A Monthly

Publication by
Creed The Muslim

Editorial
The Daar Of
A
mong the great lessons learned by the one who performs Hajj is the
importance of moderation in all matters. Allah has said regarding the
Islamic Heritage Muslim Ummah, what translated means, *Thus We have made you
(Muslims) a Wasat nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the Messen-
ger (Mohammad) be a witness over you.+ [2:143]. “A Wasat nation” means just
P.O. Box 450186 and fair witnesses who do not deviate from the truth, fairness and moderation in all
Kissimmee, FL matters. Therefore, they are neither extremists nor are they over-lenient.
34745-0186 U.S.A.
Hajj is full of situations and examples that indicate the importance of
Fax (407) 348-9693 moderation and fairness. The Sunnah of the Prophet, Salla Allahu Alayhi
DIHInc@yahoo.com Wasallam, in throwing the pebbles during the rituals of Hajj is one simple example.
He once said to Ibn Abbas, “Pick for me some pebbles.” Ibn Abbas picked up
seven pebbles for him, and the Prophet held them in his hand and said to the people,
Volume 10 Issue 2 “Pick pebbles similar to these (in size).” He then said to them, “O people!

Thul-Hijjah 1422
February 2002
What’s Inside
Take Your Creed .......................... 2
Characteristics of the Saved Group
Feature Article ............................. 4
Is There A Good Bid’ah
Salafi Concepts ........................... 6
Disputes & Divisions: Causes and
Effects (1/2)
Character of the Muslim .............. 8
How to Achieve At-Tawbah
Family Issues ................................ 10
The Requirements of Hijab (2/2)
The Lawful & Unlawful ............. 12
Riba & Its Evil Effects
Beware of extremism in the religion, for the ones before you were destroyed
because of their extremism in their religion.” [Ahmad & An-Nasaii].
The Prophet’s saying, “Pick pebbles similar to these” means use pebbles
similar in size to these ones I have. This means neither pick pebbles that are too
small nor rocks that are too big, but rather use pebbles that are moderate in size.
Therefore, the Sunnah of the Prophet in this matter has been clarified for us without
ambiguities. The Muslim is commanded to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet as he
has commanded, and not go to either sides of extremism.
The Prophet’s saying, “Beware of extremism” is a general statement
regarding all matters of belief and acts of worship. Therefore, Muslims are prohib-
ited from extremism in all matters and affairs, and are commanded to follow the
Sunnah of the Prophet in all aspects of the religion.
Satan is always seeking to mislead people away from the Straight Path, by
either leading them to extremism or to negligence, not preferring one over the other.
Some of the Salaf said, “For each and every command Allah has revealed, Satan
seeks to lead the people to one of two: either extremism or negligence and over-
leniency, and he does not care which one of those two he achieves.” Therefore,
Satan always plots to snare the Muslim in one of his traps, and into this he puts all
his efforts, to mislead the people away from the Straight Path.
. . . continued on page 13

The Muslim Creed 1 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2


(2/2)
Characteristics of
The Saved Group
A
l-Firqah An-Najiyah means the
Saved Group, which is the
group that follows the guidance
of the Messenger of Allah, the compan-
ions and those who follow their lead,
until the Day of Judgment. We have
previously mentioned some of the
distinguishing characteristics of this
group, and now we conclude this topic,
praying to Allah that He makes us
among them.
6 — The Saved Group follows
the guidance of the Messenger of Allah,
Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, both in
public and private. It also follows the
way of the early Muhajirin and Ansar.
Furthermore, it follows the Prophet’s
advice, “Hold fast to my Sunnah and
to the Sunnah of the rightly-guided
Caliphs after me, clench to it and hold
on to it with your teeth.” [Ahmad, Abu
Dawood & At-Tirmithi].
7 — They enjoin righteousness
and forbid evil as the religion com-
mands. They also believe that Hajj,
Jihad and congregational and ‘Eid
prayers shall be held behind the rulers,
whether these rulers were pious or
wicked. They attend the Jama’ah
prayers and provide good advice to the
Ummah. They also advise one another
with patience when suffering from a
hardship, and to be grateful and thank-
ful to Allah when enjoying a bounty.
Furthermore, they feel content with
The Muslim Creed
Take Your Creed
what Allah has written for them. In tributes could freely announce his
addition, they call upon people to Bid’ah, forcing the Mubtadi’ to hide his
observe and adhere by the best Islamic Bid’ah, just as the Zanadiqah (heretics)
behavior and conduct. hide their Kufr.”
8 — They also approve the 9 — They are strictly firm on
Ayat that describe Allah’s Attributes, their beliefs. When Hercules (the ruler
according to their apparent meanings, of Rome) asked Abu Sufyan, just after
without equating, resembling, altering Mohammad became a Messenger, about
or denying them. Imam Ash-Shawkani those who embrace Islam with the
said, “The clear Truth, no doubt about Prophet, “Does any of them abandon his
it, is the way of the best generation, then religion out of his dislike for it, after
the following one, and then the follow- they had embraced it?” Abu Sufyan
ing one. They, may Allah grant them said, “No.” He said, “Such is the case
His Mercy
and guide us Members of Al-Firqan An-Najiyah advise one an-
all to follow other with patience when suffering from a hardship,
their guid-
and to be grateful and thankful to Allah when enjoy-
ance and
imitate their ing a bounty. Furthermore, they feel content with
way, ap- what Allah has written for them.
proved the
Texts concerning Allah’s Attributes with Iman when its sweetness touches
according to their apparent meanings.” the hearts, no one will want to abandon
it afterwards.”
Imam As-Shawkani also said,
“And those (righteous persons) who Also, Ibn Taymiyyah said, “As
came after them (of latter generations) for Ahlu As-Sunnah wal Hadith, we do
explained to the people the misguidance not know of anyone among their
of the deviant sects and warned Mus- scholars, or among their pious members,
lims against them, just as the Tabi’in who had abandoned his beliefs. They
have done with Al-Ja’d ibn Dirham and are always the most firm on their
those who approved of his evil opinions beliefs, even if they are tested with
and followed his misguided way. Al- various types of trials and even if they
Firqah An-Najiyah were always like endure various Fitan (calamities, tests,
this, so that no Mubtadi’ (innovator in etc.). This was also the case with the
the religion) with regards to the At- earlier Prophets and those who followed
2 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2
them, such as the people of Al-Ukhdud
(who preferred to be burnt alive rather
than give up their Faith). Such was also
the case with the Salaf of this Ummah,
the companions, the Tabi’in (the
successive generation who took up the
Manhaj of the companions) and the
noted Imams.”
10 — They also give their love
and loyalty to those whom Allah and
His Messenger love, such as the com-
panions and the Prophet’s family
members. There are numerous Texts in
the Quran and Sunnah that command
the believers to love and give their
loyalty and respect to the companions.
The Messenger of Allah said, what
translated means, “One is in the
company of those whom he loves.”
[Al-Bukhari, Muslim & Ahmad]. They
also love and respect their righteous
Salaf, both the scholars and the com-
moners among them, and warn against
defying their way, or having any ill
feelings towards them.
These are but some of the
characteristics of Al-Firqah An-Najiyah.
May Allah make us all among those
who follow the true guidance of the
Salaf and follow their righteous con-
duct. This is the only way to gain safety
from the Fire, as the Messenger of Allah
has informed us. Embracing the
characteristics of Al-Firqah An-Najiyah
and then implementing them are both
required from those Muslims who seek
to follow the guidance of the Salaf with
excellence until the Day of Judgment.

Seeing Allah in the Next Life Pillars of Islam

I A
n numerous places in the Quran, Allah states that the believers will see ngel Jibreal came to Prophet
Him in the Hereafter, such as what He said regarding the Day of Resurrec- Mohammad, Salla Allahu
tion, *On that Day, some faces will be bright. Looking at their Lord.+ Alayhi Wasallam, and asked
[75:22-23]. Abu Hurayrah reported that some of the companions asked the him, “O Mohammad, tell me about
Prophet, “Will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?” He replied, Islam.” The Prophet replied: Islam is:
“Are you harmed by looking at the moon when it is full?” They replied,
“No.” He said, “Verily, you will see Him likewise.” [Al-Bukhari]. To declare that La Ilaha Illa Allah
No god in existence is worthy of
In another narration, the Prophet said, “Verily, each one of you will worship but Allah
see Allah on the Day when you must meet Him, and there will not be and Mohammad Rasoolu Allah.
between Him and you a veil nor a translator.” [Al-Bukhari]. The Prophet Mohammad is the Messenger of
also said, “The Day of Resurrection is the first Day that any eye will look Allah and His slave, and he is to be
at Allah.” [Ad-Daraqutni]. followed and obeyed in everything he
had delivered from Allah.
For the residents of Paradise, the pleasure of seeing Allah, which
itself is greater than all other pleasures of Paradise, is a special blessing. To perform the prayers
Regarding the verse, *For them is whatever they wish, and there is with Us Perform the five daily prayers in their
something additional.+ [50:35], Ali bin Abi Taleb and Anas said that the times and observing all their laws and
“additional” thing here is looking at Allah. rituals
To give the Zakat
Also, Suhaib reported that once, the Prophet recited the verse, *For For every 85 grams of gold you own
those who do right is a good reward and (something) additional.+ and then or an equivalent amount of currency
said, “When the people deserving Paradise have entered it, and those you pay 2.5% annually. Other rules
deserving Hellfire have entered it, a heralder will call out, ‘O people of apply to assets other than money.
Paradise, Allah has a promise for you which He wants to fulfill.’ They will
ask, ‘What is it? Has He not made our scale (of good deeds) heavy, made To fast Ramadan
our faces shining, entered us into Paradise and saved us from Hellfire?’ Abstain from food, water, sexual
The veil will then be removed and they will gaze at Him. Nothing which intercourse, and other things that
He has bestowed on them will be dearer to them than gazing at Him. And would break the fast, from sunrise to
sunset, during the month of Ramadan.
that is ‘something additional.’” [Ahmad & At-Tirmithi].
And to perform Hajj if you can
As for the disbelievers, they will not enjoy the blessing of seeing Perform the pilgrimage to Makkah
Allah in the Hereafter, for Allah has said, *But on that Day they will be once in a lifetime, with performing all
veiled from their Lord.+ [83:15]. the required rituals.

The Muslim Creed 3 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2


Is there a
Good Bid’ah?
T
here is no doubt that all types of
innovations in the religion are
types of sin, misguidance and
error. All innovations are in Hellfire,
because they constitute a legislation
about which Allah has not given an
authority, and because they entail
adding to or deleting from the religion
without authority from Allah. They are
also a sin because they involve altering
Allah’s Words and the words of His
Messenger. Finally, innovations are a
serious type of sin because they corrupt
the integrity of Islam and indicate a
tendency to follow the vague matters in
the religion for the purpose of causing
Fitnah (calamity, trial) and doubts that
shatter the unity of the Muslims.
Allah has decreed that He
Himself will protect and preserve the
integrity of Islam. He has sent His
Messenger with the correct guidance
and the religion that He has decided will
dominate all other religions, even if the
evil ones hate it. The Messenger of
Allah has thus issued the decree that all
innovations in the religion are sins and
misguidance. Such was the case with
the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the
respected scholars of Islam, for they all
warned against indulging in Bid’ah or
implementing it in any form or manner.
The Prophet used to say in his
speeches, “The best speech is the Book
of Allah, and the best guidance is the
The Muslim Creed
Feature Article
guidance sent with Mohammad. The
worst matters are matters of innova-
tions, and every innovation is a
heresy.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]. He
also said, “Beware of matters of
innovations, for every innovation is a
Bid’ah, every Bid’ah is a heresy, and
every heresy is in Hellfire.” [Abu
Dawood & At-Tirmithi], and, “Who-
ever performs an act that is not a part
of our matter (religion), it will be
rejected.” [Muslim].
Furthermore, ibn Umar said,
“Every Bid’ah is a heresy, even if the
people thought it was good.” Also, ibn
Mas’ud said, “Follow the Sunnah, and
do not innovate, for you have been
sufficed (since the religion is com-
plete).” He also said, “Being moderate
in performing the Sunnah is better than
being active indulging in the Bid’ah.”
In addition, ibn Abbas said, “Beware of
Bid’ahs.” Huthayfah ibn Al-Yaman
once held two rocks and put one on top
of the other, and then said, “Do you see
light between these two rocks?” The
people said, “O Abu Abdullah! We only
see a little light.” He said, “By He in
Whose Hand is my soul! The innova-
tions will appear until the truth becomes
as weak as the light that you can see
between these two rocks. By Allah! The
Bid’ahs will be so widespread that when
a part of it is abandoned, the people will
say that a part of the Sunnah has been
abandoned!”
4 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2
Imam Malik once said, “Who-
ever introduces in the religion a Bid’ah
that he claims is good, it will be as if
claiming that Mohammad has not
delivered the Message in its entirety.
Allah said, *This day, I have perfected
your religion for you, completed My
Favor upon you, and have chosen for
you Islam as your religion.+ [5:3].
Hence, what was not a religion then, is
not a religion today, and nothing will
correct the affairs of this Ummah except
that which rightly guided the affairs of
its early generations.”
Furthermore, Imam Ash-Shafi’i
said, “Whoever introduces a new matter
that he likes into the religion will have
(erroneously) legislated.” Mullah
Ahmad Ar-Rumi also said, “Hence,
whoever innovates an act or a saying
with which he intends to draw closer to
Allah, will have legislated what Allah
has not given an authority. Therefore,
every type of innovation in the acts of
worship is necessarily evil.”
We end these statements of the
scholars by mentioning a statement by
Imam Ash-Shatibi in his book, Al-
I’tisam, “The religion is complete and
does not need any additions or deletions,
because, *This day, I have perfected
your religion for you, completed My
Favor upon you, and have chosen for
you Islam as your religion.+ [5:3]. It is
a fact that the Prophet did not die until he
explained all what people need in matters
of life and religion, and there is no
dispute among the followers of the
Sunnah about this fact. If this is the case,
then the innovator will be as if he is
saying that the religion is not complete
and that there are still matters of it that
could be amended. This is because if
such a person thought that the religion is
complete, he would not have innovated in
or amended it. Those who do or say this
are truly led astray from the true path.”
He also said, “The person who invents a
Bid’ah, has placed himself as an equal
with Allah, since he has introduced a
legislation as Allah does, and has thus
opened a door for division and has
disputed Allah’s right to legislate Alone,
and this is a great sin indeed.”
These are several evidences and
proofs that clearly outlaw all innova-
tions in the religion. These proofs
should be sufficient to discourage
people from indulging in Bid’ahs or
supporting those who invent them. The
innovators have no proofs to support
their invented Bid’ahs except the
statements of some scholars who have
divided the Bid’ah into five types, where
some types are allowed, so they claim.
The scholars of Islam have
refuted the false claim that there are
good Bid’ahs. Imam Ash-Shatibi, for
example, said, “This statement is an
invented matter itself and has no proof
in the religion to support it. It is also
contradictory, for the invention by
definition has no grounds that legalize it
from the Texts of the religion or the
general guidelines provided by the
religion. This is because if there was
any proof that a certain matter is
required, recommended or allowed, it
would not have been called a Bid’ah
then.” Also, Mohammad Rashid Ridha
said, “The linguistic (non-religious)
Bid’ahs are five types and are divided
into good and bad. The invention in
matters of religion are all bad.”
Furthermore, ibn ‘Hajar Al-Haytami
said, “The Bid’ah is that which does not
have a basis in the religion that makes it
The Muslim Creed
a required or a recommended act. When become required from the Muslims if he
there is such evidence, then it is not a kept performing it with them in congre-
Bid’ah to begin with.” gation. He then said, “The Hadith then
proves that praying Tarawi’h in congre-
Some people who claim that gation is originally a part of the Sunnah,
there are some good Bid’ahs in the for the Prophet performed it in congrega-
religion rely on Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s tion first. This fact indicates that
words when he saw the Muslims pray Tarawi’h prayer is allowed in congrega-
Tarawi’h prayer in congregation in tion in Ramadhan in the Masjid. When
Ramadhan, “This is a good Bid’ah.” the Prophet later on did not join the
Ibn ‘Hajar refuteed this claim, saying, congregation, he did this so that it does
“Umar only meant the linguistic mean- not become an obligatory act of worship.
ing of the Bid’ah, for linguistically, the This does not mean that this type of
Bid’ah is a matter that was not pre- prayer is not allowed. The time of the
ceded, as Allah said, *Say (O Moham- Prophet was the time of revelation and
mad), “I am not a Bid’an (new thing) legislation, and it was possible that since
among the Messengers (i.e. I am not the people were active in performing this
the first Messenger).+ [46:9]. Hence, type of prayer in congregation, that it
Umar was not talking about the reli- might be legislated as an obligatory
gious Bid’ah, for the Prophet said that worship. When the Prophet died, this
all types of Bid’ah are a heresy.” element was eliminated (because there
The innovators have no proofs that sup-
Also, ibn
Kathir
port their invented Bid’ahs except the
commented statements of some scholars who have
that the divided the Bid’ah into five types, where
Ayah,
*The some types are allowed, so they claim.
Badi’ of
the heavens and the earth.+ [2:117], was no longer a revelation from Allah),
“Means the One Who created the and Muslims then performed Tarawi’h in
heavens and earth without a similar congregation, which was already a
creation that preceded them. Mujahid permissible act in the religion.”
and As-Suddi also said that this is what
the Badi’ linguistically means.” He also In summary, we have proven
said that there are two types of Bid’ah: that all types of innovations in the
A religious type, regarding which the religion are a heresy and that they are all
Prophet said, “Every innovation is a in the Fire, meaning those who indulge
Bid’ah and every Bid’ah is a heresy.” in the Bid’ahs are in the Fire. Further-
And sometimes, the Bid’ah is meant in more, there are no good Bid’ahs, for
its linguistic context, such as Umar’s they are all evil and a type of misguid-
saying, “This is a good Bid’ah,” when ance, and whoever claims that a certain
he saw the Muslims to pray the Bid’ah is good will have claimed that
Tarawi’h’ in congregation. Prophet Mohammad, Salla Allahu
Alayhi Wasallam, has not honestly and
Imam Ash-Shatibi also refuted completely delivered the Message. In
those who claimed that there are good addition, those who claim that there is a
Bid’ahs in the religion, and said that good Bid’ah are correct only when they
Umar’s statement, “Was only meant in are talking about innovations in matters
the linguistic context of the Bid’ah.” He of life and not matters of religion. The
also said that the Prophet did not perform Muslim Ummah all agree that all types
this prayer in congregation just before his of innovations in the religion are evil, a
death for a clear purpose, that it does not heresy, a sin and a misguidance.
5 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2

(1/2)
Disputes & Divisions
B
efore Prophet Mohammad, Salla
Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, was
sent, the people were living in
utter ignorance and complete disunity.
The truth was not clear to them, so they
were lost between the misguidance of
idol worshipping, Christianity, Judaism,
and Majoosism (fire-worshipping). The
people remained on these misguided
paths until Allah sent Mohammad, Salla
Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, with the
Truth. He sent him with a Book and a
revelation that unified the people and
brought their hearts together. The
Prophet took great care of the people,
and he did not die but after he had
explained to them everything that would
save them from Hellfire. Allah said,
what translated means, *This day, I
have perfected your religion for you,
completed My Favor upon you, and
have chosen for you Islam as your
religion.+ [5:3].
Also, the Prophet said, what
translated means, “I have left you on
the white sheet, its night is as clear as
its day, no one will stray from it but
will be destroyed.” [Ahmad]. Further-
more, Abu Ad-Dardaa’ said, “Once, the
Messenger of Allah came to us and said,
‘By Allah, I shall leave you on the
white path, its night is as clear as its
day.’ I then said to him, ‘Allah and His
Messenger have said the truth, you have
indeed left us on the white path.’” [Al-
‘Hakim & Ibn Abi ‘Asim].
The Muslim Creed
Salafi Concepts
Causes and Effects
After the Prophet’s death, his
companions followed the path that he
had drawn for them. This has led them
to unite and not be divided. By Allah’s
blessings and leave, there were no
disputes among them in matters of
creed, or any matter that made them
declare each other as misguided or
heretic. Imam Tash Kubra Zadah Al-
‘Hanafi said, “The companions, may
Allah be pleased with them all, were at
the time of the Prophet on one creed,
because they were present at the time of
revelation and they were honored by
accompanying the Messenger of Allah.”
There were some disputes among them
in matters of Fiqh (Islamic jurispru-
dence), but this did not divide them nor
made some of them Kuffar or heretics.
Rather, those who performed Ijtihad and
reached the correct decision attained two
rewards, and those who reached the
wrong decision attained one reward, as
the authentic Hadith regarding Ijtihad
rules.
How Did Division and
Disputes Start in the Ummah
We have stated that the com-
panions did not divide or dispute in
matters of creed and belief. This was
also the case for the masses of Muslims
during the reign of Abu Bakr, Umar and
the beginning of the reign of Uthman.
Then, some misguided and unjust
6 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2
persons killed Caliph Uthman, and
disunity and disputes spread amongst
the Muslims thereafter. The first group
to divide the Muslims and rebel against
their ruler was Al-Khawarij, who denied
Ali bin Abi Talib as the Caliph and
rejected Mu’awiyah bin Abi Sufyan as
well, and declared both of them and
their followers as Kuffar and shed their
blood.
After that, many sects ap-
peared, one after the other. By the end
of the era of the companions, two major
sects had appeared: Al-Qadariyyah and
Al-Murji’ah, and then Al-Mu’tazilah
and Al-Jahmiyyah appeared at the end
of the Umayyid dynasty.
The Causes of Divisions and
Disputes
1— Internal factors
These are the causes that came
from within the Muslim Ummah,
because of the special nature of the
Ummah and of its members:
a) Ignorance in the Religion:
The main cause for the divisions and
misguidance that spread in the Ummah,
from the time of the companions until
the present time, is the failure to

understand the true essence of the
religion and its implications.
Ibrahim Al-Timimi said,
“Caliph Umar bin Al-Khattab was
thinking and wondering one day: Why
would this Ummah divide and dispute
while its Prophet is one and the same?
So he sent for Ibn Abbas and asked him:
Why would this Ummah dispute and
divide while its Prophet is one, its
Qiblah (direction of prayer) is one and
its Book is one? Ibn Abbas answered: O
The worker without knowledge
is like the traveler who is lost. He
destroys more than he builds.
leader of the believers! The Quran was
sent to us and we read it and learned
why its Ayat were revealed. And there
will be people who will read the Quran
but will not acquire knowledge in why
its Ayat were revealed. This will lead
every group to understand it differently,
and this will cause divisions and
disputes.”
Imam Ash-Shatibi said, “What
Ibn Abbas has said is the truth. If the
person knows why the Ayah or Surah
was revealed, he will know its meaning
and implications. But if he does not
know why it was revealed, then he will
use his mind to understand it, and thus
every person will derive a different
understanding. Thus, such people will
have no knowledge that will lead them
to the truth or guide them when they
have problems. Therefore, they follow
opinion and conjecture that will not
suffice for the truth, so they fall into
misguidance and will also misguide
others.”
Our righteous ancestors did
indeed recognize the harmful effects of
ignorance on the Ummah and that it will
be a cause for division and discord.
Imam Ibn Abdul-Barr narrated that Ad-
The Muslim Creed
Dardaa’ once said, “Why do I see that
your scholars are dying and your
ignorant ones not learning?! I fear that
the first will pass away and the latter
will never acquire knowledge… And
why do I see you full of food and
deprived of knowledge?!”
Also, Imam Al-‘Hasan Al-
Basri said, “The worker without
knowledge is like the traveler who is
lost. He destroys more than he builds.
So seek knowledge in a manner that will
not affect
worship, and
perform
worship in a
manner that
will not affect
seeking
knowledge.
There are
people (Al-Khawarij) who sought
worship and abandoned knowledge,
until they raised the sword against the
Ummah of Mohammad. Had they
sought knowledge, they would not have
fallen into this.” Imam Ash-Shatibi
said, “He means Al-Khawarij, because
they read the Quran but did not compre-
hend its meanings.”
One of the reasons that leads to
ignorance that will cause discord and
division in the Ummah is for the person
to think that he is knowledgeable, or for
the people to think that he is knowledge-
able, while in reality he is not or has not
yet reached that level of knowledge.
The Messenger of Allah, Salla
Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, said, what
translated means, “Allah does not take
away knowledge by taking it away
from the hearts of the slaves. Rather,
Allah takes away knowledge by taking
away the scholars. And when there is
not a scholar left, the people will take
the ignorant ones as leaders (and
scholars). They will ask them and they
will give answers without knowledge,
thus falling into misguidance and
also misguiding others.” [Al-Bukhari
& Muslim].
7 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2
Da’wah Basics
C
ontroversies and problems
that face the callers unto
Islam can be avoided if they
distinguish between a principle idea
that Muslims must believe in and
tactical positions they may need to
take in certain situations and at certain
times.
Basic ideals and principles
can never change, although how to
achieve them may change or vary.
Some people may fall into confusion
and become unable to distinguish
between that which is a basic prin-
ciple and that which can be changed.
As an illustration of this,
when the Prophet started the call to
Islam, he did not boast that the
disbelievers were his brothers or that
he loved them. Rather, he told them
that he wants to change their ways,
tradition and religion. He did not
want to gain their trust and confidence
to later surprise them with war.
Instead, the Prophet stood fast to what
were basic principles and did not
change the way he treated the
disbelievers. He said to them, as the
Quran states, *Say, “O disbelievers.
I worship not that which you
worship.”+ [109:1-2]. The Prophet,
on the other hand, dealt differently
with the hypocrites, treating them
harshly sometimes and with leniency
at other times. The basics did not
change, only the means to achieve
them changed according to need.
To confuse what is basic and
what is a means of achieving it might
lead to many evils, including compro-
mising the religion. This can also lead
to being harsh with others in matters
that can be achieved with leniency
manner, and so forth. The basics of
the religion cannot be changed or
compromised. We can reach our
goals in basic matters by sometimes
changing the way we approach them,
but only through what the Shari’ah
permits. Islam has the correct answer
to these kinds of problems which are
continuously facing Muslims.

How to Achieve
T
here are some facts that, if the
Muslim remembers them, they
will help him achieve true
repentance to Allah and disown his
mistakes, and they are as follows:
1 -- At-Tawbah erases sins:
At-Tawbah erases the sins from the
slave’s Book of Records. The Messen-
ger of Allah said, what translated
means, “The repenter from the sin is
like the one who is without sin.” [Ibn
Majah]. Also, Allah said, what trans-
lated means, *Except those who
repent and believe (in Islamic Mono-
theism) and do righteous deeds, for
those, Allah will change their sins
into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful.+ [25:70].
Furthermore, the Messenger of Allah
said, what translated means, “Some
people will wish they had made more
errors: those are the ones whom
Allah changed their sins into righ-
teous deeds.” [Al-Hakim].
In the first Hadith, the Messen-
ger of Allah states that At-Tawbah
erases sins, until the repenting person
becomes like the one who did not sin.
In the Ayah and the second Hadith,
Allah and His Messenger state that
Allah, the Most Merciful, will change
The Muslim Creed
Charactare of the Muslim
At-Tawbah
(Repentance)
means, *Know they not that Allah
the sins and errors of those who repent
into righteous deeds which will be accepts repentance from His slaves
recorded in their Books of Deeds on the and takes the charities and that Allah
Day of Resurrection. Therefore, what Alone is the One Who forgives and
is more beneficial to the slave than accepts repentance, Most Merciful?+
frequent Tawbah to Allah? This is [9:104].
especially true if one realizes that all
mankind fall into errors and sins. The ‘Aaishah, may Allah be
Messenger of Allah clearly stated this pleased with her, narrated that the
fact, when he said, what translated Messenger of Allah said, what trans-
means, “All the offspring of Adam lated means, “When the slave admits
will fall into errors. And the best (his errors, sins, mistakes, etc.) and
among those who fall into errors, are then repents, then Allah will forgive
the repenters.”
[Ahmad & At-
Tirmithi]. All those who truly repent from the mis-
takes, sins, Kufr or Shirk that they fell
2 -- Allah into, then Allah will accept their Tawbah
promised to accept
the Tawbah from and forgive them their mistakes.
His slaves: There
are many proofs to this promise, among him.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].
them is, *And verily, I am indeed
Forgiving to him who repents, 3 -- Allah loves At-Tawbah
believes (in My Oneness) and does from His slaves: He said, what trans-
righteous good deeds, and then lated means, *Truly, Allah loves those
remains constant in doing them, (till who turn unto Him in repentance
his death).+ [20:82]. Therefore, all and loves those who purify them-
those who truly repent from the mis- selves (by cleansing their bodies and
takes, sins, Kufr or Shirk that they fell washing up for prayer).+ [2:222]. Also
into, then Allah will accept their the Messenger of Allah said, what
Tawbah and forgive them their mis- translated means, “Allah is more
takes. Also, Allah said, what translated happy when His slave repents to Him
8 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2
than when one of you whose
Ra’hilah (camel or donkey) escapes
from him in the desert with all his
food and drink, felt it impossible to
recover his Ra’hilah, came next to a
tree and laid down and slept under its
shade. And as he was like this, he
found his Ra’hilah right next to him
and he grasped it by its belt. Then, he
(the man) said, ‘O Allah! You are my
slave and I am your Lord!’; he made
a mistake because of his extreme
happiness.’” [Muslim].
Allah loves that His slaves
repent to Him, that He calls upon them
to repent and promises them with
forgiveness. Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari
said that the Messenger of Allah said,
what translated means, “Allah spreads
His Hand open during the night so
that the one who erred in the day can
repent. And He spreads open His
Hand during the day so that the one
who erred at night can repent, until
the sun rises from where it usually
sets.” [Muslim].

Brotherhood in Islam

T
he Prophet, Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, has said, “Be, O slaves of Allah, as brothers.” [Muslim].
In this Hadith, the Prophet orders the Muslims to be all loving brothers and all slaves of Allah who
avoid what Allah has forbidden, such as envy, hatred, shunning, selling on each other, etc. He also
commands the use of all means and methods that will direct the Muslims to be brothers, such as visiting
each other, giving gifts to each other and fulfilling each other’s rights.

Some Requirements of Brotherhood

The Prophet said, “The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim, he neither deals him injustice, nor
fails him, nor despises him.” [Muslim]. In this Hadith, the Prophet details to us some of the obligations of
Muslim brotherhood:

1 — The Muslim is prohibited from dealing his Muslim brother with injustice, whether involving his
brother’s wealth, hand, tongue, honor, etc.

2 — The Muslim is prohibited from failing his Muslim brother, providing he is able to aid him, as
Allah has said, what translated means, *…but if they seek your help in religion, it is your duty to help
them.+ [8:72]. Also, the Messenger of Allah said, what translated means, “Give victory to your (believing)
brother when he is unjust and when he is dealt with injustice!” The companions asked, “O Messenger of
Allah! This is aiding him when he is dealt with injustice (meaning it is understood), so how about aiding him
when he is unjust?” He said, “You prevent his hand (from committing injustice).” [Al-Bukhari].

3 — Being truthful with other Muslims while conversing with them. Truthfulness is a sign of Taqwa
(fear from Allah). It is also the path to acquire Al-Birr (all that which is righteous and good) which guides
and directs one to Paradise. No Muslim is allowed to tell his brother something that involves a lie.

4 — The Muslim is disallowed to despise, look down at or belittle his believing brothers and sisters.
The Muslim is important to Allah, however his financial or social status may be. Despising Muslims is
indeed a grave sin, as the Messenger of Allah has stated, “It is enough evil for one to despise of his Mus-
lim brother.” Despising Muslims is a sign of arrogance which Allah and His Messenger have firmly prohib-
ited. The Prophet said, “Arrogance involves rejecting the truth and despising people.” [Muslim].

The Muslim Creed 9 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2


The Requirements
*And tell the believing women to
lower their gaze and guard their pri-
vate parts from sin and not show of
their Zeenah except only that which
is apparent, and draw their head
covers over their necks and bosoms
and not reveal their adornment.+
The Muslim Creed
Family Corner
of Hijab
A
llah has required that Muslim
women adhere to a code of
dress, and he detailed these
requirements in the Quran and the
Sunnah of His Prophet. We started last
month discussing these requirements,
and this month we conclude this topic,
Allah willing.
2-- Thickness
The woman’s garment should
be thick and opaque so as not to display
skin color and form of the body beneath
it. Delicate or transparent clothing do
not constitute a proper covering. Imam
Al-Qurtubi reports a narration from
‘Aaishah that some women from the
tribe of Tamim came to see her wearing
transparent clothing. ‘Aaishah said to
them, “If you are believing women, then
know that these are not the clothes of
believing women.” He also reports that
a bride came to her wearing a sheer,
transparent Khimar, and ‘Aaishah said,
“A women who wears such clothing
does not believe in Surat An-Noor
[24].”
Furthermore, the following
Hadith makes this point graphically
clear. The Messenger of Allah, Salla
Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, said, what
translated means, “There will be in the
last of my Ummah, scantily dressed
10
(2/2)
women, the hair on the top of their
heads like a camel’s hump. Curse
them, for verily they are cursed.” In
another narration, he said, “...scantily
dressed women, who go astray and
make others go astray; they will not
enter Paradise nor smell its fra-
grance, although it can be smelled
from afar.” [ Muslim & At-Tabarani].
“Scantily dressed women” are those
who wear clothing that reveal more than
what they conceal, thereby increasing
their attractiveness while opening the
path to a host of evils.
3-- Looseness
Women’s clothing must hang
loosely enough and not be so tight-
fitting as to show the shape and size of
the woman’s body. This obviously
includes such things as skintight body
suits, etc. The following Hadith clearly
proves this point. Usaama ibn Zayd
narrated, “The Messenger of Allah gave
me a gift of thick Coptic cloth he had
received as a gift from Dahiah Al-
Kalbee, and so I gave it to my wife.
Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah
asked me, ‘Why didn’t you wear the
Coptic cloth?’ I replied, ‘I gave it to my
wife.’ The Prophet said, ‘Tell her to
wear a thick gown under it, for I fear
that it may describe the size of her
limbs.’” [Ahmad, Al-Bayhaqi & Al-
Hkim].
February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2
4-- Color, Appearance &
Demeanor
Allah said, *O wives of the
Prophet! You are not like any other
women; if you fear (Allah), then do
not be too pleasant of speech, lest one
in whose heart is a disease should feel
desire (for you).+ [33:32]. The reason
for reveling this Ayah was not the fear
of distrust nor misbehavior on the part
of women. Rather, it was to prevent
them from speaking invitingly, walking
seductively, or dressing revealingly so
as to arouse sexual desire in the heart of
lecherous and evil men. Seductive
dressing and enticing speech are the
characteristics of ill-intentioned women.
Imam Al-Qurtubi mentioned that
Mujahid had said, “Women (before the
advent of Islam) used to walk in a
sensuous and seductive manner.”
Maqatil said, “The women used to wear
an untied piece of cloth on their heads,
while provocatively toying with their
necklaces, earrings and other ornamen-
tal jewelry.”
Furthermore, Allah has com-
manded women not to display their
beauty, meaning both natural and
acquired beauty, *...And do not make a
display of yourselves like the display-
ing of the ignorance of long ago...+
[33:33].
A garment which is intended to
conceal a woman and her beauty from
public view cannot be a thing which
enhances her beauty. Therefore, the gar-
ment cannot contain bright colors, bold
designs or shiny and reflective material
that draw men’s attention. Al-Tabarruj
means not only “to display oneself,” but
also “to spruce up one’s charms for the
purpose of exciting desire!”
Imam Ath-Thahabi says in his
book, Kitab Al-Kaba’ir (The Book of
Major Sins), “Amongst the deeds which
a woman is cursed for are displaying the
adornments she wears, wearing perfume
when she goes out, and wearing colorful
clothes...” Hence, the Muslim woman is
encouraged to wear muted, somber
The Muslim Creed
colors and to avoid bright designs, ers. This is a general ruling of the
patterns and colors. This point should Shari’ah, which encompasses not only
serve also as a reminder to Muslim men dress, but also such things as manners,
who are in position of responsibility for customs, religious practices and festivi-
their women. The Messenger of Allah ties, transactions, etc. Indeed, dissimi-
has warned in an authentic that amongst larity with the disbelievers is a prece-
the three individuals who would not dent that was established by the first
enter Paradise will be, “...Ad-Dayooth, generation of Islam. The following
who is contented with obscenity Hadiths and statements of Umar will
within his family,” meaning a cuck- help to clarify this position:
old— a man who permits the women he
is responsible for, such as his wife, Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas
daughter, etc., to engage in illicit sexual said, “The Messenger of Allah saw me
relations or to display their beauty to wearing two saffron-colored garments,
men, thereby stimulating sexual desire! and then said, ‘Indeed, these are the
clothes of Kuffar (disbelievers), so do
not wear them.’” [Muslim]. Also,
5-- Difference from Men’s Abdullah ibn Umar said, “The Messen-
Clothing ger of Allah said, ‘Whoever resembles
a people is one of them.’” [Abu
The clothing of a Muslim Dawood]. Furthermore, Abu Musa Al-
woman must not resemble the clothing Ash’ari related that Umar bin Al-
of men. The following Hadiths prove Khattab once said to him, “... I shall not
this point.
Abu
Hurayrah Women’s clothing must hang loosely
said, “The
Messenger of
enough and not be so tight-fitting as
Allah cursed to show the shape and size of the
the man who
wears
woman’s body.
women’s
clothes and the woman who wears honor those whom Allah has dishon-
men’s clothes.” [Abu Dawood & Ibn ored, nor esteem those He has humili-
Majah]. Also, Abdullah ibn Umar said ated, nor bring close those whom He has
that he heard the Messenger of Allah kept afar.” [Ahmad].
say, “The man who resembles a
woman and the woman who re-
sembles a man are not of us (i.e., not
7-- No Vain or Ostentatious
of the believers).” [Ahmad]. Addition-
Dressing
ally, Abu Dawood related a narration
from Umm Salamah which states that
The woman’s dress must not be
the Prophet forbade women to bundle
an expression of ostentation, vanity or
their Khumoor on their heads in such a
as a status symbol by being excessively
way as to resemble the turban of a man.
showy or expensive, nor must it be
Western Muslim sisters should pay
excessively tattered so as to gain
specific attention to this point, since,
admiration and fame for being humble.
regretfully, this has become a wide-
Ibn Umar reported that the Messenger
spread practice amongst them!
of Allah, Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam,
said, what translated means, “Whoever
6-- Difference from the Cloth- dresses for ostentation in this world,
ing of the Disbelievers Allah will dress that person in a dress
of humiliation on the Day of Resur-
Women’s clothing must not rection, and then set it on fire.” [Abu
resemble the clothing of the disbeliev- Dawood].
11 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2

Riba and Its
Evil Effects
R
iba (usury) is two types: interest
on lent money; and taking a
superior thing of the same kind
of goods by giving more of the same
kind of goods of inferior quality, e.g.,
dates (type of fruit) of superior quality
for dates of inferior quality in greater
amount. Riba was prohibited in Juda-
ism, Christianity, and is one of the major
sins in Islam. It was the Jews who first
introduced Riba on a large scale. Allah
said what translated means, *For the
wrongdoing of the Jews, We made
unlawful for them certain good foods
that have been lawful for them, and
for their hindering many from Allah’s
way. And their taking of Riba though
they were forbidden their devouring of
men’s substance wrongfully; (bribery).
And We have prepared for the disbe-
lieves among them a painful
torment.+ [4:160-161].
Allah has forbidden Riba for
Muslims. He said, what translated
means, *O you who believe! Eat not
Riba (usury) doubled and multiplied,
but fear Allah that you may be
successful.+ [3:130], *Those who eat
Riba will not stand (on the Day of
Resurrection) except like the standing
of a person beaten by Satan leading
him to insanity. That is because they
say: “Trading is only like Riba.”
Whereas Allah has permitted trading
and prohibited Riba.+ [2:275], and, *O
you who believe! Be afraid of Allah
and give up what remains (due to you)
from Riba (from now onward), if you
The Muslim Creed
The Lawful & Unlawful
are (really) believers!+ [2:278]. From money and at the same time avoid
the last Ayah it is clear that Riba is Allah’s Anger.
prohibited, whether in large or small
amounts. Al-Bukhari reported that ibn Certificates of Deposit are a
Abbas confirmed that this Ayah was the form of financial dealing that incorpo-
last one revealed concerning Riba. rates usury. Muslim scholars of past and
present have agreed that such dealings
The Sunnah of the Prophet are prohibited. Ibn Qudamah said,
reported that Riba is one of the seven “Every loan that guarantees interest is
major sins. When he was asked about prohibited.” Also, Ibn Al-Munthir said,
the seven destructive sins, he mentioned “The scholars of Islam have all agreed
Riba as one of them as was reported by that if one loans money with interest,
Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Also Al- that he has committed Riba.” Further-
Bukhari and Muslim reported that the more, Ibn ‘Hazm in his book, Al-
Prophet said, what translated means, Muhalla, said, “Any loan that guaran-
“Allah has cursed the one who takes tees a return of more, or even less, than
Riba, the one who pays it, the wit- the principal, is indeed Riba. There is
nesses to it and the one who records unanimity among the scholars that this is
it.”. Riba is even more dangerous than prohibited.” In addition, Imam Al-
adultery. The
Prophet said,
“Riba has Success can only be attained by obeying
seventy
(kinds of)
Allah Almighty, not disobeying Him. If
sins, the usury can lead to any good, then Allah
smallest (in
deed) is would not have prohibited it.
equal to
committing adultery with one’s Shawkani confirmed the above in his
mother!” [Ibn Majah]. book, Nail Al-Awtar.
From the above, it is clear that Therefore, there is a unanimous
Riba of all kinds is ‘Haram (prohibited). ruling that a loan with guaranteed
Every Muslim must avoid dealing with interest is ‘Haram. Allah has ordered the
Riba if Allah’s pleasure is what he Muslims in the Quran to follow what the
seeks. Allah has allowed the Muslims to scholars of the Ummah had agreed
invest their money in a lawful way. upon! Allah said, *And whoever
Merchants, landlords and rich Muslims contradicts and opposes the Messen-
have numerous ways to invest their ger (of Allah) after the right path has
12 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2
been shown clearly to him, and
follows other than the believers’ way.
We shall keep him in the path he has
chosen, and burn him in Hell: What
an evil destination!+ [4:115].
Some Muslims in the present
time dispute the above evidence! They
say that Allah has only prohibited large
interest rates. Allah Himself refutes
what these people say. He said, what
translated means, *And Allah made
trading permissible and prohibited
Riba.+ [2:275], and, *And if you
repent (from taking Riba) then take
only your principal!+ [2:279].
Some Muslims also say, “The
one who takes the loan does not mind
paying a low interest rate, and since he
accepts this, then it is permissible.”
This can easily be refuted by giving this
example: If a man and a woman both
consent to commit adultery, will that
make adultery lawful? Riba is ‘Haram
whether people agree or object to
dealing with it.
Continued from page 1 ... Editorial
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyem said,
“Among the ways of Satan is that he
investigates the soul to know its nature
and kind, meaning is the person active
and hard-working or is he weak and
lazy. If he sees that the person tends to
be lazy and not active in the acts of
worship, he then works on discouraging
him from fulfilling his religious duties,
whispers to him about the difficulties of
performing these acts and encourages
him to rest and relax instead, until the
person neglects the acts of worship or
abandons them completely.
But if Satan feels that the
person is strong and active in the acts of
worship, he then whispers to him that he
has to do other voluntary acts as well,
until the person neglects the obligatory
and exceeds the limit performing the
voluntary. Most people fall into one of
these two extremes, except the very few
The Muslim Creed
Other Muslims claim that the
economy cannot survive without Riba!
The answer to that is simple, as well.
The Muslim nation has maintained
world class economy for many centuries
without Riba. Also, the example of
what interest did to the economy of
many countries is clear. During the
1960s and 1970s, Brazil was expected
to be a world economic power. Now, the
country is on the brink of bankruptcy!
The principal of the entire Brazilian debt
to world banks is less that one third of
the interest on those loans. Brazil no
longer can afford paying interest on the
loans nor even pay the principal. A
terrible economical tragedy is apparent
in Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, Egypt and
many other countries are facing the same
fate, because of Riba! Allah said, what
translated means, *And if you do not
(quit dealing with Riba) then Allah will
declare war on you and His
Messenger.+ [2:279]. Also, Imam
Ahmad narrated that the Prophet said,
what translated means, “When Zina
(adultery) and Riba (usury) are com-
who hold fast to the Straight Path
established for us by the Messenger of
Allah and followed by his companions.”
Moderation while avoiding
extremism and negligence is the righ-
teous way and the straight path that
Muslims should follow. Allah has
commanded this in His Book, as well as
His Messenger in his Sunnah. There-
fore, moderation is in reality what Allah
and His Messenger have set and the
limits they have drawn for us. Allah has
said, what translated means, *And
those, who, when they spend, are
neither extravagant nor niggardly, but
hold a medium way between those
extremes.+ [25:67], and, *And be
moderate in your walking, and lower
your voice.+ [31:19].
Also, the Prophet said, what
translated means, “Al-Qasd, Al-Qasd,
13
mon in a nation, that nation provokes
Allah’s punishment (on them).” Allah
will bless the nation that observes His
laws. He said, what translated means,
*Whoever fears Allah, Allah will let
(their life be full of) ease.+ [65:4].
Many misguided Muslims also
say, “Usury will only lead to economic
success.” The answer to this false claim
is: Success can only be attained by
obeying Allah, not disobeying Him.
Furthermore, if usury can lead to any
good, then Allah would not have
prohibited it. Allah described Riba and
intoxicants as having, *Some bene-
fits.+ [2:219]. But Allah then continues,
*And their harm is more than the
good they do.+ [2:219]. Also, to claim
that usury is good for the economy is as
if saying that Islam is incomplete! Allah
has only decreed what is good for
mankind and prohibited what can harm
them. Riba is a matter that Allah, His
Messenger and the Muslim Ummah
have agreed that it is prohibited. And
who has any say after that?!
and with it you shall reach (your
goals).” [Al-Bukhari]. Al-Qasd means
the middle ground between two extremes
in actions and sayings, and this means
that people must be moderate and be in
the middle between the extremes. He
also said, “Your religion is a moderate
guidance, therefore, follow it. For he
who tries to take the religion to ex-
tremes, he shall loose.” [Ahmad].
Furthermore, Ibn Mas’ood, may Allah be
pleased with him, used to always say,
“Being moderate in the Sunnah is better
than being active in the Bid’ah.”
Allah’s religion is the middle
ground between those who are extreme
and fanatic, and those who are lazy and
neglectful. The best people are those
who are in the middle between extremes
and instead follow the guidance of the
Messenger of Allah and the path he has
shown us.
February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2
Washing for Prayer
9K@DK
W
udhu means to wash the face,
hands, arms, head and feet
with water, as a prelude to
prayer. Allah has said, what translated
means, *O you who believe, when you
rise for prayer, wash your face and
your hands up to the elbows, and wipe
your heads and wash your feet up to
the ankles.+ [5:6]. Also, the Messenger
has said, what translated means, “Allah
does not accept the prayer of one who
nullifies his Wudhu, until he performs
it again.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]. The
Ummah has also consented that it is a
requirement of the prayer, and hence a
requirement of Islam.
Its Virtues
The Prophet said, what trans-
lated means, “Shall I inform you of a
deed by which Allah erases sins and
raises the rank?” The companions
said, “Certainly, O Messenger of
Allah.” The Prophet said, “Performing
Wudhu when one dislikes it (such as
early in the morning, in cold weather,
etc.) and the many steps taken to reach
the mosques.” [Muslim].
How to Perform Wudhu
1 — Make the intention, which
is the desire to do the action to please
Allah by following His commands. It is
purely a matter of the heart and must not
be uttered by the tongue.
2 — Use Miswak (a branch of a
middle eastern tree used to maintain
cleanliness of the teeth).
3 — Mention the name of
Allah, saying, “Bismillahi Arrahman
Arrahim.”
4 — Wash the hands up to the
wrist.
5 — Rinse the mouth and clean
the nose. The Prophet said, what
The Muslim Creed 14
translated means, “When one performs
Wudhu, he should rinse his mouth.”
[Abu Dawood & Al-Bayhaqi], and, “If
one of you performs Wudhu, he
should sniff water up his nostrils and
then blow it out.” [Al-Bukhari &
Muslim]. The Sunnah of the Prophet is
to rinse the mouth and clean the nose
with the same handful of water, using
the right hand. Spit the water out of the
mouth and blow it out the nose with the
left hand, as was mentioned by Ali bin
Abi Talib.
6 — Wash the face, forehead to
chin and ear to ear, making sure that no
area is left dry.
7 — Rub the fingers through
the beard, as was described of the
Prophet’s Wudhu by ‘Aaishah, his wife.
8 — Wash the forearms, with
the right arm first, up to the elbows,
making sure that no area is left dry.
9 — Wipe the head with your
wet fingers, starting from the forehead
taking them to the nape of the neck and
bringing them back to the forehead. It is
allowed to wipe the turban, as Al-
Mughirah bin Shu’bah narrated, “I saw
the Messenger of Allah perform
Wudhu, and he wiped his turban and
shoes.” [Muslim].
10 — Clean the ears. Insert the
tips of the index fingers, wet with water,
into the ears, twisting them around the
folds of the ears, and then pass the
thumbs behind the ears from the bottom
upwards.
Note: Wiping the head and ears
can be combined together as one action,
using the same water used to wipe the
head.
11 — Wash the feet, with the
right foot first, up to the ankles, includ-
ing the heels and between the toes.
12 — Follow the prescribed
sequence above.
February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2
 13 — Rub the limbs with water
by rubbing hands wet with water over
the parts of the body that are washed
during Wudhu because it was narrated
that, “The Messenger of Allah was
brought a pot which he used for
Wudhu, and then he rubbed his arms.”
[Ibn Khuzaymah], and in another
narration regarding the Prophet, “... he
performed Wudhu, rubbing his
limbs.” [Abu Dawood].
14 — Immediate sequence.
Each step of Wudhu must be performed
right after the other in the sequence
described above.
15 — During Wudhu, it is
permissible to do each wash once, twice,
or three times. Repeating each step
three times is the preferred Sunnah of
the Prophet.
16 — Begin with the right side.
17 — Minimize the amount of
water used, even if one has access to an
unlimited resource of water, such as a
sea or a river.
18 — Du’aa’ (supplication)
after Wudhu, “Ash-hadu alla ilaha illa-
llah wahduhu la sharika lah, wa ash-
hadu anna Mohammadan abduhu wa
rasuluh. Allahumma ij’alni mina
attawwabin wa ij’alni mina
almuttahirin,” which means, “I testify
that there is no deity worthy of worship
except Allah alone, and I testify that
Mohammad is His slave and Messenger.
O Allah, make me among those who
repent and make me among those who
keep purifying themselves.”
19 — It is permissible to
perform Mas’h (wiping) over the socks
with wet hands instead of washing the
feet, as “The Messenger of Allah
performed Wudhu and wiped over his
socks and sandals.” [Ahmad]. Only the
top of the socks should be wiped. Mas’h
is allowed provided that the following
conditions are met:
a. The socks are put on after
performing complete Wudhu.
b - Mas’h does not exceed the
time limit, which is one day from the
time you start wiping over them for non
travelers, and three days for travelers.
20 — It is preferable to pray
two Rak’ahs after Wudhu.
Note: Parts 1,6,8,9,11 and 12
are the pillars of Wudhu, meaning not
performing them correctly renders one’s
Wudhu void.

The Ever-Merciful Istawa

Upon the Throne What Nullifies Wudhu

1 — A secretion of the penis,

By Sheikh vagina or anus (including urine and
Abdullah As-Sabt feces). The Prophet said, what trans-
lated means, “Allah does not accept
the prayer of a person who A’hdath
(has released gas, with or without sound,
Some deviated sects claim that Allah is or uses the restroom) until he performs
everywhere while others deny the existence of a new Wudhu” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].
Allah’s Throne altogether. This book refutes all
these claims, affirming that Allah rose upon His
Throne. This argument is supported by many 2 — Deep sleep that makes one
Ayat, authentic Hadiths and sayings of famous unaware of his surroundings.
Imams. The book also contains a logical argu-
ment, leaving the deviant ones with no alterna- 3 — Touching the sexual
tive but to believe in the Istiwaa’ of Allah upon organs without any barrier between the
His Throne, as He mentioned of Himself. hand and the organ. The Prophet said,
what translated means, “Whoever
touches his sexual organ (without any
Soft-back book, 51 pages covering) must perform Wudhu.”

$3.00
[Ahmad & Malik].

4 — Eating camel meat. A man

Price includes shipping & handling. Quantity queries welcome asked the Messenger of Allah, “Should I
Mail your order and payment to: perform Wudhu after eating camel
DIH P.O. Box 450186 Kissimmee, FL 34745-0186 meat?” The Prophet replied, “Yes.”
[Muslim & Ahmad].

The Muslim Creed 15 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2

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The Muslim Creed 16 February 2002 Vol. 10 No. 2