Even Interactions with Animals Can Shape a Person's Character!⁣⁣
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Be careful on who you befriend, for as long as you're human, you can be influenced by those around you. In fact, even animals can have an impact on us! The Prophet ﷺ said:⁣⁣
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‎والفخر والخيلاء في أصحاب الإبل، والسكينة والوقار في أهل الغنم⁣⁣
“Pride and arrogance are found among the owners of camels, while calmness and humility are seen among the owners of sheep." [Al-Bukhārī]⁣⁣
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If humans can be influenced by animals, which are so different from us, then how much more likely is it that we can be influenced by the people we interact with daily?⁣⁣
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May Allāh grant us the company of those who inspire us to grow in righteousness and guide us toward what pleases Him.⁣⁣
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((Extracted benefits from Shaykh ʿAbd al-Muḥsin al-Qāsim's Majlis al-Samāʿ))⁣⁣
✍? @zaidghazali00

??

At the end of the verse I quoted, there's a duʿā Allāh mentions in which we all can practise;

رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

"My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my off-spring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims."

Allāh says,

ووصينا الإنسان بوالديه إحسانا حملته أمه كرها ووضعته كرها وحمله وفصاله ثلاثون شهرا
"We have commanded people to honour their parents. Their mothers bore them in hardship and delivered them in hardship. Their period of bearing and weaning is thirty months." [46:15]

The first part of the verse enjoins kindness to both parents. Then, Allāh specifically mentions the mother, it seems to be an indication that the mother's right is more emphasised. Why?

Al-Shawkānī mentioned in Fatḥ al-Qadīr,

"This verse indicates that the mother's right is more emphasised than the father's right; for the mother carried the child with hardship, gave birth to them with hardship, and nursed them for this period with fatigue and hardship, and the father did not bear any of that."

@zaidghazali00

An Example of How Scholars Can Derive Different Rulings from the Same Evidence.

Background of the issue: When performing wudhūʾ (ablution), how much of the head is required to be wiped? Should you wipe the entire head, or is it sufficient to wipe only part of it? This question has led to differing opinions among scholars based on their interpretation of the same Qurʾānic evidence.

In discussing the verse:

"وامسحوا برؤوسكم"
"And wipe over your heads." [5:6],

Scholars have differed on the Fiqh issue regarding how much of the head must be wiped during wudhu (ablution). The differences arise due to varying interpretations of the Arabic letter "بـ" (bi-) in the verse. Here are the main opinions:

1 The Maliki and Hanbali opinion: The entire head must be wiped. They interpret "بـ" (bi-) as باء التعدية (for emphasis), making it equivalent to saying, "وامسحوا رؤوسكم" (And wipe your heads), meaning the entire head is included.

1 The Shāfiʿī opinion and an opinion of Ahmad: It is sufficient to wipe only part of the head, even if it’s just a few strands of hair. They interpret "بـ" (bi-) here as باء التبعيض (for partiality), indicating that wiping a part of the head fulfills the obligation.

1 The Hanafi opinion: A quarter of the head must be wiped. They interpret "بـ" (bi-) as باء للإلصاق (for attachment), meaning it denotes the direct contact between the hand and the head; and the obligatory amount of wiping is fulfilled by physically wiping a quarter of the head with the hand.

Author's Note: Just to be safe, it is recommended to take the safer opinion and wipe the entire head during wudhūʾ to ensure that the obligation is fully met.
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Medina, Saudi Arabia
12 Sep 2024 | 9 Rab. I 1446 AH
✍? Zaid Bin Ghazali al-Singhāfūrī

The concept of guidance (الهداية) is truly remarkable when reflected upon:⁣
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⦿ A person may not be guided, even if the means of guidance (أسباب الهداية) reach them.⁣
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⦿ Conversely, a person may be guided even without encountering the means of guidance.⁣
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Let’s apply this ??;⁣
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Example 1: Prophet Ibrāhim’s father persistently rejected belief, despite several instances where Prophet Ibrāhim called him to worship Allāh alone and abandon idol worship. Even though the means of guidance reached him, he was not guided. Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ's uncle Abu Jahl, and Prophet Nuh's son, despite being related to prophets and receiving direct calls to Tawhīd, still rejected the message and died upon disbelief.⁣
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Example 2: Many of us, like you and me, are guided by Allāh without encountering a prophet or receiving direct calls to guidance. We were born into Islam or came to it through Allāh’s mercy. This highlights the immense blessing of guidance, even without the same external means others may have had.⁣
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Takeaway: Guidance is solely in Allāh’s hands, and we should never take it for granted. It is upon us to continuously pray to Allāh, asking Him to keep us firm on the guided path, as we do every day in our prayers:⁣
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‎اهدنا الصراط المستقيم ⁣
"Guide us to the Straight Path."⁣
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?[Extracted benefits from Shaykh ʿAbd al-Muḥsin al-Qāsim's Majlis al-Samāʿ]⁣
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Medina, Saudi Arabia⁣
8 Sep 2024 | 5 Rab. I 1446 AH⁣
✍? Zaid Bin Ghazali al-Singhāfūrī

Our monthly lesson on al-Muwattaʾ with Shaykh ʿAbd al-Salām al-Shuwayʿīr was originally scheduled to begin immediately after Asr prayers and continue until Maghrib. However, recently, the timing was changed, and the lesson was delayed to start at 5:30. I wondered why the start time had been pushed back. Today, Shaykh Sulaymān al-Ruhaylī's tweet revealed the reason:⁣
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"A beautiful note:⁣
I met the esteemed Shaykh ʿAbd al-Salām al-Shuwayʿīr in the Prophet's Mosque on Wednesday before Maghrib, and his face lit up with joy. He embraced me tightly and said, 'By Allāh, Shaykh, I truly wish I could place you in my heart because of the intense love I have for you.' This is a reflection of his kindness and good character. He also said, 'I scheduled my monthly lesson at 5:30 till Maghrib so that it wouldn’t conflict with your lesson.' I replied, 'Knowledge creates bonds among its people, and I praise Allāh for making the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah love one another.'⁣
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I ask Allāh to grant success to every shaykh among the shuyūkh of Ahl al-Sunnah, wherever they may be on earth, to raise their mention, elevate their status, and make mention of them to the angels in His proximity. And I ask Him to aid the Ahl al-Sunnah in achieving unity among them."⁣
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@zaidghazali00

The death of one of Ahl al-Sunnah is very heavy upon the heart.

The tābiʿī, Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī (d.133 AH) said,

إني أُخبر بموت الرجل من أهل السنة وكأني أفقد بعض أعضائي

"Indeed, being informed about the death of a man from Ahl al-Sunnah feels as if I have lost a limb."

[Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ (3/9) | translation @zaidghazali00]

5 Life Advice to Save Yourself from the State of Being Lost:
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1. Increase your prayers for guidance, for example:⁣
اللّٰهُمَّ اهْدِنِي وَيَسِّرِ الهُدَى لِي⁣
"O Allāh, guide me and make guidance easy for me."⁣
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2. Find righteous companions and stick with them.⁣
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3. Getting out of a state of being lost requires determination, initiative, and action, similar to escaping from a burning house; it cannot be achieved solely through niyya (intention) but through action.⁣
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4. Commit to reading a portion of the Qurʾān daily, no matter how small; the key is consistency in daily recitation.⁣
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5. Perpetuate and regularly recite dhikr (remembrance) and supplications, for example:⁣
‎يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ أَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ وَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ⁣
‏"O Ever Living One, O Sustainer of all, by Your mercy I call on You to set right all my affairs. Do not place me in charge of my soul even for the blinking of an eye."⁣
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In summary: Do not neglect these daily:⁣
1. Qurʾān recitation.⁣
2. Du'a (supplication).⁣
3. Dhikr (remembrance).⁣
And above all, safeguard your obligatory prayers.⁣
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— Shaykh ʿAbdul ʿAzīz al-Shāyiʿ
Translation @zaidghazali00

Gaza Students at the Islamic University of Medina

Bismillah. As you may already know, our university sponsors our flight tickets to and from our respective countries each year for the summer break. Every year, majority of the students return to their home countries to be with their families and loved ones.

While arranging flight tickets for my friends at the university's office, I couldn't help but wonder: with everything happening in Gaza this right now, how will it be for the Gaza students studying at the Islamic University of Medina? Will they return to Gaza? Wait, Gaza doesn't even have an airport, and this has been the case for ages! My curiosity led me to ask a dear friend from Palestine, Abu Nāʾil, who is a master's candidate in Islamic Theology at the university.

I asked him, with the current situation, will the students from Gaza still return to their homeland?

This was his answer:
"Yes, most of the students are from the Gaza Strip.
We took tickets to Cairo as usual,
but they will be useless if Gaza does not open and if the war does not end.
As you know, the Jews have taken control of Rafah, which is the border with Egypt, the border we used to enter from.
So, we will not be able to return unless the border opens and the war ends.
Otherwise, we might travel to another country to make use of the ticket.
Allah is the one sought for help."

We ask Allāh to protect them and their families in Gaza, and give them all patience and strength. We ask Allāh to preserve the students of knowledge, grant them steadfastness and ease in all their affairs, āmīn.
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Medina, Saudi Arabia
28 May 2024 | 20 Dhul-Q 1445 AH
✍? Zaid bin Ghazali al-Singhāfūrī

The issues of wiping the face after making duʿā outside prayers— prescribed or not prescribed?

A summary of what I learnt from Shaykh Masyhūr Ḥasan:
1. It is an intricate issue where both parties have strong evidences and arguments
2. It is an issue where there is a differences of opinion amongst the scholars of ḥadīth.
3. It is an issue where the doer is NOT be refuted nor forbid for doing so.

@zaidghazali00