Al-Islam.org - Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi

Reference Books

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

1. Fear Allah by Dr. Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samavi

2. Islam and the Arab civilization by Muhammad Kurd Ali

3. Know the Truth by Dr. Muhammad at-Tijani al-Samavi

4. Imam as-Sadiq as known by the West translated by Dr. Nooruddin Aal Ali

5. Imam as-Sadiq, the Inspirer of Chemistry by Dr. Muhammad Yahya al-Hashimi

6. Al-Bidayah wal Nihayah by Ibn Athir

7. The History of the Arabs by Philip Hatti

8. Tabyin al-Haqa’iq (showing the facts) by Az-Zuray’ee

9. Tafsir Ibn Kathir by Ismail ibn Kathir

10. The Present Time of the Muslim World

11. The Crusades by Borgia

12. The Lives of the Companions

13. School Journey by Sheikh Muhammad Jawad al-Balaghi

14. The Excellences of our Civilization by Dr. Mustafa as-Siba’i

15. The Arabian man and civilization by Anwar ar-Rifa’i

16. Rawdatu Nadhar by Ibn Qudama

17. Temporary Marriage by Sayyid Muhammad Taqi al-Hakim

18. Temporary Marriage in Islam by Sayyid Ja’far Murtadha al-Aamili

19. Sa’d as-Sa’ud

20. Sunan Abu Dawood

21. Sunan Ahmad ibn Hanbal

22. Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Imam al-Bayhaqi

23. Dala’il an-Nubuwwah by Imam al-Bayhaqi

24. Trends of History in Qur'an by Sayyid Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr

25. Sunan ad-Daraqutni by Abul Hasan al-Baghdadi al-Daraqutni

26. As-Sira al-Halabiyyah by Al-Halabi al-Shafi’i

27. As-Sira an-Nabawiyya by Ibn Hisham

28. Conditions of Ijtihad by Dr. Abdul Aziz al-Khayyat

29. The Shia in Islam by Allama Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i

30. Sahih al-Bukhari

31. Sahih al-Tirmizi

32. Sahih Muslim

33. As-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah by Ibn Hajar al-Shafi’i

34. Al-Ghadir by Allama al-Amini

35. The Dawn of Islam by Ahmad Amin

36. Al-Fusool al-Muhimmah (important chapters) by Sayyid Abdul Husayn Sharafuddin

37. Al-Fawa’id al-Fakhirah lizad ad-Dunya wal Aakhira by Sheikh Jallool al-Jaziri

38. The Book of Mut’ah (temporary marriage) by Sheikh Abdullah al-Fakiki

39. Kanz al Ummal by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi

40. Lisan al-Arab by Ibn Manzur

41. Ansab al-Ashraf by Yahya al-Baladhuri

42. Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalani

43. What the World has lost by the Declination of Muslims by an-Nawawi

44. Mut’ah (temporary marriage) in Islam by Sayyid Husayn Makki

45. Al-Bilad Magazine

46. Introduction to the Islamic Economy by Dr. Abdul Aziz Fahmi

47. Mustadrak al-Hakim by Al-Hakim Nishapuri

48. To be with the Truthful by Dr. Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samavi

49. Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldun

50. Multaqa al-Abhur by Ibrahim al-Halabi

51. Al-Manaqib by al-Khawarizmi

52. Al-Mawahib al-Ladumiyyah by Muhammad al-Zurqani

53. Mizan al-I’tidal by Muhammad ibn Ahmad Dhahabi

54. An-Nasaa’ih al-Kafiyyah leman Yatawalla Mu’awiyah by Ibn Abi al-Hadid

55. Nayl al-Awtar by Al-Shawkani

56. Al-Huda ila Din al-Mustafa by Sheikh Muhammad Jawad al-Balaghi

57. Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, by Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani

58. Tarikh al Kabir by Imam al-Bukhari

59. Tarikh al-Khamis by Husayn ibn Muhammad Diyarbakri

60. Al-Muwatta by Imam Malik

61. Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir by Tabarani

62. Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq as-San‘ani

63. Tazkiratul-Khawas by Sibte Ibne Jauzi

64. Musnad Ahmad by Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal

65. Al-Hidayah fi Sharh al-Bidayah by Imam Malik

66. Wafa' al-Wafa' bi Akhbar Dar al-Mustafa by Al-Samhudi Al-Shafi’i

67. Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by Ahmad ibn Muhammad Tahawi

68. Kashf al Khafa by Isma'il ibn Muhammad al-Jarrahi

69. al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah by Ibn Qutaybah al-Dinawari

70. Tarikh al-Khulafa, by Jalaluddin Suyuti

71. Al-Durr Al-Manthur Fi Tafsir Bil-Ma'thur by Jalaludin Suyuti

“Then I Was Guided” In The Court

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

Believing that “people are on the religion of their rulers” and taking the Messenger of Allah (S) as my exemplar that he had sent many letters to the kings of his time inviting them to Islam; an idea came to my mind.

In his somehow similar letters to the kings of his time, the Messenger of Allah (S) had said, “Be Muslim and you shall be safe and Allah will reward you twice, but if you turn your back, the sin of the magi shall be on you.”

This is evidence that “people are on the religion of their kings” that if the kings believe, people believe, if they disbelieve, people disbelieve, and if they become polytheists, people become polytheists too.

The idea that preoccupied my mind was to send copies of my book ‘Then I was Guided’ to the Arab kings and presidents accompanying them with friendly letters befitting their positions so that they might remember (Allah), for surely their reminding would benefit the believers! Since they are at the head of the countries of this nation, so they are the men of power and authority, and their responsibility for the fate of people and the fate of the Muslim nation is a very great responsibility. “Every one of you is a shepherd (responsible) and every one of you is responsible for his herd (subjects)” as the Prophet (S) said.1

Believing that the successful ones in this life and the afterlife are the true believers who do good, enjoin each other with truth, and enjoin each other with patience, and that “No one of you is a true believer until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself”, and “if Allah guides by you one man, it is better to you than the world and all that there is in it”…for all that, I sent copies of ‘Then I was Guided’ to King Hasan the Second of Morocco, President ash-Shathli bin Jadid of Algeria, President Zainul Abedin bin Ali of Tunisia, President Mu’ammar al-Qadhdhafi of Libya, King Husayn bin Talal of Jordan and his brother (heir apparent) Hasan bin Talal, and to King Fahad ibn Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia.

I sent each book with a special dedication and a letter of high reverence by registered mail. The copies of the book were received by all consignees. I knew that from the receipts I received from the post office that had the signatures of the secretaries of all the kings and presidents I sent the book to. I waited too long for the replies, but I received none except one reply from Zainul Abedin bin Ali the president of the Republic of Tunisia, who expressed to me his sincere thanks.

Once in a press conference in India when I mentioned this story, I was asked, “Do you think that President Zainul Abedin has read your book?”

I replied, “The president is so busy that he has no time to read a book, but if he has read it, he is thanked for that, and if not, he is excused. The important thing is that he was the only one, from among the kings and presidents to whom I sent the book, who replied to my letter.”

While waiting for the replies and before receiving the reply of President Zainul Abedin, I traveled to Tunisia and there were two hundred copies of ‘Then I was Guided’ with me in my car. At the port, the custom officials hesitated to detain the copies of the book. They sent for their boss, who said when he saw the book, “Is this the Green Book?”

I said, “Its color is green, but it is not the Green Book of al-Qadhdhafi.”

He said to me, “Do you not know that letting books pass in this quantity is forbidden and it requires a permit of import?”

I said, “O brother, this is my book and I am its author. I have offered a copy as present to his Excellency the President.”

He took a copy of the book and compared the name of the author to the name in my passport. When he became certain, he said to me, “I too want you to give me a copy as gift.”

I said, “With great pleasure! What is your noble name?”

As I was writing a dedication to him, he was signing the permit.

I arrived in Tunis, the capital and gave some copies as present to some of my friends there. Then I traveled to my birthplace the city of Qafsah, where I met my relatives and old students. After two or three days, half of the copies were distributed.

I thought of my traditional opponents too, and gifted each one a copy of the book with a dedication by name and with some nice words of courtesy, out of my belief in the saying of Allah:

And not alike are the good and the evil. Repel (evil) with what is best, when lo! he between whom and you was enmity would be as if he were a warm friend. (Qur’an, 41:34)

I said to myself that they might be guided to the truth and leave fanaticism, or at least they might refrain from troubling me.

Then, I traveled to some neighboring towns and villages and distributed the rest of the copies. Nothing remained with me in my car except three or four copies that I kept for what would be later on.

President Zainul Abedin returned the glory of the Zeytoonah University and it was reopened after it had been closed for thirty years. He sent government delegations to each district to appoint the director, whom the people of the district chose to manage the branch of the Zeytoonah University there. Unfortunately, the one who was chosen in Qafsah and his appointment was celebrated, was the most spiteful one to me and to the Shia.

This man seized that opportunity and gave the copy that I had sent to him to the commissioner of the district, accusing me with dangerous accusations. The commissioner of the district gave permission to the governor to arrest me, take back all the copies of the book that I had gifted and sent to people. Those who would be found to have the book were called in order to be questioned and a report was to be written on the case.

The agents of police and security forces began carrying out the orders and looking for me everywhere. At that time, I was a guest at one of my friends, who was a manager of a big department. My son-in-law came to me there in a hurry and told me about the matter. He suggested that I should go immediately to the borders and leave the country. I thanked him for his feelings towards me and said to him, “If I do that, I shall give them an excuse against myself. I will wait for them with all courage, for I have nothing to fear of, nor have I done anything that I may regret.”

The agents of the security forces came and took me with them to the police station. There, questioning and argumentation began with the chief of the chief inspector with some of politeness and respect until the governor arrived. As soon as the governor saw me, he shouted at me, “Do you want to make a revolution in this peaceful country? Do you think that we are in Iran here?”

He turned to inspector and said to him, “This master has brought three thousand copies of a book full of blasphemy and brought one hundred millions of money to distribute them among people, inciting them to revolt and rebel.”

I said to him with challenge, “Firstly, my book is not a book of blasphemy nor does it call for revolt. If it was so, I would not present a copy of it to his Excellency President Zainul Abedin, nor would I come to Tunisia at all. Secondly, if I have brought three thousand copies, I would have to come with a big truck to carry them. The car, which I have come with, is now detained with you. You can fill it yourselves to see how many copies it may contain. Thirdly, you say that I have distributed one hundred millions of money among people. I daresay and insist on you to bring even one man, saying that I have given him even one fil. After all, I did not come to the country stealthily or by force. I came in a lawful way and was searched like the rest of people. If I had one hundred millions, they would not let pass without a permit. Surely, you are more aware of these affairs than I am.”

Finding my speech reasonable, he asked me, “How many copies of the book have you brought?”

“Twenty copies”, I replied.

He said, “Give me two hundred names of the persons whom you have given copies of your book.”

I said, “This is not possible, not because I refuse to give you the names, but I really do not know them. For example, from among them there are some of my students, whom I have not seen for ten years or more; I know them by the face and do not remember their names.”

After consultation, they decided to set me free that night, but to come back to them the next morning. Early in the morning, I came to them at the appointment. They made me ride in a car accompanied by two men from their agents. We went to the neighboring villages in order to take back the copies of the book from the houses that I knew. On the way, I discovered that my two companions were mustabsir2 (Shia).

One of them said to me, “Professor, have you forgotten me? Do you not remember me? I was one of your students in the seventies in the Preparatory School of Teachers. Last night I did not sleep, for I took your book from the (police) station and read it all. I swear by Allah that I am like you (Shia).” The second said, “I, too, read your book two days ago when one of my friends brought it to me. It opened my heart to many things that I doubted before and could not find convincing answers to them except in your book. Now, I am a Shia.”

We all laughed for that chance and did not feel the distance. In three days and from many villages, we collected copies of the book as possible as we could. According to the orders, the Security Force agents delivered a summons to everyone who was found to have a copy of the book.

I met the commissioner and after a short talk, he said to me, “They frightened me of you and said that you are an extreme Shia and are financed by al-Khomeini. They said that you say it is permissible to marry one’s sister.”

I laughed saying to myself, “Now, I know my friend!” I told him that the matter was the matter of suckling and it was mentioned in the same book. He smiled and took out a copy of the book from his drawer, saying to me, “What you said is true, but I blame you, because you have not offered me a copy of the book. If you did since the day of your coming to Qafsah, nothing would happen. However now, the case is out of our hands. It is in the court that shall decide on the matter. After that, you come to us to give you back your passport to travel with peace.”

I understood from this man’s speech that they, after having become certain about my innocence of all rumors and having known through the detained documents that the president had received my book from Paris, moved the case to the court to only see if the contents of the book was dangerous to the regime or religion.

I went to the court after having known from the Shia agents that all the persons, who were questioned, did not say about me except good. The questions that they were asked are as the following:

1. What is your relation with Dr. al-Tijani?

The answer was either “my teacher” or “my friend”.

2. Did he give you money?

The answer was “No, I have never received even one cent from him.”

3. Did he ask you for money?

The answer was “No at all! He never asked anything from me”.

In the court, I requested to meet the vice-president. After his permission, I went in to him. I saw a copy of my book on his table with a piece of paper inside it. I said, “Sir, I am the author of the book. I have come to Tunisia for one week, but now I am detained since a month without any guilt. I am very worried about my wife and daughters who are alone in Paris.”

He interrupted me, saying, “The book must be read first and then the judgment will be announced. I have read about one third of it and inshallah I shall finish it tonight. Tomorrow, the judgment will be given on it.”

I said, “Sir, I do not ask from you anything, but to act quickly.”

He said, “Come to us tomorrow afternoon!”

The next day, I went there and was surprised by the vice-president who received me at the door and embraced me very warmly, saying, “I believe in everything in this book, O Doctor!”

My eyes were filled with tears and I did not believe what my ears heard. He said to me, “Please, come in! We will write down the judgment for you. If you had spent millions to make public your book, it would not have been made public, as it has become now. Some of my friends called me from Tunis asking me for your book, which has been called “Salman Rushdi al-Qafsi (of Qafsah)”

I sat down, praising Allah and thanking Him too much for His favors and assistance to me in the same court in the matter of suckling, and then in the matter of the book where they had intended evil against it, but it changed into good.

Mr. Vice-president wrote down the judgment and gave it to the clerk to type it with a typewriter. He ordered his clerk to release the detained copies of the book, and then said to me, “I would ask Your Honor for ten copies of the book to offer them to my friends. If you like, we can give the rest of copies back to their owners from whom they were taken.”

I said, “I myself will do that after receiving the judgment.”

Some officials came to me asking for the book. I gave the Vice-president what he wanted and distributed more than ten copies in the court.

Mr. Vice-president gave me the judgment after having signed it himself. He ordered his clerk to carry the rest of copies to my car. Then, he gave me my passport and took leave of me.

I left, being so delighted and happy. I gave back the copies of the book to their owners, putting in every book a copy of the judgment. Thus, the book was circulated even in coffee-houses with no fear or embarrassment.

Since forbidden fruit is sweet, this temporary detainement made the book so famous and caused an intellectual revolution to some people. Because of this, many people turned to be Shia.

And Allah turned back the unbelievers in their rage; they did not obtain any advantage and Allah sufficed the believers in fighting; and Allah is Strong, Mighty. (Qur’an, 33:25)

When I went back to Paris, I found among the letters that had come to me the letter of Mr. Zainul Abedin bin Ali, the president of the Tunisian Republic.

Really, I cannot hide my interest and pride in the charisma that I have seen and am still seeing by the virtue of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be on them).

The last of our prayer is that praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be on the noblest of prophets and messengers, our master and guardian Muhammad and on his pure, immaculate progeny.

Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi
the Tunisian

1. Sunan Abu Dawood hadith no. 2928.
2. Mustabsir is a term used to refer to a Sunni who willingly turns Shia.

“Then I Was Guided” Is The Ahlul Bayt’s Book

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

The Ahlul Bayt (as) have well known charismata even in these days. How often that we hear from here and there that some charismata have happened to some of the Shia, or that they have seen some charismata somewhere by virtue of the Ahlul Bayt (as). It is not something strange, for the Ahlul Bayt (as) are the infallible Imams of guidance, leaders of people and suns in darkness.

Even if Umar ibn al-Khattab did not know the actual significance of the Ahlul Bayt (as) in his time, he himself led us to their great position with Allah when he prayed to Allah by means of al-Abbas, the Prophet’s uncle, who was not of those from whom Allah had kept impurity away and purified through thorough purifying.1

Al-Abbas (Prophet’s uncle) was not of those upon whom Allah had ordained blessings as He had ordained on His prophet. He was not of those for whom Allah had imposed love on all Muslims. He was not of those whom to Allah had bequeathed the knowledge of the Book. He was not of those whom Allah had greeted in His Book when saying:

“Peace be on Aal Yasin,” (Qur’an, 37:130)

He was not of the infallible imams for whom the Messenger of Allah (S) had imposed on the nation, guidance to follow them and ride aboard their ship. He was not of those who had inherited the knowledge of the Prophet (S).

Nevertheless, Allah responded to Umar, because he beseeched Allah by means of a relative of the Prophet (S). If he had beseeched Allah by means of Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn, he would have seen greater wonders and the blessings of the heaven. The earth would have come down to them, and they would have eaten from above their heads and from under their feet.

What is important is that Umar revealed to us something very important and he uncovered to us what was concealed. The fact is that kinship to the Prophet (S) has charismata which can be ignored by no one. The relatives of the Prophet (S) are those people who if they ask Allah, He will respond to them immediately in everything. Therefore, when Umar saw absence of rain and felt that there might be famine to threaten Muslims with destruction, he resorted to the kinship of the Messenger of Allah (S), and then it rained by the will of Allah to honor the kinship of the Prophet (S).

Where are the Wahhabis when they see these irrefutable proofs and where are the Muslims who have kept themselves away from knowing the truth?

Sheikh Jallool al-Jaziri (may Allah have mercy on him) was one of the ulama of Zaytoona (University) in Tunisia. By the favor of Allah, he arrived at the truth and turned to be Shia. He wrote his last book in which he discussed the event of al-Ghadir and paid homage to Ameerul Mu’minin Imam Ali (as), the virtues of the Ahlul Bayt (as), and their charismata. He told me that once Tunis faced lack of rain and famine until all people were about to die. The people of Tunis offered the prayer for rain many times, but the sky abstained from giving them even a drop.

When the lands became too dry, people went complaining to one of the righteous, who was Allama Sheikh Ibrahim ar-Riyahi, and asked him to pray to Allah so that He might respond to him. The Sheikh said to them, “Gather with me one hundred men from the Ashraf,2 so that I will offer the prayer for rain with them.” One hundred Sharifs came to him, and before finishing the prayer, and though it was very hot, the sky rained heavily. It rained for three days and all valleys overflowed until people were afraid of drowning.3

When I was guided to the Ahlul Bayt (as), thanks be to Allah, and wrote my first book ‘Then I was Guided’, I did not imagine that it would receive all this reception and fame.

By the way, it would be not useless to mention here an anecdote that my dear friend and great scholar Dr. As’ad Ali, who was a great man of letters, once told me when I visited him in his house in Mazza in Damascus. As we were talking, among a group of his disciples and friends, he reminded me of something that delighted me too much. He said, “I read your book ‘Then I was Guided’ and know its secret.”

I asked with astonishment, “What is the secret of the book?”

He said, “When you came in to visit our master (Imam) Musa al-Kadhim (S) and said, ‘O Allah, have mercy on him if he is from the righteous’, he did according to the saying of Allah

“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet with a better (greeting) than it or return it” (Qur’an, 4:86)

And, he greeted you better than your greeting to him. When you greeted him, saying, ‘O Allah have mercy on him’, he greeted you with better than your greeting, saying, ‘O Allah, guide him (to the right path)!’ So Allah responded to him and guided you, and after that came this book, and this was the secret of its success.”

This is a fact which I have believed in and it has entered deep into my heart. I have believed that the Ahlul Bayt (as) were the secret behind the success of the book without doubt. I met no one who showed to me other than his admiration of the book. The book has been published more than twenty times and translated into seventeen languages in the world. Thousands of Muslims everywhere in the world were guided to the truth by this book, especially in Africa where there were no Shia and Muslims lived there without sectarian backgrounds.4

1. The Prophet (S) and his progeny who were the ones referred to by the Qur’anic verse of Purification.
2. Ashraf in Tunisia are the sharifs or sayyids who are the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (S) via Ali and Fatima (peace be on them).
3. Sheikh Jallool al-Jaziri mentioned in his book “al-Fawa’id al-Fakhira Lezad ad-Dunya wel Aakhira - the excellent benefits for the provision of this life and the afterlife”, p. 78, quoting Tarikh (history of) Ibn Dhayyaf that once when the epidemic (plague) spread in Tunisia, the ulama met in the Zeytoonah Mosque and decided to gather forty sharifs who all had the name Muhammad and to pray Allah to save them from that plague. They gathered the forty men by whose means Allah saved people and the plague vanished.
4. In Iraq and Iran, people narrate many true stories about the charismata of the Ahlul Bayt (as) that have actually taken place. The visitors, students, and scholars from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other places, who have visited or come to study and live near the shrines of the Ahlul Bayt (as) and been blessed by their holy tombs, also narrate such stories.

This Is Al-Mahdi

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

Muslims in general in the past and the present believe in the Savior who shall bring back to them their glory and honor and repair what tyrants and oppressors have corrupted and destroyed, and restore to them their religion. This savior and reformer is Imam al-Mahdi (as), about whom the Prophet (S) gave good news when he said, “If nothing remains in this life except one day, Allah will prolong that day until al-Mahdi, who is from my progeny and whose name is like mine, shall appear to fill the earth with justice and fairness after it shall have been filled with injustice and oppression.”1

This Savior of Mankind, who will complete the mission of the prophets and messengers in the earth so that the Light of Allah is perfected at his hands, is the center of the attention of all three major religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Jews, Christians and Muslims all are waiting for him and claim him to be from them according to their many traditions about him.

Since we believe definitely that Islam is the last of religions and that there shall be no prophet after Muhammad (S), so we are certain with not a bit of doubt that al-Mahdi is from the progeny of the Prophet Muhammad (S) and he is the last of the twelve infallible imams, behind whom Jesus Christ (S) will offer prayer as a kind of honoring and glorifying.

In this quick discussion, we do not want to study everything about al-Mahdi, because the history and the Prophet’s traditions in this context has already been talked about in our book – ‘To Be With the Truthful’.2 Besides this many books, theses, and encyclopedias have been written on al-Mahdi (S). We only want to show the belief of the Ahlul Bayt (as) where they stand alone away from the rest of Muslims in rulings and beliefs that comply with the challenges of the world and in fact, they may precede challenges sometimes.

The Jews, Christians and Muslims have been overcome by materialism to an extent that they have gone away from religion and been affected by atheistic, materialistic, and secularist doctrines, in a way that spirituality has become too weak in them. Therefore, they are looking for solutions, which they do not find anywhere except in the divine good news.

Moreover, the violent wars that have exhausted humankind, especially the poor and the weak everywhere in the world, who die of hunger in millions, while tyrants and oppressors compete with each other to possess the most fatal weapons and to occupy nations by all means - cultural, economic and technology. Were it not for the hope of a better future with justice, peace and noble life that man looks forward to, there would be no meaning or sense in this life. And were it not for the belief of Muslims in Allah, Who has promised to support His religion to prevail over all religions when saying:

He it is Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse. (Qur’an, 9:33)

Were it not be for this faith, despair would fill their souls and they would be losers! It is this faith that fills souls with energy, vitality, the love of life, expectation of a better future, and the waiting for deliverance, because after hardship there shall come ease.

This is al-Mahdi (as) - who is the hope of Muslims, or in fact the hope of all humankind. The belief in al-Mahdi (as) is not a matter of mocking. Allah the Almighty says:

Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. And return to your Lord time after time and submit to Him before there comes to you the punishment, then you shall not be helped. And follow the best that has been revealed to you from your Lord before there comes to you the punishment all of a sudden while you do not even perceive. Lest a soul should say: O woe to me, for what I fell short of my duty to Allah, and most surely I was among scoffers. (Qur’an, 39:53-56)

1. Refer to Al-Jam’ bayna as-Sihah as-Sittah (gathering between the six Sahihs), chapter - Signs of the Day of Resurrection and al-Aqa’id al-Islamiyyah (Islamic beliefs), by Sayyid Sabiq.
2. https://www.al-islam.org/be-with-truthful-muhammad-al-tijani-al-samawi

Temporary Marriage and its Importance

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

One of the most dangerous problems that destroy human societies is the problem of sex. As it is well known, sex is the basic factor that makes life continue as willed by Allah the Almighty Who has made masculinity and femininity in everything - man, animals, plants…etc.

Allah says:

And of everything We have created pairs that you may be mindful. (Qur’an, 51:49)

And Allah has made wives for you of your kind, and has given you children and grandchildren from your wives. (Qur’an, 16:72)

In order that life continues, male and female must marry and produce offspring. This is the norm of Allah in His creation. For marriage and production, Allah has created this unruly instinct in man and woman equally that each gender wishes and longs for and yearns to have sexual intercourse with the other to satisfy his or her lust. In this way, an ovum is pollinated by a sperm and a fetus is formed that develops until it becomes adult to repeat the same role, and thus life continues.

And He it is Who has created man from the water, then He has made for him blood relationship and marriage relationship, and your Lord is powerful. (Qur’an, 25:54)

The Islamic Sharia has put conditions and limits for this instinct in a way that not all people may bear. Islam has prohibited sexual intercourse, except by lawful marriage in order to preserve honor, lineage, offspring and dignity of man.

The sexual lust may be awakened in a young boy and a young girl in their early years when they are not more than ten years old. In the west, these young boys and girls may practice sex easily and without limits because the western peoples think it is a natural instinct, not having any problem with this. Therefore, they encourage it and pave the way for early mixing between boys and girls or that parents may practice sexual intercourse before their children to make them be used to seeing their parents naked, besides observing other behaviors that open wide the door to adultery before young boys and girls. In many instances, a girl would have lost her virginity before she is fourteen years old. This is very common there; to a degree that when a man gets married to a woman and finds her still a virgin, he is astonished and considers that woman to be unnatural or savage.

For Muslims, the matter is totally different. There is no room for uncovering private parts before children at all. There is no place for mixing between males and females, except within certain limits conditioned by the required veil of woman. Add to that the moral and psychological education that children receive from parents, especially girls from mothers. Thus, girls grow up with shyness and fear of sex, bearing in mind that their virginity is the criterion of their chastity, abstinence, honor and perfection of body.

Most of times, a young woman may come to the marital house while she knows neither much nor little about sex, and perhaps the husband may be so too. This is if they live in a Muslim society that follows the actual laws of Islam, or we may say ‘the ideal Muslim society’ that seems to be imaginary, because it is very difficult or somehow impossible to be applied, as it is not possible to suppress this instinct in males or females anyhow.

However if we try to ignore this instinct, we shall not be successful most of times. When the genitals and glands of a male and a female develop, they feel the desire to have sex. They shall practice sex in one way or another, however much the parents try to watch over them. There is no doubt that males and females shall find an opportunity to meet, and in the least boys may practice sex with boys and girls with girls. Certainly, this is a dangerous matter, having bad effects and psychological diseases that may be a main reason for destroying the family, which then leads to the corruption of entire society.

Western societies have exceeded all the limits in practicing sex, until people there have become like animals in satisfying this unruly lust, which is considered there as a conceded right of male and female and a part of their freedom even if they are married and living with their spouses. As they think, a husband has to regard the feelings of his wife if she wants to satisfy her lust with whomever she likes, and a wife has to regard the feelings of her husband if he wants to do the same with any woman other than his wife.

However, in the Arab and Muslim societies, we are very immoderate in the matter of sex to the extent that we have burdened our societies with psychological complexes, sexual suppression, secret practices and yearning for woman with fatal lust as that of animals.

Woman Is Wronged Among Us

Woman, in the Arab and Muslim societies, has been wronged in general, since the day when she was buried alive until today.

Muslims have not understood until now that woman has body and soul just like man; she has intellect, heart, feelings and instincts. Man cannot claim that he has honor and dignity, except that woman can claim this too. Allah says in the Qur'an:

O you men, surely We have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful (of his duty); surely Allah is Knowing, Aware. (Qur’an, 49:13)

So their Lord accepted their prayer: That I will not waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other. (Qur’an, 3:195)

Of course, we do not deny that Allah the Almighty has given man a degree over woman for leadership and constancy, but it has nothing to do with preference at all. Allah the Glorified says:

They (women) have rights similar to those against them in a just manner, and the men are a degree above them, and Allah is Mighty, Wise. (Qur’an, 2:228)

The wisdom of Allah has determined that man and woman are equal in rights and duties, but a degree has been given to man over woman in leadership, because Allah has given man more power and strength and made him responsible for guarding and protecting woman. When a woman feels fear and fright, she hurries to seek protection of her man or husband. Therefore, Allah has imposed fight and jihad on man and exempted woman from that. In fact, Allah has imposed on man to fight and be martyred for the sake of woman. Allah the Almighty says:

How should you not fight for the cause of Allah and of the feeble among men and of the women and the children... (Qur’an, 4:75)

This is what I have understood from the Holy Qur'an. It does not mean that Allah has preferred man to woman; certainly not! There may be a man better than one thousand women, and there may be a woman better than one thousand men!

We must take the Messenger of Allah (S) as our exemplar. He treated woman in a way that the history of humankind has never known better than. Despite the fact that some of his wives hurt him, he never hurt any one of them at all. He always ordered Muslims to be good to women. Nevertheless, some bad spirits of the pre-Islamic era have remained among Muslims until now. You may hear that some man has divorced his wife because she did not bear a male child. Until now, they raise from the Qur'an only this motto “and beat them”, besides their sayings that “woman is the seed of Satan”, “she is sedition”, “she is shame”, “she is scandal”…etc.

Woman among Muslims has remained underdeveloped and ignorant. She has no right to learn and study. Some people do not agree with her leaving her father’s house, except to the house of her husband or to her grave.1

Some men claim and repeat false traditions before learned men and women that the Messenger of Allah (S) has said, “The best thing for woman is that she should neither see a man nor let a man see her.”

What kind of mentality is that, which contradicts what has been mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, concerning the freedom of woman and her rights equal to man’s? Otherwise, what is the meaning of this saying of Allah:

Say to the believing men that they should lower their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their adornment except what appears thereof. (Qur’an, 24:30-31)

This is very clear evidence on the freedom of woman in going out of her house as man does, and that she is ordered to lower her gaze and observe her modesty exactly as man is ordered to do.

Yes! The mentality of the pre-Islamic age has prevailed to some extent in the Arab and Muslim societies. Muslim men have exploited the degree that Allah has given them over woman to give themselves all the rights and deprive woman of all her rights, leaving her with nothing.

I would not go far if I say that the main reason behind our underdevelopment is our injustice against woman and closing the doors before her - no learning, no culture, no communication, no association, no going out and no right to choose her spouse. Until recently, woman is married without her choice. In fact, how can she choose while she does not know any man?2

Thus, a woman may find herself, in the night of wedding, before a man in age that of her father and she can do nothing except to submit unwillingly, and then it is said to her, “this is what Allah has determined for you; therefore, you have to be patient!” Then, she becomes like a productive milk cow that has nothing to do, except to give birth, suckle, and bring them up because her husband likes to have many children!

Detest and hatred may rise and grow between the two spouses, because the husband is too old and may not understand the needs and feelings of the young wife, and most of the time, he leaves her alone, suffering the pains of the instinct and lust. And since the husband is jealous of her young wife, he tries his best not to let her see any man and not to let any man see her.

However, the sexual lust defeats everything and this woman falls in the first opportunity, as a reaction against suppression and deprivation. Consequently, unlawful relations come out. Forbidden fruit is sweet! Many a woman has a lover, and many a man has a lover or lovers and many children are born at the expense of others! Then doubts, troubles, problems, quarrel and lastly divorce comes about. The society is corrupted and high values are replaced by disorders, treasons, adultery, vices, and all sins. Unfortunately, this is what actually happens in our societies nowadays. Therefore, we must face these painful facts and not overlook them or bury our heads in sands like an ostrich.

Since the first day when I understood Islam and became certain that it is the best law at all, I called in meetings, conferences, and publications for the liberation of woman for making her learned and erudite. Surely, woman is the half (or more) of society, and when half of the society is paralyzed, the body of the nation shall not be able to carry out its functions and will die little by little.

Another injustice of our society against woman is that we have thought of the lust of man only and found effective solutions for it, in order to “close the door of excuses”. Therefore, we have built public places for men to satisfy their desires whenever they like, and with no denier or objector! Rather, it seems that the matter is too natural to the extent that sometimes a brother may meet his brother, or some man may meet his nephew or another relative there in that place, and he may feel proud and victorious, because that place is a proof of manhood where no one can enter it except one who is manly!

If such a man, who feels proud before his fellows that he has gone to such place and been acquainted with different women, comes back home and sees his sister look at passersby in the street from the window, shall turn the house upside down and beat that poor sister until she bleeds!3

Why did jurisprudents think of the satisfaction of man’s lust and they did not think of the satisfaction of woman’s lust if they were just?

I do not call for the liberation of woman, as the case is in the corruptive West - where people do not believe in values and good morals and they believe in freedoms only. I call for the liberation of woman within the limits that Allah and His messenger have determined such as hijab, abstinence, modesty and chastity and beyond that she is free to do, as her brother does in her father’s house and as her husband does when she is married. If we actually do that, we shall save ourselves and our society from corruption, vices and underdevelopment.

There is no doubt that jurisprudents must have thought of that, but they regarded it unlikely to find public places for women to satisfy their lusts, because this is a thing impermissible. They might deduce differently that from the fact that Islam permits man to marry one, two, three or four women at the same time, but prohibits so for women in order to preserve lineages and children because woman is the one who bears and gives birth and not man.

However, fact is that this instinct is always vital in woman. Therefore, sufficient solutions must be found to preserve woman’s dignity, honor, and entity exactly like that of a man.

Has Islam ignored this fact? Has Islam permitted for man what it has not permitted for woman?

The Prophet (S) talked much about the subject of sex and gave sufficient solutions to keep the Muslim society safe from corruption and sin. He said, “O youths, whoever can afford to get married let him get married, because it is better in lowering the (unlawful) gaze and better in being chaste. Whoever is not able to let him fast, for it shall be a protection for him.”4

It is a sufficient solution for the youth, who can afford to get married. Through marriage, the youth, males or females, can satisfy their sexual lust whenever it is required and save their selves from erring. The problem is only with those who cannot afford to get married. At the time of the Prophet (S) also when marriage was so easy and simple and did not cost much, there were young men who could not get married. Then how is it not going to be more of an issue nowadays when marriage has become too difficult and costly for many reasons?

From among these reasons is that young men and young women keep on learning until the age of twenty-five, and after that, they look for a suitable job that may assure their living. Then, they must prepare a house with its furniture in compliance with the requirements of the modern ages that have become necessary. One may be, at least thirty years old to be able to get married.

A young man and a young woman, who can biologically get married in the tenth or twelfth year of age, cannot actually afford to get married, except in the age of thirty. Then, what do they do during all these long years? If we say that they have been so abstinent and chaste and have not thought of sex at all, we may be liars to ourselves, for they are human beings and not angels; especially in this age where mixing is something very natural everywhere. A male student mixes with a female one in the university. In fact, since primary school until high education, there is mixing between males and females which often occur away from parents and observers. A girl may live with her boy classmate for nine months, but she does not live with her family except for three months. So what happens there?

The answer is well known by the students themselves and by their teachers, and by everyone who works inside or outside his house.

Temporary Marriage is the Very Solution

We have discussed the wisdom of Allah when we talked about the offering of two prayers at the same time and said that Allah is kind to His people; He has created them, and so He guides them to what benefits them because He is Beneficent, Merciful. And since Allah is kind to His people, so He always wants ease for them. He says:

Should He not know what He created? And He is the Knower of the subtleties, the Aware. (Qur’an, 67:14)

How can a reasonable one imagine that Allah has created man weak and created in him the sexual instinct that he is terribly excited and then He determined severe punishment on him by either whipping or stoning when he would satisfy this unruly instinct?

Can we convince others to embrace Islam when we show these rulings and then we say that Allah is merciful to His people, Allah wants ease for them, He does not impose on man what he cannot bear or that He has not made in religion any embarrassment or hardship?

Before we try to convince others, can we convince ourselves with this justification? Certainly not!

The sexual intercourse may be practiced without raping, violence or force, but with mutual love, satisfaction, and agreement between a man and a woman where there is no harm against anyone and that precaution is observed so that pregnancy and birth do not take place. Should such a man, who satisfies the desire of a woman whose abstinence and chastity prevent her from committing adultery, be killed? We must think deeply on this subject, especially when we see the injustice of our societies against woman.

All that does not let inside me a bit of doubt that Allah the Almighty, Who has permitted a sick one or a traveler not to fast in the month of Ramadan and to offer the half of prayers, or to offer the prayer while sitting or lying down in some cases, Who has permitted Muslims to perform tayammum with earth when there is no water, Who has permitted a faithful to pretend unfaith in some cases to preserve his life, properties, and honor, and has permitted Muslims to sleep with their wives in the nights of Ramadan, because He knows that it is too difficult for man and woman to abstain from sexual intercourse for a month that He has said,

It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast. They are raiment for you and you are raiment for them. Allah is Aware that you were deceiving yourselves in this respect and He has turned in mercy toward you and relieved you. So hold intercourse with them (Qur’an, 2:187)

So if it is so, how would Allah ignore the sexual lust that He Himself has created and is aware of its ferocity and bad results which might destroy societies?

Allah has created woman for man and created man for woman for the sake of tranquility and peacefulness. Allah the Glorified says:

And one of His signs is that He created you from dust, then lo! you are mortals ranging widely. And of His signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect. (Qur’an, 30:20-21)

These verses talk about men and women altogether; Allah has created both man and woman from earth, and made one as a mate to another so that each may find peace and tranquility with the other.

Thus, Allah must put a solution to this instinct so that both the male and the female live a pleasant life full of love, mercy and tranquility.

All Muslims have agreed that Allah had mercy on his people, men and women, when He permitted for them the temporary marriage. This mercy came down while Muslims were in utmost need of it. The great companions, who were examples in faith and piety, could not be patient with their sexual desires. They complained to the Prophet (S) and asked him to permit them to castrate themselves.

Al-Bukhari has mentioned in his Sahih that Qays ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “We were with the Messenger of Allah (S) in a battle, and there were no women (wives) with us. We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah (S), can we castrate ourselves?’ He prohibited us from doing that. Then, he permitted us to marry women (in temporary marriage) for a garment (as simple dowry), and then he recited:

O you who believe! do not forbid (yourselves) the good things which Allah has made lawful for you. (Qur’an, 5:87)5

Praise be to Allah! Glorified is He! How kind and merciful He is to His people!

The Prophet (S) prohibited his companions from castration and permitted them for temporary marriage. He prohibited them from forbidding temporary marriage because it is from the good things that Allah has permitted for them. This is clear evidence on the mercy of Allah to His people, lest they harmed themselves by castration which was prohibited.

Therefore, sexual desire is a nature in man that must be satisfied and not suppressed, because its suppression causes psychological and bodily diseases. Men (and woman) have to satisfy this desire within the legal limits that Allah has determined and the Prophet (S) has declared to Muslims.

This great mercy (temporary marriage) that Allah had given to His people and all Muslims acknowledged its lawfulness in the Holy Qur'an were prohibited later on. Most people claimed that it had been prohibited by the Prophet (S).

We say to these people that this claim cannot be accepted by sound reason, because this gift of Allah was permitted to solve the problem of the sexual desires for a Muslim man and a Muslim woman. Then, is this problem no longer available so that this permission has to be annulled? Or does the Prophet (S) have the right to prohibit what Allah has permitted? Is there one thing in the Islamic Sharia that Allah had permitted for His people and then He prohibited it?

By Allah no! There is nothing of that at all. May Allah have mercy on Ameerul Mu’minin (as) who said:

Temporary marriage is a mercy that Allah has given to His servants. Were it not for the prohibition of Umar, no one would commit adultery except a wretched one!6

In this discussion, we do not want to prove the legality of temporary marriage, for we have already proved that in our book ‘To be With the Truthful’, but we want to say that the Ahlul Bayt (as) have said it is lawful until the Day of Resurrection, quoting their grandfather the Messenger of Allah (S). We say that the Ahlul Bayt (as) have done Muslims great favors, which has preserved their religion and high values that keep pace with all ages and face all challenges.7

In the end, Muslims shall find no way that leads to the best, except by the way of Ahlul Bayt (as) and no school that complies with modern ages and overcomes all challenges, except the school of Ahlul Bayt (as) that have been based on the Qur'an and the Prophet’s Sunnah. Allah says:

Is He then Who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless he is guided? What then is the matter with you; how do you judge? (Qur’an, 10:35)

Temporary Marriage Was Legislated For Woman’s Welfare

Temporary marriage is a divine mercy that Allah has endowed on His servants. It is for the welfare of men and women with no difference. However and as we have said before, men have absolute freedom and they can enjoy themselves in the public places that are founded for this purpose and protected by the law. Moreover, men have the right to marry two, three or four wives at the same time; therefore, sexual pleasure is available to them wherever and whenever they like.

On this basis, I can deduce that temporary marriage which Allah has permitted, is to make the rights of a woman to be equal to the rights of a man in this aspect, because this kind of marriage does not prevent woman from getting married to more than one man and even to many if she observes the iddah and the other conditions of this marriage. The only difference between man and woman in this regard is that man can get married to four women at the same time, but woman cannot get married even to two men at the same time. This is because of the reason that we have mentioned before that there is a possibility that the sperms of two men may gather in the womb of one woman, and then it is not known which man is the father of the child created in the woman’s womb, whereas this is impossible for the man who has many wives.

This is the rule of Allah that we find even in tame animals that live with us. If we put a ewe with two rams, there shall be a bloody quarrel leading to the death of one of them. If we suppose that both rams copulate with the ewe, then we are not certain which of them impregnates the ewe. If we put one ram with a herd of ewes, there shall be no quarrel, and we are certain that all the born sheep are children of that ram. What we say about rams and ewes can be said about hens and cockerel, rabbits, camels, cows, goats…etc. Allah says:

There is no animal that walks upon the earth or a bird that flies with its two wings but (they are) genera like yourselves. (Qur’an, 6:38)

Once, someone said to me, “If the matter is so, then a sterile woman can get married to two men at the same time, because the cause has fallen off.”8

I said, “This is not possible, because the Islamic rulings are not limited to causes that when a cause has fallen off, the ruling is annulled. If we say that the cause of the prohibition of wine is the loss of one’s reason where Allah says,

O you who believe, do not go near prayer when you are intoxicated until you know (well) what you say. (Qur’an, 4:34)

Then, is the one who is not intoxicated after drinking a cup or two of wine, not subject to this ruling?

Certainly not, O my friend! That substance whose much quantity causes intoxication, the little of it (even one drop) is also unlawful.

And if we say that the cause of the prohibition of pig is impurity and filthiness, then will eating its meat be lawful when it is sterilized and all microbes are removed!?

The rulings of Allah do not rely on only one cause. There may be many causes that no one knows except Allah the Almighty. Therefore, we must be satisfied with the rulings of Allah and accept them willingly and submissively, because Allah does not want for His people except what brings them good and prosperity. Allah says:

Is it then the judgment of (the times of) ignorance that they desire? And who is better than Allah to judge for a people who are sure? (Qur’an, 5:50)

That is Allah’s judgment; He judges between you and Allah is Knowing, Wise. (Qur’an, 60:10)

Therefore, Muslims have to be submissive and obedient.

Allah says:

It behaves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he surely strays off a manifest straying. (Qur’an, 33:36)

On this basis, believing men and believing women have to accept the decree of Allah concerning the matter of temporary marriage and to thank Him for this mercy, especially woman whom Allah has given through this marriage all the rights, whereas man only has the right to accept or not.

In the continuous marriage, man has “the right of bed” that whenever he asks her wife to sleep with, she has no right to refuse. A husband has the right to sleep with his wife whenever he likes. She even has no right, legally, to fast recommendable fasting (not even in Ramadan) except by his permission. Allah says:

Your wives are a tilth for you, so go into your tilth whenever you like. (Qur’an, 2:223)

Man has also been given the right to divorce his wife. Allah says:

O Prophet! when you divorce women, divorce them for their prescribed time (iddah). (Qur’an, 65:1)

Man also has been given the right to return his wife (to marital life) before the end of the iddah. Allah says:

Their husbands have a better right to take them back in the meanwhile if they wish for reconciliation. (Qur’an, 2:228)

Man has the right too to divorce his wife three times (trio-divorce). Allah says:

Divorce may be (pronounced) twice, then keep (them) in good fellowship or let (them) go with kindness…and if he divorces her (for third time), she shall not be lawful to him afterwards. (Qur’an, 2:229-230)

Man has been given the right to marry more than one wife (at the same time). Allah says:

Then, marry women as seems good to you, two and three and four. (Qur’an, 4:3)

However, in temporary marriage everything is in the hand of woman; she is the one to decide. She recites the wording of the marriage contract, and man only accepts or refuses. Woman is the one who determines the period of this marriage, and consequently determines her divorce with no condition or tie. She has the right to put any condition she likes against man. She may say to the husband, for example: On condition that you do not leave me all this time and do not marry other than me. Or she may say: on condition that you do not have sexual intercourse with me, or on condition of sexual intercourse but to ejaculate out of the womb lest I bear. Or she may say: on condition that we spend the honey-moon in Holy Mecca.

In temporary marriage, woman can stipulate whatever she likes. Allah says:

Then as to those of whom you seek content (by marrying them), give them their dowries as appointed; and there is no blame on you about what you mutually agree after what is appointed; surely Allah is Knowing, Wise. (Qur’an, 4:24)

It suffices woman as honor that she can marry herself in temporary marriage without the permission of her guardian (her father for example). In another word, it is woman who gets married to man in this kind of marriage.

Temporary Marriage And Its Benefits

Unfortunately, Muslims do not look at this marriage except by the eye of criticism. They do not discuss except its negative points, which are very little, and do not see its positive points which are very many.

In fact, everything has negative and positive points. As this kind of marriage was not practiced since the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab, who prohibited it with no any legal cause, so people consider it as adultery and they look at it disgustingly. This does not mean that it is disgusting, but because people have neither known nor practiced it.

It is like the offering of two prayers at one time, or like the khums, or wiping the feet in wudhu’. Despite that they have been available in the Holy Qur'an and despite that the Prophet (S) has practiced and ordered Muslims to practice them, most of people are ignorant of them. Muslims find them strange for nothing, but just because they are not familiar with them in their daily life. You see that they do not find adultery as strange as they find temporary marriage strange!

A young woman often tried to incite some young man to commit adultery with her. When he refused and suggested that they should get married in temporary marriage, she refused and said that she did not know this kind of marriage.

If you argue about the matter of temporary marriage with Sunni scholars and prove its legality with irrefutable proofs from al-Bukhari and Muslim and when they are embarrassed before the evidences, they say that this marriage is a kind of humiliation to woman. When you prove to them the opposite, they begin talking nonsense and say: will you marry me your sister or daughter in temporary marriage?

They speak with the mentality of domination over woman. They often say that woman cannot marry herself (to someone by her will) and that her marriage is in the hand of her guardian. They think that woman is like a cow that is sold and bought, and that she has no right to choose her husband. Indeed, this is the very humiliation to woman and not her temporary marriage.

Temporary marriage is a mercy from Allah for woman and it is not a kind of humiliation. She has the full right to refuse temporary marriage and no one can ever force her to accept it. If they think that this kind of marriage is humiliation to woman, then what do they say about polygamy where another fellow wife or other fellow wives are brought home inspite of her presence and without her agreement or willingness to participate with her in everything; her husband, her house, and later on the inheritance?

Is this worse or that when her husband gets married for a short period (temporary marriage) to some woman who shall share with wife, besides that this wife may not know anything at all about that marriage, which shall end soon, and about that second wife, who shall leave back for her own life?

We have said before that temporary marriage within its legal conditions and limits is for the advantage of woman and not for her disadvantage. As temporary marriage is not obligatory and as it cannot be imposed on anyone, man or woman, against his or her will, so what for is all this nonsense, defamation and accusation?

I am so sorry for this afflicted nation that claims the love to the Prophet’s progeny (as), while it contradicts them in all rulings which they narrated from their grandfather the Prophet Muhammad (S) and did according to these rulings. Despite that Ja’fari School (Shiism), which is the jurisprudence of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (as), is taught in al-Azhar University in Cairo, many people because of fanaticism, still doubt it and doubt it belongs to Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (as).

It is certain that the twelve infallible imams (as), at the head of whom is Imam Ali (as), called among people for the legality of temporary marriage and said that it was a mercy for people. Abdullah Ibn Abbas, as well, often said to people that temporary marriage was lawful. Muslims were divided into two parties; one of minority who followed and did according to the doings of the Ahlul Bayt (as), and the other one of great majority who followed the caliphs (but not Imam Ali as) and companions.

Matters have remained until now as they were before; the followers of the Ahlul Bayt (as) see temporary marriage as lawful, and the followers of the caliphs see it as unlawful.

After all and as we offer this study, we do not want to force anyone to accept it. People are free to choose what they see as true, but we have to uncover the hidden facts so that the truth becomes clear and shiny before whoever intends and looks for it.

In our view, temporary marriage has many benefits:

If a male student and a female student, who live together throughout the school year while they are in the age of intensity of sexual passion, get married temporarily, they shall be in intimate companionship and association even if they do not have sexual intercourse when they both agree to this condition.

This may last for the period of their study, and after that, they can decide either to separate, or conclude a contract of continuous marriage if they want. In fact, the first marriage shall give the two spouses more chance to know each other in the best way and shall be able to get over all the obstacles that may face them in their continuous marital life.

This marriage shall give them relief, peace and tranquility and make them proceed with their studies easily. Their relation shall be lawful and honest and shall make their consciences satisfied and pleased and consequently Allah will be pleased with them. They shall be safe from troubles and suspicious looks of other students, who when they know about this marriage shall stop to trouble them.

On the other hand, if a female student moves from one young man to another, having in her handbag tens of love letters from this and that besides the contraceptives for fear of pregnancy and scandal and if young men move from one girl to another to taste the honey of each one, as bees tasting flowers, and play with the fates, futures and feelings of those girls, paying no any attention to the honor, dignity, and feelings of their families, and when those girls finish their studies and return to their homes followed by suspicions and accusations that shall cause them tens of complexes arising from the leaving of those traitors who promise and after satisfying their desires, leave those deflowered girls alone to be later on filled with rage and spite against the society and to try avenge for themselves by every means - it shall be found not strange by those pretending scholars!!!

A traveler, who travels for a long period away from his home and wife, may be able to be patient (with his sexual desire), but if not, he has to get married in temporary marriage to assure his ease, tranquility, and faith. His wife may agree willingly when she knows that her husband has followed the lawful way and kept away from unlawful ways. A wife knows her husband well and shall prefer him to be in the house of an honest and upright woman, who gets married to protect her honor and honesty and make use of Allah’s mercy rather than to look for a prostitute in a street every day who takes his money and gives him fatal diseases after having slept with other men many times on the same day. Surely, there is nothing of that in temporary marriage, as one from among its conditions is that the woman having married in temporary marriage has no right to remarry except after having undergone all the iddah of her first marriage which is a period of two menstruations or two months for a woman in menopause.

Temporary marriage can solve the problem of a spinster who has not married for one reason or another. Islam permits her to satisfy her desire in this lawful way.

Temporary marriage also solves the problem of a widow who does not want to marry in continuous marriage for the sake of her children or any other reason.

How often it happens in our Arabic societies that a beautiful woman falls in love with a teenager or a young man in the age of her son. This woman may sleep with this teenager and remain doing so secretly in unlawful association. Temporary marriage makes their association lawful and preserves their honor and dignity.

A woman, who is afraid to travel alone or that some countries may prevent her from traveling except with a non-mahram, can conclude a contract of temporary marriage just for the purpose of travel. Marriage in this case can be without sexual intercourse.

A man, who has a female servant at home, is not permitted by Islam to touch any part of her body or look at her while unveiled, and her full veil may embarrass her when doing her job in the house and before her master. This man can conclude a contract of temporary marriage between his young son9 and the servant inasmuch as for the period of her employment, and thus she becomes his daughter-in-law who is mahram to him. In this way, there shall be no problem or embarrassment.

A young woman, who remains alone for hours in the house of a man for learning special lessons or a foreign language, or any other reason, can conclude a contract of temporary marriage with that man to avoid that forbidden privacy, about which the Prophet (S) said, “No man and a woman are alone in privacy except that Satan becomes the third of them.” In this way, this privacy shall be lawful and the woman can put off her hijab before her teacher or shake hands with him. However, she can stipulate any condition she wants.

There are many other cases where temporary marriage becomes mercy for people lest they commit sins, which may cause the society much corruption and many physical and psychological diseases. Temporary marriage, in many cases, is the only solution to save society from these diseases and to preserve honors, lineages, dignities, and nobilities.10

Say: Surely Allah does not enjoin indecency; do you say against Allah what you do not know. (Qur’an, 7:28)

Surely Allah enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the kindred, and He forbids indecency and evil and oppression; He admonishes you that you may be mindful. (Qur’an, 16:90)

1. There is no doubt that a jurisprudent or a preacher is the son of his milieu and society. He carries out his mission within the reality he lives in; therefore, he does not tire himself to show the ruling of Allah, face new changes, and keep to justice. He may not observe whether people in that society are excessive or wasteful. For example, is woman wronged, or she is given her full rights?
Let us not rely on some weak traditions that do not fit our milieu and social backgrounds. A jurisprudent may not talk about the essence of hijab (Islamic veil), learning of woman, mixing (of males and females), the influence of the TV…etc, but he does not wake up, except when he is shocked by changes, sudden events and the cultural invasion of the west against us, and then he behaves as a surprised one; either he clings to his heritage and fanaticism, or gives a fatwa in a hurry and after sometime, hesitating between nomadism and modernity, open and closed society!
2. The books of history and biographies mention that women came to the meeting of the Prophet (S) and asked him to find them good husbands. Once, some women came to the Prophet (S) and said to him, “We cannot be alone (to talk) with you in your meeting of men…” He assigned to them an appointment in the house of someone, and then he went to them at the appointed time and place.
The Prophet (S) permitted women to do some works. He said to the wife of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, who was forced to work to spend on her husband and children, “…you shall have reward for your spending on them, so spend on them!” There are too many examples concerning the affairs of woman, showing her freedom and rights.
3. Some Sunni jurisprudents gave a fatwa that one, who looks at a foreign (non-mahram) woman, is to be whipped (one hundred whips), relying on the saying of the Prophet (S), “The two eyes may commit adultery”, mentioned by Ahmed ibn Hanbal in his Sunan and by at-Tabari in his al-Kabeer from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud.
4. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 7, p. 3. Book of Marriage.
5. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 6 p. 66.
6. Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar vol.3, p. 26. Also refer to Temporary marriage by Abdullah al-Fakiki, and To be with the Truthful by Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi (the author of this book) where he mentions the sources of this tradition. From among the books that have been written on Temporary Marriage is al-Fusool al-Muhimmah by Sayyid Sharafuddeen al-Aamili, Juristic Questions by the same author, al-Bayan by Sayyid al-Khoei, al-Ghadir by Allama al-Amini, Mut’ah (temporary marriage) in Islam by Sayyid Husayn Mekki, Temporary Marriage by Sayyid Muhammad Taqi al-Hakim, Temporary Marriage in Islam, by Sayyid Ja’far Murtadha, and the introduction of Mir’atul Uqool.
It is said that Imam Malik had permitted temporary marriage. Refer to al-Hidayah fi Sharh al-Bidayah, p. 385, Poulaq Press, printed with al-Fatth al-Qadeer. It is also said that Ahmed ibn Hanbal had permitted it with necessity; refer to Tafsir ibn Kathir, vol. 1 p. 474, and some other companions!

There are traditions narrated from Ibn Abbas, Ubay ibn Ka’b, Mujahid, Sa’eed ibn Jubayr, ibn Mas’ud, as-Sadi and others who agreed when reciting this verse:

And those of whom you seek content (by marrying them) to a fixed term. (Qur’an, 4:24).
There are about more than twenty traditionists and exegetes from the Sunni who have said that temporary marriage is lawful.
7. Since the matter of sex brings societies heavy burdens, some Sunni ulama, after having found that temporary marriage is a lawful way to solve many problems, began permitting it to their youth, but under different names and with different facades!
8. The matter is not material only. Today, science shows us a quick result whether there is pregnancy or not, but the matter is related to moral and spiritual things; the material purity of the womb is not the basis. For example, the woman, whose husband divorces her after he has not slept with her for a long time that may be years for some reasons, has to undergo the iddah since the first moment of divorce.
9. The boy may be no more than some years, and it is not intended in such a marriage that the sexual intercourse happens, but it is just to make lawful through this marriage what is unlawful without it. This does not mean to make lawful what Allah has prohibited, for this is of disbelief, but to follow what the Sharia may permit. Shaking hands with a non-mahram woman is not lawful, but it becomes lawful after a legal contract of marriage with that woman.
10. When I was preparing a thesis for higher studies in one of the Sunni colleges, I heard one of the female officials of the college blaming a teacher why he did not visit her the last night where she had prepared a gateau and been waiting for him. The teacher was trying to apologize.
I say: if there is no contract of continuous marriage or temporary marriage, then what shall be the legal excuse for them to meet and mix as man and woman?!!

This Is The Zakat

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

The school of the Ahlul Bayt (as) (Shiism) is different from the other Islamic creeds who believe in the obligation of the zakat but not the khums. They see that khums is required only in the booties of war.

As for the Shia, they believe that zakat is obligatory and khums is obligatory too in all what a Muslim gains in a year. According to the Prophetic Sunnah, zakat is obligatory on the following things:

1. Gold and silver coins

2. Livestock - camels, cows, sheep, and goats

3. Four yields - wheat, barley, date, and raisin

If we ponder on these mentioned articles of zakat, we see that they do not satisfy the need of building an integral Islamic society that looks forward to development, in keeping its pace with modern times, getting rid of poverty and neediness, assuring of safety and good living, building of hospitals, universities, streets and highways, assuring of good abodes, enough salaries for unemployed people or those disabled by diseases, old age or any disability.

It is known among all nations that the wealthy class forms not more than twenty percent of a nation, the middle class that hardly satisfy their needs may form fifty percent, and thirty percent of people are poor and needy, who are in terrible need of any help.

If we rely only on the zakat in those afore mentioned items that the Prophet (S) had mentioned and with the defined value of 2.5%, it shall be not enough to satisfy the needs of people and the requirements of the age.

One, who has thousands of olive trees, shall say: ‘zakat is not obligatory on me, because the Messenger of Allah (S) has not mentioned olive among the yields included in zakat.’ The same can be said about many other yields such as tons of fishes taken out of the sea by modern tools. One, who has thousands of poultry, does not have to pay zakat as well. One, who has many real estates, also does not have to pay zakat. If we suppose that all these people were convinced to pay the zakat, they shall not pay more than 2.5% of their properties, which is a very little amount which neither fattens nor avails against hunger!

As for the khums that Allah the Almighty has imposed on Muslims when saying:

And know that whatever thing you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. (Qur’an, 8:41)

We have talked about this verse in details in our book “To be with the Truthful”. Whoever wants more details let him refer to this book. We do not want to convince people that the Umayyads misinterpreted and annulled this verse and limited its rulings to the booties of war only, rather we want to show what the Ahlul Bayt (as) did in this concern, and the Ahlul Bayt (the people of the house) are more aware of what there is in the house! They did according to the Holy Qur'an and the Prophet’s Sunnah and said that Muslims must pay the fifth of whatever they gain within a year.

If we think deeply through a simple mathematical operation, we shall clearly see the great difference between the reality that Muslims live today and the theory that has not been applied except to a very small group of people, and in a disorderly way.

Let us take an example - a Muslim who has ten thousand dinars. If this Muslim follows the rulings of the Sunni, he shall pay the zakat from his wealth at a percentage of 2.5, which is two hundred and fifty dinars, but if he follows the rulings of the Shia, he shall pay the fifth of his ten thousand dinars, which is two thousand dinars. When this Muslim pays the zakat according to the Sunni, nine thousand and seven hundred and fifty dinars shall remain with him, but when he pays the fifth according to the Shia, eight thousand dinars shall remain with him.

On this basis, a poor Muslim among the Sunni gets two hundred and fifty dinars for his living of a year, whereas a poor Muslim among the Shia gets two thousand dinars a year. The difference between the two poor Muslims is too big.

If the zakat of the Sunni suffices for the living of one poor Muslim, the zakat of the Shia suffices for the livings of eight poor Muslims.

If we compare between a rich Muslim and a poor one among the Sunni, we shall find the following account; 9750 in opposite to 250, which is a very weak proportion, forming one of forty. It means that if the poor Muslim has one loaf of bread, the rich one has forty loaves.

In comparison between a rich Muslim and a poor one among the Shia, we shall find the following account; 8000 in opposite to 2000, which is a reasonable and acceptable proportion, forming one of four. It means that if the poor Muslim has one loaf of bread, the rich one has four loaves.

In another word, a poor Sunni Muslim has one share, whereas a rich Sunni Muslim has thirty-nine shares. The difference between the two is too immoderate, and this is what Allah has warned us of when saying:

So that it may not be a thing taken by turns among the rich of you. (Qur’an, 59:7)

Indeed, in this case, the rich who form only twenty percent of the nation possesses ninety-five percent from the general wealth, and the rest of people possess five percent from that wealth. As for a Shia poor Muslim, he has one share from every four shares, and this difference, though it is big, is not so immoderate. The rich here possess seventy-five percent of the wealth, whereas the poor possess twenty-five percent of that wealth.1

In addition to that, Islam encourages voluntary charities. In fact, Islam imposes on Muslims some other obligatory charities like the zakat al-fitr (after fasting in Ramadan), sacrifices in the Hajj, penances and some vows. Islam also gives a legal ruler the right to take from the rich and give to the poor in some necessary circumstances, or put it in the public treasury.

However, the reality is other than what Allah has mentioned in the Qur'an and what the Prophet (S) and his progeny did. You see that the wealth of the Muslim nation is in the hands of the rich who are very few, but they possess everything whereas the poor, who are the great majority, have nothing.

The communist blocs knew this phenomenon in the Muslim world; therefore, they attacked it very easily by attracting its learned youth in the colleges and universities, using the theory of the distribution of wealth among all individuals.

Most of the Muslim youth believed in communism and denied their religion and beliefs. They began blaming and criticizing their fathers and grandfathers. In fact, Islam met a very dangerous affliction from communism that destroyed it from inside at the hands of its own learned youth. These very Muslims fought against Islam when they got the reigns of authority, and then they affected their people too much.

If we were not safe from communism, we have to blame the first Muslims who distorted the rulings of Allah and caused the affairs of the Muslim nation to get to where Muslims are in now with their poverty, underdevelopment, ignorance and blind fanaticism. There is no power save in Allah, the Most High, the Most Powerful!

1. What confirms this fact is that many Sunni economists say that the proportion of 2.5% of the zakat is no longer sufficient to meet the increasing expenditure where the different needs of man have become much more than his needs in the past. In this concern, they think that they must not follow the very literality of the Qur’anic texts concerning the political and economic affairs!!! Refer to An Introduction to the Islamic Economics, by Dr. Abdul Aziz Fahmi, p. 163.
Instead of accusing the texts of being insufficient - and this is from the daring things that the Sunni are blamed for, where they claim that the Qur'an and the Prophet’s Sunnah do not include all rulings, and so they (the Qur'an and the Sunnah) need other tools and analogy!!”

And if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those among them who can search out the knowledge of it would have known it” - these are the Ahlul Bayt (as). So, the right solution is to add the khums to the zakat and not limit it to the booties of war only. In this way, Muslims shall be prosperous.

This Is The Prayer

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

The prayers in the school of the Ahlul Bayt (as), are offered in three times instead of five times:

One time for the Fajr (dawn) Prayer

One time for the Dhuhr (midday) and Asr (afternoon) Prayers

One time for the Maghrib (time of sunset) and Isha’ (evening) Prayers

We have written a separate chapter in our book “To be with the Truthful”1 to prove the legality of these three times from the Holy Qur'an and the pure Prophet’s Sunnah; therefore, we do not want to expatiate or repeat what we have already said. Let whoever wants to see the details refer to that book.

Anyhow, we want here to explain the wisdom of Allah in gathering between the times of the prayers in this way. As we have said in a previous chapter (the Ahlul Bayt and modern Muslims) most of whom are employees who form three thirds of a society, do not offer the prayer or offer it lazily and unwillingly, or offer it with difficulty and hardship. This is because they know that it is not permissible for them (in the view of religion) to leave the work during the time of work, for which they receive wages, in order to offer their prayer.

We have nothing to do with those, who cry out in the mosques calling people to leave their jobs at the times of prayers even if it costs them to lose their jobs, because Allah - as they claim - is the One Who provides His servants with sustenance, and not the employer or the owner of the factory.

What is odd is that these very imams, who bear this thought, contradict themselves in the same subject. Once, I heard one of them praising Umar ibn al-Khattab and saying, “One day, our master Umar came into the mosque and saw some man offer the prayer before the coming of people. The second time, he came and found him offering the prayer. In the third, he (Umar) asked him (the man), “Who spends on you?”

The man said, “My brother spends on me.”

Our master Umar said to him, “Get out of the mosque! Surely, your brother is better than you are. The sky does not rain gold or silver.”

When I was alone with the imam (of the mosque) I, said to him, “Did you not say a month ago, ‘Allah is the One Who provides His servants with sustenance, so leave your work in order to offer the prayer’?”

He looked at me with a smile and said, “For every occasion there is a certain saying! My first saying was from the Qur'an, and my second saying was our master Umar al-Farouq’s. My first and second sayings are both true…”

I said, “May Allah reward you with good! I have benefited from you.”

We come back to the subject of the wisdom of Allah behind the gathering of prayers in one time. We say that Allah is the Wise, the All Knowing, the Creator of everything, who knows the past, the present, and the future; nothing is hidden from His knowledge. He has known that in some certain time people would be confined to their jobs that would limit their freedoms and times, and since Muhammad (S) was the last of prophets, His law would be valid until the Day of Resurrection and be within reach of all human beings. The wisdom of Allah provides for ease and relief for people who abide by religion. Therefore, Allah recommended His messenger to offer the Dhuhr and Asr Prayers in one time either by advancing the Asr Prayer or delaying the Dhuhr Prayer, and offer the Maghrib and Isha’ Prayers together either by advancing the Isha’ Prayer or delaying the Maghrib Prayer2 and to teach his nation this way in order to relieve them from hardship.

The Messenger of Allah (S) did what he was ordered to do. He led congregational prayers in Medina many times in this way, and when he was asked why, he said, “in order not to make it hard for my nation or in order not to embarrass my nation”.3

Ibn Abbas said, “The Messenger of Allah (S) offered in Medina seven (rak’as) and eight (rak’as); the Dhuhr and the Asr prayers (together) and the Maghrib and Isha’ Prayers (together).”4

This is the wisdom of Allah the Almighty and this is the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (S) according to the order of his Lord, in order not to cause the nation any hardship. Then, why do we refrain from this way in offering the prayers, when it is easy and possible for all people; employees, workers, students, soldiers…etc.? There is no job in the world that may disturb these times and there shall be no excuse for any Muslim after that.5

It is well known that the labor law in the world limits the hours of work to eight hours a day into two periods - the first one from eight o’clock AM to the midday, and the second from two o’clock PM to six o’clock PM, where there is a break of two hours for rest at midday. In this case, a Muslim can offer the Dhuhr and Asr prayers during this time of rest before coming back to his work. Thus, he offers the Dhuhr and Asr prayers in their right times and comes back to his work with a tranquil mind and a pleased conscience.

If the work is continuous for all day as in the mines and some other factories - the labor law determines the work in seven continuous hours including a break of half an hour for rest. A company may manage the work by dividing the workers into three groups alternating each other in this way:

1. A group works from 7 o’clock AM to 2 PM

2. A group works from 2 PM to 9 PM

3. A group works from 9 PM to 4 AM

By this Divine wisdom of the times of prayers, all groups can offer their prayers in their right times without any difficulty or embarrassment, and no one after that may say that he cannot find time for the prayer or that he missed the right time of prayer.6

By this, we follow the Holy Qur'an and the Prophet’s Sunnah in offering the prayers in their times, for the prayer is a timed ordinance for the believers. At the same time, we keep away from ourselves and from others any hardship and embarrassment. Perhaps, most of the youth who give up the prayer, may return to it when they know that Allah the Almighty has permitted it in this way, and the Messenger of Allah (S) and his progeny (peace be on them all) had offered it in this way.7

1. https://www.al-islam.org/be-with-truthful-muhammad-al-tijani-al-samawi
2. This advancing and delaying is from the beginning of the Zuhr Prayer’s time to the last of the Asr Prayer’s time, and the same thing is to the Maghrib and Isha’ Prayers. But as for one who has enough free time, it is recommended for him to offer each prayer in its time.
3. Sahih Muslim, vol.1, p. 490, hadith no. 708. The book of Prayer, chapter Combining the two prayers.
4. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 1 p. 143, ‘Book of Timings of Prayers.’
5. There is a saying by our ulama, “whenever the conditions of something are too many, the chance of its availability is too little”; therefore, make it easy so that you may get it!
6. Of course, we do not talk about the very special cases that may force workers to work for ten continuous hours or more that is called “overtime”. Such workers, as well, can offer the prayers if they want, for the wudu and the offering of the Midday (Dhuhr) and Afternoon (Asr) prayers take about six minutes. Do these workers not go to the WC? Does this not take time?
7. In many cases, the prayer can be offered according to the conditions of those cases; a traveler in the airplane can offer the prayer while sitting in his chair, a patient, who cannot move, can offer it while lying down, a handicapped person can offer it in the way possible to him, and so on.

This Is The Wudhu’

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

As we have said before and in order to make it easy for Muslims, Allah the Almighty has imposed wudhu’ on Muslims before offering the prayer. Allah says:

O you who believe, when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles. (Qur’an, 5:6)

Then, wudhu’ is to wash the face and two hands and to wipe the head and the two feet. As we see, it is easy and accessible with no any difficulty or hardship. If a Muslim is at home or traveling, in an airport or a railway station, this wudhu’ shall not embarrass him at all; he just turns on the tap and washes his face and hands, and then he turns off the tap and wipes his head and feet with the wet of his hands. He may not take off his shoes except in the place of prayer if it is near, and then he wipes his head and feet.

But, if the wudhu’ is as described by (Sunni) jurisprudents who say:

1. To wash the hands to the wrists three times

2. To rinse out the mouth three times

3. To wash the nose three times (by inhaling and ejecting out)

4. To wash the face three times

5. To wash the right hand three times and the left hand three times

6. To wipe all the head

7. To wipe the two ears

8. To wash the right foot three times and then the left foot three times

It shall be of difficulty and hardship, especially to the youth when they are in travel. It is difficult to wash the feet in winter and then to wait until they dry in order to put on the socks.

What is important in this matter is that the school of the Ahlul Bayt (as), that do not rely on personal opinions nor on misinterpretation before clear texts, acts according to the Holy Book and the pure Sunnah of Prophet. The wudhu’ that the Shia follow is the wudhu’ that Allah has ordered Muslims in the Holy Qur'an and it is the wudhu’ that the Messenger of Allah (S) and the infallible imams of his progeny did practice.

May Allah have mercy on Abdullah ibn Abbas who often said, “I do not find in the Book of Allah except two washes and two wipes, but you insist on following the rule of al-Hajjaj.”1

Muslims today, especially the learned youth, have to go back to the right way of Islam with its simplicity and ease to make people love and wish for the religion. How often the Prophet (S) announced before Muslims, “Make it easy and do not make it difficult! Do not make (people) alienated from the religion!”2 And he often said, “Do not make it difficult for yourselves, lest Allah makes it more difficult for you as He did for the Children of Israel.”3

How many people, who escaped from the prayer because of wudhu’ or they offered the prayer but with tayammum4 for fear of water which caused them prurigo in the hands and toes of the feet,5 recovered soundness and became tranquil with the wudhu’ of the Ahlul Bayt (as), they recovered soundness!

1. Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq vol.1, p. 38.
2. Sahih al-Bukhari vol.1, p. 27.
3. Sahih Muslim vol.2, p. 1105. Sunan Abu Dawood vol.4, p. 276, hadith no. 4904.
4. Ritual purification with sand, soil, or dust instead of wudhu’ when there is no water.
5. In the school of the Ahlul Bayt (as), one can practice tayammum even if water is available when he fears from a disease, or what may lead to or complicate a disease as narrated from Imam as-Sadiq, “…soil is one of the two purifying things”.

The Solution is in the Ahlul Bayt’s School

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

Whoever observes the school of the Ahlul Bayt (as), concerning the Islamic education, shall find sufficient solutions that Allah the Almighty has legislated for His people to make religion easy for them and within the reach of everyone - young or old.

Allah the Almighty says:

He has not laid upon you any hardship in religion. (Qur’an, 22:78)

Allah desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty. (Qur’an, 2:185)

Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability. (Qur’an, 2:286)

To Relieve From Hardship

This is the general rule in Islam; every hardship is kept away, every difficulty is disliked, and every strait is prohibited. If it is so, then what is the strictness there for, that which we find in the books of jurisprudence among all Muslims?

If a Muslim reads some chapters on wudhu’ or ghusl (ritual wash or bath), he feels that jurisprudents have added difficulty to the easiness, and imposed on man more than his capacity.

It is known in the school of the Ahlul Bayt (as) through traditions narrated by them from their grandfather the Prophet Muhammad (S) that “Wudhu’ is two washes and two wipes; to wash the face and the hands, and to wipe (with the wet remaining in the hands) the head and the feet.”

The Ahlul Bayt and a Modern Muslim

Zeinab Donati — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:56:59 +0000

The jobs of the present age have occupied most of man’s time and not left for him any free time. In the age of the Mission - the first age of Islam, jobs were limited in that a man was a farmer, a trader or a manufacturer. These three jobs gave man enough free time to practice his worships as he liked and at their specified times. When the time of prayer came even if a Muslim was in the place of his work, he stopped working to offer the prayer with a tranquil soul.

As for today where governments have employed most of people for assured and defined salaries and for several hours, people are not allowed to stop working in order to offer the prayer. A student, teacher, manager, physician, nurse, worker, soldier, policeman, officials in companies, factories, and mines, the guards of borders, officer in a weather station or airport…etc. do not find free time to offer the prayer in its five prescribed times.

I myself suffered this problem when I was a teacher. My soul was upset and my conscience was confused as time did not permit me to offer the prayer in its specified time. I often missed the Dhuhr (midday), Asr (afternoon), and Maghrib (time of sunset) prayers especially during winter. I often offered the four prayers (in addition to Isha - evening Prayer) altogether in the night. Sometimes, I went back home very tired so that I could not offer them, or I offered them in spite of me.

I discovered that many Muslims gave up prayer for the reason that they were psychologically stressed, hoping that chance might permit them to offer this obligation later. Because of this, dislike came to some people who saw that the prayer was like a nightmare, which affected their ease. They began criticizing Islam of being a religion of fatigue, difficulty and hardship, and saying that Christianity had relieved its followers from many ties where they pray only one time a week; on Sunday which is a holiday.

How often the missionaries struck the right cord before a Muslim youth, claiming that their religion (Christianity) would keep pace with civilization at all ages! They say that prayer once a week and fasting (abstaining from eating meat only) for only three days in a year make their religion a religion of love and peace.

How much did these propagandas attract the Muslim youth, who suffered, in their early childhood from the pressure of parents to perform wudhu’ and prayer, to a terrible degree in some families? You see that some parents, especially unlearned ones, want their children to be exactly like Rabi’ah al-Adawiyyah1 if they are females and like Ahmad al-Badawi if they are males. They wake them up before the dawn and tire them with prayers. They watch them day and night, and blame and punish them severely for everything. They beat them sometimes just because they forget something. They send them to government schools and burden them with duties, until they become boring, and then hate the religion while they are not yet adolescent. I do not say except what I have already seen. I saw many children from my relatives, who offered the prayer under pressure; give up the prayer when the authority of parents was no longer over them, or when they were far from the family and its ties.

Many times, I tried to convince some parents from my relatives not to beat or force their children to offer the prayer and that they must treat them kindly and leniently, to endear the prayer to them and not to make it as a nightmare to them, but I often faced their saying that the Prophet (S) had said, “Beat them (children) to offer the prayer when they are seven years old (or ten years in some traditions)”.

In this way, the Muslim youth lose their prayer and give up on their religion, even if they do not follow the missionaries. In addition to that, the television, games and many other things take the youth away from the remembrance of Allah.

1. An exemplar in faith and piety.