where i lay my head is home
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Here is how you can transfer balance from one etisalat number to another. Prepaid customers: Dial *557* followed by the number to which you want to transfer credit to Then press the “*” key and the amount you like to pass on and finally “#” Example: If you like to transfer 33 LE to phone number [...]
Three killed in gunfight on Israeli/Egyptian border as Muslim Brotherhood declares victory in Egypt elections – This was the headline to the story reported in the UK by the very objective media body known as the Daily Mail. The two stories have no connection at all but I suppose it does the audience in the [...]
‘Just do it’ is the official tagline for Nike, one of the largest sports sports wear manufacturers in the world. However I am sure their tagline did not refer to ‘if you do not have the money, then just do it and buy the counter fit from China’. This is exactly what had happened to some of the Egyptian Olympians attending [...]
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The Council of Ministers have decided to cancel Daylight Savings Time so clocks will not roll forward by an hour in Spring. The good news is that we all get an extra hour of sleep! I actually never understood why in the Middle East we needed the clocks to go back and forth to save day [...]
A fellow blogger has been chosen as the ‘Chef of the Week’ on Easy2Cook.tv. Please do check out here receipes from the Easy2Cook site here and her personal blogs are http://mimicooks.com http://sophiessweetchoice.blogspot.com Mimi makes cooking so easy and is really helpful if you ever get stuck. Cooking seems to be passion for her and she has helped me [...]
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Jordan is now a proud owner of the title ‘world’s largest falafel’, a titled endorsed by the Guinness Book of World Records. The falafel was made by 10 chefs at the Landmark hotel and weighed at 74.75kg.
Jordan very proudly beat the previous title which was set in the US weighing in at 23.95kg at the Jewish Food and Cultural Festival.
Annabel Lawady, an adjudication manager at Guinness said that “This is a great achievement and a difficult record to beat for years to come. We welcome everyone who successfully took part in the family of Guinness World Record holders.”
An achievement is an achievement no matter what the target was or is and I suppose it is something to be proud of if as a nation you set your targets low. I don’t mean to be party popper here but if Jordan or any other Arab or Muslim nation had discovered a cure for a disease or managed to eradicate poverty or brought peace to the world, then surely there is something to be proud of. Cooking up the largest falafel just doesn’t cut it for me.
HRH Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein is elected as vice-president of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on the it’s executive committee. At the age of 35, Prince Ali becomes the youngest member on the current FIFA board.
Qatar having won the FIFA World Cup 2022 bid late last year and now coupled with this new move of ousting the out going vice-president Chung Mong-Joon, will only strengthen FIFA’s President Sepp Blatter bid for re-election later on this year.
I am an advocate of fair play and transparency. My only concern with the new changes are that they seem to be more politically and economically motivated rather then a ‘passion for football’.
Mr Blatter has confirmed support for his presidential bid from the 25 that voted for Prince Ali including Sheikh Ahmad Ali Fahad Al Sabah, Head of Kuwait’s Football Federation. The Middle East is an untapped market for Fifa and I am sure both parties will set to become rich over the next decade or so.
It is nice to rejoice during the current successes but being cautious about the new changes does not go unwarranted.
Even the flag was artificial. The green, red, white and black banner that fluttered over Arab raiders led by the Hashemite family against the Ottoman empire — the basis for today’s flags of Jordan and the Palestine Liberation Organization — was designed by a British Foreign Service officer named Sir Mark Sykes and produced by his army’s supply shop in Cairo.” – Building Modernity on Desert Mirages by JOHN KIFNER
I recently read an article which was forwarded by an Egyptian colleague about over eating and watching TV during the month of Ramadhan in Egypt. The full article can be read here. I have lived 2 years of my life in Jordan and have spent the past 2 years in Egypt. I can safely say that this is not an Egyptian phenomenon.
Jordan:
Schools finish earlier at around 13:00ish because everyone is fasting, so people can go home and either sleep or think about eating. Once people have eaten, either at families house which is either on invitation or they have invited. It is well known that the stomachs grow smaller over the month but we will still make and eat food like there is no tomorrow. Once everyone has eaten, mostly the men of the family will go to the mosque to pray the Tarweeh prayer, which are the recommended prayers only for Ramadhan. These prayers will be cut short because people are eager to go home to watch the latest Drama imported from Syria or Turkey such as Bab Al Hara. If your not at home watching these Dramas, you’re in the cafes watching.
Egypt:
Clocks are brought back an hour just for Ramadhan; Schools and businesses are closed at around 14:30ish. People generally work less. Time is spent either thinking about food, preparing food for large feasts for family members they have not seen the whole year around or thinking about what you’re going to make the next day and who you’re going to invite. Once the food is eaten and consumed on an extra large proportion, then people head to the mosques for a quick recommended prayer, which is either so long that it puts off people ever coming back again or so short so people can go home or to the cafes to watch Egyptian dramas.
Ramadhan is time for reflection, for working harder, being more aware of your actions in accordance to the book (the Quran) and example of the Prophet. How can it be that some people do not pray all year long and yet they fast during the month of Ramadhan. How can it be that women do not cover, and yet they will fast during the month of Ramadhan. The Muslim community must throw away this ‘pick and choose’ mentality and use the month of Ramadhan is a reflection and purification time so that it can impact the other remaining months in a positive manner.
No one is perfect so lets make this month a spring board for change in the right direction. It is not all about eating and watching Dramas.
I know the following is a cut and paste job from ‘AFP’ but it’s scary thought that this horrific act has happened in Amman, Jordan. It’s not something that I have heard of in the past two years or so that I had been in Jordan. I really hope this does not become the normal way of dealing with problems, as it has become in some other parts of the world.
AMMAN — Jordanian police said on Saturday that they had recovered the bodies of two Asian women which had been dumped in plastic bags in a public waste bin north of the capital.
“Police recovered the bodies of two young women of Asian appearance from a public waste bin in the Jubeiha district, north of Amman, on Friday,” police spokesman Mohammad Khatib said.
A member of the public had spotted the bodies in sealed plastic waste sacks and alerted police, Khatib said, adding that the nationalities of the two women remained unclear but they had probably been working as maids.
Initial examination suggested that both women had been strangled.
Some 70,000 migrant labourers work as domestic servants in Jordan, the great majority of them women.
Some 30,000 come from Indonesia, 15,000 from the Philippines and 25,000 from Sri Lanka, according to labour ministry figures.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jClG1qxCLSbpKKGHeC4ebkblO82A
In the recent past my wasapninjordan[at]gmail dot com has recevied so many emails from click-jordan, a web based company which offers internet related solutions. I never signed up to receive the emails. Are they allowed to do this? I do not mind asking before they add me to their mailing list. I just find it rude that I am receving somthing which I did not opt for. They are making money from offering adding my email to thier list.
Can they do this? Has anyone else received the emails from click-jordan?
wasapninjordan
When ever I visit to a new place, whether it’s for a holiday or work, it takes me a while to get used to the currency. I thought it might be helpful for some to know the currency in Jordan. The Jordanian currency is the Dinar, JD or JOD. It is subdivided into 1000 fils, or 100 qirsh or piasters. It appears in paper notes of 20, 10, 5, 1, and 0.5 JD denominations. Coins come in denominations of 1 JD, 500 fils, 250 fils, 100 fils, 50 fils, 25 fils, 10 and 5 fils. I use www.xe.com/ucc for daily up-to-date conversion rates.
Here are the pics of the Jordanian Dinar note pics. However I do not have the pics of the coins. If anyone is able to take pics of the coins and email them to me, so I can add them to this slide would be greatly apperciatted.
wasapninjordan
The great Mansaf from Al-Quds Restaurant
I was reading a great blog entry from ‘summer‘ on www.mimicooks.com. She was talking about Mansaf and it got me thinking. I remember eating Mansaf for the first time. The food was so heavy, all I wanted to do was sleep afterwards. I felt so heavy and I said to myself, I am not eating that again. But of course when you go and visit your friends on a Friday afternoon at their house, you’re most likely to be offered a Mansaf, well it was the case for me:-0. I know Mansaf is very hard to make, so I have been told. I don’t know what happened but the more I ate Mansaf, the more I wanted it.
I know everyone talks about Jabri being the best place for Mansaf and the late King Hussein used to eat from Jabri’s but I much prefer to eat Mansaf from the ‘Al-Quds’ restaurant in Down Town. They just simply do good food and the best Mansaf in town. You are not going to find a fancy table, with fancy waiters or fancy cutlery; they only do fancy food.
If you haven’t tried Mansaf, yet then I suggest ‘Al-Quds’ restaurant in Down Town. Enjoy it.
wasapninjordan
An Interactive Syrian defection: It visualisation tracks senior military officials, members of parliament and diplomats who quit Assad’s regime.
Interactive Tracking of Syria’s defection
Syria decides to down a Turkish fighter jet which may or may not have been on in Syrian airspace and no warning were given. However In September 2007, Israeli fighter jets destroyed a mysterious complex in the Syrian desert and what did the Syrians do? Yeah you guessed it. Bugger all. Go figure. I thought Syria was at war with Israel?
On 28th May 2012, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey said: “the Pentagon is ready for the option of military intervention to end the violence in Syria”.
It took them over 16 months to say that, which indicates that the West is afraid of real change in Syria unlike the change of face that occurred in other parts of the Arab world. I say let the people of Syria decide it’s own future. They do not want the solution of Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and Egypt.
The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, refers to the July 1995 killing, during the Bosnian War, of more than 8,000[1] Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), mainly men and boys, in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by units of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) under the command of General Ratko Mladić. The mass murder was described by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War.
Theodor Meron, the presiding judge of the Appeals Chamber, stated:
By seeking to eliminate a part of the Bosnian Muslims, the Bosnian Serb forces committed genocide. They targeted for extinction the 40,000 Bosnian Muslims living in Srebrenica, a group which was emblematic of the Bosnian Muslims in general. They stripped all the male Muslim prisoners, military and civilian, elderly and young, of their personal belongings and identification, and deliberately and methodically killed them solely on the basis of their identity.
In February 2007 the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concurred with the ICTY judgement, stating:
The Court concludes that the acts committed at Srebrenica falling within Article II (a) and (b) of the Convention were committed with the specific intent to destroy in part the group of the Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina as such; and accordingly that these were acts of genocide, committed by members of the VRS in and around Srebrenica from about 13 July 1995.
Source: Wikipedia
Response by Yemeni Nobel Peace prize winner in 2011 Tawakkul Karman* when asked about her Hijab By Journalists and how it is not proportionate with her level of intellect and education, she replied:
“Man in The early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is regressive back to ancient TIMES”****
Noble Laurette from Yemen, Tawakul Karman.
Yesterday marked the 16th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre when at least 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were massacred by Serb forces. Only last week, the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia found the Dutch state responsible for the deaths of 3 Muslim men during the massacre after Dutch soldiers handed them over to Serb forces. May justice be done for the remaining thousands of victims.
Mr Taseer, a senior member of the Pakistan People’s Party, was shot when getting into his car at a market.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the guard had told police that he killed Mr Taseer because of the governor’s opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy law.
Read the full story here at the BBC
US president Barak Obama condemned the killing of 43 people as “outrageous” after a female bomber attacked on a large crowd receiving food aid in Khar in the region of Bajaur, North-west of Pakistan.
Well at least the feminists will be happy that the bombing was carried out by female and this brings equality in the ranks of the so called ‘terrorists’.
However Obama went to state that he strongly condemns “the outrageous terrorist attack in Khar,” and that “Killing innocent civilians outside a World Food Programme distribution point is an affront to the people of Pakistan, and to all humanity,” he said.
“The United States stands with the people of Pakistan in this difficult time, and will strongly support Pakistan’s efforts to ensure greater peace, security and justice for its people.”
Mr Obama if you’re so concerned about the killing and murder of innocent civilians why have you not condemned and stopped Drone attacks by your own army in Pakistan. To date Drone attacks in Pakistan has murdered over 2000 innocent women, children and elderly people.
U.S. airstrikes in Pakistan are killing Pakistani civilians, turning public opinion against the government, and U.S. experts say the airstrikes are destabilizing the Pakistani government. Please have the decency to value life for life and halt U.S. airstrikes in Pakistan.
I call Obama a bomber cause those are your bombs.
Why is life not for life in the western media? When a solider is killed in the line of duty, he/she is named and given a face and the human touch in reporting. However when the ‘other’ is killed/murded they are just numbers that just keep going up and up. So how do I start this? I am not sure but here goes.
I have been coming in and out of Pakistan over the years to visit family and friends. I have decided to document my thoughts, my travels and the politics of Pakistan on this blog. I thought about starting with my thoughts about Pakistan and it’s people but when I read the following news article about how Obama has come into power he has banned the term ‘war on terror’ but increased the drone attacks on Pakistani soil to an average 3 times a week, killing innocent children, women and men.
Read the full article here.
WOT=WOI
An old Bedouin woman was asked about evidence for her Lord so she responded:
Glorified is Allah, foot prints in the sand prove the presence of a traveler, a new born calf proves the presence of a cow. A sky full of
stars, an earth full of mountains and valleys, oceans with great waves, do they not
prove the existence of the Most Gracious, the All Knowledgeable?
It is the opinion of the four Imaams and the other great Ulamaa that the Suhoor lasts until the beginning of Fajr or it is said until the Mu’adhdhin calls the call to prayer. This view is also attributed to Umar ibn Al-Khattaab and Ibn Abbaas (rah). It was reported from Al-‘Aamash and Ishaq the permission to eat and drink until the sun has risen but Imaam An- Nawawi has doubts in this reporting.
The Ulamaa have also put forward that the one who is eating, drinking or even engaged in sexual relations can continue until the beginning of Fajr. If he has doubt that Fajr has arrived then he can continue until he is sure that Fajr has begun. This is due to the saying of Allah azza wa jalla, “Until you ascertain the white thread from…” Ibn ul-Mundhir mentioned in Al- Ishraaf that Abu Bar As-Siddeeq, Abdullah ibn Umar and Ibn Abbaas all permitted this. This is also reported to be the view of ‘Ataa, Al-Awzaa’i, the people of Ra’i, Ahmad and Abu Thawr. Maalik is alone in his view that it is haraam, the eating at the time of doubt and obliges Qadaa upon it. The correct view which is held by the Ulamaa and Imaams is that eating, drinking and sexual relations are permitted until the beginning of Fajr has been fully verified and Maalik’s view is therefore incorrect. This is due to the following evidences.
<<When the ayah “the white thread appears to you distinct from the black thread” was revealed I took two (hair) strings, one black and the other white, and kept them
under my pillow and went on looking at them throughout the night but could not make anything out of it. So, the next morning I went to Allah’s Apostle and told him the whole story. He explained to me, “That verse means the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn.”
Al-Bukhaari (1916), Abu Daawud, Ibn Hibbaan and At-Tabaraani in Al-Mu’jam Al- Kabeer. Al-Bukhaari (4510) also narrated from ‘Adi the following wording:
<<I asked: O Allah’s Apostle! What is the meaning of the white thread distinct from the black thread? Are these two threads?” He said, “You are not intelligent if you watch the two threads.” He then added, “No, it is the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the day>>. Also from Al-Bukhaari (4509) from ‘Adi: <<…Then your pillow is too wide/spacious if the white thread (of dawn) and the black thread (of the night) are underneath your pillow! >>.
<<We the Prophets have been commanded to speed up the Iftaar and to delay the Suhoor, and to put our Imaan as a characteristic of our Salaah>>.
Abu Daawud At-Tayaalissy (2654), At-Tabaraani in Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat. Al-Haithami said its narrators were trustworthy and Ibn Hibbaan also verified it as saheeh. We have already mentioned this Hadeeth in the section concerning when the Saa’im should make Iftaar.
The following Ahaadeeth have been reported in relation to the merits of Suhoor:
<<Make Suhoor because verily in As-Suhoor is Barakah (blessing)>>.
Al-Bukhaari (1923), Muslim, An-Nasaa’i, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah and Ad-Daarami.
Verily it is a Barakah that Allah has bestowed upon you (all) so do not neglect it>>.
An-Nasaa’i (2162) and Ahmad.
<<You should take the meal of Suhoor because verily it is the blessed meal (al- Mubaarak)>>.
Ahmad (17324), An-Nasaa’i and its chain is Saheeh. It was reported in Al-Mu’jam al- Awsat of At-Tabaraani (505) on the authority of Ibn Abbaas (ra) that he said: <<Umar ibn Al-Khattaab called for me and invited me for As-Suhoor and he said: Verily the Messnegr of Allah (saw) called this the blessed meal>>. Its sanad (chain) is Jayyid (good).
So the Suhoor is a blessing that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon us and when we take it Allah (swt) and His Angels pray upon us. It is recommended to take the Suhoor with Rutub (fresh dates), then Tamr (drier daters) and the blessing is also attained just from a sip of water. It is also what seperates our fast from that of the people of the book. If there was no benefit from taking the Suhoor except the prayers of Allah (swt) and the angels then that would be sufficient. Imam Ahmad has narrated a Hadeeth that mentions all of the merits of Suhoor together on the authority of Sa’eed Al-Khudry (ra) who said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
<<The food of Suhoor is Barakah so don’t leave it and even if one of you only has a sip of water for verily Allah (swt) and His Angels make prayers upon those who take their Suhoor>>.
The Saa’im will therefore endeavour his utmost to take the food of Suhoor so that he can obtain these benefits.
The Scholars Imaam Abu Haneefah, Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ and Imaam Ahmad Bin Hanbal held the opinion that if a fasting person breaks his fast due to forgetfulness he has not broken his fast and nothing is required from him. This is the same whether he ate a lot or a little.
Al-Hasan al-Basri, Mujaahid, Ishaq bin Raahuwiyah, Abu Thawr, Daawud bin ‘Ali, ‘Ataa, AlAwza’i and Al-Laith all held this same opinion. Rabee’a and Imaam Maalik said: The fast is made faasid by eating and drinking through forgetfulness and Qadaa is required.
The correct view is the first and this is supported by the following evidences:
1) Abu Hurairah (ra) said that the Prophet of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ”Whoever eats out of forgetfulness and he is fasting then he should complete his fast because verily it is Allah who has given him food and drink”.
Al-Bukhaari (6669), Muslim, Abu Daawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ad-Daarami.
The lafzh (wording version) of Muslim (2716) is: “Whoever forgets that he is fasting and then eats or drinks something then he should complete his fast for verily it is Allah who has given him food and drink.”
2) Also from Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Whoever breaks his fast in Ramadhaan out of forgetfulness then neither Qadaa nor Kafaarah are not required of him”.
Ibn Hibbaan (3521) and its Sanad is hasan. Ibn Khuzaimah, Ad-Daaraqutni, Al-Bayhaqi and Al-Haakim reported it and verified its soundness (saheeh).
Also Ibn Khuzaimah (1990) and At-Tabaraani in Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat mentioned another (similar) hadeeth with the following wording: “Whoever eats or drinks in Ramadhaan out of forgetfulness then there is no Qadaa or Kafaarah required of him”. Its Sanad (chain) is Hasan.
3) Abu Hurairah (ra) said: “A man approached the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and said: O Messenger of Allah, I ate and drank forgetfully and I was fasting. He صلى الله عليه وسلم responded: Verily Allah provided you with food and drink”.
Abu Daawud (2398), An-Nasaa’i, Ad-Daaraqutni and At-Tirmidhi said it is a Hasan, Saheeh Hadeeth.
4) On the authority of Umm Hakeem bint Deenaar from her mistress Umm Ishaq (ra): “That she was at the residence of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم when some porridge was brought so she ate and Dhul Yadayn was with him. The messenger took a bone with a little meat and said: O Umm Ishaq, take some of this. Then I remembered that I had been fasting, so I prevented my hand from moving forward or back. He صلى الله عليه وسلم asked: What’s wrong? She said: I was fasting but I forgot. Then Dhul Yadayn said: Now you say this after satisfying yourself? Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Complete your fasting because this was Rizq (sustenance) that Allah provided for you”.
Ahmad (27609), At-Tabaraani in Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabeer.
These evidences provide ample clear proof that the one who breaks his fast out of forgetfulness does not have to make Qadaa or Kafaarah (expiation). This is the same in regard to the obligatory fast of Ramadhaan or any non-obligatory (tatawwu’) fasts. It also does not matter if a little was eaten or drunk or it reached the level of satisfaction. I have not been able to find an evidence for Maalik’s view which is contrary to these evidences. I did not find anything in his most famous recorded works except the verdict that eating and drinking makes the fast faasid. May Allah Ta’aalaa forgive him (in this issue).
Source: Sh. Abu Iyaas
The one who provides a fasting person with Iftaar receives the same reward as the faster so he can attain two rewards in one day without reducing anything of from the fasting persons reward. In addition every reward is multiplied by Allah سبحانه وتعالى up to seven hundred times like the Hadeeth in the first part of this book indicated. There is no doubt then that anyone who realises this great multiplied reward would dedicate the utmost attention to inviting people to have their Iftaar at his residence.
It has been narrated from Zid bin Khaalid al-Juhanni that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Whoever provides the Iftaar for a Saa’im then the same reward of the Saa’im is written for him without taking anything from him. And whoever prepares a Ghaazi (warrior) in the way of Allah or stays behind to look after his family then the reward of the Ghaazi is written for him without diminishing anything of the Ghaazi’s reward”.
Ahmed (17158), An-Nasaa’i, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan, At-Tabaraani and at-Tirmidhi who said it was ‘Hasan saheeh’.
Ad-Daarami (1703) also narrated the first section of this hadeeth.
Ibn Khuzaimah narrated it in the following wording: “Whoever prepares a Ghaazi or Haaji, or takes care of his family, or feeds a Saa’im, then all of them attain the same reward without taking away any of the others reward” and its chain is Saheeh.
Umm ‘Amaarah (ra) said: “The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم came to us and then we brought food to him and some of those with him were fasting. So the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: If a fasting person eats food in your residence (or from you) then the Angels have prayed (made Du’a) on them”.
Ibn Maajah (1748), Ahmad, Ibn Hibbaan and Ibn Khuzaimah. At-Tirmidhi (782), An-Nasaa’i and ad-Daarami narrated it in this wording: ”…The angels pray on the fasting person when people eat in his abode until they finish or maybe he said: until they are satisfied” and he said this hadeeth is Hasan saheeh.
We mentioned a little while ago the Hadeeth of Anas (ra) collected by Abi Shaibah, Abd-ur-Razzaaq and Al-Bayhaqi which stated: ”The fasting people have broken their fast in your place of abode, the righteous have eaten your food and the angels have prayed on you”.
In another narration: ”…and the angels descended on you…” and another similar narration.
So the prayers of the Angels over the one that provides Iftaar for another fasting person is another blessing added to the blessings and rewards already mentioned so the Saa’im pays great attention and effort to invite the Saa’im to take Iftaar with him. This is even if the Saa’im is Faqeer or Miskeen (poor) and does not have anything (substantial) to break his fast with.
When the Saa’im finishes his Ibaadah of fasting and breaks his fast, then the Du’a that he makes at that time comes from the very mouth that refrained from food and drink for the whole day in worship and obedience to Allah سبحانه وتعالى. It comes from a mouth which has worshiped its Rabb (lord) with patience enduring hunger and thirst so in this case it deserves that Allah سبحانه وتعالى accepts and responds to the Du’a that comes from it.
It is therefore on the Muslim at the end of this ‘Ibaadah, and indeed after any act of ‘Ibaadah to praise his Lord and make Du’a to him, and to be sincere in the Du’a because the Du’a at that time is accepted and responded to by the permission of Allah (bi idhnillah).
Abdullah ibn Abi Mulaikah said: ’I heard Abdullah ibn ‘Amru bin Al-’Aas (ra) say that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Verily at the time of Iftaar the Saa’im has a du’a that is not rejected” Ibn Abi Mulaikah said: I heard Abdullah ibn ‘Amru bin Al-’Aas say when he broke his fast: O Allah I ask by your mercy which is more expansive than everything to forgive me’.
Ibn Maajah (1753) and its Sanad is saheeh and Al-Haakim. Abu Daawud and At-Tayaalissy also narrated it without mentioning the Du’a of Ibn ‘Amru.
The Dhikr (remembrance) and Du’a have been legislated to be made using any form but it is better to use those that have been mentioned in reports. The following are some of the Dhikr and Ad’iyah (du’as) that have been mentioned in reports:
1) Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra) said: “When the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to break his fast he would say: The thirst has gone, the veins have been moistened and the reward has been confirmed by Allah’s سبحانه وتعالى leave”.
An-Nasaa’i in As-Sunun Al-Kubraa (3315), Abu Daawud, Al-Haakim and Al-Bayhaqi. Ad-Daaraqutni narrated it and said: Its Isnaad (chain) is hasan.
2) Abu Hurairah (ra) said: “When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم fasted and broke his fast he would say: For you O Allah I have fasted and I have made Iftaar with your provision (rizq)”.
Ibn Abi Shaibah (511/2), Abu Daawud (2358) and Al-Bayhaqi by way of Mu’aadh bin Zahra who said that he informed him that when the Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلم used to break his fast he would say: He then mentioned the wording of the hadeeth of Abu Shaibah. It is said that Mu’aadh was of the trustworthy Taabi’een.
3) Anas Bin Maalik (ra) said: “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to say when he made Iftaar with the people: Those who were fasting have broken it at your house, and the Abraar (righteous) have eaten from your food and the Angels have descended upon you”
Ad-Daarami (1773), Ibn Abi Shaibah, Al-Bayhaqi and Abd-ur-Razzaaq.
In a second version from Al-Bayhaqi (240/4): ”…and the angels have prayed upon you (made du’a for you)…”
It is therefore recommended for the one who breaks his fast to say:
O Allah I have fasted for you and have broken my fast with your Rizq (sustenance). The thirst has gone and the veins have been moistened and the Ajr (reward) has been confirmed with the will of Allah. After that he can also make Du’a with whatever he wishes to say. I am personally fond of the Du’a of Abdullah ibn Umar (ra): ‘O Allah I ask you that by your most bountiful mercy to forgive me’.
The fasting person can add it to his Du’a if he wishes.
Source: Sh. Abu Iyaas
It is Mustahabb (recommended) for the Saa’im to make Iftaar with Rutub (fresh, moist, ripe dates) and if he cannot find that then the recommendation moves towards Tamr (dry dates). If he does not have this then it is recommended to take mouthfuls of water and after that he can eat what he wishes. The texts do not come with a ta’leel (legal reasoning) for this order except for what came in the first Hadeeth that we will shortly mention that says that water is pure. As such it is not correct for people to delve into the reasons for choosing Rutub (wet dates) firstly, Tamr (dry dates) secondly and Maa (water) thirdly. We follow this in worship and obedience and it is incorrect to reason that Tamr should come first because they contain a plentiful quantity of sugar and that is what the Saa’im loses most of and a text has mentioned that the body should be compensated for what it has lost. Or the reasoning that the date is digested quickly, and it gives the nutrients that the fasting person needs and other reasons of the like that researches have suggested. None of these attempts bring anything in terms of advancement or decline in relation to this issue and if the upright Shar’a wanted to give a reason it would have done so and if it was silent on providing a reason then we must also be silent. Here are a selection of Ahaadeeth that discuss this issue:
1) Salmaan ibn ‘Aamir said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “If one of you is fasting then he should make Iftaar with tamr and if he can’t find any then water, because water is pure”.
Abu Daawud (2355), An-Nasaa’i, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah, Ahmad and Ad-Daarami. Ibn Hibbaan, Al-Haakim and Abu Haatim Ar-Raazi verified it as Saheeh and At-Tirmidhi said it is Hasan Saheeh.
2) Anas Bin Maalik (ra) said: “The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to break fast with Rutub before he would pray, and if he did not have any then he would use Tamr and if there wasn’t any he would take sips (huswa) of water”.
Abu Daawud (2356), At-Tirmidhi and he said it is a Hadeeth hasan ghareeb. Ahmad also narrated it and Ad-Daaraqutni verified its soundness (saheeh). Al-Haakim narrated it and verified it and Adh-Dhahabi also verified it. Huswa with Dammah means ‘sips of drink’ and Haswah with a fathah means ‘one time’.
3) Anas (ra) said: ”I never once saw the Messenger of Allah pray before breaking his fast and even if it was just a drink of water”.
Ibn Hibbaan (3504), Ibn Khuzaimah, Al-Bazzaar, Al-Haakim, Al-Bayhaqi and At-Tabaraani in his Al’Mu’jam Al-Awsat and its chain in saheeh.
These three Hadeeth indicate that it is the Sunnah of Iftaar to hasten it and that it comes before the Salaah of Maghrib so the Saa’im does not pray until after he has taken his Iftaar.
Source: Sh. Aby Iyaas
In relation to the breaking of fast the following Ahaadeeth have been reported:
1) On the authority of Abdullah ibn Abi Awfi (ra) who said: “We were travelling with the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم in the month of Ramadhaan and when the sun disappeared he said: Ya Fulaan (i.e. you there) get down and prepare a drink for us: He replied: Ya Rasoolullah there is still part of the day left. He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: get down and prepare the drink (a mix of water or milk and barley/wheat or something like it). So he got down (from his mount) and prepared it. He gave to him صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم drank and then he said: If the sun disappears from here (indicating with his hand) and the night comes from here, then the Saa’im breaks his fast”.
Muslim (2559), Al-Bukhaari, Abu Daawud, An-Nasaa’i and Ahmad.
2) Umar ibn Al-Kattaab (ra) said that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ”When the night approaches from here and the day goes away from here and the sun has descended in the west, then the Saa’im breaks his fast”.
Al-Bukhaari (1954), Abu Daawud, An-Nasaa’i, Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi and Ad-Daarami.
Muslim (2558) narrated it slightly differently: “When the night comes, the day goes and the sun disappears the Saa’im breaks his fast”.
3) On the authority of Sahl bin Sa’d (ra) that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The people will remain on the right path as long as they continue to hasten the breaking of fast”.
Al-Bukhaari (1957), Muslim, An-Nasaa’i, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah, Ad-Daarami and Ash-Shaafi’.
4) Abu Hurairah (ra) said that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The deen will remain dominant/manifest as long as the people hasten to break their fast, the Jews and Christians use to delay”.
Ahmad (9809), Abu Daawud, An-Nasaa’i, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Hibbaan with a Hasan Sanad (chain). Al-Haakim and Adh-Dhahabi verified the correctness of the chain.
5) Sahl bin Sa’d (ra) said that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “My Ummah will remain on my Sunnah as long as they do not wait to break their fast with the stars”.
Ibn Hibbaan (3510), Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaimah, Ad-Daarami and Al-Haakim with a Saheeh Sanad (chain).
6) Ibn Abbaas (ra) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم saying: “Verily we the Prophets have been ordered to make haste with our Iftaar and to delay our Suhoor and to make our Imaan a characteristic of our Salaah”.
At-Tabaraani in Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat (1905), Ibn Hibbaan< Abu Daawud and At-Tayaalissy. Al-Haithami said: Its people are of the people of Saheeh i.e. its narrators. At-Tabaraani (3053) also narrated it from Ibn Umar (ra).
7) Abu Hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Verily one part of the seventy parts of prophet hood is the delaying of Suhoor and the early taking of Iftaar”.
Abd-ur-Razzaaq in his Musannif (7610).
8) ‘Amru ibn Maymoon al-Azadi said: ”The companions of the Prophet were the quickest at breaking their fast and the slowest in stopping their Suhoor.”
Al-Bayhaqi (238/4), At-Tabaraani, Ibn Abi Shaybah and Abd-ur-Razzaq (7591).
9) Abu Hurairah (ra) said that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Allah Azza wa Jalla says: Verily the most beloved of my servants are those who make haste with the Iftaar”.
Ahmad (7240), Ibn Hibbaan, Ibn Khuzaimah and Al-Bayhaqi. At-Tirmidhi also narrated it and classified it as Hasan Ghareeb.
The first and second Hadeeth although from different narrators came with one lafzh (meaning): That the coming of night from the east and the passing of the day from the west and the descent of the sun (also in the west) marks the time of Iftaar. This means that the mere going down of the sun in the west is sufficient for making Iftaar so there is no need to delay and no justification to wait more time in order for the Saa’im to break his fast like one group has said.
It might be that the fifth hadeeth is even clearer than the first three: ‘That my Ummah will remain on my Sunnah as long as they do not make Iftaar waiting for the stars (to appear)’, and waiting for the stars means until the sky has become black and the stars are apparent and shining (in the darkness). This means delaying the Iftaar after the ghuroob (descending) of the sun by a minimum of fifteen minutes. So it was mentioned in the hadeeth that this delaying opposed the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم but agreed with the ways of the Yahood and Nasaara (Jews and Christians) like the fourth hadeeth mentioned.
Therefore it is not allowed to delay the Iftaar for any excuse or pretext. This is how the Sahaabah of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم understood it and so they were the hastiest of people in breaking their fasts as was mentioned in the eighth reference.
Also if making Iftaar early is what the Prophets (as) were ordered with, and it represents one part of the seventy parts of Prophet hood and that those who make haste are the most beloved of Allah’s سبحانه وتعالى servants, then all of this acts as a very strong prophetic guidance emphasising the early taking of Iftaar and not making delay in it.
I would like to make a point here: It has become normal in our current time to make Iftaar upon hearing the Adhaan of Salaat-ul-Maghrib and it has also become normal to delay the adhaan of Maghrib a little after the going down of the sun. This has led to those who are fasting to delay the Iftaar from its time and this delay is in opposition to the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. It is therefore the responsibility of the fasting person to know the length of delay of the adhaan so as to correct the situation and if this means that he breaks his fast before the Adhaan then the Sunnah of the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is more worthy to be followed than what the people have become accustomed to follow in today’s age.
Source: Sh. Abu Iyaas
1. From Hafsah the wife of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Whoever has not joined the fast before al Fajr then there is no fast for him.”
Narrated by Khuzaimah (1993). He added that, ‘ibn Abdil Hakam told him that Ibn Wahab told them the same thing, and he added: He told me that Maalik and al Layth said the same.’
Ahmad, Ibn Hibbaan, Al Haakim and Ibn Hazm also narrated it and verified it as Marfoo’ where An Nisaa’i and at Tirmidhi verified it stopping at Hafsah.
Abu Daawud mentioned that Ma’mar, az Zubaydy, Ibn ‘Ayyina and Younus al Ayly stopped the narration at Hafsah. Ibn Maajah, ad Daaramy also classified it as Marfou’.
There is therefore a difference of opinion in relation to this Hadeeth where some have verified it as being Marfou’ and others have stopped it at Hafsah.
2. On the authority of Aisha (ra) the Mother of Believers who said: ”The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم entered one day and said: ‘Have you got anything (to eat)?’ So we said: ‘No’. He said ‘In that case I am going to fast’. He came to us another day and we said: ‘O Messenger of Allah we have been given al-Hays* (food) as a present’. So he said: ‘Show it to me, I started the day fasting’ and then he ate.”
* Al Hays: It is a food from butter, cottage cheese and dates. Flour can replace the cheese.
Narrated by Muslim (2715), Abu Daawud, An Nisaa’i', At Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah.
An Nisaa’i (2330), al Bayhaqi and ad Daaraqutni in a chain that Al Bayhaqi verified as Saheeh in the following wording:
From Aa’isha Ummul Mu’mineen who said: “The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم came one day and said, ‘Do you have any food?’ I said: ‘No.’ So he said: ‘Then I will fast.’ She said he came another time and I said: ‘O Rasool Allah we have been given Hays’ so he said, ‘In that case I will break my fast and I had been (furidtu) fasting.’”
3. On the authority of Anas bin Maalik (ra) that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The fasting person has a choice between it and half of the day.”
Al Bayhaqi (277/4). He narrated similar to this from Abi Umaamah.
4. From Ikramah about Ibn Abbaas that: “He used to be awake until zuhr and would then say: ‘By Allah I awoke and I did not want to fast and yet I haven’t eaten food or drank anything all day. I am therefore definitely going to fast this day!’”
Narrated by at Tahaawi in Sharh ma’aani al aathar (56/2).
5. From Abi al Ahwas from Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (ra) who said: “When you wake up then you have one of two options if you haven’t eaten or drunk anything. If you wish you can fast and if you wish you can eat.”
At Tahaawi (56/2) in Sharh al Ma’aani al Aathar and Al Bayhaqi similar to it (277/4).
6. On the authority of Abi Abdir Rahman: “That Hudhaifah began his fast as long as the sun was still present.”
Narrated by At Tahaawi in his Sharh Ma’aani al Aathar (56/2), Ibn Abi Shaybah and al Bayhaqi.
Abdur Razzaaq (7780) and Sa’ad ibn Ubaidah said: “Hudhaifah said: ‘Whoever feels like fasting after the zawaal of the Sun then he should/could do so.’”
The third Hadeeth from Anas (ra) contains in the chain ‘Awn bin ‘imaarah al ‘Anbari and the Riwaayah (report) of Abi Umaamah (ra) also includes him and he is weak as al Bayhaqi mentioned. The hadeeth is therefore rejected in these two chains/reports.
The hadeeth of the mother of believers Hafsah (ra) is Marfou’ and Mawqoof and some people (Ulamaa) have accepted the Marfou’ and others have accepted the Mawqoof. I say: the increase of trust makes it acceptable, in this case the Hadeeth is Marfou’ to the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and it (this narration) has been accepted by many Muhadditheen. This Hadeeth is clear in its meaning that it is obligatory to have made the intention before Fajr in the preceding night. The expression and wording is ‘Aam (general) for fasting so it applies in its generality except if ahaadeeth come to specify it. In this case the two reports from Aisha (ra) mention that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم had made intention for fasting in the daytime when he did not find any food at her house. Another time when he found food with her and he was in a state of fasting he broke his fast and ate the food.
All this indicates the permission (jawaaz) of making the intention to fast during the day for those fasts that are Tattawu’ (recommended/extra) because this was the reality behind the hadeeth.
These Hadeeth are therefore sufficient to focus the Hadeeth of Hafsah (ra) to the obligatory fasts. So we say that the obligatory fast requires an intention in the night before and that it is allowed to make an intention to fast the Tattawu’ (extra) fasts during the day.
Therefore the first statement/opinion reported from Abdullah ibn Umar (ra), Jaabir (ra), Maalik, Al Layth and ibn Abi dh’ib that the Mandoob also requires an intention in the night is rejected by the Hadeeth of Aisha (ra).
In contrast the opinion of Imaam Abi Haneefah, Ash Shaafi’ and Ahmad to make the intention in the preceding night only for the obligatory fasts is affirmed.
As for the remaining reports 4, 5 and 6 then I say the following: They all statements of the As Sahaabah and the statements of the Sahaabah and their actions are not a sharee’ah evidence or proof. They are Ahkaam Sharee’ah which are allowed to be adopted and imitated and especially if there has not been anything reported from another Sahaabi that contradicts it. Here I am not aware of any narration that contradicts with these statements/opinions.
The first Athar (report) explains how Ibn Abbaas (ra) had decided to fast in the day without having made an intention preceding that and he hadn’t yet eaten food in that day.
The second from Ibn Mas’ood (ra) states the same as Ibn Abbaas with different wording. He explains the permission/allowance to make the intention of fasting in the day time as long as nothing has been eaten or drunk.
The third report mentions that Hudhaifah (ra) fasting after the zawaal of the sun in the day meaning that he made his intention to fast after Zuhr and he announced this to the people.
These three are of the prominent Sahaabah and they have permitted the intention and convening of the fast in the daytime and two of them restricted this to the person who had not eaten or drunk. Hudhaifah (ra) allowed it after Zuhr but this report has been rejected by those who have viewed it obligatory to convene the fast before Zuhr and not allowed it after. As for the statement and action of Hudhaifah (ra) its meaning is clear.
The two Hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas and Ibn Mas’ood have come in an absolute (Mutlaq) form without restriction of time. There is no restriction (taqyeed) except for the consumption of food/drink before the niyah and the Mutlaq (unrestricted) continues as such unless there is something to restrict it. In this case there is no such restriction (i.e. before Zuhr or after it).
The Hadeeth of Aisha in its two narrations also does not contain any time restriction so the first statement, ”The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم entered my quarters one day…” and in the second, ”The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came one day” both do not contain any indication if it was the beginning, middle or end of day being referred to and as such the Mutlaq remains in its unrestricted form in this case.
Therefore I say that the intention of the Tattawu’ (non-obligatory) fast is permissible in the day, in any part of it, even if it is only one hour before the sun goes down because it is not allowed to restrict this except with a sound evidence which does not exist here. The mistake of those who made it obligatory before Zuhr has become apparent and the opinion of those who say that it is correct before and after Zuhr has been affirmed as correct. They are Abdullah Ibn Abbaas, Aisha, Hudhaifah and Ash Shaafi’i in one of his statements.
As for the question: Is it obligatory to make an intention for every night of Ramadhaan or can it be made once for the whole month?
The correct view is that it is necessary to make the intention every night as fasting every day is an independent act of Ibaadah from what was before or after it. The Iftaar separates every fast from the other at night and as long as every day is an independent act of Ibaadah then it is necessary to have an intention for each act to make it legitimate. This understanding is by way of understanding the reality (min baab tahqeeq al manaat).
What remains are the views of Zufar, Ataa, Mujaahid and az Zuhri: Fasting is correct in Ramadhaan in the right of the Muqeem as Saheeh (resident) without an intention. The opinion of az Zuhri is found in the Sharh Fathul Qadeer of Ibn al Himaam al Hanafi “the sawm of Ramadhaan is performed without an intention is the right of al Muqeem as Saheeh because Al Imsaak (abstention from eating) is on him. From many angles performing it means the intention falls from him.”
May Allah’s سبحانه وتعالى forgiveness be on Zufar and whoever said what he said. It is as if they did not know that every act of Ibaadah requires an intention. Did they not hear the speech of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when He said narrated by Umar (ra):
“Verily the actions are only by their intention.”
Al Bukhaari, (1/6689) and Muslim
So how can they say from any angle that by performing the action the intention falls from him? Meaning for instance that if he refrained from food with the intention of losing weight (dieting) that his action would be considered a legitimate act of Ibaadah?
And what is the reasoning for adding the constraint, “the haqq (right) of the Muqeem as Saheeh (resident)”? Does that mean that the traveller and sick person require an intention whilst the resident does not? This opinion has reached such a level of weakness that it does not require any further regard.
Source: Sh. Abu Iyaas
You are always on our mind. You will be in our future. We live for you. We would die for you.
You are the heart of all our thoughts. You are ours. You will always be with us.
You are always with us.
They cannot take you.
Don’t you worry.
We raise an army in you.
We raise a future in you.
You will not cry anymore.
You will not bleed.
We raise a life in you.
We raise you!
Today marks the 2 year anniversary of the illegal war on Gaza on 27th December 2008.
Israel carried out a surprise air strike against the Gaza Strip on 27th December 2008. Although Israel’s stated aim was to stop the measly rocket attacks by Hamas by attacking what they claim are the military targets, police stations and Hamas government buildings.
The reality however is that Israel is a bully and in comparison to the huge nuclear arsenal it posses; the action of Israel can only amount to bullying. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. All borders are controlled and blocked by the Israeli’s and the Egyptians. The three-week war on Gaza resulted in over 1400 Palestinian deaths, of whom most were children and women, in comparison to 13 Israeli deaths, of whom most were soldiers.
But of course we heard the normal victim story from the Zionists that they are the victims of rocks and how they tried their best to target only Hamas controlled areas and how Hamas is using civilians as human shields. Israel went on to use white phosphorus which is an illegal substance under international law.
The reality is that Israel used the measly attacks by Hamas, who in turn where firing as a result of constant harassing by the Israeli’s to attack the Gaza Strip. A war and occupation that was meticulously carried out is not the affect of a reaction but a pre-planned attacked to cower the people of Gaza to accept its illegal occupation of Palestine.
My problem as always has been how the freedom loving, democracy fighting West always turns a blind eye to the blatant crimes committed by the Zionists. How can anyone in their right mind trust and have faith in the Politics of the West. Do not get me wrong, the Arab and the Muslim world is just as much to blame as they stood in silence whilst the genocide occurred for the whole world to watch on prime time TV.
WIKI NEWS ALERT: Mossad planned in 2007 and did its best to topple Iranian government by schmoozing disaffected Iranian groups and students within Iran – http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3991099,00.html
First they threatened to burn his house down. Then they pinned leaflets to his front door, denouncing him as a Jewish traitor. But Eli Tzavieli, an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor, is defiant. His only “crime” is to rent out his rooms to three Arab students attending the college in Safed, a religious city in northern Israel that was until recently more famous for Jewish mysticism and Madonna.
Read full article here