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This Is How I Remember You, O Messenger of Allah
Author : Mufti. Zakaria Ali Salman
Date Added : 07-01-2025

I remember you as an orphaned child, so that you would say "My Lord, My Lord" instead of "My father, my father," and thus the miracle of divine upbringing manifests in your life with the absence of a father. I remember this and send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you as a nursing infant in the home of Halima Al-Sa'diyya, where blessings descended upon her household. They marveled at your fairness, as you nursed from one breast and left the other for your foster brother. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you as a child playing with other children, when angels came to cleanse your heart and remove Satan’s portion from it. I recognize that Allah was preparing you to speak only the truth in all circumstances: " Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. (3) It is no less than inspiration sent down to him (4)" [An-Najm/3–4]. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you on that lonely night in the desert between Mecca and Medina, when death took your mother, leaving you when you needed her the most, as you were the dearest thing in her world. You became an orphan of both parents, so your heart would rely on none but Allah. "My Lord trained me, and how excellent was my training." I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you, beloved of Abu Talib, more than his own children. Yet you refused to be a burden on him and went out to graze sheep for Quraysh, earning a meager wage, teaching us self-reliance. It was preparation for leading nations, much like the preparation of Moses, peace be upon him. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you as the honest, trustworthy merchant who brought great profits while adhering to truthfulness and integrity, teaching us that blessings come with honesty and trustworthiness. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you choosing marriage based on wisdom, virtue, and goodness, not merely on beauty or age. You found in Khadijah a righteous wife who stood by you through hardships, supporting you, unlike modern notions of marriage driven by fleeting desires. Allah guided you to a blessed union. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you participating in rebuilding the Kaaba, raising the houses of Allah. Your nation, following in your footsteps, would continue building and defending mosques until the end of time. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember how all trusted you to mediate disputes because you were known on every tongue as "The Trustworthy, The Truthful. "

You saved your people from a potentially devastating war. I recall Allah’s words: "We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures." [Al-Anbiya/107]. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you amidst the struggles and burdens of the world, never forgetting the concerns of others, whether private or public. You maintained family ties, supported the weak, assisted the needy, and helped those in distress. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you in the Cave of Hira during your first encounter with Gabriel, insisting you were not a reader, while Gabriel commanded, "Read!" This marked your mission to transform an illiterate nation into a civilization of knowledge and enlightenment. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you teaching Islam in Dar Al-Arqam Ibn Abi Al-Arqam, instructing with gentleness, patience, discretion, and dedication, seeking only Allah’s pleasure. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you calling the tribes of Quraysh, reminding them of Allah, their origin, and their end, teaching them that happiness in this world and salvation in the Hereafter lie in following Allah’s commands. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you inviting people to Allah despite the mockery, arrogance, and hostility you faced. You persisted in guiding them with unshakable resolve. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you rejecting worldly temptations—wealth, women, power—and staying steadfast in devotion to Allah and in bringing Islam’s message of salvation to humanity. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you spreading the message far and wide, traveling to Ta’if despite rejection and humiliation, and presenting Islam during pilgrimage seasons, tirelessly working to make the faith accessible to all. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember you raising your hands in prayer, beseeching the Lord of all matters, knowing He alone could change circumstances. You taught us the value of sincere supplication, which many neglect today. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember the plots of Quraysh and the support of Allah for you and your companion in the cave, affirming His promise to establish an Islamic state unified in its submission to Him. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember your noble character, how Allah endeared you to people, young and old. Children sang, "The full moon rose upon us," welcoming you with joy. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember the foundations you laid for the mosque, for the community through brotherhood, and for justice through agreements. Upon these, the young Islamic state in Medina stood firm, unshaken by storms or challenges. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember your perseverance during the Battle of the Trench, enduring hunger with stones tied to your stomach, yet never neglecting prayer or justice even in times of war. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember your return to Mecca as a victor after just eight years of exile, leading an army of ten thousand. Yet, you showed humility and mercy, declaring to those who wronged you: "Go, for you are free." I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember your farewell pilgrimage, where you bid farewell, having delivered the message, lifted the burdens, and fulfilled your mission. You left us on the clear path of truth, illuminated like daylight. I send prayers and peace upon you.

I remember your companions bidding you farewell, accepting Allah’s decree, though tears flowed and hearts mourned. When Bilal later called the Adhan, the people of Medina wept in remembrance of you like never before. I send prayers and peace upon you, O Messenger of Allah, and upon your family, companions, wives, descendants, and all who follow your path until the Day of Judgment.

This is how, whenever I recall a moment of your immortal life, I send prayers and peace upon you. Each prayer reminds me of your greatness, making it present in my mind as it flows from my tongue.

We thank Allah for His blessings in sending you to us, and we pray for you after every Adhan, upon entering mosques, during lessons of knowledge and Quran, in supplications we hope are answered, in sins we wish to be forgiven, in enemies we seek to overcome, and in good we wish to see flourish.

Prayers and peace be upon you from the Most Compassionate, Most Praiseworthy.


 

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Summarized Fatawaa

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Can someone who begins a voluntary fast break it?

It is preferable for someone who begins an act of worship not to break it.
Allah the Exalted has said {what means}: "and let not your [good] deeds come to nought!" [Muhammad/33].
However, if a person starts a voluntary fast (nafl) and needs to break it, they are going against what is preferable, but there is no sin upon them.

What is the ruling on performing dry ablution (tayammum) instead of the ritual bath due to severe cold?

Whoever is sick such that he cannot use water, or finds the water cold and heating it is not possible, and the person would be harmed by using cold water, it is permissible for him to perform tayammum. He must make up what he prayed with tayammum, because this is a place where there is water. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is "Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm" a verse (āyah) of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The basmalah ("Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm") is, without question, a verse (āyah) of the Noble Qur'an, and according to the Shāfi‘ī school, it constitutes a verse of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah itself. Al-Fātiḥah is a pillar of the prayer, and it consists of seven verses, of which the basmalah is one. The prayer is not valid without reciting it, nor if any of the Fātiḥah's verses, letters, or shaddahs (consonant doublings) are omitted or altered.
It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm (Vol.1/p.202), from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "The basmalah is a complete verse of it [i.e., of al-Fātiḥah] in practice — and it suffices, for this to be established, that there be strong probability (ẓann), especially given that this has come very close to certainty (yaqīn), due to the consensus (ijmā‘) of the Companions on its inclusion in the muṣ-ḥaf [the written text of the Qur'an] in its script, despite their extreme diligence in excluding from it anything that did not genuinely belong to it — to the point that they even [carefully regulated] its diacritical dots and vowel markings." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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