EID-AL-ADHA (ILEYA FESTIVAL)

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. May the peace and blessing of Allah continue to be upon the seal of all the prophets, Prophet Muhammed (SAW), his household, his companions and all that follow the religion of Islam. This edition of On Islam Deen Digest is here to educate us on the Eid- al- Adha popularly called the ‘Ileya festival’.

The Islamic calendar is based on observations of the moon and the length of a particular month can vary between years. For this reason, predicted dates of Eid al-Adha may be corrected at the start of the month of Dhul Hijja. This is around 10 days before the start of the festival.

Eid al-Adha is an Islamic festival to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (also known as Abraham) to follow Allah's command to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Muslims around the world observe this event, many Muslims make a special effort to pray and listen to a sermon at Eid. They also wear new clothes, visit family members and friends and may symbolically sacrifice an animal in an act known as qurbani. This represents the animal that Ibrahim sacrificed in the place of his son.

In some traditionally Muslim countries, families or groups of families may purchase an animal which is usually a goat or sheep, to sacrifice, but this is not common or legal in many parts of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States or many other countries. In these countries, groups of people may purchase a whole carcass from a butcher or slaughterhouse and divide it amongst themselves or just buy generous portions of meat for a communal meal on Eid-al-Adha. People also give money to enable poorer members of their local community and around the world to eat a meat-based meal.

In the period around Eid al-Adha, many Muslims travel to Mecca and the surrounding area in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. Muslims may plan and save for many years to enable them to take part in this event, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. Ibrahim, known as Abraham in the Christian and Jewish traditions, was commanded by God to sacrifice his adult son. He obeyed and took Ishmael (Ismail or Ismael) to Mount Moriah. Just as he was to sacrifice his son, an angel stopped him and gave him a ram to sacrifice in place of his son. Some people dispute that the son of sacrifice was Isaac (Isḥāq). Regardless, these events are remembered and celebrated at Eid al-Adha.

The meat is divided into three parts: the family retains one third of the share, another third is shared among friends and the other third is given to the poor and needy. Eid al-Adha is the latter of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims, the first being Eid ul-Fitr. Like Eid ul FitrEid, al-Adha begins with a prayer followed by a sermon. Eid al-Adha is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the 12th and the last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic calendar. Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide. The date is approximately 70 days (2 Months and 10 days) after the end of the month of Ramadan. Ritual observance of the holiday lasts until sunset of the 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah

WHO IS INDEBTED TO OFFER THE SACRIFICE?

Slaughtering of Animal is compulsory  according to Imam Abu Hanifah and sunnat - e - muakkadah according to other Imams upon every permanent resident and who possesses 613.35 grams of silver or its equivalent in money which is 56786.42 Nigerian Naira, personal ornaments, stock in trade or any other form of wealth which is surplus to his/her basic needs. Each adult member of a family who possesses that much wealth must perform his/her own 'Animal Slaughtering ' separately. Hazrat Ibn Umar may Allah be pleased with him reports that the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him lived in Madinah Munawarah for ten years and performed 'Qurbani' every year. (Tirmizi)

Note: Despite the fact that the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him was not obliged to sacrifice as he never possessed the required amount of wealth, he still did so as can be conceived from the above Hadith.

CAN A SACRIFICE BE MADE ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE?

A sacrifice can be made on behalf of others such as minor offspring. This offering is not 'wajib' (compulsory) but is 'mustahab' (desirable). Similarly if one decides to sacrifice on behalf of the spouse or a father decides to sacrifice on behalf of an adult offspring (apart from offering his/her own) can do so with their permission.

A sacrifice can also be made on behalf of a deceased Muslim. This can be classified into three categories:

1. If the deceased had made a will for a sacrifice then, it is permissible to sacrifice to fulfill the will but is incumbent to give all the meat of the sacrificed animal to the poor and needy (those who are entitled to receive 'Zakat'). ("Vide Shami" vol.5 p293)

2. Whether or not the deceased had made this will, his/her relative or friends can make a 'nafl' (voluntary) sacrifice from their own money; the meat of this sacrificed animal can be partaken by the rich and poor alike. One may make a voluntary sacrifice from one's own wealth for the deceased persons and this meat can partake by all, rich and poor.

3. If one's intention is of mere remittance of recompense to a dead person then it will be superior to slaughter an animal during the Days of 'Nahar' the Eid-al Adha day instead of giving money in charity. This is because reward is attained both for spending wealth and for sacrificing.

In a 'Hadith' it is stated:

Hazrat Hanash may Allah be pleased with him reported: I saw Hazrat Ali may Allah be pleased with him sacrificing two rams. I asked him, "What is this?" He said: "Verily the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him left instruction to me to sacrifice on his behalf, and so I am sacrificing on his behalf. (Tirmizi, Abu Daud)

Note: Rasulullah peace and blessings be upon him is so generous that he had sacrificed on behalf of his whole 'Ummah' and we see here Hazrat Ali may Allah be pleased with him sacrificing for Rasulullah peace and blessings be upon him after he has passed away. We learn from this that we should also put a share of Rasulullah peace and blessings be upon him in our sacrifice.

In the Shariah, we are to sacrifice for Eid 3 different types or categories of animal

1. Camel

2. Cow &

3. Ram or any of its family which includes Ram, Sheep or Goat etc.

If it’s a Donkey you want to purchase, it must be up to 7 people that can add money together to sacrifice one Donkey. If it is a Cow, the same applies as for a camel, 2, 3 or 4 people cannot add resources except 7 people. If it is a Ram or any of its family, one person will purchase one in the Ram family as you cannot put resources together, you can sacrifice any from this family depending on what you have as cash, you are not to borrow such.

If you have the intention of slaughtering an animal for Eid, you should not cut your nails or hair after the moon of Dhul-Hajjah has been sighted, do not cut or trim your hair and nails until you have offered the sacrifice. As Rasul Allah (saw) has ordered:

“When any one of you intending to sacrifice the animal enters in the month (of Dhu’l-Hijja) he should not get his hair or nails touched (cut)” (Muslim 22: 4870). Anyone forced to shave must compensate by fasting or charity as in Q2:196. Though, these days when only few of us follow the Islamic Calendar, the observant of the about may be difficult as majority don’t know when each of Islamic month starts or ends.

The animal should belong to the person who is offering the sacrifice, or he should have permission for that either on the grounds of sharee’ah or from the owner. The sacrifice is not valid if the animal slaughtered does not belong to the person who is sacrificing it, such as one that has been taken by force, stolen, or taken on the basis of a false claim, etc., because it is not permissible to draw closer to Allah by means of sin. A sacrifice offered by the guardian of an orphan from the orphan’s property is valid if that is customary and if he feels sad about not offering a sacrifice.  A sacrifice offered by a guardian from the property of the person under his care is valid, if done with permission. The sacrifice of an animal that is held in pledge is not valid.

It should be slaughtered at the time specified in sharee’ah, which is from after the Eid prayer on the Day of Sacrifice until sunset on the last of the days of al-Tashreeq, which is the 13th of Dhu’l-Hijjah. So the days when the sacrificed may be offered are four: the day of Eid after the prayer, and the three days after that. Whoever slaughters it before the Eid prayer is over, or after sun sets on the 13th of Dhu’l-Hijjah, his sacrifice is not valid, because of the hadith narrated by al-Bukhaari from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever slaughters (his sacrifice) before the prayer, it is meat that he has brought to his family, but that is not the sacrifice.” And he narrated that Jundub ibn Sufyaan al-Bajali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) saying, ‘Whoever slaughters the sacrifice before he prays, let him replace it with another.’” And it was narrated that Nubayshah al-Hadhali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: ‘The days of al-Tashreeq are the days of eating, drinking (Not Alcohol) and remembering Allah.’” Narrated by Muslim.

But if he has an excuse for delaying it beyond the days of Tashreeq, such as if the animal ran away, without there being any negligence on his part, and he could not find it until after the time was over, or he appointed someone else to slaughter it and that person forgot until the time was over, then there is nothing wrong with slaughtering it after the appointed time. This is by analogy with the one who sleeps and misses a prayer, or forgets it – he should pray it as soon as he wakes up or remember it.

It is permissible to slaughter Animal at any time, night or day, but it is better to slaughter it during the day, and it is better to slaughter on the day of Eid after the two khutbahs. Each day is better than the day that follows it, because that means that one is hastening to do good.

Sayeduna Ali (Karam Allahu wajahaul kareem) narrates that the Beloved Prophet (SAW) said, “Four animals are not proper for Qurbani:

1) One eyed whose one eyed ness is evident

2) Ill whose illness is visible

3) Crippled whose crippled ness is visible

4) Thin whose bones don’t have marrow (Imam Ahmad, Tirmizi, Abu Dawood, Nasaee, Ibnu Majah, Darmi)

Also, Sayeduna Ali (Karam Allahu wajahaul kareem) narrates that, “Rasul Allahu (SAW) stopped us from Qurbani of [an animal whose] ears are cut and horns are broken. (Imam Ahmad, Ibnu Majah)

The Animal to be sacrificed should have reached the age stipulated in sharee’ah, which is one year for a sheep and the age at which the animal is considered to be an adult for any other animal, because the Prophet (SAW) said: “Do not sacrifice anything but an adult animal, unless it is difficult for you, in which case you may slaughter a six-month old lamb (jadh’ah).” Narrated by Muslim.

A mature animal means one that is considered to be an adult. In the case of camels it means one that is five years old. For cattle, it means one that is two years old. For sheep it means one that is a year old.

HOW TO SLAUGHTER THE ANIMAL

Place the animal for Sacrifice on the left side in such a way that its’ face is towards the Qibla and put the left leg on its side. And say this duaa before slaughtering:

Then slaughter the animal with a sharp knife whilst reading:
(Allahumo laqa wa minqa, Bismillahi Allahu Akbar)

If the Sacrifice is for oneself then read the following duaa after the zabh (slaughter):

Allahumo Takabal minii qama takabalit min Khaliyuliqa Ibrahim (ASW)

Answer the below questions correctly and win fantastic prize from on islam deen digest, send your answer to onislam.nigeria@yahoo.com with your name, city, and phone number. Note: the first 10 entries win the prize.

(1)          Eid al-Adha is also called Eid ul Fitr  ( A)   True (B)   False

(2)          Eid al-Adha commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice a ram (A)   True (B) False

(3)          Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah (A) True (B)   False

(4)          Eid al-Adha starts with the annual pilgrimage (A)   True (B) False

(5)          Animal with any obvious deformity is not good for Sacrifice (A) True (B) False

(6)          Male or female camel, cow, buffalo, goat, sheep, and ram are all permissible (A) True (B) False

(7)          If one purposely did not say Arabic text (that is, did not take the name of Allah) then the animal  

              is haraam. If he forgot then the animal is halal (A) True (B) False

THE KA'BAH: ITS SIZE AND HISTORY

The small, cubed building known as the Kaba [Ka'bah] may not rival skyscrapers in height or mansions in width, but its impact on history and human beings is unmatched. The Kaba is the building towards which Muslims face five times a day, every day, in prayer. This has been the case since the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) over 1400 years ago.

The Size of the Kaba

The current height of the Kaba is 39 feet, 6 inches and total size comes to 627 square feet. The inside room of the Kaba is 13 x 9 meters. The Kaba's walls are one meter wide. The floor inside is 2.2 meters higher than the place where people perform Tawaf. The ceiling and roof are two levels made out of wood. They were reconstructed with teak which is capped with stainless steel. The walls are all made of stone. The stones inside are unpolished, while the ones outside are polished.

This small building has been constructed and reconstructed by Prophets Adam, Ibrahim [Abraham], Ismail [Ishmael] and Muhammad (peace be upon them all). No other building has had this honour. Yet, not very much is [commonly] known about the details of this small but significant building. Did you know the Kaba was reconstructed as recently as close to four years ago? Did you know that the Kaba has been subjected to danger by natural disasters like flooding, as well as human attacks? If you didn't keep reading, you'll find some rarely heard of information discussed below and discover facts about the Kaba many are unaware of.

The Other Names of the Kaba

Literally, Kaba in Arabic means a high place with respect and prestige. The word Kaba may also be a derivative of a word meaning cube. Some of these other names include: Bait ul Ateeq which means, according to one meaning, the earliest and ancient. According to the second meaning, it means independent and liberating. Both meanings could be taken.

The History of the Kaba

Scholars and historians say that the Kaba has been reconstructed between five to twelve times. The very first construction of the Kaba was done by Prophet Adam. Allah [swt] says in the Quran that this was the first house that was built for humanity to worship Allah. After this, Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail rebuilt the Kaba. The measurements of the Kaba's Ibrahimic foundation are as follows:

- the eastern wall was 48 feet and 6 inches
- the Hateem side wall was 33 feet
- the side between the black stone and the Yemeni corner was 30 feet
- the Western side was 46.5 feet

Following this, there were several constructions before Prophet Muhammad's time.

Prophet Muhammad participated in one of its reconstructions before he became a Prophet. After a flash flood, the Kaba was damaged and its walls cracked. It needed rebuilding. This responsibility was divided among the Quraish's four tribes. Prophet Muhammad helped with this reconstruction. Once the walls were erected, it was time to place the Black Stone, (the Hajar ul Aswad) on the eastern wall of the Kaba.

Arguments erupted about who would have the honor of putting the Black Stone in its place. A fight was about to break out over the issue, when Abu Umayyah, Makkah's oldest man, proposed that the first man to enter the gate of the mosque the following morning would decide the matter. That man was the Prophet. The Makkans were ecstatic. "This is the trustworthy one (Al-Ameen)," they shouted in a chorus. "This is Muhammad". He came to them and they asked him to decide on the matter. He agreed.

Prophet Muhammad proposed a solution that all agreed to putting the Black Stone on a cloak, the elders of each of the clans held on to one edge of the cloak and carried the stone to its place. The Prophet then picked up the stone and placed it on the wall of the Kaba.

Since the tribe of Quraish did not have sufficient funds, this reconstruction did not include the entire foundation of the Kaba as built by Prophet Ibrahim. This is the first time the Kaba acquired the cubical shape it has now unlike the rectangle shape which it had earlier. The portion of the Kaba left out is called Hateem now....

What is inside the Kaba?

Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi is the president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He had the opportunity to go inside the Kaba in October 1998. In an interview with Sound Vision, he described the following features:
- there are two pillars inside (others report 3 pillars)
- there is a table on the side to put items like perfume
- there are two lantern-type lamps hanging from the ceiling
- the space can accommodate about 50 people
- there are no electric lights inside
- the walls and the floors are of the marble
- there are no windows inside
- there is only one door
- the upper inside walls of the Kaba were covered with some kind of curtain with the Kalima written on it.
Source: http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/kabah.htm

A TRUE RELIGION OF PEACE

Terrorism has surfaced as the biggest menace of the current times, particularly in past few decades. Unfortunately and unjustly, Islam and Muslims are deemed by most of the world population to be the root causes of this upsurge of terrorism all across the world.

There is no doubt that this is far from accurate. However, a considerable majority of the world's population still blames Islam and Muslims. This is mostly because of the “bad press” deliberately being created against Muslim by the big guns of world media.

The best way to authenticate or reject this claim for a common person is to see what the actual teachings of Islam are. Is it really a religion that promotes violence and terrorism, or is the reality totally opposite to this misconception? One convenient way of observing and analyzing all this is to learn what the Holy Qur'an, the religious Scripture of Muslims, has to say about this.

Meanings of "Islam:"

Let us start our conversation with the fact that the word “Islam” is derived from “salaam”, a word meaning peace. It also relates a person submitting himself to the will of The Mightiest in order to seek eternal peace and tranquility. The crux of this observation is that the very origins of Islam are inclined towards peace and harmony.

Islam as a Religion prohibits violence and promotes peace and justice; As mentioned earlier, the Quran -- the holy words of none other than Allah Almighty  can best bear the witness for Islam’s inclination towards peace, justice, and harmony amongst human beings while negating and discouraging violence, terrorism, and injustice.

This becomes very evident if one vows to read the Qur'an and apply it on personal basis. Doing so in modern times is much more convenient as people can read the Qur'an online. Listed below are a few verses that support the claim that Islam is a true religion of peace and tranquility.

   

 "O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it is (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do." (Surah 4, Verse 135).

    "God advocates justice, charity, and regarding the relatives. And He forbids evil, vice, and transgression. He enlightens you, that you may take heed." (Surah 16, Verse 90).

    "And if ye do punish them, punish them no worse than they punished you: but if ye show patience, which is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient." (Surah 16, Verse 126).

These are just a few references from the Holy Qur'an. You may find many more of them that promote nothing else but peace and justice.

Historical evidences favoring the peace-loving attitude Of Muslims: The peace-loving attitude and behavior of Muslims is not a myth. It is an absolute historical truth that is very evident from their deeds when they were in command of different areas of the world where multiple religions were practiced:

Muslims ruled Spain for about eight centuries. No significance evidence is found that suggests Muslims used force or unnecessary means to oppress non-Muslims living there.

India is another place that was once ruled by Muslims for a period of over 1,000 years. Currently, about 80% of the population is comprised of non-Muslims. If Muslims had used force to convert people from other religions, the stats would have been quite different.

Arabia had been under Muslim influence for 1,400 years. Yet there are about 14 million Coptic Christians found in that region. Had Islam used the sword for its propagation, the situation would have been very different.

Islam believes in nothing but the sword of intellect; As mentioned earlier, the best way to find the truth about teachings of Islam with regard to its propagation can be seen easily from the content of the Qur'an. All you need to do is search the Qur'an online and see countless verses verifying this claim. The only sword Islam believes in, as far as propagation of the religion is concerned, is of logic and intellect:

  "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error” [Al-Qur'an 2:256].

  "Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious.” [Al-Qur'an 16:125]

FIVE COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT RELIGION OF ISLAM

The world is home to many religions. Some religions are very scarce whereas others are quite large. One of these religions is the religion of Islam. The religion of Islam, which was introduced to the world in the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), is followed by millions of people around the world. The followers of Islam are known as Muslims. The religion of Islam also has a special book which contains guidelines for Muslims which explain how they should live their lives, how they should behave and what they should do in their lives. This book is known as the Holy Quran, which is one of the four Holy Books that were sent down to the Earth by Allah himself. Three of these books have been tampered with whereas the Holy Quran remains the sole Holy Book that hasn’t been tampered with over the years and remains in the same language which it was revealed in.

Five common misconceptions about religion of Islam

Apart from being one of the largest religions in the world, Islam is also a religion that is very commonly misperceived by the people of this planet. Well, here are the 5 most common misconceptions about religion of Islam:

1. Islam is a religion that teaches violence

Many people throughout this world think that Islam is a religion that teaches and promotes violence. This is one of the most common misconceptions about religion of Islam because that is certainly not the case. Islam promotes generosity and kindness and also advises the Muslim Ummah to behave well with others. Islam is a religion that promotes the purity of heart and is a religion that advises Muslims to make sure that their conduct does not hurt any of the people in their surroundings.

2. Islam teaches Muslims to kill non-Muslims

There are many people who believe that Islam teaches Muslims to kill non-Muslims. However, it is quite the opposite. Islam teaches Muslims to make sure that they are kind and generous to everyone, including non-Muslims. Both Muslims and non-Muslims are creations of Allah and Allah has asked the Muslim Ummah to make sure that they do not hurt any of his creations.

3. Islam promotes the killing of women over honor

Islam does not at all promote the killing of women, whether it is for honor or anything else. In addition, Islam teaches Muslim men to treat their women like queens.

4. Children have no rights

The Quran teaches Muslims to make sure that they take care of the rights of children. The significance of a Muslim child is equal to that of a Muslim man and so are his or her rights.

5. Muslims become barbarians while at war

This is one of the many misconceptions about religion of Islam. Islam teaches Muslims to make sure that they stay on the right path while at war and do not become barbarians. Islam teaches Muslims to make sure that during war, they do not kill aged people, children, righteous people, women, do not commit treachery, do not mutilate dead bodies, do not harm animals (unless they need to do so for food), and do not harm trees or buildings.