Al-Hikmah
. Vol. 3 Iss. 1
- -- - 1442
Jan - April 2021 / Jamadiyul Ula - Sha’ban
Al Ḥ i k m a h
Smashing the Idol of Rasicm
By Mufti Zubair Bhayat Hafizahullah
Human beings with a sense of conscience, concern
and humanity are deeply disturbed about the plague
of racism that is threatening the future of the human
race in our troubled world. Despite the many inter-
national conventions, conferences and resolutions
against racism as a violation of basic human rights,
this ugly phenomenon stubbornly refuses to disap-
pear.
Yet once more, heads of state, international lead-
ers and NGO’s met in Durban, South Africa recently,
under the auspices of the UN to voice their outrage
and condemnation of racism at the World Confer-
ence against Racism (WCAR). The need for holding a
conference of this nature itself reflects a new global
awareness of modern forms of racism and xenopho-
bia which is spreading over the planet like a cancer.
Whether the outcome of this and the scores of pre-
vious such conferences is likely to produce any tangi-
ble change or difference against the cancer of global
racism or not, is a matter that is yet to be seen.
On the positive side, it can be stated with-
out fear of contradiction that
iss • The Persuit of the Real Sukun
the levels of con-
hi s
1 In t
• Hafiz
T h e W i s d o m
-
. .
sciousness and acute awareness of this scourge has
burgeoned at a fantastic rate all over the world. The
overall mood and atmosphere that prevailed at the
WCAR was a good barometer to gauge this fact.
Growing support for the Palestinian Cause
Previously, the Palestinian cry for justice, though ex-
istent throughout the tragic history of the Palestinian
problem, never received the kind of sympathy or pub-
licity it is now enjoying. Palestinian people never had
the degree of support and friends they now enjoy.
Today, a large number of justice-loving Isrealis even
are openly speaking up for the Palestinian Cause. The
number of such people is growing by the day. All of
this is a heartening sign that certain segments
of humanity are still alive to the baneful
plague of racism.
Continued on next page
• Leading Ladies: who made
e : • Questions
a difference in the lives of others
u
& Answers
-
-
. . Muhammad Patel  (Part 4)
Al-Hikmah
. Vol. 3 Iss. 1
Whilst, the global anti-racism process is taking its
course, there is a great need for Muslims to become
actively involved in the struggle against Racism from
within and without, with a view to eradicate it from
their own psyches, practices and societies - and to
vigourously militate against it wheresoever it may be
found in the world, more so from their own commu-
nity. For the achievement of this noble aspiration, it
is important to firstly understand the Islāmic perspec-
tive on racism.
The Holy Messenger’s  war against racism
At a time when the world was steeped in nauseat-
ing racism, and mankind could find no way out of this
dark tunnel, the sun of Islām rose and showed how
all members of the human race could live alongside
each other as equals. The Holy Messenger  in his
farewell pilgrimage sermon – a sermon that could
veritably be called the first charter of human rights –
once and for all smashed the idol of racism to smith-
ereens with one mighty blow: “O people! The Arab
enjoys no superiority over the non-Arab, nor does
the non-Arab enjoy any supremacy over the Arab, the
white enjoys no superiority over the black, nor does
the black enjoy any supremacy over the white, ex-
cpect on the basis of piety. All of you are from Adam
and Adam was created from soil.” This was but one
of several such declarations made by him in his life as
Allāh’s Messenger. The Holy Messenger’s  power-
ful message was not only empty rhetoric and hollow
slogans (as is the current trend in today’s world) but
even by way of his personal example, he showed how
the monster of racism can be expunged from society.
Look at his relationship with Bilāl bin Rabāḥ . Bilāl
was a black man and a slave at that. As it is, slaves oc-
cupied a very low and degrading status in that society
and a black slave was in a worse position than other
slaves. It was similar to the position occupied by the
Dalit-Harijans – the “untouchables” – of India. On the
other hand, the Holy Mes-
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2
senger  was from the highest rank of the Arab tribes
– he was a Quraishī and a Hāshimī-Quraishī at that. In
a dark world that was steeped in ignorance and ar-
rogance - the two potent ingredients of any racialist
society - it was unimaginable for the people to under-
stand how the noblest of the noble could reach out to
the lowest of the low (in their opinion) and make him
a bosom friend and companion. But Muḥammad 
did just that. It was an act of supreme courage and a
great test. His very act of shattering entrenched rac-
ism was cited by many a noblemen of the Makkans as
the barrier that prevented their
acceptance of the message
of Islām. They expressed
great resentment for his
open-minded attitude to-
wards the ‘low caste’ of
society and threatened to
reject his message on this
very basis. They wanted him
to compromise – they were
prepared to accept his message
so long as the racist order of the day
was not disturbed in anyway – but he
flatly refused to entertain anything of that
sort. He remained steadfast and unflinching on
his position against racism. This was more important
to him than appeasing the ‘racists’ and reaching any
compromise with them. For he had indeed come to
declare war against racism as an integral part of his
divine mission.
Qur’ānic perspective on racism
The final and last testament of Allāh  to humanity is
no less in its powerful crusade against racism. For in-
stance the verse, “O people! Fear your Sustainer who
created you from a single soul and He created from it
Continued on next page
Al-Hikmah
. Vol. 3 Iss. 1

its partner and He spread from them large multitudes

of men and women …" (An-Nisā:1). The fact that all Leading Ladies: who made a
of humanity emanates from a single source – one
mother and father – means that all of humanity is re- difference in the lives of others
ally one, despite the variety of shades, complexions,
languages and cultures they display. This necessitates
-
'Aishah bint Talhah
. . (d. 107 AH)
the equality of human beings before one another, a The granddaughter of Abū Bakr  who was taught
fact which the Qur’ān emphatically proclaims in its by the Prophet’s  wife, ‘Āishah . Abū Zahrah the
majestic verses. early Muslim said, “‘Āishah was cited because of her
authentic knowledge”. ‘Āishah was also graced with
Does the hideous demon of racism still plague the physical beauty. Once Caliph Hishām invited her to
Muslim community? his court where she engaged in dialogue with emi-
Whilst the world is rightly condemning the cancer of nent scholars of different fields. The Caliph was so
racism, it is an important and appropriate occasion impressed with her knowledge that he gave her a gift
for the Muslim community to engage in a serious ex- of 100,000 dirhams (silver coins).
ercise of introspection and self-examination on the
prevalence of this scourge within itself. How honest
Hafsah --
and true have we as a Muslim community been in up- . . bint Sırın (d. 101 AH)
holding the spirit of the Qur’ān and Sunnah against The sister of the famous scholar, Muḥammad ibn
racism? Have we been successful in expunging racism
Sīrīn, she had memorised the Qur’ān by the age of
in its manifest and concealed forms from our own so-
12, and by the age 14 she was well versed in the
cieties? Has there been any serious process of inte-
exegesis (explanation) of the Qur’ānic verses. She
gration with Muslim brothers and sisters from other
became famous for her beautiful recitation of the
race groups within our communities and how suc-
Qur’ān. Her recitation was of such a high standard
cessful has this program been? Have racist remarks,
that when her brother had difficulty with recitation
jokes and racialist epithets left our societies forever
he would ask her to correct him.
or are these still encountered? Do we condone these
when they are encountered or do we protest strong-
ly against them? Deep within our hearts, do we find Nufaysah bint Hasan
. (d. 208 AH)
true respect for other human beings – even the very
Known for her committment to Islām, she would fre-
poor, the down-trodden and the underprivileged -
quently fast and it is reported that she performed
as our equals, or is there a virus of ‘superiority’ that
ḥajj over 30 times. The great scholar, Imām Shāf’ī, is
bugs our inner selves? These are some of the critical
said to have learned and been taught by her. Imām
and probing, albeit awkward questions that we con-
Shāf’ī thought so highly of her that he stated in his
stantly need to ask ourselves. If the answers to these
will that he wanted his funeral procession to pass
questions are not favourable, then is it not time for a
by her home - and when it passed by her home she
concerted struggle to rectify our wrongs and put our
prayed the funeral prayer. She died during the month
house in order? Without this exercise, the hideous
of Ramaḍān whilst reciting the Qur’ān.
demon of racism will continue to haunt the Muslim
community, Allāh forbid!

A Muslim astronomer who lived in Cairo and observed at Bagh-

Moon’s Variation

dad in 975 discovered the third inquality of the moon’s mo-

tion called the moon’s variation. Ptolemy knew about the first and
second. He bore the formidable name of Abū al-Wafā al-Buzjano.
In Europe, this third inequaltiy of motion, that the moon moves
quickest when it is new or full, and slowest in the first and third
quarters, was ‘rediscovered’ by Tycho Brahe six centuries later in
about 1580. (1001 Inventions: The Enduring legacy of Muslim Civilization)

3
Al-Hikmah
. Vol. 3 Iss. 1

Questions & Answers

Q Q
Is soap made from animal fat per-
missible to use? Is surrogacy permissible?

A A
The practice of surrogacy or the
Soap made from animal fat is per-
involvement of a third person in
missible to use. (Jadīd Fiqhī Masā’il)
reproduction is not permissible.
(Jadīd Fiqhī Masā’il)

Q Q
Is it permissible for a Muslim woman
to marry a non-Muslim man?
Is it permissible to bite one’s nails?

A
It is impermissible for a Muslim

A
woman to marry a non-Muslim It is makrūh (disliked) to bite one’s
man. (Al-Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah) nails. Also, biting one’s nails is
a cause of leprosy. (Al-Fatāwā

Q
al-Hindiyyah)
-
Is it permissible to pray the Janazah
- of a deceased who was cre-

Q
Salah
.
mated? Is it permissible for one to have car

A
insurance?
If the body of the deceased was cre-

A
mated, the Janāzah Salāh
. will not All types of car insurance are
be performed. (Al-Fatāwā al-Hindi- Harām. However, if the law of the
.
yyah) land requires one to have car in-
surance then getting third party
insurance is permissible. (Fatāwā
‘Uthmānī )

Q What is the ruling on washing

clothes in a washing machine?

A
A washing machine washes the
clothes thoroughly and that is suffi-
cient to regard the clothes as pure.
(Kitāb al-Nawāzil)
4
Al-Hikmah
. Vol. 3 Iss. 1
In Pursuit of the Real Sukun-
By: M.B Ahmed
Long time ago, while travelling from one destination
to another, a man’s sight fell on the ground where
he saw a stone that was shining brilliantly. He picked
it up and immediately fell in love with it. Actually, it
was a large diamond! However, the man had no idea
whatsoever about the value or even the existence
of a diamond. He simply fell in love with it because
of its glitter. While walking on his way, he went on
hurling the diamond in the air and catching it back.
A while later he was seen by another person. When
this person spotted him playing with an object,
he immediately recognised the high-
ly valuable diamond. From the way
he was playing with it, this person
also perceived that the man was
unaware of its worth. He started
making plans on how to acquire
that diamond from that man. He
approached him and asked him
where he was going. The man
said that he was on his way to
such and such a place. “Oh! I am
also going to that place. Can I join
you?” The person asked the first man.
“Sure! Why not?” the man replied. So, both
the men pursued their journey. When evening fell,
they came across a lodging house and they decided
to spend the night in there. When the man who pos-
sessed the diamond was deep in sleep the second
person stood up from his bed and started looking for
that diamond. He checked his bag, but he did not find
it there. He then went close to the snoring man and
gently checked the pockets of his pyjamas, but it was
not there too! He also very carefully checked under
his pillow, but it was not there either. This person re-
ally wondered where the diamond had disappeared.
The next morning as they continued their journey,
to the utter surprise of the second man the first one
took out the diamond from his pocket and started
hurling it in the air. As evening fell, they again took
lodging in a guest house and at nighttime when the
first man was in a deep slumber the second man took
5
the opportunity to check all his belongings. To his ab-
solute flabbergast he once again failed to locate the
valuable stone! On the third night too, which was
supposed to be the last night of their journey, the
same occurrence took place. This man failed to find
the diamond. As they came close to the destination
they were heading for, he revealed to the man with
the diamond his true reason for accompanying him
till that place. “To tell you the truth my purpose to ac-
company you till here was to get hold of the diamond
but I have miserably failed in my mission. Now
I am curious about where you were hid-
ing the diamond during all the three
nights. Please solve this mystery
for me.” The man with the dia-
mond smiled. He said, “You were
looking for the shining stone
everywhere else while it was
lying right in your possession
all the three nights!” “What do
you mean?” the man asked him
with profound shock. “You never
checked the pockets of your own
coat that you used to hang on the wall
each night.” the man replied. “I used to hide
it in one of the pockets of your coat in your absence.
All the three nights you looked everywhere else, but
you never bothered to check your own pockets.” This
story has a strong reminder for all Muslims who are
looking for Sukūn in life.
What is Sukūn?
Sukūn is peace of mind, serenity, tranquility and con-
tentment! It is not a material object. It cannot be
weighed. It can only be felt. It is the most priceless
feeling. People tend to check this world’s every nook
and corner, every society and every culture (includ-
ing the western one), every entertainment source
and every social media, to seek for it but they are not
Continued on next page
Al-Hikmah
. Vol. 3 Iss. 1

Continued from previous page Hāfiz

. . Muhammad Patel ṣāhib
. (pt 4)
by Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat Ḥafiẓahullāh
successful. Some people look for it in the most lavishly
designed gorgeous and exquisite buildings where they During Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib’s final visit to Leicester he was
reside or in the most luxurious and state-of-the-art unwell and residing at Doctor Saghir’s residence. I re-
motor vehicles which they drive or in the most expen- ceived a text message on the 4th of September 2015
sive designer brands of fashionable clothes they put on stating that Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib  is very unwell and that he is
but they do not taste even a morsel of it. constantly remembering me. I was unwell too and as
it was a Friday, I had my weekly tazkiyah programme
Then from where can we find the genuine Sukūn? at the IDA after Maghrib. When I made contact, I was
For us, Muslims, we need not look around for it. The informed that Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib  would be awake at 7 p.m.
real Sukūn is hidden within us only. It is concealed in for ‘Aṣr Ṣalāh, hence I decided to pay a visit then. Doc-
the most precious and the most treasured gift that tor Saghir came out to welcome me and apologised
Allāh  has presented to us. This gift is the Dīn of Is- for inconveniencing me but said that he felt obliged to
lām. The word “Islām” means “Submission to the Will contact me because Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib  had been remem-
of Allāh .” bering me excessively. This was in reality far from in-
convenience, rather a blessing.
To be a true Muslim you must have: I met Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib  and sat on a chair in front of
1. Īmān (faith). Īmān is to have absolute Yaqīn (con- him. He was experiencing much pain in his legs and ul-
viction) on the Kalimah Ṭayyibah: cers in his mouth were also causing much discomfort.
‫ال إله إال هللا محمد رسول هللا ﷺ‬ Despite this, he was still his normal self, talking about
2. To have full conviction that Allāh  is the only One Dīn, inquiring about various jamā‘āts etc. During the
to be worshiped, the only One to be relied upon. conversation he mentioned, “I have never told anyone
3. To obey the commands of Allāh  based on His before, but today in front of Ḥaḍrat I shall inform you
Kalām, the Qur’ān and the Aḥādīth. all of my daily practices.” He mentioned that he recited
4. To adopt the Mubārak Sunnah of Nabī Muḥammad daily ten chapters of the Glorious Qur’ān, sometimes
 in our lifestyle. fifteen, a short Durūd one thousand times, Durūd
Ibrāhīmī two hundred times, the third kalimah two
It is only when we become Muslims with all sincerity hundred times, Istighfār two hundred times; further-
that we can get the opportunity to taste the sweetness more, he practically demonstrated the audible dhikr
of Sukūn that we are always yearning for. May Allāh  prescribed to him by the Mashāyikh, which he would
always guide us to relish Sukūn in its purest form by also carry out daily. He was complaining that due to his
becoming true Muslim. Āmīn. illness he had not been able to perform the Tahajjud
Ṣalāh for the past ten days. I advised him not to worry
as he was full of good deeds and that he shall receive
the same reward as he was unwell. To this he raised
his hands and head towards the sky and called
The Sunnah of: Replying to the Adhān out to Allāh  with the following words, “Tū
hī tū, tū hī tū, tū hī tū, terey siwā koi nahī(n)”,
When a friend calls us we tend to them immediatly with meaning “You are the only (true Lord), You
are the only (true Lord), You are the only (true
a full hearted reply. This should be our response to the call
Lord), there is none besides You.”
of prayer (Adhān), i.e., that we show respect to the Adhān
The practice of Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib when conduct-
as well as reply to the Adhān. “The hearer should repeat af- ing a nikāḥ was to ask the bridegroom to make
ter the Mu’adhin (The one who calls the Adhān)” (Al-Bukhārī) an intention to spend time in tablīgh Jamā‘ah
This is a very simple and effortless sunnah that every be- for forty days. Once in Leicester during a nikāḥ,
liever can bring into his/her life five times a day!
Continued on next page

6
Al-Hikmah
. Vol. 3 Iss. 1

Conintued from previous page Du’ā for one whose affairs

at which many of Leicester’s tablīghī associates were have become difficult
also present, Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib  began his da‘wah. En-
couraging the bridegroom he said, “Spend forty days
in tablīgh”, and then pointing towards me said, “and
the last ten days of Ramaḍān with Ḥaḍrat in i‘tikāf.”
‫َال ّٰل ُه َّم لَا َس ْه َل ِ�إلَّا َما َج َع ْلتَ ُه َس ْهلًا‬
The bridegroom remained silent. Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib  came
down to thirty days in tablīgh and ten days in I‘tikāf. ‫َو أَ�نْ َت تَ ْج َع ُل ا ْل َح َز َن ِ�إ َذا ِش ْئ َت َس ْهلًا‬
Still the bridegroom remained silent. Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib 
continued by decreasing ten days from the forty days Allāhumma lā sahla illā mā ja’altahu sahlā, wa
until finally he said, “Now there is no more conces- anta taj’alul hazana
. idhā shi’ta sahlā
sion, ten days in tablīgh and ten days with Ḥaḍrat, or
else I shall not conduct the nikāḥ,” upon which the O Allāh, there is no ease except in that
bridegroom agreed. This incident also shows the im- which You have made easy, and You
portance of tazkiyah and associating to a shaykh for
make difficulty, if You wish, easy.
rectification in the eyes of Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib .
Once Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib  sent a text
(‘Amalul Yawmi wal-laylah)
message to me that an ijtimā‘ is “...visit
due to take place in Luton the
coming weekend and that he the ‘Ulamā and
wished for me to participate Mashāyikh and stay
and deliver a talk on Saturday
evening. I excused myself due
in their company so Words of Worth
to other responsibilities, es- that they may ben-
pecially the teaching of Bukhārī efit from them.” “Don’t try to explore
sharīf, which I was teaching sev- new routes to reach
en days a week, as it was in its final your destination; take
stages. So Ḥāfiẓ ṣāḥib  himself phoned
on Friday, the first day of the ijtimā‘ and said, “Our the common route, as it is
tablīghī movement teaches people to visit the ‘Ulamā proven and reliable. With
and Mashāyikh and stay in their company so that they
your aim being the pleasure
may benefit from them. However, the Ummah has -
of AllAh, you should fol-
sadly lost the desire to visit them. The people who
shall gather in Luton are of course not going to come low the way of our rightly
to Leicester, and if you make a little effort and attend
then all of these people shall be blessed with your guided pious predecessors.”
company.” -Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat
-
Hafizahullah
Continued in next issue . .

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