“I
did not create Jinn and mankind except for My worship”
[Soorah adh-Dhariyaat: 56]
After
establishing the most important factor towards building a righteous Islamic
HOME: the body - comprising the spouses, their collaboration with each other
and compliance to the laws of Allah, the Exalted, comes the next important
step - giving life to it, through the remembrance of Allah and His worship,
since the body without life is futile and inefficient of yielding any
benefit, according to the explanation of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam), in describing the two categories of houses: “The example of
the home in which Allah is remembered and the home in which Allah is not
remembered, is like comparing the living and the dead” [Saheeh Muslim
(1/539)]
This
task can take several forms remembrance by the means of the heart, the
tongue like reciting His Book, praising Him, prayers, reciting specific
Du'aa mentioned by His Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) etc: Following,
are some ways that assist in establishing the Islamic environment in our
HOMES:
Performing voluntary
prayers in the house
Prophet
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “The best prayer of the man is in
his home except the obligatory prayer.” [Abu Dawood]
He
also said: “The voluntary (prayer) in the home is better then the
voluntary (prayer) with the people. It is like the (obligatory) prayer of
the man in congregation being better than praying (the obligatory) by
himself.” [Ibn Abee Shaybah and Saheeh al-Jamee (2953)]
Prayer for Stopping or
Lodging Somewhere
“Audhu bikalimatillahi tammati min
sharri ma khalaq”
“I
take refuge with Allah's Perfect Words from the evils that He has created”
[Saheeh Muslim (3/1599)]
Prayer
for entering the HOME
“When
a man enters his home and he remembers the Name of Allah, the Most High,
while entering and also when he eats, Shaytaan says: 'There is no place for
you to spend the night here and there is no food to eat here' If he enters
his home and does not remember the name of Allah while entering; Shaytaan
says: 'There is a place for you to spend the night. If he does not remember
the name of Allah while eating he says: 'There is a place for you to eat and
spend the night” [Saheeh Muslim 3/1599]
The Siwaak
Aaisha
(radhi allahu anhu) said that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) used
to start with the siwaak when he entered the Home. [Saheeh Muslim]
Prayer for Leaving the
HOME
“If
a man leaves his HOME and says: 'In the Name of Allah, I place my trust in
Allah and there is nor power except with Allah.
“Bismillah tawakkaltu ala Allah wa la
Hawla wa la Kuwwata illa bi-Allah”
It
will be said to him: 'You are guided, defended and protected' Shaytaan will
go away from him and another Shaytaan will say to him: 'Think! How can you
deal with a man who has been guided, defended and protected” [Abu
Dawood, Tirmidhee and Saheeh al-Jaami 499]
Before
entering Toilet
“Allahumma inni audhubika minal Khubthi
wal-Khabaaith”
“O
Allah, I take refuge with You from all evil and evil-doers”
[Bukharee and Muslim]
After Leaving the Toilet
“gufranak”
“I ask you Allah for forgiveness” [Abu Dawood]
Regular
recitation of Soorah al-Baqarah
The
Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “Do not turn your
homes into graves as the Shaytaan flees from the homes where Soorah
al-Baqarah is recited” [Saheeh Muslim (1/539)]
And:
“Recite Soorah al-Baqarah in your homes as Shaytaan does not enter a
home where soorah al-Baqarah is recited” [Haakim in al-Mustadrak 1/561
Saheeh al-Jaame (1170)]
He
also mentioned the merits of reciting the last two verses of Soorah
al-Baqarah, when he said: “Indeed, Allah, the Most High, wrote a book
before He created the Heavens and the earth by two thousand years and it is
by the Throne. He sent down from it two verses to finish Soorah al-Baqarah
with them. If they are recited in an abode for three nights the Shaytaan
will not come near it” [Ahmad in as-sunnah (4/274) and Saheeh
al-Jaami]
Teaching
the Family
“O
you who believe, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel
is people and stone” [Soorah at-Tahreem: 6]
Teaching
and educating the family is a duty of the head of the household. The
above-mentioned verse teaches the main principle of education: it being
ordering the good and forbidding the evil.
Ali
(radhi allahu anhu) said about this verse: “Teach them (family) and show
them good manners.”
Al-Bukhari
(rahimahullah) brings in his Saheeh under the title: 'Men teaching their
female servants, and wives'
“Three will have two
rewards… and a man who had a female servant and taught the best of the
good manners and gave her the best education, then freed her and married
her, he will have two rewards”
Ibn
Hajr explains this Hadeeth by saying: “The chapter heading corresponds
to the hadeeth in regards to the female servants being mentioned. As for the
wives it is through analogy (similarity, correspondence), because it is more
important to teach the wives duties prescribed by Allah and the Sunnah of
Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) than the female
servant.” [Fath al-Baaree (1/190)]
Men
should spare a day for his family from his busy schedule and establish
regular sittings with his family; if possible these sittings must also
include relatives. Encouraging them and being strict to their attendance one
should make them stick to it. Al-Bukharee (rahimahullah) writes in his
saheeh relating from Aboo Sa'eed al-Khudree (radhi allahu anhu): “The
women said to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam): 'The men have taken
all your time, so give us a day from yourself. So he promised them a day for
a meeting to admonish and order them”
Thus,
female education is also very important.
These
sittings must teach them basic Islamic laws: like the Fundamentals of
Tawheed in Islam, Negating Shirk, shunning Innovations etc. Also Laws of
Purification, prayer, zakaat, fasting etc.. Along with these they must be
instructed with all Islaamic etiquettes: etiquettes of eating and drinking,
clothing and adornment, the actions of fitrah, who is a mahram, rules
regarding photography, singing…etc. Their schedule must also include
Islamic gatherings.
The
Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “May Allah have mercy upon
a man who stood at night and prayed, then he wakes up his wife and she
prayed. If she refused he sprinkles water upon her face.” [Ahmad and
Abu Dawood ]
It
is also related from Aishah (radhi allahu anhu) that Allah’s Messenger
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) used to pray at night and when he prayed the
witr he would say: “Stand and pray the witr. O A'ishah” [Saheeh
Muslim (6/23)]
Educating
the Children
Educating
the Children should be done from the early age, starting with the Qur'aanic
memorization, supplications, etiquettes and manners; like what to say upon
sneezing, eating, sleeping, going to the toilets etc.
They
should be related stories of the Prophets of the past nations and
specifically our Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam). They must
be sent to Islamic schools, which include Qur'aan classes, they must be
taught the language of the Qur'aan. One may also reward them financially for
the completion of each step in their program. One should be very careful
about whom they mix with and who they be friend. As children pick up bad
manners and bad language from their surrounding.
The
Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “The example of a
good companion in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller
and the blacksmith's bellow; from the first you would either buy musk or
enjoy its good smell, while the bellows would either burn your clothes or
your house, or you get a bad nasty smell from it.” [Saheeh Bukharee]
Also their toys must be selective, so as to avoid the unlawful.
Establishing
a Library in Your Home
An Islaamic library
should be set-up in the HOME, in order to aid the family, to widen their
scope in understanding the religion and help them to adhere to the shari'ah
rules.
It
is not necessary to make it like a public library, but enough resources to
benefit the children, the elders, both men and women, relatives and guests.
It is also important to locate it in a place where it is easily accessible.
It is best to have books and cassettes of reliable scholars, on the issues
of Islamic Creed, Qur'aan and its Sciences, Hadeeth and its Sciences. Books
regarding etiquettes in Islam, Character, Biography of our Noble Prophet
Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), his Companions (radhi allahu anhu)
and previous Prophets (alaihi as-salaam).
Some
recommended books
Islaamic
Creed - Explanation of the creed by Imaam al-Barbaharee | Kitaab
at-Tawheed by Shaykh ibn abu al-Wahhab |The Salaf's Guide to the
Understanding of Fate in Islam by Dr. Saleh as-Saleh | Tawassul Its Types
and Ruling by Shaykh Naasir ad-Deen Al-Albanee.
Qur'aan-
An Introduction to the Qur'aan Suhaib Hasan | An introduction to the
Principles of Tafseer by Shaykh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah | The Tafseer Soorah
an-Naba, Soorah Nazi'aat | Soorah Fatihah, Ayyat al-Kursi and others by Dr.
Saleh as-Saleh.
Hadeeth-
Summarized edition of Saheeh Bukhari | Introduction to the sciences of
Hadeeth | An introduction to the Sunnah by Sohaib Hasan | The Hadeeth is a
Proof in Itself by Shaykh Naasir ad-Deen Al-Albanee | Forty Hadeeth by Imaam
An-Nawawi
Others
- The Prophet's Prayer by Shaykh Naasir ad-Deen Al-albanee | Fasting in
Ramadaan as observed by the Prophet by Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee and Shaykh
Alee Hasan Abdul Hameed.
Visit
AHYA's Library for Authentic Books and
Cassettes - Millat Nagar - Bombay
Inviting
the Righteous and the Students of Knowledge to Visit your HOME
“My
Lord, forgive me and my parents and whosoever enter my house, a believer,
believing men and believing women. And do not increase the wrong-doers in
destruction.” [Soorah an-Nuh
(28)]
It
is essential to be very careful about those, who enter your HOMES, since it
has a great effect on your family members, their behavior and character.
Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said regarding the right
company:
“Souls
are like troops collected together and those who familiarized with each
other (before the beginning of the world) would have affinity with one
another (in the world) and those amongst them who opposed each other (before
the beginning of the world) would also be divergent (in the world).” [Saheeh
Muslim (6376)]
Bad
company may ruin ones life in this world and the Hereafter. The Prophet
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said while passing through one of the
grave-yards:
“These
two persons are being tortured not for a major sin (to avoid).” The he
added: “Yes (they are being tortured for a major sin). Indeed, one of them
never saved himself from being soiled with his urine while the other used to
go about with calumnies (to make enmity between friends).”
[Saheeh al-Bukharee (1/215)]
One
should invite righteous people and the students of knowledge as the carrier
of musk will either lay down a good example, or you will be influenced by
them and the children and the family can also benefit by listening to them.
A
sign of the righteous is recitation of the Qur'aan, the prophet of Allah
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “A believer who recites is like a
citron whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is sweet. A believer who
does not recite the Qur'aan is like a date, which has no fragrance but has
sweet taste. A profligate (inattentive) who recites the Qur'aan is like
basil whose fragrance is sweet but whose taste is bitter and the profligate
who does not recite the Qur'aan is like the colocynth, which has a bitter
taste and has no fragrance. A good companion is like musk; even if nothing
of it goes to you, its fragrance will reach you. A bad companion is like a
man who has bellows; if its (black) soot does not reach you, its smoke will
reach you.” [Abu Dawood (4811)]
For
those who Accept the Invitation
It
is recommended for him who accepts the invitation to make Du'aa for the
host, after he has finished eating, using one of the following prayers:
“Allahumma
Baarik lahum fima razaktahum wagfir lahum war-Hamhum”
“O
Allah, forgive them, have mercy on them and bless them in that which You
have granted them.” [Saheeh Muslim]
“Allahumma
at’im man atamani waski man sakani”
“O
Allah, feed the one who feeds me and give drink to the one who gives me.”
[Saheeh Muslim and Ahmad]
“Aftara
‘indakum as-saaimoon wa-akala ta’aamakum abraar, wa-sallat ‘alaykum
al-malaaikah”
“May
the righteous eat your food, may the Angles send their prayers upon you, and
may fasting ones break fast in your house.” [(Authentic) Ahmad, Bayhaqee
and others]
