A GLIMPSE AT SOME OF THE SIGNS THE PROPHET (PBUH) SAW DURING THE JOURNEY OF AL-ISRAA’ WAL MI’RAAJ.

Praise be unto Allah, filling all the regions of the earth and the heavens. To Him belong thanks for His blessings. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah alone with no partner in his greatness and pride. He ordained honour for His companions and humiliation for his enemies. I equally bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger and the seal of all the prophets. Allah honoured mankind through him after they were under humiliation, He brought abundance after lack. He was the best example for the true servants and friends of God. May Allah bless him and his families and all his companions- who held firmly unto the rope of Allah together, and those who follow them in righteousness until the day of meeting Him. Thereafter, O People! I admonish my soul and yours on the fear of Allah, fear Allah, your Lord, and be conscious of Him, obey Him and eschew sins against Him. Allah says: { ياأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ} (آل عمران:102 ) “O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.” (3: 102) Dear Muslim brothers! Almighty Allah has greatly blessed and favoured us. His blessings and favours are abundant and enduring. Allah has made us the best of nations raised for the universe, and preferred our prophet (pbuh) over other prophets and messengers. He endowed him (pbuh) with certain characteristics which none among mankind have ever obtained or will ever obtain. Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things). (17:1) Among these special characteristics was the Ascension before the hijrah from Makkah. The verse categorically states the essence of the trip which was to show him some of the physical signs of Allah having seen the mental signs. This remains the ways of God with His prophets. Allah the Almighty said concerning prophet Ibrahim, (pbuh): {وَكَذَلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَاْلأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ} (الأنعام : 75), So also did We show Abraham the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth, that he might (with understanding) have certitude. (6: 75) He equally said about prophet Musa (pbuh) thus: {لِنُرِيَكَ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا الْكُبْرَى}(طه : 23). "In order that We may show thee (two) of our Greater Signs. (20: 23) Almighty Allah mentioned the wisdom behind this methodology when He spoke concerning prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) thus: وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ} (الأنعام : 75), “…that he might (with understanding) have certitude.” (6: 75) Hence, when the prophets see some of the signs of Allah which He permits them to see in the physical sense, it will assist them to persevere whatever injury they may face in the cause of Allah, and they will therefore be able to endure what others could not bear. And when the enemies threaten them with tribulations and torments they will not be perturbed or take it as important. Having physically witnessed the great signs of Allah, that is a great certainty which makes them view worldly powers as feeble as the wing of the mosquito. SOME OF THE SIGNS THE PROPHET (PBUH) SAW: Dear Muslims, the prophet (pbuh) saw some of the signs of his Lord on this journey as described in the Holy Qur’an thus: {لَقَدْ رَأَى مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَى} (النجم : 18). “For truly did he see, of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest!” (53: 18) When the prophet (pbuh) ascended the high heavens, he saw the paradise and hellfire, and he saw the angel that watches over the hellfire, he equally saw the inmates of paradise and those of hellfire. In paradise he saw some men who plant on a day and harvest on a day, but at every harvest, the farm returns to how it was. The prophet then asked: “Who are those O Jibreel?” He said: “Those are the Mujahidun in the cause of Allah, Allah replaced what they spent for them” (Al-Bayhaqi) Allah says: {وَمَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ شَيءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ} (سبأ39) “and nothing do ye spend in the least (in His cause) but He replaces it: for He is the Best of those who grant Sustenance.” (34: 39) The prophet (pbuh) said: “There is no day in which a servant of Allah wakes except that two Angels descend from the heavens, one of them will say: “O Allah give perdition to every spendthrift” the other will say: “O Allah give replacement to every giver” (Agreed upon). Unfortunately, when the Muslim nation neglected striving in the cause of Allah and became haughty before Allah owing to her wealth and strength, Allah subjected her to unrivaled ignominy at the hands of the most despicable creature of Allah. In the hell, among the inmates, the prophet (pbuh) saw some men who are been pelted with stones on their heads, he asked: “Who are those O jibreel?” He replied: “Those are people whose head are sluggish about prayer)) ' (Al-bayhaqi). Those heads, which respect all human appointment that will increase its account and wealth, regularly goes out early and returns in the late nights, however, it forgets its appointment with God concerning the five daily prayers. Such heads have no value or dignity before God and it deserves to be stoned on the day of resurrection. (ورأى النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام أقواما يسرحون كما تسرح الأنعام طعامهم الضريح (نبت ذو شوك) The Prophet (pbuh) saw some other people who graze about as the cattle grazes, their feeds was (the thorny plants) He said: “Who are those O Jibreel?’ He replied: “Those are people who do not pay the zakat of their wealth) ' Al-Bayhaqi ' What an animalistic debasement attained by a wealthy Muslim when he lacks the feelings of brotherhood, mercy and compassion for the poor and the weak. Such a person deserves to be raised on the day of resurrection in the image of an animal. ((The Prophet (pbuh) also saw men who were eating rotten meat, yet before them were good and well-prepared meat. he said: “Who are those O Jibreel?: he replied: “Those are men of your nation, each of them had lawful woman but he left her and spend the night with a malicious woman until he wakes in the morning.)) ' Al-bayhaqi” A Muslim should be conscious to ensure he places his sperm in dignified and purified place. However the depressed or rotten souls will not care about the bedding whether it is clean or unclean. The Prophet (pbuh) also saw women who were hung by their breasts and he said: “Who are those O Jibreel”? he replied: “Those are women who bring to their husbands children who are not of them)) ' Al-bayhaqi. The best in a man is his jealousy and the best thing in a woman is her modesty or shamefulness, however, the demise of that is part of the signs of the last hour, as reported thus: “When it is the end of time, Allah will raise four things away from the earth; he removes blessing from the earth, and justice from judges, modesty from women and jealousy/ vigilant care and concern from men” In this journey we see the nastiness in backbiting and the consequence of the perpetrators, from Anas Ibn Malik, he said: the Messenger of Allah said: ((When I was taken for ascension, I passed by a people who had nails of brass scratching their faces and chests, I said: “Who are those O Jibreel” he replied: “Those are people who ate other people’s flesh, and dabble into their honours)) narrated by Abu Dawood. Allah has forbidden us from Backbiting saying: {وَلاَ يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ} (الحجرات : 12) {And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it...But fear Allah: For Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.” (49: 12) He mentions its consequence thus and said: {وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ }(الهمزة : 1) {Woe to every (kind of) scandal-monger and-backbiter” (104: 1) And in this is a lesson to prove the reality of existence of chastisement of the grave. {وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ}(المؤمنون : 100) “Before them is a Partition till the Day they are raised up.” (23:100) May Allah make us all of the people who receive admonition when admonished and forgive us the early and later of our sins. Having said this, I seek Allah’s forgiveness for us all and all Muslims, He is verily All-forgiving, Most Gracious. THE SECOND SERMON All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May the peace and blessings be showered upon the best of the messengers and the seal of all prophets, and upon his household, and all his companions. O servants of Allah, Islam is the religion of security, and security cannot be achieved except when people embrace this great religion. Islam forbids murder, robbery, and embezzlement. The prophet (pbuh) also forbids the Muslim from causing threat or intimidation, he said: (By Allah! He does not believe, and By Allah he does not believe, and By Allah he does not believe), people said: “Who is that O Messenger of Allah? He said: (The one whose neighbours are not safe due to his doings) narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. And he also cursed whoever points the weapon at his Muslim brother, he also made paradise forbidden until we love one another, and he informed us that the way to achieve mutual love is to spread the greetings of peace that brings security to people, and this is one of the great symbols of Islam. He said: (The Muslim is that who Muslims are safe from his tongue and hands) narrated by Al-bukhari and Muslim. He also said concerning the Unbeliever and Mu’aahid- the non-Muslim ally living under the Islamic state: (Whoever kills a Mu’aahid- the non-Muslim ally living under the Islamic state, will not perceive the fragrance of paradise. And verily, its fragrance is perceivable at a distance of 40-year.) narrated by Al-bukhari. He also said: (Whoever transgresses against a Mu’aahid- the non-Muslim ally living under the Islamic state , or belittles him, or overburdens him beyond his capacity or takes anything from him unjustly, I will be his challenger on the day of resurrection) narrated by Abu Dawood. O Lord, grant us recourse and strive towards You and grant us the sweetness of supplication and submissiveness in Your presence, answer our prayers and actualize our requests and never return us disappointed and fruitless. O Allah grant honour to Islam and Muslims, and humiliate idolatry and idolaters, protect the possession of religion, humiliate the enemies of the religion. O Allah grant us security in our country- Nigeria, make this country safe, secured, generous, comfortable, and all other Muslim countries. O Allah, grant victory to your religion and your book and your Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and your righteous servants. Oh God, make our leaders merciful to us, and guide them to the truth, O Lord of the universe.

MIRACULOUS NIGHT JOURNEY): BENEFITS AND LESSONS

All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Allah strengthened Muhammad (pbuh)- His servant and messenger with clear signs and proofs, He took him for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque and thereafter made him ascend to the heavens. We celebrate His praises, we ask for His help and forgiveness. We seek protection in Allah from the evil of our souls and deeds. Whom Allah guides none can mislead, and whom He causes to stray none can be his guide. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah alone with no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah bless him and his families and all his companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the day of recompense. Thereafter, O Muslims! Revere Allah and fear Him in the secret and the open. Know that piety is a way out of every hardship, and an access to provision. Allah says: {وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجاً , وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْراً" (الطلاق: 2 -3). “And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out, And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion” (65: 2-3) Brothers in faith, the blessed journey contains many benefits and lessons some of which include: 1- LESSON ON PROPHETHOOD: The leadership of the prophet (pbuh) as Imam who led other prophets in prayer points to two things: Firstly- Unity in the message of the prophets. All the prophets came with pristine monotheism from Allah- the exalted, thus all the were brothers with one religion. Allah says: {وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ} (الأنبياء : 25), “Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me.” (21: 25) The deviations in Judaism and Christianity were only a making from their own hands. Allah says: { وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ابْنُ اللَّهِ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُمْ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ يُضَاهِئُونَ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ} (التوبة : 30). The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! (10: 30) Secondly: Prophethood and Messengership has ended, there will never be a messenger or prophet after the messenger of Allah (pbuh). Allah says: {مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا} (الأحزاب : 40). “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things” (33: 40) 2- Allah qualifies the prophet (pbuh) with Al-Ubudiyyah- servitude and says: {سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ اْلأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ} (الإسراء : 1) Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things). (17:1) Whoever reflect on the verses of the holy qur’an attentively will notice that Allah do qualify His prophet- Muhammad (pbuh) with the quality of Al-ubudiyyah- servitude in his most respected conditions and most lofty occasions; in the dawah context for example Allah says: {وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُوا يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَدًا} (الجن19) “"Yet when the Devotee of Allah stands forth to invoke Him, they just make round him a dense crowd." (72: 19) Also in the revelation of the book to him Allah says: {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجَا} (الكهف1) “Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness” (18: 1) Allah also describes the way He invoked His revelation unto him thus: {فَأَوْحَى إِلَى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَى} (النجم10) “So did (Allah) revealed (the inspiration) to His Servant what He (meant) to revealed.” (53:10) He also describes all the messengers thus: {وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنصُورُونَ} (الصافات171- 172) “And Our word has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers, [that] indeed, they would be those given victory” (37: 171- 172) Surely the real honour is for man to be truly a servant to Allah- the exalted. 3- A LESSON FOR DU’AAT- CALLERS TO THE PATH OF ALLAH: When the prophet (pbuh) returned from his blessed journey he intended to inform the people but Ummu Haaniy bint Abi Taalib persistently told him: ‘O messenger of Allah, I am afraid your people will deny you’. then the prophet said: ‘I swear by Allah, I will speak to them about it and inform them even if they call me a liar’. This is a golden lesson to Duaat to disseminate the trust of Allah whether the people are happy with it or displeased about it. The prophet used to say: ‘Whoever seek people’s pleasure at the expense of Allah’s annoyance, Allah becomes displeased with him and He will make people displeased with him as well’. (Al-Mutaalabul- ‘Aaliyah by Ibn Hajar, vol., 4/ 201- 204 & ‘Uyuunul- Athar, vol., 1/140-142 & Ibn Hishaam vol., 2/11) If the prophets of God could be accused of lie, magic and insanity, then it can no longer be a strange thing for Duaat to be accused of extremism, terrorism, retardation and backwardness in today’s reality. 4- LESSON OF RECOGNISING THE STRONG IN FAITH AND THE WEAK ONE THROUGH EVENTS: When the prophet (pbuh) informed them of the miraculous night journey, people fell into flagrant amazement into between applauders and those who out of amazement placed their hands on their heads. Ibn Kathir said: “And people among those who believed in the prophet (pbuh) apostatize” (Al-Mustadrak vol., 3, pg., 62). Al-Hakim said: This hadith is sound in the chains of narration and Adh-Dhabiy affirmed that also. The matter requires certainty, certainty in the power of Allah and certainty in the trueness of the chosen messenger of Allah (pbuh). Trials expose the true nature of men; it exposes the example of such men as described above who could not stomach the incident due to their weakness in faith. It also exposed men like Abubakr- the trustworthy. “The Quraishites came to him (Abubakr) saying: ‘look at what your friend said, he claimed he reached Jerusalem and return in a single night where we ride on our camels to there (Jerusalem) for a month and return from there for a month’ Abubakr said: ‘He said that? They said: ‘Yes’ He replied: ‘If he said that, he has spoken the truth’. (At-tarbiyatul-Qiyaadiyyah, vol., 1/447). That was a firm faith, that the world could never toy with, the mountains could never shake it, it stood on the true syllabus of Allah- the exalted. 5- LESSON THAT ALLAH IS WITH HIS PROPHETS AND FRIENDS: The Quraishites asked the prophet (pbuh) to describe the look of the holy mosque in Jerusalem but the prophet reached there at night and he had not seen it before, he said describing his feeling when questioned: “I got stricken by anguish which I have never been stricken by its like before” i.e. possibly the matter will be revealed, i.e. that the prophet could be accused of fabrication. But Allah forbids to neglecting His companions, the prophet (pbuh) said: “(suddenly) Allah presented the holy mosque before me, there then I began to view it and relate its description to them, from door to door, spot to spot” (At-tarbiyatul-Qiyaadiyyah, vol., 1/451). Allah says: {إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ اْلأَشْهَادُ} (غافر :51) “Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand” (40: 51) 6- GREATNESS OF ALLAH: The hadith on the miraculous night journey is a proof among other hundreds of proofs which epitomizes the highness of Allah over His creatures, and the prophet saw the screen above the seven heavens. 7- ISLAM IS A NATURAL RELIGION: The drinking of milk by the prophet (pbuh) when asked to choose between milk and alcohol, and the gladdening comment of Angel Jubril that “You have chosen the right religion of nature” clearly confirms that Islam is a natural religion for humanity perfectly in harmony with its traits. Surely the Being Who created the human nature actually created this religion for him that respond to his happening and needs, it also fulfils its aspiration, it curbs its whims. Allah says: {فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ} (الروم 30). “So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.” (30: 30) 8- THE LINK BETWEEN AL-AQSA MOSQUE AND HOLY MOSQUE IN MAKKAH: The connection between the two mosques manifests some principles, proofs and benefits including: - The importance of Al-aqsa mosque to Muslims. It was the location of the prophet’s journey and take-off point for ascension to the high heavens. It was also the first Qiblah- direction during the makkan era. This is guidance and directions for Muslims to promote the love for Al-aqsa Mosque and Palestine, for both are blessed and sanctified. - The connection acquaints a Muslim with a divine responsibility and obligation towards Al-aqsa Mosque including the obligation to free Al-aqsa Mosque from the placement of Shirk- polytheism and the ideology of trinity as it is also their responsibility to liberate the holy Mosque in Makkah from polytheism and idolatory. - The connection also makes the intimidation and threat to Al-aqsa Mosque an open threat as well on the holy Mosque in Makkah and its people. Any obtainment or encroachment into Al-aqsa Mosque is really a preliminary step to obtain the holy Mosque in Makkah. Al-aqsa Mosque is the gate leading to the holy Mosque in Makkah, therefore the disappearance of Al-aqsa Mosque or the shift of its control from the hands of Muslims to the hands of the Jews will mean that the holy Mosque in Makkah and hijaz is under security breach and threat and the enemies will direct their attention towards them to occupy the two. David Ben-Gurion, leader of the Jews, after the entry of the Jewish army into Jerusalem reviewed the soldiers and youths of the Jews, near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and cast in them a fiery speech, saying: ' I've taken over Jerusalem and we are on our way to Yathrib. ' (Siratu-n-Nabawiyyah by Abu Faris, p. 214). After that, the Jews published a map of the expected state of the Jews, which included the area from the Euphrates to the Nile, including the entire Arabian Peninsula including, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf. They distributed in Europe the map of this expected state after their victory in the 1967 war. (Jordanian Constitution Newspaper No: 4313 by: Emil Ghori, quoted from the Siratu-n-Nabawiyyah by Abu Faris, p. 214) - The importance of solat- prayer and its great status: It is established in the prophetic tradition that solat- prayer was made obligatory on the Muslim Ummah on the night of the prophet’s Ascension to the heavens, and in that as described by Ibn katheer, is: “a great care and attention for the honor of prayer and its greatness' (Tafseer Ibn katheer, 3/23). It is therefore imperative for the callers to the path of Allah to confirm the importance of prayer, and guard it, and to remember and mention its importance and status, being enshrined on the night of ascension, and being the last recommendation of the messenger of Allah before his demise. (Al-Mustafaad Min Qisas-ul- Qur’an Lil-Dawah and Du’aat, 2/93) May Allah make us all of the people who receive admonition when admonished and forgive us the early and later of our sins. Having said this, I seek Allah’s forgiveness for us all and all Muslims, He is verily All-forgiving, Most Gracious. THE SECOND SERMON All praises are due to Allah, All praises are due to Allah who ordered to pray and took charge of the answer to the prayers, and answers the call of the oppressed when he calls on Him, and I bear witness that there is no God but Allah alone with no partner, I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May the salutations and peace of our Lord be upon him, his families, and all his companions. Dear Muslims, we are in the era of the strangeness of Islam. It is obligatory on Muslims to hold on to the religion, and be firm on it. They should not listen to misguided opinions and views of the decadent ones, and views of the people who discourage or inhibit people from the religion of Allah, and not be deceived by the number of the deviants. Allah says: {وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ} (يوسف103)، (Yet no faith will the greater part of mankind have, however ardently thou dost desire it.) (12: 103) {وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى الأرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ} (الأنعام116) (Wert thou to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead thee away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture: they do nothing but lie.) (6:116) {وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلّ نِبِىّ عَدُوّاً شَيَاطِينَ الإِنْسِ وَالْجِنّ يُوحِى بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُوراً وَلَوْ شَاء رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ وَلِتَصْغَى إِلَيْهِ أَفْئِدَةُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ وَلِيَرْضَوْهُ وَلِيَقْتَرِفُواْ مَا هُم مُّقْتَرِفُونَ} (الأنعام112-113). (Likewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy,- evil ones among men and jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If thy Lord had so planned, they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone. To such (deceit) let the hearts of those incline, who have no faith in the hereafter: let them delight in it, and let them earn from it what they may.) (6:112-113) This misleading propaganda against Islam and its people from the enemies of Islam are all out of their grudge and hatred of this religion, they sustain their enmity to Islam through all they could amass of means. The enemies of this religion create doubts in the minds of the Muslims concerning their ideology and faith, values and virtues, calling them to total detachment from this religion. Allah’s word is true where he says: {وَلَن تَرْضَى عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلاَ النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ} (البقرة120). {Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. Say: "The Guidance of Allah,-that is the (only) Guidance." Wert thou to follow their desires after the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldst thou find neither Protector nor helper against Allah. } (2:120). O Lord, grant us recourse and strive towards You and grant us the sweetness of supplication and submissiveness in Your presence, answer our prayers and actualize our requests and never return us disappointed and fruitless. O Allah grant honour to Islam and Muslims, and humiliate idolatry and idolaters, protect the possession of religion, humiliate the enemies of the religion. O Allah grant us security in our country- Nigeria, make this country safe, secured, generous, comfortable, and all other Muslim countries. O Allah, grant victory to your religion and your book and your Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and your righteous servants. Oh God, make our leaders merciful to us, and guide them to the truth, O Lord of the universe.

PEACEFUL HOME: CHILD UPBRINGING A TOOL

All Praises are due to Allah Who guided to followership of the Messengers, and guided us to the pillars of our religion y following the footsteps of our righteous predecessors that our hearts became filled with the knowledge of the Sharia and the clear truth. Praise be to Him on the lights of certainty, we thank him for guiding us to firm hold unto the solid rope fo God. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone without any partner, and that Muhammad is his slave and Messenger, master of the former and later generations. May Allah bless him and his families, his companions and his modest wives, mothers of the believers, until the Day of Judgement. Allah (S.W.T) mentioned it in Q4 vs 2 that … Then marry (other) women of Your choice… The prophet (S.A.W) also said that (annikahu sunnati wa mon rogiba an suunati falaesa mini. (Marriage is my practice and whoever rejects my practice is not of me. In another hadith the Prophet said “Tazawaju wa tawaladu fa ini mukathirun bikumul ummamu yaomal kiyamin”. From the ahadith stated above it is clear that Allah and His Prophet want us to marry. The Prophet also mentioned that one of the proceeds of marriage is procreation of children. These children may be source of happiness for the parents in this world and in hereafter. They can also be of assistance to the parents to get to the paradise if they are properly trained. The Prophet said “whosoever sponsors two girls until they grow up, he will be with me in paradise like that (bringing two of his fingers close together.) In another hadith the Prophet (S.A.W) said that "idha mota ibn Adam inqataa amaluhu ila min thalathin: sadaqatin jariya, ao ilimin yun fau bihi, ao waladin salihin yadiu lahu. Teaching of Islam made us realize that parents stand the chance to benefit alot from their children if they play their role as parent very well. WHERE STARTS THE ROLE OF PARENT ON THEIR CHILDREN Parents start preparing for their children by choosing the right partner be it male or female. The Prophet gave us the criteria for choosing a right partner. The person be a mumin or muminat and should be pious notwithstanding her beauty, lineage or achievement. Therefore if Allah gives them a baby, the first word that the prophet S.W.A. recommended that the baby should hear is the Adhan and them Iqamat. Abu-Dawud and At-Tirmidhiyy related that Abu Rafi said “I saw Allah’s Messenger saying Adhan in Al-Hassan ibn Ali’s ear when Fatimah gave birth to him”. TAHNIK Tahnik means to chew a date, then to rub the new born’s mouth with it by putting a little of the chewed date on a fingertip, and inserting it into the baby’s mouth. It is recommended that Tahnik be done by a pious and righteous man, for seeking His blessings and hoping that the baby may grow up righteous and pious. It is mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim that Abu-Burdah related that Abu-Musa (R.A) said: I had a baby and I took him to the prophet (SWA), the prophet (SWA) called him Ibrahim, and made Tahnik to him with a date and asked Allah to bless him, and gave him to me. (4) Shaving the baby’s head On the seventh day it is recommended that the baby’s hair should be shaved and the silver value of the hair should be given out to the poor. Malik related in Al-Muwatta that Jaafar ibn Muhammad’s father said: Fatimah (R.A) weigh the hair of Al-Hasan, Al-Husayn, Zaynab and Umm-kulthum and gave its weight in silver to the poor. (5) AQIQAH This means slaughtering a goat on the seventh day of a child’s birth. From salman Ibn Amir Ad-Dabbly said that Allah’s Messenger said" Aqiqah is to be offered for a newly born boy, so slaughter for him and relieve him of harm. (6) CIRCUMCISING THE NEWLY BORN CHILD Abu Hurayrah related in Sahihayn that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: five practices are of fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the moustache short, clipping the nails and depilating the hair of the armpits. The prophet recommended that both male and female child should be circumcised. It has a religious rationale and healthy benefits which have been clarified by the scholars and uncovered by the physicians. Having done everything mentioned above, the parents would have done what is expected of them at the tender age of the child, what remains is to provide for him/her the necessary needs of life, take care of his health, try as much as possible to protect him from injury during the cause of his development and growth and make the environment conducive for him to maintain the pristine intellect and soul such that it will not corrupt in anyway. If parents are able to do this, definitely the child will grow up to be a pious, righteous Muslim because the prophet (S.A.W) said: (every child is born on the fitrah of Islam but it is the parents that turn them into a Jew, a Christian or an idol worshiper. However the prevailing conditions all over the places do not allow natural growth and development of a child into a God conscious morally upright individual. CAUSES OF CHILDREN PERVERSION (1) CORRUPT COMPANIONS AND BAD PEERS One of the great factors that lead to children’s perversion is the corrupt companions and bad peers. Islam has instructed the parents to observe the conducts of their children and guided them to choose for their children the good company to acquire from them every noble manner and Sublime behaviour, and directed them to warn their children of the evil company and bad peers. Almighty Allah said in Suratal Zukhruf: 67 (close fellows upon that day shall be enemies to one another except the pious ones. Hadith: the Prophet said" the likeness of the good companion and the bad one is like that of the perfume bearer and the bellow blower". So, the perfume bearer will either give you some, buy from him or get a nice smell from him. But the bellow blower will either burn your cloth or you will get a bad smell of him. (2) Mismanagement of free time It is known that children grow up fond of playing and having adventures. An adage says" unbusy or free hand is devil’s workshop. Shaytan visits every free or unbusy souls, it suggest to them what to do. And what will Shaytan do to them is to invite them into immorality and indecent acts that will earn them punishment of Allah. It is the duty of parents to tackle this problem by offering practical mean of engaging the children at their free times. (3) Mistreatment of parents to children If a child is treated by his parents with cruelty, hard beating, tormenting blame, contempt scandalizing and derision, he may react by withdrawing into his shell, seclude himself, loose trust and confidence in the parents and may lead to choosing confident from outside home or give him a psychological problem which may turn to psychiatric problem. (4) POVERTY It is evident that when the child lacks what suffices him of food and clothes and faces poverty and deprivation, he will resort to leaving his place to look for provision, there the evil hands and corrupt companions can pick him and lead him to grow up as a corrupt person. (5) Conflict and discord between parents Among the factors that lead to children’s perversion is deep conflict and continual discord between the father and mother. When the child sees clashes between his parents he will abandon this depressing atmosphere, look for friends with whom he will spend most of his time. So, if those friends are bad he would get used to perversion. (6) DIVORCE Among the factors that lead to children perversion is divorce. When the child misses the caring mother and responsible father, he will grow up corrupt and pervert. What makes such a situation even worse is the marriage of a divorced woman to another man. The 1st husband may prevent her from having contact with her children; hence those children will miss mother care totally in their upbringing. (7) WATCHING PORNOGRAPHIC AND CRIME FILMS Among the great factors that lead to children perversion and corrupt behaviours is what they watch on television and internet. These include pornographic and detective films. Children go into the sites of obscene film and picture on internet and cable network. The soul gets corrupted and they become wayward. Through internet they make friends which may eventually influence their lives negatively. It is the duty of every parent to keep their children away from watching pornographic and detective films, and prevent them from buying impudent magazines and possessing amorous novels or reading books that can corrupt their ideology. (8) PARENT’S FORSAKING THE BRINGING UP OF THEIR CHILDREN When parent’s forsake the reformation of their children, and neglect their role of guiding and raising them, due to one reason or the other, the children will be trained by the society. This means they can join any group, practice any religion, choose any way of life for themselves because they are at the mercy of the society. A poet observes this and said: the plant that grows in the green field is not like that which grows in the desert. How come we hope perfection for children who were fed with the breast of imperfect mothers? EFFECTIVE MEANS OF CHILD EDUCATION Having enumerated the various causes of children perversion, the discussion will not make much sense if we do not make mention of the effective means of training these children that will prevent them from falling into perversion. (A) TRAINING BY SETTING EXAMPLE One of the effective means of training is by setting example for the trainee to follow. Children in most cases copy or emulate what their parents do because they are the closest persons to them and it is what they see that they emulate. That is why it is easy for psychologist to predict the kind of home a child comes from by mere studying the child's’ behaviour. If the parents are truthful, chaste, and of noble character. You find their children as such but if the parents are liars, drunkard, coward of and treacherous, the children will pick most of these negative behaviours from them. No wonder Allah doesn’t mince words when he told us in the Qur’an that ‘Laqad kana fii Rasuli llahi uswatu hasana……………’ (The best examples are in the Messenger of Allah for you to follow). However, it is not sufficient for the parents to set a good example before the children, thinking that they have discharged their duty but they should link the children to the best example of the prophet. (B) TRAINING BY ADMONITION Another important effective means of bringing up a child is by constant admonition. The Prophet (SAW) said" Adinu Nasiiha." Parents must have a particular period or time with the children to educate them on different aspect of life ranging from belief (Aqidah) to moral (akhlaq), social, Ibadah etc. apart from the routine admonition, from time to time one must enlighten them on issue be it academic, religion, national/social, economy politics etc. In Qur'an 31 vs 13 -19, Luqman admonished his son on Aqeedah and morals. This method has an advantage of been an interactive method. The parent can get feedback immediately and the children also have opportunity to ask questions and bear their mind out. (C) EDUCATION BY OBSERVATION What I mean by this method is that parents should pay attention to their children's behaviour; whenever they notice any error in their behaviour they make correction instantly. It is one of the firmest bases in forming a well-balanced and integrated personality. The Prophet (SAW) said "whoever among you that observes or sees any abominable thing should change it with his hand, if he is unable to do that, he should change it with his tongue, if he is unable to do that then with his heart, that is the weakest of faith. Umar Ibn Abi Salamah said “I was a boy in the lap of Allah’s Messenger, and my hand used to move everywhere in the dish, so Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said to me “O boy, mention the name of Allah, eat with your right hand and eat from the nearest place to you. (Bukhari and Muslim). Ibn Abbas said “Allah’s Messenger (SAW) saw a gold ring on a man’s finger, so he took it off and threw it away and said one of you takes a piece of fire and make it in his hand” after Allah’s Messanger left, it was said to the man, take your ring and make use of it. He said “by Allah, no I will never take it after Allah’s Messenger (SAW) took it off (my finger). Abdullah Ibn-Amir (R.A) said, my mother once called me, in the presence of Allah’s Messenger (SAW) in our house, and she said come here I will give you something. Allah’s Messenger said what do you want to give him, she said I want to give him dates, If you do not give him something it will be written as a lie. Dawud and Bayhaki Parents should observe the following aspect about their children and take the necessary steps in correcting the abnormalities. - The aspect of aqidah - The aspect of ibadah - The aspect of friends and peer group - The aspect of books, magazines and publications he reads - The aspect of morals i.e. does he tell lies, is he a trust worthy person, crafty, does he steal, is he rude, proud, lazy etc. - The aspect of speech he made, does he call people bad name, does he abuse people, utter impolite words. Training by punishment As for the punishment given by parents to their children it differs in quantity, quality and method. Abu Dawud and Al-Hakim related that Ibn Amir Ibn Al-As said that the Prophet (SAW) said: (command your children to pray at the age of seven and beat them for not praying at the age ten, and separate between males and females in beds). From the hadith above, Prophet (SAW) recommends that punishment can be part of means of training children. But before punishment is introduced other methods such as setting examples, giving admonition, instruction and encouragement must have been used on the same issue for a period. From the hadith these other methods would have been used to reform or train the child for 3yrs at least. If the child refused to change the punishment can be introduced. One may also conclude that a child of less than 10yrs should not be punished; rather you use other methods to train him. According to Ibn Khaldun. The one, who was brought up by violence and submission, whether a learner, a mamluk, or a servant, humility will seize him, will make him displeased, inactive and lazy. It will force him to lie and be cunny for fear of hands stretching to subdue him. It will teach him to be trickish and deceptive which will become his habits and manners and will spoil his personality. Conclusion The Messenger (SAW) outline to parents and educators clear methods for dealing with child's perversion thus: (1) Calling attention to the wrong thing through direction: the hadith narrated by Umar Ibn Abi Salamah in Bukhari and muslim. (2) Pointing out the wrong deed in a gentle manner. (3) Pointing out the wrong deed by gesture (4) Pointing out the wrong deed by rebuke (5) Pointing out the wrong deed by desertion (6) Pointing out the wrong deed by beating. If punishment of beating is to be meted out on children, the following guidelines should be followed. (1) That the educator should not resort to beating except after using all aforementioned methods of discipline and reproach. (2) That he should not beat when he is in a great anger least he should inflict harm on the child. (3) He should avoid beating harmful places such as the head, face, chest (4) That beating at the first time should be unsevere and unpainful. It should be on the hands or feet with a thin stick. The beatings should be between one and three if the child has not yet reached puberty. However no matter the age the strikes should not be more than 10 in conformity with the Allah’s Messenger’s tradition. “No one should be given more than 10 lashes except in punishment for breaching one of Allah’s bounds”. (5) That he may not beat a child of less than 10yrs of age according to the aforementioned hadith “command your children to pray when they are seven years old and beat them for not performing it when they are ten years old”. (6) That the parent or educator should beat the child by himself and not leave it to a brother or a peer so that grudge and dispute may not arise.

THE ANNUAL CHILDREN’S DAY

It is a common knowledge that children are a great blessing from Almighty God. With their innocent and tender hearts, children can be molded into righteous people only with a positive and tender approach. Islam considers children to be an amanah (trust or responsibility) given to the family and says it is fard (mandatory) for the family to raise a child in a righteous manner. In terms of gender, parents should not favor one child over another. In Islam, both male and female children should be treated equally and should be loved and cherished. The children have certain rights over their parents; it is the family’s obligation to shelter, feed, clothe, educate, support, nurture, and love them. Thus, the annual Children’s Day is a great opportunity to remember our children and our duties to them as Parents and Guardians. Due to the importance of children and their potentials as future leaders, this day is marked almost all over the world. The United Nations refers to it as Universal Children’s Day and it is marked yearly. Aside this, many countries of the world observe this day on specific dates in different countries of the world. The Young Muslims thus rejoice with the Nigerian children and the world at large on the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day. The day should not only be marked by merry-making. It must rather be marked with deep reflection over our future vis-a-vis whether we are all doing enough to combat imminent challenges facing our children and our nation. At this point, we call on parents not to forget their primary responsibilities to their children. In Nigeria today, many parents are so immersed in worldly life that they forget to pay attention to their children. Many parents think that providing financial support for their child is enough. The fact is that financial support alone doesn’t fulfill a parent’s duty towards their child. One can only win a child’s heart through love, mercy and a gentle attitude. It is the child’s right to be loved and cherished. We can all emulate the noble Muhammad (Peace be on him) in the manner in which he related and preached child care and love. He was reported to have said: “Fear Allah and treat your children [small or grown] fairly (with equal justice).” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Anas bin Malik also said regarding the Prophet’s attitude to children: I never saw anyone who was more compassionate towards children than Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). His son Ibrahim was in the care of a wet nurse in the hills around Madinah. He would go there, and we would go with him, and he would enter the house, pick up his son and kiss him, then come back. (Muslim). The policies of the government should go beyond paper work, it must be translated to actions that have an impact on building the young ones towards a virile community. Education should be made compulsory up to the tertiary level, be it research, vocational or technical training. Scholarships and stipends should be introduced to assist indigent students and their parents. By so doing, we would be investing in the future of the entire nation. By this, also, we would have discouraged them from becoming social miscreants. We would have saved them from all forms of abuse including trafficking, labour, street hawking and drugs. Finally, I further appeal to Muslims and non-Muslims alike to see the business of child-upbringing as a communal project.

Zakat al-Fitr and Eid etiquette

Praise be to Allah says in the airtight book {Successful indeed of indents, and mention the name of his Lord and prays} praise Him Almighty and thank him and أستعينه and ask His forgiveness and I seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and our disadvantage that it is Allah guides is convert it misleads you will not find him and Leah guide, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone no partner and I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is His slave and Messenger O Allah, bless him on Muhammad and his companions, the Almighty to the Day of Judgment. The distance / Faithful servants of Allah, fear Allah Almighty right piety, a major goal of fasting, he says: Fountain of Faith}. Dear brothers Muslims, know that the holiday season of joy and happiness and joys of believers and pleasure in this world but it is in God, their protector, the Almighty if they win complete obedience and have won the reward of their Bothogahm promise them the thanks and forgiveness, as he says: {Say thanks to God and His mercy so doing فليفرحوا is better than collecting } (Yunus 58). So doing, the Muslim should be ready for this holiday blessed to win the grace of God and forgiveness and mercy in the world and the Hereafter, and willingness _ Servants of Allah _ output Zakat al-Fitr feast day before the prayer or a day or two may not be delayed the day of Eid, which is a purification for the fasting person from idle and obscene, and to feed the poor, As Ibn Abbas said: (The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him Zakat al-Fitr as a purification for the fasting person from idle and obscene speech and to feed the poor, it is performed before the prayer, it is accepted Zakat and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is alms) Narrated by Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah. The charity mushrooms virtues great, one of the mercy of God to us and His grace and wisdom of the amount and the perfection of his knowledge, a rite Attiyma of the rituals of Islam added to the ritual of fasting, imposed by God to atone what might hasten the jejunum of mistakes and gaffes or defect and default shall be the Zakat جابرة for this imbalance, complementary for this shortfall, فيلقى his Lord greatest wages and wide reward and also imposed God dam to the needs of the poor and bring happiness to them the day of Eid, which is a day of joy and joy is one of the purposes of Islam great and pros religion Quran to feel brother needed his brother and loves him what he loves for himself, not fits Muslims to rejoice in this day and their brothers of whom do not find a living. Some commentators said they intended the words of God: {Successful indeed indents and mention the name of his Lord and prays} (top 14_15), Vonat the farmer and the Eid prayer. It is obligatory for each eye of notables Muslims, young or old recommendation to them all and expansion of the poor in the feast, maintenance of dignity and preserved for عزتهم of that question or for the misery of hunger and to be a Muslim community happy Mrhoma, narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: ((The Messenger of Allah him Fitr Zakat of Ramadan saa 'of dates or one saa' of barley for a slave and free, male and female, young and old Muslims)) agreed, and Abu Sa'eed said: ((we were out Fitr Zakat saa 'of food (Bur) or one saa' of barley or one saa of dates or one saa of pickup or one saa 'of raisins)) agreed, and when some scientists may be feeding of most staple food, and see each output value Kabi Hanifa and Imam Revolutionary and Hasan al-Basri and narrated from Ahmad, Omar Ibn Abdul Aziz, a selection Ibn Taymiyyah said in selections: The output value may in Zakat not to abandon the need for stakeholders, such as to sell the fruit of his garden or planted, in which case the output ten dirhams بجزئه ... Abu Haneefah said: that the purpose of Zakat al-Fitr Aoun to the poor and filling needs because the Prophet peace be upon him: ((Ognohm demand _ any question _ in this day)) "Narrated by Muslim, are intended Zakat al-Fitr enrich the poor, and enrichment as the dates, love and barley have money but perhaps the money I pay to the need and more beneficial for the poor, if in need of food bought by food albeit in need of clothing or medicine bought him what drives his need, and text contained wording (enrichment) and money to achieve it all) "singer Ibn Qudamah 4/295", said Ibrahim Abu Shady author of choices jurisprudence of Imam Albanian: "This doctrine took into account the interest did not prevent the output value never did Adzha never, but if true interest and there was a need to take out the value of jazz and otherwise it is not, which is the fairest words and أرجحها" (p.: 209) Some scientists limited to such items of the five commitment text talk, and this saw the beautiful and سديد, but look at the reality of the poor and they are selling dates and the like less half its value decreases to benefit, as prescribed by God for them it sees output value observed for the poor and I to perform this ritual (Zakat al-Fitr). And must be removed Zakat al-Fitr before the Eid prayer and the best reformatted the day of Eid before the prayer, and integral before one or two days only, not integral after the Eid prayer; the hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas that the Prophet peace be upon him: ((imposition of Zakat al-Fitr purification for the fasting person from idle and obscene and to feed the poor, it is performed before the prayer, it is accepted Zakat, and pays it after the prayer, it is alms)) Narrated by Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah. And preparing a Muslim also festival screening crescent feast day or As of the Ramadan fast thirty days for saying peace be upon him: ((Fast when you see it and stop fasting when you see the cloud you فعدوا thirty and then stop fasting when)) "Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood," and is recommended for the Muslim that starts zooming from sunset to night Eid says: To fulfill the kit and تكبروا God for having guided (Baqarah 185), Verdd: Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar no god but Allah Allah is the greatest and thankfully, "and continues to zoom to pray Eid or continue it until it reaches the home, make sure prayer feast on every Muslim, the Prophet peace be upon him commanded the women to go out to the Eid prayer, and the face of menstruation that يعتزلن chapel and testify goodness and the prayers of Muslims, as was narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, and recommended washing before going to the chapel and wearing the best clothes and Attaib and eat before leaving odd number of dates, It was upon him blessings and peace can not go to the Eid Al Fitr prayers even eat dates, and leads prayer in humility and the presence of the heart, and listens to the sermon, and recommended to him that contrary to the way out of the house to the chapel and the way back from the chapel to the house, and create his Muslim brothers, saying: Accept God of us and you ", and not to forget his Muslim brothers oppressed everywhere, Vijsm pray that God reveals them anguish, and removes the gloom and ينصرهم on their enemies, and is recommended in the feast day extension on the parents in the restaurant and drink, clothing is not extravagant or wasteful. I say this and ask forgiveness from God Almighty you and me and the rest of the Muslims Fastgvrōh He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Second Sermon Praise be to Allah, the God of the first two and the others, prayer and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his companions and those who followed them in truth. O Muslims, you continue to worship and worship after Ramadan and follow the Ramadan fasting six of Shawwal, they fasted for a lifetime because good ten-fold, a month is like Ramadan ten months and six of Shawwal two months and the year of twelve months, and fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal someone who fasted for ever, for saying blessings and peace: ((Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal was fasted for a lifetime)) Narrated by Muslim, and is permissible to fast these days sequential and non-sequential. We ask God to tell us Eid al-Fitr and that is acceptable to us, O Allah accept our fasting and we, Rkoana and Sgodna, and help us to remember and to thank you and good worship. Oh God, make the Koran the great spring of our hearts, and the light أسماعنا and sight, and the evacuation of our concerns and our sorrows 0 God, show us the really right and grant us his followers, and show us falsehood and grant us to avoid it, and forgive the believers, men and women and Muslim men and women, living and dead, you listens nearby Mujibur invitations. Oh God, make this country safe assured the generosity of welfare and other Muslim countries.

BE MINDFUL ALLAH, HE SHALL PROTECT YOU

Praise be to God, we praise Him and seek His help, and forgiveness, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evils of our souls and our deeds. Whoever Allah guides none can mislead him, and whoever He cause to stray none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone with no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, sent with guidance and the religion of truth to proclaim it over all religion, he effectively accomplished the message and discharge the trust and he gave sight away from blindness he guided from error. He never leaves any good but points it to us or evil but warned us against it. He thereafter left us on a clear pure path; whose night and day are similar, and only the perversed turns away from the path. May Allah bless him, his family and his companions, and those who follow their footsteps till the Day of Judgment. Consequently, Fear God - O Muslims - and sincerely purify the religion for Him, beware of thimgs that could cause the wrath of the Lord of the Worlds, “O you who have believed, if you fear Allah , He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty?” (Anfal: 29). WHOEVER GUARDS FOR ALLAH, ALLAH PROTECTS HIM Muslim brothers, this meaning can be derived from the position of the prophet (pbuh) when leaders of Quraish plotted to either arrest or kill him, or to banish him, but Allah did save him after he blew dust in their faces, and he left them safe and sound. This pattern remains the practice of Allah, whoever consciously guards Allah’s rules, Allah protects him, and the greatest protection is that in the matters of religion including the bodily protection. It is not necessary for a person to be protected without being tried, he could be tried just to raise his grades, he could as well fall into pitfalls, however the right disposition with regards to the religion and dawah (advocacy) is that victory comes with patience. It was possible for God Almighty to prevent them (the Quraish) from harming the Prophet completely, but the noble prophet went through the tradition of trials to test his patience, and to amass a great reward in the sight of God, and to also teach the Duat- Reform Advocates how to confront adversity, and exercise patience on whatever harm they meet, whether small or great. Allah, the Almighty reveals this blessed law to his messenger (pbuh)- the mercy to the worlds. Whoever among men holds to it, tread his path and holds tenaciously on to his rope, such are the true believers, the righteous who guides Allah’s limit. Such are the protected under the protection of Allah in this life and the hereafter. Human’s Need to the Protection of Allah: Brothers in Islam, be aware that there is no one who is not in dire need of God’s protection and triumph. How then can a person obtain God’s protection? The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) have rightly answered this question, as in the hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas (RA) where he said: "I was behind the Prophet peace be upon him day and said: “One day I was behind the prophet and he said to me: "Young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice] : Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help, seek help of Allah. Know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried." ( narrated by Tirmidhi, who said it is true and good hadith) "In that way the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) taught us how we can merit the protection of God- the exalted. He made that a product of our being mindful of Allah- the Almighty, (Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you). What is the meaning of our being mindful of Allah? The meaning is that: we keep His borders, His rights, His orders and His prohibitions. The mindfulness is to stand in complete compliance with His orders, and move away from His prohibitions and bounds. We should not exceed what was ordered and authorized to lead to what He forbade. If we are able to do this, we are indeed among the faithful and pious ones who attain Allah’s protection and special care, God Almighty said: “Surely Allah defends those who believe” (Hajj: 38), Those are great good news which soothes the heart of the believer, who lives in the midst of the struggle between the forces of good and evil in this life, "The forces of evil and delusion work on earth, and the battle continues between good and evil, between guidance and misguidance, and conflict exists between the forces of faith and the forces of tyranny since God created man. Evil gain mastery, falsehood armed, it grips arbitrarily without blame, it attacks without caution, it also controls to stray people from good if they seek it, and lead them away from the truth if they open their hearts for its (whispers). It is therefore mandatory for faith, goodness and truth to gather power which could protect them from oppression, safeguard it from sedition, and guards if as well from by thorns and poisons. Allah did not want to subject the believers to their power thus He informs them of His closeness and His defense for them. Brothers of faith: Allah protects His pious slaves in this world and the hereafter, He keeps them in this world in themselves, their children, and their families, Allah, The Almighty said: Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve Those who believed and were fearing Allah For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. No change is there in the words of Allah . That is what is the great attainment. (Q10: 62-64) Imam Ibn Kathir says in his interpretation commenting on this verse: "Allah, the exalted informs that His close friends are those who believe and are pious, anyone who is pious and devout is a friend and ally of Allah. (no fear concerning them) with respect to the horrors of the day of the Hereafter (nor shall they grieve) of what is in this world. " Servants of Allah: The Quran tells us a story of how God Saved the treasure of the two young orphan lads which was buried under a wall which was near falling by the intervention of prophet Musa and a righteous man. It also stated that their father was righteous, see how Allah guarded and protected him even in his descendants, God Almighty said: “And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience." (18: 82) Whoever guards Allah, He protects him, whoever guards Him in his youth days, Allah guards him during his old age, He magnifies his strength, hearing faculty, his eyesight, strength and mind. There was some of the righteous who lived long and Allah guarded their senses says: Parts of our body we guarded in our youth age and Allah guards them for us in our old age. Brothers of faith: there are many models and many examples in the Qur'an and the Hadith which inform of the protection of Allah for the pious ones which are admonishing and lessons. We would recall some models in the revelation of some prophets and the righteous. This include what the Quran tells us about prophet Ibrahim (AS) when he rose to call to the truth, monotheism, and smashing of idols. But when trials came and was threw into the fire, then came the command of Almighty Allah thus: “We said: “O fire! Be a comfort and peace for Ibrahim; and they desired a war on him, but We made them the greatest losers.” (21: 69- 70) Likewise the case of prophet Musa who labored for Allah and proclaimed His message to pharaoh and his people, in the end after he was commanded to take his companions away, pharaoh and his people followed them; the sea was before them and pharaoh behind them, there and then came the protection of Allah: So they pursued them at sunrise. And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, "Indeed, we are to be overtaken!" [Moses] said, "No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me." (26: 60- 62) In the midst of the story of Moses and Pharaoh there is a highlight of a great model of a believer among the people of Pharaoh, here he discharges and offers his honest advice as he said to the family of Pharaoh: And you will remember what I [now] say to you, and I entrust my affair to Allah . Indeed, Allah is Seeing of [His] servants." So Allah protected him from the evils they plotted, and the people of Pharaoh were enveloped by the worst of punishment” (40: 44-45) Of the protection and guard of Allah for His pious servants is the sustaining of the rewards of their regular deeds when they are preoccupied by sickness or journey. The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him says: ((if a servant (of Allah) is sick or travels, it will be written for him the like of deeds he regular does while in sound health and as a resident) "Narrated by Bukhari." Servants of Allah: Another wonderful examples of the protection and guard of Allah for His pious slaves is the account of the three companions of the cave narrated by Messenger of Allah peace be upon him: “While three persons were traveling, the night fell and they had to enter a cave in a mountain in order to spend the night. A big rock rolled over and blocked the mouth of the cave. They said to each other: Nothing could rescue you but invoking Allah with the best deed you have performed (so Allah might remove the rock)”. One of them said, 'O Allah! My parents were old and I used to go out to collect wood. On my return I would milk (the animals) and take the milk in a vessel to my parents to drink. After they had drunk from it, I would give it to my children, family and wife. One day I was delayed and on my return I found my parents sleeping, but I disliked to wake them up, or to feed my family before them. I waited with the vessel in my hand with my children crying at my feet (because of hunger) until dawn when they woke up and drank their share of the milk. O Allah! If You regard that I did it for Your sake, then please remove this rock so that we may see the sky.' So, the rock was moved a bit but it was too small for them to get out. The second said, 'O Allah! You know that I was in love with a cousin of mine, like the deepest love a man may have for a woman, and I tried to seduce her but she refused, until one day she became in need of money, and she came to me for help, so I offered her one hundred and twenty Dinaars (gold currency) provided she gives in to my desire, and she accepted. When I sat in between her legs, she said to me: Fear Allah, and asked me not to deflower her except rightfully (by marriage). So, I got up and left her, though she was the most desired and beloved to me, and made her keep the money. O Allah! If You regard that I did it for Your sake, kindly remove this rock.' So, the rock was moved a bit but it was to small for them to get out. Then the third man said, “O Allah! Once I employed workers, and I paid them, except one who left with out taking his due share, so I invested it and from it great wealth developed. After some time that man came and demanded his money. I said to him: Go to those camels, cows and the shepherd and take them for they are all for you. He asked me not to mock him. I told him that I was not mocking him, so he took it all and left nothing behind. O Allah! If You regard that I did it sincerely for Your sake, then please remove the rock. So, the rock was removed completely from the mouth of the cave, and they came out walking”. (Bukhari & Muslim) Servants of Allah: The greatest result believers derived from guarding the commands of Allah and His prohibitions is that God guides and helps them and saves their religion from temptation until they meet God is with Him satisfied with them, God Almighty says: And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (29: 69) SECOND SERMON Servants of Allah: Islam is greatly concern about peace and stability in the society, it therefore establishes commands, and forbade corruption and evil, it establishes as well bounds, checks and deterring laws. Allah says: “And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.” (5: 2) God told us that security is for those who work righteousness, and adheres to the ways of guidance, and move away from the ways of corruption and decadence, the Almighty says: “They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice - those will have security, and they are [rightly] guided.” (6: 82) The Prophet -peace be upon him, do say whenever he sees the crescent: ((O Allah! establish this crescent for security and faith, safety and Islam, the crescent of good and guidance, my Lord and your Lord is Allah)) "Narrated by Ahmad, Tirmidhi." And Islam achieve security in society in that it takes the hands of the oppressor, the vandals, the transgressors to the souls, and wealth, an action which prevent them from committing crimes, and deterrent to others from rebellion and aggression, because Islam is a religion of justice, a religion of mercy and goodness, it orders not its followers but on goodness, and it never forbid them except from what is evil and harmful, so it places a harsh punishment for those who terrorize people through actions like gangsterism, kidnapping people and others, Allah says: “Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment” “Except for those who return [repenting] before you apprehend them. And know that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (5: 33- 34)

NIKAH – A CHOICE FOR TOMORROW

1. INTRODUCTION: Hadith of Rasulullah  says: "There are three kinds of people entitled to God's help: the fighter for Allah's cause, the slave who is working to free himself, and the proposer who wishes to marry so as to be chaste." (Tirmidhi) To open this discussion, brothers and sisters, I feel that correct conception precedes correct perception for it is what we conceive in mind that modulates our perception. Both correct conception and correct perception helps man to have a correct understanding. When the two go wrong, as an author says, the individual will continue to argue through questionable axioms and still through a more questionable process of logic. The answers arrived at by such individual will be almost unquestionably wrong. Rasulullah  admonishes thus: "Whomever God provides with a pious wife, He has helped to secure one half of his religion; he should take care of the other half." According to Baihaqi's version, the Prophet  said: "When a person marries, he fulfils half of his religion. He should fear God in the other half." 2. THE ISSUES i. Your objective as a Muslim: This is about the role you have chosen for yourself as a Muslim and it is dictated by your vision for Islam. Allah  gave us a clear answer in the Qur'an when He  said: "I have not created man and the Jinn except to worship Me" (Surat Dhariyyah: 56). So, the goal of existence is worship of Allah; whoever carries it out is successful and whosoever neglects it is at a loss. Brothers and Sisters, you must develop an objective for yourself about Islam and that objective or role you have chosen will affect, not just your marriage but every other thing you chose to engage in. It will modulate the type of work you chose to do, the employment you will accept, the intimate friends you keep etc. In brief, Allah  has made us vicegerents on earth and the task of enlightening mankind therefore falls on us all. Those who have accepted this task and have consciously chosen to be change agents in today’s society must know that it will affect their conception and perception of Nikah – it will affect their choice of future partner(s). ii. Your perception of Nikah: What is marriage to you? It is not just another relationship to be embarked upon because others are embarking on it. It ought to be early for both sexes so that children are reared when there is energy to guide them. Brothers and Sisters, having said this much, you must have comprehended the value you should place on your marriage. Why must you place much attention to yourself? The chances are that you want to be free to walk into the market place and make your choice without any restraint and when restraint is placed, you naturally become restless and ask questions. I therefore proceed to explain as follows: iii. There was a time when Hijab and socks were guarantees: At the beginning of every change, when it has just evolved as a sub-culture, its values and principles are manifested in a few individuals and they can easily be recognised. The chances of pollution, betrayals and infiltration are very limited – it is like life in Makkah with the early Muslims. It is easy to monitor and see all under a sub-culture. In the early 80’s, when a woman wore Hijab and socks to protect her nudity, you did not need to query her conviction about the Islam, it was taken for granted because to adopt that culture then was to ask for the wrath of the community. When change improves and it becomes popular in a community or well recognised as a main culture, it then becomes capable of all manners of all civilisations – just like when the nascent Islamic state emerged in Madinah. The deceptive antics of man must be expected and that is when the talk about the hypocrites, the infiltrators etc becomes open. This is why ‘he is also a brother/sister’ does not suffice in making a choice because in darkness, the hands of a monkey look like that of a man and if the leopard hides its claws, it does not mean that it does no longer know how to use them. iv. A Tested Path: It is to circumvent some of the loopholes that we used ourselves as experiments in the past and we came up with values and principles that may help you enjoy marriage eternally. We develop the culture of an intermediary – this not strange to Islam as it was the case between Khadijah () and Rasulullah . "There is for you in the messenger of Allah a noble example" (Surah Ahzab 33:21). This is also where the experience of your parents comes in handy. You should avail yourselves of these tested hands and let their experiences guide and direct you. Indeed, some of you would have witnessed problems in your families, a reflection of the imperfections in us as man, these are no indications that you should stray. They are additional lessons for you and opportunity to avoid similar pitfalls. v. Conflict of Change: As you grow and mature, you also come in contact with the conflict of change and what is paramount to you now is the choice of a future partner. The society would mount pressure on you and to some, it is difficult to explain the unsuitability of the suitors that may come your way. The lure of beauty, wealth, family relationships etc would be tempting enough however, your level of understanding, faith and readiness to sacrifice would be the sustaining elements. Your anxiety may heighten if the process of choosing a partner ‘becomes slow or prolonged’ and this may make you feel like going it all alone. But no matter how hungry a goat may be, grazing in the midst of the thick forest is not the best for there are wild animals. The stubborn nanny-goat may end up in the bowel of a carnivore. vi. Nikah as a turning point: Here we take directly from Fathi Yakan’s work – ‘Islamic Movement, Problem and Perspectives’ which has been represented as ‘Problem Faced by Da’wah and Daiyah’: In Chapter Three, Major Pitfalls in the life of the Caller, he wrote: “No doubt, every case has its causes. Those who failed in their marriages probably were those who did not follow the Islamic requirements concerning marriage right from the beginning. They may have been blinded by external appearances and could not see the essence. They were concerned with the covering and did not taste the core. They were trapped by the evil of their deeds and repented after it was too late.” vii. OTHER CHALLENGES: Other challenges bother on marrying into the family of close friends. To many of us, our families have been so close that we see ourselves and blood-relations which makes the talk of marriage inauspicious. We must however refer ourselves to Islam and our Faith, this should be the guiding factor and not sentiments. We must note the closeness between Rasulullah  and Ali  – in matter of blood relationship and that of other companions like Abubakar , Umar  and Uthman . The issue of age also comes in and it comes in two ways – the age of marriage and marrying with huge age differences. All these are also addressed by the Seerah which we are all conversant with. "You are the best community ever evolved for mankind" (Al-Imran:110) 3. THE FACTORS: You therefore need to take care of the following factors: a. Your Faith: Indeed, Rasulullah  laid emphasis on Faith as the cornerstone of Nikah. It towers above all other factors of Beauty, Wealth, Power and Family Background. You are therefore getting married to please Allah , to serve Him  – in its pristine unity. In the same way it towers above tribal and other sentimental feelings – ‘first love’, ‘man of my dream’, etc. The Prophet  said: "Don't marry women for their beauty, it might destroy them; don't marry them for their property, it might make them exceed proper bounds; but marry them for their piety. An ignorant religious slave girl is better." (Ibn Majah) Allah’s  directive is also instructive on this: "Marry the spouseless among you and your slaves and maid-servants who are righteous; if they are poor, God will enrich them of His bounty." (24:32) Also remember the saying of Rasulullah : "Whoever marries a woman for her elevated status, God will increase him in humiliation; whoever marries her for her property, God will increase him in poverty; whoever marries her for her noble ancestry, God will increase him fn lowliness; and whoever marries a woman for nothing but to lower his gaze and protect his chastity, or to be kind to a relative, God blesses her for him and him for her." (Tabarani) b. Your Morality: Despite the background, the level of education and exposure, the individual morality remains an issue in marriage. We all have inherent weaknesses that when uncontrolled, can destroy marriage. No one is perfect but some of us have excesses of these weaknesses and despite efforts to remove or blur them, they remain like malignant growths. As individuals, we must develop those moral precepts that encourage respect for others, mutuality in a home and ability to subdue our anger in the face of provocation. According to Rasulullah : "The best of your women is the one who, if her husband looks at her, she pleases him; if he orders her, she obeys him; and if he is absent, she is faithful to him in herself and in his property." (Nasa'i) c. The Choice: The partner you may wish to submit your life to must be one that operates from the same page with you, you must have the same reference point to avoid building potential cleavages into your nascent home. Such a partner must understand the importance of your home and its values for the mission. In essence, it is from Rajulul Aqidatil Islamiyyah to Baitus – Salam. You cannot afford to manage and you cannot afford to mortgage the mission of Khilafatul Ard which we all hope to champion for any other variant. This is also why selecting a partner on the internet may be too risky. The Prophet  said: "Choose for your sperm, for your blood will tell." You must apply all senses, make sensible selection of your life-long partner. d. Your Parents: Our roles as your parents are to 1guide and prevent 2clashes of interest. No parent is expected to impose his wish on his children in this respect just as the child should understand his parents as a precursor1, an ally2 and a care-giver3. Indeed, the mother-hen runs haywire when it sees the hawk hovering around its chick; of course the chick might wonder why mother-hen is bothering itself. We are all familiar with the maiden flight of baby mosquito which came to report that people were clapping for its manoeuvres! It is the same here. You are just damned lucky to have parents who are precursors, it was not this ease in the early days. e. Sacrificing Spirit: Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi said: "once again is needed the courage of Muslim Youth who could, with its sacrifice, build a bridge so that life could cross over to its essential nobility and happiness. Life, like soil, needs fertilizers. That, which can fertilize life so that it gives its best, is the renunciation of the Muslim Youth of its personal ambitions in order to bring Islam to its full fruition and fill Allah's earth with peace and plenty. Today a forsaken humanity demands the courage and resolve of those who can, for its sake, give up ease and comfort, opportunities of worldly gain and concern for individual success and prosperity". (Islam and the World) An-Nikah is itself a sacrifice, even though with envisaged pleasure. However, in its whole process are sacrifices to be made for its success starting with the choice. Who would marry the amputee who has returned from Jihad? Who will marry the blind, the deaf and other similarly impaired individuals? Or, should they remain unmarried – or married to their likes? These are big questions for the thoughts and living minds. This is why love cannot be blind but Faith and Sacrifice can sustain such marriages. f. The Process: In résumé, for this process is obvious in the discourse above, a person planning to go into marriage must prepare first with prayers seeking guidance and blessing from of Allah  and making the intention clear – to serve Allah . It is also good to observe Salatul Haajjah and Istikhaarah. This is also part of faith which makes it clear that we put everything in the hands of Allah . Secondly, seek the advice and guidance of your parents and teacher on the path of faith for they have trodden the path before you and are well positioned to let you know and benefit from their knowledge and experience. Never forget that what the elder sees sitting down, the youth may not see even on top of a tree. And, Allah  has given them the task of leading us into marriage according to the statement of Rasulullah . Thirdly, open you mind to your parents and teachers; do not hide or pretend before them even when you have differences with them or you feel something is wrong with the family setting. Say your mind and if you already have a choice express it or if you have conditions make them clear. Fourthly, read very well about marriage and all that is involved, be intellectually prepared for the task and responsibility of marriage and in this you also have much to gain from your parents and teachers. By this, you are also physically prepared for the emerging task. g. Plan for the D-Day: It has become pertinent to add this last segment because of the unfortunate tendencies in the market place today. The best marriage is the cheapest. Therefore do not plan a grandiose marriage because you want to ‘make a statement with your marriage’. Do not borrow money unless some essentials of marriage are left unattended to and make sure you do not put the cart before the horse in your shopping list. Make all decorations modest and without an impression that may dress you in borrowed clothe. There may be many more issues to raise depending on the circumstances of each person, it is not a straight jacket situation. 4. OBJECTIVES OF OUR FAMILY SETTING Dear brothers and sisters, the aims and objectives of all our Organisations are also a reflection of what we envisaged of our families. The family is the nexus and connecting unit that we all must belong to and it is a product of marriage. Islam also requires that the purpose of marriage be to establish the Muslim home as the first solid foundation and cornerstone in establishing a Muslim society. The Qur'an considers this to be a cherished wish of the believers when it describes them in the following verse: "Our Lord, vouchsafe for us the comfort of our wives and our offspring and make us a model to the God-fearing." (25:74). According to various scholars, Islam requires that the first purpose of marriage be the completion of one's religion in accordance with the saying of the Prophet : Islam also emphasises that marriage is an important factor which protects and purifies the self, while also directing it to the path of chastity and obedience to God. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud  reported that the Prophet  said: “O young men, whoever can marry, must marry; he who cannot should fast, for fasting is a protection for him." (Bukhari and Muslim) Good marriages build real values and principles. This is why you must see marriage as a choice for tomorrow, it is not the futile fancies of today, it is about the indispensable essentials that will rule you lives in times to come. Here are the objectives: 1. Produce a large number of Duat, callers to Islam, who will willingly and with little or no supervision be calling people to Islam at all times. 2. Generate ready leaders for the Ummah who would at all times be called upon to lead, de jure or de facto, and who will give excellent leadership. 3. Help re-organise the affairs of the Ummah by offering ourselves to fill the vacuum in their organisations, both micro and macro societies and mosques societies and mosques. 4. Become the practical example for the translation of faith in the live of all Muslims. 5. Give practical steps and directions on how to revive the institutions of Islam and show how to make them survive. 6. Using the family as a basic starting point, work to spread the message of Islam to whole of mankind in general and the Muslims in particular. Allah said: "oh prophet, convey (the message) that has been revealed unto you." The duty of the prophet is our duty for we are the inheritors. 7. Through our family activities, bring Muslims together on the principles of Islam. To serve as guide for them in order to colourise their activities be it individually or as a group, with the colouring of Islam. Dear beloved ones, this is a message prepare specifically for you. Its import does not rest here alone, it is not just one of those speeches you hear all the time. I hope this to be a reference material for you and even for your children and when we will be no more. And finally, Alhamdulillah, Rabil Aalamin.

RULE CONCERNING CELEBRATING BIRTHDAY OF THE PROPHET (PBUH) IN ISLAM

All Praises are due to Allah Who guided to followership of the Messengers, and guided us to the pillars of our religion y following the footsteps of our righteous predecessors that our hearts became filled with the knowledge of the Sharia and the clear truth. Praise be to Him on the lights of certainty, we thank him for guiding us to firm hold unto the solid rope fo God. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone without any partner, and that Muhammad is his slave and Messenger, master of the former and later generations. May Allah bless him and his families, his companions and his modest wives, mothers of the believers, until the Day of Judgement. Thereafter, O you Muslims, I hereby admonish myself and you all to fear Allah, the Almighty. Allah (swt) says: {إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ وَّالَّذِينَ هُم مُّحْسِنُونَ} (النحل: 128). “Allah is with those who exercise piety and those who do good” (16: 128). Definition of Birthday of the Prophet. Linguistically Mawlid means the place or the time of the Prophet’s birth. The Prophet was born in the house of Abu Yusuf, which is today a public library in Makkah. While his date of birth was Monday, 12th Rabi’ul- Awwal in the year of Elephant corresponding to August, 570 C.E according to the most famous account. The practice was unknown to Muslims for six centuries and a quarter of a century i.e beginning from the start of revelation up until the start of the seventh century of the hijrah. After the departure of the favoured generations of Muslims then surfaced the innovation of Mawlid (celebration of Prophet Mohammed’s birthday) as a manifestation of weakness and deviation among Muslims. The first Mawlid (celebration of Prophet Mohammed’s birthday) was organized by Muzaffar, who was then the king of Irbil in Damascus, in 604 Hijrah. The first person to author a book on Mawlid was Abul- Khatab bn Dahiyyah titled: “At-Tanweer Fi Mawlidil- Basheer Nadheer” (The enlightenment on the birth of the bearer of glad tidings and the warner) which he presented to the king who then rewarded him with one thousand dinar (an old form of currency). Imam As-Suyutiyy described that Muzaffar- the innovator of Mawlid, at one of the Mawlid celebration he organized, spread banquet table filled with five thousand heads of grilled sheep, ten thousand chickens, one hundred horses, one hundred thousand bowls, and thirty thousand dishes of sweets. He organised an audition show for the Sufis from noon till dawn where he personally participated dancing with the dancers. People are divided today and even before now over the appropriate judgement of Mawlid (celebration of Prophet Mohammed’s birthday) - Some views it as a good innovation while others disapprove of it, categorizing it as one of the innovations warned against in the statement of the prophet thus: “And beware of newly invented things, every innovation is misguidance”, and other similar hadith. They also affirmed that the prophet never did nor commanded it, no one among the companions practised it, likewise the immediate generation after them and those after them. Infact it was not practised by anyone in Islam throughout the favoured generations of Muslims. It equally represents imitation of Christians in their celebration of the birth of Jesus (AS) an act which Muslims have been warned against. The prophet said: “Whoever imitates a people is of them” Equally, there is no consensus on his birthday, how then can such be a day assigned for a great act of worship of getting closer to God. Such celebrations also witness grave sins and outrageous practices, providing opportunity for people of lowly desires to satisfy their desires for ecstasy, music, freely mix of the two sexes and others. SOME INADEQUATE REASONS GIVEN FOR ORGANISING MAWLID Here are the reasons of Endorsers of Mawlid: 1 - An annual anniversary where Muslims remember the Prophet, peace be upon him, thereby increase in love and veneration for him. 2 – An opportunity to listen to some qualities of the prophet and to learn about his lineage and history. 3 – Manifestion of joy over the birth of the Prophet- peace be upon him, signifies one’s love for him and a demonstration of complete faith in him. 4 – Providing a banquet is a commanded act which possesses great reward especially when done with the intention of showing gratitude to God. 5 – Gathering in order to remember Allah, through the reading of the Quran and seeking blessings for the Prophet, peace be upon him. These five excuses are inadequate going by what it contains of deviation from the lawgiver- Allah, through legalizing what He had not legalized. We shall explain the falsity of these excuses one after the other. 1- The fact that it is an annual anniversary where Muslims remember the Prophet (pbuh) This reason could have been acceptable if Muslims were not engaged in the remembrance of the prophet dozens of times daily, a situation which would have necessitated the need for an annual or monthly remembrance. A Muslim regularly remembers the prophet in his solat day and night, the Adhan- call to prayer and Iqamah are also made with prophet’s remembrance inclusive. Obviously, annual anniversary would be appropriate for fear of being forgotten for someone who is not remembered or talked about however, that would be inappropriate for someone who is regularly mentioned and remembered. 2 – Being an avenue to listen to some of the qualities of the prophet (pbuh) and learn about his lineage and history is an inadequate reason for the celebration. It is not enough to make listening to his attributes and qualities a mere annual event. What benefit does an annual experience give on a matter which is an integral part of the Islamic ideology of faith? It is a personal duty on every Muslim man and woman to learn the prophet’s lineage and attributes, ordinary listening to readings of story of Mawlid once a year is grossly insufficient. 3 - Manifestion of Joy over birth of the Prophet (pbuh): This is a baseless excuse. Such joy could either be one of two possibilities- Expression of happiness over the prophet personality or an expression of happiness over the day he was born. However, if the joy is for the person of the prophet, then it should be continuous, whenever the prophet is mentioned or remembered, rather than being a time bound affair. On the other hand, if the second possibility is the case, then, that was the same day he died. It is not rationally right for someone to joyously celebrate the day his beloved dies. Hence, the death of the messenger was the greatest calamity that befell the Muslims. The companions used to say: “whoever is befallen with a calamity should remember his calamity by through the messenger of Allah (pbuh).” In addition to that, death is natural “Man rejoices over a newborn the day he is born and grieves over him the day he dies. 4 - Providing a banquet is a commanded act which possesses great reward especially when done with the intention of showing gratitude to God. This reason is weaker than those above. Feeding people is encouraged practice whenever occasion calls for it, a Muslim entertains guests, feeds the hungry persons and dispenses charity throughout the year, and therefore there is no need for creating a day in year specifically for feeding people. Thus this argument holds no water for inventing an innovation in any way. Another reason they placed forth stems from the narration where Abu Lahab was seen in a dream, he was asked of his situation and he said he is been tortured in hellfire, but the torture is lessened every Monday, and he also sips water from between his fingers of this measure- pointing to the tip of his finger, and that was because he set free Thuwaibah his slave when she gave him the good news of the birth of muhammad to his brother Abdullah bn Abdul- Mutallib and for her effort to nurse him (pbuh). However, this suspicion is revoked on several grounds as follow: 1 – It is a known fact in Islam that laws are not verified through dreams regardless of the person’s level of faith, knowledge and piety, except for the prophet of God because the dreams of the prophets are inspired revelation which are certainly true. 2 – It was Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib who had the dream while the hadith was narrated from him through an intermediary, thus such hadith is a Mursal Hadith (a hurried hadith with interruption in the chain). Consequently, Mursal Hadith is not used for proof or verification of faith and worship matters. In addition, Abbass had the dream before accepting Islam, whereas the dream of an unbeliever cannot be used as evidence. 3 - Most scholars of the foremost and later generations unanimously agree that the unbeliever will not be rewarded for any good he did provided he dies in the state of disbelief. This is the actual truth according to Allah’s word: { وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَى مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَنْثُورًا }(الفرقان 23) And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did (in this life), and We shall make such deeds as floating dust scattered about. (25: 23) {أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَلِقَائِهِ فَحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فَلاَ نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا }(الكهف 105) “They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight.” (18: 105) Aishah asked the prophet about Abdullah bn Jud’aan who used to slaughter a thousand camel every pilgrimmage season, he will clothe a thousand garments, he do hosts the Alliance Group in his house. Shae said: “O Messenger of Allah will that benefit him? He said: "No, he has never once said: “My Lord, forgive me my faults on the Day of Judgment” this therefore confirms the invalidity of this dream. 4 - The joy Abu Lahab had was a natural gesture not a religious worship, because it is natural for someone to express happiness when he has a new born, or any of his brothers or relatives. Being Joyous would not be rewarded if it is not for Allah. Also this fact further weakens and nullifies this narration. Another proof they use is that narration which states that the prophet (pbuh) do fasts on Monday and Thursday. He gave the reason for that by saying: (As for Monday, it was the day I was born and commissioned as a messenger, and Thursday is the day where deeds are presented to Allah, thus I wish to be fasting when my deeds are presented to my Lord). Therefore, if the intention for Mawlid is to show gratitude to Allah on the birth of the prophet, then it will be reasonable for the practice to align with the practice of the prophet in showing gratitude to Allah by observing fast on that day the same way he did. Unfortunately, the proponents of Mawlid celebration would not observe the fast because fasting strengthens the soul by depriving it of the enjoyment of food and drink. Another proof of theirs is the word of Allah: {قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفُرَحُواْ}( يونس 58) Say: "In the bounty of Allah. And in His Mercy,- in that let them rejoice". (10: 58) They argue that Allah instructs us to rejoice in His mercy, as a coincidence, the prophet is a mercy, as described in: {ومَاأَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ}( الأنبياء 107). We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures. (21:107) The answer to that is that nothing in this manner of interpretation could be found in the major books of Quranic exegesis such as Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi, Baghawi, Baydhawiyy, Nasafiy and Ibn Jawziyy. To buttress this point, we shall quote Ibn Jarir: “Allah the exalted said to Muhammad (pbuh), His prophet: ‘O Muhammad say to those who reject you and the revelation from your Lord: ‘O people! Islam is the grace of Allah with which He has favoured you, He clarifies it to you, He invited you to it, also throught favour of the mercy He bestows and sent on you, He taught you through His book that which you knew not, He enlightens you from there the signposts of your religion, and that is the Qur’an,-“ in that let them rejoice": that is better than the (wealth) they hoard” He further said: “Verily the Islam he invited them to and the Qur’an which was revealed to them are better than the worldly debris, wealth and treasures. Here are good alternative: Concerning the story of Mawlid and the contents, including review of the noble lineage and the impeccable qualities of Muhammad, the appropriate alternative is for Muslims to be diligent and serious. Develop learning circles with grounded scholars in the mosques who would teach Muslims their religion daily or weekly after Maghrib prayer to Ishai prayer. If this is done they would have truly learnt the noble lineage of the prophet and his undefiled qualities, and would take exemplary to become sincere followers and lovers of the prophet and not mere claimants. The alternative for dhikr and Quranic recitation would be that each person should be devoted to a daily devotion of dhikr in the morning and evening called Wird. Feeding people is an open act with generally known method, it does not depend on any celebration or a particular act of obedience. One could prepare food, invite the poor and even the rich to eat and praise Allah and show gratitude to Him for whoever thanks Allah, He increases him, Allah is surely the best of the thankful. Some scholars who permit Mawlid Celebration attach some conditions: 1 – To be free from time wasting, prayer neglect and wasteful spending. 2 – It should be devoid of freely mix between the two sexes. 3 – The Praises of the messenger should not contain flattery and excesses 4 – The celebration should be on a single day May Allah forgive me and you and all other Muslims. SECOND SERMON Muslims need to realize that the task to reform this corrupt society of ours in all aspects of life is a big responsibility which rests on the shoulders of Muslims. It used to be the function of God's prophets and messengers during their days to reform their societies. If Muslims neglect this task then the entire world will face daunting trials and colossus corruption which will engulf everyone as we are witnessing today. The prophet exemplified this responsibility with a ship thus: Narrated: An-Numan bin Bashir The Prophet (SAW) said, "The example of the person abiding by Allah's order and restrictions in comparison to those who violate them is like the example of those persons who drew lots for their seats in a ship. Some of them got seats in the upper part, and the others in the lower. When those in the lower part needed water, they had to go up to bring water (and that troubled the others), so they said, 'Let us make a hole in our share of the ship (and get water) saving those who are above us from troubling them. So, if the people in the upper part left the others do what they had suggested, all the people of the ship would be destroyed, but if they prevented them, both parties would be safe." Allah says: {وَاتَّقُواْ فِتْنَةً لاَ تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْكُمْ خَاصَّةً وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللهَ شَدِيدُ اْلعِقَابِ} (الأنفال ۲٥ ). “And fear tumult or oppression, which affecteth not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong: and know that Allah is strict in punishment.” (8: 25) O Allah we ask Thee sincere believe, tongue that remembers, a humble heart, O Allah! Strengthen us in Islam, and bestow upon us the sweetness of faith, and make us of the people of happiness, O You Generous Lord, O You Benevolent Lord. Oh God, forgive the believing men and women, and Muslim men and women, living and dead, Oh Allah! Make this country safe and peaceful, generous and prosperous and other Muslim countries, Oh You Ever- Responsive Lord.