Others – Learn Islam

Virtue of Ahl Al-Bait (The People of the Household of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)

learnislam — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 21:42:28 +0000

Virtue of Ahl Al-Bait

(The People of the Household of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)

الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وبعد

Who are Ahl Al-Bait?

The correct statement in defining the people of the household of the Prophet is the following one: They are those for whom the charity is prohibited, and they are his wives, his children and every Muslim male and female from the descendants of Abdul Muttalib; and they are also the Banu Hashim bin Abdu Manaf. Ibn Hazm said in his book Jamharat Ansab Al-Arab (page: 14):
“Hashim bin Abdu Manaf gave birth to Shaibah who is Abdul Muttalib. In him is the backbone and nobility, and there is no offspring from Hashim except from Abdul Muttalib“.

See the offspring of Abdul Muttalib in Jamharat Ansab Al Arab by Ibn Hazm (page: 14-15), and At-Tab’yeen fi Ansab Al Qurashiyeen by Ibn Qudamah (page: 76), and Minhaj Al-Sunnah by Ibn Taimiyah (vol. 7 page: 304-305), and Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar (vol. 7 page: 78-79).

And the inclusion of the children of his uncles in his household is confirmed by what Muslim has recorded in his Sahih (1072) on the authority of Abdul Muttalib bin Rabee’ah bin Al-Harith bin Abdul Muttalib that he went together with Al-Fadl bin Abbas to the Messenger of Allah asked him to put them in charge of the charity, so that they can have from it the necessary money for their marriage. But the Prophet said to them:

“The charity is not lawful for the household of Mohammad; it is surely the dirts of the people“.

He then ordered for them to be married and given from Al Khums (the 1/5th of the war booty assigned to them- see surah Al Anfal Ayah: 41). Some learned scholars like Al-Shafi’e and Ahmad joined the Banu Al-Muttalib bin Abdu Manaf together with the Banu Hashim among those for whom the charity is prohibited, and that is because of the 1/5th share they have with them from Al-Khums, and that is due to the Hadith narrated by Al Bukhari in his Sahih (3140)

From Jubair bin Mut’im in which it is reported that: The offering made by the Prophet for the Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib to the exclusion of their brothers from the Banu Abdi-Shams and Nawfal, was because both the Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib are one people. As for the inclusion of his wives in his household, that is indicated in the statement of Allah the Almighty: (And stay in your houses; and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance and perform As-Salat (iqamât-as-Salat) and give Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger: Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet) and to purify you with a thorough purification. And remember (O you the members of the Prophet’s family, the Graces of your Lord), that which is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and Al-Hiqmah (i.e. Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways, so give your thanks to Allah and glorify His Praises for this Qur’an and the Sunnah). Verily, Allah is Ever Most Courteous and Well-Acquainted with all things) [Surah Al-Ahzab, Ayaats: 33-34]

These two Ayat (the Quranic verses) certainly confirm their inclusion, because the context of the Ayat before and after them is addressed to his wives, and that does not contradict what Muslim has recorded in his Sahih (2424) reporting from Aisha (RadiAllahu Anhaa):
“The Prophet of Allah appeared one morning wearing a striped garment made of black wool. Al-Hassan bin Ali came and he put him inside (the garment): then came Al-Hussein and entered with him: Fatima came too and he again enclosed her in the garment. Ali also appeared and he included him in the garment, and quoted the Ayah: Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet) and to purify you with a thorough purification.). This Ayah indicates their inclusion since it has been addressed to them, and the inclusion of Ali, Fatima, Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein in this Ayah has been confirmed by the Sunnah in this Hadith. The specification of these four people by the Prophet does not indicate the restriction of his family on them alone besides other relatives; however it shows that, these are his closest relatives. The manner in which this Ayah confirms the inclusion of his wives in his family, and the manner in which the previous Hadith of Aisha confirms the inclusion of Ali, Fatima, Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein, are similar to the manner that this statement of Allah, The Almighty in Al-Taubah, Ayah: 108: (Verily the mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety) indicates that the mosque referred to is the mosque of Qubah, while the Sunnah has confirmed in the Hadith recorded by Muslim in his Sahih (1398) that the mosque whose foundation was laid in piety from its very first day is the mosque of the Prophet. This similarity has been explained by Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah (Rahimahullah) in his message: The Virtue of the Family of the Prophet and their rights.

And the Prophet’s wives are included in the term Al-Aal (The family) because of the statement of the Prophet that says: “Surely charity is allowed neither for Muhammad nor for his family“.
That can be confirmed from the fact that they use to receive from the “Khums”; added to the narration of Ibn Abi Shaibah in his compilation (Vol. 3, page: 214) with an authentic Isnad (chain of narration) on the authority of Ibn Abi Mulaikat, that Khalid bin Sa’eed sent a cow of charity to Aisha, but she returned it saying: “We are the family of Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : charity is not allowed for us“..
And among the things that Ibn Al-Qayim stated in his book Jala’ul Afhaam (pages: 331-333) in support for those who included his wives in his household is this statement: “These people said:
‘Surely, the wives are included in the family, especially the wives of the Prophet in comparison with his relatives, because their connection with the Prophet is not cut off; they are forbidden to others during his lifetime and after his death and they are his wives in this world and in the hereafter. Therefore, their connection with the Prophet is like the family link, and the Prophet has mentioned them among those to be prayed upon (in the salah Al Ibrahimiyah). Because of this, the correct statement is that of Imam Ahmad (Rahimahullah) which says:
“That charity is surely prohibited on them (i.e. the wives of the Prophet ) because it is the dirts of the people, and Allah the Glorious has preserved that great personality and his family from all dirts of mankind.”
And for Allah’s sake, how strange! How can his wives be included in his statement :“O Allah! Make the provision of the family of Muhammad sustenance“; and in his statement at the moment of
sacrifice: “O Allah! This is for Muhammad and for the family of Muhammad“; and in the statement of Aisha (RadiAllahu Anha): “The family of the Messenger of Allah has never eaten wheat bread satisfaction” and in the statement of the prayer: “O Allah! Send Your Salah (Grace and Honor) on Muhammad and on the to their family of Muhammad“, and not in this other statement of the Messenger: “Surely charity is allowed neither for Muhammad пог for the family of Muhammad” when it is the dirts of the people, and his wives are worthier to be preserved and kept aloof from it?!
This can be objected by the fact that if the charity was prohibited to them, it would have been prohibited to their freed slaves, just as because it was prohibited to the Banu Hashim it has been prohibited to their freed slaves. It is stated in Sahih that Barirah (Aisha’s freed slave girl) was presented with charity of meat and she ate it. The Prophet did not prohibit it on her though she was a freed slave of Aisha (RadiAllahu Anha). It is said: This is the false evidence of those who made it lawful to the wives of the Prophet .
And the answer to it is that the prohibition of charity to the wives of the Prophet is not on the basis of origination, but instead, it is in accordance to its prohibition on the Prophet, otherwise the charity was licit for them before their association with the Prophet . They are a branch to this prohibition. And its prohibition on the released slave is a branch to its prohibition on his master. Since the prohibition on the Banu Hashim is a direct one, it applied also to their freed slaves. But since the prohibition on the wives of the Prophet is a follow up, it could not be strong enough to cover their freed slaves, because it is a branch from a branch.
They said: Allah, The Highest said: (O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits an open illegal sexual intercourse, the torment for her will be doubled and that is ever easy for Allah. And whosoever of you is obedient to Allah and His Messenger and does righteous good deeds, We shall give her, her reward twice over, and We have prepared for her Rizq Karim (a noble provision – Paradise). O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allah), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner. And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance. And perform As-Salat (iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakât, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family(of the Prophet) and to purify you with a thorough purification. And remember (O you the members of the Prophet’s family, the Graces of your Lord), that which is recited in your houses of
the verses of Allah and Al-Hiqmah (i.e. Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways, so give your thanks to Allah and glorify His Praises for this Qur’an and the Sunnah). Verily, Allah is Ever Most Courteous and Well-Acquainted with all things)[Surah Al Ahzab Ayaats: 30-34.].
And said: “They (i.e. the wives of the Prophet) have entered among the members of the household because, the entire sequence of the Ayat is about mentioning them, and it is therefore not allowed to remove them from any part of it. Allah knows best“.

And the prohibition of the charity on the freed slaves of the Banu Hashim is indicated by the Hadith reported by Abu Dawood in his Sunan (1650) and also At-Tirmidhi (657) and An-Nasa’e (2611) with an authentic Isnad; the words belong to Abu Dawood on the authority of Abu Rafi’e: “That the Prophet sent a man from the Banu Makzoom to be charged of charity, and the man said to Abu Rafi’e: “Accompany me for you will surely receive something from it“. He said: “Not until I come to the Prophet and ask him“. He came and asked him and the Prophet said:
“The released slaves of a group of people are part of them, and surely the charity is not licit for us“.

Chapter two
An outline of the faith of Ahl Al-Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah towards Ahl Al-Bait

In the matters of faith, the belief of Ahl Al-Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah is moderate between excessiveness and negligence and between exaggeration and lack of respect. And among these matters is their faith towards the family of the Messenger of Allah. Surely they are friendly to every Muslim male and female from among the offspring of Abdul Muttalib and to all the wives of the Prophet. They love them all; they praise them and put them in the position they deserve, with justice and fairness, not with passion and discretion. They acknowledge the virtue of the one for whom Allah has combined both the honor of “Iman” (the faith) and the honor of the Nasab (being related to the Prophet ). And he who belongs to the household from among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, they surely love him, because of his faith, piety, companionship and relationship with the Prophets.
And he who is not among the companions, they love him, because of his faith, piety and kinship with the Prophet. And they believe that the honor of the kinship is subsequent to the honor of faith. And he whom Allah has combined both for him, surely possesses the combination of the two virtues. And he
who has not been granted the faith, surely the honor of his kinship with the Prophet cannot benefit him in any way. And Allah has said in Al-Hujuraat Ayah: 13: (Verily the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa fi.e. he is one of the Muttaqun (the pious.).
And the Prophet at the end of a long Hadith reported by Muslim in his Sahih (2699) narrated by Abu Hurairah said: And he whose deed has made him slow, it is not his Nasab (kinship) that would make him fast“. And Ibn Rajab (Rahimahullah) in explaining the meaning of this Hadith in his book Jami’e Al-Ulum Wal-Hikam (page: 308) said: “It means that it is the deed that takes a person to the higher ranks of the Hereafter. As Allah has said: For all, there will be degrees (or ranks) according to what they did [Surah Al-An’am Ayah: 132]
So he whose deeds made him slow, to the extent that it cannot take him to the higher positions towards Allah, it is not his relationship with the Prophet that would take him there; for surely, Allah rewards according to deeds and not according to relationships. As He has said: (Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask for one another). [Surah Al-Mu’minun Ayah: 101]
And Allah has ordained for one to hasten towards His forgiveness and mercy through good deeds, as He has said: (And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth prepared for Al-Muttaqûn (the pious). Those who spend (in Allah’s Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger) [Surah Al-Imran Ayat: 133-134].
And He also said: (Verily, those who live in awe for fear of their Lord; And those who believe in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord; And those who join not anyone (in worship) as partners with their Lord; And those who give that (the charity) which they give (and olso do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for reckoning). It is these who hasten in the good deeds and they are foremost in them. [Surah al-Mu’minun, Ayah:57-61]
He then mentioned statements in motivation towards good deeds and (in emphasizing) that nearness to the Prophet and His friendship can only be obtained through the piety and the righteous deed.
He ended it with the Hadith of Amr bin Al-Aas in Sahih Al Bukhari (5990) and Sahih Muslim (215); he said: “And all of this is confirmed by the Hadith recorded in As-Sahihain (i.e. Al Bukhari and Muslim), narrated by Amr bin Al-Aas who heard the Prophet saying: “Verily, the so-and-so family of my father cannot be my “Awliya’a” (friends, supporters), my “Waliy” (friend, protector) is Allah and the righteous believers“.
This refers to the fact that his friendship cannot be obtained by relationship even if it is a close one. It can rather be obtained by Iman (the faith) and the righteous deed. So he whose faith and deeds are complete, is the greatest of friends to him irrespective of whether he has a close relationship with him or not. And in this meaning, some poets said:
I swear by Allah, the value of a human being is according to his religion.
Do not give up the piety relying only on the Nasab (kinship) Islam has raised Salman the Persian (not Nasabj And Shirk (polytheism) has dropped Abu Lahab who is of noble descent.

Chapter three

The virtues of Ahl Al-Bait in the Holy Qur’an

Allah said: O Prophet Muhammad! Say to your wives: ‘If you desire the life of this world, and its glitter, then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner (divorce). But if you desire Allah and His Messenger, and the home of the Hereafter, then verily, Allah has prepared for Al-Muhsinat (good-doers) amongst you an enormous reward“. O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits an open illegal sexual intercourse, the torment for her will be doubled and that is ever easy for Allah. And whosoever of you is obedient to Allah and His Messenger and does righteous good deeds, We shall give her, her reward twice over, and We have prepared for her Rizq Karim (a noble provision – Paradise). O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allah), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner. And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance. And perform As-Salat (iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakât, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet) and to purify you with a thorough purification. And remember (O you the members of the Prophet’s family, the Graces of your Lord), that which is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and Al-Hiqmah (i.e. Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways, so give your thanks to Allah and glorify His Praises for this Qur’an and the Sunnah). Verily, Allah is Ever Most Courteous and Well-Acquainted with all things [Surah Al-Ahzab Ayat: 28-34].
His statement: (Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet ), and to purify you with a thorough. purification) indicates the virtue of the kinship of the Messenger of Allah, and they are those upon whom the charity is prohibited, and among the very special ones are his wives and children as clarified before.
The Ayat indicate other virtues of the wives of the Messenger:
Firstly: For the fact that when they were given the opportunity to choose between the desire of this world and its glitter and the desire of Allah and His Messenger and the abode of the Hereafter, they chose Allah and His Messenger and the abode of the Hereafter, (may Allah be pleased with them.)
Secondly: This statement of the Exalted also proves their virtue: (And his wives are their mothers (i.e. mothers of the believers as regards respect and marriage)) [Surah Al-Ahzab Ayah: 6].
As for this statement: (Say (O Muhammad): No reward do I ask from you for this, except to be kind to me for my kinship with you [Surah Al-Shura Ayah: 23].
Its correct meaning is that it refers to the clans of Quraish, as explained in Sahih Al Bukhari (4818) narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas. Al Bukhari said: “Muhammad bin Bashar reported from Muhammad bin Ja’afar that Shu’ba heard this from Abdul Malik bin Maisarat who said: ‘I heard Tawoos reporting from Ibn Abbas, that he was asked about the Ayah (Except to be kind to my kinship) and Sa’eed bin Jubair said: it means the Kinship of Muhammad ‘. Ibn Abbas then said: “you’ve hastened; there had not been a clan among Quraish except that the Prophet has ties of kinship with. He said it means: “Except you upkeep the kinship that is between you and me“.
Ibn Katheer in explaining this Ayah said: “(i.e. Say, O Muhammad to these polytheists from among the disbelievers of Quraish: I do not ask you to give me a sum of money in return for this preaching and sincere advice I give to you; but instead, all I ask is to stop your evil deeds against me and let me convey the Message of my Lord. If you will not help me then do not disturb me for the sake of the ties of kinship that exist between you and me“) He then related the statement of Ibn Abbas mentioned shortly.
As for the specification of the kinship in this Ayah by those who follow their desires to mean Fatima, Ali and their offspring, that is incorrect, because the Ayah was revealed in Makka and the marriage of Ali with Fatima took place in Medina. Ibn Kathir (Rahimahullah) said: “the saying that this Ayah was revealed in Medina is far from the truth, surely it was revealed in Makka and at that time Fatima had not given birth to children, for she did not get married to Ali except after the Battle of Badr in the second year of the Hegira. The truth is in explaining this Ayah as explained by the erudite of the Ummah and the interpreter of the Qur’an, Abdullah bin Abbas, as reported by Al Bukhari.
He then mentioned what indicates the virtue of the household of the Messenger from the Sunnah and from the statements of Abubakr and Omar.

Chapter four

The virtues of Ahl Al-Bait in the pure Sunnah of the Prophet

Muslim narrated in his Sahih (2276) that Wathilat bin Al-Asq’a said: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “Verily, Allah selected Kinanah from among the children of Ismael, and selected Quraish from Kinanah and selected from Quraish Banu Hashim and selected me from Banu Hashim“.
Muslim narrated in his Sahih (2424) that Aisha (RadiAllahu Anhaa) said: “The Prophet of Allah appeared one morning wearing a striped garment made of black wool. Al-Hassan bin Ali came and he put him inside (the garment): then came Al-Hussein and entered with him; Fatima came too and He again enclosed her in the garment. Ali also appeared and He included him in the garment, and quoted the Ayah: (Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the
family (of the Prophet), and to purify you with a thorough purification) [Surah Al-Ahzab Ayah: 33].
Muslim narrated (2404) from Sa’ad bin Abi Waqas that: “When this Ayah (Say, (O Muhammad), Come, let us call our sons and your sons [Surah Al-Imran Ayah: 61] was revealed, the Messenger of Allah called Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussein and said: O Allah, these are the people of my household“.
Muslim narrated in his Sahih (2408) with his Isnad from Yazid bin Hayyan that he said: “I took off together with Hussein bin Sabrah and Omar bin Muslim to Zaid bin Arqam, and when we sat unto him, Hussein said: ‘O Zaid, you have met abundance of goodness, you saw the Messenger of Allah , and listened to his Hadith, you fought battles with him and prayed behind him, you have met abundance of goodness, narrate to us what you have heard from the Messenger of Allah’. He said: ‘O the son of my brother! I am now old and I have forgotten some of what I was learning from the Messenger of Allah, accept what I narrate to you, and do not bother me for what I do not narrate’. He then said: ‘one day, the Messenger of Allah stood among us delivering a sermon at a river called Khum, between Makka and Medina. He praised Allah, He advised and reminded (us) and then said: ‘O you people! Verily I am a human being, very soon the Messenger of my Lord will come and I will answer unto him (i.e. his death) and I am leaving with you two significant things: the first one is the Book of Allah, in it is the guidance and light. Hold firm to the Book of Allah and be steadfast with it’. He urged them to work with the Book of Allah and aroused their interest in it. He then said: ‘And the people of my household. I am reminding you (to fear) Allah and be kind to the people of my household. I am reminding you (to fear) Allah and be kind to the people of my household. I am reminding you (to fear) Allah and be kind to the people of my household’. Hussein said to him: ‘O Zaid, who are the people of his household? Aren’t his wives amongst the members of his household’? He said: His wives are amongst the members of his household but the members of his household are those upon whom the charity is forbidden after him. He said: ‘who are they’? He said: they are the family of Ali, the family of Aqeel, the family of Ja’afar and the family of Abbas’. He asked whether charity is forbidden to all of these. And the answer was: yes”.
In another version: “We said: Who are the people of his household? Are they his wives? He said: no, and I swear by Allah! Surely a woman stays with a man for a given period of time, then he would divorce her, and she will return to her father and her people. His household is his descendants and blood relatives upon whom the charity is forbidden after him.
And here I draw your attention to some matters:
Firstly: The mentioning of Ali, Fatima and their children in the previous Hadith of the garment and the Hadith of invocation does not indicate the restriction of his household on them alone. But instead it shows that they are amongst his closest household, and that they are the first to enter into the term “household” and this has been clarified before.
Secondly: The mentioning by Zaid of the family of Aqeel, the family of Ali, the family of Ja’afar and the family of Abbas does not indicate that they are the only ones upon whom the charity is forbidden, it is however forbidden upon every Muslim male and female from among the descendant of Abdul Muttalib and the Hadith of Abdul Muttalib bin Rabee’ah bin Al-Harith bin Abdul Muttalib in Sahih Muslim in which the children of Rabee’ah bin Al-Harith bin Abdul Muttalib are included, has been mentioned.
Thirdly: Inference has been made from the Book (Qur’an) and the Sunnah to confirm that the wives of the Prophetare members of his household and they are among those upon whom the charity is forbidden. As for that which is in the previous statement of Zaid, about their inclusion in the family in the first version of his statement, and their exclusion in the second, it is the first version that is considered, and the proof he mentioned for their exclusion is however applicable to all wives, save the wives of the Messenger.
As for his wives (RadiAllahu Anhun) their connection with him is similar to that of a kinship, because this connection is not interrupted, and they are his wives in this world and in the Hereafter, as clarified before.
Fourthly: The people of Sunnah and Jamma’t are the happiest people in executing the will of the Prophet in this Hadith regarding the members of his household. This is because they love them, and they put them in their status, which they deserve with justice and fairness. As for others besides them, Ibn Taimiyah said in Majmu’u Al-Fatawa (Vol. 4 p. 419): “The farthest people in executing this will are the Rafida (the Shiites) because they make enmity with Abbas and his children; in fact, they even make enmity with the majority of members of the household and they help the disbelievers against them“.
And the Hadith: “Every connection and kinship is cut off on the Day of judgment except my connection and kinship“. This Hadith is mentioned by Sheik Al Albani in Silsilatus Sahihah (2036) and attributed to Ibn Abbas, Omar, Ibn Omar, and Al-Miswar bin Makhramah. He mentioned those who narrated the Hadith from them, and said: ‘this Hadith in considering all its routes is Sahih (i.e. authentic) and Allah knows best”.
And in some of its routes, it is stated that it is this Hadith that made Omar express interest in marrying Ummu Kulthum the daughter of Ali from Fatima, may Allah be pleased with them all.
– And Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad holding from Abdul Razaq that Ma’amar, reported from Ibn Tawoos that Abubakr bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Hazm heard from a man from among the Sahabah that the Prophet used to say: “O Allah, send Your Salah (Grace and Honor) on Muhammad and His household and on His wives and descent, as You sent Your Salah (Grace and Honor) on the family of Ibrahim. You are surely The Worthy of all praise and full of glory. And send Your blessings on Muhammad and his household and on his wives and children as You sent Your blessings on the family of Ibrahim. You are indeed worthy of all praise and full of glory“.
Ibn Tawoos said: “my father used to say something like that”.
“And the men of the Isnad besides the Sahabah are among the men whose Hadiths have been reported by Al Bukhari, Muslim and the owners of the four Sunan (Abu Dawood, An-Nasa’e, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)”
Al Albani said in The Description of the Prayer of the Prophet: “narrated by Ahmad and At-Tahawi with an authentic Isnad”.
As for the mentioning of prayer on the wives and children, that is also confirmed in As-Sahihain in the Hadith narrated by Abi Humaid Al-Sa’edi but that does not indicate the restriction of the household on the wives and descent alone, but instead it confirms their inclusion, and the joining of the wives and descent to his household in the previous Hadith is like joining the special to the general.
Ibn Qayim said after having quoted a Hadith that combines the household and the wives and descendants together-and there is a problem in its Isnad-: “He combined the wives and children and the family together; he specified them but to show that they are really suitable to be included in the family and they are not out of it. In fact they are more entitled to be included into it. This and what is similar to it is like joining the special to the general and vice-versa, with the aim of notifying its dignity, and specializing it among others since it is more entitled among others to be included” (Jala’ul Afham page: 338)
The Prophet said: “Verily, the charity is not licit to the family of Muhammad: it is indeed the dirts of the people“, reported by Muslim in his Sahih from the Hadith of Abdul Muttalib bin Rabee’ah (1072), and it has been mentioned before.

Chapter five

The high status of Ahl Al-Bait in the sight of the Sahabah (companions of the Prophet) and those who followed them in goodness

Abubakr Al-Siddiq

Al Bukhari narrated in his Sahih (3712) that Abubakr said to Ali: “I swear by Him in Whose Hands my soul is, to do good to the relatives of the Messenger of Allah is loveable to me than to do good to my own relatives“.
Al Bukhari also narrated in his Sahih (3713) from Ibn Omar, from Abubakr “Take care of Muhammad by doing good to his family“.
Ibn Hajar in explaining this Hadith said: “He is addressing the people with these words, giving them this advice. And to keep looking at something is to take care of it. That means care for him in them i.e. do not hurt them and do not bring evil deeds to them.
In Sahih Al Bukhari (3544) it is narrated according to Uqbata bin Al-Harith that: “Abubakr prayed Salah Al-Asr and then went out walking; he saw Al-Hassan playing with kids and he carried him on his shoulder and said: ‘I ransom you with my father; you resemble the Prophet and not Ali, while Ali was laughing“.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in his explanation: “there is an omission in his word: ‘Be Abi (With my father) assumed to mean: I ransom him with my father)’. He also said: ‘the Hadith indicates a virtue of Abubakr and his love for the family of the Prophet”.

Omar bin Al-Khattab and Othman bin Affan

Al Bukhari narrated in his Sahih (1010) and (3710) according to Anas that whenever they were afflicted with drought, Omar would ask Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say: “O Allah we used to ask the Prophet to invoke You for rain and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah! Bless us with rain”. He said: “and they would be blessed with rain“.
The appeal of Omar for Al-Abbas to invoke Alláh for rain means appealing for his supplication (i.e. invoking Allah through his Du’a), as clarified in some versions of this Hadith. And Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar has mentioned it in the explanation of the Hadith in the book of the invocation for rain in Fath Al-Bari.
And Omar has chosen Al-Abbas to invoke Allah through his supplication because of his kinship with the Prophet and that is why he said: “we ask the uncle of our Prophet to invoke You”. And it is known that Ali is superior to Al-Abbas (in Grace and Honnour) and is also a relative of the Messenger of Allah, but Al-Abbas is closer. If the Prophet was to be inherited, Al-Abbas would have been considered first, because of his statement: “And follow up the statutory portion to their owners and what is left is for the worthier male man“, as narrated by Al Bukhari and Muslim.
And in Sahih Muslim according to Abu Hurairah , the Prophet said to Omar about Abbas : “Don’t you know that the uncle of a man is the twin of his father“.
And in Tafsir Ibn Kathir is the explanation of the Ayat in Surah Al-Shura, that Omar bin Al-Khattab said to Al-Abbas: “I swear by Allah, your conversion on the day you embraced Islam was better to me than the conversion of (my father) Al-Khattab if he had really embraced Islam; because your conversion to Islam was better to the Prophet than the conversion of Al-Khattab“. Ibn Sa’ad mentioned this in his book At-Tabaqaat (Vol. 4, page: 22 and 30).
It is stated in Iqtida As-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem of Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah (Rahimahullah) (Vol. 1, page: 446) that when Omar bin Al Khattab initiated the Diwan of donations[i.e. the The Diwan is a book that records the names of soldiers and receivers of donations], he registered the people according to their lineage (Nasab) and started with the closest relatives of the Prophet, and when he finished with the Arabs, he registered the non-Arabs. And that is how the Diwan was, during the period of the Orthodox Caliphs and all the Caliphs of Banu Umayyah and during the period of the children of Al-Abbas, till changes happened after that.
He also said (Vol.1, page: 453): “Look at Omar bin Al-Khattab when he initiated the Diwan, people said to him: The Amir Al-Mu’minin must start with himself. He said: ‘No, but put Omar where Allah has placed him, he then started with the family of the Prophet and those after them in sequence till his turn came in the Banu Adiy clan, which is below most of the clans of Quraish“.
It has been mentioned previously in the virtues of Ahl Al-Bait in the Sunnah, the Hadith that says: “Every connection and kinship are cut off on the Day of Judgment except my connection and kinship“, and that it is this Hadith that urged Omar seek the marriage of Umm Kulthum the daughter of Ali. Al Albani has mentioned the routes of this Hadith in his book Silsilatus Sahihah (No. 2036) according to Omar.
It is known that the four Orthodox Caliphs are the in-laws of the Messenger of Allah. Thus, Abubakr and Omar have been blessed with additional dignity by the Prophet’s marriage with their daughters Aisha and Hafsa. Othman and Ali were also blessed with additional dignity by their marriage with the daughters of the Prophet, Othman got married to Ruqaiyah (RadiAllahu Anha), and after her death he got married to Umm Kulthum. For this reason, he was called Zhun Nur’ain (The holder of the two lights), and Ali got married to Fatima (RadiAllahu Anha).
In Siyar A’alam An-Nubala of Adh-Dhahabi and Tahdhib At-Tahdhib of Ibn Hajar in the biography of Ibn Al-Abbas, it is stated that: “whenever Abbas passed by Omar or Othman while they were riding (on camels) they would come down until he exceeds them, in respect for the uncle of the Prophet“.

Omar bin Abdul Aziz (Rahimahullah)

It is stated in At-Tabaqaat Ibn Sa’ad (Vol. 5 Page: 333, 387 and 388) with its Isnad attributed to Fatima the daughter of Ali bin Abi Talib, that Omar bin Abdul Aziz said to her: “O the daughter of Ali, I swear by Allah, there is no family on the earth more beloved to me than you, surely you are more beloved to me than my family“.

Abubakr bin Abi Shaibah (Rahimahullah)

In Tahdhib Al-Kamal of Al-Mizi in the biography of Ali bin Al-Hussein, Abubakr bin Abi Shaibah said: “The most authentic Isnad is that of Az-Zuhri reporting from Ali bin Al-Hussein, reporting from his father reporting from Ali“.

Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah (Rahimahullah) Ibn Taimiyah (Rahimahullah) said in Al-Aqidah Al-Wasitiyah: “They (i.e. the people of As-Sunnah and Al-Jama’ah) love the family of the Prophet; they befriend them and upkeep the advice of the Prophets towards them, when he said on the day of Gadir Khum: “I am reminding you of Allah (i.e. to fear Allah and be kind) to my family“.
He also said to his uncle Al-Abbas when he complained to him that some of the Quraishites are being rough with the Banu Hashim: “I swear by Him in Whose Hands my soul is. They will not be believers until they love you for the sake of Allah and for the sake of my kinship“. And he added: “Verily, Allah selected Kinanah from among the children of Ismael, and selected Quraish from Kinanah, and selected from Quraish Banu Hashim and selected me from Banu Hashim“.
And they also befriend and support the wives of the Messenger of Allah, the mothers of the believers, and they believe that they are his wives in the Hereafter, especially Khadija (RadiAllahu Anha), the mother of most of his children, and the first woman to believe in him and assist him in his affairs. She attained a high position to the Prophet. And the righteous, daughter of the righteous (RadiAllahu Anha), the one about whom the Prophet has said: “The superiority of Aisha over other women is like the superiority of the porridge over other meals“.
And they renounce the way of the Rawafid (Shiites) who hate the companions of the Prophet and abuse them. They also renounce the way of the Nawasib? who hurt the family of the Prophet by word or action.

[Note: The term “Rawafid” is the plural of Rafid which means to reject, the Rawafid are those who reject most of the companions of the Prophet especially Abubakr and Omar, and they claim. to be friendly with members of his family.
The term “Nawasib” is the plural of Nasib which means to oppose or declare enemity with others, the Nawasib are those who declare enemity with members of the Prophet’s family like the “Khawarij”]

He also said in The great advice, as it is in Majmu Al-Fatawa (vol. 3 page: 407-408):
“And also the family of the Messenger of Allah; they have their rights which deserve to be protected. Surely, Allah has given them a right on the Khums (the 1/5th of the war booty) and the Fai’e (booty obtained without battle) and ordained to pray on them when praying on the Messenger of Allah *”. He said to us: “Say: O Allah! Send Your Salah (Grace and Honor) on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent your Salah (Grace and Honor) on the family of Ibrahim. You are surely The Worthy of all praise full of glory. And send Your blessings on Muhammad and оп the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings on the family of Ibrahim. You are indeed worthy of all praise full of glory”.
And the family of Muhammad are those for whom the charity is forbidden, according to the words of As-Shafi’e, Ahmad bin Hanbal and other learned scholars (Rahimahumullah). For surely, the Prophet has said: “Verily, charity is licit neither for Muhammad, nor for the family of Muhammad”, and Allah has said: (Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet), and to purify you with a thorough purification)[Surah Al-Ahzab Ayah: 33]. Allah has made charity unlawful (haram) for them because it is the dirts of the people”
He again said in Majmu Al-Fatawa (Vol. 28, page: 491): “And also the household of the Messenger of Allah, it is obligatory to love them, befriend them and protect their right”.

Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayim (Rahimahullah)
Ibn Al-Qayim said in explaining the reasons why the false interpretation will be accepted: “The third reason is when the interpreter attributes his interpretation to a greatly honored, noble minded scholar, or to a member of the Prophet’s household or to the one who has acquired beautiful praises in the Ummah, and who is known for a truthful tongue that beautifies his personality in the hearts of the ignorant people, for surely it is the attitude of the people to glorify the words of the one they consider to be great in their hearts, to an extent that they would prefer his word to the word of Allah and His Messenger, and they would say: he knows Allah better than us”.
It is in this way that the Rafidah, the Baatiniyah, the Isma’eliyah and the Nusairiyah were able to publicize their falsehood and false interpretations, when they attributed them to the household of the Prophet, and that is because they knew that the Muslims have unanimously agreed to love and honor them. They claimed to be related to them, and pretended to love and honor them and mentioned some of their virtues, which appeared to the listener that they were their friends, and then they would publicize their falsehood by attributing it to them.
Verily, there is none fit to be worshiped except Allah! How many disbeliefs and atheism and innovations have been publicized and have existed because of that, and surely they (i.e. the household of the Prophet) are innocent.

If you ponder on this reason, you will find it prevailing over many souls; they do not have but good and positive thoughts towards the one entertaining them without any proof from Allah that lead them to it. And this is inheritance by blood relationship from those who contradict the religion of the Messengers with that of their fore fathers and predecessors, and this is the fate of all those who follow the one they honor and venerate in what contradicts the truth, till the Day of Judgment. Muktasar As-Swa’eq Al-Mursalah (Vol.1 page: 90).

Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (Rahimhullah):
Ibn Kathir said in his explanation of the Ayah in Surah As-Shura after having clarified that the actual meaning of Al Qurba (the kinship) is the clans of Quraish, as reported by Ibn Al-Abbas in his explanation of this Ayah in Sahih Al Bukhari.
He said: “We do not oppose the prescriptions in favor of the household of the Prophet, nor do we oppose the command to be kind to them and to respect and honor them. They are indeed, from the pure offspring of the noblest house ever found on the earth in terms of pride, origin and descent, especially if they follow the authentic and plain Sunnah of the Prophet as it was the case with their predecessors, like Al-Abbas and his children, Ali and his household and his offspring. May Allah be pleased with all of them“!
And after he had related two statements from Abubakr and a statement from Omar which prove their honor and respect for the household of the Prophet, and the high position they attained, he said: “the way of the two Sheiks (i.e. Abubakr and Omar) is what should be followed by everyone: this is why they were the best believers after the Prophets and Messengers. May Allah be pleased with them and with all the Sahabah”!

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (Rahimahullah):
Ibn Hajar said in his book Fath Al-Bari (Vol.3, page: 11) in a Hadith whose Isnad consists of Ali bin Hussein, from Hussein bin Ali, from Ali bin Abi Talib: “And this is among the most authentic and the noblest Isnad (chains of narration) ever stated for one who narrates on the authority of his father narrating on the authority of his grand father“.

Shaikhul-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab (Rahimahullah)
As for Shaikhul-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab (Rahimahullah), he had six sons and a daughter. They were Abdullah, Ali, Hassan, Hussein, Ibrahim, Abdul Aziz and Fatima; all of them had the names of the people of the household except Abdul Aziz. So, Abdullah and Ibrahim were the children of the Prophet; the rest: Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussein were his son in law, his daughter and his two grandchildren. His choice to name his children by the names of these people is indeed a clear indication of his love and regard for the household of the Prophet and these names were also repeated in his grandchildren.

At the end of this chapter, I would like to say: Allah has blessed me with sons and daughters and I named (some of them) Ali, Hassan, Hussein, Fatima and by seven names of mothers of the believers; and those whose names I chose, combined between companionship and kinship with the Prophet .
All praise belongs to Allah The One who blessed me with the love of the companions of the Messenger of Allah and his household. I ask Allah to maintain this blessing in me and to protect my heart from hatred against anyone of them, and protect my tongue from uttering what is not suitable. “Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful” [Surah Al-Hashr Ayah: 10].

Chapter Six
Praises of some Scholars on a group of Sahabah from Ahl Al-Bait

The uncle of the Messenger of Allah Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib
Adh-Dhahabi in his book Siyar A’alam An-Nubala (Vol.2, page: 79-80) said: “He was among the tallest men and the best among them in appearance and the most noticeable, with a nice and clear voice, great patience and honor…“
Az-Zubair bin Bakkar said: “Al-Abbas had a special clothe for the naked among the Banu Hashim, a bowl of food for the hungry and a Minzarah for the ignorant ones; he used to protect the neighbour, spend money (for the needy) and help at times of disasters“.
His statement: Minzarah in Tahdhib Ta’rikh Ibn Asakir (is written as) Migtarah and it is what is used to tie the offender and evil doer with (See Ha’shiyat As-Siyar).

The uncle of the Messenger of Allah Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib
Ibn Abdul Bar in his book Al-Isti’aab (Vol.1 page: 270 Hashiyatul Isabah) said: “Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim, the uncle of the Prophet; he was called the lion of Allah and the lion of the Messenger of Allah . He was nicknamed Abu Omarah and also Abu Ya’ala“.
And Adh-Dhahabi (in describing him) said: “The Imam, the hero, the Lion of Allah, Abu Omarah and Abu Ya’ala, the Quraishian, the Hashemite, the Meccan and the Madinian, the Badri (i.e. He fought the Battle of Badr), the Martyr, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah and his breastfed brother“. As-siyar (Vol. 1, page: 172).

Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali bin Abi Talib
Muslim narrating in his Sahih (276) with his Isnad attributed to Shuraih bin Hani’e said: “I came to Aisha and asked her about wiping over the scuff and she said: ‘go to Ibn Abi Talib and ask him, for he used to travel with the Messenger of Allah’. We asked him and he said: The Messenger of Allah gave three days and their nights to the traveler (to wipe over his scuff during ablution), and a day and its night for the resident“.
And in another version of the Hadith, she said: “Go to Ali for surely he knows about it better than me“. I came to Ali, and he mentioned from the Prophet the same thing.
Ibn Abdul Bar (Rahimahullah) in his book Al-Isti’aab (Vol.3 page: 51 Hashiyatul Isabah) said: “Ahmad bin Hanbal and Ismael bin Ishaq Al-Qadi said: it has not been narrated in (showing) the virtues of any of the companions with authentic chain of narration like what has been narrated (in showing) the virtues of Ali bin Abi Talib; a similar statement has also been reported from Ahmad bin Shuaib bin Ali An-Nasa’e (Rahimahullah)“.
He also said (Vol.3 page: 47): “Al-Hassan bin Abi Al-Hassan Al-Basri was asked about Ali bin Abi Talib and he said: By Allah! Ali was indeed the perfect arrow which Allah has thrown on His enemies, the Rabbaniyy of this Ummah (i.e. the learned man of religion who practices what he knows and preaches to others). He owned virtues in the community. He was among its foremost members and had kinship with the Messenger of Allah. He has never napped on the command of Allah neither has he been blamed in the religion of Allah nor has he been a thief of the wealth of Allah. He gave the Qur’an all his determination and gained therein the purified and beautiful gardens. That was Ali bin Abi Talib, O slave of Allah!“
He also said (Vol.3 page: 52): “Al-Asam narrated from Al-Abbas Ad-Dawri that Yahya bin Ma’een said: The best of this Ummah after our Prophet are Abubakr and Omar, then Othman and then Ali: this is our belief and the statement of our Imams“.
He also said (Vol. 3 page: 65): “And Abu Ahmad Az-Zubairi and others narrated from Malik bin Migwal who was quoting Ukail that Ash-Sha’abi said: ‘Alqamah said to me: ‘Do you know the parable of Ali in this Ummah?’ I said: ‘and what is his parable? He said: the parable of Issa (Jesus) the son of Mariam (Mary): people loved him till they perished in their love for him, and others hated him till they perished in their hatred for him“.
In other words, Alqamah compares the Khawarij** and Rafidah to the Jew and the Christians, respectively.¹
He also said (Vol.3 page 33): “They unanimously agreed that he (i.e. Ali) prayed towards the two Qiblas (Bait Al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] and then the Ka’aba) migrated (to Medina), took part in the Battle of Badr, that of Al-Hudaibiyat and all confrontations. He excelled himself greatly in the Battles of Badr, Uhud, Al-Khandaq and Khaibar. He fought courageously in those confrontations, and stood in them an honorable position. He was the holder of the flag of Allah’s Messenger in many places: he held it on the day of Badr (there is a dispute on that among the scholars) and when Mus’ab bin Umair was killed on the day of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah transferred the flag to his hands. [**The Khawarij who hated Ali after the trial of “Sifin” till they perished; the Rafidah claimed to love Ali and exceeded the limit of love for mankind which perished them]

Ibn Taimiyah in his book Minhaj As-Sunnah (Vol.1, page: 178) said: “Abubakr and Omar have always been kind to Ali in every manner: they always considered him and the rest of the Banu Hashim before others in donations; they considered him in rank, sanctity, love, loyalty, praises and respect as they did with his counterparts; they granted him the merit, which Allah has blessed him with besides others of his type. They were never known to have uttered any ill statement against Ali, neither against any of the Banu Hashim […] As well as Ali, it has been confirmed from him his love for both of them (Abubakr and Omar), his loyalty, respect and his consideration for them more than for all others in this Ummah; and he has never been known to have said any ill word against them, nor to have said that he was the worthier of the leadership (after the death of the Prophet) than Abubakr and Omar. And this is well known by those among specialists and profanes who know authentic reports from the companions by people of authority.
He also said: “As for Ali, the people of the Sunnah love and befriend him, and they testify that he is one of the Orthodox Caliphs and rightly guided Imams“.
Ibn Hajar (Rahimahullah) in his book At-Taqreeb said: “Ali bin Abi Talib bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim, the Hashemite. Hidarat, Abu Turab, and the father of the two Hassans (Hassan and Hussein), son of the uncle of Allah’s Messenger, and husband of his daughter, he was among the first to accept Islam. In fact the majority considered him to be the first, and he is the preceding Arab, one of the ten (mentioned by the Prophetto enter Paradise). He died in Ramadan in the 40th year of Hegira. The people of Sunnah have unanimously agreed that by then he was the best son of Adam among the living on the earth. He had 63 years according to the predominant opinion. He had 15 sons and 18 daughters. That has been mentioned by Al-A’rmiriy in his book Ar-Riyad Al-Mustatabah among the Sahabah who narrated in Sahihain (page: 180). He then mentioned them by their names, mentioned their mothers and then said: “and the progeny of Ali is from the children of Al-Hassan, Al-Hussein, Muhammad, Omar and Al-Abbas“.

The grandson of the Messenger of Allah Al-Hassan bin Ali bin Abi Talib
Ibn Abdul Bar in Isti’aab (Vol. 1, page: 369 Hashiyatul Isabah) said: “It has been confirmed by many authentic narrations that the Prophet said about Al-Hassan bin Ali: “This son of mine is a Saiyid (i.e. chief), perhaps Allah will keep him alive until He brings reconciliation between two great groups of the Muslims through him”. (Narrated by a group of Sahabah) And in the Hadith reported by Abubakr (he added): ‘He is my sweet scented plant (rayhanah) in this world’. There is no chief greater than the one whom the Messenger of Allah has called a chief. He was very patient, pious and virtuous. His piety and virtue urged him to give up the power and this world, longing for that which is in the hands of Allah, and he said: ‘By Allah I have never loved -ever since I realized what benefits and harms me- to take up the affairs of the Ummah of Muhammad as far as that is requiring bloodshed, even in a small proportion. He was among the first set of people who hastened to help Othman and among his defenders“.
Adh-Dhahabi said about him in As-Siyar (Vol.3 pages: 245-246): “The Imam, the honorable, the sweet scented plant (Rayhanah) of the Messenger of Allah, his grandson, and the leader of the youths of Paradise, Abu Muhammad the Quraishian, the Hashemite, the Medinian, the martyr“.
He also said (Vol. 3 page: 253): “This Imam was indeed honorable, good-looking, handsome, rational, calm, generous, praised, charitable, religious, pious, modest, and great“.

And Ibn Kathir said about him in Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (Vol.11 pages 192-193): “As-Siddiq used to respect him and honor him and served him devotedly, and also Omar bin Al-Khattab […] Likewise, Othman bin Affan used to honor Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein and love them, and on the day when the house of Othman was besieged, Al-Hassan was there with his sword defending him, but Othman swore to Allah urging him to return in fear for him to be harmed and in order to please Ali. May Allah be pleased with all of them“!

The grandson of the Messenger of Allâh Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib
Ibn Abdul Bar said in Al-Istiaab (Vol.1 page: 377 Hashiyatul Isabah): “Al-Hussein was virtuous, religious, full of fasting, prayer and Hajj“.
Ibn Taimiyah said as it is in Majmu al-Fatawa (Vol. 4 page: 511): “And Al-Hussein was honored by Allah the highest with martyrdom on this day (i.e. the day of A’shura), and by that, He humiliated those who killed him, assisted in killing him, or were pleased with his death. And he had a good example in those who preceded him in the martyrdom; in reality, he and his brother are the leaders of the youths of Paradise. They were brought up in the esteem of Islam, they did not encounter what the other members of their family encountered (from the constraints) of Hegira (migration to Medina), Jihad and the patience upon the disturbance in the cause of Allah. Allah blessed them both with martyrdom in order to perfect their honor, and raise their position.
His killing was a great misfortune; and Allah has ordained these words to be said during misfortune: But give glad tidings to As-Sabirûn (the patient), who when afflicted with calamity say: Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return’. They are those on whom are the salawat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones) [Surah Al-Baqara Ayaats: 155-157].

and Adh-Dhahabi (Rahimahullah) said about him in As-Siyar (Vol. 3 page 280): “The noble and complete Imam, the grandson of the Messenger of Allah his sweet scented plant (Rayhanah) from the world, his beloved one, Abu Abdullah Al-Hussein bin (the son of) Amir Al-Mu’minin (Prince of the Believers) Abu Al-Hassan Ali bin Abi Talib bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim ibn Abdu Manaf bin Qusai, the Quraishian and the Hashemite“.
And Ibn Kathir said in Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (Vol.11, page: 476): “The point here is that Al-Hussein witnessed the Messenger of Allah and accompanied him till he died pleased with him. But he was a little boy then, and As-Siddiq used to honor and respect him, so did Omar and Othman. He also accompanied his father and narrated from him. He was with him in all his battles; in Al-Jamal and Sifin, and he was greatly honored and respected“.

Abdullah bin Al-Abbas, cousin of Allah’s Messenger
Al Bukhari narrated in his Sahih (4970) that Ibn Al-Abbas said: “Omar used to make me sit with the elderly men who fought in the Battle of Badr. Apparently, some of them did not like that and said to Omar: why do you bring in this boy to sit with us while we have sons like him? Omar replied: ‘Because of what you know of his position (i.e. his religious knowledge)‘.
One day Omar called me and made me sit together with those people and I think he called me just to show them (my religious knowledge). He said to them: what do you say about the interpretation of this statement of Allah: When there comes the Help of Allah (to you O Muhammad against your enemies) and the conquest (of Makkah) [Surah An-Nasr Ayah: 1]. Some of them said: “we have been ordained to praise Allah and seek His forgiveness when Allah helps us and when He gives us the Victory’. Some others kept quiet and did not say anything, on that he said to me: ‘is that what you say, O the son of Al-Abbas?’ I replied: ‘no’. He said: ‘what do you say then? I replied: ‘that is the sign of the death of the Messenger of Allah, which Allah has made known to him’. He said: When there comes the Help of Allah (to you O Muhammad against your enemies) and the conquest (of Makkah)) and that is the sign of the moment of your death (So glorify the praises of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness. Verily He is the One Who accepts the repentance and Who forgives) [Surah An-Nasr 1-3.]. Omar said: I don’t know about it another meaning except what you have said.
And in At-Tabaqaat of Ibn Sa’ad (2/369), (it is narrated from Sa’ad bin Abi Waqaas that he said: “I have never seen a sensible, sober minded, knowledgeable, and widely forbearing (person) like Ibn Al-Abbas. I have seen Omar bin Al-Khattab calling him (to solve) difficult and problematic matters“.
And in this book also (Vol.2, page: 370), it is narrated from Jabir bin Abdullah: “Ibn Al-Abbas has been blessed with and understanding, intelligence, knowledge. I have never seen Omar bin Al-khattab precede anyone before him“.
And in this same volume and page it is narrated from Jabir bin Abdullah that when he heard about the death of Ibn Al-Abbas, he clapped one of his hands on the other and said: “The most learned and most forbearing person has died and this is a great misfortune to this Ummah“.
And in it is also narrated that Abubakr bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Hazm said: “When Ibn Al-Abbas died, Raafi’e bin Khadij said: “the one whose knowledge was needed by those between the east and the west has died today“.
And in Isti’aab of Ibn Abdul Bar (Vol. 2, pages: 344-345) it is narrated that Mujahid said: “I have not listened to a fatwa (Islamic advisory opinion) better than the fatwa of Ibn Al-Abbas, except when someone was saying (directly): ‘the Messenger of Allah has said‘. A similar statement has been narrated by Al-Qa’sim bin Muhammad”.

And Ibn Kathir (Rahimahullah) said in Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (Vol.12, page 88): “It is confirmed from Omar bin Al-Khattab that he used to let Ibn Al-Abbas sit with the elderly men from the Sahabah, and he would say: ‘Blessed is the interpreter of the Qur’an Abdullah bin Al-Abbas, and whenever he appears, Omar would say: the youth of the elderly has arrived, the owner of the enquiring tongue and sensible mind“.

Ja’afar bin Abi Talib, cousin of Allah’s Messenger
In Sahih Al Bukhari (3708) it is said from the Hadith reported by Abu Hurairah about Ja’afar: “The most charitable person towards the needy is Ja’afar: he used to take us to his home and offer us what was available therein; he would even offer us an empty container which he would split for us to lick whatever was in it“.
Al Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in his explanation (Al-Fath Vol.7, page: 76): “and it is according to this precision that must be understood the generality which is narrated by Ikrimah from Abu Hurairah, he said: ‘none has worn slippers and rode a camel, after the Messenger of Allah, better than Ja’afar bin Abi Talib. This is recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Al-Hakim with an authentic Isnad“.
And Adh-Dhahabi said about him in As-Siyar (Vol.1, page: 206): “The honorable, the martyr, the great, the star of the Mujahidin, Abu Abdullah, the son of the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, Hashim bin Abdu Manaf bin Qusai, the Hashemite, the brother of Ali bin Abi Talib; he was 10 years older than Ali. He made the two Hegiras, he migrated from Abyssinia to Medina, he joined the Muslims in Khaibar after they have conquered it, and stayed in Medina for months, and then the Messenger of Allah appointed him as Commander of the army prepared for the Battle of Mu’uta towards Al-Karak, he was martyred there. The Messenger of Allah was very happy for his coming (to Medina) and-by Allah he was so grieved on his death“.

And in At-Taqreeb of Ibn Hajar, he said: “Ja’afar bin Abi Talib, the Hashemite, the father of the needy, the owner of the two wings, the honorable Sahabi and the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, martyred during the Battle of Mu’uta in the 8th year of Hegira. He is mentioned in Sahihain but nothing has been narrated from him“.
He is called the owner of the two wings because he was compensated for the loss of his both hands, when they were cut off during the Battle of Mu’uta, with two wings with which he flew together with the Angels. It is reported in Sahih Al Bukhari (3709) with its Isnad attributed to Ash-Sha’abi “That Ibn Omar, whenever he greeted the son of Ja’afar, he used to say: ‘Assalamu ‘alaika’ (may peace be upon you), O you the son of the owner of the two wings“.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in his explanation: “It is as if he was referring to the Hadith of Abdullah bin Ja’afar in which he said: the Messenger of Allah said to me: ‘Congratulations, your father is flying with the Angels in heaven’; recorded by At-Tabarani with a good Isnad“.
He then mentioned other routes of this Hadith from Abu Hurairah. Ali and Ibn Al-Abbas, and he said in the route of Ibn Al-Abbas: “Verily Ja’afar is flying with Jibril and Mika’eel: he has two wings with which Allah compensated him for his hands“. He said: “The Isnad of this (Hadith) is good“.

The grandson of the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, Abdullah bin Ja’afar
In Sahih Muslim (2428) it is narrated from Abdullah bin Ja’afar: “Whenever the Messenger of Allah returns from a journey, he is received by the youths of his household. Once he returned from a journey, I was preceded to him; he put me before him. Then one of Fatima’s sons was brought (on the scene), he placed him behind him; he (Abdullah bin Ja’afar) said: ‘we entered Medina, the three of us together on the mount“.

Adh-Dhahabi (Rahimahullah) said about him in As-Siyar (Vol.3, page: 456): The master, the scholar, Abu Ja’afar the Quraishian, the Hashemite, the Abyssinian born, the Medinian settler, the hospitable, the generous, the son of the generous, and son of the owner of the two wings, he was blessed with the companionship of the Prophet and narrated Hadiths. He is considered among the junior Sahabah. His father was martyred on the day of the Battle of Mu’uta, the Prophet took up his responsibility, and he was brought up in his house.
He also said: “He was great, generous, and fit for leadership“.
And in Riyad Al-Mustatabat of Al-A’miriy (page: 205) “Abban bin Othman prayed on his corpse. He was by then the governor of Medina, he raised his stretcher while his tears were flowing down and he said: By Allah you were good, there is no evil in you, and you were by Allah respectable, virtuous, and righteous“.

And among the companions of the Messenger of Allah who belong to his household are :
Abu Sufyan, Nawfal, Rabec’ah and Ubaidah who are the sons of Al-Harith bin Abdul Muttalib.
Abdul Muttalib bin Rabee’ah bin Al-Harith bin Abdul Muttalib.
Al-Harith and Al-Mugirah the sons of Nawfal bin Al-Harith bin Abdul Muttalib.
Ja’afar and Abdullah the sons of Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith bin Abdul Muttalib
Mu’atib and Utbah the sons of Abu
Lahab Abdul Uzza bin Abdul Muttalib.
Al-Fadl and Ubaidullah the sons of Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib.

Chapter Seven
Praises of some Scholars on a group of female Sahabah (Sahabiyat) from Ahl Al-Bait:

The daughter of the Messenger of Allah Fatima (RadiAllahu Anha)
It is narrated from Aisha that she said: “I have not seen anyone resemble the Messenger of Allah in his calmness, guidance, mode of conduct and in his standings and sittings like Fatima bint (the daughter) of the Messenger of Allah …” narrated by Abu Dawood (5217) and At-Tirmidhi (3872), and its Isnad is good.
And Abu Nu’aim said about her in Al-Hilyat (Vol.2, page: 29): “And among the pure devout and the pious is Fatima (RadiAllahu Anha), the honorable virgin, the piece of flesh that greatly resembles the Messenger, the closest of his children to his heart, and the first to join him after his death. She was totally keeping away from this world and its pleasure and very much aware of the defects of this world and its blights“.
Adh-Dhahabi (Rahimahullah) said in Al-Siyar (Vol.2, page: 118-119): “The leader of the women of the world in her time, the piece of flesh of the Prophet and the chosen direction (i.e. the Prophethood), the mother of her father, the daughter of the best creation the Messenger of Allah, Abu Al-Qasim Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abdu Manaf- the Quraishian, the Hashemite, and the mother of the two Al-Hassans (i.e. Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein)“.
He also said: “The Prophet loved her and used to honor her and disclose secrets to her, and her merits are so many, she was patient, religious, generous, preservative, content and grateful to Allah“.
And Ibn Kathir (Rahimahullah) said in Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (Vol.9, page: 485): “She was nicknamed: the mother of her father“. He said: “And she was the youngest daughter of the Prophet, the only one left after his death; that is why her reward was great, because she was tried by the death of her father“.

Ummul Mu’minin Khadija bint Kuwailid (RadiAllâhu Anha)
Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (Vol.2, page: 109-110): “The mother of the believers and leader of the women of the world in her time the mother of the children of the Messenger of Allah (except Ibrahim), the first to believe in the Prophet and encourage him before anyone else, her merits are abundant, she is among the ladies who reached the perfection. She was intelligent, majestic, blameless, generous and among the people of Paradise. The Prophet used to praise her, prefer her to all his wives and grant her lot of consideration…
And among the honors she had from him is that he did not get married to anyone before her, and nor did he get married to any other wife till she died. And he missed her so much for she was indeed a blessed and beneficial partner… and Allah has ordained him to give her the glad tidings of having a palace made of Qasab (gold or silver) in Paradise wherein there will be neither any noise nor any toil (or fatigue, trouble etc)“.
And among that which Ibn Al-Qayim said in his book Jala’ul Afhaam (page: 349): That among her specialties is that Allah has sent Salaam (greetings) to her through Jibril. He said: “And by Allah this (greeting) is special (for her) and had not been for any woman besides her“.
And he said before: “And among her specialties: that she is the best among the women of this Ummah. However, there are three different views about her being prefered over Aisha (RadiAllahu Anhhuma): the third one is indecision. He said: ‘I asked our Sheik Ibn Taimiyah about it’? He said: ‘Each one of them has a specialty of hers. As for Khadija her impact was in the first phase of Islam. She used to amuse the Messenger of Allah strengthen him and make him calm. She used to spend her wealth on him, she witnessed the onset of Islam and withstood the problems faced in the cause of Allah and in the (struggle) of the Messenger of Allah. Her help to the Prophet was at the greatest time of need, she has helped and spent that which no one else has done. And for Aisha (RadiAllahu Anha), her impact was at the latter phase of Islam she had the understanding of the religion and preached it to the nation, she benefited her children (i.e. the believers) with knowledge in a way that no one else has done. This is the meaning of his statement”.

Ummul Mu’minin Aisha (RadiAllâhu Anha)
Adh-Dhahabi said about her in As-Siyar (Vol.2, page: 140): “…And the Prophet did not marry any virgin besides her, and did not love a woman more than the love he had for her; I don’t know a woman in the Ummah of Muhammad-and even among all the women- more learned than her“.
And in As-Siyar also (Vol.2, page: 181) narrated from Ali bin Al-Aqmar said: “Whenever Masrooq narrated from Aisha, he would say: narrated to me by the righteous, daughter of the righteous, the beloved of Allah’s beloved, the one whose innocence was declared from above the seven heavens; so, I did not belie her“.
And Ibn Al-Qayim mentioned in Jala’ul Afhaam (pages: 351-355) some of her specialties, which can be summarized as follows: “she was the most beloved person to the Messenger of Allah. He did not marry a virgin besides her, and at times the revelation will come to him while he is in her blanket. And when the Ayah of choice was revealed (in Surah Al-Ahzab Ayah: 28) he started with her and asked her to choose (between Allah and His Messenger and the hereafter and between the life of this world and its glitter). She chose Allah and His Messenger, and the remaining wives imitated her. And that Allah proclaimed her innocence from the false accusation which the people of the falsehood threw upon her, and revealed in proving her innocence and excuse Ayat that are recited on the Mihrabs (prayer niche) of the Muslims and in their prayers, till the Judgment Day; and witnessed for her that she is among the will purified ones and promised her forgiveness and generous provision. And with this high status of hers she humbles herself for Allah and says: ‘verily my affair within myself is too minor for Qur’an to be revealed about me’; and that the senior Sahabah come to her whenever they find difficulty in a case in the religion, they would ask her and would find its knowledge with her. And that the Prophet died in her house and on her day (of share) between her neck and chest, and was buried in her house; that the Angel showed her image to the Prophet in a piece of silk before he married her. He said: ‘If this is from Allah then he would make it possible’, and that people used to seize the opportunity of sending him gifts on Aisha’s day with him, they would present him with what he loves while he is in the house of the most beloved woman to him. May Allah be pleased with all of them”!

Ummul Mu’minin Sawdah bint Zam’ah (RadiAllahu Anha)
Adh-Dhahabi (Rahimahullah) said in As-Siyar (Vol.2, page: 265-266): “She is the first woman the Prophet married after Khadija, he stayed alone with her for about three years or more, till he married Aisha. She was an honorable lady, noble and corpulent and she was the one who offered her day to Aisha in order to please the heart of the Prophet ”.
And Ibn Al-Qayim (Rahimahullah) said in Jala’ul Afhaam (page: 35): “…She became old with him, and so, he wanted to divorce her, she gave her day to Aisha (RadiAllahu Anha), he then withheld her. And this is among her specialties, that she preferred the love of the Prophet, giving up her day and sacrificing herself in order to stay near to him. The Prophet used to share his days with his wives and would not give her a share, and she was pleased with that, preferring the pleasure of the Prophet. May Allah be pleased with her”!
Ummul Mu’minin Hafsa bint Omar bin Al-Khattab (RadiAllahu Anha)
Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (Vol.2, page: 227): “The esteem covered, daughter of Amir Al-Mu’minin Abu Hafsa Omar bin Al-Khattab. The Prophet married her on the third year of the Hegira after she has completed her Iddat (period a widow or a divorced woman may not remarry) from Khunais bin Hudhafah As-Sahmi one of the emigrants. Aisha said: she was the one who used to compete with me, among the wives of the Prophet “.

Ummul Mu’minin Ummu Salamah Hind bint Abi Umayyah (RadiAllahu Anha)
Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (Vol.2, pages 201-203): “The pure veiled lady… among the first emigrants… she was considered among the learned female Sahabah (Sahabiyat)“.
And Yahya bin Abubakr Al-Amiri said in Ar-Riyad Mustatabah (page: 324): “She was virtuous and patient, and she was the one who suggested to the Prophet on the day of Hudaibiyah to shave his head and sacrifice his Hadye (offering); and she saw Jibril in the form of Dehiyah“.

Ummul Mu’minin Zainab bint Khuzaimah Al-Hilaliyah (RadiAllahu Anha)
Adh-Dhahabi mentioned in As-Siyar (Vol.2 page: 218) that she was called the mother of the needy because of her great kindness.
And Ibn Al-Qayim (Rahimahullah) said in Jala’ul Afhaam (page: 376): “She was called the mother of the needy because she regularly used to feed the needy. She did not stay with the Prophet except for two or three months, and died (RadiAllahu Anha)“.

Ummul Mu’minin Juwairiyah bint Al-Harith (RadiAllahu Anha)
She is the mother of the believers and the wife of the chief of Messengers, and that is sufficient for her as a virtue and honor.
Ibn Al-Qayim said in Jala’ul Afhaam (page: 376-377): “And she was the one for whose sake the Muslims freed one hundred slaves of a household. They said: ‘they are the in-laws of the Messenger of Allah, and that was among her blessings on her people (RadiAllahu Anha)“.

Ummul Mu’minin Safiyah bint Huyaiy (RadiAllahu Anha)
It is reported in Jami’e At-Tirmidhi (3894) with an authentic Isnad from Anas that the Prophet said to her “Verily you are the daughter of a Prophet (i.e. among the descendants of Haroun bin Imran), your uncle is a Prophet (i.e. Musa bin Imran) and you are under a Prophet (i.e. married to Muhammad)“.
Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (Vol.2, page: 232): “She was chaste, sensible, and possessed a noble origin, beautiful and religious. May Allah be pleased with her”. He also said: “Safiyah was very patient and respectful“.
Ibn Al-Qayim said in Jala’ul Afhaam (page: 377): “The Messenger of Allah married Safiyah bint Huyaiy from the descendants of Haroun bin Imran the brother of Musa)“.
He also said: “And among her specialties is that the Messenger of Allah freed her (from slavery) and made of her freedom her Sadaq (dowry)“. Anas said: “He made her freedom her dowry and that became Sunnah (a tradition) to the Ummah till the Judgment Day. It is allowed for a man to free his slave and make of her freedom her Sadaq, and she becomes his wife, as noted by Imam Ahmad (Rahimahullah)“.

Ummul Mu’minin Ummu Habibah Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan (RadiAllâhu Anha)
Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (Vol.2 page: 218): “The veiled mistress”. He also said: “Ummu Habibah had sanctity and dignity, especially under the rule of her brother. And his position towards her, he (i.e. Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan) was called: the uncle of the believers“.
And Ibn Kathir said in Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah: “She was among the distinguished mothers of the believers and she was among the devoted worshippers and among the pious ones. May Allah be pleased with her“!

Ummul Mu’minin Maimunah bint Al-Harith (RadiAllahu Anha)
It is reported in As-Siyar (Vol.2, page: 244): from Aisha (RadiAllahu Anha): “Verily she is among the most pious of us, and the best of us in linking ties with relatives“.
And Adh-Dhahabi said: (Vol.2, page: 239): “She was among the distinguished women“.

Ummul Mu’minin Zainab bint Jahsh (RadiAllâhu Anha)
In Sahih Muslim, from a long Hadith narrated by Aisha (RadiAllahu Anha) it is said: “She was the one who used to compete with me among his wives in position towards the Messenger of Allah ; and I have never seen a woman better than her in religion, nor have I seen a more pious, more truthful, more close to relatives than Zainab, she was great in charity, and self sacrificing in the work. She offered and got closer to Allah; except that she had violent character and quickly annoyed. But whenever that happened to her, she would quickly retrieve herself from it“.

Adh-Dhahabi said (Vol.2, page: 211): “It is Allah the Highest who gave her in marriage to His Prophet by the statement of His Book, with neither a wali’y пог witness. She used to boast with that to the other mothers of the believers and would say to them: Your parents gave you in marriage, and I was given in marriage by Allah from above His Throne“. The Hadith is recorded in Sahih Al Bukhari (7402).
He also said: “She was among the distinguished women in terms of ascetism, piety and generosity; may Allah be pleased with her“.
He also said (Vol. 2 page: 217): “She was righteous, full of fasting and night prayers, faithful, and she was called: the mother of the needy“.

The aunt of the Messenger of Allah Safiyyah bint Abdul Muttalib (RadiAllahu Anha)
Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (Vol.2 page: 270): “Safiyyah the aunt of the Messenger of Allah, the daughter of Abdul Muttalib,the Hashemite. She was Hamza’s sister and the mother of the Prophet’s disciple: Az-Zubair“.
He also said: (Vol.1, page: 270) “The truth is that she was the only one who embraced Islam among the aunts of the Prophet. She was very grieved and patient on the death of her brother Hamza, and she was among the first emigrants“.

And among the Sahabiyat (female companions) of the household are:
The daughters of the Prophet: Zainab, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum.
Ummu Kulthum and Zainab the daughters of Ali bin Abi Talib, and their mother is Fatima.
Umamah bint Abi Al-Aa’s bin Ar-Rabi’e, and her mother is Zainab the daughter of the Messenger of Allah. She is the one whom the Prophet used to carry during As-Salah.
Ummu Hani’e bint Abi Talib bin Abdul Muttalib.
Duba’ah and Ummu Al-Hakam the daughters of Az-Zubair bin Abdul Muttalib.

They are mentioned in a Hadith recorded by Abu Dawood (2987); and Duba’ah is the one mentioned in the Hadith of the stipulation in the Hajj; it is to her that the Prophet said: “Say: if anything prevents me (from completing the Hajj or Umrah), then my ritual consecration will end where You prevented me“.
And Umamah the daughter of Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib.

Chapter Eight
Praises of some Scholars on a group of Tabi’in and others from Ahl Al-Bait:

Muhammad bin Ali bin Abi Talib (famously known as Ibn Al-Hanafiyyah Rahimahullah)
Ibn Hibban said in his book Thiqaat At-Tabi’in (Vol.5, page: 347): “He was among the virtuous ones of His household .
And in his biography in Tahdhib Al-Kamal of Al-Mizi, Ahmad bin Abdullah Al-Ajaliy said about him: “the trustworthy Tabi’e, he was a righteous man… and Ibrahim bin Abdullah bin Al-Junaid said: we do not know anyone who narrated from Ali from the Prophet more Hadiths, nor more authentic Hadiths than Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah“.
And in As-Siyar of Adh-Dhahabi (Vol.4, page: 115), it is narrated from Isra’eel, that Abdul A’ala (he is ibn A’mir) said: “that Muhammad bin Ali was nicknamed Abu Al-Qasim, and he was pious and full of knowledge“.
He also said about him: “The honorable Imam Abu Al-Qasim and Abu Abdullah“.

Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Rahimahullah)
Ibn Sa’ad said in At-Tabaqaat (Vol.5, page: 222): “Ali bin Al-Hussein was trustworthy, honest; he reported many Hadiths and was high and pious“.
And Ibn Taimiyah said in Minhaj As-Sunnah (Vol.4, page: 48): “As for Ali bin Al-Hussein, he is among the great Tabi’ins and the distinguished in knowledge and piety“.
And in his biography in Tahdhib Al-Kamal of Al-Mizi, Sufyan ibn Uyainah narrated from Az-Zuhri that he said: “I have not seen a Quriashian better than Ali bin Al-Hussein“.
A similar meaning has been transmitted from Abu Hazim, Zaid bin Aslam, Malik and Yahya bin (Rahimahumullah). Sa’eed Al-Ansari
Al-Ajli said: “Ali bin Al-Hussein was among the best of his household, the best of them in obedience, and the most beloved towards Marwan bin Al-Hakam and Abdul Malik bin Marwan“.
Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (vol. 4, page: 386): “The honorable Imam Zain Al-Abidin, the Hashemite, the descendant of Ali, the Medinian“.
And Ibn Hajar said in At-Taqreeb. “Trustworthy authentic, devoted worshipper, learned, virtuous and famous“.

Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Rahimahullah)
Among things, which show the respect of Jabir bin Abdullah Al-Ansari for him, it is reported in Sahih Muslim (1218) in the long Hadith in describing Hajj, on the authority of Ja’afar bin Muhammad (and he is the son of Ali bin Al-Hussein); he narrated from his father that he said: “We entered to Jabir bin Abdullah, he asked about the people till he reached me, I said: ‘I am Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hussein, he bowed with his hand on my head, he removed my upper button, and then removed the lower one. He then placed his hand between my breast and I was by then a little boy, he said: welcome to you the son of my brother! Ask about what you wish… I said: ‘tell me about the Hajj of the Messenger of Allah. He narrated to him his long Hadith in description of the Prophet’s Hajj .
And Ibn Taimiyah said in Minhaj As-Sunnah (Vol. 4, page: 50): “And Abu Ja’afar Muhammad bin Ali is also among the best people of knowledge and religion. It is said that he is named (Al-Ba’qir) because he has ripped (acquired) knowledge, not that the sujud (prostration) has marked his forehead.
And Al-Mizi said in his biography in Tahdhib Al-Kamal: “Al-Ajli said: Medinian, trustworthy Tabi’e, and Ibn Al-Burqi said: ‘he was learned and virtuous“.
Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (Vol. 4, pages: 401-402): “He is the honorable Imam Abu Ja’afar Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Ali Al-Alawi, Al-Fatimi, Al-Madani, the son of Zain Al-Abidin… He was one of those who combined between knowledge and work, honor and dignity, reliability and calmness. He was fit for the Caliphate, and he is one of the twelve Imams whom the Imamate Shiites glorify and believe that they are infallible and sinless and that they know all about the religion. Indeed none is infallible and sinless except the Angels and the Prophets. Everyone can be right or wrong, and his word can be accepted or rejected save that of the Prophet, verily he was infallible and assisted with divine revelation.
Abu Ja’afar was famously known as Al-Ba’qir from the word “baqara al-ilm” to rip open knowledge i.e. to cut it, (this means) he knew its source of origin and its secrets, Abu Ja’afar was a hardworking Imam, a reciter of the Holy Qur’an, great…“.
He also said (page: 403): “An-Nasa’e and others has considered him among the learned Ta’bi’eens in Medina, and the Hufaz (people who memorize lots of Hadith and other knowledge) have agreed in accepting his narrations“.

Ja’afar bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Rahimahullah)
Imam Ibn Taimiyah said in Minhaj As-Sunnah (Vol. 4, page: 52-53): “Ja’afar As-Sadiq (the truthful) is one of the chosen people of knowledge and religion… and Amr bin Abi Al-Miqdam said: ‘whenever I look at Ja’afar I know that he is from the offspring of the Prophets“. He described him in his book: The virtue of Ahl Al-Bait and their rights and said in (page: 35): “The Sheik of the scholars of the Ummah“.
And Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (Vol.6, page: 255): “The truthful Imam, the Sheik of Banu Hashim, Abu Abdullah Al-Qurashi, Al-Hashimi, Al-Alawi, An-Nabawi, Al-Madani one of the distinguished personalities“.
He said about him and his father: “And they were among the honorable scholars of Medina“.
He said in Tadhkiratul Hufaz (Vol.1, page: 150): “As-Shafi’e declared him trustworthy and so did Yahya bin Ma’een. It is narrated from Abu Hanifah that he said: I have not seen a (person) more learned in fiqh than Ja’afar bin Muhammad‘. And Abu Hatim said about him: “Trustworthy, there is no need to ask about a person like him’ (i.e. His no one doubted about his integrity.)

Ali bin Abdullah bin Al-Abbas (Rahimahullah) Ibn Sa’ad said in At-Tabaqaat (Vol. 5 page: 313): “Ali bin Abdullah bin Al-Abbas was the youngest son of his father, the most handsome Quraishian on earth, the most good looking, and the most plentiful of them in prayers. He was called: As-Sajaad (full of prostration in prayer) because of his plenty of worship and virtue“.
He also said (in page: 314): “He was trustworthy but reported only few Hadith“.
And in Tahdhib Al-Kamal of Mizi: “Al-Ajli and Abu Zur’ah said about him: “trustworthy” and Amr bin Ali said: “He was among the chosen people and Ibn Hibban has mentioned him in his book At-thiqaať” (the trusted persons).
Adh-Dhahabi said in As-Siyar (Vol. 5, page 252): “The honorable Imam Abu Al-khala’ef, Abu Muhammad Al-Hashimi As-Sajaad (i.e. full of prostration)…learned and great, he worked with his knowledge, corpulent, good looking, tall, and august“.

Chapter Nine
A comparison between the faith of Ahl As-Sunnah and others towards Ahl Al-Bait:

It is clear from the previous chapters that the belief of Ahl As-Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah towards the family of the Prophet is moderate between excess and failure and between fanaticism and indifference. They love all of them and befriend them, they are not rough with anyone of them nor are they extreme (in honoring) any one of them, just as they love all of the Sahabah and they befriend them. They combine between the love of the Sahabah and the ties of kinship and this is unlike the attitude of the inovators who follow but their self desires and exceed the limit (in honouring) some of the members of the household while being rough with so many others including the Sahabah.
And among the examples of their excess in the twelve Imams from Ahl Al-Bait (they are: Ali, Al-Hassan, Al-Hussein, and nine of Al-Hussein’s children), is that which some of the chapters of the book Al-Usul min Al-Ka’fi of Al-Khulaini entail:
Examples:
The Chapter: That the Imams (alaihimus salaam) are the Califs of Allah on His earth, and the doors through which He can be reached. (Vol. 1, page: 193).
The Chapter: That the Imams (alaihimus salaam) are the signposts which Allah mentioned in His book (Vol. 1, page: 206): and in this chapter are three of their Hadiths, which explain the meaning of Allah’s statement: landmarks (signposts during the day) and by the stars (during the night), they (mankind) guide themselves) [Ref: Surah An-Nahl Ayah: 16], that the star here is the Messenger of Allah, and the signposts are the Imams.

The Chapter: That the Imams are the light of Allah. (Vol. 1, page: 194). And it contains Hadiths from them among which is the Hadith whose chain of narration ends to Abu Abdullah (i.e. Ja’afar As-Sadiq) in his explanation of Allah’s statement: (Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth) [Ref: Surah An-Nur Ayah: 35] he said -as they claim it to be- (The parable of His Light is as (if they were) a niche) i.e. Fatima (alaihas salaam), (And within it a lamp) i.e. Al-Hassan, (The lamp is in a glass) i.e. Al-Hussein, (the glass as if it were a brilliant star i.e. Fatima is a brilliant star among the women of the world, lit from a blessed tree) i.e. Ibrahim (an olive neither of the east nor of the west) i.e. neither Jews nor Christians, (Whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) i.e. knowledge almost explodes in her (though no fire touched it. Light upon Light! i.e. Imam after Imam from her (Allah guides to His Light whom he wills) i.e. Allah guides to the Imams whom He wills…”

The Chapter: That the Ayat, which Allah mentioned in His book are the Imams (Vol. 1 page: 207).
And in this chapter is the explanation of the statement of Allah: “But neither Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) nor warners benefit those who believe not” [Ref: Surah Yunus Ayah: 101] that the Ayat are the Imams.
And in it is the explanation of the statement of Allah: ((They) belied all. Our Signs (Ayat) that the Ayat are the all the Awsiyah (they are the Imams) [Ref: Surah Al-Qamar Ayah: 42].
This means that the punishment that was inflicted on the people of Fir’owun was because they denied those Imams stated on the will.
The Chapter: That the people of the Reminder to whom Allah has ordained his creation to ask (questions) are the Imams (alaihimus salaam) (Vol. 1, page: 210).
The Chapter: That the Qur’an guides towards the Imam (Vol. 1, page: 216).
In this chapter is the explanation of the statement of Allah: (Verily this Qur’an guides to that which is most just and right) [Ref: Surah Al-Isra’ Ayah: 9]. This means that this Qur’an guides towards the Imam!!!
And in it also is the explanation of the statement of Allah: To those also with whom you have made a pledge) that surely he meant the Imams (alaihimus salaam) it is with them that Allah made your pledge [Ref: Surah An-Nisa’ Ayah: 33].
The Chapter: That the blessing (Ni’mah) which Allah mentioned in His Book, is the Imams (alaihimus salaam) (Vol. 1, page: 217).
And in it is the explanation of the statement of Allah: Have you not seen those who have changed the Blessings of Allah into disbelief (by denying Muhammad and his message of Islam) [Ref: Surah Ibrahim Ayah: 28]. They claimed that Ali said: “We are the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon His slaves and it is with us that one achieves success on the Day of Judgment“!!!
And in it is their explanation of the statement of Allah in surah Ar-Rahman: (Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?) That means: which one will you deny? The Prophet or the Wasi (the one stated in the will-his successor)?
The Chapter: Of the presentation of deeds to the Prophet, and the Imams (alaihimus salaam). (Vol. 1, page 219)
The Chapter: That the Imams (alaihimus salaam) possess all the Books revealed from Allah, and that they know them well, in their different languages.

The Chapter: That no one has compiled the entire Qur’an except the Imams (alaihimus salaam). And they know all of its knowledge. (Vol. 1, page: 255).
The Chapter: That the Imams know all the knowledge revealed to the Angels and the Prophets and Messengers (alaihimus salaam).
The Chapter: That the Imams know when they would die, and they won’t die except by their own wish. (Vol. 1, page: 258).
The Chapter: That the Imams (alaihimus salaam) have knowledge of what has happened in the past and of what is happening, and that nothing is hidden from them (sallawatullahe wa salaamuhu alaihim). (Vol. 1, page 260).
The Chapter: That Allah did not teach His Prophet knowledge except after ordaining him to teach Amir Al-Mu’minin (i.e. Ali bin Abi Talib according to their claims), and that he was his partner in knowledge. (Vol.1, page: 264).

The Chapter: That there is no truth in the hands of the people except those coming from the Imams, and that any other thing besides them is false. (Vol. 1, page: 399).
And all of these chapters contain Hadiths of their Hadiths; and they are quoted from Al Kaft, printed and distributed by As-Saduq’s Library in Tehran in the year (1381 Hegira). And this book is considered to be one of their most important books, if not the most important. And in its introduction are great praises on the book and its author, who died in the year (329 Hegira).
And all what I have quoted from him are examples of the excess of their predecessors towards the Imams. As for the excess of those who came later, it is clear from the statement of one of their contempory senior leaders, Al-Khomeini, in his book “Al-Hukumatul Islamiyah” (The Islamic government) (page: 52) distributed by The great Islamic library of Tehran, that: “The fact that the leadership and government are for the Imam (ع) does not mean he has been stripped off his position in the Sight of Allah, and that does not make him like other leaders; for surely our Imams have a praiseworthy position, high rank, and worldly powers that control all the atoms of the world. It is a necessity for us to believe that our Imams possess a position reached neither by a close Angels (to Allah), nor by a sent Prophet; and according to the statements and Hadiths in our possession, the great Messenger (ص) and the Imams (ع) were surely lights before (the creation of) this world; and Allah put them around His Throne and gave them position and nearness that is not known except by Allah himself. And Gibril has said as related in the narrations of Al-Mi’raj. If I were to go closer by a distance of one inch, I would have burnt. And it has been related from them (the imams)(ع) that they said: ‘surely we have situations with Allah that is not fit neither for a close Angel (to Allah), nor a sent Prophet“!
One cannot afford when he sees or hears such words except for him to say: (Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower) [Ref: Surah Al-Imran Ayah: 8].
And anyone who has the lowest insight will be ascertain that what has been quoted from them, and what is similar to it are lies and fabrications on the Imams, and they (the Imams) are innocent from extremists and their extravagance in them.

Chapter Ten
The prohibition of false affiliation (claiming to be related falsely) to Ahl Al-Bait

The most honorable descent is that of the Prophet Muhammad, and the most honorable kinship is to be related to the Prophet and to the people of his household, if that relationship is a true one. Many Arabs and non-Arabs claim to belong to this origin. Whoever is a part to Ahl Al-Bait and is a believer, Allah has combined for him both the honor of the faith and the honor of being related to the Prophet; so he who claim to belong to this honorable origin and is not from its people has committed a forbidden thing, he is a pretender of what he has not been given, and the Prophet has said: “Whoever pretends to posess what he has not been given is like somebody wearing two garments of falsehood“. (This Hadith is narrated by Muslim in his Sahih (2129), on the authority of Aisha (RadiAllahu Anha)).

The prohibition of one’s affiliation to another origin besides his is stated in authentic Hadiths, and among what is reported is the Hadith of Abu Dhar that he heard the Prophet saying: “None claims to be the son of any other than his real father knowingly, except that he has disbelieved in Allah. And if somebody claims to belong to some folks to whom he does not belong, then let such a person take his place in the (Hell) fire” (narrated by Al Bukhari (3508) and Muslim (112); and the words belong to Al Bukhari.)
In Sahih Al Bukhari (3509) according to Wa’thilat bin Al-Asqa’a, “The Prophet said: ‘Surely one of the worst Fira (lies) is for a man to claim to be the son of a father other than his own real father, or claim to have seen with his eyes what he has not seen, or attribute to the Messenger of Allah what he has not said“.
And the meaning of al-Fira: lies and his statement “or claim to have seen with his eyes what he has not seen” i.e. in dreams.

And it is stated in Majmu’u al-Fatawa of Shaikhul-Islam bin Taimiyah (Rahimahullah) that the endowment on Ahl Al-Bait or the “Ashraf” (those whose kinship ascends to the Prophet ), no one deserves to have from it except the one whose relationship with them is an authentic one. He was asked about the endowment dedicated to the “Ashraf” (that they are relatives). Are the relatives Ashraf or not? Is it allowed for them to have from the endowment or not?
He answered by saying: “All praise belongs to Allah, if the endowment is for the household of the Prophet or for some of them, like the Alawaites and the Fatimites (the descendants of Ali and Fatima) or the Talibites (the descendant of Abdul Muttalib) those who include: Banu Ja’afar and Banu Aqeel, or the descendants of Al-Abbas and others, surely no one deserves from the endowment except those whose Nasab is true and authentic. As for the one who claims to belong to them or is not known to belong to them, he does not deserve from this endowment, even if he claims to be one of them, like the Banu Abdullah bin Maimun. Al-Qaddah; the genealogists and other scholars know that they do not have true kinship (with Ahl Al-Bait). Scholars of Fiqh, Hadith, kalam and genealogist have proved it and lawful records have been noted, and it is mentioned in important books among the books of the Muslims; in fact, the people of knowledge popularly know that.
And also the one who dedicates his endowment for the “Ashraf” because the term: Ashraf conventionally does not incorporate except the one whose Nasab is authentic, from the family of the Prophet.
But if one dedicates his endowment for the children of an individual, or the relatives of an individual and those similar to that, and it is not stated in the endowment, what restricts it for the family of the Prophet, and the endower owns the endowment, it is correct to bequeath it for the children of a specific individual. And in this case, the Banu Hashim are not included in this endowment.

To this point ends the brief message in the virtue of Ahl Al-Bait and the high position they attained in the sight of Ahl As-Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah. I hereby ask Allah for His assistance in what pleases Him, and for the understanding of His religion and steadfastness on the truth, verily He is All-Hearer, Responsive. May Allah’s peace and blessing be upon our Prophet Muhammad upon his family and companions altogether!

Source: Book: The virtue of Ahl Al-Bait, Writer: Abdul Muhsin bin Hamad Al-Abbad Al-Badr
Translation: Ahmad Ramadan Jalloh

The Rights of Non-Muslim in Islam

learnislam — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 20:25:19 +0000

The Non-Muslims in Islam

Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah

Islam is a religion of mercy to all people, both Muslims and non-Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was described as being a mercy in the Quran due to the message he brought for humanity:
“And We have not sent you but as a mercy to all the worlds.” [Quran 21:107]

When a person analyzes the legislations of Islam with an open mind, the Mercy mentioned in this verse will definitely become apparent. One of the aspects constituting an epitome of this Mercy is the way the legislations of Islam deal with people of other faiths. The tolerant attitude of Islam towards non-Muslims, whether they be those residing in their own countries or within the Muslim lands, can be clearly seen through a study of history. This fact is not only purported by Muslims, but many non-Muslim historians also accept it.

Patriarch Ghaytho wrote:
‘The Arabs, to whom the Lord has given control over the world, treat us as you know; they are not the enemies of Christians. Indeed, they praise our community, and treat our priests and saints with dignity, and offer aid to churches and monasteries.‘[Ref: Tritton, Arthur Stanley: ‘The People Of The Covenant In Islam. p. 158]
Will Durant wrote:
‘At the time of the Umayyad caliphate, the people of the covenant, Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Sabians , all enjoyed degree of tolerance that we do not find even today in Christian countries. They were free to practice the rituals of their religion and their churches and temples were preserved. They enjoyed autonomy in that they were subject to the religious laws of the scholars and judges. [Ref: Durant, Will: ‘The Story Of Civilization vol. 13. p. 131-132]

These just relations between Muslims and people of other faiths were not due to mere politics played by Muslim rulers, but rather they were a direct result of the teachings of the religion of Islam, one which preaches that people of other religions be free to practice their own faith, only accepting the guidance offered by Islam by their own choice. Allah says in the Quran:
“There is no compulsion in religion…” [Quran 2:256]
Not only does Islam demand their freedom to practice religion, but also that they be treated justly as any other fellow human. Warning against any abuse of non-Muslims in an Islamic society, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stated:
“Beware! Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, curtails their rights, burdens them with more than they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free will; I (Prophet Muhammad) will complain against the person on the Day of Judgment.” [Abu Dawud]
How far is this mannerism than the majority of nations, to this day, which not only suppress the rights of foreign religions, but also foreign peoples and races! In a time when Muslims were being tortured to death in then pagan Mecca, Jews were being persecuted in Christian Europe, and various peoples were being subjugated due to their particular race or caste, Islam called to the just treatment of all peoples and religions, due to its merciful tenets which gave humanity the right to their humanness.

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (Part 2 of 13): Non-Muslim Residents

There is much talk these days about the allowance Islam gives to the existence of other religions in the world. Some of the opinion that Islam orders that Muslims fight the world until everyone becomes Muslim, creating ill feelings without actually knowing what the religion actually says in this regard, much more the existence of non-Muslims within an Islamic country. In terms of residence within Muslim society, non-Muslims are classified into three types. To understand these types will deepen one’s understanding of the relationship between Muslims and peoples of other faith in an Islamic society:
Classification of Non-Muslims

A. Permanent Residents
Muslim jurists use the term ‘People of the Covenant (Arabic ‘dhimmi’ or ‘Ahl ul-Dhimma’) to refer to non-Muslim residents. It is not a derogatory term, as some have made it seem. In Arabic language the word ‘dhimma’ means a treaty of protection for non-Muslims living in Muslim territory. A similar term, ‘Ahl ul-Dhimma’ , means ‘People of the Covenant, because they are protected under the covenant extended to them by Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the Muslims.[Ref: Zaydan, Dr. Abd al-Karim, ‘Ahkam al-Dhimmiyin wal-Musta’minin,’ p. 20]
Non-Muslims are guaranteed protection in the Muslim society as long as they pay a head tax and abide by the specific legislations mentioned in Islamic Law. This covenant of protection is not limited to a specific duration; rather, stays in effect as long as those with whom the covenant is made abide by its conditions.[Ref: Zaydan, Dr. Abd al-Karim, Ahkam al-Dhimmiyin wal-Musta ‘minin, p. 35]
The good intent behind the term ‘dhimmi’ can be seen in the letter written by the Caliph Abu Bakr as-Siddiq [i.e. Abu Bakr (d. 13 AH/634 CE): the first caliph after the Messenger of God. He was the best of the companions of Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him), renowned for his sincerity] to the non-Muslims of Najran:
‘In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. This is the written statement of God’s slave Abu Bakr, the successor of Muhammad, the Prophet and Messenger of God. He affirms for you the rights of a protected neighbor, in yourselves, your lands, your religious community, your wealth, retainers, and servants, those of you who are present or abroad, your bishops and monks, and monasteries, and all that you own, be it great or small. You shall not be deprived of any of it, and shall have full control over it…. [Ref: Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Kharaj, p. 79]
Another example is the statement of a famous classical scholar of Islam, Imam Awza’i'[i.e.Al-Awza’i (d. 157 AH/774 CE): Abu ‘Amr ‘Abdur-Rahman, Imam and founder of a school of law followed by the people of West Africa before they became Maliki. He lived in Syria until he died in the port of Beirut. He was the main Syrian authority on Islamic Law in his generation. He placed special emphasis on the ‘living tradition’ of the Muslim community as an authoritative source of law. His school of law spread in North Africa and Spain. He is buried near Beirut.] In his letter to the Abbasid governor Salih b. ‘Ali b. Abdullah about the People of the Covenant,
“They are not slaves, so beware of changing their status after they have lived in freedom. They are free People of the Covenant.” [Ref: Abu Ubayd, al-Amwaal, p. 170, 171, Zaydan, Dr. Abd al-Karim, ‘Ahkam al-Dhimmiyin wal-Musta’minin, p. 77]
Acknowledging this fact, Ron Landau wrote:
‘In contrast to the Christian Empire, which attempted to impose Christianity on its subjects, the Arabs extended recognition to religious minorities, and accepted their presence. Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians were known to them as the People of the and was the closest friend of the Prophet. He died at the age of 63 and was buried beside the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Covenant; in other words, the nations who enjoyed a protected status.’ [Ref: Landau, R, ‘Islam and The Arabs, p. 119]

B. Temporary Residents
This category includes two types:
1)
The residents of non-Muslims countries who are at peace with Muslims through specific peace agreements, international treaties, or other mechanisms, who temporarily come to Muslim countries for work, education, business, diplomatic missions, and so forth. Muslim jurists refer to them in Arabic as mu’aahadoon, which means, “those with whom there is a pact”.
2)
The residents of non-Muslims countries with whom Muslims do not have a pact of peace, or who may be at war with Muslims, who temporarily come to Muslim countries for work, education, business, diplomatic missions, and so forth. Muslim jurists refer to them in Arabic as musta’minoon, which means, “seekers of protection”.
All classes have general rights common to them, and exclusive rights specific to each group. We will limit our discussion mostly to the most general, common rights to avoid excessive details.

The General Rights of Non-Muslims
The expression “human rights” is relatively new, having come into everyday usage only since World War II, the founding of the United Nations in 1945, and the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. [Ref: “Human Rights.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2006]
Although its emergence in international law is a relatively recent development, the idea of human rights itself is not new. If one were to study and compare the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the human rights granted by Islam 1400 years ago, one can clearly see the level of high moral ground achieved by Islam before the Universal Declaration. [Refer to Ghazali, M, ‘Human Rights: The Teachings Of Islam vs. The Declaration of the United Nations]
This moral standard did not come as a result of human intellectual endeavor. The source of Islamic morality is God. The divine standard provides true comprehensiveness and depth in human needs. It provides for everything that benefits the human race and shields it from any harm. Objective study is likely to conclude, ‘there is no religion or moral code on earth that has given more generous attention to faithfully affirming these rights than Islam, detailing them, clarifying them, and expressing them. [Ref: Mutajalli, R.J.H., ‘Liberties And Rights In Islam, p. 22-23]
The Shariah, which is the legal and moral code of Islam, does not confine itself to giving rights to Muslims only. One of its distinguishing features is that non-Muslim share many of these rights. As a matter of fact, the general principle is that non-Muslims have the same rights and obligations as Muslims.[Zaydan, Dr. Abd al-Karim, ‘Ahkam al-Dhimmiyin wal-Musta’minin,’ p. 62]
This aspect of religion is unique to Islam, and perhaps has not been attained by any other world religion. If we look at Christianity, for example, Professor Joseph Heath of the University of Toronto, says, ‘It should go without saying that you can scour the Bible and not find one single mention of “rights.” You can also pick through the following 1500 years of Christian thought without finding any rights. That’s because the idea
is entirely absent.’ [Ref: Heath, Joseph, ‘Human rights have nothing to do with Christianity, Montreal Gazette, March 18, 2003]
Non-Muslims have many rights in Islam. We will limit our discussion to the most important of them, such as the freedom of belief, right to work, housing, freedom of movement, and education.

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 3 of 13): Right to Preservation of Dignity as Human Beings I

God has created human beings with certain dignity, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and has elevated their status above much of His creation. Allah says in the Quran:
“We have honored the children of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favors, above a great part of Our creation.” [Quran 17:70]
As a token of honor and to elevate his status, God commanded the angels to prostrate out of humility before Adam, the father of humanity. Allah informs us in the Quran:
“When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves to Adam, they prostrated themselves, but not Satan; he refused.” [Quran 20:116]

God bestowed many favors on humanity, some of which are obvious, while others are hidden. For instance, He subjected the heavens and earth to human beings to honor them. Allah says:
“It is God who created the heavens and earth and sends down rain from the sky, and with it brings out fruits therewith to feed you; it is He Who has made the ships subject to you, that they may sail through the sea by His command; and the rivers (also) He has made subject to you. And He gives you of all that you ask for, but if you count the favors of God, never will you be able to count them. Surely, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude.” [Quran 14:32-34]
The God-given status of humanity forms the basis of the principle of human dignity in Islam, whether the person is Muslim or non-Muslim. Islam emphasizes the origin of all humanity is one; therefore all human beings have certain rights over one another. Allah says:
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (and not hate one another). Surely, the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who) is the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” [Quran 49:13]
The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) declared in his farewell sermon, addressing the largest gathering in Arab history till that point:
“People, hear that your Lord is One, and that your father is one. You must know that no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab, no non-Arab has superiority over an Arab, or a red man over a black man, or a black man over a red, except in terms of what each person has of piety. Have I delivered the message?” [Musnad Ahmad]

An example of the preservation of the human dignity of non-Muslims is the right that their feelings be respected, for example, that they are shown good manners in speech and debate in obedience to the divine command:
“And dispute you not with the People of the Scripture, except in the best way, unless it be with those who do wrong, but say, ‘We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; our God and your God is One; and it is to Him we submit (in Islam).” [Quran 21:46]
Non-Muslims have the right not to have their religious beliefs mocked. It may not be an exaggeration to state that no other religion or sect in the world is as fair as Islam to people of other faiths. For example, let us look at a verse from the Quran:
“Say, “Who gives you sustenance from the heavens and the earth?” Say, ‘It is God; and it is certain that either we or you are on the right guidance or in manifest error.” [Quran 34:24]
The verse ends with what Arabs linguists call a rhetorical question whose answer is common knowledge to the intended audience. The verse blends certainty with doubt: Muslims following guidance and the error of the unbelievers is presented as something doubtful. In doing so, God emphasizes the truth by allowing the reader to draw his own conclusion. God does not state in this verse who is following guidance and who is not. The verse treats the fictitious “opponent” with justice by presenting the argument and allowing the listener to judge.
Az-Zamakhshiri, a classical linguist and exegete of the Quran, elaborates this point:
‘This is equitable speech: whoever hears it, supporter or opponent, will tell the person to whom the speech is directed that the speaker has treated him justly. It draws the listener to the inevitable conclusion, after the argument has been presented, that there is no doubt about who is following guidance and who is in error. Suggestion of the facts, as if the question were a conundrum, provides a more cogent proof of the truth, the opponent being gently disarmed, without resort to heated quarrelling.’ [Zamakhshiri, ‘Kashhaf,’ vol. 12, p. 226]
An example of the style employed by the Quran would be someone saying in a debate, ‘God knows who is telling the truth and who is a liar. [Aayed, Saleh Hussain, ‘Huquq Ghayr al-Muslimeen fi Bilad il-Islam, p. 17]

God has also forbidden Muslims from speaking ill of the gods and deities worshipped by non-Muslims so that they do not speak ill of the One, True God. It will be difficult to find a similar example in any scripture of the major world religions. If the polytheists were to hear Muslims speak ill of their gods, it might lead them to speak ill of Allah (the personal and proper Name of God). Also, if Muslims were to speak ill of pagan gods, it might instigate the polytheists to soothe their wounded feelings by hurting the feelings of Muslims. Such
a scenario is against human dignity of both sides and would lead to mutual rejection and hatred. God says in the Quran:
“Do not revile those whom they call upon besides God, lest they revile God out of spite in their ignorance. Thus, We have made alluring to each people its own doings. In the end will they return to their Lord and He shall then tell them the truth of what they did.” [Quran 6:108]

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 4 of 13): Right to Preservation of Dignity as Human Beings II

Another example of how Islam gives regard to human dignity in the following example. A famous story illustrates the degree to which the caliphs of early Islam protected the dignity of non-Muslims. Amr ibn al-As was the governor of Egypt. One of his sons beat up a Coptic Christian with a whip, saying, ‘I am the son of a nobleman!” The Copt went to Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Muslim caliph who resided in the city of Medina, and lodged a complaint. These are the details as related by Anas ibn Malik, the personal servant of the Prophet in his lifetime:
“We were sitting with Umar ibn al-Khattab when an Egyptian came in and said, ‘Commander of the Faithful, I come to you as a refugee. So, Umar asked him about his problem and he answered, Amr had a custom of letting his horses run free in Egypt. One day, I came by riding my mare. When I passed by a group of people, they looked at me. Muhammad, the son of Amr got up and came to me, saying, ‘I swear by the Lord of the Kaaba, this is my mare!’ I responded, ‘I swear by the Lord of the Kaaba, the mare is mine!’ He came up to me and began beating me with a whip, saying, ‘You may take her, because I am the son of a nobleman (meaning I am more generous than you). The incident got to Amr, who feared that I might come to you, so he put me in jail. I escaped, and here I am before you.”
Anas continued:
“I swear by God, the only response Ur Umar made was to tell the Egyptian to take a seat. Then, Umar wrote a letter to Amr, saying, ‘When this letter reaches you, come and bring me your son, Muhammad.’ Then he told the Egyptian to stay in Medina until he was told Amr has arrived. When Amr received the note, he called his son and asked him, ‘Did you commit a crime?’ His son stated he has not. Amr asked, ‘Then why is Umar writing about you?’ They both went to Umar.”
Anas narrates the incident further:

“I swear by God, we were sitting with Umar, and Amr arrived wearing the clothes of common people. Umar looked around for the son, and saw him standing behind his father (to appear less conspicuous). Umar asked, ‘Where is the Egyptian?’ and he responded, ‘Here I am!’ Umar told him, ‘Here is the whip. Take it and beat the son of the nobleman. So he took it and beat him vigorously, while Umar said over and over, ‘Beat the son of the nobleman.’ We did not let him stop until we were satisfied he had beaten him enough. Then, Umar said, ‘Now you must take it and hit me on my bald head. This all happened to you because of my power over you.’ The Egyptian responded, ‘I am satisfied and my anger has cooled.’ Umar told him, ‘If you had beaten me, I would not have stopped you until you had wished to. And you, Amr, since when have you made the people your slaves? They were born free. Amr began to apologize, telling him,
‘I did not know that this is what happened. So, Umar said turned back to the Egyptian, telling him, ‘You may go, and be guided. If anything untoward happens to you, write to me.
[Ref: Tantawi, Ali, ‘The History Of Umar, p. 155-156]
Such was Umar who said when first chosen as Caliph, ‘The weak will be made strong, because I take for them what is their right. And the strong will be made weak because I will take from them what is not rightfully theirs.’ History has recorded him as a just ruler because of his equity towards the oppressed, regardless of their social status, and because of his firmness against the oppressor, regardless of their rank.
‘The value of this story is that it records how people had a sense of their humanity and dignity under the rule of Islam. Even an unjust blow was disapproved and despised. Many incidents of injustice similar to this story occurred at the time of the Byzantine Empire, but nobody moved to rectify them. However, under the protection of the Islamic state, we see an example of an oppressed person having the conviction of his dignity and access to his rights so strong that he was willing to undertake the hardship and privation of a trip from Egypt to Medina, because of his trust that he would find someone to listen to his compliant.’[Ref: Qaradawi, Yusuf, ‘Ghayr al-Muslimeen fil-Mujtama’ al-Islami’ p. 30-31]

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 5 of 13): The Right to Freedom of Belief I

Islam does not compel people of other faiths to convert. It has given them complete freedom to retain their own faith and not to be forced to embrace Islam. This freedom is documented in both the Quran and the prophetic teachings known as Sunnah. God addresses the Prophet Muhammad in the Quran:
“If it had been your Lord’s will, they would all have believed -all of who are on earth! Will you then compel humankind, against their will, to believe?” [Quran 10:99]
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him), may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, would give people a choice between entering Islam and retaining their religion. He would ask them to accept Islam only after making an agreement with them, once they had become residents in the Islamic state and felt secure about their personal safety and property. This allowed them to appreciate the security of the covenant with God and His Prophet. It is precisely for this reason that the non-Muslim citizens are referred to as dhimmis. [Ref: Zuhaili, Wahba, ‘al-Islam wa Ghayr al-Muslimeen, p. 60-61]
When the Prophet of God sent a commander of an army or a battalion off to war, the Prophet would command him to be conscious of God in his conduct and to treat his Muslim companions well.
Then the Prophet of Mercy (Peace be upon him) would instruct him:
“Set out for battle for the sake of God and fight those who disbelieve in Him. Go into battle, but do not go to extremes, behave treacherously, mutilate their dead, or kill children. When you meet your enemies, the unbelievers, offer them three options, and accept any one of them to which they agree and cease the battle:

(a) Invite them to join Islam. If they agree, then accept this and cease the battle. Then invite them to move from their lands to the Land of the Immigrants (Medina), and inform them that if they do so, they will have the same privileges and obligations as the other migrants. If they refuse to migrate from their lands, inform them that they will have the same status as the nomadic Muslims: that they will be subject to the Law of God which applies to all Muslims, and that they do not have a share in wealth obtained from conquest, unless they participate in the jihad with the Muslims.

(b) If they refuse, then ask them to pay the jizyah,[i.e. Jizya: a protection tax payable by non-Muslims as a tribute to the Muslim ruler.] and if they agree, then accept it from them and cease the battle.

These directives of the Prophet were in obedience to what God says in the Quran:
“Let there be no compulsion in religion; truth stands clear from error: whoever rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things.” [Quran 2:256]

Edwin Calgary, an American scholar, wrote about this verse, ‘There is a verse in the Quran that is filled with truth and wisdom, and it is known to all Muslims. Everyone else should know it as well; it is the one that says there is no compulsion in religion.’ [Ref: Quoted in Young, Quailar, ‘The Near East: Society & Culture, p. 163-164]
This verse was revealed concerning some of the residents of Medina. When none of the children of the pagan women of Medina survived infancy, they would make a vow to make the child a Jew or a Christian if he lived. When Islam came to Medina, they had adult children who were Jewish or Christian. The parents tried to compel them to embrace the new religion, so this verse was revealed to prevent them from doing so. The verse and the history of its revelation reveals that it is not permissible to force anyone to become a Muslim. This is the case even if it is the parent who wants the best for their offspring, and their children become members of another religion.
The Quran rejects forcing anyone to join Islam. [Ref: Qaradawi, Yusuf, ‘Ghayr al-Muslimeen fil-Mujtama’ al-Islami, p. 18-19]
Allah says in the Quran:
“Say, “The truth is from your Lord, let him who will, believe and let him who will, reject, it. For the wrongdoers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames are) like the wall and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like molten brass that will scald their faces. How dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!”
[Quran 18:29]
Not only does Islam give the freedom of religious freedom to non-Muslims, its tolerant law extends to the preservation of their places of worship. [Ref: Aayed, Saleh Hussain, ‘Huquq Ghayr al-Muslimeen fi Bilad il-Islam, p. 23-24]
Allah says in the Quran:
“(They are) those who have been evicted from their homes without right only because they say, ‘Our Lord is God. And was it not that God checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of God is much mentioned (praised). And God will surely support those who support Him (meaning His cause). Indeed, God is Powerful and Exalted in Might.” [Quran 22:40]

The Muslim caliphs used to order their military leaders who went on military campaigns to take steps to guarantee this matter. The first example is the command of Abu Bakr to Usamah bin Zayd:
‘I command you to do ten things: kill no woman, no child, nor an elderly person; do not cut down fruit trees, or vandalize homes, or wound a sheep or camel except if you must eat it; do not drown a palm tree, or burn it, do not be treacherous; do not be cowardly; and you will pass by people who have devoted themselves to monastery life; leave them alone to their devotions. [Ref: Tabari, Tarirk al-Tabari, vol 3, p. 210]
The second example is the treaty of Umar ibn al-Khattab with the people of Iliya of Jerusalem:
‘This is the security given by the slave of God, Umar, the Commander of the Faithful, to the people of Iliya: they are guaranteed the security if their persons, possessions, churches, crucifixes, and everyone within, whether sick or in good health, as well as everyone in their community. Their churches will not be occupied or demolished, nor will anything be taken from them: neither furnishings nor crucifixes or money. They will not be forced away from their religion, or harmed because of it. They will not be occupied by the Jewish settlers in Iliya.’ [Ref: Tabari, Tarirk al-Tabari, vol 3, p. 159]
As a result, since the era of the rightly-guided caliphs, Jews and Christians have held their services in freedom and security. [Ref: Qaradawi, Yusuf, ‘al-Aqaliyyat ad-Diniyya wa-Hal al-Islami, p. 13]

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 6 of 13): The Right to Freedom of Belief II

Muslims protected Christian churches in the lands they occupied from being harmed. In a letter to Simeon, the Archbishop of Rifardashir and leader of all the bishops of Persia, the Nestorian Patriarch Geoff III wrote:
‘The Arabs, to whom God has given power over the whole world, know how wealthy you are, for they live among you. In spite of this, they do not assail the Christian creed. To the contrary, they have sympathy with our religion, and venerate our priests and saints of our Lord, and they graciously donate to our churches and monasteries. [Ref: Amold, Thomas, ‘Invitation To Islam, p. 102]
One of the Muslims caliphs, Abdul-Malik, took the Church of John from the Christians and made it part of a mosque. When Umar bin Abdulaziz succeeded him as the new Caliph, the Christians complained to him about what his predecessor had done to their church. Umar wrote to the governor that the portion of the mosque that was rightfully theirs be returned to them if they were unable to agree with the governor on a monetary settlement that would satisfy them. [Ref: Qaradawi, Yusuf, ‘Ghayr al-Muslimeen fil-Mujtama’ al-Islami,’ p. 32]
The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is known to historians to be the one of the holiest places of worship in Judaism. Some time ago, it was completely buried under rubble and heaps of debris. When the Ottoman caliph Sultan Sulayman came to know of this, he ordered his governor in Jerusalem to remove all the rubble and debris, clean the area, restore the Wailing Wall, and make it accessible for Jews to visit. [Ref: Hussayn, Abdul-Latif, ‘Tasamuh al-Gharb Ma’l-Muslimeen, p. 67]
Unbiased Western historians acknowledge these facts. LeBon writes:
‘The tolerance of Muhammad towards the Jews and Christians was truly grand; the founders of other religions that appeared before him, Judaism and Christianity in particular, did not prescribe such goodwill. His caliphs followed the same policy,and his tolerance has been acknowledged by skeptics and believers alike when they study the history of the Arabs in depth. [Ref: LeBon, Gustav, ‘Arab Civilization, p. 128]
Robertson wrote:
‘The Muslims alone were able to integrate their zeal for their own religion with tolerance for followers of other religions. Even when they bore swords into battle for freedom for their religion to spread, they left those who did not desire it free to adhere to their own religious teachings.’ [Ref: Quoted in Aayed, Saleh Hussain, ‘Huquq Ghayr al-Muslimeen fi Bilad il-Islam,’ p. 26]

Sir Thomas Arnold, an English Orientalist, wrote:
‘We never heard of a report of any planned attempt to compel non-Muslim minorities to accept Islam, or any organized persecution aimed at uprooting the Christian religion. If any of the caliphs had chosen any of these policies, they would have overwhelmed Christianity with the same ease with which Ferdinand and Isabella exiled Islam from Spain, or with which Louis XIV made following Protestantism a punishable crime in France, or with which the Jews were exiled from England for 350 years. A that time Eastern churches were completely isolated from the rest of the Christian world. They had no supporters in the world as they were considered heretical sects of Christianity.Their very existence to this day is the strongest evidence of the policy of Islamic government’s tolerance towards them.” [Ref: Amold, Thomas, ‘Invitation To Islam, p. 98-99]
The American author, Lothrop Stoddard wrote, ‘The caliph Umar took the utmost care to tend to the sanctity of the Christian holy places, and those who became caliph after him followed his footsteps. They did not harass the many denominations of pilgrims who came annually from every corner of the Christian world to visit Jerusalem. [Ref: Stoddard, L. W., ‘The Islamic World At Present,’ vol 1, p. 13-14]
The reality is that non-Muslims were treated with more tolerance among the Muslims than anything they experienced with other sects of their own religion. Richard Stebbins spoke of the Christian experience under the rule of the Turks:
‘They (the Turks) allowed all of them, Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox, to preserve their religion and follow their consciences as they chose: they allowed them their churches to perform their sacred rituals in Constantinople and many other places. This is in contrast to what I can testify to from living in Spain for twelve years; not only were we forced to attend their Papist celebrations, but our lives and the lives of our grand children were in danger also. [Ref: Quoted in Qaradawi, Yusuf, ‘al-Aqaliyyat ad-Diniyya wa-Hal al-Islami, p. 56-57]

Thomas Arnold mentions in his ‘Invitation to Islam’ that there were many people in Italy at that time who longed for Ottoman rule. They wished they could be granted the same freedom and tolerance that the Ottomans gave to their Christian subjects, for they had despaired of achieving it under any Christian government. He also mentions that a great many Jews fled persecution in Spain at the end of the 15th century and took refuge in Ottoman Turkey. [Ref: Amold, Thomas, ‘Invitation To Islam, p. 183]
It is worthwhile to reemphasize the following point. The existence of non-Muslims for centuries across the Muslim world, from Moorish Spain and Sub-Saharan Africa to Egypt, Syria, India, and Indonesia are clear evidence of the religious tolerance extended by Islam to people of other faiths. This tolerance even led to the elimination of Muslims, such as in Spain, where the remaining Christians took advantage of Muslim weakness, attacked them, and wiped them out from Spain by either killing them, forcing them to convert, or expulsion.
Etienne Denier wrote, ‘The Muslims are the opposite of what many people believe. They never used force outside of the Hejaz [i.e. Hejaz: the Western part of Arabia that includes the cities of Mecca and Medina].
The presence of Christians was evidence of this fact. They retained their religion in complete security during the eight centuries that the Muslims ruled their lands. Some of them held high posts in the palace in Cordoba, but when the same Christians obtained power over the country, suddenly their first concern was to exterminate Muslims. [Ref: Denier, Etienne, ‘Muhammad The Messenger Of God, p. 332]

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 7 of 13): The Right to Follow Their Religious Laws

Islam does not compel non-Muslims citizens living in Muslim lands to be ruled by Islamic Laws. They are exempt from paying the zakah. [i.e. Zakah: one of the pillars of Islam. It is a obligatory charity paid on certain forms of wealth] Under Islamic Law, a Muslim who does not pay the zakah and refuses its obligation becomes an unbeliever. Also, Islamic Law requires military duty from able Muslims, but non-Muslims are exempt from it, even though it is of benefit to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In return for these two exemptions, non-Muslim citizens pay a nominal tax known as jizya. Sir Thomas Arnold wrote, ‘The jizya was so light that it did not constitute a burden on them, especially when we observe that it exempted them from compulsory military service that was an obligation for their fellow citizens, the Muslims. [Ref: Arnold, Thomas, ‘Invitation to Islam, p. 77]
Islam also permitted non-Muslims to observe their civil law in matters such as marriage and divorce. Regarding criminal justice, Muslim jurists would pass sentences on non-Muslims in issues considered sinful in their religion such as theft, but exempted them from issues they held to be permissible such as drinking wine and eating pork. [Ref: Maududi, Abul ‘Ala, ‘The Rights of The People of Covenant In The Islamic State, p. 20-21]
This is based clearly of the practice of the Prophet himself when he first came to Medina and established a ‘constitution’. He allowed for individual tribes who were not Muslims to refer to their own religious scriptures and their learned men in regards to their own personal affairs. They could though, if they opted, ask the Prophet to judge between them in their matters.

Allah says in the Quran:
“…If they do come to you, either judge between them or decline to interfere…” (Quran 5:42)
Here we see that Prophet allowed each religion to judge in their own matters according to their own scriptures, as long as it did not stand in opposition to articles of the constitution, a pact which took into account the greater benefit of the peaceful co-existence of the society.
Umar ibn Abdulaziz, a Muslim ruler, found it hard to accept how non-Muslims continued to follow their social regulations that went against the Islamic injunctions. He wrote a letter to Hasan al-Basri [i.e. Hasan al-Basri: one of the most eminent scholars from the second generation of Muslims known for his asceticism and knowledge. He was born in Medina in 642 CE, the son of a slave captured in Maysan, who was freed by the Prophet’s secretary, Zaid bin Thabit. He was brought up in Basra, Iraq. Hasan met many Companions and transmitted many reports of Prophet Muhammad. His mother served Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet. He died in Basra in 728 CE at the age of 88.] seeking his legal advice, saying, ‘How is it that the Rightly-Guided Caliphs before us left the People of the Covenant as they did, marrying close relatives [i.e. The Zoroastrians to this day deem it permissible to marry their own siblings.], and keeping pigs and wine?’ Hasan’s responded, ‘They paid the jizya so that they could be left to practice what they believed, and you may only follow the Islamic Law, not invent something new.’ [Ref: Maududi, Abul ‘Ala, ‘The Rights Of The People of Covenant In The Islamic State, p. 22]
The People of the Covenant had their own courts to settle their disputes, but if they wished, they could resort to Islamic courts.

Allah commanded His Prophet:
“So if they come to you, (O Muhammad), judge between them or turn away from them. And if you turn away from them never will they harm you at all. And if you judge, judge between them with justice. Indeed, God loves those who act justly.” [Quran 5:42]
Adam Metz, a Western historian, writes in the Islamic Civilization in the Fourth Century of the Hegira:
“Since the Islamic Law was specifically for Muslims, the Islamic state allowed the people of other religious affiliations to their own courts. What we know about these courts is that they were church courts and prominent spiritual leaders were the chief justices. They wrote a great number of books on canon law, and their rulings were not confined to matters of personal status. They included such problems as inheritance and much of the litigations between Christians that did not involve the state.” [Ref: Metz, Adam, ‘Islamic Civilization in the Fourth Century of the Hegira, vol 1, p.]
Therefore, it can be seen that Islam did not punish non-Muslims for doing what they viewed as permissible according to their religious law, such as consuming alcohol or eating pork, even though they are forbidden in Islam. The tolerance extended by Islam towards non-Muslims is unmatched by any other religious law, secular government, or political system in existence even today. Gustav LeBon writes: “The Arabs could have easily been blinded by their first conquests, and committed the injustices that are usually committed by conquerors. They could have mistreated their defeated opponents or forced them to embrace their religion, which they wished to spread all over the world. But the Arabs avoided that. The early caliphs, who had a political genius that was rare in proponents of new religion, realized that religions and systems are not imposed by force. So they treated the people of Syria, Egypt, Spain, and every country they took over with great kindness, as we have seen. They left their laws, regulations, and beliefs intact and only imposed on them the jizya, which was paltry when compared to what they had been paying in taxes previously, in exchange for maintaining their security. The truth is that nations had never known conquerors more tolerant than the Muslims, or a religion more tolerant than Islam.” [Ref: Lebon, G, ‘The Civilization Of The Arabs, p. 605]

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 8 of 13): The Right to Justice I

God requires Muslims to be just in all their affairs and to act equitably towards everyone. God says:
“And the sky He has raised; and He has set the Balance (of justice), that you may not exceed the (due) balance. But observe the measure strictly, nor fall short thereof.” [Quran 55:7-10]
Muslims are divinely ordained to act with justice, even if it means acting against themselves or those close to them, as the Quran states:
“O you who have believed, persistently stand firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is Ever-Acquainted with what you do.” [Quran 4:135]
God requires that we apply justice at all times:
“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due, and when you judge between people, to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.” [Quran 4:58]
Islamic justice towards non-Muslims is multifaceted. Islam gives them the right to go before their own courts; it also guarantees them equality in seeking justice with Muslims, if they choose to present their case in an Islamic court. God says:
“So, if they come to you, (O Muhammad), judge between them, or turn away from them. And if you turn away from them -never will they harm you at all. And if you judge, judge between them with justice. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” [Quran 5:42]

If a Muslim were to steal from a non-Muslim dhimmi, he would be liable to the same punishment as the dhimmi would have been had he stolen from the Muslim. Similarly, a Muslim is liable to receive a sentence for defamation if he slanders a man or woman protected under the covenant. [Ref: Masud, Fahd Muhammad Ali, ‘Huquq Ghayr is-Muslimeen fid-Dawla al-Islamiyya, p. 138-139, 144-149. Aayed, Saleh Hussain, ‘Huquq Ghayr al-Muslimeen fi Bilad il-Islam, p. 32-33. Zaydan, Dr. Abd al-Karim, ‘Ahkam al-Dhimmiyin wal-Mustami’nin,’ p. 254.]
Islamic history has some beautiful examples of justice meted out by Muslims towards non-Muslims. A man named Ta’ima stole a suit of armor from Qataada, his neighbor. Qataada had hidden the armor inside a sack of flour so, when Ta’ima took it, the flour leaked out of the sack through a hole, leaving a trail up to his house. Ta’ima then left the armor in the care of a Jewish man named Zayed, who kept it in his house, in order to conceal his crime. Thus, when the people searched for the stolen armor, they followed the trail of flour to Ta’ima’s house but did not find it there. When confronted, he swore to them he had not taken it and knew nothing about it. The people helping the owner also swore that they had seen him breaking into Qataada’s house at night, and had subsequently followed the tell-tale trail of flour, which had led them to his house. Nevertheless, after hearing Ta’ima swearing he was innocent, they left him alone and looked for further clues, finally finding a thinner trail of flour leading to the house of Zayed, and so arrested him. The Jewish man told them that Ta’ima had left the armor with him, and some Jewish people confirmed his statement. The tribe to which Ta’ima belonged sent some of their men to the Messenger of God to present his side of the story, and asked them to defend him. The delegation was told, ‘If you do not defend our clansman, Ta’ima, he will lose his reputation and be punished severely, and the Jew will go free. The Prophet was subsequently inclined to believe them, and was about to punish the Jewish man when God revealed the following verses of the Quran to vindicate the Jew. [Ref: Wahidi, ‘Al-Asbab an-Nuzool, p. 210-211]
The verse continues to be recited by Muslims today as a reminder that justice must be served for all:
“Indeed, We have revealed to you, (O Muhammad), the Book in truth so you may judge between the people by that which God has shown you. And do not be an advocate for the deceitful. And seek forgiveness of God. Indeed, God is ever Forgiving and Merciful. And do not argue on behalf of those who deceive themselves. Indeed, God loves not one who is a habitually sinful deceiver. They conceal [their evil intentions and deeds] from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from God, and He is with them (in His knowledge) when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of speech. And God ever is encompassing of what they do. Here you are those who argue on their behalf in [this] worldly life – but who will argue with God for them on the Day of Resurrection, or who will [then] be their representative?” [Quran 4:105-109]

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 9 of 13): The Right to Justice II

Once, a dispute arouse between Ali bin Ali Talib, when he was the Caliph, and a Jewish man who went to Judge Shurayh al-Kindi. Shuray tells the details of what happened:
“Ali found he was missing his coat of mail, so he went back to Kufa and found it in the hands of a Jewish man who was selling it in the market. He said, ‘O Jew! That coat of mail is mine! I did not give it away or sell it!’
The Jew responded ‘It is mine. It is in my possession.’
Ali said, ‘We will have the judge rule on this for us.’
So they came to me and Ali sat next to me and said, ‘That coat of mail is mine; I did not give it away or sell it.’
The Jew sat in front of me and said, ‘That is my coat of mail. It is in my possession.’
I asked, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, do you have any proof?’
‘Yes,’ Ali said. ‘My son Hasan and Qanbarah can testify that it is my coat of mail.’

I said, ‘Commander of the Faithful, the testimony of a son in his father’s favor is not admissible in court.’
Ali exclaimed, ‘How Perfect is God! You cannot accept the testimony of a man who has been promised Paradise? I heard the Messenger of God saying that Hasan and Husain are the princes of the youth in Paradise.’ [Ref: Al-Tirmidhi]
The Jewish man said, ‘The Commander of the Faithful takes me before his own judge and the judge rules in my favor against him! I bear witness that no one deserves worship except God and that Muhammad is His Messenger [the Jewish man accepted Islam], and that the coat of armor is yours, Commander of the Faithful. You dropped it at night and I found it.’ [Ref: Hayyan, Abu Bakr, ‘Tarikh al-Qudat,’ vol 2, p. 200]
Another amazing story of Muslim justice towards non-Muslims pertains to the conquest of the city of Samarkand. Qutayba, the Muslim military general, had not given the residents of Samarkand a choice between accepting Islam, entering into a protective covenant with the Muslims, or to accept fighting at the time. Years after the conquest, the people of Samarkand lodged a complaint with ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz , the then current Muslim Caliph. Umar, upon hearing their complaint, ordered the governor of the city to turn it over to the people and vacate it, and then to give the people the three alternatives to choose from. Astounded by this display of instant justice, many of the residents of Samarkand embraced Islam! [Ref: Tantawi, Ali, ‘Qasas Min al-Tarikh, p. 85]
We also read in history instances where the general Muslim population was aware of the rights of the non-Muslim minorities and would demand justice for non-Muslims from their rulers. Waleed ibn Yazeed, an Omayyad Caliph, exiled the inhabitants of Cyprus and forced them to settle in Syria. The scholars of Islam did not approve his move at the time and declared it to be oppression after the event. They brought the issue up with his son when he became Caliph so that the people could be resettled in their native land once again. He agreed to the proposal, and is thus known to be one of the fairest rulers of the Umayyad dynasty. [Ref: Balazuri, Ahmad, ‘Futuh al-Buldan,’ p. 214]

Another similar historical instance is when the governor of Lebanon, Salih ibn Ali, expelled an entire village of non-Muslims because some of them refused to pay the toll on their produce. The governor was a close advisor of the Caliph, yet Imam Awza’i, a renowned Muslim scholar of Syria, came to their defense and wrote to letter of protest. Part of the letter reads:
‘How can you collectively punish people for the misdeeds of a few, going so far as to expel them from their homes? God states:
“No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” (Quran 53:38)
It is the most compelling evidence to consider and follow. And the most deserving command of the Prophet to preserve and follow is:
“If anyone oppresses a dhimmi or burdens him with something he can not bear, I will argue against him on the Day of Judgment” [Ref: Al-Baihaqi, ‘Sunan al-Kubra’]
They are not slaves whom one is able to take from one place and move to another as one pleases. They are the free People of the Covenant.’ [Ref: Qaradawi, Yusuf, ‘Ghayr al-Muslimeen fil-Mujtama’ al-Islami,’ p. 31]
Secular writers and historians have been compelled to acknowledge the justice of Islam towards non-Muslims in their midst. The British historian, H.G. Wells, wrote the following:
‘They established great traditions of just tolerance. They inspire people with a spirit of generosity and tolerance, and are humanitarian and practical. They created a humane community in which it was rare to see cruelty and social injustice, unlike any community that came before it.’ [Ref: Quoted by Siba’i, Mustafa, ‘Min Rawai Hadaratina,’ p. 146]
Discussing the Christian sects at the beginning centuries of Islamic rule, Sir Thomas Arnold writes:
‘Islamic principles of tolerance forbade these actions [mentioned previously], that always involved some oppression. Muslims were the opposite of others, and it appears that they spared no effort in treating all of their Christian subjects with justice and equity. An example was the conquest of Egypt, when the Jacobites took advantage of the removal of the Byzantine authorities to dispossess the Orthodox Christians of their churches. The Muslims returned them to their rightful owners when the Orthodox Christians presented them with proof of ownership. [Ref: Amold, Thomas, ‘Invitation To Islam, p. 87-88]
Amari, a Sicilian Orientalist, observed:
‘At the time of the Muslim Arab rule, the conquered inhabitants of the island of (Sicily) were comfortable and content compared to their Italian counterparts, who were collapsing under the yoke of the Langiornians and Franks.’ [Ref: Quoted in Aayed, Saleh Hussain, ‘Huquq Ghayr al-Muslimeen fi Bilad il-Islam,’p. 39]
Nadhmi Luqa commented:
‘No law can eradicate injustice and prejudice better than one that states:
“…and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just.” [Quran 5:8]
Only when a person holds himself to these standards, settling for no other, and devotes himself to a religion with these lofty principles and rectitude, accepting no other… only then can he claim to have honored himself. [Ref: Luqa, Nadhmi, ‘Muhammad: The Message & The Messenger, p. 26]

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 10 of 13): Security of Life, Property, and Honor

Islamic Law protects basic human rights like the preservation of life, property, and honor for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Whether the non-Muslims are residents or visitors, they are guaranteed these rights. These rights cannot be taken away except in a justified case permitted by law. For instance, a non-Muslim may not be killed unless he is guilty of killing. Allah says:
“Say, Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. (He commands) that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment, and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them. And do not approach immoralities what is apparent of them and what is concealed. And do not kill the soul which God has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. This has He instructed you that you may use reason.” [Quran 6:151]
The Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) declared that the life of non-Muslims residents or visitor as inviolable when he said:
“Whoever kills a person with whom we have a treaty, will not come close enough to Paradise to smell its scent, and its scent can be found as far away as forty years of travel.” [Saheeh Al-Bukhari]
Islam does not allow assaulting a non-Muslim, violating his honor or property, or hurting him. If someone steals from a dhimmi, he must be punished. If anyone borrows from a dhimmi, the property must be returned. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) of Islam said:
“You must know that it is not lawful for you to take the property of the People of the Covenant unless it is (in payment) for something.” [Ref: Musnad Ahmad]
He (Peace be upon him) also said:
“Indeed God, Mighty and Majestic, has not allowed you to enter the homes of the People of the Book except by their permission, nor has He allowed you to hit their women, nor eat their fruit if they give you what is obligatory upon them [from the jizyah].” [Ref: Abu Dawood]
There is an interesting story from the era of Ahmad ibn Tulun of Egypt. One day a Christian monk came to Tulun’s palace to complain about his governor. Upon noticing him, a guard inquired about the problem. On finding out that the governor had taken 300 dinars from the monk, the guard offered to pay the monk on the condition that he does not complain, and the monk accepted his offer.
The incident reached Tulun who ordered the monk, guard, and the governor to come to his court. Tulun said to the governor, ‘Are not all your needs met with a sufficient income? Do you have needs that justify taking from others?’
The governor conceded to the force of his argument, yet still Tulun kept on questioning him, eventually removing him from his post. Tulun then asked the monk how much the governor had taken from him, and the monk told him it was 300 dinars. Tulun said, ‘It is too bad you did not say 3000, as he needs a larger punishment, but I can only base it on your statement, and took the money from the governor and returned it to the monk. [Ref: Ibn Hamdun, ‘at-Tazkira al-Hamduniyya, vol. 3, p. 200-201]
Non-Muslims have the right that their honor be protected. This right is extended not only to non-Muslim residents, but also to visitors. They all have the right to be secure and protected. Allah says:
“And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of God (the Quran). Then deliver him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know.” [Quran 9:6]

The right to asylum makes it a duty on every Muslim to respect and uphold the asylum granted by another Muslim according to the Prophet’s statement:
“The obligation imposed by the covenant is communal, and the nearest Muslim must try hard to fulfill it. Anyone who violates the protection granted by a Muslim will be under the curse of God, the angels, and all people, and on Judgment Day no intercession will be accepted on his behalf.” [Ref: Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Ibn Majah]
One of the female companions, Umm Hani, said to the Prophet:
“Messenger of God, my brother Ali claims that he is at war with a man whom I have granted asylum, a man with the name of Ibn Hubayra.”
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) answered her:
“Anyone you have given asylum to is under the protection of all of us, O Umm Hani.” [Ref: Saheeh Al-Bukhari]
The right to asylum and protection requires a Muslim to give asylum and grant security to a non-Muslim who seeks it and warns of severe punishment for anyone who violates it. Asylum guarantees protection from aggression, or attack for anyone who has been given security, a right that is not explicitly granted in any other religion.

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 11 of 13): Good Treatment

The Quran instructs Muslims to treat non-Muslims courteously in a spirit of kindness and generosity, given they are not hostile towards Muslims. Allah says:
“God does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes from dealing kindly and justly with them. Indeed, God loves those who act justly. God only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion (forbids) that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” [Quran 60:8-9]
Al-Qarafi, a classical Muslim scholar, describes the depth of the meaning of “dealing kindly” referred to in the above verse. He explains the term:
‘…gentleness towards the weak, providing clothing to cover them, and soft speech. This must be done with affection and mercy, not by intimidation or degradation. Furthermore, tolerating the fact that they may be bothersome neighbors whom you could force to move, but you do not out of kindness towards them, not out of fear or financial reasons. Also, praying they receive guidance and [thus] join the ranks of the blessed with external reward, advising them in all wordily and spiritual matters, protecting their reputation if they are exposed to slander, and defending their property, families, rights, and concerns. Assisting them against oppression and getting them their rights. [Ref: Al-Qarafi, ‘al-Furooq, vol 3, p. 15]
Divine commandments to treat non-Muslims in this manner were taken seriously by Muslims. They were not just verses to be recited, but Divine Will to be acted upon. The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, himself was the first person to put the divine commands into practice, followed by his caliphs and the general population of believers. The life-story of the Prophet of Islam gives many instances of his kind, tolerant co-existence with non-Muslims. Some of his neighbors were non-Muslims and the Prophet would be generous towards them and exchange gifts. The Prophet of Islam would visit them when they fell sick and do business with them. There was a Jewish family he regularly gave charity to and the Muslims after his death maintained his charity towards them. [Ref: Abu Ubayd, al-Amwaal, p. 613]
When a Christian delegation from Ethiopian churches came to Medina, the Prophet opened up his mosque for them to stay in, hosted them generously, and personally served them meals. He (Peace be upon him) said:
“They were generous to our companions, so I wish to be generous to them in person…”
…referring to the event when they provided asylum to a number of his companions after they fled persecution in Arabia and took asylum in Abyssinia. [Ref: Ibn Hamdun, ‘at-Tazkira al-Hamduniyya, vol. 2, p. 95 Siba’i, Mustafa, ‘Min Rawai Hadaratina, p. 134]
In another instance, a Jewish man named Zayd bin Sana came to the Prophet of Islam to reclaim a debt. He grabbed the Prophet by his robe and cloak, pulled the Prophet close to his face, and said, ‘Muhammad, are you not going to give me my due? You and your clan Banu Muttalib never pay debts on time!’ Umar, one of the companions of the Prophet, got agitated and said,
‘Enemy of God, am I really hearing what you just said to God’s Prophet. I swear by the One who sent him with truth, if I were not afraid that he would blame me, I would have taken my sword and cut your head off! The Prophet looked calmly at Umar and censured him gently:
“Umar, that is not what we needed to hear from you. You should have counseled me to pay my debts in time and asked him to seek repayment in a respectful manner. Now take him, repay him his debt from my money and give him an extra twenty measures of date.”
The Jewish man was so pleasantly surprised by the Prophet’s behavior that he immediately declared his acceptance of Islam! [Ref: Ibn Kathir, ‘al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya,’ vol 2, p. 310]
The companions of Prophet Muhammad followed his example in how they treated non-Muslims. Umar set-up a permanent stipend for the Jewish family the Prophet used to take care of in his lifetime. [Ref: Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Kharaj, p. 86]
He found justification for allotting funds for the People of the Scripture in the following verse of the Quran:
“Alms are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect (the funds) and for bringing hearts together, and for freeing captives (or slaves) and for those in debt and for the cause of God, and for the (stranded) traveler an obligation (imposed) by God. And God is Knowing and Wise.” [Quran 9:60]
Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, a famous companion of the Prophet Muhammad, would regularly give charity to his neighbors. He would send his servant to take portions of meat on religious occasions to his Jewish neighbor. The surprised servant asked about Abdullah’s concern for his Jewish neighbor. Abdullah told him the saying of Prophet Muhammad:
“The angel Gabriel was so adamant in reminding me to be charitable with my neighbor that I thought he might make him my heir.” [Ref: Saheeh Al-Bukhari]
Turning to the pages of history, we find a marvelous example of how a Muslim ruler expected his governors to treat the Jewish populace. The Sultan of Morocco, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, issued an edict on February 5th, 1864 CE:
‘To our civil servants and agents who perform their duties as authorized representatives in our territories, we issue the following edict:
‘They must deal with the Jewish residents of our territories according to the absolute standard of justice established by God. The Jews must be dealt with by the law on an equal basis with others so that none suffers the least injustice, oppression, or abuse. Nobody from their own community or outside shall be permitted to commit any offense against them or their property. Their artisans and craftsmen may not be scripted into service against their will, and must be paid full wages for serving the state. Any oppression will cause the oppressor to be in darkness on Judgment Day and we will not approve of any such wrongdoing. Everyone is equal in the sight of our law, and we will punish anyone who wrongs or commits aggression against the Jews with divine aid. This order which we have stated here is the same law that has always been known, established, and stated. We have issued this edict simply to affirm and warn anyone who may wish to wrong them, so the Jews may have a greater sense of security and those intending harm may be deterred by greater sense of fear. [Ref: Qaradawi, Yusuf, ‘al-Aqaliyyat ad-Diniyya wa-Hal al-Islami, p. 58-59]
Renault is one of the unbiased Western historians who has acknowledged the kind and fair treatment of Muslims towards the non-Muslim minorities. He comments:
‘The Muslims in the cities of Islamic Spain treated the non-Muslims in the best possible way. In return, the non-Muslims showed respect to the sensibilities of the Muslims and would circumcise their own children and refrain from eating pork.’ [Ref: Quoted by Siba ‘i, Mustafa, ‘Min Rawai Hadaratina,’ p. 147]

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 12 of 13): Social Security

Modern welfare states provide social benefits to their poor citizens, but Islam preceded all nations in establishing social security services. Islamic law set up financial provisions for needy Muslims through zakah (obligatory charity) and sadaqa (voluntary charity). Zakah was made obligatory on wealthy Muslims to take care of the poor, whereas sadaqa was left on individual discretion to help the needy. Social security provided by Islam includes non-Muslims as well. Islamic Law requires the state to provide for its citizens with disabilities Muslim or non-Muslim that prevent them from employment. They are provided for by the public treasury and the ruler is negligent if he does not do so. Many instances of Muslims providing social security to the non-Muslim citizens are recorded in history.

Umar ibn al-Khattab the second caliph of Islam, once passed by a old, blind man begging in front of a house. Umar asked him which religious community he belonged to. The man said he was Jewish. Umar then asked him, ‘What has brought you to this?’ The old man said, ‘Do not ask me; ask…poverty, and old age.
Umar took the man to his own home, helped him from his personal money, and then ordered the head of the treasury, ‘You must look after this man and others like him. We have not treated him fairly. He should not have spent the best years of his life among us to find misery in his old age. Umar also relieved him and others in his situation of paying the jizya. [Ref: Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Kharaj, p. 136]
Another example is found in Khalid ibn al-Walid’s letter to the people of the Iraqi city of Hira. It contains the terms of truce he offered them:
‘If God gives us victory, the people of the covenant will be protected. They have rights promised to them by God. It is the strictest covenant God has made incumbent on any of His prophets. They are also held by the duties that it places upon them and must not violate it. If they are conquered, they will live comfortably with everything due to them. I am commanded to exempt from jizya the elderly who cannot work, the disabled, or the poor who receive charity from their own community. The treasury will provide for them and their dependants as long as they live in Muslim lands or in the communities of Muslim emigrants. If they move outside of Muslim lands, neither they nor their dependants shall be entitled to any benefits. [Ref: Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Kharaj, p. 155-156]
In another instance, Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Muslim Caliph, was visiting Damascus. He passed by a group of Christian lepers. He ordered that they be given charity and regular stipends for food. [Ref: Qaradawi, Yusuf, ‘Ghayr al-Muslimeen fil-Mujtama’ al-Islami,’ p. 17]
Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz, another Muslim Caliph, wrote to his agent in Basra, Iraq, ‘Search for the people of the covenant in your area who may have grown old, and are unable to earn, and provide them with regular stipends from the treasury to take care of their needs.’ [Ref: Abu Ubayd, al-Amwaal, p. 805]
Some of the early Muslims [Ref: Sarkhasi, ‘al-Mabsut, vol 2, p. 202 Jassas, ‘al-Ahkam ul-Quran, vol. 3, p. 215]
used to distribute part of their post-Ramadan charity (zakat ul-fitr) to Christian monks, based on their understanding of the verse of Quran:
“God does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes from dealing kindly and justly with them. Indeed, God loves those who act justly. God only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion (forbids) that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” (Quran 60:8-9)
Finally, there are other rights that we have not discussed here, because of the assumption that they are elementary and taken for granted, such as the right to work, housing, transportation,
education, and so forth.[Ref: Public Regulations Relevant to non-Muslims, p. 43-58.]
However, before concluding, I would like to make the following observation. Our discussion has clarified how non-Muslims living in Muslim countries enjoy rights that they might not be granted in non-Muslim countries. Some readers may respond with the objection that these rights might have existed in history, but the experience of non-Muslims living in Muslim countries today is different. The author’s personal observation is that non-Muslims still enjoy many of these same rights today, perhaps even more. Allah Almighty has commanded us to be truthful, in the verse:
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, God is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you avoid justice; and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do.” [Quran 4:135]
Further, when we compare the conditions of non-Muslims living in Muslim countries to the status of Muslim minorities living in non-Muslim countries, whether now or in history, we see a profound difference. What happened to Muslims during the Crusades, under the Spanish Inquisition, in Communist China, or the Soviet Union? What is happening to them today in the Balkans, Russia, Palestine, and India? It would be worthwhile to reflect in order to give an answer based on fairness and declaration of truth and justice. Allah is the best of Judges, and He states:

“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for God as just witnesses; and let not the enmity hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety; and fear God. Verily, God is Well-Acquainted with what you do.” [Quran 5:8]

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 13 of 13): Protection from Foreign Aggression

Non-Muslim citizens have a similar right to be protected from external enemies just as a Muslim fellow citizen does. The payment of jizya ensures protection against outside aggression, defense against enemies, and ransom to be paid on their behalf if they are taken captive by an enemy. [Ref: Some parts of this article are taken from the books: ‘Ghayr al-Muslimeen fil-Mujtama’ al-Islami, by Yusuf Qaradawi and ‘Huquq Ghayr is-Muslimeen fid-Dawla al-Islamiyya, by Fahd Muhammad Ali Masud.]
Writing a few centuries ago, Ibn Hazm, a classical scholar of Islam, said:
‘If we are attacked by an enemy nation who is targeting the People of the Covenant living among us, it is out duty to come fully armed and ready to die in battle for them, to protect those people who are protected by the covenant of God and His Messenger. Doing any less and surrendering them will be blameworthy neglect of a sacred promise. [Ref: Qarafi, ‘al-Furuq, vol 3, p. 14]
History has recorded many examples of Muslims fulfilling their sacred promise towards the dhimmis. The companion of Prophet Muhammad, Abu Ubayda al-Jarrah, was the leader of the army that conquered Syria. He made agreement with its people to pay the jizya.
Realizing the faithful loyalty of the Muslims, the Syrian people of the covenant resisted Muslim enemies and aided the Muslims against them. The residents of each town would send some of their people to spy against the Byzantines, who conveyed the news of the gathering of Byzantine army to Abu Ubayda’s commanders. Finally, when the Muslims feared they would not be able to guarantee their protectect, Abu Ubayda wrote to his commanders to return all the money they had collected as jizya with the following message for the Syrians:
‘We are returning your money to you because news has reached us of the awaiting armies. The condition of our agreement is that we protect you, and we are unable to do so, therefore, we are returning what we have taken from you. If God grants us victory, we will stand by out agreement.’
When his commanders returned the money and conveyed his message, the Syrian response was:
‘May God bring you back safely to us. May He grant you victory. If the Byzantines had been in your place, they would not have returned anything, they would have taken everything we own and left us with nothing.”
The Muslims were victorious in the battle. When people of other towns saw how their allies were defeated, they sought to negotiate a truce with the Muslims. Abu Ubayda entered into a truce with all of them with all the rights he had extended in the first treaties. They also requested that the Byzantines hiding among them be given safe passage back home, with their families and possessions, without any harm, which Abu Ubayda agreed to. Then the Syrians sent the jizya and opened their cities to welcome Muslims. On the way back home, Abu Ubayda was met by the representatives of townspeople and villagers requesting him to extend the treaty to them as well, to which he happily complied. [Ref: Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Kharaj, p. 149-151]
Another example of Muslims’ defending the non-Muslim citizens can be seen in the actions of Ibn Taimiyya. He went to the Tartar leader after they had sacked Syria for release of their captives. The Tartar leader agreed to release the Muslim prisoners, but Ibn Taimiyya protested:
‘We will only be satisfied if all the Jewish and Christian prisoners are released as well. They are people of the covenant. We do not abandon a prisoner whether from our own people or from those under a covenant.’
He persisted until the Tartars released all of them. [Ref: Qaradawi, Yusuf, ‘Ghayr al-Muslimeen fil-Mujtama’ al-Islami, p. 10]

Furthermore, Muslim jurists have stated that protecting non-Muslims from external aggression is a duty just as their protection from internal harassment. Al-Mawardi stated:
‘The payment of the jizya entitles the people of the covenant to two rights. First, that they be left undisturbed. Second, that they be guarded and protected. In this way, they can be secure in society and protected from outside threats. [Ref: Mawardi, ‘al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya,’ p. 143]
Islam considers abandoning the protection of its non-Muslim citizens a form of wrongdoing and oppression that is forbidden. God says:
“…And whoever commits injustice among you We will make him taste a great punishment.” [Quran 25:19]
Therefore, harming or oppressing people of the covenant is considered a serious sin. Upholding treaties with them is an obligation on the Muslim Caliph and his representatives. The Prophet promised to argue on the Day of Judgment on behalf of the dhimmi against someone who harms him:
“Beware! Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, curtails their rights, burdens them with more than they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free will; I (Prophet Muhammad) will complain against the person on the Day of Judgment.” [Ref: Abu Dawood]
All evidence in Islamic Law points towards protecting the people of the covenant. Al-Qarafi, another classical Muslim scholar, wrote:
‘The covenant is a contract that has conditions that are compulsory for us, for they are under our protection as neighbors, and the covenant of God and His Messenger, and the religion of Islam. If someone harms them with inappropriate speech, defamation, any type of harassment, or is an accomplice to such actions, then he has made light of the covenant of God, His Messenger, and Islam.’ [Ref: Qarafi, ‘al-Furuq, vol 3, p. 14]
Umar, the second Caliph of Islam, would inquire from the visitors coming to meet him from other provinces about the situation of the people of the covenant and would say, ‘We may know that the treaty is still being upheld. [Ref: Tabari, Tarirk al-Tabari, vol 4, p. 218]
On his deathbed, Umar is reported to have said, ‘Command whoever becomes Caliph after me to treat well the people of the covenant, to uphold the treaty, to fight whoever wants to harm them, and not to overwhelm them with burden. [Ref: Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Kharaj, p. 1136]
The writings of Muslim scholars and the actions of many Muslim rulers demonstrate the Islamic commitment from the earliest times to this right of non-Muslims.

Source : Book “Rights for Non-Muslims in Islam” by Islamhouse.com

How to Treat Non-Muslims ?

learnislam — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 21:06:40 +0000

Question:

What is the Islamic view of humanity? Does it encourage us to love and respect others as human beings, regardless of their religion or race?

Answer:

Praise be to Allah

Islamic view of humanity

The Islamic view of humanity is filled with mercy and compassion, and it cannot be otherwise, because the Islamic religion is the last of the religions that were prescribed by Allah, may He be exalted, and He commanded all of mankind to enter this religion. He revealed this religion and sent it down to the most compassionate of mankind, Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This is confirmed in the Book of Allah, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ

“And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).” [al-Anbiya 21:107]

How to treat non-Muslims

1- With regard to that, there are commands in the Quran and Sunnah to the Muslims, instructing them to call people to affirm the Oneness of Allah (Tawhid ), and to offer their wealth, time and selves for that purpose.

This is only out of compassion and mercy towards all people, so as to save them from worshipping people and calling them to worship the Lord of all people; to save them from the constraints of this world and bring them to the abundance of this world and the Hereafter. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

“Let there be a group among you who call ˹others˺ to goodness, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil—it is they who will be successful.” [Al `Imran 3:104]

2- Showing kindness to parents even if they are non-Muslims and even if they (parents) were to try hard to keep their children away from Islam and tell them to associate others with Allah and to disbelieve. Concerning that Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْأِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْناً عَلَى وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ . وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَى أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلا تُطِعْهُمَا وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفاً وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

“And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years; give thanks to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination.

But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not, but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.” [Luqman 31:14-15]

2- Islam advises us to treat neighbours kindly , even if they are not Muslim. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئاً وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَاناً وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنْبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ مُخْتَالاً فَخُوراً

2- Islam advises us to treat neighbours kindly , even if they are not Muslim. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Worship Allah ˹alone˺ and associate none with Him. And be kind to parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, near and distant neighbours, close friends, ˹needy˺ travellers, and those ˹bondspeople˺ in your possession. Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant, boastful.” (An-Nisa’ 4:36)

Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

I say: based on that, kind treatment of neighbours is enjoined and is recommended, whether they are Muslim or not. And this is the right thing to do. Kind treatment may be in the sense of helping or it may be in the sense of being kind, refraining from annoyance and standing by them.

Al-Bukhari narrated from ‘Aishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Jibril kept urging me to treat neighbours kindly until I thought that he would make them heirs.”

And

It was narrated from Abu Shurayh that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By Allah, he does not believe; by Allah, he does not believe; by Allah, he does not believe.” It was said: O Messenger of Allah, who is that? He said: “The one whose neighbour is not safe from his annoyance.”

This is general in meaning and applies to all neighbours, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) affirmed that the neighbour should not be annoyed by swearing three times and stating that the one who annoys his neighbour is not a believer in the complete sense. So the believer should avoid annoying his neighbour and refrain from doing what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden; he should strive to do that which pleases Him and encourage others to do likewise.

4- Ensuring justice and showing kindness to non-Muslims who are not fighting Muslims.

Concerning that Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

لا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ

“Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity.” [al-Mumtahanah 60:8]

“In other words, Allah does not forbid you to be kind, uphold ties, return favours and be fair towards the mushrikeen (polytheists), whether they are relatives and others, so long as they are not fighting you because of your religion or seeking to drive you out of your homes.

So there is nothing wrong with you upholding ties with them, because upholding ties with them in this case does not involve anything that may lead to negative consequences.” (Tafsir al-Sa’di, p. 856)

5- Islam prohibits killing non-Muslims living under Muslim rule.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو رضى الله عنهما عَنِ النَّبِىِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : ( مَنْ قَتَلَ مُعَاهَداً لَمْ يَرَحْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ ، وَإِنَّ رِيحَهَا تُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ أَرْبَعِينَ عَاماً )

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever kills a mu‘ahid (a non-Muslim living under Muslim rule) will not smell the fragrance of Paradise, although its fragrance may be detected from a distance of forty years.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2995

“What is meant is one who has a deal with the Muslims, whether that is by paying jizyah or a peace treaty with the Muslim ruler or a guarantee of safety from a Muslim.” (Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar, 12:259)

6- Islam prohibits wronging a mu‘ahid, detracting from his rights, or burdening him with more work.

There is a hadith that speaks of that.

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : ( أَلَا مَنْ ظَلَمَ مُعَاهِدًا أَوْ انْتَقَصَهُ أَوْ كَلَّفَهُ فَوْقَ طَاقَتِهِ أَوْ أَخَذَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا بِغَيْرِ طِيبِ نَفْسٍ فَأَنَا حَجِيجُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If anyone wrongs a mu‘ahid, detracts from his rights, burdens him with more work than he is able to do or takes something from him without his consent, I will plead for him (the mu‘ahid) on the Day of Resurrection.” Narrated by Abu Dawud, 3052; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Saheeh Abi Dawud.

“If any non-Muslim come to our country for work or business, and has permission (from the authorities), he is either a mu‘ahid (one who has a treaty with the Muslims) or a mustamin (one who has been granted security by the Muslims). So it is not permissible to transgress against him. It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever kills a mu‘ahid will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.” We are Muslims who submit to the command of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and we respect those whom Islam instructs us to respect of those who have treaties and guarantees of security. Whoever transgresses against them has misrepresented Islam and has given Islam an image of terrorism, treachery and betrayal. The one who adheres to the rulings of Islam and respects treaties and covenants is one for whom it is hoped that he will do well and succeed.” (Fatawa Ibn Uthaymin, 15:493)

7- Islam prohibits committing transgression and commands justice.

Concerning that Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and let not the hatred of some people in (once) stopping you from Al-Masjid al-Haram (at Makkah) lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part).” [al-Maidah 5:2]

“and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety.” [al-Maidah 5:8].

“Look at what these verses contain of noble characteristics and the command to respond to the one who disobeys Allah concerning you by obeying Allah concerning him.” (Adwa al-Bayan by Al-Shinqiti 3:50)

Facts about Islam

However, in addition to what has been stated above, it is essential to confirm some important points:

1- There is no comparison whatsoever between what this world has seen the “non-Muslims” do and what the Muslims have done. The two World Wars in which 70 million people were killed were “Christian” wars.

2- Then there is the occupation of Muslim lands and the exploitation of their resources, which was and still is happening at the hands of “non-Muslims” of all religions. This should be borne in mind when speaking of the Islamic view of humanity and of love and compassion. Fair-minded historians should compare the Islamic conquests of other lands with the Crusades, for example, and what happened in each case. They will see a clear difference between compassion and cruelty, love and hatred, life and death.

3- What was mentioned above about Islam and how it regards non-Muslims, and what was mentioned about rulings is the highest level of love, compassion and mercy. However, that does not mean that we should neglect some rulings that some ignorant people want us to neglect.

For example:

1- In Islam it is forbidden to love non-Muslims and take them as close (intimate) friends. Anyone who has common sense can distinguish between kindness, fairness, compassion and mercy, on the one hand, which we have been enjoined to show towards a non-Muslim who is not in a state of war with us, and love on the other hand, which we are not allowed to feel towards disbelievers because of their disbelief in Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and because of their not being Muslims.

2- It is not permissible for us to give our daughters, sisters and other womenfolk in marriage to any non-Muslim, no matter what his religion is, whereas it is permissible for us (Muslim men) to marry only women from the People of the Book, Jews and Christians, who are chaste. Undoubtedly ‘aqidah (belief) and tawhid (affirming the Oneness of Allah) play a major role in this ruling, because it is very likely and possible that a kitabi (Jewish or Christian) woman who is married to a Muslim may become Muslim, whereas it is very possible and likely that a Muslim woman may be tempted away from her religion by marrying a non-Muslim. This ruling is entirely in accordance with the compassion and mercy of the rulings of this great religion: it represents compassion towards the Jewish or Christian woman in the hope that she might become Muslim and towards the Muslim woman lest she leave her religion.

3- It is not part of Islam to force the non-Muslim to enter this religion , because sincerity is one of the conditions of accepting Islam. And Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ

“There is no compulsion in religion.” [al-Baqarah 2:256]

4- Islam prescribes stoning for the married adulterer, cutting off the hand for the thief, and flogging for the one who slanders the honour of a woman who is chaste (all following due process, of course). We do not feel ashamed of these laws; rather we firmly believe that the whole world is in need of application of these laws. If they do that, they will live in an atmosphere of safety with regard to their honour, their wealth and their lives, safe from transgressions against them.

Any wise person who ponders these rulings will realise that they were prescribed, first of all, so that no one will dare to do these things. Anyone who looks at the state of other nations, and sees how widespread the crimes of rape, theft and murder are, will realise that there is an urgent need to put a stop to that, and that the rulings of Islam are based on wisdom, mercy, justice and care.

And Allah knows best.

Source: Islamqa

Who Is Muhammad?

learnislam — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 21:06:49 +0000

Question:

Could you give me some brief details about the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Why did Allah send Prophet Muhammad?

Differences and disputes arose among the Children of Israel. They introduced alterations and changes in their beliefs and laws. Thus truth was extinguished and falsehood prevailed, oppression and evil became widespread, and people needed a religion that would establish truth, destroy evil and guide people to the straight path, therefore Allah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as Allah said (interpretation of the meaning):

وما أنزلنا عليك الكتاب إلا لتبين لهم الذي اختلفوا فيه وهدى ورحمة لقوم يؤمنون

Allah sent all the Prophets and Messengers to call for the worship of Allah alone, and to bring people from darkness to light. The first of these Messengers was Nuh and the last of them was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as Allah said (interpretation of the meaning):

ولقد بعثنا في كل أمة رسولاً أن اعبدوا الله واجتنبوا الطاغوت

“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities, i.e. do not worship Taghut besides Allah).’” [al-Nahl 16:36]

Is Prophet Muhammad the last prophet?

The last of the Prophets and Messengers is Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), so there is no Prophet after him, as Allah said:

ما كان محمد أبا أحد من رجالكم ولكن رسول الله وخاتم النبيين

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets.” [al-Ahzab 33:40]

Every Prophet was sent exclusively to his own people, but Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to all of mankind as Allah said (interpretation of the meaning):

وما أرسلناك إلا كافة للناس بشيرا ًونذيراً ولكن أكثر الناس لا يعلمون

“We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a giver of glad tidings and a Warner to all mankind, but most of men know not” [Saba 34:28]

Why did Allah send the Quran?

Allah sent the Quran to His Messenger, to guide people and bring them forth from darkness to light by the will of their Lord. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

كتاب أنزلناه إليك لتخرج الناس من الظلمات إلى النور بإذن ربهم إلى صراط العزيز الحميد

“(This is) a Book which We have revealed unto you (O Muhammad) in order that you might lead mankind out of darkness (of disbelief and polytheism) into light (of belief in the Oneness of Allah and Islâmic Monotheism) by their Lord’s Leave to the path of the All Mighty, the Owner of all praise” [Ibrahim 14:1]

When was Prophet Muhammad born?

The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib al-Hashimi al-Qurashi was born in Makkah in the year of the Elephant, the year when the companions of the Elephant came to Makkah to destroy the Ka’bah, but Allah destroyed them.

His father died before he was born, and after he was born, Haleemah al-Sa’diyyah nursed him. When he was six years old, he visited his maternal uncles in Madinah with his mother Aminah bint Wahb. On the way back to Makkah, his mother died in al-Abwa.

Then his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muttalib became his guardian. But ‘Abd al-Muttalib died when Muhammad was eight years old. Then his paternal uncle Abu Talib became his guardian. He took care of him, treated him kindly and defended him for more than forty years, but when Abu Talib died he had not come to believe in the religion of Muhammad lest he be reproached by Quraysh for abandoning the religion of his forefathers

What was Prophet Muhammad’s profession?

When he was young, Muhammad used to tend sheep for the people of Makkah, then he traveled to Syria to do business on behalf of Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, and he made a good profit. Khadijah was impressed with his character, and his sincerity and honesty, so he married her when he was twenty-five, and she was forty, and he did not marry any other woman until after she died.

Prophet Muhammad’s character before prophethood

Allah made Muhammad grow in a good manner, and Allah took care of him, so he was the best of his people in physical wellbeing and in attitude, he was the most generous, the most patient, the most truthful, the most sincere and the most honest, so his people called him al-Amin (the trustworthy) .

Then he was given an inclination towards solitude, so he used to spend many days and nights alone in the cave of Hira, worshiping and praying to his Lord. He hated idols, alcohol and promiscuous conduct, so he never paid any attention to them all his life

When Muhammad reached the age of thirty-five he took part in the rebuilding of the Ka’bah, which had been destroyed by a flood. A dispute arose concerning who should put the Black Stone back in its place, and they appointed him as an arbitrator to resolve the dispute, so he called for a garment and placed the stone on it then he told the tribal chiefs to hold the garment at the edges so that all of them could lift it together, then Muhammad put it in place and put stones and mortar around it.

What did the people of Arabia believe before Islam?

The people of the Jahiliyyah used to have some good characteristics such as generosity, loyalty and courage, and they used to follow some teachings of the religion of Ibrahim, such as venerating the Ka’bah and making Tawaf around it, performing Hajj and ‘Umrah, and offering sacrifices. But besides that they used to have some bad habits and traditions, such as fornication, drinking alcohol, consuming riba (usury or interest), killing their daughters, oppression and worshiping idols.

The first one to introduce changes in the religion of Ibrahim, and to call for the worship of idols was ‘Amr ibn Luhayy al-Khuza’i, who brought idols to Makkah and other places, and called people to worship them. Among these idols were Wudd, Suwa’, Yaghooth, Ya’uq, and Nasra.

Later on, the Arabs also worshipped other idols such as the idol of Manat in a place called Qadeed, and al-Lat in al-Taif, al-‘Uzza in Wadi Nakhlah, Hubal inside the Ka’bah, and other idols around the Ka’bah, and idols in their homes. People used to consult soothsayers, fortune tellers and magicians to judge between them.

When was Prophet Muhammad called for prophethood?

When shirk and corruption became so widespread, Allah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when he was forty years old, to call the people to worship Allah Alone and to give up idol-worship. Quraysh denounced him for that and said:

أجعل الآلهة ألهاً واحداً إن هذا لشيء عجاب

“Has he made the alihah (gods) (all) into One Ilah (God — Allah). Verily, this is a curious thing!” [Saad 38:5 – interpretation of the meaning]

These idols continued to be worshipped instead of Allah until Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with the Message of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah). So he and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) broke them and destroyed them, truth prevailed and falsehood was vanquished:

وقل جاء الحق وزهق الباطل إن الباطل كان زهوقاً

“And say: ‘Truth (i.e. Islamic Monotheism or this Quran on Jihad against polytheists) has come and Batil (falsehood, i.e. Satan or polytheism) has vanished. Surely, Batil is ever bound to vanish’” [al-Israa’ 17:81 – interpretation of the meaning]

An account of the first revelation to Prophet Muhammad

The first revelation that was sent down to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was in the cave of Hira where he used to go to worship, when Jibril came to him and commanded him to read. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I am not a reader.” This happened again, and on the third time, he said to him:

“Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists).

He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood).

Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous” [al-‘Alaq 96:1-3 – interpretation of the meaning]

The Messenger went back home, his heart pounding. He entered upon his wife Khadijah and told her what had happened, saying “I feared for myself.” She calmed him down and said, “By Allah, Allah will never forsake you, for you uphold the ties of kinship, help the weak, honour your guests, give in charity and help when someone is stricken with calamity.” Then she went with him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who had become a Christian. When he told him what had happened, he gave him glad tidings and told him, this is the Namus whom Allah sent to Musa. He encouraged him to be patient if his people persecuted him and expelled him. Then the wahy stopped for a while, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was saddened by that. Then whilst he was walking one day, he saw the angel again, between the heavens and the earth. He went back to his house and wrapped himself in his blanket. Then Allah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you (Muhammad) enveloped in garments! Arise and warn!” [al-Muddaththir 74:1-2]

After that, revelations came one after another to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

What were the stages of Prophet Muhammad’s mission?

The Prophet stayed in Makkah for thirteen years, calling for the worship of Allah alone, in secret then openly, when Allah commanded him to proclaim the truth. So he called them in a gentle and kind manner, without fighting. He called his clan and closest relatives, then he warned his people and those around them, then he warned all the Arabs, then he warned all of mankind. Then Allah said:

فاصدع بما تؤمر وأعرض عن المشركين

“Therefore proclaim openly (Allah’s Message Islamic Monotheism) that which you are commanded, and turn away from Al Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, and disbelievers)” [al-Hijr 15:94]

A few people, rich people, nobles, the weak and poor, men and women, believed in the Messenger. All of them were persecuted for their faith. Some were tortured and some were killed. Some of them migrated to Abyssinia, fleeing from the persecution of Quraysh, and some of them were persecuted with the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), until Allah caused His religion to prevail.

When the Messenger reached the age of fifty and ten years of his mission had passed, his uncle Abu Talib, who had protected him from the persecution of Quraysh, died. Then his wife Khadهjah, who had been his consolation, also died, and the persecution of his people intensified. They harassed him and persecuted him with all kinds of torments, and he bore it with patience, seeking the reward of Allah. May the blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him.

Prophet Muhammad’s visit to al-Taif

When the persecution of Quraysh became too intense, he went out to al-Taif and called its people to Islam but they did not respond; instead they insulted him and threw stones at him, until his heels started to bleed. He went back to Makkah and continued to call his people to Islam during Hajj and at other times.

Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey

Then Allah took His Messenger on the Night Journey from al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), riding on al-Buraq, accompanied by Jibril. He stopped and led the prophets in prayer, then he was taken up into the lowest heaven, where he saw Adam, with the souls of the blessed to his right and the souls of the doomed to his left. Then he was taken up to the second heaven where he saw ‘Isa and Yahya; then to the third heaven where he saw Yusuf; then to the fourth heaven where he saw Idris; then to the fifth heaven where he saw Harun; then to the sixth heaven where he saw Musa; then to the seventh heaven where he saw Ibrahim.

Then he was taken up to Sidrat al-Muntaha (the Lote-tree of the utmost boundary), and his Lord spoke to him and enjoined fifty prayers upon him and his ummah each day and night. Then that was reduced to five prayers to be performed, with a reward for fifty, and the prayer was confirmed to be five prayers each day and night for the ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Then he returned to Makkah before dawn came, and he told them what had happened to him. The believers believed him but the kafirs did not.

“Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him]

Who took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah) to Al Masjid Al Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All Hearer, the All Seer.” [al-Isra 17:1 – interpretation of the meaning]

Some tribes accept Islam

Then Allah sent to His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) people who would help and support him. During the Hajj season, he met a group from the tribe of Khazraj in Madinah. They embraced Islam, then they went back to Madinah and spread Islam there. The following year, they were over ten people, whom the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) met, and when they left he sent Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr with them to teach them the Quran and Islam. Many people became Muslim through him, including the leaders of the tribe of Aws, Sa’d ibn Mu’adh and Usayd ibn Hudayr.

The following year when the Hajj season came, more than seventy men from al-Aws and al-Khazraj came and invited the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to come to Madinah after the people of Makkah had persecuted him and boycotted him. During the night of one of the days of Tashreeq, the Messenger made an appointment to meet them at ‘Aqabah. When one third of the night had passed, they came out to meet him and found the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), accompanied by his uncle al-‘Abbas, who was not a believer, but he wanted to take care of his nephew’s affairs. Al-‘Abbas, the Messenger and the people spoke together in a pleasant manner, then the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) accepted their oath of allegiance on the basis that he would migrate to them in Madinah and they would protect him, support him and defend him, and Paradise would be theirs in return. They gave their oath of allegiance, one by one, then they left. Quraysh found out about them, so they set out in pursuit of them. But Allah saved them from them, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remained in Makkah for a while:

ولينصرن الله من ينصره إن الله لقوي عزيز

“Verily, Allaah will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allah is All Strong, All Mighty” [al-Hajj 22:40 – interpretation of the meaning]

An account of Prophet Muhammad’s Migration to Madinah

Then the Messenger commanded his Companions to migrate to Madinah , so they migrated in groups except for those who were prevented from doing so by the mushrikeen. Then there were no Muslims left in Makkah apart from the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr and ‘Ali. When the mushrikeen realized that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had migrated to Madinah, they feared that he would join them and become strong. So they agreed to kill him. Jibril told the Messenger of Allah about that, so the Messenger commanded ‘Ali to sleep in his bed, and he returned the things that had been entrusted to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to their owners. The mushrikeen spent the night at the door of the Messenger, waiting to kill him when he came out, but he came out in the midst of them and went to the house of Abu Bakr, after Allah had saved him from their plot. And Allah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):

وإذ يمكر بك الذين كفروا ليثبتوك أو يقتلوك أو يخرجوك ويمكرون ويمكر الله والله خير الماكرين

“And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O Muhammad) to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get you out (from your home, i.e. Makkah); they were plotting and Allah too was plotting; and Allah is the Best of those who plot” [al-Anfal 8:30]

Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) resolved to migrate to Madinah, so he and Abu Bakr set out to the cave of Thawr and stayed there for three nights. They hired ‘Abd-Allah ibn Abi Urayqit, who was a mushrik, as their guide, and they let him lead their camels. Quraysh was alarmed when he left, and they looked for him everywhere, but Allah protected His Messenger. When the search for them died down, they travelled to Madinah.

When Quraysh despaired of finding them, they offered to anyone who could bring one or both of them to them two hundred camels. So the people intensified their search and on the way to Madinah, Suraqah ibn Malik found them; he was a mushrik and he set out after them, so the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed against him and his horse’s legs sank into the ground. So he realized that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was protected, so he asked the Messenger to pray for him and said that he would not harm him. So the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed for him and Suraqah went back, and diverted the people away from them. Then he became Muslim after the conquest of Makkah.

How was Prophet Muhammad received in Madinah?

When the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) reached Madinah, the Muslims exclaimed “Allahu akbar!” with joy at his coming. Men, women and children came out to meet him, rejoicing. He stayed in Quba, where he and the Muslims built the mosque of Quba. He stayed there for over ten nights, then he rode on Friday and prayed Jumu’ah amongst Bani Salim ibn ‘Awf, then he rode his camel and entered Madinah, with the people all around him taking the reins of his camel so that he would come and stay with them. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told them to leave her, for she would be guided (by Allah), so she walked on until she sat down in the place where the Mosque is today.

Allah made it possible for His Messenger to stay with his maternal uncles near the mosque, so he stayed in the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent someone to bring his family and his daughters, and the family of Abu Bakr, from Makkah, and thus he brought them to Madinah.

Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions started to build his mosque in the place where the camel had sat down. He made the qiblah facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). Its pillars were made of tree trunks and its roof was made of palm branches. Then the qiblah was changed to the Ka’bah more than ten months after he had come to Madinah.

Prophet Muhammad’s treaty with the Jews of Madinah

Then the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) established brotherhood (mua-khah) between the Muhajireen and the Anaar. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made a treaty with the Jews and wrote a document agreeing to peace and to defend Madinah. The Jewish scholar ‘Abd-Allah ibn Salam became Muslim but most of the Jews insisted on remaining kafirs. In that year the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) married ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her).

In the second year, the adhan was prescribed, and Allah changed the qiblah to the Ka’bah, and the fast of Ramadan was enjoined.

Permission to fight those who fought against Muslims

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remained in Madinah and Allah supported him with His help. The Muhajirun and Anaar consolidated their ranks around him, and their hearts were devoted to him. The mushrikun, Jews and hypocrites came together to oppose him; they slandered him and fabricated lies against him, and they declared war on him, but Allah commanded him to be patient, forbearing and tolerant. When their evildoing became too intense, Allah gave the Muslims permission to fight, and the ayah was revealed (interpretation of the meaning):

أذن للذين يُقاتِلون بأنهم ظُلموا وإنَّ الله على نصرهم لقدير

“Permission to fight (against disbelievers) is given to those (believers) who are fought against, because they have been wronged; and surely, Allah is Able to give them (believers) victory.” [al-Hajj 22:39]

Then Allah enjoined the Muslims to fight those who fought against them:

و قاتلوا في سبيل الّله الذين يقاتلونكم ولا تعتدوا إن الّله لا يحب المعتدين

“And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors” [al-Baqarah 2:190 – interpretation of the meaning]

Then Allah commanded them to fight all the mushrikeen:

وقاتلوا المشركين كافة كما يقاتلونكم كافة

“and fight against the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) collectively as they fight against you collectively.” [al-Tawbah 9:36 – interpretation of the meaning]

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions began to call people to Allah and to strive in jihad for the sake of Allah. He foiled the plots of their enemies and relieved the oppression of the oppressed. Allah supported them with His help, until the religion was all for Allah.

Battles of Prophet Muhammad

He fought the mushrikeen at Badr in 2 AH, in Ramadan, and Allah granted him victory over them and he defeated them. In 3 AH the Jews of Bani Qainuqa’ committed treason by killing one of the Muslims, so the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) expelled them from Madinah to Syria. Then Quraysh avenged their dead who were slain at Badr. They camped around Uhud in Shawwal of the year 3 AH. Battle raged and the archers disobeyed the command of the Messenger, so the Muslims did not achieve victory, but the mushrikun went back to Makkah without having entered Madinah.

Then the Jews of Bani al-Nudayr committed treason and resolved to kill the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by throwing a rock on him, but Allah saved him. Then he besieged them in 4 AH and expelled them to Khaybar.

In 5 AH the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) attacked Bani al-Mustalaq in order to repel their aggression. He was victorious over them, and took their wealth and their women and children as booty. Then the Jewish leaders tried to incite the Confederates (al-Ahzab) against the Muslims, in order to put an end to Islam in its heartland. So the mushrikun, al-Ahbash and the Jewish tribe of Ghatafan gathered around Madinah, but Allah foiled their plot and granted victory to His Messenger and the believers:

ورد الله الذين كفروا بغيظهم لم ينالوا خيراً وكفى الله المؤمنين القتال وكان الله قوياً عزيزاً

“And Allah drove back those who disbelieved in their rage: they gained no advantage (booty). Allah sufficed for the believers in the fighting (by sending against the disbelievers a severe wind and troops of angels). And Allah is Ever All Strong, All Mighty” [al-Ahzab 33:25 – interpretation of the meaning]

Then the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) besieged the Jews of Bani Qurayzah , because of their betrayal and their breaking the treaty. Allah granted him victory over them so he killed their men, took their women and children prisoner, and took their wealth as booty.

In 6 AH, the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) resolved to visit the Ka’bah and perform Tawaf around it, but the mushrikun prevented him from doing so. He entered into a treaty with them at al-Hudaybiyah, to stop the fighting for ten years, during which time the people would be safe and could choose what they wanted. Then the people entered Allah’s religion in crowds [cf. al-Nasr 110:2].

In 7 AH, the Messenger attacked Khaybar in order to put an end to the Jewish leaders who were harming the Muslims. He besieged them, and Allah gave him victory over them. He took their wealth and land as booty, and he sent letters to the kings of the earth, inviting them to Islam.

In 8 AH, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent an army, led by Zayd ibn Harithah, to deal with the aggressors. But the Romans gathered a huge army and killed the Muslim commanders, but Allah saved the rest of the Muslims from their evil.

Then the kuffar of Makkah broke the treaty, so the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) headed towards them with a great army and conquered Makkah. He cleansed the Ka’bah of idols and freed it from the custodianship of the kuffar.

Then came the campaign of Hunayn in Shawwal of 8 AH, to repel the aggression of Thaqeef and Hawazen. Allah defeated them and the Muslims captured a lot of booty. Then the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) continued his march to al-Taif and besieged it, but Allah did not decree that it should be conquered, so the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed for them, then went away. They subsequently became Muslim, then he went back and distributed the war-booty. Then he and his Companions performed ‘Umrah, then they went back to Madinah.

In 9 AH the campaign of Tabuk came at a time of difficulty, hardship and intense heat. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went to Tabuk in order to defeat the plots of the Romans. He camped there, but no fighting took place, but he made a treaty with some of the tribes. He captured war-booty, then he came back to Madinah. This was the last military campaign in which he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fought.

In the same year delegations came from the tribes, wanting to enter Islam. Among them were the delegations from Tameem, Tayy, ‘Abd al-Qays and Bani Hanifah. They all became Muslim, then the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded Abu Bakr to lead the people in Hajj that year. He sent ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) with him and told him to recite Surah Bara-ah [al-Tawbah] to them, to declare disavowal (bara-ah) of the mushrikun. He told him to call out to the people, so ‘Ali said on the Day of Sacrifice: “O people, no kafir will enter Paradise, and no mushrik will perform Hajj after this year, and no naked person shall perform Tawaf around the Ka’bah. Whoever has a treaty with the Messenger of Allah, then the treaty will stand until it expires.”

Conquest of Makkah

In 10 AH, the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) resolved to perform Hajj, and he called the people to do likewise. Many people from Madinah and elsewhere performed Hajj with him. He entered ihram at Dhu’l-Hulayfah and reached Makkah in Dhu’l-Hijjah. He performed Tawaf and Sa’i, and he taught the people their rituals.

The Farewell sermon of Prophet Muhammad

He gave a great and comprehensive sermon at ‘Arafah, in which he affirmed the just rulings of Islam. He said:

أيها الناس اسمعوا قولي , فإني لا أدري لعلي لا ألقاكم بعد عامي هذا , أيها الناس إن دماءكم , وأموالكم , وأعراضكم حرام عليكم , كحرمة يومكم هذا , في شهركم هذا , في بلدكم هذا , ألا كل شيء من أمر الجاهلية تحت قدمي موضوع , ودماء الجاهلية موضوعة , وإن أول دم أضع من دمائنا دم ابن ربيعة بن الحارث , كان مسترضعاً في بني سعد , فقتلته هذيل . وربا الجاهلية موضوع , وأول ربا أضع ربا عباس بن عبد المطلب , فإنه موضوع كله , فاتقوا الله في النساء , فإنكم أخذتموهن بأمان الله , واستحللتم فروجهن بكلمة الله , ولكم عليهن أن لا يوطئن فرشكم أحداً تكرهونه , فإن فعلن فاضربوهن ضرباً غير مبرح , ولهن عليكم رزقهن و كسوتهن بالمعروف , وقد تركت فيكم ما لن تضلوا بعده إن اعتصمتم به كتاب الله , وأنتم تسألون عني فما أنتم قائلون , قالوا نشهد أنك قد بلَّغت , وأديت , ونصحت فقال بإصبعه السبابة يرفعها إلى السماء وينكتها إلى الناس اللهم اشهد , اللهم اشهد ثلاث مرات

“O people, listen to my words, for I do not know if I will meet you again after this year. O people, your blood, your wealth and your honour are sacred to you as the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours. Every practice of the jahiliyyah is beneath my feet and the blood feuds of the jahiliyyah are cancelled. The first claim of blood that I abolish is that of Ibn Rabi’ah ibn al-Harith, who was suckled among the tribe of Bani Sa’d and was killed by Hudhayl. The riba of the jahiliyyah is abolished, and the first riba that I abolish is that of ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. It is abolished completely.

Fear Allah concerning women, for you have taken them on the security of Allah and have made their bodies lawful to you by the words of Allah. Your right over them is that they should not allow anyone whom you dislike to sit on your bed. If they do that, then hit them, but not severely. Their rights over you are that you should be kind to them and clothe them properly.

I have left you with something which, if you adhere to it, you will not go astray after I am gone: the Book of Allah. If you were asked about me, what would you say?” They said: “We would bear witness that you have conveyed (the message), fulfilled (the trust) and advised us sincerely.” Then he pointed with his index finger towards the sky and then towards the people, and said, “O Allah, bear witness, O Allah bear witness,” three times.

When Allah perfected this religion and its basic principles had been established, Allah revealed to him in ‘Arafah:

اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم وأتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الإسلام ديناً

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [al-Maidah 5:3 – interpretation of the meaning]

This Hajj is called Hajjat al-Wada’ (the Farewell Pilgrimage) because in it the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) bade farewell to the people, and he did not perform Hajj after that. Then after completing his Hajj, the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned to Madinah,

When did Prophet Muhammad die?

In 11 AH, in the month of Safar, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fell sick. When the pain became too intense, he told Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to lead the people in prayer. In Rabi’ al-Awwal, his sickness became worse and he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died in the morning of Monday 12 Rabi’ al-Awwal 11 AH.

The Muslims were grief-stricken by that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was washed (ghusl) and the Muslims offered the funeral prayer for him on the 13^th, in the evening, and he was buried in the house of ‘Aishah. The Messenger died, but his religion will remain until the Day of Resurrection.

Then the Muslims chose the one who had been his Companion in the cave and during the Hijrah, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to be their khalifah. After him, the position of khalifah passed to ‘Umar, then to ‘Uthman, then to ‘Ali. These are the Khulafa al-Raashidun (the Rightly-Guided Khalifahs), may Allah be pleased with them all.

Prophet Muhammad: Exalted example of character

Allah blessed His Messenger Muhammad greatly and enjoined upon him noble characteristics, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

ألم يجدك يتيماً فآوى ، ووجدك ضالاً فهدى ، ووجدك عائلاً فأغنى ، فأما اليتيم فلا تقهر ، وأما السائل فلا تنهر ، وأما بنعمة ربك فحدث

“Did He not find you (O Muhammad) an orphan and gave you a refuge? And He found you unaware (of the Quran, its legal laws and Prophethood) and guided you? And He found you poor and made you rich (self sufficient with self contentment)? Therefore, treat not the orphan with oppression. And repulse not the beggar. And proclaim the Grace of your Lord (i.e. the Prophethood and all other Graces)” [al-Duha 93:6-11]

Allah honoured His Messenger with noble characteristics which were not combined in any other person, to the extent that his Lord praised him for these characteristics:

وإنك لعلى خلق عظيم

“And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character” [al-Qalam 68:4 – interpretation of the meaning]

With these noble and praiseworthy characteristics, he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was able to bring people together and soften their hearts, by Allah’s leave:

فبما رحمة من الله لنت لهم ولو كنت فظاً غليظ القلب لانفضوا من حولك فاعف عنهم واستغفر لهم وشاورهم في الأمر فإذا عزمت فتوكل على الله إن الله يحب المتوكلين

“And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him)” [Al ‘Imran 3:159 – interpretation of the meaning]

Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to all of mankind. He revealed to him the Quran and commanded him to call people to Allah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

يا أيها النبي إنا أرسلناك شاهداً ومبشراً ونذيراً وداعياً إلى الله بإذنه وسراجاً منيراً

“O Prophet (Muhammad)! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner, And as one who invites to Allah [Islamic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allah (Alone)] by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light (through your instructions from the Quran and the Sunnah the legal ways of the Prophet” [al-Ahzab 33:46]

Allah favoured His Messenger Muhammad over the other Prophets in six ways, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

فضلت على الأنبياء بست , أعطيت جوامع الكلم , ونصرت بالرعب , وأحلت لي الغنائم , وجعلت لي الأرض طهوراً و مسجداً , وأرسلت إلى الناس كافة , وختم بي النبيون

“I have been favoured above the other Prophets in six ways: I have been given the ability of concise speech; I have been supported with fear [in the hearts of my enemies]; war booty has been made permissible for me; the earth has been made pure and a mosque [place of worship] for me; I have been sent to all of mankind; and I am the seal of the Prophets.” (Narrated by Muslim, 523)

All of mankind must believe in him and follow his shari’ah in order to enter the Paradise of their Lord:

ومن يطع الله و رسوله يدخله جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار خالدين فيها وذلك الفوز العظيم

Allah praises those among the People of the Book who believe in the Messenger, and He gives them the glad tidings of a two-fold reward, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Those to whom We gave the Scripture [i.e. the Tawrat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospel)] before it, they believe in it (the Quran).

And when it is recited to them, they say: ‘We believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed even before it we have been from those who submit themselves to Allah in Islam as Muslims (like ‘Abdullâh bin Salâm and Salmân Al Farisî).

These will be given their reward twice over, because they are patient, and repel evil with good, and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided them” [al-Qasas 28:52-54]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are three who will be given a two-fold reward: a man from among the People of the Book who believed in his prophet then lived until the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and believed in him and followed him – he will have two rewards…”

And Allah knows best.

What Is Islam?

learnislam — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 10:42:35 +0000

Question:

What is the meaning of the word Islam?

Answer:

Praise be to Allah.

Lexical meaning of Islam

If you refer to Arabic language dictionaries, you will find that the meaning of the word Islam is: submission , humbling oneself, and obeying commands and heeding prohibitions without objection, sincerely worshipping Allah alone, believing what He tells us and having faith in Him.

The word Islam has become the name of the religion which was brought by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Why this religion is called Islam

All the religions on earth are called by various names, either the name of a specific man or a specific nation. So Christianity takes its name from Christ; Buddhism takes its name from its founder, the Buddha; the Zoroastrians became well known by this name because their founder and standard-bearer was Zoroaster.

Similarly, Judaism took its name from a tribe known as Yehudah (Judah), so it became known as Judaism. And so on.

Except for Islam ; for it is not attributed to any specific man or to any specific nation, rather its name refers to the meaning of the word Islam . What this name indicates is that the establishment and founding of this religion was not the work of one particular man and that it is not only for one particular nation to the exclusion of all others. Rather its aim is to give the attribute implied by the word Islam to all the peoples of the earth. So everyone who acquires this attribute, whether he is from the past or the present, is a Muslim, and everyone who acquires this attribute in the future will also be a Muslim.

And Allah knows best.

What Are the Pillars of Islam?

learnislam — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 08:46:45 +0000

Question:

We hope that you can explain the pillars of Islam for us.

Answer:

Praise be to Allah.

Islam is about beliefs and laws

Islam is based on five pillars which the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has explained for us.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

بني الإسلام على خمس شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله , وأن محمداً رسول الله و إقام الصلاة , وإيتاء الزكاة والحج وصوم رمضان

“Islam is built upon five [pillars]: the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; establishing regular prayer (salah); paying the zakah; Hajj (pilgrimage) and fasting Ramadan.”

[Sahih al-Bukhaari, no. 8]

Islam is both belief and laws, in which Allah and His Messenger have told us what is halal and what is haram, morals and good manners, acts of worship and how to interact with people, rights and duties, and scenes of the resurrection. When Allah completed this religion, He chose it to be the way of life for all of mankind until the Hour begins:

اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم وأتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الإسلام دينا

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”

[al-Maidah 5:3 – interpretation of the meaning]

What are the 5 pillars of Islam?

These are the pillars of Islam and the principles upon which it is based:

The first pillar of Islam: al-Shahadatayn (the twin testimony of faith)

This means that a person believes that Allah alone is the Lord, Sovereign and Controller, the Creator and Provider. He affirms all His most beautiful names and the sublime attributes that Allah has affirmed for Himself or that His Prophet affirmed for Him. He believes that Allah alone, and no one else, is the Only One Who is deserving of worship, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

بديع السماوات والأرض أنى يكون له ولد ولم تكن له صاحبة وخلق كل شيء وهو بكل شيء عليم ، ذلكم الله ربكم لا إله إلا الله هو خالق كل شيء فاعبدوه وهو على كل شيء وكيل

“He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife? He created all things and He is the All-Knower of everything.

Such is Allah, your Lord! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Creator of all things. So worship Him (Alone), and He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs or Guardian) over all things.” [al-An’am 6:101-102]

And he believes that Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and revealed to him the Quran, and commanded him to convey this religion to all of mankind. He believes that loving Allah and His Messenger and obeying them are duties which are obligatory upon all of mankind, and that love of Allah can only be realized by following His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

قل إن كنتم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم والله غفور رحيم

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Al ‘Imran 3:31 – interpretation of the meaning]

The second pillar of Islam: salah (prayer)

The Muslim believes that Allah has enjoined upon every sane adult Muslim five (formal) prayers each day and night, which he does in a state of purity, standing before his Lord, every day in a state of purity and humility, thanking his Lord for His blessings, asking Him of His bounty, seeking His forgiveness for his sins, asking Him for Paradise and seeking refuge in Him from Hell.

What are the five daily prayers in Islam?

The five obligatory prayers which are required day and night are :

Fajr (early morning, before dawn),

Zuhr (mid-day, just after noon),

Asr (mid afternoon),

Maghrib (just after sunset)

and ‘Isha (at night, after dark has fallen).

There are also Sunnah prayers such as Qiyam al-Layl (prayer at night), Tarawih prayers, two rak’ahs of Duha prayer, etc.

What are the benefits of prayer in Islam?

Prayer, whether it is fard or nafl, represents a sincere turning towards Allah alone in all one’s affairs. Allah has commanded all the believers to guard strictly the observance of the prayers, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

حافظوا على الصلوات والصلاة الوسطى وقوموا لله قانتين

“Guard strictly (five obligatory) As-Salawat (the prayers) especially the middle Salah (i.e. the best prayer – ‘Asr). And stand before Allah with obedience [and do not speak to others during the Salah (prayers)].” [al-Baqarah 2:238]

The five daily prayers are obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman, night and day:

إن الصلاة كانت على المؤمنين كتاباً موقوتاً

“Verily, As-Salah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.” [al-Nisa 4:103]

The one who abandons prayer has no share in Islam. Whoever neglects it deliberately is a kafir, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

منيبين إليه واتقوه وأقيموا الصلاة ولا تكونوا من المشركين

“(And remain always) turning in repentance to Him (only), and be afraid and dutiful to Him; and perform As-Salah (Iqamat-as-Salat) and be not of Al-Mushrikin (the polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah).” [al-Rum 30:31]

Islam is based on co-operation, brotherhood and love, and Allah has prescribed coming together for these prayers and others, in order to attain these virtues. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

صلاة الجماعة أفضل من صلاة الفذ بسبع وعشرين درجة

Prayer in congregation is twenty-seven times better than prayer offered alone.” [ Sahih Muslim, no. 650]

Prayer helps the believer at times of hardship and calamity. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

واستعينوا بالصبر والصلاة وإنها لكبيرة إلا على الخاشعين

“And seek help in patience and As-Salah (the prayer) and truly, it is extremely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi‘un [i.e. the true believers in Allah — those who obey Allah with full submission, fear much from His punishment, and believe in His Promise (Paradise) and in His Warnings (Hell)].” [al-Baqarah 2:45]

The five daily prayers wipe out sins, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أرأيتم لو أن نهراً بباب أحدكم يغتسل منه كل يوم خمس مرات هل يبقى من درنه شيء ؟ قالوا لا يبقى من درنه شيء . قال فذلك مثل الصلوات الخمس يمحو الله بهن الخطايا

“Do you not think that if there was a river at the door of any one of you, and he were to bathe in it five times each day, would there by any dirt left on him?” They said, “No dirt would be left on him at all.” He said, “That is the likeness of the five daily prayers, by means of which Allah erases sin.” [Sahih Muslim, Hadith 677]

Prayer in the mosque is a means of entering Paradise. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

من غدا إلى المسجد أو راح أعد الله له في الجنة نزلاً كلما غدا أو راح

“Whoever comes and goes to the mosque, Allah will prepare for him a house in Paradise for each time he comes and goes.” [Narrated by Muslim, no. 669]

Prayer brings the slave and his Creator together. It was the delight of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Whenever any matter grieved him, he would turn to prayer and converse with his Lord and call upon Him, seeking His forgiveness and asking Him of His bounty.

Prayer done with proper humility and fear of Allah brings the Muslim closer to his Lord, and keeps him from doing evil, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

اتل ما أوحي إليك من الكتاب وأقم الصلاة إن الصلاة تنهى عن الفحشاء و المنكر

“Recite (O Muhammad) what has been revealed to you of the Book (the Quran), and perform As-Salah (Iqamat-as-Salah). Verily, As-Salah (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed).” [al-‘Ankabut 29:45]

The third pillar of Islam: zakah (poor due, ‘compulsory’ charity)

Just as Allah has created people with different colours, attitudes and levels of knowledge, so too their deeds and provision vary. He has made some of them rich and some poor, to test the rich as to whether they show gratitude, and to test the poor as to whether they are patient. Because the believers are a brotherhood, and brotherhood is based on compassion, kindness, love and mercy, Allah has enjoined upon the Muslims zakah which is taken from the rich and given to the poor. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

خذ من أموالهم صدقة تطهرهم وتزكيهم بها وصلّ عليهم إن صلاتك سكن لهم

“Take Sadaqah (alms) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allah for them. Verily, your invocations are a source of security for them.” [al-Taubah 9:103]

What is the wisdom of zakah in Islam?

Zakah purifies and cleanses wealth, and purifies the soul from stinginess and miserliness. It strengthens the love between the rich and poor, takes away hatred, makes security prevail and brings happiness to the ummah.

What is the rate of zakah?

Allah has made the payment of zakah obligatory upon everyone who owns the nisab (minimum amount) for one year. The rate of zakah on gold, silver, and trade goods is one quarter of ten percent. On agricultural produce and fruits the amount is one-tenth if it is irrigated (without artificial means), and one-half of one-tenth if it is irrigated by artificial means. Concerning an’am animals (i.e., sheep, goats, cattle and camels) the details are explained in the books of fiqh… Whoever pays zakat, Allah expiates his sins thereby, and blesses his wealth, and stores up for him a great reward. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

وأقيموا الصلاة وأتوا الزكاة وما تقدموا لأنفسكم من خير تجدوه إن الله بما تعملون بصير

“And perform As-Salah (Iqamat-as-Salah), and give Zakah, and whatever of good (deeds that Allah loves) you send forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with Allah. Certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what you do.” [al-Baqarah 2:110]

Withholding zakah brings disasters and evils upon the ummah. Allah has threatened those who withhold it with a painful torment on the Day of Resurrection. He says (interpretation of the meaning):

والذين يكنزون الذهب والفضة ولا ينفقونها في سبيل الله فبشرهم بعذاب أليم – يوم يحمى عليها في نار جهنم فتكوى بها جباههم وجنوبهم وظهورهم هذا ما كنزتم لأنفسكم فذوقوا ما كنتم تكنزون

And those who hoard up gold and silver (Al-Kanz: the money, the Zakah of which has not been paid) and spend them not in the way of Allah, announce unto them a painful torment.

On the Day when that (Al-Kanz: money, gold and silver, the Zakah of which has not been paid) will be heated in the fire of Hell and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, (and it will be said unto them:) ‘This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard’” [al-Taubah 9:34-35]

Concealing one’s zakah is better than paying it openly in front of people, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

إن تبدوا الصدقات فنعمّا هي وإن تخفوها وتؤتوها الفقراء فهو خير لكم ويكفر عنكم من سيئاتكم والله بما تعملون خبير

“If you disclose your Sadaqat (almsgiving), it is good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, that is better for you. (Allah) will expiate you some of your sins. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.” [al-Baqarah 2:271]

Who is eligible to receive zakah in Islam?

When a Muslim pays his zakah, it is not permissible for him to give it to anyone except those whom Allah mentions in the ayah (interpretation of the meaning):

إنما الصدقات للفقراء والمساكين والعاملين عليها والمؤلفة قلوبهم وفي الرقاب والغارمين و في سبيل الله وابن السبيل فريضة من الله والله عليم حكيم

“As-Sadaqat (here it means Zakah) are only for the Fuqara (poor), and Al-Masakin (the poor) and those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allah’s Cause (i.e. for Mujahidun — those fighting in Allah’s cause), and for the wayfarer (a traveller who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.” [al-Taubah 9:60]

The fourth pillar of Islam: sawm (fasting) in Ramadaan

Fasting means abstaining from things which break the fast, such as food, drink and intercourse, from the break of true dawn until sunset, with the intention of fasting.

The relationship of patience to faith is like that of the head to the body. Allah has enjoined upon this ummah fasting for one month of the year, in order to draw closer to Allah, to avoid that which Allah has forbidden, to get used to being patient, to bring the nafs (self) under control, to compete in generosity and to demonstrate cooperation and mutual compassion. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

يا أيها الذين آمنوا كتب عليكم الصيام كما كتب على الذين من قبلكم لعلكم تتقون

“O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious).” [al-Baqarah 2:183]

What are the virtues of Ramadan?

The month of Ramadan is a great month, in which Allaah revealed the Quran. The reward for good deeds, acts of charity and acts of worship are multiplied in this month. In it is Laylat al-Qadr, which is better than a thousand months. The gates of Heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are shut, and the shayateen (devils) are tied up.

Who must fast in Ramadan?

Allah has made fasting the month of Ramadan obligatory upon every sane, adult Muslim, male and female alike, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

شهر رمضان الذي أنزل فيه القرآن هدى للناس وبينات من الهدى والفرقان فمن شهد منكم الشهر فليصمه , ومن كان مريضاً أو على سفر فعدة من أيام آخر يريد الله بكم اليسر ولا يريد بكم العسر ولتكملوا العدة ولتكبروا الله على ما هداكم ولعلكم تشكرون

“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbeer (Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Most Great)] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.” [al-Baqarah 2:185]

There is a great reward with Allaah for fasting. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

كل عمل ابن آدم يضاعف , الحسنة بعشر أمثالها , إلى سبعمائة ضعف قال الله عز وجل إلا الصوم فإنه لي وأنا أجزي به , يدع شهوته , وطعامه من أجلي

“Every action of the son of Adam is multiplied, each good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward. Allah said, ‘Except for fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it, for he gives up his desire and food for My sake.’” [Narrated by Muslim, al-Siyam]

The fifth pillar of Islam: Hajj (pilgrimage)

Allah has given the Muslims a Qiblah (direction of prayer) which they face when they pray (salah) and offer supplications (du’a), wherever they may be. This qiblah is the Ancient House (the Ka’bah) in Makkah al-Mukarramah:

فول وجهك شطر المسجد الحرام وحيث ما كنتم فولوا وجوهكم شطره

“So turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah). And wherever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction.” [al-Baqarah 2:144 – interpretation of the meaning]

Why do Muslims go for Hajj?

Because the Muslims are scattered all over the world, and Islam calls people to be united and get to know one another, just as it calls them to co-operate in righteousness and piety, to recommend one another to the truth, to call people to Allah and to venerate the rites of Allah – hence Allah has made it obligatory for every sane, adult Muslim who has the means, to visit His Ancient House, to circumambulate it and to perform all the rituals of Hajj as explained by Allah and His Messenger. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

ولله على الناس حج البيت من استطاع إليه سبيلا ومن كفر فإن الله غني عن العالمين

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e. denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allah], then Allah stands not in need of any of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists).” [al ‘Imran 3:97]

Hajj is an occasion on which the unity of the Muslims, their strength and pride, are made manifest. For the Lord is One, the Book is one, the Messenger is one, the ummah is one, their worship is one and their clothing is one.

What are the conditions of Hajj?

Hajj has its own etiquette and conditions which the Muslims must observe, such as restraining their tongues, hearing and sight from all that Allah has forbidden, being sincere in their intentions, using money from good sources (for Hajj), fostering the best attitude, and avoiding everything that could invalidate the Hajj, such as sexual relations, sin or arguing unjustly, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

الحج أشهر معلومات فمن فرض فيهن الحج فلا رفث ولا فسوق ولا جدال في الحج وما تفعلوا من خير يعلمه الله وتزودوا فإن خير الزاد التقوى واتقون يا أولي الألباب

“The Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known (lunar year) months (i.e. the 10th month, the 11th month and the first ten days of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, i.e. two months and ten days). So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein (by assuming Ihram), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj. And whatever good you do, (be sure) Allah knows it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness). So fear Me, O men of understanding!.” [al-Baqarah 3:197]

If the Muslim does Hajj correctly, in the manner prescribed and sincerely for the sake of Allah, it will be an expiation for his sins. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

من حج لله فلم يرفث ولم يفسق رجع كيوم ولدته أمه

“Whoever does Hajj for the sake of Allah, and does not have sexual relations or commit sins, will come back like the day his mother bore him.” [Narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 15210]

End quote from Usool ad-Deen al-Islami by at-Tuwaijri

And Allah knows best

How to Be Dutiful to Parents in Islam

learnislam — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 08:32:01 +0000

Question

What forms of ibadah can a child do for his/her parents while they are living and when they have died? Please give examples from the Quran, Sunnah, and practice of the righteous salaf.

Praise be to Allah.

Rights of parents in Islam

The rights of parents over their children may be summed up as treating them well in all matters, and behaving with them kindly as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents.” [al-Ahqaf 46:15]

“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents.” [al-‘Ankabut 29:8]

“but behave with them in the world kindly.” [Luqman 31:15]

Shaykh al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “be dutiful and kind to parents” means: treat them kindly in all ways, in word and in deed. (Tafsir al-Sa’di, p. 524)

How to be dutiful to parents in Islam

Obeying parents

One of the most important acts of worship that the child is asked to do with regard to his parents is to obey them, to do as they ask and to refrain from what they tell him not to do. So if his father tells him to do something, he hastens to do what he is told, and if he tells him not to do something, he hastens to give it up, so long as that does not involve any disobedience towards Allah and his Messenger, because there is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator.

Making du’a for parents

Then he can make du’a for them and pray for forgiveness for them, especially when they grow old and weak and are in need of someone to treat them kindly and take care of their needs . Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.’” [al-Isra 17:23-24]

Examples of kind treatment of parents in the Quran

Allah has given examples in His Book of kind treatment of parents . Allah says of His slave Yahya ibn Zakariyya:

“(It was said to his son): ‘O Yahya (John)! Hold fast the Scripture [the Tawrat (Torah)].’ And We gave him wisdom while yet a child. And (made him) sympathetic to men as a mercy (or a grant) from Us, and pure from sins [i.e. Yahya (John)] and he was righteous, And dutiful towards his parents, and he was neither arrogant nor disobedient (to Allah or to his parents). And Salam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the Day he will be raised up to life (again)!” [Maryam 19:12-15]

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“Here Allah says: “And dutiful towards his parents” meaning that he was quick to obey them, loving towards them, and not disobedient.

“and he was neither arrogant nor disobedient” – here Allah tells us that he was not too proud to obey Allah or his parents, rather he was humble and submissive towards Allah and his parents, doing what he was commanded to and avoiding what was forbidden to him; he neither disobeyed his Lord nor his parents.” (Tafsir al-Tabari, 16/58)

And Allah said of His slave ‘Isa ibn Maryam (interpretation of the meaning):

“He [‘Isa (Jesus)] said: ‘Verily, I am a slave of Allah, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet; And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me Salah (prayer), and Zakah, as long as I live.” And dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest’” [Maryam 19:30-32]

Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“The words “And dutiful to my mother” mean: and He has commanded me to be dutiful to my mother. This is mentioned after obedience to his Lord, because Allah often mentions the command to worship him and to be dutiful to one’s parents together, as in the verses where He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents.” [al-Isra 17:23]

“give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination.” [Luqman 31:14]

And the words “and made me not arrogant, unblest’” mean, “He has not made me arrogant and too proud to worship and obey Him and to honour my mother, and thus be doomed as a result of that.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3/121)

How to honor parents after their death

As for after the parents have died, the child can do many things, such as the following:

1 – If he has wealth, and his parents were in debt, he can discharge their duty by paying off the debt for them .

2 – If he has wealth and his parents had not performed Hajj, he may perform Hajj on their behalf, or pay for someone else to perform Hajj on their behalf.

3 – He may pray for forgiveness for them and pray for mercy for them. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.’” [al-Isra 17:24]

Shaykh Ibn Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This means, pray for mercy for them, when they are alive and after they die.” (Tafsir al-Sa’di, p. 524)

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A man may be raised in status in Paradise and will say, Where did this come from? And it will be said: From your son’s praying for forgiveness for you.” Narrated by Ibn Majah, 3660; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami’, no. 1617. This applies if the child has reached the age of discernment and is able to earn money. But if the child is young and does not yet understand things, then these words do not apply in his case.

How the righteous salaf honoured their parents

An example of how the righteous salaf honoured their parents is that of ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allah ibn Dinar from ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar that a man from among the Bedouins met him on the road to Makkah. ‘Abd-Allah greeted him with salam, seated him on the donkey that he was riding and gave him a turban that he had been wearing on his head. Ibn Dinar said: We said to him: May Allah guide you, they are just Bedouins and they would be content with little. ‘Abd-Allah said: The father of this man was a friend of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “The best act of kindness is for the son to uphold ties (of friendship) with those who were his father’s friends.” Narrated by Muslim, 2552.

According to another report narrated by Ibn ‘Umar: when he went out to Makkah, he had a donkey which he would ride when he got tired of riding his camel, and a turban which he tied around his head. One day whilst he was riding that donkey, a Bedouin passed by him. He said: Are you not So and So, the son of So and So? He said: Yes. He gave him the donkey that he was riding and said: Ride it. And he gave him the turban that he had been wearing on his head, and he said: Tie it around your head. Some of his companions said: May Allah forgive you, you have given this Bedouin a donkey that you used to ride when you got tired of riding your camel and a turban that you used to wear on your head. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “The best act of kindness is for a man to honour his father’s friend after he has died,” and (this man’s) father was a friend of ‘Umar.

Abu Hurayrah was appointed in charge of Madinah by Marwan. He lived in Dhu’l-Hulayfah (approximately ten kilometers from Madinah) and his mother lived in one house and he lived in another. When he wanted to go out he would stand at her door, and say: Peace be upon you, O my mother, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. And she would say: And upon you, O my son, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. And he would say: May Allah have mercy on you, as you brought me up when I was young. And she would say: May Allah have mercy on you as you took care of me when I grew old. Then when he wanted to come in, he would do likewise.

And Allah knows best.

Source: islamqa.info

How can one avoid getting angry quickly?

learnislam — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 06:30:31 +0000

Question

I am a person who gets angry quickly, and I cannot control myself when I argue with anyone, even my parents. Please tell me of ways and means of avoiding getting angry quickly. May Allaah reward you with good.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Allaah has commanded us to honour our parents and treat them kindly in word and deed, and he has forbidden us to offend them in word and deed, even in the slightest manner.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

24. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.’”

[al-Isra’ 17:23-24]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) advised us not to get angry, i.e., to avoid the causes that lead to that and to be careful of what may result from that.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Advise me.” He said: “Do not get angry.” He repeated his question several times and he said: “Do not get angry.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5765.

The Muslim should be above getting angry for his own sake or for the sake of anyone other than Allaah, because that may lead to regrettable consequences either in this world or in the Hereafter, or in both.

Ibn Muflih al-Hanbali said:

‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: It may be known whether a person is really patient at the time of anger. And he used to say that the beginning of anger is madness and the end of it is regret, and anger cannot be justified by offering a humble apology. Calamities may come because of anger. It was said to al-Shu’bi: Why is a person who is quick to get angry also quick to calm down, and the one who is slow to get angry is slow to clam down. He said: Because anger is like fire; that which is easier to start is easier to extinguish.

Al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah, 1/183

If something happens to a Muslim that makes him angry, he should remember the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Do not get angry,” as if the hadeeth applies directly to him. And he should remember that Allaah has commanded him to treat his parents well and has forbidden him to offend them, as if he has heard that from Him directly.

There are means of soothing anger if it arises, which will enable the one who does them to cure himself of anger and its effects. Al-Maawirdi mentioned a good number of them when he said:

“Remember that there are means of soothing anger if it arises, which a person may use to help himself become patient. These include:

1 – Remembering Allaah, which should make him fear Him; this fear will motivate him to obey Him, so he will resume his good manners, at which point his anger will fade.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And remember your Lord when you forget”

[al-Kahf 18:24]

‘Ikrimah said: i.e., when you get angry. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytaan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allaah”

[al-A’raaf 7:200]

i.e., if the Shaytaan makes you angry – then seek refuge with Allaah, for He is the All-Hearer, All-Knower – i.e., He hears the ignorance of the ignorant and He knows the things that take anger away from you.

One of the wise men said: Whoever remembers the power of Allaah will not use his own power to wrong the slaves of Allaah. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Muslim ibn Muhaarib said to Haroon al-Rasheed: “O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, I ask You by the One before Whom you are more insignificant than I am before you, and by the One Who has more power to punish you than you have to punish me: why don’t you let me off?” So he left him off, because he had reminded him of the power and might of Allaah.

2 – He should get out of the situation he is in, so that his anger will dissipate because of his moving away from that situation.

It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to us: “If one of you gets angry when he is standing, let him sit down, and if that does not take away his anger, then let him lie down.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4782; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

3 – He should remember what anger leads to of regret and the need to apologize.

One of the literary figures said: Beware of the pride of anger, for it leads to the humiliation of apology.

4 – He should remember the reward for forgiving others and of being tolerant, so he should force himself to overcome his anger, seeking that reward and so as to avoid deserving blame and punishment. Raja’ ibn Haywah said to ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan, when he had the power to capture some of his enemies: “Allaah has given you the victory that you wanted, so give Allaah what He wants of forgiveness.” A man said something that ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez disliked to hear, so ‘Umar said: “You wanted the Shaytaan to provoke me because of my position so that I would be harsh with you and in return you would harm me tomorrow (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection). Go away, may Allaah have mercy on you.”

5 – He should remind himself of the way that people like and respect him, and he should not risk losing that because of his anger, so that people change their minds about him. He should know that by forgiving people he will only increase the respect with which they view him.

As the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will not increase a person who forgives others except in honour.” Narrated by Muslim, 2588.

And one of the poets said:

“It is not a trait of nobility to be swift in seeking revenge.

And generosity does not lead to a loss of blessings.”

Adab al-Dunya wa’l-Deen, p. 258-260.

Others – Learn Islam

Virtue of Ahl Al-Bait (The People of the Household of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)

Virtue of Ahl Al-Bait

(The People of the Household of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)

الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وبعد

Who are Ahl Al-Bait?

Chapter twoAn outline of the faith of Ahl Al-Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah towards Ahl Al-Bait

Chapter three

The virtues of Ahl Al-Bait in the Holy Qur’an

Chapter four

The virtues of Ahl Al-Bait in the pure Sunnah of the Prophet

Chapter five

The high status of Ahl Al-Bait in the sight of the Sahabah (companions of the Prophet) and those who followed them in goodness

The Rights of Non-Muslim in Islam

The Non-Muslims in Islam

Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (Part 2 of 13): Non-Muslim Residents

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 3 of 13): Right to Preservation of Dignity as Human Beings I

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 4 of 13): Right to Preservation of Dignity as Human Beings II

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 5 of 13): The Right to Freedom of Belief I

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 6 of 13): The Right to Freedom of Belief II

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 7 of 13): The Right to Follow Their Religious Laws

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 8 of 13): The Right to Justice I

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 9 of 13): The Right to Justice II

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 10 of 13): Security of Life, Property, and Honor

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 11 of 13): Good Treatment

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 12 of 13): Social Security

The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam (part 13 of 13): Protection from Foreign Aggression

How to Treat Non-Muslims ?

Question:

Answer:

Islamic view of humanity

How to treat non-Muslims

Facts about Islam

Who Is Muhammad?

Question:

Answer

Why did Allah send Prophet Muhammad?

Is Prophet Muhammad the last prophet?

Why did Allah send the Quran?

When was Prophet Muhammad born?

What was Prophet Muhammad’s profession?

Prophet Muhammad’s character before prophethood

What did the people of Arabia believe before Islam?

When was Prophet Muhammad called for prophethood?

An account of the first revelation to Prophet Muhammad

What were the stages of Prophet Muhammad’s mission?

Prophet Muhammad’s visit to al-Taif

Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey

Some tribes accept Islam

An account of Prophet Muhammad’s Migration to Madinah

How was Prophet Muhammad received in Madinah?

Prophet Muhammad’s treaty with the Jews of Madinah

Permission to fight those who fought against Muslims

Battles of Prophet Muhammad

Conquest of Makkah

The Farewell sermon of Prophet Muhammad

When did Prophet Muhammad die?

Prophet Muhammad: Exalted example of character

What Is Islam?

Question:

Answer:

Lexical meaning of Islam

Why this religion is called Islam

What Are the Pillars of Islam?

Question:

Answer:

Islam is about beliefs and laws

What are the 5 pillars of Islam?

The first pillar of Islam: al-Shahadatayn (the twin testimony of faith)

The second pillar of Islam: salah (prayer)

What are the five daily prayers in Islam?

What are the benefits of prayer in Islam?

حافظوا على الصلوات والصلاة الوسطى وقوموا لله قانتين

The third pillar of Islam: zakah (poor due, ‘compulsory’ charity)

What is the wisdom of zakah in Islam?

What is the rate of zakah?

Who is eligible to receive zakah in Islam?

The fourth pillar of Islam: sawm (fasting) in Ramadaan

What are the virtues of Ramadan?

Chapter two
An outline of the faith of Ahl Al-Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah towards Ahl Al-Bait