Why do we throw three handfuls of soil into the grave before filling it?

Why do we throw three handfuls of soil into the grave before filling it?

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed the funeral prayer on a deceased (Muslim) and then came to his grave and threw three handfuls of dirt at the direction of his head. (Ibn Majah)

He is reported to have recited these verses when his daughter Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) was positioned in her grave. (Musnad Ahmad)

Sincerity vs insincerity is like a mountain vs dust

Sincerity vs insincerity is like a mountain vs dust

Ibrahim (peace be upon him) taught us to show humility when he and his son, Ismail (peace be upon him) were building the Ka’bah and ask Allah for acceptance of our deeds no matter how big or small, when he made the dua: Rabbana taqabbal minna inaka Antas Samee’ul Aleem
رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.
Therefore ask Allah for acceptance and sincerity. Then inshallah you will find your deeds weighing heavy in your account in the akhirah.
When you have ikhlas (sincerity) Allah will put barakah in your time and money and family and in your legacy.

What are the four fard elements of wudu?
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What are the four fard elements of wudu?

The obligations are mentioned in the Quran. Mulla Ali begins by listing the obliagation (fard) aspects of wudu:1. Wash your whole face from the hairline above your forehead to the chin and from ear to ear. This does not include the neck or ears. The mouth and nose are not considered fard in the Hanafi school, but are considered fard in the Shafi school. 2. Wash both your hands up to and including the elbows. 3. Wipe over the head. 4. Wash both feet up to and including the ankles. Washing between the toes is considered fard by some and Sunnah by the others.

Don’t choose bad leaders and the khutbah of Shaytan
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Don’t choose bad leaders and the khutbah of Shaytan

. Be careful whom you follow, and whom to give your vote. On the Day of Judgement, you will be responsible for your choices. Whether you followed this leader, or took that decision, it’s your responsibility. Allah will ask you, and He will know. Shaytan will say, ‘I can’t help you. You are to be blamed, not me.’

Mulla Ali’s Introduction to his book and the contentious issue of mursal hadith
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Mulla Ali’s Introduction to his book and the contentious issue of mursal hadith

Mulla Ali now moves on to the topic of debate among the schools, which is hadith al mursal. He refers to ‘our’ scholars (ulemauna) meaning the scholars of the Hanafi school and makes the statement that Hanafi scholars adhere to the Sunnah more than the other schools. This statement reflects what was happening at that time. 400 years on, it is still the case that the Hanafi school is accused by other schools for not using proper hadith and that their rulings are based on weak rulings or qiyas (analogy). In other words that they use their own intellect rather than relying on hadith. Mulla Ali is addressing this accusation, as scholars from the Hanafi school are still doing today. Mulla Ali argues that the Hanafi school follows the Sunnah more than other schools because it follows the salaf, (the first and second generation of believers) because they accept the hadith al mursal. Until the 2nd century, mursal hadith were quoted and accepted in fiqh rulings by all schools. After that the Hanafi, Maliki accepted them but the Shafi refused. The Hanbalis accepted it in one narration and rejected it in another. Before the 2nd century people were not that concerned by the chain of narrators they were happy to write down and pass on narrations as long they emanated from the Prophet (peace be upon him). The narrators were well known to them but it was not until hadith began to be fabricated around the beginning of the 2nd century, that the practice of asking for the chain of transmitters became an important aspect of conveying the hadith.

is it permissible to bury muslims in non-muslim graveyards?

Can Muslims be buried in non-Muslim graveyards?

t is not permissible for Muslims to bury a Muslim in the cemetery of non Muslim, because this is the practice of the people of Islam from the time of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and the Rightly Guided Caliphs and after them continues to separate the graves of Muslims from the graves of the non Muslims , and not to bury a Muslim with a polytheist, and this was a practical consensus Ijma’.

A fresh look at fiqh – why I have chosen Mulla Ali al Qari’s book, Fath Bab al Inaya
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A fresh look at fiqh – why I have chosen Mulla Ali al Qari’s book, Fath Bab al Inaya

Fiqh is a heavy topic for many people but it can also be fascinating. I have chosen to take you through this journey to give you a fresh look at this topic by going through some carefully selected excerpts from Mulla Ali al Qari’s renowned work, “Fath Bab al Inaya Sharh Kitab al-Nuqaya,” a 10th…

Allah’s test does not end until we understand what we need to improve and fix it
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Allah’s test does not end until we understand what we need to improve and fix it

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏ “‏ ما يزال البلاء بالمؤمن والمؤمنة في نفسه وولده ة وماله حتى يلقى الله تعالى وما عليه خطيئة‏”‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه الترمذي وقال حديث حسن صحيح‏)‏‏)‏ ‏.‏ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)…

Keeping motivated beyond Ramadan
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Keeping motivated beyond Ramadan

You end Ramadan with a clean slate, a new page. Be careful what you write on that new page. What do you want to see on it? Make a list of what you want to achieve as you do at New Year’s. This is your post Ramadan resolution if you want. What do you want to achieve after Ramadan? Maintain and improve the good deeds which you have done. Control your anger beyond Ramadan. Control your faculties – eyes, ears, tongue and limbs, after Ramadan. This will affect heavily what will be written on this new page. At the very least, keep up the bare minimum of what you have started in Ramadan, such as your salah. I know many people do not pray regularly, only on and off. Ramadan is the time they charge their batteries and they pray during Ramadan. Once Ramadan is over, don’t stop. Keep this energy and keep your prayer on time, even though Ramadan is past, as Allah Almighty is worthy to be worshipped not just in Ramadan. The reward is still there from Allah Almighty, so don’t cut yourself off from this reward. Allah Almighty is still forgiving, not only in Ramadan as well after Ramadan.

Is it permissible to quote weak hadith?

Is it permissible to quote weak hadith?

The majority of the scholars say one cannot quote weak hadiths however, some say that one cannot pass a general statement based on only weak narrations. They say if the weak narration is on at-Targheeb and at-Tarheeb: i.e. encouraging people to do something good or discouraging them from sin, then it can be used as long as it is in line with the Quran and the general Sunnah.

Do not be divided

Do not be divided

Allah Almighty says in the Quran: وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ  ‘Mankind was a single community; then they differed. Were it not for a prior decree from your Lord, the matters over which they had disputed would have been settled.’ [10:19] In…