AlaHadrat Alaihir raHmah and His Taqwa

AlaHadrat Imam Ahmad Rida radi allahu anhu’s entire life was adorned with meticulous following of the Shari’ah and Sunnah of the Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam and his taqwa had reached an elevated level. I shall present some incidents from his life that show that he not only had taqwa but had also attained the rank of wara’a [Abandoning a part of the permissible for fear of falling into the impermissible]. In accordance to the verse, No men can be its guardians except the pious, he was a perfect muttaqi [Pious and Godfearing] and a gnostic.

1. The last Ramadan in his life was in 1339 AH. The weather in Bareilly was very hot and he was weak and ill, as these were his final years. The Shari’ah exempts an old man [Al-Shaykh al-Fanī: an old man who cannot fast now, and cannot hope to expiate in the future either] from fasting and expiate by charity instead and for the ailing, they are allowed to expiate when they are healthy again [To fulfil an obligation at a later time]. Despite these dispensations, AlaHadrat’s taqwa demanded otherwise. This was not his fatwa but his taqwa. He said:

The hot weather in Bareilly will not allow me to fast but the weather in mountainous regions is cooler. Nainital is not far from here and I can fast in the mountains of Bhowali [83 miles north of Bareilly]. And I am able to go there; hence, it is obligatory for me to do so.

 

He spent the whole of Ramadan there and fasted the whole of Ramadan.

2. He passed away on the 25th Safar 1340 AH. He was ill for months and in the last months, he could not even walk. The Shari’ah permits that in such conditions, one can pray at home but AlaHadrat would pray in the congregation. Four men would carry him on a chair to the masjid and he continued to participate thus as long as he was physically able to do so.

NADWA REFORMER

Thirdly, the verses of the Holy Quran which have been quoted above, are enough to refute this argument. It has been proved by these verses that despite reading the Kalima or offering prayers these insolent people are disbelievers. At one place Allah said “They have become disbelievers after embracing Islam, because they have made a particular statement.” At another place Allah has said: “Make no excuses; you have become disbelievers after embracing Islam”. According to this flimsy argument there should be more than 99 words of disbelief but Allah has declared them as disbelievers for only one word of disbelief. Perhaps the insolent people will answer that this is a mistake of Allah or He has been too hasty in restricting the sphere of Islam. They would blame that the followers of Qiblah and the readers of Kalima are being pushed out of Islam just for saying one word, and that they have not been given even the chance of making an excuse. Also Allah did not consult some worshipper of nature or a lecturer from Nadwa or some other liberal Islamic reformer of their persuasion. “May the curse of Allah fall on the wrongdoers.” Fourthly, the answer to this argument is:
YOUR ALLAH ALMIGHTY SAYS

TERRORISM AND ISLAM

There is no meeting point between Islam and terrorism as practised by terrorist groups in different parts of the world. Terrorism involves the indiscriminate use of force to achieve certain objectives. In Islam, the use of force is allowed only in special situations, particularly when hostile forces threaten the Muslim community. Then again, the leader of the Muslim community determines the use of force in a campaign of Jihad in a very orderly way. The enemy will be well identified, and the use of force is only a last resort. However, what is happening in some parts of the Muslim world today involving some groups which are often described as �fundamentals�, is not always accurately reported or portrayed.

Islam does not allow the use of force against peaceful civilians. Moreover, using military tactics against an established government and causing in the process the loss of life among civilians is a very serious matter. There will be some people who will try to justify it on the basis of Islamic principles. What we have learned from trusted authorities on Islam is that such use of force is not acceptable at all. We must remember that Almighty Allah did not allow the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and his companions to use force against the non-believers in Mecca, despite the fact that the believers were subjected to a campaign of persecution that caused the death of several people and subjected many to enormous torture.

Moreover, Almighty Allah stopped the Muslims from fighting the non-believers in Mecca at the time of Hudaybiyah stating in the Holy Quraan that had a fight taken place, the Muslims would have been victorious ad the non-believers would have run away. Yet, Almighty Allah ordered the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to accept the peace agreement which seemed to be unjust to Muslims. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) declared to his companions that he would accept any conditions, which would prevent bloodshed.

Therefore, resorting to terrorist campaign in order to change a government is not acceptable although the government may be a bad one and follows un-Islamic policies.

However, we must also recognize that there is a sustained effort to associate Islam and the advocacy of implementing Islam with terrorism. This is part of the worldwide campaign to prevent Islamic revival. Therefore, we must not believe any report about Muslims resorting to terrorism tactics, unless we are absolutely certain of what has taken place and why it took place in the way it happened. There is much at fault with news reporters and media coverage of such events.

FESTIVALS OF ISLAM

1. Youmul Aashurah: 10th of Muharram.
2. Laylatul Me’raj: 27th night of Rajab.
3. Laylatul Baraat: 15th night of Shabaan.
4. Laylatul Qadr: 27th night of Ramadaan.
5. Birth of Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam): 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal.
6. Urs Shareef of Sultaanul Awliya, Shaikh Sayyid Abdul Qaader Jilaani (radi Allahu anhu): 11th of Rabi-us-Saani and the 11th of every month.
7. Urs Shareef of Mujaddid-e-Deen-o-Millat, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Al Qaderi (radi Allahu anhu): 25th Safar
8. Eid-ul-Adha: 10th of Zil Hajj
9. Eid-ul-Fitr: 1st of Shawaal
10. Urs Shareef of the Sahaba Ikraam and the Four Imaams Arba’in (radi Allahu anhumul anjma’in).
11. Urs Shareef of Shaikh Sayed Khawja Mo’inuddeen Chisty Ajmeri (radi Allahu anhu): 6th Rajab

and other dates which your Imam will bring to your attention.

TARAWEEH SALAAH

1. Taraweeh Salaah is Sunnat-e-Mu’akkidah for both males and females during the Month of Ramadaan.
2. Taraweeh Salaah consists of 20 Rakaah with Salaams after every 2 Rakaah.
3. After every 4 Rakaah, there is a short resting period, during which a Zikr and a Du’a is read.
4. During Taraweeh, it is Sunnah to complete the entire Quran at least once.
5. To perform Taraweeh Salaah with Jamaah is Sunnat-e-Kifaayah.
6. Witr Salaah is read with Jamaah after the Taraweeh Salaah.

WITR SALAAH

What is Witr Salaah?

1. Witr Salaah is Waajib.
2. There are 3 Rakaah in Witr Salaah.
3. Witr Salaah is read after Isha Salaah till “Subha Saadiq” dawn.
4. Witr Salaah cannot be read before the Fard of Isha Salaah.
5. In Ramadaan Witr Salaah is read with Jamaah.
6. It is Sunnah to read Surah A’ala in the first Rakaah, Surah Kaafirun in the second Rakaah and Surah Ikhlaas (Ahad) in the third Rakaah.

How to Perform the Witr Salaah

1. Make the intention of 3 Rakaah Witr.
2. After the Attahiyaat of the second Rakaah, stand up for the third Rakaah.
3. After Surah Fatiha and any Surah in the third Rakaah, and before going for Ruku, lift the hands up to the ears, saying “Allahu Akbar”, and then fold them as usual.
4. Now, read Du’a-e-Qunoot. Refer to Hifz Syllabus.
5. After reciting this dua, go into Ruku and complete the Salaah.

ISLAMIC TERMS

There are certain Islamic Terms which you should remember and which will assist you to understand facts better. These terms are:

1. ADAA-E-SALAAH: To perform Salaah in its correct time.
2. QADA: To perform Salaah after its appointed time has passed.
3. JAMAAH SALAAH: To perform Salaah with the congregation.
4. IMAAM: One who leads the Salaah or congregation.
5. MUQTADI: One who follows the Imaam.
6. MUDRIK: One who follows the Imaam from the start to the finish of a Salaah.
7. MASBOOK: One who joins the Jamaah anytime after the first Ruku.
8. LAAHIQ: One who joins the Salaah from the beginning and then misses one or more Rakaah while in Salaah.
9. MUNFARID: One who reads the Salaah alone.

Death & The Grave.

It is a well-known reality that everyone has to taste death. Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran: “Every soul shall have the taste of death”. (3:185) The time of death is fixed for everyone. Every single person’s age is fixed. It cannot increase from its fixed time nor can it decrease. Nothing can save one from death. Wherever you are, death will find you out, even if you are in towers built up high. When the time of death comes, nothing can delay it.

When a person?s life is ending, Sayyiduna Izraeel (alaihis salaam) comes to extract the dying person’s soul. The person dying looks to his left and right and sees Angels everywhere. The Angels of Mercy come to a Muslim and for the Kaafirs, the Angels of Punishment appear. At this time, even the Kaafirs believe the truth about Islam, but their faith at this time is not counted. This is because faith is the name of believing the Message of Allah Ta’ala and his beloved Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) without seeing proof. At this time one sees the Angels and then believes and this is therefore, not accepted as a Muslim.

A Muslim’s soul is taken out with ease and is then taken with respect by the Angels of Mercy. A Kaafir’s soul is taken out with great pain and the Angels of Punishment take it with disgrace.

After death, the soul does not go into another body and is then reborn, but it stays in the world of “Barzakh” till the Day of Judgement. “Barzakh” means the interval between death and resurrection.

To believe in reincarnation – that the soul goes into another human body, or into an animal’s body, or into trees or plants, etc. is wrong and is Kufr.

DOES THE SOUL DIE?

In any situation, the soul does not die nor does it disintegrate but it remains unchanged. Whatever it’s position and whatever it’s state is, it always remains connected to the body. Those who believe that the soul can die and disintegrate are a “Bud Mazhab” (from a deviated sect). If the body experiences pain, the soul also feels the pain. If the body is relaxed, then the soul is also relaxed. When someone visits the grave, the soul sees the person, recognises him or her and listens to what they are saying. In relation to the Muslim’s soul, it is stated in the Hadith Shareef that when a Muslim dies, the soul?s path is opened and it can go wherever it pleases. The dead also speaks. Animals, etc. except for normal humans and Jinn hear its voice.

WHERE DOES THE SOUL REMAIN AFTER DEATH?

Death is when the soul comes out of the body. According to the faith and deeds performed by that person, a different place is fixed for the soul to remain. It stays in that place until the Day of Resurrection. Some stay underneath the “Arsh” (above the skies), some remain at “Aala Illiyyeen” (the highest point), some remain at the well of Zam Zam, and some remain in their grave. The souls of infidels are imprisoned. Some are imprisoned in the well of “Barhoot”, some in “Sajeen” (the lowest point in Earth), and some at their place of cremation or burial.Death is when the soul comes out of the body. According to the faith and deeds performed by that person, a different place is fixed for the soul to remain. It stays in that place until the Day of Resurrection. Some stay underneath the “Arsh” (above the skies), some remain at “Aala Illiyyeen” (the highest point), some remain at the well of Zam Zam, and some remain in their grave. The souls of infidels are imprisoned. Some are imprisoned in the well of “Barhoot”, some in “Sajeen” (the lowest point in Earth), and some at their place of cremation or burial.