النص المفهرس

292
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
some labourer to undertake it. This is the lifestyle of those people who
studied under and stayed in the company of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam. Today, everyone who attains some position regards himself as
being very great and yet makes claims of Islam and claims to love
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. In reality, only that person has love
for Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who fulfils his orders and
follows his sunnah in every aspect of his life.
A poet has said:
وُكُلِّ يَدَّعِىُ وَصَلَا بِلَيْلِى وَ لَيْلِى لَا تُقِرُّ لَهُمُ بِذَاكَ
Translation: "Everyore claims that he has some connection with Laylah,
but Laylah does not confirm this claim of their's."
Similarly, the person who claims to love Allah and His Rasul sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and yet acts contrary to the injunctions of the Quran and
Hadith, and Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam deny this claim
of his - then how can this claim of his be correct. It has been clearly
mentioned in the Hadith that the true path is that on which I (Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and my Sahabah radiallahu anhum are. It is
clear from this Hadith that the path which is contary to the path of
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the path of astrayness and that
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is extremely unhappy with the per-
son who treads such a path.
Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu says: "I grew up as an orphan, I
migrated to Madinah as an extremely poor person. I worked for the
daughter of Ghazwaan in return for food and on the condition that I would
travel on foot at times and ride at times when on a journey with them. I
used to urge the camels forward by singing poems (In Arabia they urge the
camels to move forward by singing poems. In this way, the camels
undertake the journey with ease.) I used to bring firewood for my
employers whenever they used to stop over at a particular place. All praise
is due to Allah who has strengthened my Deen and made Abu Hurayrah an
imam and a governor." That is, after accepting Islam, he was blessed with
the bounty of being an imam of the Deen. He said this as a form of

293
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
gratitude to Allah Ta'ala and did not call himself an imam out of pride and
arrogance. There is a great reward in mentioning the favours of Allah Ta'ala
and expressing gratitude to Him for whatever bounties one has been blessed
with. However, it is haraam to mention them out of pride.
Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu says: "Once Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam asked me: 'Why don't you take anything from the spoils of
war?' So I said to him: 'I ask of you to give me some of the knowledge
which Allah Ta'ala has blessed you with.' So he removed the shawl which I
was wearing. He then spread it so closely between us that I could see the
lice that were crawling on it. He then uttered some words to me and on
completing them, he asked me to gather the shawl and keep it against my
chest." Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu adds: "The result of this was
that I never forgot a single letter that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said to me thereafter." That is, his memory became extremely strong.
Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu says: "I used to make taubah and
istighfaar 12 000 times daily." That is, he used to recite astaghfirullah wa
atubu ilayhi and other similar words 12 000 times daily. He had a piece of
string which had 2 000 knots (which he used as a tasbeeh). He never used
to go to sleep until he completed reciting Sub'haanallah 2 000 times.
Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar 41 radiallahu anhuma said: "O Abu Hurayrah!
From among the Sahabah, you were the most in the company of Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And you were the most knowledgeable of us
with regards to the Hadith of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam."
Hadrat Tafaawi rahmatullahi alayhi says: "I spent six months as a guest of
Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu. From among the Sahabah I did not
come across anyone more willing and helpful to his guests than Abu
Hurayrah. Hadrat Abu Uthmaan Nahdi rahmatullahi alahy says: "I was a
guest of Abu Hurayrah for 7 days. Abu Hurayrah, his wife and his servant
used to divide the night into three and take turns in waking up." That is, the
141 He is a high ranking Sahabi and aalim. He was extremely eager to follow the sunnah to such
an extent that he searched for the sunnah in such a manner that people thought that he would go
mad in doing so. Once Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had said in regard to him: "Abdullah
is a very good man, if only he would offer the tahajjud salaal." Since then he never left out the
tahajjud salaat and used to sleep very little at night.

294
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
first person used to get up, offer salaat and thereafter awaken the second
person while the first slept. Thereafter, the second person used to awaken
the third person and he used to go to sleep.
8. Hadrat Abdullah bin Amr radiallahu anhu narrates that a person came to
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and asked: "Which is the best deed
in Islam?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: "Salaat." He
asked: "Then what?" He replied: "Salaat." He asked: "Then what?" He
replied: "Salaat." (He emphasized the importance of salaat in this manner
so that the people would offer it with due importance and will not allow
themselves to miss it.) When this person repeated this question for the
fourth time, Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: "Striving in the
path of Allah." (That is, the best deed after salaat is fighting the disbelievers
(in the path of Allah) so that the Deen of Allah may dominate. And not so
that I may gain some monetary benefit out of it or that I may be praised for
it. Even if one may receive this wealth and other benefits, the intention
should not be for this. So after the fard salaat, all these acts are the best.)
Thereafter this person said that his parents were alive. (That is, what advice
do you have concerning them?) Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"I order you to be kind to them." (That is, be good to them and do not harm
them in any way because this is haraam. It is so necessary to fulfil the rights
of the parents that one should not do anything that causes them any sort of
difficulty. This is on condition that what he is doing is not higher in rank
than fulfilling some other responsibilities. In addition to this, it must not be
such that it entails disobedience to Allah Ta'ala. "Difficulty" and "harm" in
this context refers to that difficulty and harm which has been considered by
the Shariah. To do more than what is necessary to one's parents is mustahab
and not compulsory. Understand this well because many people err in this
respect.)
Thereafter this person said: "I swear by that being who has sent you as a
true prophet that I will definitely make jihaad and leave my parents
behind." Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: "You know
best."142 (That is, do good to your parents and go for jihaad as you wish.
We learn from this Hadith that the status of jihaad is higher than serving
one's parents. However, in other Ahadith it has been narrated that after the
fard salaat, serving the parents is better than jihaad. The answer to this
142 Narrated by Imam Ahmad rahmatullahi alayhi.

295
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
apparent contradiction is that the meaning of the rights of parents being
higher than jihaad is that since the rights of parents fall under huquq ul-
ibaad (rights of fellow human beings) and these can only be forgiven by
seeking forgiveness from them. They are therefore higher than jihaad.
Because, if jihaad becomes fard and a person does not go and the time of
jihaad expires, then by making taubah this sin will be forgiven. Opposed to
this, huquq ul-ibaad are not forgiven by mere taubah. Another answer to
this is that different types of people used to question Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and he used to reply according to each one's state and
condition.)
9. Hadrat Abu Ayyub Ansari radiallahu anhu narrates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to say: "Each salaat wipes out the
forthcoming sins."143 The meaning of this is that the minor sins that one
commits from one salaat to the next, are forgiven.
10. Hadrat Abu Umaamah Baahili radiallahu anhu relates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to say: "One fard salaat together with the
next fard salaat wipes out the sins that were committed before that salaat.
(meaning that the minor sins which were committed before that salaat are
wiped out. Similarly, the minor sins that are committed till the next salaat
are also wiped out by this next salaat) And the jumu'ah salaat wipes out the
sins which were committed before this jumu'ah salaat until he offers the
next jumu'ah salaat. (In some Ahadith, it has been narrated that the sins of
upto three additional days are forgiven. That is, the minor sins of three days
after jumu'ah are forgiven) And the fasts of the month of Ramadaan wipe
out the sins which were committed since the previous Ramadaan until he
fasts in this Ramadaan. And hajj wipes out all the previous sins until he
makes the next hajj." The narrator adds: "Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam then said: "It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to go for hajj
without her husband or a mahram."144
If someone poses the question that what virtue will a person attain if he did
not commit any minor sin whatsoever? Or, if all the minor sins between
each salaat are forgiven, then which sins will be forgiven by offering
jumu'ah, etc. because now there will be no sins left to be forgiven? The
answer to both these questions is that the person's status will increase.
143
Ibid.
144
Narrated by Tabrani.

296
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
11. Hadrat Abu Umaamah radiallahu anhu narrates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "The offering of the five daily salaats is
like a person having a bath five times a day in a stream which is flowing in
front of his house and whose water is very sweet. Do you think any dirt will
remain on his body?"145
12. Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu narrates that Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said: "The first thing regarding which a person will be
questioned on the day of resurrection is his salaat. If his salaat is in order,
the rest of his acts of worship will also be in order. (This is because if a
person is regular in his salaat, then through the barakah of this salaat all his
other ibaadaat will also be in order) If his salaat is not in order, the rest of
his actions will also not be in order. Allah Ta'ala will then address the
angels saying: "Does My servant have any nafl salaats in his book of
deeds?" If he has any nafl salaats, he will be given the reward of fard
salaats in order to make up for the fard salaats which he missed. Thereafter,
the other fard acts will also be accounted for. (and completed through the
nafl acts; such as fard fasts and nafl fasts, fard charity and nafl charity, etc.)
All this will be done through the kindness and mercy of Allah Ta'ala. (That
is, this is actually the mercy of Allah Ta'ala that the fard acts will be
completed by the nafl acts. Because strictly speaking, the rule ought to have
been that the fard should not be completed by the nafl. And if it is not
complete, the person ought to be punished. Glory be to Allah! How
merciful He is!) The person who does not have any fard acts nor any nafl
acts will be punished." However, if Allah wishes, He could forgive
whomsoever He wishes.
13. Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu narrates that Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said: "Of all the acts of worship which Allah has
stipulated on His servants, salaat is the most virtuous. The person who has
the strength to increase in this ibaadah, should increase." That is, he should
offer it abundantly so that he may receive abundant rewards.
14. Hadrat Ubaadah bin Saamit radiallahu anhu narrates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Jibra'eel came to me and said: 'O
Muhammad! Allah Ta'ala says: 'I have made five salaats fard on your
ummah. Whoever fulfils them by making wudu, offering them at the
appointed time, fulfilling the rukus and sajdahs in the proper manner, then
145 Ibid.

297
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
through this salaat of his, it becomes necessary upon Me to enter him into
jannah. And whoever meets Me while being negligent in this regard, there
is nothing that is incumbent upon Me. If I wish, I could punish him, and if I
wish, I could forgive him.'"146
15. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the one who makes a proper and
complete wudu and offers two rakaats of salaat without forgetting or
missing out anything in it, then in lieu of these two rakaats, Allah Ta'ala
will forgive all his previous sins. 47 It is possible and easy to offer two
rakaats of salaat in which there is no mistake or forgetfulness. The object is
that there must be no negligence or carelessness. Most mistakes occur
because of negligence.
16. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the salaat of a man and a woman creates
illumination. Whoever wishes, should try and illuminate his heart.
17. It is mentioned in a Hadith that from among all the things that Allah
Ta'ala made fard, there is nothing more virtuous in His sight than tauheed
and salaat. If there was anything more virtuous, He would have made it fard
on the angels. Among the angels, there are those who are in ruku and those
who are in sajdah." In other words, since the angels are the close servants of
Allah Ta'ala, and since they only have the capability of making His ibaadah
which gives them a special affiliation to ibaadah, if there was anything
superior to salaat, He would have made it fard upon them. We also learn
from this Hadith that the entire form of salaat that is fard upon us, is not
fard on the angels. Instead, certain aspects of that salaat have been made
fard on certain angels. How fortunate are we that those valuable aspects of
salaat which have been distributed among the angels have been given to us
in their entirety. We have to value this great favour upon us.
18. Hadrat Anas radiallahu anhu reports that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam said: "Remember death when offering salaat because when a
person remembers death in his salaat, it is most likely that he will offer it in
the proper manner. Offer your salaat like the person who feels that this will
be his last salaat. And save yourself from such actions which you will have
to regret later on."148
146 Kanzul Ummaal.
147 Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daud, and Haakim.
148
Narrated by Daylami.

298
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
19. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the best salaat is that in which one
stands for a very long time. That is, his recitation of the Quran is very
lengthy.
20. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the salaat in which there is no humility
is not complete. In the Hadith, the word "takhash'sha'a" has been translated
as humility. The original meaning is tranquility. However, since tranquility
in salaat cannot be attained without humility, it has therefore been
translated as humility. Furthermore, this is a more popular meaning.
Tranquility cannot be attained without humility because a person who
stands and sits without any fear or dread cannot stop himself from looking
around him. He will be free to shift and shuffle about. But once there is
humility, he will offer his salaat with respect - without looking about.
21. It is reported from Hadrat Ali radiallahu anhu that the last words of
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam were: "Give due importance to salaat
and fear Allah with regards to the male and female slaves." These two
matters are so important that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
mentioned them when he was about to leave this world. This is because
people are very neglectful of salaat. They also impose difficulties on those
who are under their control (i.e. their slaves, servants, wives, children) and
think nothing of it. Muslims should be extremely cautious in this regard.
Some of the pious servants of Allah Ta'ala had extreme love and desire for
offering salaat. It is mentioned that Hadrat Mansur bin Zaazaan
rahmatullahi alayh, a taabi'ee, used to offer salaat from sunrise until the
time of asr. It is obvious that there are only two fard salaats in this period,
i.e. zuhr and asr, and that all the other salaats that he offered were nafl
salaats. After the asr salaat, he used to recite Sub'haanallah until the time of
maghrib salaat. Thereafter, he used to offer his maghrib salaat. His
condition was such that if he was told that the angel of death is waiting at
the door for him, he could not increase his deeds in any way. (In other
words, he could not increase his Deeni actions on the approach of death
because only that person who is unmindful of death and who does not
occupy his entire time in the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala can increase his
deeds. When he perceives the nearness of death he will hasten towards
doing good deeds. As for him who does not have any spare time, who
spends all his time in the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala, and who regards
death as being next to him all the time - how can he increase his good
deeds! This person was also a great aalim and many great ulama studied
Hadith under him.

299
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
Hadrat Mansur bin al-Mu'tamir who was also a taabi'ee, was also a great
aalim and pious person. It is reported about him that he continued fasting
during the day and remained awake at night for a period of forty years. He
used to spend the entire night weeping out of fear for the punishment of
sins. When anyone observed him offering his salaat, they felt that he was
about to die (i.e. he used to lament and cry profusely in his salaat and offer
it will full concentration). In the morning he used to apply surmah to his
eyes, moisten his lips and apply oil to his head. On seeing him thus, his
mother used to ask him: "Did you kill someone that you are adopting this
appearance?" (i.e. why are you changing the appearance which results from
making ibaadah and crying at night?) He used to reply: "I am fully aware of
that which my soul has done." (In other words, my soul desires or there is a
possibility of it desiring that I become famous and that people come to
know of my ibaadah. People will regard me as a very pious person, they
will look at my appearance and confirm that I had been engaging myself in
ibaadah. Alternatively, this could mean that my soul did not make ibaadah
in the proper manner. So how can it be considered when my appearance
portrays that I was engaged in ibaadah. When people will look at me, they
will be deluded into thinking that I am a great saint when in reality I am not
so. I therefore change my appearance.)
Due to his abundant crying, his eye-sight became weak. The leader of Iraq
called for him in order to appoint him as a judge over Kufah. However, he
rejected this offer. Because of his refusal, he was enchained but was later
set free. Others have narrated that he remained a judge for two months out
of compulsion.
.149
Dear brothers! Ponder over this pious person. How much love he had for
ibaadah and how he loathed the world! Without even asking for this
governmental position and without even making any effort for it, and
something which is a source of honour and enormous income and something
which people strive for greatly - he did not even turn an eye towards it and
preferred being enchained. Muslims ought to be like this - they should only
make the necessary arrangements for their food and clothing and spend the
rest of their time in the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala.
22. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the person who offers twelve rakaats of
salaat that are not fard, Allah Ta'ala will prepare a house in jannah for him.
149 Both these incidents are mentioned in Tazkiratul Huffaaz, volume one.

300
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
The twelve rakaats refer to the sunnah-e-mu'akkadah: two of fajr, six of
zuhr (four before the fard and two after), two after the fard of maghrib, and
two after the fard of esha).
23. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the person who offers six rakaats of nafl
salaat between maghrib and esha without committing any wrong, will
receive the reward of making nafl ibaadah for twelve years. That is, the
reward of those twelve rakaats will equal nafl ibaadah of twelve years.
24. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the person who offers two rakaats of
nafl salaat in a secluded place where no one but Allah and the angels
(which are with him all the time, and which only leave him when he goes to
relieve himself or when he is engaged in sexual intercourse) can see him;
then salvation from jahannam will be written down for him. In other words,
he will be granted the ability to abstain from sins and thereby save himself
from sins. However, he should continue offering this salaat. Only then will
he attain this barakah.
25. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the person who offers the twelve rakaats
of chaasht salaat, Allah Ta'ala will prepare a house of gold for him in
jannah.
26. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the person who offers four rakaats of
chaasht salaat and four other rakaats prior to the zuhr salaat (apart from the
sunnat-e-mu'akkadah salaat), a house will be prepared for him in jannah.
27. It is mentioned in a Hadith that the person who offers twenty rakaats of
nafl salaat between maghrib and esha, Allah Ta'ala will prepare a house for
him in jannah.
28. It is mentioned in a Hadith: "The person who offers four rakaats before
asr, Allah Ta'ala will make the fire haraam upon him." >The meaning of
this Hadith is that by offering this salaat continuously, he will be granted
the ability of doing good deeds, abstaining from evil and thereby save
himself from jahannam. However, it is necessary that such an amount of
ibaadah be done which one can fulfil with steadfastness no matter how little
it may be. There is no harm if one misses out at some time or the other due
to a valid reason. When a person commences offering nafl salaats, he
should maintain it as far as possible because it is extremely detestable to
commence with it and thereafter abandon it. It is worse not to start it at all.
150 Narrated by Tabrani.

301
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
29. It is mentioned in a Hadith: "May Allah have mercy on the person who
offers four rakaats before asr salaat."
151
Dear Muslim brothers and sisters! Devote yourselves totally to this Hadith.
Through a little effort, you will receive such a high status that you will
receive the blessings of the dua of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
and the ability to abstain from sins. No matter how much and in which way
you thank Allah Ta'ala for this bounty, it will be insufficient. The dua of
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will only be granted to the fortunate
ones. Our book of deeds are presented to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam every morning and evening. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
becomes extremely pleased when he comes to know that a person is doing
good deeds and carrying out that ibaadah which he himself had urged us to
carry out. By attaining his happiness and pleasure, one is granted mercy and
comfort in both the worlds.
A poet says:
فَإِنَّ مِنْ جُوْدِكَ الدُّنْيَا وَضَرَّتَهَا وَمِنْ عُلُوْ مِكَ عِلُمُ اللَّوُحِ وَالْقَلَمِ
Translation: "It is through your generosity that this world and the hereafter
is existing. And from among Your knowledge is the knowledge of the
Preserved Tablet." (i.e. the Lauh-e-Mahfooz, in which everything that will
occur till qiyaamah is recorded)
In other words, it is through your concern and generosity that the bounties
of this world and the hereafter can be attained. And it is through your
teachings that the knowledge of the Lauh-e-Mahfooz can be obtained.
There are two ways of attaining this knowledge: (i) There are unseen mys-
teries and secrets in your Ahadith and these are revealed to the special
servants of Allah Ta'ala. (ii) Through the favours of Allah Ta'ala and the
barakah of reading your Ahadith and practicing upon them, unseen
mysteries are also revealed to those who search for the truth.
Understand this well and practice upon it. There is not much benefit in
merely studying without any practice. Real benefit can only be attained by
studying and then practicing.
30. It is mentioned in a Hadith that you should impose the tahajjud salaat
upon yourself even if it is only one rakaat. This means that you should
151 Narrated by Imam Suyuti.

302
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
continue offering tahajjud salaat even if it be little. This is because its
reward is tremendous although it is not a fard salaat. And it does not mean
that you should offer only one rakaat because it is not permissible to do so.
At least two rakaats should be offered.
31. It is mentioned in a Hadith that you should impose the tahajjud salaat
upon yourself because it was the habit of those who came before you, it
draws you closer to Allah Ta'ala, it is a means of stopping you from
sinning, wipes out your minor sins, and removes sicknesses from the
body.152
152
Just ponder over the tremendous benefits in offering this salaat. You
receive rewards for it, your sins are forgiven, it prevents you from sinning,
and even cures you from physical sicknesses. As for spiritual sicknesses, it
definitely cures them as well. Because it has been mentioned in a Hadith
that the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala is a cure for the sicknesses of the
heart, and we know that salaat is the highest form of remembrance. It is not
difficult to offer as well. The time of tahajjud is a special time for the
acceptance of duas. It is therefore extremely important to offer it. Imam
Abu Hanifah rahmatullahi alayh offered his esha and fajr salaats with one
wudu for forty years. He used to spend the entire night in the ibaadah of
Allah Ta'ala.
32. It is mentioned in a Hadith wherein Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam reports from Allah Ta'ala that He says: "O progeny of Aadam! Offer
four rakaats of nafl salaat solely for Me at the beginning of the day and I
will suffice you in all your work till the end of the day."153
This refers to the virtue of offering ishraaq salaat. The method of offering
this salaat has already been mentioned previously. By offering this salaat, a
person is rewarded and all his work is also completed for him. All the
bounties of the Deen and the world are facilitated for him. When people are
afflicted by any difficulty, they run from pillar to post and begin bowing
down to the creation. If only they turn towards Allah Ta'ala and offer all the
duas and salaats that He has shown, all their problems will be solved, they
will be rewarded, and they will also be saved from the humiliation of
bowing down to the creation. A pious person has said: "Every nation has
some sort of occupation. Our occupation is taqwa and tawakkul." Taqwa
152
Narrated by Imam Suyuti.
153 Narrated by Tirmidhi.

303
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
means piety and carrying out the commands of Allah Ta'ala. Tawakkul
means having absolute trust in Allah Ta'ala. In other words, through
righteousness, all worldly problems and difficulties are also removed.
Miscellaneous Masa'il
1. If a person uproots his hair, the root of that hair is regarded as impure
because of the stickyness that is found on it. (Shaami)
2. It is makruh for the residents of a place where the eid salaats are wajib to
offer any nafl salaat between the fajr and eid salaats. (al-Bahrur Raa'iq)
3. It is makruh to clip the nails, to remove the pubic hair or hair from any-
where else while one is in a state of major impurity. (Aalamgiri)
4. Immature children receive the reward for offering salaat and other acts of
ibaadah. The person who teaches them also receives reward for this.
5. It is not makruh to recite the Quran at times when salaat is makruh. Apart
from reciting the Quran, one could also recite durood or engage in any
other form of remembrance. (Saghiri)
6. It is permissible to recite a certain portion of a Surah in one rakaat and
recite the remainder of that Surah in the second rakaat. Similarly, it is per-
missible to recite the beginning or middle of a particular Surah in one
rakaat and the beginning or middle of another Surah or one complete short
Surah in the second rakaat. (Saghiri) However, it is not good to make a
habit of doing this. It is better to recite a separate Surah in each rakaat.
7. While offering the taraweeh salaat, a person forgets to recite a particular
verse or Surah and continues reading ahead. Later he realizes that he had
forgotten to recite that verse or Surah. It will be mustahab for him to recite
that verse or Surah. After reciting the missed verse or Surah, he should
repeat those verses or Surahs which he had continued reciting so that he
may be able to complete the Quran in the order that it is written.
(Aalamgiri) However, if a person continued reading ahead and recited
many verses or Surahs and repeating all these will be very difficult, it will
be permissible for him to merely repeat the verse or Surah which he had
missed out and continue ahead. This is because this ruling is mustahab (and
not wajib).
8. Perspiration on the forehead, watering of the eyes and flaring of the
nostrils at the time of death are all signs of a good death. Perspiration on the
forehead alone is also a sign of a good death.

304
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
9. Mud and impure water on the roads (which splashes on the clothes) can
be overlooked as long as the traces of the impurity are not visible on the
clothing.
10. It is not permissible to make wudu or ghusl with musta'mal (used)
water. The following types of water are regarded as musta'mal water: water
that has been used to make wudu or ghusl by a person who was in need of
wudu or ghusl, water that has been used by a person who had wudu but
made wudu again in order to obtain reward, water that has been used by a
person upon whom ghusl was not wajib but made ghusl for reward, e.g. a
person makes ghusl on Friday despite ghusl not being wajib on him. It is
makruh to use such water for drinking or cooking purposes. (Shaami) When
we mentioned the person upon whom ghusl became wajib - this rule with
regards to him will only apply if no impurity is found on his body. If there
is any impurity on his body, then that used water will not even be
permissible for drinking and cooking purposes.
The Shar'ee Procedure at the Time of Death
Recite Surah Yaseen at the time of death and make the person lie on his
right hand side facing the qiblah if this will not cause any pain to him. If
not, leave him as he is. It is also permissible to make him lie flat on his
back with his feet pointing towards the qiblah and his head slightly
elevated. The person sitting nearby should recite the kalimah in an audible
voice. He should not ask the person to recite the kalimah because it is
possible that he will refuse.
On passing away, take a broad strip of cloth or band and tie it from below
his chin and above his head. Thereafter, close his eyes. Place the large toes
of each foot together and tie them with a strip of cloth. Place his hands at
his sides and not on his chest. Thereafter, inform the people of his death.
Hasten towards his burial. First of all, make the arrangements for the grave
and thereafter request for the following items for the kafan:
1. Two water-pots. (if there are utensils in the house, there is no need for
this)
2. A can to pour the water.
3. A wooden bed or platform which is generally kept in the musjid.
4. Lobaan (a kind of incense).
5. Cotton wool.

305
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
6. Gilly flower (or any other fragrant flower).
7. Camphor.
8. Strips of timber or sticks for the grave, the length of which will be
according to the measurements of the grave.
9. A mat made of palm leaves according to the measurements of the grave.
10. Kafan. The kafan should be made in the following manner: for men,
take a stick that is equal in length of the deceased person. Make a mark on
the stick in line with his shoulders. Place a piece of cotton in line with his
chest and take it around his body until one end of the cotton goes round and
meets the other end of the cotton. Cut off the cotton and keep that piece
aside. Thereafter, take a cloth that is as wide as or more or less the same as
the length of that piece of cotton. If the width of the material is less than the
cotton, complete it by joining another piece of material. Take some
sheeting and cut out a piece of cloth that is the same length as that of the
stick. This is called the loincloth. Take another sheet that is the same width
as the previous one and cut out another piece of cloth that is about a quarter
metre longer than the loin cloth. This is called the lifafah or sheet. Take
another piece of cloth that is as wide as the width of the deceased. Place
one end of it on the mark on the stick till the end of the stick and cut double
this length. Hold both the ends of this cloth together and cut out a circle at
the opposite end which will be large enough for the head of the person to
go through. This is known as the shirt. This is not used for a woman. Apart
from this, there are two other pieces of cloth (for a woman), one is the chest
band and the other, the head band. The chest band extends from below the
arm-pits till the knees. It will be as wide as the piece of cotton that was
originally used for measuring. The head band will be about one and three
quarter metres in length and about three quarters of a metre in width. These
are the masnun measurements for the kafan. There are certain things which
are connected to the kafan. They are as follows:
(i) The tahband154 should be about 18 centimetres longer than the width of
the body. For a large person, one and quarter metre in length will be
sufficient. And for the width from the navel to the calf, about 80
centimetres will be sufficient. There has to be two pieces of this.
154
This refers to the piece of cloth which is used to cover the private area of the deceased while
giving him ghusl. It does not form part of the kafan.

Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
306
(ii) The gloves should be approximately 33 centimetres by 16 centimetres.
There should be two of these as well.
(iii) The upper semi-circular covering of the bier of a woman who is big in
body should be about three and half metres by two metres.
(iv) Preparations for the kafan and other items should be made together
with the preparations for ghusl.
(v) We now feel it relevant to enumerate the kafan in the form of a table so
that it will be easier to understand:
MALE AND FEMALE
NAME OF
GARMENT
LENGTH
WIDTH
DESCRIPTION
Izaar
180 cm
(2 yds)
150cm/180cm
(60"/72")
To cover from
head to toe
Lifafah Chadar
225 cm
(21/2 yds)
150cm/180cm
(60"/72")
15 cm longer than
Izaar
Qamees Kafni
180 to 250 cm
(2 to 23/4 yds)
90 cm
(36")
From shoulder to
below the knees
ADDITIONAL ITEMS FOR FEMALES ONLY
Khimaar Orni
140cm (11/2 yds)
90 cm 36"
To cover head and
hair over breasts
Sina'band
180 to 250 cm
(2 to 23/4 yds)
90 cm 36"
From under the
armpits to the
thighs.
Note: For the kafan of a man, approximately 10 metres of material is
required. For the woman, together with the upper covering of the bier,
approximately 21 metres is required. The tahband and gloves are not
included in this. The kafan for a child should be calculated as explained
previously.
The Method of Ghusl and Kafan
Add two handfuls of berry leaves in a water-pot and heat the water.
Thereafter pour this water into two water-pots. Dig two holes on either side
lengthwise where the deceased will be placed. (This will not be necessary if
there is a drain through which all the water will flow away. The wooden
platform could be placed near this drain.) Place the wooden platform in the
direction where the two holes were dug and smoke it three times with
incense. Thereafter, place the deceased onto this platform and remove his

307
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
clothing. Place the tahband over his private area and remove his clothing
from underneath the tahband.
Rub the stomach gently and cleanse his private parts with three to five
lumps of sand irrespective of whether any impurities come out or not.
Thereafter wash his private parts with water. However, you should wear
gloves when doing this. It is not permissible to wash the private parts
without wearing these. Take a piece of cotton wool, moisten it and cleanse
his lips and teeth with it and thereafter throw it away. Repeat this three
times. Do the same for the nose and ears. Thereafter, seal the mouth, nose
and ears with cotton wool so that no water may go inside.
Thereafter wash the head and beard with soap. Make wudu for the
deceased: wash the face, the hands upto the elbows, make masah of the
head, and then wash the feet. Thereafter pour water over the entire body.
Make him lie on his left-hand side and pour water over him. Do the same
after making him lie on his right-hand side. Thereafter wear another pair of
gloves and cleanse his body. Replace the tahband as well.
Thereafter neaten the bed and place the sheet (lifatah) over it. Spread the
loin cloth over it and then spread the bottom section of the shirt onto the
loin cloth and gather the remainder of the shirt and place it near the head-
section. Thereafter, lift the deceased from the platform gently and place him
onto the bed. Take the remaining portion of the shirt and pass it through the
head and extend it till his feet. Remove the tahband. Apply camphor to his
head, beard and those parts of his body which touch the ground when in
sajdah (i.e. the forehead, nose, the palms, the knees and the forepart of the
feet).
Thereafter take the left side of the loin cloth and wrap it onto the right side,
and take the right side of the sheet and wrap it onto the left side. Do the
same with the sheet. Take two strips of cloth and use each one to tie the
head side and the feet side of the kafan. Use the chest band to wrap the
chest of the woman. The head band has been mentioned in the table. An
upper covering is placed on the bier of a woman. This has already been
mentioned previously.
Note: There are certain items which people have regarded as necessary in
the kafan. These are not included in the masnun kafan. It is not permissible
to purchase these items from the money of the deceased. These items are:
(i) A musallah - about one and quarter metres by 80 centimetres.

308
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
(ii) A girdle - about one and half metres by 80 centimetres. This is used to
lower the deceased into the grave.
(iii) A mat - two and half metres by one and half metres. This is normally
placed onto the bed on which the deceased is placed.
(iv) A scarf - two metres by one and quarter metres. According to one's
financial position, four to seven of these are given to the poor. This is
specifically for women.
(v) A sheet which is generally placed over the janaazah of the man - three
metres by two and quarter metres. It is used to cover the bed on which the
deceased is carried. It is necessary to have such a sheet for a woman.
However, it is not included in her kafan. It is therefore not necessary for
this sheet to be the same colour as the kafan. Any cloth will suffice as a
cover.
Note: If one feels there is a need for a musallah, then any cloth from the
house could be used. It is not necessary to obtain it from the possessions of
the deceased. Any relative could also purchase it with his own money.
1. If any of the items which will be required for the ghusl and kafan are
found at home and they are clean and pure, there is no harm in utilising
them.
2. The material of the kafan should be of the same quality that the deceased
used to wear most of the time while he was alive. It is a waste of money to
go into unnecessary expenses.
3. If a child is born with some indications of life and thereafter dies, it will
be named, ghusl will be given and salaat will also be offered over it.
However, if no signs of life are found, it will be given ghusl, wrapped in a
cloth and buried without any salaat being offered over it.
The deceased should be placed in the grave in such a way that his entire
body is made to lie on its side facing towards the qiblah. The knots of the
kafan on either side should be loosened. Isaal-e-thawaab should be made
for the deceased as shown to us by our pious predecessors. This should be
done without subjecting oneself to any custom or specifying any particular
day. One should secretly help the poor according to one's ability and from
one's halaal earnings. One should also recite the Quran according to one's
ability and send the rewards to the deceased. Prior to the burial, in which a
lot of time is wasted in futile conversations, one should recite the kalimah
and send the reward to the deceased.

309
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
SAUM FASTING
In the Hadith, great rewards have been mentioned for fasting. The fasting
person has a very high status in the sight of Allah Ta'ala. Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "The person who fasts in the month of
Ramadaan solely for the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala and for gaining His
reward, all his past minor sins will be forgiven." Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said: "The smell which emanates from the mouth of a
fasting person is more beloved in the sight of Allah Ta'ala than the
fragrance of musk." On the day of judgement, one would receive great
rewards for fasting.
It is related in a Hadith that a table below the Arsh of Allah Ta'ala will be
laid for the fasting persons on the day of judgement. They will sit at this
table and partake of the food while all the other people will still be busy
giving their account of deeds. On seeing them, they will say: "How is it that
these people are eating and drinking while we are still occupied in giving
an account of our deeds?" It will be said to them that they used to fast while
you abstained from fasting. This fasting is also a great pillar of Islam. The
person who does not fast in the month of Ramadaan commits a major sin,
and his Deen shall become weak.
1. Fasting in the month of Ramadaan is fard on every Muslim who is not a
lunatic nor an immature person (minor). As long as there is no valid excuse,
it is not permissible to abstain from fasting. If a person vows to fast, fasting
becomes fard on him on account of this vow. The gada and kaffarah fasts
are also fard. Apart from this, all other fasts are nafl - if a person keeps
them he will be rewarded, and if he does not do so, there will be no sin on
him. However, the fasts of eid ul-fitr, eid ul-ad'haa, and the three days
following eid ul-ad'haa are all haraam.
2. Once the time of fajr salaat approaches (i.e. dawn) until the time of
sunset, a person should make the intention of fasting and abstain from all
food, drink, and sexual intercourse. This is known as fasting in the Shariah.
3. It is not necessary to make a verbal intention. Instead, once a person has
this in his heart that today he is fasting and he does not eat or drink
anything, nor does he indulge in sexual intercourse - his fast will be valid.
If a person makes a verbal intention by saying: "O Allah! I will fast for
Your pleasure tomorrow", or he says the following words in Arabic:

310
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
بِصُوُمِ غَدٍ نَوَيْتُ
even then there is no harm in this.
4. A person did not eat nor drink anything the entire day and remained
hungry and thirsty from morning till evening. However, in his heart he did
not have the intention of fasting but merely abstained from food due to a
lack of hunger, or, for some reason or the other he did not get the
opportunity of eating anything - in such a case his fast will not be valid.
Had he made the intention of fasting in his heart, his fast would have
become valid.
5. According to the Shariah, the time of fasting commences from subah
saadiq. Therefore, as long as the subah saadiq time does not expire, eating,
drinking, etc. is permissible. Some women wake up early and after having a
meal, they make the intention of fasting and sleep away thinking that once
the intention is made, eating and drinking is not permissible. This is a gross
error. As long as the subah saadiq time does not expire, it is permissible to
eat and drink. This is irrespective of whether the intention of fasting has
been made or not.
The Fasts of Ramadaan
1. If the intention of fasting for the fast of Ramadaan is made at night, the
fast will be valid. The intention was not made at night and even in the
morning one decided not to fast on that day. The day progressed
considerably and only thereafter the person realized that it is not good to
leave out a fard duty and therefore made the intention of fasting - even then
his fast will be valid. But if he has already consumed some food in the
morning, he cannot make the intention of fasting.
2. If a person has not consumed any food or drink, then for the fasts of
Ramadaan he can make the intention of fasting until one hour15 before
mid-day.
155
In order to calculate mid-day, one should note the time of subah saadiq and the time
of sunset. After counting the number of hours between these two times, divide this number
in half. If the intention is made within this time, the fast will be valid. If this time has
expired, or exceeded the limit, the fast will not be valid. This specification of "one hour" has
been made as a precaution.

311
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)
3. For the fasts of Ramadaan, the following intention is sufficient: "I am
fasting today". Alternatively, at night one could say: "Tomorrow I will
fast". By making this intention, the fasts of Ramadaan will be valid. When
making the intention, a person did not specify as to whether it is a fast of
Ramadaan or a fard fast. Even then the fast will be valid.
4. In the month of Ramadaan, a person made the following intention:
"Tomorrow I will keep a nafl fast and I will not keep the fast of Ramadaan.
I will make gada of this Ramadaan fast at some other time." Even then, the
Ramadaan fast will be considered and not the nafl fast.
5. A person had missed a few fasts of the previous Ramadaan. The whole
year passed without his making qada of these missed fasts as yet. When the
next Ramadaan commenced, he made the intention of making qada of those
missed fasts. Even then, the fasts of this Ramadaan will be considered and
the gada fasts will not be valid. He will have to keep those qada fasts after
Ramadaan.
6. A person had taken a vow that if a certain work of his is fulfilled, he will
keep one or two fasts for the pleasure of Allah. When the month of
Ramadaan commenced, he made the intention of keeping those fasts which
he had vowed to keep and not the fast of Ramadaan. Even then, the fast of
Ramadaan will be considered and not that of the vowed fast. The vowed
fast will have to be kept after Ramadaan.
In short, if any other intention is made in the month of Ramadaan, the fast
of Ramadaan will be considered. All other fasts will not be valid.
7. If the moon of Ramadaan is sighted on the 29th of Sha'baan, commence
fasting the following morning. However, if it is not sighted or cannot be
sighted because of clouds, do not fast the next morning as long as there is a
doubt as to whether Ramadaan has commenced or not. Instead, complete
the 30 days of Sha'baan and thereafter commence the fasts of Ramadaan.
8. Because of clouds, the moon was not sighted on the 29th of Sha'baan.
Do not even keep a nafl fast the following day. However, if a person is in
the habit of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays or any other specific day,
and coincidentally that day falls on the 29th, then in such a case it will be
preferable to keep this fast. Thereafter, if he receives the news of the
sighting of the moon on the 29th, the fast of Ramadaan will be fulfilled
with that very nafl fast. He does not have to make qada of it.
9. Because of clouds, the moon was not sighted on the 29th of Sha'baan.
Do not eat or drink anything the following day until an hour before mid-