The black art of backbiting

Shaikhul-Islam, Ibn Taimiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) mentions some of the ways through which people back bite. In all reality, these tactics are designed to deceive Allah (the Exalted) and please His creation. However, the many that follow these methods are only deceiving their own selves.

  1. Under the pretense of being informative.
  2. By saying that, so and so is to be pitied, thereby showing superiority over one who is to be rejected.
  3. By mentioning the good quality of a person but tainting it by mentioning his evil qualities.
  4.  By saying that we should forget so and so and that we should pray for his forgiveness as well as ours, intending only to belittle the one that was mentioned.
  5. Upon hearing someone’s error, they (back biter) employ words like ‘had I prayed for so and so last night in my prayer, the news of their sin would not have reached my ears’, In order to superiority to the person.
  6. By belittling or being critical to the one who is praised in the company of others.
  7. Through humor, playfulness, and lightheartedness.
  8. In a manner of story, so that his story telling abilities might be appreciated.
  9. By showing amazement or surprise at other’s actions.
  10. With the pretense of sympathy for their actions and misfortunes.


Smaller signs of the day of judgement (part 1 of 3)

Signs that have already come to pass

  1. The coming of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Sahl bin sa’d (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that he witnessed the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) point to his index and middle finger and say: ‘I and the hour have been been sent like this” (i-e, just as index and middle fingers are right next to each other so is the coming of the prophet and the last day) (Sahih Muslim 726)
  2. The splitting of the moon. “The hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder.” (Quran 54:1)
  3. The death of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Auf reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said “Enumerate six (occurrences) that will occur just before the hour: 1) my death, 2) the conquering of Jerusalem, 3) Death that spreads among you like Qu’as al-ghanam (a disease that afflicts beasts), 4) the flowing of wealth to the degree that a man will be given 100 dinars (in charity) yet he will remain dissatisfied, 5) a fitnah that will enter into every single arab home, and 6) a true that will be put into effect between you and the banu al-asfar (descendants of the Romans), who will then act treacherously and come to you under 80 banners and under each banner there will be 12,000 soldiers.” (Bukhari 6/277)
  4. The emerging of a fire from the land of Hijaz. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “The hour will not be established until a fire comes out in the land of Al-Hijaz, a fire that will illuminate the necks of camels in Basrah.” (Bukhari 13/78)
  5. Embargoes against Iraq, Ash-Sham & Egypt. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Iraq will be denied its dirham and Qafiz. Ash-Sham (Syria and surrounding regions) will be denied its Mudd and Dinar. And Egypt will be denied its Irdab and Dinar. You will return to where you began. You will return to where you began.” (Muslim 7137) (Only the first part of this sign has occurred until now)

A Profound Saying of Ibn Qayyim

Ibn Qayyim said: ‘When the slave wakes up as the night encloses him and his only concern is Allah and how to please and obey Him, then Allah takes upon Him to fulfill all of his needs and remove from him all that causes him anxiety. Allah also makes his heart free to love Him only, his tongue free to remember Him only, and his body free to serve Him only.

However, when a salve of Allah wakes up when the night encloses him and his main concern is the world, Allah will make him bear the burdens of anxiety, grief, and hardship. Allah will entrust him to his own self and He will make his heart busy, sealing it from His love since it will be preoccupied with love for creation. Allah will keep his tongue from remembrance because it will be engaged with His creation; his body will be kept from obedience since it will be enslaved by its desires and services. And he will toil like a beast of burden toils in the service of another. And all who turn away from the worship, obedience and love of Allah, will be put into trial with the worship, service, and love for creation.’

Allah (the exalted) says:

“And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Gracious (Allah) we appoint for him Shaitan (Devil) to be a Qarin (an intimate companion) to him.” (Quran 43:36)

Ibn Qayyim continues to say:

‘Seek out your heart in three situations; First, when you are listening to the Quran. Second, when you are part of a gathering of remembrance. Third, when you are alone and away from the world and its distractions. If you cannot find your heart in these three situations, then ask Allah to bestow upon you a heart, for indeed you are bereft of one.”

Source: Gems & Jewels. Published by Darrussalam.

The Grand List of Daily Sunnahs

Waking up Wiping the face with hands
supplication of waking up
Snuff water
Wash both hands three times
Washroom Enter with left foot
Supplication of entering restroom
Supplication of existing restroom
Wudo (Ablution) Tasmiyah (Beginning with Bismillah)
Wash both hands three times
Rinse the mouth and snuff water with the same handful
Running fingers through a thick beard when washing the face
Wipe the head from forehead to nape and back to front again
Run water through fingers and toes
Begin with right hand and foot
Washing the face, arms and feet three times
Pronounce the shadah
Perform Wudo at home
Dalk: Rub water over body parts with the hand
Two Rak’ah after completing wudo
Siwaak Before every prayer
Upon entering the house
When reciting the Quran
When smell of mouth changes
Dressing & Undressing When putting on shoes/clothes, start from right
When taking off shoes/clothes, start from left
Supplication for putting on clothes
Entering & Leaving house Remember Allah when entering
Supplication when entering
Tasleem: Say Salam to everyone upon entering
Supplication upon leaving the house
Going to the masjid Go early for salah
Supplicate when entering the masjid
Walk with dignity, calmness and avoid excessive looking
Walk to the masjid
Enter the masjid with the right foot
Pray Tahiyaatul Masjid upon entering
Proceed to first row (without distrubing others)
Supplicate when leaving the masjid
Leave with the left foot
Adhaan (Call to prayer) Repeat what the Mu’adhzin is saying, except for ‘come to prayer/success’
After adhaan, send salah on Prophet (Peace be upon him) and make dua for him
Make dua for yourself
Praying Pray towards a sutrah. (Set something in front and pray towards it)
Rawaatib Prayers (sunnah prayers along with obligatory salah)
Perform Voluntary and Sunnah prayers at home
Duha Prayer (2-8 Rakah after sun rises and before dhur time)
Salatul Ta’hajjut (maximum of 11 or 13 Rakah, including Witr)
Begin Qiyamul Lail (Ta’hajjut) with two short surahs
Lengthen qiyamul lail
Make lots of dua in the last third of the night
Shorten the length of the sunnah prayer for Fajr
Take a rest after the sunnah prayer of Fajr
Sitting after the fajr prayer in the masjid until sun rises
Make lots of dua during sujood and before saying tasleem
After finishing the prayer, praise Allah, send Salah upon the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
Saying Subhan Allah, Alhamdulilah & Allahu Akbar 33 times after completing Salah
Ayatul Kursee, Mu’awwidhat in morning/evening & after salah
Meeting People Tasleem: Say Salam to everyone upon meeting
Lengthen the greeting (Asalamu alikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakartuh)
Shake hands
Speak words which are pure and pleasing to Allah
Eating & Drinking Tasmiyah (Beginning with Bismillah)
Eat and drink with right hand
Eat from in front of you
If some food drops, clean it and eat it
Keep the right leg upright and sit on the left when eating
Lick the bowl and fingers after finishing
Praise and thank Allah
Supplication of finishing food
Sit while drinking
Say Tahmeed (Alhamdulilah) after drinking
Drink in three breathes. Breathe outside the drinking vessel
Quran Finish the Quran at least once a month
Fasting Fast on Mondays and thursdays
Fast three days from every month (13,14 & 15 of the moon)
Sadaqah Give in charity from that what you love
Sleeping Supplication before going to sleep
Recite the Mu’awwidhaat and wipe the body
Reciting the last two ayahs of Surah Baqara
Saying Subhan Allah, Alhamdulilah & Allahu Akbar 34 times before sleeping
Recite Ayatul Kursee
Sleep on the right side

Mawlid: Celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday

Abdullah bin Hisham narrates: ‘We were with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and he was holding the hand of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab. ‘Umar said to Him, “O Allah’s Messenger! You are dearer to me than everything except my own self.” The Prophet said, “No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete faith) till I am dearer to you than your own self.” Then ‘Umar said to him, “However, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self.” The Prophet said, “Now, O ‘Umar, (now you are a believer) (Bukhari, Hadith 628.)

The companions of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) loved their Prophet in the truest meaning of the word ‘love’. And what better way to describe the truest sense of love than the verse; ‘say, if you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you.’ In this verse, we have a criterion for judging love, that is, if you love some one, you will try to follow all his commands to the best you can. It is no wonder then, that Allah praised the companions of the Prophet at various places throughout the Quran commenting on their belief, their love, and their following of the Prophet (Peace be upon him).

The companions were the one whose knees shook and heart trembled upon the hearing of demise of their Prophet (Peace be upon him). They are the ones who adhered to his Sunnah so much so that if the Prophet (Peace be upon him) stopped at a particular place during their journey, then they would also want to stop at the same place, and if the Prophet (Peace be upon him) placed his foot on a certain place during tawaf, then they will also try to do likewise. Such were the followers of Muhammad, and they were truly followers and not innovators.

They understood what it means to love the Prophet and how they knew how to express that love in a meaningful and appropriate way. They knew the teachings of Islam and how to implement them under the guiding light of the Prophet. They are the ones whom the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was satisfied with and whom he left responsible for spreading the message of this deen.

After them came a people who introduced new matters into the religion of Allah based upon their logic or upon what influenced them from the non-Muslims societies. Among such innovations is the innovation of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). This is a clear innovation because our salaf[1] were unaware of any such deed that we now so proudly claim to be a part of Islam.

Each and every one of the companions was happy about the birth of their Prophet and they celebrated this blessing not on a particular day but rather throughout their lives in the form of obedience to his each and every command. That is the true acceptance of his message and that is the truest form of love that you can express. We do not have a single narration that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) celebrated his birthday or ordered for such to happen. Consequently, we do not have a single example where any of the companions, or the righteous scholars that followed them celebrated such an event.

On the other hand, we have authentic narrations that mention only 2 forms of (Eid) celebrations in a year for any Muslim; Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha. For both these times we have detailed explanation of how the Prophet (Peace be upon him) spent his day and night in Worship and enjoyment. This third eid; Eid Milad-un-Nabi, is an innovation that was unknown at the time of the Prophet and the roots of which can be traced back to Fourth Hijri in Cairo by the Fatimi State (Shia sect) who used to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet, Ali, Fatima, Hassan Hussain and their present monarch.

The mawlid[2] is most commonly celebrated on the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awal whereas the scholars differ greatly upon the exact date of birth of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). All agree that he was born in the year of elephant (when Abraha attacked Makkah) and that he was born on a Monday[3] but when it comes to the day of the month, there are a lot of different opinions and none of them can be fully confirmed. However, one thing is for sure, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) passed away on the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awal at the age of 63. That was a catastrophic day for the companions and the ummah and it makes no sense for us to celebrate a day in which the ummah suffered an irrevocable loss.

Many of those who celebrate the mawlid present different verses from the Quran[4] while playing with its meaning or interpretation as a means of justifying their actions. Do these people not realize that if the order of celebrating mawlid was in the Quran and/or the Sunnah then the prophet (Peace be upon him) would also have done it and shown us (his ummah) how to do it properly? Did the Prophet (Peace be upon him) not know the interpretation of the Quran like you now know? And we seek refuge with Allah from saying that. The truth is, no matter how many unauthentic ahadith are presented, and no matter how many wrong interpretations are offered, if the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his companions did not celebrate mawlid and did not consider it as a religious duty or a form of expression of love, then we are in no position to do so.

Also know that all the actions that we do in our lives can be categorized under one of the five categories. Either it is Fard (obligatory), or Haram (prohibited), or Sunnah (practice of the Prophet), or Makruh (disliked), or Mubah (no reward no punishment). Every action must fall into one of these mentioned categories. In regards to Mawlid we see that it is not fard or sunnah otherwise we would have found the example of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his companions. Then we are left with Makruh, Mubah and Haram. In the celebrating of Mawlid there is a clear resemblance with mushrikeen[5] and kuffar, and this resemblance (especially in religion) is absolutely haram. Also, celebrating the mawlid is a newly invented matter in the religion and all newly invented matters in the religion are haram and lead to hell fire.

Loving the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is a criteria of Eman because Allah says, “Say (O Beloved Prophet): If your fathers, and your sons, and your brothers, and your wives, and your kinsfolk, and the wealth you have acquired, and merchandise for which you fear that there will be no sale, and dwellings you desire, are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and fighting in His Way: then wait till Allah brings His Command to pass, and Allah does not guide the disobedient people. (Quran 9:24). But this love should be expressed as the companions expressed it. They did not hold celebrations of Mawlid but rather followed him they best they could in adversity and prosperity and in peace and war.

“O you who believe! Be in reverential awe of Allah and believe in His Messenger. He (Allah) will give you twofold of His Mercy and will appoint for you a light wherein you shall walk, and will forgive you, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (57:28)

“And it befits not a believing (Muslim) man or a believing (Muslim) woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter (for them), that they should (after that) claim any choice in their matter; and whoso disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has surely gone astray in manifest error.” (33:36)



[1] Predecessors. The first three generations of Islam. Companions of the Prophet (Peace be upon him)

[2] Birthday of the Prophet (Peace be upon him)

[3] Abu Qatada al-Ansari narrates in Sahih Muslim, Kitab as-siyam, that the Prophet was asked about the fast of Monday, and he answered: “That is the day that I was born and that is the day I received the prophecy.”

[4] “Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent in them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them his Verses, and purifying them, and teaching them the Book (Quran) and wisdom (Sunnah),  while before that they had been in a manifest corruption.” (3:164). And Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy: therein [alone] let them rejoice. It is better than what they hoard” (10:58)

[5] Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25th December