Abdul'Azeez Shakirudeen - I'M A MUSLIM(official)

PROPHET IBRAHIM(AS)

The history of Ibrahim started long time ago in a distant land. Ibrahim was born amidst idol worshipping people, in the kingdom of Babylon. His father Aazar was an idol worshipper but the child could not accept this practice. As he grew older he became more skeptical about idol worshipping it is pointed out in Qur'an at Sura 43 Verse26 Sura 6 Verse74.


One night Ibrahim looked up to the sky and , saw a shining star and said:


Could this be my Lord?. But when it set he said: I do not like those that set. Likewise he went after the moon and the sun but when the sun also set he said: O my people I am free from all that you join as partners with Allah! I have turned my face towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth and never shall I give partners to Allah [6:75-80]


That is the story of the journey of Ibrahim from Polytheism (Shirk) to Islamic Monotheism ( Tawheed (monotheism)).

SAHABA STORIES: ABDULLAAH IBN MAS'UD (R A)

SAHABA STORIES: ABDULLAAH IBN MAS'UD (R A): ABDULLAAH IBN MAS'UD RadhiAllaahu Anhu -The First Reciter of Qur'an Abdullah ibn Masud(R A) was one of the first converts to...

Worship in the Last 10 Days, Don't Shop !

Ramadan is a month of Worship, NOT SLEEP

EX-Nigerian Footballer Emeka Ezeugo Convert To Islam

EX-Nigerian Footballer Emeka Ezeugo Convert To Islam 46 years old retired Nigerian football defender and midfielder, also a current coach Emeka Ezeugo has announced that he's embraced Islam after being inspired by the life of Prophet Mohammad. Emeka went to a Muslim cleric last week along with Mohammedan manager Amirul Islam, his former team-mate Kaiser Hamid, Zaker party leader Amir Faisal and club official Abu Hasan Prince to convert to Islam. The former footballer, who represented Nigeria in the 1994 World Cup after playing for Mohammedan Sporting Club for nearly a decade, said he feels honoured to be a follower of the great prophet, the greatest among all messengers of God. Talking to reporters on Monday, I am always a curious person and studied different religions when I found the life of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) very inspiring,’ Emeka, who now has taken a new name Mustafa Mohammed, claimed that his family has accepted his decision, though they all are members of Roman Catholic Church. ‘I am a grown up man brother. I am free to make my own decisions. None of my family members protested the decision. Emeka, however, said that the large number of friends he made in Bangladesh is like his family and they gave him good support in making the decision.‘ Bangladesh is my second home and I have some friends here who are like my brothers. They helped me in making the decision,’ Emeka said. Emeka said he could not express his feeling about becoming a Muslim and felt like a Bangladeshi and it became stronger after converting to Islam. His life has become more disciplined as he has to offer prayers more now and follow some other rituals of the religion. I have just planted a seed and now I have to nourish it into a tree. I know that I will discover many good sides of this decision with time but at this moment I can say the religion has made my life more disciplined,’ said Emeka. He added that he will apply for a new passport with his new name once he returns to his home in Nigeria- Nigeria Islamic News We use this opportunity to challenge we Muslims that are not serious in practicing of our Deen(Islaam), most of new convert Muslims are more practicing Islaams than most born Muslims. +You shy of raising your trousers above the ankles but proud of wearing your trousers below the waist. You shy of cover your face by using Niqaab but proud of showing you body infront of your non-Mahram. You Shy of calling your friends in going to the Mosque but proud of calling your friends in going to club. We all know that Al-Jannah(Paradise) and hell-fire was create for the living of human being and everybody has right to work for his/her choice. We still alive now and have opportunity to worship Allaah alone. Please let us wake-up and enter into Islaam wholeheartedly, and be steadfast. May Almighty Allaah help everyone of us and grant us with Jannatul-fridaus.

Act that can nullify your fast

Among the boundaries that Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala has set and clarified is that of fasting. This is one of the pillars of Islam. Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala made very clear when fasting starts and when it ends, both in terms of the month in which it starts and in terms of what time of the day each individual fast is to start and end. Allah said regarding this month: “... So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan, i.e. is present at his home), he must fast that month” (Al-Baqarah: 185).

Also, in a Hadith of the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) he said: “If you see it then fast and if you see it then break your fast (meaning mark that as the end of the month). If you could not see it because of clouds then count of the month as having thirty days”.

‘It’ here is referring to the crescent. Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala says which translates as: “... So now have sexual relationships with them (your wives) and seek that which Allah has ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)” (Al-Baqarah: 187)

Then we are to continue fasting until the following nightfall. Once you distinguish that it is dawn either by actually seeing it if you were outside in the open, or by hearing the Adhan, which is the call for prayer, that indicates dawn, then the time of fasting has started. This will end at the following sunset. The Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said to his companions, may Allah be pleased with them: “Bilal calls the Adhan while it is still dark so (continue to) eat and drink until you hear the Adhan of Ibn Umm Makhtum, for he does not call the Adhan until it is dawn”.

He (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) also said: “When the night comes from this side (and he pointed towards the east) and when the day or the light leaves from this side (and he pointed towards the west) and the sun sets then the fasting person can break his fast”.

O people! Be aware that there are seven categories of actions, which will nullify your fast:

Number One: Having sexual intercourse with his/her spouse. This is one of the worst ways of deliberately terminating one’s fast. If this occurs then one must pay a Kafarah, or expiation. Indeed this incurs a very harsh penalty if this sin was to have taken place during the daytime in the month of Ramadan by someone upon whom it was obligatory to fast. The punishment is that they must release a slave; if they do not find one then they must fast consecutively for two months. If they are unable to do this then they must feed sixty poor persons.

Number Two: Deliberate discharge of sperm. This may occur due to kissing, touching, hugging, masturbating (which is forbidden even when not fasting) or any other means. If however this occurs during one’s sleep then it does not nullify the fast. This is because the sleeping person has no control of his body and therefore could not have deliberately done this.

Number Three: Eating and/or drinking. This is allowing food or drink go to reach one’s stomach irrespective of whether it is Halal (permissible) or Haram (forbidden). It is also irrespective of whether it has entered through one’s mouth or nose. Regarding this the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: ‘Exaggerate in performing the Wudhu’ and putting the water in your nose unless you are fasting’. This is proof of the fact that anything that enters through the nose is akin to something entering through the mouth. On the other hand, smelling things do not break ones fast as this does not result in anything entering the stomach.

Number Four: Anything having the same effect as eating and/or drinking. This can be by means of needles, drops or supplements as long as it has nutritional value. On the other hand if these do not have any nutritional value then using them would not affect your fast in any way.

Number Five: Drawing out blood and Hijamah (cupping). Hijamah is something that is done by means of needles or razors to make holes in the skin in order to get bad blood out of the body. The Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “The one who gets the blood out of his body and the one doing this for him have both broken their fast”.

If however one takes or draws blood out of his body to analyse it for sicknesses, then this is something that does not break the fast because it is something that has a negligible effect on the body, unlike the effect that Hijamah would have. Also, if one has a nosebleed or bleeding due to extracting a tooth, then this will not affect the fast, as this is unintentional and uncontrollable. One should take care not to swallow any blood in these cases though as this is impermissible whether one is fasting or not. Opening a wound to expel pus from a wound, even if this results in a discharge of blood, will also not affect the fast.

In the case of a fasting person having blood taken from his body in order to donate it to a needy donor, this is something that would break the fast as it involves an excessive amount of blood, just as Hijamah does. Therefore, it is not permissible for fasting persons to have blood taken from them and to donate it to others unless the benefactor is in a critical condition and cannot wait until sunset. In this case, it is permissible for the donor to have a certain amount of blood extracted from him due to necessity. The donor may eat and drink that day but must make up a days fasting in the future due to this day – which counts as a missed fast.

Number Six: Intentionally vomiting. Intentionally vomiting will nullify one’s fast. If one were to vomit unintentionally then this would not nullify the fast because the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “He who vomits unwillingly does not have to make up for it (his fast), but he who vomits intentionally must make up for it”.

The six categories of actions that I have mentioned so far that would nullify one’s fast would only do so if one were to knowingly and willingly do them. If one were to commit these acts due to forgetfulness or ignorance then they are not held responsible and do not need to make them up.

The proof for this is the saying of Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala: “...And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend” (Al-Ahzab: 5)

Imam Bukhari narrated an authentic tradition from Asma bint Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu Anha) where she said: ‘During the time of the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) we broke our fast on a cloudy day (thinking that it was sunset) but then the sun came out (and so we realised that we had ended our fast too early)’.

She did not state that the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) commanded them to make up for this day and had it been that he (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) had commanded this, and then she surely would have mentioned it. This is because Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala would not let a ruling that is an obligation pass without clarifying it.

So, once a person has committed such a mistake and realizes that it is still daytime, he must immediately refrain from eating or drinking. If he were to continue eating or drinking then his fast would be nullified. Nothing nullifies or breaks the fasting if done in a state of forgetfulness because Allah says which translates as: “Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or fall in to a mistake” (Al-Baqarah: 286).

Also, the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “He or she who forgot that they were fasting and then eat and drink, then let him or her continue their fasting because it is Allah Subhanahu wa Taala who gave them that food and drink”.

But if they were to remember or are reminded that they are fasting, then they must immediately stop eating or drinking. If they were to continue then their fast would be nullified. If they are reminded whilst food or drink is in their mouth, then they must spit out the contents of their mouth as swallowing will nullify their fast.

If one sees a fasting person eating or drinking in a state of forgetfulness, then they must remind that person. This is an example of enjoining good and righteousness.

It does not nullify one’s fast if something was to happen forcefully, such as dust entering the stomach, or if a small quantity of water were to enter the stomach due to a mistake made during Wudhu. This may happen for example by gargling or snorting water too violently.

Number Seven: menstrual or post-natal bleeding. This is where blood is discharged by a woman as part of the menstrual period or during the time immediately following pregnancy. As soon as this blood is discharged, even if it was just one second before sunset, then that days’ fasting is rendered null and void. If a woman were to get the feeling in her body that the blood is about to come out, but it does not actually do so until sunset or later, then this is not a problem and her fast is still intact. A fasting person can use mascara; perfume, eye or ear drops and apply medicine to their wounds. However they cannot smell or inhale the vapour that emanates from some perfumes and incense, as this will reach their stomach.

A fasting person can cool themselves by rinsing their bodies with water or wetting their clothes. It is reported that Imam Malik (Radhiyallahu Anhu) narrated from some of the companions of the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) that they said: “We saw the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) pouring water on his head due to the intense heat and thirst (that he was suffering from) while he was fasting”.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (Radhiyallahu Anhu) used to wet his garments and wear them whilst fasting. It is also permissible for the fasting person to use the Miswak, or   tooth-stick, at any time of the day, whether it is at the beginning, middle, or end of the day. In fact it is the Sunnah to use it. It is better to use the Miswak at the time of Salah, Wudhu, when waking up from sleep and when first entering one’s house.

It is also the Sunnah of the Prophet (Radhiyallahu Anhu) that a fasting person breaks his fast with Ruthab, which is type of ripe date. If this is unavailable then one should use dates and failing this then one should use water. Otherwise, one should eat or drink anything, which is permissible as soon as the sun sets.

If one happens to be in a place with no food or drink at sunset then he must intend to break his fast in his heart and should not suck his finger, as some people do.

O believers! Protect your Siyyam, or fasting, and do not indulge in disputed arguments, sleeping with your wives, telling lies and giving false testimony. This is because for those who do not abstain from lying and giving false testimony, Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala has no need of them to abstain from food and drinks.

O believers! Perform Salah at its due time in congregation. Exert more effort in performing optional Salah and in the remembrance of Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala. Recite more of the Qur’an, give more in charity, abstain from the prohibited things that Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala commanded you to stay away from, such as Namimah, or backbiting.

Broadly speaking, Namimah means to cheat, lie or curse and includes all forms of false speech. If someone were to curse you or attempt to dispute with you, then you should say ‘Indeed I am fasting, I am fasting’, thereby avoiding such problems.

Stay away from listening to music on the radio or anywhere else because fasting is a shield with which people prevent themselves from sinning and by which they rescue themselves from the hellfire. We must not commit sins or neglect our obligations while fasting because this will dramatically reduce our reward.

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become conscious of Allah”. (Al-Baqarah: 183)

SOURCE:http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/501.htm

#Inheritance of #children

In Islam, there are three categories of children: legal, biological and those that are both legal and biological. By legal, we mean children that result from a marriage approved by the Shari'ah. Thus for a man, only his children that are both legal and biological are considered his children and by extension, his heirs; while for a woman, the simple act of giving birth to a child (biological) makes them (mother and child) rightful heirs of one another. A few illustrations will elucidate this.

a) The #Muslim children of a Muslim couple who married legally will inherit from their parents and vice-versa. Supposing any of the children happens to be a non-Muslim, he will neither inherit from them nor will they inherit from him due to difference of religion which is an impediment to inheritance.

At this point let’s spell out what difference of religion really mean. Some scholars are of the view that each religion should be taken on its face-value while others argue that there are two religions only: Islam and others. Therefore, if we take a hypothetical family consisting of a Muslim father, Christian mother and Jewish child for example, based on the first opinion, none of them will inherit from one another, while the second view gives the mother and the child the right to inherit from each other. How they do that is left to them.

b) A Muslim man is permitted to marry a pious, reserved and religious Christian or Jewish woman. The children that result from such a marriage will inherit from the man and vice-versa if they are Muslims. Assuming the children decide to follow the religion of their mother, they will inherit from her only and vice-versa.

c) The children of a Muslim man who marries a woman that is neither a Christian nor a Jew such as a Buddhist, a Zoroastrian or an atheist will not inherit from him since they are not his legal children even though they may be his biological children. Why? Such marriage is not recognised by Shari’ah, hence it’s void. The children will inherit from their mother only and vice-versa. And if they are Muslims, they will also not inherit from her due to difference of religion.

d) A Muslim woman is not allowed to marry a non-Muslim man even if he is a pious, reserved and religious Christian or Jew. If the marriage takes place its void. But the children will inherit from her (and she will inherit from them) because she is their biological mother IF THEY ARE MUSLIMS, otherwise the difference of religion condition will set in and bar them from inheriting from one another.

e) If a man and woman fornicates, (Allah forbids), and a child is born as a result, whether or not they get married afterwards, the man is the biological father but NOT the legal father of the child but the woman is both the biological and legal mother. Hence such a child will inherit from his mother ONLY and vice-versa.

This is evident from a Hadith narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As who said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) decided regarding one who was treated as a member of a family after the death of his father, to whom he was attributed when the heirs said he was one of them, that if he was the child of a slave-woman whom the father owned when he had intercourse with her, he was included among those who sought his inclusion, but received none of the inheritance which was previously divided; he, however, received his portion of the inheritance which had not already been divided; but if the father to whom he was attributed had disowned him, he was not joined to the heirs. If he was a child of a slave-woman whom the father did not possess or of a free woman with whom he had illicit intercourse, he was not joined to the heirs and did not inherit even if the one to whom he was attributed is the one who claimed paternity, since he was a child of fornication whether his mother was free or a slave.”#Abu Dawud Collection.

The rulings in (c), (d) and (e) above do not imply that Islam condones any of these acts. The perpetrators are to be duly punished according to Shari’ah. We are interested in the inheritance of innocent children that are products of these unfortunate incidences.

f) A child will in addition inherit from his mother only after li’an (cursing for adultery) which happens when a man denies the paternity of his wife’s pregnancy and they end up swearing and cursing themselves. The Hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As above confirms this: “…but if the father to whom he was attributed had disowned him, he was not joined to the heirs…”

g) An adopted child will not inherit from his adoptive parents and vice-versa due to lack of biological relationship between them. But they can make a will in his/her favour which must not exceed 1/3 of their estates.

h) In-vitro fertilisation: This is the process of fertilising an egg with sperm in an artificial environment such as test-tube. A child produced using this method is popularly called “test tube baby.”

The procedure involves stimulation of the woman with injected medications to develop multiple follicles (egg-containing structures) in the ovaries. Thereafter, a trans-vaginal ultrasound-guided procedure is performed to remove the eggs from the follicles which are fertilized in the laboratory with her partner’s sperm. The embryos are finally placed in the woman’s uterus where they will hopefully implant and develop to result in a live birth.

            According to Sheikh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Jibreen as cited by Sheikh Muhammad Al-Munajjid, in-vitro fertilization is permissible in Islam if certain conditions are fulfilled. They are:

1. That there is a real need for that. A delay of one or two years in having children is not an excuse for the couple to pursue this or similar methods. Rather they should be patient, for Allah may grant them a way out soon without them doing anything that is haram. 
2. The woman should not uncover her ‘awrah before men when there are female staffs available. 
3. It is not permissible for the husband to masturbate; rather he may be intimate with his wife without penetration, and produce semen in this manner. 
4. The woman’s eggs and man’s sperm should not be kept in a freezer for later use, or another appointment, and there should not be any delay in placing them in the woman’s uterus. Rather that should be done immediately without any delay, lest they be mixed with others or be used for other people. 
5. The sperm must come from the husband and the egg from the wife, and be implanted in the wife’s uterus. Anything else is not permissible at all.
6. There should be complete trust in the doctors who are doing this procedure. 

As far as inheritance is concerned, the most important condition is (v). This does not imply that others are not important as well. When (v) is fulfilled, the child will inherit from both the father and mother and vice-versa. However, if there happens to be a mix-up such that another man’s sperm was used to fertilise the wife’s egg, the child will inherit from the mother only. Conversely, if the husband’s sperm was used to fertilise another woman’s egg, the child will inherit from the father only. In a situation whereby the sperm and egg of others were used, there will be no inheritance between the child and his “so-called” parents because they are no-more-than adoptive parents. Note that even if the child develops in the wife’s womb, so long as it’s not her egg, the biological connection that will necessitate inheritance between them is missing.
 
Son1. If he is the only heir, he inherits the whole estate of his deceased father or mother.
2. When other heirs are inheriting along with him, he becomes a residuary i.e. takes whatever remains after other heirs have gotten their shares.
3. Two or more sons share equally the whole estate if they are the only heirs.
4. Two or more sons share equally the residue of the estate when other heirs are present.

Daughter1. If a deceased has only one surviving daughter, she inherits half (½) of the estate irrespective of whether she is the only heir or not.
2. Two or more daughters share equally two-third (2/3) of the estate whether or not they are the only heirs.

One may be tempted to ask: what happens to the remaining ½ of the estate when a daughter is the only heir or the remaining 1/3 of the estate when two or more daughters are the only heirs? In other words, what is the ruling when available heirs do not exhaust the estate? Jurists differed on this. The various opinions are:

a) The residue goes to the bait-ul-mal (public treasury) because no heir should receive more than what Allah has prescribed for him/her.
b) The public treasury has been misused; therefore the heirs should redistribute the residue among themselves based on the initial sharing formula. This is technically called Radd.
c) The residue should be given to the cognates (relations whose connection to the deceased is traceable through the mother or female line) who are traditionally non-heirs.
Radd (reduction of base number) and inheritance of cognates are not covered in this website, thus they are included in Further Reading.

Son(s) and daughter(s)
In a situation whereby the deceased leaves behind a combination of sons and daughters in whatever form (i.e. son and daughter, son and daughters, sons and daughter or sons and daughters), they share the whole estate if they are the only heirs in a ratio of 2 to 1. Meaning that, a son is given twice the share of a daughter. But if other heirs (that are not excluded by them) are present, they [son(s) and daughter(s)] become residuaries in the sense that they will share the left-over or residue after other heirs have received their shares in the same ratio of 2 to 1. Allah says in the Qur'an:

“Allah commands you as regards your children’s (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females…” Qur’an 4:11 

Non-Muslims and Muslims who do not understand their religion argue that Islam is unjust to women in terms of inheritance. If not, why should it grant the male twice the share of the female even though they are children of the same parents? Answering this question, Hojjat al-Islam Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani says, “… Islam’s position on inheritance is in reality to the benefit of the woman. In the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyya), the daughters and wives of the deceased were deprived of inheritance and all the wealth of the deceased went to his sons. Islam, however, came and annulled the laws of the ignorant times and made women amongst the inheritors of the deceased. From its inception, Islam gave women independence in ownership and monetary matters, this being a matter that has only but recently entered the laws of European nations. Even though apparently the inheritance of a man is double that of a woman, when we probe into the matter more thoroughly, we find that the inheritance of a woman is two times that of a man. The responsibilities that have been placed on the shoulders of men necessitates that they spend half of their income on women. Any given man is obligated to spend money on his spouse’s home, clothes, food, and other expenses, while the cost of living of himself and his children are on his shoulders. This responsibility of upkeep is to such an extent that even if a woman’s social position necessitates her having a servant and she herself does not have the means to pay for such a person, the salary of the aforementioned servant is upon her husband. These responsibilities are on the shoulders of men, whereas we see that women are exempted from paying any living expenses, including their own – whether clothes or food. Therefore and in all practicality, it is (the) woman who has more of a portion of wealth than (the) man…”

“… Consider, for example, that the sum total of all the wealth of the world is 30 billion pounds. Say that this wealth was distributed by means of inheritance between men and women. From this amount of money, 20 billion pounds went to men and 10 billion went to women. Since women do not have to spend on themselves, they can save that 10 billion and become partners with the men in the remaining 20 billion (since the portion of men is spent on women and children). So, half of the portion of men, which is 10 billion pounds goes to women. When we add this amount to the portion that the women saved from before, their sum total becomes 20 billion pounds…”

“…In the end, it is possible for us to say that if it is true that the expenses of the woman are upon the shoulders of the man, then what use does woman have in hoarding a large amount of wealth? We can answer by saying that the dowry and inheritance of the woman is like a savings that is for her future, in case she separates from her spouse or her spouse dies. It is so she can lead a comfortable and respected life in case such events happen. But the reason that the expenses of the woman is upon the man is so that she can, without any sort of mental anxiety, raise good and pious children. In this way the family, which is the cornerstone of society, will be filled with warmth and love…”

Grandson(s) and granddaughter(s)
In the absence of a deceased's son(s) and daughter(s), his/her grandson(s) and granddaughter(s) through son(s) will “jump” and inherit all the rights and privileges of the substantive son(s) and daughter(s) respectively. Therefore,

1. A grandson inherits the whole estate if he is the only heir or becomes a residuary in the presence of other heirs.
2. Two or more grandsons share equally the whole estate if they are the only heirs or share equally the residue if other heirs are present.
3. A granddaughter takes ½ of the estate, while two or more granddaughters share equally 2/3 of the estate in the presence or absence of other heirs.
4. A combination of grandson(s) and granddaughter(s) in whatever form share the whole estate if they are the only heirs or share the residue when other heirs exist in the ratio of 2 to 1, i.e. each grandson takes twice the share of each granddaughter.

Daughter(s) and granddaughter(s) 
Note that even though a granddaughter through a son acts like a daughter in the absence of her father, this right is limited in the presence of an actual daughter, because the maximum share of daughters, granddaughters or a combination of daughters and granddaughters is 2/3 of the estate. Thus, whenever daughter(s) and granddaughter(s) are inheriting together, the former get their full shares while the latter distribute the residue of 2/3 equally if any. As a result,

1. One daughter, one granddaughter: Daughter gets ½; granddaughter gets 1/6, making 2/3.
2. One daughter, two or more granddaughters: Daughter gets ½; granddaughters share 1/6 equally.
3. More than one daughter, any number of granddaughters: Daughters share 2/3 equally; granddaughters get nothing.

This is the application of rules 2 and 3 of exclusion i.e. a daughter does not exclude grandchildren [children of her late brother(s)] and two or more daughters exclude strictly granddaughters respectively.

Daughter(s) and grandson(s)
We know that sons and daughters share the whole estate or its residue in a ratio of 2 to 1. In the absence of a son, the grandson through son will “jump” and replace him but he does not have the same “power” as the son if he is inheriting together with substantive daughter(s). He takes the residue after the daughter(s) and other heirs if present have received their shares. Thus,

1. One daughter, one grandson: Daughter receives ½; grandson receives the residue. Residue here means ½ in the absence of other heirs or whatever is left when other heirs are present and have gotten their shares.
2. One daughter, more than one grandson: Daughter gets ½; grandsons share residue equally.
3. More than one daughter, one grandson: Daughters share 2/3 equally; grandson is given the residue.
4. Two or more daughters, two or more grandsons: Daughters receive and share 2/3 proportionately; grandsons share the residue equally.

Daughter(s), grandson(s) and granddaughter(s)
As mentioned earlier, grandson(s) and granddaughter(s) divide the whole estate or its residue in a ratio of 2 to 1. But when inheriting along with substantive daughter(s), they will share the residue of the estate after the daughter(s) and other heirs (if present) have received their shares. Hence,

1. A daughter, grandson(s), and granddaughter(s): Daughter receives ½; grandson(s) and granddaughter(s) share the residue in a ratio of 2 to 1.
2. Two or more daughters, grandson(s) and granddaughter(s): Daughters gets 2/3 which they will share equally; grandson(s) and granddaughter(s) share the residue in a ratio of 2 to 1.

This is the application of rule 4 of exclusion which says that two or more daughters do not exclude grandchildren comprising of at least a grandson.

Son(s) and grandchildren
A son, sons or combination of son(s) and daughter(s) will inherit the whole estate or the whole residue; therefore there will be no any leftover for grandchildren to inherit from. This means that grandchildren get nothing. Recall rule 1 of exclusion: a son excludes all grandchildren.  

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

What Every Muslim Should Know About Christmas

Al-Hamdulillah, All praise be to Allah alone, for making us Muslims and bestowing us the Deen of Islam to distinguish right and wrong. The holiday season is upon us again, and the ugly head of Satan is rising again to inspire people to indulge in innovation and shirk. What proceeds is an analytical view of Christmas and appropriate Muslim conduct during the Christmas season. Any belief system or ritual (Christmas or otherwise) in any religion should satisfy each of the following criteria to be labeled as authentic: 1. It should have its evidence from the scriptures or from the authentic sayings of the Messenger. 2. The Messenger himself and his companions should practice and propagate it. 3. The Scripture or the Messenger's sayings in which this belief system is present should be preserved from alterations or perishment. Does Christmas have Biblical Evidence? The word 'Christmas' is not even present in the entire Bible. The Bible has closed lips on the entire feast of Christmas with one exception, the decoration of tree. Fortunately, for the Christians, the Bible does has a word or two to say on the decoration of the Christmas tree, but unfortunately for them, their own Bible criticizes the use of decorating tree: "The customs of the people are worthless, they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel, they adore it with silver and gold, they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter" (Jeremiah 10:3,4). Pre-Christian pagans superstitiously believed that the evergreen tree has special power of protection. In fact, the use of Christmas tree began in the 17th century, in Strasbourg, France and from there it spread to Germany, Britain and then to the U.S. "Tree worship was a common feature of religion among the Teutonic and Scandinavian peoples of northern Europe before their conversion to Christianity…German settlers brought the Christmas tree custom to the American colonies in the 17th century. By the 19th century its use was quite widespread". (Compton's Encyclopedia, 1998 Edition) Was Jesus Born on Dec. 25th? Neither the date 25th Dec. nor any other date on Jesus' birth is mentioned in the Bible. Not until the year 530 C.E., that a monk, Dionysus Exigus, fixed the date of the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25th. "He wrongly dated the birth of Christ according to the Roman system (i.e., 754 years after the founding of Rome) as Dec. 25, 753". (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 ed.) This date was chosen perhaps in keeping with the holidays already indoctrinated into pagans. Roman pagans celebrated Dec. 25th as the birth of their 'god' of light, Mithra. "In the 2nd century A..D., it (Mithraism) was more general in the Roman Empire than Christianity, to which it bore many similarities" (The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, 1995 ed.) "The reason why Christmas came to be celebrated on December 25 remains uncertain, but most probably the reason is that early Christians wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the "birthday of the unconquered sun" (natalis solis invicti); this festival celebrated the winter solstice, when the days again begin to lengthen and the sun begins to climb higher in the sky". (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 Ed.) Other pagan 'gods' born on Dec. 25th are: Hercules, the son of Zeus (Greeks) Bacchus, god of wind, (Romans),Adenis god of Greeks Freyr the Greek-Roman god. What about Santa Claus? Once again the word 'Santa Claus' appears no where in the bible. However Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) was a real person, bishop, who was born 300 years after Jesus (pbuh). According to legend he was extremely kind and went out at night to distribute presents to the needy. After his death on the 6th of Dec., school boys in Europe celebrated a feast day every year on the anniversary of his death. Queen Victoria later changed the celebration date from Dec. 6th to Dec. 24th eve. Thus Christmas is an innovation (bidah) in their religion, associating it with Santa Claus, and changing the original date of death anniversary of Saint Nicholas are further deviations. Did Jesus or his companions celebrated Christmas? Of course not. If Jesus meant his 'Ummah' to celebrate Christmas, he would have practiced it himself and enjoined it on his followers. Even the 'supposed pseudo-companions' of Jesus (and not the companions of Jesus mentioned in the Quran who called themselves as Muslims) mentioned in the bible made many innovations in their religion, but celebrating Christmas was not their endeavor. "In fact, the church did not observe a festival for the celebration of the event until the 4th century" (Grolier's Encyclopedia). Even if Christianity passed the above two test, they still have to prove that their Bible have remained unaltered since its revelation. A whole separate article could be written on this topic. We'll mention three brief points, insha Allah. (1) Bible, unlike our Quran, was not written down during Jesus' lifetime and no evidence of it ever being memorized. (2) The oldest bible (Codex Siniticas) in possession of Christendom is only from the 4th century C.E. (3) verses are missing or added as to the Bible throughout the centuries. Compare different Bible versions (eg. compare the King James Version with Revised Standard Version. For verse: 1 John 5:7, this verse is missing in Revised Standard Version published in 1952). How unfortunate and pitiful: parts of the original Bible has been lost. Part surviving has been corrupted and the corrupted parts has been misinterpreted. How should Muslims React to Christmas? Being the custodians of Truth and the 'Best Ummah created for mankind" and "witnesses unto Mankind", we Muslims just can't stay still as the society around us is entrapped by Satan. Enjoining good and forbidding evil should be our theme. The foremost thing to realize is that Christmas is a big innovation which is leading a big part of humanity to shirk (associating partners with God). Christianity has transgressed the limits set by Allah; therefore showing happiness and joy on Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Good Friday is like shaking hands with Satan and telling him to carry on the good work. Remember Allah commandment to us in the Quran: "Help you one another in virtue and righteousness, but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah, verily Allah is severe in punishment". (Quran, 5:2) Therefore, a Muslim can't enjoin in any aspect of Christmas in the disguise that Jesus is our Prophet too, we are just honoring him by celebrating Christmas. We should recognize the bidah of Christmas and the Prophet's warning that all bidah should be rejected. Therefore, accepting Christmas invitations, attending Christmas parties, buying small plastic Christmas trees to please the kids (some Muslims actually do) should be avoided. By greeting Christians with 'merry Christmas' we are legitimizing Christmas, by driving out on Christmas eve to witness the decoration of houses, we are appreciating bidah with our eyes, by placing our kids on the laps of Santa in the malls we are handing them in the hands of a fiend, by closing our Islamic Schools or shops during Christmas we are giving it our silent approval, by selling Christmas items in our shops, we are strengthening the pillars of Kufr. By purchasing for children books with Christmas themes ('The Night before Christmas'), by watching Christmas movies and by giving holidays to our regular Islamic schools or weekend schools, we are passing them a misguided message. Indeed Islam came to tear down the pillars of kufr and replace them with the pillars of Islam. Armed with facts on Christmas and eloquent words of Islam, the door of Dawah to the Christians should be wisely open. When the Christians see us restraining from observing Christmas, they will curiously ask us for the reason. This opportunity should be used by each single Muslim to discuss Islam and invite non-Muslims to Islam. It is highly recommended for all Muslims to carry brochures on Islam with them to pass on to non-Muslim classmates, co-workers, neighbors etc. after discussing Islam. Free brochures on various topics on Islam can be obtained by calling 1-718-658-1199 (for U.S. and Canadian residents). Writing articles in campus and local newspapers on 'Jesus (pbuh) in Islam', conducting soup kitchens in impoverished neighborhoods, clothing drives in schools and college campuses for the needy etc. are some proper modes of conduct during the Christmas holiday season. Thus the hearts and minds of non-Muslims should be exposed to the beautiful message of Islam. Truth comes, falsehood disappears; Islam came, now shirk must clear. Sabeel Ahmed October 1997.

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