النص المفهرس
صفحات 481-500
472 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) The Step-mother Since she is an associate of your father, and we have been commanded to be kind and friendly to our parents' associates, the step-mother, therefore, also has certain rights over you as mentioned previously. The elder brother In the light of the Hadith, the elder brother is similar to one's father. From this we can deduce that the younger brother is similar to one's children. Based on this, they will have rights similar to those of parents and children. The elder sister and the younger sister should also be treated in the same manner. Relatives If any of your blood relatives is in need and is unable to earn, help him out with his expenses according to your financial position. Go and meet them occasionally. Do not cut-off relations with them. In fact, even if they cause you harm, it will be best for you to exercise patience. The In-laws In the Quran, Allah Ta'ala has mentioned the in-laws together with one's lineage. We learn from this that the father-in-law, mother-in-law, wife's brother, sister's husband, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, the previous children of the wife, the previous children of the husband - all of these have certain rights. Therefore, you have to be more considerate to them as opposed to others. The Rights of Muslims 1. Overlook the faults of a Muslim. 2. When he cries, have mercy on him. 3. Conceal his shortcomings. 4. Accept his excuses. 5. Remove his difficulties. 473 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) 6. Always be good to him. 7. Gaining his love is an accomplishment. 8. Fulfil his promises. 9. When he falls ill, visit him. 10. When he passes away, make du'â for him. 11. Accept his invitation. 12. Accept his gifts. 13. When he shows kindness to you, show kindness to him in return. 14. Be grateful for his favours upon you. 15. Help and assist him at the time of need. 16. Safeguard his family and children. 17. Assist him in his work. 18. Listen to his advice. 19. Accept his intercession. 20. Do not make him feel despondent over his ambitions. 21. When he sneezes and says "Alhamdulillah", say "Yarhamukallah" in reply. 22. If you find a lost item of his, return it to him. 23. Reply to his greeting. 24. When you converse with him, speak with humility and in a good manner. 25. Be kind and friendly to him. 26. When he takes an oath with regard to you, confident that you will fulfil it, then you must fulfil it. (For example, Zayd takes an oath that 'Amr never goes to the bazaar and he is confident that 'Amr will fulfil this oath of his, then 'Amr must ensure that he does not act contrary to it.) 27. If anyone oppresses him, go to his assistance. If he oppresses someone, prevent him. 28. Be friendly to him and do not antagonize him. 29. Do not disgrace him. 30. Whatever you like for yourself, like for him as well. 31. When you meet him, make salam to him. If a man shakes the hand of a man, and a woman shakes the hand of a woman, it will be even better. 32. If a quarrel takes place between the two of you, do not cut-off speaking to him for more than three days. 33. Do not have evil thoughts of him. 34. Do not be jealous of him nor should you hate him. 474 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) 35. Direct him towards good deeds and stop him from evil deeds. 36. Have mercy on the young and respect the elderly. 37. If there is a conflict between two Muslims, try and reconcile them. 38. Do not speak ill of him. 39. Do not cause him any loss; neither in his wealth nor in his honour. 40. If he is sitting, do not make him get up and take his place. Rights of the Neighbour 1. Deal with him in a nice and friendly manner. 2. Protect the honour of his wife and children. 3. Occasionally you should send gifts to his house. Especially if he is poor. In such a case you should definitely send some food to him. 4. Do not cause him any harm. Do not quarrel with him over trivial matters. Rights of the Travelling Companion 1. Just as a person has a neighbour at home, he also has a neighbour when travelling. That is, a travelling companion with whom you embark on a journey or coincidentally joins you during the course of the journey. The rights of such a person are similar to those of a neighbour. 2. His rights can be summed up as follows: give preference to his comfort over your own comfort. Some people display a lot of selfishness with regard to other travellers when travelling by train or other modes of public transportation. This is a very evil habit. Rights of the Weak and Old Those people who are in need, such as orphans, widows, the weak, the poor, the sick, the cripple, travellers, beggars, etc. have additional rights. They are: 1. You should help them financially. 2. You should undertake their tasks with your own hands and legs. 3. You should console and comfort them. 4. You should not refuse to fulfil their needs and wants. Rights of Human beings 1. Do not cause financial or physical harm to innocent people. 2. Do not argue with anyone without any valid Shar'î reason. 475 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) 3. If you find someone in problem, in poverty, or sick, help him, feed him, treat his sickness. 4. When meting out punishment, do not transgress the limits in the different methods of punishment that have been laid down in the Sharî'ah. Rights of Animals 1. Do not encage an animal which you will not be taking any benefit from. Removing nestlings from their nests, causing harm to their parents, etc. is a sign of extreme mercilessness. 2. An animal that is suitable for consumption should not be killed merely for amusement. 3. You should make proper arrangements with regard to food, drink, providing rest, and taking care for the animal that you utilise for your work. Do not impose any work on it that is beyond its capacity, nor should you beat it more than necessary. 4. The animal that is to be slaughtered or killed on account of it being harmful should be slaughtered or killed quickly. Do not cause it any agitation. Do not take its life after having starved it. Additional points If there is any shortcoming in fulfilling the rights of a person, fulfil that which can be fulfilled or else, ask for forgiveness. For example, you are still owing someone some money or you cheated someone, etc. (In such a case you should try and pay the debt, but if you cannot do so, then seek forgiveness from the person). As for the right which can only be forgiven, seek forgiveness for it, e.g. you spoke ill of a person or beat him (In such a case, it is obvious that you cannot pay him anything. Instead, you will have to seek his forgiveness). If, due to some reason, you cannot fulfil their rights nor can you seek their forgiveness, then you should continue making du'â for these people. It is possible that on the day of judgement Allah Ta'âlâ will try and influence them to forgive you. However, later if you are in a position to fulfil their rights or seek their forgiveness, then do not hesitate in doing so. As for the rights that are due to you and there is a hope of their being fulfilled, then be lenient when asking for them. As for those where there is no hope of their being fulfilled or, they are such that they cannot be fulfilled, such as ghîbah, then although there is the hope of your receiving 476 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) rewards in return for them on the day of judgement, however, more reward has been mentioned with regard to forgiving them in this world. It will be much better if you forgive them completely or absolve them completely. This is especially when the person earnestly seeks forgiveness from you. Reciting the Quran with Correct Pronunciation It is wajib to make efforts in reciting the Quran with correct pronunciation (tajwîd). It is a sin to display complacency and laziness in this regard. There are many rules of tajwid. However, we will mention those that are necessary and simple. You should take extreme care in differentiating the following letters and pronouncing them correctly: (a) ١- ع -ء ح-٥ (b) ت- ط (e) د- ض (c) ٹ۔ س- ص (f) ذ- ظ- ز (d) is not read with a full mouth, but b is read with a full mouth. is soft, while is hard. O is read with a full mouth. 5 is pronounced with the side of the tongue touching the left side of the jaw-tooth. It is wrong to pronounce it with the front teeth. It is necessary to practice pronouncing this letter repeatedly. > is soft, while > is hard. b is read with a full mouth. 1. The following letters are always read with a full mouth: خ ص ض ط ظ غ ق 2. When there is a tashdid ( _ ) on a noon and mim, you should read it with ghunnah. In other words, read the letter through your nose to the extent that it takes to read an 'alif. 3. If a letter has a fathah ( 2 ), kasrah ( 7 ), or dammah ( ¿ ) and there is no 'alif, wâw, or yâ after it; then do not read it by lengthening its pronunciation as is the habit of many girls. It is wrong to read it in this way. For example, إِيَّاكَا as إِيَّاكَ ٥٣ ملِكِىْ as ملِك or, الْحَمْدُوْ اَلْحَمْدُ it is wrong to read Wherever the 'alif, waw, or yâ is written, do not shorten it. In short, you should be particularly careful in differentiating between shortening and lengthening. 477 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) 4. The dammah ( ¿ ) should be pronounced with a slight tinge of waw, while the kasrah ( 7 ) should be pronounced with a slight tinge of yâ. 5. If there is a sukun on the nun and it is followed by one of the following letters, then you should read it with ghunnah. The letters are: ت ٹ جد ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ک Examples: أَنْتُمُ - مِنُ ثَمَرَةٍ فَاَ نْجَيْنَا كُمُ - أَنْدَادًا - أَنْذَرُ تَهُمُ أَنْزَلَ - مِنْسَأَتَهُ - نَنْشُرُ - لِمَنْ صَبَرَ - مَنْضُوُدٍ فَإِنْ طِبْنَ - فَانْظُرُ - يُنْفِقُوْنَ - مِنقَبْلِكَ- إِنْ كُنْتُمُ 6. Similarly, if any letter has two fathahs, two kasrahs, or two dammahs whereby they produce the sound of a noon, and this letter is followed by any of the above mentioned 15 letters, then you should also read it with ghunnah. Examples: جَنّتٍ تَجْرِىُ جَمِيعاً ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى مِنُ نَّفْسٍ شَيْئاً. رِزْقاً قَالُوا رَسُوْلٌ كَرِيُمٌ. You can search for similar examples. 7. If a nûn has a sukûn and it is followed by a râ or lâm, then that nûn is not pronounced and it becomes completely joined into the râ and lâm. For example, مِنْ رَّبِّهِمُ ولكِنْ لَّا يَشْعُرُوْنَ 8. Similarly, if any letter has two fathahs, two kasrahs, or two dammahs whereby they produce the sound of a nun, and this letter is followed by a râ, or lâm; even then that nûn is not pronounced and it becomes completely joined into the râ and lâm. For example, 478 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ - هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَ 9. If there is a sukun on a nûn and it is followed by a bâ, then that nun will be pronounced like a mîm and ghunnah will also be made. For example, أَنْبِتُهُمُ will be read as ◌ُهُبِئُهُمُ Similarly, if any letter has two fathahs, two kasrahs, or two dammahs whereby they produce the sound of a nun, and this letter is followed by a bâ, even then that nun will be read as a mim. For example, اَلِيُمُ بِمَا will be read as اَلِيُمُمُ بِمَا In some copies of the Quran, a small mim is written above that letter, while other copies do not have it written. Whatever the case may be, this pronunciation will have to be followed wherever this is found. 10. If there is a sukun on a mîm and it is followed by a bâ, then make ghunnah on that mîm. For example, يَعْتَصِمُ بِاللهِ 11. If a letter has two fathahs, two kasrahs, or two dammahs and the letter following it has a sukûn, then in place of reading the two fathahs, one 479 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) fathah will be read and the 'alif that is written will not be read, instead, the person will read a nûn that has a kasrah and join it to the letter that has got a sukûn. For example, will be read as خَيْرَ الْوَصِيَّةُ خَيْرَنِ الْوَصِيَّةُ Similarly, instead of reading two kasrahs, he will read one kasrah and join it with a nûn. For example, فَخُوُرِ الَّذِيْنَ will be read as خَيْرَنِ الَّذِيْنَ Similarly, instead of reading two dammahs, he will read one dammah and join it with a nûn. For example, will be read as نُوُحْ ابْنَهُ نُوْحُ نِ ابْنَهُ In some copies of the Quran, a small nun is written in-between the two letters. But if it is not written in any particular copy, this rule should still be followed. 12. If there is a fathah or dammah on the râ, it should be pronounced with a full mouth. For example, رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ - آَمُرُهُمْ But if there is a kasrah below the râ, it should be pronounced lightly. For example, 480 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوُبِ If there is a sukun on the râ, then look at the letter preceding it. If the preceding letter has a fathah or dammah, then pronounce that râ with a full mouth. For example, أَنْذَرُتَهُمُ مُرُسَلٌ But if the preceding letter has a kasrah, then pronounce that râ lightly. For example, لَمُ تُنذِرُهُمْ There are certain places where this rule does not apply, however, you will not understand them now. In most places, the above-mentioned rules apply, therefore read them as mentioned. 13. If the lâm in اَللَّهُمَّ اللهُ is preceded by a letter that has a fathah or dammah, then pronounce the lâm with a full mouth. For example, خَتَمَ اللَّهُ فَزَادَهُمُ اللُّهُ وَإِذَ قَالُوُ اللَّهُمَّ الْحَمْدُلِلْهِ But if it is preceded by a kasrah, then pronounce the lâm lightly. For example, الْحَمْدُلِلْهِ 14. Wherever you find a tâ marbûta ( * ) whether it is written separately or joined to another letter, ( L ) and you wish to stop at that tâ marbûta, then it will be pronounced as a hâ. For example, قَسْوَةً 481 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) will be read as قَسُوَةً Similarly, أُتُوا الزَّكُوَةَ - طَيِّبَةً will also be read according to the above rule. 15. If a letter has two fathahs and you wish to stop at that letter, then an 'alif will be recited after that letter. For example, نِدَاءً will be read as نِدَاءَ ا 16. Wherever you find this sign ( =) in the Quran, you should elongate that word. For example, in the following word you should read the 'alif by adding several other 'alifs to it: وَلَا الضَّالَّيْنَ You should read the waw by adding several other wows to it: قَالُوُ آَنُوْ مِنُ You should read the yâ by adding several other yâs to it: فِىّ اذَانِهِمُ 17. If you see any of the following signs, you should stop. (م- ط- ٥ - قف- ل) If you see any of the following signs, you should pause without breaking your breath. Thereafter, continue with your recitation. 482 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) (س)- (سكته)- (وقفه) If you see the following dots ( .. ) written twice in one verse, you have the choice of stopping at any one of the two places. You can stop at the first place and do not stop at the second place, or vice versa. Where you see a ( Y ) written, do not stop over there. If any other signs are written anywhere, you have the choice of either stopping or not stopping. If there are two signs written, one above the other, then act according to the sign that is written on top. 18. When a letter has a sukun and it is followed by a tashdîd, the first letter will not be read. For example, in the following words, the dal will not be read: قَدْتَبَيَّنَ In the following words, the tâ will not be read: قَالَتُ طَّائِفَةٌ In the following words, the tâ ( b ) will not be read: لَئِنُ بَسَطُتَّ In the following words, the tâ will not be read: أَثْقَلَتُ دَعَوَ اللّهَ انْقَلَتُ دَّ عَوَ اللَّهَ In the following words, the qaf will not be read: اَلَمْ نَخْلُقُكُمُ 483 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) However, if this letter which has a sukûn is a nûn, or is pronounced as a nûn on account of two fathahs, two kasrahs, or two dammahs; and the following letter is a yâ or wâw which has a tashdîd; then in such a case, a tinge of the nûn will remain in the pronunciation and the sound of the nun will be created from the nose. For example: مَنْ يَّقُوُلُ ظُلُمَاتٌ وَّرَغَدٌ 19. In Sûrah Hud, verse 41, the kasrah on the letter râ in the following word will not be pronounced like other ras. Instead, it will be pronounced with 'imâlah. 'Imâlah means to pronounce an 'alif so that its sound resembles the sound of a yâ and to pronounce a fathah to resemble the sound of kasrah.203 The word is: مَجْرِيُهَا 20. In Sûrah al-Hujurât, verse 11, the letter sîn in the following words is not joined to any letter and the lâm following it is joined to the next sîn. Based on this, is read as: بِئْسَ الْإِسْمُ بِئْسَ لاَسُمُ 21. In Sûrah Âl 'Imrân, verse 1, the mîm is joined to the lâm and when pronounced will produce the sound "mîmal". It is wrong to pronounce it as "mîm mal". The words are: مِيْمَلُ مِيمُ مَلُ 22. There are certain places in the Quran, which are pronounced in a certain way and in other situations they are pronounced in another way. You 263 It will be pronounced like the English word "rare". 484 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) should bear these places in mind. Extract these places from the Quran and teach them to the girls and womenfolk. They are: (a) Wherever the word( d (Úl) appes appears in the Quran, the 'alif that follows the nûn is not pronounced. Only the first 'alif and the nûn is pronounced. It is read in this way: اَنَ (b) In Sûrah al-Bagarah, verse 245, the word is written with a sad يَبْصُطُ but pronounced as a sîn. In most copies of the Quran, a small sîn is written above the sad. Even if it is not written the sin she بَصُطَةً pronounced. Similarly, in Sûrah al-'A'raf, verse 69, the word is written with a sad but pronounced as a sîn. (c) In Surah Âl 'Imrân, verse 144, in the word اَفَئِنُ an 'alif is written after the fâ, however, this 'alif is not pronounced. This word is read as: اَفَئِنُ لاَ إِلَى اللهِ (d) In Sûrah 'Âl 'Imrân, verse 158, in the words the 'alif after the first lâm is written, but only one 'alif is pronounced in the following way: لَا إِلَى اللّهِ (e) In Sûrah al-Mâ'idah, verse 29, in the word the تَبُوا the 'alif is written after the hamzah, but not read. Instead, it is read in the following way: (f) In Sûrah al-'A'râf, verse 103, in the word مَلائيه the word an 'alif is written after the lâm. This 'alif is not read. Wherever else in the Quran this word may appear, it will not be read. Instead it will be read as: مَلَئِهِ 485 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) (g) In Sûrah at-Taubah, verse 47, in the word لاَ أَوْ ضَعُو the word an 'alif is written after the lâm 'alif ( ! ), however, this 'alif is not read. Instead it is read as: لَاَ وُضَعُوا (h) In Sûrah Hûd, verse 68, in the word : ثَمُوُدَا an 'alif is written after the dâl, but it is not read. Instead, it is read as: ثَمُوُدَ Similarly, in Sûrah an-Najm, verse 51, in the same word, an 'alif is written after the dal but not read. (i) In Sûrah ar-Ra'd, verse 30, in the word لِسَتْلُوَاْ an 'alif is written after the waw, but not read. Instead, it is read as: لِتَتْلُوَاْ (j) In Sûrah al-Kahf, verse 14, in the word an ali لَنْ نَدُعُوَا ! an 'alif is written after the waw, but not read. Similarly. in Sûrah al-Kahf, verse 23, in the word لِشَائ an 'alif is not read. Instead, it is read as: لِشَيُّ (k) In Sûrah al-Kahf, verse 38, in the word word ◌َّلكِن ar an 'alif is written after the nûn, but not read. Instead, it is read as: 486 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) لكِنَّ (1) In Sûrah an-Naml, verse 21, in the word the word ◌ُلا اذْبَحَنَّه an 'alif is w the lâm, but not read. Instead, it is read as: لَاَ ذُبَحَنَّهُ لَا إِلَى الْجَحِیْمِ (m) In Sûrah as-Saffât, verse 68, in the word two 'alifs are written after the first lâm. However, only one of the two 'alifs is read. It is read as: لَإِلَى الْجَحِيمِ (n) In Sûrah Muhammad, verse 4, in the word بَبْلُوَاْ an 'alif is written after the wâw, but not read. Similarly, in verse 31 of the same sûrah, in the word نَبُّلُوَاْ an 'alif is written after the wâw, but not read. (o) In Sûrah ad-Dahr, verse 4, in the word جسَلاَ سِلاً an 'alif is written after the second lâm, but not read. Instead, it is read as: سَلَاسِلَ قَوَارِيُرَا Similarly, in verse 15 and 16 of the same surah, the word has been mentioned twice and in both places an 'alif has been written after the second râ. Most of the people reading these words, stop at the first word and do not stop at the second word. When reading in this manner, the rule is that the 'alif should be pronounced when reading the first word, and should not be pronounced when reading the second word. If someone does 487 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) not stop at the first place, but stops at the second place, then even in this second place he should not pronounce the 'alif. That is, irrespective of whether he stops at the second place or not, the 'alif will not be read. If he stops at the first place, he must pronounce the 'alif, if not, he must not pronounce it. Note: At the beginning of Sûrah at-Taubah, Bismillahir Rahmânir Rahîm is not written. The rule with regard to this is that if someone is reciting the verses before this sûrah and intends to continue reading, then upon reaching the beginning of this sûrah, he should not read Bismillah. That is, he should commence this sûrah without reading Bismillah. However, if a person commences his recitation at this sûrah, or recites a part of it, stops reciting and thereafter recommences with his recitation; then in both these cases he must read Bismillâh. Special advice to the teacher: Teach all these rules one after the other, and teach them over several days by applying them in quarter juz or half juz at a time. Also ensure that the students practice on them. 488 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) SUPPLEMENT TO BAHISHTI ZEWAR (Part Four) The Virtues and Rights of Marriage 1. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that this world has been created to be utilised and that of all the things that are utilised in this world, there is nothing better than a pious woman. In other words, if a person is fortunate enough to get a pious wife, it will be a great blessing. It is also a mercy from Allah Ta'âlâ that she is actually a comfort for the husband and a means for his success in this world and in the hereafter. A person enjoys comfort from such a woman for his worldly needs and she also assists him in fulfilling his religious duties. 2. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that Rasûlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "Marriage is my way and my sunnah." "The one who does not act upon my sunnah is not of me." That is, there is no relationship between him and me. This is actually a warning and a threat to the one who does not practice on the sunnah and a mention of Rasûlullah's sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam anger on such a person. It is therefore necessary to be extremely cautious in this regard. Furthermore, how can a Muslim bear to have Rasûlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam displeased with him for even a moment. May Allah Ta'âlâ grant us death before that day comes when a Muslim is able to bear the displeasure of Allah and His Rasûl sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that Rasûlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "Marry so that I can be proud (of your numbers) on the day of judgement over the other nations." In other words, Rasûlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam likes his 'ummah to be in large numbers and more than the other nations. If this happens, his 'ummah will be carrying out more good deeds, and in so doing he will receive more rewards and gain closer proximity to Allah Ta'âlâ. This is because whoever from his 'ummah does good deeds, does so through his teachings. Therefore, the more people who act on his teachings, the more reward he will receive for conveying those teachings. We also learn from this that whenever and however possible, we should undertake to carry out those tasks and actions that will take us closer to Allah Ta'âlâ, and that we should not display any laziness in this regard. 489 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) It is mentioned in a Hadîth that on the day of judgement the people will be standing in 120 lines. Out of these, 40 lines of people will be from the other nations while 80 lines of people will be from the 'ummah of Rasûlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Glory be to Allah! How beloved Rasûlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam is to Him. The one who is able to (fulfil the rights of a wife) should marry. As for the one who does not have sufficient wealth (to fulfil the rights of a wife), he should fast. That is, he should fast so that there will be a decrease in his desires. Fasting is actually a means of curbing his desires. If a person does not have a very dire need for women, and instead has an average need, and he is able to pay for her basic necessities, then nikâh is sunnat-e- mu'akkadah for such a person. As for the person who has a very urgent need, nikâh will be fard upon him. This is because there is a fear that he will commit adultery and thereby get the sin of committing a harâm act. If a person has a very urgent need but is financially incapable of maintaining a wife, then such a person must fast abundantly. Later, when he has sufficient funds to maintain a wife, he must get married. 3. It is mentioned in a Hadith that children are the flowers of jannah. This means that the amount of joy and happiness one will experience on seeing the flowers of paradise, that same amount of joy and happiness is experienced when he looks at his children. And we know fully well that children can only be obtained through marriage. 4. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that when the status of a person is increased in jannah, he asks out of wonder: "How did I receive all this?" (That is, "How did I receive such a high status when I hadn't carried out so many good deeds to deserve such a status?") It will be said to this person that this high status is on account of your children asking for forgiveness on your behalf. In other words, your children had asked for forgiveness on your behalf. In return for that, you have been accorded this status. 5. It is mentioned that the child who is born out of a miscarriage (i.e. it is born before the due date) will "fight"(wrangle) with its Creator when its parents are entered into jahannam. In other words, this child will go to extremes in interceding on behalf of its parents and will ask Allah Ta'âlâ to remove its parents from jahannam. Through His bounty, Allah Ta'ala will accept the intercession of this child and He will be soft and lenient towards it. It will be said to this child: "O siqt (which means, miscarried foetus) who is quarrelling with its Lord! Enter your parents into jannah." So this child 490 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) will draw its parents out of jahannam with its navel cord and enter both of them into jannah. We learn from this, that children of this sort, who are actually a by-product of marriage, will also be of help in the hereafter. 6. It is mentioned in a Hadith that when the husband and wife look at each other (with love), Allah Ta'ala looks at both of them with mercy. 7. It is mentioned in a Hadith that Allah Ta'âlâ has taken it upon Himself (i.e. out of His mercy, He as taken the responsibility) of helping the person who gets married in order to attain purity from that which Allah has made harâm. In other words, the person who marries in order to save himself from adultery with the intention of obeying Allah Ta'ala, Allah will help and assist him in his expenses and other affairs. 8. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that two rak'ats of salat performed by a married person is better than 82 rak'ats performed by an unmarried person. In another Hadith, 70 rak 'ats have been mentioned instead of 82 rak'ats. It is possible that this means that 70 rak'ats are written in favour of the person who fulfils the necessary rights of his wife and family, and that 82 rak'ats are in favour of the person who apart from fulfilling their necessary rights, serves them more with his life, wealth and good habits. 9. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that it is a major sin for a person to be neglectful with regard to those whom he is responsible for (and to have shortcomings in fulfilling their needs). 10. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that Rasûlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "I have not left behind any test and tribulation on men more harmful than women." In other words, of all the things that are harmful for men, women are the most harmful. This is because, out of his love for a woman, a man loses all his senses, so much so that he does not even take the commands and orders of Allah Ta'âlâ into consideration. Therefore, a person must not fall in love with a woman in such a way that he has to act contrary to the Sharî'ah. For example, her demands for her food and clothing are more than what the husband can afford. In such circumstances, never accept any bribes in order to supplement your present income. Instead, give her from the halâl earnings which Allah Ta'âlâ has blessed you with. You should continue teaching your womenfolk and inculcate respect and good manners in them. Do not allow them to become impudent and disrespectful. The intellect of women is deficient, it is therefore incumbent to take special measures in reforming them. 11. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that you should not propose to a girl when your fellow Muslim brother has already proposed to her until he gets 491 Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar) married or gives up this proposal. In other words, when a person has sent a proposal to a particular family and there is a likelihood of their replying in the affirmative, another person should not send a proposal to that same family. However, if they reject this first person, or he himself changes his mind, or they are not too happy with him and are still hesitant in giving a reply, it will be permissible for another person to send a proposal for the same girl. The same rule applies to the transactions of buying and selling. That is, if a person is busy buying or selling something, then as long as they do not separate or abandon the transaction, another person should not enter into their transaction and should not offer a price above or below that which has been already offered when there is an indication that they are about to come to an agreement. Understand this well, and know that a kâfir is also included in this rule 264 12. It is mentioned in a Hadith that a woman is either married because of her Dîn, her wealth or her beauty. Choose the one with Dîn, may your hands become dusty. In other words, a man may prefer a woman who is religiously inclined. While another may prefer one who is wealthy. While yet another may prefer one who is beautiful. However, Rasûlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam says that one should choose a religiously inclined woman and that it is preferable to marry such a woman. However, if the circumstances are such that a woman is very pious but at the same time she is so ugly that one's nature does not find her acceptable and there is a fear that if he marries such a woman there will be no mutual understanding between them, and that he will be neglectful in fulfilling her rights, then in such a case he should not marry such a woman. "May your hands become dusty" is an Arabic mode of expression which is used on different occasions. In this context, it is meant to create a yearning and a desire for a pious woman. 13. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that the best wife is one whose mahr is very simple. That is, it is very easy for the man to fulfil her mahr. These days, there is the habit of specifying a very high mahr. People should abstain from this. 14. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that you should look for a good place for your sperms because a woman gives birth to children that resemble her brothers and sisters. In other words, marry a woman who comes from a 264 That is, if the transaction is with a kafir, the same rule will also apply.