Entertainment & Recreation in Islam (Fiqh of Chillin')

Indeed all praise is due to Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬. We praise him, we seek His help, we seek His forgiveness and we seek refuge with Him from the evil of our souls and the evil of our actions. Whomsoever Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬guides, none can misguide and whomsoever Allah ( ‫سبحانه و‬ ‫ )تعالى‬leaves to go astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬, the One who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬is His slave and Messenger. The best speech is the speech of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬. The worst of all matters are those newly introduced in the deen. Every newly introduced matter is an innovation and every innovation is going astray. All going astray leads to the Hellfire. We ask Allah ( ‫سبحانه و‬ ‫ )تعالى‬that he make this action sincerely for Him, as all good contained in these notes is from Him, and we ask Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬to forgive us for any errors as they are all from us.

"Rabbi-'shrah li sadri wa yassirli amri wa-hlul 'uqdatan min lisani yafqahu qawli." "O My Lord! Expand my breast for me. And ease my task for me; and loose a knot from my tongue, (That) they may understand my saying. [TaHa 20:25-28]

―Rabbi zidni 'ilma‖ O My Lord! Increase me in knowledge‖ [TaHa 20:114] We hope that Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬accepts this from us and that these notes will benefit all those who read them for their exam and in their life. Please make dua‘ for all those who were involved in the note making process in any way, may Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬ease our affairs, forgive our sins and shortcomings, accept our ibadah, and reunite us all in junnatul firdaws. Ameen! No copyright infringement intended, under the guidelines for fair use for educational multimedia. Jazakam Allahu khayran

Qabeelat Haqq Exam Team 1

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We‘re all trying to find peace and tranquility, that spiritual contentment. People go to the extremes. But don‘t look at it in an incomplete way by saying extreme is doing too much cause it also doing too little. For example, in England they have tap which is hot and cold and it is uncomfortable until adjust it to the medium temperature. The same example in life we are struggling until we reach the center of two extremes. Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad that An-Nawwas bin Sam`an said the Prophet ( ‫صلى هللا‬ ‫ ) عليه وسلن‬said Sirat (straight path) that is surrounded by two walls on both sides, with several open doors within the walls covered with curtains. There is a caller on the gate of the Sirat who heralds, 'O people! Stay on the path and do not deviate from it.' Meanwhile, a caller from above the path is also warning any person who wants to open any of these doors, 'Woe unto you! Do not open it, for if you open it you will pass through.' The straight path is Islam; the two walls are Allah's set limits, while the doors resemble what Allah has prohibited. The caller on the gate of the Sirat is the Book of Allah, while the caller above the Sirat is Allah's admonishment in the heart of every Muslim. If we stay in the center of the two extremes in this life then insha‘Allah in the hereafter well be able to mass through the sirat easily. This is why Islam has the concept of wasatiyyah. Wasat means the best, just, moderate, to exemplify balance. This is an important matter because the messenger (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬was made a witness over the ummat wasat over us and we are a witness to mankind. Narrated Abu Juhaifa: The Prophet made a bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu Ad-Darda.' Salman paid a visit to Abu Ad-Darda' and found Um Ad-Darda' dressed in shabby clothes and asked her why she was in that state. She replied, "Your brother Abu Ad-Darda' is not interested in (the luxuries of) this world." In the meantime Abu Ad-Darda' came and prepared a meal for Salman. Salman requested Abu Ad-Darda' to eat (with him), but Abu Ad-Darda' said, "I am fasting." Salman said, "I am not going to eat unless you eat." So, Abu 4

Ad-Darda' ate (with Salman). When it was night and (a part of the night passed), Abu AdDarda' got up (to offer the night prayer), but Salman told him to sleep and Abu Ad-Darda' slept. After sometime Abu Ad-Darda' again got up but Salman told him to sleep. When it was the last hours of the night, Salman told him to get up then, and both of them offered the prayer. Salman told Abu Ad-Darda', "Your Lord has a right on you, your soul has a right on you, and your family has a right on you; so you should give the rights of all those who has a right on you." Abu Ad-Darda' came to the Prophet and narrated the whole story. The Prophet said, "Salman has spoken the truth." (Sahih Bukhari) These stories happened for a reason to help us know that we need to have time for self, for our community, and for our Rabb. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said, "If an individual has an opportunity to plant a tree, even if he knows the Day of Judgment is imminent, let him plant the tree." (Sahih Bukhari) The word used in the Arabic is faselah which is commonly translated as plant or tree, but it meaning is deeper it means a piece of pant that will produce more plants, so its benefit is not now but far into the future. It‘s important to work for the akhirah but this life has its rights as well. ―Thus We have made you a balanced and just nation…‖ [al-Baqarah 2:143] It was narrated that Hanzalah al-Usaydi said: Abu Bakr met me and said: How are you, O Hanzalah? I said: Hanzalah has become a hypocrite. He said: Subhana Allah! What are you saying? I said: When we are with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) he reminds us of the Fire and the Garden until it is as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but when we depart from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), we attend to our wives and children and businesses, and we forget a great deal. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, we experience something similar. Abu Bakr and I went and entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and I said: Hanzalah has become a hypocrite, O Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ―Why is that?‖ I said: O Messenger of Allah, when we are with you, you 5

remind us of the Fire and the Garden until it is as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but when we depart from you, we attend to our wives and children and businesses, and we forget a great deal. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ―By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if you continued as you are when you are with me, and continued to remember (Paradise and Hell), the angels would shake hands with you in your homes and on the streets. But, O Hanzalah, there is a time for this and a time for that‖ (he said it) three times. Sunan at-Tirmidhi The Prophet (‫ ) صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬would teach his companions moderation that it is impossible to always be at 100%.

PRINCIPLE Islam embodies balance and the middle path between either extreme. A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet asking how the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, "Where we are from the Prophet as his past and future sins have been forgiven." Then one of them said, "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever." The other said, "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast." The third said, "I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever." Allah's Apostle (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? ―By Allah, I am the most pious of you and the most fearful of Allah. As for me, I pray and I sleep, I fast and I break my fast and I marry. Then, whosoever leaves my Sunnah is not from me.‖ -al-Bukhari Basically don‘t think that if you are going above and beyond that you are pious. It‘s is because Prophet (‫‘)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬s balanced nature that he was the leader and mercy to mankind. An example is in the epic dua‘ of the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬that shows the balance between the dunya and the akhirah. 6

Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil 'akhirati hasanatan waqina 'adhaban-nar ―Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire." [al-Baqarah 2:201] Prophet ‫ صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said oh Allah set aright my religious life, worldly life and akhirah; it‘s basically a comprehensive dua for this life and the hereafter. We want to work for the akhirah like we are going to die tomorrow but live in the dunya like we will live forever. Balance in Belief Seeing is Believing Only Intellect Believing is Void of Intellect Intellect is not a part of Belief Islam Intellect is a part of Belief Wahy and ‗Aql Some people believe in only what they can see and touch, while others believe in superstitions without any basis. We believe with evidence through deduction. However, intellect is not the only source in religion. Think of your eyesight as your intellect in the absence of light your intellect has no benefit. The light is the wahy from Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬. Balance in Theology (‗Aqidah) Incur Wrath Knowledge without Action Astray Action without Knowledge Islam Knowledge & Action Even with the People of the Book, we are in the middle. We don‘t reject wahy and claim that Isa (‫ )عليه الصالة والسالم‬is divine due to emotion. While the Jews called Isa (‫ )عليه الصالة والسالم‬a liar. We keep balance with Isa (‫ )عليه الصالة والسالم‬and Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬to believe them as noble men but not to overpraise or worship them. As mentioned in Surah Fatihah we are siratul mustaqim we are not those who invoke the anger or Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬or those who have gone astray. 7

In in our fiqh the Muslim are in the middle. In Jewish fiqh the menstruating woman is isolate and unclean to touch, while in Christian fiqh there is no difference between the menstruating and non- menstruating woman. Islam recognizes the difference between the menstruating and the non- menstruating woman, but doesn‘t shun her. Balance in Ahl Sunnah wal Jama‘ah in regards to eman. Some deviant groups believe that actions do not affect eman, while others like the Khawarij that said any one sin will negate your Islam and take you out of its folds, or making things wajib that are not. Ahl Sunnah wal Jama‘ah says that the eman of one who worships is not the same of someone who doesn‘t, but any one sin will not take you out of the folds of Islam. Another example of balance in Ahl Sunnah wal Jama‘ah in regards to Qadr. Jabariyya believe that we have no free will, while the Qadariya believe that Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬doesn‘t know our decision until we make them. Ahl Sunnah wal Jama‘ah believes that free will happens with the permission and ilm of Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬. This is not only found in theology or worship, but also throughout all of the teachings of Islam. Balance in Worship Heedless No Worship Monk Nothing but Worship Islam Worship balanced with Responsibilities We don‘t say that if you are a good person that your worship doesn‘t matter, or that we shouldn‘t be involved in the dunya. We say that you completely involved in the dunya and you worship Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬. Allah has rights over you and the creations of Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬have rights over you. Balance in Life Shuns Dunya Forget responsibilities Materialism Only Dunya Islam Din & Dunya

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We don‘t believe that we don‘t need the dunya only the akhirah is important, but we are not consumed by the dunya. Balance in Rights Discards Self Discard Needs of Society Rights of others don‘t matter Watch out for transgressing on the rights of others to fulfill our own needs (worship and ignore family) Islam: Individual and Community Balance in Self Only Appearance taqwa in the heart Appearance Doesn‘t Matter Islam The Prophet (‫ ) صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said the exterior is a proof for our interior Some people think that appearance is all there is and that action and deeds don‘t matter. For example, sisters wear hijab but backbite and gossip more than sisters who don‘t wear hijab. Or a brother could say that he is a better person, then brothers that are at the masjid.

So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? [al-Baqarah 2:85] Some think that our exterior is unimportant, but our exterior is a proof for our interior. Having taqwa in the heart is not an excuse to avoid worship, because if we really have taqwa then it will show in our actions. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said; ―Of surety in the body there is a morsel of flesh that if it is sound then the whole body is sound. And if it is corrupt, then the whole body is corrupt, Verily it is the heart." - Bukhari and Muslim Action should reflect your hiya‘, your character, and your eman. Again we need a balance between the interior and exterior. 9

Abu Masud (radyAllahu ‗anhu) who said that the Prophet (‫ ) صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said: "Among that which reached the people from the words of the earlier prophethood: ―If you feel no hiya‘, then do whatever you wish." -Bukhari and Muslim Umar was thought as being strict and overly harsh but that wasn‘t always the case. He saw a man walking with his head down and Umar got upset because there were some people who thought it was pious to look down and be sad. Umar told him are you sick and he said no so he told him walk straight before I beat you with a stick. The Prophet ‫ صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬character was to always smile. The Story of the Bedouin peeing in the Masjid Anas ibn Malik reports: ―God‘s messenger was sitting in the mosque with some of his companions when a Bedouin urinated inside the mosque. The Prophet‘s companions said: ‗What is going on?‘ ‗What are you doing?‘ The Prophet said to them: ‗Do not interrupt him.‘ He subsequently called the man and said to him: ‗These mosques are not the place where one can throw any dirt, urine or stools. They are meant for reciting the Qur‘an, glorifying God and prayer.‘ He then called for a bucket of water and he poured it over the urine.‖ -Bukhari and Muslim The man was happy with the character of the Prophet (‫ ) صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬and said may Allah have mercy on me and Muhammad (‫ ) صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬and no one else (since they were all ready to jump him). The Prophet (‫ ) صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬responded that you have restricted something that is very vast. What can we learn from this story is how we react when a cell phone goes off in the masjid, especially if the ring tone is music.

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Another story experienced by the Shaykh is he saw a brother smoking at the masjid and he spoke to him gently. The brother told him that he didn‘t know and that this was his first time to the masjid because he was just dropping off his father. What would have happened if someone had gotten mad at the brother, the brother might have never come back Or sisters being told that they can‘t pray because their wudu is invalid, (while they are standing to pray) because they are wearing nail polish. Another story that the Shaykh shared was from Yusuf Estes, that there was a married sister who was leaning towards Islam, and everyone began to tell her that he had to divorce her husband because otherwise she would be committing zina. So the sister left without becoming Muslim.

How does the Shari‗ah Strikes a Balance 1. By splitting the religion into constants and changeable. Issues of Worship are for the most part constant whereas issues of day to day worship are changeable. 2. Not going to one extreme or the other. 11

This is the enemy of wasatiyyah It‘s recommended to fast voluntary but disliked to fast every single day 3. The religion is ease. The imam should not prolong the prayer when has elderly, weak, and infirm behind him. Ibn Qayyim: The religion is ease in two ways cause if you were to truly submit to Allah swt then you‘d find ease in your heart, and the ease in the akhirah when there is stress and fear Islam will provide you ease on the Day where the sun will be near us and the day will be 50 thousand years long. It‘s ease even though there are hard things. Not everything has to be difficult. 4. Concessions for certain people. If you can‘t pray standing, pray siting, or else lying on your side, or for travelers.

How Do We Strike the Balance? 1. Don‘t forget your true goal and vision in life.

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me Never forget our purpose. When you know it then it‘s easy to find the balance. 2. Your life revolves around attaining the pleasure of Allah.

Ask will it attain Allah‘s pleasure or take you away from his pleasure? 3. Strike a balance in your life and fulfill your responsibilities.

Find a balance when you are having fun in the boundaries of Islam and you will be rewarded for that. Your Lord has a right on you, and your family has a right on you, and you have a right on yourself; so you should give each one its due rights. -Bukhari

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4. When you chill and play, your intention should be to please Allah so that you will be rewarded for chilling too. Make the right intention to chill and play for pleasing Allah.

The religion is split into 2 broad categories WORSHIP Prayer, Fasting, Zakah, Hajj So if someone says that jumping jacks are part of Salah, they need to bring proof. Default Ruling Everything is prohibited unless allowed by the Shari'ah Evidence ―Whoever introduces into this religion that which is not from it will have it rejected.‖ -Bukhari and Muslim So if something that is a bid‘ah and not from it then it is rejected. Ex: Qur‘an Qani It‘s like saying that we know better than the Prophets that we are more pious, or that that they knew about it but hid it from us If we didn‘t know about it and someone brings proof, then we will do it NON-WORSHIP Eating/Drinking, Clothing, Sports, Day to Day Stuff Default Ruling Everything is allowed unless prohibited by the Shari‗ah. Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬has made everything halah except a few exceptions. Need authentic clear and direct evidence to prove otherwise. Salman al-Farsi that when he was asked about cheese, clarified butter and pelts, the Prophet (‫ ) صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said, "What is permissible is what Allah made permissible in His 13

book. What is forbidden is what Allah made forbidden in His book. What he omits, He has pardoned for you.‖ Look at the beauty of what the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said he answered with a general ruling, not the individual question. Everything else that the Shari‘ah hasn‘t spoken about has been forgiven for us. Evidence ―He is the One who created for you everything in the world.‖ [al-Baqarah, 2:29] The religion has a boundary on both sides and staying between the two give you the most content. PRINCIPLE: Based in the above issues if day-to-day life such as new technology, food, clothing sports etc. are all allowed under the default ruling unless the contradict one of the principles if Islam. The Shaykh told the story of how he ‗became Muslim‘. He was at a concert and had an out of body experience where he felt visibly upset. He thought is this my life going from concert to concert. And he imagined the best case scenario in twenty or thirty years, he got a record deal and was living it up. He wanted more than that he wanted his purpose in life to be more than just fun, he didn‘t want his life to be about chasing fun. He realized that even while having the ultimate fun , he could feel bored at some part.

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Definition: social & economic order that encourages the purchase of goods and services in ever-greater amounts. ―Consumerism is the myth that the individual will be gratified and integrated by consuming.‖ – Rip Cronk It perpetrates two myths. Myth 1: if you consume you will be gratified, this is only be temporary and you will NOT be content by consuming Myth 2: In order to fit in and be integrated into society you need to buy the newest thing or stuff-like designer purses etc. The problem with this is that those that cannot afford things will be left out. Manifestations of consumerism 1. Temporary gratification 2. Depression for those who cannot buy

We tend to be defined by the things that we buy. People tend to identify strongly with products or services that they consume . Ex: the Shaykh with Converse chucks Valuing people for their possessions in light of Islam Saad Tasleem I Saw Butler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwab2r9TPlc We should not be enamored with a Rolls Royce or a butler, we should not value people by the things they buy, but the noblest are those with the most taqwa.

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Imran b. Husayan narrates that they Prophet (‫― )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬I looked into Paradise and I saw that the majority of its people were the poor…‖ [al-Bukhari & Muslim] The Shaykh was saying that sometimes people think he is cool because he has a motorbike. A person with any kind of ikhlas can afford a motorbike, but we need to follow the styles of those with piety and those close to Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬.

Did you know? The U.S. has 5% of the world‘s population, but we‘re consuming 30% of the world‘s resources and creating 30% of the world‘s waste The erosion of local environments and economies in the Third World ensure a constant supply of people with no other option. Villages that were surviving before have been turned into slumps so that they can work to produce for the 5%. Manufacturing leads to a lot of the toxics leaving the factory as byproducts or pollutions and instead of polluting ones one own country, factories are moved overseas so it‘s their lands that get polluted. Production and Consumption Did you know? In North America 99% of the things that are produced and bought are trashed within 6 months of the date of sale We produce 4 pounds of garbage a day. 16

Our enormously productive economy . . . demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption . . . we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate – Victor Lebow After WWII the economy was suffering, so consumerism and materialism become a deen, a way of life, but that‘s what Islam is. The deen is to live to buy more things. It even has rituals (ibadah). Have you been converted to the religion of consumerism? People will buy something new that comes out without even questioning or thinking about it. CNET News : Outsourcing your place in the iPhone 5 line http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unrmyN9hnE0 George Carlton the late comic takes about fulfilling our two basic needs to eat and to buy. If you look at people instagrams, what do have pictures of food and things they bought. Planned obsolescence and Perceived Obsolescence Planned obsolescence is stuff that is made for it to become obsolete after use, stuff that is made to be throws away. Ex: coffee cup, toasters. They are made to fail and priced low so we‘ll never try and fix them because it cost more than to replace them so we just buy a new one. For example, the Shaykh‘s mom has an old blender that that she has had forever. She buys new ones, but they keep messing up Perceived obsolescence is when we think we need something new even though there‘s nothing wrong (or broken) with the one that we have before. Ex: car of 2012 model that is identical to 2011 model, but we want to buy the newer model after having the older model. The changes in style that keep making us buy new clothes, even though our old clothes are in good condition. Jimmy Kimble The New iPhone 5 (warning: some bad language) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdIWKytq_q4

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The work, watch, spend treadmill. An Average person‘s life cycle they are consume by the dunya. 1. To wake up, work on weekdays to earn money 2. Get back home, tired and sit in front of TV to relax 3. TV shows tells that person all the things he/she needs to own. 4. Weekend comes now it‘s time to go shopping and buy all that he/she thinks wants and need to own 5. Monday comes, cycle repeats

People go to work because they need money to buy all the things they see on TV. Consumerism is bad because if all you do is you take care of your desires you won‘t work for the hereafter. There was a man named Jabbar who desired a piece of meat so he bought it. Umar bin Khattab (radyAllahu ‗anhu) who was the Khalifa at that time said (heavily paraphrased) ‗Do you buy everything that you desire? Leave something to be desired in the hereafter‘ The belief that this life will not satisfy our desires won‘t help us work for the hereafter. It is important to break away from our restricted mindset of being consumed by the dunya that we work to buy things that are supposed have (have to have) to satisfy our desires. Love of the worldly life Some example from the Prophet‘s (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬worldly life Aisha reported: I was sleeping in front of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, with my legs between him and the direction of prayer. When he prostrated himself, he would pinch me and I would draw up my legs; and when he stood up, I would stretch them out. At that time, there were no lamps in the houses. -Muslim A‘isha‘s (radyAllahu ‗anha) apartment is only 4ft by 6ft. So when the Prophet ( ‫صلى هللا عليه‬ ‫ )وسلن‬was performing Salah, he (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬had to tap A‘isha‘s legs so she could move them for him to make sujud. 18

Ibn ‗Abbad (radyAllahu ‗anhu) narrates that he heard ‗Umar b al Khattab say: I went to the residence of Allah Messenger ( ‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬, and behold, he was staying in an upper room of his to which he ascended by a ladder, and a black slave of Allah Messenger ( ‫صلى هللا عليه‬ ‫ )وسلن‬was sitting on the first step. I said to him, 'Say (to the Prophet ) 'Umar bin Al-Khattab is here.' Then the Prophet admitted me he was laying on a mat made of palm tree leaves with nothing between him and the mat. Underneath his head there was a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibers, and leaves of a saut tree were piled at his feet, and above his head hung a few water skins. On seeing the marks of the mat imprinted on his side, I wept. He said.' 'Why are you weeping?' I replied, "O Allah Messenger (‫ ! )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬Caesar and Khosrau are leading the life (i.e. Luxurious life) while you, Allah's Apostle though you are, is living in destitute". The Prophet then replied. 'Won't you be satisfied that they enjoy the dunya, and for us is the akhirah?" -Bukhari Jabir ibn Abdullah reports that the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬once went through the market, entering from its upper side. The Sahabah were with him walking on his either side. As he walked, he saw a dead goat with its two ears cut off. He held it by the remaining part of one ear and, addressing his companions, he said: ―Who of you would like to have this for one dirham?‖ They said: ―We do not like to have it for anything whatsoever. What shall we do with it?‖ He asked again: ―Would you like to have it anyway?‖ They answered in the negative. He repeated this last question three times. They added in answer: ―We would not like to have it at all! Had it been alive, it would be of little value because of his cut ears. How could it be worth anything when it is dead?‖ ―By Allah, in the eyes of Allah the dunya is worth less than this dead goat‖ -Bukhari People fall into two categories Allah says

―Among you are those who desire this world, and among you are those who desire the Hereafter.‖ [Āle-‗Imran, 3:152]

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We can be either those who truly desire this life or those who desire the akhirah. Some scholars say the love for the dunya and the love for akhirah can‘t exist together in one‘s heart, because either your goal is have the dunya or your main purpose is to work for the hereafter. Reasons for the love of the dunya 1. Allah has created things of the dunya to test us

―Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return‖ [Āle-‗Imran, 3:14] 2. Instant gratification Kids vs. Cookies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9UfY_94sKU Do we realize the pleasure of the akhirah that if we just wait we can get more. If we know that it makes it easier to resist. 3. Always wanting more and more – materialism.

If you main goal is to have more and more, then your goal is not the akhirah, because if your goal is the akhirah then you have to learn self-control. The ill effects of loving this dunya 1. It causes one to fall into sin.

If you hold back then you can hold back from sin easier. 20

2. It causes ghafla-heedlessness.

You start to not care about the akhirah anymore, because the dunya is always in your eyes. 3. One doesn‘t enjoy the remembrance of Allah.

In order for you to truly enjoy dhikr your heart needs to be present and when it‘s not when your heart is filled with the dunya. Your heart is involved elsewhere it has time to pray but not enjoy Salah. 4. The worries and sorrows of the world consume one‘s life.

If you only want this life, anything small that happens will devastate them and kill them. Compared to a heart attached to the akhirah who says inna lillah wa inna elayhi rajaun, so it is not attached to the dunya, so not affected as much. 5. One doesn‘t get rewarded for the deeds they do because the intention is missing.

For ibadah to be accepted it needs to have right intention and had to be done solely for Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬and right action that follows the Sunnah (legitimately done). So they are not rewarded or as much as they should be for Salah even though took the time out to do it 6. Oppressing and wronging others becomes easy

When you get married it‘s good to be attracted to them but at the end of the day you want to marry someone who fears and has taqwa of Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬because they are a lot less likely to oppress you and your heart will be at rest. Another example is Donald Trump who kicked out villages to build a factory. 7. Causes one to not hesitate to sell their deen.

If this life is your main goal it becomes easier to let go of parts of your deen. You want to get hired, so you change your name from Muhammad to Mo. 8. Causes one to not hesitate to speak about Islam without knowledge.

It‘s funny cause professionals feel hesitant to speak because they don‘t want the liability but when it comes to religion they speak so openly. Imam Malik was the imam of Madinah at his time and a guy came all the way from Sham to ask his a question and he told him he wasn‘t sure and he had to consult and the next day he told him he didn‘t know. They guy said my people said there is no one more knowledgeable than 21

you on the face of the earth and I had travelled from so far what should I tell them? He said tell them I don‘t know and Allah swt said we are sending upon you a heavy matter-meaning speaking for Allah swt and Prophet ( ‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬is a big deal. 9. Cause one to love people for the sake of their wealth.

Our priorities become the love of the dunya not taqwa, not to be closer to Allah ( ‫سبحانه و‬ ‫)تعالى‬, and not the Sunnah of the Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬ How can we cure love for this dunya? 1. Realizing the realities of this life That this life is temporary and if you take it to heart your love will lessen. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Remember frequently the thing that cuts off pleasures," i.e. death." [atTirmidhi] Death is the destroyer of desires so remember it often. This life, it‘s not perfect. And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient [al-Baqarah 2:155] Understand everything belongs to Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬and he can take them back anytime. He gives us these gifts-people and all our material possessions. When someone died it‘s horrible, but when you realize they are a gift from Allah its can be bearable. 2. Being content with less 3. Realizing that there is no way to completely satisfy ones worldly desires. It‘s never going to be enough. Ibn ‗Abbas and Anas bin Malik (radyAllahu ‗anhum) reported that the Messenger of Allah (‫ ))صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said, ―If a son of Adam were to own a valley full of gold, he would desire to 22

have two. Nothing can fill his mouth except the earth (of the grave). Allah turns with mercy to him who turns to Him in repentance‖ –Bukhari and Muslim Even if we lead a life full of riches we will still desire more and more and nothing will satisfy us except dirt meaning until we reach death and are buried. 4. Realizing the worth of this dunya is NOTHING-think about how much it would be worth to you on your deathbed? Ibn Sammak was visiting the Khalifa, Harun Rashid, and he sees him with a cup of water and asks his if its okay that he asks him a question first. He says yes. He asked if you are not able to take that sip of water what would you do to get a sip. He says I would give half my health. He then takes that sip and he asked if you weren‘t able to get rid of that water what would you give to excrete it? he said he would give all his wealth. He told if that‘s all you would want for all your wealth then why do you fight for it. A guy named Fadl bin Rabiyah tell him cut him some slack and Allah might forgive his sins. Ibn Sammak tell the Khalifa he can make you feel better now but in your grave you will only have your deeds and as for Fadl, he told him its upon you to command what is good and forbid what is evil so in your grave you will be asked about this. 5. Putting forward the love of Allah before anything else

Love dictates what we have devotion towards. We need to put the love of Allah ( ‫سبحانه و‬ ‫ )تعالى‬before any person or thing This is mindset to have that will help us love this dunya less. Repeat the dua that ―there is no life but the life of the hereafter‖. If we were to settle this in our hearts, then we would never complain. 6. Thinking about the pleasure of the akhirah 7. Pushing oneself to be patient over the love of the dunya.

It‘s not as simple to detach but try and struggle with it and continue to struggle Are we supposed to abandon the dunya all together? The correct understanding of asceticism

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Zuhd is commonly translated as asceticism ; however, this is the wrong translation. If zuhd is translated as renouncing his life – to abandon the blessings of Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬in this world, that is NOT Islamic. These are there religion such as Buddhism, who become monks and renounce the ni‘mat of Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬. It‘d haram for us to wear torn tattered cloths and put away our wealth of we have it. The correct translation of zuhd is to be indifferent to this worldly life. Meaning, we don‘t want to abandon the dunya but at the same time we don‘t want our heart to be attached to this life. Hakim bin Hasham was told by Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬that this wealth is green and sweet like temperate fruit and whoever takes it without greed is blessed and the one who doesn‘t is going to keep eating and never be satisfied. Nothing is wrong with the life as long as you don‘t cross the limits. Dua from the early Muslims: ―Oh Allah make us indifferent to this worldly life and make it expansive for us and do not keep it from us so that we begin to desire it‖ Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬used to make dua ― Oh Allah save me from the trail of poverty and from debt‖. Ibn Qayyim says that poverty because poverty can lead a person to desire things and that can lead you to sin which necessitates to the loss of the akhirah and debt necessitates the loss of the dunya. Affluent Companions whose hearts were actually attached to the hereafter Sayings of the Sahabiyy (radyAllahu ‗anhu): Sulayman Addarani: ―Don‘t testify that anyone is a zahid because it‘s not physical but found in the heart. It‘s a state of the heart‖ Wahab ibn Warid: ―Zuhd in this world is where one doesn‘t despair when something that is given to him in this world is taken away‖ 24

Sufyan ibn Huyayna: ―If Allah gives something they thankful and if he takes it away they are patient. ― Imam Hassan al-Basri: ―Zuhd isn‘t by prohibiting the halal or squander wealth but keeping the dunya in your hand and not in your hearts.‖ He was asked how he attained zuhd and he said by 4 1. ―I learned that my livelihood can‘t be taken so my heart became content 2. I learn that my deed won‘t be done by anyone but me so I began to work for them myself 3. I learn that Allah is watching me so I became ashamed he sees me sinning 4. I learn that my death is waiting for me so I prepared my provisions to meet my Lord‖

Stories of the Sahabiyy (radyAllahu ‗anhum): Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhum) Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu) was one of the best companions and was very wealthy. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said that if you were to put the eman of Abu Bakr on one side of a scale and the eman of the rest of the Ummah on the other side, that Abu Bakr eman would outweigh it. He was the one who freed some of the first slaves who were tortured for their Islam such as Bilal (radyAllahu ‗anhu). Look at the status of Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu) and yet he was born into a wealthy household. Umar ibn Al-Khattab (radyAllahu ‗anhu) would always compete with Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu): Umar ibn Al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬ordered us to give charity and at the time I possessed some wealth. I said to myself, ―If there is a day I can do better than Abu Bakr, then this is the one.‖ So I went with half of my wealth to the Messenger of Allah and he said, ―What have you left for your family?‖ I said, ―The same amount.‖ Then Abu Bakr came with everything he had. The Prophet said, ―O Abu Bakr, what have you left for your family?‖ He said, ―Allah and His messenger.‖ I said, ―By Allah, I will never do better than Abu Bakr.‖ -Sunan At-Tirmidhi 25

Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said no wealth has benefited Islam except the wealth of Abu Bakr, he supported me when no one else did. So you don‘t have to abandon this world to be pious. Uthman ibn Affan (radyAllahu ‗anhu) Uthman ibn Affan (radyAllahu ‗anhu) was also wealthy. When there was a shortage of water and Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬asked who will buy a well for the Muslims. Uthman (radyAllahu ‗anhu) began to look for a well. He found a well that was owned by a Jewish man. At first the man wouldn‘t sell, but eventually he convinced the man. The man said he would sell him half of the well, meaning that the man would have the well one day and then Uthman would get it only one day. When it was Uthman (radyAllahu ‗anhu) turn he would let people have it for free, so no one would buy it from the Jewish man on his day and that made him angry. Uthman offered to buy and did buy the whole well for double the amount that he originally paid, even though he could have brought the price down, since the Jewish man was in a loss. Every Friday he would go in search of slaves to free. He was never said to have servants around him. Abdur Rahman ibn ‗Awf (radyAllahu ‗anhu) Abdur Rahman ibn ‗Awf (radyAllahu ‗anhu) was one of the first eight people to accept Islam. He accepted Islam within a week of Abu Bakr accepting Islam, and is amongst the ten promised jannah. When the Makkan made hijra to Madinah, each Muhajir was paired with an Ansari. Abdur Rahman ibn ‗Awf (radyAllahu ‗anhu) was paired with Sa‘d al Ansari (radyAllahu ‗anhu) by the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬as his brother. 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf (radyAllahu ‗anhu) came (from Makkah to Madinah) and the Prophet made a bond of brotherhood between him and Sad bin Ar-Rabi' Al-Ansari (radyAllahu ‗anhu). Al-Ansari had two wives, so he suggested that 'Abdur-Rahman take half, his wives and property. 'Abdur-Rahman replied, "May Allah bless you with your wives and property. Kindly show me the market." So 'Abdur-Rahman went to the market and gained (in bargains) some dried yoghurt and some butter. After a few days the Prophet ( ‫صلى‬ ‫ )هللا عليه وسلن‬saw Abdur-Rahman with some yellow stains on his clothes and asked him, "What 26

is that, O 'Abdur-Rahman?" He replied, "I had married an Ansari woman." The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬asked, "How much Mahr did you give her?" He replied, "The weight of one (date) stone of gold." The Prophet said, "Offer a banquet, even with one sheep.". -Bukhari Talha ibn ‗Ubayd (radyAllahu ‗anhu), Zaynab ibn Jahsh (radyAllahu ‗anha) and many other companions were wealthy. It is praiseworthy to be wealthy if 1. The wealth is attained in a halal matter 2. If you intend to use in the service of Islam and Allah 3. If you hold it in your hands not your heart 4. Always conscious of Allah in regards to wealth it and spend in a way that shows this 5. They remember that in the end it‘s from Allah not themselves.

Islamic Ruling on Music Some Terminology Ghina‘: is music as a whole, this includes vocal music, beautifying the voice, and poetry that is sung. All types of music is included in this general word Mazamir: this is the plural of mizmar. This is the musical reed, pipe, wind instruments and beautifying the voice. Ma‘azif: this is the plural ma‘iaf or azaf. This is all musical instruments used to make music. Malahi: this is interchange able with ma‘azif. It is anything that diverts you or distracts you Duff: The modern drum according to him doesn‘t follow the same ruling as the duff. Some scholars extend it to other percussion instruments but Shaykh Saad doesn‘t hold that opinion; however he said it okay for the duff to have the small symbols on it. 27

Whistling Shaykh Saad doesn‘t view whistling to be haram but makruh because there are numerous narrations saying Allah (‫‘)سبحانه و تعالى‬s dislike for it Evidence and analysis Evidence that indicate music is impermissible from Qur‘an

―Do you then wonder at this discourse (the Qur‘an)? And do you laugh and do not weep? While you are samidun? So prostrate to Allah and worship [him Alone]‖ [An-Najm, 53:59-61]

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The word samidun means to ignore, raise head proudly, or a sound that distracts in any way. In this particular case they were engaged in vain play and distract people from listening to the Qur‘an through music and singers. Even though they weren‘t Muslim they fell into sujud as is indicated in the next ayah. Songstresses are referred to as asmidina because they enchant us with their singing. Imam Qurtubi says that they were using music or song to distract others. However, we can be distracted by many others things. Since it is not specific enough, so this proof isn‘t a clear evidence even though it‘s authentic. Remember the default ruling regarding things that are not acts of worship is permissible. To make it impermissible, we need: 1. Authentic proof 2. Clear in its meaning.

In Surah ‗Isra ayah 64 the word saut ash shaytan is mentioned. ―And leads to distraction with your voice those who you can‖ [Isra, 17:64] Allah is talking to Iblis, who asked Allah to let him take people away from the Qur‘an and Allah told him go ahead and try. Some say the Prophet ( ‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬is referring to music and musical instruments , while others say it refers to anything that shaytan uses like vain talk, gossip, etc. Still this ayah is not specific enough but it does show us if music takes us away from the worship of Allah then it is prohibited.

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And of people is he who buys lahw al hadith to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and takes it in ridiculed. For such people there is a humiliating punishment.‖ [Luqman, 31:6] lahw al hadith this is defined by Ibn Masud said I swear by the one of whom there is no God but him that this is referring to ghina and repeated it three times. Hassan al-Basri said this verse was revealed about music and musical instruments. And other Sahabah such as and tabi‘un such as Mujahid said this too. Ibn Abbas was the interpreter of the Qur‘an and the great scholar of Qur‘an and he says it is referring to music and instruments. In tafsir there are there are levels, the first level is tafsir of an ayah with another ayah; the second level is tafsir of an ayah by the Prophet (‫ ;)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬and the third level of tafsir of an ayah by a sahabiyy. Therefore, this is very strong indication that instruments are prohibited. However, this is not a qata'ee daleel, meaning it‘s not 100%. Evidence that indicate music is permissible

―And your Lord is most knowing of whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And We have made some of the prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to Dawud We gave the book [of Psalms]‖ [al-‗Isra 17:55] . Since the psalms are sung so obviously it is permissible to sing. Some go as far as to say that Dawud (‫ )عليه الصالة والسالم‬used instrument too. However, this doesn‘t have any proof accept what people assume and even if instrument were used to sing to the people it doesn‘t indicate permissibility because their laws aren‘t always applicable to us. For example, prostrating to Yusuf (‫ )عليه الصالة والسالم‬was allowed then but that is not allowed for our Ummah.

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Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said to him, ―You have been given a Mizmar out of the Mazamir of the from the family to Prophet Dawud‖ –Bukhari However, mizmar doesn‘t just refer to wind instrument it can also refer to the voice. In addition if we look at where this hadith is narrated in Sahih Bukhari it is under Beautifying the Voice When Reciting Qur‘an, therefore the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬were referring to his reciting the Qur‘an and the beauty of his voice

―And when they see merchandise or amusement they rush to it, and leave you (the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬standing. Say, ‗That which is with Allah is better than the amusement and better than the merchandise, and Allah is the best of providers‖ [Al-Jumu‘ah 62:11] During Jumu‘ah khutbah a caravan came and struck the duff indicating they were coming in. At this particular time there was a drought and the people were starving, so many of the people left the khutbah cause they wanted to get food. Some say because this was mentioned it is allowed, however it is not a direct proof that all music instruments are permissible. This ayah is just about the striking of a sample drum. Evidence that indicate music is impermissible from the Sunnah Abu Malik al-Ash‘ari narrates the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said: ―There will be groups of people from my Ummah who will seek to declare fornication, silk (for males), wine and musical instruments to be halal. –Bukhari The Prophet ‫ صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said ―there will be people from my ummah who will yastahillu which means to indulge to such a degree that it is as if its permissible or they would

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rationalizes the use of zina, silk, and ma‘azif. Ma‘azif is used which refers to all musical instruments. The authenticity of the hadith above is questioned, but only by Ibn Hazm and others who quote him. However, Ibn Hazm was refuted by many scholars. For the advanced student in Fath al Bari , which is the explanation of Bukhari, this claim of the lack of authenticity is refuted by Ibn Hajr. For the average person it‘s in Bukhari, therefore it is sahih, and the vast majority of the scholars say it is sahih such as Hakm, Imam Nawawi, and Shokani Some say it is only impermissible when it is paired with other sins. But by that same logic fornication and wine can also be considered as only haram when paired with other sins. Another argument is that it‘s only talking about the future not telling us a ruling but there is a reason the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬would share this particular information. Why would he share info that‘s not beneficial? When you look at the wording (yastahillu) and it shows us that reasoning is flawed. You don‘t make anything permissible if it is already halal, you can only make something halal if it‘s impermissible. The prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬walked with Abdur-Rahman bin ‗Awf in between pine trees. The prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬then placed his son Ibrahim on his lap and began to cry. Abdur-Rahman bin ‗Awf said, ―Oh prophet of Allah do you cry when you stop us from crying?‖ He said, ―I did not deter you from crying. I deterred you from two evil sinful voices – a voice with devilish musical instruments and a voice at a misery with scraping of the face and shredding of the clothes.‖ –At Tirmidhi Nafey (radyAllahu ‗anhu) narrates: "Once when Abdullah Bin Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhu) heard the sound of a shepherd's flute, he placed his fingers in both ears (to block the sound of the music), and he diverted his mount from that path. (As they rode on), he would say: Nafey, can you still hear (the sound)?' I would say: 'Yes.' He would then continue riding. Only when I said: 'I can no longer hear it', did he remove his fingers from his ears. Then he returned to the road. He then said: 'I saw Rasulullah (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬doing like this when he had heard the flute of a shepherd." -Ahmad and Abu Dawood

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Evidence that indicate music is permissible from the Sunnah ‗Aishah said The Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬came to my house while two jaritan ( young girls) were singing beside me the songs of Bu‘ath (a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Aus, before Islam). The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬lay down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying, ―Mizmar of Satan near the Prophet (‫ ‖? )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬Messenger of Allah (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬ turned his face towards him and said, ―Leave them.‖ When he (Abu Bakr) became inattentive, I signaled to those girls to go out and they left. It was the day of ‗Eid, and the Abyssinians people were playing with shields and spears. Then either I requested the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬or he asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬made me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, ―Carry on! O Bani Arfadah,‖ until I became tired. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬asked me, ―Are you satisfied (Is that sufficient for you)?‖ I replied in the affirmative and he told me to leave. – Bukhari and Muslim This famous hadith was when ‗Aishah (radyAllahu ‗anha) was very young at this time and they were her friends in there with her. When we look at Abu Bakr‘s response shows that he understood the basic understanding is that it wasn‘t appropriate but it was part of the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬legislation to let them allow it if there was a reason. Narrated Ar-Rabiya': (the daughter of Muawwidh bin Afra) After the consummation of my marriage, the Prophet came and sat on my bed as far from me as you are sitting now, and our little girls started beating the tambourines and reciting elegiac verses mourning my father who had been killed in the battle of Badr. One of them said, "Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow." On that the Prophet said, "Leave this (saying) and keep on saying the verses which you had been saying before." -Bukhari ―The difference between a halal marriage and haram relationship is the presence of voices and the duff.‖ –Tirmidh, An Nasai, and Ibn Majah

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However all these evidence do not show the permissibly of all music, but just the permissibly of the voice and the duff. Even though the usul shows that the voice and the duff is halah, it is clear that it is not allowed all the time, but during special occasions. The Ill Effects of Music Shaykh Saad told a personal story about these brothers who would be blasting music and just chill out. He would see them every time he would come for Salah. If we are so consumed with music and pop culture then when will we have time to progress? Our parents have done their job by establishing the masajid, but it is our job to continue to progress. It‘s a cover up for bigger issues, because instrument can control your heart, they can never bring the contentment that the Quran can give you. People listen to music to become less or more depressed. The difference between listening to music and hearing music: Hearing isn‘t haram, it can be inevitable, and to listen to music you have to make an effort, to hear you don‘t. Ibn Qayyim says ―the Qur‘an and music can‘t exist together in the same heart‖ The conclusions 1. The Islamic ruling of musical instruments It is clear that musical instruments are prohibited in Islam except duff. Clear and strong 2. The Islamic ruling of singing Allowed 3. The Islamic ruling of the duff In general, duff is permissible, and the scholars didn‘t make a difference between playing the duff and listening to it

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One sides drum and he hold the opinion that the tambourine is allowed but there is difference of opinion For the permissibly of duff for women, some scholars say the evidence only show example of weddings and ‗Eid, but Shaykh Saad Tasleem says permissible for women cause you can‘t say something is impermissible unless there‘s evidence For the permissibility for men, some say scholars yes, while some say no. Shaykh Saad Tasleem‘s opinion is that between halal and makruh, because of the hadith below. Abdullah ibn Buraydah narrated, ―Allah‘s Messenger (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬left for one of his expeditions and upon his return, a black slave-girl came to him saying, ‗Oh Messenger of Allah, verily, I vowed that if Allah returned you safely I would beat the duff and sing in your presence.‘ Allah‘s Messenger said to her, ‗If you made a vow, then fulfill it by beating the duff, otherwise don‘t.‘ Upon this she began to beat the hand drum, during which Abu Bakr entered, then Ali, followed by Uthman. Upon Umar‘s entering, she threw the duff under her backside and sat on it, whereupon Allah‘s Messenger said, ‗Verily, Satan fears you, Oh Umar!‘‖ –Tirmidhi Due to fact that Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬got happy when she stopped and mentioned that indeed Umar even shaytan is afraid of you, it showing listening to it is allowed, but disliked therefore it shows it‘s somewhere between halal and makruh. 4. The Islamic ruling of beat-boxing and acapella If the musical instruments themselves that are impermissible and not the sound of the instruments, then these are find but if it‘s the sound of music instruments that are impermissible then it‘s not allowed. Shaykh Saad Tasleem‘s opinion is the closer you are to the instrument then the worse it is but the more it sounds like the human voice that fine. 5. The Islamic guidelines for music to be considered permissible Only Imam Ghazali said musical instrument are permissible but even he had conditions 1. It isn‘t played by a non mahrum woman

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2. Isn‘t played with musical instruments that are characteristic by those who drink and commit sins 3. it doesn‘t contain speech of low morality or vulgarity 4. it doesn‘t have sounds that incites one‘s desires 5. That the listener is one who holds the love of Allah above everything else or else it isn‘t allowed for you. 6. The Islamic guidelines for halal music and nasheeds There is an ijma (consensus) on these issues unless stated otherwise 1. Free from instruments except for the duff (this is only condition that has a difference of opinion because some scholars extend it to other percussion instruments) 2. The lyric should be free from anything sinful such as lying or slander or lewd, four language 3. Have positive message in general and not be depressing 4. Should not praise anyone or anything sinful 5. The performance of the song should not involve anything sinful 6. It should not distract us from the religion obligations or obligations in general 7. It should not distract you from the remembrance of Allah swt and take over your heart. Even listening to nasheeds all the time fall under this cause you are taking away from remember Allah Finally, Islam has a rich history of poetry and the arts, and they knew the power of words, because it can make or break a person. The Sahabah themselves would write poetry.

1. The main goal of the music and movie industry is to sell to you, so they make more money 36

It used to be hidden, but it is more apparent now. 2. Being obsessed with the following the lives of celebrities and musicians use. They are loved for the wrong reasons, away from the limelight they are some of the dumbest and least coherent people. 3. Wanting to dress the way celebrities and musicians does. But they can‘t even dress themselves, instead they hire stylists. 4. Wanting to use the products that celebrities and musicians use

Buying Dre beats headphones 5. Craving attention, fame, and fortune

Updating your status every five minutes. Celebrities have a lifetime of fame, but still no satisfaction; they lead miserable lives have mental breakdown and shave their head. 6. ―5 minute of fame‖ and the phenomenon of the virtual video

Look at all the incredibly stupid things people do just to get million hits on YouTube. Some people believe the listen to ―responsible‖ music such as underground music (such as Rage Against the Machines or Lupe Fiasco), but these musician are signed with the same companies and agents are those who have the opposite message. There is so much hypocrisy in the industry. For example, the front man for Rage Against the Machines, Tom Morello, is so politically active, but had never given charity. Funding of the music society is not good for society and it‘s not good for the Muslims.

The thrill of the chase. We‘re lead to believe that your soul mate must be perfect; if they aren‘t then they are not your soul mate. It‘s not about the chase and there is no perfect person.

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The unrealistic notion that there is ―the one,‖ the soul mate, and that this soul mate will be absolutely perfect, with no flaws If they are not the perfect person because they do not ―understand‖ you, then you can divorce them. They will appreciate all your girlie faults and are willing to sacrifice everything for you. Anyone who is married can tell you that this is a completely unrealistic depiction compared to their own spouse. If you expect this perfect depiction, you will be disappointed. Movies capture the excitement of new relationships, but they wrongly suggest that trust and committed love exits from the moment people meet Love at first sight Romantic comedies or ―rom-coms‖ and the ―happy-ever-after scenario‖ The Shaykh told a stoey of a Dai‘e who was called by a sister and she told him ―Shaykh I‘m in love with you‖. He responded ―I make my wife cry every night‖ and hung up on her. Did you know? A study found the couples that watch romantic comedies are more likely to get divorced They have an unrealistic depiction builds up in their heads. Extended Adolescence In the last two decades, Hollywood has focused heavily on depicting men in a ―preadulthood‖ stage There is a growing trend in the entertainment industry by people such as Seth Rogan and Adam Sandler to depict men as slackers and mentally stunted. Grown men go on road trips and do crazy stuff, but in the end everything works out. It is also shown in cartoons such as the Simpsons and Family Guy. In Islam men are not supposed to be children, they are supposed to take care of you. They are the ones that are supposed to have the income and be the waliyy, but they aren‘t there anymore. What ―pre-adults‖ are entertaining themselves with 38

Radical reversal of the sexual hierarchy Women now are more educated than man. Statistics shows that 34% women have a Masters degree, while 27% men have a Masters degree. Unfortunately, men in this generation are just busy chilling to the extreme, and are not up to par with women. In the Muslim history, men in their late teens and early 20‘s were very, very accomplished! The young men would step up to the plate; to take care of other men, to lead the armies. Back then, there is this idea that in order to be good Muslim, you must marry ASAP especially for men. The Sahabah were married, goes to war, and take responsibility at adolescence age (around 16 years old), but men of our generation today (even practicing brothers) are mostly not ready yet for marriage and responsibility – this is the cause of high divorce rate in the community. They have no idea how to understand gender issues. The Shaykh shared a story about a woman is driving and she has to abruptly stop, so she puts out her hand to protect the driver, her husband. The husband is upset because he feels his ego threatened and tells her to keep her hands on the wheel; and doesn‘t realize that the wife is just doing it out of habit.

―Sports play a societal role in engendering jingoist and chauvinist attitudes. They're designed to organize a community to be committed to their gladiators.‖ –Noam Chomsky Professional Sports: An Opiate for the Masses They claim that it is harmless form of entertainment However when it is take to an extreme and sports begin to consume your life, you got a problem. The level of watching sports plays into extended adolescence. Target audience young males The extreme side of sports: If a huge portion of your daily life is spend watching sports, then when will you have time to grow into a man, time for the need of society. If you follow only one

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team then the pre and post-game analysis, is multiple hours a week, but most people follow more than one team. In reality how important is the outcome of the game? If a loss of a team affects you so immensely that it ruins your day or makes it the greatest day ever, then you need to reevaluate your life. Even the players themselves don‘t care as much, for example, when LeBron James, left to play for a different team.

Spending countless hour playing video games and watching sports Grown men getting emotionally moved over a victory or less of ―their team‖ It‘s not your team, and there is a serious issue of al wala‘ wal bara‘, and to whom you are giving your allegiance to. We need moderation, it was entertaining, then we need to move on and not let it take over our life. The ―sports ‗alim!‖ Memorizing all the stats on all the players how will that benefit you when you are on your deathbed? You could have spent that same time becoming a scholar of Qur‘an of ahadith. Finding a Balance Knowing the difference between being entertained and being consumed Sports are supposed to be treats partaken in sparingly Moderation is the key Bringing benefit through sports

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―The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer and in both there is good‖ - Sahih Muslim Eman does also apply to the strength of the body, because the physically stronger mu‘min is able to do more ibadah. They can also fast more, do more dhikr, seek more ‗ilm, help others, be more obedient. They have the extra strength for their deen and to help the deen of others, they can hold on to their moral at the time of fitna. 'A‘isha reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to sleep in the first part of the night and stand in prayer in the last part of it." -Agreed upon When it would be time for the first Fajr the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬would leap out of bed. At the time of the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬people at age forty were considered shabab (young person). The example of Hamzah ibn Abu Mutalib (radyAllahu ‗anhu) he was physically strong so he could defend the community. In the time of the prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬, sports and physical fitness were very important. Men were strong; they went to war, etc. We on the other hand, unfortunately, stop being physically fit the moment we get married.

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Did you know? The earliest recorded formal institution of sport is from Ancient Greece with the oldest Olympics being recorded as early as 776 BC

Archery in the Sunnah ‗Uqbah Ibn Amir narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬say on the minbar ―And prepare to meet them what you are able of strength. Indeed strength is archery; indeed strength is archery; indeed strength is archery. –Muslim ‗Uqbah Ibn Amir said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬say: Verily Allah will cause three persons to enter Paradise with one arrow: the one who had made the arrow with a good intention, the one who shoots the arrow, and the one who hands the arrow to the shooter. So shoot and ride, and shooting arrows is more beloved to me than your riding. Everything a person plays with is futile except archery, horse riding, and playing with one‘s wife for these are truthful.‖ -Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi

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‗Uqbah Ibn Amir wouldn‘t stop even after he reached old age; because the Prophet ( ‫صلى هللا‬ ‫ )عليه وسلن‬told him whoever leaves archery is not from amongst us. When the incident with Abu Sufyan and the caravan happened the Sahabah had strength and they said lets fight, even though Abu Sufyan had 200 and they only had 78. Did you know? It is thought that a form of archery was practiced as far back as the Stone Age, around 8,000-9,000 BC Who was the first person to shoot an arrow in Islam? Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas In the battle of Uhud, Sa‘d was one of the companions who remained with the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬to protect him. As he was shooting arrows, the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said to him ―Shoot, Sa‘d, may my parents be sacrificed for you‖ Bukhari This shows the status, because the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said ―may my parents be sacrificed for you‖ Archery as a Sport Salamah bin Al-Akwa‘ reported that the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬passed by a group of new Muslims in the marketplace and said to them, ―Shoot arrows, O Banu Isma‘il for your father was a great archer; shoot and I am with you. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said to the others (the opposite team) ―Why are you not shooting?" They replied, "How can we shoot when you are with them (the opposite team)?" He said, "Shoot, for I am with you all." Bukhari

During the time of the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬horse riding was a skill most men had. Horses are mentioned in the Qur‘an 44

―By the (steeds) that run, with panting (breath) striking sparks of fire (by their hooves) and souring to the raid at dawn, and raise dust in the clouds, penetrating forthwith as one into the midst‖ [al-‗Adiyat, 100:1-5] Allah describes vividly how the go into battle, and the reward for participating in battles.

And (He had created) horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and as an adornment‖ [alNahl, 16:8] Did you know? The fasting sprinting speed of a horse is 55 mph. Horses in the Sunnah "There will be goodness in the forelock of horses until the Day of Judgment." Bukhari "Do not cut the forelocks of horses, nor of their manes or tails, for their tails are swatters (keep off the flies), their manes are protection from the cold, and their forelock has goodness in them -Abu Dawud Illustrates the reward for showing kindness and taking care of animals. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬as a Rider

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Anas narrated ―The 'Prophet was the best of people, the most generous, and the most courageous. Once the people of Madinah became afraid [upon hearing a sound]. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬rode a horse of Abu Talhah, so by the time the people came out of their houses, the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬was returning saying ―You are safe‖. –Bukhari and Muslim By the time everyone else is coming to check out the situation, the Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬ has already checkout the situation and is coming back. He rode out quickly and this also shows his strength as he rode out with no saddle. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬had a horse named Murtajaz Horse and Camel Riding as a Sport ―Everything a person plays with is futile except archery, horse riding and playing with one‘s wife for these are truthful.‖ –Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi Anas Narrated , ―The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬had camel called Al ‗Adba‘, which was unbeaten. A Bedouin Arab came with some of his racing camels and beat ‗Aqba'. The Muslims became upset at that, so the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said, "Indeed it is the right of Allah that nothing in this world would be raised except that it fails." –Bukhari PRINCIPLE Physical strength is important in Islam, yet true courage is of the spiritual kind. As the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬mentioned the strong one is the person who can control their anger.

―Everything which is not the remembrance of Allah is play and jest except for four: the archer and the target, horse riding, playing with one‘s family, and learning how to swim‖ –Tabarani Abu ‗Ubaydh bin al-Jarrah said ―Teach your children swimming and archery‖ ‗Umar said, ―Teach your children swimming, archery and horse riding.‖ 46

Shows it importance and its high level. Did you know? The earliest written record for swimming is from 2000 BC

A‘isha said, ―I raced with the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬and I beat him. Much later on when I gained more weight, we raced again and he beat me. He then said, ‗This one is in place of the last one.‘‖ –Ahmad Look at the adab and hiya‘ of the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬, he told the caravan to go ahead. When A‘isha was very young and agile she beat him. The women during the time of the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬were fit. There is document evidence of sahabiyyat fighting, but they would still follow the Islamic guidelines. Salamah b. Al-Akwa‘ narrates, ―We were once traveling and there was an a man from Ansar who would win any race. He began to call out, ―Will anyone race me to Madinah?‖ I said to the Prophet (‫― )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, allow me to race him.‖ The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬replied ―If you wish.‖ So I raced him and won.‖ -Muslim

The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬wrestled a man by the name of Rukanah and overpowered him. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬, who was the leader, who was in charge of all the Muslims, and who was the risalat to the world, but he still took out time to wrestle. Samurah bin Jundub wrestled Rafi‘ bin Khadij in the Battle of Uhud to show that he too was eligible to fight in the Muslim ranks Did you know? The first documented account of wrestling goes back to the Ancient Egyptians in 2300 BC 47

The Prophet (sallallaāhu ‗alayhi wa sallam) had a sword called Dhul-Fiqar Due to his duel and for encouragement the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬gave Dhul-Fiqar to Ali bin Abi Talib (radyAllahu ‗anhu) in the Battle of Badr. Did you know? Modern fencing is one of the only four sports to be included since the first Olympic Games in 1896 Companions Famous for Fencing Ali b Abi Talib fought and won a duel in the Battle of Badr Talhah b Ubaydullah protected the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬in the Battle Uhud Zubayr b Al-Awwan was the first to unsheathe a sword in Islam Abu Dujah in the Battle Uhud Khalid b al Walid went through nine swords in the Battle of Mu‘tah

Strength in the Stories of the Prophets (‫)عليه الصالة والسالم‬ The physical description of the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬was that he had broad shoulder with full arms. The Sahabah said that when he was walking that they could never keep up with him. It was as if he was walking downhill and we were walking uphill. It was literally like the Earth would fold beneath him. Nuh (‫ )عليه الصالة والسالم‬built the whole ark by himself. Ibrahim (‫ )عليه الصالة والسالم‬built the Ka‘bah (with Isma‘il) crushed the Idols by himself. 48

Musa (‫ )عليه الصالة والسالم‬killed a man accidently when he struck him General ruling 1. A strong believer is better than a weak believer 2. To rest the body is recommended 3. Rest and play mean that a person is revitalized and energized for work and worship It should motivate you to worship. Your body has a right of you and your nafs (soul) has a right on you. It is part of Islam to take care of your body. 4. The prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬and his companions participated in sports After the treaty of Hudaibiyah the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬wanted to show the strength of the Muslims, so he had them uncover the right shoulder. Reasons why men uncovers the right shoulder while making tawaf 1. Most people are right handed, so the right biceps are bigger than the left. During tawaf, they have their right hand exposed, so that people can see how strong they are. 2. Tawaf is made counterclockwise. From the outside, we will see the men‘s right shoulder as they are making tawaf. In the Battle of Badr there was a shortage of horses, so there were three people per riding mount. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬Ali (radyAllahu ‗anhu) and Abu Lubaba (radyAllahu ‗anhu) were sharing one animal. The Sahabah felt ashamed that the Prophet ( ‫صلى هللا عليه‬ ‫ )وسلن‬should walk, so they told him you ride and we will walk. The Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬ replied that you two are not more capable of walking then I and I too desire the reward of walking as you. 5. Laziness and gluttony are disliked in religion. Guidelines for playing sports

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1. As with everything in the religion it should be done in moderation It should be done for the sake of Allah and not become an obsession. 2. Sports should not detract a person from their obligation and responsibility Again, do not go too far. 3. Sports should be played to seek the pleasure of Allah Purify your intention. 4. One should have the intention of rejuvenating their body so that they can worship Allah better Don‘t waste your reward from Allah 5. Time is precious and should not be wasted unnecessarily 6. The sport should not contain any unlawful In our time, sisters do have limited options compared to brothers when it comes to sports. However, sisters should take leadership role to establish sister‘s workout sessions at the masjid. Even if they are not established in your lifetime, at least there will be here for your daughters. Since the time needs to be spent in a halah way, there is also a fitna for men in becoming physically fit. There are some things that you can‘t control, but control the things you can, so lower your gaze and go at odd hours 7. Sports, although competitive, should not lead to enmity, trusted hatred, jealousy, etc. This is a very important issue. PRINCIPLE Sports should increase love and brotherhood between us not lead to enmity and jealousy

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PRINCIPLE 1. Allah divided things in the world into two types : good or permissible (al tayyibat, al halah) and evil or impermissible (al khaba‘ith, al haram) 2. Everything that is harmful and life threatening for human being is impermissible 3. Just as it is impermissible to harm others it is impermissible to harm oneself.

―Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the bad things and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So, they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.‖ [al-Araf 7:157]

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O you who have believed, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful. [al-Nisa‘, 4:29] One of the jobs of the prophet was to clarify the good and the bad for us. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said ―There is no harm or causing of harm (in Islam)‖ –Ibn Majah

The outdated ruling: For a scholar to say that something is prohibited, he needs a clear and authentic proof of its prohibition from the Quran or Sunnah. Earlier, people and scholars thought that cigarettes only give bad smell. So the scholars did qiyas and gave it the ruling for cigarette takes the similar ruling to the onion and garlic, which is it is makruh, and it should not be used when going to the masjid. Since Islam is a community based religion, so it is the right of your brother and sisters that you don‘t expose them to unnecessary bad smells. The scholars are not allowed to say something is impermissible until proven impermissible and they didn‘t have clear proof.

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However, about thirty years ago scientific studies have been established that cigarettes are harmful and can cause death; therefore, the old ruling that smoking is not haram is invalid. This is a qata'ee daleel (clear cut proof) that smoking is haram, under the principle that it is impermissible to harm oneself

Smoking helps you relax permanently. Some FACTS about smoking cigarettes 

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death

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Smoking cigarettes leads to many different forms of cancer, including lung cancer, throat cancer and colorectal cancer.

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Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of developing heart and other circulatory system disorders

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Smoking cigarettes damages the lungs and places the smoker at risk for developing additional serious lung conditions in addition to lung cancer.

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Smokers have an increased risk of infertility problems. Women may have more difficulty achieving a pregnancy and men may have impotence issues.

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Once pregnant, a woman who continues to smoke increases the risk of having a miscarriage, a baby with a low birth weight or a premature infant

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People exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher risk of developing lung cancer and other conditions, such as heart disease

The necessary conclusion: The Updated Ruling Today, if there‘s any scholars say that the ruling for smoking is makruh, they do not understand the scientific studies of the effects of smoking. If they were told about the scientific research, they will change their ruling. It is haram not only to smoke cigarettes, but to buy, sell, and encourage, allow it in your house. Fiqh Issues Related to Smoking 54

Does smoking invalidate one‘s wudu‘? Smoking does NOT invalidate wudu. There are only certain things that break the wudu, and we can‘t say smoking breaks the wudu just because it has bad smell. Does smoking invalidate one‘s fast? Smoking INVALIDATES one‘s fast. This is because smoking means putting something into one‘s body through the mouth, which invalidates one‘s fast.

Is it makruh to enter the masjid with the odor of cigarettes? It is MAKRUH to enter the masjid with the odor of cigarettes. A hadith was narrated about the Prophet (PBUH) says that let them stay at home because the angels are offended by the same things by the same things that offend the son of Adam. We should not harm our brothers with bad smell.

Is it permissible to use nicotine patches? It is PERMISSIBLE to use nicotine patches, and some scholars says it can be WAJIB for some people if a trustworthy doctor says that it is the only way for the person to quit smoking.

Do they invalidate one‘s fast or wudu’? Using nicotine patches does not break one‘s wudu. However, there‘s difference in opinion on the use of nicotine patches while fasting. Shaykh Saad Tasleem hold the opinion that using nicotine while fasting does not invalidate one‘s fast if it enters the body from other than the mouth, such as injection. If it was sustenance then it would break the fast even if injected, but since it‘s not (like medicine) it doesn‘t either. Ramadan is a great time to quit smoking, the month goes by the by the end you‘re don‘t with it. Did you know? Smoking was introduced to the Muslims countries by the Europeans around 1000 AH

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Did you know? Shisha can be referred to as hookah, narghile, hubble, bubble, and goza. Shisha consists of a base, pipe, bowl and hose or a mouthpiece. Tobacco is placed in the bowl, which is at the top of the pipe structure. An aluminum foil covers the bowl and small charcoal pieces are then placed on the foil, which is punctured using a pin to gently heat the tobacco. When smoked using the hose; smooth, sweet-smelling vapor is filtered through the base containing water. Misconceptions about Shisha 1. Isn‘t the tobacco used in shisha safer than regular tobacco? No, the tobacco used in shisha is flavored tobacco, it may be a little less harmful, but at the same time, it has been proven that it has the same effect as regular tobacco; it can cause cancer and death. 2. When the smoke passes through the water in the shisha pipe, doesn‘t it remove harmful substances from the smoke? The water purifies the smoke, but does not purify all carcinogens. Study shows that people who smoke shisha inhale more of the harmful substances than those who smoke cigarettes. The reason is the average cigarette smoker smoke for about 5 minutes, while the average shisha smoker smoke for a longer time since shisha is more social than cigarette. Thus the amount of smoke that they inhale is a lot more. In addition, sharing the pipe can also spread disease. People now have started to look down on smoking cigarettes, but shisha on the other hand seems to be socially acceptable. Some FACTS about smoking shisha 

Shisha smoke contains high levels of toxic compounds, including tar, carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). 56

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Shisha smokers are exposed to more carbon monoxide and smoke than are cigarette smokers.

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As with cigarette smoking, shisha smoking is linked to lung and oral cancers, heart disease, and other serious illnesses.

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Shisha smoking delivers about the same amount of nicotine as cigarette smoking, possibly leading to tobacco dependence.

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Shisha smoke poses dangers associated with secondhand smoke.

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Shisha smoking by pregnant women can result in low birth weight babies.

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Shisha pipes used in hookah bars and cafes may not be cleaned properly, risking the spread of infectious diseases.

The necessary conclusion Smoking shisha is more dangerous than smoking cigarettes, and this have been scientifically proven. Therefore, it is more haram than cigarettes. Fiqh Issued Related to Shisha The fiqh rulings that apply to cigarette smoking also apply to shisha smoking such as breaking of the fast.

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―They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drinks and gambling. Say: In them is a great sin and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater then their benefit‖ [alBaqarah 2:219]

―O you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, al ansar (stone alters for sacrificing to idols, jinns, and etc) and al azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytan‘s handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaytan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer. So, will you not then abstain?‖ [al-Ma‘idah, 5:90-91] Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhu) declared from the pulpit the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said, ―Khamr is that which befogs the mind.‖ [al-Bukhari & Muslim] The Ruling of Alcohol There is an ijma on this issues the ruling is on drinking alcohol is HARAM. Although there is some benefit, the harm out weights it. Where alcohol is prevalent there is a huge harm in society. The ni‘mat of Islam is that when Allah makes something haram for us, it is for the benefit of our society, even though you don‘t see the benefits at your own individual level. When you are drunk, you are not able to make the right decision. For example, when you are sober you know that drunk driving is wrong and that you may kill someone, and yet at the time when you are drunk, you will make to decision to drive drunk, because you can‘t think clearly. 58

People believe that to educate people about alcohol is enough of a deterrent and you don‘t have to prohibit it, but even though the knowledge of drinking and driving is widely known it not being translated in to action. Therefore, just the ‗ilm is not enough that is why Islam protects us from things like spousal or child abuse, because they stem from alcohol. Fiqh Issues Related to Alcohol The ruling of medicines that contain a certain amount of alcohol The ruling of medicines that contain a certain amount of alcohol is that if the amount of alcohol is intoxicating, then it is Haram. This is based on a hadith that says ―The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said ―Whatever that is haram in large amount is haram in small amount‖‖ –At Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud Is it permissible to use cosmetic products that contain alcohol? Is it permissible to wear cologne or perfume that contain alcohol? The ruling of using cosmetic products or water cologne or perfume that contains alcohol differ. While some of the scholars that says that alcohol itself is impure says that the ruling is impermissible, while the scholars that says alcohol itself is pure (but drinking is impermissible) says that it is permissible. Shaykh Saad Tasleem holds the opinion that it is permissible to use alcohol in cosmetic products. The reason is that study shows that the alcohol used in perfumes or cosmetics is not the same alcohol that is drunk. The type of alcohol that is impermissible is called khamr because it is intoxicating. The cosmetic alcohol is a different type of alcohol because it can cause death if it is consumed. Is it permissible to eat at restaurants where alcohol is served? The ruling of eating at a restaurant that serves alcohol is similar to the issue of listening versus hearing music. So for example, if alcohol is the main purpose of the place, than it is not permissible to enter it. If it is a restaurant with the main purpose is other than alcohol, that it is permissible. However, if alcohol is served at the restaurant, it is better to avoid it to protect your deen. 59

Cooking with alcohol In the ruling of cooking with alcohol there are differences between food that has alcohol in it and food that is made with alcohol. Food that has alcohol in it is IMPERISSIBLE. As for food that is made with alcohol, study shows that not all alcohol evaporated when it is cooked. The best case scenario (if the food cooked for over 10 hours) shows that there still remains about 5% - 10% of alcohol in the food. Shaykh Saad Tasleem‘s opinion is that is IMPERMISSIBLE to eat food that is cooked with alcohol. However, if one knows for a fact that alcohol has changed to a different substance from the chemical reaction, then Allah knows best. Attending weddings where alcohol is served For the ruling of attending wedding where alcohol is served (or any other situation such as free mixing), the answer differs according to the situation. If it is a wedding of a close family and you might risk cutting off that kinship if you don‘t attend, than you are more likely need to attend, but in this case, try to minimize your exposure to haram. So, greet, eat, and leave. However, if it is not necessary for you to attend, then avoid it.

Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬says ―Every intoxicant is khamr, and every khamr is haram‖ [Muslim] Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhu) declared from the pulpit the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said, ―Khamr is that which befogs the mind.‖ -Bukhari and Muslim] Umm Salamah (radyAllahu ‗anha) said ―The Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬forbade all types of intoxicant and relaxants‖ –Ahmed, Abu Dawud The Shaykh told a story about a hafiz, who after smoking marijuana led the Salah. Trust me you are not fine. Another story that the Shaykh told was about a brother who was high, he went to the masjid to pray. He was the imam and after he finished reciting Surah Fatihah, he said na‘meen. The 60

Shaykh had a hard time believing the story, but the person who told the Shaykh says it‘s true. Khamr is not specified to be alcohol. Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬forbade all kinds of intoxicants and relaxant. So, everything that is befogging your is khamr. It is not just wine and beer, but it is anything that similar like marijuana and weed. Although marijuana is considered as a ‗soft drug‘, it still very much intoxicates a person. It weakens one‘s senses and the capability to reflect. Scientific research has proven that marijuana has much harm and could lead to one becoming addict to other ‗hard drugs.‘ People belittle the issue, that at least there are not in the club, but that doesn‘t validate haram. It hinders your ability to think and reflect, and ongoing studies are showing that has long term effect and burn out. The Shaykh told a personal story about a guy he knew in high school who was a pot head, and when he met him at best buy four months ago, he was permanently slowed down. Did you know? Hashish and marijuana both originate from the female cannabis plant, the cannabis sativa. Cannabis is a generic name for hashish and weed. The necessary conclusion That it is HARAM to consume, because it causes depression, chemical imbalances, depression, laziness. The fitra knows that it is not permissible, because permanently damages perception and judgment. Medical Marijuana It is PERMISSIBLE to use with the following conditions: 1. If there is an absolute need for it 2. Nothing else can serve the same purpose You cannot find a halal alternative 3. The decision to use it must be made by a trustworthy Muslim doctor 61

Not from a card dispensary, and has the same ruling as for pain killer or morphine, don‘t prescribe to self. Did you know? Hashish was first introduced into the Muslim world in the sixth century AH and the beginning of the seventh century when the Tartat state emerged. It was for this reason that the four imams didn‘t discuss the ruling of it

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―If you‘re awake, you‘re probably online‖ The internet has had a huge impact on life.

Some facts and numbers: 1. Americans spend a quarter of their time online on social media sites 2. Americans spend more time on Facebook than they do on any other website 3. 25% of Brits spends more time online than asleep 63

4. 8-18 year olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes to using entertainment media across a typical day

The World is Obsessed with Facebook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJXOavGwAW8

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Many institutes have begun offering live Islamic classes online. There is much one can benefit from. This is not something that is discourage, if people are being taught in the correct way What to Watch Out For: 1. Information overload This is something to avoid fir getting ‗ilm in general. So, it is important to take things one step at a time. There is a saying of the early generation: ―whoever seeks knowledge all at once will leave then all at one‖. Don‘t put yourself in a situation you can‘t maintain. 2. A lack of self-discipline – Gaining knowledge in general requires self-discipline, whether you are online or not. But being online, it is an added task to be self-discipline. To obtain self-discipline, realize that Islamic knowledge requires respect from us, and that we are studying the knowledge of the Qur‘an and Sunnah. The prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬says ―the angels lower their wings to the student of knowledge‖ 3. A lack of motivation. Some ways to get motivated and stay motivated Constantly work on purifying your intention. If you purify your intention, you will see barakah in your time, and this barakah is also placed in your knowledge. For example, you may read a book 20 times and still don‘t understand it, but with the barakah from Allah, you may read it once and already understood it. Make sure that your niyyah is correct, for example, it is to gain knowledge, so that you can better help your community.

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Know that all the merit that apply to the earlier student of knowledge will also apply to you, even when you are taking the class online. For example, the angles surround us at the time we are gaining Islamic knowledge. Have a set goal for yourself. For example: within a year, you goal is to have studied a certain amount of tafsir, etc. How to get the most out of your online classes 1. Take rigorous notes. Don‘t rely on the information or PowerPoint that is provided. Shaykh Saad Tasleem teaches from his own personal notes that he took. When he would learn he would convey in his notes the concepts in English, those came in handy to teach. 2. Prepare yourself for your online class just as you would prepare yourself for an inperson class. When you go to an onsite class, you will try get enough rest before going to class, dress well, wear perfume, etc. Similarly, when taking online class, you should do the same preparation. If you care for the ‗ilm and it is important then you will give it your full attention, and make gaining ‗ilm a special occation, because it is important to you in the heart. 3. Get rid of all the distractions. Close all your facebook, twitter, and all other distractions. 4. Keep in contact with your teacher. Learning is not only from what‘s in the syllabus. In traditional learning they would not only learn the ahadith or ayat, but they would also learn ikhlaq and adab. A part of gaining knowledge is learning how your teacher behaves and talks to people. These are the learning experience not written or provided in the book. For example: You may learn fiqh from a specific scholar. Other than that, by being with the scholar, you will also learn how to answer questions properly or how to handle excessive praise. Thus, it is important to stay in good company with your teacher. 5. Keep a journal, an actual journal, physically writing things down. 66

Shaykh Saad suggest having a little notebook in which your write what you learn. Ibn Qayyum‘s Al Fawid was just a collection of his notes. Some ways to supplement the lack of in-person interaction with your teacher If you cannot find that with your teacher, then find someone similar, like an imam in your area. Imam Shafi‘ had such a photographic memory, he would have to cover one page when he was reading a book. Once his memory weakened, so he was told that leave any sin, because the nur of ilm doesn‘t enter into a sinful person. So, her remembered that he had saw the ankle of a non mahrum woman, so when we sought tawbah for that his memory returned.

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Distinguish between research/general knowledge and getting a fatwa

There is a difference for using the internet for basic knowledge or getting advanced knowledge. For example, if you look at the scholarly opinion on an advanced topic such as trimming the 67

beard, you will get very confused. 

The problems with getting fatwas from the internet

The problems is that there are unclear things that the research online will not tell you. Among them are that fatwa always change based on time, place, people, and situation; and that there are matters of differences in opinions in certain topics, because there may be other scholars who held other opinion on the same issue. A mufti can give a fatwa due to someone situation, but because you don‘t have the exact same situation it won‘t apply to you. 

It is always best to get legal verdicts and Islamic advice personally from a scholar instead of relying upon information found online.

We definitely can‘t rely on Google to get fatwa, however, we can use it to gain information. We must distinguish between research for general knowledge and research for getting a fatwa. Islamic knowledge is sacred, so when we want to know a ruling, we must go to a trustworthy person. Plus, in the online world, everyone can say anything and since we always want an answer right away, sometimes we take it from a non-credible source online. If you are not able to find a scholar, try to find an Imam or a student of knowledge, or someone who has access to these individuals, but don‘t use the internet, because it cause people more harm than good.

Time Everything that we do and how we spend our time in this world will be asked by Allah. On the authority of Ibn Abbas the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said: ―Take advantage of five before five: your life before death, your health before your sickness, your spare time before your work, your youth before your old age, your wealth before your poverty. ―–al Hakim

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The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said, ―The feet of the son of Adam shall not move on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked of four things: His life as to how he spent it, his youth as to how he used it, his knowledge as to what he did with it and his wealth as to where he got it and how he spent it.‖ –at Tirmidhi So the time that we spent on-line we will be questioned about. We will be accountable for the days that we spend on argument threads. We will be held accountable for our Facebook and twitter obsessions. Even if we only make dhikr for only 10-30 seconds before we check our Facebook or twitter every time we will be making more dhikr than the average Muslim. Are We Addicted to Social Media? The Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale The Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale is based on six basic criteria, where all items are scored on the following scale: (1) Very rarely, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, and (5) Very often. Here are the six warning signs: ___ You spend a lot of time thinking about Facebook or plan use of Facebook. ___ You feel an urge to use Facebook more and more. ___ You use Facebook in order to forget about personal problems. ___ You have tried to cut down on the use of Facebook without success. ___You become restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using Facebook. ___ You use Facebook so much that it has had a negative impact on your job/studies. Scoring ―often‖ or ―very often‖ on at least four of the six items may suggest that you are addicted to Facebook. Quiz: How Addicted to Facebook Are You http://theoatmeal.com/quiz/facebook_addict/go

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Did you know? People can suffer from ―Facebook Withdrawal‖ The Online Tongue Arguing and debating online In Islam generally arguments are not encouraged, because it becomes an ego dispute. If you are threaten and out down for the whole world to see, then you have to reply back because your ego is bruised.

A lot of people like to debate online because: 

Anonymity

For example, you can make a YouTube account and no one will know your identity. Because of this, you are not afraid to say anything. The more anonymous it is the worst the debates are. 

You‘ll always find someone to argue with online, you‘ll always find someone who disagrees with you, and you‘ll always find people to egg you on.

Although arguing online can be good at time, because you hear more opinions from people that are not similar and have different backgrounds. It is important to watch out about getting obsessive about the negative. 

The problem with arguing and debating online 70

The problem is that it leads to speaking without knowledge, and in general, arguing and debating is not encouraged in Islam. Usually, when you argue, your argument comes from your arrogant, not from your knowledge. The goal becomes proving you are right not finding the truth. The prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said ―the one hated the most in the sight of Allah is the one who argues the most. Arguing leads to the deadening of the heart‖ -Bukhari 

How to deal with those who like to argue

First, know that arguing is discouraged in Islam. And second, ignore those who like to argue. Oscar Wilde says ―Always forgive your enemy, nothing annoys them so much‖ Finally, Islam is the truth, don‘t get dishearten over all the Islamaphobia, because you can never refute it all. They just want attention and a reaction, and to add fuel to the fire. Therefore, don‘t argue online. Watching the online tongue 

Social media can become a facilitator for backbiting, slander, and rumor mongering.

This is sinful, and one‘s sinful act can quickly and can easily be amplified online. In real life few people will hear about it, but online it is there for all to see. Remember that every time people read your negative posts, it amplifies your sins. 

Re-tweeting and sharing without thinking

This may also lead you to sin. For example, you may write a passive aggressive statement like ―I hate when SOME people do this….‖. The moment that someone knows that you are referring to a specific person, you have backbite or slandered your brother or sister. To avoid falling into this sin, we should keep your stuff to yourself. In addition, it is enough of a lie to narrate something you hear. So check to see if what you heard is true or false and checks the facts of what you hear. 71

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Cathartic sharing

This means that you share everything and you‘re obsessively share everything like what you eat today, what you wear today, who you met today, etc. 

The ―peanut gallery‖

Overall, we should not be just sitting around, criticize people and spend most of our time online. As Muslims, we have higher standards than that. There should be a clear difference between a Muslim‘s Facebook and someone else. Unfortunately, passing argumenta are common on Muslim Facebook‘s.

Real life vs. online 

How do we represent ourselves online?

Everyone seems amazing on Facebook, but is it similar to how we are in real life? If you‘re looking for a spouse be skeptical of their Facebook, because one‘s Facebook only shows the good sides and the highlights of his or her life. It does not tell the exact characteristics of the person. When comparing the highlights of other people‘s life to your actual life ―behind the scenes,‖ you may fall into depression. 

Apathetic posting

This is posting things out of habit, and it has no effect in one‘s heart. You post all these pious things, but your pictures show otherwise. When we post or like a comment, we should read and understand it and apply it to our life. 

A lack of sincerity

Life online may lead to hypocrisy, and a lack of sincerity. Therefore, we must check ourselves before we post something online. Why are we doing this? Is it for the sake of Allah and to improve others? 

Seeking the praise of others. 72

Or is the Islamic, beneficial or du‘a just posted so that we can get likes and followers? Also, you may also post something online to seek the praise of others. Online Modesty 

Lower our online gaze!

Brothers are worried about if sisters should be able to post pictures. Let the sisters worry about themselves. Our job is to lower our gaze not force others to be more modest. 

―Facebook stalking‖

Facebook stalking is bad for both genders and it is not lowering gaze. Facebook lets you check other people‘s page without them knowing it, and there must be a purpose for this. If they reveals this, Facebook stalking will decrease significantly. 

Interacting with the opposite gender

We need hiya‘ in the online world too. Just because we are online, the rule doesn‘t change they carry over! Just like in real life you have to hold your limits by being careful and watch what you say. Try to stay away from lol‘s and smiley faces. Remember it is Sunnah to smile to the same gender.

Our private life vs. our online life Some people put a recording of their homes on YouTube, it is as if you are living with that person. As Muslims, we must make a clear distinction between our private life and our public life. For example: the awrah or a women is different when inside the house and when outside. So, we don‘t need to tell the whole world everything that happens to us at every single moment. We must choose what we want to share, and what we want to keep it private.

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Don‘t let random people into your life. Your loved ones also deserve a certain amount of your privacy that is just for the two of you. If you are married then your spouse should have access to parts of your life that other don‘t. When people share too much they began to have a false sense of attention, praise and importance. Don‘t go so far into cyberspace that your whole life is online, not in real life.

What to share, and what NOT to share

Too much sharing can case false sense of self important, and lead to always being concerned with that people think of you. Where in the end, what matters the most is are we pleasing Allah? 74

Although Facebook has privacy setting, and lets you choose who gets to view your pictures, you will never know who might have access to your account and what changes will be imposed on the privacy setting. Therefore, don‘t post pictures of you without hijab, etc. The point is to be careful, and make the judgments in your own. Don‘t put something that shows you're sinning. There is a different between committing a sin, and exposing your sin to the public. Scholars said that if you commit a sin is one thing, but exposing the sin, is an added sin to it. Why would you document your sins for the world to see? It‘s bad enough that you did the sin, but if you post it on Facebook or twitter, you let everyone see. This is not a sign of hypocrisy, but a promotion of a sin. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬says: "if you have no hiya‘ (shame), than do as you wish‖ Bukhari Meaning that now there are no deterrents that can stop you.

The ramifications of what we share When somebody put a bad picture, and then people comment and like that photo, what is the implication of that? The posting of that picture is promoting that sin, and then having people liking the picture and comment it, is another sin. If you commit a sin, and you regret it, it is a sign that Allah still loves you and that will regret to lead you to tawbah. Then there is no need to be hopeless, because Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬loves you and doesn‘t want you to continue on that sin. However, if you sin and promote it on Facebook and don't care what people think, you no longer have that regret, that's when your heart becomes dead. Islam came to free us from the shackles of other people‘s opinion. We only care about pleasing Allah. Know that if Allah loves us, other people will love us also.

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Shaykh Saad Tasleem didn‘t talk about this section he said it was just some advice for those looking to get married online. If you are interested in someone specific for marriage, here are some general guidelines: 1. Do not Contact them personally. Contact their wali or a third person who can serve as an intermediary. lf you cannot find any other way but to contact them personally, ask to speak to their wali, keep it short, to the point, and do not engage in any other conversations. 2. Do not go through their profile looking for pictures. Ask their wali or the third party to send you pictures or information with their permission. 3. lf you must, Google them, but be careful not to delve into personal pictures, or personal conversation that happen to be available for you to see. ―I want to get married. Can the Internet help?‖ Short answer: Possibly. Long answer: Getting married through people you know, people in your community, family, friends, etc. makes things a lot easier and will protect you from falling in to sin. The Internet can serve as a tool to help, but it‘s not the place to go on a blind search. Blindly searching online can open the door for Shaytan and can easily lead to crossing the boundaries set by Allah.

General advice 

Purity your intentions, and then purify them again every time you log on.

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Cut off communication at the first sign of inappropriate and un-Islamic behavior.

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Be completely honest about what you say regarding yourself.

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If you are embarrassed about being on a matrimonial website, then this may not be the best option for you.

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lf you are not comfortable with being on a matrimonial website, don‘t do it just because you feel pressured to get married.

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Trust and rely upon Allah and do not lose hope in marriage if this avenue did not work. Allah can create many more avenues.

Advice for the sisters 

Keep your wali involved in the whole process, every step of the way

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Stay clear from interacting with a brother in private.



Always speak to your wali before sharing any personal

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When in doubt about the appropriateness of something, speak to your wali or a person of knowledge about it.

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Make sure the brother is capable of getting married and isn‘t there to just waste your time or get involved in a haram relationship.

Advice for the brothers 

Always ask to have the sister‘s Walí involved in the process.

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Be completely honest about who you are and what your accomplishments are.

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The moment you feel like you are not interested, or you wouldn‘t marry this person, cut off communication.

Red flags 

The other person shies away from having the wali involved.

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Profiles with pictures, but no information.

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Someone who asks for a lot of personal information without telling you anything about themselves

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―Some faces, that Day, will be bright. Laughing, rejoicing‖ [Surah ‗Abasa, 80: 38-39] The happiness that will be on the Day of Judgment when some people will be granted junnah, nothing of the joy of this world can compare to that mindset. Character is part of our religion to be polite, to be kind and to think well of other, as is worshiping through sawm and hajj. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said that having good chara cter when dealing with people is a good deed. ―I never saw anyone smile more than the Prophet (sallallahu ‗alayhi wa sallam).‖ -Tirmidhi The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬was tested more than us, but even with that he was not frowning. The default state of a Muslim is that we should expect to see them smiling. The story of Umar, when saw a man walking with his head down and Umar got upset because there were some people who thought it was pious to look down and be sad. Umar told him are you sick and he said no so he told him walk straight before I beat you with a stick. This shows that that was not how their default state. However, there is a time for joking and there is a time to be serious. Did you know? The oldest joke is from 1900 BC from Mesopotamia.

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Smiling is from the beautiful character of a Muslim Smiling, greeting people nicely, and a pleasant word should be our default settings.

―To smile in the face of your brother is charity‖ - Tirmidhi

―Never belittle a good deed, even if it is meeting your brother with a happy face.‖ -Muslim

The Muslim is: Pleasant, kind, and polite, Respectful of elders and merciful to youngsters Loves for others what he loves for himself Patient and forgiving Safeguards others from his harm in any way, shape, or form Thinks good of others Strikes a balance between being serious and chilled Knows the time for seriousness and the time for joking

Always be happy, think positive, but know that there is a time for seriousness and there is a time for joking.

Did you know? Smiling can use up to 53 facial muscles.

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1. Permissible jokes The underlined theme is that we don't transgress on the rights of our brothers or sisters. The point of joking for Muslim is to bring happiness to others and to yourself, so if you jokes make someone sad, than that defeats the purpose of the joke. 2. Disliked / impermissible jokes

Those that have no limits and that transgress upon the rights of others.

Type of Joke

Ruling

One which bring happiness and relief,

Recommended

causing no harm or ill feeling Joking about aspects of the religion

Prohibited

Causes harm of ill feeling

Prohibited

Too much joking

Makruh

None of the above

Allowed

The usul of joking is that it is halah; it can even be a sadaqa and following the Sunnah, if the condition to bring happiness to a fellow Muslim is met. However, when you go into to excess such as you are always joking and it is who you are or you cross boundaries, then is can range from makruh (disliked) to prohibited.

Did you know? The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬would not laugh out loud. The most he would do is smile widely so that his back teeth would become visible. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬Joking with Children 81

Anas narrated (radyAllahu ‗anhu) that the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said to his brother. ―O Abu ‗Umayr, what happened to your bird?‖ Abu ‗Umayr had a pet bird named was Nughayr, and the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬saw him without the bird and made a rhyme to ask him about his bird. The Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬ who was the leader in battles, giving daw‘ah took out time to ask about what was important to a child. Mahmud b. Rabi said, ―All I remember from the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬was that he threw water on my face when I was five years old‖ –Bukhari and Muslim What he remembers about the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬is a nice vivid memory of him joking with him and playing with him and throwing water on him, not that he was angry and upset all the time. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬Joking with Members of His Household Sahl bin Sa‘d Narrates that the Prophet (‫‗ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬Ali whilst he was sleeping in the mosque. When he stood up he was covered in dust, so the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said, ―Stand up, O father if dust‖ –Bukhari and Muslim Prophet found Ali bin Abi Talib (radyAllahu ‗anhu) sleeping in the masjid so when he stood up for Salah he had dust so the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬called him O Aba Turab which means father of dust or dirt as a joke Their masjid wouldn‘t have carpet; it was just the floor, so that when they would weep in Salah, they would have signs of mud on their faces due to their tears. ‗A‘isha narrates that once she complained of headache, so the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said, ―Even though I am still alive? I forgive you and will make dua‘ for you.‖ She replied. ―Oh by Allah, I think you want me to die; and if that were to happen, by the end of the day you would probably be with some of your other wives‖ The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said, "Now, I have

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a headache. I think I should send for Abu Bakr and his son advising them that people shouldn‘t speak or hope‖ –Bukhari and Muslim The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬Joking with Other Companions The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬once gave Hudhayfah a cloak in which he would lead the prayers. Hudhayfah slept in it until morning, and when he woke up the Prophet ( ‫صلى هللا عليه‬ ‫ )وسلن‬said, ―Wake up, sleepy head‖ –Muslim Hasan al Basri (radyAllahu ‗anhu ) said: That a certain old woman came to the Prophet and requested him to pray to Allah to make her enter Paradise. The Prophet said, "O mother of so and so! No old woman shall enter into paradise." The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬was not finish, but the woman got upset started crying and left. The Prophet said to the people around him call he back and told the old woman that she would not enter into Paradise as an old woman, but Allah will make all the women of Paradise young virgins. Then he recited the verse: "Indeed, We have produced the women of Paradise in a [new] creation and have made them virgins devoted [to their husbands] and of equal age." [Al-Waqi`ah, 56:35-37] Trimidhi In this hadith it says ya ummu fulan, so we just know it's an elderly women, but we don‘t know her name. The hadith narrator narrated it like this to protect her from feeling embarrassed. Zahir bin Hashim was a Bedouin from the desert, and would come to visit the Prophet ( ‫صلى‬ ‫ )هللا عليه وسلن‬and shop. Once he was in the marketplace in Madinah and the Prophet ( ‫صلى هللا‬ ‫ )عليه وسلن‬grabbed him from behind. He turned around trying to get away, but when and saw it was the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬he moved back closer to the Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬. The Prophet (‫― )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬I have a slave. I am selling him. Who wants to buy him?" Zahir replied ―"O Messenger of Allah! I swear by Allah that you are trying to sell a worthless slave." The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said "No. I swear by Allah that you are priceless in the eye of Allah and His Messenger!" –Ahmed and Tirmidhi The prophet (PBUH) playing with people‘s names He used to call A‘isha as A‘ish. 83

Now people nickname A‘isha A‘ush in Arabic and A‘shi in Urdu Anjashah- a servant of the Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬, would sometimes be called Anjash Abu Hurayrah – the famous companion, would sometimes be called Abu Hirr Anas ibn Malik relates, ―Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬once told him jokingly, O two eared one.‖ Tirmidhi)

‗Awf b. Malik – In the Battle of Tabuk, he requested permission to enter the tent of the Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬granted him permission, so ‗Awf asked ―Can all of me enter‖ The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬replied "Yes, all of you!" –Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah Abu Hurayrah narrated ―There was a Bedouin men once in the presence of the Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said "A man from the people of Paradise will seek the permission of Allah to farm. Allah will ask him, 'Do you not have what you desire?' The man will say, 'Yes, but I like to farm.' "The seed will grow so big it will be as tall as mountain. Allah will say, 'O son of Adam, nothing will ever satisfy you.' "The Bedouin man said, "By Allah the man in Paradise must be from Quraysh or the Ansar, for they are the people of agriculture, As for us, we don‘t take to agriculture. The Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬ laughed at that. –Bukhari Reoccurring narration show that companions would often get together and throw melon rinds at each other and joke, but when the matter became serious they were true men. They had balance. The Companions Playing Practical Jokes with One Another An authentic hadith narrated by Umm Salamah (radyAllahu ‗anha) There is a story of Nuiman (radyAllahu ‗anhu) and Thuwaibit (radyAllahu ‗anhu). They were both on a journey with Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu). Thuwaibit (radyAllahu ‗anhu) 84

was in charge of cooking and Nuiman (radyAllahu ‗anhu) in charge of buying ingredients. Nuiman wants food after it is cooked, but Thuwaibit doesn't want to give it to him until Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu) gets back and give him permission. Nuiman got angry, and went to the marketplace and say: "I have a slave to sell, who wants to buy a slave for me? I can sell you a slave he is intelligent and an Arab, but there's only one thing wrong with him. He will insist that ―I'm not a slave!‖" The people at the market place traded with Nuiman for ten dirhams, and the people went and took Thuwaibit using the ropes, and Thuwaibit is saying ―I‘m free!‖, but they say that they were told that he was going to say that. Until, finally when Abu Bakr gets back, and they reverse the trade. Later on when Prophet and his companion was told about this, he laughed for an entire year. Did you know? We are 30 times more likely to laugh in a social setting than on our own.

Abu Hanifah was asked a lot of hypothetical what if questions A man came to Abu Hanifah and asked, ―If I take off my clothes and bathe in the river, should I face the qiblah or another direction‖ Abu Hanifah replied, it is best to face the direction of your clothes just in case they get stolen‖ Some people came to Ash‘ab and asked him to narrate hadith to them, so he agreed. He said, ―Ikrimah heard Ibn ‗Abbas say that the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said, ―Two things will not be found in a believer‖. Ash‘ab then went quiet. The students asked, ―Well, what are the two things?‖ He replied, ―Ikrimah forgot the first one and I forgot the second.‖

1. Truthful The prank cannot have any lies, it has to be truthful. Abu Hurayrah asked the Prophet (sallallahu ‗alayhi wa sallam), ―You joke with us?‖ He replied, ―Yes, but I only speak the truth.‖ 85

2. It should not make mockery of any aspect of the religion You can‘t make fun of hijabs, beards, or call people malwi, because it‘s not allowed to make fun of a pious act, a Sunnah, or someone modesty. 3. A person shouldn‘t go to extremes in joking 4. Choosing the appropriate time and place 5. Should not harm or offend others 6. Should not include swearing, backbiting, belittling or making fun of others. Shaykh Saad told an example of joke that his family does it when someone puts food to eat in the microwave, and when they come back it‘s gone.

1. Lying, harming others or doing something haram 2. Making fun or joking about the religion

―And do not take the ayat of Allah in jest‖ [al-Baqarah 2:231] 3. Taking someone‘s possessions as a joke. ―Do not take the possessions of your brother as in jest or seriousness, and whosoever takes the stick of his brother, let him return‖ -Ahmad There was an incident where the Companion hid someone‘s stick as a joke, and the Prophet (saw) told to return it.

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4. Scaring someone as a joke. A companion was traveling and fell asleep and some tied him up and when the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬heard about this he forbade them from doing so 5. ―It is impermissible for a Muslim to scare or frighten another Muslim‖-Abu Dawud 6. Using a weapon as a joke. ―Whosoever points a weapon towards his brother will be cursed by the angels until he puts it down, even if it be his paternal or maternal brother‖ -Muslim We shouldn‘t say stuff like why did the brother get upset, it just a joke, I do it all the time. PRINCIPLE Laughter and joking can be rewarded or punished by Allah. Making someone laugh to enter happiness into their hearts is rewarded, whereas laughing at someone to mock and belittle them is sinful. You can get rewarded with the right intention and fulfilling all the conditions as long as it‘s not sinful, mocking, or hurtful.

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The Prophet (‫― )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬Souls are like soldiers grouped together in ranks, those that recognize each other unite in harmony and those that does not recognize each other will be in conflict‖ -Bukhari

The purpose is not to create a clique environment, but sometimes you meet certain people and your soul doesn‘t get along, while other you gel nicely The souls were created before the bodies, and they would talk to each other and discuss. So, when souls enter the body, they may recognize each other. That is why when some people when they meet another person, they can just tell that they don't like each other, or they can tell that they are going to be good friends. This is because our souls were friends or enemies before they enter our bodies.

Shaykh Saad told us about his personal experience with Shaykh Navid Aziz. He knows hi m as Shaykh al Canadee (because he is from Canada). When the met they became the best of friends, so much that their mannerisms become similar and Shaykh Saad picked up Canadian phrases and Shaykh Navid picked up American phrases.

―Friends on that day will be foes to one another except the pious‖ [al-Zukhruf, 43:67] True friend is one that will be with you in the hereafter, because it is based on piety and they are someone who make you a better person, a better Muslim and bring you closer to Allah.

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―A person is on the religion of their close friend, so let each of you look to who is their close friend‖-Bayhaqi If you friend is someone who is righteous and pious then they will help you to pray you Salah every day on time. However, if you friend is someone who is lax with their Salah then it will rub off on you. Therefore, it is enough to look at who a person takes as a close friend. Say to yourself I deserve a good friend which will benefit me in this life and the hereafter. You don‘t have to settle for a bad friend with bad character and a lack of honesty. Only let the people with the following 5 qualities be you close friend according to scholars 1. Intelligence 2. Good character 3. Piety and taqwa (conscious of Allah always watching them) because they‘ll will

protect you and they won't harm your dunya and your akhirah 4. Knowledge 5. Zuhd (indifference to this world and is not consume by the worldly life)

Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhu) said ―beware of a friend who is not trustworthy; and only the one who fears Allah will truly be trustworthy do not befriend an immoral person and do not confide in them and only seek the advice from those who have taqwa‖ Venting to someone how doesn‘t have these qualities causes great regret to everyone. How many times that we share something with our friends, and they went off and tell others. So don‘t ask advice from a random person, because it is a question of your dunya and akhirah. So, be careful.

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Brotherhood and friendship are core concept in Islam

The core concept in Islam is ―The believers are nothing but brothers.‖

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To have a best friend is also an Islamic concept. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said that if he were to take a best friend, it would have been Abu Bakr.

Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu) and ‗Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhu) were disputing. Abu Bakr apologized to ‗Umar but he didn‘t accept it saying ―he's not forgiving him and he walked away‖ because he was upset. When he realized what he did, ‗Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhu) felt bad and he rushed to Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anha) house and he wasn‘t there. Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu) had gone to go see the Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬, because he was upset and wanted advice and the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said what happened you are genteel and kind, so why did he accept you apology. Then ‗Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhu) rushed to the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬house. When Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhu) comes in., the Prophet ( ‫صلى‬ ‫ )هللا عليه وسلن‬stands up and tells him ―O Son of al Khattab, is it you who abandons my friend? He believed in me when all of you did and he provided me when all of you refused. By Allah if I were to take a khalil, I would take Abu Bakr as close friend but the bond of Islam is sufficient". While Abu Bakr was saying that it‘s my fault but the Prophet (‫)صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬ was upset for his friend‘s sake. Salman, Suhayb, and Bilal (radyAllahu 'anhum) had a dispute with Abu Bakr. So, they went to Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬and the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬says ―Perhaps you have said something that offend the elders" to Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu). Then Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu) realized his mistakes and apologized. In this case, the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬did not defend Abu Bakr, because they were elders while Abu Bakr (radyAllahu ‗anhu) and ‗Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhu) were on an equal footing and were very close friends (meaning that ‗Umar wouldn‘t mind the Prophet ( ‫صلى هللا‬ ‫ )عليه وسلن‬defending Abu Bakr). 

Righteous friendship is based on pleasing Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬ o They will be given shade on the Day of Judgment

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said: "Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His. a just ruler; a young man who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, (i.e. worship Allah 90

(Alone) sincerely from his childhood); a man whose heart is attached to the mosque (who offers the five compulsory congregational prayers in the mosque); Two persons who love each other only for Allah's sake and they meet and part in Allah's cause only; A man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for an illegal sexual intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah; a person who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity); a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes get flooded with tears.‖ Bukhari o Visiting someone for the sake of Allah brings about the love of Allah. There is hadith that a man who was going to visit his friend in another town was approached by an angel and asked him where he was going and he said his brother and he asked if it to make amends for something and he said for the sake of Allah. The angel replied: "I am a messenger from Allah to you, and I come to inform you that Allah loves you as you love your brother for Allah's sake" o Love for Allah‘s sake allows one to taste the sweetness of eman Narrated by an-Nasai‘: The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬said ―Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness of faith: The one to whom Allah and His Apostle becomes dearer than anything else; who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's sake; who hates to revert to disbelief as he hates to be thrown into the fire.‖ -Bukhari o Protecting your friends and defending them is honorable

o Anything which increases love is recommended, such as gifts

One of the greatest sources of regret on the Day of Judgment is friendship based on other than the sake of Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬

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―Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken so and so as a friend . He led me to astray from remembrance after it had come to me. And Shaytan is ever a deserter to man in the hour of need."[al-Furqan 25:28-29] PRINCIPLE Friendship based on piety is stronger than blood bonds based on disbelief. Socializing

1. Love your friends for the sake of Allah first and foremost.

2. Be the best Muslim you can be so that your friends will benefit from your example. Be the best representative of Islam 3. Be a source of goodness, bring them closer to Allah. Be a better kind of friend 4. Love for them what you would love for yourself. 5. Compliment one another‘s strengths and make up for each other‘s weaknesses. 6. Be intelligent and considerate in the way you deal with your friends. 7. Be just and fair.

8. Conceal the faults of others and help them to improve. Those that conceal the faults of Muslim Allah (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬will conceal their faults on the Day of Judgment 92

The believers are mirrors of each other, so help them correct their faults. 9. Never be stingy with good, sincere advice and be patient if your friends don‘t always take your advice. Everyone feels that they are capable of giving nasiha, but there is fiqh of nasiha. The fiqh of nasiha is to know if your advice will be beneficial, will it help them improve or go deeper in fault 10. Learn to pardon and forgive your friends when they make mistakes. Forgive them when they make mistakes, because you make mistakes too, because no one is perfect. 11. Don‘t lie to your friends or break their trust. 12. Buy them gifts, visit them, and keep in touch. 13. Be there for them in their times of need and not just on happy occasions. Help them realize the good of a bad situation, and how it could have been worst 14. Visit them when they‘re ill and support their families when they need you. 15. Always speak well of them and never belittle them. 16. Defend them in their absence. 17. Make excuses for them. Umar would say always look at them in the best light unless you are sure of the opposite. Never think of a word said by a Muslim as evil as long as you can find a good interpretation 18. Be patient with them. Everyone makes mistakes. 19. Don‘t let Shaytan come in between you. 93

When you are having a disagreement, pause and ask is shaytan please with how this is going? If you think he is then take a step back 20. Last but not least, make du‗a‘ for them The simplest dua‘ that you can make for them is assalamu alaykum The golden rule is to love for your brothers what you love for yourself. This universal conce pt, to treat others how you would love to be treated, came from Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬.

Ibn Samak(he was the scholar who went to Harun Rashid and ask about the water) tells us that the prophet was asked "who deserve your most affection?" He replied "the one who has a significant portion of the deen and the one of adequate mind; the one that doesn‘t get sick of you when you are close and doesn‘t forget when you are far away; if you come close to him he lets you in, if you move away from him he is considerate of it; if you need help he helps you, if you seeks him he assists you, and he shows you affection with his actions more than he does with his words.

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Backbite, lie, slander, spread rumors, mock

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Become overly angry or jealous

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Develop enmity and hatred

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Never remind you of Allah

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Encourage you to disobey Allah

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A bad friend in someone you cannot trust when they talk about you. There is so much backbiting in corporate America. Don‘t stoke your ego; it‘s not worth it to lose a friend, so apologize. 95

―The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬was asked which of those who sit with us is the best? He replied those who their sight reminds you of Allah and their speech you of Allah and their deeds remind you of the hereafter.‖ –Bukhari Did you know? The term ―frenemy‖ is a portmanteau of friend and enemy, which signifies a person who pretends to be a friend but is actually an enemy

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The Ash‘ari tribe of Madinah

The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬praised the proper of this tribe. They would divide their wealth and clothes evenly; they had a great sense of community. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬they are from me and I am from them 

Suhayb ar-Rumi, Bilal ibn Rabah, and Salman al-Farsi (radyAllahu ‗anhum)

They didn‘t have tribes from the area to back them up, they were older, they were poor and the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬used to spend time with them. 

Abu Bakr and ‗Umar (radyAllahu ‗anhum)

They were good friends who competed in good deeds together and would argue. They would compete to come closer to Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬. They had a very close relationship like a sibling rivalry. 

Sa‗d b. Rabi‗ and ‗Abdul-Rahman b. ‗Awf (radyAllahu ‗anhum)

They were made brothers by the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬and they immediately had love for each other and Sa‘d offered him half his wealth. It wasn‘t a joke he was ready to give it up. 

Generally, the Companions (radyAllahu ‗anhum) 96

They know how to be good friends

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―The best of you are those who feed others.‖ -Ibn ‗Asakir

When Shaykh Saad when to study, in his second year, he shared a room with two brothers one from Oman and one from Jordan. The three roommates went to go eat dinner together. Shaykh Saad was first in line so paid for his dinner and waited for the other two to pay for theirs. They were confused, because they were not use to someone just paying for themself. As we see in our Arab and Pakistani cultures, uncles and aunties fight for who is going to pay for the food. These are positive aspects of our culture that we should keep. We should take the good of our cultures and amplify it. 

The most beloved actions to Allah are entering happiness upon a Muslim, removing some harm, feeding him, or paying off a debt‖-Sahih al Jami‘.

All have to do with relieving hardship and bringing happiness to others. 

―Spread the salam, feed people, join the ties of kinship, pray whilst others are sleeping and you will enter Paradise in peace‖ - Sahih al Jami‘.

Did you know? People in the UK spend £ 1,430m a year on takeaways

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―Give gifts and you will love one another.‖ -Sahih al-Jami‗

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The quantity and quality of a gift does not increase with grater monetary value of the gift. The goal of the gift is that you took out the time to think about them. It is a means of increasing love. Even a small gift can increase love. We don‘t have an excuse to not give gifts, if we cannot afford anything we can always give the gift of time. 

―The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬would accept gifts and reciprocate in kind‖—Bukhari.

The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬would not accept charity but would accept gifts. Since the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬was very Zahid, whenever it he had something mice or out of place, it was a gift from someone. The Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬never refused a gift

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Make good intention for Allah‘s (‫ )سبحانه و تعالى‬sake. By doing this, the time you spend with your friends, be it a meal or going shopping, will be rewarded

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Stay away from anything which is haram

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Don‘t go to extremes e.g. spending day after day shopping for no reason

So make the correct intention do it in a halal manner and stay within the limits prescribed by Allah (‫)سبحانه و تعالى‬ Joke: What do women do when they get tired of shopping? They sit down and try shoes Did you know? Markets are the most despised places to Allah on earth

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―Say: ‗Travel in the land and see how (Allah) originated creation, and then Allah will bring forth (resurrect) the creation of the Hereafter (i.e. resurrection after death). Verily, Allah is Able to do all things.‘‖ [al-'Ankabut, 29:20] The word qul is used to say pay attention This is a commandment to travel the land; therefore, is considered mustahab (encouraged or recommended) in Islam to travel. In the times of the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬and after, traveling was a necessary linked to ‗ilm Whoever treads upon a path of knowledge, Allah will guide him to a path of paradise-Abu Dawud. Did you know? The word ―travel‖ comes from the old French word ―travail‖

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Traveling to reflect upon the creation of Allah

It is good to get out of the city and see what is out there. Some people haven‘t even seen the city that they are living in. This is highly encouraged. 

Traveling for seeking knowledge

The way of the tab‘in and the scholars

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Shaykh Saad told his personal story that he would go to a class in Virginia every Friday. And he was told that if he wanted to increase his ‗ilm and was serious about attaining ‗ilm that he should go to Madinah University. 

Traveling for pilgrimage

Hajj and Umrah. One of the 5 pillars involves traveling, Hajj, it is fard and a test for us. In Saudi Arabia, the first thing that you learn is to wait. When you arrive in Jeddah you have to wait at least 8 hours. It is your first lesson in sabr. Alhamdulillah it gives you time increase in your patience and do dhikr. Unlike American culture, the Arabs there are use to waiting; whenever you go anywhere they serve you tea, because you will have to wait. Traveling helps you learn about different cultures and people that you are not familiar with. Shaykh Saad told a story about when he first when to Madinah. He was doing wudu and like most American he turned the faucet way up, there was an African brother who turned it down to a drip and told Shaykh Saad that he had to travel 15 miles to get water, so don‘t waste it. Shaykh Saad said that there is not a better vacation then going to Madinah, you will never be happier. It such a spiritual experience. Even as a guest you can visit the halaqa to learn and study We come across things you are not used to and see things outside your 

Traveling to visit family or another Muslim

With the proper intention you get two rewards . One of filling the commandment of Allah in ―Travel in the land‖ [al-'Ankabut, 29:20] and the other is keeping the family ties firm Come across things you are not used to and see things outside your bubble

Ibn Batutah In 1304 he was a scholar, learned religion in early life, and traveled more than Marco Polo 100

Mahmud Shamsuddin (Zheng He) Abu‘l-Hasan al-Mas‗udi Wrote Muruj adh-dhahab wa ma'adin al-jawhar (The Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems) Muhammad Idrisi Wrote Kitab Nuzhat al-Mushtaq Fi'khtiraq al-'Afaq (The Book of Pleasant Journeys into Faraway Lands) Ahmad b. Majid Benified by travlinfg both in the east and the west. He would travel the oceans. He wrote Kitab al-Fawa‘id fi Usul ‗Ilm al-Bahr wa ‘l-Qawa‘id (Book of Useful Information on the Principles and Rules of Navigation) PRINCIPLE Muslim should not visit places of destruction or punishment. If passing by such places, one should hasten through them.

Musa (‫ )عليه الصالة والسالم‬was the first to travel for knowledge. Companions would travel hundreds of miles for one hadith Abu Ayyub Ansari went all the way to Egypt for one hadith that he was not sure about. When he arrived in Egypt, he asked if they knew the companion Utbah bin Umar, and was directed to his house. He knocked on the door and asked about the hadith. Then he began to leave, Utbah bin Umar said that you have come from such a long way, why don‘t you come in. Abu Ayyub Ansari replied that he didn‘t want to come in because he wanted his intention to travel only be for the hadith and not for anything else. 101

Abdullah ibn Ummayad traveled to relate a hadith that he had not heard from the Prophet (‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلن‬because he wanted to he wanted to have one less person in his chain of narration. Scholars would spend their lives traveling for knowledge Imam Shafi‘ Would travel to Yemen seek Imam Malik Imam Ahmed Would travel between Makkah and Madinah Imam al Bukhari Traveled the world for a single hadith. Since the beginning of Islam until today, Muslims continue to travel for knowledge

The general ruling is that it is allowed Default ruling is allowed if you‘re not traveling for the sake of the holiday but just taking advantage of the time off. One must be able to fulfill their obligations, e.g. pray One must stay away from haram One should be sure they will not succumb to any fitna One should know the ruling and etiquettes of traveling Did you know? In 2010 there were 940 million international tourists

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Have the intention to please Allah by bringing your family closer together Make the trip educational and beneficial for your family especially your children

If it is done with a righteous intention of nurturing love between the husband and wife, it is praiseworthy It should not be done in imitation of the disbelievers So, can‘t have a Honeymoon exactly like a disbeliever. Shaykh Saad doesn‘t see a problem with Honeymoons as long as all the other conditions are fulfilled (not trying to imitate people of sin or doing haram stuff), and Islamic guidelines are observed.

PRINCIPLE The 5 rulings of the Shari‘ah can be applied to travel as can be seen from the table below Ruling

Type of Travel

Obligatory

Hajj

Recommended

Seeking Knowledge

Allowed

Holiday

Disliked

Traveling to waste money

Prohibited

Traveling to disobey Allah

Traveling for seeking knowledge can become wajib, if there is no one in a certain area that has Islamic ‗ilm, tafsir, fiqh, etc. Shaykh Saad mentioned that he loves to travel and meeting new people, but he is sad because it‘s his last day of the class. If we don‘t travel then how can we see some of the horrible things that are happening. Yes, we care about the Ummah suffering, but its not the same if we were to be close to them and see the suffering on a daily basis. When we become their neigbors they have a more haqq on us, and we need to help them with food and support. 103

http://www.livestrong.com/article/110163-risks-smoking-cigarettes/ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hookah/AN01265 http://www.quitingshisha.com/ http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/the-six-signs-of-facebook-addiction/12751

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