The reason why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married ‘Aa’ishah despite the age difference

A Christian colleague of mine asked me why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) when she was nine years old and he was nearly sixty, and was he intimate with her at that age or what? In fact I do not know how to respond to that.

Praise be to Allaah.  

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) after he married Sawdah bint Zam’ah (may Allaah be pleased with her). She – ‘Aa’ishah – was the only virgin whom he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married. And he consummated the marriage with her when she was nine years old. 

Among her virtues was the fact that the Revelation did not descend when he under one cover with any of his wives other than her. She was one of the dearest of all people to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and news of her innocence was revealed from above the seven heavens. She was one of the most knowledgeable of his wives, and one of the most knowledgeable women of the ummah as a whole. The senior companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to refer to her opinion and consult her. 

With regard to the story of her marriage, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had grieved over the death of the Mother of the Believers Khadeejah, who had supported him and stood by his side, and he called the year in which she died The Year of Sorrow. Then he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married Sawdah, who was an older woman and was not very beautiful; rather he married her to console her after her husband had died and she stayed among mushrik people. Four years later the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), and he was over fifty. Perhaps the reasons for the marriage were as follows: 

1 – He saw a dream about marrying her. It is proven in al-Bukhaari from the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to her: “You were shown to me twice in a dream. I saw that you were wrapped in a piece of silk, and it was said, ‘This is your wife.’ I uncovered her and saw that it was you. I said, ‘If this is from Allaah then it will come to pass.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 3682). As to whether this is a prophetic vision as it appears to be, or a regular dream that may be subject to interpretation, there was a difference of opinion among the scholars, as mentioned by al-Haafiz in Fath al-Baari, 9/181. 

2 – The characteristics of intelligence and smartness that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had noticed in ‘Aa’ishah even as a small child, so he wanted to marry her so that she would be more able than others to transmit reports of what he did and said. In fact, as stated above, she was a reference point for the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) with regard to their affairs and rulings. 

3 – The love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for her father Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him), and the persecution that Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) had suffered for the sake of the call of truth, which he bore with patience. He was the strongest of people in faith and the most sincere in certain faith, after the Prophets. 

It may be noted that among his wives were those who were young and old, the daughter of his sworn enemy, the daughter of his closest friend. One of them occupied herself with raising orphans, another distinguished herself  from others by fasting and praying qiyaam a great deal… They represented all kinds of people, through whom the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was able to set out a way for the Muslims showing how to deal properly with all kinds of people. [See al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah fi Daw’ al-Masaadir al-Asliyyah, p. 711]. 

With regard to the issue of her being young and your being confused about that, you should note that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) grew up in a hot country, the Arabian Peninsula. Usually in hot countries adolescence comes early and people marry early. This is how the people of Arabia were until recently. Moreover, women vary greatly in their development and their physical readiness for marriage. 

If you think – may Allaah guide you – that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not marry any virgin other than ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), and that all his other wives had been previously married, this will refute the notion spread by many hostile sources, that the basic motive behind the Prophet’s marriages was physical desire and enjoyment of women, because if that was his intention he would have chosen only those who were virgins and beautiful etc.    

Such slanders against the Prophet of Mercy (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by kaafirs and others of their ilk, are indicative of their inability to find fault with the law and religion that he brought from Allaah, so they try to find ways to criticize Islam with regard to issues that are not related to sharee’ah. 

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. 

For more information see Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/106.

Attending wedding parties which involve some evils

Celebrations nowadays are not free of some evils, such as songs, dancing, music, improper clothing, etc. My question is very important: 
1- Is it permissible to attend and accept invitations to these occasions?
2- As 99% of these events are not free of songs, especially those that are accompanied by haraam musical instruments or indecent words, does this mean that we should have nothing to do with them and not attend any such occasions?
3- If we do not attend these parties, does that mean we are severing the ties of kinship, cutting ourselves off from people and causing enmity between us and them?
4- The scholars have stipulated that if we attend these celebrations we must denounce what goes on, but such denunciations receive no response and there is no real opportunity at such times which they claim are times of joy.
5- I hope that you can find the time to explain for us in detail about this matter which is so widespread nowadays.

Praise be to Allaah.  

1 – It is not permissible to attend wedding parties that involve evil actions, such as singing that is accompanied by music or that includes indecent words. The fact that this is widespread among people does not mean that it is permissible and should not be denounced. 

2 – Not attending these parties is not regarded as severing the ties of kinship, rather it is protecting oneself from seeing or hearing evil. Your family and relatives should understand that you would be keen to attend and take part, were it not for the evil things that they do. 

3 – If a person who is invited to such an event knows that there will be evil things happening and that he is not able to denounce them, it is not permissible for him to attend. 

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (7/214): If a person is invited to a wedding feast in which evil things will take place, such as wine, musical instruments, etc, and he is able to attend and remove those evils, then he must attend and denounce them, because then he will be fulfilling two duties: accepting the invitation of his Muslim brother and removing evil. But if he is not able to denounce them then he should not attend. If he does not know about the evils until he gets there, he should remove them. If he cannot, then he should go away. Something similar was stated by al-Shaafa’i. 

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah: 

If wedding parties are free of evils such as men mixing with women and indecent songs, or if you attend then these evils will be changed, then it is permissible to attend, so as to share in the occasion of joy. Rather it is obligatory to attend if there is some evil that you can remove. 

But if there are evil things in these parties that you cannot denounce, then it is haraam to attend them because of the general meaning of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And leave alone those who take their religion as play and amusement, and whom the life of this world has deceived. But remind (them) with it (the Qur’aan) lest a person be given up to destruction for that which he has earned, when he will find for himself no protector or intercessor besides Allaah” [al-An’aam 6:70] 

“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah without knowledge, and takes it (the path of Allaah, or the Verses of the Qur’aan) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hell-fire)”

[Luqmaan 31:6] 

And because of the many ahaadeeth which condemn singing and musical instruments. 

From Fataawa al-Mar’ah, compiled by Muhammad al-Musnad, p. 92. 

And Allaah knows best.

Meaning of the aayah “His is the highest description”

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “His is the highest description (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but He, and there is nothing comparable unto Him) in the heavens and in the earth” [al-Room 30:27] Does mathal [translated here as “description”] mean likeness?

Praise be to Allaah. 

Praise be to Allaah and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah.

The phrase “al-mathal al-‘alaa (translated here as ‘the highest description’)” means the highest description in all aspects. For Allaah has the attribute of absolute perfection in all senses, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer”

[al-Shoora 42:11] 

“Say (O Muhammad): He is Allaah, (the) One.

Allaah-us-Samad [Allaah — the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].

He begets not, nor was He begotten.

And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.”

[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4]

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

The meaning of Verse 173, Al Baqarah

My question is with reference to Verse #173 of Sura #2. What is the implication of the words, " wamaa uhilla bihi lighairillah", therein? Do these words prohibit me from accepting or eating any food article (not necessarily of animals slaughtered in names other than of Allah) which are offered here in India, after Fatehakhani done in the names of saintly persons like Abdul Qadar Jeelani?

The meaning of the Quranic Verse: "Forbidden to you (for food) are: ..., and that on which has been invoked the name of other than Allah,..." (Al-Baqarah, or the heifer, V173)

Praise be to Allah,

Ibn Kathir (May Allah have mercy on him) said in explanation of the above Verse:

"..that on which has been invoked the name of other than Allah,..." means slaughtered animals on which has been invoked a name other than the name of Allah; such as an idol, an antagonist, an arrow of divination and the like for which Arabs of pre-Islamic periods slaughtered animals.

In explanation of Verse 3 of Surat al-Ma’ida, or the table, Ibn Kathir said: "The Verse: "..., and that on which has been invoked the name of other than Allah,..." means that eating of animal food on which, upon slaughtering a name other than Allah is invoked is forbidden because Allah, the Exalted, prescribed that His Great Name be invoked upon slaughtering any of His creatures. It is the unanimous opinion that one is forbidden to select to invoke a name of an idol of any creature upon slaughtering an animal.

In explanation of the Verse "... that which is sacrificed on stone (altars)...", Mujahid and Ibn Jurayj said: Those were stones (altars) put around the Ka’bah. Ibn Jurayj said: There were 360 stones (altars) at which pre-Islamic Arabs used to slaughter animal ... They would grill meat and put it on these stones.. Allah forbade such act and disallowed eating of such meat even if the name of Allah is invoked on it. Slaughtering of animal at stones (altars) is part of polytheism, which is prohibited by Allah and His Messenger. Comparison should be made to the foregoing to decide the rule for slaughtering of animals on which is invoked other than the name of Allah.

All slaughtered animals on which a name other than the name of Allah; such is the name of a prophet, a holy man, an idol, the devil, or an item of worship such as the cross and the like may not be eaten.

How could Yoosuf have “inclined towards” the wife of al-‘Azeez when he was chaste?

What is the tafseer of this verse in Soorat Yoosuf (interpretation of the meaning):  
“And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire”
[Yoosuf 12:24]? 
If Yoosuf (peace be upon him) was chaste and refused to answer the call of the wife of al-‘Azeez, how could he have inclined towards her desires (i.e., how could that have entered his mind)?.

Praise be to Allaah.  

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire, had he not seen the evidence of his Lord”

[Yoosuf 12:24] 

Her desire was to commit sin, but as for Yoosuf (peace be upon him), if he had not see the evidence of his Lord, he would have inclined to her desire – because of human nature – but he did not, because of the evidence mentioned. 

Because he hadseen seen the evidence of his Lord, he did not incline to her desire. 

Abu Haatim said: I used to recite ghareeb al-Qur’aan to Abu ‘Ubaydah, and when I reached the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire” [Yoosuf 12:24], Abu ‘Ubayd said: This is to be understood as meaning that he saw the proof of his Lord, and so he did not incline to her desire. 

Al-Qurtubi, al-Jaami’ li Ahkaam al-Qur’aan, 9/165. 

Al-Shanqeeti said in Adwa’ al-Bayaan (3/58): 

This may be answered from two angles: 

1 – That what is meant by saying “Yoosuf would have inclined to her desire” is that a thought crossed his mind, but the influence of taqwa (piety) deflected that thought. One of them said: this is the natural inclination and the instinctive desire that is restrained by taqwa. There is no sin in that because this is something that is instilled in man and is not under his control. It says in the hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to divide his time equally among his wives and treat them fairly, then he would say: “O Allaah, this is how I divide that over which I have control, so do not take me to task for that which is beyond my control” – meaning the inclination of the heart. [Abu Dawood, al-Sunan, hadeeth no. 2134. 

This is like the fasting person’s inclination towards cold water and food, while at the same time his taqwa prevents him from drinking or eating whilst he is fasting. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever thinks of an evil action but does not do it, one hasanah will be recorded for him.” [Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, no. 6491; Muslim, no. 207] 

2 – Yoosuf (peace be upon him) did not think of doing anything at all, because he was prevented  from doing so because of the proof of his Lord. This view which was favoured by Abu Hasaan and others is more correct according to the rules of the Arabic language. 

Then he started to quote the evidence to support the view he favoured. Based on the above, the meaning of the verse – and Allaah knows best – is that if Yoosuf (peace be upon him) had not seen the proof of his Lord, he would have inclined towards her desire, but because he had seen the proof of his Lord he did not incline towards her desire and did not think of it at all. Similarly, just thinking of something without doing it is not regarded as a sin. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon his noble Prophet.

The meaning of the Basmalah, and the ruling on staring with it when one reads Qur’aan

What is the meaning of the Basmalah [the Arabic words Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem (In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)]? 
And what is meant by the words “Iqra’ bismi Rabbika” (Read (or recite) in the name of your Lord – [al-‘Alaq 96:1 – interpretation of the meaning])?

Praise be to Allaah.  

When one says “Bismillaah” when starting to do anything, what that means is, “I start this action accompanied by the name of Allaah or seeking help through the name of Allaah, seeking blessing thereby. Allaah is God, the beloved and worshipped, to Whom hearts turn in love, veneration and obedience (worship). He is al-Rahmaan (the Most Gracious) Whose attribute is vast mercy; and al-Raheem (the Most Merciful) Who causes that mercy to reach His creation. 

It was said that what this means is: I start this action by mentioning the name of Allaah. Ibn Jareer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Allaaah, may He be exalted and His name sanctified, taught His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) proper manners by teaching him to mention His most beautiful names before all his actions. He commanded him to mention these attributes before starting to do anything, and made what He taught him a way for all people to follow before starting anything, words to be written at the beginning of their letters and books. The apparent meaning of these words indicates exactly what is meant by them, and it does not need to be spelled out.” 

There is something omitted in the phrase “Bismillaah” when it said before starting to do something, which may be “I begin my action in the name of Allaah,” such as saying, “In the name of Allaah I read”, “In the name of Allaah I write”, “In the name of Allaah I ride”, and so on. Or, “My starting is in the name of Allaah”, “My riding is in the name of Allaah”, “My reading is in the name of Allaah”, and so on.  It may be that blessing comes by saying the name of Allaah first, and that also conveys the meaning of starting only in the name of Allaah and not in the name of anyone else. 

The name of Allaah is the greatest name and is so well known as to need no explanation; this is a name that belongs exclusively to the Creator and no one else. The correct view is that it is derived from the root aliha. He is God (ilaah) which means that He is worshipped and is divine. 

Al-Rahmaan is one of the names of Allaah that belong exclusively to Him. It means the One Who possesses vast mercy, because this form (fa’laan) is indicative of fullness and abundance. It is the most exclusive name of Allaah after His name Allaah, just as mercy is His most exclusive attribute. Hence this name (al-Rahmaan) often appears after the name Allaah, as in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say (O Muhammad): Invoke Allaah or invoke the Most Gracious [al-Rahmaan] (Allaah)” [al-Isra’ 17:110] 

Al-Raheem is also one of the names of Allaah, and means the One Who causes His mercy to reach those whom He wills among His slaves.  

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Al-Rahmaan refers to an attribute that is connected to Allaah and is part of His Essence, and al-Raheem refers to a connection with the one to whom mercy is shown. The former is adjectival (referring to what He is) and the latter is verbal (referring to what He does). The former indicates that mercy is His attribute, and the latter indicates that He bestows His mercy upon His creation. If you want to understand this then ponder the meaning of these verses (interpretation of the meanings): 

“And He is Ever Most Merciful (Raheem) to the believers”[al-Ahzaab 33:43]  

“Certainly, He is unto them full of kindness, Most Merciful (Raheem)” [al-Tawbah 9:117] 

The word al-Rahmaan is never used in this context. So we know that the word Rahmaan means the One Whose attribute is mercy (rahmah), and al-Raheem is the One Who bestows His mercy.” 

(Badaa’i’ al-Fawaa’id, 1/24). 

Secondly: 

The ruling on saying the Basmalah before reading Qur’aan depends on the situation: 

1 – If it is at the beginning of a soorah – apart from Soorat Baraa’ah (al-Tawbah) – then the majority of imams have stated that “it is mustahabb to recite the Basmalah at the beginning of each soorah, in prayer or otherwise. This should be done as a regular practice, and some of them considered that a reading of the whole Qur’aan is incomplete if the Basmalah was not recited at the beginning of every soorah apart from Baraa’ah (al-Tawbah).” When Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about reciting it at the beginning of every soorah, he said, “Do not neglect it.” 

2 – If one is starting in the middle of a soorah – which is the case asked about in the question – then the majority of scholars and Qur’aan readers say that there is no reason why one should not start with it. It was said to Imam Ahmad, after he had said that it should not be omitted at the beginning of the soorah, “What if a person starts reading partway through a soorah?” He said, “There is nothing wrong [with saying the Basmalah].” Al-‘Abaadi narrated that al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) regarded it as mustahabb (to say the Basmalah, when starting to recite) partway through a soorah. 

The Qur’aan readers said: It is certain that one should say the Basmalah if the aayah which will be read after saying it contains a pronoun that refers to Allaah, such as the verses (interpretation of the meanings): 

“To Him (Alone) is referred the knowledge of the Hour”

[Fussilat 41:47] 

“And it is He Who produces gardens”[al-An’aam 6:141] 

because otherwise, if one recites these verses after seeking refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan, the pronoun may appear to refer to the Shaytaan which would convey an abhorrent meaning. 

3 – Reciting the Basmalah at the beginning of Soorat Baraa’ah (al-Tawbah); there is hardly any dispute among the scholars that doing this is makrooh (disliked). 

Saalih said concerning some issues that he narrated from his father Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him): “I asked him about Soorat al-Anfaal and Soorat al-Tawbah, whether it is permissible for a man to separate them by saying Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem. My father said: ‘With regard to the Qur’aan, reference should be made to what the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) were agreed on; nothing should be added to or taken away from that.’”  

4 – Reciting it partway through Soorat al-Baraa’ah (al-Tawbah). The Qur’aan readers differed concerning that, as was narrated by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami in al-Fataawa al-Fiqhiyyah (1/52), and he said: “Among the leading Qur’aan readers, al-Sakhaawi said that there is no dispute that it is Sunnah to start with the Basmalah when one starts reading partway through this soorah [al-Tawbah], as he differentiated between starting at the beginning and starting in the middle, but his explanation was facile and was refuted by al-Ja’bari from among the Qur’aan readers. This is more likely (i.e., the view that it is makrooh is more likely to be correct), because the reason why the Basmalah should not be recited at the beginning (of al-Tawbah) is that it came with the sword (i.e., the command to fight the kuffaar) and it exposes the hypocrites and their foul deeds in a manner that is not unlike any other soorah, and this theme is repeated throughout Soorat al-Tawbah. Therefore it is not prescribed to recite the Basmalah even if one starts reciting partway through this soorah, just as it is not prescribed at the beginning, for the reasons we have established.” 

See al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah by Ibn Muflih, 2/325; al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 13/253; al-Fataawa al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubra, 1/52 

Thirdly: 

With regard to the meaning of the words, “Iqra’ bismi Rabbika” (Read (or recite) in the name of your Lord – [al-‘Alaq 96:1 – interpretation of the meaning]), Imam Ibn Jareer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The interpretation of the words ‘Iqra’ bismi Rabbika’ is that they were addressed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), in other words, Read, O Muhammad, by mentioning the name of your Lord (Who created).” And Allaah knows best.

The meaning of Verse 33, Al Rahmaan

Assalamu'alaikum wbt
Brother,
I would like to seek your assistance in translating the tafsir of surah 55 ayat 33(Since I do not know Arabic):
"33. O ye assembly of Jinns and men! if it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth pass ye! not without authority shall ye be able to pass!"
Jazakallahu Khair.

Praise be to Allah;

Verse 33 of Surat al-Rahman, interpretation of the meaning: "O ye assembly of Jinns and men! If you can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, pass ye! Not without authority shall ye be able to pass!"

This challenge from Allaah to all will be on the day of resurrection when all creatures, Jinn and humans, will be assembled and the heavens split apart. Angels will descend from all of heavens and encircle the resurrected. Allah will challenge the people assembled to escape if they can. They will not be able to escape as they will not have the ability or the power to do so with the angels besieging and encircling them from all sides.

In explanation of this Verse, Ibn Kathir (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "Meaning that you cannot escape Allaah’s power and predestination, which are everywhere around you. You cannot escape Allah’s power or break away from His authority or ruling on you. On the day of resurrection, wherever you go, you will be surrounded on all sides by seven rows of angels. No one can pass beyond the zones "without authority" i.e. an order from Allah. Verse 10 of Surat Al-Qiyamah, or the resurrection, says (interpretation of the meaning): "(10.) That day will man say: Where is the escape? (11.) By no means! No place of safety! 12. Before thy Lord (alone), that day will be the dwelling