "Tatmimul Faa’idah".

Ruler and Responsibilites.

From Ibn ‘Abbas (ra), Rasulullah (saw) once said:

وقروا السلطان وأجلوه فإنه عز الله وظله في الأرض إذا كان عدلا

Revere and respect your sultan because when he is just, he represents greatness of Allah and he is His shadow on the face of earth.

From Umar (ra): O Rasulullah, tell me about a sultan who is so respected that people bend low before him. What is he like?
Rasulullah (saw) said: He is a shadow of Allah on earth. When he rules justly, then a reward due for him and gratefulness due from his subjects. When he rules tyrannically, a sin due for him and patience due from his subjects.

Rasulullah (saw) also had said:
A ruler who is good to his subjects - but neglects them with what Allah has trusted him and careless to guide them- has made Allah’s otherwise abundant mercy, narrow.

Malik bin Dinar (rh) said Allah has transpired to me saying:
I am the king of all kings, whose hearts I hold in my Hand. Whoever shows loyalty will get My mercy, and whoever shows defiance will get My punishment. Do not burden your tongue by reviling your king, but plea forgiveness from Allah and ask Him to soften their hearts towards you.

It is proper if all kings and rulers remind himself with the following ayah from the Quran:

يا داود إنا جعلناك خليفة في الأرض فاحكم بين الناس بالحق ولا تتبع الهوى فيضلك عن سبيل الله

O Daud, we made you our Representative (Khalifah) on the earth, so rule the people with the true justice, and never give in to your whims and desires lest they make you go astray.

Ruling by personal inclination was what made made Nabi Sulaiman bin Daud (as) fell from his throne. Once a group of people had come to him having a quarreled with another group. Nabi Sulaiman judged in favor of the former, who were from the same region (named Juradah) as his wife.

Ma’qal bin Yasar (ra) said I heard from Rasulullah (saw) that a ruler who cares for the welfare of his subjects, but ignore to guide and give advice to them, will not even get a whiff of Paradise. (While good Muslims would have caught the scent 500 years away).

Further our Nabi (saw) said whoever governs over a group of muslims, but fails to give them advice - just like he should to his own family (on Islamic matters) - he has prepared a place for himself in the Hellfire.

Ustaz Zakaria said:

• Allah does not hesitate to accept supplication made by a just ruler.
• If a ruler oppresses you, then be patient. If you have the means, then replace him.
• If a ruler does good things for his subjects, then you should cooperate with him.
• If a ruler does not rule by principles laid down in Islam, then he could become either tyrant or a fasiq, or a kafir. And Allah would befall disaster to such a ruler:
  - He loses his position.
  - His country suffer natural disasters.
  -His people suffer from violent crimes.


• Past ulama became very afraid if people tried to appoint them into positions of authority.
• It is irrelevant which political party governs our country, as long as it does so by laws of Allah.
• Sultan Zainal Abidin (rh) of Terengganu had set good example. He made regular rounds into the villages. If the day was Friday, he would step up in the local mosque and give khutbah in Jumu’ah.
• Tok Guru Umar of Rantau Panjang once got thrown into prison for citing the Quran verse "O Daud…rule the people with justice…" in a public speech. These days, candidates from either party seem to have forgotten this verse.
• Weird thinking of our elected leaders: If we suggest them to legally take another wife, they refuse for fear being unjust. If there is opportunity to run for leadership, they rush for it (without fear of being unjust evenmore for thousands or millions of subjects).
• Tok Kenali - a wali of Allah - once said: "money on you mind, and you trip yourself walking" (Malay: "fulus-fulus akibatnya jerlus").
• With all these warnings, we still clawing at each other to make it to the top?

Wallahu a'lam

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Sunnah Solah, End of Kitab

Munyatul Musolli 30th November 2008

Solah Tarawih – performed every night during month of Ramadan anytime after Isya’ until break of dawn, and to be performed in congregation.

“I perform solah sunnah Tarawih 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.”

It is preferred to recite the Fatihah and surah loudly. Do the tashahhud every two raka’ahs and give the salam. Although every 4 raka’ahs counts as 1 unit of tarawih, it is not valid to do 4 raka’ahs with one salam. Repeat until completed 20 raka’ahs in total. Follow up the tarawih with solah witir. Important to note that during second half of Ramadan, the du’a qunut should be recited in the last raka’ah of the witir.

Solah Kusufi-Shams – performed during eclipse of the sun.

“I perform solah sunnah sun-eclipse 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.”

You can choose to perform in either method:

Method #1
Just like any sunnah solah – 2 raka’ahs with 1 salam.

Method #2
Lengthier (and preferred) 2 raka’ahs. Each raka’ah has 2 qiyam, 2 ruku’, 2 i’tidal, 2 sujud.

After Fatihah of the first qiyam, recite surah al-Baqarah; after Fatihah of the second qiyam surah ‘Aali-Imran; the third qiyam Surah An-Nisaa’; the fourth qiyam surah al-Maidah.

The surahs mentioned above can be replaced with multiple surahs adding up to similar length.

Each ruku’ and sujud should be longer than done in a regular solah:
The first ruku’ and first sujud should be about the length to recite silently 100 ayaat of surah al-Baqarah.
The 2nd ruku’ and 2nd sujud should be about the length to recite silently 80 ayaat of surah al-Baqarah.
The 3rd ruku’ and 3rd sujud should be about the length to recite 70 ayaat.
The 4th ruku’ and 4th sujud should be about the length to recite 50 ayaat.


Solah Khusufi-Qamar – performed during eclipse of the moon.

“I perform solah sunnah moon-eclipse 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.”

Choose to perform in one of 2 methods similar to the sun-eclipse solah.

After both eclipse solah, it is encouraged to give khutbah if performed in congregation - similar to solah of Eid, but without takbir. This is when Muslims should be called to repent, to return what they had taken away unrightfully, to set free captured animals, to give sadaqah, and to perform other good deeds.

Solah Istisqa’ – to ask for rain.

This solah is similar to the Eid; 2 raka’ahs; and preferably performed at the same time of the day as Eid. However it is OK to perform it at any time of day or night. This solah to be repeated until the rain falls.

The niat is: “I perform solah sunnah istisqa’ 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.”

Raise hands for takbir 7 times in the first raka’ah during qiyam, and 5 times in the second. Say the tasbih between takbir just like in the Eid solah.

The person giving sermon should say the istighfar 9 times continuously at the beginning of first khutbah, and 7 times beginning of second khutbah.:

أَستَغفِرُاللّهَ العَظِيمَ الَّذِي لاَإِلٰهَ إِلاَّهُوَ الحَيُّ القَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ

As a side note:
When thunder or lightning strikes, it is recommended to say the du’a:

سُبحَانَ مَن يُسَبِّحُ الرَّعدُبِحَمدِهِ وَالمَلاَءِكَةُ مِن خِيفَتِهِ

Do not follow (look at) the lightning when it strikes nor when it withdraws.

Also it is recommended to say this du’a when it rains:

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَيِّبًا نَافِعًا


But when the rain is too heavy and could cause damage, say:

اَللّٰهُمَّ حَوَالَيْنَا وَلاَ عَلَيْنَا اَللّٰهُمَّ عَلَى الآكَامِ وَالظِّرَابِ وَبُطُونِ الأَوْدِيَةِ وَمَنَابِتِ الشَّجَرِ

Solah Tahajjud

Among the non-fard solah recommended to be performed in jama’ah are tarawih and witir in Ramadan, the two Eids, the two eclipse, and istisqa’.

And among the non-fard solah not recommended in jama’ah are tahajjud, which is performed at night after sleep. Two rak’ahs is ideal, but if you like otherwise, perform 4, 6, or 8 rak’ahs.

“I perform solah sunnah tahajjud 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.”

Solah Sunnah Mutlaq

This is a solah performed without relevance to any time frame or any cause. You could perform it day or night, even though night-time mutlaq is more preferred.

“I perform solah sunnah 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.”


Final Advise From Shaykh Daud al-Fatoni On Solah

It should be impressed that we should safeguard all our solah. Priority should be given to the nightly solah, because they are hard to keep. Remember that with some persistence and patience, our nafs (evil-side) shall give way, so that the door to Allah opens and we start to taste the sweetness of communicating with Him.

Rest assured that once you get the hang of it, you will take no issue of waking up at night for solah, and quite possibly you would be hungry for it. We have been narrated with stories of how the pious did solah throughout the night – so engrossed that they perform Subuh with the wudhu’ they took before Isha’! These are the people guided by Allah, and we want to emulate them.

If too many a solah become too heavy on us, then perform only some of them. Keep in mind though, there is a hadith that says those who sleep a lot, will rise in the Day of Resurrection poor and destitute. People who sleep a lot also set to lose blessings of their life and waste away their youth.

Make it known that deeds that are little, but performed consistently scores very high by Allah compared to deeds that are many, but done intermittently. Nabi (saw) said:

أحب الأعمال إلى اللّٰه أدومها وإن قل

Allah has more love for deeds that are consistent, even if they are little.

Finally, it is recommended that we make up sunnah solah that we miss.


اَللّٰهُمَّ اجعَلنَا مِنَ المُحَافِظِينَ وَالمُقِيمِينَ الصَّلاَةَ المُخلِصِينَ لِوَجهِكَ الكَرِيمِ يَا رَبَّ العالَمِينَ

-* WE HAVE REACHED THE END OF SOLAH SECTION FOR THIS KITAB – MUNYATUL MUSOLLI *-

Ustaz Zakaria said:

• 20 raka’ahs for Tarawih is as per ijma’ sahabah. Ulama of old performed 4 raka’ahs, stopped for rest, then resumed with another 4 raka’ahs.
  
• When the sun/moon eclipses why behave like unbelievers and busy looking for telescope? There is nothing to see. We Muslims better do solah so we get reward from Allah.
  
• It is allowed to keep animals in cage if we can take benefit from its meat, beauty, or voice. This is fiqh ruling. Of course it is better to set them free.
  
• Ustaz Zakaria just got back from Rantau Panjang to deliver waqaf kitabs. The Baba (shaykhs) from Southern Thailand were very appreciative and shed tears accepting the precious kitab and al-Quran from us. They had to unload from back of truck in heavy rain.
  
• Never look at lightning for fear of diminishing your sight.
  
• Follow the path and become a salik. When the heart is clean, then solah becomes easy. Among conditions to be a salik:
  * You have a strong will
  * You join a group
  * You practice special wirid.
  
• “Waridat” is a state of ecstasy, a gift from Allah. It is spontaneous and you cannot pretend that you’ve attained it. Imagine an elated athlete who jump and pump his fist after winning first place.
  
• Study your religion diligently, the more shaykhs and more kitabs, the better.
  
• Ustaz Zakaria has ijazah for 3 ahzab: Bahri; Nawawi; Nasri.
  
• Only pangolins sleep a lot. Men do not.
  
• All debt to Allah has to be repaid. Missed solah has to be made up.
  
• Yesterday a generous person from Gombak donated a piece of land in Pekan, Pahang, as a site for another madrasah. Praise to Allah who has given us another opportunity to perform good deeds. Such good fortune is a form of rizq, not everybody get it.
  
• Recently somebody criticized our madrasah system - blindly. Shame on him for belittling us while his own children get no proper Islamic education. We follow a proven system here, we have schedules, and we take care of the live-in students.
  

Wallahu a'lam

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Sunnah Solah (continued)

Munyatul Musolli 23th November 2008

Solah Hajah - to ask Allah's favor for some neccessity. This is ghair-muakkad.

“I perform solah sunnah Hajah 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.”

In the 1st raka’ah, recite “Qulyaa ayyuhal kafirun…”.
In the 2nd raka’ah, recite “Qulhuwallahu ahad…”.

After finishing the solah recite the du’a either (1) or (2) :

(1)

أَلحَمدُلِلّٰهِ حَمدًا يُوَافِي نِعمَهُ وَيُكَافِئُ مَزِيدَهُ يَا رَبَّنَا
لَكَ الحَمدُ كَمَا يَنبَغِي لِجَلاَلِ وَجهِكَ وَعَظِيمِ سُلطَانِك

Next recite salawat just like in the final tasyahhud, then ask Allah's favor to realize your special needs (hajat). Then salawat again, and recite:

سُبحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ العِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ وَسَلاَمٌ عَلَى المُرسَلِينَ وَالحَمدُلِلّٰه رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ

(2)


بِسمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
لاَإِلٰهَ إِلاَّأَنتَ سُبحَا نََكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمينَ حَسبُنَااللّٰهُ وَنِعمَ الوَكِيلُ،
إِنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ وأُفَوِّضُ أَمرِي إِلى اللهِ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالعِبَادِ يَا مَن ذَكرُهُ شَرَفُ الذَّاكِرِينَ يَا مَن طَاعَتُهُ نَجَاةُ الطَّاءِعِينَ وَيَا مَن رَأْفَتهُ مَلجَأُالعالَمِينَ وَيامَن لاَيَخفَى علَيْهِ نَبَأَاَرحَمنِي بِرَحمَتِكَ يَا أَرحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

Among other ghair muakkad is the all-important Solah Tasbih. Ulama are of consensus that this should be performed everyday, or at least every Friday, or once a month or once every year. If you cannot do even once a year, then suffice to have performed it once in a lifetime. With this solah all previous sins shall be forgiven.

You can perform it 4 raka'ahs or 2 raka'ahs with one salam. Niat:
“I perform solah sunnah Tasbih 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.” (or 4 raka'ahs).

In the 1st raka’ah, recite “Idza zulzilatil ard…”.
In the 2nd raka’ah, recite “Wal 'adiyaati…”.
In the 3rd raka’ah, recite "Alhakumuttakatsur…”.
In the 4th raka’ah, recite “Qulhuwallahu ahad…”.

This solah is unique in that we should recite a total of 300 Tasbih repetitions throughout:

(1a) 15x of Tasbih after finishing the surah (after al-Fatihah) in each raka'ah. OR
(1b) 10x Tasbih before al-Fatihah, followed by 15x Tasbih after the surah in each raka'ah.

(2) 10x Tasbih after the 3x "Subhanarabbial 'azimi..." during ruku'.
(3) 10x Tasbih during i'tidal.
(4) 10x Tasbih after the 3x "Subhanarabbial a'la..." in the first sujud.
(5) 10x Tasbih during sitting between 2 sujuds.
(6) 10x Tasbih after the 3x "Subhanarabbial a'la..." in the second sujud.

If you'd chosen (1a), then add step (7):
(7) 10x Tasbih during istirahah (momentary sitting between 2nd sujud and standing up) and 10x Tasbih during each tasyahhud.

The Tasbih is:

سُبحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَالحَمدُلِلّٰهِ وَلاَإِلٰهَ إِلاَّاللّٰهُ وَاللّٰهُ أَكبَرُ
وَلاَحَولَ وَلاَقُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللّٰهِ العَلِيِّ العَظِيمِ

You could recite the following Du’a Qutub after tasyahhud but before the salam:

اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسأَلُكَ تَوفِيقَ أَهلِ الهُدَى وَأَعمَالَ أَهلِ اليَقِينِ وَمُنَاصَحَةَ أَهلِ التَّوبَةِ وَعَزمَ أَهلِ الصَّبرِ وَجِدَّ أَهلِ الخَشيَةِ وَطَلَبَ أَهلِ الرَّغبَةِ وَتَعَبُّدَ أَهلِ الوَرَعِ وَعِرفَانَ أَهلِ العِلمِ حَتَّى أَخَافَكَ ،
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسأَلُكَ مَخَافَةً تَحجُزُنِي عَن مَعَاصِيكَ حَتَّى أَعمَلَ بِطَاعَتِكَ عَمَلاً أَستَحِقُّ بِهِ رِضَاكَ وحَتَّى أُنَاصِحَكَ فِي التَّوبَةِ خَوفًا مِنكَ وَحَتَّى أُخلِصَ لَكَ فِي النَّصِيحَةِ حُبًّا لَكَ وَحَتَّى أَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَيْكَ فِي الأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا حُسنَ ظَنٍّ بِكَ سُبحَانَ خَالِقِ لنُّورِ

Sunnah Solah of the Two Eids

The solah is sunnah muakkad. Niat:

“I perform solah sunnah Eidul Adha 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.”
Or
“I perform solah sunnah Eidul Fitr 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala.”

After takbir, recite the Du’a Iftitah, then raise both hands and say takbir (just like takbiratul-ihram). Repeat the takbir 6 more times. Between each takbir, say the tasbih:

سُبحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَالحَمدُلِلّٰهِ وَلاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ وَاللّٰهُ أَكبَرُ

After done 7 takbirs in all, recite the Fatihah and surah “Sabbihisma…”.

After raising up from the second sujud, do the same takbir interlaced with the same tasbih 5 times. Then recite the Fatihah and surah “Hal ataa..”

If this solah is performed in congregation, then it sunnah AFTER the solah to do the sermon (khutbah) as done in Friday solah. In the first khutbah, say the takbir 9 times continuously, and in the second khutbah, 7 times. If it is Eidul Adha, then it is proper to talk about animal sacrifice (udhiyah or qurban). On the other hand, talk about alms (zakah fitrah) if it is Eidul Fitr.

It is also sunnah to do the “takbir mursal” during the days for both Eid. The time for takbir mursal expires when you raise takbiratul-ihram for the day’s Zuhur (If you pray in congregation, it expires once the imam raises the takbiratul-ihram).

For Eidul Adha alone, the time window for takbir is longer, and this is called “takbir muqayyad”. It starts on Subuh of the day of ‘Arafah, and expires once the ‘Asr for the 3rd day of Tashriq ends. For a person performing the Haj, the window is between Zuhur of the Eidul Adha until end of Subuh 3rd day of Tashriq.
The lafaz for takbir both mursal and muqayyad is as follows:

اَللّٰهُ أَكبَرُ اللّٰهُ أَكبَرُ اللّٰهُ أَكبَرُ ، لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ وَاللّٰهُ أَكبَرُ ، اَللّٰهُ أَكبَرُ وَلِلّٰهِ الحَمدُ

3 times. It is recommended to add:

اَللّٰهُ أَكبَرُ كَبِيرًا وَالحَمدُلِلٰهِ كَثِيرًا وَسُبحَانَ اللّٰهِ بُكرَةً وَأَصِيلاً ،
لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ وَلاَ نَعبُدُ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ مُخلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الكَافِرُونَ ٭
لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ وَحدَهُ صَدَقَ وَعدَهُ وَنَصَرَ عَبدَهُ (#) وَهَزَمَ الأَحزَابَ وَحدَهُ ،
لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ وَاللّٰهُ أَكبَرُ

Perform solah Eid anytime between sunrise until the start of Zuhur. However the best is at the time of Dhuha (the sun about two feet up).

Ustaz Zakaria said:

• In Hidayatus Sa’il, Tok Kelaba Fatoni wrote following method prescribed by Nabi Khidir for Sunnah Hajah:
  - 2 raka’ahs; 1st surah is “Qulyaa…” 10x, 2nd surah is “Qulhuwallahu ahad…” 10x.
  - After giving salam, sujud and recite:
  Tasbih 10x,
  “La haula wala…”,
  “Rabbana aatina…” 10x,
  State your special need.
  
• Sometime ago a shopkeeper from came crying because some thieves stole dried latex from his store. Haji Mat Katang helped with solah and du’a. As Allah willed, he got back the latex after 2-3 days.
  
• Some people allege Solah Tasbih has no origin in Islam because the hadith supporting it is fabricated (maudu’). What we know is that lazy people would jump at every opportunity to make up stories to justify their laziness.
  
• Doa Qutub in solah tasbih has been written by a wali qutub, whose doa usually more accepted than ours. Recite it even if we’re weak in Arabic and don’t understand it fully.
  
• Doa Tok Kenali is recited by many Kelantan ulama. Originally written by Imam Ghazali (rh).
  
• Aqiqah can be performed for a deceased child even for infant who died due to miscarriage (of 6 months in pregnancy or more).
  
• The takbir during Eid can be done after any solah fard/sunnah/janazah.
  
• Refer to the takbir for Eid. At (*) you can replace with “mushrikun” instead of “kafirun”. And you can add “wa a’azzajundahu” at (#).
  
• In Malaysia, best time to perform Solah Eid is between 8-8.30am.
  

Wallahu a'lam

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Comments Musolli 8/11/08

Comments for Munyatul Musolli 8th November 2008

Ustaz Zakaria said:

• Solah rawatib done to make up for any flaw in the 5 fard solah. Considering many of us sit around in masjid making useless talk, might as well stand up for rawatib after completing the fard.
• It is a good practice to fill the gap between Maghrib and Isha’ with sunnah solah.
• We see more people in the cities attend solah in masjid compared to people in the villages.
• It is good to perform rawatib for zuhur and asar for 4 raka’ahs.
• Reward for perfect solah is higher compared to reward for zikir, fasting or other forms of worship.
• Sufis do a lot of supererogatory worship while keeping the obligatory ones.
• Perform sunnah solah before subuh; recite “Alam nashrah…” and “Alam taro kaifa…”. This would safeguard you from enemy’s scheming.
• In mazhab Hanafi, witir is obligatory. That shows how important it is in Islam.
• Some ulama maintain that solah ishraq and solah dhuha are the same thing.

Wallahu a'lam

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Sunnah Solah

Munyatul Musolli 8th November 2008

Sunnah Rawatib

Often those who take good care of their solah also take care to perform the rawatibs. These are the supererogatory (sunnah) solahs performed either before or after the obligatory (fard) solahs. If your fard is flawed due to inattentiveness or other mistakes, a rawatib can patch it up. Considering the huge rewards Allah has promised, a small mistake in performing a fard could mean missing a sizable chunk of divine returns.

In doing business, we want to get back the capital plus some profit. A fard solah is the capital and the sunnah is the profit.

In the after life, we will be taken account for our worldly actions. The first to be checked is quality of solah. If we score low in this department, then our sunnah solahs will be inspected so as to fill up the deficit.
The rawatib consists of 2 types:.

Muakkad rawatibs:

• 2 raka’ahs before Subuh.
• 2 raka’ahs before and 2 raka’ahs after Zuhur. (Same case for Jumu'ah) on Friday.
• 2 raka’ahs after Maghrib and 2 after Isya’.

Ghair-muakkad rawatibs:

• 2 more raka’ahs before and 2 more raka’ahs after Zuhur (on top of the above-mentioned rawatibs) .
• 4 raka’ahs before Asr.
• 2 raka’ahs before Maghrib.
• 2 raka’ahs before Isya’.
  

The rawatibs are performed just like the fard. When doing the niat (statement of intention), be precise whether you performing the before- (qabliah) or after- (ba’diah) rawatib. Examples:
"I perform solah sunnah before-Zuhur two raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala."
"I perform solah sunnah after-Zuhur two raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala."

When there is only before-rawatib, you need not be specific. Example:
"I perform solah sunnah Subuh two raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala."

Other Sunnah Muakkad Solahs

Witir is another sunnah muakkad that we should observe and be consistent with. The Prophet (saw) said:

الوترحق فمن لم يوتر فليس منا

Witir is for real, whoever does not observe it then he is not one of us.

Witir, by definition is anywhere between 1 and 11 raka’ahs but ideally should be performed at least 3 raka’ahs.
After the al-Fatihah in the 1st raka’ah, recite the surah "Sabbihisma…:
after al-Fatihah in the 2nd raka’ah, recite the surah "Qulyaa ayyuhal kafirun…"
after al-Fatihah in the 3rd raka’ah, recite the surah "Qulhuallahu ahad…"

For every two raka’ahs, the niat is:
أُصَلِّي سُنَّةَ الْوِترِ رَكعَتَيْنِ لِلّٰهِ تَعَالَى

For the final 1 raka’ah, the niat is:
أُصَلِّي سُنَّةَ الْوِترِ رَكعَةً لِلّٰهِ تَعَالَى

Among sunnah muakkad is the Solah Dhuha. The prophet (saw) said:

من حافظ على شفعة الضحى غفرة له ذنوبه وإنكانة مثل زبد البحر

Whoever observes 2 raka’ahs of Dhuha, his sins will be forgiven – even if his
sins number as much as foam floating in the sea.

Hasten to do sadaqah. For every tasbih is sadaqah, every tahmid is sadaqah,
every tahlil is sadaqah, every takbir is sadaqah, for every encouragement to do
good is sadaqah, every discouragement from doing evil is sadaqah. And 2 raka’ahs
of Dhuha suffice to top them all.

The statement for niat is
أُصَلِّي سُنَّةَ الضُّحَى رَكعَتَيْنِ لِلّٰهِ تَعَالَى
"I perform solah sunnah Dhuha 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala."

The maximum number of raka’ah for Dhuha is 8 (a weaker position says max of 12). The time for Dhuha is when the sun has risen about 2 feet up in the morning (approx. 8 am Malaysian time).
In the 1st raka’ah, recite "Wasshamsi wa dhuhaha…" after al-Fatihah.
In the 2nd raka’ah, recite "Waddhuha wallaili iza saja…" after al-Fatihah.

Other Sunnah Ghair-Muakkad Solahs

It is also encouraged to perform sunnah Isyraq – in the morning just before Dhuha, as soon as the sun has risen (but outside the time that disallowed to do sunnah solah).

The statement for niat is:
أُصَلِّي سُنَّةَ الإِشرَاق رَكعَتَيْنِ لِلّٰهِ تَعَالَى
"I perform solah sunnah Ishraq 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala."

In the 1st raka’ah, recite "Qulyaa ayyuhal kafirun…".
In the 2nd raka’ah, recite "Qulhuwallahu ahad…".

Sunnah Awwabin are the solah performed between Maghrib and Isha’, any raka’ah between 2 and 20.
"I perform solah sunnah awwabin 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta’ala"
Other sunnah solahs are listed as follows:
Zawwal, Tahiyyatul Masjid, Wudhu’
Safar - before starting a journey
Qudum, Taubah
‘Arus – upon getting married
Manzil – upon halting in middle of journey
Ihram – upon donning ihram for Haj or Umrah
Tawaf

Istikharah – asking for Allah’s guidance in making important decision .
"I perform solah sunnah Istikharah 2 raka’ahs due to Allah Ta'ala."
In the 1st raka’ah, recite "Qulyaa ayyuhal kafirun…".
In the 2nd raka’ah, recite "Qulhuwallahu ahad…".

After finishing the solah recite the du’a as has been done by Nabi (saw) and narrated by Imam Bukhari (rh):

أََللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَستَخِيرُكَ بِعِلمِكَ وَأَستَقدِرُكَ بِقُدرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ
مِن فَضلِكَ العَِظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقدِرُ وَلاَ أَقدِرُ وَتَعلَمُ وَلاَ أَعلَمُ
وَأَنتَ عَلاَّمُىالغُيُوبِ
أَللّٰهُمَ إِن كُنتَ تَعلَمُ أَنَّ هٰذَاالأَمرَ(٭) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي
وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمرِي (٭) عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ فَاقْدُرهُ لِي
وَيَسِّرهُ لِي ثُمّ بَارِكلِي فِيهِ وَإِن كُنتَ تَعلَمُ أَنَّ هٰذَاالأَمرَ
شَرٌّ لِي في دِينِي وَمَعَاشي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمرِي عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلهِ
فَاصرِفهُ عَنِّي وَاقدُرلِِي الخَيرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرضِنِي بِهِ

State your predicament at (*) - two times in total.

Wallahu a'lam

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Qurban And Aqiqah Explained

Qurban And Aqiqah (lecture by Ustaz Zakaria on 23/11/08)

Qurban or Udhiya is animal (livestock) sacrifice usually done at the time of Dhuha. It is accepted to slaughter at other times, but could pose problem with time constraint as it takes long time to slaughter, skin and cut the bones and meat.

In mazhab Shafi’i, it is sunnah muakkad to do qurban. This holds for a pilgrim or non-pilgrim alike. Qurban is never obligatory unless stated beforehand as a nazar. A nazar is like a vow where we impose obligation to ourselves to perform something sunnah as an appreciation if something that we wish for materialize.
Qurban could also become obligatory if we put a ta’yin on animal that belongs to us. This is another vow that we make to ourselves such as: "Once this goat matures, I’m going to slaughter it and make a feast."

In comparison to mazhab Hanafi, qurban is obligatory to every person who can afford.

Aqiqah is livestock sacrifice made anytime of the year when a child is born. In a hadith, a child is held ransom until he or she is paid off with an aqiqah. It is said that a child who dies before puberty can give shafa’ah (intercession) to his parents in the akhirah. Imam Ahmad (r.h.) also of the same opinion, but he said parents who have not done aqiqah on their child are not entitled to such shafa’ah.

The time for qurban starts once the sun rises on the day of Nahar (10th of Zulhijjah). However It is preferered to wait until the sun rises about 2 feet up. This time lapses 4 days later - once the sun goes down on the third day of tashriq (13th Zulhijjah).

Animals qualified to be slaughtered could be camels, cattle, buffaloes, sheep, or goats. Meat of a camel, cow, or buffalo can be distributed into 7 equal parts to be shared by 7 persons. 1 such part is equivalent to a whole goat. There is no restriction that all 7 parts of a sacrificed animal be used exclusively for qurban only. From the 7 parts, it is allowed to make 1 part as qurban, another as aqiqah, another to be sold at the meat market, another for family consumption etc.

Among the qualifications are that the animal must be of mature age and it has no defect. A cow missing an earlobe, or tail cut-off, or mad (diseased) all are not fit to be sacrificed since a part of the edibles is missing.

Our prophet (saw) has told us to select a meaty animal for sacrifice. In the day of Judgement, it will become our mount while crossing the Sirot (the bridge that makes the sinners slip down and the faithful pass through). The bridge is the most crucial moment of our life, if you cross safely, there is a good chance that you will be safe in the Akhirah.

If you cannot afford an animal, then you can always share with 6 other fellow muslims. Qurban is the most preferred sadaqah among all recommended sadaqah. (Zakah being the highest ranked sadaqah, but is obligatory.)

There is a hadith that says there are no deeds more noble on the day of nahar than shedding (livestock) blood. Ibnu Abbas (r.anhuma) made further commentary from this hadith that if you cannot afford even 1/7 of an animal, then at least slaughter a chicken. In this case, you get a reward for shedding blood even though you have no reward for qurban.

Allah demands that a financially able person make a qurban ever year.

In a hadith, Allah will give reward for every inch of the slaughtered animal. Even a single strand of hair is taken into account. Imagine the huge reward we get by sacrificing an animal and giving away the meat to the poor who rarely see meat on their dinner table.

The meat and other edible parts are to be given away to the needy, but a portion of them can still be consumed by the person who does the qurban or aqiqah.

It is not right to complain in case we do not get enough of our share of meat. Whenever we perform deeds for the sake of Islam, we should never expect worldly benefit from them. Look instead at the rewards Allah reserves for us in the Akhirah.

As of today, 3 parts of a cow have been pledged for our madrasah. We hope to get 4 more so we can slaughter a single cow and cook the meat for the students. The madrasah is there for the students, so we have to give the meat to them. It is unfortunate that in the past, a cow had been donated to the madrasah, but the meat was all eaten by the guests. The students could only watch from far. Even I myself was not offered.

As for our qurban initiative for the country of Kemboja, we already have 40 cattle. Our target is 50. Anyway my phone has been ringing feverishly, and a lot of interested Muslims have inquired because they want to participate.

Wallahu a'lam

Qurban and 'Aqiqah

All readers are invited to participate in the Qurban (Udhiyah) for Eidul Adha this year or 'Aqiqah. The cows will be bought and sacrificed in Kemboja as has been done the past few years.

One part (1/7) of a cow is priced at RM230. One whole cow is at RM1,610. Please register early before Ustaz Zakaria depart for Kemboja on 6th December.

The Qurban or Aqiqah form is available here (in Acrobat's pdf): English or Malay

Wallahu a'lam

Hadith on Mercy

al-Awaail az-Zamzamiyyah al-Malikiyyah wa Ba’du al-Musalsalaat al-Mashhurah 25/10/2008

I had the opportunity to read under Ustaz Fahmi Zamzam al-Banjari an-Nadwi al-Maliki a few weeks ago in Pusat Pengajian Ba'alawi in Bukit Kemensah.

It'd been quite an adventure driving around past maghrib looking for the place, with my good friend on the phone guiding which landmark to look out for and so on.

This place is actually a semi-detached house bought by a generous brother (I heard for quite a sum!) and turned into sort of a zawiyah. The living room complete with women's section, air-conditioner and excellent sound system acts as the lecture hall. There are bedrooms upstairs that visiting shaykhs can use for the duration of their stay. no doubt this brother is the kind of muslim that we all should be envious with. May Allah return His favor to him, and may He send us more muslims as generous.

Fitting to the occasion, I got ijazah to practice the very first hadith (Musalsal Awwaliyyah Haqiqiyyah ) plus 2 more musalsalat ahadith from the shaykh. In full respect of the "musalsal" spirit, I write here exactly as narrated to me.

Hadith ar-Rahmah al-Musalsal bil-Awwaliyyah as narrated to us by Ustaz Fahmi Zamzam:
I, a poor servant striving for mercy of Allah The Most Powerful, Ahmad Fahmi Zamzam al-Banjari (named) by birth, and an-Nadwi by scholarship, and al-Maliki by tribute;

It has been narrated by our shaykh the knowledge of al-Hijaz, the fragrance of the land of al-Haram as-Sayyid Muhammad bin ‘Alawi al-Maaliki al-Hasani (rh) in the very first hadith, and he said: It has been narrated to us in Musalsal Awwaliyyah Haqiqiyyah from the shaykh of our shaykhs (al-Mu’ammar as-Syarif ‘Abdul Kabir bin Muhammad al-Mahi bin Ibrahim as-Saqali al-Husaini) at Masjid Nabawi as-Syarif in year 1380 A.H, and this is the very first hadith we heard from him. And he said: It has been narrated by (as-Sayyid ‘Ali bin Zohir al-Watari al-Madani), he said (Ahmad Minnatullahi al-Azhari) told us in 1287 AH and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said ('Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad bin ‘Abdul Rahman al-Kuzburi ad-Dimashqi) told us, and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (Badruddin Muhammad as-Shahir bi-Ibn Budair al-Maqdisi) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said:

(Abu an-Nasr Mustafa ad-Dimyati) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Sa’id As-Shahir bi-Ibn ‘Aqilah) Sohibul-Musalsalaat told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (as-Shaykh Ahmad bin Muhammad ad-Dimyati al-Mashhur Bi-Ibn ‘Abdul Ghani) told us in a gathering of people of knowledge, and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (al-Mu’ammar Muhammad bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al-Manufi) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him and he gave ijazah to me together with all his narrations, he said (as-Shaykh al-Mu’ammar Abu al-Khair bin ‘Ammus asr-Rashidi) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him and he gave ijazah to me together with all his narrations in Rabi’ul Awwal 1002 (AH), he said Shaykhul Islam as-Sharif Zakaria bin Muhammad al-Ansori told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said:

The Seal of all Huffaz ash-Shihab Abu al-Fadil Ahmad bin ‘Ali bin Hajar al-‘Asqalani told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (al-Hafiz Zainuddin Abu al-Fadil ‘Abdul Rahimbin al-Husain al-‘Iraqi) informed us with it and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (as-Sadr Abu al-Fatah Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Maidumi) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (an-Najib Abu al-Faraj ‘Abdul Latif bin ‘Abdul Mun’im al-Harrani) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (Al-Hafiz Abu al-Faraj ’Abdul Rahman bin ‘Ali al-Jauzi) informed us with it and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (Abu Sa’id Isma’il bin Abu Soleh an-Naisaburi) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said my father (Abu Soleh Ahmad bin ‘Abdul Malik al-Mu’zin) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (Abu Tohir Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Mahmish az-Ziadi) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (Abu Hamid Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Yahya bin Bilal al-Bazzar) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said (‘Abdul Rahman bin Bishr bin al-Hakim an-Naisaburi) told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said:

Sufyan bin ‘Uyainah told us and this is the first hadith I heard from him, he said from ‘Amru bin Dinar, from Abi Qabus (the freed slave of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amru bin al-‘As), from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amru bin al-‘As (ra),

that Rasulullah (saw) said:

الراحمون يرحمهم الرحمن تبارك وتعالى، إرحمو من في الارض، يرحمكم من في السماء.

The Most Benificient (Allah) in His high Glory pour mercy upon those who love each other. So have mercy among those on earth, those in the heaven (angels) will have mercy upon you.

As-Sakhawi said this hadith has been quoted by al-Bukhari in his book "Kunya", Al-Humaidi and Ahmad in their "Musnid", al-Baihaqi in "Branches of Iman". Abu Daud mentioned it in his Sunan, and Tirmizi said in his Jami’:"hasan sahih". The hadith also quoted by al-Hakim in his Mustadrak as sahih.
This hadith is musalsal up to Sufyan bin ‘Uyainah.

Comments by Ustaz Fahmi Zamzam:

• Hadith Musalsal bin-Awwaliyyah Haqiqiyyah literally means "the true first hadith". The first time you meet any hadith master, request from him "awwaliyyah haqiqiyyah", then he would know that you are a student with manners. Most likely he would narrate you this first hadith.
• This hadith narrated to Ustaz Fahmi Zamzam by Sayyid Muhammad bin Alawi al-Maliki al-Hasani in 1408 AH.
• The second shaykh in the chain: Ibrahim as-Saqali – Ibrahim from island of Sicily. The ancient Jauhar as-Saqali was a general who built al-Azhar university in 358 AH.
• The 4th shaykh in chain: Al-Kuzburi – of a Kurdish tribe. Shaykh Ramadan al-Buti, Salehuddin al-Ayyubi also Kurdish. Many of them Shafi’i in mazhab and either Naqshabandi or Qadiri in tariqah.
• Al-Mu’ammar – somebody who lived to very old age.
• Zainuddin ‘Abdul Rahim bin al-Husain al-‘Iraqi – the famous master who made takhrij on ahadith presented by Imam Ghazali in Ihya ‘Ulumiddin .
• Fathul Bari by Imam Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani is by ulama' consensus the best ever commentary on Sahih Bukhari.
• Al-Hafiz are the masters who memorize at least 100,000 ahadith (matan + sanad).
  

Wallahu a'lam

Issue with Missing Solah

Munyatul Musolli 2nd November 2008

It is not allowed to make friends with those who deliberately forgo their obligatory solah, instead we have to show enmity towards them. We should not get acquainted with them, love them, or live in the same dwelling with them.

We behave so because these offenders clearly oppose the commands of Allah and His messenger. Allah has said:

لاَ تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِر يُوَالدُّونَ مَن حَادَّ اللّٰهَ وَرَسُولَهُ
وَلَوْ كَانُوْا آبَاءَهُم أَوْ أَبْنَاهُم

You will not find a group of people who believe in Allah and the hereafter, in amity with those who stand against Allah and His messenger – even if those were their own fathers or their own children.
(to the end of verse).

Having good relations with this type of offender is clearly denying yourself the true faith (iman).

Making Up Missed Solah
Those who miss their solah being unwary of the time (i.e. being overslept or forgetful) are excused provided that:

• They immediately make up the solah once aware of the mistake.
• They repent and vow not to repeat the mistake.

Other than the above, it is a grave sin to deliberately miss a solah, even if it is made up afterwards. There is no excuse in skipping solah for the sake of trying to accomplish some worldly pursuit no matter how important.

People of authority are responsible to make sure his populace perform the 5 obligatory solah, the jama’ah and the Friday solah. Whoever miss them should be dealt with force.

For those who are simply too lazy (but they do admit obligationof solah), the authority should ask them to repent and force them to start doing solah. Then if they still resist, capital punishment is not too harsh a sentence upon them.

The authority, be it the king, president, or community leader who fail to enforce obligation of solah (or for that matter, obligatory fasting or zakah) is considered a sinner. This responsibility is not to be taken lightly.

Ustaz Zakaria added:

• All forms of worship must be done the right way (on basis of knowledge) so they don’t become helter-skelter.
• The opinion that missed solah need not be made up is a khariji – outside of ulama consensus, and rejected.
• It is preferred that you make up solah immediately if you miss it being unwary of time.
• It is compulsory that you make up solah immediately if you miss it deliberately.
• The community leader’s responsibility is not only to administer affairs of his people, he should also see that each person fulfil obligation to Allah.
• Your country implement Islamic law or not, you still responsible to guide your populace to obey Allah.
• Never punish your populace if you are not authorized (by your superiors) to met out punishment. But you still should command them to do good and prevent from doing evil (amar ma’ruf nahi munkar).
• It is bizarre that some people avoid marrying more than 1 wives on the grounds of afraid being unjust. Yet they pursue political positions, which always carry the tendency to be unjust (to thousands of people under his jurisdiction).

Wallahu a'lam

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Never Take Solah Lightly

Munyatul Musolli 26th October 2008

Indeed Rasulullah (saw) has labeled Muslims who forgo their solah as disbelievers. So did all the sahabahs and salafus-soleh.

You should always be afraid being careless with solah. If you don’t have such fear, then be worried because you about to ruin yourself and become a loser in this world and the hereafter.

A man has the responsibility of solah not only on himself, but also those under his guardianship. He should fulfil this responsibility by force if necessary. If even force is not effective, then he should show enmity and drive the offender away. A man who cares less if his family performs solah or not is a man who takes his religion lightly and makes a mockery the commands of Allah.

You should break relations with a person who neglects his solah. He is almost a satan - there is nothing good about him, and there is no benefit he brings to you.

Ustaz Zakaria commented:

• The period of salaf was the time within 300 years of death of Rasulullah. In a hadith, Rasulullah (saw) guaranteed that the best of people were his companions, then the generation that follows, and then the second generation that follows.
• Whenever you try to do something for the sake of Islam, you almost always find people with trying to sabotage you. Such is the case with running of our madrasah.

Wallahu a'lam

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