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Glimpses on the Birth of Brightness
Author : An Article by the Secretary General Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassanat
Date Added : 19-11-2018

Glimpses on the Birth of Brightness

 

Allah, The Almighty has ordained sending Prophets and Messengers for all mankind to lead them to the righteous path where He, The Almighty, Said (What means): "Apostles who gave good news as well as warning, that mankind, after (the coming) of the apostles, should have no plea against God: For God is Exalted in Power, Wise." [An-Nisa/165]. He, The Exalted, also Said (What means): "nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an apostle (to give warning). [Al-Isra'/15].

 

Moreover, those Prophets (PBUT) are the best of the best when it comes to manners or shapes, and this enables them to keep up with the noble task entrusted to them and that is calling people to the way of Allah, The Exalted.

In addition, Allah sent to every nation a Prophet of their own in order for them to accept and understand his message easily. However, the end of that Prophet`s message and life were inseparable.

Therefore, a continuous message to the end of days(Judgment day) was a pressing need; thus Allah chose for this great message a great man who had favors upon all Prophets to the end of days; Mohammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdulmattalib Ibn Hashim Ibn Abdmanaf  whose lineage extends to Prophet Ismaiel (PBUT).

The period of sending Prophets to people/nations was somehow specified, but the period before the birth of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) till the beginning of his message was the longest compared to other Prophets. Allah, The Exalted, used to send one Prophet after the other and, sometimes, more than one were sent at the same time and He, The Almighty, has never took a Prophet's soul without replacing him with another one.

Further, during the long period before sending Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), humanity has encountered many negative aspects namely intellectual, religious and behavioral corruption. As a result, injustice, classism and the breaking of kinship ties have prevailed, in addition to the fact that humanity was lacking in societies.

Therefore, Allah sent His Prophet (PBUH) to correct humans` way of life, and be a safe haven to humankind by preventing injustice, putting an end to slavery, restoring the sense of humanity to people and revealing the divine mercy on his hands. Allah, The Most Exalted, Said (What means): We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures." [Al-Anbiya'/107].

The face of the world has changed when the Prophet (PBUH) was born. The throne of Anushirvan cracked, the Magians` fire extinguished and the lake of Sawa dived deeper. Amina, the mother of Prophet (PBUH), narrated: "When she was pregnant with him she dreamed that a great light came out of her and illuminated all the castles in Al-Sham." [Mosanaf Abdel-Razaq]. This shows that his reign is going to reach Al-Sham, so his birth was not a normal one; rather it was a sign for a nation's birth. Further, he (PBUH) was divinely raised and disciplined; he had neither a father, a mother nor a grandfather.

He (PBUH) was sent as a Seal of Prophets and a guidance to all mankind since Allah, Said (What means): "We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them (against sin)." [Saba/28] and He, The Exalted, Said (What means): "but (he is) the Apostle of God, and the Seal of the Prophets." [Al-Ahzab/40].

Indeed, he had to be the Seal of all Prophets and Messengers since no other Prophet or Messenger had his shape or manners. His shape was perfect and his mercy has encompassed all creatures for Allah, The Most Exalted, Said (What means): "We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures." [Al-Anbiya/107] and He Said (What means):" to the Believers is he most kind and merciful." [Al-Tawbah/128]. 

Besides, he (PBUH) has transferred the Arab nation from the state of illiteracy to literacy by urging them to seek knowledge, castaway myths and use their minds. He made seeking knowledge incumbent upon every Muslim where He (PBUH) said (What means):" Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim." [Sunn Ibn Majah].This is because it is only through knowledge that societies could flourish and prosper.

Therefore, it is imperative that we adhere to good character as basis for our religion, since the Prophet (PBUH) said (What means): "I was sent to perfect good character." [Musanaf Ibn Shyiba]. In fact, nations will never be able to achieve prosperity, unless they abide by good character and seek knowledge.

Nowadays; Muslims are in desperate need to follow the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) in dealing with others regardless of their cultural background and ways of thinking. This is because winning people's hearts and minds is far more important than conquering fortresses and castles.

In conclusion, we do need to follow the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) in everything, since Allah, The Exalted (What means): "And know that among you is God’s Apostle." [Al-Hujurat/7]. Further, when Muslims celebrate his birth, they show gratitude to Allah, The Exalted, for His endless generosity that lies in choosing and allocating them to be the best to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. He, The Almighty, Said (What means): "In the bounty of God. And in His Mercy, - in that let them rejoice": that is better than the (wealth) they hoard." [Yunus/58].

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to agree with a butcher to purchase the meat of an animal after it has been slaughtered — for instance, by buying the meat of a sheep at a price determined by the weight of its meat following slaughter, at a fixed rate per kilogram? And what is the ruling if the animal is being purchased with the intention of it being an uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering)?

 
 
 
 
 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible to sell livestock in the manner of pricing each kilogram of meat after slaughter at a fixed rate, because the meat within the animal prior to slaughter is unseen and unknown. This leads to jahālah (ignorance of the subject matter) and gharar (contractual uncertainty), both of which are among the invalidating factors in sales transactions.
However, it is permissible for the buyer to issue a promise to purchase the meat of the animal after slaughter at a specified price per kilogram, with the actual sale being concluded at the time of weighing the meat — at which point both the quantity of the goods and the total price become known. There is no Sharī'ah objection to this arrangement.
The jurists have stipulated that for a sale to be valid, both countervalues must be present and observable. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states:
"It is valid to sell a heap of grain whose total measure is unknown to both contracting parties at a rate of one sā' per dirham. This sale is valid because the subject of sale is present and observable, and ignorance of the total price is not harmful since it is known in detail — and uncertainty is thereby lifted."— [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.355]
As for the uḍḥiyyah, the 'aqīqah, and vowed blood sacrifices (al-dam al-mandhūr) — full ownership of the animal must be established prior to slaughter. It is not valid for such animals to be slaughtered while still in the ownership of the butcher. Rather, the animal must be purchased alive and then slaughtered with the intention of uḍḥiyyah or the like. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is Zakah (obligatory charity) due on land intended for selling?

Yes, lands intended for trade are valued, and Zakah is paid according to their estimated value after a lunar year had lapsed, but if the owner didn`t pay the due Zakah, then he should do so after selling them.

What is the ruling on water that contains ornamental fish — does it become impure on account of their waste?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The water in a pond containing ornamental fish is pure so long as it has not been altered, for a small amount of fish waste (rawth) is pardoned and overlooked — provided it does not change the water.
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Jamal ʿalā Sharḥ al-Manhaj (Vol.1/P.178): "A small amount of hair from a non-edible animal is pardoned, as is a small amount of hair from a riding animal — on account of the hardship involved in avoiding it — and likewise a small amount of fish waste is pardoned, unless it alters the water." And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on the prayer of zawal?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended (sunnah) to pray four rakʿāt — either with a single tasleem or as two separate sets of two rakʿāt — immediately following the sun's decline from its zenith (zawāl). This prayer is distinct from the regular Sunnah prayer of Ẓuhr (sunnat al-ẓuhr al-rātibah), as explicitly stated by the Shāfiʿī jurists.
It is mentioned in Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj: "The prayer of zawāl is offered after the sun's decline — so were one to perform it before that, it would not count. It consists of two or four rakʿāt and is distinct from the Sunnah of Ẓuhr, as is evident from the fact that it is mentioned separately after the regular Sunnah prayers, and it becomes a make-up prayer (qaḍāʾ) if a long period of time passes by customary reckoning... Al-ʿAlqamī stated: 'Scholars refer to this as the Sunnah of Zawāl, and it is distinct from the four rakʿāt that constitute the Sunnah of Ẓuhr.' Our shaykh said: Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-ʿIrāqī stated that among those who explicitly affirmed its recommendation was al-Ghazālī in al-Iḥyāʾ, in the chapter on devotional litanies, noting that there is no tasleem between them — meaning there is no break between each pair of rakʿāt."
The time of the sun's decline (zawāl) marks the very beginning of the time for the Ẓuhr prayer.
And Allah the Almighty knows best.