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The Dangers of using Weak Hadeeth

Bismillah

Many scholars like Imam Bukharee rahmatulillah alay and Imam Muslim rahmatulillah alay have clarified the dangers of using da'eef (weak) ahadeeth.  Of the scholars that have used weak ahadeeth, they have done so with very strict conditions.

Ibn Hajar al-Askalani rahmatullilah alay, the father of the scholars of hadeeth, has said da'eef ahadeeth are only to be used when the following conditions are met:

1. It is well accepted amongst the scholars of hadeeth that the weakness is only minor.
2. The hadeeth is only used in light of the subject matter being well-established in other more authentic ahadeeth or the Qur'an
3. The user of the da'eef hadeeth should not believe that it is really an act of the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam because then it is possible we would be attributing acts to the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam that he may not have done. If we believed that it was truly the saying of the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam we would under threat of his saying: "Whoever lies upon me intentionally then let him be sure of his place in the hellfire"
4. We should not call people to any act based on da'eef ahadeeth
5. A weak hadeeth can only be used to encourage good deeds which are already well-established in other more authentic ahadeeth or the Qur'an
6. We cannot use da'eef ahadeeth to establish Islamic belief, creed, or matters of halal and haraam.

Source

Shakir, Abdur-Ra'uf.  "Usool us-Sunnah' by Imam Ahmed ibn al-Hanbal: Lecture 1" <http://www.islamlecture.com/usoolussunnah.htm>

• Conditions for Saheeh Hadeeth
• What is a Hadith?
• THE Purpose of Creation
• Prostrate to Thank Allah
• Salaah: Relax!

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You Can Do It

My brothers and sisters in Islam, know that the Muslim is one who never gives up in anything that he or she does. O People! Know that the one who submits himself to Allah, should never feel like he or she does not have the capabilities to accomplish something.

My brothers and sisters, sometimes we find it difficult to excel in our fields. If you're a student -- you may feel that you're not able to get that A+ grade, you think to yourself 'I'm not that smart, I can't do it!'. If you're a worker -- you may feel that your not able to get that amazing position in the company, you think to yourself 'I'm not qualified, I can't do it!'

O People! O Believers! Do you not know that Allah azza wa jal is able to do all things?

Abu Hurairah radhiAllah anhu narrates in a hadith that the Prophet alayhi salatu wasalam said: "Seek out that which benefits you, seek help only from Allah and never say you can't do it." [Saheeh Muslim]

O Muslims! Do that which benefits you, put in your efforts, and put your trust in Allah. For verily, if Allah Wills good to occur, it will happen even if the entire world is against you.

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Where will they Flee when the One True God is the Pursuer?

Victory comes only by the decree and permission of Allah, and this is true whether the victory is a small personal victory (like meeting a personal goal), the victory of a nation (like winning a battle), or the victory of passing the tests of dunya (like overcoming temptation and lowering your gaze). The evidence that supports this rule is ample, and the quality of the evidence—subhaanAllah, the stories are amazing! One such story comes from Suratul-Fil (The Elephant), and even a moment of reflection upon the story resonates with a message about the Supreme Power of Allah.

Allah says, in Suratul-Fil:

Translation: Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not make their plan into misguidance? And He sent against them birds in flocks, striking them with stones of hard clay, and He made them like eaten straw. [Surah , verses 1-5]

In short, the conflict leading to the march of the Elephants began when the emperor of Yemen (Abrahah) decided to force the Arabs to make pilgrimage to a church he built for the King of Abyssinia. The Quraysh acted out in anger, so Abrahah took an army of elephants to destroy the House of Makkah (Ka'bah). Among these elephants was Mahmud, an elephant sent by the King of Abyssinia specifically to demolish the Ka'bah. Abrahah's army defeated several troops on their way to Makkah and then captured the livestock of the Makkan people.

Before attacking the city, Abrahah told the Makkans that he would not fight them as long as they did not try to prevent him from destroying the Ka'bah. 'Abdul-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم), replied by saying, "By Allah! We have no wish to fight him, nor are we in any position to do so. This is the Sacred House of Allah, and the house of His Khalil, Ibrahim, and if He wishes to prevent him (Abrahah) from (destroying) it, it is His House and His Sacred Place (to do so). And if He lets him approach it, by Allah, we have no means to defend it from him."

Abrahah met 'Abdul-Muttalib and they had a short but telling conversation. In it 'Abdul-Muttalib only asked for the return of his 200 camels (which were among the livestock Abrahah's army had captured). Abrahah (probably as surprised as you are) replied by saying, "I was impressed by you when I first saw you, but now I withdraw from you after you have spoken to me. You are asking me about 200 camels which I have taken from you, and you leave the matter of a house which is (the foundation of) religion and the religion of your fathers, which I have come to destroy and you do not speak to me about it." But 'Abdul-Muttalib said to him, "Verily, I am the lord of the camels. As for the House, it has its Lord who will defend it."

Other Makkans tried to offer Abrahah money to withdraw, but he refused to accept. Before retreating for their safety, 'Abdul-Muttalib (and other Quraysh) went to the door of the Ka'bah and asked Allah to give them victory over the approaching army and to defend His property saying, "Their cross and their cunning will not be victorious over your cunning by the time morning comes." According to some accounts, the people also left camels near the Ka'bah, hoping that some of the army would steal the camels and thereby bring about the anger of Allah—SubhaanAllah look at the strategy of their battle!

Before Nufayl bin Habib (one of the Makkans) left, he took Mahmud by the ear and said, "Kneel Mahmud! Then turn around and return directly to where you came from, for verily, you are in the Sacred City of Allah." The men of Abrahah's army beat Mahmud with axes on its head and tried to trick it into moving, but Mahmud would not move toward the Ka'bah. Then Allah sent birds, flock after flock, carrying stones, one in each claw, and one in each beak. Those who were hit by the stones were destroyed utterly, while others fled in panic. As Nufayl watched he said, "Where will they flee when the One True God is the Pursuer?"

SubhaanAllah! Victory comes only by the decree and permission of Allah, and as you think about the battles of this life and the battles for the next, the words of Nufayl resonate with eternal truth. So next time you are tempted to sin or feel bad for those who are suffering defeat in this dunya, remember the words of Nufayl and make du'aa for those who are suffering, for where will the aggressors or the sinners flee when the One True God is the Pursuer?

I ask Allah to make us of those who are blessed with His favour and to spare us from being of those who have earned His wrath. Ameen.

All that correct in the above narration is from Allah, and any error is my own—May Allah forgive me—and Allah knows best.

Al-Mubarakpuri, Safiur-Rahman, ed. Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged). 1st ed. Vol. 10. Riyadh: Darussalam, 2000. 588-594.

• Where’s Our Dignity?
• The True Measure of Leadership
• Understanding Fiqh: Part 1
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• Imam Abu Hanifa: A True Tradesman

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2500 Sins in a Day

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-'Aas (رضي الله عنه‏) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said:

There are two characteristics that no servant possesses except that he will enter Paradise. They are both very easy, but those who act upon them are quite few:

The first is that one of you says 'Subhan Allah' ten times, 'al-Hamdu lillah' ten times, and 'Allahu Akbar' ten times after each prayer. This is 150 (30 X five prayers) with the tongue, and 1,500 in the Scale.

The second is that if he goes to bed, he says 'Subhan Allah' thirty-three times, 'al-Hamdu lillah' thirty-three times, and 'Allahu Akbar' thirty-four times. This is 100 with the tongue, and 1,000 in the Scale.

So, which of you performs 2,500 sins in the course of a day and night?

'Abdullah (رضي الله عنه‏) said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah counting them on his fingers."

It was asked: "O, Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم)! Why is it that those who do this are few?"

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) replied: "Shaytaan comes to one of you in his prayer and says to him: 'Remember such-and-such that you have to attend to after the prayer!' Likewise, he comes to one of you when he goes to bed and causes him to fall asleep (without making these adhkar)." [1]

[Reported by at-Tabrizi in 'Mishkat al-Masabih' (2406), and it is in 'Sahih Mawarid ath-Thaman' (449)]

So there you go--an easy way to get into Paradise. Ok, not easy; you need to be consistent, very consistent. And that is what makes this adhkaar a little more tricky than it looks. Its easy to do once or twice, but hard to remain steadfast on it for months upon months and years upon years.

But insha'Allah if you remain on this, its one way to earn the mercy of Allah, which will result in Paradise. Why? Because almost no matter what you do, you can hardly do 2500 sins in a day! And this is like a bank acount; every day, you deposit $2500 into your account, and withdraw $100. Or $1000. Or $2000. But day by day, week by week, month by month, your balance grows and grows.

Here are some tricks and tips we use to make sure we don't forget to do this daily:

• Make a habit of doing it after every salaah. It's hard after the first few days, but then, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) makes it easy.
• Post reminders around your house! Place sticky-notes on your fridge, reminders in your computerized to-do list, your cell phone, and so on.
• Do the last 100 while you're getting ready for bed, instead of when you're lying down. This makes it easier not to fall asleep before you finish.

What are some tips and tricks you use to remember to perform these adhkaar consistently? Let us know in the comments insha'Allah!

May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) allow us to remain firm on this deen, to live and die upon it, and to implement this simple adhkaar throughout our lives, ameen ya rabbi!

[1] http://www.ummah.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-91104.html

[2] Anwar al-Awlaki. The Hereafter. Part 2.

• Sins: Tawbah and Repetition
• Protect Your Dignity
• Do Not Reveal Your Sins
• A River of Purity (Salat 101)
• Eid Mubarak!

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Just Two More?!

In Suratul-Furqaan (Surah 25), ayah 63, Allah begins a description of what is translated as "the slaves of Ar-Rahmaan (Allah)..."

In ayah 64, He describes these "slaves" by saying:

This is translated as: those who spend the night before their Lord, prostrating (in sujood) and standing.

Tafsir ibn Kathir explains this ayah, and compares it to ayahs 17-18 from Suratuth-Thaariyaat (Surah 51):

Translation: They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allah) and praying, with fear and hope]. And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allah) for forgiveness. [Surah Ath-Thaariyaat] (translated by Muhsin Khan).

Ibn Kathir explains that this is a "good act" that the Muhsinun (good-doers) perform. [1]

According to a footnote in the The Noble Qur'an: English Translation of the meanings and commentary, Tafsir Al-Qurtubi states:

Ibn 'Abbas (رضي الله عنه‏) said: "Whoever prayed two rak'at or more after the 'Isha (night) prayer, will be considered like those mentioned in this verse [i.e. V.25:64]." And Al-Kalbi said: "Whosoever prayed two rak'at after the Maghrib (evening) prayer, and four rak'at after the 'Isha (night) prayer will be considered like those mentioned in this verse."

SubhanAllah, I imagine most people probably already pray at least two ruk'as after Maghrib and three after 'Isha (two ruk'as sunnah and then one for witr), so all that remains is two more ruk'ah! Just two more ruk'ah to qualify under one of the acts performed by the muhsinoon? Under the criteria presented by Ibn 'Abbas and Al-Kalbi (رضي الله عنهما‏) it seems the answer is YES, wallahu ta’aala a’alem (and Allah, exalted is He, knows best)!

Just two more ruk'ah every night—By the permission of Allah, let’s make it a habit for His sake!

May He make us of the Muhsinun and those with whom He is well pleased. Ameen!

Ibn Kathir. "Tafsir Ibn Kathir." Quran Tafsir. 28 June 2008 <http://qtafsir.com/>.

Khan, Muhsin, trans. "Qur'an." Islamic Network. 28 June 2008 <http://www.searchquran.net>.

Dr. Al-Hilali and Dr. Muhsin Khan. The Noble Qur’an: English Translation of the meanings and commentary.

[1] The "Muhsinun" are identified in ayahs 15-16 of the same surah (Surah 51). The ayahs are translated as: "Verily, the Muttaqun (pious - see V.2:2) will be in the midst of hardens and springs (in Paradise), taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinun (good-doers - see V.2:112)."

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