Post on 23-Jul-2020
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“Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be
able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to
perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
The Black Stone and its Importance (The Editor)
When we do the tawaf around the Ka’bah, during
the pilgrimage or the Umrah, or even as a Sunnah,
we always start and finish at the eastern corner of
the Ka’bah where the Black Stone is placed. It is
recommended to kiss the Black Stone or touch it at
the beginning and as we start every round, but if the
place is too crowded, it is enough to just signal with
one’s hand, observing what is recommended to do
and say during tawaf. It is important, therefore, to
know what significance, if any, the Black Stone has.
Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), the
second closest to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on
him, of all his companions, once stood at the Black Stone
and kissed it as he was about to do his tawaf. He then
addressed it saying: “I know that you are merely a
stone that can cause neither harm nor benefit. Had it
not been for the fact that I saw the Prophet kissing
you, I would not have kissed you.” (Al-Bukhari).
Ah
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12
Editor: Sadiq Noor Visit: aaiil.org Read: aaiil.org/Canada write: aaiil.canada@gmail.com
“Except those who are patient and do good. For them is forgiveness and a great reward”
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Women Companions of Prophet Mohammad [Peace and Blessings of Allah on him]
“Asmaa bint
Yazeed”
The Women‟s
Representative
Thus Umar, Allah be pleased with him, put the whole issue of
the Black Stone and its significance in the right
perspective. It is a mere stone that causes neither benefit
nor harm to anyone. As a stone, it is not different from
any other stone. Umar obviously knew that the stone
could not harm him, but his words were meant for the
people present, and indeed for all others. Saying them
there meant that they would be communicated by other
pilgrims to all their people throughout the Muslim
world. Hence, the action of kissing the Black Stone or
venerating it seeks only to follow the Prophet‟s example,
because the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, has
taught us only what is good. Thus, it falls within the
general requirement of following the Prophet‟s
guidance. The Black Stone has no significance other
than its being the mark for the start and end of a
particular ritual of worship.
It is useful to know something of the history of the
Black Stone. It is well known that the Ka‟bah was built,
on Allah‟s instructions, by the prophets Abraham and
Ishmael, peace on them. It is reported that when they
completed its building, Abraham said to his son: „Bring
me a fine stone to put at this corner‟. He brought him
this stone which was different from the rest of stones
they used in the building. It is black with a touch of
redness, and looked different in texture. There is no
doubt that it is unlike other stones, because it has been
there for several thousands of years, retaining its shape,
form and color despite all sorts of weather conditions
and the billions of hands touching it and lips kissing it. It
resisted fires, floods and other turbulent conditions, as
well as several cases of renovation and rebuilding. All
those who renovated the building of the Ka‟bah retained
it in its position. Some reports suggest that it is a meteor
brought to Abraham by the Angel Gabriel. Even if this is
true, it does not change its religious status I have
mentioned, that it is a stone with no special
characteristics or status. When we venerate it, we do so
because it marks a ritual of worship, but it is not a part
of that worship.
What is part of our worship is to follow the Prophet‟s
guidance. In this connection, he kissed the Black Stone
at times, signaled to it with his staff at other times and
signaled with his hand when convenient. Whichever of
these is easiest for us when we do the tawaf is perfectly
acceptable. We are rewarded for following the Prophet‟s
(peace and blessings of Allah on him) example. Anyone who
thinks the Black Stone can bring him benefit or prevent
harm is in gross error.
She came to the Prophet, peace be on him, when he was sitting with a group of his men companions.
She said: “O messenger of Allah, I am sent by a group of Muslim
women and we all share the same view and have the same
concern. Allah has sent you to both men and women. We believe in
you and follow you. Yet we, women, have to stay at home. We are
the object of men‟s desire and we bear their children.
Nevertheless, men have privileges, such as the obligatory Friday
prayer, attending funerals and going on Jihad campaigns. When
they leave for Jihad, we look after their property and we rear
their children. Messenger of Allah, do we have a share of reward
for doing so?”
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, turned to the men attending him and said:
“Have you ever heard a more eloquent woman putting a case concerning her faith?”
They said: “We never thought that a woman can be so expressive.” The Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah on him, said to her: “Asmaa, go and tell women that when any
of you is a good wife, giving her husband a pleasant life and cutting our
friction, she earns a reward equal to all that you have mentioned of men’s
reward.” She went away glorifying Allah and praising Him. The woman was Asmaa bint Yazeed ibn Al-Sakan, a
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distinguished figure among the women of the Ansar. She belonged to the clan of Abd Al-Ashhal of the Aws, whose chief
was Sa‟ad ibn Mu‟adh. She and Kabshah bint Rafi, Sa‟ad‟s own mother, were the first women of the Ansar to pledge
their loyalty to the Prophet after he arrived in Madinah.
The story we related about her question to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, tells us she was outspoken and highly
expressive, which suggests that she was well educated. Indeed, she was a most distinguished reporter of the Prophet‟s
Hadiths, reporting no less than 81 Hadiths. This puts her among the top Ansari women in reporting Hadith, if not the top
one. In one report she speaks of the revelation of Surah 5 of the Qur‟an, Al-Ma‟idah or the Repast. She reports: “I was
holding the rein of Al-Adbaa, the Prophet‟s she-camel, when the Surah Al-Ma‟idah was revealed to him in full. It was so
heavy, that it almost broke the limbs of the she-camel.” This is a reference to the fact that the revelation was hard
experience for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, as it involved communication with the archangel Gabriel.
Asmaa belonged to a family of brave fighters. In the Battle of Uhud, when the Muslim army was in disarray, her brother,
Imarah ibn Yazeed, was one of the few who remained steadfast and defended the Prophet until he was killed. Her father
and uncle were also killed in the same battle. Their bravery made her eager to follow their suit. Therefore, she went out
with the Muslim army on several occasions during the Prophet‟s lifetime. She was also with the Prophet, peace and blessings of
Allah on him, and his companions when they aimed to visit Makkah, but Quraish, the Arab tribe living in Makkah and
opposed to Islam, stopped them. At one stage, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, asked his companions to pledge to
fight to the finish if the need arose. Asmaa was among the Muslims who gave the Prophet that pledge.
Three years after the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, had
passed away, Asmaa joined the Muslim army heading to Syria
to fight the Byzantine army. She took part in the fighting, using
the pole of her tent to defend herself and the women with her.
She was able to kill nine of the enemy soldiers. After the battle
and when Syria came under Muslim rule, Asmaa stayed in
Syria, teaching women about Islam. She lived until an
advanced age. According to good reports, she died in
Damascus in year 69, which means that she was around 90 or even older when she died. She is buried in Babb Al-Sagheer
graveyard in Damascus.
{Ibn Saleh – Canada}
“O you, who believe, make not your charity worthless by reproach and injury, like him
who spends his wealth to be seen of men and believes not in Allah and the Last Day. So
his parable is as the parable of a smooth rock with earth upon it, then heavy rain falls
upon it, so it leaves it bare! They are not able to gain anything of that which they earn.
And Allah guides not the disbelieving people.” {2:264}
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Sometimes the Prophet Mohammad, peace and blessings of Allah on him, listed a number of things that have the same
verdict in Islam, providing a short statement of requirements or prohibitions. He always preferred a
direct and short statement so that it could be quickly learnt and easily reported and transmitted. Given
his superior ability of expressing broad meanings in a concise form, he was able to give us an explanation
of Islamic teachings that remain easy to learn and memorize. An example is provided in the following
Hadith which Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‟bah attributes to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him: “Allah has
forbidden you to be undutiful to your mothers, bury your daughters alive, deny others‟ rights
and demand what is undue. He does not like you to engage in idle talk, ask too many questions
and waste money.” [Al-Bukhari]
This short statement includes four prohibitions and three unacceptable
actions. The first prohibition is to be unkind and undutiful to one‟s
mother. Being undutiful to parents is viewed very seriously in Islam. In
fact, it is often mentioned in the Qur‟an as a most serious offense, next
only to associating partners with Allah. Here undutifulness to mothers is
singled out, but this is only to highlight the fact that it is mothers that are
more vulnerable to ill treatment by their children, because they are
weaker of the two parents. Indeed, undutifulness to fathers is not any less
serious as an offense. It is because mothers are normally the weaker party
that they are given a special mention by the Prophet, peace and blessings of
Allah on him.
The birth of a daughter was often received with gloom in Arabia in pre-
Islamic days and even today, in many societies and parts of the world.
People feared that daughters could be a financial burden, or that they
could bring shame on their families if the misbehave. Therefore, it was
traditionally acceptable for a girl‟s father to bury her alive, in her early
years of life. In its very early days, Islam spoke out very strongly against
this practice and declared it strictly forbidden. Indeed, infanticide, which
continues to be practiced in all communities, is considered by Islam as a ghastly crime that incurs the capital punishment.
This applies to any offence of infanticide, whether the victim is a boy or a girl.
The next prohibition outlined in the Hadith is expressed in Arabic in just two words: Denying and Demanding. What the
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, means is that a person may deny others what is due to them, or claim what he has no
right to claim. Both are forbidden. They are totally unbecoming of a Muslim. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
then adds three habits describing them as ones which displease Allah. The first is idle talk. This includes chatting about
things of which we are uncertain, as also backbiting. Muslims must always watch what they say. They should say what is
good and beneficial, or keep quiet.
Asking too many questions is also shunned by Islam. Scholars have explained this in different ways, such as being very
nosy, begging, asking questions on a particular subject in order to show that the questioner has mastered it, asking about
what is of no concern to oneself, and asking the Prophet theoretical questions. All these do not fit the serious approach
that is characteristic of Islam.
Finally, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, mentions wasting money as something that Islam frowns upon. In this
connection, wasting money means spending it for the wrong purpose. A person who has plenty of money may wish to
Guidance from the
Prophet {Peace and Blessings of Allah on him}
LIFESTYLE
“ACTIONS TO AVOID”
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Attaching
Too Much
Importance
To
Trivialities
spend at leisure. Scholars mention three situations: the first is to spend it in ways that Islam forbids, such as gambling.
This is forbidden, regardless of whether the spender is very rich or poor. The second is to spend it in good and beneficial
ways. This is commendable, provided that it does not lead to neglecting something more important. The third situation is
to spend it on what is permissible, such as matters of enjoyment. This is acceptable, provided it remains within what is
becoming of the person concerned and within his means.
“So when thou art free (from anxiety), work hard, And make thy Lord thy exclusive object.”
Tampering with religious principles or trying to overdo what has been
prescribed by Allah is a sin. But, currently, it is a commonplace occurrence.
We give too much importance to aspects that deserve less attention while
ignoring the ground rules of our religion.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, said; “Religion is very easy and
whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to
continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try
to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you
will be rewarded.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Unfortunately, we have made our religion very difficult and complex
burdening ourselves with practices that are contrary to Islam.
The Holy Qur‟an says: “Allah imposes not on any soul a duty beyond
its scope. For it, is that which it earns (of good), and against it that which
it works (of evil). Our Lord, punish us not if we forget or make a mistake. Our
Lord, do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us. Our Lord, impose not
on us (afflictions) which we have not the strength to bear. And pardon us! And grant us
protection! And have mercy on us! Thou art our Patron, so grant us victory over the disbelieving
people.” (2:286)
The above verse underlines the fact the Allah does not burden people more than they
can cope with. We have been advised to pray to Allah to make things easy for us.
Whenever the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, had to choose between two
options he opted for the easiest one. The Prophet, peace be on him, at times
used to fast for a few consecutive days, some of his companions tried to emulate
him but he prevented them from doing so saying he got subsistence from Allah that
provided him nourishment.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, in all his dealings had been very simple and
straightforward. He never wanted to complicate things. During the signing of the Hudaibiya
Treaty, a situation arose that threatened to scuttle the agreement. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings
Allah on him, dictated that it was a treaty between Mohammad, the Prophet of Allah, and the Quraish. of
Suhail B. Amr, an eminent citizen of Makkah, whom the Quraish sent to negotiate the treaty with the
Muslims, objected to the preamble on the ground that the Quraish did not acknowledge him as the
prophet of God and as such the reference to his prophethood should be omitted. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, did not agree
to omit the relevant words. Thereupon the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, omitted these words himself.
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According to the treaty of Hudaibiya, truce was declared between the Muslims
and the Quraish for ten years. The Prophet‟s wise move helped materialize the treaty.
Assuming that the treaty amounted to succumbing to the Quraish demands, Muslims were critical of the terms of the
treaty. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, assured them that whatever he had done was under the command of
Allah, and that the terms which appeared to be against the interest of the Muslims would turn out in their favor. While on
the way back to Madinah, Allah sent a revelation that the treaty was a victory for the Muslims. The treaty of Hudaibiya
indeed set the stage for the expansion of Islam to the Arabian Peninsula.
The Prophet, peace be on him, who loved prayer more than anything else used to shorten it when he felt prolonging it would
burden others. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, said: “When I start the prayer I intend to prolong it,
but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut it short because I know that the cries of the child will
incite its mother‟s passions.”
We tend to make our religious practices difficult by resorting to difficult methods and burdening ourselves with
secondary or marginal issues that are not the essence of our religion. Some of the religions prescribe shunning normal life
and moving away from people – becoming monks who typically live under vows of poverty and celibacy. Unlike these
religions, Islam stresses on living among the people and helping them in their adversity. It advocates a social order where
people can live in peace and harmony sharing their problems and solving them with concerted efforts.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, said: “Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day (of Judgment)
should not harm his neighbor. Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should entertain
his guest generously. And anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should say what is
good or keep quiet.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
We tend to become extremists in our religious practices assuming we will be rewarded immensely for our deeds. But, in
reality we are transgressing the limits set by our religion --- that advocates moderation in all our day-to-day affairs.
{Sadiq – Calgary – Canada}
“Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are firm of heart against the disbelievers,
compassionate among themselves. Thou seest them bowing down, prostrating themselves, seeking Allah‟s
grace and pleasure. Their marks are on their faces in consequence of prostration. That is their description
in the Torah – and their description in the Gospel – like seed-produce that puts forth its sprout, then
strengthens it, so it becomes stout and stands firmly on its stem, delighting the sowers that He may
enrage the disbelievers on account of them. Allah has promised such of them as believe and do good,
forgiveness and a great reward.
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Muslim-Majority Countries Abdul-Rahman Sadiq, Montreal
COUNTRY
POPULATION MUSLIM MAIN MAIN
RELIGION
&
% SECT FIQH STATE
Indonesia
228,582,000
86.10%
Sunni
Shafa'i
None
Pakistan
172,800,000
97.00%
Sunni
Hanafi
Islamic State
Nigeria
155,215,573
50.40%
Sunni
Maliki
Secular
Bangladesh
142,319,000
89.00%
Sunni
Hanafi
State Religion
Egypt
79,089,650
90.00%
Sunni
Shafa'i
State Religion
Iran
76,923,300
98.00%
Shia
Jafari
Islamic State
Turkey
73,722,988
99.00%
Sunni
Hanafi/Alvi
Secular
Sudan
43,939,598
70.00%
Sunni
Maliki
None
Algeria
34,895,000
99.00%
Sunni
Maliki
State Religion
Morocco
33,723,418
99.00%
Sunni/Sufi
Maliki
State Religion
Iraq
31,234,000
97.00%
Shia
Jafari/Hanafi
Secular
Afghanistan
28,395,716
99.00%
Sunni
Hanafi/Jafari
Islamic State
Malaysia
28,300,000
60.40%
Sunni
Shafa'i
State Religion
Uzbekistan
27,606,007
88.00%
Sunni
Hanafi
Secular
Saudi Arabia
27,601,038
100.00%
Sunni
Hanbali
Islamic State
Yemen
23,580,000
99.00%
Sunni
Shafa‟i/Zaidi
Islamic State
Syria
22,505,000
90.00%
Sunni
Hanafi/Alvi
None
Kazakhstan
16,433,000
70.20%
Sunni
Hanafi
Secular
Niger
13,272,679
90.00%
Sunni
Maliki
Secular
Burkina Faso
13,228,000
51.00%
Sunni
Maliki
Secular
Mali
11,995,402
90.00%
Sunni
Maliki
Secular
Senegal
11,658,000
94.00%
Shia/Sufi
Maliki
Secular
Tunisia
10,383,577
98.00%
Sunni
Maliki
State Religion
Guinea
10,211,437
85.00%
Sunni
Maliki
Secular
Somalia
9,558,666
100.00%
Sunni
Shafa‟i
Islamic State
Azerbaijan
8,676,000
93.40%
Shia
Jafari
Secular
Tajikistan
7,215,700
97.00%
Sunni
Hanafi
State Religion
Sierra Leone
6,294,774
60.00%
Sunni
Maliki
None
Libya
6,173,579
97.00%
Sunni
Maliki
State Religion
Jordan
5,568,565
95.00%
Sunni
Shafa‟i
State Religion
U A E
5,432,746
76.00%
Sunni
Maliki
State Religion
Kyrgyzstan
5,356,869
75.00%
Sunni
Hanafi
Secular
Turkmenistan
5,110,023
89.00%
Sunni
Hanafi
Secular
Chad
5,041,690
54.00%
Sunni
Maliki
Secular
Lebanon
4,196,453
60.00%
Shia/Sunni
Hanafi/Jafari
None
Palestine
4,168,858
94.00%
Sunni
Hanafi
None
Kuwait
3,399,637
85.00%
Sunni
Maliki
State Religion
Albania
3,170,048
70.00%
Sunni
Hanafi
None
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IMAM BUKHARI
Mauritania
3,124,000
100.00%
Sunni
Maliki
Islamic State
Oman
2,577,000
93.00%
Khafijite
Ibadi
State Religion
Kosovo
1,733,872
90.00%
Sunni
Hanafi
Secular
The Gambia
1,700,000
90.00%
Sunni
Maliki
Secular
Bahrain
1,046,814
81.00%
Shia
Maliki/Jafari
State Religion
Comoros
798,000
98.00%
Sunni
Maliki
State Religion
Qatar
744,029
77.50%
Sunni
Hanbali
State Religion
Sahara, West
513,000
99.90%
Sunni
N/A
N/A
Djibouti
496,374
94.00%
Sunni
Shafa‟i
Secular
Brunei
381,371
67.00%
Sunni
Shafa‟i
State Religion
Maldives
350,000
100.00%
Sunni
Shafa‟i
State Religion
Cyprus, North
287,856
89.60%
Sunni
Hanafi
Secular
Mayotte
194,000
97.00%
Sunni
N/A
N/A
Imam Bukhari is a name that creates a
sense of reverence and respect in every
Muslim‟s heart. He was one of the greatest
scholars of Islam and the founder of Hadith
Science. His prestigious compilation named
„Jame Al-Sahih‟ is regarded as the second authentic book of Islam after the Holy
Qur‟an.
It was in the second century Hijrah when most of the Sahaba who had learned Islam from
the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, directly were diminishing one after another.
The last of Prophet‟s companions passed away in 110 A.H. Subsequently a possibility of
misquoting the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, by some people with vested interest
was quite apparent. So it was essential to collect and authenticate true Hadiths without
sponsorship of any ruling authority, regional or national. It was a gigantic work to collect
all the prevailing statements and to classify them into the relevant categories, as authentic,
good, poor and false.
This was a great task, which Imam Bukhari, a non-Arab from Khurasan, shouldered.
He spent 16 years in searching, collecting and refining the material of Hadith. Not only this, he fixed the most rigid rules
to evaluate and authenticate any circulating Hadith. Thus he is known as the Founder of Hadith Science. The rest
of his life was spent in teaching and propagating the Hadith literature. One his students, Imam Muslim, rose to the second
position in the world in Hadith compilation.
Imam Bukhari was born in Bukhara in 196 A.H. (810 A.D.) now in Uzbekistan. His father died when he was still
young. He had lost his sight in infancy but his mother‟s prayers and invoking blessed him a sharp sight and sharp memory
that enabled him to read and write in the moonlight and if he had read or heard something, it would remain in his memory
forever.
He memorized the Holy Qur‟an at the age of 9, and then began to learn Hadith from scholars of his region. At the age of
18, he traveled to Makkah and stayed there for 16 years collecting Hadiths. He visited Egypt and Syria twice, Basra four
THE
FOUNDER
OF
HADITH
SCIENCE
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times, spent many years in Hejaz and went to Kufa and Baghdad many times. It is said that he learned about 600,000
Hadith from than 1,000 scholars.
While returning to Bukhara after 16 years he began to compile Jame Al-
Sahih. He judged 7,275 Hadith from his large collection and arranged
them in 93 chapters. Though Imam Bukhari wrote many books, he
shot to prominence because of Tarikh Al-Kabeer, Adab Al-
Mufrad and Sahih Al- Bukhari. The first one he wrote in
full moon nights at the Prophet‟s Mosque in Madinah. Imam Bukhari
had a very sharp memory. He memorized 70,000 Hadiths at an
early age and later in his life, this figure reached 300,000. Among
those 100,000 Hadiths were Sahih and 200,000 were Hasan, Da‟if, etc. In 250 A.H. he settled in Neshapur where he met
Muslim ibn Al-Hajaaj as his disciple who compiled Sahih Al-Muslim which is regarded only second to Bukhari in the
Muslim world.
Imam Bukhari‟s book on Hadith is regarded as the top of Sahah Sitta which are the most authentic six books of
Hadith collected during 200-300 A.H. These are:
Sahih Bukhari by Imam Bukhari – 256 A.H.
Sahih Muslim by Muslim ibn Al-Hajaaj – 261 A.H.
Sunan Al-Sughra by Al-Nasa‟i – 302 A.H.
Sunan Abu Dawood by Abu Dawood – 274 A.H.
Jami Al-Tirmidhi by Al-Tirmidhi – 278 A.H.
Sunan Ibn Majah by Ibn Majah – 273 A.H.
Hafiz Ahmad bin Adi has described that when Imam Bukhari reached Baghdad, the leading scholars tried to test him
and mixed 100 Hadith between the narrators‟ chain and the text and gave to 100 persons to ask the authenticity of such
Hadiths. Imam Bukhari said he never heard any Hadith like this. Then he repeated the incorrect Hadith as quoted by
each questioner and then recited the corrected Hadith for each person separately. The people were astonished on the depth
of his knowledge and paid great respect to him.
Imam Bukhari was a rich person but he lived life of a very simple man giving most of his income to the poor.
Mohammed Hatim Warraq, one of his disciples said that when Imam was establishing a Sarai (Inn) near the city of
Bukhara, he was laying bricks with his own hands. When Warraq said to him, leave this job for me, he replied, “On the
Day of Judgment this work will be benefit to me.” Regarding his worship it is said that Imam recited the entire Qur‟an
daily in Ramadan and recited one third of it in the night prayers.
In 250 A.H., Imam Bukhari moved to Neshapur where he was well received. Imam Muslim Neshapuri said he had
never seen such a grand reception given to any scholar or ruler. Imam Bukhari began his lectures, which were
attended by thousands. His popularity irritated the local ruler and Imam Bukhari decided to leave Neshapur for Bukhara
where again he was received with great enthusiasm. He began his lectures and also established a school for regular
teaching. But after some time due to differences with the local ruler he decided to leave his hometown for Samarqand.
But when he was still a few miles away from the city he was prevented from entering it. When he found he had no place
to go, he prayed to Almighty Allah saying, “O Allah, the Earth despite its grandeur is becoming narrow
19 Scenic Gardens NW, Calgary, Alberta – Canada - - - email: aaiil.canada@gmail.com Page 10
for me and is troubling me greatly. So take me back to You.” His prayers were answered and he died at
Khartang, a place between Samarqand and Bukhara. It was on the night Eid Al-Fitr, the first night of Shawwal 256 A.H.
He is buried in Mohammad Al-Bukhari mausoleum at Khartang near Samarqand, in Uzbekistan.
Abd Al-Wahid ibn Adam Awaysi states: „I saw the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah on him, in dream standing with a
group of Sahaba and asked, „For whom are you waiting?‟ He replied, “For Bukhari.‟ After a few days I heard the news of
Imam Bukhari‟s death. He had died at the very moment that I saw the Prophet, pbuh, in my dream.‟
Sahih Al-Bukhari is regarded as the most authentic collection of Hadiths, which covers almost all aspects of human
life in providing proper guidance from the Holy Prophet. As for piety, Imam Al-Bukhari never wrote any Hadith in
this book without performing two rak’ahs Salat of guidance from Allah and when he was sure of its authenticity, only
then he wrote it in the book.
Imam Bukhari lived for 62 years only but during his span of life he did a marvelous work, which has been guiding the
Ummah for the last 1,200 years. Tens of commentaries have been written on his treatise and hundreds of scholars are
teaching Bukhari to thousands of students daily around the world.
May Almighty Allah grant him the best reward
{Abu Tariq Al-Hijazi}
“And when My servants ask thee concerning Me, surely I am nigh. I answer the prayers
of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should hear My call and believe in Me that
they may walk in the right way”
“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those whom Allah has
bestowed favors from among the prophets and the truthful and the faithful and the
righteous, and a goodly company are they!”
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Nineteen years ago walking home from a friend‟s house with my
mom, I had a feeling something was not right. Seeing my dad‟s
car parked in front of our apartment, both my mom and I glanced
at each other nervously and hurried our steps towards the elevator.
Huge clouds of smoke puffed in our faces as we entered our flat and saw my dad smoking at the dining table (after having
quit for a few months). He then looked at my mom and with the most monotonous tone I had ever heard him in, he told
my mom that my grandfather had passed away.
My grandfather was the only grandfather I had, since my maternal grandfather had long passed away before my birth.
Mohammad Saleh Noor, my grandfather, my first friend, my partner in crime, my mentor, my teacher and above all
a great human being passed away March 17th 1993.
As for the Jama‟at, he faced a lot of challenges in life for the sole purpose of defending his beliefs. He was a great poet
and writer and through these forms of Jihad he stayed on top of the list of the more prominent writers of our Jama‟at.
He was proud of who he was and with this he wrote what he believed to be the most outstanding and noteworthy
characteristics of our Jama‟at. This is published at the end of his appeal written to the Rabwah Jama‟at pleading them not
to do injustice to the sayings of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmed, may Allah be pleased with him. Here is my translation of the
characteristics:
The Five Remarkable Traits of Jama’at Ahmadiyah Lahore:
1. A complete and all-inclusive belief in “Khatme Nabuwat”
2. The only individual Jama‟at which actively spreads awareness of Islam
3. The first Jama‟at which has actively built and established Mission Centers and Mosques in the Western World –
From as early as 1912 in England!
4. The only Jama‟at fully participant in giving charity in the way of Islam as per the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah on him.
5. This Jama‟at has full faith in Islamic Democracy.
I appeal to all the readers today, to please take a minute sometime during this month and offer a special prayer for him.
May Allah grant him Jannah and may Allah give us the courage and faith to understand what makes us so notable. And
may we also stand for our faith, Ameen.
“Mere Dada Jaan”
{My Grandfather} Mohammad Saleh Noor
1928-1993
Siddiqa Sadiq, Montreal