Explanation

(a) "Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day speak good, or keep silent; and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbour; and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest."

(b)Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day…”

In this hadith, Prophet mentions 3 features that need to be a part of a Muslim’s character in order for him to complete his/her faith/imaan. Therefore, if you find yourself lacking in these qualities, this hadith should serve as a reminder and a reality check, helping you reassess and refine your goals to be the best version of yourself.

So, why it the Last Day mentioned?

This serves as an encouragement and pushes you to strive to be the best Muslim you can be, because every single aspect of your life will be questioned on the Day of Judgment, including how you treated others and how you carried yourself in this dunya.

“…should speak good things or keep silent…”

The first part is concerned with how we use our tongue. Needless to say, majority of problems we face is due to incorrect usage of tongue, a part of your body that needs to be guarded at all times. It’s no secret that excessive speech will always lead to problems and misunderstandings that would have never crept up in the first place, if only we thought twice before opening our mouths. Our speech is one of the quickest ways for us to collect unwanted sins or blessings depending on how we choose to use it. So next time, you’re about to talk, ask yourself:

• Will my speech by pleasing to Allah?
• Is it absolutely necessary to talk?
• Will I be overstepping my boundaries if I say such-and-such thing?
• Will this speech cause happiness and bring about good will or will it cause souring of relationships and create bad blood?

Of course, you need not limit yourself to these set of questions. There are many more aspects which you can assess for yourself before talking.

Umar r.a. once said,

“The one who speaks a lot commits lots of mistakes. The one who makes lots of mistakes commits lots of sins. The one who commits lots of sins will have the Hell-fire as the first place for him.”(Ibn Rajab)

Therefore, use your speech to:

• Correct people when they commit mistakes or are straying away from the path of Allah
• Prevent people from committing sins
• Set relationships right for the greater good
• Guide others towards righteousness

And remain silent so that you…

• Don’t spread false information about others
• Don’t lie, it may be tempting but the side effects are much worse than what you could have imagined.
• Don’t backbite: Refrain; refrain from it as much as you can!
• Don’t speak about this deen when you don’t have sufficient knowledge to do so

“…should be courteous and generous to his neighbor…”

With advancement in technology, we have become obsessed with our gadgets, smartphones and laptops, so much so that we don’t spend enough time with our own family members, let alone visiting and checking out on our neighbors. This hadith is a timely reminder sent by our beloved Prophet himself, insisting on how our conduct should be with our neighbors, irrespective of whether they are Muslims or not:

What you can do:

• Smile: Yes, smile at your neighbors and those around you, not only is it sunnah, but smiling is the fastest way to cement and bond and relationship that can last a lifetime. Initiate this beautiful sunnah of our Prophet.
• Ask if they need any kind of assistance.
• Visit them when they are ill.
• Prepare nice food for them.
• Be the kind of person whom they are delighted to meet and greet when they see you.

Abu Bakr al-Jazairi (reference: Minhaaj al-Muslim) goes on to add:

• Congratulate them if something pleasing occurs to them,
• Offer condolences upon afflictions,
• Help them if they are in need,
• Be the first to greet them,
• Be kind in speech to them,
• Be gentle in one’s speech to the neighbor’s children,
• Guide them to what is best for their religion and worldly life,
• Overlook their mistakes,
• Don’t attempt to look into their private matters,
• Don’t constraint them with your building or renovations or along the walkway,
• Don’t harm them by letting one’s trash onto thei

Explanation

1. It purifies your wealth as Allah says in the Qur’an:
2. It keeps one away from sin and saves the giver from the moral ill arising from the love and greed of wealth.
3. Through Zakat, the poor are cared for; these include widows, orphans, the disabled, the needy and the destitute.

ZAKAT IS THE RIGHT OF THE POOR

Zakat is not considered a favor that is given to the poor by the rich. It is the right of the poor on the wealth of the rich. Allah says:

Zakat, therefore, is unlike charity that is given to the needy voluntarily. Withholding Zakat is considered depriving the poor of their due share. Thus one who pays Zakat actually “purifies” his wealth by separating from it the portion that belongs to the poor.

DO I HAVE TO GIVE ZAKAT?

Zakat is obligatory on one who has wealth that reaches or exceeds a certain level called the Nisab. Unlike tax, however, Zakat is an act of worship for which one receives reward from Allah. Ignoring to pay Zakat, on the other hand, is a major sin. According to the scholars, anyone who does not pay Zakat by denying its obligation is considered a disbeliever.

HOW MUCH DO I HAVE TO GIVE?

If you are in possession of money, gold, silver, stocks or shares that amount to more than the value of 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of Silver called nisab (at current market rates) then you are obliged to pay Zakat.

If you own this amount for a full lunar year then your Zakat is due at the last day of the 12 lunar months.

Sadaqah

Sadaqah, and Sadaqah Jariyah, are voluntary selfless acts carried out by anyone for the benefit of everyone.

The donations you make with the intention of Sadaqah give the most vulnerable of our society – orphans and widows – purpose and reason to live. To date, the Sadaqah contributions we have received have gone towards supporting thousands of families with monthly food supplies and providing thousands of our orphans with a sponsor. Your generosity in giving Sadaqah has even enabled our teams to help unsponsored children and their families by mending their homes, ensuring communities have access to necessary medical services including sight-restoration surgeries to enable independent living.

Sadaqah is a non-compulsory gesture that is made with pure intentions and can be made at any time of the year, regardless of special holidays or seasons. This applies to both Sadaqah and Sadaqah Jariyah. The important part of making a contribution is to give from the heart with no expectation for anything in return.

Correct Answer: D. Saudi Arabia

Correct Answer: A. it marks the beginning of Hajj rites

Correct Answer: C. mabn

Correct Answer: D. Shaking hands while greeting

Correct Answer: C. covering of the bosom

Explanation

(a)Shirk means associating partner(s) with Allah and it is the opposite of Monotheism (Taw??d).

(b) Types:

*Shirkul- Akbar(Major Shirk).

*Shirkul- A?ghar (Minor Shirk).

Shirkul- Akbar is a major Shirk which constitute apostasy.

Shirk condemns the persons who practice it to Hell.

Examples:

*Atheism- Disbelief in Allah.

*Idol Worship.

*Hero Worship.

*Dualism.

*Trinity.

*Ancestral worship.

*Making a vow with other being other than Allah.

*Seeking supernatural help and aid from other than Allah.

*Making a middle- man (intercessor) between oneself and Allah.

*Palm reading or fortune telling.

Shirkul-A?ghar is a minor shirk which does not constitute apostasy.

Its defects could lead to major Shirk.

Examples:

*Utterances, such as swearing by another deity other than Allah.

*Actions, such as wearing a ring or an amulet to ward off evil.

*>Ar-Riy?'u- show off.

*Hidden Shirk i.e. inwardly dissatisfied with the decree of Allah.

*Belief in superstitions.

Explanation

the background that Hajj means stranger, Hajj is a Muslim pilgrimage to the holy land of Makkah and other places in Saudi Arabia during the month of Hajj. It is one of the five pillars of Islam that is compulsory once in a life time of a Muslim that is able to meet its conditions. Hajj has a lot of benefits ranging from the spiritual to the mundane to those who perform it.However, before these benefits can be achieved, an intending pilgrim must have met the conditions of Hajj and also able to make certain provisions before embarking on the holy journey. The conditions of Hajj and its provisions are as follows. Conditions of Hajj (1) The intending pilgrim must be a Muslim with sound ‘Aqidah (doctrine, faith, believe) and must have been performing the four other pillars of Islam.

Pillars of Islam It must be noted that faith is a of the validity of the deeds and its approval in Islam. (2) Must have attained adulthood, although if a child performs Hajj, he will be rewarded for it, however this will not suffice him as regards the Hajj prescribed in Islam. (3) Must be of a sound state of mind and in full control of his mental faculties. (4) Must possess ability: this includes the following, must be healthy and physically fit, to undergo the rigours of the journey and rites; must be sure that the way to the holy land is safe and secure from any danger; must be financially sound enough to be able to bear all of the expenses for Hajj, also to provide adequately for his dependants before leaving home. Provisions of Hajj: (i) The intention must be purified by performing the Hajj simply because of Allah. (ii) All Hajj expenses must be paid out of money obtain through hallal (legitimate) means. (iii) Must learn how to be patient and forgive others, (iv) Performing Nafila Istikhara (Salat for seeking divine guidance), and not to visit a maraubout. (v) Seeking knowledge of Hajj and Umrah through attending Hajj lectures, reading of books on Hajj, getting familiar with all aspects of the Hajj, such as, recitation of talbiyya, duah (prayer), place of rituals, etc. Also important is learning the adabs (etiquette) of traveling, entering transportation and landing in a place etc. (vi) Paying allyour outstanding debts, returns all items in your care to their owners. (vii) Fulfill your promises to another; (viii) correct all wrongs and mistakes done to anyone. Others include writing of wil a written acknowledgment of the transaction, promises, and debts, between you and others and keep them in a safe place accessible to the member of your family; (x) getting the required travel needs such as documents, inoculation, basic travel allowance, etc. Basic travel allowance (xi) Hand over your family to someone who can assist them while you are away. (xii) Inform the necessary people of your intention. (xiii) Make a lot of dua’according to the dictates of the Shariah. (xii) A female pilgrim must travel in the company of her husband or a Mahram (i.e., a member of her immediate family with whom her marriage is expressly prohibited by the Shariah e.g., father, brother, son, uncle, etc). (xiii) Above all, an intending pilgrim must be conscious and fear Allah in his actions, speech and dealings. These are very important steps because Qur’an 2 verse 197 says: “the best provision is taqwah llah (fear of Allah)”. All this, and many others are based on specific instructions from the Shariah and must be followed for the Hajj to be meaningful.

Correct Answer: B. shows humility and obedience to Allah