We learned this week the principle of الجزا من جنس العمل (Al-jazaa’u min jins al-`amal) and the example of which can be seen in the action and reward for lowering the gaze. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned when a person lowers his gaze, he is obeying Allah, by doing so Allah will reward him with a reward similar in nature.  Indeed RasulAllah salAllahu `alayhi wa sallam, “whosoever leaves something for the sake of Allaah, then Allaah will replace it with something better than it.” [1]( من ترك شيئاً لله عوضه الله خيراً منه)

So among the rewards for lowering the gaze are: Allah will illuminate his heart, give him clear perception and penetrating insight. This means the person will have an increased vision of the heart, and he will have a greater  البصيرة baseerah or الفراسة firasah.

I wanted to read more on what Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah had to say about lowering the gaze. Ibn al-Qayyim was gifted with his nice and concise explanations that not only make sense but also reach the heart. In al-Muntaqaa min Ighaathatul Lufhaan fee Masaayid ash-Shaytaan‘[2] he explains the principle of Al-jazaa’u min jins al-`amal when applied to the act and reward for lowering the gaze as follows:

The reason behind this is that the reward is of the same type as the action. So whosoever lowers his gaze from the unlawful for the sake of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, He will replace it with something better than it of the same type. So just as the servant restrained the light of his eye from falling upon the unlawful, Allaah blesses the light of his sight and heart thereby making him perceive what he would not have seen and understood had he not lowered his gaze.

And he, rahimahullah, also said: “…when the sight is prevented from looking and investigating the heart finds relief from having to go through the arduous task of (vainly) seeking and desiring…”

To put this into practice and gain the amazing reward for it, one can remind themselves to lower their gaze from the haram. In addition to lowering the gaze from the opposite gender, one should try to apply it in more circumstances. Such as, when entering someone else’s house, when seeing the glitter and glamour of this world, also when seeing someone of the same gender dressed revealingly, etc. Insha’Allah.

May Allah assist us all in purification and spiritual growth. May we be included amongst the believing men and woman who obey the command of Allah to lower the gaze as occurs in Surat an-Nur (ayahs 30 and 31).
(قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ ) and (وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ)

A.S
Muharram 8, 1428

Respect for Niqab
By Sister A. Abdullah

 

There is a lot of debate among Muslims as to whether or not it is required for a Muslim woman to cover her face and hands in addition to the rest of her body when appearing in public or in front of non-Mahrem men. The purpose of this article is not to fall on either side of that debate, but to urge all Muslims to show respect for sisters who have chosen to wear either the khimar (full face covering) or the niqab (face covering which leaves the eyes exposed.) Some Muslims give these sisters a hard time, saying that they are doing above and beyond what has been commanded by Allah SWT, and that the “extreme” appearance of these fully-veiled women projects a bad image to the non-Muslims who already view the Muslim woman as weak and oppressed. They argue that such individuals, upon seeing fully-veiled Muslim women, will be “turned off” by “Islam, and we will have forever lost potential Muslim converts, or even the understanding and sympathy of the non-Muslim community.Think about it carefully: would we ever think of criticizing a Muslim who fasts extra days outside of “Ramadan? Do we belittle the Muslims whose prayers exceed the prescribed daily five? Are we upset when Muslims give more zakat than required by Islamic Law? Of course not. We admire such people for their apparent dedication to Allah SWT, just as we should admire Muslim women who cover their faces for the same reason. Whether they veil because they take the so-called “most-conservative” viewpoint that covering the face is a requirement of Islamic Law, or because they simply believe that they will earn extra reward from our Lord and Creator for doing something more. Praise be to Allah, veiled women are engaged in halal, and that is the bottom line.

As for the question of non-Muslims being “turned off” by Islam upon seeing fully-veiled Muslim women, Muslims should not waste time and energy worrying about such matters. To the contrary, some non-Muslims are not critical of the face-veil at all and are so intrigued by it that they actually become interested in Islam as a direct result of seeing fully covered Muslim women.

One non-Muslim woman wrote about her impressions of the face-veil in our local newspaper after crossing paths with a veiled woman on a busy city street. The writer was struck by the confidence with which the Muslim woman walked, seeing all that was around her, but not being seen by others, secure in the knowledge that no man could make a lewd comment to her about her shapeless body and invisible face. She confessed a twinge of jealousy as she contemplated her own short skirt and tight blouse, realizing in a split second that, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, society’s men were probably not judging her solely for her intellectual and professional capabilities. She now felt embarassed in front of the Muslim woman who must’ve, she imagined, felt somewhat sorry for a “liberated” western woman like herself who could not even make it from one end of the street to the other without fear of harassment. (Please note that these were the writer’s own sentiments and my intention is not to put her down but to show that there is more to equal rights than rules and regulations: it also has to do with belief, mindset and the reality of how men and women interact with one another as opposed to how we think they should in a perfect world.)

Contrast this powerful piece of writing to an article authored by a Muslim woman in another newspaper. In it, the woman practically begged non-Muslims not to judge Islam by the face-veil, which, she claimed, is a mere cultural tradition having nothing to do with Islam. This article served to divide local Muslims into two camps, understandably upsetting veiled women and their families. Even if one wanted to take the “least-least conservative” point of view and say that the veil is nothing more than a cultural tradition, it should not be forgotten that such a tradition has sprung forth from a culture of Muslims who are seeking the reward and pleasure of Allah, Most High. We should, in fact, respect the sisters who, in spite of the intense scrutiny placed upon them by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, continue to veil, refusing to abandon a halal garment which provides them (and the community as a whole) with extra doses of security, honor and pride.

Islam is a light that Allah SWT puts into one’s heart, and He will undoubtedly help those sincere individuals who are seeking the Straight Path to get there one way or another. It really has nothing to do with what people “think about Islam.” One of the best things we can do as Muslims is to behave well, dealing with people kindly and fairly, remembering that it is ultimately up to the will of Allah, Most Glorious if a particular individual is to become a Muslim or not. We should never think that we have to change the good things about ourselves in order to attract new converts to Islam. This strategy is not only demoralizing to one’s iman, but it also does not work.

In conclusion, I would like to note that I do not wear the face-veil myself (only the basic hijab) but that I do have enormous respect for the women who cover their faces. I was prompted to write this article after hearing from many of my fully-veiled sisters in faith that some of the harshest criticisms they receive are from within the American Muslim community itself and not from non-Muslims as they had anticipated before adopting the veil. I really think that all Muslims should realize how much courage and confidence it takes to veil one’s self in modern-day America and that we should be their best supporters in the struggle for the Muslim woman’s right to veil.

(Article taken (with Thanks) from Al-Islaah Publications)

Is it enough to say Alhamdulillah?

How many times do we say alhamdulillah for this and for that, yet we do not, in turn, use those things in ways that are pleasing to Allah?

“Alhamdulillah it’s Friday…alhamdulillah for getting out of class early….alhamdulillah for a day off from work.” But did we use our free time in a way that would show our gratitude to Allah? We do the same whether it be the blessings of hearing, sight, or speech. We say alhamdulillah all the time for our material posessions. And yet, what have we done with those very same things? We’ve misused them and wasted them, as a result we’ve shown ungratefulness for them.

Next time you catch yourself impulsively saying “Alhamdulillah” for something, stop and ask yourself: what will you do with that blessing, to show your awe of Allah and appreciation for it?

Transliteration:

Allaahum-maj’al hub-baka `ahab-bal ash-yaa`i ilaiya, waj’al khash-yataka akh-wafal ash-yaa`i ‘indee, waqta’ ‘an-nee haajatid-dun-yaa bish-shaoqi ilaa liqaa`ika. Wa idhaa aqrarta a’yuna ahlid-dun-yaa min dun-yaahum, faqrir ‘ainee min ‘ibaadatika.

“O Allah,make my love for You the most beloved thing to me,and my fear for You the most fearful thing to me,

“Humble yourself, you will be as a glimmering star to the viewer on the surface of the water even if it is lofty.”

Ibnul Jawzi said, “The sign of completion of the mind is high aspiration, for he who is satisfied with low aspiration is disgraceful, and I didn’t see a severer shortcoming than that of people who are capable of completion yet don’t aspire for it.”

The order of `Umrah that she gave to
her husband to stand and worship

Ibn al-Jawzi mentioned that `Umrah, the wife of Habib al `Ajami awoke at night while he was sleeping, so she woke him at dawn and said to him, ‘Get up! The night has gone and the day has come and in front of you is a long path, you have little provision, and the caravans of the righteous have gone before us and we have delayed!’ [1]

Allah is the Greatest! How great is this speech and how full of benefit! And how fortunate is the house in which these words are repeated! Habib had a wife who sought to wake her husband to worship The Lord of the `Alameen. She was enjoining the good by waking up her husband for prayer, and she tried to do so in the best way, by choosing eloquent yet serious words.

The Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, and Hakim, related from Abu Hurayrah that he said, ‘The Messenger of Allah salAllahu `alayhi wa sallam said, “Allah has mercy on a man who gets up at night and prays, and wakes his wife, and if she refuses he sprinkles water on her face. Allah has mercy on a woman who gets up at night and prays, and wakes up her husband , and if he refuses she sprinkles water on his face.“ [2]

___________________
[1] Siffaat as-Safwah 4/35

[2] al-Musnad 18/184 and Sunan Abu Dawud (the printed version including `Awn al-Ma`bud), the chapters of Night Prayer 3/135, and Sunan an-Nasa’i (the printed version including Sharh as-Suyuti), The Book of Night and optional daytime prayers [Chapter] Encouragement of the Night prayer, 3/25; Sunan ibn Majah, the chapters of establishing Prayer and the Sunnahs of it, [Chapter] What is said regarding one who wakes his family at night, No. 1330, 1/242; and al-Mustadrak `ala as-Sahihayn, the Book of Optional Prayers, 1/309. Imam al-HAkim said, “This hadith is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim and they do relate it.” (Previous source 1/309 and al-Hafidh adh-Dhahabi agreed with him (see at-Talkhis 1/309).
Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Shakir said, ‘It’s chain is authentic .’ (Hamish al-Musnad 18/184).
And Shaykh al-Albani said, ‘Acceptable, authentic.’ (See Sahih Abu Dawud 1/243 and Sahih Sunan an-Nasa’i 1/354, and Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah 1/223).

The order

`Aa’ishah

gave her brother to perfect his ablution

`Abdur-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr once came to his sister, The Mother of the Believers, `A’ishah as-Siddiqah and made wudu’ at her place, and she ordered him to perfect his ablution.

Imam Muslim related from Salim, the servant of Saddad that he said, ‘I came to `A’ishah, the wife of the Prophet salAllahu `alayhi wa sallam on the day Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas died. `Abdur-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr entered and made wudu’. She said, “O Abdur-Rahman! Perfect the wudu’, as the Messenger of salAllahu `alayhi wa sallam say, Woe to the ankles [1] from the fire” [2]Among the things we find in this story is that `A’ishah radiAllahu `anha proved what she ordered her brother to do with the statement of the Messenger of Allah salAllahu `alayhi wa sallam, and how blessed is the proof she used.

_________________________

[1] Imam Ibn al-Athir said, “The ankle was specified for punishment here as it is the organ which is not washed, and it is said: the intended meaning is the person.’ (an-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith 3/269)

[2] Sahih Muslim, The Book of Purification, [Chapter] The obligation of washing the feet completely , No. 240 1/213

The Imams Malik, Ahmad, Ibn Majah, al-Humaydi, Abu Ya`la, and Ibn Hibban all related hadiths similar to this. See al-Muwatta, The Book of Purification [Chapter] The Actions of Wudu’, No. 5, 1/19-20; al-Musnad 6/40, Sunan ibn Majah, the chapters of purification, [Chapter] Washing of the Ankles. No. 469, 1/86; Musnad al-Humaydi, No. 161, 1/87; Musnad Abu Ya`la, No. 70 (4426), 7/400; and al-Ihsan fi Taqrib Sahih ibn Majah, The Book of Purification [Chapter] The Obligation of Wudu’, he mentioned the dondemnation of the individual who does not take care to wash his ankles and the bottom of his feet during wudu’, No. 1059, 3/341-342

The condemnation that

`Aa’ishah

made of wearing anklets on the legs of a sick person in order to cure the illness