Bibi Karimah bint Ahmad Maruzi

She had been a world reputed scholar in fifth century Hijrah. She was daughter of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Hatam. She was born in Iranian town of Merv. She studied theology for years and learnt Ahadith from great scholars. She went to Makkah after having been qualified to narrate Hadith. She commenced delivering Dars at Makkah. The noted Muhaddith of Muslim Spain, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Sabaq Saqli was a devoted learner from her. He, after the Muslim rule at Saqqlyah (Sicily) ended, had gone to Makkah where he achieved learning of Hadith from her. He, afterwards went to Spain and made her abode in Granada to narrate Ahadith, he had learnt at Makkah. Ibn Bashkwal says…

(Abu Bakr Muhammad reported Ahadith from Karimah bint AhmadAl-Maruzi and others, He came to Andalus and the people of Granada passionately learned from him).

AIlama Khatib Baghdadi says in Tarikh Baghdad (History of Baghdad) that he, in 463H, during the days of Hajj, heard Sahih Bukhari from Karimah. Hundreds of seekers participated in the Dars session of Muhaddithah Karimah and quenched their thirst of learning. Besides Abu Bakr Muhammad, Allama Khatib Baghdadi and Allama Abu Talib Zaynabi, a number of other scholars of great esteem attained knowledge of Hadith from her. Bibi Karimah was said to have achieved perfection in mysticism besides other faculties of studies. She presumabty died about 464H with the controversy on the exactness of the date.

(Khazinat-ul-Asfia, Tarikh Saqqlya)

Aminah Ramlyah

Aminah Ramlyah is regarded a member of the learned elite of the time and one of great mystics of second and third century Hijrah. She was born about 163 H in Ramla, a suburb of Baghdad. She was very intelligent and had longing to attain knowledge since early childhood. But her parents were very poor so they could not do enough for her education. Only, which she could have, was, what more or less available at home. When she grew young, she accompanied her mother to Hajj. In those days an old man with scholarly figure delivered Dars (lecture) in Masjid-Al-Haram (Holy mosque in the Ka’bah).

She joined his Dars and learned from him the knowledge of Al-Quran and Hadith. After his death, she went to Madinah where Imam Malik had laid his rug for seekers of knowledge. Aminah joined his class and continued learning the Hadith from him for long. She memorized a number of Ahadith. Hafiz ibn Abdul Birr held the number of Ahadith, reported by her around 100.

She, afterwards returned to Makkah and had study of Fiqh from Imam Shafe’i. She had attained the age of thirty-six when Imam Shafe’i went to Egypt and she to Kufa.

She took benefit of the presence of many eminent scholars there and gained knowledge from them with great interest. She got excellence in all fields of studies. When she returned to her nativity from Kufa, fame of her erudition already had spread all around. She instituted delivering the Dars to enlighten the heart and soul of people who would throng to achieve the knowledge of Hadith. A number of notable scholars came to listen her Dars on Hadith. She happened to visit Baghdad in 209H where a dervish, by the benefit of his consideration caused her life change entirely. She gave away all her belongings as charity and took the life of a dervish. Her days and nights were started to be spent in praying and wailing in fear of Allah. During those years she went on Hajj for seven consecutive years and journeyed on foot. People called her ‘chosen by Allah’ for her piety, continence and mysticality, and extended great respect. Her dignity and grace could be judged by the fact that an illustrious Wali Allah (friend of Allah – saint) of her time Bashar Hafi (RA) (obiit: 227H) would visit her occasionally. So was the fourth Imam of Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (RA) (obiit: 241H), appreciative of her glory and grace.

Once Bashar hafi fell ill and Aminah went to see him. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, too, incidentally came to inquire after his health. He asked Bashar Hafi who was that lady. He told that she was Aminah Ramalyah, came to hear of his illness. Imam ibn Hanbal expressed great pleasure on her presence and said, it was his longstanding desire to visit her. He begged Bashar Hafi to ask her to pray for him. Bashar hafi conveyed his will to Aminah. Aminah raised her hands and prayed with immense humility, “O, Allah! Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Bashar, both seek Thy protection from Fire. Thou are the Most Merciful, save them from it.”

(Some biographers narrated an occurence and held it in terms of Aminah’s miracle. They attributed to Imam ibn Hanbal the anecdote, that he reportedly said, “the same night a piece of paper dropped unto me from heaven. Written on the paper was: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We did it and we could do even more (or we have even more of the bounties).”

Once a very rich person offered her ten thousand gold coins but she refused to accept, though she agreed to keep later on his insistence but did not even touch them. She made announcement to the beat of drum in the town that whosoever was needy, might come and take money. So the indigents thronged therein and she gave them enough to their need. All the money was disbursed till the evening while she had nothing to eat that very day.

Bashar Hafi narrates that Aminah woke up by midnight and prayed prayers with great concentration and humility till dawn. Once I heard her praying, “… O, Creator of the earth and the heavens, Thou hath stock of bounties, beyond limits but the wrong doers are unmindful. Thou art the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, but the people have forrgotten Thee.

… O, My Lord, my welfare is in Thy hand. Abase me not on the Day of Judgement before all, otherwise people would say. Allah abaseth His obedient slave who loved Him greatly.”

She had made a principle not to accept food from any one saved it was sure the host was pious and his sources of income were pure. The historians are silent about her matrimonial life, and neither has been detailed how she managed years long stay at distant towns to attain knowledge and who was her patron therein. Year of her death is not known to any one. It is presumed that she died sometime in third century Hijrah.

(Pairah Ma’araf lslamia, Mashahir Niswan, Bakamal Muslaman Khawteen)

Punishment of the Grave

This is an extract from Lesson 183 of the commentary of al Tajrid al Sarih (The Abridged Saheeh al Bukhari) by Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq Delivered on Friday 8th February 2008 at Al Kawthar Academy, Leicester. Every Friday.

Chosen Bondsmen

It is narrated by M’aad bin Jabal that when the Apostle of God sent him to Yemen, he gave him this advice: “O M’aad”, he said, “Avoid luxury. The chosen bondsmen of the Lord are not ease-loving and self-indulgent.”
-Musnad-i-Ahmad

Commentary:
Though it is not forbidden to lead a life of ease and luxury, it does not befit the worthy bondmen of the Lord. They would better abstain from it. O Lord! There is no joy other than the joy of Futurity denotes the ideal rule of conduct for them.

Source: Ma’riful Hadith

 

Company of the Pious

O Muslims, make it a point to sit with your elders, to seek clarification from the learned and to remain in contact with wise people.
Tabarani

Meeting another Muslim with a cheerful countenance

When one Muslim meets another he should confront him with a smile and cheerful countenance and physically express his delight in meeting him. This will entail a fortification of love and affection between them. If you confront a grieved person with a cheerful countenance, you might just allay his grief or at least pacify him. A person feels unrestrained in expressing himself if he is confronted cheerfully thereby aiding him in fulfilling his needs.

Hadhrat Abu Dhar (رضى الله تعالى عنه) narrates that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“Don’t ever belittle any of your good deeds even though this may be meeting your brother with a cheerful countenance.” [Muslim]

The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“When two Muslims meets and clasp each others hands, their sins are shed as a tree sheds it’s leaves.”

Together with a buoyant confrontation, clasping each others hands is also mustahab (preferable) as this increases mutual love and affection.

Hadhrat Qatadah (رضى الله تعالى عنه) relates that he enquired of Hadhrat Anas (رضى الله تعالى عنه) if the companions of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) grasped each others hands whilst meeting. Hadhrat Anas (رضى الله تعالى عنه) replied: “Yes of course!” [Fathul Baari]

Hadhrat Baraa (رضى الله تعالى عنه) narrates that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“When two Muslims meet one another and clasp each others hands, they are forgiven even before they separate from one another.” [Abu Daud]

Source: The 40 Pathways to Jannah by Sheikh Khalid Sayyid Ali

Flavour of Faith

It is related by Abbas bin Adbul Muttalib that he heard the Apostle of God say: “He tasted the flavour of Faith and experienced its sweetness who agreed with a truthful heart to accept God as His Cherisher, Islam as his religion, and Muhammad as his Prophet.” [Bukhari]

Commentary:

Just as all delicious foods posses a flavour but can be perceived only when one’s faculty of taste has not been lost or become perverted due to illness or any other cause, there is also a special sweetness in faith which can be enjoyed by those alone who have, willingly and earnestly, made Allah their Lord and Master, Muhammad (PBUH) their prophet and guide, and Islam their religion and way of life, and whose hearts have bowed in submission to God and yielded in obedience to the prophet and assented to be the adherents of the path of Islam. In other words, their bond with God, the prophet and Islam is not merely formal, hereditary or intellectual but real, sincere and genuine.

 

Anas related to us that “Only he will taste the sweetness of faith who has these three qualities: the love of God and the prophet that comes to him before everything else, he loves whom he loves solely for the sake of God, and the idea of going back to apostasy after he has embraced Islam is as repugnant to him as being thrown into fire.”

[Bukhari and Muslim]

Commentary:

The subject matter of this tradition is almost identical to that of proceeding one. It says that the sweetness of faith can only be perceived by him whose love for God and the Apostle is stronger that for anyone or anything else in the world, so much so that when he loves somebody, it is wholly for the sake of God, and who is so deeply devoted to the Islamic faith that the very idea of leaving it and reverting back to the apostasy is as painful to him as being cast into fire.

Source: Bilal Academy

Moderation in Human Relations

“Love your friend moderately lest he becomes your enemy one day, and hate your enemy moderately lest he becomes your friend one day!” Tirmidhi

When we get extremely close to people and lower our guard by letting them know every detail of our life, trusting them with everything, a day can come when we regret because they can hold us ransom with what they know about us if the friendship is broken f…or some reason.

At times we cannot correct people because we have allowed them to get so close to us that they would use against us some of what they know of us.

Similarly when we dislike someone, we should never oppress them or do something unbecoming of a true believer as a day may come when a strong friendship is developed between us and we are embarrassed by past actions.

Amazing piece of advice which is worth pondering over and making good use of in our lives. An enemy can become a very great friend or relative and a friend can become a fierce enemy.

“The Almighty is all able to create between you and your enemies a strong bond of friendship for indeed Allah is All Able, Allah is Most Forgiving Most Merciful” S60 V7

Mufti Ismail Menk

Abu Dawud

Sulaiman ibn al-Ash’ath (Abu Dawud) (r.a) – [202 – 275 A.H.]

Abu Dawud was born in Sijistan. Little is known about his early life, but that he travelled to many regions and cities to hear and collect ahadith from many different scholars. Abu Dawud is also a distinguished Faqih as well as a Muhaddith. His knowledge of hadith is confirmed by the fact that he had amassed 500,000 ahadith, 5,400 of which he selected for Sunan Abu Dawud. Hakim at-Tirmidhi was of the opinion that Abu Dawud was without doubt the chief muhaddith of his time.

His teachers are estimated to number more than 300. This includes ibn Hanbal, ibn Mu’in, ibn Harab, Abd al-Wahid Tayalasi and ibn Ibrahim, who were also teachers of Imams Bukhari and Muslim.

The number of students in Abu Dawud’s classes would sometimes be in the thousands, Tirmidhi and an-Nasa’i being amongst them. Some other distinguished muhaddithun students of his were: Abu Bakr ibn Imam, Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Ahmad Lu’lu’wi, Abu Bakr Muhammad and Abu Sa’id Ahmad ibn Muhammad.

Abu Dawud used to say that for one to recognise the purpose of life and to practise religion properly, out of his sunan, 4 hadith would suffice:

  1. The reward of deeds depends only intentions
  2. Among you no one will be a true Muslim unless he wishes for his brother or his neighbour exactly that which he wishes for himself
  3. The exquisiteness of ones Islam is that he avoids things that do not concern him and leaves what is not valuable to him
  4. The lawful and unlawful are made clear, but there are in between them doubtful things which are not known to most of the people. One who keeps himself away from the doubtful things, protects his deen and honour, and he who indulges in doubtful acts commits unlawful deeds.

In the year 275A.H. in Basrah Abu Dawud departed from this world at the age of 73, and was buried next to Sufyan ath-Thawri. May Allah Ta’ala fill his Qabar with Noor.
Aameen.
Source: Scholars of Hadith

Importance of Good Manners

1.It is related by Abdullah Ibne Amr radhiyallahu anhu that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: “The best of you are those who possess the best of manners.”
Bukhaari and Muslim

2.Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu related to us that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: “Muslims who possess better morals are the most perfect in Faith”.
Abu Dawood and Daarami

3.It is related by Abu Dardaa radhiyallahu anhu, that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: “On the Day of Reckoning, the most weighty item in the Scales of Deeds will be good manners”.
Abu Dawood and Tirmizi

Commentary
It would not be correct to assume from the above Traditions that good morals were even superior to faith or the principal tenets like Imaan, Salaat, Sawm(fasting), Zakaat and Hajj. The Holy Companions to whom these sayings were directly addressed had already learnt from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam that among the various branches of Islaam, the most important were Imaan (faith) and the doctrine of Divine Unity, and, then, came the fundamental duties. As for the rest of the departments of religious life, some of them take procedence over others in various ways, and the place of moral virtues, undoubtedly, is very high, and in the attainment of success and salvation in After-life and the gaining of the countenance of the Lord, their significance is beyond question.

4.Aaishah radhiyallahu anha relates that she heard the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam say: “A Believer with good manners and a good moral disposition gets the same reward as he who fasts (permanently) and spends his nights in prayer”.
Abu Dawood

Commentary
It shows that a person who is a true Muslim, both in Belief and Action, and, also, possesses good manners, but does not engage himself much in nafl (supererogatory) fasts and prayers attains the same degree of excellence, through moral goodness, as the one who, generally, stands up in prayer throughout the night and fasts all day long.

riyaduljannah.com

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