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By Khalid Baig

(Author’s Request: Please turn off your television set as you read this article.)

Television has spread like a wild fire in the world, including the Muslim world. It seems to have overcome the limitations of space and time.

Consider place. In Saudi Arabia, one can find the imprints of Hollywood only a few yards away from the Haram, the most sacred of all sanctuaries of Islam. Videocassettes are easily available at stores. A hotel attendant, at a walking distance from the Haram al-Sharif in Makkah can be found busy watching English movies on the television in his office even as the prayers are going on. At the Jeddah airport, the Umrah pilgrims can watch a European beauty contest courtesy of an Egyptian TV channel being broadcast to the airport television sets.  Read more... (2604 words, estimated 10:25 mins reading time)

Hazrat Abu Hurairah R.A. reports that Rasulullah Sal’am said: “The Jihaad of the aged, the weak and the females is to perform Haj and umrah’.

In the eleventh Hadith of chapter one this theme has already been discussed. Hazrat Aa’isha R.A. asked Rasulullah Sal’am whether Jihaad is also compulsory on woman? Rasulullah Sal’am replied: “Such a form of Jihaad has been laid upon their shoulders wherein there is no fighting and no killing; that is Haj and umrah’. (Targheeb)  Read more... (128 words, estimated 31 secs reading time)

Hazrat Ibn Mas’ood R.A. relates that Rasulullah Sal’am said: ‘Follow up the Haj or the unrah (with each other) for verily they remove poverty and sin in the same manner that fire cleans away the dirt in iron, gold and silver’.  Read more... (306 words, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)

Hazrat Ibn Abbaas R.A. reports that a woman hazrat Um Saleem R.A, once came to the Messenger of Allah and said: ‘O Rasulullah Sal’am (my husband) Abu Talha and his son had gone to perform Haj, and left me behind.’ Rasulullah Sal’am replied: ‘O Um Saleem, to perform one umrah in the month of Ramadhaan is equal in reward of a Haj in my company’. This is not the only hadith in which it is stated that the reward of an umrah in Ramadhaan is the same as Haj in the company of Rasulullah Sal’am.  Read more... (427 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Hadith Number One:

Hazrat Amr bin Absah R.A. reports that Rasulullah Sal’am said! ‘Verily the best of deeds is righteous and accepted Haj or a righteous and accepted umrah.’

In the first chapter (hadith number 2) we have already explained the meaning of the Hajje mabroor and this same meaning applies to a mabroor umrah. In one hadith we read: ‘Umrah is a minor Haj’. (Durre Mansoor)

In other words umrah contains within itself all the fruits and blessings of Haj but to a lesser degree.

Hadith Number Two:  Read more... (150 words, estimated 36 secs reading time)

Any journey has its difficulty and sufferings. Our shariat having taken that into consideration allowed that any Salaat composing four Rakaats should be reduced to two while on travel. Rasulullah Sal’am himself said about travel: “travel is a portion of hell-fire.” Therefore traveling means inconvenience and difficulty. So come what may any traveler to the Holy Places will undergo some suffering enroute. But bearing in mind that this journey to the Kaaba is a journey in search of the Beloved One, one should behave on the road like a lover seeking the beloved who awaits him. So whether he hears abusive language directed at himself or whether he is being sworn at or whether stones are cast on him, no matter what difficulty he encounters the Haji should go ahead to the destination undeterred by any such obstacle. And by tolerating all sufferings and hardships with patience, ones reward is increased, (in case where such hardships are not contrary in effect to the interests of our Deen and health).  Read more... (649 words, estimated 2:36 mins reading time)

Hazrat Ibn Abbaas R.A. reports that a Sahabiyah (a Muslim lady who saw Rasulullah (Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam) once said to Rasulullah (Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam): “O Rasulullah (Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam), the obligation of Hajj has come at a time now when my father is a very old and weakly man. He is unable to remain seated on a camel (or horse). Can I then proceed to perform Hajj on his behalf?”

Rasulullah (Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam) replied: “Yes, you can.”

Another Sahabi R.A. also came with a similar request: “O Rasulullah (Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam), my sister made vow that she would perform Hajj. Now she has passed away. What should we do?”  Read more... (555 words, estimated 2:13 mins reading time)

Hazrat Abu Hurairah R.A. reports that Rasulullah (Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said: “whoever sets forth in a journey to perform Hajj and passes away on route, for him shall be written the reward of a Haaji until the day of Qiyaamat; and whoever sets forth to perform Umrah and passes away on route, for him shall be written the reward of a Mu’tair until Qiyaamat; and whoever sets forth on a journey to fight in the way of Allah and passes away on route, for him shall be written the reward of a Mujaahid until the day of Qiyaamat.”
Such is the reward of Hajj. We look at two further Ahaadith in this respect. In Targheeb we read: “When a person sets forth to perform Hajj or Umrah and passes away on route, he shall not be brought (before Allah) for judgment, nor will he have to give account. It shall be said to him: “Enter into Paradise.” (Targheeb)  Read more... (365 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

The Arabic word for beard is lihyah. It derives from lahy (jaw) and lahyan (the two jaws). Thus, a beard is defined as the hair that grows on the cheeks and jaws- It includes the hair that grows on the temples, underneath the lower lip, the hair of the chin, and the hair that grows on the lower side of the jaws.

Growing the beard is wajib (mandatory) for all males who are capable of doing so. As will be presented below, there is ample evidence for this in the Sunnah, and it is the unanimous opinion of the ‘ulama’ of Islam.  Read more... (1603 words, 16 images, estimated 6:25 mins reading time)