THE FOLLOWING ARE SUNNAT PRACTICES TO BE OBSERVED ON THE DAY OF EID:
Eid, being the sacred occasion that it is, demands that it be celebrated in accordance with the Shariah, which is by observing the sunnat practices established from Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam on this occasion. These are as follows:
1. To arise early and perform ibadat on Eid night (i.e. before Subuh Sadiq)
2. To offer at least four rakats tahajjud salah. (This was a sunnat observed by Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam throughout the year.)
3. To engage in takbeer softly from the break of dawn till arrival at the Eidgah.
4. To perform Fajr in the mosque of your locality.
5. To clip the moustache.
6. To remove pubic hairs.
7. To have a bath.
8. Using a miswaak.
9. Wearing new or clean clothes, the best one possesses.
10. Dressing according to the sunnat. This entails kurta, turban, jubba, etc., since this was the type of dress Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam always wore.
11. To apply perfume.
12. To eat dates in odd numbers before leaving. If dates are not available then anything sweet will suffice.
13. To offer Eid salah at the Musalla (Eidgah) even if the Musjid can accommodate the whole congregation.
14. To proceed to Eidgah on foot if it is in walking distance.
15. To take one route and return by another.
16. To set off early for the Eid Salah.
17. To pay the sadaqatul fitr before the Salah.
18. To perform the Salah first and then the khutba, without azaan or iqaamat.
19. To give sadaqah in abundance.
20. To offer two or four raka’ts nafl salah at home after returning from Eidgah.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sunnats of Eid
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Moderate Budget
"To be moderate in spending is half of good-living."
Almighty Allah praises His pious servants in The Quran by saying:
Those who when they spend are not extravagant and not niggardly but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes). (Surah Furqaan, verse 67)
Nabi Muhammad Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam was in fact instructed by Allah to be moderate in even the great act of sadaqah or charity, as the following verse tells:
Make not your hand tied (like a niggard's) to your neck nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach so that you become blameworthy and destitute. (Surah Bani Israel verse 29)
These teachings exhort Muslims to adopt a moderate budget, and in view of today's way of living we can truly appreciate the value of such a teaching. All financial problems arise when people overspend or are wasteful. Big business empires were reduced to ruins through excessive expenditure and over-indulgence. Simply to satisfy their worldly pleasures and indulgences people will spend more than they earn. Such living above one's means is not good living as far as Islam is concerned.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Beard and Moustache in the Light of the Sunnah
It is reported from Abdullah bin Umar radhiallahu anhu that Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said: “Oppose the Mushrikeen (idol-worshippers); keep full beards and clip the moustache.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
From this hadith we learn that a) It was the practice of idol-worshippers to shorten the beard and lengthen the moustache; b) we are commanded by Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam to oppose this practice of the idolaters by doing the exact opposite: keep the beard in full and shorten the moustache.
Another hadith in Bukhari and Muslim states: “Shorten the moustache and lengthen the beard.”
Abu Huraira radhiallahu anhu reports that Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said: “The People of the Book lengthen their moustaches and shorten their beards, so oppose them: lengthen the beards and shorten the moustaches.” (Narrated by Imam Bazzar).
From the above it is very clear that a practice of the Jews and Christians in those days and even today was not to shave the beard, but rather to shorten it. Nowadays it is fashionable for Muslims to keep a trimmed, short beard. Ponder over the implications of this practice in the light of the above hadith.
One hadith describes the shortening of the beard and lengthening of the moustache as a practice of the fire-worshippers, as narrated by Imam Muslim.
Once an emissary of the Chosroe (Persian Emperor) came into the presence of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). The man was clean shaven and had a bushy moustache. The Messenger of Allah turned his face away (in disgust) and said to him: “Woe betide you! Who told you to adopt this appearance?” The man replied: “My Lord” (meaning the Persian Emperor)” The Messenger of Allah then said: “Well, My Lord has commanded me to keep a full beard and shorten the moustache.”
Hazrat Ayesha (radhiyallahu anhaa) reports that Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said: “Ten practices belong to fitrah (the culture on which Allah created man), and these are: Trimming the moustache, allowing the beard to grow fully, using the miswak, rinsing the mouth, rinsing the nose, clipping the nails, washing the joints of the body, plucking the hair under the armpit, shaving pubic hair, and washing in the toilet.” (Narrated by Imam Muslim. Ahmad, Nasaa-ee and Tirmizhi)
Umar bin Abdul Azeez, the great Muslim leader of the second century (died 101 AH) states: Shaving the beard is mutilation of the face, which Rasoolullah r undoubtedly prohibited. Imam Tabrani narrates the following hadith: “He who mutilates bodily hair has absolutely no share (of reward) by Allah.”
The above narrations are from the Arabic book Proofs on the prohibition of shaving the beard by Muhammed bin Ahmad bin Ismail.(Kuwait)